现代大学英语听力2 原文及答案汇编
Unit 1Task 1【答案】A.1) She wanted to see St. Paul’s Cathedral.2) She was so surprised because she saw so many Englishmen who looked alike.3) They were all wearing dark suits and bowler hats, carrying umbrellas and newspapers.4) Because she had often read about them and seen photographs of them, who all looked as if they were wearing a uniform.5) No, he didn’t.6) He used the English saying “It takes all kinds to make a world” to prove his opinion.B.If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea it would be! And if all the trees were one tree, what a great tree it would be! And if this tree were to fall in the sea, what a great splash there would be!【原文】Yesterday morning Gretel went to the City of London. She wanted to see St. Paul's Cathedral. She was surprised to see so many Englishmen who looked alike. They were all wearing dark suits and bowler hats. They were all carrying umbrellas and newspapers. When she returned home she asked Mr clark about these strange creatures. "They must be typical English gentlemen," she said." I have often read about them and seen photographs of them. They all look as if they are wearing a uniform. Does the typical English gentleman still exist?"Mr. Clark laughed. "I've never thought about it," he answered." It's true that many of the men who work in the City of London still wear bowler hate and I suppose they are typical Englishmen. But look at this." Mr. Clark picked up a magazine and pointed at a photo of a young man. "He's just as typical, perhaps. It seems as if there is no such thing as a 'typical' Englishman. Do you know the English saying 'It takes all kinds to make a world'? That's true of all countries-including England."“Oh, just like the poem ‘If All the Seas Were One Sea’,” Gretel began to hum happily. If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea that would be! If all the trees were one tree, what a great tree that would be! And if this tree were to fall in the sea, w hat a great splash that would be!”Task 2【答案】A.1) people were much busier2) colder than England; minus thirty degrees; last longer3) much more mountainous; much higher and much more rocky; more beautiful4) tend to be more crowded5) the houses; smallerB.1) T 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) F【原文】John is British but has worked in Japan. Etsuko is Japanese from Osaka, but she is studying in Britain. In the following passage you are going to hear, they are comparing life as they see it inthe two countries. But before listening to it, think of the two countries and try to answer the following pre-listening questions.John: I found that living in Japan, people were busier. They seem to work the whole day. Etsuko: Yes, that’s right. We work from Monday through Saturday, even in summer. You know, summer in Japan is just horrible. It’s very, very humid and hot, and you need to shower three times a day.John: So you find it cooler in England?Etsuko: Yes, that’s right.John: Where I was living in Japan, in the North, it was much colder than England, especially in winter, minus thirty degrees centigrade. Does the winter in Osaka last longer than the winter in England?Etsuko: No, I don’t think so. December, January, February, March.John: Yes. It’s a little bit shorter if anything.Etsuko: Ever since I came here, I noticed that the countryside here in England is very beautiful. John: It’s much flatter than in Japan.Etsuko: Yes. Japan is a mountainous country and our cities are full of people. There are lots of people in a limited flat area.John: Yes, I found Japan much more mountainous than Britain, especially in the north. The mountains are much higher and much more rocky. I found it more beautiful than Britain, I think. Etsuko: Yes, if you like mountains.John: And therefore the towns and villages tend to be more crowded.Etsuko: Yes, that’s right.John: Yes. So because the cities are more crowded, the houses tend to be smaller, don’t they? Etsuko: Yes, they are very compact, and we don’t have a lot of space. In big cities we have a lot of taller buildings now.John: Is this a problem because there are more earthquakes in Japan?Etsuko: Yes, that’s right and…Task 3【答案】A.1) In the US, people usually dance just to enjoy themselves; they don’t invite other people to watch them.2)Usually eight people dance together.3)Because people form a square in dancing with a man and a woman on each side of the square.4) He usually makes it into a song.5) They wear old-fashioned clothes.B.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) TC.1) eight people form a square; on each side of the square2) what they should do; makes it into a song; sings it3) don’t have much time to think4) old-fashioned clothes【原文】Rosa: Why don’t you have folk dances in the United States? Most countries have special dances that the people have done for many years. The dancers wear clothes from the old days.Everyone likes to watch them dance.Steve: We have folk dances, too. A lot of people belong to folk dancing groups. But when they dance, they usually do it just to enjoy themselves. They don’t invite other people towatch them.Rosa: Is there a folk dancing group here?Steve: I think so. There must be. There’s one in almost every city, and some big cities have several.Rosa: What are the dances like?Steve: Usually eight people dance together, four men and four women. When they start, they forma square, with a man and a woman on each side of the square. That’s why it’s calledsquare dancing. Then there’s a man who tells the dancers what they should do. Heusually makes it into a song. He sings it while they dance.Rosa: Oh, that should make the dances easy!Steve: Yes, but they are very fast. They don’t have much time to think. I like to watch them, though. The dancers wear old-fashioned clothes. That makes the dances pretty to watch. Rosa: I’d like to watch a group dance.Steve: I’ll take you sometime.Task 4【答案】1) It was a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring.2) They burned the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck.3) The custom said the brides must wear “something old, something new, something borrowed,and something blue” to bring good luck.4)Because they could not eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they tried to use upthese things before Lent began.5)It was a straw man made by children in Czech; it was a figure of death.6)People brought their animals to church. And before the animals went into the church peopledressed them up in flowers and ribbons.【原文】1) On the evening of February 3rd, people in Japanese families took one dried bean for each year of their age and threw the beans on the floor, shouting "Good luck in! Evil spirits out!" This was known as "Setsubun", a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring.2) Before the Chinese Lunar New Year in the old days, many Chinese families burned the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck. When Lunar New Year's Day came, they put ancw picture of the kitchen god on the wall.3) When American women got married, they sometimes followed an old custom in choosing what to wear on their wedding day. The custom said the bride must wear "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue". This was to bring good luck.4) Before Lent (a time on the Christian calendar), the people of Ponti, Italy ate an omelet made with 1,000 eggs. People could not eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they tried touse up these things before Lent began.5) When winter ended in Czech, the children made a straw man called "Smrt", which was a figure of death. They burned it or threw it in the river. After they destroyed it, they carried flowers home to show the arrival of spring.6) January 17th was St. Anthony's Day in Mexico. It was a day when people brought their animals to church. But before the animals went into the church, the people dressed them up in flowers and ribbons. This ceremony was to protect people's animals.Task 5【答案】A.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) T 7) T【原文】Man: Well, I think life used to be much more fun than it is now. I mean, look at the Victorians.They had lots of servants to do all the work; they never had to do any cooking or cleaning;they just wore those beautiful dresses and went to tea parties.Woman: You must be joking! Their clothes were terribly uncomfortable and their tea parties were very formal and boring. They used to wear their hats and long gloves even when they were eating cakes and biscuits. And men were not usually invited.Man: Really? Weren't they?Woman: And think of the poor servants. What a terrible life — just cleaning and cooking for other people all the time!Man: But you hate housework!Woman: Yes, I know, but there are lots of machines now to help you with the housework. People don't need servants.Man: Maybe they don't, but life then was much slower than it is now-people nowadays are always rushing, and they never have time to stop and enjoy themselves.Woman: Life then was fine for the rich, but it was dreadful for the poor. There was much more illness. They didn't have the money to pay doctors, and they often used to die of illnesses that don't exist in England now.Man: Maybe. But people used to talk to each other, play the piano or play cards together.Nowadays people just sit in front of the television for hours and never talk to each other. Woman: I agree with you about television; but what about their children? They left their Children with the servants all day. Children hardly ever saw their parents! And the clothes they hadto wear! Horrible, tight, uncomfortable, grown-up clothes. Children have a much better life now than they used to, and schools and education are much better too.Man: I hate school.Woman: And look at opportunities for women. In those days, women used to stay at home, play the piano, change their clothes several times a day and have tea parties. What a life! They didn't have any freedom at all. I'm very happy living now. I can work, have a career, do what I want to.Man: You mean you can work hard all your life like a Victorian servant.Woman: Life isn't all tea parties, you know.Task 6【答案】A.1) b 2) a 3) c 4) aB.1) family unit; process; change; used to be; the extended; the nuclear2) job patterns; progressed; agricultural; industrial; forced; job opportunities; split up3) traditional; family; expanded; other living arrangementsC.1) mother, father, children, and some other relatives, such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby2)only the parents and the children3)previously married men and women marry again and combine the children from formermarriages into a new family【原文】The American family unit is in the process of change. There used to be mainly two types of families: the extended and the nuclear. The extended family most often included mother, father, children, and some other relatives, such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby. Then as job patterns changed and the economy progressed from agricultural to industrial, people were forced to move to different parts of the country for job opportunities. These moves split up the extended family. The nuclear family became more prevalent; this consisted of only the parents and the children. Now besides these two types of traditional groupings, the word "family" is being expanded to include a variety of other living arrangements.Today's family can be made up of diverse combinations. With the divorce rate nearly one in two, there is an increase in single parent homes: a father or mother living with one or more children. "Blended families" occur when previously married men and women marry again and combine the children from former marriages into a new family. On the other hand, some couples are deciding not to have any children at all, so there is an increase in childless families. There are also more people who live alone: single, widowed, divorced. Now one in five Americans lives alone.Task 7【答案】A.B.1) c 2) c 3) a 4) b 5) c 6) c 7) c【原文】In Japan both men and women go to university and both men and women study the arts such as history or English. But very few women study science, medicine or engineering. In engineering classes of thirty or forty students, there may be only one or two women. Men and women both go to university in order to get good jobs: men want to work for a big company, be successful, earn a lot of money and support a family; women, on the other hand, want to work for a big company because they have a better chance of meeting a successful man and getting married. This is changing, however, as Japanese women begin to think about their own careers. They have began to take jobs which they like rather than jobs in order to find a husband.Men work for their whole lives and usually stay with the same company. A woman may work up to ten years, but after that she usually gets married. Most women are married by the age of twenty seven, then they stay at home and look after the children. A man does not cook or look after the children. When he comes home, his meal must be ready. The woman may go out in the afternoon, shopping with her friends or having a chat, but she must go back home by four o'clock to prepare the meal. Then she may have to wait a long time for her husband to come home. Often he has to go out for a drink after work: if he doesn't he may not rise very high in the company. After her children grow up, a woman can go back to work, but it is not easy. If her former company takes older women back, she might be lucky. But most women find it difficult to find a job when they are older.Task 8【答案】A.1) a 2) c 3) b 4) c 5) c 6) b 7) c 8) bB.1) T 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) T 6) F 7) F 8) F 9) T 10) F【原文】Matthew: Geth, how do people set about getting married in England?Geth: I suppose the most common way is still for people to go home. For example, people who live in London now will go back to their homes in the provinces where they'll meet alltheir relatives and their parents, and they'll get married in a church, with the bridewearing white, the traditional white. Then they'll go off and have a booze-up with theirrelatives and friends and a jolly good time will be had by all. Otherwise you can getmarried in a registry office, which means you turn up with your bride-to-be orbridegroom-to-be with two witnesses only. The ceremony takes about five minutes, Isuppose. You sign the form and that's it.Matthew: There are many today who say that marriage is a complete waste of time. What's your view of marriage in the twentieth century?Goth: Well, I live in London as you know. I think in London, the tendency is to... for a... boy and girl, man or woman to live together before marriage and often to live togetherwithout any prospect of marriage at all. I think this probably is... is true of London andthe other big cities than elsewhere, because after all people in London are living in a bigplace where home ties are obviously less restrictive. They can do more or less as theyplease and I think this is the pattern.Matthew: But do you think it helps for people to live together before taking their vows?Geth: I think in a sense the habit of living together before marriage may, in a strange sort of way, make marriage stronger, because after all the people will know each other betterwhen they do get married and it might be suggested that divorce would be less likelybetween such a couple.Matthew: Sue, you've been married for two or three years now. How's it working out?Sue: I think it's a successful marriage. It's... I mean, it's difficult to say why, because we basically suit each other very much. We have a good friendship, apart from anythingelse, and, you know, we just go together very well because we respect each other'sfreedom and individuality, but on the other hand we really need each other, you know,it's...Matthew: What about.., have you thought of having children?Sue: Well, obviously, like most young couples, we have thought about it, but, you know, we both feel rather, sort of, loath to lose our freedom just yet. I think we'll probably waitanother few years.Matthew: Is it easy in England today to people to get divorced, or is that quite difficult?Chris: I think technically it's probably fairly easy, I think, because I'm not English but, I think technically it's fairly easy to be... to get divorced. But it's not just the technicality of it which is the problem. Divorce is... is a social stigma which people can probably Cope with to varying degrees, but it's also a lot easier for the man because the woman, after she is divorced is, in fact, frowned upon by... by a lot of people in society. She is... is... at a...a much more difficult social position in terms of... of meeting other men, or whatever,simply because she is a divorcee.Task 9【原文】Social customs and ways of behaving change. But they do not necessarily always change for the better. Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now acceptable. Just a few years ago, it was considered impolite behaviour for a man to smoke on the street. No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a fool of himself by smoking when a lady was in the room.The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable — especially if they are your guests. There is a story about a rich nobleman who had a very formal dinner party. When the food was served, one of the guests started to eat his peas with a knife. Other guests were amused or shocked, but the nobleman calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way. It would have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or uncomfortable.Unit 2Task 1【答案】1) b 2) a 3) d【原文】Texas was the biggest state before Alaska became the forty-ninth state in 1959. One good way to understand the size of Texas is to learn about its weather. Different parts of the state have very different kinds of weather.Laredo is one of the hottest cities in the United States in summer. The best time to visit Laredo is in winter, when it is pleasantly warm.Amarillo gets very cold in winter. Sometimes there is more snow in Amarillo than in New York, which is a northern city. Summers are better, but sometimes it gets quite hot. The best time to visit Amarillo is in the autumn when it is cool.If anyone asks you about the weather in Texas, ask him, “What part of Texas do you m ean？”Task 2【答案】A.1)T 2) F 3) FB.1) d 2) c 3) cC.climate, reputation, extraordinary, unreliable, dry, wet, clear, dull, hot, cold, bad, mild【原文】Our friend, Nick, whose English gets better and better, declared solemnly the other day that he thought that the British climate was wonderful, but the British weather was terrible. He went on to explain by pointing out that the British climate was a temperate one. This meant, he said, "that you could always be certain that the weather would never be extreme — at any rate not for any length of time — never very hot and never very cold." He quite rightly pointed out that the rainfallin Britain, according to the statistics, was not very heavy. "Why then," he asked, "has the British climate such a bad reputation?" He answered by saying it was because of the extraordinary, unreliable weather. There was no part of the year at which you could be certain that the weather would be dry or wet, clear or dull, hot or cold. A bad day in July could be as cold as a mild day in January. Indeed you could feel cold at almost any time of the year. Nick blamed drafty British houses for this, but agreed you could also blame the small amount of sunshine and a great amount of dampness. He advised every student coming to Britain to bring an umbrella and to understand the meaning of that splendid word "drizzle".Task 3【答案】I.the country; Trees, grass, lakes and steamsII.A.1. concrete, iron, steel2. take in the heat during the day and throw off heat into the air at nightB. Warmer winters, car engines; electrical applianceⅢ.A. air pollution may stop sunlight from reaching the earthB.1. Ice near the North and South poles to melt2. to be slowly flooded and people living in these cities to move to higher land【原文】Cities change the climate around you. In the country, there are trees, grass, lakes, and streams. In hot weather, the trees and grass cool the area around them. Lakes and rivers also cool the area around them.But cities are not cooled in these natural ways. Cities are built of asphalt, concrete, iron, and steel. There are few trees and usually not much grass. Rain falls onto the streets and into the sewers.When the summer sun shines, streets and buildings take in the heat; after the sun sets, the streets and buildings throw off heat into the street. Once the sun sets, the countryside cools off, but a city may stay hot all night.Cities are hotter than the countryside in winter, too. Standing near a car with its motor running, winter or summer, you will feel the heat thrown off by the engine. The heat comes from the gasoline burned by the engine. This heat warms the air and the ground around the car. Thousands of running cars are almost like thousands of small fires burning.Carefully put your hand near a light bulb or television set. As you can see, electricity creates a lot of heat. This heat from electricity warms the house and the outside air.The heat given off by cities can affect the climate. Some experts even believe that cities can change the climate of the whole world. They think that air pollution may stop sunlight from reaching the earth. If less sunshine reaches the earth, the earth may become cooler.Still other experts think the world will get warmer. If the world did get warmer, great changes would occur. Ice near the North and South poles would melt. This would make the oceans rise. Cities near oceans — like Los Angeles, Boston, and Miami — would slowly be flooded. Peopleliving in these cities would have to move to higher land.Task 4【答案】A.1) b 2) cB. night, delight; morning, warning; gray, way, red, headC.1) F 2) T 3) F【原文】A red sky at either dusk or dawn is one of the spectacular and beautiful weather predictors we have in nature. By closely observing this phenomenon, you can achieve short-range accuracy of the weather as good as, or better than your local weatherman. In the Bible, Jesus in Matthew 16, 2-3 is quoted as saying, “When it is evening, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning it will be foul weather today: for the sky is red” when speaking to the Pharisees. An old English weather proverb based on this passage is:Red sky at night, sailors delight.Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.OrEvening red and morning gray,Sends the traveler on his way.Evening gray, morning red,Brings the rain down on his head.At dusk, a red sky indicates that dry weather is on the way. This is due to the sun shining through dust particles being pushed ahead of a high pressure system bringing in dry air. A red sky in the morning is due to the sun again shining through dust. In this case however, the dust is being pushed on by an approaching low reassure system bringing in moisture. Don't confuse a red sky in the morning with a red sun in the morning. If the sun itself is red and the sky is a normal color, the day will be fair.Task 5【答案】1) c 2) b 3) d 4) c 5) c【原文】Mark: I am an avid fly fisherman and frequently find myself on the river in a raft during lightning storms. We always have a debate at these times on where weare safest — pulling into shore or staying on the water. Since I have heard oneis safe in a car when lightning strikes I wonder if the raft floating on the wateris insulated, and therefore the safest place to be.Meteorologist A: We spoke with some scientists about your question, and they all agreed that under no circumstances should you remain on the water during a lightningstorm. If your raft is made of rubber, you might feel that you're .well insulated,but don't kid yourself. Typical lightning flashes travel 10 to 15 kilometers andcan deliver as much as 100,000 amps of current. In comparison, a toaster usesabout 10 amps of current. If lightning strikes the water near you, it will have notrouble traveling through a few extra centimeters of rubber.Meteorologist B: So, if you're on the water and a thunderstorm approaches, get to the shore and seek shelter on land. Try a building or car. If neither is available, look for a cave,cliff, wall, or a group of trees. Never take shelter under an isolated tree-it's also agood target for lightning.Task 6【答案】A.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) TB.Incredible, one minute, one kilometer, destroyed, lifted up, carried away, killed, injured【原文】Every spring and summer many inland areas are hit by tornados. A tornado is a kind of storm. It's a revolving, funnel-shaped column of air that moves through the sky at very high speeds. A tornado looks like a huge, black ice cream cone whirling through the sky. The speed of a tornado is very fast-it is believed to be between 200 and 700 kilometers per hour.Tornados form under very special weather conditions, and these special weather conditions occur most often in inland areas, such as the central United States. A tornado forms when a layer of warm, dry air is on top of a layer of cooler, moist air. This combination of dry, warm air above wet, cool air creates a condition that causes the lower layer of air to lift up. As the lower air rises, both layers of air begin to rotate, to turn around and around. The air begins to rotate faster and faster because of centrifugal force. The tornado has a center called an “eye” and the air rotates quickly around this eye.As the air begins to rotate faster and faster, the tornado cloud begins to grow downward; that is, it begins to form a funnel or cone, and this cone goes down toward the ground.The cone of air is dark because it develops from a dark rain cloud. As the cloud gets longer, as the cloud gets closer to the ground, it begins to pull up dirt from the ground. Then the funnel of rotating air becomes very dark because of the dirt in it. As the tornado funnel gets longer, it begins to drag along the ground.When the tornado touches the ground, it does incredible damage. It usually touches the ground for only about one minute, and it usually travels along the ground for only about one kilometer, but during that one minute, buildings are destroyed, trees are lifted up out of the ground, small objects are carried away, and sometimes people are injured or killed.Task 7【答案】A.1) b 2) a 3) bB.1) It has been nice weather during the day, but it is going to change at night.2) Fine weather in southern Europe and not so nice in northern EuropeFor todaySoutheast England---26 degrees Celsius by mid-afternoonSouthern Scotland---Maximum temperatures of around 21 degreesBrighton---15 hours of lovely sunshine。
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目问题详解unit14
y, too. They are active, but not as active as the thi nner mice. But they only live about two years, not the three years or more of the thi nner mice.The last group of mice is receiving more food than the other two groups. Most of the day, these mice are eat ing or sleep ing. They ' re n ot very active. These mice are livi ng Ion ger tha n the scientists thought —about a year and a half. But they are not healthy. They ' re sick more ofte n tha n the other two groups.The experiment is still going on. The scientists hope to finish their studies in two years.Task 2【答案】A.1) People keep fish in a certain place just as they keep sheep and cattle.2) By educatio n.3) Waste pollutes the sea, and pla nkton dies. Other sea ani mals that live on pla nkton cannot findeno ugh food.4) They n eeded to kill whales for their meat, their bones and the oil from their fat. But they have othermaterials now.B.People on land'Large fishSmaller fishZoo pla nktonPla nt pla nkton【原文】Mike: Good morning, and welcome to Radio Time. For our mon thly programme, Science Today, rve in vited a group of scie ntists to the studio to talk about sea life —Professor Adams, Dr.Brow n and Dr. Church. It's good to have you with us. Professor Adams, I've read in thepapers that sea life is in dan ger. Is this trueAdams: I'm afraid so, very true. As the world population grows, we need more food, so we catch more fish. We're overfish ing the sea, and soon there won't BE any fish.Brown: The answer is to start more fish farms on land.Church: I agree. We must keep fish, like we keep sheep and cattle.Adams: Fish farms are a good idea, but I don't think they will solve the problem of overfish ing the sea. We have to stop people fishi ng in certa in parts of the ocea n.Church: Yes. We need international rules to protect fish, and all the countries of the world must agree to obey them.Brown: We have rules now, and people don't obey them. I agree that we must stop fishing in certain parts of the ocean...Adams: And we must only allow each country to catch a certain number of fish —but how do we make people obey these rulesChurch: I don't know. By education perhapsMike: You mean, teach people about sea lifeChurch: Exactly. We must explain how everything depends on everything else. If people want to eat fish in the future, then they must stop killing so many fish now.Brown: Waste is another problem. We're filling the oceans of the world with our rubbish. The sea can no longer clean itself. It's not safe to swim near the beaches, and out at sea plankton isstarting to die.Adams: And without plant plankton for the zoo plankton, and zoo plankton for small fish and shellfish, the large fish can't find any food, and so it goes on.Church: One reason why whales are disappearing is that they can't find enough food.Mike: Whales eat plankton, don't theyChurch: Yes. And some people still want to eat whale meat. In the past people needed to kill whales for their meat, their bones and the oil from their fat. But we have other materials now. People must stop killing whales.Brown: I agree. We mustn't lose the largest sea mammal in the world.Adams: Everyone must work to save the whale. It's a wonderful animal, and it has a right to life. Mike; And everyone must try to understand about sea life and protect it. Well, thank you for coming on the program me and I hope our listeners will remember what you said. Don't let our oceans die, and remember, no food for the fish means no fish for food!Task 3【答案】A.1) b2) a3) b4) cB.1) Measure; Mix; Pour; Put on; Pack2) late; sick; vacations; strike; 24 hours; 7 days; 365 daysC.1) A worker will program the robots. She/He will type the orders into a computer, telling the robots what ingredients to use, how long to mix them, and which labels to use.2) A technician from the robot company will come within an hour to fix it.3) No.【原文】Boss: Robots Why are you talking about robots We're a small company, we make cough syrup. We only have twenty workers. Robots are fine for large factories, not small ones like ours. Assistant: Boss, small companies can use robots, too. They're great workers.Boss: I don't know. Talk to me about them ten years from now.Assistant: Boss, listen, this is a simple operation here. We make 10 different kinds of cough syrup.But each operation only has 5 steps, so we'll only need 5 robots. One robot will measurethe ingredients, and a second robot will mix them. A third robot will pour the syrup into thebottles. Then a fourth robot will put the labels on. The last robot will pack the bottles intoboxes. Right now, we have 20 workers doing these jobs.Boss: But each kind of syrup is different. How will these robots know what to doAssistant: We'll tell them. One worker will program the robots. She'll just type the orders into a computer, tell the robots what ingredients to use, how long to mix them, and which labels touse.Boss: And what happens when one of the robots breaks downAssistant: They don't break down very often. And the robot company will have a technician here within an hour.Boss: I just can't picture it. What will we have here A quiet building with robots rolling around doing the workAssistant: That's it! And these robots are great workers. They'll never come to work late, they won't call in sick, they won't take vacations, they won't go on strike, and they'll work 24 hours aday, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.Boss: I don't know. It sounds like a good idea, but I need time to think. What about the men and women who work here now Most of them are good workers. They have families to support. Assistant: Boss, that's the only problem. We won't need them anymore.Task 4【答案】A.inventions; immediate; manufactured goods; growth; farms; grew up; coal; iron; pleasant; over-crowdedB.Part 2FactoryA.1. Long2. LowB. commonC. childrenPart 3women and childrenA. 10 years old; minesB. 10 working hours/day for women and for boys under 18C. form unionsC.1) Socialists demanded complete changes in the system of Government and the way people earned their living.But other social reformers only wanted to achieve their goals by peaceful means, particularly by passing new laws.2) The Consequences of the Industrial Revolution in Britain【原文】Part 1The early inventions and discoveries which began the Industrial Revolution had important consequences. One immediate result was the great increase in the quantity of manufactured goods available. Another important result was the rapid growth of cities. Many country people left their farmsto work in factories. Gradually, new towns grew up around these factories which were built near the sources of coal, iron and waterpower. Some of the great cities of England, such as Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham, started in this way.The industrial towns were not pleasant places to live in. The workers' quarters were over-crowded and the people lived in the midst of filth and disease.Part 2The Industrial Revolution also brought about what was later called the factory system. Working conditions in factories were bad. The people had to work long hours for small wages. Accidents were common and the employer took no responsibility for them. The most unfortunate victims of the factory system were children. Children only four or five years old were employed in factories and mines.Part 3Many influential people began to protest against the terrible conditions under which the people lived and worked. Gradually, the English Parliament made new laws to protect workers, particularly women and children. In 1842, it was made illegal to employ women, and children under ten years old, to work in the mines. Another law was passed in 1847 allowing only ten hours of work per day for women and for boys under eighteen years of age. After 1824, working men were also allowed to form unions to bargain peacefully with their employers for better working conditions and better wages. Strikes were, however, forbidden for many years. Part 4As the factory system grew, a number of men criticized its evils. Some of these men merely wanted new laws to protect the workers. Others, who were later known as Socialists or Communists, demanded complete changes in the system of Government and the way people earned their living.Task 5【答案】A.1) T2) T3) F4) T5) F6) F7) T8) T 【原文】Miranda went to one side of the control room and touched a button. The door of the safety room slid open. Miranda went inside and closed the door. She had a plan of her own.The large blue capsules were on the tray which had come out of the wall. Miranda picked up a capsule and opened it carefully. It was full of white powder. She emptied the white powder into some water. Then she poured the liquid into an injecti on gun.Mira nda put the gun carefully into a pocket i n her overalls. She now had a weap on of her own."Garth will not think of search ing me," Mira nda said to herself. "He does n't know I have a differe nt pla n for the crystals."Miranda went back to the control room. Omega was silently charging the power banks. The visual display showed the sleep ing bodies of Garth and Varon."Whe n will the ship be ready to leave for Zeron" she asked Omega eagerly."I n three and a half hour's time," was Omega's reply."Keep watch ing Garth," Mira nda ordered. "But you can stop watch ing Varon. He is lockedin his cab in. He cannot get out un til I ope n the door.""It will be don e," Omega an swered.He pressed the butt on on the con trol pan el. The picture of Varon disappeared and the picture of the sleep ing body of Garth filled the scree n.Mira nda went out in to the corridor and walked the short dista nce to Varo n's cab in. She touched a butt on in the wall and the door ope ned immediately. Varon was lyi ng asleep on the bunk.Mira nda looked dow n at him."You're a fool," she thought. "How can you lie there sleeping Anyone who trusts Garth is a fool."She shook Varon by the shoulder un til he woke up."What's wrong" he asked sleepily. "Are we ready to leave""Not yet," replied Mira nda. "I have come to talk to you. I want you to help me.""I am going to help you to get the Zeron crystals. What more help do you want" asked Varo n."You know very little about me and Garth," began Miranda."I know eno ugh," in terrupted Varon. "You are thieves. And you are murderers!""I am not a murderer," said Miranda. "I helped Garth on Earth. But I did not kill the owner of this spaceship."Task 6【答案】A.1) c2) b3) cB.【原文】Potts: Now, Mr. Macadam, what makes you so sure that there is a monster in Loch Ness Macadam: I've seen it, Professor Potts! I've seen it with my own eyes, I tell you! I was there byLoch Ness very early one mornin g. I was sta nding by the edge of the lake. Sudde nly Isaw a pair of eyes in the water. They were look ing at me. Then a head came up out of thewater, and this thing bega n to swim towards me. I was really frighte ned, you know!I was holding a bottle in my hand at the time. I threw it at the monster. Then the mon sterdived and swam away un derwater. But I know you don't believe my story, do you,Professor PottsPotts: Well, I believe that you saw something. But are you certain that it was a monster Could you see it clearly Are you sure that it was n't just some kind of ani mal or bird You see, Idon't believe in mon sters. And I don't think there's anything stra nge or unu sual in LochNess. If there are any mon sters there, why has n't anyone caught one yet Why aren'tthere any really clear photos or films of oneMacadam: Ah, well let me expla in. Loch Ness is very deep, you know —more tha n 200 metres deep in some places. And the water's a dark brown colour. These monsters don't come to thesurface of the lake very often. They live in deep water, near the bottom of the lake. Youcan't see much dow n there. So it's very hard to find these mon sters. And it's harder tocatch one. Dr. Hunt knows a lot about Loch Ness. You believe there's a mon ster there,don't you, DoctorDr. Hunt: Well, actually, I used to think that the whole idea of "Nessie" was just a joke. But now rm not so sure. Nowadays we know a lot about land animals, but the underwater world is stillfull of mysteries. I don't like the word "mon ster", but I believe there may be somethingunusual in Loch Ness. It may be a big animal. It may be a fish that scie ntists don't knowabout. It could even be a kind of dino saur that did n't die 65 milli on years ago. Whoknows It's an excit ing idea, but we can't be certa in un til we have some better pictures,or, best of all, un til some one catches one of these thi ngs so that scie ntists can study itproperly.Task 7【答案】A.1) F2) T3) F4) F5) TB.1) Dispute over the gen etically modified crops.2) Biotech foods come from material that has been genetically modified by scientists to resistin-sects or disease.3) European consumers feared possible health risks of these new foods.4) First the foods must be labeled clearly. Second, producers will have to trace GMOs at all stages ofproduction.5) Because the aid contained biotech grain, which Africans feared could be used as seed and therebythreaten future exports to the EU.【原文】The European Parliament on Wednesday passed two laws that could open the way for European Union nations to lift an unofficial ban on genetically modified crops. This is a major trade issue with the United States, whose farmers claim the ban has cost almost $300 million a year in lost corn exports.The new laws, expected to be adopted by EU governments before the end of the year, would allow the distribution of genetically modified foods as long as they are clearly labeled. The rules would also force producers to trace genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, at all stages of production.The new laws require the 15 nations of the EU to establish their own measures to prevent seeds from farms growing genetically modified crops from blowing into fields of conventional farms.European consumers fear possible health risks from genetically modified products, but EU Health Commissioner David Byrne insists this is not a concern."The purpose of this legislation is to inform consumers about the exact nature and characteristics of the food, to enable them to make informed choices. The purpose of labeling is not to inform the consumer about the safety or lack of safety of a food. If a food is unsafe, it cannot be placed on the market at all."The United States has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization in an attempt to have the unofficial EU moratorium on so-called biotech foods lifted.Washington has also said previously it is unhappy with the new labeling rules and other requirements, which it believes are too costly and restrictive.Biotech foods come from material that has been genetically modified by scientists to resist in-sects or disease. Such foods have been widely grown in North America for years.The EU imposed its unofficial moratorium on new biotech foods five years ago because of fears by European consumers about possible health risks.The issue has worldwide implications. Last year, several African nations rejected US food aid because it contained biotech grain, which Africans feared could be used as seed and thereby threaten future exports to the European Union.Task 8【答案】A.1) b2) a3) b4) cB.1) It's the largest anywhere in the world.2) They built two different types of power station side by side. They want to find which is the bestsystem for harn ess ing the power of the sun.3) Water is con verted to steam to drive the turb ines in the usual way.4) The sun ofte n disappears.C.Japan is the land of the rising sun. And by the sea on one of the Japanese islands at the little town of Neo, they're taking the national symbol seriously. The town now has its own power stati on, and it's the largest any where in the world to be powered by the sun.This massive in stallatio n is clear evide nee of the Japa nese commitme nt to solar power. And perhaps only they could have gone this far, to stage what's in effect a solar energy competition.There are, in fact, two totally differe nt types of power stati on here, side by side, and each one of them is capable of generating one megawatt of electricity. And although they began this year feeding electricity into the power network to supply about 2,000 local houses, this is basically just one enormous experiment to find the best way of harnessing the sun.The mirrors here are part of just one of the solar power stations, and each one is made of specially treated glass which reflects 95 perce nt of the sun light falli ng on them. They the n focus that light up to the top of a central tower. Altogether, there are 800 of these mirrors arranged in a circle around the tower, and to make sure they're always reflect ing the sun light onto the collecting surface at the top, a series of computers dotted amongst the mirrors adjusts their positi on so they follow the moveme nt of the sun across the sky.As they heat the collecting surface to over 400~ Centigrade, water in concealed pipes is converted to steam and returns back down the tower to drive a turbine and generator in the usualway.But the obvious problem with solar energy is that the sun often disappears, even here where the site was carefully chosen because it's one of the sunniest spots in Japan. Completely overcast days are a write-off, but this station does cope very well with those days where there are some sunny spells, and that's because enough steam can be stored in these tanks to run the generators for three hours. And they expect the station to be able to operate for more than 200 days a year.So much for system one. It's a Western design, but only the Japanese have completed a station this big. And it's only half of their experiment.Beside it is the other entry in the competition, and this whole concept is completely home-grown. It uses mirrors again--2,500 of them--arranged on vast structures rather like football stands. Each of the stands faces south and every single mirror is individually controlled to track the sun across the sky. But this time there's no central tower.Instead, the mirrors reflect the light onto a second set of parabolic mirrors facing them. These focus the sunlight and its heat onto a water pipe clearly visible in its protective vacuum tube. In the pipe the water is converted to steam and used to generate electricity as before.It's a little early in the two-year test period to be certain yet which of the two designs is most effective. But it does look as though between the autumn and the spring, when the sun's at an angle, this parabolic type is better. But in the summer, when the sun's overhead, that central tower seems to have the advantage.But when they have got the results of the tests, the next stage is to go on and build a power station ten times bigger than either of these. Coming to the right conclusions about solar power is even more important in Japan than it is in most countries. 75 percent of their energy comes from imported oil. They are determined to reduce that to 50 percent. And that will mean building a whole string of solar power stations throughout the country.Task 9【原文】The future will not determine itself. The future is determined by the actions of the present day.Edward Cornish, the editor of The Futurist magazine published by the World Future Society, says:The responsibility we have for the future begins when we recognize that we ourselves create the future —that the future is not something imposed upon us by fate or other forces beyond our control. We ourselves build the future both through what we do and what we do not do. A novel way of teaching may change the way universities are run. An engineering teacher at the American University of Illinois has had great success without textbooks, without exams and without deadlines. His students won nine of the top ten engineering awards in a university competition.The engineering professor, Ricardo Uribe, let his engineering students express themselves, in-stead of telling them what to do. His students all focused on the problems that interested them, not what their teacher told 'them. They worked their own hours, not hours set by the university. They did not have to sit tests, and they helped each other in open classes.。
【优质】现代大学英语听力2 原文及答案全
【原文】
Oliver Twist had no parents and lived in the workhouse.
"Good morning!" said the stranger.
"Good morning!" said Mark Twain. "Nice weather we're having!"
"Very nice indeed," said the stranger. "How was fishing?"
Task 2
【答案】
A.1) F 2) F 3) T
B.
1) d 2) b
【原文】
Mark Twain was a famous American writer. There were many stories about him. One day MarkTwain was fishing. A stranger came along.
But the Greek ships did not sail far. The Greeks stopped at a place near Troy, where the Trojanscould not see them, and hid their ships. At first the Trojans wanted to burn the wooden horse, but aGreek prisoner said, "Don't bum the horse. Bring it into Troy. It will help you."
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答a案Unit11
【答案】1) c2) a3) b4) a【原文】Bali is a beautiful island of mountains, forests and rice fields. It is also an island of artists. Almost everybody there is an artist of some kind. The people work all day at home, in the fields or on their boats, but in the evening they make music, dance, paint or carve things out of wood and stone.For the Balinese, art is part of religion. It is a way of pleasing their gods--and Bali, they believe, is full of gods. There are thousands of temples in Bali, and there are festivals at these temples when people die or get married, or when a child is born. At these festivals the people try to keep their gods happy by giving them food, by dancing, by acting, and by playing music for them.In the past, the Balinese did not care about the outside world. For them Bali was the whole world. But in the 1930s tourists began to visit Bali, and since the 1950s tourism has become big business there. So the islanders have begun to sell their art to tourists. These days the Balinese pro-duce more and more things for tourists; they make fewer things for their temples. They have less time for their gods, so there are fewer festivals.Each year more tourists bring more money to the island; they also bring new ideas and a new way of life. The Balinese know that if fewer tourists come to the island, there will be less money. But they also know if there are too many tourists, the Balinese way of life will change drastically. The authorities are trying hard to organize and control tourism with caution. Bali has to change; nevertheless they want to make sure that it changes for the better, not for the worse.Task 3【答案】A.1) Because until 1980, it had been quiet for more than a hundred years.2) It was strange. No birds were singing, and the air was still.3) He was standing near the summit and reporting the eruption on radio.B.Washington; 35; 1980; 123; recreation; summit; tremors; small eruptions; no danger; 1980; dust; ash; rocks; mud; 40; peaceful; empty【原文】Most volcanoes are quiet. They rest peacefully for hundreds of years. No one pays much attention to them.Mount St. Helens was one of these volcanoes. Until 1980, it was a beautiful recreation area. Its last eruption had been 123 years ago. No one was worried about another one. Then, in March 1980, Mount St. Helens began to make noises. At first, there were tremors. Then, small eruptions occurred. Some residents left immediately. Others felt there was no danger.But on the morning of May 18, 1980, the mountain blew its top. With the power of twenty-five atomic bombs, Mount St. Helens exploded. Clouds of dust and ash rose more than twelve miles into the sky. Rocks and mud crashed down the slopes.Unfortunately, many people were still living, camping, or working in the area. Over forty people lost their lives. Others were rescued.Robert Baker was fishing with his family when the explosion occurred. He reported that the morning of May 18 was strange. No birds were singing. The air was still. Then, he saw a large black cloud coming down toward them. In minutes, day turned into night. He called his family to their van and they started on the slow dark ride away from the mountain. All the time, hot ash was raining on them.But other people were not so lucky. David Johnston, a volcano expert, was standing near the summit of the mountain. At 8:31 a. m. , he radioed, "This is it!" He was never heard from again.Mount St. Helens is peaceful now. But its slopes are empty. It will be many years before fish, plants, and trees will again live on the mountain.Task 4【答案】A.1) Mrs. Rakel Surlien is the Norwegian Minister of Environmental Protection, and she is about to begin a three-day visit to Britain.2) Britain.3) Britain insists the case against acid rain in general and its contribution in particular is far from proven. / Britain insists that neither the disastrous effects of acid rain nor Britain’s responsibility in the issue has been proven.4) Sweden.5) It refers to a group of some 20 nations which are committed to reducing sulfur dioxide by a third.6) Norway is against Britain in the dispute over acid rain in spite of its cordial approach.B.1) fish; aquatic life; forest2) power stations3)remain isolateed【原文】Norway has decided to resume a "softly-softly approach" to Britain in the long-standing dispute over the issue of acid rain, as Mrs. Rakel Surlien, the Norwegian Minister of Environmental Protection, begins a three-day visit to Britain. All the Nordic countries believe that Britain is responsible for as much as a third of the acid deposit failing in southern Scandinavia, killing fish and most other aquatic life in thousands of lakes and rivers and possibly putting large areas of forest at risk. Emissions from coal and oil burning power stations are blamed mostly, but Britain insists the case against acid rain in general and its contribution in particular is far from proven.The issue has become almost fashionable since the Swedes raised it in 1972. Morethan 20 nations have agreed to join the so-called "30 Percent Club", committed to reducing sulfur dioxide by a third, and Britain is increasingly isolated in Western Europe by its refusal to do so.Mrs. Surlien says there has been no change in the Norwegian position in spite of the cordial approach, and she also scented victory, as she said, "I don't see you can remain isolated in this way for long. It must be very difficult to live with."Task 5【答案】1) four out of five; survive; rosy; forest flower; for centuries2) 2,000; fight cancer; 40; wildlife; the rain forest3) drugs; a South American tree; blood pressure; the snakeroot plant from Indian forests4) foods; tropical forests; winged bean5) rubber; oils; one; examined; 99; threatened【原文】A representative of an ecological organization is talking about the advantages and benefits for humans of the rain forests.Four out of five of all children who got leukemia in 1960 died. Now four out of every five survive. The secret of this miraculous change is the rosy periwinkle, a forest flower which tribal doctors had used for centuries.The United States National Cancer Institute has identified more than 2,000 tropical rain forest plants with the ability to fight cancer. In fact, about 40 percent of all drugs given out in the United States today owe much of their strength to chemicals from wildlife, largely from the rain forest.Other drags include quinine, which comes from a South American tree, and drugs to relieve high blood pressure are derived from the snakeroot plant from Indian forests. The armadillo of South America is helping us find a cure for leprosy. The tropical forests also contain large amounts of new foods. For example, the winged bean of New Guinea is now grown in about 50 different countries. Japanese scientists have found a calorie-free substance in Paraguay which is 300 times sweeter than sugar, and a coffee free of caffeine has been found in the small forests of the Comoros islands.Every day we use products from the rain forests--robber, spices and oils, and of course wood. Less than one percent of the forest plants have been examined for their potential, but the remaining 99 percent is threatened by our endless search for wood. The South American Indians say the trees hold up the sky, and if they come down there will be a catastrophe.Task 6【答案】A.1) A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, and the moon’s shadow covers part of the earth.2) A solar eclipse has occurred at Christmas only 30 times during the past 5,000years, the last time in 1954.3) The (retina of the) eye can be permanently damaged.4) It works by projecting the sun’s image on a piece of paper through a pinhole on another piece.5) The next eclipse at Christmas will occur in 2307; it can be observed on the west coast of Africa.B.1) T2) F3) T【原文】On December 25, 2000, many people across North America received a rare Christmas treat when the moon passed in front of the sun resulting in a partial solar eclipse.Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, and the moo n’s shadow covers part of the earth, and a total solar eclipse takes place when the moon’s shadow blocks out the sun entirely. What made this particular solar eclipse unique was that this event has occurred on December twenty-fifth only 30 times during the past five thousand years, the last time in 1954.But people must be exceptionally careful when attempting to view the solar eclipse. Without taking precautionary measures, one can permanently damage the retina of the eye; however, there are several safe methods of witnessing this heavenly marvel.First, you can view a solar eclipse by using eclipse safety glasses for filtering out the sun’s harmful rays. They should be used when any part of the sun is visible.Sunglasses can block out some of the sun’s ultraviolet rays, but the results can be very deceptive. The eye’s natural reaction to this darken state when wearing sunglasses is to make the pupil larger, which allows in more light and can intensify the damage to the your eye.You can watch an ecli pse by projecting the sun’s image on a piece of paper either by using a telescope, or easier yet, by creating a pinhole in a piece of paper and viewing the result on another piece of paper, thus called a pinhole projector.Only during a total eclipse when the sun is completely and briefly covered can you watch the eclipse without eye protection. Even then, extreme caution should be taken.In case you didn’t catch this last spectacular solar eclipse on December twenty-fifth, 2000, there is no need to fret. Your posterity can record the next eclipse on Christmas in the year 2307, but only if they’re visiting the west coast of Africa for the holidays.Task 7【答案】A.1) pottery; metal2) large cities; food production3) the late 1950s; borrow; returnable; one-trip4) pots; pansB.1) Because the food must be shipped from place to place when it is produced, andbecause of the increased variety of foods available and the convenience of precooked meals, it is impossible for the customer to collect many foods in his own container.2) Until the late 1950s Americans had to borrow soft-drink bottles by paying a depositeach time they bought one.3) Yes, beaus sales of soft drink climbed.4) Glass companies gave soft-drink sellers a helping hand. A US company, Consumer'sGlass, made an arrangement with the bottler companies to reimburse them for much of the cost of one-trip bottles.5) Aluminium food packages now have their own electric plugs. After you eat the food,you can just throw them away.6) The writer is mildly criticizing the trend toward one-trip living and thinks itprobably has gone too far.【原文】The product that most people throw out after using only once is packaging. This is not always tree. The pottery or metal container used in Roman times and in most rural areas of the world today is a permanent and valuable household item. Unless a container is accidentally broken, it lasts a lifetime, despite the many journeys from home to market, farm or water well and back. The growth of large cities and modem methods of food production changes all that. Because the food must be shipped from place to place while it is produced, and because of the increased variety of foods available and the convenience of precooked meals, it is impossible for the customer to collect many foods in his own container.It costs a great deal to provide a new container each time we buy milk, wine, beer and other drinks. Yet for a number of reasons the trend towards one-trip bottles for all these items is in full swing. The case of the vanishing returnable soft-drink bottle shows how much these containers add to the rising tide of waste.Until the late 1950s, Americans had to borrow soft-drink bottles by paying a deposit each time they bought one. But several years later, soft-drink bottlers decided that it was more convenient for the customer to throw the bottle away instead.A returnable bottle lasting 30 or more trips was replaced with 30 one-trip cans or bottles. Sales of soft drinks climbed and the container manufacturers smiled all the way to the bank. Glass companies gave soft-drink sellers a helping hand. A US company, Consumer's Glass, made an arrangement with the bottler companies to reimburse them for much of the cost of one-trip bottles.Other manufacturers have joined in promoting the throw-away spirit. The Aluminium Company of America announced that packages would soon replace pots and pans. Food packages were being designed with their own electric plugs. After you eat the food, you just throw away the pan with the messy old grease. What about a camping holiday? You can make a bonfire on the last day with the disposable equipmentthat can now be purchased. In hospitals, there may well be a case on health grounds for disposable syringes. But isn't the use of one-trip sleeping bags and tents taking disposability too far?Task 8【答案】A.1) F2) F3) T【原文】Jane Goodall, a British field biologist, has devoted her life to wildlife conservation, in particular to the study of chimpanzees. She makes a special effort to reach out to young people. In 1991, Jane started an environmental and humanitarian programme for kids called Roots & Shoots. Today, there are more than 4,000 Roots & Shoots groups in 68 countries all over the world and a programme in every state in the US. The main purpose of the Roots & Shoots programme is to help kids develop a concern for animals, the environment, and their own communities. "Roots creep underground every-where and make a firm foundation. Shoots seem very weak, but to reach the light they can break through brick walls," Jane tells people as she speaks about the programme. Imagine the brick walls are all the problems humans have inflicted on the planet. Young people, like those roots and shoots, can break through those walls to change the world.A hundred years ago, Africa was home to about 2 million wild chimpanzees. Today the population of chimps has dropped to less than 150,000. Jane Goodall knows it will take a worldwide effort to save the species. She is working to sec that this effort is made.In November 2000, the Great Ape Conservation Act was signed into law in theUnited States. Jane worked hard to persuade members of the US Congress to support this bill. The act provides money for protecting the great apes of Africa and Asia that are in danger of extinction. Experts predict that if we do not protect them now, soon there will be no more great apes living in the Congo Basin, their last stronghold in Africa.Jane Goodall is hopeful about the future. She knows that each of us can do our part, no matter where we live, to protect wildlife and our environment. Her story shows us that one person really can make a difference.Task 9【答案】A.1) Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco.2) It’s San Francisco's world-famous landmark3) Because of the gap between the amount of cars and the amount of roadway available. Or: If you think of it as a supply/demand relationship, you’ll find that there’sa lot more demand than supply.4) Texas Transportation Institute.B.1) 852) 62; Los Angeles; 136; Seattle; Houston; New York; Miami; 693) Bigger cities; roadway; transit system4) expensive; $68 billion【原文】James Hattori, the Host:Hi, everybody. I'm James Hattori. Welcome to our program, this week from the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco's world-famous landmark, at the mouth of the Golden Gate straits.42 million vehicles a year cross this bridge. That gives you an idea of the often nightmarish traffic drivers face around here. And, of course, we're not alone. Natalie Pawelski, our environment correspondent, has the numbers on what it costs Americans to cope with rush hour traffic, in time and money.Natalie Pawelski, the Environment correspondent:If you think traffic is getting worse in your town, you're probably right.There's a combination of factors. It's the amount of people, the amount of roadway that is there. It's sort of a demand/supply relationship. You can think of it that way, and there's a lot more demand than there is supply.The annual Urban Mobility Report from the Texas Transportation Institute finds in the average American city people traveled 85 percent more miles by car in the year 2000 than they did in 1982. And rush hour drivers are now wasting an average of 62 hours a year stuck in traffic. Now that's not total travel time, that's just the extra time spent going slow or going nowhere because of traffic congestion.The study says the worst traffic is in Los Angeles where the average rush hour driver loses 136 hours a year, more than three work weeks, to traffic jams. The runners up in the time drained category San Francisco, D.C., Seattle, Houston, SanJose, Dallas, New York, Atlanta and Miami where the average rush hour driver loses an extra 69 hours a year stuck in traffic.Once you get to a big system, it's difficult to maintain the pace of the roadway and transit system development and you wind up falling behind. More congestion is typical in bigger cities.The report says traffic jams aren't just annoying, they are expensive. For the 75 cities studied, researchers added up all the extra time and fuel wasted because of traffic congestion. The price tag they figure is almost $68 billion a year.Task 10【答案】I.A. common; poor housing; unemployment; traffic problemsB. peculiar1. infrastructure2. urbanizationII.A. MigrationB. Depopulation; decrease; riseC. urban population growth rate1. adults2. large familiesD. social service; health; educationE. labor supply; low-productivityⅢ.A. (Promote a) more equal land distributionB. Improve rural social services; health; educationC. (Give) financial aid to agriculture; small landowners.【原文】Today I want to discuss problems of urbanization and in particular I want to talk about those problems which are peculiar to developing economies and to discuss three possible policies which could be used to control or to stem uncontrolled urbanization in developing countries. Certain urban problems of course are common to both developed and developing countries, for example, problems of poor housing, unemployment and those problems connected with traffic, for example, congestion, pollution and so on. However there are problems which are very peculiar to developing economies and this is due to the fact the developing countries need to create a basic infrastructure which is necessary for industrialization and consequently for economic growth. In fact it is the provision of this infrastructure which constitutes the urbanization process itself and this infrastructure or the provision of this infrastructure may have undesired effects on the economy as a whole. Now it’s these consequences on these effects which um I’d like to deal with next.I’m going to talk about five main consequences of this uncontrolled urbanization. In the first instance there’s the problem of the migration of people from the country to the city. Of course people living in the country see the city as a more desirable placeto live, whether they are living in developing or developed countries. But the problem is much more serious in a developing country because there are in fact often more people who wish to migrate to the city.Now the fact of people migrating to the city causes a certain depopulation of rural areas. This is a second consequence if you like, and the result of this is a decrease in the production of food and in the supply of food to the country as a whole. This can in turn also lead to a rise in pricesbecause of the law of supply and demand.As a result of people moving to the city you get a high urban population growth rate. Now this is due not only to the fact of more adults moving to the city but can also be due to traditions of these people from the country because often people from rural areas have a tradition of large families and so on and so the population of the cities increases with these numerous children ofthe large families.This leads to a fourth consequence which is a dramatic pressure on the supply of social services in urban areas, in particular services related to health and education. In relation a health services we can see that there are endemic diseases which could be made worse by overcrowding people coming from the country to the city, and in the stresses on services in education, with more children there’s need for more schools schools and more teachers and so on.A fifth area which is affected by uncontrolled urbanization is that of the labour supply, and often uncontrolled urbanization leads to an excess of labour supply in the cities. This can lead to, in turn, an informal kind of labour activities of, if you like, what might be called lowproductivity activities. For example people selling things in the streets or you often find for instance in large urban areas in developing countries children watching cars and so on and asking for tips from their owners when they come back. This is really a sort of undesirable type of labour. So those are in fact the main consequences of uncontrolled urbanizat ion. Now I’d like to talk more on the three possible policies which could be developed to stem this kind of uncontrolled urbanization in developing countries.The first one would be to promote a more equal land distribution. In this way farmers would be more motivated to stay on the land. They would be able to work more land, and thus be able to feed their families more adequately. Often the reasons why farmers wish to go to the city is that they cannot grow enough food to both feed their families and earn a living. So a more equal land distribution is one such policy to stem this kind of move to the city.A second policy would be to improve the supply of social services in the rural areas particularly in the field of health and education. Country people often move to the city because they feel that these services are better in the city areas and if they could compare the services and feel that there was perhaps not much difference between the two, it would be another reason for not moving.A third possible policy would be to give financial assistance to agriculture especially to the small landowners.Now obviously the problem of uncontrolled urbanization, and the consequenceswhich are not favorable, is a difficult problem to which there is no easy solution, but these three types of policies could help to reduce the problem which is felt in particular in developing countries.Task 11Planet Earth is 4,600,000,000 years old. If we condense this time span we can compare it to a person 46 years old. Only at the age of 42 did the Earth begin to flower. Dinosaurs and the great reptiles did not appear until one year ago, when the planet was 45. Mammals arrived only eight months ago, and in the middle of last week human-like apes developed into ape-like humans, and last weekend the last ice age covered the Earth.Modem man has been around for 4 hours. During the last hour agriculture was discovered. The Industrial Revolution began a minute ago. Since then, we have multiplied our numbers to plague proportions, caused the extinction of 500 species of animals, turned the planet upside down in the search for fuels, and now we stand, arrogant with power, on the edge of a war to end all wars, and close to effectively destroying this oasis of life in the solar system.。
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案unit3
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案Unit 3Unit 3Task 1【答案】A.1) Stress on the job costs American companies as much as $150 billion a year in lower productivity, unnecessary employee sick leave, and higher medical costs.2) The most stressful professions are those that involve danger and extreme pressure and those that carry a lot of responsibility without much control.3) The best way to deal with stress is through relaxation, but sometimes the only answer is to fight back or walk away.B.1) Three-quarters2) psychologists, doctors3) nervousness, anger, frequent illness, forgetfulness, mental problems【原文】Stress on the job costs American companies as much as $150 billion a year in lower productivity, unnecessary employee sick leave, and higher medical costs. Three-quarters of the office workers today say they suffer from stress at work. Recently, psychologists and doctors have begun to study the problem more closely. They have discovered that the most stressful professions are those that involve danger, extreme pressure and those that carry a lot of responsibility without muchcontrol.The sign of stress range from nervousness, anger, and frequent illness to forgetfulness or even mental problems. The best way to deal with stress is through relaxation, but sometimes the only answer is to fight back or walk away.Task 2【答案】A.1)give in so easily to hijackers’ demandsa) threaten to blow up a plane, commit some other outageb) hold out against this kind of blackmail, always have terrorists, Start executingterrorists automaticallyc)be prepared to face the consequences of evil2)a) It’s the lesser of two evils. Terrorists have proven often enough that they really mean business.b)Innocent lives, threatening the innocent will achieve its ends.B.She implies that if the first speaker was one of the victims of terrorism, she would want the government to give in to the demands so that she wouldn’t die.【原文】Margaret: Governments give in so easily to hijackers’ demands. A hijacker only has to threaten to blow up a plane or commit some other outrage, and a government gives in to his demands.Valerie: Naturally. It’s the less er of the two evils. What government would risk innocent lives just to see if terrorists will really do what they threaten to do Terrorists have proven often enough that they really mean business. Margaret: Yes, but i f a government doesn’t hold out against this kind of blackmail,we will always have terrorists. Governments are afraid to punish these people. They almost always let them go free. Start executing terrorists automatically wherever they land, and terrorism will stop.Valerie: And what about the innocent lives that will be lost in the process Terrorism is based on the simple idea that threatening the innocent will achieve its ends.Margaret: You can’t get rid of evil without being prepared to face the consequences of evil.Valerie: So long as you’re not one of the victims!Task 3【答案】A.1)thirty-five, natural light, a small window, hot, airless, very noisy2) Mexico3) ought to, shouldn’tB.1)It is located in a narrow street with five-and six-storey buildings eightkilometers from downtown Los Angeles.2) This factory makes shirts and jeans3) She’s already been working for ten hours, but won’t stop for another two hours.4) She can’t complain about those things because she is an illegal immigrant.【原文】Eight kilometers from downtown Los Angeles there is a narrow street with five- and six-storey buildings. Inside one of these buildings there is a small factory making shirts and jeans. The women working in the factory sit close together, each with a small table, each with their own sewing machine. The women say nothing, and work hard. In one of the rooms there are thirty-five women. There is only a littlenatural light, and this comes from a small window in the roof. The room is hot, airless, and very noisy. On the left-hand side of the room there is a young girl sitting next to the wall. Every now and again she closes her eyes, and her fingers stop working. She's already been in her chair for ten hours, but she'll be here until the bell rings — and that won't be for another two hours. Her name is Maria, and she comes from Mexico. She won't complain about her work. She won't say that the working hours ought to be changed; she won't say that the working conditions shouldn't be permitted.Task 4【答案】A.Every year the British government publishes statistics about social trends. Their findings show definite patterns in the British way of life.1)marked differencesa)one hour more every day, three hours more every weekb) 1 percent, cleaning and ironing, keep household accounts, do repairs orimprovementsc)30 percent2)leisure activities, watching television, 20 hours a week, going for walks,Swimming, British womenB.Unlike the other couples, Carla has always kept her won accounts and Adrian has always done his own housework. Neither of them like watching television very much and they both like swimming.【原文】When Adrian Hutton and Carla Leone get married they will move into a new housethat they have bought. But what sort of life will they have What can they expect in modern Britain Every year the British government publishes statistics about social trends. Their findings show definite patterns in the British way of life.In most marriages there are some marked differences between husbands and wives. Working wives, for example, sleep (on average) one hour more a day than working husbands. Housewives, on the other hand, sleep only about three hours more every week than their working husbands. And what about housework The government survey showed that only 1% of men do the household chores — like cleaning and ironing. But they do usually keep household accounts and it is always men who do repairs or improvements in the house. 30% of all marriages end in divorce.The government survey also looked at leisure activities. They found that the two most popular leisure activities in Britain are watching television (the average family spends 20 hours a week in front of the TV set) and going for walks. Swimming is an especially popular activity among British women.Carla and Adrian's life, though, will probably be different from the average marriage. In the first place Carla has always kept her own accounts and Adrian has always done his own housework. Neither of them like watching television very much and they both like swimming.Task 5【答案】A.Topic: How a city in Japan solve the problem of garbage disposal.Supporting details: 160 million, every year, 10 percent, 10 percent, the rest, public cooperation1) garbage that can be easily burned, kitchen and garden trash2) electrical appliances, plastic tools, plastic toys3) are poisonous, cause pollution, batteries4) bottles and glass containers that can be recycled5) metal containers that can be recycled6) furniture and bicycledon different days, on request, fertilizer, to produce electricity, recycled, cleaned, repaired, resold cheaply, give awayB.1) The garbage will be taken to a center that looks like a clean new office buildingor hospital. Inside the center, special equipment is used to sort and process the garbage.2) Official from cities around the world visit Machida to see whether they can use some of these ideas and techniques to solve their own garbage disposal problems.【原文】Disposing of the garbage we produce every day is a major problem in cities around the world. In the United States, over 160 million tons of garbage are produce every year. Ten percent is recycled, ten percent is burned, and the rest is put in landfills. But finding land for new landfills is becoming more difficult.A city that has solved this problem in an unusual way is Machida, in Tokyo, Japan. They have developed a totally new approach to garbage disposal. The key to the operation is public cooperation. Families must divide their garbage into six categories:1. garbage that can be easily burned (that is, combustible garbage) such as kitchen and garden trash ;2. noncombustible garbage, such as small electrical appliances, plastic tools, and plastic toys ;3. products that are poisonous or that cause pollution, such as batteries and fluorescent lights ;4. bottles and glass containers that can be recycled ;5. metal containers that can be recycled ;6. large items, such as furniture and bicycles.The items in categories1 to 5 are collected on different days. Large items are only collected upon request. Then the garbage is taken to a center that looks like a clean new office building or hospital. Inside the center, special equipment is used to sort and process the garbage. Almost everything can be reused: garden or kitchen trash becomes fertilizer; combustible garbage is burned to produce electrical; metal containers and bottles are recycled; and old furniture, clothing, and other useful items are cleaned, repaired, and resold cheaply or given away. The work provides employment for handicapped person and gives them a chance to learn new skills.Nowadays, officials from cities around the world visit Machida to see whether they can use some of these ideas and techniques to solve their own garbage disposal problems.Task 6【答案】1) They were talking about Mrs. Carter.2) She was a tall, handsome woman who used to come into the shop at least twice a week.3) She lived alone in a large house on an old farm---about three miles from the shop.4) He was absolutely certain, otherwise he would never call the police. His evidence was this: First, he saw her do it; second, he found the things in her bag; third, she had done it before.5) Because two young people saw her. The shopkeeper believed that if they didn’t punish her, young people would think that stealing didn’t matter.6) The judge thought that it was difficult case from a humanitarian point of view. The excuses her found for her were: First, the woman was old and she livedalone---she was lonely. Second, she wasn’t poor---she was well-known for her generosity to charities and she didn’t need to steal. Te items were only worth a pound or two. Third, she pleaded not guilty and she didn’t know that she had done it.【原文】Shopkeeper: I knew Mrs. Carter very well. She was a tall, handsome woman who used to come into the shop at least twice a week. She lived alone in a largehouse on an old farm — about three miles from here. People ask me if Iam certain she did it. The answer is yes. I was absolutely certain,otherwise I would never have called the police. In the first place, I sawher do it. I watched her put the things into her bag and I watched her walkout of the store. In the second place, we found the things in her bag, andfinally, she had done it before. It wasn't the first time. I think she wasin such a confused state that she didn’t know what she was doing, but twoother people say her —two young people. We had to punish her, otherwiseyoung p eople would think that stealing didn’t matter.Judge: It was a difficult case from a humanitarian point of view. The woman was old and she lived alone —she was lonely. She wasn’t poor— she was well-known for her generosity to charities and she didn’t nee d to steal. The items were only worth a pound or two. She pleaded not guilty and said she didn’t know that she had done it. From the legal point of view the case was straightforward.The woman stole; she was caught and reported. There were witnesses. She had to be punished or else no one could be punished for stealing.Task 7【答案】A. not all modern cities are alike; modern city.1) a single high-density center, skyscrapers, motorways, as far as you can see2) the low-density multi-center city, a large collection of a number of small centers, shopping centers, factories, businesses, skyscrapersB.1) He thinks that the second type( the Los Angeles model) is more sensible.2) He considers it highly likely that the kind of city we know now will completely disappear.【原文】Interviewer: Would you say then that all modem cities are pretty much alike Urban Planner: Quite definitely not. There seem to be two types of modem city. In type one there is a single high-density centre, and that's where you'llfind the skyscrapers. This is surrounded by motorways. And all aroundthis centre, low-density suburbs stretch as far as you can see. Thisis like Houston, or Calgary, or Toronto. Interviewer: And the secondtypeUrban Planner: The other type is like Los Angeles — the low-density multi-centre city. As I'm sure you know Los Angeles is really a large collectionof a number of small centres, each with its shopping centres, factories,businesses, and skyscrapers scattered everywhere. In a way it's almostone enormous suburb.Interviewer: Do you. think one type is better than the otherUrban Planner: I think the Los Angeles model is more sensible.Interviewer: And so do you think Los Angeles is the city of the futureUrban Planner: Well, it is arguable that the next step after Los Angeles is the complete disappearance of the city, with no real centre, wherewell-designed forms of urban life-modem factories and office blockswhich are clean and quiet, and beautiful forms of rural life — thetrees and parks of suburbs, live side by side.Interviewer: So are you saying that the city as we know it will disappear...Task 8【答案】A.1) He thinks that this country’s problems all come from inflation, which is theresult of the Democrat’s careless spending.2) No, she doesn’t agree with Ned. She believes that the problem is unemployment.If the government cuts spending too much, people will fall into a vicious circle of more unemployment and fewer taxpayers to share the burden.3) She agrees with Barbara. She believes that unemployment is a big problem, especially in the big industrial cities. And the government isn’t doing very much to help the big industries out.4) He believes in the free market system rather than government regulation or protection. He thinks that without a lot of government interference everything will be okay.5) No, they think it’s bad for the weak, the poor and the unprotected/ it’s bad for the underprivileged.B.more and more money, come from somewhere, higher taxes and higher prices【原文】Ned: ... you know, I think this country's problems all come from inflation. That's the main cause of our troubles right now. And what's causing the inflation It's the reckless spending of the Democrats! Every year they spend more and more money, and that money has to come from somewhere. So we pay it in the form of higher taxes and higher prices on the goods we buy.Barbara: Well, I'm not sure that I agree with you. It seems to me that inflation is only one of our problems. What about unemployment If people don't havejobs because the government cuts spending too much, they can't buy things;and then you have a vicious circle of more unemployment and fewer taxpayersto share the burden.Ellen: You know, I think Barbara may have something there. Unemployment is a big problem, especially in the big industrial cities. The auto industry isfighting for its life right now, and the government isn't doing very muchto help it.Ned: Well, it's true that the auto industry is in a mess, but I don't think the answer is in government regulation or protection. I believe in the freemarket system —let the system work without a lot of government interference, and everything will be okay.Ellen: So the strong will win, and the weak will be defeated. Is that what you meanNed: Well, that's the way it goes. The survival of the fittest.Barbara: And too bad about the weak, the poor, the unprotected...Ned: Now you're getting emotional. You have to remain objective about these things. Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about...Task 9【答案】A.1) The problem is whether or not the inner city — the core of most urban areas —will manage to survive at all.2) They moved to the suburbs in search of fresh air, elbow room, and privacy.3) As a result, suburbs began to sprawl out across the countryside. Many cities beganto fall into disrepair. And many downtown areas existed for business only.4) The result was that urban centers declined even further and the suburbs expanded still more.5) Because from the decision of the Taylors and many other young couples, we cansee that some people may be tired of spending long hours commuting, and they may have begun to miss the advantages of culture and companionship provided by city life.B.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) T 6) TC.1) middle-class, tax money, neighborhoods2) Crime, public transportation3) housing construction costs, was allowed to, constructed【原文】A few years ago, Ann and Walter Taylor thought it might be time to move out of their New York City apartment to the suburbs. They had one young son and another child on the way. But after months of looking, they became discourage and decided to buy an old townhouse right in the middle of Brooklyn, which is a part of New York City. To their delight, they discovered that they weren’t the only young couple to have made such a decision. In fact, their entire area in Brooklyn had been settled by young families. And as a result, the neighborhood, which had been declining for years, was now being restored.Brooklyn isn’t the only city in the United States to experience this kind of renewal. So are Philadelphia and . And Charleston, South Carolina, has so successfully rebuilt its old central area that it now ranks as one of America’s most charming cities. The restoration of the old port city of Savannah, Georgia, is also living proof that downtown areas do not need to die. But encouraging as these developments may be, they are among the few bright spots in a mass of difficulties that today’s cities face. Indeed, their woes are so many that it is fair to ask whether or not the inner city the core of most urban areas will manage to surviveat all.In the 1940s, urban Americans began a mass move to the suburbs in search of fresh air, elbow room, and privacy. Suburbs began to sprawl out across the countryside. Since most of those making the move were middle-class, they took with them the tax money the cities needed to maintain the neighborhoods in which they had lived. The people left in the cities were often those who were too old or too poor to move. Thus, many cities began to fall into disrepair. Crime began to soar, and public transportation was neglected.( In the past sixty years San Francisco is the only city in the United States to have completed a new mass transit system.) Meanwhile, housing construction costs continued to rise higher and higher. Middle-class housing was allowed to decay, and little new housing was constructed.Eventually, many downtown areas existed for business only. During the day they would be filled with people working in offices, and at night they would be deserted. Given these circumstances, some business executives began asking, “Why bother with going downtown at all Why not move the offices to the suburbs so that we can live and work in the same area” Gradually, some of the larger companies began moving out of the cities, with the result that urban centers declined even further and the suburbs expanded still more. This movement of business to the suburbs is not confined to the United States. Businesses have also been moving to the suburbs in Stockholm, Sweden, in Bonn, Germany, and in Brussels, Belgium, as well.But it may well be that this movement to the suburbs has reached its peak. Some people may be tired of spending long hours commuting, and they may have begun to miss the advantages of culture and companionship provided by city life. Perhaps the decision made by the Taylors is a sign that people will return to the cities and begin to restore them. It begins to look as if suburban sprawl may not have been the answer to man’s need to create an ideal environment in which to live and work.Task 10【答案】A.1) 54, 20, 1980, £70,000.2) 30, 19803) a newspaper article, to research the market4) another few months, in April 1981, a 1,500 sq ft5) third, Canada, America, 20 percent, £1 million6) 20, 70, 3B.1) F 2) T 3) F 4)F 5)TC.1) He was deeply involved in the present job and rather enjoyed himself. He thoughtthe shop was his own little baby and thought it was fun to serve behind the counter.However, he also thought that there was a lot more hard work than he was used to; he was working over the weekend doing his books. He called his old job “boring trips to Manchester to sell vast quantities of PVC”.2) He thought that there are far more job satisfaction; and believed that he wasmaking money, rather than making money for other people.3) He was about to diversify into commercial distribution of imported anddomestically produced wine and wines he’s produced himself.【原文】William Rudd, 54, worked for ICI petrochemicals for 20 years until 1980 when he took early retirement with &70,000. He opened his own delicatessen and butcher's shop in Kensington and has just bought a second London shop.I knew about a year before I left that I was going to go, so I looked around for office jobs. I had one of those frustrating periods where I nearly got some jobsbut then I didn't. Actually it was a dinner party conversation which got me into the shop. A woman I knew said she was going to open a delicatessen and thought it sounded fun. So ! said, "Super, I'll come in with you." I'd always thought retailing would be amusing, after a lifetime of industrial selling.We found that the lease of the building stipulated we had to keep it as a butcher's and I added fish and cheese and things like that. I ended up spending far more than I'd ever intended.I didn't really do much research, except for fish, about which I knew nothing.I was clearly going to be the person standing behind the counter filleting, so I talked to one person who showed me a little, supplied me, and kept me under his wing for a little while. But it's quite easy to learn about fish; once you get used to gutting salmon you're on your way. Meat is more difficult; the skill is in the butchery, so I employ people for that. I had to learn about equipment by trial and error.I started in July — the worst time of the year for a shop like this — and the overdraft kept going up. That was rather frightening because there was no one between me and the bank manager. My reaction early on was that it was bound to come right. At the same time I was deeply involved and rather enjoying myself. It was my own little baby and it was fun to serve behind the counter —completely different from boring trips to Manchester to sell vast quantities of PVC. There was a lot more hard work than I was used to; I was working over the weekend doing my books.I remember my accountant saying to me when I was starting up, "What are you going to do for mental stimulation" In fact there's quite a lot of mental stimulation in the sheer terror of losingmoney: I couldn't have conceived of doing this 20 years ago. It was a great leap in the dark. I don'tknow if I'm brave or foolish, or a bit of both I suppose. But I do know that if I'dlistened to anyone I would never have done it.Les Shield, 30, a boiler technician, was made redundant from British Steel at Consett in 1980. 145'th Mike Heywood, a Consett transport manager made redundant at the same time, he started British Brewing Products, manufacturing beer kits and now diversifi2ing into wine production.I read a newspaper article about a company which had done quite well in home brew, and I started to research the market 18 months before the closure at Consett. By the time the steelworks were due to close I had a business plan ready. We bought some products which we had made for us and went out into the wilds of Yorkshire and Lancashire and sold them as a test. It took two months before we got any repeat business and that was a nail-biting period. It took another few months to fend premises and to get financial assistance from BSC industry and the bank. We went into production in April 1981 manufacturing home-brewing kits in a 1,500 sq ft factory.Let's face it, in this area, there wasn't a lot of choice. You could sit and vegetate and spend your redundancy money, you could move away and find new employment, or you could use your redundancy money to sink or swim.We're swimming. We're actually doing very well. I like being self-employed; there's far more job satisfaction. You know that at the end of the day you're getting the full value, personally, of the work you do. That's what you're in business for —to make money, rather than make money for other people. It was obviously a strain when I spent 5 days a week training, but after 18 months, we were able to afford our first salesman.I think my wife was happy for me to do what I've done. She accepted that there would be a certain amount of stress during the early days, but she probably realized that if I was successful the rewards would be there at the end of the day.We're now in our third factory since we started. We export our products to theRepublic of Ireland, Canada and America; exports account for 20 percent of production. Our turnover will exceed &1 million for the first time this year.We're about to diversify into commercial distribution of imported and domestically produced wine and wines we're producing ourselves. We employ 20 people at the moment but that will rise to 70 in the next 3 months.Task 11【原文】I could hear the guard blowing his whistle, so I ran onto the platform and upto the train. Luckily someone saw me coming, a door opened, and I jumped on while the train was mov ing out of the station. “Phew!” I thought. “That was hard work!” I was sure the other passengers could hear my heart beating; it was so loud, and I was in a cold sweat.After a while, I recovered, and had a look at the other passengers. The compartment was full, but I was the only one standing. The people in the carriage turned their eyes away as they noticed me looking at them; all except one, a beautiful woman sitting in the corner. I saw her watching me in the mirror.Automatically, I adjusted my tie. She had seen me running for the train: maybe this was my lucky day after all. I prepared to say hello.She spoke first, however. “Would you like my seat” she asked. “You look rather ill.” That was the day on which I realized I was getting middle-aged.。
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案unit4
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案U n i t4本页仅作为文档封面，使用时可以删除This document is for reference only-rar21year.March《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案Unit 4Unit 4Task 1【答案】1) They were orphans and had nobody to support them.2) Each boy was given only one bowl of gruel for supper and no more — far from enough.3) They boys were so hungry that they could not bear it any more. They decided that tone of them must ask the master for more gruel. Olive Twist was chosen by casting lots.4) He never thought that any boy would dare to ask for more food than the given portion. Therefore, he was both surprised and angry on hearing Oliver’s request. 5) He was struck on the head by the master and pushed out of the room. And for a week Olive remained prisoner in the cellar.【原文】Oliver Twist had no parents and lived in the workhouse.The room in which the boys had their food was a large stone hall. Each boy was given one bowl of gruel and no more. The bowls never needed washing. The boys polished them with their spoons. But still the boys were hungry.Oliver Twist and the other boys suffered from slow starvation for three months. At last they got so wild with hunger that one of the boys, who was tall for his age, said:"If this goes on, I am afraid I shall eat the boy who sleeps next me." He had wild hungry eyes and the boys believed him. The boys gathered and thought of a plan."One of us must walk up to the master at supper this evening and ask for more gruel," said one boy."Let us east lots," said another. "In that way we shall see who must go up to the master and ask for more."So they cast lots. The lot fell to Oliver Twist. He had to go up to the master and ask for moregruel.The evening came. The boys took their places and quickly ate up their gruel. Then they looked at Oliver. He rose from his place, bowl and spoon in hand, went up to the master and said, "Please, sir, I want some more." The master was a fat, healthy man, but he turned pale."What!" he said at last.Oliver repeated: "Please, sir, I want some more."The master struck Oliver on the head and pushed him out of the room.For a week Oliver remained a prisoner in the cellar.Task 2【答案】A. 1) F 2) F 3) TB.1) d 2) b【原文】Mark Twain was a famous American writer. There were many stories about him. One day Mark Twain was fishing. A stranger came along."Good morning!" said the stranger."Good morning!" said Mark Twain. "Nice weather we're having!""Very nice indeed," said the stranger. "How was fishing""Very good. I caught three trout here yesterday in just about an hour.""Is that so" said the stranger."Yes. I'm very fond of trout.""By the way," said the stranger, "do you happen to know who I am""No, I haven't any idea," said Mark Twain."Well, I'm the game warden of this county," said the stranger. "Fishing is not allowed here."Mark Twain paused a minute. Then he asked:"By the way, do you know who I am""No, I don't.""Well, I am the biggest liar in the country."Task 3【答案】A.Name: Lewis CarrollOccupation: mathematics; Oxford UniversityLiterary works: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland; 1865;Through the Looking-Glass; 1871B.These stories are about a dream world in which Alice meets strange creatures and has interesting adventures.【原文】Which would you rather be A mathematician or a writer Perhaps you will never be faced with this kind of choice. Lewis Carroll was both a mathematician and a writer. He was a lecturer in mathematics at Oxford University. But he is better known as the author of two of the most famous children’ s books that have ever been written: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The author’s real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, but he preferred to use the pen-name “Lewis Carroll” when he wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and this is the name we remember him by.Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published in 1865, when its author was 33 years old; it was followed by Through the Looking-Glass in 1871. Both books were written for a real girl called Alice, but they have been read by millions of children since they were first published. These stories are about a dream world in which Alice meets strange creatures and has interesting adventures . I’m sure you know this already, but if you don’t, you had better read the stories yourselves.Task 4【答案】the Greeks, closed the gates of the city and stayed behind the walls, the Greeks, a huge wooden horse, hide inside it, the horse, they stopped, hid their ships, Greek prisoner, the horse, The Greek soldiers, the wooden horse【原文】Many, many years ago there was a war between the Greeks and the Trojans. The Greek ships sailed up to the city of Troy. When the Trojans saw the Greek ships, they closed the gates of their city and stayed behind the walls. The Greeks attacked the city many times, but could not take it. Then one of the Greeks thought of a plan. The Greeks made a big wooden horse and had some soldiers hide inside the horse. In the morning the Greeks burned their camps and sailed away. Only the big wooden horse remained in front of the city gate.But the Greek ships did not sail far. The Greeks stopped at a place near Troy, where the Trojans could not see them, and hid their ships. At first the Trojans wanted to burn the wooden horse, but a Greek prisoner said, "Don't bum the horse. Bring it into Troy. It will help you."The horse was very big, and the Trojans could not bring it in through the gate. They had to make a hole in the wall. Then they brought the wooden horse into the city. The next day was a holiday in Troy. At night all the Trojan soldiers fell asleep after a heavy festive drinking.The Greek ships came back to Troy in the night. When everything was quiet, the Greek soldiers came out of the wooden horse and opened the gates of the city. The Greek army came into the city, killed many Trojans and took the city.Task 5【答案】A.1) c 2) aB.1) All the animals thought that he was the king of beasts. Actually he was a coward. He was afraid of human beings and other big animals. He roared only to scare them away and never really hurt them.2) Dorothy and her dog wanted to get back to Kansas. The Scarecrow wanted some brains and the Tinman wanted a heart. The Lion wanted to have courage.【原文】The following story has been taken from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum in 1900. The book is a modern fairy tale and is one of the great favorites of American children.One day a tornado carried away Dorothy and her dog Toto from their home in Kansa sand landed them in the wonderful land of Oz. Here they made friends with two strange fellows, a scarecrow and a tin man. The four were now on their way to the Emerald City where the Great Oz lived.Just as the Tinman spoke there came from the forest a terrible roar, and the next moment a great Lion rushed into the road. With one blow of his paw he knocked the Scarecrow to the edge of the road, and then he hit the Tinman with his sharp claws.But, to the Lion's surprise, he could make no mark on the tin, though the Tinman fell over in the road and lay still.Little Toto, now that he had an enemy to face, ran barking towards the Lion. The great beast had opened his mouth to bite the dog. Dorothy feared that Toto would be killed. She forgot all danger and rushed forward. She slapped the Lion upon his nose as hard as she could, and cried out:"Don't bite Toto! You should be ashamed of yourself, a big beast like you, to bite a poor little dog!""I didn't bite him," said the Lion, as he rubbed his nose with his paw where Dorothy had hit it."No, but you tried to," she said in anger. "You are nothing but a big coward.""I know," said the Lion, and he hung his head in shame. "I've always known it. But how can I help it""I don't know, I'm sure. But how can you hit a stuffed man like the poor Scarecrow""Is he stuffed" asked the Lion, in surprise, as he watched her pick up the Scarecrow and set him upon his feet, while she patted him into shape again."Of course he's stuffed," replied Dorothy. She was still angry."That explains it. He really went over easily," said the Lion. "It surprised me to see him turn around so. Is the other one stuffed also""No," said Dorothy, "he's made of tin." And she helped the Tinman up again."He really hurt my claws," said the Lion. "When they scratched against the tin it made a cold shiver min down my back. What is that little animal you are so kind to" "He is my dog, Toto," answered Dorothy."Is he made of tin, or stuffed" asked the Lion. "Neither. He's a meat dog," said the girl."Oh. He's a curious animal, and seems really small, now that I look at him. No one thinks of biting such a small, little thing except a coward like me," continued the Lion sadly."What makes you a coward" asked Dorothy. She looked at the great beast in wonder, for he was as big as a small horse."I don't know," replied the Lion. "I suppose I was born that way. All the other animals in the forest expect me to be brave, for the Lion is everywhere thought to be the King of Beasts. I learned that if I roared very loudly every living thing was afraid and got out of my way. Whenever I've met a man I've been very much frightened; but I just roared at him, and he has always min away as fast as he could go. If the elephants, tigers and bears ever tried to fight me, I would run away — I'm such a coward; but just as soon as they hear me roar, they all try to get away from me, and of course I let them go.""But that isn't right. The King of Beasts shouldn't be a coward," said the Scarecrow. "I know it," said the Lion, and he wiped a tear from his eye with the tip of his tail. "It is a great sorrow, and it makes my life very unhappy. But whenever there is danger, my heart begins tobeat fast.""Perhaps you have heart disease," said the Tinman."It may be so," said the Lion."If you have," continued the Tinman, "you should be glad, for it proves you have a heart. For my part, I have no heart; so I can't have heart disease.""Perhaps," said the Lion, "I am a coward because I have a heart.""Have you brains" said the Scarecrow."I suppose so. I've never looked to see," replied the Lion."I am going to the great Oz to ask him to give me some," remarked the Scarecrow, "for my head is stuffed with straw.""And I am going to ask him to give me a heart," said the Tinman."And I am going to ask him to send me and Toto back to Kansas," added Dorothy. "Do you think Oz can give me courage" asked the Cowardly Lion."Just as easily as he can give me brains," said the Scarecrow."Or give me a heart," said the Tinman."Or send me back to Kansas," said Dorothy."Then if you don't mind, I'll go with you," said the Lion, "for life is hard without courage.""You will be very welcome," answered Dorothy, "for you will help to keep away the other wild beasts. I think they must be more cowardly than you if they allow you to scare them so easily.""They really are," said the Lion, "but that doesn't make me any braver, and as long as I know myself to be a coward I shall be unhappy."So once more the little company set off upon the journey. The Lion walked at Dorothy's side. Toto did not like the Lion at first, because he could not forget how nearly he had been crushed between the Lion's great jaws; but after a time he became more at ease, and before long Toro and the Cowardly Lion became good friends.Task 6【答案】A.1) Civil War2) first, equality3) battlefields, bloodiest4) ordinaryB.1) d 2) c【原文】Walt Whitman is often called the poet of American democracy. He lived during the American Civil War, and he admired President Abraham Lincoln very much.Whitman was the first American poet who wrote about tree equality among all people. In a poem called "Song of Myself" he compared himself to all other people, and he found no difference. He wrote:"...every atom belonging to me... belongs to you."In the same poem Whitman spoke up for women. He wrote:"The Female equally with the Male I sing."He also wrote:"In the faces of men and women I see God." and "A great city is that which has the greatest men and women."Whitman understood war and the results of war. He worked in a hospital, taking care of wounded men. In a description of northern soldiers who had returned from prisons in the south he wrote: "The sight is worse than any sight of battlefields or any collection of wounded, even the bloodiest." In Whitman's words: "The real war will never get in the books."Whitman was the first important American poet to write about ordinary people, using ordinary language.Task 7【答案】A.1) A red, red rose that’s newly spring in June and the melody that’s sweetly played in tune.2) He will love her till all the seas are dried and the rocks melt in the sun. his love will last as long as the sands of life run(there is life on earth).3) Yes, he is, and he will come back no matter how far it is.B.June---tune I---dry sun---run while ---mile【原文】O, my love is like a red, red rose,That is newly sprung in June.O, my love is like the melody,That is sweetly played in tune.As fair are you, my lovely lass,So deep in love am I,And I will love you still, my Dear,Till all the seas go dry.Till all the seas go dry, my Dear,And the rocks melt with the sun!O I will love you still, my Dear,While the sands of life shall run.And fare you well, my only Love,And fare you well a while!And I will come again, my Love,Although it were ten thousand mile!Task 8【答案】1) Tall stories, that is, unlikely ones.2) Because he wanted to be a member of a certain club.3) He went there because he was told that a lion came there each evening to drink water.4) Sixteen times.5) He killed sixteen lions.【原文】A famous French writer who wrote many books about England and the English people once wrote about the Englishman's fondness for improbable or tall stories. In one of his books about the First World War, an English priest tells the following story: He had wanted to become a member of a certain club in Africa. In order to become a member, each person had to shoot at least one lion. The priest had never shot an animal in his life. So, armed with a rifle and accompanied by a young African boy, the priest set out one evening for a pool in the jungle where he was told a lion came each evening to drink. He waited patiently for a few hours until shortly before midnight when he heard a rustling noise. Sure enough a few yards away the head of a lion appeared above a bush that separated the priest and the pool. He aimed and fired. The head of the lion immediately fell behind the bush but a moment later reappeared. So the priest aimed and fired again. The head of the lion immediately fell behind the bush but a moment later reappeared. The priest fired again: the same result. He remained calm because he knew he had brought sixteen bullets with him. After his fourth attempt his aim seemed to become more and more inaccurate. In fact, after his fifteenth attempt the African boy had to warn him, "This is your last chance. If you miss this time, we are in trouble."The priest then realized how serious the situation was, so he took a deep breath, aimed very carefully and fired. They waited a moment, then slowly counted up to twenty: the head of the lion did not reappear. The priest was certain that at last he had shot his lion. They rushed forward together to the spot behind the bush. And what do you think they found Sixteen lions.Task 9【答案】I. a young prince who lived on landA. rose to the surface of the sea and waited for the prince to come to herB. never cameII. a witchA. changed her fish’s tail into a pair of human legsB. she gave the witch her tongueIII. the prince’s palaceA. her feet hurt terriblyB. didn’t love herⅣ. a young princessA. drive back into the seaB. a spirit of the air and lived forever【原文】Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark. In Copenhagen harbor, you can see a statue of the Little Mermaid. I wonder if you know her story. It's a sad one.That Little Mermaid fell in love with a young prince who lived on the land. Every night she used to rise up to the surface of the sea and sit staring at his palace, waiting for him to come to her. But he never came.Finally she visited a witch. The witch changed her fish's tail into a pair of human legs so that she could go and live on land. But in return, the Little Mermaid had to give her tongue to the witch, so that she could never sing or speak again. She loved the prince so much that she gave it happily.She went and lived in the prince's palace, and every night, she danced for him, although her strange new feet caused her terrible pain. But she didn't mind the pain. She waited and waited for the prince to fall in love with her.But, although the prince liked the Little Mermaid very much, he didn't love her. He fell in love with a young princess and they got married. On their wedding night, the Little Mermaid sadly dived back into the sea. She had no tail now, only legs, and she thought that she would die. She didn't die, though. Because of her kind heart, she became a spirit of the air and lived forever.Task 10【答案】A.1) b 2) c 3) b 4) a 5) aB.No. 1[e] No. 2 [b] No. 3 [a] [d] [c]【原文】1) A wolf thought that by disguising himself as a sheep he could get enough to eat. So he put on a sheepskin and joined the flock without being discovered. At sunset the shepherd shut him with the sheep in the fold. Then he felt hungry, so he picked up his knife and killed one of the sheep for his supper. But it was the wolf that he killed.2) A bird in a cage at a window used to sing during the night. A bat which heard her came up and asked why she never sang by day, but only by night. She explained that there was a good reason: she was caught while she was singing in the daytime, and this had taught her a lesson. "One must be careful before one is caught, not after," said the bat.3) Monkeys are said to have a strange habit. When twins are born to them, the mother will take care of only one of the twins. She will hold it tightly to her breast and neglect the other. But the one taken care of will die because it cannot breathe freely, while the neglected one will grow up strong and healthy.4) A gnat alighted on a bull's horn. After it had stayed there a long time and felt like moving on, it asked the bull if he would like it to go now. "I didn't notice when you came," replied the bull, "and I shall not notice if you go."5) A reed and an olive tree were quarrelling one day. They wanted to see which one was the stronger. Finally the olive tree said to the reed, "You are weak. You are easily bent by the wind." But the reed did not say a word. Before long a storm arose.The reed was tossed about and bent by the winds, but it was not hurt. The olive tree stood bravely against the storm and was broken by its force.Task 11【答案】I.A. struck a rock and began to break up.B. sank tooC. had survivedII.A. he was tied very firmly by a large number of fine ropes.B. about forty little men shot at him with their arrows, which hurt like needles.C. the little men gave him all the bread, meat and wine they had.III.was seven feet by three feet, equipped with twenty-two wheels and pulled by fifteen hundred little horses【原文】Gulliver was travelling by ship. The ship struck a rock and began to break up. Some of the sailors and Gulliver got away in a boat, but that sank too. In the end Gulliver was the only person who survived-who didn't drown. He kept on swimming, and just managed to reach land. By that time it was already evening. Gulliver kept on walking, but by then he was so exhausted that he lay down on the grass, and fell sound asleep.He slept until the following morning. When he woke up, he could not move. His arms and legs were tied to the ground, very firmly, and so was his hair. There were a large number of very fine, thin ropes across his body, he discovered, and these prevented him from moving.Gulliver could just manage to look down his body — that was all he could do —and there he saw, advancing up his body, about forty little men. These little men were only about six inches high. They were dressed as soldiers, and each one carried a bow and arrow. Gulliver shouted out, and when he did this, all the soldiers ran away, though they gradually came back again.Gulliver decided to try to escape. He managed to break some of the ropes, and he was also able to free his head. But when he began to move, the soldiers shot at him with their arrows. These arrows were small but sharp like needles, and they hurt Gulliver. He decided to keep still and when he did so, the soldiers stopped shooting at him with their arrows.By this time Gulliver was feeling very hungry, so he put his finger to his mouth, to show the little people that he needed food. They understood this, and they brought him bread and meat. Gulliver ate all the bread and meat, and then indicated that he was thirsty. Again he was understood, and the people brought him wine. In fact Gulliver drank all the wine that was available — all they had.After that one of the king's officers came up to Gulliver. He spoke to him, and indicated that he had to go to the city, to the capital of the island. This was what the king had ordered. Guliver asked to be set free, but the officer refused. Gulliver againthought of trying to escape, but he remembered those arrows which the soldiers had shot at him, and he decided to do nothing. In any case he soon fell asleep, because of all the wine he had drunk.While he was asleep, the people on the island made arrangements — got everything ready — to take Gulliver to the capital. They managed to get him on a cart which they had built specially to take him to the city. It was seven feet long, and three feet wide, and it had twenty-two wheels in all. It took about three hours to get Gulliver on the cart, and fifteen hundred horses to pull the cart to the city.Task 12Aesop was a very clever man who lived in Greece thousands of years ago. He wrote many good fables. He was known to be fond of jokes. One day, as he was enjoying a walk he met a traveler, who greeted him and said, “Kind man, can you tell me how soon I shall get to town”“Go,” Aesop answered.“I know I must go”, said the traveler, “but I should Like you to tell me how soon I shall get to town.”“Go,” Aesop said again angrily.“This man must be mad,” the traveler thought and went on.After he had gone some distance, Aesop shouted after him, “You will get to town in two hours.” The traveler turned around in astonishment. “Why didn’t you tell me that before” he asked.“How could I have told you before” answered Aesop. “I did not know how fast you could walk.。
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案Unit2
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案Unit 2Unit 2Task 1【答案】1) b 2) a 3) d【原文】Texas was the biggest state before Alaska became the forty-ninth state in 1959. One good way to understand the size of Texas is to learn about its weather. Different parts of the state have very different kinds of weather.Laredo is one of the hottest cities in the United States in summer. The best time to visit Laredo is in winter, when it is pleasantly warm.Amarillo gets very cold in winter. Sometimes there is more snow in Amarillo than in New York, which is a northern city. Summers are better, but sometimes it gets quite hot. The best time to visit Amarillo is in the autumn when it is cool.If anyone asks you about the weather in Texas, ask him, “What part of Texas do you mean？”Task 2【答案】A.1)T 2) F 3) FB.1) d 2) c 3) cC.climate, reputation, extraordinary, unreliable, dry, wet, clear, dull, hot, cold, bad, mild【原文】Our friend, Nick, whose English gets better and better, declared solemnly the other day that he thought that the British climate was wonderful, but the British weather was terrible. He went on to explain by pointing out that the British climate was a temperate one. This meant, he said, "that you could always be certain that the weather would never be extreme — at any rate not for any length of time — never very hot and never very cold." He quite rightly pointed out that the rainfall in Britain, according to the statistics, was not very heavy. "Why then," he asked, "has the British climate such a bad reputation?" He answered by saying it was because of the extraordinary, unreliable weather. There was no part of the year at which you could be certain that the weather would be dry or wet, clear or dull, hot or cold. A bad day in July could be as cold as a mild day in January. Indeed you could feel cold at almost any time of the year. Nick blamed drafty British houses for this, but agreed you could also blame the small amount of sunshine and a great amount of dampness. He advised every student coming to Britain to bring an umbrella and to understand the meaning of that splendid word "drizzle".Task 3【答案】I.the country; Trees, grass, lakes and steamsII.A.1. concrete, iron, steel2. take in the heat during the day and throw off heat into the air at nightB. Warmer winters, car engines; electrical applianceⅢ.A. air pollution may stop sunlight from reaching the earthB.1. Ice near the North and South poles to melt2. to be slowly flooded and people living in these cities to move to higher land【原文】Cities change the climate around you. In the country, there are trees, grass, lakes, and streams. In hot weather, the trees and grass cool the area around them. Lakes and rivers also cool the area around them.But cities are not cooled in these natural ways. Cities are built of asphalt, concrete, iron, and steel. There are few trees and usually not much grass. Rain falls onto the streets and into the sewers.When the summer sun shines, streets and buildings take in the heat; after the sun sets, the streets and buildings throw off heat into the street. Once the sun sets, the countryside cools off, but a city may stay hot all night.Cities are hotter than the countryside in winter, too. Standing near a car with its motor running, winter or summer, you will feel the heat thrown off by the engine. The heat comes from the gasoline burned by the engine. This heat warms the air and the ground around the car. Thousands of running cars are almost like thousands of small fires burning.Carefully put your hand near a light bulb or television set. As you can see, electricity creates a lot of heat. This heat from electricity warms the house and the outside air.The heat given off by cities can affect the climate. Some experts even believe that cities can change the climate of the whole world. They think that air pollution may stop sunlight from reaching the earth. If less sunshine reaches the earth, the earth may become cooler.Still other experts think the world will get warmer. If the world did get warmer, great changes would occur. Ice near the North and South poles would melt. This would make the oceans rise. Cities near oceans — like Los Angeles, Boston, and Miami — would slowly be flooded. People living in these cities would have to move to higher land.Task 4【答案】A.1) b 2) cB. night, delight; morning, warning; gray, way, red, headC.1) F 2) T 3) F【原文】A red sky at either dusk or dawn is one of the spectacular and beautiful weather predictors we have in nature. By closely observing this phenomenon, you can achieve short-range accuracy of the weather as good as, or better than your local weatherman. In the Bible, Jesus in Matthew 16, 2-3 is quoted as saying, “When it is evening, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning it will be foul weather today: for the sky is red” when speaking to the Pharisees. An old English weather proverb based on this passage is:Red sky at night, sailors delight.Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.OrEvening red and morning gray,Sends the traveler on his way.Evening gray, morning red,Brings the rain down on his head.At dusk, a red sky indicates that dry weather is on the way. This is due to the sun shining through dust particles being pushed ahead of a high pressure system bringing in dry air. A red sky in the morning is due to the sun again shining through dust. In this case however, the dust is being pushed on by an approaching low reassure system bringing in moisture. Don't confuse a red sky in the morning with a red sun in the morning. If the sun itself is red and the sky is a normal color, the day will be fair.Task 5【答案】1) c 2) b 3) d 4) c 5) c【原文】Mark: I am an avid fly fisherman and frequently find myself on the river in a raft during lightning storms. We always have a debate at these times on where weare safest — pulling into shore or staying on the water. Since I have heard oneis safe in a car when lightning strikes I wonder if the raft floating on the wateris insulated, and therefore the safest place to be.Meteorologist A: We spoke with some scientists about your question, and they all agreed that under no circumstances should you remain on the water during a lightningstorm. If your raft is made of rubber, you might feel that you're .well insulated,but don't kid yourself. Typical lightning flashes travel 10 to 15 kilometers andcan deliver as much as 100,000 amps of current. In comparison, a toaster usesabout 10 amps of current. If lightning strikes the water near you, it will have notrouble traveling through a few extra centimeters of rubber.Meteorologist B: So, if you're on the water and a thunderstorm approaches, get to the shore and seek shelter on land. Try a building or car. If neither is available, look for a cave,cliff, wall, or a group of trees. Never take shelter under an isolated tree-it's also agood target for lightning.Task 6【答案】A.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) TB.Incredible, one minute, one kilometer, destroyed, lifted up, carried away, killed, injured【原文】Every spring and summer many inland areas are hit by tornados. A tornado is a kind of storm. It's a revolving, funnel-shaped column of air that moves through the sky at very high speeds. A tornado looks like a huge, black ice cream cone whirling through the sky. The speed of a tornado is very fast-it is believed to be between 200 and 700 kilometers per hour.Tornados form under very special weather conditions, and these special weather conditions occur most often in inland areas, such as the central United States. A tornado forms when a layer of warm, dry air is on top of a layer of cooler, moist air. This combination of dry, warm air above wet, cool air creates a condition that causes the lower layer of air to lift up. As the lower air rises, both layers of air begin to rotate, to turn around and around. The air begins to rotate faster and faster because of centrifugal force. The tornado has a center called an “eye” and the air rotates quickly around this eye.As the air begins to rotate faster and faster, the tornado cloud begins to grow downward; that is, it begins to form a funnel or cone, and this cone goes down toward the ground.The cone of air is dark because it develops from a dark rain cloud. As the cloud gets longer, as the cloud gets closer to the ground, it begins to pull up dirt from the ground. Then the funnel of rotating air becomes very dark because of the dirt in it. As the tornado funnel gets longer, it begins to drag along the ground.When the tornado touches the ground, it does incredible damage. It usually touches the ground for only about one minute, and it usually travels along the ground for only about one kilometer, but during that one minute, buildings are destroyed, trees are lifted up out of the ground, small objects are carried away, and sometimes people are injured or killed.Task 7【答案】A.1) b 2) a 3) bB.1) It has been nice weather during the day, but it is going to change at night.2) Fine weather in southern Europe and not so nice in northern EuropeFor todaySoutheast England---26 degrees Celsius by mid-afternoonSouthern Scotland---Maximum temperatures of around 21 degreesBrighton---15 hours of lovely sunshineMidlands---23 degrees Celsius by early afternoonNorthwest of Scotland---Light showers around middayFor the weekendSpain---34 degrees CelsiusGreece---32 degrees CelsiusFrance---Cloudy with rain, maximum temperatures of 22 degreesNorthern Ireland---Heavy rain, 17 degrees CelsiusMost of England---Cloudy but mainly dry with sunny periods, 23 degrees Celsius【原文】Radio Announcer: You’re listening to Radio Metro. It’s two minutes to nine, and time for the latest weather for cast from Dan Francis at the London Weather Centre.Francis: Hello. It's been another warm and fine day for most of us. Temperatures in southeast England reached 26 degrees Celsius by mid-afternoon, and Brighton had 15 hours of lovely sunshine. Further north it was a little cooler with maximum temperatures of around 21 degrees in southern Scotland, and in the far northwest of Scotland there were some light showers around midday. But the rest of the country, as I said, has been warm and dry with temperatures in theMidlands reaching 23 degrees Celsius by early afternoon though it was a little cooler along the west coast and in Northern Ireland. But already the weather is beginning to change, I'm afraid, and during the night showers will slowly move in from the Atlantic to reach south-west England and the southern coast of Wales by early morning.The rest of the country will have a very mild, dry night with minimum temperatures no lower than 15 degrees in the south, a little cooler — 11degrees or so — in the north. Any remaining showers in northwest Scotland will pass quickly to leave a mild, dry night there too.And now the outlook for Friday and the weekend. Well, southern Europe will, once again, get the best of the weekend weather, and if your holiday starts this weekend, then southern Spain is the place to go, with temperatures of 34 degrees along the Mediterranean coast. At the eastern end of the Med, too, you can expect uninterrupted sunshine and temperatures of up to 32 degrees Celsius in Greece and southeast Italy, but further north the weather's not so settled. Much of France, Belgium and the Netherlands will be cloudy with occasional rain, and maximum temperatures will be around 22 degrees — very disappointing for this time of the year.Scotland and Northern Ireland will have heavy rain for much of the weekend and temperatures will drop to a cool 17 degrees. Across most of England the weather will be cloudy but mainly dry with sunny periods. And when the sun does come out, temperatures could rise to a maximum of 23 degrees.Task 8【原文】As the air pressure around you either rises or falls, many changes in nature occur. Most of these are very obvious changes while others are of a more subtle nature.Mountains and other far away objects will appear to be much closer and more sharply focused as wet weather approaches and the air pressure drops. The dust particles in the air begin to settle to the ground and the air clears, allowing you to see more details of faraway objects. As a high pressure front approaches and the air becomes “thicker,” more dust particles become suspended in air and things take on their normal somewhat hazy appearance.“Sharp horns on the moon threaten bad weather.” This and a bright, clear moon are good indicators that wet weather is on the way. As the air clears of dust particles ahead of a low pressuresystem, the moon appears to come closer and be more sharply focused due to the lack of dust.Sound also becomes sharper and more focused prior to stormy weather. Instead of traveling upward and outward into the atmosphere sound waves are bent back to the earth and their range extended. Bird calls sound sharper, and, at my house, we can hear the blowing of the train horn as it rumbles through the valley below.If you find yourself out in a marsh or swamp and the air really seems to stink more than normal, expect rainy weather. This happens when the pressure drops and the methane trapped on the bottom of the swamp is released in greater quantities. In reverse, as fair weather approaches and the pressure rises, things won't smell quite so strong.Birds and bats have a tendency to fly much lower to the ground right before a rain due to the “thinning” of the air. They prefer to fly where the air is the most dense and they can get greater lift with their wings. With high pressure and dry air, the atmosphere becomes denser and they can easily fly at higher altitudes.Smoke rising straight into the air means fair weather and smoke hanging low means rain is on the way. This is pretty much the same as with the birds and methane in the swamp. When high pressure approaches, smoke will rise whereas with low pressure it can't rise and tends to lay low.Remember a grandparent talking about how their corns, bunions, or joints ached right before a rain? Again, this is due to the decreasing atmospheric pressure allowing the gas in our bodies to expand.Task 9【答案】A. Statements 3, 6, 7 are true.B.f—c—a—d—b—eC.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) FD.1) d 2) b【原文】It was 1974. Richard Nixon was still president. Kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst was still missing. In Xenia, a pretty spot of 25,000 people amid fields of soybeans and corn, American Graffiti was held over at the Cinema. The Xenia Hotel offered a chicken and dumpling dinner for $2.25, but everyone flocked to the A&W drive-in for burgers and root beer floats. That's where five of the bodies were found after the storm.In all, 33 people died in Xenia's tornado, the deadliest of 148 storms that raged through 13 states during the infamous "Super Outbreak'' of tornadoes April 3 to 4, 1974. In 16 hours and 10 minutes, 330 people were killed and nearly 5,550 were injured from Illinois to Georgia.Though the Xenia death toll has been matched by other killer storms, the degree of devastation makes the city's tornado among U.S. history's most destructive. The storm still is studied in colleges by aspiring meteorologists, a textbook case of a rare Category F-5, the most intense of tornadoes.On that fateful day, I was a young boy of 8 years old. We lived in the Arrowhead Subdivision. That afternoon I was around the corner playing with some neighbor kids. I thought I could hear my father calling me, so I ran back to the house. Thinking back now, there is no way I would havebeen able to hear him. I was too far away for a voice to have traveled in the afternoon noise. Besides, Dad had a very bad case of tonsillitis that day. Like I was saying, I went back home and got through the door just in time to answer the ringing phone. On the other end of the phone was my Mother. Mom was working. She told me she heard a bad storm was on the way. She told me to make sure the garage door was shut and to stay inside. After I hung up the phone, I settled down to watch The Dennis Show. To this day I can vividly remember the electricity going out. I looked out the large window in the living room and didn't have a clue as to what I was looking at.Dad was asleep on the couch, so I woke him up to look. Dad looked and said to get into the bathroom. We sat on the floor. Dad had his back to the door and his feet pushing against the wall opposite the door. I remember that as soon as we sat down, the windows broke. Glass blew under the door, and the sound was tremendous. I know it really didn’t take too long for the tornado to go past, but I do remember the conversation we had in the process. I could feel the cool air rushing under the floor through the crawlspace vents. I asked if we were flying. He said he wasn't sure, but he didn't think we were. He said the house was tearing apart. I asked him how he knew. He said he just knew it was.When things calmed down, we opened the door. The odd feeling I had, looking up the street from inside what once was my hallway, is still with me today.I think back often to that day. I think back and wonder what would have happened if my Dad hadn't been sick that day. Like a lot of kids, I stayed home by myself after school back then. I seriously doubt I would be able to tell you my story, if I had been alone that day. I still live in Xenia and wouldn’t trade this town for any other.Task 10【原文】Undoubtedly, Tibet is one of the harshest places for human existence. It is cool in summer but freezing cold in winter. In Lhasa, the mildest city temperature may exceed 29C in summer while plummeting to -16C in winter! Sun radiation is extremely strong in Tibet. The sunlight in Lhasa is so intense that the city is called Sunlight City. The thin air can neither block off nor retain heat so that the temperature extremes can be met in daytime and the same night respectively in Tibet. However it is not impossible to visit the holy snow land. April to October is the best time to visit Tibet, out of the coldest months, which are from December to February usually. The average temperature in north Tibet is subzero and winter arrives in October until the following May or June. July and August are the best time to visit the area, enjoying warm temperature, intense sunshine, beautiful scenery and festive events. May, June and September is the tourist season in east Tibet. In winter, roads are all blocked by heavy snow. Landslides and rock falls frequently occur, which will make travel difficult.。
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案Unit--6Word版
I had two months until my new job began. It was like waiting an entire summer for school to start. I spent those two months talking to figure skating coaches and judges. I read boring rule books. I drove to the rinks where the skaters trained, and made notes about our conversations. I even took a lesson, which made some of the skaters laugh.Unit 6Task 1【答案】A.[d]—[b]—[a]—[e]—[c]B.a【原文】Laura usually leaves the offices of Quest Productions at about 5 o'clock, but last Monday she left at 5:30. She wanted to get home by 6:30 and she ran to the bus stop but she couldn't get on a bus. There were too many people and not enough buses. Laura was desperate to get home so she decided to go by tube.In the station she went to one of the automatic ticket machines but she didn't have enough change, so she had to join the queue at the ticket window. She bought her ticket and ran to the escalator. Laura went to the platform and waited for the tube. It arrived and the crowd moved forward.Laura was pushed into the train. It was almost full but she was given a seat by a man with a moustache. Laura thanked him and sat down. She started to read her newspaper. In the tunnel the train stopped suddenly and Laura was thrown to the floor together with the man with the moustache. Somebody screamed. The lights went out. It was quarter past 6 on a cold, wet December evening.Task 2【答案】A.1) a 2) b 3) d 4) cB.1) T 2) T 3) FC.wondered; television plays; exciting; every cigarette lighter; tape recorder; held in a certain way; the touch of a gold ring against the hand of; reveal; How wrong they were【原文】X was a secret agent. He had rented a furnished room in a provincial town not far from the public park and had been there two weeks. He was standing at the window looking out at the dull beds of geraniums, the park gates and the cold, uninviting statue of Queen Victoria that stood across the street from him, It was raining hard and the few people who passed by looked wet and miserable. X was miserable, too. How, he wondered, could anybody think there was anything interesting about the life of a secret agent? He knew it was because people had seen so many television plays about glamorous spies that they thought the life of a secret agent was exciting.They were convinced that every cigarette lighter concealed a secret tape recorder; that a fountain pen held in a certain way would open alocked door, that the touch of a gold ring against the hand of an enemy would make him reveal all his secrets. How wrong they were! He looked round his room. The wallpaper was in the worst possible taste, the pictures horrible, the carpet worn, dirty and faded; and he was cold. This was the third Monday he had come to the window to look out. He prayed it would be the last.As if in answer to his prayer, a certain meeting he had been sent to investigate was about to take place. He took out his camera. Just beneath the statue two women had stopped to speak. He knew one of them, and it was she who pointed in his direction. The other woman looked up towards him and in that brief moment he photographed her.Task 3【答案】B.1) a 2) b 3) c 4) b 5) d【原文】Harry: Well, Robert, have you made up your mind yet what you want to do when you leave college?Nora: Oh Harry. Surely he's a bit young to decide on his career. He hasn't even got to college yet.Harry: Not at all, Nora. It's wisest to decide in good time. Look at me, for example.I really wanted to be a sailor, but now I spend my days sitting at a desk inan office. Yes, it's silly to train for the wrong job. And after all, Robert will be going to college soon.Nora: Now if I were a man I'd be a farmer. To see the crops growing--that's my idea of a good life.Harry: Yes, and to see the money rolling in is more important still.Robert: Well, that's not the way I look at it, Dad. It's the job I care about, not the money.Harry: Maybe not; but you'll learn to care about the money too, when you've gota family to keep.Nora: And of course Peter — well, he's keen to be a racing driver, or else an explorer.Robert: Oh, Peter's not old enough to make up his mind about such things.Harry: You haven't answered my question yet, Robert. What would you like to do? Nora: Are you sure you don't want to be a farmer, Robert? Or a market gardener? Robert: No, I'm sorry Mum, but I don't want to at all. I'd rather be a civil engineer.I want to buildroads and bridges.Harry: Not ships? Isn't it better to be a shipbuilding engineer?Robert: Look here, is it my career we're planning, or yours?Harry: All fight, all right, there's no need to lose your temper. But you'd better win that scholarship first.Task 4【答案】I. correspondents; columnistA. may not need eitherB. to go to places where events take place and write stories about themII. first; bigger; better; who will soon leave to work for other peopleIII. working hours; free time; work long hours to begin with【原文】Here are some of the things a young man or woman should not do when he first asks an editor for a job:He should not tell the editor that he wants to be a foreign correspondent or a columnist. Very probably the editor does not need either. He wants a reporter who will go to such places as government offices and police stations and write a true story of what is happening there. Being a foreign correspondent or a columnist will come later.A young person should not tell tile editor that newspaper work is only the first step on the way to bigger and better jobs, such as those in government. The editor must take a lot of time and trouble teaching someone to be a good newspaperman or woman. He does not like the idea of teaching people who are soon going to leave him to work for someone else.A young journalist should accept the working hours and free time the editor gives him. As a new journalist, it is very probable that he will work longer hours than others and work on weekends. The editor did the same when he was a young newspaperman with no experience. He expects a journalist to understand how things are on a newspaper.Task 5【答案】A.1) acd 2) abeB.1) she is the wrong sex 2) she wears the wrong clothes【原文】SYLVIA: We've got a new manager in our department.LARRY: Oh? You hoped to get that job, didn't you?SYLVIA: Yes, I did.LARRY: I'm sorry. That's too bad. Who is it? Who got the job, I mean?SYLVIA: Someone called Drexler. Carl Drexler. He's been with the company onlytwo years. I've been here longer. And I know more about the job, too!LARRY: Hmm. Why do you think they gave it to him and not to you?SYLVIA: Because I'm the wrong sex, of course !LARRY: You mean you didn't get the job because you're a woman?SYLVIA: Yes, that was probably it! It isn't fair.LARRY: What sort of clothes does he wear?SYLVTA: A dark suit. White shirt. A tie. Why?LARRY: Perhaps that had something to do with it.SYLVIA: You mean you think I didn't get the job because I come to work in jeans and a sweater?LARRY: It's possible, isn't it?SYLVIA: Do you really think I should wear different clothes?LARRY: Well. . . perhaps you should think about it.SYLVTA: Why should I wear a skirt? Or a dress?LARRY: I'm not saying you should. I'm saying you should think about it. That's all!SYLVIA: Why should I do that? I'm good at my job! That's the only important thing!LARRY: Hmm. Perhaps it should be the only important thing. But it isn't. Not inthis company.Task 6【答案】B.1st speaker(bcd) 2nd speaker(ae)C.1) F 2) F【原文】Al: Is this the right line to file a claim?Bob: Yeah. It's the same line for everything. You just stand here and wait.Al: Oh. Is there always such a long line?Bob: Every week. Sometimes longer. Is this your first time here?Al: Yes.Bob: What happened? Your plant closed down?Al: No. I'm a car salesman, or, I was a car salesman. But we just aren't selling cars. It's the interest rates. Two years ago, I averaged ten new cars a month.Do you know how many carsI sold last month? One. One car to a lady who had the cash. But the interest ratesare up again. The boss let three of us go. How about you?Bob: I worked at a vacuum cleaner plant with about fifty workers. We put in a good day's work. But the machinery was getting old. As a matter of fact, the whole plant was old. So the management decided to build a new plant. You know where?In Singapore. The workers here made about seven dollars an hour, a couple of people made eight or nine an hour. You know how much they're paying the workers in Singapore? $2.50 an hour! Anyway, all fifty of us got laid off.Al: How long ago was that?Bob: They closed down ten months ago.Al: Any luck finding another job?Bob: Nothing. I have one, sometimes two, interviews a week. Last week I thought I had something. They liked my experience with machines. But I never heard from them again.Al: At least you know something about machines. All I can do is talk.Bob: Maybe you'll talk yourself into another job. Good luck. I'll see you here next week.Al: I hope not. I hope I'll have something by then.Task 7【答案】A.1) F 2) F 3) T 4) F 5) T 6) FB.1) According to the first speaker, it is frustrating because the teacher cannot see clearly the results of his efforts.2) According to the second speaker, English language teaching is a good job, because it guarantees a stable income and regular working hours and means less pressure. He also likes the way elderly teacher are.【原文】Interviewer: Do you prefer what you're doing to teaching?John Smith: Yes, one of the things I found a bit frustrating about teaching was that it was rather,very intangible than um, especially if you're teaching in England and most of the students know quite a lot of English before they arrive. They learn a lot of English outside the classroom, in pubs or coffee shops or other places, with the families they're living with. It's very difficult to pin down how much they learn from your actual lesson, whereas in marketing um, again there are lots of areas that are gray rather than black or white, but there are quite a few other areas where one can see quite clearly the results of one's efforts.Interviewer: What did you do after you quit your job in advertising?Second Man: In fact, I became a journalist and I worked as a freelance. I didn't have a full-time job with any newspaper. I just had to contribute thingsas they came along and 1wrote for magazines, and I did quite a lot of broadcasting for the VOA. Well, this was in a way the opposite of advertising because I enjoyed it a lot butI found it very hard to earn enough money to live on.Interviewer: And then you decided to be a teacher?Second Man: Well, and so I thought. Well, I must do something which produces an income that I can be sure of. While I was working as a journalist I had donean article for a magazine about the English language teaching world andm fact I had come to the school where I now teach as a journalist andinterviewed a lot of the people. And I thought it seemed a very nice placeand I thought that the classes I visited had a very, very nice feelingabout them, and so I thought, well, I'll see if they'll have me.Interviewer: Why do you prefer teaching to advertising?Second Man: Well, partly because in teaching you work regular hours. It I advertising you just had to stay at the office until the work was finished [I see.]and it could be three o'clock in the morning. [Oh, dean] Also you werevery often made to work at weekends. Often some job would come up thatwas very important and they said it had to be finished — it had to gointo the newspapers next week.Interviewer: So there was a lot mom pressure.Second Man: There was a lot more pressure in advertising. Also, the people I worked with when I was first in advertising were young hopeful people like myself.By the end I was working with a lot of old people who quite honestly wereawful. And I kept looking at them and saying, "Am I going to be like that?"And I thought if I am I'd better get out, whereas the English languageteachers I saw, who were older people I thought, well, they seemed quitenice. And I wouldn't mind being like that myself.Task 8【答案】The interview with Michale:【原文】Matthew: Michael, do you go out to work?Michael: Not regularly, no. I... I used to; I used to have a job in a publishing company, but Idecided it wasn't really what I wanted to do and that what I wanted to do wouldn't earn me much money, so I gave up working and luckily I had a private income from my family to support me and now I do the things I want to do. Some of them get paid like lecturing and teaching, and others don't.Matthew: What are the advantages of not having to go to work from nine till five? Michael: Ah... there' re two advantages really. One is that if you feel tired you don't have to get up, and the other is that you can spend your time doing things you want to do rather than being forced to do the same thing all the time. Matthew: But surely that's in a sense very self-indulgent and very lucky because most of us have to go out and earn our livings. Do you feel justified in having this privileged position?Michael: Yes, because I think I use it well. I do things which I think are useful to people and the community and which I enjoy doing.Matthew: Chris, what do you think the value of work is?Chris: Well, I think in our present-day society, for most people, work has very little value at all. Most of us go out to work for about eight to nine hours of our working day. We do things which are either totally futile and totally useless or have very little justification whatsoever, and for most of us the only reason for working is that we need to keep ourselves alive, to pay for somewhere to live, to pay to feed our children.Matthew: But surely people wouldn't know what to do if they didn't have to go to work?Chris: Well, again this raises the sort of two main aspects of work. Should we think of 'work only as a sort of bread-winning process, and this is very much the role it has in current society, or should we take a much wider perspective on work and think of all the possible sort of activities that human beingscould be doing during the day? I think the sort of distinction currently is between say, someone who works in a car factory and who produces cars which are just adding to pollution, to over-consumption of vital resources, who is doing something which is very harmful, both to our environment and to, probably society, to contrast his work with someone perhaps like a doctor, who I think in any society could be justified as doing a very valuable job and one which incidentally is satisfying to the person who is doing it.Matthew: What do you do? Is your job just a breadwinning process or do you get some satisfaction out of doing it?Chris: Well, in the job I do find that most of the satisfaction is a mental one;it's coming to grips with the problems of my subject and with the problems of teaching in the University. Clearly this is the type of satisfaction that most people doing what we call in England "white-collar" jobs. This is quite different from the sort of craftsman, who is either working that his hands or with his skills on a machine, or from people perhaps who are using artistic skills, which are of a quite different character. Certainly it's becoming a phenomena that people who do "white-collar jobs during the day, who work with their minds to some extent, people who work on computers, people who are office clerks, bank employees, these people have fairly soul-destroying jobs which nevertheless don't involve much physical effort, that they tend to come home and do "do-it-yourself" activities at home. They make cupboard, paint their houses, repair their cars, which somehow provide the sort of physical job satisfaction that they're denied in their working day.Task 9【答案】A.B.1) No major change. For some→“less paperwork”Some:→less working hoursOthers:→earn more money.2) Most adults→would go on working.Esp. young adults (18 to 24)→9 out of 10 would go on working【原文】Are most workers today feeling bored and dissatisfied with their jobs? It is often claimed that they are. Yet a study conducted by Parade magazine more than 20 years ago showed that people at that time felt the opposite.Parade asked questions of a representative sampling of adult Americans from coast to coast. The sampling included different sexes, age groups, and occupations. The interviewees were asked to make a choice from one of the following three to describe their feelings towards their work.A. Like their jobs.B. Dislike their jobs.C. Like their jobs in part,Results showed that 91 percent of the male interviewees and 84 percent of the females chose A, while only 5 percent men and 12 percent women interviewed chose B. The rest said that they liked their jobs in part and they comprised a very tow percentage.In all the three age groups — from 18 to 24, from 25 to 29 and 30 to 39 —those who liked theirjobs made up the majority. 70 percent, 88 percent and 92 percent respectively choose A. Those choosing B accounted for 20 percent, 9 percent and 8 percent of different age groups. And the rest, 6 percent, 3 percent and 0 percent respectively claimed that they only liked their jobs in part.The difference in responses among people with different occupations is small. Among the white-collar employees, those choosing A, B and C are 87 percent, 8 percent and 4 percent of the total. And for the blue-collar employees, 91 percent, 5 percent and 3 percent choose A, B and C respectively.It is interesting to note that there are few differences in attitude between men and women, professionals and factory workers. In each group, the largest number reported that they liked their jobs.Next, Parade asked, "If there were one thing you could change about your job, what would it be?" It was expected that many would wish to make their jobs less boring, but very few gave this reply. No major changes were reported. Some wished for "less paperwork"; many would shorten their working hours, but others would like more hours in order to earn more money. No serious complaints were made.Most people have to work in order to live. But what would happen if someone had enough money to stop working? Parade asked, "If you inherited a million dollars, would you go on working — either at your present job or something you liked better--or would you quit work?" The answers showed that most adults would prefer to work, even if they didn't have to. This is true especially of the younger adults aged 18-24. Of these, nine out often said they would go on working, even if they suddenly became millionaires.Task 10【答案】B.1) F 2) TC.1) b 2) aD.1. She really enjoyed meeting new people.2. She had good qualifications in English and Maths.3. She did not mind hard work, even if it was not always pleasant.4. She liked living away form home.【原文】Officer: Come in, please take a seat. I'm the careers officer. You're Cathy, aren't you?Mother: That's right. This is Catherine Hunt, and I'm her mother.Officer: How do you do, Mrs. Hunt? Hello, Catherine.Cathy: Hello. Pleased to meet you.Officer: And you'd like some advice about choosing a career?-Mother: Yes, she would. Wouldn't you, Catherine?Cathy: Yes, please.Officer: Well, just let me ask a few questions to begin with. How old are you, Catherine?Mother: She's nineteen. Well, she's almost nineteen.Officer: And what qualifications have you got?Mother: Well, qualifications from school, of course. Very good results she got. And she got certificates for ballet and for playing the piano.Officer: Is that what you're interested in, Catherine, dancing and music? Cathy: Well...Mother: Ever since she was a little girl, she's been very keen on music and dancing. She ought tobe a music teacher or something. She's quite willing to train for a few more years to get the right job, aren't you, Catherine?Cathy: Well, if it's a good idea.Mother: There you are, you see. She's a good girl really, a bit lazy and disorganized sometimes,but she's very bright. I'm sure the careers officer will have lots of jobs for you.Officer: Well, I'm afraid it's not as easy as that. There are many young people these days who can'tfind the job they want.Mother: I told you, Catherine. I told you, you shouldn't wear that dress. You have to look smart toget a job these days.Officer: I think she looks very nice. Mrs. Hunt, will you come into the other office for a momentand look at some of the information we have there. I'm sure you'd like to see how we can help young people.Mother: Yes, I'd love to. Mind you, I think Catherine would be a nice teacher. She could work with young children. She'd like that. Or she could be a vet. She's always looking after sick animals.Officer: I'm afraid there's a lot of competition. You need very good results to bea vet. This way, Mrs. Hunt. Just wait a minute, Catherine.(The mother exits.)Officer: There are just one or two more things, Catherine.Cathy: Do call me Cathy.Officer: OK, Cathy. Are you really interested in being a vet?Cathy: Not really. Anyway, I'm not bright enough. I'm reasonably intelligent, but I'm not brilliant. I'm afraid my mother is a bit over-optimistic.Officer: Yes, I guessed that. She's a bit overpowering, isn't she, your mum? Cathy: A bit. But she's very kind.Officer: I'm sure she is. So, you're interested in ballet and music, are you? Cathy: Not really. My mother sent me to lessons when I was six, so I'm quite good,I suppose. But I don't think I want to do that for the rest of my life, especiallymusic. It's so lonely.Officer: What do you enjoy doing?Cathy: Well, I like playing tennis, and swimming. Oh, I went to France with the school choir last year. I really enjoyed that. And I like talking to people. But I suppose you mean real interests — things that would help me to get a job? Officer: No. I'm more interested in what you really want to do. You like talking to people, do you?Cathy: Oh yes, I really enjoy meeting new people.Officer: Do you think you would enjoy teaching?Cathy: No, no, I don't really. I was never very interested in school work, and I'd like to do something different. Anyway, there's a teacher training college very near us. It would be just like going to school again.Officer: So you don't want to go on training?Cathy: Oh, I wouldn't mind at all, not for something useful. I wondered about beinga hairdresser — you meet lots of people, and you learn to do somethingproperly—but I don't know. It doesn't seem very worthwhile.Officer: What about nursing?Cathy: Nursing? In a hospital? Oh, I couldn't do that, I'm not good enough. Officer: Yes, you are. You've got good qualifications in English and Maths. But it is very hard work.Cathy: Oh, I don't mind that.Officer: And it's not very pleasant sometimes.Cathy: That doesn't worry me either. Mum's right. I do look after sick animals. Ilooked after our dog when it was run over by a car. My mother was sick, but I didn't mind. I was too worried about the dog. Do you really think I could be a nurse?Officer: I think you could be a very good nurse. You'd have to leave home, of course. Cathy: I rather think I should enjoy that.Officer: Well, don't decide all at once. Here's some information about one or two other things which might suit you. Have a look through it before you make up your mind.Task 11【原文】I began my career during college, reporting on news stories at a Toronto radio station. The station’s program manager was also a professor who taught one of my classes. I convinced him that she needed a youth reporter because that year was International Youth Year. After graduation, I took a job as a television news reporter and later, news anchor. But sports reporting was something different, so I decided to try it. Figure skating was my first assignment.I had two months until my new job began. It was like waiting an entire summer for school to start. I spent those two months talking to figure skating coaches and judges. I read boring rule books. I drove to the rinks where the skaters trained, and made notes about our conversations. I even took a lesson, which made some of the skaters laugh.（注：可编辑下载，若有不当之处，请指正，谢谢!）。
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答a案Unit 11
【答案】1) c2) a3) b4) a【原文】Bali is a beautiful island of mountains, forests and rice fields. It is also an island of artists. Almost everybody there is an artist of some kind. The people work all day at home, in the fields or on their boats, but in the evening they make music, dance, paint or carve things out of wood and stone.For the Balinese, art is part of religion. It is a way of pleasing their gods--and Bali, they believe, is full of gods. There are thousands of temples in Bali, and there are festivals at these temples when people die or get married, or when a child is born. At these festivals the people try to keep their gods happy by giving them food, by dancing, by acting, and by playing music for them.In the past, the Balinese did not care about the outside world. For them Bali was the whole world. But in the 1930s tourists began to visit Bali, and since the 1950s tourism has become big business there. So the islanders have begun to sell their art to tourists. These days the Balinese pro-duce more and more things for tourists; they make fewer things for their temples. They have less time for their gods, so there are fewer festivals.Each year more tourists bring more money to the island; they also bring new ideas and a new way of life. The Balinese know that if fewer tourists come to the island, there will be less money. But they also know if there are too many tourists, the Balinese way of life will change drastically. The authorities are trying hard to organize and control tourism with caution. Bali has to change; nevertheless they want to make sure that it changes for the better, not for the worse.Task 3【答案】A.1) Because until 1980, it had been quiet for more than a hundred years.2) It was strange. No birds were singing, and the air was still.3) He was standing near the summit and reporting the eruption on radio.B.Washington; 35; 1980; 123; recreation; summit; tremors; small eruptions; no danger; 1980; dust; ash; rocks; mud; 40; peaceful; empty【原文】Most volcanoes are quiet. They rest peacefully for hundreds of years. No one pays much attention to them.Mount St. Helens was one of these volcanoes. Until 1980, it was a beautiful recreation area. Its last eruption had been 123 years ago. No one was worried about another one. Then, in March 1980, Mount St. Helens began to make noises. At first, there were tremors. Then, small eruptions occurred. Some residents left immediately. Others felt there was no danger.But on the morning of May 18, 1980, the mountain blew its top. With the power of twenty-five atomic bombs, Mount St. Helens exploded. Clouds of dust and ash rose more than twelve miles into the sky. Rocks and mud crashed down the slopes.Unfortunately, many people were still living, camping, or working in the area. Over forty people lost their lives. Others were rescued.Robert Baker was fishing with his family when the explosion occurred. He reported that the morning of May 18 was strange. No birds were singing. The air was still. Then, he saw a large black cloud coming down toward them. In minutes, day turned into night. He called his family to their van and they started on the slow dark ride away from the mountain. All the time, hot ash was raining on them.But other people were not so lucky. David Johnston, a volcano expert, was standing near the summit of the mountain. At 8:31 a. m. , he radioed, "This is it!" He was never heard from again.Mount St. Helens is peaceful now. But its slopes are empty. It will be many years before fish, plants, and trees will again live on the mountain.Task 4【答案】A.1) Mrs. Rakel Surlien is the Norwegian Minister of Environmental Protection, and she is about to begin a three-day visit to Britain.2) Britain.3) Britain insists the case against acid rain in general and its contribution in particular is far from proven. / Britain insists that neither the disastrous effects of acid rain nor Britain’s responsibility in the issue has been proven.4) Sweden.5) It refers to a group of some 20 nations which are committed to reducing sulfur dioxide by a third.6) Norway is against Britain in the dispute over acid rain in spite of its cordial approach.B.1) fish; aquatic life; forest2) power stations3)remain isolateed【原文】Norway has decided to resume a "softly-softly approach" to Britain in the long-standing dispute over the issue of acid rain, as Mrs. Rakel Surlien, the Norwegian Minister of Environmental Protection, begins a three-day visit to Britain.All the Nordic countries believe that Britain is responsible for as much as a third of the acid deposit failing in southern Scandinavia, killing fish and most other aquatic life in thousands of lakes and rivers and possibly putting large areas of forest at risk. Emissions from coal and oil burning power stations are blamed mostly, but Britain insists the case against acid rain in general and its contribution in particular is far from proven.The issue has become almost fashionable since the Swedes raised it in 1972. More than 20 nations have agreed to join the so-called "30 Percent Club", committed to reducing sulfur dioxide by a third, and Britain is increasingly isolated in Western Europe by its refusal to do so.Mrs. Surlien says there has been no change in the Norwegian position in spite of the cordial approach, and she also scented victory, as she said, "I don't see you can remain isolated in this way for long. It must be very difficult to live with."Task 5【答案】1) four out of five; survive; rosy; forest flower; for centuries2) 2,000; fight cancer; 40; wildlife; the rain forest3) drugs; a South American tree; blood pressure; the snakeroot plant from Indian forests4) foods; tropical forests; winged bean5) rubber; oils; one; examined; 99; threatened【原文】A representative of an ecological organization is talking about the advantages and benefits for humans of the rain forests.Four out of five of all children who got leukemia in 1960 died. Now four out of every five survive. The secret of this miraculous change is the rosy periwinkle,a forest flower which tribal doctors had used for centuries.The United States National Cancer Institute has identified more than 2,000 tropical rain forest plants with the ability to fight cancer. In fact, about 40 percent of all drugs given out in the United States today owe much of their strength to chemicals from wildlife, largely from the rain forest.Other drags include quinine, which comes from a South American tree, and drugs to relieve high blood pressure are derived from the snakeroot plant from Indian forests. The armadillo of South America is helping us find a cure for leprosy. The tropical forests also contain large amounts of new foods. For example, the winged bean of New Guinea is now grown in about 50 different countries. Japanese scientists have found a calorie-free substance in Paraguay which is 300 times sweeter than sugar, and a coffee free of caffeine has been found in the small forests of the Comoros islands.Every day we use products from the rain forests--robber, spices and oils, and of course wood. Less than one percent of the forest plants have been examined for their potential, but the remaining 99 percent is threatened by our endless search for wood. The South American Indians say the trees hold up the sky, and if they come down there will be a catastrophe.Task 6【答案】A.1) A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, and the moon’s shadow covers part of the earth.2) A solar eclipse has occurred at Christmas only 30 times during the past 5,000 years, the last time in 1954.3) The (retina of the) eye can be permanently damaged.4) It works by projecting the sun’s image on a piece of paper through a pinholeon another piece.5) The next eclipse at Christmas will occur in 2307; it can be observed on the west coast of Africa.B.1) T2) F3) T【原文】On December 25, 2000, many people across North America received a rare Christmas treat when the moon passed in front of the sun resulting in a partial solar eclipse.Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, and the moon’s shadow covers part of the earth, and a total solar eclipse takes place when the moon’s shadow blocks out the sun entirely. What made this particular solar eclipse unique was that this event has occurred on December twenty-fifth only 30 times during the past five thousand years, the last time in 1954.But people must be exceptionally careful when attempting to view the solar eclipse. Without taking precautionary measures, one can permanently damage the retina of the eye; however, there are several safe methods of witnessing this heavenly marvel.First, you can view a solar eclipse by using eclipse safety glasses for filtering out the sun’s harmful rays. They should be used when any part of the sun is visible.Sunglasses can block out some of the sun’s ultraviolet rays, but the results can be very deceptive. The eye’s natural reaction to this darken state when wearing sunglasses is to make the pupil larger, which allows in more light and can intensify the damage to the your eye.You c an watch an eclipse by projecting the sun’s image on a piece of paper eitherby using a telescope, or easier yet, by creating a pinhole in a piece of paper and viewing the result on another piece of paper, thus called a pinhole projector.Only during a total eclipse when the sun is completely and briefly covered can you watch the eclipse without eye protection. Even then, extreme caution should be taken.In case you didn’t catch this last spectacular solar eclipse on December twenty-fifth, 2000, there is no need to fret. Your posterity can record the next eclipse on Christmas in the year 2307, but only if they’re visiting the west coast of Africa for the holidays.Task 7【答案】A.1) pottery; metal2) large cities; food production3) the late 1950s; borrow; returnable; one-trip4) pots; pansB.1) Because the food must be shipped from place to place when it is produced, andbecause of the increased variety of foods available and the convenience of precooked meals, it is impossible for the customer to collect many foods in his own container.2) Until the late 1950s Americans had to borrow soft-drink bottles by paying a depositeach time they bought one.3) Yes, beaus sales of soft drink climbed.4) Glass companies gave soft-drink sellers a helping hand. A US company, Consumer'sGlass, made an arrangement with the bottler companies to reimburse them for much of the cost of one-trip bottles.5) Aluminium food packages now have their own electric plugs. After you eat the food,you can just throw them away.6) The writer is mildly criticizing the trend toward one-trip living and thinks itprobably has gone too far.【原文】The product that most people throw out after using only once is packaging. This is not always tree. The pottery or metal container used in Roman times and in most rural areas of the world today is a permanent and valuable household item. Unless a container is accidentally broken, it lasts a lifetime, despite the many journeys from home to market, farm or water well and back. The growth of large cities and modem methods of food production changes all that. Because the food must be shipped from place to place while it is produced, and because of the increased variety of foods available and the convenience of precooked meals, it is impossible for the customer to collect many foods in his own container.It costs a great deal to provide a new container each time we buy milk, wine, beer and other drinks. Yet for a number of reasons the trend towards one-trip bottles for all these items is in full swing. The case of the vanishing returnable soft-drink bottle shows how much these containers add to the rising tide of waste.Until the late 1950s, Americans had to borrow soft-drink bottles by paying a deposit each time they bought one. But several years later, soft-drink bottlers decided that it was more convenient for the customer to throw the bottle away instead.A returnable bottle lasting 30 or more trips was replaced with 30 one-trip cans or bottles. Sales of soft drinks climbed and the container manufacturers smiled all the way to the bank. Glass companies gave soft-drink sellers a helping hand. A US company, Consumer's Glass, made an arrangement with the bottler companies to reimburse them for much of the cost of one-trip bottles.Other manufacturers have joined in promoting the throw-away spirit. TheAluminium Company of America announced that packages would soon replace pots and pans. Food packages were being designed with their own electric plugs. After you eat the food, you just throw away the pan with the messy old grease. What about a camping holiday You can make a bonfire on the last day with the disposable equipment that can now be purchased. In hospitals, there may well be a case on health grounds for disposable syringes. But isn't the use of one-trip sleeping bags and tents taking disposability too farTask 8【答案】A.B.1) F2) F3) T【原文】Jane Goodall, a British field biologist, has devoted her life to wildlife conservation, in particular to the study of chimpanzees. She makes a special effort to reach out to young people. In 1991, Jane started an environmental and humanitarian programme for kids called Roots & Shoots. Today, there are more than 4,000 Roots & Shoots groups in 68 countries all over the world and a programme in every state in the US. The main purpose of the Roots & Shoots programme is to help kids develop a concern for animals, the environment, and their own communities. "Roots creep underground every-where and make a firm foundation. Shoots seem very weak, but to reach the light they can break through brick walls," Jane tells people as she speaks about the programme. Imagine the brick walls are all the problems humans have inflicted on the planet. Young people, like those roots and shoots, can break through those walls to change the world.A hundred years ago, Africa was home to about 2 million wild chimpanzees. Today the population of chimps has dropped to less than 150,000. Jane Goodall knows it will take a worldwide effort to save the species. She is working to sec that this effort is made.In November 2000, the Great Ape Conservation Act was signed into law in the United States. Jane worked hard to persuade members of the US Congress to support this bill. The act provides money for protecting the great apes of Africa and Asia that are in danger of extinction. Experts predict that if we do not protect them now, soon there will be no more great apes living in the Congo Basin, their last stronghold in Africa.Jane Goodall is hopeful about the future. She knows that each of us can do ourpart, no matter where we live, to protect wildlife and our environment. Her story shows us that one person really can make a difference.Task 9【答案】A.1) Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco.2) It’s San Francisco's world-famous landmark3) Because of the gap between the amount of cars and the amount of roadway available. Or: If you think of it as a supply/demand relationship, you’ll find that there’sa lot more demand than supply.4) Texas Transportation Institute.B.1) 852) 62; Los Angeles; 136; Seattle; Houston; New York; Miami; 693) Bigger cities; roadway; transit system4) expensive; $68 billion【原文】James Hattori, the Host:Hi, everybody. I'm James Hattori. Welcome to our program, this week from the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco's world-famous landmark, at the mouth of the Golden Gate straits.42 million vehicles a year cross this bridge. That gives you an idea of the often nightmarish traffic drivers face around here. And, of course, we're not alone. Natalie Pawelski, our environment correspondent, has the numbers on what it costs Americans to cope with rush hour traffic, in time and money.Natalie Pawelski, the Environment correspondent:If you think traffic is getting worse in your town, you're probably right.There's a combination of factors. It's the amount of people, the amount of roadway that is there. It's sort of a demand/supply relationship. You can think of it that way, and there's a lot more demand than there is supply.The annual Urban Mobility Report from the Texas Transportation Institute finds in the average American city people traveled 85 percent more miles by car in the year 2000 than they did in 1982. And rush hour drivers are now wasting an average of 62 hours a year stuck in traffic. Now that's not total travel time, that's just the extra time spent going slow or going nowhere because of traffic congestion.The study says the worst traffic is in Los Angeles where the average rush hour driver loses 136 hours a year, more than three work weeks, to traffic jams. The runners up in the time drained category San Francisco, ., Seattle, Houston, San Jose, Dallas, New York, Atlanta and Miami where the average rush hour driver loses an extra 69 hours a year stuck in traffic.Once you get to a big system, it's difficult to maintain the pace of the roadway and transit system development and you wind up falling behind. More congestion is typical in bigger cities.The report says traffic jams aren't just annoying, they are expensive. For the 75 cities studied, researchers added up all the extra time and fuel wasted because of traffic congestion. The price tag they figure is almost $68 billion a year.Task 10【答案】I.A. common; poor housing; unemployment; traffic problemsB. peculiar1. infrastructure2. urbanizationII.A. MigrationB. Depopulation; decrease; riseC. urban population growth rate1. adults2. large familiesD. social service; health; educationE. labor supply; low-productivityⅢ.A. (Promote a) more equal land distributionB. Improve rural social services; health; educationC. (Give) financial aid to agriculture; small landowners.【原文】Today I want to discuss problems of urbanization and in particular I want to talk about those problems which are peculiar to developing economies and to discuss three possible policies which could be used to control or to stem uncontrolled urbanization in developing countries. Certain urban problems of course are common to both developed and developing countries, for example, problems of poor housing, unemployment and those problems connected with traffic, for example, congestion, pollution and so on. However there are problems which are very peculiar to developing economies and this is due to the fact the developing countries need to create a basic infrastructure which is necessary for industrialization and consequently for economic growth. In fact it is the provision of this infrastructure which constitutes the urbanization process itself and this infrastructure or the provision of this infrastructure may have undesired effects on the economy as a whole. Now it’s these consequences on these effects which um I’d like to deal w ith next. I’m going to talk about five main consequences of this uncontrolled urbanization. In the first instance there’s the problem of the migration of people from the country to thecity. Of course people living in the country see the city as a more desirable place to live, whether they are living in developing or developed countries. But the problem is much more serious in a developing country because there are in fact often more people who wish to migrate to the city.Now the fact of people migrating to the city causes a certain depopulation of rural areas. This is a second consequence if you like, and the result of this is a decrease in the production of food and in the supply of food to the country as a whole. This can in turn also lead to a rise in pricesbecause of the law of supply and demand.As a result of people moving to the city you get a high urban population growth rate. Now this is due not only to the fact of more adults moving to the city but can also be due to traditions of these people from the country because often people from rural areas have a tradition of large families and so on and so the population of the cities increases with these numerous children ofthe large families.This leads to a fourth consequence which is a dramatic pressure on the supply of social services in urban areas, in particular services related to health and education. In relation a health services we can see that there are endemic diseases which could be made worse by overcrowding people coming from the country to the city, and in the stresses on services in education, with more children there’s need for more schools schools and more teachers and so on.A fifth area which is affected by uncontrolled urbanization is that of the labour supply, and often uncontrolled urbanization leads to an excess of labour supply in the cities. This can lead to, in turn, an informal kind of labour activities of, if you like, what might be called lowproductivity activities. For example people selling things in the streets or you often find for instance in large urban areas in developing countries children watching cars and so on and asking for tips fromtheir owners when they come back. This is really a sort of undesirable type of labour. So those are in fact the main consequences of uncontrolled ur banization. Now I’d like to talk more on the three possible policies which could be developed to stem this kind of uncontrolled urbanization in developing countries.The first one would be to promote a more equal land distribution. In this way farmers would be more motivated to stay on the land. They would be able to work more land, and thus be able to feed their families more adequately. Often the reasons why farmers wish to go to the city is that they cannot grow enough food to both feed their families and earn a living. So a more equal land distribution is one such policy to stem this kind of move to the city.A second policy would be to improve the supply of social services in the rural areas particularly in the field of health and education. Country people often move to the city because they feel that these services are better in the city areas and if they could compare the services and feel that there was perhaps not much difference between the two, it would be another reason for not moving.A third possible policy would be to give financial assistance to agriculture especially to the small landowners.Now obviously the problem of uncontrolled urbanization, and the consequences which are not favorable, is a difficult problem to which there is no easy solution, but these three types of policies could help to reduce the problem which is felt in particular in developing countries.Task 11Planet Earth is 4,600,000,000 years old. If we condense this time span we can compare it to a person 46 years old. Only at the age of 42 did the Earth begin to flower. Dinosaurs and the great reptiles did not appear until one year ago, when the planet was 45. Mammals arrived only eight months ago, and in the middle of last week human-like apes developed into ape-like humans, and last weekend the last iceage covered the Earth.Modem man has been around for 4 hours. During the last hour agriculture was discovered. The Industrial Revolution began a minute ago. Since then, we have multiplied our numbers to plague proportions, caused the extinction of 500 species of animals, turned the planet upside down in the search for fuels, and now we stand, arrogant with power, on the edge of a war to end all wars, and close to effectively destroying this oasis of life in the solar system.。
现代大学英语听力2 原文及答案教学教材
现代大学英语听力2原文及答案Unit 1Task 1【答案】A.1) She wanted to see St. Paul’s Cathedral.2) She was so surprised because she saw so many Englishmen who looked alike.3) They were all wearing dark suits and bowler hats, carrying umbrellas and newspapers.4) Because she had often read about them and seen photographs of them, who all looked as if they were wearing a uniform.5) No, he didn’t.6) He used the English saying “It takes all kinds to make a world” to prove his opinion.B.If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea it would be! And if all the trees were one tree, what a great tree it would be! And if this tree were to fall in the sea, what a great splash there would be!【原文】Yesterday morning Gretel went to the City of London. She wanted to see St. Paul's Cathedral. She was surprised to see so many Englishmen who looked alike. They were all wearing dark suits and bowler hats. They were all carrying umbrellas and newspapers. When she returned home she asked Mr clark about these strange creatures. "They must be typical English gentlemen," she said." I have often read about them and seen photographs of them. They all look as if they are wearing a uniform. Does the typical English gentleman still exist?"Mr. Clark laughed. "I've never thought about it," he answered." It's true that many of the men who work in the City of London still wear bowler hate and I suppose they are typical Englishmen. But look at this." Mr. Clark picked up a magazine and pointed at a photo of a young man. "He's just as typical, perhaps. It seems as if there is no such thing as a 'typical' Englishman. Do you know the English saying 'It takes all kinds to make a world'? That's true of all countries-including England."“Oh, just like the poem ‘If All the Seas Were One Sea’,” Gretel began to hum happily. If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea that would be! If all the trees were one tree, what a great tree that would be! And if this tree were to fall in the sea, w hat a great splash that would be!”Task 2【答案】A.1) people were much busier2) colder than England; minus thirty degrees; last longer3) much more mountainous; much higher and much more rocky; more beautiful4) tend to be more crowded5) the houses; smallerB.1) T 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) F【原文】John is British but has worked in Japan. Etsuko is Japanese from Osaka, but she is studying in Britain. In the following passage you are going to hear, they are comparing life as they see it in the two countries. But before listening to it, think of the two countries and try to answer the following pre-listening questions.John: I found that living in Japan, people were busier. They seem to work the whole day.Etsuko: Yes, that’s right. We work from Monday through Saturday, even in summer. You know, summer in Japan is jus t horrible. It’s very, very humid and hot, and you need to shower three times a day.John: So you find it cooler in England?Etsuko: Yes, that’s right.John: Where I was living in Japan, in the North, it was much colder than England, especially in winter, minus thirty degrees centigrade. Does the winter in Osaka last longer than the winter in England?Etsuko: No, I don’t think so. December, January, February, March.John: Yes. It’s a little bit shorter if anything.Etsuko: Ever since I came here, I noticed that the countryside here in England is very beautiful.John: It’s much flatter than in Japan.Etsuko: Yes. Japan is a mountainous country and our cities are full of people. There are lots of people in a limited flat area.John: Yes, I found Japan much more mountainous than Britain, especially in the north. The mountains are much higher and much more rocky. I found it more beautiful than Britain, I think.Etsuko: Yes, if you like mountains.John: And therefore the towns and villages tend to be more crowded.Etsuko: Yes, that’s right.John: Yes. So because the cities are more crowded, the houses tend to be smaller, don’t they?Etsuko: Yes, they are very compact, and we don’t have a lot of space. In big cities we have a lot of taller buildings now.John: Is this a problem because there are more earthquakes in Japan?Etsuko: Yes, that’s right and…Task 3【答案】A.1) In the US, people usually dance just to enjoy themselves; they don’t invite other people to watch them.2)Usually eight people dance together.3)Because people form a square in dancing with a man and a woman on each side ofthe square.4) He usually makes it into a song.5) They wear old-fashioned clothes.B.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) TC.1) eight people form a square; on each side of the square2) what they should do; makes it into a song; sings it3) don’t have much time to think4) old-fashioned clothes【原文】Rosa: Why don’t you have folk dances in the United States? Most countries have special dances that the people have done for many years. The dancers wearclothes from the old days. Everyone likes to watch them dance.Steve: We have folk dances, too. A lot of people belong to folk dancing groups. But when they dance, they usually do it just to enjoy themselves. They don’tinvite other people to watch them.Rosa: Is there a folk dancing group here?Steve: I think so. There must be. There’s one in almost every city, and some big cities have several.Rosa: What are the dances like?Steve: Usually eight people dance together, four men and four women. When they start, they form a square, with a man and a woman on each side of thesquare. That’s why it’s called square dancing.Then there’s a man who tellsthe dancers what they should do. He usually makes it into a song. He singsit while they dance.Rosa: Oh, that should make the dances easy!Steve: Yes, but they are very fast. They don’t have much time to think. I like to watch them, though. The dancers wear old-fashioned clothes. That makesthe dances pretty to watch.Rosa: I’d like to watch a g roup dance.Steve: I’ll take you sometime.Task 4【答案】1) It was a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring.2) They burned the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck.3) The custom said the brides must wear “something old, something new, somethingborrowed, and something blue” to bring good luck.4)Because they could not eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they triedto use up these things before Lent began.5)It was a straw man made by children in Czech; it was a figure of death.6)People brought their animals to church. And before the animals went into thechurch people dressed them up in flowers and ribbons.【原文】1) On the evening of February 3rd, people in Japanese families took one dried bean for each year of their age and threw the beans on the floor, shouting "Good luck in! Evil spirits out!" This was known as "Setsubun", a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring.2) Before the Chinese Lunar New Year in the old days, many Chinese families burned the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck. When Lunar New Year's Day came, they put ancw picture of the kitchen god on the wall.3) When American women got married, they sometimes followed an old custom in choosing what to wear on their wedding day. The custom said the bride must wear "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue". This was to bring good luck.4) Before Lent (a time on the Christian calendar), the people of Ponti, Italy ate an omelet made with 1,000 eggs. People could not eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they tried to use up these things before Lent began.5) When winter ended in Czech, the children made a straw man called "Smrt", which was a figure of death. They burned it or threw it in the river. After they destroyed it, they carried flowers home to show the arrival of spring.6) January 17th was St. Anthony's Day in Mexico. It was a day when people brought their animals to church. But before the animals went into the church, the people dressed them up in flowers and ribbons. This ceremony was to protect people's animals.Task 5【答案】A.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) T 7) T【原文】Man: Well, I think life used to be much more fun than it is now. I mean, look at the Victorians. They had lots of servants to do all the work; they never had to doany cooking or cleaning; they just wore those beautiful dresses and went totea parties.Woman: You must be joking! Their clothes were terribly uncomfortable and their tea parties were very formal and boring. They used to wear their hats and longgloves even when they were eating cakes and biscuits. And men were notusually invited.Man: Really? Weren't they?Woman: And think of the poor servants. What a terrible life — just cleaning and cooking for other people all the time!Man: But you hate housework!Woman: Yes, I know, but there are lots of machines now to help you with the housework. People don't need servants.Man: Maybe they don't, but life then was much slower than it is now-people nowadays are always rushing, and they never have time to stop and enjoythemselves.Woman: Life then was fine for the rich, but it was dreadful for the poor. There was much more illness. They didn't have the money to pay doctors, and they oftenused to die of illnesses that don't exist in England now.Man: Maybe. But people used to talk to each other, play the piano or play cards together. Nowadays people just sit in front of the television for hours andnever talk to each other.Woman: I agree with you about television; but what about their children? They left their Children with the servants all day. Children hardly ever saw theirparents! And the clothes they had to wear! Horrible, tight, uncomfortable,grown-up clothes. Children have a much better life now than they used to,and schools and education are much better too.Man: I hate school.Woman: And look at opportunities for women. In those days, women used to stay at home, play the piano, change their clothes several times a day and have teaparties. What a life! They didn't have any freedom at all. I'm very happyliving now. I can work, have a career, do what I want to.Man: You mean you can work hard all your life like a Victorian servant. Woman: Life isn't all tea parties, you know.Task 6【答案】A.1) b 2) a 3) c 4) aB.1) family unit; process; change; used to be; the extended; the nuclear2) job patterns; progressed; agricultural; industrial; forced; job opportunities; split up3) traditional; family; expanded; other living arrangementsC.1) mother, father, children, and some other relatives, such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby2)only the parents and the children3)previously married men and women marry again and combine the children fromformer marriages into a new family【原文】The American family unit is in the process of change. There used to be mainly two types offamilies: the extended and the nuclear. The extended family most often included mother, father, children, and some other relatives, such as grandparents, living in the same house or nearby. Then as job patterns changed and the economy progressed from agricultural to industrial, people were forced to move to different parts of the country for job opportunities. These moves split up the extended family. The nuclear family became more prevalent; this consisted of only the parents and the children. Now besides these two types of traditional groupings, the word "family" is being expanded to include a variety of other living arrangements.Today's family can be made up of diverse combinations. With the divorce rate nearly one in two, there is an increase in single parent homes: a father or mother living with one or more children. "Blended families" occur when previously married men and women marry again and combine the children from former marriages into a new family. On the other hand, some couples are deciding not to have any children at all, so there is an increase in childless families. There are also more people who live alone: single, widowed, divorced. Now one in five Americans lives alone.Task 7【答案】A.B.1) c 2) c 3) a 4) b 5) c 6) c 7) c【原文】In Japan both men and women go to university and both men and women study the arts such as history or English. But very few women study science, medicine or engineering. In engineering classes of thirty or forty students, there may be only one or two women. Men and women both go to university in order to get good jobs: men want to work for a big company, be successful, earn a lot of money and support a family; women, on the other hand, want to work for a big company because they have a better chance of meeting a successful man and getting married. This is changing, however, as Japanese women begin to think about their own careers. They have began to take jobs which they like rather than jobs in order to find a husband.Men work for their whole lives and usually stay with the same company. A woman may work up to ten years, but after that she usually gets married. Most women are married by the age of twenty seven, then they stay at home and look after the children.A man does not cook or look after the children. When he comes home, his meal must be ready. The woman may go out in the afternoon, shopping with her friends or having a chat, but she must go back home by four o'clock to prepare the meal. Then she may have to wait a long time for her husband to come home. Often he has to go out for a drink after work: if he doesn't he may not rise very high in the company. After her children grow up, a woman can go back to work, but it is not easy. If her former company takes older women back, she might be lucky. But most women find it difficult to find a job when they are older.Task 8【答案】A.1) a 2) c 3) b 4) c 5) c 6) b 7) c 8) bB.1) T 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) T 6) F 7) F 8) F 9) T 10) F【原文】Matthew: Geth, how do people set about getting married in England?Geth: I suppose the most common way is still for people to go home. For example, people who live in London now will go back to their homes in the provinceswhere they'll meet all their relatives and their parents, and they'll getmarried in a church, with the bride wearing white, the traditional white.Then they'll go off and have a booze-up with their relatives and friends anda jolly good time will be had by all. Otherwise you can get married in aregistry office, which means you turn up with your bride-to-be orbridegroom-to-be with two witnesses only. The ceremony takes about fiveminutes, I suppose. You sign the form and that's it.Matthew: There are many today who say that marriage is a complete waste of time.What's your view of marriage in the twentieth century?Goth: Well, I live in London as you know. I think in London, the tendency is to...for a... boy and girl, man or woman to live together before marriage andoften to live together without any prospect of marriage at all. I think thisprobably is... is true of London and the other big cities than elsewhere,because after all people in London are living in a big place where home tiesare obviously less restrictive. They can do more or less as they please and Ithink this is the pattern.Matthew: But do you think it helps for people to live together before taking their vows?Geth: I think in a sense the habit of living together before marriage may, in a strange sort of way, make marriage stronger, because after all the people will knoweach other better when they do get married and it might be suggested thatdivorce would be less likely between such a couple.Matthew: Sue, you've been married for two or three years now. How's it working out? Sue: I think it's a successful marriage. It's... I mean, it's difficult to say why, because we basically suit each other very much. We have a good friendship,apart from anything else, and, you know, we just go together very wellbecause we respect each other's freedom and individuality, but on the otherhand we really need each other, you know, it's...Matthew: What about.., have you thought of having children?Sue: Well, obviously, like most young couples, we have thought about it, but, you know, we both feel rather, sort of, loath to lose our freedom just yet. I thinkwe'll probably wait another few years.Matthew: Is it easy in England today to people to get divorced, or is that quite difficult?Chris: I think technically it's probably fairly easy, I think, because I'm not English but, I think technically it's fairly easy to be... to get divorced. But it's not justthe technicality of it which is the problem. Divorce is... is a social stigmawhich people can probably Cope with to varying degrees, but it's also a loteasier for the man because the woman, after she is divorced is, in fact,frowned upon by... by a lot of people in society. She is... is... at a... a muchmore difficult social position in terms of... of meeting other men, or whatever, simply because she is a divorcee.Task 9【原文】Social customs and ways of behaving change. But they do not necessarily always change for the better. Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now acceptable. Just a few years ago, it was considered impolite behaviour for a man to smoke on the street. No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a fool of himself by smoking when a lady was in the room.The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable — especially if they are your guests. There is a story about a rich nobleman who had a very formal dinner party. When the food was served, one of the guests started to eat his peas with a knife. Other guests were amused or shocked, but the nobleman calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way. It would have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or uncomfortable.Unit 2Task 1【答案】1) b 2) a 3) d【原文】Texas was the biggest state before Alaska became the forty-ninth state in 1959. One good way to understand the size of Texas is to learn about its weather. Different parts of the state have very different kinds of weather.Laredo is one of the hottest cities in the United States in summer. The best time to visit Laredo is in winter, when it is pleasantly warm.Amarillo gets very cold in winter. Sometimes there is more snow in Amarillo than in New York, which is a northern city. Summers are better, but sometimes it gets quite hot. The best time to visit Amarillo is in the autumn when it is cool.If anyone asks you about the weather in Texas, ask him, “What p art of Texas do you mean？”Task 2【答案】A.1)T 2) F 3) FB.1) d 2) c 3) cC.climate, reputation, extraordinary, unreliable, dry, wet, clear, dull, hot, cold, bad, mild 【原文】Our friend, Nick, whose English gets better and better, declared solemnly the other day that he thought that the British climate was wonderful, but the British weather was terrible. He went on to explain by pointing out that the British climate was a temperate one. This meant, he said, "that you could always be certain that the weather would never be extreme — at any rate not for any length of time — never very hot and never very cold." He quite rightly pointed out that the rainfall in Britain, according to the statistics, was not very heavy. "Why then," he asked, "has the British climate such a bad reputation?" He answered by saying it was because of the extraordinary, unreliable weather. There was no part of the year at which you could be certain that the weather would be dry or wet, clear or dull, hot or cold. A bad day in July could be as cold as a mild day in January. Indeed you could feel cold at almost any time of the year. Nick blamed drafty British houses for this, but agreed you could also blame the small amount of sunshine and a great amount of dampness. He advised every student coming to Britain to bring an umbrella and to understand the meaning of that splendid word "drizzle".Task 3【答案】I.the country; Trees, grass, lakes and steamsII.A.1. concrete, iron, steel2. take in the heat during the day and throw off heat into the air at nightB. Warmer winters, car engines; electrical applianceⅢ.A. air pollution may stop sunlight from reaching the earthB.1. Ice near the North and South poles to melt2. to be slowly flooded and people living in these cities to move to higher land【原文】Cities change the climate around you. In the country, there are trees, grass, lakes, and streams. In hot weather, the trees and grass cool the area around them. Lakes and rivers also cool the area around them.But cities are not cooled in these natural ways. Cities are built of asphalt, concrete, iron, andsteel. There are few trees and usually not much grass. Rain falls onto the streets and into the sewers.When the summer sun shines, streets and buildings take in the heat; after the sun sets, the streets and buildings throw off heat into the street. Once the sun sets, the countryside cools off, but a city may stay hot all night.Cities are hotter than the countryside in winter, too. Standing near a car with its motor running, winter or summer, you will feel the heat thrown off by the engine. The heat comes from the gasoline burned by the engine. This heat warms the air and the ground around the car. Thousands of running cars are almost like thousands of small fires burning.Carefully put your hand near a light bulb or television set. As you can see, electricity creates a lot of heat. This heat from electricity warms the house and the outside air.The heat given off by cities can affect the climate. Some experts even believe that cities can change the climate of the whole world. They think that air pollution may stop sunlight from reaching the earth. If less sunshine reaches the earth, the earth may become cooler.Still other experts think the world will get warmer. If the world did get warmer, great changes would occur. Ice near the North and South poles would melt. This would make the oceans rise. Cities near oceans — like Los Angeles, Boston, and Miami — would slowly be flooded. People living in these cities would have to move to higher land.Task 4【答案】A.1) b 2) cB. night, delight; morning, warning; gray, way, red, headC.1) F 2) T 3) F【原文】A red sky at either dusk or dawn is one of the spectacular and beautiful weather predictors we have in nature. By closely observing this phenomenon, you can achieve short-range accuracy of the weather as good as, or better than your local weatherman. In the Bible, Jesus in Matthew 16, 2-3 is quoted as saying, “When it is evening, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning it will be foul weather today: for the sky is red” when speaking to the Pharisees. An old English weather proverb based on this passage is:Red sky at night, sailors delight.Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.OrEvening red and morning gray,Sends the traveler on his way.Evening gray, morning red,Brings the rain down on his head.At dusk, a red sky indicates that dry weather is on the way. This is due to the sun shining through dust particles being pushed ahead of a high pressure system bringing in dry air. A red sky in the morning is due to the sun again shining through dust. In this case however, the dust is being pushed on by an approaching low reassure system bringing in moisture. Don't confuse a red sky in the morning with a red sun in the morning. If the sun itself is red and the sky is a normal color, the day will be fair.Task 5【答案】1) c 2) b 3) d 4) c 5) c【原文】Mark: I am an avid fly fisherman and frequently find myself on the river ina raft during lightning storms. We always have a debate at thesetimes on where we are safest — pulling into shore or staying on thewater. Since I have heard one is safe in a car when lightning strikesI wonder if the raft floating on the water is insulated, and thereforethe safest place to be.Meteorologist A: We spoke with some scientists about your question, and they allagreed that under no circumstances should you remain on the waterduring a lightning storm. If your raft is made of rubber, you mightfeel that you're .well insulated, but don't kid yourself. Typicallightning flashes travel 10 to 15 kilometers and can deliver as muchas 100,000 amps of current. In comparison, a toaster uses about 10amps of current. If lightning strikes the water near you, it will haveno trouble traveling through a few extra centimeters of rubber. Meteorologist B: So, if you're on the water and a thunderstorm approaches, get to the shore and seek shelter on land. Try a building or car. If neither isavailable, look for a cave, cliff, wall, or a group of trees. Never takeshelter under an isolated tree-it's also a good target for lightning.Task 6【答案】A.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) TB.Incredible, one minute, one kilometer, destroyed, lifted up, carried away, killed, injured【原文】Every spring and summer many inland areas are hit by tornados. A tornado is a kind of storm. It's a revolving, funnel-shaped column of air that moves through the sky at very high speeds. A tornado looks like a huge, black ice cream cone whirling through the sky. The speed of a tornado is very fast-it is believed to be between 200 and 700 kilometers per hour.Tornados form under very special weather conditions, and these special weather conditions occur most often in inland areas, such as the central United States. A tornado forms when a layer of warm, dry air is on top of a layer of cooler, moist air. This combination of dry, warm air above wet, cool air creates a condition that causes the lower layer of air to lift up. As the lower air rises, both layers of air begin to rotate, to turn around and around. The air begins to rotate faster and faster because of centrifugal force. The tornado has a center called an “eye” and the air rotates quickly around this eye.As the air begins to rotate faster and faster, the tornado cloud begins to grow downward; that is, it begins to form a funnel or cone, and this cone goes down toward the ground.The cone of air is dark because it develops from a dark rain cloud. As the cloud gets longer, as the cloud gets closer to the ground, it begins to pull up dirt from the ground. Then the funnel ofrotating air becomes very dark because of the dirt in it. As the tornado funnel gets longer, it begins to drag along the ground.When the tornado touches the ground, it does incredible damage. It usually touches the ground for only about one minute, and it usually travels along the ground for only about one kilometer, but during that one minute, buildings are destroyed, trees are lifted up out of the ground, small objects are carried away, and sometimes people are injured or killed.Task 7【答案】A.1) b 2) a 3) bB.1) It has been nice weather during the day, but it is going to change at night.2) Fine weather in southern Europe and not so nice in northern EuropeFor todaySoutheast England---26 degrees Celsius by mid-afternoonSouthern Scotland---Maximum temperatures of around 21 degreesBrighton---15 hours of lovely sunshineMidlands---23 degrees Celsius by early afternoonNorthwest of Scotland---Light showers around middayFor the weekendSpain---34 degrees CelsiusGreece---32 degrees CelsiusFrance---Cloudy with rain, maximum temperatures of 22 degrees。
《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案unit5
Fifteen years ago the typical worker with a college degree made 38 percent more than a worker with a high school diploma. Today that figure is 73 percent more. Two years of college means a 20 percent increase annual earnings. People who finish two years of college earn a quarter of a million dollars more tan their high school counterparts over a lifetime.Unit 5Task 1【答案】A.1) People’s ideas on permanent education.2) One is an ordinary “man in the street”. The other is an educational psychologist.3) The first person thinks this idea of permanent education is crazy. He can’tunderstand people who want to spend all their lives in school. The second person thinks the idea of permanent education is practical because people are never really too old to go on learning.B.1) was; hated; stand; got out 2) all their lives 3) certain limits; age limits 【原文】Two people are interviewed about their ideas on education. One is an ordinary "man in thestreet"; the other is an educational psychologist.The man in the street:When I was at school, I hated it. I couldn't stand it. I wasn't happy until I got out. I think this idea of permanent education is crazy. I know some people go back to school when they're older, go to language classes at the local "tech" and all that, but I can't understand people who want to spend all their lives in school.The educational psychologist:The idea of permanent education is practical because we're never really too old to go on learning. Of course, there are certain limits, but they aren't age limits. For example, let's say a man past sixty tries to learn how to play football. It's foolish for him to do that, but only because his body is too old, not his mind!Task 2【答案】A.B.1) He stayed there for a year.2) He has faint, but very pleasant memories of it. He had fun and played games---including story-telling, drawing, singing and dancing.3) He began t have more formal lessons and even worry about exams.4) The exam was called the “Eleven Plus”. Students took the exam to see what kind of secondary school they would get into.【原文】John is talking to Martin about his primary schooling.Martin: Did you go to a state primary schoolJohn: Yes, I did. I went to a nursery school first, at the age of four, but this was purely voluntary. There was a good kindergarten in our neighbourhood so my parents decided to send me there for a year.Martin: Can you still remember itJohn: Yes, I have faint, but very pleasant memories of it. It was a delightful place, full of fun and games. As in most nursery schools, work — if you can call it that — consisted of storytelling, drawing, singing and dancing. Martin: You probably don't remember but you must have missed it when you left —you know, when you went to the Infants' School at the age of five.John: I suppose I must have, but you know, right up to the age of seven, school life was very pleasant. It was only later in the Junior School that we began to have more formal lessons and even worry about exams.Martin: Really Did you have to do exams at that ageJohn: Yes, we used to then. We had to take an exam at the age of eleven called the "Eleven Plus" to see what kind of Secondary school we would get into. But this exam has disappeared nowadays.Task 3【答案】A.1) compulsory; the ages of 5 and 16; state-funded; independent2) available; at a nursery school; in the nursery class at a primary school3) preparatory; primary; aged 5 to 134) enter the state education system; at the age of 5; secondary school5) 7, 11, 13 or 16; gain admission at 11 or 13; the Common Entrance Examination6) one further year; Advanced Supplementary Examinations; Advanced Level Examinations7) classroom; laboratory; work independently; undertake research for projects8) vocational; conventional9) secondary education; with A-levels; further; higherB.1) GCSE stand for the General Certificate of Secondary Education. It is normally take at the age of sixteen.2) Students usually study form 8 to 12 subjects over two years.3) Some subjects take account of the work students do throughout the year, while others are assessed entirely by examination.【原文】Education in the United Kingdom is compulsory for everyone between the ages of five and sixteen, and is provided by two kinds of schools: state-funded schools and independent (fee-charging) schools.Children educationPre-school or pre-preparatory education: pre-school education is available in both the independent and the state systems. Many children start their education at the age of three or four at a nursery school or in the nursery class at a primary school.Preparatory education: in the independent system, preparatory (or primary) education is available for children aged 5 to 13.Primary education: most children in the United Kingdom enter the state education system when they go to primary school at the age of five and generally move to secondary school or college at the age of 11.Secondary education (including the General Certificate of Secondary Education and equivalents)Most pupils enter independent boarding schools at the age of 7, 11, 13 or 16. To gain admission at 11 or 13, some pupils sit an exam called the Common Entrance Examination. At 16, they enter the school to study in its sixth form (for A-levels and equivalent qualifications).All UK secondary schools, both state and independent, teach pupils at least until the age of sixteen and prepare them for the General Certificate of SecondaryEducation (GCSE) or equivalent qualifications. Significant numbers of international students enter the UK secondary education system when they are either eleven or thirteen. Many attend independent boarding schools.GCSEs in vocational subjects are normally taken at the age of 16. Following these, students can do one further year of academic study before taking Advanced Supplementary examinations (AS-levels).Alternatively, there are career-based qualifications, such as General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) or vocational A-levels, which can be taken after one or two years of study. All these courses give access to university or further study.Students usually study from 8 to 12 GCSE subjects over two years. Most students study a core of statutory subjects and choose additional subjects from a list.On any GCSE course, you receive formal tuition in the classroom and laboratory but are also encouraged to work independently and undertake research for projects, often outside school hours. Educational visits, either on your own or as part of a small group, are often part of the timetable. Some subjects take account of the work you do throughout the year, while others are assessed entirely by examination. Examinations are independently marked and graded. GCSE grades range from A (the highest) to G.New GCSEs in vocational subjects are a career-based version of the GCSE. Eight subjects are available: Art and Design, Business, Engineering, Health and Social Care, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Leisure and Tourism, Manufacturing, and Science. One vocational GCSE is equivalent to two conventional GCSEs. As with other GCSEs, grades range from A (the highest) to G.Sixth-formers usually finish their secondary education at the age of eighteen with A-levels or equivalent qualifications, then go on to study at either furtheror higher education level.Task 4【答案】A.B.1) F 2) F【原文】Kate: Yes, it's difficult to teach children these days, when many of them know they won't get jobs. It's hard to control the class if you can't punish them.I often hit them with a ruler. Of course, in my part of Scotland we'reallowed to hit them, and I think it's necessary — some children needdiscipline.Interviewer: What do you think, Rolf I know you feel very strongly about corporal punishment.Rolf: I don't agree with Kate. I know it's difficult to be a teacher, but I think it always has been. But you don't have to use violence. It'simpossible to teach students about non-violence and being good citizenswhen you are violent yourself.Interviewer: What do the Welsh think, Jane Rolf thinks corporal punishment is wrong. Jane: Yes, I think so too.Interviewer: And RaoulRaoul: Well, I think it's sometimes necessary. When one child constantly disobeys, you have to beat him, or else send him away —maybe to a specialschool. It's impossible to teach the rest of the class if you have onestudent who constantly misbehaves. It's bad for the others. Interviewer: Did anyone beat you when you were at schoolRaoul: Well...Task 5【答案】A.1) Because the television program by that name can now be seen in many parts of the world.2) This program is very popular among children. Some educators object to certain elements in the program. Parents praise it highly. Many teachers also considerit a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from “Sesame Street” are in the same class with children who have not watched the program.3) In order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly.4)1. The reasons may include the educational theories of its creators, the supportby both government and private businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks2. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch “Sesame Street”alongwith their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on “Sesame Street”.3. The best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching it feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more.B.1) six million; regularly; half; economic; racial; geographical2) fifty; Spanish; Portuguese; German; one hundred thousand; English; every two weeks3) songs; stories; jokes; pictures; numbers; letters; human relationships【原文】Sesame Street" has been called "the longest street in the world. That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of America’s exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969.In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation’s pre-school children, from every kind of economic, racial, and geographical group.Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from “Sesame Street” are in the same class with children who have not watched the program.Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching "Sesame Street". Those who watch it five times a week learn more than the occasional viewers. In the United States the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly.In its American form "Sesame Street" is shown in nearly fifty countries. Three foreign shows based on "Sesame Street" have also appeared in Spanish, Portuguese, and German. Viewers of the show in Japan buy one hundred thousand booklets with translations of the English sound track every two weeks.The program uses songs, stories, jokes and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relations. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters.Why has "Sesame Street" been so much more successful than other children's shows Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories of its creators, the support by the government and private businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch "Sesame Street" along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on "Sesame Street". But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching it feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more.Task 6【答案】A.1) It is to have all public schools connected to the Internet computer system andhave computers available for all students.2) Its web site provides information about the school, the teacher and their mailaddresses. It also lists student events and organizations.3) They learn numbers and letters. They also learn how to use the computers theywill need later in their education.B.1) 1994; 35%; Last year; 89%2) universities; colleges; urge; require【原文】One of the goals of American education officials is to have all public schools connected to the Internet computer system and have computers for all students. Government studies show that in 1994 only 35 percent of American public schools were connected to the Internet. Last year, that number reached 89 percent.Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a large university in the southern state of Virginia. Officials at Virginia Tech say computers are very important to a student's education. All students at Virginia Tech have been required to have a computer since 1998.Each student's living area at Virginia Tech has the necessary wires to link a computer to the Internet. The students can send and receive electronic mail, use the World Wide Web part of the Internet and link with other universities, all without leaving their rooms. They can also use their computers to send electronic copies of their school work to their teachers. And they can search for books in the school's huge library.Most major American universities and colleges strongly urge or require new students to have a computer. Most colleges and universities also have large roomswhere students can use computers for classwork.American high schools also have computers. Many have their own areas on the World Wide Web. If you have a computer you can learn about Fremont Union High School in Sunnyvale, California, for example. Its web site provides information about the school, the teachers and their electronic mail addresses. It also lists student events and organizations.Young children also use computers in school. Smoketree Elementary School, in Lake Havasu, Arizona is a good example. The school also has a World Wide Web site. It tells about the school and the teachers and has an area for young children. These young children use computers in school to learn numbers and letters. They also learn how to use the computers they will need later in their education.Task 7【答案】A.I. spoken; writtenA. saying poetry aloud; giving speechesB. advanced degrees; field of study; custom; candidates; doctor’s degreeII. writtenA. nineteenthB. the great increase in population; the development of modern industryC.1. objective; personal opinions; memory of facts and details; range of knowledge;a fairer chance; easier; quicker; learning2. essay; ling answers; broad general questions; the element of luck; put facts together into a meaningful whole; really knowing much about the subject; have trouble expressing their ideas in essay form; examiner’s feelings at the time of reading the answer.III.unsatisfactory; along withB.b【原文】In ancient time the most important examinations were spoken, not written. In the schools of ancient Greece and Rome , testing usually consisted of saying poetry aloud or giving speeches.In the European universities of the Middle Ages, students who were working for advanced degrees had to discuss questions in their field of study with people who had made a special study of the subject. This custom exists today as part of the process of testing candidates for the doctor's degree.Generally, however, modern examinations are written. The written examination, where all students are tested on the same question, was probably not known until the nineteenth century. Perhaps it came into existence with the great increase in population and the development of modern industry. A room full of candidates for a state examination, timed exactly by electric clocks and carefully watched over by managers, resembles a group of workers at an automobile factory. Certainly, during examinations teachers and students are expected to act like machines. There is nothing very human about the examination process.Two types of tests are commonly used in modern schools. The first type sometimes called an “objective” test. It is intended to deal with facts., not personal opinions. To make up an objective test the teacher writes a series of questions, each of which has only one correct answer. Along with each question the teacher writes the correct answer and also three statements that look like answers to students who have not learned the material properly.For testing a student's memory of facts and details, the objective testhas advantages. It can be scored very quickly by the teacher or even by a machine. In a short time the teacher can find out a great deal about the student's range of knowledge.For testing some kinds of learning, however, such a test is not very satisfactory.A lucky student may guess the correct answer without really knowing the material. For a clearer picture of what the students knows, most teachers use another kind of examination in addition to objective tests. They use “essay” tests, which require students to write long answer to broad general questions.One advantage of the essay test is that it reduces the element of luck. The student cannot get a high score just by making a lucky guess. Another advantage is that it shows the examiner more about the student’s ability to put facts together into a meaningful whole. It should show how deeply he has thought about the subject. Sometimes, though, essay tests have disadvantages, too. Some students are able to write rather good answers without really knowing much about the subject, while other students who actually know the material have trouble expressing their ideas in the essay form.Besides, on an essay test the student's score may depend upon the examiner's feelings at the time of reading the answer. If he is feeling tired or bored, the student may receive a lower score than he should. Another examiner reading the same answer might give it a much higher mark. From this standpoint the objective test gives each student a fairer chance, and of course it is easier and quicker to score.Most teachers and students would probably agree that examinations are unsatisfactory. Whether an objective test or an essay test is used, problems arise. When some objective questions are used along with some essay questions, however, a fairly clear picture of the student's knowledge can usually be obtained.Task 8Americans know that higher education is the key to the growth they need to lifttheir country, and today that is more true than ever. Just listen to these facts. Over half the new jobs created in the last three years have been managerial and professional jobs. The new jobs require a higher level of skills.Fifteen years ago the typical worker with a college degree made 38 percent more than a worker with a high school diploma. Today that figure is 73 percent more. Two years of college means a 20 percent increase annual earnings. People who finish two years of college earn a quarter of a million dollars more tan their high school counterparts over a lifetime.。