《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答a案Unit11

【答案】

1) c

2) a

3) b

4) 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; forest

2) power stations

3)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 centuries

2) 2,000; fight cancer; 40; wildlife; the rain forest

3) drugs; a South American tree; blood pressure; the snakeroot plant from Indian forests

4) foods; tropical forests; winged bean

5) 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 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) T

2) F

3) 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 can watch an eclipse 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; metal

2) large cities; food production

3) the late 1950s; borrow; returnable; one-trip

4) pots; pans

B.

1) Because the food must be shipped from place to place when 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.

2) Until the late 1950s Americans had to borrow soft-drink bottles by paying a

deposit each 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's Glass, 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 it

probably 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 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 far?

Task 8

【答案】

A.

B.

1) F

2) F

3) 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 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 landmark

3) 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’s a lot more demand than supply.

4) Texas Transportation Institute.

B.

1) 85

2) 62; Los Angeles; 136; Seattle; Houston; New York; Miami; 69

3) Bigger cities; roadway; transit system

4) 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, 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 problems

B. peculiar

1. infrastructure

2. urbanization

II.

A. Migration

B. Depopulation; decrease; rise

C. urban population growth rate

1. adults

2. large families

D. social service; health; education

E. labor supply; low-productivity

Ⅲ.

A. (Promote a) more equal land distribution

B. Improve rural social services; health; education

C. (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 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 prices

because 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 of

the 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 urbanization. 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 11

Planet 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.