英语专八10套标准听力听力原文

Test 1听力原文

SECTION A MINI-LECTURE

How Practice Can Damage Your English

Good morning, everyone. Today, I am going to talk about the negative role of practice in English learning.

If you ask “How can I learn to speak English better?”, many people will tell you “Practice, practice, practice”. “Speak and write in English whenever you can”—they will say. All English classes are full of activities which involve speaking and writing which are supposed to help you with your English.

We agree that practice can be very useful. It’s even necessary to learn English well. So what’s the problem? The problem is that for many learners, “speaking” or “writing” means “making a lot of mistakes”. Some people make a mistake in every sentence! If you don’t make many mistakes, then you can speak or write in English and it can only help. [1]But if you make many mistakes, then every time you write or speak, you reinforce your mistakes. As you write or speak, you repeat your mistakes constantly and your incorrect habits become stronger.

Imagine this situation: You are writing an e-mail message in English. Your English is not perfect and you want to write the message quickly. You write incorrectly: “I want speak English.” When you write a sentence, you also read it. So the incorrect sentence goes into your head. The next time you write a message, you will be more likely to write “I want finish” or “I want be happy”. Why? Because “I want speak English” is fresh in your head—you’ve just used it! And when you write “I want do something” the second time, you’ve got a “bad habit”, or a reinforced mistake.

Now do you see our point? You write—you make mistakes—those mistakes become your habit, they become your way of writing in English. [2]So, the more you write, the worse your English becomes. We have said that you need practice to learn English. We have also said that when you practice, you reinforce your mistakes.

Michal suggests a simple solution to this paradox: Never make mistakes! According to what he says, it is close to the truth that you have never written an incorrect English sentence. You knew many grammatical structures and you used only those that you knew. Your sentences were similar to sentences which you knew to be correct. You followed good examples, so all your sentences were good. In the beginning, you could write only very simple sentences, but all the simple sentences were correct. [3]Then as you advanced, you added more and more complicated structures, and again all your sentences were correct. Because of this approach, you were never reinforcing bad habits. You never had any bad habits! From the beginning, you copied only correct sentences. With every sentence that you wrote, you reinforced your good habits.

[4]On the other side, if you make many mistakes, speaking and writing is not the way to eliminate them! On the contrary, it reinforces them, as we have shown earlier.

You have to realize that speaking does not improve your grammar or your vocabulary. It’s really very simple. Can you learn a new word from yourself? If you don’t know how to say “Good bye” in English, can you invent it by yourself? No, you can’t. You can only learn it by reading or listening to English. So what you should do if you can’t help but make mistakes in your English

sentences? If you make mistakes, that means you don’t know how to say things in English. You need to learn how to say them. You won’t learn that by speaking or writing. [5]You must read and listen to correct English sentences. You can speak and write later—when you can already build correct English sentences and want to improve your fluency. Perhaps you can benefit from corrections if you get a few corrections per week. But when there are many mistakes, you become unable to concentrate on them. If a teacher returns your composition with 20 corrected mistakes, how many of these corrections can you keep in your mind? Besides, your teacher is not always there. What if you’re writing an e-mail message on your own or talking to someone else? Other people usually ignore your mistakes, and even your teacher does not point out all of them.

[6]The conclusion would be that fighting your mistakes is not easy, so it’s better to avoid making mistakes altogether.

First, try to be more careful by using the rules of error-free speaking. If you still make a lot of mistakes, or if you find that the rules are killing your motivation, you probably shouldn’t open your mouth just now. Instead, try to get more input by reading and listening in English. True, but believe us—you can learn English with almost no mistakes. How? [7]You can fill your brain with correct sentences and imitate them. You can simply follow good examples.

Moreover, sometimes you can say or write something which you think is wrong. You can do it if you want to learn how to say something in English. [8]For example, if you are talking to a native speaker, you can do this: First, say “I’m not sure how to say this in English, but...” and then say your sentence which is probably wrong. And the other person can tell you how to say it in English correctly. From that you learn the correct way to say the sentence.

[9]Notice that this technique is only safe if you know that you are saying something which may be wrong, or you are sure that the other person will correct you if you make a mistake. And [10]you use it only occasionally.

In summary, it should be noted that practice can also serve as a negative factor in English learning. Hope all of you can find the solution to it from today’s lecture.

SECTION B INTERVIEW

M: It’s been nearly many years since Madonna first made headlines for trying to adopt a small child from the African nation of Malawi. And she’s since become a voice for the more than 1 million children or orphans in that country and now she’s behind the film on that subject. And tonight, we have Madonna here on our show. Welcome, Madonna.

W: Thanks.

M: Well... We watched your film I Am Because We Are last night... and it’s amazing. Why have you felt the commitment to help those children?

W: [1]Something about their situation connected to me, and in a way I was going on my own journey and connecting to these children and wanting to in a way heal myself whilst helping them.

M: And hearing about their suffering? Something opened to you?

W: Yeah. [1]I grew up as a motherless child. I had a roof over my head and I had food and I had a school to go to. And I still thought that my world was going to collapse on me, so how could it

be for these children who, most of them, having lost both of their parents, having no roof over their head, no food to eat, how horrifying and frightening it must be for them!

M: You know, I wonder how this revelation came to you, you know, this is going to be a thing, for you. [2]This is not how people see you.

W: I think having children and having a family force you to think about people besides yourself, I mean you don’t really have a choice, I think I just got to a point in my life. I thought I have so much, and it’s a great tragedy if I don’t use what I have to make the world a better place. I know that sounds silly, or cheesy, or like a cliché, whatever... but it’s the truth. If I was challenging people to open up their minds and their hearts, then I had to be willing to stand at the front of the line. And... and I appreciate and understand how people could be cynical, that’s fine, I accept that.

M: Why do you appreciate that people can be cynical?

W: [3]Because I think we live in a society, that, where people are naturally suspicious of acts of altruism or generosity.

M: Or maybe they might be suspicious because they might think, well, you know, Madonna changes all the time. Is this simply another fad, a trend, or just a new; is this something that is really core to Madonna.

W: My re-inventions are part of my evolution and my growth as a person. They’re aspects of it that are full of lesson. They are aspects of it that are real. I don’t see how anybody who really understands how complicated it is to adopt a child could say that someone toasts to do that as a fad. It’s just too difficult... it’s too traumatic.

M: It’s been hard then to adopt David.

W: We have not even been granted the full adoption. It’s supposed to be happening in the next month. So for the last 18 months I have been a foster parent. [4]I have been visited every 6 weeks by social workers who come into the house and make sure that you are being a good parent, and David’s health is thriving, and asking you all kinds of invasive questions, and you have to put up with it and endure it and you know, I have been fingerprinted about 20 times, and

[4]undergone psychological evaluations and I think everybody who goes through adoption has

to do this. I am not alone and, but you know, I’d do it again.

M: You would?

W: Yeah.

M: Why?

W: Because David is amazing, because he’s brought so much joy to our lives and more than about him. And so, it was worthy. I think most people will suffer for the things they love.

M: And now at this point in your life, it seems you’re opening, to some part of you, it’s softening, something that is looking for wisdom, usefulness.

W: Well, thank God.

M: Em... what do you mean by that?

W: Well, thank God I am searching for wisdom and usefulness. Em, one hopes that one gets to that point in their lives sooner or later.

M: Do you wish that you could just be anonymous?

W: No, no...

M: No?

W: I mean, yeah, I have moments of it, but I don’t wanna wish that I am not me, I don’t wish I were someone else.

M: What is it that you want to feel about your life?

W: [5]That my soul reached its true potential. And that I did everything that I was put on this Earth to do...

M: Well, thank you, Madonna.

SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST

NEWS ITEM 1

Stock markets in Europe and the United States have fallen sharply in response to further signs that the debt crisis in Greece is intensifying and could spread to other countries. Share prices in New York, London, Frankfurt and Paris fell by more than 2% after a major international credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded Greek debt to a level known informally as junk.

[6]Standard & Poor’s downgraded its assessment of Greek bonds to the so-called junk status because of the growing danger that the bond holders will not be paid back in full. [7]Many big investment funds have rules that forbid them from holding junk bonds, says the move is likely to trigger a further round of selling. Share markets have taken fright, fearing that if Greece does default on its debts, it would hit many European banks which hold Greek bonds and could trigger a wider financial crisis. Already pressure is mounting on Portugal which has also seen its credit rating downgraded today, although it remains above junk status.

NEWS ITEM 2

Officials in the Philippines say at least a hundred people have died in floods and landslides in the north triggered by a week of heavy rain. This follows two storms in the past two weeks which have already left about 300 people dead. Reports said that even some evacuation centers had been flooded.

[9]Officials say that 30 cities were hit by the landslide through the night where residents had taken to the rooftops of their houses for refuge. The northern Philippines have been pounded by heavy rain following the second typhoon in just over a week to hit the nation. Typhoon Parma has lingered in the north of the country turning into a tropical depression. It follows Typhoon Ketsana which killed more than 300 people when it hit on September 26.

NEWS ITEM 3

[10]The Supreme Court has upheld lethal injection as a method of execution. Justices rule 7 to 2 this morning rejecting a constitutional challenge brought by a case in Kentucky. [10]At issue was whether the most common method of capital punishment used by 35 states can cause excruciating pain for death row inmates, violating the constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling will likely allow states to resume executions which had been on hold pending the Supreme Court decision. Virginia’s governor has already lifted his state’s moratorium on executions.

Test 2听力原文

SECTION A MINI-LECTURE

Five Main Literary Movements in American History

Good morning, everyone. Today’s lecture is the very first of a series of lectures on the main literary movements in United States history. In this class, we are going to cover five different movements in literature and discuss the origins and common beliefs of each movement. In this, our first class, I’d like to take some time to give you an overview of these five movements as a starting point. I’ll go over the period of time each movement covers, the place in the US where it got its start, the key figures in each movement, and the core beliefs of each.

We won’t have time in the course to cover all literary movements, so we’re going to be focusing on the general time period of the 19th and 20th centuries. More specifically, this course will cover most of the important literary movements from 1830 to around 1940.

The first literary movement we’ll be looking at in detail is called Transcendentalism. The reason we choose this as our starting point is that writers of this movement or period are the first to show a clear difference from British writers and British cultural tradition and heritage. Before this time, American writers and British writers shared similar views of the world and saw the world through the same lens. We sometimes refer to Transcendentalism as American Transcendentalism to differentiate it from an earlier philosophical movement in Europe. [1]American Transcendentalism was born in New England, the north-eastern part of the United States around the 1830s. [2]Writers in this movement believed, in very general terms, that nature, God, and the individual human were united, were the same, and that individuals did not need organized religion. American Transcendentalists also extolled individualism and encouraged individuals to be reliant on themselves and their development as human beings. Transcendentalists very often were active in social movements. Arguably the most important figure of this movement was Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose book called Nature, published in 1836, remains one of the movements most read works.

The second movement we’re going to talk about is Romanticism, though it is more a series of movements in art, music and literature which lasted about 50 years and spread from Britain and Germany to other parts of the world. Basically, romanticism is centered on strong emotions and imagination rather than rational thought, [3]and there is an emphasis in American Romanticism to focus on the supernatural and on human psychology. Many works in this genre tell stories full of strong emotion, unexplained phenomenon, and unusual occurrences. [4]One of the most well known writers considered to be a Romantic writer is Edgar Allen Poe, who is known for his stories filled with mystery and who wrote many works we might now call psychological thrillers or horror stories. Poe thought that the human mind and imagination are factors in how we define reality.

Our next movement is Realism, a movement which started in France in the mid 19th century before spreading to other areas, including the United States in the 1870s. This movement was, in many ways, a reaction to Romanticism in that it rejected strange and, indeed, romantic tales and aimed to show society and humanity as it was in real life. Realists focused on events that were ordinary, usual and typical rather than extraordinary or exotic. [5]Many writers of this movement were also involved with social change, and writing about real conditions of real people was seen as

one way to educate the general public for the need for change. [6]One of this movement’s most easily recognizable names is Mark Twain, whose most famous stories were about everyday life in the American south, that is, the south eastern states of the US, and who worked throughout his life on a variety of social issues including ending slavery and giving workers more rights.

Naturalism is an offshoot of Realism, and also had its roots in France. Both movements focused on the reality of everyday ordinary life, but Naturalism focused on how the outside world, that is, [7]a person’s environment, influences and, perhaps, determines that person’s behavior. Naturalism generally believes that a person has a destiny or fate, and that person can do little to change that destiny or fate. Many writers in this movement focused on problems in society, like poverty. [8]One of the movement’s most famous writers, Jack London, wrote books which compared animal behavior to human behavior, showing that human behavior is not all that different from animal behavior in extreme circumstances.

The next movement we are going to look at is Modernism, which, of course, stretches beyond literature into music and art. The movement itself started in Europe in the late 19th century, as with many of the other movements, spread to America shortly after. The tumultuous period ending in World War I and World War II were seen by many as proof that the modern world was horrific and chaotic, and the end of World War II was seen as the start of a new era of humanity, either for good or for bad. Modernism reflects these thoughts, and writers in the Modernist era were looking, generally, to look beyond the old, the traditional, and were trying to find meaning in a new world.

[9]If we have to choose one word to describe this movement, we would probably choose the word “progress”. Modernists were concerned with finding out what doesn’t work in the world and replacing it with what does. [10]One major figure of the American branch of Modernism was Ezra Pound, who, among other things, revolutionized poetry.

OK. In today’s lecture, we’ve had a brief look at the origins and common beliefs of the five different movements in American literature. In our next lecture, we will discuss each movement in detail.

SECTION B INTERVIEW

W: Today I’d like to welcome Edward Fox, a seasoned real-estate agent, who is going to talk to us about buying a house. Hello, Edward, good to see you.

M: Hello.

W: Now Edward, I think for most people buying a house is a major life event, and probably the single most expensive item they are ever likely to buy. What precautions do they have to take before a real purchase? Can you give some suggestions?

M: You are right in saying buying a house costs a lot. But as to me, the most important thing to consider before buying any property is the location.

W: Location?

M: Right. Because it is where you plan to spend a large part of your life. Or, indeed, the rest of your life in some circumstances. [1]Therefore, consider the type of life you enjoy leading. If you are

a very sociable person who enjoys nightclubs and discos, you may consider something close to

a city. Anyway, a city is convenient for all types of nightlife.

W: Then, for those who like to seek a quiet life, do you recommend a house in the countryside? M: Well, countryside is a tranquil place. [1]However, do remember that proximity to the place of work also counts. [2]Indeed, we spend most of our life at work, and you don’t want to have to spend two or more hours every day traveling to work, do you?

W: Absolutely.

M: Therefore, transport is of the utmost importance. [2]City suburbs, however, are often conveniently located for commuting to work, or for shopping, without being in the heart of a busy city.

W: But houses in the suburbs are far more expensive than those in cities.

M: [3]They seem to be, but actually houses located in cities can often exceed the price of suburban houses, so check out the prices. You may be surprised.

W: Really? So we should consider our place of work and personality in choosing the location. Is that so?

M: I’m afraid you have to take family into consideration as well. You may prefer a house that is away from a busy street or main road. And of course, remember that children have to attend school. If you have children, or you plan to have children, location is a very important factor.

And of course, [1]remember that a family influences the size of the property.

W: Oh, I see. How many types of houses can we choose?

M: There are various types of houses. The first is called detached houses, which stand alone, and are not joined by another building. Then there are semi-detached houses, which are the most common. This is because they are, in fact, two houses joined together, and therefore take up less space. And there are town houses, too, which are many houses joined together to form a long row. But I don’t think that town houses are less expensive than semi-detached houses. They rarely are. [3]This is because they are usually built in cities where the price of the property is very expensive.

W: Then what about old houses? They must be cheaper than new ones.

M: Maybe they are. But if the house is too old, you may be faced with expensive repairs and renovation bills. [4]So have a house thoroughly checked by a professional surveyor before you decide to buy.

W: I agree. It’s economical to buy old houses only when they are in good condition. By the way, a lot of property has a garden attached to it. Do you think it’s a good choice?

M: It’s true that a lot of property has a garden. If you enjoy gardening, that’s fine. But if you don’t enjoy gardening then you may prefer a small garden, as opposed to a big one. But even if you do enjoy gardening it is important to remember that gardens take up a lot of your time. So keeping a garden in good order may be very difficult if you work long hours.

W: You are quite right. Any other suggestions?

M: [5]One final thing is the general feel of the place. Does it have a good atmosphere? And most important of all, would YOU feel comfortable living there?

W: Edward, I never knew I had to consider so many things while buying a house. Thank you very much for talking with us.

M: My pleasure.

SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST

NEWS ITEM 1

Twenty-five miners are now known to have died and four are missing in an accident at a West Virginia coal mine. [6]The worst mine disaster in the US since 1984 was caused by an underground explosion at Upper Big Branch, about 30 miles south of Charleston. It happened at about 3 p.m. in a chamber 330m below ground, mine owner Massey Energy Company said. [7]The rescue operation has been suspended because rising methane gas levels have heightened the risk of another blast. The operation will resume as soon as conditions allow, Massey Energy said. There are plans to drill holes from the surface to monitor gas levels and attempt to ventilate the mine chamber. A mine safety official said rescue teams had reached one of the mine’s airtight chambers stocked with food, water and oxygen but found no-one there. US President Barack Obama offered his “deepest condolences” to the families and friends of those who had died.

NEWS ITEM 2

A landmark law which makes education a fundamental right for children has come into effect in India. It is now legally enforceable for every child to demand free and elementary education between the ages of 6 and 14 years. [8]Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said enough funds would be made available to ensure that children had access to education. An estimated eight million children aged between 6 and 14 do not currently attend school in India. Mr. Singh said that the government was committed “to ensuring that all children irrespective of gender and social category have access to education”. Recalling his own childhood, [8]Mr. Singh, a qualified economist, said: “I read under the dim light of a kerosene lamp. I am what I am totally because of education.” Mr. Singh added, “So I want that the light of education should reach to all.”

NEWS ITEM 3

Light exercise during pregnancy may improve the future health of a child by controlling weight in the womb, New Zealand and US researchers say. Overweight or obese mums are more likely to have larger babies which could be at higher risk of health problems later in life. [9]A study of 84 first-time mothers found exercise was associated with slightly lighter babies. UK guidelines recommend regular light exercise for pregnant women. The rising weight of the UK population over the years has led to a rise in the number of overweight mothers. There is increasing evidence that the future metabolism of a child may be influenced by its environment in the womb, [10]and that babies who are relatively heavy for their length may be more likely to be obese in future years. Official guidance in the UK tells doctors to encourage women not to overeat during pregnancy, and to, wherever possible, take light exercise on a regular basis.

Test 3听力原文

SECTION A MINI-LECTURE

Advice for Students: How to Talk to Professors

Good afternoon. Today I’d like to give you advice on how to talk to professors. A while back, I recommended that students get to know their professors. I realize, though, that many students are intimidated or put off by their professors. This is especially so when students need something—a favor, special help with an assignment, or a second chance on a test.

It doesn’t need to be that way. [1]Professors are people, just like everyone else, and if you approach your professors with the same basic respect and decency you offer everyone else you interact with, you’ll probably find that they react with the same.

There are, though, a few things that you should keep in mind when you talk to your professors, especially if you’re going to ask for a particular favor:

[2]The first thing you should remember to do is: call them by the right title. A “Doctor” is someone with a PhD; not all professors have a PhD. “Professor” is usually appropriate, unless you’ve been told otherwise. I prefer to be called by my first name, and I make that point clearly on the first day of class; if your professor hasn’t said anything about this, you’re better off not using their first name. If you’re totally unsure, a “Mr.” or “Ms.” is usually fine. Do not use “Mrs.” unless the professor herself uses it.

Secondly, no matter under what situations, tell the truth. After the first couple of semesters of teaching, your average professor has much heard it all. It’s a sad fact, but true nonetheless, that we grow jaded and take all students’ excuses with a grain of salt. If a professor thinks he or she is being played, they’re not going to respond very well to whatever request you have to make, [3]so you might as well be honest. If you feel you absolutely must lie, at least make it a huge flaming whopper of a lie, so the professor can get a good laugh when they share it at the next faculty meeting.

Thirdly, be prepared to do the work. If you’ve missed an assignment or a test or are falling behind in your reading, [4]and you are seeking help to get caught up or a special dispensation to make up the assignment, you’d better be prepared to do the work—and generally under more difficult circumstances. I get the impression that a lot of students imagine I might just say “don’t worry about it, I’ll give you the points anyway”, which, of course, is not going to happen.

[5]Fourthly, be clear and concise. Unless you’re paying a “social call”, get to the point quickly: tell your professor what you need or want and be done with it. Don’t spend 30 minutes explaining your childhood and family arrangements and how hard it is getting a job with a few felony convictions on your record and blah blah blah for a 10-point assignment. Simply say “Professor, I missed an assignment, can I make it up? Can I do something else?”

Lastly, remember to pay social calls. Your professor is probably required by school policy to be in his or her office and available to students for a set number of hours per week. On top of that, most professors like talking to students—it’s part of the reason we took the job. Pay your professor a visit or two, just to talk. Tell him or her about the work you’re interested in or about problems you’re having. [6]Build relationships with your professors—at the very least, they’ll remember you when you call up three years later asking for a reference letter.

On the other hand, there are things you should remember not to do:

[7]First of all, do not, under any circumstances, flirt. The days of professors marrying their promising students are long, long gone. Nowadays, even the hint of favoritism can ruin a professor’s career—let alone any actual relationship-type behavior. Unless your professor is a total sleazebag, any sign of flirtation will make him or her shut down immediately. They simply cannot risk it.

Second, don’t always prepare for satisfaction. Depending on how far you’ve let your studies slide, there might not be anything a professor can do and still be fair to the rest of his or her students. Or it might not be technically possible: arranging make-up tests, for example, is difficult. Your professor probably spent hours writing his or her syllabus, and probably spent another hour explaining it to you at the beginning of the class, so he or she’s got a lot invested in the rules it explains. So often a professor won’t or can’t help you. [8]Your only option might be to shift into damage control, see what you can do, and ask honestly if you can continue in the class.

Third, don’t threaten. Professors get threatened with lawsuits a lot, and even threats of physical violence are not unheard of when things don’t go a student’s way. [9]Obviously, professors aren’t going to respond very well to threats. If you find yourself needing to resort to threats, chances are you probably don’t have much of a reason for a professor to help you out, and you should start thinking about how to do better next time.

[10]As I said, most professors will respond in kind if you treat them openly and decently. We didn’t become professors because we wanted to make students’ lives miserable. We became professors out of a passion for our disciplines and a desire to share our knowledge with you. As a general rule, professors respect commitment and genuine curiosity, and will go out of their way to help if they feel you are honestly interested in doing well. On the other hand, professors get to feeling pretty used by the numerous students who work hard only at gaming the system, and if they feel you’re one of those students, they’re not likely to bend very far to make life easier for you. Good luck!

SECTION B INTERVIEW

W: Two million high school seniors are gearing up this fall to apply to nearly 3,500 US colleges. So, which are the strongest academically that are toughest to get into, and yah, of course top party schools. We all need to know that, right? Well the Princeton Review ranks The Best 361 Colleges: The Smart Students Guide to Colleges. Robert Franek is the lead author. Rob, good morning, good to see you again.

M: Well. Thanks for having me back.

W: Look at the size of this thing. I mean this is a lot of information here. And...

M:It’s a lot of information, you’re right. We’ve reached up to so many students—110,000—students to put best 361 colleges this year.

W: So this is a survey of just the students then with their feedback on their campuses?

M: Exactly. We think we know a lot about schools at Princeton Review, but we went directly to whom we considered power experts.

W: To the source? How does, how does this differ to US News and World Reports rankings, and

Newsweek along with Kaplan’s rankings?

M: Yah, it is just that. [1]It’s a qualitative survey of the students’ experience both academically, as well as outside the classroom.

W: All right. So let’s take a look at some of the strongest schools academically talking first here.

And usually of course we expect the Harvards, Princetons, Yales, which they’re up there as well, but this year, kind of a little bit of surprise is, Reed College in Portland, Oregon score highest marks.

M: Yeah! No. 1. Ur... Best overall...

W: Why is it? You surprised?

M: Actually not surprised. I mean, Reed College is a great school. It’s got great regional reputation, and growing national reputations, only 1,300 students, but a wonderful liberal arts, liberal arts school, we went directly to students, they told us that their professors were great, both inside as well as outside the classroom.

W: Tiny school! About ten students per class?

M: Yeah! Well. It’s averaged... uh... ten to one, student to faculty ratio. [2]So certainly small and they pride themselves on their relationships with the professors.

W: All right! Ivy Leagues did very well in other categories as well, like toughest schools to get into and top in that list, MIT was first, followed then by Yale, Princeton, ur, and Harvard, second, third, fourth respectively. So any surprises there with them?

M: There are some unusual suspects on that list. We reach directly out to school administrators through our website https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7210316148.html, , and finding out information on schools specifically, where they’re looking from the SAT, ACT, GPA coming into a high school, so that’s how we come up with our list.

W: Students’ happiest with their financial aid packages, Princeton University. So what are they doing differently? Obviously, it’s generally a very expensive private school. What are they doing now?

M: [3]Yeah, one of the most aggressive policies that Princeton has put into place over the last couple of years is matching students’ aid packages, so that they need to be allowed to get that aid package for every students. They’re matching any aid that the student needs, once they have been admitted to the university.

W: The overall happiest students, Stanford University.

M: Stanford is a terrific place to go to school. Certainly a super competitive school, but when we think about quality of life, oh, it’s a beautiful campus, great food, great dorms, great library, overall quality of life. And great and happy students.

W: All right! Now speaking of beautiful campuses, Pepperdine scored top, Malibu. How can you go wrong? Right?

M: How can you go wrong? It’s perfect. It’s perfect. [4]Boater-by students. Of course, right on the beach, it’s a lovely campus, you know, certainly a wonderful school academically, but thinking about quality of life and overall beauty of campus it certainly came to the top of the list.

W: I mean that’s like a travel destination, right there, right?

M: Yeah!

W: All right! Let’s also talk about best for athletics intercollegiate and intramural, intramural and

University of Florida in Gainesville.

M: Yeah! Again, I mean, a school that has wonderful school spirit, and so many students are gonna get excited, not only about academics and the experience they’re gonna have there, but the athletic experience overall at school. So University of Florida is certainly No. 1 on the list.

W: Can’t let you go without talking about the category best party school.

M: Yes. Certainly.

W: And topping that list, I’m sure the focus is at University of Wisconsin in Madison. Probably take

a little issue with it, but.., they ranked the highest. And of course, Ohio University mats on the

mountain.

M: Yes. Mats on the mountain.

W: You surely talked it about right.

M: That’s right. And again we went directly onto students; we asked them about alcohol use on campus, hours of studies spent outside the classroom and popularity for tourism and on, that’s how we came up with that party school list this year.

W: All right. Robert Franek, always great with the Princeton Review, good to see you.

M: Good to see you.

W: So good to see you again. Thank you so much.

SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST

NEWS ITEM 1

The American Secretary of States Hillary Clinton is in Moscow to try to persuade Russia to support American policy on Iran. [6]The US wants Russia to agree to the option of imposing additional sanctions on Iran if it does not suspend its uranium enrichment program by the end of the year.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Russia has the power to veto resolutions. And Moscow has always said it does not believe sanctions are an effective way of promoting change. [7]But recently, President Medvedev has indicated his government may ultimately accept that sanctions are inevitable. There are other big issues to be discussed while Mrs. Clinton is in Russia, including the plan for Moscow and Washington to sign a new treaty in early December for a further cut in their large arsenals of nuclear weapons.

NEWS ITEM 2

Mexico says it’s winning the war against the H1N1 virus. President Phillipe Calderon says, aggressive government action helped get a grip on the outbreak. Hundreds of patients showing symptoms are being treated in isolation units, but the health minister says the number of new cases is declining, so the shut down of Mexico City may ease soon. Businesses there have lost $100 million a day by some estimates. Officials may also reopen schools across the country, but the government says it’s going to be cautious. [8]/[9]World Health officials are stressing that you cannot get H1N1 from eating pork, but that isn’t stopping Egypt from killing all the country’s pigs. That’s lead to clashes between police and pig farmers. Farmers in Cairo battled Government forces with stones and bottles. There were several injuries and more than a dozen arrests. Egypt is a

mostly Muslim country and most of the people there, therefore consider pigs unclean. The number of confirmed cases in the U.S. has jumped, but officials say, that’s from catching up on a backlog of lab tests, the count now stands at 226, with confirmed cases in 30 states.

NEWS ITEM 3

A coup attempt appears to be under way in Niger. Soldiers have forced their way into the presidential palace and taken the head of state Mamadou Tandja to a military barracks.

Latest information says President Tandja has now been separated from his ministers and taken to an unknown military camp. [10]French diplomats have confirmed that he’s indeed in the hands of a mutant faction of the army after soldiers stormed the presidential offices where a cabinet meeting was under way. The heavy exchanges of fire which broke out on Thursday afternoon have left at least 3 people dead and 10 injured. Exactly which part of the military carried out the operation remains unclear. Niger has been rocked by months of political crisis after the president changed the constitution to remain in power.

Test 4听力原文

SECTION A MINI-LECTURE

How to Be a Good Conversationalist

Good morning, everyone! Today we’ll continue our discussion on communication skills. More specifically, in today’s lecture, we are going to explore how to be a good conversationalist.

To start with, let me tell you what a good conversationalist is like. [1]A great conversationalist is someone who connects with people and makes them feel important. In other words, when great conversationalists talk to you, they make you feel like you’re the only person in the room.

Becoming a good conversationalist requires knowing three things: first, how to start a conversation; second, how to keep it going; and third, how to end it.

Starting a conversation usually means coming up with an opening line or ice-breaker. The best kind of ice-breakers is one that’s positive. The last thing people want to hear from a stranger is how noisy the party is, how awful the food is, or how ugly the people are dressed.

A compliment is always a good ice-breaker and will usually be appreciated. [2]Any news event is a good ice-breaker. I encourage all of you to read the newspaper because it’s important to know what’s going on in the world. The fact is, any opening line will do, as long as it’s not negative, and as long as it’s not too outdated. The best way to entice a person to have a conversation with you is by being sincere and respectful, [3]and letting them know that you are interested in talking to them.

Once you’ve got a conversation going, the best way to keep it going is by asking the other person questions that don’t require just a yes or no answer or questions which show genuine interest on your part. For example, if someone says, “I’m from Miami!”, you may respond with, “Oh, I’ve been to Miami!” and continue with, “How long have you lived there?” Then, “I was born there, and I’ve lived there all my life.” You might say, “Is your family from Miami as well?”

You keep asking questions based on the last thing a person says. This is called the “elaboration technique”. [4]Choose questions that will get the other person to elaborate on what they’re saying. Ask questions similar to those a reporter might ask to draw a person out: who, what, when, where, and why question. Once you lit on something you find interesting, keep asking questions in order to get the person to elaborate about the topic as much as possible.

A good conversationalist elaborates on the experiences they’ve had. Instead of saying the party was fun, tell why it was fun. Describe why you had a good time — who was there, what happened, where it was, and how people arranged the party. Go into detail. [5]Description is the best form of communication because it keeps people’s interest up and stimulates them. Use words to create images and paint pictures so that the other person can get a visual as well as an auditory image of what you’re describing to them. If you use the description effectively, you make the person feel as though they were actually there.

In order to keep a conversation going, there are seven tips that can help you be an excellent communicator:

1. [6]Be aware of your body and facial language. Make good eye contact when you speak, and be physically expressive without being excessive.

2. Don’t gossip. You run the risk of offending the person you’re talking to. It also makes you look small-minded.

3. Cultivate a wide range of interests.

4. [7]Have a sense of humor. Everyone enjoys a humorous story or joke. Sexual and ethnic humor, however, are not worth the effects that the jokes may have on your total image. People may be offended, which may in turn reflect poor judgment on your part and may encourage them to think less of you.

5. Don’t interrupt. People hate being interrupted. Fight the impulse to interrupt and give the person you’re talking to the time they need to complete what they’re saying to you.

6. [8]Be enthusiastic and positive. Don’t be afraid to show enthusiasm. It allows the other person to feel that you’re interested in what they’re saying to you.

7. Be flexible in your point of view. Try to be as open as possible, and try to see things from the other person’s point of view.

If you’ve started a conversation with another person, and you are having difficulty ending it, there are several signals you can send to the other person that will bring the conversation to its close without hurting anyone’s feelings. [9]Breaking eye contact is a discreet signal that the conversation is about to end. [10]Another way to signal is to use transition words like “well”, or “at any rate”. You may want to summarize all that was said. Whatever you do, don’t lie to the other person. If you’re not interested in talking to them again, don’t mention the possibility of a future meeting just to be polite. That’s hypocritical. Instead, you may want to say, “Nice meeting you.” And then, leave. But please note, before you leave, be sure to give the other person a good, firm handshake. The final impression you make can be just as important as the initial one you made.

OK. To sum up, in today’s lecture, we’ve covered three things that a good conversationalist has to know. That is, how to start a conversation; how to keep it going; and how to end it. Now before we end this lecture, any questions?

SECTION B CONVERSATION

W: Hello, Franklin!

M: Hello, Mary! How nice to see you again! How have you been these days?

W: Pretty busy, you know I am hunting for a job recently.

M: Well, how is it going?

W: You know I’ve been thinking about applying for a job in other states. Well, I’ve got the details about different jobs and I’d like your opinion about which would be the best one to go for.

M: Where are the jobs?

W: One is in Los Angeles, one is in Detroit and the other one is in Atlanta City.

M: Los Angeles is supposed to be a very nice place. Los Angeles area offers many attractive visiting places, like mountains and beaches. And there are ski resorts near the city! It is considered to be one of the best tourist destination in the country.

W: Yes it is, and the company is also located in a beautiful part.

M: That would be great for the health. You know, I’d love to be able to go skiing at weekends! W: But, one problem with Los Angeles is that it’s growing very fast. [1]That means the cost of living would be very high. A report says that the overall cost of living is 33% above the national average, with housing costs tending to be among the most expensive in the nation. In the city of Los Angeles, the median cost for apartment rentals is $735 per month.

M: How does the salary of the job in Los Angeles compare with other jobs?

W: It’s a higher salary than the job in Detroit but lower than the one in Atlanta City. [2]The Atlanta City job has the most responsibility. From the point of view of career progression that would probably be the best job for me.

M: [4]Atlanta City is the closest to New York City, too, so it would be easy to come back for weekends and holidays.

W: That’s right, and the regular transportation service would save quite a bit on fares.

M: And what about accommodation?

W: Well, actually, apartments are much cheaper to rent in Los Angeles, Detroit and Atlanta City than they are here in New York City, so we’d be able to afford to live in a nice, spacious apartment, I’d think.

M: Mmm, that would be terrific! And do you know what the cultural facilities are like in these cities?

W: In fact, they’re quite good in all three. But, of course, Los Angeles has an international reputation as a cultural center. It has a surprising number of art museums and galleries and

[3]many of them offer free admission all the time or on certain days of the week or month.

There are also some excellent theaters in Los Angeles, some of which double as architectural landmarks, like the Pantages Theater. I have been there once, it’s so amazing. What’s more, you know, I am so crazy about movies, and Hollywood is just there, maybe I could come across some super Hollywood stars in the street and get a signature.

M: Well, that sounds fascinating. And another thing we’ll have to consider, of course, are the educational possibilities. How long would you want to go for?

W: I hope it would be a maximum of five years and working across states will be good for my career! And if I would apply for the master degree, [3]there’d be no problems as University of

California, Los Angeles, in fact, is the one of the largest university in this country.

M: Well, it seems to me that the choice must be between Atlanta City and Los Angeles. Atlanta City has the advantage of being closest to New York City, so coming home would be relatively easy and inexpensive. Los Angeles, on the other hand, sounds like the most interesting place from a cultural point of view.

W: I agree with you. Personally, [5]I favor Los Angeles because it is so fascinating. We both like skiing and we could go skiing at weekends in the winter.

M: I think you are right. [4]I had thought Atlanta City might be preferable because it’s the closest to New York City. Now that we are going to be away, let’s choose the most attractive place we can.

W: [5]Right, that’s agreed. Now all I have to do is get the job!

SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST

NEWS ITEM 1

Rescuers are searching the waters off Lebanon for the 90 passengers and crew of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed shortly after takeoff Monday. Several bodies have already been pulled from the sea, but no survivors have been found. Lebanese officials have called for a day of mourning for those killed when the plane went down in stormy weather in the early hours of Monday. [6]Officials say there is no indication of terrorism or foul play. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said that, as of now, an act of sabotage is unlikely. The Boeing 737-800 had just taken off from Beirut and was headed to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, when it went down in the Mediterranean a few kilometers off Lebanon’s coast. Witnesses report seeing the plane on fire before it crashed. Authorities say more than 50 Lebanese passengers boarded the plane as well as more than 20 Ethiopians, in addition to the crew members. [7]French officials say the wife of France’s ambassador to Lebanon was among the people from other countries on board. President Suleiman says preparations are being made for relatives of those on board to receive information about the search efforts.

NEWS ITEM 2

China’s parliament opens its annual session on Friday, as policymakers seek answers to some Western sounding problems. [8]The National People’s Congress is expected to tackle boosting people’s incomes, bridging the rich-poor divide, curbing rampant corruption and mitigating environmental degradation. “In Chinese traditional life, three things are most important — it’s food, clothing and housing,” says NPC spokesman Li Zhaoxing, responding to a Chinese reporter’s question on what China plans to do to stabilize the sky-rocketing home prices. [9]Premier Wen Jiabao will give his annual work report — the equivalent of a “state of the nation” address — on Friday. He is expected to announce the government’s economic growth targets, annual budgets and other policy measures aimed at keeping China’s strong economic growth.

NEWS ITEM 3

[10]Seaweed could hold the answer to tackling obesity, according to Newcastle University

researchers. The team found a fibre in seaweed that reduces the body’s fat uptake by more than 75%. That is better than most anti-obesity treatments. Now the fibre is being added to bread in an effort to develop foods that help lose weight. Clinical trials are now intended to find out how effective it would be in a normal diet. Dr Iain Brownlee, who co-led the Tyneside team, said: “This research suggests that if we can add the natural fibre to products commonly eaten daily, such as bread, biscuits and yoghurts, up to three quarters of the fat contained in that meal could simply pass through the body.”

Test 5听力原文

SECTION A MINI-LECTURE

How to Write a Dissertation

Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to today’s lecture about writing. I have known that you are preparing to write a dissertation at present. Unless you have written many formal documents before, you are going to find that it’s difficult! So, in today’s lecture, I will talk about methods for writing a dissertation.

[1]The foremost things you should know are two necessary preparations for successful completion of a dissertation.

[1]The first is planning ahead. A plan imposes a structure on the project and prevents you from drifting aimlessly for long periods of time. It will help motivate you to work during tedious or difficult phases and provides the incentive to make sacrifices.

The second is the maintenance of healthy balance. The dissertation is such a time-consuming project that it can seem impossible to lead a balanced life. Without a healthy balance of life, you may feel angry, resentful, frustrated, overwhelmed, and depressed on a consistent basis. In order to maintain a healthy balance, it is often helpful to devote time every day and week to your physical, social, intellectual, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Next, I will provide you with a few general ideas about a dissertation. As we know, a thesis is a hypothesis or conjecture. [2]A dissertation is a lengthy, formal document that argues in defense of a particular thesis. So many people use the term “thesis” to refer to the document that a current dictionary now includes it as the third meaning.

No. 1: Scientific method. [3]The scientific method adopted in a dissertation means starting with a hypothesis and then collecting evidence to support or deny it. Before one can write a dissertation defending a particular thesis, one must collect evidence that supports it. Thus, the most difficult aspect of writing a dissertation consists of organizing the evidence and associated discussions into a coherent form.

No. 2: Critical thinking. [4]The essence of a dissertation is critical thinking, not experimental data. Analysis and concepts form the heart of the work. A dissertation also concentrates on principles: it states the lessons learned, and not merely the facts behind them.

No. 3: Supporting materials. [5]In general, every statement in a dissertation must be supported

either by a reference to published scientific literature or by original work. But, a dissertation does not repeat the details of critical thinking and analysis found in published sources; it uses the results as fact and refers the reader to the source for further details. Each sentence in a dissertation must be complete and correct in a grammatical sense. Moreover, a dissertation must satisfy the strict rules of formal grammar. For example, no undefined technical jargon, no hidden jokes, and no slang, even when such terms or phrases are in common use in the spoken language. Indeed, the writing in a dissertation must be clear. Shades of meaning matter; the terminology and prose must make fine distinctions. The words must convey exactly the meaning intended, nothing more and nothing less. Each statement in a dissertation must be correct and defensible in a logical and scientific sense. Furthermore, the discussions in a dissertation must satisfy the strictest rules of logic applied to mathematics and science.

Thirdly, we have to know what one should learn from the exercise. [6]All scientists need to communicate discoveries; the dissertation provides training for communication with other scientists. Writing a dissertation requires a student to think deeply, to organize technical discussion, to muster arguments that will convince other scientists, and to follow rules for rigorous, formal presentation of the arguments and discussion.

When writing a dissertation, we should also be clear about definitions and terminology.

[7]Each technical term used in a dissertation must be defined either by a reference to a previously published definition for standard terms with their usual meaning or by a precise, unambiguous definition that appears before the term is used for a new term or a standard term used in an unusual way. And each term should be used in one and only one way throughout the dissertation. The easiest way to avoid a long series of definitions is to include a statement. Then, only define exceptions. The introductory chapter can give the intuition of terms provided they are defined more precisely later.

Last but not least important is language points. There is a principle we should remember, i.e.

[8]good writing is essential in a dissertation. As for voice, remember to use active constructions. For example, say “the operating system starts the device” instead of “the device is started by the operating system.” [9]Then write in the present tense. For example, say “The system writes a page to the disk and then uses the frame” instead of “The system will use the frame after it wrote the page to disk”. Moreover, you should define negation early. For instance, say “no data block waits on the output queue” instead of “a data block awaiting output is not on the queue.” At last, you should be careful that the subject of each sentence really does what the verb says it does. All computer scientists should know the rules of logic. Unfortunately the rules are more difficult to follow when the language of discourse is English instead of mathematical symbols. When written using mathematical symbols, the differences are obvious because “for all” and “there exists” are reversed.

[10]As far as the language points are concerned, there is a key to success: practice. No one ever learned to write by reading essays like this. Instead, you need to practice and practice. This is the secret to writing a good dissertation.

To conclude, we have discussed some necessary preparations before writing a dissertation. What follows are some guiding principles, including some general ideas of a dissertation and how to reach a good writing. Finally, I provide you with a key to successful writing, i.e. practice. After

this lecture, I hope you may find your dissertation-writing smooth.

SECTION B CONVERSATION

M: Have you seen this story in The Herald? It says The Times is closing down in three months’ time.

W: Gary, that’s good news, that newspaper is terrible. I won’t miss it.

M: What do you mean? The Times is the best newspaper in the city. If that closes, we’ll only have The Herald and that City Journal which is too awful for words.

W: [1]You only like The Times because it takes up to 20 pages every day with sports. This is a newspaper which puts the horoscopes on the bottom of the front page. I think that tells you how serious it is.

M: Come on. That’s hardly fair now, is it? Remember the campaign they did last year to save the children’s hospital. You can’t tell me you didn’t think that was a worthwhile thing to do.

W: [2]They only did that because they knew it would strike a nerve with the average guy in the street. You know, saving a children’s hospital. It’s like the ultimate in populist journalism. Do you remember reading their article a couple of months before criticizing the local authorities wasting money on out-of-date healthcare facilities, including the very same children’s hospital?

They have only ever written what they think will sell more newspapers.

M: Well, it obviously didn’t work if they’re closing, did it?

W: No, and thank heavens for that. The City Journal is a great paper and you don’t like it because it doesn’t devote 5 pages every day to baseball stats.

M: This is a baseball city. We’ve got a great team. Why shouldn’t we read about it? Where are we going to get the results now? The Journal puts all the results in one tiny box on the back page and The Herald gives them maybe a half page. [3]It’s almost as if they feel ashamed at having a successful team here. I just don’t see why people buy The Journal.

W: Err, maybe because it has authentic journalists working there, journalists who know something about what is going on in the rest of the country and the rest of the world. I think a newspaper needs to meet all the needs of its readers, not just those who like sports. The Journal did a great piece on famine in Africa last week, did you read it?

M: No, I can’t say I did. I think they should leave that stuff for the national papers or for the TV news. If I buy a local newspaper, I don’t want to read about the famine in Africa. Those articles are only written by the ambitious journalists who are fishing for jobs in the national press.

W: Oh, you’re so cynical.

M: And another thing. What about the jobs section in The Times? That was one of the most useful parts of it. [4]Three or four pages of good quality jobs and always local. The Herald has one too... look, here on page 17... one page... and look, half of these jobs are on the other side of the state. Every business, every store in this city knows, if they want to employ someone, get someone to work for them, they have to place an ad in The Times. How are all these people going to get work now? This will absolutely wreck the local economy.

W: You certainly know how to exaggerate, Gary. Destroy the local economy, will it? I admit the jobs section was pretty good in The Times but one of the other two newspapers will just get the

ads instead. That’s how things work. This city just isn’t big enough for three local newspapers and you know it. People only get them to see what’s on in town and to see who’s died.

M: That’s so morbid!

W: It’s true. People use the TV or the Internet for everything else. It’s not like it used to be 10 years ago.

M: The Times was the cheapest of them all too. You can bet all the prices are going to go up.

W: Hmm, you could be right. [5]I think The Times’ low price was the only thing keeping The Journal and The Herald from increasing their prices. I don’t buy a local paper that often to be honest. If I do get one, I find myself reading no more than a few pages anyway.

M: Well, if The Times really does close down, that’s my newspaper buying days finished. I think, in ten years’ time, nobody in this city will even buy a local paper. It’s a shame really, don’t you think?

W: My dad told me when he was a kid, there used to be 5 local newspapers in the city and two others serving only this corner of the state. But you know how it is, companies merge, everyone is looking for savings, efficiency and so on. Now we’ll only have two. It’s survival of the fittest.

SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST

NEWS ITEM 1

The United States and the United Nations are urging Israel and Palestinians to resume peace talks after a day of unrest in Jerusalem. The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington wanted to insure both sides were fully committed to peace efforts. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned as illegal recent Israeli plans to build new settlements in East Jerusalem.

Ban Ki-moon urged restraint in Jerusalem, reminding Israelis and Palestinians of the final statues of the city were supposed to be decided in negotiations. He repeated condemnation of Israeli plans to build 1,600 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied eastern part of the city, stating again that such settlements are illegal under international law. On Friday, the Secretary General is set to attend a ministerial meeting of the quartet which groups the UN, the European Union, Russia and America. He said members will discuss additional measures to trying rescue tentative steps to resume Israeli-Palestinian peace talks although he didn’t say what they were.

NEWS ITEM 2

The Australian parliament has rejected government plans to introduce ambitious carbon trading scheme to tackle global warming. If the government is defeated again, it could trigger a general election.

The emissions trading scheme was a centerpiece of the Rudd government environmental strategy. [7]Its aim was to cut greenhouse emissions by 5% over the next ten years. Yet the Rudd government does not control the upper house of the Australian parliament, the Senate. And the measure has been defeated by 42 votes to 30. Outside the ruling Labor Party, this was a friendless measure. Greens senators have called for more stringent reductions. [8]The opposition Liberal Party believed the scheme would hamper the all imported mining sector that was being rushed through

英语中级听力文本及答案 9--16课

lesson 09 PADI Instructor training Become a PADI professional today Train in the tropical Florida https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7210316148.html, Catherine has just left school and she wants to find a job. She and her mother have come to speak to the Careers Advisory Officer. Listen to their conversation. Officer: Oh, come in, 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. She'll be nineteen next month. Officer: And what qualifications have you got? Mother: Well, qualifications from school of course. Very good results she got. And she's 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 her music and dancing. She ought to be 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 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't find the job they want. Mother: I told you so, Catherine. I told you shouldn't wear that dress. You have to look smart to get a job these days. Officer: I think she looks very nice. Mrs. Hunt, will you come into the other office for a moment and 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 very 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 be a vet. This way, Mrs. Hunt. Just wait a minute, Catherine. * * * 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, especially music. 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?

剑桥英语中级听力原稿

Unit 1 A time to remember Conversation 2A Ted: Ana: Oh, I ' m really sorry. Are you OK? I ' m fine. But I ' m not very good at this. Ted: Ana: Neither am I. Say, are you from South America? Yes, I am, originally. I was born in Argentina. Ted: Ana: Did you grow up there? Yes, I did, but my family moved here eight years ago, when I was in high school. Ted: Ana: And where did you learn to Rollerblade? Here in the park. This is only my second time. Ted: Ana: Well, it ' s my first time. Can you give me some lessons? Sure, Just follow me. Ted: Ana: By the way, my name is Ted. And I ' m Ana. Nice to meet you. Conversation 2B Ted: Ana: Hey, that was fun. Thanks for the lesson! No problem. So, tell me a little about yourself. What do you do? Ted: Ana: I work in a travel agency. Really! What do you do there? Ted: Ana: I 'm in charge of their computers. Oh, so you ' re a computer specialist. Ted: Ana: Well, sort of. Yeah, I guess so. That 's greTaht.en maybe you can give me some help with a computer course I 'm taking. Ted: Ana: Oh, sure . . . but only if you promise to give me some more Rollerblading lessons. It ' s a deal! Listening 4 Yu Hong Interviewer: Yu Hong: Where are you from originally, Yu Hong? I'm from china . . . from nearShanghai. Interviewer: Yu Hong: And when did you move here? I came here after I graduated from college. That was in 1992. Interviewer: Yu Hong: And what do you do now? I ' m a transportation engineer. Interviewer: Yu Hong: I see. So you ' re an immigrant to the United States. Yes, thats ri'ght. Interviewer: Yu Hong: What are some of the difficulties of being an immigrant in the U.S.? Oh, that ' s not an easy question to answer. There are so many things, really. I guess one of the biggest difficulties is that I don ' t have any relatives here. I mean, I have a lot of friends, but that thing. In china, on holidays or the weekend, we visit relatives. It isn ' t the same here. Interviewer: Yu Hong: And what do you miss the most from home? Oh, that 's easy: my mom 'Shsesomuapk!es great soup. I really miss my mother 's cooking. Ajay Interviewer: Ajay: Where are you from, Ajay? I ' m fromIndia. Interviewer: And when did you move to the U.S.?

2018年12月大学英语四级真题听力原文第一套

2018年12月大学英语四级真题听力原文(第一套) 来源：文都教育 News 1 A device that weighs less than one kilogram is part of a mission that will allow scientists to deliver fourth generation or 4G mobile coverage to the moon in 2019. If successful, the tiny device will provide the moon with its first ever mobile phone network. The lunar network will support high definition streaming of video and data between the moon and earth. The network is part of a mission to the moon. This is a project with the goal of landing the first privately paid for mission to the moon. The 4G mission is set to launch from Cape Canaveral in the United States on a space X Falcon 9 rocket in 2019. Mission to the moon intends to establish and test the first elements of a communications network on the moon. The scientists working on the project opted to build a 4G rather than a fifth generation or 5G network. This is because fifth generation networks are still in testing and trial phases. This means that a 5G network may not yet be stable enough to work on the mo on’s surface. Question 1: What are scientists planning to do? Question 2: Why did scientists choose to set up a 4G network in their mission? News 2 It’s responded to a fire Wednesday night at an abandoned mall in Heywood. The fire was reported at 9:26 pm at an old shopping center on Michigan Avenue near St. Mary’s Church. Six fire engines, two trucks and two chiefs responded to the scene. Crews had the fire under control in about 45 minutes and managed to contain the fire to its point of origin. There were some people inside the building when the fire broke out but there were no reports of any injuries. Fire investigators have responded to the scene but have not yet determined the cause of the fire. Firefighters will remain on the scene until later this m orning to ensure that the fire doesn’t start up again. The shopping mall had not been in use since 2002. In 2014 City Hall developed a plan to knock down the building and replace it with affordable housing. However the plan was dropped due to lack of funds. Question 3: What does the news item say about the fire? Question 4: What had City Hall planned to do? News 3 Potato chips in Japan are being sold for 6X their normal price. This is after the country’s main manufacturer stopped sales due to a potato shortage. Storms and floods and its main potato growing region last year caused the worst harvest and more than 3 decades. Local media reports suggest Calbee and its main rival Koike-ya are halting almost 50 products. “We don’t know when we’ll be able to restart”, a company spokesman said. Snack lovers are panic buying and many supermarket shelves are bare. Japanese laws limit the amount of imported

中级英语听力lesson13

Lesson 13 Lesley: Ah ... it's such a lovely day. It reminds me of last week, doesn't it you? Fiona: Oh don't! I mean that was just so fantastic, that holiday! Lesley: I love that city, you know. Fiona: I do too. Really, it's got something about it, a certain sort of charm ... Lesley: Mm, and all that wine and good food ... Fiona: And so cheap. Right, I mean, compared to here ... Lesley: Yes, although the shops are expensive. Fiona: Mm, yes. Lesley: I mean, really I bought nothing at all. I just ate and ate and drank and drank. Fiona: I know. Wasn't that lovely? Lesley: Yes, and I, I go there. I like listening to the people talking, sitting outside drinking wine. Fiona: Yes. Could you understand what they were saying? When they were speaking quickly, I mean. Lesley: Well, it is difficult, of course. And then I liked that tower, too. Fiona: You liked that tower? I'm not sure about it, really. (No) It's very unusual, right in the centre of the city. Lesley: True, but there's a lovely view from the top. Fiona: Oh, you went right up, didn't you? (Mm, yes) Oh no, I didn't. Lesley: Of course you didn't. Fiona: I remember that day. We weren't together. Lesley: No, that's right. (Mm) You went down by the river, didn't you? Fiona: That's it. Oh, walking along the river and all the couples (Yes) and it's so romantic ... (Is it true) and the paintings too ... Lesley: They do have artists down by the river, do they? (Yes) Oh, how lovely! Fiona: Oh, it really is super. Lesley: Yes. Oh, I think we ought to go back there again next year, don't you? Fiona: I do, yes. (Mm) If only just to sample some more of the wine. Lesley: It'd be lovely, wouldn't it? Fiona: Yes. (Doorbell rings.) Peter: Hello, John. Nice to see you. Come in. How are you? John: Fine, thanks. Peter. And how are you? I expect your patients are keeping you busy at this time of year? Peter: Ah, well. I can't really complain. Let me take your coat. There we are. Well, now, I don't think you've met Ann Patterson, have you? Ann, this is John Middleton. He's the local schoolteacher. Ann: Oh! How do you do? John: How do you do? Ann: Well, that's very interesting. Perhaps you'll be looking after my son. Peter: Yes, that's right. Ann and her family have just moved into the old barn, up by the village hall. They're in the process of doing it up now. Ann: Yes, there's an awful lot needs doing, of course. (Doorbell rings.) Peter: Er, please excuse me for a moment. I think that was the doorbell. John: Well, if I can give you a hand with anything ... I'm something of a handyman in my spare time, you know. I live just over the road. Ann: That's very kind of you. I'm an architect myself, so ... Oh, look! There's someone I know, Eileen! Eileen: Ann, fancy seeing you here! How's life? Ann: Oh, mustn't grumble. Moving's never much fun though, is it? Anyway, how are things with you? You're still at the same estate agent's. I suppose? Eileen: Oh yes. I can't see myself leaving, well, not in the foreseeable future. Ann: Oh, I quite forgot. Do you two know each other? John: Yes, actually, we've met on many an occasion. Hello, Eileen. You see, we play in the same orchestra. Ann: Oh, really? I didn't know anything about that. Eileen: Yes, actually, just amateur stuff, you know—once a week—I come down from London when I can get a baby-sitter for Joanna. Paul: Er ... excuse me, I hope you don't mind my butting in. My name's Paul Madison. I couldn't help overhearing what you said about an orchestra. John: Come and join the party. I'm John Middleton. This is Ann Patterson and Eileen ... or ... I'm terribly sorry. I don't think I know your surname? Eileen: Hawkes. Pleased to meet you, Paul. You play an instrument, do you? Paul: Yes, I'm over here on a scholarship to study the bassoon (loud yawn from Ann) at the Royal Academy of Music for a couple of years. Ann: Oh, I am sorry. It must be all that hard work on the barn ...

英语专八100高频词汇

时间：2008-10-10 09:07 | 分类：学习笔记- 英语知识 主题：专八高频词汇100个 1. abide by(=be faithful to ; obey)忠于；遵守。 2. be absent from…. 缺席，不在 3. absence or mind(=being absent-minded) 心不在焉 4. absorb(=take up the attention of)吸引…的注意力(被动语态):be absorbed in 全神贯注于…近:be engrossed in ; be lost in ; be rapt in ;be concentrated on ; be focused on ; be centered on 5. (be) abundant in(be rich in; be well supplied with) 富于,富有 6. access(to) (不可数名词) 能接近,进入,了解 7. by accident(=by chance, accidentally)偶然地,意外. Without accident(=safely) 安全地, 8. of one’s own accord(=without being asked; willingly; freely)自愿地,主动地 9. in accord with 与…一致/ out of one’s accord with 同….不一致 10. with one accord (=with everybody agreeing)一致地 11. in accordance with (=in agreement with) 依照,根据 12. on one’s own account 1) 为了某人的缘故, 为了某人自己的利益 2) (=at one’s own risk) 自行负责 3) (=by oneself)依靠自己

英语四级真题听力原文

2014年6月英语四级考试真题听力原文(一) 1. W: I can’t seem to reach the tea at the back of the cupboar d. M: Oh… Why don’t you use the ladder? You might strain your shoulder. Q: What does the man suggest the woman do? 2. W: Since it’s raining so hard, let’s go and see the new exhibits. M: That’s a good idea. Mary Johnson is one of my favorite p ainters. Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place? 3. M: I hear the students gave the new teacher an unfair ev aluation. W: It depends on which student you are talking about. Q: What does the woman imply? 4. W: It must have taken you a long time to fix up all thes e book shelves.

M: It wasn’t too bad. I got Doris to do some of them. Q: What does the man mean? 5. W: Rod, I hear you’ll be leaving at the end of this mont h. Is it true? M: Yeah. I’ve been offered a much better position with anot her firm. I’d be a fool to turn it down. Q: Why is the man quitting his job? 6. W: I honestly don’t want to continue the gardening tomor row, Tony? M: Neither do I. But I think we should get it over with thi s weekend. Q: What does the man mean? 7. W: You’ve already furnished your apartment? M: I found some used furniture that was dirt cheap. Q: What do we learn from the conversation? 8. W: Has the mechanic called the bus repairers? M: Not yet .I’ll let you know when he calls.

listentothis英语中级听力答案解析修订版

l i s t e n t o t h i s英语中 级听力答案解析 HUA system office room 【HUA16H-TTMS2A-HUAS8Q8-HUAH1688】

英语中级听力参考答案 Answer Keys to Listen to This: 2 Edited by莫显良、马军军、张凤英、陈燕 L 1 L 2 L 3 L 4 L 5 L 6 L 7 L 8 L 9 L 10 L 11 L 12 L 13 L 14 L 15 L 16 L 17 L 18 L 19 L 20 L 21 L 22 L 23 L 24 L 25 L 26 L 27 L 28 L 29 L 30 L 31 L 32 L 33 L 34 L 35 L 36 Lesson 1 Section I Task 1: This Is Your Life! A.Choose the best answer (a, b or c) to complete each of the following statements. 1—6: caacba B.True or False Questions. 1—6: TFFFFT C.Identification.

(1)—(b), (2)—(d), (3)—(f), (4)—(g), (5)—(a), (6)—(c), (7)—(e) https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7210316148.html,plete the following résumé for Jason Douglas. Name: Jason Douglas Former name: Graham Smith Profession: actor Date of birth: July 2, 1947 1952: started school 1958: moved to Lane End Secondary School 1966: went to the London School of Drama 1969: left the London School of Drama 1973: went to Hollywood 1974: were in a movie with Maria Montrose Task 2: What Are Your Ambitions? A.Give brief answers to the following questions. 1.Radio Station QRX. 2.For a survey.

listen-to-this2-英语中级听力2答案

英语中级听力参考答案 Answer Keys to Listen to This: 2 Edited by莫显良、马军军、张凤英、陈燕 L 1L 2L 3L 4L 5L 6L 7L 8L 9L 10 L 11L 12L 13L 14L 15L 16L 17L 18L 19L 20 L 21L 22L 23L 24L 25L 26L 27L 28L 29L 30 L 31L 32L 33L 34L 35L 36 Lesson 1 Section I Task 1: This Is Your Life! A.Choose the best answer (a, b or c) to complete each of the following statements. 1—6: caacba B.True or False Questions. 1—6: TFFFFT C.Identification. (1)—(b), (2)—(d), (3)—(f), (4)—(g), (5)—(a), (6)—(c), (7)—(e) https://www.wendangku.net/doc/7210316148.html,plete the following résumé for Jason Douglas. Name: Jason Douglas Former name: Graham Smith Profession: actor Date of birth: July 2, 1947 1952: started school 1958: moved to Lane End Secondary School 1966: went to the London School of Drama 1969: left the London School of Drama 1973: went to Hollywood 1974: were in a movie with Maria Montrose Task 2: What Are Your Ambitions? A.Give brief answers to the following questions.

怎样训练英语专八听力

怎样训练英语专八听力 全国性的英语专业八级考试是一项检验英语专业学生语言能力的考试。该文就听力题型部分进行分析，从实践角度就如何使学生在练习中应用技巧解决难题，提高听力水平提出了一些建议。 怎样训练英语专八听力 （１）选择准确的听力材料 实际上,“听”和“说”不分家的原则也体现在TEM-8考试中。TＥM－8考试听力均选自一般口语性较强、反映现代生活的英语资料。因此,考生可以集中精力多听一些大众媒介英语，进行实战演习。所选听力材料在难度上应低于阅读材料，因为读不懂的东西一般听不懂。来源于报刊、杂志、电影、电视的英语是练习听力的极好的材料。英语专业的学生，特别是高年级学生,可以通过看原版电影或听电影录音剪辑来练习听力。一般学校都会有丰富的音像资料，许多城市还专门开辟了英语电视频道,电视英语新闻对考生应付ＴＥM-8考试第三部分有很大的帮助。 (２）选用恰当的练习方法 练习听力时，大家可采取“精听”和“泛听”两种方式结合来训练自己，前者的重点在于深度，后者则注重广度。精听的目的在于从what，whｏ，ｗｈeｒe, ｗhen, wｈy 和ｈow等角度入手，弄懂与之有关的所有问题,即所有细节性问题;而泛听则是听懂大意即

可。通过这两方面长期不懈的努力，考生最终能获得用英语进行思维的能力。如果能做到用英语思考问题,那么做对几道试题是不会有太多困难的,因为试题从广义上也就分为两大类，局部理解题和通篇理解题,前者属于精听的范畴,而后者则属于泛听的对象。听的目的在于懂，那么，如何衡量自己是否听懂呢?一个行之有效的方法就是“复述”。在听完一个片段后，可将所听的内容重复一遍，如果具有较高的准确度，就说明真正听懂了;否则需要再听一遍,如果连听几遍还无法较为满意地复述，说明所听内容太难，应予以更换。 与此同时，还应通过“读”帮助“听”,特别是在听新闻方面。与其他听力材料相比,新闻具有其鲜明的特点。新闻的内容特别广泛,几乎覆盖生活的各个方面。听英语新闻的最大一个障碍是对新闻词汇的生疏。因此，在学习听新闻的初级阶段,可以阅读一些大众媒体文献,如报纸、刊物，从中积累一些新闻用语,一些重要组织的名称如ＥＥC(Eurｏpean EconoｍiｃComｍunity)欧洲经济共同体、IMF(I ｎterｎationａl MonetａrｙFunｄ）国际货币基金会、ＯPＥC(Or ｇanｉｚatiｏn of ＰetｒoｌeumＥｘporting Ｃｏuｎtｒｉes)石油输出国组织、NＡSA（Naｔional Aeroｎａutiｃs anｄSpac ｅAｄmｉnｉstrａtｉon)国家航空和航天局;单词如upｓurｇe(高涨)、manｏｅuvｒｅ(策略)、ｅscａlation（升级)、allｅgation(断言)等等。对现实生活各个领域的词汇都略知一二是听懂新闻的基础。新闻作为一种语言测试题型也是语言在现实生活中真实运用的体现。在TＥM-8考试中，新闻的内容均为考生所熟悉的一般性政治、经济、

大学英语四级真题听力原文一二三套

2016年6月大学英语四级真题听力原文(一二三套) 2016年6月大学英语四级真题第一套听力原文 SectionA News report 1 The international labor organization says the number of people without jobs is increasing. In its latest update on global employment trends, the agency says projections of the number on unemployed people this year range from 210 million to nearly 240 million people. The report warns that 200 million poor workers are at risk of joining the ranks of people leaving on less than 2 dollars per day in the past 3 years. The Director-General of the International Labor Organization Juan Somavia notes that some countries have taken measures to address the effects of the global crisis. However, he points out that many countries have not done so. And based on past experiences, it takes 4-5 years after economic recovery for unemployment to return to pre-crisis levels. Mr. Somavia says the International Labour Organization is proposing a global job agreement to deal with unemployment. “It's key objective is to place the center of recovery efforts, measures will generate higher levels of employment and provide basic social protection for the most vulnerable.” 1、What is the news report main about? 2、What does Juan Somavia, Director-General of the International Labour Organization say? News Report 2 Big fast food chains in New York city have started to obey a first kind of its rule, requiring them to post calorie counts right on the menu. City Nurses is with New York department of health. “We wanted to give people an opportunity to actually see the calories before they purchase the food and make a decision and informed decision that if they want to make the healthier choice. If they want to eat fewer calories, they can. And we expect this will have a huge impact on obesity. And of course, if this has an impact on obesity, it will have an impact on diabetes and heart disease and high blood pressure.” The new rules will be introduced as a part of anti-obesity campaign. That also includes a recent citywide ban on artificial trans-fats in restaurant food. The menu roll only applies to restaurants that serves standardized potion sizes and have fifty or more locations nationwide. Starting last Saturday, chains big enough to fall under the rule will face penalties of up to 2000 dollars for not showing calorie information in a prominent sports on their menus, preferably next to the price. 3. what are big fast food chains in New York city required to do according to the new rule? 4.What will happen to big restaurant chains that violate the new rule? News Report 3 Almost all companies recognize the importance of innovation today, but not many are able to