现代大学英语听力2Unit1

Text Analysis Structure
Part I: Story (Para. 1-8 )
• the writer’s encounter with a student and his failure to convince him that a pharmacy major needs to read great writers.
Audience: College freshmen
Style
colloquial, familiar; first humorous, mildly sarcastic; later serious and earnest
Background
His Life
John Ciardi 1916-1986
If most girls are destined to come back to live in a small city, marry an ordinary man, have an ordinary job, do laundry and cook every day, and just become an ordinary woman like many others, why do they need to read so many books and receive so much education?
Text Analysis Detailed Analysis
Part I: Sentence Paraphrase
I could have told him all this, but it was fairly obvious he wasn’t going to be around long enough for it to matter. (para. 3)

现代大学英语听力2_dictation原文Unit 1Social customs and ways of behaving change. But they do not necessarily always change for the better. Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now acceptable. Just a few years ago, it was considered impolite behaviour for a man to smoke on the street. No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a fool of himself by smoking when a lady was in the room.The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable — especiallyif they are your guests. There is a storyabout a rich nobleman who had a very formal dinner party. When the food was served, one of the guests started to eat his peas with a knife. Other guests were amused or shocked, but the nobleman calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way. It would have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or uncomfortable.Unit 2Undoubtedly, Tibet is one of the harshest places for human existence. It is cool in summer but freezing cold in winter. In Lhasa, the mildest city temperature may exceed 29C in summer while plummeting to -16C in winter! Sun radiation is extremely strong in Tibet. The sunlight in Lhasa is so intense that the city is called Sunlight City. The thin air can neither block off nor retain heat so that the temperature extremescan be met in daytime and the same night respectively in Tibet. However it is not impossible to visit the holy snow land. April to October isthe best time to visit Tibet, out of the coldest months, which are from December to February usually. The average temperature in north Tibet is subzero and winter arrives in October until the following May or June. July and August are the best time to visit the area, enjoying warm temperature, intense sunshine, beautiful scenery and festive events. May, June and September is the tourist season in east Tibet. In winter, roads are all blocked by heavy snow. Landslides and rock falls frequently occur, which will make travel difficult.Unit 3I could hear the guard blowing his whistle, so I ran onto theplatform and up to the train.Luckily someone saw me coming, a door opened, and I jumped on while the train wasmoving out of the station. “Phew!” I thought. “That was hardwork!” I was sure the otherpassengers could hear my heart beating; it was so loud, and I was in a cold sweat.After a while, I recovered, and had a look at the other passengers. The compartment wasfull, but I was the only one standing. The people in the carriage turned their eyes away asthey noticed me looking at them; all except one, a beautiful woman sitting in the corner. Isaw her watching me in the mirror. Automatically, I adjusted my tie. She had seen merunning for the train: maybe this was my lucky day after all. I prepared to say hello.She spoke first, however. “Would you like my seat?” she asked. “You look rather ill.” Thatwas the day on which I realized I was getting middle-aged.Unit 4Aesop was a very clever man who lived in Greece thousands of years ago. He wrote many good fables. He was known to be fond of jokes. One day, as he was enjoying a walk he met a traveler, who greeted him and said, “Kind man, can you tell me how soon I shall get to town?”“Go,” Aesop answered.“I know I must go”, said the traveler, “but I should Like you to tell me how soon I shallget to town.”“Go,” Aesop said again angrily.“This man must be mad,” the traveler thought and went on.After he had gone some distance, Aesop shouted after him, “You will get to tow n in two hours.” The traveler turned around in astonishment. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?” he asked.“How could I have told you before?” answered Aesop. “I did not know how fast you could walk.Unit 5Americans know that higher education is the key to the growth they need to lift their country, and today that is more true than ever. Just listen to these facts. Over half the new jobs created in the last three years have been managerial and professional jobs. The new jobs require a higher level of skills.Fifteen years ago the typical worker with a college degree made 38 percent more than a worker with a high school diploma. Today that figure is 73 percent more. Two years of college means a 20 percent increase annual earnings. People who finish two years of college earn a quarter of a million dollars more tan their high school counterparts over a lifetime.Unit 6I began my career during college, reporting on news stories at a Toronto radio station. The station’s program manager was also a professor who taught one of my classes. I convinced him that she needed a youth reporter because that year was International Youth Year. After graduation, I took a job as a television news reporter and later, news anchor. But sports reporting was something different, so I decided totry it. Figure skating was my first assignment.I had two months until my new job began. It was like waiting anentire summer for school to start. I spent those two months talking tofigure skating coaches and judges. I read boring rule books. I drove to the rinks where the skaters trained, and made notes about our conversations. I even took a lesson, which made some of the skaters laugh.Unit 7Thomas Edison was one of ten said to be the greatest genius of his age. There are only a few men in all of the history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius.“ There is no such thing as genius,” Edison said. He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work.But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wondered about the secrets of nature. Nature, he often said, is full of secrets. He tried to understand them; then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead ofthe difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure.Unit 8The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says hungerkills millions of people each year — especially children . The UNorganization says millions more people will die unless more money is invested to fight against hunger.This is based on the result of a new UN study called “The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2002”. It found that more than nine million people die each year from hunger. Six million of them are children younger than age five. Researchers also found that the number of starving people is growing in some parts of the world.The report says that about eight hundred and forty million people around the world are getting enough food to eat. Ninety-five percent of these people are in developing countries.Unit 9In contemporary English, there are many reported differences in the talk of males and females . In same gender pairs having conversations, women generally discuss their personal feelings more than men . Men appear to prefer non-personal topics such as sport and news . Men tend to respond to mention personal experiences that match or connect with the other woman’s . There is a pattern documented in the American English social context of women cooperating and seeking connection via language, whereas men are more competitive and concerned with power via language . In mixed-gender pairs having conversations, the rate of men interrupting women is substantially greater than he reverse. Women are reported to use more expressions associated with tentativeness , such as “hedges” and “tags” , whenexpressing an opinion : Well ,erm , I think that golf is kind of boring , don’t you ?Unit 10The University of Oxford, situated in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world . The universities of Oxford and Cambridge are sometimes referred to collectively as Oxbridge. The two universities have a long history of competition with each other, as they are two oldest and most famous universities in England.The date of Oxford’s foundation is unknown, and indeed it may not have been a singleevent , but there is evidence of teaching there as early as 1096. When Henry II of England of forbade English students to study at the University of Paris in 1167, Oxford began to grow very quickly . The foundation of the first halls of residence, which later became college, dates from this period and later. Following the murder of two students accused of rape in 1209, the University was disbanded, and this led to the foundation of the University of Cambridge. In 1214, the University returned to Oxford with a charter, and the University’s status was formally confirmed.Unit 11Planet Earth is 4,600,000,000 years old. If we condense this time span we can compare it to a person 46 years old. Only at the age of 42did 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 houragriculture 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.Unit 12London is one of the biggest cities in the world. It has apopulation of over 8 million. Some people like it very much becausethere is a lot to do there and it is very interesting. There are hundreds of cinemas, theatres, museums and restaurants there. But other people don't like it because there is so much traffic and noise everywhere.Brighton is a medium-sized town with a population of around 300,000. It is on the coast, about 50 miles from London. Of course it isn't as interesting as London, but the air is a lot cleaner and better. Thereare a few factories, but not many. It isn't very easy to find a good jobthere. But there are a lot of hotels and language schools in the town, and in the summerthe town is full of tourists.Unit 13An old man died and left his son a lot of money. But the son was a foolish young man, and he quickly spent all the money, so that soon he had nothing left. Of course, when that happened, all his friends left him. When he was quite poor and alone, he went to see Nasreddin, who was a kind, clever old man and often helped people when they had troubles.“My money has finished and my friends have gone,” said the young man. “What will happen to me now?”“Don’t worry, young man,” answered Nasreddin. “Everything will soon be all right again.Wait and you will soon feel much happier.”The young man was very glad. “Am I going to get rich again then?” he asked Nasreddin.“No, I didn’t mean that,” said the old man. “I meant that you would s oon get used to being poor and to having no friends.”Unit 14The future will not determine itself. The future is determined bythe actions of the present day.Edward Cornish, the editor of The Futurist magazine published by the World FutureSociety, says:The responsibility we have for the future begins when we recognize that we ourselves create the future — that the future is not something imposed upon us by fate or other forces beyond our control. We ourselves build the future both through what we do and what we do not do.A novel way of teaching may change the way universities are run. An engineering teacher at the American University of Illinois has had great success without textbooks, without examsand without deadlines. His students won nine of the top ten engineering awards in a university competition.The engineering professor, Ricardo Uribe, let his engineeringstudents express themselves, in-stead of telling them what to do. His students all focused on the problems that interested them, not whattheir teacher told 'them. They worked their own hours, not hours set by the university. They did not have to sit tests, and they helped each other in open classes.Unit 15Newspapers are one of the main sources from which we learn what is going on--in world politics, science, local government, the arts, fashion, food, education and sports. The papers we choose show our interests and usually the politics which we believe in. There are nine national daily newspapers in Britain, of which five are tabloids andfour are quality papers. Do these newspapers realty serve the peoplethey are written for? Many people question the objectivity of newspapers.How objective are they? We might be better able to judge if we understand how a newspaper is produced. Reporters, of course, are the source from which the facts must come, but there are many other people who are involved in and influence newspapers.。

Unit 1Text A Another School Year—What For?Part 1 BackgroundⅠ. About the author: John Ciardi (1916-1986)A. His life:◆a child of Italian immigrants, Boston◆Began his career teaching English at the University of Kansas City◆Joined the US Air Force in 1942, served as a gunner in fighter planes◆went on to teach at Harvard University in 1946◆in 1953 accepted a position at Rutgers University◆in 1961, gave up teaching and devoted himself to his own literary endeavorsB. His influence:◆Poet, translator, etymologist◆Major works:➢First book of poems, Homeward to America, 1940➢Other Skies, focusing on his war-time experience, 1947➢How Does a Poem Mean, a standard textbook for high school and college poetry courses ➢Translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy (The Inferno, 1954; The Purgatorio, 1961; The Paradiso, 1970)◆Influence:➢ A very popular poet➢Poetry editor of Saturday Review from 1956 to 1972➢Fellow of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member and former president of the National Institute of Arts and LettersII. Genre◆Orientation speechperiod of time at the beginning of the academic year at a university during which a variety of events are held to orient and welcome new students. The orientation helps new students to organize their classes, acclimate to student life, and introduce themselves to other new students. Speeches are often given at orientation by presidents or acclaimed professors of the university.◆Audience: College freshmen◆Style: colloquial, familiar; first humorous, mildly sarcastic; later serious and earnestPart 2 Word Study1．accomplishment n.①achievement 成就；成绩Books are man’s peculiar accomplishment. (para.12) 书本是人类特有的成就。

Task 1News Item 1The United States central bank, the Federal Reserve, has raised interest rates for the third time this year. The Federal Reserve raised the overnight bank lending rate by 0.25 percent (one fourth of one percent) to 5.5 percent. It raised the discount rate also by 0.25 percent to 5 percent. The Federal Reserve said it had no plans to raise interest rates again any time soon. It said the increase today should reduce the danger of inflation.News Item 2The merce Department says the American economy has shrunk for the first time in eight years. The total value of goods and services produced in the United States fell by four tenth of one percent (0.4 percent) in the period of July through September. A recession is monly defined as at least six months where the economy shrinks.News Item 3A fall in the New York market had been widely predicted following Friday's better than expected US employment figures. US bonds from which the government funds long-term borrowing fell nearly two points on the news that more jobs had been created in March than had been expected. The Dow Jones Index was closed on Friday for the Easter holiday, so today was the first chance for the share market to react.News Item 4And we go straight to Wall Street where share prices closed higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up nearly 1 percent or 89 points at 10,205. Shares made up for some of the losses they incurred in the past week, thanks to what was interpreted as "signs the US inflation is under control".Task 2News Item 1China has launched a manned space flight, being the third country to do so 40 years after the Soviet Union and the United States. A single astronaut was on board the Shenzhou V Craft, which took off from the Gobi Desert. It's expected to go round the earth 14 times during a 24-hour period before landing in Inner Mongolia. President Hu Jintao watched the launch, a sign of the importance China attaches to its space programme. Francis Marguez reports from Beijing.Half an hour after the spacecraft blasted off, China's state television showed footage of the launch, the rocket climbing slowly into the clear blue sky. And many Chinese will feel their country has taken a proud step towards modernity.News Item 2China's first man in space has returned to Earth. Reports say Chinese officials declared the space flight a success. Astronaut Yang Liwei is also reported to be in good health. On Tuesday, China became only the third nation to send a person into orbit. Astronaut Yang and his spacecraft landed in China's Inner Mongolia early Thursday. He had orbited the earth 14 times in about 20 hours. The United States and Russia praised China for the launch. Russia and the United States were the first two nations to send people into space.Task 3Negotiators have agreed to the wording of a proposed international treaty on tobacco control. Delegates from more than 170 countries approved the final wording earlier this month in Switzerland. This came after four years of negotiations. The proposed treaty is called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. It will be presented in May at the yearly meeting of the World Health Organization, a UN agency. The final version approved there will also require individual approval by WHO members. Once 40 nations have approved it, the treaty will go into effect in those countries.Member states cannot make any amendments once the WHO approves a final version of the treaty. They must either accept or reject the agreement as it is written. The proposed Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is part of the efforts to reduce deaths and diseases from smoking.The WHO estimates that almost five million people die each year from lung cancer and other tobacco-related diseases. That number could rise to ten million a year by 2020. Developing nations are the biggest growth areas for tobacco-related diseases. These nations are calling for the strongest laws possible to control tobacco. The treaty would ban advertising and other marketing campaigns for tobacco products, where doing so would not violate a country's constitution. It also calls for high tobacco taxes. It would even require panies to make public all the substances they use to make cigarettes.In addition, tobacco panies would have to place health warnings on at least thirty percent of their products. These warnings could not include information that might lead people to believe that some cigarettes are less harmful than others. In addition, governments would have to support treatment programs to help people stop smoking. And, there would have to be education campaigns to get people not to start. The proposed treaty also calls for measures to protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke, that is, smoke from other people's tobacco.Task 4Thank you. And thank you for asking me to share in your weekly address to the American people.Britain and America have so much in mon: language, values, belief in family and munity, in a real sense of national pride. We share many problems, too. And it has been clear from our discussions thatwe are agreed, in general terms, about some of the solutions.You took the tough decisions needed for long-term economic stability. We are doing so. You have focused on education, welfare reform, a new approach to crime. So are we. Together, we are breaking down boundaries of left and right and creating a new politics of the radical centre.Task 5Each year, the Nobel mittee in Oslo, Norway announces the winners of its famous Nobel Prizes. Most winners of the Nobel Peace Prize have been men. Only ten percent have been women since the prize was first presented in 1901.Now the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the human rights group International Alert have presented a new award to honor women peacemakers. It is called the Millennium Peace Prize for Women. Officials will present the award every three years. The award recognizes women's actions in building peace, protecting women's human rights and supporting munity life during and after war.Experts say women are usually not as involved in the peace process as men are. However, their work to reestablish normal munity life after peace has been reached is very important. Because of this, International Alert says women also need to be recognized as leaders in peace building.Earlier this month, six women and organizations received the Millennium Peace Prize for Women. One of the winners is the Colombian group "Ruta Pacifica de las Mujeres", or Women's Road to Peace. This group has organized protests against the violence between rebel groups and the Colombian government.The group "Leitana Nehan Women's Development Agency" also won the peace prize. It helped in the peace process between the military and rebel forces in Papua New Guinea. Another winner is the group "Women in Black". It is an international organization that organizes protests against violence, aggression and war.Flora Brovina also received the peace prize. She organized the "League of Albanian Women of Kosovo". Doctor Brovina has taught emergency medical skills to people in Kosovo.Asma Jahangir and Hina Jilani are also peace prize winners. They worked to support human rights and women's rights in Pakistan. And the leader of the women's movement in Rwanda also won the Millennium Peace Prize, after her death. Veneranda Nzambazamariya helped rebuild Rwanda after the mass killings in 1994. She died in a plane crash last year.Task 6News Item 1Brazil's new Health Minister Hosein Selar has sacked two senior health officials in Rio de Janeiro amid growing concern about the epidemic of dengue fever. More than 80,000 people in southeast Brazil have caught the mosquito-born disease which causes severe headaches, fever and vomiting. In some cases, it can be fatal. Our Brazil correspondent Steven Switch reports that President Fernando Henrique Cardoso regards the issue of health care as his government's biggest political weakness.News Item 2In agriculture news. The European Union has banned all imports of animal products from the Netherlands. The ban was ordered after the Dutch government confirmed four cases of foot-and-mouth disease there. Dutch officials have had all infected animals destroyed. Until now, only Britain and France have been affected by the animal disease. Also, in the American State of Vermont, officials seized some sheep suspected of having mad cow disease. More than 230 sheep were taken from a farm. The animals will be destroyed and tested for the disease.Task 7Announcer: ... in Garderers' Question Time at 2 o'clock. And now over to Gordon Chartwell in the newsroom.Newsreader: Here is the news, read by Gordon Chartwell. The cruise liner, Princess of Wales , which ran aground last night off the island of St. Catherine in the Caribbean, is reported to be sinking. Here's a report from our correspondent in Jamaica, Graham Smith.Graham Smith: A weak radio signal was received here in Kingston a few hours ago from the radio operator on the 28,000-ton luxury cruise ship, the Princess of Wales. According to this message, the ship is taking in water and is starting to sink. All the passengers have been ordered into the lifeboats and told to make for the nearby island of St. Catherine, the coast of which is some 20 miles from the scene of the accident. In normal circumstances this would be an easy 3-hour trip, but with Hurricane Zelda approaching fast and blowing away from the island, it's feared that some boats may not make it in time to the safety of the island. Once on the island, it would be possible for passengers and crew to shelter from the wind and await rescue. The Royal Navy frigate Steadfast is heading for St. Catherine at full speed but it may take her up to 24 hours to get there. So things look pretty grim for the 700 passengers and 420 crew at the moment. This is Graham Smith in Kingston, Jamaica. Newsreader: As soon as we have any further news we will interrupt our programmes to bring it to you. And now the rest of the news. In Liverpool today the Prime Minister said in a speech...Part TwoAnnouncer: We interrupt this programme to take you over to the newsroom for a newsflash. Newsreader: This is Gordon Chartwell in the newsroom with a further report from our correspondent Graham Smith in Jamaica about the stranded liner, Princess of Wales.Graham Smith: A further signal has been picked up from the Princess of Wales within the past few minutes. According to this, the ship is now out of danger. Apparently the damage to the liner is not as serious as was originally thought and she is still pletely seaworthy and out of danger. However, before this was realized, 5 of the lifeboats had been launched and about 200 passengers and crew had made their way to the island of St. Catherine where they are reported to be safe. For the time being they are likely to remain on the island. The remaining 920 people are still on board the liner and in no danger. Although Hurricane Zelda has reached the island, the wind seems to have blown itself out tosome extent and although there are heavy seas, there is no danger for a ship of the size of the Princess of Wales. The ship is now clear of the rocks. The passengers and crew sheltering on the island will be brought off by the Royal Navy frigate Steadfast, which is now close to the area. Apart from a few minor injuries there are no casualties. This is Graham Smith returning you to the studio. Newsreader: There will be a further report in our main news at one o'clock. And now back to Down Your Way...Task 8News Item 1The European Union has officially approved the Kyoto Treaty on climate change. Officials from all 15 EU states attended a ceremony Friday at the United Nations in New York. However, the treaty still needs the approval of more countries to e into effect. The treaty limits the release by industrial countries of gases blamed for trapping heat in the atmosphere. The United States was one of the first countries to sign the Kyoto Treaty, but has since withdrawn. President Bush says the treaty could harm the American economy.News Item 2Wele to BBC World News, I'm Nick Gowing. Environment ministers from 180 countries will start trying to rescue the Kyoto Treaty on global warming shortly. They join their officials who have been meeting all week in the German city of Bonn. The 1997 Kyoto agreement mits industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The protocol was undermined in a major way in March when US President George W. Bush said it would weaken America's economy.It's Beethoven who dominates the town square here and it's unlikely that he'll have to give up his place to a monument celebrating a conference which halted global warming. Ministers from over 180 countries have already agreed to global cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases 5 percent below the 1990 levels. But here they must decide how this will be achieved. Since George Bush pulled out of the deal, the argument is between Japan and Europe. The Japanese want flexible rules allowing them to plant more trees in place of steep cuts in pollution and weaker penalties for missing targets. Europe doesn't like it but really wants a deal.News Item 3A major international conference on climate change is to open in Moscow shortly with Russia ing under renewed pressure to sign the Kyoto Protocol. That's the agreement to limit the industrial pollutants that are believed to contribute to global warming. The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 can only e into force when 55 percent of countries have signed up to it. With United States refusing to sign, ratification by Russia is crucial to the treaty's success. From Moscow our environment correspondent Tim Hersch reports.President Putin himself called this conference in his own capital to discuss the latest signs of climatechange and it had been thought he might use the opportunity to announce that his government was finally prepared to sign up to Kyoto, but ments from senior Kremlin officials have played down expectations, saying Russia wanted firm guarantees of foreign investment in clean technology before pressing ahead with ratification. The European Union and UN bodies have been putting pressure on Mr. Putin to end the delays so that international action against global warming could finally start six years after the Kyoto agreement was signed.Task 9The United Nations General Assembly will hold a special session on children beginning September 19th. The meeting will bring together government leaders, child activists, non-governmental organizations and many young people. The three-day gathering will give officials a valuable chance to change how the world thinks about children.Eleven years ago, the UN held a similar meeting called the "World Summit for Children". During that conference, seventy-one heads of state and government signed a treaty aimed at improving the lives of children around the world. Efforts to reach the goals established in that treaty have made the rights of children an important issue.The UN agency for children, UNICEF, is supporting the special session. Officials are expected to produce a plan of action to guarantee that three important goals are reached. The goals are the best possible start in life for all children, a good education for all children and the chance for all children to bee an important part of their munities. The session will also examine progress made since the 1990 World Summit for Children.Former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela is working toward these goals. He is joined by his wife Graca Machel who is an activist for children. They are calling on munity, business and government leaders to form an international movement aimed at improving the world for young people.The movement is hoping to build international support for a public campaign to help children. Several world leaders have joined the movement. Movie stars, professional sports teams, and the creators of children's television programs and books also have joined the movement.The group's public campaign lists ten ways to improve the lives of young people. These include educating children, protecting them from war and fighting the disease AIDS. UNICEF officials say the goal of the movement is for people around the world to get involved, take action and work for change. They say that for every child who es into the world, the hopes and dreams of the human race are reborn.Task 10The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says hunger kills millions of people each year—especially children. The UN organization says millions more people will die unless more money is invested to fight against hunger.This is based on the results of a new UN study called "The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2002". It found that more than nine million people die each year from hunger. Six million of them are children younger than age five. Researchers also found that the number of starving people is growing in some parts of the world.The report says that about eight hundred and forty million people around the world are not getting enough food to eat. Ninety-five percent of these people are in developing countries.。

Unit 1 Social CustomsTask 1A.1. She wanted to see St. Paul’s Cathedral.2. She was so surprised because she saw so many Englishmen who looked alike.3. They were all wearing dark suits and bowler hats, carrying umbrellas and newspapers.4. Because she had often read about them and seen photographs of them, who alllooked as if they were wearing a uniform.5. No, he didn’t.6. He used the English saying “It takes all kinds to make a world” to prove his opinion.B.If all the seas were one sea, what a great sea it would be! And if all the trees were one tree, what a great tree it would be! And if this tree were to fall in the sea, what a great splash there would be!Task 2A.1. people were much busier2. colder than England, minus thirty degrees, last longer3. much more mountainous, much higher and much more rocky, more beautiful4. tend to be more crowded5. the houses, smallerB．1) T 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) FTask 3A.1) In the US, people usually dance just to enjoy themselves, they don’t invite otherpeople to watch them.2) Usually eight people dance together.3) Because people form a square in dancing with a man and a woman on each sideof the square.4) He usually makes it into a song.5) They wear old-fashioned clothes.B.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) TC.1) eight people form a square, on each side of the square.2) What they should do, makes it into a song, sings it.3) don’t have much time to think4) old-fashioned clothes, pretty to watch.Task 41) It was a time to celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring.2) They burned the picture of their kitchen god to bring good luck.3) The custom s aid the brides must wear “something old, something new, somethingborrowed, and something blue” to bring good luck.4) Because they could not eat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent, so they triedto use up these things before Lent began.5) It was a straw man made by children in Czech, it was a figure of death.6) People brought their animals to church. And before the animals went into thechurch people dressed them up in flowers and ribbons.Task 5A.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) T 7) TTask 6A.1) b 2) a 3) c 4) aB.1) family unit, process, change, used to be, the extended , the nuclear2) job patterns, progressed, agricultural, industrial, forced, jobopportunities, split up3) traditio nal, 缺，family, other living arrangementsC.1) mother, father, children, and some other relatives such as grandparents, living inthe same house or nearby.2) only the parents and the children.3) previously married men and women marry again and combine the children fromformer marriages into a new family.Task 7A.1) c 2) c 3) a 4) b 5) c 6) c 7) cTask 8A.1) a 2) c 3) b 4) c 5) c 6) b 7) c 8) bB.1) T 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) T 6) F 7) F 8) F 9) T 10) FTask 9Social custo ms and ways of behaving change. But they do not necessarily always change for the better. Things which were considered impo lite many years ago are no w acceptable. Just a few years ago, it was considered impo lite behavio ur for a ma n to smoke o n the street. No man who thought o f himself as being a gentleman wo uld make a foo l o f himself by smok ing when a lad y was in the roo m.The important thing to remember about social custo ms is not to do anything that might make other people feel unco mfortab le—especially if they are yo ur guests. There is a story about a rich nob leman who had a very formal dinner party. When the food was served, one of the guests started to eat his peas with a knife. Other guests were amused or shocked, but the nob le man calmly p icked up his knife and began eating in the same way. It wo uld have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or unco mfortab le.Unit 2 WeatherTask 11) b 2) a 3) dTask 2A.1) T 2) F 3) FB.1) d 2) c 3) cC.Climate, reputatio n, extraord inary, unreliab le, dry, wet, clear, dull, hot, cold, bad, mildTask 3I. the co untryTrees, grass, lakes and steamsII. A. 1. concrete, iro n, steel2. take in the heat during the day and thro w o f heat into the air at nightB. Warmer wintersCar engines , electrical app lianceIII. A. air pollutio n may stop sunlight fro m reaching the earthB. 1. Ice near the North and South po les to melt2. to be slo wly fo lded and peop le living in these cities to mo ve tohigher land.Task 4A.1) b 2) cB.night, delight, morning, warning, gray, way, red, headC.1) F 2) T 3 )FTask 51) c 2) b 3) d 4) c 5) cTask 6A.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) TB.incred ib le, one minute, kilo meter, destroyed, lifted up, carried away, killed, injuredTask 7A.1) b 2) a 3) bB.1) It has been nice weather during the day, but it is going to change at night.2) Fine weather in southern Europe and not so nice in Northern Europe.C.For todaySoutheast England Maximu m temperatures of around 21 degreesSouthern Scotland 26 degrees Celsius b y mid-afternoo n Brighto n 23 degrees Celsius by early afternoo n Mid lands Light showers aro und midday Northwest of Scotland 15 ho urs of lo vely sunshineFor the weekendSpain Clo ud y b ut mainly dry with sunny periods, 23 degrees CelsiusGreece Heavy rain, 17 degrees CelsiusFrance Cloud y with rain, maximu m temperatures o f 22 degreesNorthern Ireland 34 degrees CelsiusMost of England 32 degrees CelsiusTask 9A. 1)ⅹ2)ⅹ3)√ 4)ⅹ5)ⅹ6)√ 7)√B.[f]→[c]→[a]→[d]→[b]→[e]C.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) FD.1) d 2) bTask 10Undo ubted ly, Tibet is one o f the harshest places for human existence. It is cool in summer but freezing co ld in winter. In Lhasa, the mildest city in Tibet, temperatures may exceed 29 degrees Celsius in summer while plummeting to -16 degrees Celsius in winter! Sun radiatio n is extremely strong in Tibet. The sunlight in Lhasa is so intense that the city is called Sunlight City. The thin air can neither block off nor retain heat so that thereare great temperature extremes o n the same day! The average temperature in northern Tibet is sub zero and winter arrives in October until the fo llo wing May or June. July and August are the best time to visit the area, enjo ying warm temperatures, intense sunshine, beautiful scenery and festive events. May, June and September represent the tourist season in east Tibet. In winter, roads are all blocked by heavy sno w. Landslides and rock falls freq uently occur, which will make travel difficult.Unit 3 Social IssuesTask 1A.1. Stress on the job costs American companies as much as $150 billion a year in lowerproductivity, unnecessary employee sick leave, and higher medical costs.2. The most stressful professions are those that involve danger and extreme pressureand those that carry a lot of responsibilities without much control.3. The best way to deal with stress is through relaxation, but sometimes the onlyanswer is to fight back or walk away.B.1. Three-quarters2. psychologists, doctors3. nervousness, anger, frequent illness, forgetfulness, mental problemsTask 2A.1) give in so easily to hijackers’ demands.a) threaten to blow up a plane, commit some other outrage.b) hold out against this kind of blackmail, always have terrorists, Start executingterrorists automatically.c) be prepared to face the consequences of evil.2) a) It’s the lesser of two evils. Terrorists have proven often enough that they reallymean business.b) Innocent lives, threatening the innocent will achieve its endsB.She implies that if the first speaker was one of the victims of terrorism, she would want the government to give in to the demands so that she wouldn’t die.Task 3A.1) thirty-five, natural lights, a small window, hot, airless, very noisy.2) Mexico3) ought to, shouldn’tB.1) It is located in a narrow street with five-and six-storey buildings eight kilometersfrom downtown Los Angeles.2) This factory makes shirts and jeans.3) She’s already been working for ten hours, but she won’t stop for another two hours.4) She can’t complain about those things because she is an illegal immigrant.Task 4A.social trends1) marked differencesa) one hour more every day, three hours more every week.b) 1%, cleaning and ironing, keep household accounts, do repairs or improvementsc) 30%2) leisure activities, watching television, 20 hours a week, going for walks, Swimming,British womenB.Unlike the other couples, Carla has always kept her own accounts and Adrian has always done his own housework. Neither of them like watching television very much and they both like swimming.Task 5A.How a city in Japan solve the problem of garbage disposal.160 million, every year, 10%, 10%, the rest,public cooperation.1) garbage that can be easily burned, kitchen and garden trash.2) electrical appliances, plastic tools, plastic toys3) are poisonous, cause pollution, batteries4) bottles and glass containers that can be recycled5) mental containers that can be recycled6) furniture and bicycleson different days, on request, fertilizer, to produce electricity, recycled, cleaned, repaired, resold cheaply, given awayB.1) The garbage will be taken to a center that looks like a clean new office building orhospital. Inside the center, special equipment is used to sort and process the garbage.2) Official from cities around the world visit Machida to see whether they can usesome of these ideas and techniques to solve their own garbage disposal problems. Task 61. They were talking about Mrs. Carter.2. She was a tall, handsome woman who used to come into the shop at least twice aweek.3. She lived alone in a large house on an old farm—about three miles from the shop.4. He was absolutely certain, otherwise he would never call the police. His evidencewas this: First, he saw her do it; second, he found the things in her bag; third, she had done it before.5. Because two young people saw her. The shopkeeper believed that if they didn’tpunish her, young people would think that stealing didn’t matter.6. The judge thought that it was a difficult case from a humanitarian point of view.The excuses he found for her were: First, the woman was old and she lived alone—she was lonely. Second, she wasn’t poor—she was well-known for her generosity to charities and she didn’t need to steal. The items were only wor th a pound or two. Third, she pleaded not guilty and said she didn’t know that she had done it.Task 7A.not all modern cities are alike, modern city1) a single high-density centre, skyscraper, motorways, as far as you can see.2) the low-density multi-center city, a large collection of a number of small centres,shopping centres, factories, businesses, skyscrapersB.1) He thinks that the second type (the Los Angeles model) is more sensible.2) He considers it highly likely that the kind of city we know now will completelydisappear.Task 8A.1) He thinks that this country’s problems all come from inflation, which is the resultof the Democrat’s careless spending.2) No, she doesn’t agree with Ned. She believes that the problem is unemployment.If the government cuts spending too much, people will fall into a vicious circle of more unemployment and fewer taxpayers to share the burden.3) She agrees with Barbara. She believes that unemployment is a big problem,especially in the big industrial ci ties. And the government isn’t doing very much to help the big industries out.4) He believes in the free market system rather than government regulation orprotection. He thinks that without a lot of government interference everything will be okay.5) N o, they think it’s bad for the weak, the poor and the unprotected / it’s bad for theunderprivileged.B.More and more money, come from somewhere, higher taxes and high pricesTask 9A.1) The problem is whether or not the inner city—the core of most urban areas—willmanage to survive at all.2) They moved to the suburbs in search of fresh air, elbow room, and privacy.3) As a result, suburbs began to sprawl out across the countryside. Many citiesbegan to fall into disrepair. And many downtown areas existed for business only.4) The result was that urban centers declined even further and the suburbs expandedstill more.5) Because from the decision of the Taylors and many other young couples, we cansee that some people may be tired of spending long hours commuting, and they may have begun to miss the advantages of culture and companionship provided by city life.B.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) T 6) TC.1) middle-class, tax money, neighborhoods2) Crime, public transportation3) housing construction costs, was allowed to, constructedTask 10A.1) 54, 20, 1980, 70,0002) 30, 19803) a newspaper article, to research the market4) another few months, in April 1981, a 1500 sq. ft5) third, Canada, America, 20%, £1 million6) 20, 70, 3B.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) F 5) TC.1) He was deeply involved in the present job and rather enjoyed himself. He thoughtthe shop was his own little baby and thought it was fun to serve behind the counter. However, he also thought that there was a lot more hard work than he was used to; he was working over the weekend doing his books. He called his old job “boring trips to Manchester to sell vast quantities of PVC”.2) He thought that there was far more job satisfaction, and believed that he wasmaking money, rather than making money for other people.3) He’s about to diversify into commercial distribution of imported and domesticallyproduced wine and wines he’s producing himself.Task 11I could hear the guard blowing his whistle, so I ran on to the platform and up to the train. Luckily, someone saw me coming, a door opened, and I jumped on while the train was moving out of the station. “Phew!” I thought. “That was hard work!” I was sure the other passengers could hear my heart beating; it was so loud, and I was in a cold sweat.After a while, I recovered, and had a look at the other passenger. The compartmentwas full, but I was the only one standing. The people in the carriage turned their eyes away as they noticed me looking at them. All except one, a beautiful woman sitting in the corner. I saw her watching me in the mirror. Automatically, I adjusted my tie. She had seen me running for the train: maybe this was my lucky day after all. I prepared to say hello.She spoke first, however. “Would you like my seat?” she asked. “Y ou look rather ill.” That was the day on which I realized I was getting middle-aged.。

I. Word Study
8. rear
v. a. to care for (children or a child) during the early stages of life; to bring up
b. to tend (growing plants or animals) c. to rise high in the air; to tower n. a hind part 后面，后边；后边的部分
I. Word Study
2. assume
v. a. to take for granted; to suppose b. to take upon oneself
Examples: They had assumed that prices would rise these days, but in fact they were wrong. assume responsibilities assume another’s debts
II. Phrases and Expressions
6. preside over
to be in charge of
Examples: preside over a meeting 主持会议 preside at tea 招待客人吃茶点 The manager presides over the business of this store. 主持管理业务
To be continued on the next page.
I. Word Study
Examples: The parents exposed their children to classical music at home. This film has been exposed. The crime of the corrupt officials must be exposed without any reserve.

John: I found that living in Japan, people were much busier. They seem to work the whole day.
Etsuko:Yes, that's right. We work from Monday through Satursay, even in summer. You know,
Etsuko Yes, that's right
John Where I was living in Japan, in the north, it was much colder than England, especially in
winter, minus thirty degrees centigrade. Does the winter in Osaka last longer than winter in England?
4) Before Lent (a time on the Christian Calendar) the people of Ponti. Italy ate an omelet made with 1.000 eggs. People Could not cat meat, eggs or dairy products during Lent. so they tried to use up these things before Lent began.
Etsuka: Yes , if you like mountains.
John: And therefore the towns and the villages tend to be more crowded.

Warming up
Objectives
• Understand the occasion and stylistic features of the speech • Think about the question of the purpose of university education • Know something about the author • Solve your own questions about the text
Text Analysis
Structure
Text Analysis
Detailed Analysis
Part I: Main Idea
Retell the teacher’s encounter with the student. Occasion, student’s appearance & question, what the teacher has in mind and what he says, student’s response What is the student’s attitude towards reading Shakespeare and towards the teacher? Find textual evidence. What is the teacher’s attitude towards the student? Find textual evidence. How does the teacher try to explain to the student the importance of reading literature? How do you understand the teacher’s differentiation of the three eight hours and his emphasis on the last third besides work and sleep?

Unit 2Task 1【答案】A.1) elephants 2) chimpanzees 3) giraffes 4) penguins 5) kangaroos 6) zebras 7) polar bears B.1) and a tail 2) big ears 【原文】1) They live in Africa and India. They have four legs and a tail. They are very big and very strong. They are intelligent, too. They have a trunk and some of them have tusks. They sometimes live for 70 years. 2) They live in Africa and Asia. The y are brown. They have arms and legs, but they don’t have a a tail. tail. tail. Their Their Their arms arms arms are are are very very very long long long and and and they they they have have have big big big ears. ears. ears. They They They are are are good good good climbers. climbers. climbers. They They They are are very intelligent, too. 3) They live in Africa. They are very tall. They have four legs, a tail and a very long neck. They eat leaves and twigs. They can run very fast. They are brown and white. 4) They live in very cold countries. They have wings, but they can’t fly. They are good swimmers. They eat fish. They are blue and white or black and white. 5) They live in Australia. They are red or gray. They have short front legs, long back legs and a very very long long long tail. tail. tail. The The The back back back legs legs legs and and and the the the tail tail tail are are are very very very strong. strong. strong. They They They can can can run run run very very very fast. fast. fast. The The The females females carry their young in a pouch. 6) They live in Africa. They have four legs and a tail. They have a beautiful coat with black and white or brown and white stripes. They eat grass and plants. 7) They live in very cold countries. They have four legs. They are very big and very strong. They have a white coat. They can swim. They eat seals and fish. Task 2【答案】A.1) The cheetah. 2) 170 km/h. 3) More than 100 km/h. 4) Because most animals run on four legs. 5) Because we have machines. B.1) F, 2) F, 3) T 【原文】The fastest animal on land is the cheetah. It can run at a speed of about 100 kilometres an hour. The fastest bird in the world can fly at 170 km/h, and the fastest fish can swim at more than 100 km/h. Human beings are not very fast. The fastest man in the world can only run at about 40 km/h. Many animals can run faster than this. But most animals run on four legs. Four legs are better than two, aren’t they? Why do we only have two legs?Scientists say that we are more intelligent than other animals because we stand on two legs, so so we we we can can can use use use our hands our hands for for other other other things. We can pick things. We can pick things things up up up with with with them. them. them. We We We can can can use use use tools. tools. Human beings have used tools for millions of years. That is why our brains have developed. That is why we have become the most intelligent animals in the world. In In the the the past past past few few few years, years, years, we we we have have have made made made all all all kinds kinds kinds of of of machines. machines. machines. W e W e have have have made made made cars, cars, cars, ships, ships, aeroplanes and spacecraft. In these machines we can travel faster than any animal —by land, by sea, or by air. We can even go to the moon. No other animal has ever done that! Task 3【答案】A.1) Climate, lack of food and aliens from outer space might be responsible for their extinction. 2) No. B.B: might have gotten, killed them off A: may have run out of food B: could have been destroyed by aliens 【原文】A: You know, w e’re studying dinosaurs in science class.we’re studying dinosaurs in science class. It’s really interesting.B: Oh, yeah? Hey, have you learned why the dinosaurs disappeared? A: Well, no one knows for sure. B: I thought it had something to do with the climate. The temperature might have gotten cooler and killed them off. A: Yeah, that’s one theory. Another idea is that they may have run out of food. B: Uh-h uh. And you know, there’s even a theory that they could have been destroyed by aliens huh. And you know, there’s even a theory that they could have been destroyed by aliens from outer space. A: That sounds crazy to me! Task 4【答案】1) The mayfly. A few hours. 2) They just do two things: finding a mate and producing young. 3) We could judge by its growth rings. 4) It was kept for 152 years. 【原文】For the shortest life, the first prize must go to the mayfly, which typically lives only a matter of a few hours after it emerges from its shell. Few mayflies live to see the sun rise again. These creatures creatures devote devote devote their their their whole whole whole lives lives lives to to to a a a single single single desperate desperate desperate mission: mission: mission: finding finding finding a a a mate mate mate and and and producing producing young. They d on’t even have functional mouths and stomachs. They simply have no time to eat. In don’t even have functional mouths and stomachs. They simply have no time to eat. In fact they have no time for anything else. The The record-holder record-holder record-holder for for for the the the longest longest longest life life life may may may be be be the the the Arctic Arctic Arctic clam, clam, clam, one one one of of of which which which lived lived lived quietly quietly underwater for 220 years. However it did not have any birth certificate to prove this. One could only judge by its growth rings. If you insist on better documentation, the oldest animal ever was probably a tortoise that died in in 1918. 1918. 1918. It It It had had had been been been captured captured captured already already already full-grown full-grown full-grown in in in 1766, 1766, 1766, nine nine nine years years years before before before the the the American American Revolution began and it died 152 years later as World War I came to a close. Task 5【答案】 A.People have different opinions on using animals for research. B.1) for a. was tried first on animals. b. is dependent on c. using unwanted animals. 2) against a. suffer b. unnecessary c. the same rights 3) a. cell culture b. computer modeling. 【原文】Every Every year year year about about about 17 17 17 million million million animals animals animals are are are used used used in in in Laboratory Laboratory Laboratory experiments. experiments. experiments. But But But in in in many many countries today, a difficult question is being asked: Do we have the right to use animals in this way? People People who who who are are are for for for using using using animals animals animals in in in research research research argue argue argue that that that the the the use use use of of of animals animals animals in in in medical medical research has has many many many practical practical benefits. benefits. Animal Animal research research has has has enabled enabled enabled researchers researchers to to develop develop treatments treatments for for for many many many diseases, diseases, diseases, such such such as as as heart heart heart disease disease disease and and and depression. depression. depression. It It It would would would not not not have have have been been possible to develop vaccines for diseases like smallpox and polio without animal research. Every drug anyone takes today was tried first on animals. Future medical research is dependent on the use of animals. Which is more important: the life of a rat or that of a three-year-old child? Medical Medical research research research is is is also also also an an an excellent excellent excellent way way way of of of using using using unwanted unwanted unwanted animals. animals. animals. Last Last Last year, year, year, over over over 12 12 million animals had to be killed in animal shelters because no one wanted them as pets.However those who are against it point out that the fact that humans benefit cannot be used to justify using animals in research any more than it can be used to justify experimenting on other humans. Animals suffer a lot during these experiments. They are forced to live in small cages, and they may be unable to move. Much of the research that is carried out is unnecessary anyway. Animals have the same rights as humans do — to be able to move freely and not to have pain or or fear fear fear forced forced forced on on on them. them. them. Researchers Researchers Researchers must must must find find find other other other ways ways ways of of of doing doing doing their their their research, research, research, using using using cell cell culture and computer modeling. There should be no animals in research laboratories at all. Task 6【答案】A.1) No. 2) Because zoo officials want him to produce cubs with another female tiger, so they don ’t want him to become too interested in this family. B.1) four months 2) 13 kilograms 3) horse meat, their mother ’s milk. 4) the National Zoo ’s Website C.1) c, 2) c, 3) b 【原文】Visitors to the National Zoo in Washington D. C. can see three new young tigers. The rare babies met the public for the first time late last month. Ch ip O’Neal tells us about them. The The mother mother mother tiger tiger tiger sat sat sat nearby nearby nearby on on on the the the grass grass grass as as as her her her babies babies babies rolled, rolled, rolled, chased chased chased and and and bit bit bit each each each other other playfully. Then Korenchy also jumped into the games. Her cubs were born at the zoo four months ago. They are called Mike, Eric and Chrisy. The new young tigers at the National Zoo each weigh about 13 kilograms. Their fur is dark orange with black stripes. They eat horse meat and drink milk from Korenchy. Korenchy Korenchy and and and her her her babies babies babies are are are Sumatran Sumatran Sumatran tigers. tigers. tigers. Sumatran Sumatran Sumatran tigers tigers tigers came came came from from from the the the Indonesian Indonesian island of Sumatra. They are now in danger of disappearing from the earth. Fewer than 500 of these tigers remain in the world. That includes about 60 living in zoos in North America. Korenchy came to the National Zoo from the Jakarta Zoo in Indonesia. The girl was part of the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Program. Korenchy has given birth to live cubs three tines. The father of her new cubs is Rokan, a Sumatran tiger who arrived two years ago from another zoo. Korenchy and Rokan had their babies the natural way instead of the scientific method often used to produce young animals in zoos. A A wire wire wire fence fence fence separates separates separates Rokan Rokan Rokan from from from his his his babies. babies. babies. Zoo Zoo Zoo workers workers workers who who who care care care for for for Rokan Rokan Rokan say say say he he reaches through the fence to wash the cubs with his tongue. They say this means he recognizes Mike, Mike, Eric Eric Eric and and and Chrisy Chrisy Chrisy as as as his his his cubs. cubs. cubs. However, However, However, zoo zoo zoo officials officials officials are are are hoping hoping hoping that that that Rokan Rokan Rokan will will will produce produce more cubs with another female Sumatran tiger at the zoo, so they do not want him to become too interested in this family. The The National National National Zoo Zoo Zoo hopes hopes hopes to to to keep keep keep the the the Sumatran Sumatran Sumatran tiger tiger tiger cubs cubs cubs for for for at at at least least least 18 18 18 months months months before before sending sending them them them to to to other other other zoos. zoos. zoos. That That That is is is about about about the the the age age age when when when most most most tiger tiger tiger cubs cubs cubs in in in the the the wild wild wild leave leave leave their their mothers. The National Zoo has placed cameras in the Sumatran tigers ’ living area, so people with computers can see them. To do this, use your computer to find the National Zoo ’s Website at www. /natzoo. Task 7【答案】A.1) Cats have been more popular, because there are more pet cats in American homes. 2) About 8,000 years 3) They probably arrived in the United States from Europe. 4) No. B.1) a) food especially prepared for cats b) other equipment c) with images of cats d) in special burial grounds 2) a) pleasure b) care c) being alone d) independent C.1) F, 2) F, 3) T, 4) F, 5) F 【原文】An old expression says, “Man Man’’s best friend is his dog.” Today, however, it seems that cats have replaced dogs as the most popular pets in American homes. Americans have more than 62 million pet dogs. But even more cats — more than 64 million — live in American homes. These pet cats may have long hair or short hair. They are different colors and sizes. Some are costly costly animals animals animals that that that take take take part part part in in in competitions. competitions. competitions. Many Many Many more more more are are are common common common American American American mixtures mixtures mixtures of of several kinds of cats. Most house cats live a good life. They are not expected to work for their food. Instead, they rule their homes like furry kings and queens. They wait for their owners to serve them. Americans are increasingly s erious about their cats. These concerns have made the care of serious about their cats. These concerns have made the care of cats into big business. Each year, cat owners buy tons of food especially prepared for cats. They buy toys and other equipment. equipment. They They They buy buy buy jewelry jewelry jewelry and and and clothes clothes clothes for for for themselves themselves themselves with with with images images images of of of cats cats cats on on on them. them. them. Some Some owners even bury their dead pets in special burial grounds. Humans have loved and respected cats for centuries. Scientists have evidence that cats and people lived together as long as 8000 years ago. The small house cat was once a highly honored animal. In ancient Egypt, for example, people who killed a cat could be punished by death. Early in American history cats were not treated as gods, however. They probably arrived in the United States with settlers and traders from Europe. These cats worked. They killed rats and mice. Sometimes, Sometimes, Americans Americans Americans mistreated mistreated mistreated their their their cats. cats. cats. During During During the the the early early early days days days of of of the the the nation, nation, nation, religious religious extremists extremists believed believed believed that that that some some some cats cats cats were were were working working working for for for the the the devil. devil. devil. Black Black Black cats cats cats were were were especially especially suspected of being evil. Later, American families who had enough food began taking cats into their homes. People cared for the cats because the animals gave them pleasure. The cats thanked people for feeding them by making a purring sound. This pleasant noise usually means a cat is happy. Animal experts offer several reasons why cats have become so popular as house pets. They say say cats cats cats need need need less less less care care care than than than dogs. And dogs. And cats cats do do do not not not seem seem seem to to to suffer suffer suffer as as as much much much as as as dogs dogs dogs from from from being being alone if the owners are away. Still, millions of other people do not like cats at all. They say dogs are better and more loving pets. They say cats do not have much feeling. They believe cats stay with people only to be fed. Cat owners defend their pets against such criticism. They say cats are just much more independent than dogs. A student of animal medicine explains the situation this way: dogs follow you around — they want want you you you to to to talk talk talk to to to them them them and and and play play play with with with them them them a a lot lot of of the the time. time. time. Cats Cats Cats like like like more more more space space space and and and more more privacy — this does not mean they do not love their owners. Task 8【答案】Little Little Steve Steve Steve has has has a a a pet pet pet rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, Bunny. Bunny. Bunny. He He He plays plays plays with with with it it it every every every day day day after after after school. school. school. One One One day day day his his mother sees that her little boy is holding Bunny by the ears. From time to time he gives the poor rabbit an angry shake and says: “How much is two plus two?”“Steve,Steve,”” says his mother, “Why do you treat your poor little Bunny that way?” “Well,Well,”” explains Steve angrily, “Our teacher says that rabbits multiply very quickly, but this dummy can ’t even add.”Task 9【答案】 Most mammals live on land, but not all of them. Millions of years ago, some mammals went back to the sea and lived there. The legs of these animals disappeared, and after a long time they looked like fish. These animals became whales and dolphins. Whales and dolphins are still like other mammals in many ways. They are warm-blooded and they breathe air. They also have big brains. That is why they are more intelligent than fish. Whales have the biggest brains in the world. Their brain is bigger than the brain of a human being. 。

《现代大学英语听力2》听力原文及题目答案Unit 2Unit 2Task 1【答案】1) b 2) a 3) d【原文】Texas was the biggest state before Alaska became the forty-ninth state in 1959. One good way to understand the size of Texas is to learn about its weather. Different parts of the state have very different kinds of weather.Laredo is one of the hottest cities in the United States in summer. The best time to visit Laredo is in winter, when it is pleasantly warm.Amarillo gets very cold in winter. Sometimes there is more snow in Amarillo than in New York, which is a northern city. Summers are better, but sometimes it gets quite hot. The best time to visit Amarillo is in the autumn when it is cool.If anyone asks you about the weather in Texas, ask him, “What part of Texas do you mean？”Task 2【答案】A.1)T 2) F 3) FB.1) d 2) c 3) cC.climate, reputation, extraordinary, unreliable, dry, wet, clear, dull, hot, cold, bad, mild【原文】Our friend, Nick, whose English gets better and better, declared solemnly the other day that he thought that the British climate was wonderful, but the British weather was terrible. He went on to explain by pointing out that the British climate was a temperate one. This meant, he said, "that you could always be certain that the weather would never be extreme —at any rate not for any length of time —never very hot and never very cold." He quite rightly pointed out that the rainfall in Britain, according to the statistics, was not very heavy. "Why then," he asked, "has the British climate such a bad reputation?" He answered by saying it was because of the extraordinary, unreliable weather. There was no part of the year at which you could be certain that the weather would be dry or wet, clear or dull, hot or cold. A bad day in July could be as cold as a mild day in January. Indeed you could feel cold at almost any time of the year. Nick blamed drafty British houses for this, but agreed you could also blame the small amount of sunshine and a great amount of dampness. He advised every student coming to Britain to bring an umbrella and to understand the meaning of that splendid word "drizzle".Task 3【答案】I.the country; Trees, grass, lakes and steamsII.A.1. concrete, iron, steel2. take in the heat during the day and throw off heat into the air at nightB. Warmer winters, car engines; electrical applianceⅢ.A. air pollution may stop sunlight from reaching the earthB.1. Ice near the North and South poles to melt2. to be slowly flooded and people living in these cities to move to higher land 【原文】Cities change the climate around you. In the country, there are trees, grass, lakes, and streams. In hot weather, the trees and grass cool the area around them. Lakes and rivers also cool the area around them.But cities are not cooled in these natural ways. Cities are built of asphalt, concrete, iron, andsteel. There are few trees and usually not much grass. Rain falls onto the streets and into the sewers.When the summer sun shines, streets and buildings take in the heat; after the sun sets, the streets and buildings throw off heat into the street. Once the sun sets, the countryside cools off, but a city may stay hot all night.Cities are hotter than the countryside in winter, too. Standing near a car with its motor running, winter or summer, you will feel the heat thrown off by the engine. The heat comes from the gasoline burned by the engine. This heat warms the air and the ground around the car. Thousands of running cars are almost like thousands of small fires burning.Carefully put your hand near a light bulb or television set. As you can see, electricity creates a lot of heat. This heat from electricity warms the house and the outside air.The heat given off by cities can affect the climate. Some experts even believe that cities can change the climate of the whole world. They think that air pollution may stop sunlight from reaching the earth. If less sunshine reaches the earth, the earth may become cooler.Still other experts think the world will get warmer. If the world did get warmer, great changes would occur. Ice near the North and South poles would melt. This would make the oceans rise. Cities near oceans — like Los Angeles, Boston, and Miami —would slowly be flooded. People living in these cities would have to move to higher land.Task 4【答案】A.1) b 2) cB. night, delight; morning, warning; gray, way, red, headC.1) F 2) T 3) F【原文】A red sky at either dusk or dawn is one of the spectacular and beautiful weather predictors we have in nature. By closely observing this phenomenon, you can achieve short-range accuracy of the weather as good as, or better than your local weatherman. In the Bible, Jesus in Matthew 16, 2-3 is quoted as saying, “When it is evening, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning it will be foul weather today: for the sky is red” when speaking to the Pharisees. An old English weather proverb based on this passage is:Red sky at night, sailors delight.Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.OrEvening red and morning gray,Sends the traveler on his way.Evening gray, morning red,Brings the rain down on his head.At dusk, a red sky indicates that dry weather is on the way. This is due to the sun shining through dust particles being pushed ahead of a high pressure system bringing in dry air. A red sky in the morning is due to the sun again shining through dust. In this case however, the dust is being pushed on by an approaching low reassure system bringing in moisture. Don't confuse a red sky in the morning with a red sun in the morning. If the sun itself is red and the sky is a normal color, the day will be fair.Task 5【答案】1) c 2) b 3) d 4) c 5) c【原文】Mark: I am an avid fly fisherman and frequently find myself on the river in a raft during lightning storms. We always have a debate at thesetimes on where we are safest —pulling into shore or staying on thewater. Since I have heard one is safe in a car when lightning strikesI wonder if the raft floating on the water is insulated, and thereforethe safest place to be.Meteorologist A: We spoke with some scientists about your question, and they all agreed that under no circumstances should you remain on the waterduring a lightning storm. If your raft is made of rubber, you mightfeel that you're .well insulated, but don't kid yourself. Typicallightning flashes travel 10 to 15 kilometers and can deliver as muchas 100,000 amps of current. In comparison, a toaster uses about 10amps of current. If lightning strikes the water near you, it willhave no trouble traveling through a few extra centimeters of rubber. Meteorologist B: So, if you're on the water and a thunderstorm approaches, get to the shore and seek shelter on land. Try a building or car. If neitheris available, look for a cave, cliff, wall, or a group of trees. Nevertake shelter under an isolated tree-it's also a good target forlightning.Task 6【答案】A.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) TB.Incredible, one minute, one kilometer, destroyed, lifted up, carried away, killed, injured【原文】Every spring and summer many inland areas are hit by tornados. A tornado is a kind of storm. It's a revolving, funnel-shaped column of air that moves through the sky at very high speeds. A tornado looks like a huge, black ice cream cone whirling through the sky. The speed of a tornado is very fast-it is believed to be between 200 and 700 kilometers per hour.Tornados form under very special weather conditions, and these special weather conditions occur most often in inland areas, such as the central United States. A tornado forms when a layer of warm, dry air is on top of a layer of cooler, moist air. This combination of dry, warm air above wet, cool air creates a condition that causes the lower layer of air to lift up. As the lower air rises, both layers of air begin to rotate, to turn around and around. The air begins to rotate faster and faster because of centrifugal force. The tornado has a center called an “eye” and the air rotates quickly around this eye.As the air begins to rotate faster and faster, the tornado cloud begins to grow downward; that is, it begins to form a funnel or cone, and this cone goes down toward the ground.The cone of air is dark because it develops from a dark rain cloud. As the cloud gets longer, as the cloud gets closer to the ground, it begins to pull up dirt from the ground. Then the funnel ofrotating air becomes very dark because of the dirt in it. As the tornado funnel gets longer, it begins to drag along the ground.When the tornado touches the ground, it does incredible damage. It usually touches the ground for only about one minute, and it usually travels along the ground for only about one kilometer, but during that one minute, buildings are destroyed, trees are lifted up out of the ground, small objects are carried away, and sometimes people are injured or killed.Task 7【答案】A.1) b 2) a 3) bB.1) It has been nice weather during the day, but it is going to change at night.2) Fine weather in southern Europe and not so nice in northern EuropeFor todaySoutheast England---26 degrees Celsius by mid-afternoonSouthern Scotland---Maximum temperatures of around 21 degreesBrighton---15 hours of lovely sunshineMidlands---23 degrees Celsius by early afternoonNorthwest of Scotland---Light showers around middayFor the weekendSpain---34 degrees CelsiusGreece---32 degrees CelsiusFrance---Cloudy with rain, maximum temperatures of 22 degreesNorthern Ireland---Heavy rain, 17 degrees CelsiusMost of England---Cloudy but mainly dry with sunny periods, 23 degrees Celsius 【原文】Radio Announcer: You’re listening to Radio Metro. It’s two minutes to nine, and time for the latest weather for cast from Dan Francis at the London Weather Centre. Francis: Hello. It's been another warm and fine day for most of us. Temperatures in southeast England reached 26 degrees Celsius by mid-afternoon, and Brighton had 15 hours of lovely sunshine. Further north it was a little cooler with maximum temperatures of around 21 degrees in southern Scotland, and in the far northwest of Scotland there were some light showers around midday. But the rest of the country, as I said, has been warm and dry with temperatures in the Midlands reaching 23 degrees Celsius by early afternoon though it was a little cooler along the west coast and in Northern Ireland. But already the weather is beginning to change, I'm afraid, and during the night showers will slowly move in from the Atlantic to reach south-west England and the southern coast of Wales by early morning.The rest of the country will have a very mild, dry night with minimum temperatures no lower than 15 degrees in the south, a little cooler — 11degrees or so —in the north. Any remaining showers in northwest Scotland will pass quickly to leave a mild, dry night there too.And now the outlook for Friday and the weekend. Well, southern Europe will, once again, get the best of the weekend weather, and if your holiday starts this weekend, then southern Spain is the place to go, with temperatures of 34 degrees along the Mediterranean coast. At the eastern end of the Med, too, you can expect uninterrupted sunshine and temperatures of up to 32 degrees Celsius in Greece and southeast Italy, but further north the weather's not so settled. Much of France, Belgium and the Netherlands will be cloudy with occasional rain, and maximum temperatures will be around 22 degrees — very disappointing for this time of the year.Scotland and Northern Ireland will have heavy rain for much of the weekend and temperatures will drop to a cool 17 degrees. Across most of England the weather will be cloudy but mainly dry with sunny periods. And when the sun does come out, temperatures could rise to a maximum of 23 degrees.Task 8【答案】【原文】As the air pressure around you either rises or falls, many changes in nature occur. Most of these are very obvious changes while others are of a more subtle nature.Mountains and other far away objects will appear to be much closer and more sharply focused as wet weather approaches and the air pressure drops. The dust particles in the air begin to settle to the ground and the air clears, allowing you to see more details of faraway objects. As a high pressure front approaches and the air becomes “thicker,” more dust particles become suspended in air and things take on their normal somewhat hazy appearance.“Sharp horns on the moon threaten bad weather.” This and a bright, clear moon are good indicators that wet weather is on the way. As the air clears of dust particles ahead of a low pressure system, the moon appears to come closer and be more sharply focused due to the lack of dust.Sound also becomes sharper and more focused prior to stormy weather. Instead of traveling upward and outward into the atmosphere sound waves are bent back to the earth and their range extended. Bird calls sound sharper, and, at my house, we can hear the blowing of the train horn as it rumbles through the valley below.If you find yourself out in a marsh or swamp and the air really seems to stink more than normal, expect rainy weather. This happens when the pressure drops and the methane trapped on the bottom of the swamp is released in greater quantities. In reverse, as fair weather approaches and the pressure rises, things won't smell quite so strong.Birds and bats have a tendency to fly much lower to the ground right before a rain due to the “thinning” of the air. They prefer to fly where the air is the most dense and they can get greater lift with their wings. With high pressure and dry air, the atmosphere becomes denser and they can easily fly at higher altitudes.Smoke rising straight into the air means fair weather and smoke hanging low meansrain is on the way. This is pretty much the same as with the birds and methane in the swamp. When high pressure approaches, smoke will rise whereas with low pressure it can't rise and tends to lay low.Remember a grandparent talking about how their corns, bunions, or joints ached right before a rain? Again, this is due to the decreasing atmospheric pressure allowing the gas in our bodies to expand.Task 9【答案】A. Statements 3, 6, 7 are true.B.f—c—a—d—b—eC.1) F 2) T 3) F 4) FD.1) d 2) b【原文】It was 1974. Richard Nixon was still president. Kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst was still missing. In Xenia, a pretty spot of 25,000 people amid fields of soybeans and corn, American Graffiti was held over at the Cinema. The Xenia Hotel offered a chicken and dumpling dinner for $, but everyone flocked to the A&W drive-in for burgers and root beer floats. That's where five of the bodies were found after the storm.In all, 33 people died in Xenia's tornado, the deadliest of 148 storms that raged through 13 states during the infamous "Super Outbreak'' of tornadoes April 3 to 4, 1974. In 16 hours and 10 minutes, 330 people were killed and nearly 5,550 were injured from Illinois to Georgia.Though the Xenia death toll has been matched by other killer storms, the degree of devastation makes the city's tornado among U.S. history's most destructive. The storm still is studied in colleges by aspiring meteorologists, a textbook case of a rare Category F-5, the most intense of tornadoes.On that fateful day, I was a young boy of 8 years old. We lived in the Arrowhead Subdivision. That afternoon I was around the corner playing with some neighbor kids.I thought I could hear my father calling me, so I ran back to the house. Thinking back now, there is no way I would have been able to hear him. I was too far away for a voice to have traveled in the afternoon noise. Besides, Dad had a very bad case of tonsillitis that day. Like I was saying, I went back home and got through the door just in time to answer the ringing phone. On the other end of the phone was my Mother. Mom was working. She told me she heard a bad storm was on the way. She told me to make sure the garage door was shut and to stay inside. After I hung up the phone, I settled down to watch The Dennis Show. To this day I can vividly remember the electricity going out. I looked out the large window in the living room and didn't have a clue as to what I was looking at.Dad was asleep on the couch, so I woke him up to look. Dad looked and said to get into the bathroom. We sat on the floor. Dad had his back to the door and hisfeet pushing against the wall opposite the door. I remember that as soon as we sat down, the windows broke. Glass blew under the door, and the sound was tremendous.I know it really didn’t take too long for the tornado to go past, but I do remember the conversation we had in the process. I could feel the cool air rushing under the floor through the crawlspace vents. I asked if we were flying. He said he wasn't sure, but he didn't think we were. He said the house was tearing apart. I asked him how he knew. He said he just knew it was.When things calmed down, we opened the door. The odd feeling I had, looking up the street from inside what once was my hallway, is still with me today.I think back often to that day. I think back and wonder what would have happened if my Dad hadn't been sick that day. Like a lot of kids, I stayed home by myself after school back then. I seriously doubt I would be able to tell you my story, if I had been alone that day. I still live in Xenia and wouldn’t trade this town for any other.Task 10【原文】Undoubtedly, Tibet is one of the harshest places for human existence. It is cool in summer but freezing cold in winter. In Lhasa, the mildest city temperature may exceed 29C in summer while plummeting to -16C in winter! Sun radiation is extremely strong in Tibet. The sunlight in Lhasa is so intense that the city is called Sunlight City. The thin air can neither block off nor retain heat so that the temperature extremes can be met in daytime and the same night respectively in Tibet. However it is not impossible to visit the holy snow land. April to October is the best time to visit Tibet, out of the coldest months, which are from December to February usually. The average temperature in north Tibet is subzero and winter arrives in October until the following May or June. July and August are the best time to visit the area, enjoying warm temperature, intense sunshine, beautiful scenery and festive events. May, June and September is the tourist season in east Tibet. In winter, roads are all blocked by heavy snow. Landslides and rock falls frequently occur, which will make travel difficult.。

Robert: Well, that's not the way I look at it, Dad. It's the job I care about, not the money.
Harry: Maybe not; but you'll learn to care about the money too, when you've got a family to keep.
In the station she went to one of the automatic ticket machines but she didn't have enoughchange, so she had to join the queue at the ticket window. She bought her ticket and ran to theescalator. Laura went to the platform and waited for the tube. It arrived and the crowd moved forward.
Nora: Now ifI were a man I'd be a farmer. To see the crops growing--that's my idea of a goodlife.
Harry: Yes, and to see the money rolling in is more important still.
Ihad two months until my new job began.It was like waiting an entire summer for school to start.Ispent those two months talking to figure skating coaches and judges.Iread boring rule books.Idrove to the rinks where the skaters trained, and made notes about our conversations.Ieven took a lesson, which made some of the skaters laugh.

现代大学英语精读2Unit 1 Another school year------what for?又是一个新学年——为什么上大学？约翰查尔迪首先，给大家讲讲我教书生涯刚开始的时候经历过的一次失败吧。

那是在1940年的一月，我当时研究生刚毕业，开始在堪萨斯市大学教书。

我的学生中有个瘦高个儿，活像个长着头发的扁豆架支杆。

他走进课堂，坐了下来，双手在胸前交叉着，看了看我，好像在说：好吧，教我些什么吧。

两个礼拜以后，我们开始讲《哈姆雷特》。

又过了三个礼拜，他来到我的办公室，双手叉腰。

“我告诉你，”他说，“我到这里来是为了当个药剂师。

我干嘛要读这些玩意？”说着他用手指了指桌子上我的那本书，因为他自己没有带书来。

我当时虽然是个初出茅庐的新教师，可我也能告诉这位一些理由。

我可以向他指出，他进的不是一所制药学校，而是一所大学。

修满大学课程他就能得到一份证书，上面写着“理学士”，而不是“合格的药剂师”。

这份证书说明他接受过制药的专门训练，同时还说明，他受到过人类文明思想的熏陶。

换言之，他上的不是一所职业技术学校，而是一所大学，学生上大学既要接受职业训练，也要接受人文教育。

我完全可以对他说这些话的，但是很明显，他不会在大学坚持太久，他懂不懂这些道理无关紧要。

尽管如此，我当时很年轻，有很强的责任心，所以就试着这么跟他解释：“你这一辈子，每天大概平均有二十四个小时。

热恋的时候，你会觉得一天的时间短一点，而失恋的时候，则会长一些。

但是平均起来，大致就是这个数。

这其中的八个小时，你基本上是在睡觉。

“每个工作日，你大约需要工作八小时，我希望你会用来做些有用的事情。

假设你修完了制药，或者土木工程、法律或是其他学科的课程，那么在这八小时里，你会使用你的专业技术：在配制阿司匹林的时候，确保里面不掺进氰化物；在搞工程设计的时候，确保牛不会跳进篱笆里；当律师时，就要确保你的委托人不会因为你的无能而坐上电椅。

这些都是非常有用的职业，都需要人们应该尊重的技能，这些技能都能帮助你满足你的基本需求。

Unit 9Task 1【答案】1) the campus hero; the women’s track coach2) the class started before I got here3) will develop4) cloudy; the glass is a little dirty5) a symbol of happiness; wear black【原文】1) Man: I had the girls running in circles when I was in college.Woman: I never knew you were the campus hero.Man: I wasn't. I was the women's track coach.2) Instructor: Mr. Jenkins, why are you late?Student: I guess because the class started before I got here.3) Woman: Doctor, you have to come immediately--my baby swallowed some camera film!Doctor: Just calm yourself, nothing will develop.4) Customer: Waiter, this water is cloudy.Waiter: The water's okay, madam. It's just that the glass is a little dirty.5) Woman: The bride wears white on her wedding day as a symbol of happiness, for this is themost joyous day in her entire life.Man: Why does the groom wear black?Task 2【答案】Speakers Preferences Reasonslst speaker French Melodic; easy on the ear; poetic; a rhythm to thelanguage; rounded; no sharp, jagged edges; pleasing2nd speaker Dane speaking English Beautiful, low, sensitive, very soft quality3rd speaker French speaking English Nice pronunciation of "h" and "th"; very nice, steadyrhythms; gentle; lyrical4th speaker Mediterranean accents Mediterranean culture; gives English life; beautifulmixture of the serious Northern European and theSouthern European5th speaker Swedish accent Makes her smile; sing-songy; makes her want toimitate【原文】Catherine: I think firstly I find the French language, very melodic to listen to. It's very easy on the ear, and it almost sounds poetic. No matter what kind of mood the individual is in,who's talking, or what they're talking about, there seems to be a rhythm to the language.And it's rounded; there are no sharp, jagged edges to the language, so it's very pleasingto the ear.Chris: I think the accent I really like is the Dane speaking English. They sound awful when they speak Danish, but when they speak English there's a beautiful, low, sensitive, verysoft quality about it.Donald: I like the way they bring their French pronunciation into English. They can't pronounce "h"s and they can't pronounce "th" properly. And I think that actually sounds very nice.Also I like the rhythm: they bring French rhythms into English--nice, steady rhythmsand I like that too. It's just it, it... whenever I hear a French person speaking English itsounds more gentle and more lyrical.Lesley: I think the most attractive foreign accents for me are Mediterranean accents because they, if you like, import their own culture into the English accent and give it a lot of life that sometimes, that kind of--the gestures and everything that the English people don't have, so you get a beautiful mixture of the serious Northern European and the Southern European together.Susan: I like the Swedish accent because it, it makes me smile and the way it's spoken is so sing-songy that you can't help but smile when other people actually speak it. And it always makes you want to try and put the accent on yourself.Task 3【答案】spelling; meaning; history; a slab of ham; a lump of bread; hunk of something to eat; a strong man;a book of maps; the top bone of the neck; Olympians; holding the sky on his head and hands; Sixteenth; on the cover of a book of maps; blessing; I hope you will have a good night; day’s eye; it has a little golden eye, like a tiny sun; the English daisy closes at night; the English loved their daisies.【原文】The spelling and meaning of words are very interesting. But what's more interesting is the history of a word, or where it came from. Let's examine some of the words and see how they got into our language.LUNCH Lunch perhaps comes from an old Spanish word lonje, a slab of ham. We may also get our word from a form of lump, maybe a lump of bread, but whether lunch comes from ham or bread, it meant a hunk of something to eat.ATLAS An atlas is a strong man, and also a book of maps. The story of this word begins a long time ago in Greece. The ancient Greeks believed that their gods had once been a race of giants called Titans. The Titans fought with another group of gods called Olympians, and the Olympians won. Atlas was a Titan. He was punished for fighting by having to stand at the western edge of the world, holding the sky on his head and hands, so that it would not fall on the world and smash anything.After the ancient Greek religion died out, the idea of Atlas changed. From holding up the sky with his head and hands, he came to be thought of as holding the world on his shoulders. Mercator, a mapmaker of the sixteenth century, used a picture of Atlas on the cover of a book of maps, so a book of maps came to be called an atlas.The word has still another meaning. The top bone of the neck is called atlas because it supports the head.GOOD-BYE Good-bye is a blessing; originally it was God be with ye, and in the course of time it became one word. Many of our greetings are good wishes, but we say them with so little thought that we forget this. When we say good morning, good evening, good night, and so on, what we are really saying is, "I hope you will have a good morning (or evening, or night)."DAISY The daisy has a little golden eye, like a tiny sun. Perhaps this is the reason the English people named it day's eye, or perhaps they chose the name because the English daisy closes at night. The English loved their daisies, which were pink and red, as well as white. Six hundred years or so ago, the English poet Chaucer said:The daisy, or else the eye of the day,The queen, and prettiest flower of all.Task 4【答案】A.1) T2) T3) F4) T5) FB.1) b2) c3) a4) c5) c6) b【原文】MATTHEW: Chris, why is it that there are so many different languages , and that in Europe certainly if you travel more than a hundred miles , you're likely to find peoplespeaking a completely different language to your own?CHRIS: Well, it's true to say that there are er ... hundreds and hundreds of different languages.It's perhaps um . . . however , more interesting and more informative to say that thereare several different groups of languages er . .. Most European languages,with theexception of I think Finnish and er .. . Basque and . . . Hungarian I believe,belong tothe Indo-European group of languages, I'm not very sure myself of the . . . the actualdetails of the history of these languages, but you can be very sure that er ... most ofthese languages , say Latin and Greek nd our own language a and er . . . German ander ... French and ... all the others, are connected. The reason why you can travel fromone Willage to another in Switzerland and er . . . from one area to another in Englandand find different dialects, if not different languages spoken, is that um ... severalhundred years ago communication was by word of mouth. Word of mouth meant thatpeople had to move ; if people were to move they needed roads and there were noroads.MATTHEW: Do you see any chance for a universal language like Esperanto?CHRIS: Not for an artificial er ... language, no ... I suppose the Roman Catholic Church usedLatin. but Latin had a ... a particular religious basis and this is probably why it wastherefore chosen. I don't see very much chance for Esperanto; I think it's an awfullygood idea but I don't believe that language works like that.I think people willprobably er .. . work towards the most convenient language to use.They will not setout to learn a new language. It seems to me that er ... either English,. Russian orChinese, perhaps Japanese, will be the language of the future er . . . My bet's onEnglish.MATTHEW: Maggie, why do you think it is that so few English people speak a second language? MAGGIE: I think when you learn a language at school ...it tends to be rather a dead occupation, and it's very difficult to stimulate any interest among school children. But when youactually go to the country and spend say a month in . . . in an exchange visit whenyou're a schoolgirl, or a schoolboy um ... then you suddenly become more interestedbecause you ... you want to communicate with poeple when you're actually abroad,and it's not safe to rely on the fact that most people speak English when um . . . inforeign countries. Mm . . . I think English people traditionally thought that . . . thatforeigners always spoke English, and a lot of foreigners do, but there are people thatyou meet in the street or you want to take a bus somewhere, then you find that youneed to speak the language and'it's very unnerving to be in a situation where you can'tcommunicate with people when you do want to travel around.MATTHEW: Have you ever been abroad and learnt er ... a language in the country? MAGGIE: Yes , well when I was a secretary I er... went and lived in Geneva for two years, andI learnt French at school but I . . . I really didn't speak it at all. I knew it theoreticallybut I wasn't able to communicate with people. But I was in a situation where if I didn't speak French , then I would not have been able to do my shopping and buy food ,and so I picked the language up and I made friends with French people ... Swiss French people,and I found that if I wanted to communicate with all . . . all the people that I met ,then I had to learn French, and I think it's the best method of learning because you'rein the situation. It's very hard at times —you can sit through dinner parties and notunderstand what ... what's going on and you think everybody thinks you're stupidbecause you can't communicate with them, but it's ... it's the hard way but I think it'sthe best way to learn.MATTHEW: Elfriede, you come from Austria and yet you've been living in England now for the last three years. Has having to learn and speak another language created greatproblems?ELFRIEDE: Um ... At the beginning, yes, it was rather difficult for me to get the right job . . .um. after you've lived here for one or two years you get to know the system and thenthat's quite good. You know how to use libraries and oh .. . you get to know where toum... call in emergencies; um ... you get to know ... er ...trying to get a radio andunderstand the radio and all the . . . programmes they have . . . um and when they'reon and the little stories.MATTHEW: What about English humour on the radio?ELFRIEDE: Um . . . I think that takes a very very long time to understand and I'm sorry to say that I haven't managed yet to understand it completely, but er... I find it veryinteresting to speak other languages um ... because English people have differenter ...have a different mentality, and have a very different character and a differenttemperament and it is fascinating for me to talk to them um... and also for myself tobe able to express myself in a different language and to communicate with them.Task 5【答案】1) A mother is leaving instructions with her babysitter before going out.2) Wake up; give her the dummy; give her a cuddle; sing to her; read her a story; go back to sleep.3) Two friends are taking about their holiday together.4) It reminds.., of... holiday; city; wine; good food; tower; view; walking along the river; paintings;I love...; I like...; I remember...5) Two women are meeting at a doctor’s waiting room.6) It's diagnosed; have another look; do something about...; go away; give.., for...; it's your turn. 【原文】Number 1Fiona: Okay, Deek, I'm off now. [Okay.] Everything's okay, is it?Deek: Yes, I think so. The only thing is... is she likely to wake up?Fiona: No, I don't think so. She doesn't usually, but...Deek: What if she does?Fiona: Well, yes. Don't. worry about it. Her dummy's by the bed, so if you just pick her up, give her the dummy, give her a little bit of a cuddle; [Yes.] sing to her if you like.Deek: Shall I read her a story or something?Fiona: Yes, anything like that. [Yes.] Then she should just go back to sleep again quite happily. Deek: Okay.Fiona: Oh! And I've left stuff for you in the fridge. There's some salad and cold chicken and some beer as well. Okay then?Deek: Right then. Bye.Fiona: Bye-bye.Number 2Lesley: 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.Number 3Mary: I'm so pleased. What about you then?Jane: Well, he said he wanted to have another look at it.Mary: Yes. What are they doing about it?Jane: Well, I don't think they're going to do anything really. It just sometimes goes away [Well, can't...] something like that.Mary: Well, can't they give you anything for it?Jane: Well, no, they didn't say the9 could. [Really?] No, just got to be patient and wait for it to go away.Mary: Well, that seems a bit stupid, doesn't it?Jane: Yes, it does.Mary: You'd have thought.., you'd have thought they'd have thought of something.Jane: Yes. Ooh it's your mm.Mary: Yes. Certainly.Jane: Good luck!Mary: Thank you!Task 6【答案】A.1) c2) a3) b4) cB.1) T2) F3) F4) T5) F6) T【原文】Learning to SpeakIt is, everyone agrees, a huge task that the child performs when he learns to speak, and the fact that he does so in so short a period of time challenges explanation.Language learning begins with listening. Individual children vary greatly in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and late starters are often long listeners. Most children will “obey” spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though they word obey is hardly accurate as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.Any attempt to trace the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves out as particularly indicative of delight, distress, sociability, and so on. But since these cannot be said to show the baby’s intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new sounds to their voices. This self imitation leads on to deliberate imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.It is a problem we need not get our teeth into. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation; and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the world. Thus the use, at say seven months, of "mama" as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaningless sound simply Because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes.Playful and apparently meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself. I doubt, however, whether anything is gained when parents cash in on this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.Task 7【答案】Topic: Body language1. Brief introduction"statements"; non-verbal communication; small facial expressions, hand gestures and body movements that we make to express our feelings2.Detailed introductionour facial expressions and gestures are automatic and unconscious most of the time; we paid conscious attention to the hidden messages in body language; facial; body2.1 facial expressionsEyes, eyebrows, lips and facial muscles: capable of “saying” things.Eyes Suggestions NoteWide eyes Surprise, wonder, excitement orsometimes fear (possible) One element alone does not tell us everything. We have to see gesturesWide eyes, a little smile and a Wonderfully pleasedslight tilt of the head in combination.Anger or hostility"Squinty" eyes, tight lips, andthe head pushed forwardHalf-closed eyes Fatigue, boredom or indifference(possible)Half-closed eyes, a lowered tiltCoy and flirtatiousof the head, a fluttering of theeyelids and a slight smileThe size of our pupils Our interest in a subjectEyebrows Signal FlagsOne brow up, one down Doubt, disbelief or uncertaintyBoth up Surprise or mistrustSqueeze them together Frown or scowlLips Both Nonverbal and Verbal MessagesBaring the teeth just on one side or pullSnarl and threat (close to animals)the lips tightly across the teethThe "pout" "I'm not happy because I'm not getting what I want."Anxiety and fearTuck the lower lip into out mouth andbite itLicking the lips: a "dry mouth" gesture Stress or anxietyHand or sign language: highly developed, especially by the deaf.The Routine Hand Language MessagePointing with the index finger To accuse someoneThe clenched fist beating in the air To threaten someoneA clenched fist held close to the body Tension or anxietyThe open hands, palms up "I'm innocent" or "give me" or "forgive me" Both hands raised up and facing the audience "I give up" or "I surrender"Tilt the hand and palm down and extend the arm "I bless" or "I give"Pat on the head Blessing or love and givingClap hands To show approval or call someone or getattentionbring our finger to our lips; scratch or rub our heads; slap our heads; take our head in both hands to sort of clear our minds3. ConclusionA sampling of; we pull an ear; we cross our legs; who don't communicate with body language; writers; frowns, scratches his chin, slaps his head, purses his lips, stares at the ceiling and throws up his arms.【原文】Let's talk about body language. You already "speak" it and "read" it. Body language is all of the small facial expressions, hand gestures and body movements that we make. We may not realize it, but each movement and expression says something about our feelings.In fact, we might say that body language is the clearest and most common way Of communicating our feelings directly to others. We all know the most obvious body "statements": We wave our hands in greeting, we shake hands, pat each other on the back, we hug friends and kiss loved ones. We smile, we laugh, we wink and we frown, and sometimes we cry. All of these gestures are called non-verbal communication (non-verbal means we do not use words to "say" what we feel.)Normally, we don't think very much about our body language. Our facial expressions and gestures are automatic and unconscious most of the time. But researchers tell us we might learn to under-stand each other a little better if we paid conscious attention to the hidden messages in body language. Let's consider a few of the more obvious facial, hand and body gestures.The human face is wonderfully rich in its ability to express feelings. The eyes, the eyebrows, the lips and the facial muscles are all capable of "saying" things.For example, we speak of "wide-eyed wonder". If the eyes open wide, that may mean surprise, wonder, excitement or sometimes fear. And that is an important thing to remember about body language--one element alone does not tell us everything. We have to see gestures in Combination. So wide eyes alone would not tell us whether the person was surprised, pleased or scared, but when we see wide eyes, a little smile and a slight tilt of the head, we understand that the person is "wonderfully pleased"."Squinty" eyes, tight lips, and the head pushed forward probably suggest anger or hostility.Half-closed eyes may suggest fatigue, boredom or indifference. But add a lowered tilt of the head, a fluttering of the eyelids and a slight smile, and we get a coy and flirtatious message.Strangely enough, one of the eye features over which we have very little control--the size of our pupils--says something about our interest in a subject. If we like something, our pupils get larger. Studies show that most men think a woman with large pupils is more "attractive" than the same woman with small pupils. But the men aren't really conscious of the pupils. They just know they like the "looks" better in the samples with large pupils. No wonder eye make-up is so popular.Eyebrows are almost like signal flags: one brow up, one down suggests doubt, disbelief or uncertainty. Both up means surprise or mistrust. Squeeze them together and we get a frown or scowl.The lips shape non-verbal as well as verbal messages. The smile is the most obvious, but try baring the teeth just on one side or pull the lips tightly across the teeth and the smile becomes a snarl and a threat. In this, and in many of our other body gestures, we are close to the animals.The lower lip by itself can say little things. The "pout" is a fat lower lip pushed way out. It means "I'm not happy because I'm not getting what I want." But if we tuck the lower lip into our mouth and bite it, we are conveying anxiety and fear. Licking the lips is a "dry mouth" gesture which usually means stress or anxiety.There are whole books written on hand gestures, and, in fact, hand or sign language has often been highly developed, especially as an aid to the deaf. But the routine hand language, such as pointing with the index finger to accuse someone, or the clenched fist beating in the air to threaten someone, is familiar to us all. But a clenched fist held close to the body usually meanstension or anxiety while the open hands, palms up may mean "I'm innocent" or "give me" or "forgive me".Both hands raised up and facing the audience means "I give up" or "I surrender". But tilt the hands and palm down and extend the arm and it means "I bless" or "I give". The "pat on the head" is a kind of blessing or gesture of love and giving. We clap hands to indicate approval or in some cases to call someone or get attention.When the hands get very busy we say that someone "talks with his hands" and among certain individuals and cultures it is almost impossible to talk without a wild display of hand motions.If we are slightly puzzled by something, we may bring our finger to our lips. If it's a real puzzler, we scratch or rub our heads. If we do something wrong, we slap our heads. To start allover something, we often begin by taking our head in both hands to sort of clear our minds and "set our head on straight".These are only a sampling of the many types of body language. There are books which discuss everything from the way we pull an ear to the way we cross our legs. From the looks of things, the only people who don't communicate with body language are the writers. Readers never get to see how often the writer frowns, scratches his chin, slaps his head, purses his lips, stares at the ceiling and throws up his arms.Task 8In contemporary English, there are many reported differences in the talk of males and females . In same gender pairs having conversations, women generally discuss their personal feelings more than men . Men appear to prefer non-personal topics such as sport and news . Men tend to respond to mention personal experiences that match or connect with the other woman’s . There is a pattern documented in the American English social context of women cooperating and seeking connection via language, whereas men are more competitive and concerned with power via language . In mixed-gender pairs having conversations, the rate of men interrupting women is substantially greater than he reverse. Women are reported to use more expressions associated with tentativeness , such as “hedges”(sort of , kind of ) and “tags”(isn’t it ? , don’t you ?) , when expressing an opinion : Well ,erm , I think that golf is kind of boring , don’t you ?。

Let me tell you one of the earliest disasters in my career as a teacher. It was January of 1940Kansas City. Part of the student body was a beanpole with hair on top who came into my class, sat down, folded his arms, and looked at me as if to say "All right, teach me something." Two weeks later we started Hamlet. Three weeks later he came into my office with his hands on his hips. "Look," he said, "I came here to be a pharmacist. Why do I have to read this stuff" And not having a book of his own to point to, he pointed to mine which was lying on the desk.给你们讲讲我刚当老师时候的一次失败经历吧。

那是1940年的1月，我从研究生院毕业不久，在堪萨斯城大学开始第一学期的教学工作。

一个瘦高，长得就像顶上有毛的豆角架一样的男学生走进我的课堂，坐下，双臂交叉放在胸前，看着我，好像在说：“好吧，教我一些东西。

”两周后我们开始学习《哈姆雷特》。

三周后他双手叉腰走进我的办公室，“看，”他说，“我来这是学习当药剂师的。

我为什么必须读这个？”由于没有随身带着自己的书，他就指着桌子上放着的我的那本。

New as I was to the faculty, I could have told this specimen a number of things. I could have pointed out that he had enrolled, not in a drugstore-mechanics school, but in a college and that at the end of his course meant to reach for a scroll that read Bachelor of Science. It would notmankind has generated within its history. That is to say, he had not entered a technical training school but a university and in universities students enroll for参加both training and education. 虽然我是位新老师，我本来可以告诉这个家伙许多事情的。

Various customs FLTRP Task
4 t@ In this task, you will hear six customs in different countries. Practice listening for details.
igh Listening aids yr Czech /tSek/. 捷克（欧洲中部国家）
2 Task
Britain and Japan
In this task, you will hear a conversation between a British man and a Japanese student comparing life in Britain and Japan. Practice making comparisons and noting differences while listening.
Social Customs Unit 1
5 Task
Life in Victorian times and now
In this task, you will hear a discussion about whether life is better today than it was in Victorian England. Make comparisons of the respective advantages and disadvantages with what you hear.
2) Why is it called square dance?
3) How does the caller tell the dancers what they should do?

又是一个新学年——为什么上大学约翰·齐阿迪1 让我来给你们讲讲我在刚开始教书生涯时所遭到的一次惨败。

那是1940年1月，我刚从研究生院毕业，在堪萨斯大学开始第一个学期的执教。

有这么一个学生，瘦高个，样子活像一根长着头发的豆架。

他走进课堂，坐了下来，双臂交叉抱在胸前，看了看我，就像在说：“好吧，那就教我点什么吧。

”两周后我们开始学习《哈姆雷特》。

又过了三周，他走进我的办公室，双手放在臀部（双手叉腰），“你知道，”他说，“我来这儿是为了当药剂师。

我干嘛要念这些玩意儿？”因为连书都没带，他就指着我桌上的那本书说。

2 尽管我刚当老师，但我也蛮可以告诉此兄好些道理。

我本可以指出，他来报名的地方不是一家药剂学校，而是一所大学。

学业完成时他将获得一纸文凭，上面写的将是理科学士学位，而不会写“合格的捣药技术员”。

这一纸文凭不仅会证明他专修过药剂学，还会证明他受到过人类文明思想的熏陶。

也就是说，他进的不是一家技校，而是一所大学。

在大学里，学生既要接受专业训练，又要接受人文教育。

3 我本可以给他讲这一大通道理，但显然他在大学待不了多久，不会把我的话当回事。

4 不过当时我年轻气盛，责任感很强。

于是我就试着这么和他说：“在你日后的生活中，你一天的时间大概平均算下来是二十四小时，恋爱的时候会短些，失恋的时候会长些，但平均数基本上保持不变。

这中间有八个小时左右，你在睡觉。

”5 “然后在大概八个小时的每个工作日里，你会——但愿你会——努力从事有益的工作。

假设你已经上完药剂师学校，或工程、法律学校，或随便其他什么学校，在那八小时内你将运用你的专业技能。

你要做的是确保别因自己技艺不精而把氰化物掺进阿司匹林，或让公牛跃过你修建的篱笆，或因为你的无能而把你的委托人送上电椅。

这些都是有用的职业。

这些工作都需要人人应该尊重的技能，也能给你带来基本的满足感。

不说别的，很可能你要靠它们来养家糊口（换取餐桌的食物，养活你的妻子，养育你的子女）。

2.现代大学英语听力Unit2Book1答案Unit 2 Men, Animals and PetsObjectives:●Understand what animals are being described.●Get to know more about animals.●Get to know more about how man and animals co-exist.●Catch main ideas and supporting details.●Have practice in liaison and contraction.Task 1Script1) They live in Africa and India. They have four legs and a tail. They are very big and very strong. They are intelligent, too. They have a trunk and some of them have tusks. They sometimes live for 70 years.2) They live in Africa and Asia. They are brown. They have arms and legs, but they don't have a tail. Their arms are very long and they have big ears. They are good climbers. They are very intelligent, too.3) They live in Africa. They are very tall. They have four legs,a tail and a very long neck. They eat leaves and twigs. They can run very fast. They are brown and white.4) They live in very cold countries. They have wings, but they can't fly. They are good swimmers. They eat fish. They are blue and white or black and white.5) They live in Australia. They are red or gray. They have short front legs, long back legs and a very long tail. The back legs and the tail are very strong. They can run very fast. The females carry their young in a pouch.6) They live in Africa. They have four legs and a tail. They havea beautiful coat with black and white or brown and white stripes. They eat grass and plants.7) They live in very cold countries. They have four legs. They are very big and very strong. They have a white coat. They can swim. They eat seals and fish.(Length: 2 min. 23 sec.)KeyA. Write down the name of the animal beings described in each case.1) elephants2) chimpanzees3) giraffes4) penguins5) kangaroos6) zebras7) polar bearsB. Complete the following sentences with what you hear on the tape,1) They live in Africa and India. They have four legs and a tail.2) Their arms are very long and they have big ears.Task 2ScriptThe fastest animal on land is the cheetah. It can run at a speed of about 100 kilometres an hour. The fastest bird in the world can fly at 170 km/h, and the fastest fish can swim at more than 100 km/h.Human beings are not very fast. The fastest man in the world can only run at about 40 km/h. Many animals can run faster than this. But most animals run on four legs. Four legs are better than two, aren't they? Why do we only have two legs?Scientists say that we are more intelligent than other animals because we stand on two legs, so we can use our hands for other things. We can pick things up with them. We can use tools. Human beings have used tools for millions of years. That is why our brains have developed. That is why we have become the most intelligent animals in the world.In the past few years, we have made all kinds of machines. We have made cars, ships, aeroplanes and spacecraft. In these machines we can travel faster than any animal--by land, by sea, or by air. We can even go to the moon. No other animal has ever done that!(Length: 1 min. 30 sec.)KeyA. Answer the following questions.1) What is the fastest animal on land?Key: The cheetah.2) What is the speed of the fastest birds?Key: 170 km/h.3) What is the speed of the fastest fish?Kay: More than 100km/h.4) Why can many animals ran faster than human beings?Key: Because most animals run on four legs.5) Why can human beings travel faster than any animals?Key: Because we have machines.B. Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the tape.1) The fastest man in the world can run at 100 km/h. [ F ]2) Most animals run on two legs. [ F ]3) We have become the most intelligent animals in the world because we have used tools for millions of years. [ T ]Task 3ScriptA: You know, we're studying dinosaurs in science class. It's really interesting.B: Oh, yeah? Hey, have you learned why the dinosaurs disappeared?A: Well, no one knows for sure.B: I thought it had something to do with the climate. The temperature might have gotten cooler and killed them off.A: Yeah, that's one theory. Another idea is that they may have run out of food.B: Uh-huh. And you know, there's even a theory that they could have been destroyedby aliens from outer space.A: That sounds crazy to me!(Length: 48 see.)KeyA. Answer the following questions.1) What are the possible reasons why the dinosaurs disappeared?Key: Climate, lack of food and aliens from outer space might be responsible for their extinction.2) Does the man believe in the theory of alien invasion?Key: No.B. Fill in the missing words with what your hear on the tape.B: I thought it had something to do with the climate. The temperature might have gotten cooler and killed them off.A: Yeah, that's one theory. Another idea is that they may have run out of food.B: Uh-huh. And you know, there's even a theory that theycould have been destroyed by aliens from outer space.Task 4ScriptFor the shortest life, the first prize must go to the mayfly, which typically lives only a matter of a few hours after it emerges from its shell. Few mayflies live to see the sun rise again. These creatures devote their whole lives to a single desperate mission: finding a mate and producing young. They don't even have functional mouths and stomachs. They simply have no time to eat. In fact they have no time for anything else.The record-holder for the longest life may be the Arctic clam, one of which lived quietly underwater for 220 years. However it did not have any birth certificate to prove this. One could only judge by its growth rings.If you insist on better documentation, the oldest animal ever was probably a tortoise that died in 1918. It had been captured already full-grown in 1766, nine years before the American Revolution began, and it died 152 years later as World War I came to a close.(Length: 1 rain. 20 sec.)KeyAnswer the following questions.I) What animal has the shortest life? For how long?Kay: The mayfly. A few hours.2) What do mayflies do in their lifetime?Kay: They just do two things: finding a mate and producing young.3) How do we know that one of the Arctic clams lived for 220 years?Key: We could judge by its growth rings.4) How long was the tortoise that died in 1918 kept in captivity?Key: It was kept for 152 years.Task 5ScriptEvery year about 17 million animals are used in laboratory experiments. But in many countries today, a difficult question is being asked: Do we have the right to use animals in this way?People who are for using animals in research argue that the use of animals in medical research has many practical benefits. Animal research has enabled researchers to develop treatments for many diseases, such as heart disease and depression. It would not have been possible to develop vaccines for diseases like smallpox and polio without animal research. Every drug anyone takes today was tried first on animals.Future medical research is dependent on the use of animals. Which is more important: the life of a rat or that of a three-year-old child?Medical research is also an excellent way of using unwanted animals. Last year, over 12 million animals had to be killed in animal shelters because no one wanted them as pets.However those who are against it point out that the fact that humans benefit cannot be used to justify using animals in research any more than it can be used to justify experimenting on other humans. Animals suffer a lot during these experiments. They are forced to live in small cages, and they may be unable to move.Much of the research that is carried out is unnecessary anyway.Animals have the same rights as humans do to be able tomove freely and not to have pain or fear forced on them. Researchers must find other ways of doing their research, using cell culture and computer modeling. There should be no animals in research laboratories at all.(Length: 1 min. 50 sec.)KeyA. Answer the following question.What is the main idea of the passage?Key: People have different opinions on using animals for research.B. Complete the following outline of the passage.1) The case for using animals in research:a) Every drug anyone takes today was tried first on animals.b) Future medical research is dependent on the use of animals.c) Medical research is also a good way of using unwanted animals.2) The case against using animals in research:a) Animals suffer a lot during the experiments.b) Much of the research is unnecessary.c) Animals have the same right as humans do.3) Some alternative ways for scientists to do their research:a) Using cell culture.b) Using computer modeling.Task 6ScriptVisitors to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. can see three new young tigers. The rare babies met the public for the first time late last month. Chip O'Neal tells us about them.The mother tiger sat nearby on the grass as her babies rolled,chased and bit each other playfully. Then Korenchy also jumped into the games. Her cubs were born at the zoo four months ago. They are called Mike, Eric and Chrisy. The new young tigers at the National Zoo each weigh about 13 kilograms. Their fur is dark orange with black stripes. They eat horse meat and drink milk from Korenchy.Korenchy and her babies are Sumatran tigers. Sumatran tigers came from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They are now in danger of disappearing from the earth. Fewer than 500 of these tigers remain in the world. That includes about 60 living in zoos in North America.Korenchy came to the National Zoo from the Jakarta Zoo in Indonesia. The gift was part of the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Program. Korenchy has given birth to live cubs three times. The father of her new cubs is Rokan, a Sumatran tiger who arrived two years ago from another zoo.Korenchy and Rokan had their babies the natural way instead of the scientific method often used to produce young animals in zoos.A wire fence separates Rokan from his babies. Zoo workers who care for Rokan say he reaches through the fence to wash the cubs with his tongue. They say this means he recognizes Mike, Eric and Chrisy as his cubs. However, zoo officials are hoping that Rokan will produce more cubs with another female Sumatran tiger at the zoo, so they do not want him to become too interested in this family.The National Zoo hopes to keep the Sumatran tiger cubs for at least 18 months before sending them to other zoos. That is about the age when most tiger cubs in the wild leave their mothers. The National Zoo has placed cameras in the Sumatrantigers' living area, so people with computers can see them. To do this, use your computer to find the National Zoo's Website at /doc/a71724613.html,/natzoo.(Length: 3 min. 40 sec.)KeyA. Answer the following questions.1) Was the mother tiger born in the National Zoo as well?Key: No.2) Why is the father tiger separated from his cubs?Key: Because zoo officials want him to produce cubs with another female tiger, so they don't want him to become too interested in this family.B. Complete the following sentences with what you hear on the tape.1) The young tigers are four months old.2) Each of them weighs about 13 kilograms.3) They eat horse meat and drink their mother's milk.4) People with computers can see the daily life of these tigers by visiting theNational Zoo'sWebsite at www. /doc/a71724613.html,/natzoo.C. Choose the best answer to each of the following questions.1) How many Sumatran tigers remain in the world? ( c)a) About 60. b) More than 500. c) Less than 500.2) Korenchy has given birth to _______. ( c )a) three cubs b) four cubs c) five or more cubs3) After 18 months, these cubs will be sent_______ (b)a) to the wild b) to other zoos c) to the Jakarta Zoo Cats in AmericaTask 7ScriptAn old expression says, "Man's best friend is his dog." Today, however, it seems that cats have replaced dogs as the most popular pets in American homes.Americans have more than 62 million pet dogs. But even more cats--more than 64 million--live in American homes.These pet cats may have long hair or short hair. They are different colors and sizes. Some are costly animals that take part in competitions. Many more are common American mixtures of several kinds of cats.Most house cats live a good life. They are not expected to work for their food. Instead, they rule their homes like furry kings and queens. They wait for their owners to serve them.Americans are increasingly serious about their cats. These concerns have made the care of cats into big business.Each year, cat owners buy tons of food especially prepared for cats. They buy toys and other equipment. They buy jewelry and clothes for themselves with images of cats on them. Some owners even bury their dead pets in special burial grounds.Humans have loved and respected cats for centuries. Scientists have evidence that cats and people lived together as long as 8,000 years ago. The small house cat was once a highly honored animal. In ancient Egypt for example, people who killed a cat could be punished by death.Early in American history cats were not treated as gods, however. They probably arrived in the United States with settlers and traders from Europe. These cats worked. They killed rats and mice.Sometimes, Americans mistreated their cats. During the early days of the nation, religious extremists believed that some catswere working for the devil. Black cats were especially suspected of being evil.Later, American families who had enough food began taking cats into their homes. People cared for the cats because the animals gave them pleasure. The cats thanked people for feeding them by making a purring sound. This pleasant noise usually means a cat is happy.Animal experts offer several reasons why cats have become so popular as house pets. They say cats need less care than dogs. And cats do not seem to suffer as much as dogs from being alone if the owners are away.Still, millions of other people do not like cats at all. They say dogs are better and more loving pets. They say cats do not have much feeling. They believe cats stay with people only to be fed. Cat owners defend their pets against such criticism. They say cats are just much more independent than dogs.A student of animal medicine explains the situation this way: dogs follow you around they want you to talk to them and play with them a lot of the time. Cats like more space and more privacy--this does not mean they do not love their owners.(Length: 4 min. 27 sec.)KeyA. Answer the following questions.1) Which have become more popular in America, dogs or cats? How do you knowthat?Key: Cats have become more popular, because there are more pet cats in American homes.2) How long have humans had cats in their homes?Key: About 8,000 years.3) Where did American house cats come from?Key: They probably arrived in the United States from Europe.4) Cats have been treated well in the United States all along, haven't they?Key: No.B. Fill in the missing words in the summary.1) The care of cats has become a big business, because cat owners:a) buy tons of food especially prepared for cats.b) buy toys and other equipment.c) buy things with images of cats on them.d) bury their dead pets in special burial grounds.2) People who prefer cats say cats:a) give their owners pleasure.b) need less care.c) suffer less from being alone.d) are more independent.C. Decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F) according to the tape.1) Most house cats lived a good life. [ F ]2) Early American cats were treated like gods. [ F ]3) Black cats were once suspected working for the devil. [ T ]4) Cats are treated like fairy kings and queens. [ F ]5) Cats want you to talk to them a lot. [ F ]Task 8ScriptLittle Steve has a pet rabbit, Bunny. He plays with it every day after school. One day his mother sees that her little boy is holding Bunny by the ears. From time to time he gives the poor rabbit an angry shake and says, "How much is two plus two?" "Steve," sayshis mother, "why do you treat your poor little Bunny that way?""Well," explains Steve angrily, "our teacher says that rabbits multiply very quickly, but this dummy can't even add."(Length: 40 sec.)Task 9ScriptMost mammals live on land, but not all of them. Millions of years ago, some mammals went back to the sea and lived there. The legs of these animals disappeared, and after a long time they looked like fish. These animals became whales and dolphins.Whales and dolphins are still like other mammals in many ways. They are warm-blooded and they breathe air. They also have big brains. That is why they are more intelligent than fish. Whales have the biggest brains in the world. Their brain is bigger than the brain of a human being.(Length: 50 sec.)。