英语高级视听说unit4

Unit 4 Brain ManAlmost 25 years ago, 60 Minutes introduced viewers to George Finn, whose talent was immortalized in the movie "Rain Man." George has a condition known as savant syndrome, a mysterious disorder of the brain where someone has a spectacular skill, even genius, in a mind that is otherwise extremely limited.Morley Safer met another savant, Daniel Tammet, who is called "Brain Man" in Britain. But unlike most savants, he has no obvious mental disability, and most important to scientists, he can describe his own thought process. He may very well be a scientific Rosetta stone, a key to understanding the brain.________________________________________Back in 1983, George Finn, blessed or obsessed with calendar calculation, could give you the day if you gave him the date."What day of the week was August 13th, 1911?" Safer quizzed Finn."A Sunday," Finn replied."What day of the week was May 20th, 1921?" Safer asked."Friday," Finn answered.George Finn is a savant. In more politically incorrect times he would have been called an "idiot savant" - a mentally handicapped or autistic person whose brain somehow possesses an island of brilliance.Asked if he knew how he does it, Finn told Safer, "I don't know, but it's just that, that's fantastic I can do that."If this all seems familiar, there?s a reason: five years after the 60 Minutes broadcast, Dustin Hoffman immortalized savants like George in the movie "Rain Man."Which brings us to that other savant we mentioned: Daniel Tammet. He is an Englishman, who is a 27-year-old math and memory wizard."I was born November 8th, 1931," Safer remarks."Uh-huh. That's a prime number. 1931. And you were born on a Sunday. And this year, your birthday will be on a Wednesday. And you'll be 75," Tammet tells Safer.It is estimated there are only 50 true savants living in the world today, and yet none are like Daniel. He is articulate, self-sufficient, blessed with all of the spectacular ability of a savant, but with very littleof the disability. Take his math skill, for example.Asked to multiply 31 by 31 by 31 by 31, Tammet quickly - and accurately - responded with "923,521."And it?s not just calculating. His gift of memory is stunning. Briefly show him a long numerical sequence and he?ll recite it right back to you. And he can do it backwards, to boot.That feat is just a warm-up for Daniel Tammet. He first made headlines at Oxford, when he publicly recited the endless sequence of numbers embodied by the Greek letter "Pi." Pi, the numbers we use to calculate the dimensions of a circle, are usually rounded off to 3.14. But its numbers actually go on to infinity.Daniel studied the sequence - a thousand numbers to a page."And I would sit and I would gorge on them. And I would just absorb hundreds and hundreds at a time," he tells Safer.It took him several weeks to prepare and then Daniel headed to Oxford, where with number crunchers checking every digit, he opened the floodgates of his extraordinary memory.Tammet says he was able to recite, in a proper order, 22,514 numbers. It took him over five hours and he did it without a single mistake.Scientists say a memory feat like this is truly extraordinary. Dr. V.S. Ramachandran and his team at the California Center for Brain Study tested Daniel extensively after his Pi achievement.What did he make of him?"I was surprised at how articulate and intelligent he was, and was able to interact socially and introspect on his own-abilities," says Dr. Ramachandran.And while that introspection is extremely rare among savants, Daniel?s ability to describe how his mind works could be invaluable to scientists studying the brain, our least understood organ."Even how you and I do 17 minus nine is a big mystery. You know, how are these little wisps of jelly in your brain doing that computation? We don't know that," Dr. Ramachandran explains.It may seem to defy logic, but Ramachandran believes that asavant?s genius could actually result from brain injury. "One possibility is that many other parts of the brain are functioning abnormally or sub-normally. And this allows the patient to allocate all his attentional resources to the one remaining part," he explains. "And there's a lot of clinical evidence for this. Some patients have a stroke and suddenly, their artistic skills improve."That theory fits well with Daniel. At the age of four, he suffered a massive epileptic seizure. He believes that seizure contributed to his condition. Numbers were no longer simply numbers and he had developed a rare crossing of the senses known as synesthesia."I see numbers in my head as colors and shapes and textures. So when I see a long sequence, the sequence forms landscapes in my mind," Tammet explains. "Every number up to 10,000, I can visualize in this way, has it's own color, has it's own shape, has it's own texture."For example, when Daniel says he sees Pi, he does those instant computations, he is not calculating, but says the answer simply appears to him as a landscape of colorful shapes."The shapes aren't static. They're full of color. They're full of texture. In a sense, they're full of life," he says.Asked if they?re beautiful, Tammet says, "Not all of them. Some of them are ugly. 289 is an ugly number. I don't like it very much. Whereas 333, for example, is beautiful to me. It's round. It's?.""Chubby," Safer remarks.'It's-yes. It's chubby,' Tammet agrees.Yet even with the development of these extraordinary abilities as a child, nobody sensed that Daniel was a prodigy, including his mother, Jennifer. But he was different."He was constantly counting things," Jennifer remembers. "I think, what first attracted him to books, was the actual numbers on each page. And he just loved counting."Asked if she thinks there?s a connection between his epilepsy and his rare talent, she tells Safer, "He was always different from-when he was really a few weeks old, I noticed he was different. So I'm not sure that it's entirely that, but I think it might have escalated it."Daniel was also diagnosed with Asperger?s Syndrome-a mild form of autism. It made for a painful childhood."I would flap my hands sometimes when I was excited, or pull at my fingers, and pull at my lips," Tammet remembers. "And of course, the children saw these things and would repeat them back to me, and tease me about them. And I would put my fingers in my ears and count very quickly in powers of two. Two, four, eight, 16, 32, 64.""Numbers were my friends. And they never changed. So, they were reliable. I could trust them," he says.And yet, Daniel did not retreat fully into that mysterious prison of autism, as many savants do. He believes his large family may have actually forced him to adapt."Because my parents, having nine children, had so much to do, so much to cope with, I realized I had to do for myself," he says.He now runs his own online educational business. He and his partner Neil try to keep a low profile, despite his growing fame.Yet the limits of his autism are always there. "I find it difficult to walk in the street sometimes if there are lots of people around me. If there's lots of noise, I put my fingers in my ears to block it out,' he says.That anxiety keeps him close to home. He can?t drive, rarely goes shopping, and finds the beach a difficult place because of his compulsion to count the grains of sand. And it manifests itself in other ways, like making a very precise measurement of his cereal each morning: it must be exactly 45 grams of porridge, no more, no less.Daniel was recently profiled in a British documentary called ?Brainman.? The producers posed a challenge that he could not pass up: Learn a foreign language in a week - and not just any foreign language, but Icelandic, considered to be one of the most difficult languages to learn.In Iceland, he studied and practiced with a tutor. When the moment of truth came and he appeared on TV live with a host, the host said, "I was amazed. He was responding to our questions. He did understand them very well and I thought that his grammar was very good. We are very proud of our language and that someone is able to speak it after only one week, that?s just great.""Do you think that Daniel, in a certain way, represents a real pathway to further understanding the brain?" Safer asks Dr. Ramachandran."I think one could say that time and again in science, something that looks like a curiosity initially often leads to a completely new direction of research," Ramachandran replies. "Sometimes, they provide the golden key. Doesn't always happen. Sometimes it's just mumbo-jumbo. But that may well be true with savants."Daniel continues to volunteer for scientists who want to understand his amazing brain. But he is reluctant to become what he calls ?a performing seal? and has refused most offers to cash in on his remarkable skills."People all the time asking me to choose numbers for the lottery. Or to invent a time machine. Or to come up with some great discovery," he explains. "But my abilities are not those that mean that I can do at everything."But he has written a book about his experiences, entitled "Born on a Blue Day."He also does motivational speeches for parents of autistic children-yet one more gift of his remarkable brain.But at the end of the day-genius or not-that brain does work a littledifferently."One hour after we leave today, and I will not remember what you look like. And I will find it difficult to recognize you, if I see you again. I will remember your handkerchief. And I will remember you have four buttons on your sleeve. And I'll remember the type of tie you're wearing. It's the details that I remember," Tammet tells Safer.And it?s the details that make us all so different. One man may see numbers as a tedious necessity of modern life, another sees them as the essence of life."Pi is one of the most beautiful things in all the world and if I can share that joy in numbers, if I can share that in some small measure with the world through my writing and through my speaking, then I feel that I will have done something useful," he says.。

Unit 4 CreativityPart I Listening 1In China, education is considered a race. Students have to begin as early as possible and have to proceed as quickly as possible around the track. Success is measured by how many students cross the finish line in the short time .In America, we recognize the race too, but we feel that the students have a chance to explore things for themselves, even if not all of them reach the finish line. As a result of their exploring, some of the participants may have more to offer by the end of the race.The advantage of the Chinese way is that more students become proficient and reach the finish line. The disadvantage is that they may have less to say or to show once they get there. The disadvantage of the American way is that some students never finish the race. The advantage, however, is that some who do go "all the way" have very interesting and original things to say when they get there.1. F T T T F F2.1) race 2) race 3 ) proceed 4) explore things for themselves 5)proficient 6)interesting 7) original 8) less 9) finish the race Listening IIOnce Wealth and Poverty approached a merchant and introduced themselves as Goddesses. The merchant greeted both of them and said, "May I ask why you have come to my humble home?" The Goddess of Wealth said, "We want you to judge between us who is the most beautiful."The merchant did not know what to say. He knew he was between the devil and the deep blue sea. If he said that Wealth was more beautiful than Poverty, Poverty would curse him. If he said that Poverty was more beautiful than Wealth, Wealth would abandon him. However, he became calm and said, "I have great respect for you both. Would you please do what I ask of you? It is the only way I can judge properly." The Goddesses agreed. He said, "Mother Wealth, would you please walk towards my house? Mother Poverty, Would you please walk away from my house? This way I can see you both better, from near and far." The two Goddesses did what the merchant had asked them to do. Then the merchant confidently declared, "Mother Wealth! You appear most beautiful when you are nearest my house. Mother Poverty! You look most beautiful when you are farthest from my house." The Goddesses appreciated the wit and wisdom of the merchant. The Goddess of Wealth happily stayed in his house while the Goddess of Poverty cheerfully departed.Whenever we have a serious problem, if we look within and think calmly, a solution will come in answer to the problem.1. F T F F F2. 1. Why did the two Goddesses go to the merchant’s place? C2. What would happen if the merchant declared the Goddess of Wealth to be morebeautiful than the Goddess of the Poverty? B3. What did the merchant ask the Goddesses to do? D4. What was the reaction of the Goddesses? A5. What does the story tell us? CListening IIIThere is an old and common saying in the United States that "There is nothing new under the sun." I thought of that today when I read an article in a magazine. The article tells about the growing number of people who are building earth-sheltered houses, which are partly underground. I had known about modern earth-sheltered houses, but I had never thought about their roofs before. Instead of having metal or tiles on the roofs, many of these houses now have living roofs. The wooden top of the house is covered with a special waterproof plastic material. On top of this there is soil, in which grass and flowers are planted. Such a roof can be very beautiful. But this really is not a new idea. When the early settlers came to the United States, they often made their houses by digging into the ground. Their roofs were made of wood, and covered by large areas of soil with grass or turf. They were warm, though not always waterproof. People replaced these houses and roofs as soon as they could live in regular wooden homes with wooden or metal roofs. Now, 200 years later, some people think of this as a new idea. But I think, "There is nothing new under the sun."1. 1) partly underground 2) living 3 ) digging into the ground 4) grass waterproofQuestions:1. What does the speaker mean by saying "There is nothing new under the sun"?2. What makes the speaker think of "earth-sheltered houses"?3. What is a living roof?4. How many years ago did the early settlers first build earth-sheltered homes?5. Why did People replace these earth-sheltered houses with regular wooden ones? 2. C D A B DListening IVMan: It is said that the first sandwich was made in 1762 by the Earl ofSandwich. He didn't want to take time away from his card games to eat, sohe ordered his butler to make sandwiches instead.Woman: Is that so? Hey, look at this. The first beauty contest was held in Belgium in 1888. Why in Belgium of all places?Man: Why not? Oh, here's one I bet you're proud of. The electric chair was used for the first time in 1890 in the United States. Yes, you're first to diagnoseAIDS, too. The first recorded case was in New York.Woman: Plus and minus signs were used in 1514 in Holland. Yeah, there was no way we could have guessed that one. And the equals sign, you'll bepleased to hear, was first used in Oxford , in 1557. You'd have thoughtthey'd all have been invented at the same time.Man: Well, we both got these right .coffee was in Arabia around 1,000 AD, and just before that, playing cards were invented in China.Woman: Well, I got this one right. First diagram of a flying machine, was drawn by Leonardo da Vinci, as I said, in 1492.Man: Yeah, but the first air flight wasn't made until 1903, and it was in the United States.Woman: But that wasn't the question, was it? Also, England was also the first to transmit television.Man: Garbage! It was the Italians.Woman: No, it says here, the first TV transmission was in London, 1925. And here we are again, the first traffic lights were in London, in 1868.Man: But they didn't even have cars then, so why would they have needed traffic lights?1．D A A F C E A B B2．1)1762 2)1888/Belgium 3)1890/the United States 4)New York5)1514/Holland 1557 6) 1903 7) 1868Part 4 Listening 1Juan comes up to the Mexican border on his bicycle. He's got two large bags over his shoulders. The guard stops him and says, "What's in the bags?""Sand," answered Juan.The guard says, "We'll just see about that. Get off the bike." The guard takes the two bags and rips them apart; he empties them out and finds nothing in them but sand. He detains Juan overnight and has the sand analyzed, only to discover that there is nothing but pure sand in the bags.The guard releases Juan, puts the sand into new bags, hefts them onto the man's shoulders and lets him cross the border.A week later, the same thing happens. The guard asks, "What have you got?" "Sand," says Juan.The guard does his thorough examination and discovers that the bags contain nothing but sand. He gives the sand back to Juan, and Juan crosses the border on his bicycle.This sequence of events is repeated every week for three years. Finally, Juandoesn't show up one day and the guard meets him in a bar in Mexico."Hey, buddy," says the guard. "I know you are smuggling something. It's driving me crazy. It's all I think about. I can't sleep. Just between you and me, what are you smuggling?"Juan sips his beer and says, "Bicycles."1) border 2) rips 3) overnight 4) analyzed 5) release 6) cross 7) weekly 8 ) thorough 9) show up 10) bicyclesListening IIPottery has been found in the remains of every ancient civilization. The oldest known piece of pottery was found in China and dates back to 7,900 BC. That's almost 10,000 years ago!The first pots were large bowls, formed by taking a lump of clay and making a bowl shape. Pottery doesn't just include pots, but anything made from clay that can hold things, such as jugs, vases and cups. Pottery was used to hold water, milk, seeds and grains.Later, people learned to mix different clays together to make stronger pottery and to put the pottery in a fire oven so that the clay would harden faster. The potter's wheel was invented in China around 3,100 BC. The wheel spins clay like a top. It allows people to make pottery much more quickly and make shapes that were perfectly symmetrical—bowls that were really round, rather than lumpy or uneven. Pottery is not only considered one of the first inventions but also one of the first art forms. Most types of pottery have been painted with figures or designs; some even tell a story!1. B A C2. 1.The oldest known piece of pottery was found in china and dates back to 7900BC(and was made almost 10,000 years ago).2. It was used for holding water ,milk ,seeds, and grains.3. To make stronger pottery and to make the clay harden faster.4. It allowed people to make pottery much more quickly and to make symmetricalshapes.5. Because most types of pottery have been painted with figures or designs; someeven tell a story.Listening III(Students are in a classroom waiting for the teacher to arrive. Two are talking.) Cathy: I've enjoyed talking about creativity in our English class. I wish I had been encouraged more when I was in elementary school.Michael: I know what you mean. I always liked drawing, but my teachers and parents insisted I was just wasting my time with it. My father said Ishould work on mathematics.Cathy: Maybe you still will still use your artistic talent some day.Michael: Oh, I don't know. After all, I'm in university now. Perhaps I'm too old to be creative.Cathy: I don't think so. I read an interesting article about a lady who wanted to be an artist but the whole family wanted her to work in their candybusiness.Michael: What happened?Cathy: Well, Jean, the lady, knew painting was what she wanted to do , not making candy. After graduating from college she tried various jobs tosupport herself, though none of her jobs was in the candy business.And she kept painting in her spare time.Michael: Then what?Cathy: About 20 years ago a worker in the family candy business quitaround Valentine's Day, one of their busiest seasons. Her fatherneeded Jean to come to help with the business.Michael: Did she?Cathy: Yes, although she didn't like it.Michael: So, how did she cope?Cathy: She got an idea of putting art and candy together.Michael: How?Cathy: First she experimented with making an edible paint. She found that powdered food coloring mixed with vodka would work.Michael: That's quite a combination.Cathy: Then, for her "canvas", she melted white chocolate and molded it flat.She even learned how to make chocolate frames.Michael: What kind of art did she create?Cathy: She copied the works of famous painters. She displayed her candy art in the candy shop and customers would come in just to look at the art.Michael: What did her family think then?Cathy: They didn't take her seriously until the Toledo Museum of Art heard about her works and paid her to paint 77 reproductions of works intheir collection. That was her first big job. Now she works full-timeon her candy creations.Michael: Does she do anything besides copying art masterpieces?Cathy: Yes, she's done some portraits. However, people love herreproductions.Michael: What are the prices for her candy art creations?Cathy: From $150 to $200 each.Michael: Well, her creativity has brought her success.1.What did the male speaker like to do ? B2.How did jean make a living right after graduating from college? B3.Why did she begin to help with the family business ? C4.How did she paint ? A5.In what way was she successful? AListening IVFor over 30 years, "Sesame Street" has been the most popular TV program for young children in the United States. The characters on this show are mainly puppets, and probably the most loved of the puppets is a gigantic yellow bird called "Big Bird".Caroll Spinney has played Big Bird all the years of Big Bird's existence on American television. Spinney's love of puppets and his own creativity led him to this career. When he was five years old, he saw his first puppet show. He loved the show and never forgot it. When he was seven he bought a used monkey puppet for five cents. His mother had made him a stuffed snake from green material, so he got the idea of making his own puppet show. He made a stage from wooden orange boxes and his mother's old curtains. He charged 2 cents for admission and earned 32 cents for his first performance.Spinney's family liked his creativity and encouraged him to do more . For Christmas when he was nine, his older brother made him a better puppet theater and his mother secretly sewed eight colorful puppets for him. Spinney later wrote, "The more I gave shows, the more I felt the power that one has when performing. All these people would sit in a room and listen to everything I said. I did all the character voices: little girl voices, an old lady voice, and a ghost voice. The audience listened and clapped at the end, and also paid me to do it. What could be a better way to make a living than to perform? I knew that I would wind up in the world of entertainment."Spinney continued giving puppet shows. When he decided to go to art school, puppet shows helped him pay for his tuition. Even when he was in the army, he managed to continue giving puppet shows. He knew he wanted to do this as his life's work and that he wanted his audience to be children. When he was given the opportunity to create the character of Big Bird on "Sesame Street", he accepted it and over the years has made Big Bird one of the most beloved characters on American television.T T T F F T T T F F。

Unit 4 Outside View Activity 1Activity 3Listening inNews ReportActivity 1ScriptMany universities in the US are offering an Adopt-a-Grandparent programme. Through this programme, student volunteers are given the opportunity to adopt a senior adult living in a local nursing home as a “grandparent”. Each week students have the chance to spend time with their adopted grandparents talking, sharing stories and participating in a planned activity. In addition to regular visits, students are encouraged to write letters and send presents to their adopted grandparents. The elderly are also encouraged to do the same.This programme provides senior adults with a sense of purpose and belonging. Not everyone who lives in a nursing home gets visitors or enough visitors, or has grandchildren of their own. Students commit to spending one hour a week with their adopted grandparents, but some end up visiting for three or four hours a week. They do it because they like spending time with the elderly. There is no credit offered. The programme helps students develop a sense of social responsibility and community awareness. Moreimportantly, both students and the elderly learn from each other and form a family bond.1. What do we learn about the Adopt-a-Grandparent programme from the news report?2. How does the programme benefit the elderly?Activity 2ScriptA growing number of South Korean fathers are choosing to take a break from their careers to help bring up their children. Until recently, this is still regarded unthinkable as childcare has always been considered women’s responsibility in the male-dominated society of South Korea.South Korean women have long believed that employers give them a lower salary and don’t give them promotion because they’re likely to take time off to have children. They are also reluctant to be stay-at-home moms, having sole responsibility for all household duties. These concerns among women have contributed to a record low birth rate.President Park Geun-hye has announced a multi-billion plan to help couples to have larger families. Fathers who take paternity leave will receive a government aid equivalent to 40 per cent of their monthly income, capped at 1.0 million won. According to the plan, men and women are entitled to up to one year’s —paternity or maternity leave.1. What is considered unthinkable in South Korea?2. Why is there a low birth rate in South Korea?Passage 1Activity 1ScriptHost: There’s a question that’s been argued about for a long time. Which is more important, your family environment or your genes? Well, a story has come up in the news about identical twins, separated at birth. They’ve just been reunited. And guess what? There are some amazing coincidences in their life stories.Here’s the story –two American girls called Tamara and Adriana were separated at birth and adopted by two different sets of parents. And this is where the coincidences begin. Both families ended up living 25 miles apart. Both girls decided to study psychology at universities that are only a mile apart from each other. Isn’t that strange?And this girl, who’s a friend of both of them, insists they meet. Just before they meet, Adriana’s mother tells her that she has a twin sister. Can you imagine how that must feel when you’re 20 years old to learn you have a twin? And when the girls meet, it’s like looking in a mirror –they’re identical!Now get this! Both Tamara and Adriana’s adoptive fathers died when the girls were children. Both girls fell through glass doors at the age of five –that’s hard to believe, isn’t it? Their boyfriends look alike and have similarnames –Alex and Adam. And this is the best part –both of them have the same recurring dream. Isn’t that incredible –they have the same dream! I think it’s an amazing story. So, for all those of you out there who have comments, and I’m sure you do, the lines are open. OK, we’ve got Josh on the line. Hi Josh!Josh: Hi.Host: So, what do you make of this story?Josh: It’s a great story but it doesn’t surprise me at all. I’m an identical twin. Host: You are?Josh: Yeah, my brother’s called Toby, and we’re 22, and we’re going out with two sisters ... and we’re having a double wedding next June.Host: Congratulations! So, what do you think? Is it our genes that decide who we are? These kind of stories seem to suggest it.Josh: Well, I’m not a scientist, but I think so.Host: Research tells us that it’s about fifty-fifty.Josh: I, I disagree.Host: Thanks Josh. OK, our next caller is ...Activity 2Answer CDBCADCDPassage 2Activity 1ScriptVoice-over:Kidney transplants are of two kinds –transplants from dead people and living transplants, transplants from people who are alive. Mostly the donor, the person who gives the kidney, is a relative –a parent, brother or sister. We all recognize that it’s one of the most selfless things a person can do, to give a kidney to someone, but as the operation becomes safer and safer, more and more people are doing it. We talked to two sisters who have had the experience –Henrietta Longmore, a journalist aged 40, married with one son, and her sister, Teresa Parker, aged 38, married with two children. They come from a family with four children. Here’s their story.Teresa: Henrietta and I were close as children. She was the big sister and she was –just like a mother to us younger kids. Our parents were both doctors and our mum was very busy. We were close right through our teenage years. Then we shared a flat and had a lot of the same friends. It was great. Henrietta: Yes, we’ve always been close. I felt very protective of my brother and sisters because, like Teresa says, our parents were always so busy. But I also felt a bit jealous of Teresa –she was my dad’s favourite –but it didn’t affect our relationship.Teresa: Henrietta got kidney failure five years ago, but for several years she was fine and seemed quite healthy.Henrietta: Yes, I never thought of asking my family for a kidney. The hospital was brilliant and I really did feel fine, most of the time.Activity 2ScriptTeresa:But then a year ago she became very ill and almost died. I was terrified. I knew if she died, I’d blame myself. You know, why I hadn’t done more to help her. So I decided to find out more about giving her a kidney. Henrietta:Yes, I did almost die. It was awful. I, I was never going to ask Teresa for a kidney but I kind of knew that she would offer. To be honest, I felt I would have done the same.Teresa: Yes. At first I was a bit scared. But we went for a three-hour talk at the hospital and it was very reassuring. My whole family came. And they felt OK about it too, which was very important.Henrietta: People don’t know that you only need ten per cent of one kidney to be completely healthy, and kidney donors often live longer than other people.Teresa: Yes, you have to be very healthy to give a kidney. The hospital makes sure of that. Anyway, after the operation I got better very fast –probably because you know you’ve done something worthwhile and it does make you feel very good.Henrietta: I can’t describe how grateful I feel to Teresa. It’s such an amazing thing to do. What can I say? Her courage was, was extraordinary. She just didn’t seem afraid at all.Teresa: You do get a lot of praise for doing something like this. I’d like to do something that no one knows about.Answer CBACDABUnit TestSection AScript1.M: Something’s been bothering me lately. Do you mind if I get it off my chest?W: Not at all. What’s wrong?Q: What does the man mean when he says he wants to get something off his chest?2.W: How many siblings do you have?M: Five. There are six of us in all.W: Wow! That’s a lot. Your parents must have been busy.Q: Which of the following statements is true?3.M: Debbie, what are you writing? Is that your homework?W: Yes, dad. I need to write an essay about a pivotal moment in my life. M: Interesting. What did you choose?W: The day I got accepted to college, of course.Q: What is the topic of the girl’s essay?4.W: Hey, Greg, how is life as a new father?M: It’s wonderful, but I am so tired.W: I’ll bet. Is the baby keeping you up at night?M: She sleeps fine for a few hours, then suddenly wakes up and starts to scream her head off.Q: What does the man say his baby does at night?5.M: I can’t believe it. My dad just spent an hour giving me a lecture on good manners.W: Really? What did you do to prompt that?Q: How does the boy’s father feel about his son’s behavior?Answer ADABASection BScriptM: Hi, Dee! How was your weekend?W: Oh, it was fantastic. I was at the beach.M: You were? Were you just there for a holiday?W: We had our annual family reunion at the beach this year.M: What a good idea! I guess you had a good time.W: Absolutely. I got to see all my relatives. Some of them live far away, so it was nice to have everyone in one place.M: Does your family have any traditions for the reunion?W: Not really, we all just like to be together and talk. My grandfather usually gives a very eloquent speech, but that’s about it.M: Oh, that’s nice.W: I’ll tell you what, I’m thankful I don’t have any children.M: Why is that?W: My cousin has a new baby and it looks like so much trouble. She needs diapers and a stroller to go anywhere.M: I suppose you get used to that though.W: Maybe. Still I could definitely go without the crying and squabbling.Q6: Which of the following statements most accurately describes the woman?Q7: With whom did the woman go to an event?Q8: How often does the woman’s family reunion take place?Answer CABSection CScriptWhen I think back to the days of my childhood, I clearly remember that many books my parents had in our house. I was a very curious little boy, but I didn’t much care for school work. I was always looking for a distraction. My parents’books serve this purpose nicely. I certainly wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth and we often couldn’t afford to take vacations during the summer. Instead, my vacations were in my imagination with friends like Alice in Wonderland and Dorothy in the Land of Oz. Those books not only helped me travel to fantastic places but they also helped my young mind run a gamut of emotions as I journeyed with the characters. My parents often encouraged me to take a chance on a new book or author and I was rarely disappointed. To the contrary, I was usually left in total amazement. My parents’encouragement to read when I was a child developed into my significant love of reading today.Thanks mom and dad!Q9: Which of the following will be the best title for this passage?Q10: How did the speaker feel about his school work?Q11: With whom does the speaker claim that he liked to travel together? Answer BADSection DScriptThe Chinese government plans to end its one-child-per-family policy and instead let families have two children. The plan was announced Thursday after high-level political meetings in Beijing. The official Xinhua news agency says the country's top legislature must approve the proposal before it becomes law.The Chinese government has given a number of reasons for the change in policy. The statement said the change is meant to balance population development. It also said the move attempts to stop a declining birth rate and strengthen the country's work force. China, the world's most populous country, launched the one-child policy in 1980. But the government permitted only a small number of couples to have two children. For example, some rural families were given approval to have two children.In 2013, the Chinese government gave other couples a chance to have two children. Families could have two if one parent was an only child. At the end of 2014, China had a population of 1.37 billion people. A total of 800 million of them were employed. But that job market population is expected to drop by 2050. With the two-child policy, an increase in births will ease the labor shortage, starting in 20 years.Q12: What does this news report mainly talk about?Q13: When will the universal two-child policy be enacted?Q14: When will the labor shortage emerge?Answer ACD。

Unit 4 Today’s TrendsListeningAudio Track 2-4-1A: Graph A shows that many married women go out and work today.B: Yes, that’s true. Only 15 percent of them now stay at home.A: Graph D shows that only one-third of children aged 3 to 5 are taken care of at home. It’s unbelievable.B: It’s not uncommon. In today’s society, most mothers and fathers mare busy with work. They have no choice.Audio Track 2-4-2/Audio Track 2-4-3Interview 1Interviewer: So, tell us a little about yourselves.Dan: Well, I’m Dan Preston.Courtney: And I’m Courtney Preston. We live in Phoenix, Arizona.Interviewer: OK, great. Do you have any children? Courtney: Yes, we have a baby. He’s thirteen months old.Interviewer: How nice. … Courtney, you must be busy!Courtney: It’s not so bad. I’m a manager at a bank. Dan stays at home with the baby. Interviewer: Really?Dan: Yep. I’m a “househusband.” I take care of the kid while Courtney works.Interviewer: That’s unusual!Dan: Well, it’s a growing trend. There are more and more househusbands every year. Interviewer: How interesting!Interview 2Interviewer: Where are you from?Jamal: We live in Toronto, Canada.Interviewer: How big is your family?Jamal: Well, there are four of us. I’m Jamal, my wife is Tia, and we have two girls. Interviewer: Who takes care of them?Tia: We both do. We both stay at home with the girls.Interviewer: Well, who works then?Jamal & Tia: We both do!Interviewer: What do you mean? I don’t understand.Jamal: We’re both writers. We work at home during the day.Interviewer: Oh, I see.Tia: We’re always here when the girls come home from school at 2:30. Interviewer: That’s great.Audio Track 2-4-4/Audio Track 2-4-5Interviewer (Int): Hi. What’s your name?Gio: Gio.Int: Hi, Gio. Where are you from?Gio: Milan, Italy.Int: Welcome to New York, then!Gio: Thank you.Int: Where are your clothes from?Gio: My brother. I’m always borrowing clothes.Int: How would you describe your style?Gio: Casual, I guess. I’m not very innovative. I just wear the same thing all the time. Int.: Good evening. What’s your name?Vicki: Vicki.Int.: You look beautiful.Vicki: Thank you.Int: That dress is very stylish.Vicki: My mother gave it to me. It was tailormade!Int.: Wonderful. Where are you from, Vicki?Vicki: I’m from Hong K ong.Int.: How would you describe your personal sense of style?Vicki: Classic, I suppose. I like to dress up.Int: Hi, there.Elena: Hi!Int: Who are you?Elena: I’m Elena.Int: And where are you from?Elena: I’m from right here in New York.Int: A hometown girl. And your clothes are from …?Elena: A store in my neighborhood. There was a sale.Int.: Great! How would you describe your personal style?Elena: Retro. It’s fashionable now.Int: It looks old-fashioned … in a good way, of course.Audio Track 2-4-6/Audio Track 2-4-71.A: I’m new in town and I’d like to make some friends. What should I do?B: You ought to join a sports club.A: But I don’t like sports.B: You could look for friends on the Internet.2.A: I don’t know what to wear to the party to night. What should I wear?B: You could wear your new jeans or your black pants.A: It’s a formal dress party.B: Oh, then you shouldn’t wear pants after all. You definitely ought to wear a dress.3.A: I still don’t understand this grammar. What should I do?B: You had better get some help or you will fail the test. It’s on Thursday.A: Maybe I could take the test on Friday. That would give me extra time.B: Well, you had better not delay. There’s not much time!Audio Track 2-4-81. I’m a salesclerk in a woman’s clothing store. My boss is great, but she has a very strict dress code. We have to wear long skirts, black shoes, no jewelry, and on and on. It’s really boring, so I’m planning to dye my hair red. What do you think? — Lana2. I love my girlfriend, but she complains a lot about my clothes. She doesn’t want to go anywhere with me because I always wear old jeans and a T-shirt. I don’t care about looking like a fashion magazine. I just want to be comfortable! What’s your advice? — DaveAudio Track 2-4-91. I’m a salesclerk in a woman’s clothing store. My boss is great, but she has a very strict dress code. We have to wear long skirts, black shoes, no jewelry, and on and on. It’s really boring, so I’m planning to dye my hair red. What do you think? — Lana2. I love my girlfriend, but she complains a lot about my clothes. She doesn’t want to go anywhere with me because I always wear old jeans and a T-shirt. I don’t care about looking like a fashion magazine. I just want to be comfortable! What’s your ad vice? — DaveExpert’s opinion: I think you ought to have a serious talk with your girlfriend and explain how you feel. We all have our own style and taste. In my opinion, she thinks too much about appearances.Audio Track 2-4-10/Audio Track 2-4-11Today I started my new part-time job as a trendspotter. I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Well, guess what? It was a lot of fun! I’m telling all my friends, “You should think about becoming a trendspotter, too!” On Saturday morning, we had to report to a recording studio by 10 a.m. The “Trends Coordinator,” Mandy, explained the schedule. Then she gave us a tour. That was really cool!Next we sat around a big table in a room. They gave each person three cards. One card said “Yes— All the way!” Another said, “It’s OK.” The third one said, “No way!” We listened to about 10 different songs. After each song we had to hold up a card. They played some hip hop, rock, heavy metal, and dance music. The heavy metal was “No way” for me!Do you know the rock group called “Gifted”? They’re really popular right now. Well, they have a new CD coming out. We saw six different CD covers. I guess they are trying to choose one. This time, we didn’t have any cards. Instead, we just talked about the covers we liked. Mandy asked us questions: “Which ones do you like?” “Why do you like them?” “Would you buy a CD with this cover?”We finished at 12:30. We will meet again next week at a boutique downtown. We will look at some new fashions. Each week we go to a different location. Oh yes, we also received a free CD for our work. This “job”doesn’t pay, but we get free stuff!Audio Track 2-4-121. All of the families live in big cities.2. None of the students study German.3. Some of the people don’t agree with me.Audio Track 2-4-131. Most of the young children are in day care.2. Some of their parents work two or three jobs.3. All of my friends grew up in the same town.4. None of my classmates like to study.Audio Track 2-4-14Moderator: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our debate. Mr. Taylor, please begin. Mr. Taylor: We have a big problem. Too many children are in day care centers. This is not good. Moderator: Ms. Marin, what do you think?Ms. Marin: I’m a mother and I work. In today’s society, most mother s and fathers are busy with work.Moderator: So, they don’t have a choice? They need day care?Ms. Marin: Exactly. And it’s very expensive.Moderator: What can we do about this situation?Mr. Taylor: We should encourage mothers and fathers to stay at home with their children.Ms. Marin: I don’t agree. I think we should offer cheaper day care.Audio Track 2-4-15Moderator: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this debate on whether it is better to rent or to own a home. Miss Ying, please begin.M iss Ying: As far as I’m concerned, owning a home is far better than renting one. Actually, I feel quite troubled by the idea of living in a rented apartment.Moderator: Can you further explain that point?Miss Ying: Of course. The sense of security I get from home ownership would not exist in a rented apartment.Moderator: Mr. Chen, what are your thoughts?Mr. Chen: Well, I think it’s better to rent a home than to own one. I just can’t afford to purchase a home, and I don’t know if that will ever change. At the moment, the cost of even a small city center apartment is out of most people’s reach.Miss Ying: I see your point, but I still think, it’s better to own a home than to rent one in the long run. Although buying a home is expensive, I think most people can apply for a mortgage or join with their families to invest in a home.Mr. Chen: Yes, that’s quite true, but I feel bothered by the idea of owing so much money. I think it’s better to save for a home rather than get a mortgage. I believe people should spend only the money that they have earned or saved.Moderator: Some excellent points. Thank you both for taking part in the debate.Video CourseVideo Track 2-4-1Yelena: In Ukraine people get married very early.Lourdes: In Colombia people usually marry in their late 20s.Paula: In Brazil people get married around 25. Usually husbands and wives both work.Calvin: I guess in a traditional family … traditional Korean family … you know, it is usually the males who work. There are a lot of parents who both have full-time jobs.Kumiko: In Japan, nowadays, people usually get married around 30. Husbands and wives both work until they have babies. And the wife stays at home with her children.Alejandra: Children in Argentina live with their parents until they get married. Usually both the husband and the wife work, but if they have children, then the wife stays at home to take care of the children.Video Track 2-4-2Kumiko: In Japan, nowadays, people usually get married around 30. Husbands and wives both work until they have babies. And the wife stays at home with her children.Alejandra: Children in Argentina live with their parents until they get married. Usually both the husband and the wife work, but if they have children, then the wife stays at home to take care of the children.Video Track 2-4-3Dave: I really admire my sister’s style because she’s very independent.Calum: One person whose fashion I admire is my friend Alex. He wears really nice clothes. Dayanne: I have a friend that always wears cowboy boots to go to work. I think that she should wear something more stylish.Dennis: The person I most admire is Robert Redford. I like the way he moves, the way he stands, the way he carries his clothes … his hair …Woo Sung: I’ve had this hair for a while and I think it’s definitely time for a change. I need a haircut.Dayanne: To improve my appearance, I should have a haircut and lose weight.Calum: I think I could improve my appearance by wearing contact lenses instead of glasses. Video Track 2-4-4Mike: I told you —I don’t like to go running.Roberto: You ought to get more exercise, Mike. It’s good for you. You know, I think there’s a definite trend. More and more people are starting to exercise.Mike: You’re just saying that because you think I should exercise more. The majority of the people I know don’t exercise.Roberto: Well, in my opinion, I really think more people are exercising nowadays.Mike: What makes you say that?Roberto: Well, when I came to New York five years ago, almost no one in my office exercised. Then, a few years ago, some people started going to the gym. And now, I just read in my office newsletter that 28 percent of the people in my office go to the gym three or more times a week. That’s almost one third of the employees.Mike: Just because some of the people in your office go to the gym, doesn’t make it a trend. Maybe 28 percent go, but that means that 72 percent don’t.Roberto: Not necessarily … there’s more ways to get exercise than going to the gym.Mike: Such as?Roberto: Some people walk to work … some people play golf … some people jog in the park . . . Mike: Yeah, that’s true …Roberto: Look around you. Don’t you see all the people exercising?Mike: Well, how many of them are enjoying it? None!Roberto: Oh come on, Mike. All of them are enjoying it.Mike: Not all of them …Roberto: Well, most of them …Mike: Maybe some of them … but not this one. I’m exhausted. I think we ought to go home. Roberto: Yes, I think we’d better. And we’d better get you something to drink, too.Mike: Hey, you know what?Roberto: What?Roberto: What?Mike: Yeah! You know, I read somewhere that 33 percent of all famous athletes recommend eating ice cream after a heavy workout.Roberto: Yeah, right.Mike: No, I’m serious. I read it in a magazine!Video Track 2-4-5Mike: I told you —I don’t like to go running.Roberto: You ought to get more exercise, Mike. It’s good for you. You know, I think there’s a definite trend. More and more people are starting to exercise.Mike: You’re just saying that because you think I should exercise more. The majority of the people I know don’t exercise.Roberto: Well, in my opinion, I really think more people are exercising nowadays.Mike: What makes you say that?Roberto: Well, when I came to New York five years ago, almost no one in my office exercised. Then, a few years ago, some people started going to the gym. And now, I just read in my office newsletter that 28 percent of the people in my office go to the gym three or more times a week. That’s almost one third of the employees.Video Track 2-4-6Mike: Just because some of the people in your office go to the gym, doesn’t make it a trend. Maybe 28 percent go, but that means that 72 percent don’t.Roberto: Not necessarily … there’s more ways to get exercise than going to the gym.Mike: Such as?Roberto: Some people walk to work … some people play golf … some people jog in the park …Mike: Yeah, that’s true …Roberto: Look around you. Don’t you see all the people exercising?Mike: Well, how many of them are enjoying it? None!Roberto: Oh come on, Mike. All of them are enjoying it.Mike: Not all of them …Roberto: Well, most of them …Mike: Maybe some of them … but not this one. I’m exhausted. I think we ought to go home.Rob erto: Yes, I think we’d better. And we’d better get you something to drink, too.Video Track 2-4-7Mike: Hey, you know what?Roberto: What?Roberto: What?Mike: Yeah! You know, I read somewhere that 33 percent of all famous athletes recommend eating ice cream after a heavy workout.Roberto: Yeah, right.Mike: No, I’m serious. I read it in a magazine!。