高级英语视听说教程_第二册__听力文本

全新版大学英语听说教程第二册听力原文2-1-BWhy Don't Y ou Join Me at the Gym Sometime?Peter: Hi, Laura. Where are you heading with that big bag?Laura: Hi, Peter. I'm off to the gym. I've got to stay in shape, you known. I try to go three times a week, but I'm busy so I can't always make it.Peter: I know more women who work out than men. What's the main reason you work out? For your health, or to look good?Laura: To be honest, for both. With women, good looks are always a very important consideration.Peter: If they were honest, most men who work out would admit that they also do it to look better, and not merely for health reasons.Laura: How about you? Do you get any regular exercise?Peter: I do a lot of walking, for exercise and enjoyment -- sometimes ten to twenty kilometers at a time -- but I never go to the gym like you do.Laura: Well, walking is good exercise. How about sports?Peter: Not since my school days. I used to love playing baseball, but it's impossible to get enough people together for a game now. Mostly I just watch sports on TV.Laura: I play tennis fairly regularly with my friends, and sometimes go swimming and cycling by myself.Peter: Oh, I forgot about that. I go cycling sometimes too. And I often go swimming on vacation, but only recreational swimming.Laura: Why don't you join me at the gym sometime? I can get you a guest pass.Peter: Well, maybe someday, but I'm pretty lazy about things like that.2-1-CWatching a GameAlan: Going to the football game today, Betty?Betty: No, but I'll be watching it on television with some friends.Alan: Weren't you able to get any tickets?Betty: I didn't try. I really don't go to games so often.Alan: But don't you enjoy going? Don't you find it exciting to be part of the crowd?Betty: Oh sure, nothing beats the atmosphere at a sporting event: the cheering, all that energy. But sometimes it's just too inconvenient getting into and out of the stadium before and after the game. And if you watch the game with friends, or at a bar or restaurant ...Alan: ... you've basically created your own crowd.Betty: That's right. Another reason why I like to watch sports on television is that I simply find it easier to follow the ac tion on TV.Alan: Y eah, sometimes it is a little difficult to keep track of the ball when you're sitting in the stands.Betty: Especially when your seats are high up in the grandstand, and far from the field.Alan: It's like you're watching from an airplane, sometimes.Betty: Also good sports commentators on television can add to your understanding and enjoyment of the game.Alan: After listening to you I'm starting to wonder how they are able to sell any tickets to these games!2-2-BDid Y ou Hear the Weather Forecast?Alan: Oh, look at the sky, Michelle! It's starting to get cloudy.Michelle: I see it. I hope it doesn't rain. I thought it was going to be a fine day today.Alan: That's certainly what the department was hoping for when they chose today as the date for the annual picnic. Michelle: Y ou can't have a picnic without good weather. Y ou need sunshine for all the eating and games and entertainment. Alan: Y eah, sunshine -- but not too much! Do you remember last year?Michelle: I sure do. It was so hot all we did was look for shade, look for ways to escape from the sun.Alan: And no one wanted to participate in any of the planned activities. All we wanted was cold drinks. And then dozed off. Michelle: If there had just been the tiniest breeze to cool us off...Alan: But there wasn't. Just that burning sun, without a cloud in the sky, and the temperature just seemed to climb higher and higher.Michelle Well, we don't have that problem this year, apparently. Alan, did you hear the weather forecast? Is it supposed to rain?Alan: I don't know. I didn't catch the weather report. But maybe if it rains, it will only be a short shower which cools things off a little. That might not be bad.2-2-CA ThunderstormLili: Look, Betty, the sky has turned completely black!Betty: Oh, wow. A big thunderstorm is coming. But I guess it won't last long.Lili: Yeah, maybe for about twenty minutes or so it's going to seem like it's the end of the world. And then the sun will come out again.Betty: I like storms like this. Summer is dramatic. What do you think, Lili?Lili: Y es, these storms do come quite suddenly in the summer. I often seem to get caught without an umbrella.Betty: But it's not so terribly getting caught in the rain occasionally in the summer. Now if you got all wet during a cold, dreary winter day -- that really would be horrible.Lili: True. Ah, it's starting to rain now. Here it comes. Y es, it's starting to pour.Betty: Here comes the lightning and thunder too.Lili: At least it's supposed to clear up later this afternoon, and to be fine this evening.Betty: That's good, because I'm going to meet some friends tonight.Lili: Well, most likely you will have a very pleasant evening, because this storm should take some of the humidity from the air.Betty: Y es, I must admit that these Chinese summers are very humid.Lili: More humid than in the US?Betty: Well, I can't speak about the whole country. But as far as New Y ork goes, I'd say that the weather here in Shanghai tends to be hotter and more humid.Lili: But I think our winters are milder.Betty: Y es, I'm sure they are. We probably also get more snow in New Y ork than you do here.2-3-BWhat about Dining Out?Peter: Hi, Kate.Kate: Hi, Peter. How have you been?Peter: Oh, OK, I guess. And you?Kate: Not too bad. We haven't seen each other for a while, have we?Peter: No, we haven't. So that makes me ask... Do you have any plans for this Saturday?Kate: No, not yet, I don't think so. Why?Peter: What do you think about getting together and going out to dinner this weekend?Kate: That would be great. Do you have any particular place in mind?Peter: Well, I think I'd like to eat something that's not too heavy. I've been eating a little too much lately.Kate: Me too.Peter: I love Italian food, but maybe we should skip that this time. They always seem to serve so much food in Italian restaurants, and you end up eating more than you wanted to.Kate: Chinese food would be good.Peter: Yes, or maybe some Japanese sushi. That style uses a lot of natural flavors, and not much oil or cream or heavy saucesKate: Y es, either of those choices would be good. Let's just meet on Saturday night, and decide then where to eat.Peter: That's fine by me.2-3-CEating OutA: Well, here we are -- not too crowded.B: Great! Let's order quickly so we can chat a little.A: OK. What are you in the mood for?B: Something light. I went out for pizza at lunch and I'm still full.A: There are three salads. Or you could have soup and a sandwich.B: What are you having? A hamburger, I suppose.A: No, actually I ate out last night too, but we had fast food at McDonald's, then a late snack at Kentucky Fried Chicken. B: Oh, dear. Well, maybe you should have the chicken salad.A: Y es, I think so. Look, the daily special is spaghetti. That sounds good.B: Oh, the prices are great, too. I'll have that as well.A: Now let's decide on drinks.B: I'll just have coffee and a glass of iced water.A: Italian food needs red wine. you know.B: But we have to go back to work.A: OK, a Coke then.B: Here comes the waitress. Let me order first.2-4-BGoing to See the DoctorD: So what's your trouble?P: Well, doctor, I haven't been feeling well lately. My biggest problem is that I'm having trouble sleeping.D: Have you tried any of the sleeping medications available?P: I've tried one or two, but they don't seem to help.D: How long have you had this problem?P: Three or four months -- it's been rather a long time now.D: Are you suffering from an unusual level of stress in your life lately?P: Not more than usual. My biggest worry is the fact I can't sleep.D: Well, some people don't need as much sleep as others.P: But I feel tired all day, so it is a problem for me.D: Have you been experiencing any other symptoms?P: I've also had a lot of indigestion lately.D: Well, you are a little overweight, aren't you?P: Yes. And I've gained about seven kilograms this past year.D: Y ou really should try to lose at least that extra weight. Do you get much exercise?P: No, not very much.D: Physical activity is very important.P: So what do you recommend, doctor?D: I will give you some medication for your insomnia and your indigestion. But I also recommend that you begin a regular exercise programP: But I have neither the time nr the money to go to a gym.D: Y ou don't need to go to a gym. A simple walking program would be very beneficial for you. I think you'll find that diet and exercise will be very helpful in taking care of your recent complaints.2-4-CEating ApplesY ou probably know a famous saying about the importance of eating apples. It is, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away.Now, a new American study shows eating apples may help fight cancer, too. Research scientists at Cornell University in New Y ork say a combination of chemicals found in apples is important for good health. The study shows that the combination of chemicals plays an important part in anti-cancer activity.The scientists say the chemicals are in both the skin and the flesh of apples. Results of the study were reported in the publication Nature. The Cornell researchers studied the chemicals, or extracts, taken from the skin and flesh of red apples grown in New Y ork State. They studied the effectiveness of the apple extracts in fighting cancer.The researchers treated colon (结肠) cancer cells with fifty milligrams of apple extract (苹果汁). Extracts from the apple skin reduced the growth of cancer cells by forty-three percent. Extracts from the fruit's flesh reduced the growth of cancer cells by twenty-nine percent.The researchers also treated human liver (肝) cancer cells with apple extract. Extracts from the apple skin reduced the growth of those cells by fifty-seven percent. Extracts from the fleshy part of the apple reduced the cancer cells by forty percent.Lead researcher Liu Ruihai said scientists have long known that apples are good for human health. He says some scientists are interested in testing single vitamins or other substances to see if they alone fight disease. He says his study shows no single substance works alone to reduce cancer. Instead, the combination of chemicals in apples is effective and eating fruit and vegetables is better than taking extra vitamin pills.2-5-BBackground MusicBackground music may seem harmless, but it can have a powerful effect on those who hear it. Recorded background music first found its way into factories, shops and restaurants in the USA. V ery soon it spread to other parts of the world. Now it is becoming difficult to go shopping or eat a meal without listening to music.To begin with, background music was intended simply to create a soothing atmosphere. Recently, how ever, it's becoming a big business. An American marketing expert has shown that music can boost sales or increase factory production by as much as a third.But it has to be the light music. Lively music has no effect at all on sales. Slow music can inc rease receipts by 34%. This is probably because shoppers slow down and have more opportunity to spot items they would like to buy. Y et, slow music isn't always the answer. The expert found that in restaurants slow music meant customers took longer to eat their meals, which reduced overall sales. So restaurant owners might be well advised to play faster music to keep the customers moving -- unless, of course, the resulting indigestion leads to complaints2-5-CCeline DionCeline Dion is the youngest of 14 children in a working-class family in Quebec, Canada. Her parents, who both loved music, encouraged her to develop her musical talent. At 12, Celine had composed the song "It Was Only a Dream". Her mother and brother helped her to make a recording of that song and sent it off to an address they found on an album of a popular French singer. The address was that of Rene Angelil, who became her first conquest, but there would be millions more.Celine's rise from a teenage singer to a pop superstar has been steady, but not without difficulties. Record companies were at first less enthusiastic about investing in a teenager than Angelil, who mortgaged his own home to pay for her first album. But her first two albums won a great success. And by 1983 she became the first Canadian ever to have a gold record in France.In 1990, Celine made her first English language record with Unison but her real breakthrough in America came when she was selected by Disney to sing the theme song of Beauty and the Beast. The song went to No. 1 on the chart and won both a Grammy and an Academy award. In 1996 she performed at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and in 1997, she recorded the theme song for Titanic, and her name became synonymous with the enormously successful film.Celine Dion's favorite theme is love. She sings the depth and the power of love in a great many of her hits such as "Love Can Move Mountains", "Because Y ou Loved Me", "The Power of Love" and, of course, the theme song of Titanic, "My Heart Will Go On".2-6-BWho Is to Be Promoted?(The Personnel Department is having a meeting. Joan Black is the chairperson of the meeting. )Joan: I think John Jeffrey's already been with the company for 20 years. Surely he's not still expecting promotion. Do you agree, Peter?Peter: Well. in my opinion, John's always shown great loyalty to the company. It's time this was rewarded. What do you think, Clive?Clive: It's not just a question of loyalty. Would he be any good at the job? He would need to manage a small team -- he's got no experience of that yet.Peter: He never will have any experience unless we give him a chance!Joan: We can't afford to be sentimental. I don't think he's the man for the job. He's always been a follower, not a leader. Let's move on to the other candidates. Rita Hayden has already shown great personnel management skill, I feel, even if she's ... Peter: Oh, come on, Joan! Rita's still learning her trade! We can't afford to take a risk with someone so inexperienced. Clive: I agree with Peter. I favor Susan Palmer. She's got a lot of experience. She's already worked in the department on other occasions so she knows the ropes and she's ...Joan: But Susan's always struck me as a bit cautious. We need someone dynamic for this job.Peter: I'd agree with Clive. I think Susan Palmer would do a good job. Maybe she's a bit cautious but she's solid, reliable... We need those qualities too.Joan: Well, if you're both so sure, I suppose I'll have to agree. Still, we'll wait a week before confirming it just in case any other applicants put their names forward.2-6-CA Good SalesmanMr Stevenson was the owner of a general appliance store. He had seen many newly-weds coming into his store to shop for their first refrigerator, washer and dryer, and air-conditioner. Pen and pencil in hand, they would ask him a lot of questions about price, features and after-sale services, but they would usually walk away at the end of their inquiry.The other day a young couple came into his store. They asked him all the usual questions and he answered all of them patiently. But when he suggested an order at the end, they replied firmly, "We'll have to look around places first."Although feeling a bit disappointed, Mr Stevenson did not show it. Instead, he smiled, moved closer and said, "I know you will go to Discount Dan to look at the price tags. That's perfectly understandable. I do the same. In fact, they sell the same stuff as we do. But if you buy things there, there is something you will not get. And that is me. I come with everything I sell. I've been in the business for thirty years and in a few years' time I'm going to give my store to my daughter and son-in-law. I hope they will carry on the family business. I stand behind everything I sell and I will make sure that you will never regret buying things from me."After this short speech Mr Stevenson offered the young couple some ice cream to thank them for their interest.Impressed by his honesty and sincerity, the young couple decided to place an order.2-7-BFashion -- Image or Reality?Why do people spend so much money on fashion? Do they want to create an image or make sure they are not old-fashioned? Do people really judge each other by the clothes they wear? The billion-dollar fashion industry certainly tries to convince consumers that such judgements are made.Unfortunately, they may be right. A recent study using elementary school students was interesting. They said that people wearing Calvin Klein designer jeans were more handsome and successful than those wearing Wranglers. Levi-wearers were seen as sporty, fashionable and fun! Obviously we learn early that "Clothes make the man." In otherwords, clothes show age, outlook, status and income. However, clothes that look great on professional models may look terrible on the average buyer.Although beautiful clothes don't help physically, they are important for social and psychological effects. Expensive clothes can make the wearer feel like part of the high status group that sets taste and style. So you are buying an image of success. Y ou may really live a routine life, waking up in the morning feeling dull and ordinary. But when you dress in these expensive clothes, your mood brightens. Y ou feel good, ready to face another day with energy. Sound crazy? People who love clothes say it's true.Of course, a lot of people don't like high fashion. They'd rather spend their money on something practical. Which would you prefer -- the image or the reality?2-7-CPlatform ShoesIf you have been thinking that platform shoes are the newest fashion trend on the planet, then it is about time you found out something about these height boosters. Not only were they wildly popular during the noisy disco days of the 1970's, but they were also all the rage during the late 1400's to 1600's.The platform shoes that were the sign of high fashion in the 1600's were more practical than today's style symbols. They were worn over delicate shoes to protect them from getting dirty when walking in muddy or dusty streets.After going out of fashion in the 1600's, platforms returned to the style scene in the 1930's when designers such as Salvatore Ferragamo began breaking the rules of fashion. They re-emerged again towards the end of the 1960's and by 1975 were so common that men were also trying to balance on their massive heels.No matter how fashionable platforms are, they also have a reputation for creating problems. It is very easy to twist your ankle while wearing platforms and the damage this can do to your foot can be serious. In Japan, they have also brought about traffic problems as women wearing them while driving have been unable to brake quickly enough and as a result caused accidents!2-8-BLottery WinnersDo you dream of winning the lottery? So have millions of other people. Every day, millions of Americans buy lottery tickets. They are hoping to win $100,000, $1,000,000 or more. What happens after you win the lottery?When you win a million dollars, you don't receive a check for the total amount. Y ou receive $50, 000 a year for twenty years. Also, you must pay taxes. After taxes, you receive from $25,000 to $40,000 a year for twenty years. This is a lot of extra spending money.What have some people done with their money? Let's look at three past winners.Lisa K wanted to be an artist, but she didn't have enough money to go to art school. She was working at a job she didn't enjoy. In August, Lisa bought one ticket and won two million dollars. She quit her job three weeks later and is now attending art school.Mark L was a car salesman. He worked seven days a week and had little time for family life. After he won the lottery, he quit working. Now he spends his time bowling, working in the garden, and fixing things in his house. But, he's bored. He doesn't want to sell cars again, but he isn't sure what he wants to do with his life.Jack B is one of the small number of winners who did not quit his job. Jack still teaches at a school near his home. But now he and his wife take their children on an interesting vacation every year. And they don't worry about sending their children to college. They say that money brings security and gives a person opportunities, but it doesn't bring happiness.2-8-CAn Abandoned Newborn BabyA healthy newborn girl was discovered in Central Park yesterday morning. The baby was abandoned on the top of a rock shortly before dawn after the mother gave birth to her there.The police said that the baby was healthy and weighed 7 pounds. Now they were searching for the mother. A policeman said that they had never had anything like this before. They really didn't get babies left in the park. But they were just happythe baby was all right.The police rushed the baby to a nearby hospital. Fortunately she was OK. The police believed the baby was born l ess than half an hour before she was discovered. They also believed judging from the amount of blood found on the rock, that the mother might have given birth there. It was 70 degrees when the baby was found.Detectives were investigating whether the mother was a homeless woman who called a baby rescue hotline early yesterday. The head of Hope Foundation said that his hotline received a call about 5:30 a.m. from a young homeless woman in Manhattan. The caller asked, "How do I get rid of my baby?" She was apparently in labor. Then she was told to go to either a hospital or a fire station. But the woman was afraid she would be recognized there. The head also said that the woman wouldn't even tell him where he could possibly meet her since they had two teams that could help with the delivery, if necessary.2-11-BA Musician-turned EconomistAlan Greenspan, who has been Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board for over a decade, is regarded as one of the most important men by many people in the world.Greenspan was born on March 6, 1926. His father was a stockbroker and his mother worked in retailing. When he was 4 years old, his parents divorced and he was raised by his mother in New Y ork.Y oung Alan was a shy boy but he was very good at large numbers. When he was only five, his mother would get him to add two three-digit numbers in his headHe loved baseball and tennis. And, like his mother, he developed a deep appreciation for music. In the mid-1940s he studied briefly at a music school in New Y ork, and then toured the country for a year with a music band. Then he entered New Y ork University's School of Commerce and graduated with a degree in economics. He got a Master's degree at NYU in 1949, and shifted to Columbia University to work on his PhD. When his money ran low, he withdrew from graduate school and went to work for the National Industrial Conference Board. He eventually earned a PhD from NYU in 1977.In the mid-1950s Greenspan opened an economic consulting company. In 1987 he began to work in the Federal Government. Today his work as Chief of Federal Reserve Board is much the same as the work he did on Wall Street, trying to understand how the economy is working and what drives it; offering suggestions for improvement. He is, however, making less money.2-11-CEdwin HubbleEdwin Powell Hubble was a tall, elegant, athletic man. During his lifetime, his research was focused on nebulae, which are misty patches of light in the sky. In 1924, he announced the discovery of a star in a nebula. He calculated that this star was much further away than anyone had thought and that therefore the nebula was not inside our galaxy, but a galaxy of stars just like the Milky Way, only much further away. His discovery enabled the world to realize that the universe was much bigger than had been previously presumed.Hubble wanted to classify the galaxies according to their content, distance, shape and brightness patterns, and in his observations he made another great discovery: the galaxies were moving away from each other at a rate constant to the distance between them. This is known as Hubble's law. The greater the distance between them, the faster they move away from each other. This supported the big bang theory of how the universe came into being.Hubble died in 1953. To honor his great contribution to space exploration, his name was chosen for the world's most powerful space telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope.。

Unit 6-Conversation 1Janet: What are you reading, Kate?Kate:Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. Do you know it?Janet: I've heard of it, yes, but I've never read it. It's a 19th century children's story, isn't it?K a te: That's right. It's very famous. It's set in Oxford. It starts with this young girl sitting on a river bank. The interesting thing is, the author, Lewis Carroll, he was an Oxford professor and he used to have tea with the girl's family on this river bank.Ja net: Oh, that's fascinating! I'll put it into my diary. Kate: Is that what you're writing? I know you've been keeping a diary all the year.Janet: It's been a great year. I've had such a good time — so lucky to have Mark and Kate as friends. Feel I've been doing well with work. Much happier about asking questions in tutorials.Janet: My screen's gone dark.Mark: You're using the battery, remember. It's run out, obviously.Janet: It can't be the battery. It's still charged. Oh no it's still black. Oh dear, I hope it's nothing serious. I haven't backed anything up recently.Kate: That's not like you, Janet.Janet:I know, but I lost my memory stick. I really should have backed things up. How stupid of me not to do that! Supposing I've lost everything!Mark: Let me take a look. The power is still on. And also the operating system still seems to be working ... I think it has to be the graphics card ... But maybe that's not the problem ... Janet: If only I'd backed things up!Kate: Relax, Janet! We'll take it to the computer shop this afternoon. I'm sure it'll be OK.Janet: I hope so.Unit 6-Conversation 2Janet: Tell me about Alice in Wonderland.Kate: I tell you what, I'll read it to you.Kate: Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank and having nothing to do: Once or twice, she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversation?" So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid) ... Janet: Kate, Mark, where are you going? You've got my laptop!Kate: It's all right, Janet, we're taking it to the computer shop. We'll be back soon.Mark: It's not like Janet to forget to back up her work. Kate: She should have been more careful.Janet: It was stupid of me, I know! Stupid, stupid! Janet: Oh! It was a dream! What a relief!Kate: You were talking in your sleep.Janet: What was I saying? Kate: "Stupid, stupid."M ark:I've sorted out your computer.Janet: Have you? Oh, thank goodness! What was the problem?Mark:It was the graphics card, as I predicted ...Janet: Is that what it was! I'm so relieved! Thanks, Mark. Kate: He's great, isn't he?Janet: Yes. So are you, Kate.Kate: You're such a good friend.Unit 6-Outside viewComputers are a very important part of our lives. They tell us about delays to transport. They drive trains, analyze evidence and control buildings. Did you know that 60 per cent of homes in Britain have got a PC (a personal computer)? For many young people, playing computer games is their favorite way of spending spare time. Computers are a very important part of most areas of life in Britain-libraries, the police and in school. But they are becoming more important in our homes as well. They’ll even control the way we live-in “smart homes”or computer-controlled houses. The smart home is now a real possibility. It will become very common. A central computer will adjust the temperature, act as a burglar alarm and switch on lights, ready for you to come back home. And of course you will be able to give new instructions to the computer from your mobile phone. So if your plans change, your home will react to match. Many homes have got lots of televisions and several computers. The smart home will provide TV and Internet sockets in every room, so you’ll be able to do what you want whenever you want. If the temperature outside changes, the smart home will adjust the temperature levels inside. The computer will also close the blinds when it gets dark or to stop so much sun from entering a room. And if you want to eat when you get home, the computer will turn the oven on for you! Are computers taking over our lives? In a survey, 44 per cent of young people between 11 and 16 said their PC was a trusted friend. Twenty per cent said they were happier at their computer than spending time with family or friends. Another survey found that people in Britain spend so much time on the phone, texting and reading emails that they no longer have time for conversation. What do you think about that?Unit 6-Listening inNews ReportUS Scientists have announced the discovery of gravitational waves, which are tiny waves produced by massive objects moving very quickly. Two black holes produced the waves when they crashed into each other about 1.3 billion years ago.A black hole is a place in space where the gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape. This announcement of the discovery comes a century after Albert Einstein first predicted gravitational waves would exist.The discovery was made possible by using a highly sensitive instrument designed to detect signals of gravitational waves and identify their sources. This discovery proves that there are gravitational waves, and strongly confirms the existence ofblack holes.With this discovery, scientists are given a new tool to study and understand the universe. The waves could help scientists learn more about what happened immediately after the universe began and how the universe expanded. Scientists hope that they may be able to observe parts of the universe that were previously undetectable.1.What discovery have US scientists made?2.What features do black holes have according to the newsreport?3.Why is the discovery important?Passage 1When you have a biscuit with your cup of tea, do you dunk it? And if so, what’s the perfect way to do it? That’s the subject of today’s Science in Action report. It may be hard to believe but scientists at the University of Bristol have been analyzing this question. And after a two-month study they devised a mathematical formula for dunking biscuits. So no more melting chocolate, or biscuit crumbs in the bottom of your cup, which is the fate of one in four biscuits that are dunked in tea, according to research by a biscuit manufacturer. Doughnut dunkers don’t face the same problems because doughnuts are held together with an elastic net of protein, gluten. This substance allows the doughnut to absorb liquid without breaking down its structure. The structure of a biscuit, however, is held together by sugar which melts when placed in hot tea or coffee.So what is the answer? The researcher, let by Dr. Len Fisher, discovered that holding the biscuit in a horizontal position – or “flat-on”– has a significant effect on the amount of time that a biscuit can stay in hot liquid before falling apart. In fact this horizontal dunking results in a dunking time up to four times longer than traditional vertical dunking.What’s the reason for this? It seems that the answer is related to diffusion, in other words, the length of time it takes for the liquid to penetrate the structure of the biscuit. Basically, it takes longer for the liquid to travel through the channels of a biscuit when it is laid flat on the surface of the liquid. Also the fact that when a biscuit is dunked horizontally, with the biscuit submerged in the liquid, and the chocolate coating staying out of the liquid, the chocolate helps hold the biscuit together. Another factor influencing the equation is the temperature of the tea – the hotter the tea, the faster the sugar melts.Researchers also found that by dunking a biscuit into tea or coffee, up to ten times more flavor is release than it the biscuit is eaten dry. So it’s worth experimenting yourself. If you are wondering how you can perfect the horizontal dunk, the researchers have come up with an idea for a biscuit-holding device to make dunking biscuits easier. They are even mow working on producing a table giving guidelines on dunking times for different types of biscuit. On that note, I think it’s time to go off to the canteen for a tea break! Passage 2Peter: Hey Louise, look at this book about crop circles - some of the photos are absolutely unbelievable. Louise: You don t believe in all that stuff, do you Peter? Peter: I'm not saying I believe in UFOs and things, but some of the formations are fascinating. They’remade up of lots of interconnected circles andgeometrical shapes. You know, in the past few years,there have been more reports of them. The circlesare getting larger and the designs are getting moreintricate... I'm sure that they can't all be man-made.Think about it - they're so complicated, and theyappear at night in the middle of fields of wheatbarley or corn. It’s definitely pretty weird! Louise: I know, but l saw a TV documentary about it, and they showed how a group of hoaxers made anelaborate crop circle in a field at night usingwooden plank, ropes, plastic tubes and a gardenroller. They even fooled some of the people whobelieve in the paranormal-aliens coming down inUFOs and aliens coming down in UFOs andcreating them, and so on.Peter: I'm sure lots of them are created by people just to get publicity but look here-it says, “The firstrecords of crop circles go back as far as the 17thcentury. Since the 1970s there have been over12,000 reports from countries all around the worldincluding Italy, America, South Africa, Australiaand Brazil.” Most reports are from here in Englandthough.Louise: But surely that’s just because they get so muchmedia coverage these days, so more people aremaking them.Peter: Perhaps, but how do you explain the fact that the actual chemical composition of the grains of corpsinside the circles changes? Scientific tests havefound they have a higher protein level. The stems ofthe grains have often been exposed to hightemperatures. And they found that the soil withinthe circles contains more iron than the soil outside.So far, the hoaxers haven't been able to copy allthese features.Louise: Well, I'm not a scientist but I'm pretty sceptical about all these so-called paranormal explanations. Iremember in the programme I watched, theresearchers found signs of human interference, suchas holes in the earth and footprints!Peter: Come on… you must admit, that still leaves a lot which is unexplained!Louise: There's lots of things that are hard to explain but this really...。

视听说２听力材料Unit 6 Sporting lifeInside viewConversation1Kate ：Are you on your way to the boathouse?Janet ：No. What’s happening?Kate ：There’s a practice race to help choose who will row in the college team. Mark reallywants a place on the team, so he has to row well today. And I’m going to watch.Janet ：Well, I’d like to, but I have an essay to finish.Kate ：That’s too bad! I know how you feel.Janet ：Maybe I can come later?Kate ：Sure. I’m thinking of having lunch in the boathouse bar, and then watching the rowingall afternoon.Janet ：How do I get to the boathouse? Kate ：It’s easy. Can you see where we are on the map? Here, look!Janet ：OK, which way round are we standing? … Yes, got it!Kate ：OK, go down Catte Street, and turn right into the High Street. Go along the High Streetand turn left into St Aldates. Walk along St Aldates, past Christ Church College until youget to Folly Bridge.Janet ：I see.Kate ：Then when you get to the bridge, cross over the river … turn left and walk along the riverbank. Keep going along the river … And you’re there! The boathouses are on the right, and the Hertford College Boathouse is the last one along. You can’t miss it.Janet ：Thanks. I’m looking forward toseeing the rowing.Kate ：No problem. We shouldn’t miss the rowing –it’s a great university tradition!Janet ：I know, Mark was telling me. Kate ：Like the boat race between Oxford and Cambridge universities every year.Janet ：Of course! The great rivals! Kate ：The Boat Race has been going for years, maybe nearly 200 years.Janet ：And Oxford won it this year! Kate ：Yes, but Cambridge was very close behind. Anyway see you later, down by the river.Janet ：Bye.Conversation2ScriptsKate ：So the rules are … the boats follow each other and the one behind has to bump the onein front … just like that one has done. Janet ：Is that Mark’s boat?Kate ：Yes! Look, his boat is about to bump the one in front! Well done!…Mark ：Hi you guys!Kate ：Fantastic, Mark. You were amazing!Mark ：Well, we won the practice race, but I’m worried about getting a place on the team. The problem is that there are at least three other people on the team who have rowed before. And I can’t help thinking that they were better than me.Janet ：Don’t worry, Mark. Everything will be OK.Mark ：And then I hurt my knee getting into the boat.Janet ：Oh, I’m so sorry!Kate ：Too bad, but it’s only a scratch. Listen up, Janet is right. No need to get nervous, Mark.You were the strongest looking guy in the boat today. Chill out!Mark ：Hey, they’re putting the team list on the door.Janet ：Let’s go over and see.Mark ：No, you go! I can’t bear to look!Kate ：OK.…Kate ：Hey, Mark, great news! You got a place on the college team!Janet ：Congratulations!Kate ：That’s great, Mark, you deserve it. You trained so hard.Mark ：I can’t believe it!Outside viewInterviewer ：OK then Graham, I wonder if first off you could explain a little bit of the history of Tae Kwon Do. Teacher ：Tae Kwon Do originated er … about 3,000 years ago in Korea. It’s in thepresent form we train and teach now is formulated in 1955 by a Korean general. He was asked to put a self-defence together for the Korean army. This is how we teach it now, but it’s got origins going back thousands of years throughout Asia and of course obviously throughout Korea. So how does it, I mean, how does it differ to, say, other martial arts? Tae Kwon Do is basically the hand and foot martial art. It’s a self-defence martial art as I said, originated for the Korean martial art for the army. It’s legs and hands, Tae means to kick, Kwon means to punch and Do means a way, or method.OK. So I can see over your shoulder there how it’s a pretty popular class, what kind of mixture of people do you get coming along? Luckily we get all sorts, that’s the aim of the class, it’s open to everyone,we take any flexibility level, any age, any fitness level,and we guarantee to improve flexibility and fitness and also have a good time. We’re also teaching atra ditional martial art as well, so it’s a fun aspect but with tradition mixed in as well.So how long have you been in this sport yourself?Six years,and I’m a second Dan instructor now.What got you into it in the first place? I’ve always wanted to do martial art, I lacked a little bit of self-confidence I must admit, and my wife’s uncle was a black belt and I went along and watched, and thought, yeah I could do that. You know, I had no experience of it at all, and I’ve never looked back. So what do you think people in general get out of it? Well hopefully, it’s fun,as well as learning something. As I said it’s a traditional martial art as well, so we teach tradition in our line work, in our patterns … go back thousands of years, also the fun aspects, as I said fitness, flexibility, making new friends, getting out, beating the stresses of everyday, daily life. I mean there’s nothing better than coming into a class and smacking a pad, you know, releasing the stresses of daily life, so hopefully they get quite a bit out of it.InterviewerOK, two things actually, whereabouts do you hold your classes and if people were interested in taking up how would they go about finding out?TeacherOK, the Bytomic group, they run 26 Tae Kwon Do classes in around the southeast. The easiest way of finding out is look on the website which is www. or alternativelyyou can ring the office which is 01844 281 888. All the information is on the website or speak to the office.Local clubs are Long Crendon here on a Tuesday and Thursday, Aylesbury onSundays and Tuesdays and Princes Risborough on a Monday and a Wednesday evening.InterviewerOK, well thank you very much for your time Graham, cheers very much, very interesting, we’ll give it a go. TeacherThank you very much for your day. Anytime Chris, come along, for a free lesson!Listening inPassage1Speaker 1And David Seaman is in goal for the England team down to our right … it’s difficult to get used to the change of team colours here … I’m looking at the white shorts and thinking they’re English players, but they’re not. For this match it’s the Germans who are wearing white. I hope the English players don’t have the same problem, we don’t want them to pass the ball to the Germans. Now Gascoigne for England passes to McManaman for the first time … McManaman is immediatelysurrounded by three German defenders … he brings the ball to the near side of the pitch … still McManaman for England, crosses the ball to Pearce … Pearce takes a shot! … saved by the German Ziegler, and picked up by Ince only 25 yards away from the German goal … good effort by Ince, aims at the goal! … and Kopke, the German goalkeeper pushes the ball over the top of the goal. So a corner kick for England.Speaker 2A great shot by Ince, I’m sure he knows that Pearce set that up for him, but Kopke put the shot out of danger.Speaker 1He does like to punch the ball, that Kopke in the German goal … England’s first corner of this semi-final … Gascoigne will take it … Here comes the corner kick from Gascoigne … and Shearer’s there and Alan Shearer scores for England … England have scored after only two minutes’ play … with a corner kick by Gascoigne … aimed at the near post, and Alan Shearer heads the ball into the Germ an goal … It’s an absolute dream start for the semi-final … Shearer has got his fifth goal of the tournament … Would you believe it? It’s England one, Germany nil!Passage2Matt ：Now it’s time for Critic’s Choice, with news and reviews about the latest films. Good evening, Jack, seen anything good at the cinema this week?Jack ：Good evening Matt, yes, I’ve seen one of the best sports films of recent years.Matt ：Sports films? That’s not usually a type of film which appeals to you. Jack ：You’re right, but this time it’s different. I’ve been to see a film about mountain climbing, it’s not really your typical sports film. It’s more man against the mountain.Matt ：Tell us more.Jack ：I’ve been to see Touching the V oid, which is the story of a pair of mountain climbers in thePeruvian Andes.Matt ：Is it a true story?Jack ：Yes, it is. In 1985, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates set out to climb the 7,000-metre Siula Grande mountain in the Peruvian Andes. Simpson and Yates were young, fit and confident they would succeed.Matt ：So what happens?Jack ：Simpson and Yates’ style of climbing involved moving quickly up amountain with very few supplies and no base camps, which is risky. You can’t make any mistakes.Matt ：I think I can guess what happens next.Jack ：And sure enough after climbing well for three and a half days, disaster strikes. Simpson falls and breaks his right leg. With no food or water, the climbers know they have to getoff the mountain –fast. Yates is determined to find a way to get his friend home, and he has to lower Simpson down the mountain. Simpson is in agony, but Yates has no choice except to ignore his partner’s cries of pain because otherwise he’ll die. Well, for a while, things go well. But suddenly Simpson, at the end of the rope, fails to respond to Yates’ signal. Yates is unable to move any further and has no idea why Simpson is not responding. So Yates holds on with all of his strength, all too aware that eventually his strength would give out and both would fall. But what Yates doesn’t know is that he has lowered Simpson over the edge of a crevasse. Simpson is hanging in mid-air from the vertical face of the mountain. He’s unable to climb back up the rope and he’s got frostbitten fingers and can’t communicatewith Yates above him.Matt ：So what happens?Jack ：Well, I don’t want to spoil the ending for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet.Matt ：But …Jack ：But Yates hangs onto the rope for an hour, getting weaker. For any climber, cuttingthe rope that binds him to his partner is unthinkable.Matt ：Sounds very exciting. So what about the direction and the filming? Jack ：The director is Kevin Macdonald, and he tells the story bycutting from interviews to shotsof the climb itself. But it’s the message of the film which interests me. You see, in the end, the impression left by the film is astonishment that a human being could do what Joe did, which is to survive.Matt ：Thanks Jack, this week’s Critic’s Choice is Touching the V oid, on general release in all cinemas from next week.Unit 7 Animal planetInside viewConversation1Mark ：Hey, what’s a cat doing in college? We’re not supposed to have cats here.Kate ：No! What a lovely pussycat! I adore cats.Mark ：I can’t stand them. I find them really boring. Kate ：But she’s gorgeous! Aren’t you, my darling? I wonder where she’s come from, maybe she’swandered in from outside.Mark ：Actually, I remember, I saw her the other day. Maybe she belongs to someone in college –she hasn’t got a name tag on her.Kate ：We’re not allowe d to keep pets in college.Mark ：Maybe someone’s breaking the rules.Kate ：Could be. So – is it just cats you hate or all animals?Mark ：No, I don’t hate animals. We’ve got three dogs at home.Kate ：Three!Mark ：Yeah, labradors.Kate ：Oh, they’re ver y lovable, labradors. So you like animals then –apart from cats.Mark ：Yes, I love them. That reminds me, there’s a programme on tonight about snakes. I reallyenjoy watching nature programmes. Kate ：So do I, but snakes –They’re so scary. How can you like them?Mark ：I just do. Hey, what are we going to do about this horrible cat? Kate ：She’s not horrible. I think she wants to come into my room. Do you want to come in? Sucha sweetie!Mark ：I’ll say goodbye. See you later. You’d better not keep her, Kate!Conversation2Kate ：Come in.Janet ：Hi, Kate! What are you doing with a cat in your room?Kate ：I found her in the corridor. Janet ：Where did it come from? Kate ：Search me! She doesn’t have a name tag.Janet ：What’s that organization called that protects animals? Maybe you should ring them.Kate ：Um –I think it’s called the RSPCA? Oh, no need. She’ll find her way home.Janet They’re so mad about animals, the British.Kate ：Yeah. So are Americans. So am I!Janet ：It’s very different in Ch ina. Kate ：You don’t keep animals as pets, do you?Janet ：Well, that’s not so true for the last 15 years or so.Kate ：Yeah?Janet ：Yes, more people are keeping pets now, especially in cities. It’s because they getlonely, I think. Sometimes people dis like animals. But that’s the same as everywhere, right?Kate ：Yes! Some people just don’t like pets. So how do you feel about them? Janet ：I quite like cats, they’re all right. My mum’s terrified of them, she thinks they carrydisease. Lots of people do, they’refrightened of catching rabies.Kate ：It’s true. Dogs and cats can give people rabies.Janet ：I know. Actually, I’m afraid of dogs, I’m really scared of them. It’s their teeth!Kate ：I adore dogs and cats. But then I’m just crazy about animals.Hey, I think she wants toleave. Do you want to go, baby? There you go! Isn’t she cute?Janet ：Um …Outside viewPart1PresenterOnce upon a time, Louis, a long, long, long time ago, your great-great-great-great grandad was a wolf. Go on, go on … Today’s Wild, your weekly wildlife show around Oxfordshire, is all about the ancestors of all domestic dogs, the wolf. And if you’re really lucky, you might have one coming soon to a school near you. …Presenter ：So are you looking forward to seeing the wolves today?Kids ：Yeah!!!Presenter ：Are you? Are you excited? Kids ：Yeah!!!Presenter ：Do you like … no-one … anyone scared of wolves?Kids ：Yeah!! No …!!Presenter… the one at the back … come here then and talk to me for a minute … Are you scared of the wolf then? What do you think of dogs? Are you scared of dogs as well or is just the wolf?Girl ：Just the wolf.PresenterJust the wolf. OK, so we’ll see what you think afterwards. What’s your name?Girl ：Amy.PresenterOK, Amy. Well, I thi nk we’re going to go into the hall in a minute, so we’ll go and …Child ：Are we going to see the wolves?Child ：Can we hold them?Child ：Are we allowed to stroke them? Man ：I’ll show you where we’re going to be.Presenter ：Yeah, great. Can we stroke them? Yeah, I think we can.Part2RogerGood morning. I’ll now ask you to stay really quiet. Although these wolves are used to going into schools like this, they’re still quite shy and any sudden noise … and they wouldn’t be very happy. As your headteacher said, my name’s Roger and we’re from the UK Wolf Conservation Trust which is half way from a big town just a bit west of here called Reading, half way between Reading and Newbury. And we call these animals our living ambassadors for education and conse rvation. I’m quite happy to take any questions you may have, if you want to ask about what they eat, if you want to ask about how long they live, if you want to ask anything that comes to your mind. So put your hand up if you want to ask a question. Yes, at the back there.Boy ：How long do they live?Roger ：In captivity? Well we pander to every whim that the wolf has, we feed them every day, welook after them with real care. They can live to be at least 16 years old and there are cases of a wolf living to be … 20 or just over.Boy ：How fast can wolves run? RogerHow fast can wolves run? Well, they’re not like a cheetah, which can outrun its prey, by getting up to 60, 70 miles anhour over very short distances. Wolves have evolved to be like a hound, so they can run fairly fast, about 40 miles an hour for three or four miles. And then they’ve used up all their energy. And in the wild, only about one in ten hunts is successful.Boy ：Um … Are you allowed to keep them for pets?RogerThey … you can’t ke ep them literally as a pet. Because although they look … like … cuddly lapdogs, they’re not. These are what we call a socialized wild animal which means that we hand-rear them from about seven days old. They have that all-important first week of special milk from their mother and then they’re still blind and deaf so the first thing they may see and hear is a human bottle-feeding them. And by doing that, they grow up to be really friendly, but as I said atthe outset, they may look like pets –they’re not. These are wild animals which have learnt to like people. So if you had them in your house, in a very short time, they … and they’ve done it in our house in years gone by, they will either eat holes in your sofa, they’ll tear down your curtains, pull up your carpets. They’re not animals you want to have loose in the house after all.Part3RogerWe have … form a queue … about there. Say hello. She wants to meet you … Yousee how she spread her legs for … She really likes it a lot. Underneath. That’s it. T hat’s what she likes. You can rub hard. You see how soft and thick her coat is.…Presenter ：What was your name? Girl ：Amy.Presenter ：And you’re …?Girl ：Grace.Presenter ：Grace. OK. Now Amy, you were very frightened of the wolf weren’t you? Whenw e started. What did you think … what d’you think now?Amy ：They won’t bite.Presenter ：They what?Amy ：They won’t bite.Presenter ：They won’t bite. So d’you like them? … So you’re not too frightened anymore.What did you think when you stroked the wolf?Amy ：I liked it.Presenter ：You liked it? Did you? Do they seem a bit like dogs really? Presenter ：They are cuddly? Presenter ：And you’re not frightened anymore of the wolves? Roger, you’ve done a good jobhere! … And what do you think? Grace ：The y’re cute, they’re fluffy … Presenter ：Fluffy? Grace ：And … er … cuddly. Presenter ：Thank you very much! You can go back to your class now …Listening inPassage1It’s hard to believe but in America there are 68 million dog owners and 73 million cat owners. In the UK, which has a human population of 61 million, there are 6.8 million dogs and 9.58 million cats.All over the developed world, the pet population is increasing. At the same time, people are spending more and more money on their pets, particularly on their dogs.The most extraordinary example to date is that of Leonara Helmsley, a childless American billionaire. When she died, she left her dog, a white Maltese calledTrouble, 12 million dollars. While Helmsley was alive, nothing was too good for her little dog. He shared her bed, was dressed in expensive clothes and wore a diamond collar. His meals were prepared by a chef and presented to him on a silver tray.The problem was that Trouble lived up to his name and bit people. But Leonara didn’t mind – sheloved him and he loved her. And so after her death, he got his reward – a lot of money that he didn’t know he had and couldn’t use anyway.Americans were shocked by this story, but the fact is that more and more rich Americans are leaving their dogs money when they die – 250,000 dollars is not unusual. In Britain, people don’tspend as much money on their dogs as Americans but they do spoil them. At Christmas, 46 per cent of dogs can expect to receive toys, and biscuits. And one in ten dog owners say they dress their pet up for the special day.One woman was in the news in America for designing 120 outfits for her dog, which has its own wardrobe, and a $17,000 bed that it doesn’t actually sleep in. Its owner has a very successful dog boutique that sells – yes, you guessed it –designer clothes for dogs.Now dogs may enjoy all this attention, but spoilt dogs can create problems for their owners. Dogs need a master and if their master acts like their friend or parent, they start behaving badly, attacking other animals, and damaging property –often their owner’s homes. Yet, often, this doesn’t make their owners love them less – dogs are their children, after all.Passage2Interviewer：One of the most exciting creatures in the sea is the blue whale. Daniel Cameron is a film-maker who has been filming blue whales for ten years in the south Atlantic. First of all, tell us why youhave this fascination with blue whales.Daniel ：Well, it seems obvious to me, really. They’re extraordina ry creatures. They’re the largest mammals that have ever lived on earth. They – they can be as long as 33 metres –that’s more than 16 timestaller than a human being. And they’re also the loudest animal on earth –the noise they make is louder than a jet plane. I’ve heard them – very, very loud. And when they come to the surface to breathe, their blow –well, it’s usually about ten metres high. Interviewer ：That’s amazing.Daniel ：And I forgot to say, they live for at least 80 years.Interviewer ：But their numbers are declining, aren’t they?Daniel ：Yes, well, at the start of the 20th century there were between 275,000 and 300,000blue whales in the sea. Now there are probably, probably under 5,000. Interviewer ：And that’s as a result of …?Daniel… well, of whaling, both in the Atlantic and the Pacific. And also, climate change is beginning to destroy the food they eat, krill.Interviewer ：So they’re an endangered species?DanielYes. We’re not at all sure they’ll survive. That’s partly why I film whales –to raise awareness of them and let people know how extraordinary they are. We don’t want to lose them.Interviewer ：Is it very difficult to film them?Daniel ：It’s very difficult. The thing is, we know very little about them so they’re very hard to find. We – we had a boat with 12 men and often the weather was so bad that we couldn’t go to sea. We had a small plane that we used to locate the whales and the plane would find them alright, but, but it would take hours for the boat to get there, and by the time we got there –the whales had gone!Interviewer ：That must have been very frustrating.DanielYes, it was. But then sometimes we’d meet another whale while we were on our way out. We’d see its blow –as I said, it’s about ten metre s high –and that’s quite something to see. And then one day – finally – we managed to film a whale feeding. None of us will ever forget that.Unit 8 Time offInside viewConversation1Mark ：Have you got your tickets for the play?Kate ：What play?Mark ：The play which OUDS are producing. You know, the play I’m in at the Oxford Playhouse.Kate ：Oh, that play! Well, er … Mark ：What about you, Janet? Janet ：What’s the play called?Mark ：Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett. You are coming, aren’t you?Kate ：Beckett?Janet ：Why not?Kate ：Well, um, I’m sure you’ll be totally brilliant, Mark … but I wish I could understand theplay. It doesn’t make sense.Mark ：If only you were more patient, Kate. Beckett’s a fascinating writer. You’ll come though, won’t you, Janet? You really ought to see something like this at least once during your stay in Oxford.Janet ：Well, I’m not sure.Mark ：Oh, come on! Please!Janet ：But if Kate doesn’t understand the play, there’s no way I’ll be able to follow it.Kate ：Do you want to go?Janet ：Well, I love going to the theatre, and I’d really like to see Mark acting. And actually, yes, I think I should see a play by Samuel Beckett.Mark ：Good! So you’re coming, Janet.I wish you’d come, too, Kate. It’s a really good performance.Kate ：Well, OK, but I’m only doing it because you’re in it. When is it on? Mark ：Next Tuesday to Saturday. Janet ：How about going Friday night? Mark ：That’s great. But you’d better get your tickets soon, because we’re expecting a full house.Conversation2Kate ：Well, what did you think? Janet ：It was … very interesting. Kate ：I didn’t have a clue what was going on. Absolutely nothing happened!I don’t know why I bothered coming to see it.Janet ：I thought Mark was brilliant. Kate ：Yes, I did too, of course … Janet ：But I wish I had read the play before I saw it. If only I had known the story, it might havebeen easier to follow it. How long do you think Mark will be?Janet ：I guess he needs to get changed first. He said he’d joi n us as soon aspossible.Kate ：Here he is. Hi Mark!Mark ：Hi, what did you think? How was I?Janet ：It was … very challenging. Kate ：It was so-so.Janet ：But you were brilliant! Well done.Kate ：You were awesome, Mark. Everyone adored your performance. Darling, you were to die for!Mark ：OK, OK, don’t exaggerate. I wasn’t that good! Anyway, I’ve got some great news!Janet ：Tell us!Mark ：We’ve started talking about next term’s OUDS play.Kate ：What’s it going to be?Mark ：Hamlet, by William Shakespeare!Janet ：Great! And who’s going to play Hamlet?Kate ：Don’t tell me, let me guess! Mark ：To be or not to be, that is the question!Janet ：I don’t believe it. You’re going to play Hamlet?Kate ：Come on, let’s celebrate … from Beckett to Shakespeare. Today Oxford, tomorrow,Hollywood!Outside viewPart1Viewer 1 ：So, what do you guys want to watch?Viewer 2 ：Uh, I don’t know. What’s on?Viewer 3 ：How about a documentary on the History Channel? I like watching history programmes.Viewer 2 ：I don’t really like watching the History Channel.Viewer 1 ：How about a baseball game? From 1973?Viewer 3 ：No thanks! How about a cooking show?Viewer 1 ：Yeah, I love watching cooking shows.Viewer 2 ：What?Viewer 1 ：I do!Viewer 2 ：Uh, I don’t lik e cooking shows. Uh, let’s watch some music videos.Viewer 1 ：This is awful!Viewer 3 ：Can you see what’s on another channel?Viewer 1 ：Yeah, sure. What channel? Viewer 3 ：Uh, anything but this.V oice-over ：These television viewers are trying to decide on a programme to watch, byclicking on channels, and seeing what’s on. This practice is known as channel surfing. In the past, it was not difficult to decide what to watch on TV. There were only three channels to choose from. Cable television has changed all that. There are so many channels, and so many different kinds of programmes to watch, many viewers find it difficult to decide what to watch, even when they are watching by themselves. This business traveller doesn’t like anything. Many people like a particular type of programme.Speaker 1 ：TV programmes I like watching are cooking shows, um, comedy shows.Speaker 2：I usually watch dramas, murder mystery programmes, quizzes, comedies.Speaker 3 ：I like watching talk shows. Speaker 4 ：I guess of all my favourite TV shows I’d like news programmes. Speaker 5：I like to watch soap operas and news.Speaker 6 ：I like to watch comedy shows.Speaker 7 ：Well, I like good drama, I like a lot of the cop shows, um … I like a lot of the sciencefiction shows and good history. Speaker 8 ：TV programmes I like towatch are like sports, automotive, Discovery, that type of thing.Part2V oice-overCartoons have always been popular. This brother and sister are watching their favourite DVD.Mum ：Turn that down!Boy ：OK, Mum.V oice-over ：He, he turns it down. Now the volume is too low. For couples, deciding whatto watch can require some very careful negotiation.Woman ：Oh, look! Pretty Woman is on! I love watching that movie.Joe ：Pretty Woman? Oh, no, not Pretty Woman!Woman ：Joe, you know it’s my favourite movie. It’s on in five minutes. I’ll be right back. I’m just going to get some coffee.Joe ：I don’t like watching that kind of movie. Plus I don’t like Julia Roberts. Actually, I really hate that movie.V oice-over ：Joe realizes that there’s a basketball game on tomorrow night. He wants to ask hisfriends over to watch it.Woman ：You’re so sweet to watch this with me. I know you probably don’t want to see it again.Joe ：Oh, sure. I don’t mind.There’s nothing else on anyway. Not tonight.Viewer 1 ：Hey, look. Swordfish is on. John Travoltaand Halle Berry?Viewer 2 ：No, I’ve already seen that twice.Viewer 3 ：I hate that movie.Viewer 1 ：OK. How about The Matrix?Viewer 3 ：That’s OK. But I’ve seen it too many times.。

Unit 2 听力原文PartⅠBH—House agent W—Woman M—ManH: …right, if you’d just come this way.W: Thank you.M: Yes.H: Er…on the right here we have the…er…the bathroom, which as you can see is fully…fully fitted. If we just move forward now, we…er…come into the er…main … main bed-sitting room here. And…er…on the left here are dining room table and chairs.W: Oh yes.M: Yes.H: And er…straight ahead of us…um…foldaway double bed and mattress, which I think you’ll agree is quite a novel idea.M: Oh yes.H: And then…um…to…W: Behind the armchair.H: Yes, behind the armchair. To our right, um…in the corner there, a fitted wardrobe. And another one on my left here.W: On either side of the bed?H: Yes, that’s right. That’s right, so you can put all you…er…night attire or what … whatever jyou like in here.M: Yes, that’s good.H: (facing the door) Then, there…the…we have the sofa here…er…in front of the…um…the window.M: Oh, yes.H: Er…so there’s plenty of light coming through into the room and as you can see there’s a nice view through the windows there.W: No curtains, though.H: No curtains, but we’ve got roller blinds.W: Oh.H: Yes, they’re nice and straight forward. No problems about that—don’t have to wash them of course. And…um…on the left of the…er…sofa there, you can see nice coffee tables.H: If…if we move straight a … straight ahead, actually, into the …er… the kitchen you can see that um…on my left here we’ve got a washing machine, tumble dryer and …um…electric cooker…W: Oh yes.M: Mmm.H: All as you can see to the most modern designs. And there um…on the other side of the kitchen…um…refrigerator there in the…in the corner.M: Oh yeah, yes.W: Oh, what a nice little cubbyhole! Yes, very neat.H: Yes. Well…um… I don’t know whether you’ve got any questions. That’s it of course.W: Well, could…could we perhaps see the bathroom, because we…we didn’t see that?H: OK, yes, yes, Let’s…um…let’s go on out of here and…um…end up in the bathroom…CD—Dave R—RandallD: Hi Randall. (Hi.) Come on in.R: Uh, yeah, I stopped by to see if you were still looking for a roommate to share your house.D: Yep. I sure am. Ever since I cut back on my working hours to go to school, I’ve been really strapped for cash.R: Oh.D: Hey, let me show you the place. Uh, here’s the living room.R: Oh. It looks like you could use a new carpet…and those stains?D: Well, I’ve had a few problems with some former roommates. I know it needs to be cleaned, but I just don’t have the money to do it right now.R: Oh. And what about the kitchen?D: Right this way. Look. It’s completely furnished with all the latest appliances, except…R: What?D: Well, the refrigerator door is broken…a little bit…and it won’t shut all the way. It needs fixing, but don’t worry. I’ve just impoversihed by pushing a box against it to keep it shut.R: Hmm. Great.D: Ah. It isn’t that bad.R: Well how about the bathroom?D: Well…R: No, no. Don’t tell me. The toilet is clogged or the sink has a few leaks.D: No, those work fine, but, uh, the tile in the shower needs to be replaces, and the window needs fixing.R: Let me see. The tile…what? The window? Where’s the window pane?D: Well, that’s another slight problem. I’ve put up a piece of cardboard to keep out the (Hmmm) rain and snow, and if it gets a little cold, you can always turn up the heat. Well, you used to until the central heating went out. (Oh, boy.)R: Hey, I think I’ve seen enough. I can’t believe you’ve survived under these conditions.D: So what do you think? You really can’t beat a place like this for $450 a month. So it has its problems, but we can fix those.R: Uh, no thank you. I think I’ve seen enough.Part Ⅱ1. My dream house would be a canal boat. I’d like to wake up every morning and see the water. Erm, I’d paint it bright red, and it would have a little roof-garden for all my pot-plants.2. My ideal house would be modern, ermm, it would be made of bricks, and it would have white pillars outside the front door, and it would be detached…on yes, it would have a garage.3. My ideal home would be to live in a cottage in a small village by the sea. Er, somewhere like Cornwall, so it’s unspoilt and there are cliffs and trees around.4. I think if I could have any sort of house, I’d like one of those white-walled villas in Spain. (It’d) Be marvelous to be able to just fall out of bed and into the sea first thing in the morning. (It’d) Be absolutely great. All that heat. Marvelous.5. I’ve always wanted to live in a really big house in the country, a big family house with, er…at least two hundred years old, I think, with a big garden, and best of all I’d like to have a dry-stonewall around the garden. I’ve always lived dry-stone walls.6. D’you know, I may sound daft but what I’ve always wanted to do is live somewhere totally isolated, preferably somewhere enormous like a castle or something, you know, right out in…by the sea or even sort of in a little island, on an island, you know, out at sea, where you have to get there by a boat or something, where it’s cut off at high tide. I think it’d be really great. Questions1. According to the first speaker, in what color would her dream house be painted?2. Where would she put all her pot-plants?3. In the second speaker’s opinion, what would there be outside the front door of his ideal house?4. What would there be around the third speaker’s ideal home?5. When the fourth speaker got up in the morning, what would he do first?6. What is Spain famous for?7. According to the fifth speaker, what would she like to have around the garden of her dream house?8. How should one get to the last speaker’s ideal house?Part ⅢW—Wendy Stott H—House ownerW: Oh hello. (Hello.) My name’s Wendy Scott. Did the estate agent ring you and tell you I was coming?H: Oh yes, yes I was expecting you. Do come in. (Thank you.) Have you had the particulars and everything? Did the estate agent give you, you know, all the details?W: Oh yes. Yes I have, and I was rather interested; that was why I came round this afternoon. You seem to have decorated quite recently…H: Yes, oh, yes, it was decorated last year. Now this is the … this is the kitchen.W: Yes…er… What kitchen equipment are you leaving behind or are you going to take it all?H: Well, you know it rather depends on what I end up buying. I’ve got something in mind at the moment but as you know these things can take ages (Yes.) but the place I’m going to has no gas so I’ll probably be leaving this stove, this oven here.W: Is it…is it quite new? Have you had it long?H: Oh, no, not long. It’s about five or six years old. (I see.) I’ve found it very reliable but I shall be taking that fridge but you can see everything else. It’s a fully fitted kitchen.W: Yes, what about the dishwasher…um…is that a dishwasher under the sink?H: No, no, that’s a washing machine, I shall be taking that, yes, I will but there is plumbing for a washing machine. (Right.)W: Is the gas cooker the only gas appliance you’ve got?H: No, no, there is a gas fire but I don’t use it very much; it’s in the main room, the lounge.W: Oh. Right. That seems fine.H: Well, then across here if you’d like to come in with me, this is the sitting room. (Oh. Yes.) Well you can see for yourself it is really.W: Oh I like the windows, right down to the floor, that’s really nice…H: Yes, yes, they are nice. It’s got a very pleasant view and there’s a balcony you can sit out on in the summer. (Yes, it’s a nice view.) Yes, it is nice. Now then across here this is the smallest bedroom; (Yes.) there are three rooms, this is the smallest and it’s no more really than a box room but of course you can get a bed in.W: You could make it into a study. It would be more useful I think.H: Yes, well I think somebody else has got this room as a study. Then this…this is the second bedroom. (Yes.) As you can see it’s got a fitted cupboard and those shelves there they are also fitted.W: Have you got an airing cupboard anywhere?H: Oh. Yes, there’s one in the bathroom. I’ll show you that in a moment. (Oh right.) Now this is the third bedroom, this is the largest bedroom. (Oh.) Of course it’s got the wash basin, double fitted cupboard, plenty of space really, there, (Very nice.) and of course this room does take the double bed. Now…um…this is the bathroom. There’s the airing cupboard. (Is that the airing cupboard?) Yes, that’s right. It’s nice and warm in there; it’s rather small but I mean it is adequate, you know, and of course there is…there is the shower.W: Is that, did you put that in yourself or was it in with the flat?H: Oh, no. No that was in when the flat was built.W: Is it quite reliable? (Oh yes.) because I’ve had problems with a shower recently? (Yes, no I’ve never had problems with that. No. It’s really good.) Is it gas heated at the water point?H: No, that is electric. (Ah.)Statements:1. Wendy Stott knows nothing about the flat before she comes to have a look at it.2. The flat was decorated five or six years ago.3. The house owner has used the oven and the stove for about five or six years.4. The windows in the largest bedroom are right down to the floor.5. There is a balcony in the sitting-room.Part ⅥInterviewer: how important are property prices in the economy?Roy: In the UK, most people invest most of their money in their house. So property prices are extremely important.Interviewer: Mmm. What’s you view on the UK property market? Do you think prices are too high?Roy: Well, in recent years, prices have gone up…ten to twenty percent a year, um…in some years even more. But inflation has been just two or three percent a year. So I think it’s clear that, um…the bloom has to end.Interviewer: Mmm. The last property market crash, in the UK, was in the late 1980s, and it put the UK economy into a recession. Do you think the same thing will happen again.Roy: I don’t think prices will crash. The…the economic situation was different in the late 80s…interest rates rose quite fast just before property prices fell. Today the Bank of England is much more careful with… with changes in interest rates. The other important difference, I think, is that then unemployment was quite high. Today, it’s very low—about five percent. So I don’t think prices will crash, but it is possible they’ll fall a little. Or stay at the same level for a few years.Interviewer: Banks have lent people a lot of money in recent years. People have got big mortgages. Do you think there’ll be a problem? Will people have less money to spend in the future?Roy: Oh, certainly. Because the loan haven’t just been mortgages — people have also borrowed money to spend in the shops. So far, that’s helped the economy, because spending has been high. But at the end of the day, people will have to pay the money back. So I think we’ll see lowerconsumer spending over the next few years.PartⅤApartment manager: well, hi, Mr. Brown. How’s your apartment working out for you?Tenant: Well Mr. Nelson. That’s what I would like to talk to you about. (What?) Well, I want to talk to you about that noise! (Oh) You see. Would you mind talking to the tenant in 4B and ask him to keep his music down, especially after 10:00 o’clock at night?Apartment Manager: Ohhh. Who me?Tenant: Why yes. The music is blaring almost every night, and it should be your job as manager to take care of these things.Apartment Manager: Hey, I just collect the rent. Besides, the man living there is the owner’s son, and he’s a walking refrigerator. (Well . . .) Hey, I’ll see what I can do. Anything else?Tenant: Well, yes. Could you talk to the owners of the property next door about the pungent odor drifting this way.Apartment Manager: Well, the area is zoned for agricultural and livestock use, so there’s nothing much I can do about that.Tenant: Well, what about the . . . . That, that noise.Apartment Manager: What noise? I don’t hear anything.Tenant: There, there it is again.Apartment Manager: What noise?Tenant: That noise.Apartment Manager: Oh, that noise. I guess the military has resumed its exercises on the artillery range.Tenant: You have to be kidding. Can’t anything be done about it?Apartment Manager: Why certainly. I’ve protested this activity, and these weekly (Weekly!) activities should cease . . . within the next three to five years.Tenant: Hey, you never told me about these problems before I signed the rental agreement.。

新标准大学英语视听说教程2听力原文（2020年整理）.pdf新标准大学英语视听说教程2 听力原文Unit 1 College cultureInside viewConversation 1Janet ：So this is the Cherwell Boathouse –it’s lovely! And look at those people punting! It looksquite easy.Mark ：I’m not so sure about that! Janet, there’s something Kate and I wanted to discuss with you.Some people in college are organizing charity events this term. We’ve decided to get involved. Janet ：Raising money for charity? Right. In China, people raise money for charity but students don’t usually do that.Mark ：Students often do that here. Anyway, we’re thinking of doing sponsored punting. Janet ：Sponsored punting! What’s that?Kate ：Sponsoring is when people pay you to do something –like run a long distance. So peoplewould be sponsoring students to punt.Janet ：What a great idea! I’d love to join you!Mark ：That’s why we’re telling you about it. So that’s decided then. Let’s make a list of things we need to do.Kate ：I’ll do that. One of the first things we should do is choose the charity.Mark ：Yes. And choose a day for the event. And we need to design the sponsorship form. I’ve gotone here.Kate ：That looks fine, but we must change the wording.Who wants to do that?Mark ：I’ll do that. What have we got so far?Kate ：Choose a charity. Also a day for the event. Change the wording on the sponsorship form …Um …We have to decide where the punt will start from.Mark ：Cherwell Boathouse, no question! It's a very beautiful route from here, apparently. Kate ：I’m with you on that.Janet ：Me too …Conversation2Janet ：I’m not used to boats –Woah!Mark ：Whoops!Kate ：Watch out! You nearly hit me with that thing!Mark ：Sorry! I didn’t mean to. …OK, we’re off!Kate ：Maybe I should do the punting.Mark ：It’s fine. I’ve got the hang of it now –give me a chance.Kate ：Well, I’d like to have a go.Mark ：Supposing I do the first hour. Then you can take over for a while, if you want to. Kate ：Yes, great.Janet ：You’re really good at it, Mark! This is fantastic! It’s exactly how I imagined lifehere! Look over there –isn’t it lovely!Kate ：Yes, it is.…Janet ：Kate, everything’s organized, isn’t it, for collecting the sponsorship money?Kate ：Yes, I’ve arranged for people to get the money to me by next Friday –if they haven’t paidonline. I’ll count it all up.Janet ：Good. We’d better have a meeting soon after that,don’t you think? How much have we raised?Kate ：About 600.Janet：Fantastic! I’m so enjoying this!Mark ：Hey guys, I’ve got a sug gestion –how about moving over to the bank and we can have ourpicnic! Hey, look, there’s Louise and Sophie!Mark ：Whoo …Girls：Mark!Janet ：Are you all right?Mark ：Er …Of course I’m all right. Kate, I think it’s your turn to punt!Outside viewV/O （画外音）Harvard University in Cambridge is one of the best universities in the world. We spoke to Alex Jude, the university’s Head of Communications. He explained that Harvard looks for the best and most talented students from around the world.AlexHarvard actually seeks students from around the world, the best students that we can find, to study chemistry, or study literature, or study government, or business. Our business school is particularly well-known around the world, as is the medical school and law school, so, um, and, and the Kennedy School of government, for the John F. Kennedy School of Government, so, er, we do seek very, very talented students and we have open doors for them.V/O （画外音）We asked five students at Harvard to tell us what kind of social life they have.AshleyUm, well relaxing is a little hard to do around here, but basically, I mean, I still, I, I live nearby anyway, so I see a lot of my friends, and …Um, there’s a good social life here if you look for it. I go to the gym, run. So that’s what I do.AdamIt is whatever you want it to be. It’s good. If you wanna go out party, do anything you can. If you wanna sit in your room and study all night like my friend over here, you can also do that. Brian Socially, like you said, it’s, it’s a lot o f what you make it. Um, we don’t have fraternities here, and so, you know, that’s, it’s obviously not as social. There’s not as many parties as there would be on another campus. Um, but on a Friday or Saturday night, there, there, there will be a party. Usually we end up studying until about 10 o’clock. And then we, and then we’ll go out and have fun maybe, or just watch a movie with friends, or, you know, whatever is going on for the night. Jodie Not everyone would agree with me, obviously, but it’s, I thi nk it’s a fun place to be. Interviewer: Have you made a lot of friends?Jodie : Oh, definitely.Interview. ：Mm.Jodie: Many.Interviewer: What, what do you do with your friends?Jodie: Um, well, I like to go to concerts. I’m in three music groups, so I have lots of rehearsals during the week for that. Um, just do, you know, some fun things, on the weekend.V/O （画外音）We asked the Harvard students if they use the Internet.Ashley: Um, I, I use it a fairly good amount. Um, our library system is online, so I use that a lot. And a lot of my classes, youknow, have to do research papers. You can find a lot of information on there, so.Interviewer: So how often do you use it, a week, a day?Ashley: Um, I use it probably on more of a weekly basis. Maybe three or four times a week. Brian: Oh yes, definitely. We live through the Internet actually. Well, I do a lot of research through the Internet, follow my stocks on the Internet. Um, well, even though e-mail is not officially Internet, we, that’s how we communicate a lot at college, so, through the e-mail. John: Um, I use the internet mostly for, er, I’d say, sort of leisure purposes. I mean, I play, um, I use it for a lot of, I don’t, we don’t have TV in my room, so I use it, uh, uh, go to the CNN website, keep up on current events, things like that. Uh, I also, uh, you know, there’s some little games to play over the Internet. Um, just um, I go to /doc/1e17728237.html, to see what’s happening, follow the Boston Red Sox, things like that. Um, I think a l ot of courses use it to post things, but I, I don’t usually use it that much for research, or things. I tend to use the libraries for such things, so.Listening inPassage 1Voice-overHi, I’m Nick Carter, and this is SUR, your university radio station. This morning we went around campus to ask freshers –now half-way through their first year –the question, ―How are you finding uni?‖Here are some of the answers we got.Speaker 1It’s cool. It’s everything I hoped it would be. I’m very ambitious, I want to be a journalist and I want to get to the top of the profession. I’ve started writing for the universitynewspaper so I’ve got my foot on the ladder already.Speaker 2I’m working hard and the teaching is as good as I expected. And I’ve made some good friends. But I’m very homesick. I’m Nigerian and my family’s so far away. I went home at Christmas for a month –that really helped, but man, I miss my family so much.Speaker 3“How am I finding uni?‖It’s great. It’s not perfect, nothing is, but, like, I’ve got a brilliant social life, just brilliant, and I’ve made lots of friends. For the first few months I just didn’t do, really enough work. But I –I talked about it with my parents and I’m working harder now and getting good grades.Speaker 4Actually, I’ve been quite lonely to be honest. I’m a bit shy …everyone else seemed to find it so easy to make friends straight away. But things have been better recently –yeah, they have. I’ve joined a couple of clubs and like, it really helps to get to know people when you have shared interests. So, yeah –I’m feeling a lot happier now.Speaker 5Uni’s great, I love it. My only problem –and it’s quite a big problem –is money. My parents are both unemployed so, you know, they can’t help me financially. My grant just isn’t –it’s just not enough for me to live on, so I’ve taken a part-time job as a waitress –a lot of people I know, like a lot, have had to do the same. I don’t want to have huge debts at the end. Speaker 6I love my subject, History, and I’m, I’m getting fantast icteaching here. I want to be a university lecturer and that means I have to get a first. I have a good social life but work definitely comes first for me.Passage 2Oxford and Cambridge –two universities so similar that they are often spoken of together as “Oxbridge‖. They’re both in the UK, fairly near London, and both regularly come top in any ranking of the world’s best universities.The two universities began within a century of each other. Oxford University, now 900 years old, was founded towards the end of the 11th century. In 1209 there was a dispute between the university and the townspeople of Oxford. As a result, some of the Oxford teachers left and founded a university in the town of Cambridge, some 84 miles away. Ever since then, the two institutions have been very competitive.Unlike most modern universities, both Oxford and Cambridge consist of a large number of colleges. Oxford has 39 and Cambridge 31. Many of these colleges have old and very beautiful architecture, and large numbers of tourists visit them.In all UK universities, you need good grades in the national exams taken at 18. But to get into Oxford and Cambridge, it’s not enough to get A grades in your exams. You also have to go for a long interview. In these interviews, students need to show that they are creative and capable of original thinking.Through the centuries, both universities have made huge contributions to British cultural life. They have produced great writers, world leaders and politicians. Cambridge, in particular, has produced scientists whose discoveries and inventions have changed our lives.Among the great university institutions is the world’s mostfamous debating society, the Oxford Union, where undergraduates get a chance to practise speaking in public. Cambridg e’s comedy clubFootlights has produced many first-class comedians, while some of the UK’s most famous actors and actresses began their careers at The Oxford University Dramatic Society, known as OUDS. Then there’s the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, which takes place every year in March or April, and is watched on television all over the UK.So with all this excellence in so many fields, it’s not surprising that the ambition of clever students all over the world is to attend either one of these great universities.Unit 2 Mixed feelingsInside viewConversation 1Kate ：Come in. Hey, Janet.Janet ：Hi Kate, are you busy?Kate ：Yes, I’m just doing an essay. But it’s great to see you. So what’s new?Janet ：Well, nothing much.Kate ：You look a bit fed up. What’s bugging you?Janet ：Well, I had a phone call from my parents and it made me feel homesick. It happens every time they call, and it gets me down.Kate ：I’m sorry to hear that. I know how you feel. I love speaking to my mum and dad, but I always feel miserable after the call.Janet ：My dad doesn’t say much, and I want to speak to him, but I wish I knew what to say. Kate ：Don’t let it get to you. My dad doesn’t say much on the phone either. I call, he answersthe phone, and says, ―Hi, I’ll pass you to your mother.‖It’s really irritating.Janet ：But I miss him and my mother a lot, and I like to hear his voice.Kate ：Just tell him what you’re up to.Janet ：Sometimes I feel as if I made a mistake leaving home and coming to Oxford. Sometimes I feel like a moody teenager.Kate ：Try not to worry about it, Janet. It’s normal to feel like that. I understand how you feel, butI bet everything will be fine next term. You’ll get used to it. Hey, why don’t you do what I do? Janet ：What’s that?Kate ：When my dad calls, I ask him for more money! He usually says no, but at least I getto hear his voice!Janet ：Maybe. I’m sorry to take up your time, Kate, but I must go now. Bye!Kate ：Wait a minute …!Conversation 2Kate ：I think I may have upset Janet last night.Mark : What happened?Kate ：She came to see me. I was busy doing an essay but I was really pleased to see her. She’d had a call from home, and said she was feeling homesick.Mark : Poor kid! It must be tough on you guys, living so far away from home.Kate ：I tried to make her laugh, told her not to worry about it, and that it was normal to feel miserable. Suddenly she looked miserable, and then she got up and said, ―I must go now‖and left my room. It was really sudden. I felt as if I’d said something wrong.Mark ：Maybe she was just being polite. It was probably because she realized you were workingand didn’t want to disturb you.Kate ：I just wonder if she found it difficult to talk about her feelings with me. Maybe I shouldn’thave tried to make her laugh? Perhaps she tho ught I wasn’t taking her seriously.Mark ：I wouldn’t worry about it. Put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel if you were a student at college in China?Kate ：I know. That’s why I feel bad. If only she had stayed longer! I wish I could have helped her more.Janet ：Hey, everyone!Mark ：Hi Janet, you look cheerful!Janet ：Yes, I’ve just got my essay back. I got an alpha minus!Kate ：What an amazing grade! Well done.Mark ：I’m really happy for you, Janet.Janet ：I feel on top of the world!Outside viewSebastienHi. I’m Sebastien. I’m from Germany. Um, the idea of IQ of a measure of your brain power has been around for a while, but recently there’s been this new idea of the EQ –your emotional quotient. And by now, it’s actually almost being regarded as m ore important. If you look at it, businesses will …Well, they will prefer employing people with great EQ. Well, of course, IQ cannot be disregarded, but um, EQ does have its importance as well. Uh, I believe that, um, …I mean, people, most people will have, um, their basic means of communicating with other people. Most people are somewhat socially adept, and just like most peoplehave, you know, a basic general knowledge. But then, what I think really is the difference betweenIQ and EQ, I mean, you can hav e a ―brainiac‖, and they will be great at most things they do, but if you just can’t get along with him, if you just can’t communicate with him, I mean, you know, he’s not really that useful.KimHi. This is Kim. I’m originally from Korea, and I was raised in California. And today, we are going to talk about the differences between IQ and EQ –IQ meaning your intelligence, EQ meaning your emotions. Now, in …When I was, when I was a little, little boy in Korea, I had to take …I think I’d taken like two or thr ee IQ tests before the age of ten, which is when I moved to California. So, I guess we stress a lot of importance on intelligence, on having great IQ scores. But after I moved to the States, I learnt how to associate with people, and along the lines that this word EQ came up, you know, emotional, caring about …It’s basically how you deal with people, how you make people feel, and how people make you feel. I think they’re equally as, as important, but it seems that in the Eastern world they kind of stress on that a lot more back in the days. But I think again, you know, now that with Internet and people are communicating so much faster, there’s a better mixture of the two I think. There’s a stress on EQ in Korea as well, and a stress on IQ in the States. Thank you.TedHello. My name is Ted, and I’m from the United States of America. Today, I’m going to talk a little bit about IQ or EQ –which is most important, or which is more important. Now, for a long time when I was growing up, people said, ―IQ. What’s you r IQ? Take an IQ test.‖But then EQ, your emotions, how you interactwith people, that became very important. And I think they’re …that people might be onto something with that, because your EQ –how you deal with people, how you interact with people –is important. Now, a big part of this, in my opinion, is listening. I know I’m talking a lot right now, but if you want to get along well with people, you have to listen to them, so just take a minute, maybe shut your mouth for a minute, and listen to others, and then you can understand and communicate with them in a better way. So, part of EQ, I think, is listening –listening to others –and it can be more important than IQ.Listening inPassage 1Presenter: We’re fortunate to have as our guest today Dr Jenna Hudson, who has just written a book about how colours affect us in our surroundings, especially in the world of advertising. It’s called Market Colours. Dr Hudson, which are the most common colours in advertising andmarketing?Dr Hudson :Well, of course, it depends what image the marketing team wish to project with their products. So for example, we often think of blue as a cold colour, but it also makes you feel peaceful, quiet, and it doesn’t suggest strong emotions. So it’s a favourite for banks and insura nce companies, who wish to suggest the image that they are trustworthy. And for selling products, it’s often used to suggest something is pure and fresh.Presenter: What about red?Dr Hudson: You can sell almost anything with red. It’s a hot colour, which suggests a feeling of energy and even passion. It grabs your attention, and can make people buy almost anything. You often see red on magazine covers. But if you use it too much,it looks cheap and may make people tired. And orange has a similar effect to red, it’s upbeat and happy, it suggests pleasant feelings and images. Most people react well to orange, and it’s especially popular in advertising and on packaging for baked food.Presenter: What about yellow, for instance?Dr Hudson: Yellow is the colour of sunshine and it’s a positive, happy colour, so it’s used a lot in advertising. But it’s also often used for warning signs, direction signs, and so on, where you have to read the message quickly and at a distance.Presenter: What about less popular colours for advertising?Dr Hudson: Surprisingly, green isn’t used much in advertising except for garden products. It’s friendly and restful. It can be cool and soothing, the colour of apples and mint, but it can also be quite strong and many people associate it with unpleasant ideas of decay or slimy creatures. But most colours are not primary colours, they’re a combination. Absolutely. So yellow-orange is common, and often used to give animpression of style and class, it looks like gold. But it’s not often use d in letters because it’s not very strong. And yellow-green reminds people of feeling sick. Blue-green works well as a cool colour, suggesting freshness, and is sometimes used for toothpaste products, bathroom products, food and household cleaning products. It has many of the advantages of blue without the disadvantages of green.Presenter: Fascinating！Thank you very much, Dr Hudson. Market Colours by Dr Jenna Hudson is on sale from next week, priced ￡15.99 …Passage 2Presenter ：What makes you embarrassed, Sally?Sally ：Oh, I’m easily embarrassed. If anybody notices me or looks at me, I get very embarrassed. When people sing me Happy Birthday on my birthday, I get very embarrassed.Presenter ：And what makes you upset?Sally ：When people are selfish, people who think only of themselves. And cruelty –I can’t bear people who are cruel, especially to animals or children.Presenter ：Jake, what makes you depressed?Jake ：I hate it when it rains, and I don’t like people who look down on me, who think they’re superi or to me without any reason.Presenter ：And what makes you angry?Jake ：When people don’t behave properly in public, bad behaviour like dropping litter or people pushing each other on the bus or the train.Presenter ：Andrew, what makes you cheerful?Andrew ：I like to see everyone around me being happy and having a positive attitude towardsthefuture, optimistic people.Presenter ：And what makes you jealous?Andrew ：Well, to be honest, I just never feel jealous. I can’t see the point of it.Presenter ：Monica, what makes you proud?Monica ：I’m proud when I’m successful, especially in my work. Being recognized by my boss for what I can do makes me feel really proud. Oh, and my family. I’m very proud of them. Presenter ：And what makes you nervous?Monica ：Every time I teach a new class. The night before I’m very nervous. You don’t know what the kids are going tobe like and how they might behave, or if they’re going to like you. Presenter ：Anything else?Monica ：Doing interviews like this.Unit 3 Crime watchInside viewConversation 1Kate ：So, what did you think of the movie?Mark ：It was good but I thought it was too long.Kate ：Yes, me too.Kate ：Hey, where’s my bike? I don’t believe it! It’s gone!Mark ：It was next to mine, you chained it up!Kate ：Someone’s stolen it! Oh, how could they!Mark: Oh, Kate!Kate ：How could someone have done this! The creep!Mark ：It’s a really mean thing to do, steal a bike.Kate ：It was a mountain bike and it cost a fortune –I don’t have the money to buy another one. Mark ：Listen, I’ll go down the street and see if I can see anyone with it. Why don’t you go intothat shop and see if they’ve seen anything suspicious? I’ll be back in a minute.Kate ：OK.…Kate ：Well?Mark ：No luck. What did they say in the shop?Kate ：I asked the shopkeeper if she’d seen anything –Mark ：And?Kate ：She said she hadn’t. I guess it was a long shot. She advised me to report it to the police. But according to her, bikes get stolen all the time around here.Mark ：Listen, let’s get back so you can re port it.Kate ：I’ve got no bike. I’m just so upset!Mark ：It’s not far to college. Come on!Conversation 2Mark ：So did you ring the police?Kate ：Yes. I went to the police station to report it.Mark ：What did they say?Kate ：No one’s found it. This woman said that Oxford has the fifth highest rate of bike theftin the country!Mark ：You’re joking!Kate ：That’s what she said.Mark ：What else did she say?Kate ：She told me that sometimes you do get bikes back –the thieves use them and then abandonthem, apparently, and then people find them and report them.Mark ：So you might get it back.Kate ：I hope so, Mark, I really do. It’s just too much you know? But …um …what else? She told me to go to this sale they have of abandoned bikes. She thinks I might find it there. But it’s only every two months, I can’t wait till then! Honestly, Mark, I’m really furious! Mark ：You can always buy a cheap bike on eBay.Kate ：Hello …Speaking …You found it! Where was it? Is it …? Oh, that’s fantastic news! There was a lamp and a basket on it …Right …OK, thank you, I’ll be in tomorrow morning to pick it up. Unbelievable! This guy found it!Mark ：Brilliant! Was that the police?Kate ：Yes. What they said was, someone dumped it outsidethis guy’s backyard.Mark ：That’s so strange!Kate ：The lamp’s been stolen and the basket.Mark ：Forget about it! You’re lucky to get it back!Outside viewPart 1Presenter: Dodgy deals aren’t the only problems associated with doorstep sellers. Your doorstep presents these unannounced visitors with a real opportunity to undertake distraction burglary where they often pose as bogus officials to gain access to your home.I’m joined now by Ian Holt, from Thames Valley Police. Ian, just outline for me what does distraction burglary actually entail?Ian Holt: Well basically what happens is, somebody uses a story to get inside somebody’s house and then they steal items, usually cash or small items of jewellery.Presenter: And what are the different techniques that are commonly used?Ian Holt: Well basically the er …the people that commit this crime move from area to area, er …they will look at an area, they will try and pick a particular target and they can find that by looking at property, it may beer, an uncut garden, it may be repairs that need doing to the property. Something that indicates that there’s, there’s a vulnerable person in there. It …usually, it’s an elderly person that lives there.Presenter: Is this quite a common problem now?Ian Holt: It is becoming more common. To get it in perspective, of the 14,000 burglaries that were in Thames Valley last year, we had reported 800 crimes of distraction burglary. But, it …there’s a slight increase this year over last year’s figures.Presenter: OK, you mentioned some of the victims being elderly. What other people are targeted? Ian Holt: Well, unfortunately, with this type of offence, it is the vulnerable in society and the elderly. The, the national average, if there’s sucha thing as a, a victim for this type of crime, is a white female aged81 years.Part 2Presenter: And what about things that people can do to prevent it happening, basically?Ian Holt: Well the things they can do are very, very simple. The difficulty comes, is that some of these people, er …it’s very difficult for them to remember what to do. But the three things we, we always say is: stop, chain and check. And that’s stop before you open the door to make sure who’s on the other side. Always apply a chain. If you haven’t got a chain, fit a chain to the door, or a door bar if you’ve got diffi culty in handling a chain with arthritic fingers.But also when you answer the door, check the identity of the person there. Generally the offenders say they are from the Water Board or from utilities. They may say they’re from a charity or even from local authority. But generally, a utility will be in uniform.Ask for their identification. A genuine person will not mind you doing that and will wait until you can check them out. If you do need to check them, phone the number on, on your last bill. What won’t happen is that if it is a bogus caller, they will become unnerved by this reaction and they will leave.Presenter: OK and there’s also a couple of gadgets new on the market that also can help as well. Just talk us through that.Ian Holt:Certainly, yes. T he …a spy er …viewer is fairly standard. But for elderly who may have poor eyesight there’s aspyscope which actually makes it a lot easier for them to see who’s outside. As I mentioned before about the door bar, again, it can be easier to apply than the chain. Very reasonable priced er, and something that is fairly new …as I mentioned before it’s very difficult for some of these people to remember what they have to do when they go to the door and that’s why they become victims. And this item is called a Memo Minder and actually you can record a message on there and it’s nice to have a grand-daughter or somebody to record a message, but every time the person approaches the door it reminds them with a voice to say ―Put your chain on.‖Listening inPassage 1Patrick ：I read a funny story today in the paper –true story.Steve ：Go on, then.Patrick ：OK. This 72-year old guy stole a pair of trousers from a department store in Paris. A security man saw him and alerted the police and they were waiting for him when he came out of the shop. The shoplifter started running, but the policeman soon caughtup with him. The man then bit the policeman on his arm several times.Steve ：He bit the policeman?Patrick ：Yes –you have to remember, he was 72.Steve ：I’d forgotten th at.Patrick ：Problem was, it didn’t hurt the policeman at all, ’cause the guy had forgotten to put hisfalse teeth in before he left home.Steve ：Very funny!Patrick ：And the moral of the story is –。

新标准大学英语视听说教程听力原文-Unit+1Un it 1-Co nversation 1** (1)Jan et: So this is the Cherwell Boathouse —it's lovely! And look at those people punting! It looks quite easy. Mark: 「m not so sure about that! Janet, there's something Kate and I wan ted to discuss with you. Some people in college are organizing charity eve nts this term. We've decided to get in volved. Janet: Raising money for charity? Right. In Chi na, people raise money for charity but students don't usually do that. Mark: Students often do that here. Any way, we're thinking of doing sponsored pun ti ng.Janet: Sponsored punting! What's that?Kate: Sponsori ng is when people pay you to do something —like run a longdistanee. So people would be spon sori ng stude nts to punt. Janet: What a great idea!rd love to joi n you!Mark: That's why we're telling you about it. So that's decided the n. Let's make a list of thi ngs we n eed to do. Kate: I'll do that. One of the first things we should do is choose the charity.Mark: Yes. And choose a day for the eve nt. And we n eed to desig n the spon sorship form. I've got one here.Kate: That looks fine, butwe must cha nge the wordi ng. Who wants to do that?Mark: I'll do that. Whathave we got so far?Kate: Choose a charity. Also a day for the eve nt. Change the word ing on the spon sorship form... Um ... We have to decide where the punt will start from.Mark: Cherwell Boathouse, no questi on! It's a very beautiful route from here, appare ntly.Kate: 「m with you on that. Jan et: Me tooJan et: 「m not used to boats—Woah!Mark: Whoops!Kate: Watch out! You nearly hit me with that thing!Mark: Sorry! I did n't mea n to. ... OK, we're off!Kate: Maybe I should do the pun ti ng.Market's fine.I've got the hang of it now —give me a chanee. Kate: Well, I'd like to have a go. Mark: Supposing I do the first hour. Then you can take over for a while, if you want to. Kate: Yes, great.Jan et: You're really good at it, Mark! This is fantastic! It's exactly how I imagined life here! Look over there —isn't it lovely!Kate: Y es, it is.Unit 1-Conversation 2Jan et: Kate, everythi ng's orga ni zed, isn't it, for collect ing the spon sorship mon ey? Kate: Yes, I've arranged for people to get the money to me by next Friday ——if they have n't paid on li ne.「II count it all up.Janet: Good. We'd better have a meeting soon after that, don't you think? How much have we raised?Kate: About 600.Jan et: Fan tastic! 「m so enjo ying this!Mark: Hey guys,「ve got a suggesti on —how about moving over to the bank and we can have our picnic! Hey, look, there's Louise and Sophie! Mark: Whoo ...Girls: Mark!Jan et: Are you all right? Mark: Er .Of course「m all right. Kate, I think it's your turn to punt!Unit 1-Outside ViewVoice-over HarvardUniversity in Cambridge is one of the best universities in the world. We spoke to Alex Jude, the uni versity's Head of Comm uni cati ons. He explained that Harvard looks for the best and most tale nted stude nts from around the world.Alex Harvard actuallyseeks stude nts from around the world, the best students that we can find, to study chemistry, or study literature, or study gover nment,orbus in ess. Our bus in ess school is particularly well-k nownaround theworld,as is the medical school and lawschool, so, um,and, and the Kenn edy School of Government, orthe Joh n FKennedySchool of Government, so, er,we do seek very,very tale nted students and we have opendoors for them. Voice-over We asked five stude nts atHarvard to tell us what kind of social life theyhave.Ashley Um, well relaxing is a little hard to do around here, but basically, I mean, I still, I, I live nearby anyway, so I see a lot of my friends, and ... Um, there's a good social life here if you look forit. I go to the gym, run. So that'swhat I do. AdamIt's, it's whatever you want it to be. It's good. If party.Usually we end up studyingun til about 10 o'clock. And the nwe, and the n we'll go out andyou wanna go out party, doany thi ng you can. If you wanna urroom and study allni ght like my frie nd over here, also do that. Socially, like yousaid, it's, it's a lot of what you make it. Um, we don'tfraternities and so, you movie with sit in yo you can Bria nhave here, know, that's, it's obviously not as social. There's not as many as there would be on another campus. Um, but on Friday or Saturdaythere, there will parties a n ight,there, be ahave fun maybe, or just watch afriends, or, youknow, is going whateveron forthe ni ght.Jodie would agree with me,obviously, but it's, I think it's a fun place to be.In terviewer Have you made alot of frie nds?JodieIn terviewer JodieIn terviewer Not every oneOh, defi nitely.Mm. Many.What, what do you do with your frie nds? JodieUm, well, I like to go to con certs.「m in threemusic groups, so I have lots ofrehearsals duri ngthe week for the Internetthat. Um, just do, you know,some fun things, onthe weeke nd.Voice-over We asked the Harvard stude nts if they use theInternet AshleyUm, I, I use it a fairly good amo unt. Um, oursystem is on li ne, so I use that a lot. And a lot of my you know, have to do research papers. You can find a lot of in formati on on there, so. In terviewer So how ofte n do you use it, a week, a day? Ashleylibrary classesUm, I use itprobably on more of a weekly basis. Maybe three or four times a week. Bria n Oh yes, defi nitely.We live throughactually. Well, I do a lot of research through the In ter net, follow my stocks on the Intern et. Um, well, eve n though e-mail is not officially Internet, we, that's how we comm uni cate alot at college, so, through the e-mail.John Um, I use the in ter net mostlyfor, er, I'd say, sort of leisure purposes. I mean, I play, um, I use it for a lot of, I don't, we don't have TV in my room, so I use it, uh, uh, go to the CNN website, keep up on curre nt eve nts,thi ngslikethat. Uh, I also, uh, you know,there's some littlegames to play over the Internet. Um,just um, I go to esp n. com to see what's happening, follow theBost on Red Sox, things like that. Um, I think a lot of courses use it to post thin gs, but I, Idon't usually use it that much for research, or thin gs. I tend to use the libraries for such thin gs, so. Un it 1-Liste ning inNews reportSta nford Un iversity hasrecently changed its financial aidpolicy for students to make the uni versity more affordable and accessible. Students who don ' thave finan cial aid pay about$46,000 a year just for tuition. It 'not unusual for students to beforced to decli ne an offerbecause they can ' t afford to g to their dream school. The new policy means that for students whose families earn less than$125,000, tuition is fully coveredby scholarship and grant aid.Those with a family in comebelow $65,000 are not expected to pay for either tuition, or room and board. This is great news for tale nted stude nts who areconcerned about fees.However, Stanford is not the only top university in the UnitedStates that makes tuition affordable for students. Ivy League schools, such asHarvard, Princeton and Yale, also offer free tuiti on pla ns to students from low- in come and middle-class families. Stanford and Ivy League schools can offer generous finan cial aid packages because theyare very wealthy. They receivelarge annual don ati onsthat can be used for specificpurposes, such as financial aid.1 What has Sta nford Uni versity done rece ntly?2 How much is the tuition a yearat Stanford if students don' t receive financial aid?3 Why is Stanford University so wealthy?Passage 1Voice-over Hi, 「m Nick Carter, and this is SUR, your university radio station. This morning we went around campus to ask freshers -now half-way through their first year -the question, "How are you finding uni?" Here are some of the an swers we got. Speaker 1 It's cool. It's everythi ng I hoped it would be. rm very ambitious, I want to be a journalist and I want to get to the top of the professi on. I've started writ ing for the university newspaper so「ve got my foot on the ladder already.Speaker 2 「m worki ng hard and the teaching is as good as I expected. And「ve made some good friends. But「m very homesick.「m Nigerian and my family's so far away. I went home at Christmas for a month -that really helped, but man, I miss my family so much.Speaker 3 "How am I finding uni?" It's great. It's not perfect, nothing is, but, like, I've got a brilliant social life, just brilliant, and I've made lots of friends. For the first few mon ths I just did n't do, really eno ugh work. But I -1 talked about it with my pare ntsand 「m work ing harder now and getting good grades.Speaker 4 Actually, 「vebee n quite Ion ely to be hon est. rm a bit shy ... every one elseseemed to find it so easy to make friends straight away. But things have been better rece ntly - yeah, they have. I've joined a couple of clubs and like, it really helps to get to know people when youhave shared interests. So, yeah -rm feeli ng a lot happier now.Speaker 5 Un i's great, I love it.My only problem -and it'squite a big problem - is mon ey.My pare nts are both unemployedso, you know, they can't help mefinan cially. Mygrant just isn't - it's just not enough for me to live on, so「vetaken a part-time job as awaitress — a lot of people I know,like a lot, have had to do thesame. I don't want to have huge debts at theend.Speaker 6 I love my subject.History, and rm, 「mgett ingfan tastic teach ing here. to be aun lecturer and means I have to get a first. I have social life but work definitely comes fi me. Passage 2Oxford andCambridge - two uni versities sothat they are often spokenof together as "OxbThey're both in the UK, n earLondon,regularly come ranking of the universities.The two began within a century of each other. Oxford Un iversity, now 900 years old, wasI want iversitythat a good rst for similar ridge". fairly both and top inworld's anybest uni versitiesfounded towards the end of the 11th cen tury. I n 1209 there was a dispute between the uni versityand thetownspeople of Oxford. As a result, some of the Oxford teachers left and founded a university in the tow n of Cambridge, some 84 miles away. Ever since the n, the two institutions have been very competitive.Unlikemostmodem universities, both Oxford and Cambridge consist of a large number of colleges. Oxford has 39 and Cambridge 31. Many of these colleges have old and very beautiful architecture, and large n umbers of tourists visit them. In all UK uni versities, you need good grades in the national exams taken at 18. But to get into Oxford and Cambridge, it's not eno ugh to get A grades in your exams.You also have to go for a long in terview. In these in terviews, students need to show that theyare creative and capable of original thinking.Through the cen turies, both universities have made huge con tributi ons to cultural life. They produced great writers, leaders and pol Cambridge, in particulproduced scie ntists discoveries and have cha nged our lives.Among the university in stituti onsworld's most famous de society, the Oxford whereundergraduates cha neeto practise spea public.Cambridge's clubFootlights has producedmany first-class comedians, while some of theUK's most famousactors and actresses began their careers at The British have world iticia ns. ar, has whoseinven ti onsgreat isthe batingUnion,get aking incomedy11 Oxford Un iversity Dramatic Society, known as OUDS. Then there's the Oxford andCambridge Boat Race, which takes place every year in March watched on televisi on all over the UK.So in so surprising that the ambition of clever stude nts all over the world is these great uni versities. or April, and is with all this excelle nee many fields, it's not to atte nd either one of。

Unit 2-Conversation 1Kate :Come in. Hey, Janet.Ja n et: Hi Kate, are you busy?Kate : Yes, I'm just doing an essay. But it's great to see you. So what's new?Janet:Well, nothing much.Kate :You look a bit fed up. What's bugging you?Janet: Well, I had a phone call from my parents and it made me feel homesick. It happens every time they call, and it gets me down.Kate : I'm sorry to hear that. I know how you feel. I love speaking to my mum and dad, but I always feel miserable after the call.Janet: My dad doesn't say much, and I want to speak to him, but I wish I knew what to say.Kate : Don't let it get to you. My dad doesn't say much onthe phone either. I call, he answers the phone, and says, "Hi,I'll pass you to your mother." It's really irritating.Janet: But I miss him and my mother a lot, and I like to hearhis voice.Kate:Just tell him what you're up to.Janet: Sometimes I feel as if I made a mistake leaving home and coming to Oxford. Sometimes I feel like a moody teenager. Kate : Try not to worry about it, Janet. It's normal to feel like that. I understand how you feel, but I bet everything will be fine next term. You'll get used to it. Hey, why don't you do what I do? Janet:What's that?Kate : When my dad calls, I ask him for more money! He usually says no, but at least I get to hear his voice!Janet: Maybe. I'm sorry to take up your time, Kate, but I must go now. Bye!Kate :Wait a minute ...!Unit 2-Conversation 2Kate :I think I may have upset Janet last night.Mark :What happened?Kate : She came to see me. I was busy doing an essay but I was really pleased to see her. She'd had a call fromhome, and said she was feeling homesick.Mark : Poor kid! It must be tough when you guys living sofar away from home.Kate : I tried to make her laugh, told her not to worry aboutit, and that it was normal to feel miserable. Suddenlyshe looked miserable, and then she got up and said, "Imust go now" and left my room. It was really sudden. I feltas if I'd said something wrong.Mark: Maybe she was just being polite. It was probably because she realized you were working and didn't want to disturb you.Kate : I just wonder if she found it difficult to talk about her feelings with me. Maybe I shouldn't have tried tomake her laugh? Perhaps she thought I wasn't taking her seriously.Mark : I wouldn't worry about it. Put yourself in her shoes.How would you feel if you were a student at college in China?Kate: I know. That's why I feel bad. If only she had stayed longer! I wish I could have helped her more.Janet:Hey, everyone!Mark :Hi Janet, you look cheerful!Janet: Yes, I've just got my essay back. I got an alpha minus! Kate:What an amazing grade! Well done.Mark :I'm really happy for you, Janet.Janet:I feel on top of the world!Unit 2-Outside viewSebastienHi. I'm Sebastien. I'm from Germany. Um, the idea of IQ of a measure of your brain power has been around for a while, but recently there's been this new idea of the EQ - your emotional quotient. And by now, it's actually almost being regarded as more important. If you look at it, businesses will... Well, they will prefer employing people with great EQ. Well,of course, IQ cannot be disregarded, but um, EQ does have its importance as well. Uh, I believe that, um,... I mean, people, most people will have, um, their basic means of communicating with other people. Most people are somewhat socially adept, and just like most people have, you know, a basic general knowledge. But then, what I think really is the difference between IQ and EQ, I mean, you can have a "brainiac", and they will be great at most things they do, butif you just can't get along with him, if you just can't communicate with him, I mean, you know, he's not really that useful.KimHi. This is Kim. I'm originally from Korea, and I was raised in California. And today, we are going to talk aboutthe differences between IQ and EQ -IQ meaning your intelligence, EQ meaning your emotions. Now, in ... WhenI was, when I was a little, little boy in Korea, I had totake ... I think I'd taken like two or three IQ tests before the age often, which is when I moved to California. So, I guesswe stress a lot of importance on intelligence, on havinggreat IQ1 scores. But after I moved to the States, I learnthow to associate with people, and along the lines that this word EQ came up, you know, emotional, caring lout... It's basically how you deal with people, how you make people feel, and how people make you feel. t hink they're equally as, as important, but it seems that in the Eastern world they kind of stress on that a lot more back in the days . But Ithink again, you know, now that with Internet and peopleare communicating so much faster, there's a better mixtureof the two I link.There's a stress on EQ in Korea as well,and a stress on IQ in the States. Thank you.TedHello. My name is Ted, and I'm from the United Statesof America. Today, I'm going to talk a little bit about IQ orEQ - which is most important, or which is more important. Now, for a long time when I was growing up, people said, "IQ. What's your IQ? Take an IQ test." But then EQ, your emotions, how you interact with people, that became very important. And I think they're ... that people might be onto something with that, because your EQ - how you deal with people, how you interact with people - is important. Now, abig part of this, in my opinion, is listening. I know I'm talkinga lot right now, but if you want to get along well with people, you have to listen to them, so just take a minute, maybe shut your mouth for a minute, and listen to others, and then youcan understand and communicate with them in a better way. So, part of EQ, I think, is listening - listening to others - and it can be more important than IQ.Unit 2-Listening inNews reportAccording to recent studies,the number one fear people have above everything else, including death, is of public speaking. People can become very anxious when they have to speak in front of an audience. The symptoms can range from slight nervousness with hands shaking or sweating to full-on panic: the heart beating very quickly, the body shaking, the inability to speak or move.The symptoms of fear of public speaking can begin before the event. People imagine that they will forget what they are going to say, or imagine that the audience will see how nervous they look and will think badly of them. The cause of their fear of public speaking is their belief that they will fail and be embarrassed.Researchers say that the fear of public speaking is associated with the fear of rejection. People who have to stand up in front of an audience believe that the audience will not like them or will not like what they say, and will reject or make fun of them.1What is the news report mainly about?2Why do people fear public speaking according to researchers?Passage 1Presenter We're fortunate to have as our guest today Dr Jenna Hudson, who has just written a book about how colours affect us in our surroundings, especially in the world of advertising. It's called Market Colours. Dr Hudson, which are the most common colours in advertising and marketing?Dr Hudson Well, of course, it depends what image the marketing team wish to project with their products. So for example, we often think of blue as a cold colour, but it also makes you feel peaceful, quiet, and it doesn't suggeststrong emotions. So it's a favourite for banks and insurance companies, who wish to suggest the image that they are trustworthy. And for selling products, it's often used tosuggest something is pure and fresh.Presenter What about red?Dr Hudson You can sell almost anything with red.It's a hot colour, which suggests a feeling of energy and even passion. It grabs your attention, and can make people buy almost anything. You often see red on magazine covers. But if you use it too much, it looks cheap and may make people tired. And orange has a similar effect to red, it's upbeat andhappy, it suggests pleasant feelings and images. Most people react well to orange, and it's especially popular in advertisingand on packaging for baked food.Presenter What about yellow, for instance?Dr Hudson Yellow is the colour of sunshine and it's a positive, happy colour, so it's used a lot in advertising. But it'salso often used for warning signs, direction signs, and so on, where you have to read the message quickly and at a distance. Presenter What about less popular colours for advertising?Dr Hudson Surprisingly, green isn't used much in advertising except for garden products, It's friendly and restful. It can be cool and soothing, the colour of apples and mint, but it can also be quite strong and many peopleassociate it with unpleasant ideas of decay or slimy creatures. Presenter But most colours are not primary colours,they're a combination.Dr Hudson Absolutely. So yellow-orange is common, and often used to give an impression of style and class, it looks like gold. But it's not often used in letters because it's not very strong. And yellow-green reminds people of feeling sick. Blue-green works well as a cool colour, suggesting freshness, and is sometimes used for toothpaste products, bathroom products, food and household cleaning products. It has many of the advantages of blue without the disadvantages of green. Presenter Fascinating. Thank you very much, Dr Hudson. Market Colours by Dr Jenna Hudson is on sale from next week, priced15.￡99...Passage2Presenter What makes you embarrassed, Sally?Sally Oh, I'm easily embarrassed. If anybody notices me or looks at me, I get very embarrassed. When people singme Happy Birthday on my birthday, I get very embarrassed. Presenter And what makes you upset?Sally When people are selfish, people who think only of themselves. And cruelty -I can't bear people who are cruel, especially to animals or children.Presenter Jake, what makes you depressed?Jake I hate it when it rains, and I don't like people who look down on me, who think they're superior to me without any reason.Presenter And what makes you angry?Jake When people don't behave properly in public, bad behaviour like dropping litter or people pushing each other on the bus or the train.Presenter Andrew, what makes you cheerful?Andrew I like to see everyone around me being happyand having a positive attitude towards the future, optimistic people.Presenter And what makes you jealous?Andrew Well, to be honest, I just never feel jealous. I can't see the point of it.Presenter Monica, what makes you proud?Monica I'm proud when I'm successful, especially in my work. Being recognized by my boss for what I can do makes me feel really proud. Oh, and my family. I'm very proud of them.Presenter And what makes you nervous?Monica Every time I teach a new class. Thenight before I'm very nervous. You don't know whatthe kids are going to be like and how they might behave, or if they're going to like you.Presenter Anything else?Monica Doing interviews like this.。

Unit 5—Conversation 1Mark: Have you got your tickets for the play？Kate: What play？Mark: The play which OUDS are producing。

You know, the play I'm in at the Oxford Playhouse。

Kate: Oh，that play! Well，er .。

Mark: What about you, Janet?Janet：What’s the play called？Mark：Waiting for Godot，by Samuel Beckett。

You are coming, aren’t you?Kate：Beckett？Janet: Why not?Kate：Well, um，I’m sure you’ll be totally brilliant，Mark 。

.。

but I wish I could understand the play. It doesn’t make sense.Mark: If only you were more patient，Kate. Beckett’s a fascinating writer。

You'll come though，won't you，Janet？You really ought to see something like this at least once during your stay in Oxford.Janet：Well, I’m not sure。

Mark: Oh，come on! Please!Jan et: But if Kate doesn’t understand the play，there's no way I’ll be able to follow it。

Unit 6-Conversation 1Janet : What are you reading, Kate?Kate :Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. Do you know it?Janet : I've heard of it, yes, but I've never read it. It's a 19th century children's story, isn't it?K a te: That's right. It's very famous. It's set in Oxford. It starts with this young girl sitting on a river bank. The interesting thing is, the author, Lewis Carroll, he was an Oxford professor and he used to have tea with the girl's family on this river bank.Ja net: Oh, that's fascinating! I'll put it into my diary. Kate : Is that what you're writing? I know you've been keeping a diary all the year.Janet : It's been a great year. I've had such a good time — so lucky to have Mark and Kate as friends. Feel I've been doing well with work. Much happier about asking questions in tutorials.Janet : My screen's gone dark.Mark: You're using the battery, remember. It's run out, obviously.Janet : It can't be the battery. It's still charged. Oh no it's still black. Oh dear, I hope it's nothing serious. I haven't backed anything up recently.Kate : That's not like you, Janet.Janet : I know, but I lost my memory stick. I really should have backed things up. How stupid of me not to do that! Supposing I've lost everything!Mark : Let me take a look. The power is still on. And also the operating system still seems to be working ... I think it has to be the graphics card ... But maybe that's not the problem ... Janet : If only I'd backed things up!Kate : Relax, Janet! We'll take it to the computer shop this afternoon. I'm sure it'll be OK. Janet : I hope so.Unit 6-Conversation 2Janet: Tell me about Alice in Wonderland. Kate : I tell you what, I'll read it to you.Kate : Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank and having nothing to do: Once or twice, she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversation?" So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid) ...Janet : Kate, Mark, where are you going? You've got my laptop!Kate : It's all right, Janet, we're taking it to the computer shop. We'll be back soon.Mark : It's not like Janet to forget to back up her work. Kate : She should have been more careful.Janet : It was stupid of me, I know! Stupid, stupid! Janet : Oh! It was a dream! What a relief!Kate : You were talking in your sleep. Janet : What was I saying? Kate: "Stupid, stupid."M ark : I've sorted out your computer.Janet : Have you? Oh, thank goodness! What was the problem?Mark : It was the graphics card, as I predicted ...Janet : Is that what it was! I'm so relieved! Thanks, Mark. Kate : He's great, isn't he? Janet : Yes. So are you, Kate. Kate : You're such a good friend.Unit 6-Outside viewComputers are a very important part of our lives. They tell us about delays to transport. They drive trains, analyze evidence and control buildings. Did you know that 60 per cent of homes in Britain have got a PC (a personal computer)? For many young people, playing computer games is their favorite way of spending spare time. Computers are a very important part of most areas of life in Britain-libraries, the police and in school. But they are becoming more important in our homes as well. They ’ll even control the way we live-in “smart homes ” or computer-controlled houses. The smart home is now a real possibility. It will become very common. A central computer will adjust the temperature, act as a burglar alarm and switch on lights, ready for you to come back home. And of course you will be able to give new instructions to the computer from your mobile phone. So if your plans change, your home will react to match. Many homes have got lots of televisions and several computers. The smart home will provide TV and Internet sockets in every room, so you ’ll be able to do what you want whenever you want. If the temperature outside changes, the smart home will adjust the temperature levels inside. The computer will also close the blinds when it gets dark or to stop so much sun from entering a room. And if you want to eat when you get home, the computer will turn the oven on for you! Are computers taking over our lives? In a survey, 44 per cent of young people between 11 and 16 said their PC was a trusted friend. Twenty per cent said they were happier at their computer than spending time with family or friends. Another survey found that people in Britain spend so much time on the phone, texting and reading emails that they no longer have time for conversation. What do you think about that?Unit 6-Listening inNews ReportUS Scientists have announced the discovery of gravitational waves, which are tiny waves produced by massive objects moving very quickly. Two black holes produced the waves when they crashed into each other about 1.3 billion years ago. A black hole is a place in space where the gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape. This announcement of the discovery comes a century after Albert Einstein first predictedgravitational waves would exist.The discovery was made possible by using a highly sensitive instrument designed to detect signals of gravitational waves and identify their sources. This discovery proves that there are gravitational waves, and strongly confirms the existence of black holes.With this discovery, scientists are given a new tool to study and understand the universe. The waves could help scientists learn more about what happened immediately after the universe began and how the universe expanded. Scientists hope that they may be able to observe parts of the universe that were previously undetectable.1. What discovery have US scientists made?2. What features do black holes have according to the newsreport?3. Why is the discovery important?Passage 1When you have a biscuit with your cup of tea, do you dunk it? And if so, what ’s the perfect way to do it? That ’s the subject of today ’s Science in Action report. It may be hard to believe but scientists at the University of Bristol have been analyzing this question. And after a two-month study they devised a mathematical formula for dunking biscuits. So no more melting chocolate, or biscuit crumbs in the bottom of your cup, which is the fate of one in four biscuits that are dunked in tea, according to research by a biscuit manufacturer. Doughnut dunkers don ’t face the same problems because doughnuts are held together with an elastic net of protein, gluten. This substance allows the doughnut to absorb liquid without breaking down its structure. The structure of a biscuit, however, is held together by sugar which melts when placed in hot tea or coffee.So what is the answer? The researcher, let by Dr. Len Fisher, discovered that holding the biscuit in a horizontal position – or “flat-on ” – has a significant effect on the amount of time that a biscuit can stay in hot liquid before falling apart. In fact this horizontal dunking results in a dunking time up to four times longer than traditional vertical dunking.What ’s the reason for this? It seems that the answer is related to diffusion, in other words, the length of time it takes for the liquid to penetrate the structure of the biscuit. Basically, it takes longer for the liquid to travel through the channels of a biscuit when it is laid flat on the surface of the liquid. Also the fact that when a biscuit is dunked horizontally, with the biscuit submerged in the liquid, and the chocolate coating staying out of the liquid, the chocolate helps hold the biscuit together. Another factor influencing the equation is the temperature of the tea – the hotter the tea, the faster the sugar melts.Researchers also found that by dunking a biscuit into tea or coffee, up to ten times more flavor is release than it the biscuit is eaten dry. So it’s worth experimenting yourself. Ifyou are wondering how you can perfect the horizontal dunk, the researchers have come up with an idea for a biscuit-holding device to make dunking biscuits easier. They are even mow working on producing a table giving guidelines on dunking times for different types of biscuit. On that note, I think it’s time to go off to the canteen for a tea break!Passage 2Peter:Hey Louise, look at this book about crop circles - some of the photos are absolutely unbelievable.Louise: You don t believe in all that stuff, do you Peter? Peter: I'm not saying I believe in UFOs and things, butsome of the formations are fascinating. They’re made up of lots of interconnected circles and geometrical shapes. You know, in the past few years, there have been more reports of them. The circles are getting larger and the designs are getting more intricate... I'm sure that they can't all be man-made. Think about it - they're so complicated, and they appear at night in the middle of fields of wheat barley or corn. It’s definitely pretty weird!Louise: I know, but l saw a TV documentary about it, andthey showed how a group of hoaxers made an elaborate crop circle in a field at night using wooden plank, ropes, plastic tubes and a garden roller. They even fooled some of the people who believe in the paranormal-aliens coming down in UFOs and aliens coming down in UFOs and creating them, and so on.Peter: I'm sure lots of them are created by people just toget publicity but look here-it says, “The first records of crop circles go back as far as the 17th century. Since the 1970s there have been over 12,000 reports from countries all around the world including Italy, America, South Africa, Australia and Brazil.” Most reports are from here in England though.Louise: But surely that’s just because they get so muchmedia coverage these days, so more people are making them.Peter: Perhaps, but how do you explain the fact that theactual chemical composition of the grains of corps inside the circles changes? Scientific tests have found they have a higher protein level. The stems of the grains have often been exposed to hightemperatures. And they found that the soil within the circles contains more iron than the soil outside. So far, the hoaxers haven't been able to copy all these features.Louise: Well, I'm not a scientist but I'm pretty scepticalabout all these so-called paranormal explanations. I remember in the programme I watched, the researchers found signs of human interference, such as holes in the earth and footprints!Peter: Come on… you must admit, that still leaves a lotwhich is unexplained!Louise: There's lots of things that are hard to explain butthis really...。

Unit 1-Conversation 1**（1）Janet: So this is the Cherwell Boathouse — it's lovely! And look at those people punting! It looks quite easy.Mark: I'm not so sure about that! Janet, there's something Kate and I wanted to discuss with you. Some people in college are organizing charity events this term. We've decided to get involved.Janet:Raising money for charity? Right. In China, people raise money for charity but students don't usually do that.Mark: Students often do that here. Anyway, we're thinking of doing sponsored punting. Janet:Sponsored punting! What's that?Kate:Sponsoring is when people pay you to do something —like run a long distance. So people would be sponsoring students to punt. Janet: What a great idea! I'd love to join you!Mark:That's why we're telling you about it. So that's decided then. Let's make a list of things we need to do. Kate: I'll do that. One of the first things we should do is choose the charity.Mark: Yes. And choose a day for the event. And we need to design the sponsorship form. I've got one here.Kate: That looks fine, but we must change the wording. Who wants to do that?Mark: I'll do that. What have we got so far?Kate: Choose a charity. Also a day for the event. Change the wording on the sponsorship form... Um ... We have to decide where the punt will start from. Mark: Cherwell Boathouse, no question! It's a very beautiful route from here, apparently. Kate: I'm with you on that.Janet: Me tooJanet: I'm not used to boats — Woah!Mark: Whoops!Kate: Watch out! You nearly hit me with that thing! Mark: Sorry! I didn't mean to. ... OK, we're off!Kate: Maybe I should do the punting.Mark:It's fine.I've got the hang of it now —give me a chance.Kate: Well, I'd like to have a go.Mark: Supposing I do the first hour. Then you can take over for a while, if you want to. Kate: Yes, great.Janet: You're really good at it, Mark! This is fantastic! It's exactly how I imagined life here! Look over there —isn't it lovely!Kate: Yes, it is.Unit 1-Conversation 2Janet: Kate, everything's organized, isn't it, for collecting the sponsorship money?Kate: Yes, I've arranged for people to get the money to me by next Friday — if they haven't paid online. I'll count it all up.Janet: Good. We'd better have a meeting soon after that, don't you think? How much have we raised?Kate: About 600.Janet: Fantastic! I'm so enjoying this!Mark: Hey guys, I've got a suggestion —how about moving over to the bank and we can have our picnic! Hey, look, there's Louise and Sophie!Mark: Whoo ...Girls: Mark!Janet: Are you all right? Mark: Er .Of course I'm all right. Kate, I think it's your turn to punt!Unit 1-Outside ViewVoice-over Harvard University in Cambridge is one of the best universities in the world. We spoke to Alex Jude, the university's Head of Communications. He explained that Harvard looks for the best and most talented students from around the world.Alex Harvard actuallyseeks students fromaround theworld, the best students thatwe can find, tostudy chemistry,or study literature, or studygovernment, orbusiness. Our business school isparticularlywell-known aroundthe world,as is the medical school and lawschool, so, um, and,and theKennedy School of Government,or the John FKennedySchool of Government, so, er,we do seek very,very talented students and we have open doorsfor them.Voice-over We asked fivestudents at Harvardto tell uswhat kind of social life theyhave.Ashley Um, well relaxing is a little hard to do around here, but basically, I mean, I still, I, I live nearby anyway, so I see a lot of my friends, and ... Um, there's a good social life here if you look for it. I go to the gym, run. So that's what I do.Adam It's, it's whateveryou want it to be.It's good. Ifyou wanna go out party, doanything you can.If you wannasit in your room and study allnight like myfriend over here, you can also do that.Brian Socially, like yousaid, it's, it's alot of what you make it. Um, we don't havefraternities here,and so, youknow, that's, it's obviouslynot as social.There's not as many parties as there would be onanother campus. Um,but on aFriday or Saturday night, there,there, there willbe a party.Usually we end up studyinguntil about 10o'clock. And then we, and then we'll go out andhave fun maybe, orjust watch amovie with friends, or, youknow, whatever isgoing on for the night.Jodie Not everyone would agree with me,obviously, but it's, I thinkit's a fun place to be. Interviewer Have you made a lot of friends?Jodie Oh, definitely. Interviewer Mm. Jodie Many.Interviewer What, what do you do with your friends? Jodie Um, well, I like togo to concerts. I'min threemusic groups, so I have lots ofrehearsals duringthe week forthat. Um, just do, you know,some fun things, on the weekend.Voice-over We asked theHarvard students ifthey use the Internet.Ashley Um, I, I use it afairly good amount.Um, ourlibrary system is online, so Iuse that a lot. Anda lot of my classes, you know, have to doresearch papers.You can find alot of information on there,so.Interviewer So how often do you use it, a week, a day?Ashley Um, I use it probably on more of a weekly basis. Maybe three or four times a week.Brian Oh yes, definitely.We live through theInternetactually. Well, I do a lot ofresearch throughthe Internet, follow my stocks on theInternet. Um, well,even thoughe-mail is not officiallyInternet, we,that's how we communicate a lot at college,so, through thee-mail.John Um, I use theinternet mostly for,er, I'd say,sort of leisure purposes. Imean, I play, um, Iuse it for a lot of, I don't, we don't have TV inmy room, so I use it,uh, uh,go to the CNN website, keep upon current events,things likethat. Uh, I also, uh, you know,there's some littlegames toplay over the Internet. Um,just um, I go to to see what's happening, follow theBoston Red Sox,things likethat. Um, I think a lot ofcourses use it topost things, but I,Idon't usually use it that muchfor research, orthings. I tend to use the libraries for suchthings, so.Unit 1-Listening inNews reportStanford University has recently changed its financial aid policy for students to make the university more affordable and accessible. Students who don’t have financial aid pay about $46,000 a year just for tuition. It’s not unusual for students to be forced to decline an offer because they can’t afford to go to their dream school. The new policy means that for students whose families earn less than $125,000, tuition is fully covered by scholarship and grant aid. Those with a family income below $65,000 are not expected to pay for either tuition, or room and board. This is great news for talented students who are concerned about fees.However, Stanford is not the only top university in the United States that makes tuition affordable for students. Ivy League schools, such as Harvard, Princeton and Yale, also offer free tuition plans to students from low-income and middle-class families.Stanford and Ivy League schools can offer generous financial aid packages because they are very wealthy. They receive large annual donations that can be used for specific purposes, such as financial aid.1 What has Stanford University done recently?2 How much is the tuition a year at Stanford if students don’t receive financial aid?3 Why is Stanford University so wealthy? Passage 1Voice-over Hi, I'm Nick Carter, and this is SUR, your university radio station. This morning we went around campus to ask freshers -now half-way through their first year -the question, "How are you finding uni?" Here are some of the answers we got. Speaker 1 It's cool. It's everything I hoped it would be. I'm very ambitious, I want to be a journalist and I want to get to the top of the profession. I've started writing for the university newspaper so I've got my foot on the ladder already. Speaker 2 I'm working hard and the teaching is as goodas I expected. And I've made some good friends. But I'mvery homesick. I'm Nigerian and my family's so far away. I wenthome at Christmas for a month-that really helped, but man, I miss my family so much.Speaker 3 "How am I finding uni?" It's great. It's notperfect,nothing is, but, like, I've got a brilliant social life, just brilliant, and I've made lots of friends. For the first few months I just didn't do, really enough work. But I -1 talked about it with my parents and I'm working harder now and getting good grades.Speaker 4 Actually, I've been quite lonely to be honest. I'm a bit shy ... everyone else seemed to find it so easy tomakefriends straight away. But things have been better recently - yeah, they have. I've joined a couple of clubsand like, it really helps to get to know people when you haveshared interests. So, yeah - I'm feeling a lot happier now.Speaker 5 Uni's great, I love it. My only problem -andit'squite a big problem - is money.My parents are both unemployed so, you know, they can't help mefinancially. Mygrant just isn't - it's just not enough for me to liveon, so I'vetaken a part-time job as a waitress — a lot ofpeople I know,like a lot, have had to do the same. I don't want tohave hugedebts at the end.Speaker 6 I love my subject.History, and I'm, I'mgettingfantastic teaching here. I want to be a universitylecturer andthat means I have to get a first.I have a good social lifebut work definitely comes first for me.Passage 2Oxford and Cambridge - two universities so similar that they are often spoken of together as "Oxbridge". They're both in the UK, fairly near London, and both regularly come top in any ranking of the world's best universities.The two universities began within a century of each other. Oxford University, now 900 years old, was founded towards the end of the 11th century. In 1209 there was a dispute between the university and the townspeople of Oxford. As a result, some of the Oxford teachers left and founded a university in the town of Cambridge, some 84 miles away. Ever since then, the two institutions have been very competitive.Unlike most modem universities, both Oxford and Cambridge consist of a large number of colleges. Oxford has 39 and Cambridge 31. Many of these colleges have old and very beautiful architecture, and large numbers of tourists visit them.In all UK universities, you need good grades in the national exams taken at 18. But to get into Oxford and Cambridge, it's not enough to get A grades in your exams. You also have to go for a long interview. In these interviews, students need to show that they are creative and capable of original thinking.Through the centuries, both universities have made huge contributions to British cultural life. They have produced great writers, world leaders and politicians. Cambridge, in particular, has produced scientists whose discoveries and inventions have changed our lives.Among the great university institutions is the world's most famous debating society, the Oxford Union, where undergraduates get a chance to practise speaking in public. Cambridge's comedy club Footlights has produced many first-class comedians, while some of the UK's most famous actors and actresses began their careers at The Oxford University Dramatic Society, known as OUDS. Then there's the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, which takes place every year in March or April, and is watched on television all over the UK.So with all this excellence in so many fields, it's not surprising that the ambition of clever students all over the world is to attend either one of these great universities.。