视听说文本B2 Unit 2 - Section Two

国际交流英语视听说B2国际交流英语视听说Book 2 Unit 1Energy and Our PlanetC ontentThink and DiscussExploring the ThemeAnalytical Listening Sharing Y o u r Ideas Viewing the WorldEngagingFurther ListeningUnit 1 Energy and Our PlanetT hink and DiscussQuestions1. What do you think the colors inthis photo mean?2. Look at the information on thispage. What do you think you willlearn about in this unit?Thermal image of ahouse in New Haven,Connecticut, USAQuestions1. What do you think the colors in this photo mean?Questions2. Look at the information beside the photo. What do you think you will learn about in this unit?国际交流英语视听说Unit 1 Energy and Our PlanetE xploring the ThemeEnergy and Our PlanetPrudhoe Bay: a region on the northern coast of Alaska, U.S.A., north of the Arctic Circle. One of the largest oil reserves in North America were found there in 1968. 普拉德霍湾Energy and Our PlanetMiddelgrunden: the world’s largest offshore wind farm. It was built in 2000 near the city of Copenhagen. It supplies around four percent of the city’s energy needs. ⽶德尔格伦登风电场Energy and Our Planet A| Look at the photos and read the captions. Then discuss the following questions.1. What kinds of energy or fuel do you see on these pages?2. How is our energy use affecting the environment?3. What are some examples of renewable energy?Energy and Our PlanetLondon, Britain at nightEnergy and Our PlanetA grizzly bear and her cubs walk along an oil pipeline in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Our use of fossil fuels is impacting the environment in a variety of ways.Energy and Our PlanetWind turbines at Middelgrunden Wind Park in Copenhagen, Denmark provide a renewable form of energy. Many countries are using renewable forms of energy such as wind, hydroelectric, and solar power.Energy and Our Planet 1. What kinds of energy or fuel do you see on these pages?Energy and Our Planet 2. How is our energy use affecting the environment?Energy and Our Planet 3. What are some examples of renewable energy?Energy and Our PlanetB | Look at the pie charts on page 3. Then discuss the questions.1. How much of the world’s production of energy comes fromoil?2. How much of the world’s production of renewable energycomes from wind power?Energy and Our PlanetThese pie charts show the world’s productionof renewable and non-renewable sources ofenergy. Each section represents a differentsource of energy. The numbers show whatpercent each source of energy makes up of allenergy production.Energy and Our Planet 1. How much of the world’s production of energy comes from oil?。

Book 2 Chapter 1 The PopulationToday we’re going to talk about population in the United States. According to the most recent government census, the population is 281,421,906 people. Now this represents an increase of almost 33 million people since the 1990 census. A population of over 281 million makes the United States the third most populous country in the whole world. As you probably know, the People’s Republic of China is the most populous country in the world. But do you know which is the second most populous? Well, if you thought India, you were right. The fourth, fifth, and sixth most populous countries are Indonesia, Brazil, and Pakistan. Now let’s get back to the United States. Let’s look at the total U. S. population figure of 281 million in three different ways. The first way is by race and origin; the second is by geographical distribution, or by where people live; and the third way is by the age and sex of the population.First of all, let’s take a look at the population by race and origin. The latest U. S. census reports that percent of the population is white, whereas percent is black. Three percent are of Asian origin, and 1 percent is Native American. percent of the population is a mixture of two or more races, and percent report themselves as “of some other race”. Let’s make sure your figures are right: OK, white, percent; black, percent; Asian, 3 percent; Native American, 1 percent; a mixture of two or more races, percent; and of some other race, percent. Hispanics, whose origins lie in Spanish-speaking countries, comprise whites, blacks, and Native Americans, so they are already included in the above figures. It is important to note that Hispanics make up percent of the present U.S. population, however. Finally, the census tells us that 31 million people in the United States were born in another country. Of the 31 million foreign born, the largest part, percent are from Mexico. The next largest group, from the Philippines, number percent.Another way of looking at the population is by geographical distribution. Do you have any idea which states are the five most populous in the United States? Well, I’ll help you out there. The five most populous states, with population figures, are California, with almost 34 million; New York, with 21 million; Texas, with 19 million; and Florida, with 16 million; and Illinois with million people. Did you get all those figures down? Well, if not, I’ll give you a chance later to check your figures. Well, then, let’s move on. All told, over half, or some 58 percent of the population, lives inthe South and in the West of the United States. This figure, 58 percent, is surprising to many people. It is surprising because the East is more densely populated. Nevertheless, there are more people all together in the South and West. To understand this seeming contradiction, one need only consider the relatively larger size of many southern and western states, so although there are more people, they are distributed over a larger area. To finish up this section on geographical distribution, consider that more than three-quarters of the people live in metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Houston. That means that only 20 percent, or 2 out of 10 people, live in rural areas. An interesting side note is that some 3,800,000 U.S. citizens live abroad, that is, in foreign countries.Before we finish today, I want to discuss the distribution of the U.S. population in terms of age and sex. Just for interest, would you say there are more men or more women in the United States? Well, according to the 2000 census, there are more women. In fact, there are more than five million more women than men in the U.S. population. If we consider that more males than females are born each year, how can this difference be explained? Well, for a variety of complicated reasons that we can’t go into here, there is a progressively higher death rate for males as they get older. This is seen in 2003 life expectancy figures: the life expectancy for women is years whereas for men it is only years. I don’t know how these life expectancy figures compare to those in your countries, but statistically women generally live longer than men worldwide. Now, to finish up, let’s look at the average age of the whole population. Overall, the average age of the population is increasing: from years in 1990 to years in 2000. The average age has been slowly, but steadily, increasing over the past several decades. This trend toward a higher average age can be explained by a decreasing birth rate and an increasing life expectancy for the population as a whole. Well, I’d like to investigate these two subjects further, but I see our time is up, so we’ll have to call it quits for today. You may want to pursue the topic of the aging U.S. population further, so there are some suggestions at the end of the lesson to help you do so. Thank you.Chapter Two Immigration: Past and PresentThe act of immigrating, or coming to a new country to live, is certainly nothing new. Throughout history, people have immigrated, or moved to new countries, for many different reasons. Sometimes these reasons were economic or political. Other people moved because of natural disasters such as droughts or famines. And some people movedto escape religious or political persecution. No matter what the reason, most people do not want to leave their native land and do so only under great pressure of some sort, but a few people seem quite adventuresome and restless by nature and like to move a lot. It seems both kinds of people came to America to live. The subject of immigration is quite fascinating to most Americans, as they view themselves as a nation of immigrants. However, the early Britons who came to what is today the United States considered themselves “settlers” or “colonists,” rather than immigrants. These people did not exactly think they were moving to a new country but were merely settling new land for the “mother country.” There were also large numbers of Dutch, French, German, and Scotch-Irish settlers, as well as large numbers of blacks brought from Africa as slaves. At the time of independence from Britain in 1776, about 40 percent of people living in what is now the United States were non-British. The majority of people, however, spoke English, and the traditions that formed the basis of life were mainly British traditions. This period we have just been discussing is usually referred to as the Colonial Period. Today, we’re a little more interested in actual immigration after this period. Let’s first look at what is often called the Great Immigration, which began about 1830 and ended in 1930. Then let’s consider the reasons for this so-called Great Immigration and the reasons it ended. Finally, let’s talk about the immigration situation in the United States today,As I said, we’ll begin our discussion today with the period of history called the Great Immigration, which lasted from approximately 1830 to 1930. It will be easier if we look at the Great Immigration in terms of three major stages, or time periods. The first stage was from approximate1y 1830 to 1860. Now, before this time, the number of immigrants coming to the United States was comparatively small, only about 10,000 a year. However, the rate began to climb in the 1830s when about 600,000 immigrants arrived. The rate continued to climb during the 1840s with a tota1 of 1,700,000 people arriving in that decade. The rate continued to climb, and during the 1850s 2,600,000 immigrants arrived. During this first stage of the Great Immigration, that is, between the years 1830 and 1860, the majority of immigrants came from Germany, Great Britain, and Ireland. Now let’s consider the second stage of the Great Immigration. The second stage was from l860 to 1890, during which time another 10,000,000 people arrived. Between l860 and 1890 the majority of immigrants continued to be from Germany, Ireland, and Great Britain. However, during the second stage, a smaller but significant number of immigrants came from the Scandinavian nations of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The third stage of the Great Immigration, which lasted from 1890 to 1930, was the eraof heaviest immigration. Between the years l890 and l930, almost 22 million immigrants arrived in the United States. Most of these new arrivals came from the Southern European countries of Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain and the Eastern European countries of Poland and Russia.Now that we know something about the numbers and origins of immigrants who came to the States during the Great Immigration, let’s consider the reasons why most of these people immigrated to the United States. Why did such large numbers of Europeans leave their homes for life in an unknown country? It would be impossible to discuss all the complex political and economic reasons in any depth today, but we can touch on a few interesting facts that might help to clarify the situation for you. First of all, one of the most important reasons was that the population of Europe doubled between the years 1750 and 1850. At the same time that the population was growing so rapidly, the Industrial Revolution in Europe was causing widespread unemployment. The combination of increased population and the demand for land by industry also meant that farmland was becoming increasingly scarce in Europe. The scarcity of farmland in Europe meant that the abundance of available land in the growing country of the United States was a great attraction. During these years, the United States was an expanding country and it seemed that there was no end to land. In fact, in 1862, the government offered public land free to citizens and to immigrants who were planning to become citizens. In addition to available farmland, there were also plentiful jobs during these years of great economic growth. Other attractions were freedom from religious or political persecution. Some other groups also came to the United States as the direct results of natural disasters that left them in desperate situations. For example, the frequent failure of the potato crop in Ireland between the years 1845 and 1849 led to widespread starvation in that country, and people were driven to immigrate. Another factor that affected the number of immigrants coming to the United States was improved ocean transport beginning in the 1840s. At that time, ships large enough to carry large numbers of people began to make regular trips across the ocean. Now let’s summarize the reasons for the high rate of immigration to the United States during the years we discussed: first, the doubling of the population in Europe between 1750 and 1850; second, the unemployment caused by the Industrial Revolution; and third, the land scarcity in Europe, followed by religious and political persecution and natural disaster. These reasons combined with improved transportation probably account for the largest number of immigrants.I would now like to talk briefly about the period of time following the Great Immigration and the reasons for the decline in the rate of immigration. Although immigration continues today, immigration numbers have never again reached the levels that we discussed previously. There are several reasons for this decline. This decline was in part due to various laws whose aim was to limit the number of immigrants coming from different parts of the world to the United States. The first such law that limited the number of immigrants coming from a certain part of the world was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. This law was followed by many other laws that also tried to limit the numbers of people immigrating from various countries or parts of the world. In addition to such laws, certainly economic and geopolitical events as important as the Great Depression starting in 1929 and World War II also contributed to the decline in immigration.Let’s conclude our talk by discussing the current situation with respect to immigration, which is quite different from that in the past. To understand some of the changes, it’s important to note that in 1965 strict quotas based on nationality were eliminated. Let’s see how different things are today from the past. As I noted, the greatest number of immigrants to the United States have historically been European. According to . Census figures, in 1860, the percentage of immigrants that were European was 92 percent. But by 1960, the percentage of European immigrants had dropped to percent, and by the year 2002, it had dropped to 14 percent! In 2002, percent of immigrants came from Latin America, that is, from the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Mexico is ordinarily considered part of North America, but the . Census Bureau considers Mexico as a Central American country in terms of immigration statistics, and estimates that more than one-third of the total of all immigrants to the United States in 2002 came from Mexico or another Central American country. The next largest percentage, percent, of immigrants came from Asia, mainly from the Philippines, China, and India.Although immigration dropped sharply when the United States entered World War I and remained low throughout the Depression and World War II years, at the end of the l940s, immigration began to increase again and has, in general, risen steadily since then. It might surprise you to know that the actual number of immigrants coming yearly to the States in recent years is about the same as the numbers coming yearly between 1900 and 1910. Keep in mind, though, that the population of the United States is much larger now than at the turn of the century, so that while the yearly numbers may be similar, thepercentage of the population that is foreign-born is considerably smaller today than it was a century ago.It might be interesting to speculate on immigration in the future. Will the trend continue for non-Europeans to immigrate to the United States? The answer is probably yes for the foreseeable future. Do these non-European people come to the United States for the same reasons that Europeans came? Well, land is no longer plentiful and cheap. Industry no longer requires large numbers of unskilled workers. In fact, the government usually tries to restrict immigration to those people who already have the skills to be successful in U.S. society. Still, people come for politica1 and economic reasons and probably will continue to do so.Chapter 3 Americans at WorkWhether you love it or hate it, work is a major part of most people’s lives everywhere in the world. Americans are no exception. Americans might complain about “blue Monday,” when they have to go back to work after the weekend, but most people put a lot of importance on their job, not only in terms of money but also in terms of identity. In fact, when Americans are introduced to a new person, they almost always ask each other, “What do you do?” They are asking, what is your job or profession. Today, however, we won’t look at work in terms of what work means socially or psychologically. Rather, we’re going to take a look at work in the United States today from two perspectives. First, we’ll take a historical look at work in America. We’ll do that by looking at how things changed for the American worker from the beginning to the end of the twentieth century, that is, from the year 1900 to the year 1999. Then we’ll look at how . workers are doing today.As we look at the changes over the last century, we’re going to use a lot of statistics to describe these changes. You will need to write down a lot of numbers in today’s lecture. First, let’s consider how the type of work people were involved in changed. At the beginning of the twentieth century, about 38 percent of the workforce was involved in agriculture; that is, they worked on a farm. By the end of the century, only 3 percent still worked on farms. There was also a large decrease in the number of people working in mining, manufacturing, and construction. The number of workers in mining, manufacturing, and construction went down from 31 percent to 19 percent.While the number of people in these goods producing industries went down, the number of people in the service industries went up. As you may know, a service industry is one that provides a service, rather than goods or products. A few examples include transportation, tourism, banking, advertising, health care, and legal services. I’m sure you can think of more. The service industry workforce jumped from 31 percent of the workforce at the turn of the century to 78 percent in 1999.Let’s recap the numbers: in 1900, 38 percent in agriculture; 31 percent in mining, manufacturing, and construction; and 31 percent in the service industries. That should add up to 100 percent. In 1999, 3 percent in agriculture; 19 percent in mining, manufacturing, and construction; and 78 percent in the service industries. Again, that should add up to 100 percent.The labor force changed in other important ways. For example, child labor was not unusual at the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1900 there were 1, 750, 000 children aged ten to fifteen working full-time in the labor force. This was 6 percent of the labor force. Over the years, child labor laws became much stricter and by 1999, it was illegal for anyone under sixteen to work full-time in any of the fifty states. While the number of children in the workforce went down, the number of women went up dramatically. In 1900, only 19 percent of women were employed; in 1999, 60 percent of women were holding down jobs.Let’s see what has happened to wages and salaries. All the numbers I will give you are in terms of 1999 dollars. Let me explain. In 1900 the average per capita income was $4,200 a year. That does not mean that the average worker in 1900 earned $4,200, a year, but that what he or she earned was equal to $4, 200 in 1999. That is, the amount of money the average worker earned in 1900 was worth the same as $4,200 in 1999. The average per capita income in 1999 was $33, 700. Not only did people earn a lot more money at the end of the century, they also received a lot more in benefits than at the beginning of the century. One of the important benefits most workers received later in the century was health insurance. Whereas wages and salaries rose over the century, the average workweek dropped. That is, workers, in general, did not work as long hours in 1999 as they did in 1900.The last area that I’d like to give you a few statistics about is workplace safety. Most of us who go to work every day don’t think a lot about whether we are safe or not, but in 1900 it was a real concernfor a lot of workers. There aren’t many statistics available, but the . government does have statistics on two industries that will give you some idea of the differences today. In 1900 almost 1,500 workers were killed in coal-mining accidents; in 1999, the number was 35. 2,555 railroad workers were killed in 1900, compared to 56 in 1999.People often tend to romanticize the past and talk about “the good old days,” but I think it’s fair to say that by the end of the twentieth century, . workers in general made more money, they enjoyed more benefits, and their working conditions had improved greatly.Now let’s turn our attention to the current situation for . workers. The picture is not so rosy as the one drawn by comparing U.S. workers at the beginning and the end of the twentieth century. I’m going to focus on the current situation in terms of productivity, working hours, and wages and salaries.First let’s consider the number of hours worked. According to a 2003 study released by the United Nations International Labor Organization, U.S. workers are the most productive in the world among industrialized nations, but they work longer hours than European workers to achieve this productivity. Europeans typically have four to six weeks of vacation a year, whereas the average American worker has only about two weeks. This study points out that the longer working hours in the United States is a rising trend, while the trend in other industrialized countries is the opposite.Workers in some European countries actually outproduce American workers per hour of work. It has been suggested that this higher rate of productivity might be because European workers are less stressed than U.S. workers.At any rate, there seems to be general agreement that U.S. productivity has greatly increased over the last thirty years. However, workers have not seen their wages rise at the same rate. A group of sociologists in their book Inequality by Design point out that there is a growing gap between rich Americans and everyone else in the United States. They write that between 1949 and 1974, increases in productivity were matched by increases in wages for workers in both manufacturing and the service industries, but since 1974, productivity increased 68 percent in manufacturing and 50 percent in services, but real wages stagnated. That is, wages moved up little or not at all. So, where does all the money generated by the increased productivity go then? According to the authors of this book, the moneygoes to the salaries for CEOs, to the stock market, and to corporate profits. Workers play a great role in increasing productivity, but no longer see their wages connected to increased productivity. In other words, CEOs’ salaries, the stock market, and the corporate profits go up as work productivity goes up, but workers’ wages don’t.What are the reasons why . workers, who are the most productive in the world, have to work longer hours, have fewer vacation days, and see their wages stagnate and not rising at the same rate as productivity? The answer to this question is complex and controversial, but there are two reasons most people who speak or write about these issues mention: The first is that labor unions in the United States have lost great power since the beginning of the 1980s, and the second is that the government has passed laws that favor the rich and weaken the rights of the workers.I see our time is up. So, I’ll see you next time.Chapter 4 Family in the United StatesA hundred years ago, one heard the same kind of comments about the American family that one hears today --- in short, that the American family is disintegrating. Proof of this disintegration at the end of the nineteenth century included three points: the declining birth rate, a rising divorce rate, and evidence that women were not completely content with their domestic role. It’s a little surprising to me that the same claim about the family is being made today --- that it is disintegrating. And often the same points are mentioned as proof: declining birth rates, increasing divorce rates, and discontent of women with domestic roles. Now, in no way do I mean to imply that cultural, demographic, and economic conditions are the same now as they were 100 years ago. On the contrary, the very nature of the family has changed drastically in the last 50 years, not to mention the last 100 years. But I don’t think the average person’s concept of the family has changed very much over the years. A lot of people have on fixed idea of the family: a married couple where Mother stays home to care for the children and Father works. But this idea is challenged by what we see every day in U.S. society. To be sure, the family is a very sensitive barometer for what is happening in the society, the culture, and the economy of the United States. To make this point clearer, we’ll take a look at how the American family has changed in the last 50 years by looking at three different time periods: there are the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s; the mid-60sto the mid-80s; and finally the present. Sociologist Barbara Dafoe Whitehead labels these three periods: the period of traditional familism, the period of individualism, and the period of the new familism. I will try for each period to show how economic, demographic, and cultural elements interact and, in turn, affect the family.Well, let’s proceed in chronological order and start with traditional familism. We’re talking here of the twenty years from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s. This was the period after World War II, a period characterized by a very strong economy. This gave the United States a rising standard of living and a growing middle class. Demographically, the predominant configuration of the family from these years was the traditional one: a married couple with children. Some women worked, but divorce rates were low, and birth rates were high. I guess you could say that the country idealized the family in these years. And what I mean is, there was a commitment to the family from its members and a reverence for it from society. TV programs of the era depicted the family in the classical configuration: working father, housewife, and children. Culturally, three characteristics stand out in this period: conformity to social norms, greater male domination of the family than in the later periods, and clear-cut gender roles, that is, clear and separate roles for men and women at home and at work. Well, things changed quite a bit after this period.Let’s move on to the second period, the period of individualism. This period is from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. Now, because individualism is so often mentioned in our discussion of U.S. culture and people, I should make a little detour here before we discuss it. Individualism brings to mind two other words: independence and self-reliance. Individualism conveys the idea that one should think and act for himself or herself, according to what one feels is right. Individualism is easily confused with egotism or selfishness, but in its best sense, it is much more. Individualism implies that one has the freedom to decide what is best rather than allowing that decision to be made by a group such as the community or society. Individualism does, of course, conflict with the concept of community, which implies that the group shares in making decisions. And this conflict between the individual and the community is one that comes up again and again in our lecture series about the United States. All right, let’s get back to our discussion about the family.The second period, the period of individualism, saw three important social and political movements. Do you have any idea which movements I might be talking about? Keep in mind that these decadeswere characterized by a lack of conformity to social norms. Well, the movements have in mind are the sexual revolution, in which sex was clearly no longer reserved for marriage; the women’s liberation movement; and the movement against the war in Vietnam. All three movements---the sexual revolution, woman’s liberation, and the antiwar movement --- were typical of the nonconforming nature of these decades. Now, culturally, it is in this period where we see two important developments: one the idealization of one’s career and work and, two, the drive for self-expression and self-fulfillment. In this period, the feminist movement challenged traditional gender roles and male domination of society. Women began to enter professions previously closed to them like medicine, law, and management. Men, for their part, began at least to consider a more active role in raising their children.These cultural changes occurred during a time of economic changes, too. This was a time of rapidly rising cost of living. Together, these forces changed the demographics of the family. The former picture of the family had only one configuration: a married couple with children where Mother stayed home. The new picture of the family had to include new configurations, like families in which the husband and wife both worked, families of single parents with children, and families of cohabiting couples with or without children. With more women pursuing careers and making money, there was less economic pressure for them to stay in an unsuitable marriage. Therefore, divorce rates doubled in a decade. Rising divorce rates and more financial independence for women made marriage a less attractive arrangement for many women. Consequently, the number of single-parent households tripled. Less conformity to social norms paved the way for cohabitation. So the number of unmarried couples living together in this period quadrupled. Can you see how economic, cultural, and demographic aspects of the society interact with each other? I hope so. Well, let’s continue with our agenda.The third period, the new familism, is harder to see because we are living in this period now. And because we are constantly informed by the media about the deteriorating American family, it’s hard to get an objective view of the state of the family. I think that today most people applaud the social changes that came about in the second period of individualism. They are not willing to give up gender equality, the freedom to leave an unsuitable marriage, or the self-fulfillment of an interesting job. At the same time, most experts, if not most people, admit that children paid a high price for the social changes that took place in the second period. It was the。

Unit 2, Book 2Optional Listening 11.Man: Where are you running to, Paula?Woman I have Connie’s wallet. I need to give it to her.M: Come on. I’ll help you.W: I don’t see Connie anywhere.M: Look! She’s over there. Standing at the bus stop.W: Oh yeah, I see her. Connie! Connie!M: She doesn’t see us.W: You’re right, It’s too noisy, and she’s talking to someone.2.M: Well, here we are. This is my mom’s house.W: It’s beautiful.M: Hey, Jen. Are you okay?W: I’m just a little nervous. It’s my first time meeting your mother M: Come on. Don’t worry. Here she is now.W2: Hi, Tim!M: Hi, Mon.I’d like you to meet Jen.W2: Hi, Jen. It’s very nice to meet you.W: It’s nice to meet you, too. Mrs. Harris.3.M: Hey, Anne. Where are you going?W: I’m going to the library to study.M: For what? It’s only 7:00 a.m.!W: My final exams. They’re next week.M: Wow, well, good luck!W: Thanks!4.W: Bill, it’s late. Where’s the theater?M: Hmmm… I think it’s near here.W: Are you sure? What street is this?M: Uhm… I don’t know.W: Where’s the map? I want to check.Optional Listening 2Paula: So, Jane, what are you doing these days?Jane: I’m working in an office. And I’m studying computer science in the evening.P: You’re really busy!J: That’s for sure! And in my free time, I’m learning Spanish for my vacation. I’m planning a trip to Mexico next year.P: What about your brothers? How are they doing?J: They’re doing great! Alex is helping our father in his business, and Adam is going to Pacific University.P: How nice!J: Paula, how about you? How are you doing these days?P: I’m doing great, too. I’m working on a project about community safety.J: Community safety?P: Yeah. We’re planning a campaign against theft, fire ,AIDS and drugs in our community.J: Oh, that sounds interesting!P: Yes, indeed it is interesting, and it is very important to the community.Optional Listening 3Know before you go!In Bangladesh people greet their friends by shaking hands softly and then putting their hands over their heart. People in Bangladesh don’t use many gestures. Waving at people and winking are very rude. Don’t touch people on the head. Don’t point with your foot---Bangladeshi peoplethink feet are very dirty.Indonesians greet people with a long handshake, and they bow at the same time. At a meeting, give every person your business card, but use your right hand----using your left hand is very rude in Indonesia.In Thailand, the traditional greeting is called wai----people put their hands together and bow. Men and women don’t often touch each other in public. Thai people don’t use their hand for gestures, but they love to smile a lot. They sometimes laugh when they feel nervous or embarrassed.People in the United Arab Emirates have some special gestures. When two men meet, they shake hands. Sometimes old men touch noses together. Women kiss their friends on the cheek. If a man meets a woman, he doesn’t shake hands with her. He just smiles. When you give your friend something, give it to him with your right hand. Don’t use your left hand. And don’t point at peopole with your finger. Use your hand to gesture towards them.Optional Listening4World greetingsIn Brazil men often shake hands when they meet for the first time. When women meet, they kiss each other on the cheek. Women also kiss male friends to say hello. When you shake hands, look at the person in the eyes. This shows interest and friendliness.In New Zealand, usually, both men and women shake hands when they meet someone for the first time. Fun fact: If you see two people pressing their noses together, they are probably Maori. The Maori are the native people of New Zealand. This is their traditional greeting.In Japan when people meet for the first time, they usually bow. In business, people also shake hands. In formal situations, people often exchange business cards. When you give a business card, give it with both hands. This is polite. Special note: In Japan, a smile can have different meanings. It usually means that the person is happy. or that the person thinks something is funny. But it also mean that the person is embarrassed.Keys:OL1: A. 1. waving to; 2. shaking hands; 3. crossing his fingers; 4. shruggingB. 1. wallet; 2. nervous; 3. studying for a test; 4.the theater.OL 2: B. 1. That’s for sure; 2. vacation; 3. They’re doing great; 4. project; 5. AIDS; 6. drugs.OL 4: B 1. shake hands; 2. Japan, bow; 3. Maori; 4. Brazil, kiss(each other on the cheek); 5. in the eyes; 6. Japan, embarrassed.OL 5: 1. traditional; 2.greetings; 3.learning; 4.trip; 5. nervous; 6. business card; 7. jump and nod;8. for luck; 9. start laughing; 10. relax and have fun贵州大学法学院法学102班梁江维上传QQ:342113906。

Unit2Ⅰ。

Lead-in1.This is a difficult question, for most of us enjoy both. But if you press me with this question, I should say that personally Iprefer watching a DVD at home. It is true that watching a movie at a theater has a number of advantages. For example, the sound effects are much better. When you hear guns firing in a theater, you feel as if you were on a real battlefield.Moreover, the presence of an audience can create a good atmosphere. When you watch a comedy on TV by yourself, you may be amused by the funny words and actions, but you are unlikely to laugh out loud. In a theater, on the other hand, you may laugh heartily when the whole audience bursts into wild laughter. In spite of those pluses for the theater, I have to say that I prefer to stay home and watch the same movie on DVD. In this way I feel more relaxed. I don't have to sit on a chair.Instead, I can lie on a sofa. I can drink tea or coffee while watching the movie. I can also press the PAUSE button, go to the kitchen or toilet, and then come back to continue the movie. More importantly, if I don't understand a section of the movie,I can replay it. Obviously, the advantages of viewing at home outweigh the advantages of viewing it at a theater.2.Different people have different choices, each with their own reasons. Generally, older people prefer old, classic movies,while young people choose contemporary movies, though we can find many exceptions to that pattern. It is reasonable for older people to favor the traditional movies of their time. When they see such movies, their memories of the past will be activated. It is not uncommon for us to observe that when elderly people see things in a movie that they personally experienced, they get excited and even shed tears. Some doctors say this sort of memory stimulation can have healing effects and slow down memory loss. While I understand that older people have good reasons to choose old movies, I prefer movies on contemporary themes. New movies are superior in many respects. First of all, the technology has improved, and therefore we can enjoy better scenes. Second, the directors, actors and actresses have all improved their skills. When you look at Chinese movies of the 1950s, you may find some actors and actresses talk or act somewhat artificially. Third, contemporary movies are often closer to our daily lives, and after seeing them, we can understand our society better. In other words, new movies have better educational value. Of course, the advantages of modern movies are not limited only to those I've just named. But they are reasons enough for me to make my choice.3.Occasionally I do enjoy seeing a foreign movie. It can take my mind off to a distant land. The outlandish setting oftenexcites me, and the different values tend to give me much food for thought. However, my lack of background information often requires me to make too many inferences, and sometimes I cannot understand certain parts of the movie. In such cases I may feel less entertained. By comparison, I feel more at home with Chinese movies. I can easily associate the scene and lines with the historical background. I can readily understand witty conversation and implied meanings. Sometimes I can even predict what is going to happen from the speaker's tone or gesture. Still, it is true that Chinese movies cannot yet compete with Western movies in filming technology. I do hope the next generation of Chinese movies will make further improvement.4.Certainly I want to see the movie first. A movie is meant chiefly to entertain, while a book may have a stronger educationalfunction in addition to its entertainment function. If one reads the book first, one will know the outcome of the movie in advance. With hardly any suspense, the movie will lose much of its appeal in spite of its colorful scenes. On the other hand, if we see the movie first, we can still appreciate the corresponding book. The book is usually longer than the adapted movie, and therefore you can still find a lot of new stuff. What's more, while reading a book, you can stop from time to time to think about the deeper meaning. So you see, after seeing the movie, you can still enjoy the book.Ⅲ.Listening InTask2:A Great ActorThere was once a great actor who could no longer remember his lines. After several years of searching, he finally found a theater that was willing to give him a try. The director said, "This is the most important part, and it has only one line. At theopening you walk onto stage carrying a rose. You hold the rose to your nose with just one finger and thumb, smell it deeply and then say the line in praise of the rose: 'Ah, the sweet smell of my love.'" The actor was excited. All day long before the play he practiced his line over and over again. Finally, the time came. The curtain went up, the actor walked onto the stage, looked at the audience, and with great emotion said the line, "Ah, the sweet smell of my love." The audience exploded in laughter. Only the director was furious! "Ahhhhhh! You damned fool!" he cried. "You've ruined my play! You've ruined me!" The actor was puzzled, "What happened? Did I forget my line?" "No!" shouted the director. "You forgot the rose!"Task3: Movie ReviewsI love movies! And after I see them, I like to comment on them. These are movies I saw this year that I would like to recommend: Among comedies I highly recommend "Monsoon Wedding". It's an Indian movie. The story is about an Indian wedding. Preparations for the wedding bring out funny and sad situations touching on love and a past rape. This movie shows some of the wonderful customs of India, and the importance of family and love. It's great!Among dramas, I like "Adaptation". It is an excellent movie! But for me the first part of the movie was too fast to follow.I hope to see it again on DVD with captions."The Pianist" is set in the Second World War. It's about a young Polish-Jewish pianist, who lives in Warsaw with his family. The Nazis sent his family to die in the concentration camps. He was safe, but would have died without unusually good luck and the kindness of a few non-Jews. This is a powerful movie with thought-provoking themes."Rabbit-Proof Fence" is set in the 1930s in Australia, and it's based on real events. It is about three native girls, who are separated from their families by the racist police who send them to special centers. There the girls are taught practical skills, and the government tries to integrate them into white Australian society. They ran away from the camp and walked 1,500 miles to find their mothers. This is a sad, touching story that you should not miss.Ⅴ.Let’s TalkAlfred HitchcockAlfred Hitchcock was a British director. His movies frequently show innocent people caught up in situations beyond their control or even understanding.Hitchcock preferred the use of suspense to surprise in his movies. In surprise, the director provides the viewer with frightening things. In suspense, the director tells or shows things to the audience which the characters in the movie do not know, and then skillfully builds up tension around what would happen when the characters finally learn the truth.Hitchcock had a great sense of humor. Once at a French airport, a suspicious customs official looked at Hitchcock's passport, which was marked simply PRODUCER. The curious official asked, "And what do you produce?" "Gooseflesh." replied Hitchcock.Alfred Hitchcock always managed to make a brief appearance in his movies: He was sometimes getting on a bus, or crossing a street, or walking in front of a store, or across the courtyard in an apartment. However, for the movie Lifeboat in 1944, he was faced with a difficult problem. The entire movie was set in a lifeboat out at sea, and there were only a few characters in the boat. Originally, he wanted to float by as a dead body, but he was afraid he'd sink! His clever solution was to place a photograph of himself in a newspaper that one of the characters read during the course of the movie.Ⅵ.Further Listening and SpeakingTask1: Only One LinePeter had always wanted to be an actor, but never succeeded because he had a hard time memorizing lines. A friend of his told him about a small part in a play. He promised Peter that he could do it because he'd only have to remember one line. Peter decided to take the part. His only line was, "Listen, I hear the guns roar!" Peter practiced and practiced, "Listen, I hear the guns roar!" On the opening night of the play Peter was very nervous. Backstage, he practiced his line, over and over again, "Listen, I hear the guns roar! Listen, I hear the guns roar!" Finally came his turn, Peter went onto stage. He heard a loud BOOM and cried out in spite of himself, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"Task3:The Secret of the Next Harry Potter BookThe Harry Potter books rapidly became one of the most in-demand book series among young readers and have earned large sums of money. Movies based on the books won several Oscar nominations. Readers are now keen to know the plot of the next book.Harry Potter movie fans will get a long-awaited treat. The movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is finally about to come out. This time around, Harry discovers a frightening secret at Hogwarts School. Eager readers of the first four Harry Potter books are also trying to discover a secret. The secret plot of the fifth book in the series. Because of the long wait since Book Four, they are guessing many things. Some think that Professor Lupin will die or that Harry and his friend Ron may be related!J. K. Rowling herself has only said that Book Five will be shorter and scarier than Book Four. To make sure her readers hear only rumors, she locks all her ideas for the books in a hidden place. Since the next book does not come out until 2003, for now Harry's secret is safe with her!。

Unit 2Part twoListening 1Mrs. Black was having a lot of trouble with her skin, so she went to her doctor. However he could not find anything wrong with her. So he sent her to the local hospital for some tests. The hospital, of course, sent the results of the tests directly to Mrs. Black's doctor. The next morning, he telephoned her to give her a list of the things that he thought she should not eat, as any of them might be the cause of her skin trouble.Mrs. Black carefully wrote all the things down on a piece of paper, which she then left beside the telephone while she went out to a meeting.When she got back home two hours later, she found her husband waiting for her. He had a big basket full of packages beside him, and when he saw her, he said, “Hell o, dear. I have done all your shopping for you.”“Done all my shopping?” she asked in surprise. “But how did you know what I wanted?” “Well, when I got home, I found your shopping list beside the telephone,” answered her husband, “so I went down to the shops and bought everything you had written down.”Of course, Mrs. Black had to tell him that he had bought all the things the doctor did not allow her to eat!Listening 2Do you speak British or American EnglishAmerican and British people both speak English, of course, but sometimes it does not seem like the same language. In fact, there are some important differences between British and American English.First of all, they sound very different. Often, Americans don't say all the letters in each word. For example, Americans may say “I dunno” instead of “I don't know”, or they may say “Whaddya say?” instead of “What do you say?”Sound is not the only difference between British and American English. The two languages have different words and expressions for some things. For example, some words for clothing are different. Americans use the word “sweater”, but the British say “jumper”. Americans wear “vests” over their shirts, but British people wear “vests” under their shirts. Americans talk about “pants”or “slacks”, but the British talk about “trousers”. The British chips are American French fries. A British chemist is an American drugstore. In Britain, if you are going to telephone friends, you “ring them up”. In America, you “give them a call”.There are also some differences in grammar. For example, Americans almost always use the helping verb “do” with the verb “have”. They might say, “Do you have an extra pen?” The British often ask the question a different way. They might say, “Have you got an extr a pen?”These differences can be confusing when you are learning English. But when the same language is used in different places, it is understandable that it changes in each place.Lestening3(Mr. and Mrs. Jones are having a conversation one evening while Mrs. Jones happens to be looking at some of the textbooks her daughter, who is in the fifth grade, is using.) Mrs. Jones: Listen to what this book says. It really makes me angry! When talking about the settling of the western part of the U.S., it say s, “MEN by the thousands headed west.” Then on the very same page it says, “The average citizen in the United States is proud of HIS heritage.”Mr. Jones: What's wrong with that? It's true. I don't understand why you are angry. Mrs. Jones: Why? Because women are left out!Mr. Jones: Everyone knows when the author says “men” or “his” in those sentences that the author means to include women.Mrs. Jones: I think you are wrong. When young people read these sentences, they simply do not form a mental image which includes females.Mr. Jones: Mm. Do you have other examples?Mrs. Jones: Yes I do! This book mentions “MAN-made improvements that have raised America's standard of living”. A child will not think that females as well as males have made contributions when reading this.Mr. Jones: I still don't think it's very important.Mrs. Jones: Of course you don't! You're a man. But don't you want our daughter and other little girls to have the idea that they can be important citizens in their country, just as other women have been in the past?Mr. Jones: Well, I guess you're right. I hope not all textbooks are like that.Part threePractice oneAn Equal-Opportunity EmployerWalking down the street, a dog saw an ad in an office window. “Help wanted. Must typ e 70 words a minute. Must be computer literate. Must be bilingual. An equal-opportunity employer.”The dog applied for the position, but he was quickly refused. “I can't hire a dog for this job,” the office manager said. But when the dog pointed to the line that read “Anequal-opportunity employer”, the office manager sighed and asked, “Can you type?” Silently, the dog walked over to a typewriter and typed a letter without a mistake. “Can you operate a computer?” the manager inquired. The dog then sat down at a computer, wrote a program and ran it perfectly.“Look, I still can't hire a dog for this position,” said the office manager. “You have fine skills, but I need someone who's bilingual. It says so right in the ad.”The dog looked up at the manager an d said, “Meow.”Practice twoSome Statistics About LanguagesThere are about 5,000 languages in the world, and the one with the most number of speakers is Mandarin, with about 650,000,000 native speakers. English has around 350,000,000 native speakers.One of the most common surnames in the world is Zhang: There are about 350,000,000. Smith is the most common English surname: There are around 80,000 in England and Wales and an estimated 2,382,509 in the United States.The largest dictionary in the world is the Oxford English Dictionary, which has 20 volumes, 21,728 pages, 290,500 main entries, and around 59,000,000 words. It lists the definitions of around 615,000 words. The Webster's International Dictionary lists about 450,000 words.The chemical name for a protein that has 1,913 letters is considered to be the longest word in English.Practice threeWeather or notRamon Romero is a seventeen-year-old boy from Bolivia. He speaks Spanish and a little bit of English.Ramon lives in the United States now, in Little Rock, Arkansas, with the Hutchinsons. They are not his real family. His real family is back in Bolivia. They cannot come to America because they have jobs and duties in their country and aren't able to leave. However, they do want their son to have an American education and be fluent in English. He misses his family and wishes to see them. It seems that no one understands his true feelings. It is difficult to listen to English all the time and then to express his thoughts in English. His American family is very nice to him and helps him in every way. In return, Ramon does little things to help the family. For instance, he takes the dog for a walk every morning and every evening.When he comes back from the morning walk, he tells Mrs. Hutchinson about the weather. This tells her how to dress her four-year-old son. On Tuesday, Mrs. Hutchinson asks, “How is the weather today?”Ramon answers, “It rain.”“No, Ramon, in English we say, 'It's raining.'”On Wednesday, it rains again.“It's raining today,” reports Ramon.On Thursday, it snows. On Friday, the sun finally shines. Ramon is very happy that he doesn't have to wear boots or carry an umbrella. He comes into the house with a big smile on his face.“How's the weather today?” asks Mrs. Hu tchinson.“Oh, today I am very happy,” replies Ramon. “There is no weather.”Practice fourNick: Hi, Dieter. OK?Dieter: Oh, hi, Nick. Yes, I'm fine, except that I had a big problem ordering my drink. I didn't think my English was so bad!Nick: Your English is very good! What kind of problem?Dieter: Well, look at this beer I've got here—this warm, brown, English beer—it wasn't what I wanted!Nick: Why, what did you ask for?Dieter: Well, I just asked for a small beer. Then the barman asked what type of beer and said lots of names that I didn't understand—and something about a pie or a pine. I didn't understand anything!Nick: Oh, no! He probably said a pint! In English you don't ask for a big or a small beer. You ask for either a pint or a half. A pint's the big one.Dieter: So this one I've got here is a half?Nick: Yes, that's a half of bitter. Bitter's the name for that type of beer.Dieter: Ah, that's what he said—bitter! Well, it's very different from the beer we drink in Germany, I must say.Nick: Yes, I know. They call the German type of beer lager. So you have to ask for a half of lager, or a pint of lager.Dieter: OK. I understand that now. My another problem was chips. I asked for a packet of chips, and the barman said something strange—that they don't have chips in the evening, only at lunchtime. What did he mean?Nick: Yes, they have fish and chips, but I think you meant crisps. In England, chips are fried potatoes, you know, French fries. The ones you buy in a packet are crisps.Dieter: Well, in the end I didn't get anything to eat. So you see, I did everything wrong!Part fourSection oneLearning to Communicate in Another LanguageLearning to communicate in another language may be very difficult and frustrating at times, but it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. Being able to communicate in another language will open doors for you to experience a world of new people, places, and ideas. It will offer you a look at cultures from every part of the earth. And if you have the opportunity to live in another culture, the experience will show you many things—above all, about your own culture. It will reveal cultural similarities and differences that you have never noticed in the past. In addition, the experience can also show you a great deal about your own personal beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions. Within a short time in another culture, you will find that you begin to learn a great deal about yourself and your own country and culture.Section twoMen and Women Have Different Styles in ConversationMy wife and I visited her family in Mexico ten months after we were married. I had been working on my Spanish and was looking forward to practicing it. On our first evening there,the entire family held a party for us. I spent a lot of time entertaining the children, one of whom enjoyed explaining to me in great detail.Later I said to my wife, “I really thought my Spanish had improved, but when I was talking with Rolando, no matter how hard I concentrated, I couldn't understand a thing he was saying.”“No one can,” she replied, “he's still learning how to talk.”Section threeMen and Women Have Different Styles in ConversationAt an early age, little girls' conversation is less definite and expresses more doubts, while little boys use conversation to establish status with their listeners.These differences continue into adult life. In public conversations, men talk more and interrupt other speakers more. In private conversations, men and women speak in equal amounts, although they say things in a different style. For women, private talking is a way to establish and test intimacy. For men, private talking is a way to explore the power structure of a relationship.Teaching is one job which shows the differences between men's and women's ways of talking. When a man teaches a woman, he wants to show that he has more knowledge, and hence more power in conversation. He uses his language to show this. When a woman teaches another woman, however, she is more likely to take a sharing approach and to encourage her student to join in.But it doesn't suggest that women are naturally more helpful. Actually, women feel they achieve power by being able to help others.。

视听说答案及录⾳原⽂unit2视听说课程第⼆单元II. Basic Listening Practice1.ScriptM: Now we have satellite and high-powered microscope, it’s easy to think we know everything about the world; but we still don’t understand EI Nino.W: Right. Scientists all over the world over are even uncertain about the cause of the warm Pacific current that brings storms or drought—the mysterious EI Nino.Q: Which of the following is true according to the conversation?2. ScriptM: Everyone is talking about environmental problem: acid rain, the greenhouse effect, holes in the ozone layer. We should think positively. What can we do to improve things?W: I agree. We could do a lot more to harness the sun’s energy for heating and lighting in our homes. In Japan 43,000 solar roofs were installed in 2002.Q: How do the man and the woman view the environment?3. ScriptW: We lived in Beijing some years ago. It was always difficult to keep the house clean with wind from the north blowing sand from the desert at us.M: That’s why the Chinese government has been encouraging people to plant trees along the edges of the Gobi Desert. Now those trees act as wind barriers.Q: What did the government encourage people to do?4. ScriptM:Many old refrigerators and cars are environmental hazards because they contain CFCs that destroy the ozone layer.W: Yes, but government or organizations are helping people to safely dispose of old refrigerators or, in the case of cars, to upgrade their air conditioning.Q: What are government departments helping people to do?5. ScriptM:Hey, that’s an aerosol spray you’re using on your hair! Build a bomb or set fire to the apartment to kill us quickly instead of making holes in the ozone, so we die of cancer.W: Cool it, man. This spray doesn’t contain CFC s. And you’d better read a little more. In 2003 the hole in the ozone layer shrank by 20 percent, so there’s no reason to panic.Q: What does the man mean?Keys: 1.B 2.D 3. A 4.A 5.CIII. Listening InTask 1: We should have proper respect for nature!ScriptMartha: Do you think most people in your culture respect nature?Ed:I think so. Umm…more now than before.Martha: What do you think is the most serious environment problem in the world today?Ed: Today…I think damage to the ozone layer is a big problem; and another problem is pollution in big cities and things like that.Martha: How do you learn about environmental problems?Ed: Umm…through school. A lot of clubs promote environmental safely, and some TV programs, too. They talk about environmental safely and stuff like that.Martha:Do you think students should learn more about the environment at school?Ed: I think so. So, as they grow older, they can be more aware of all the problems that are going on. And also to prevent more problems from occurring.Martha: If you could create a new law to help the environment, what would it be?Ed: A new law for the environment? Umm…I’d probably say that when people throw away their cigarette butts, they have to throw them into the garbage bin, not just throwthem everywhere because it’s just littering and I hate that. So they should be fined ifthey throw them on the floor on the ground.Martha:That’s a good idea. What do you personally do to help protect the environment? Ed: I’ m so against littering. I never litter. If I see somebody litter, I get really angry. So I always throw my trash into the garbage bin.While being interviewed by Martha, Ed said more people in his culture respect nature ever before. When asked about the most serious environmental problem in the world today, he mentioned the damaged ozone layer and the pollution in big cities.Ed learned about environmental problem at school. A lot of clubs and some TV programs promote environmental safely. He believes that students should learn more about the environment at school. Then they can be more aware of all the problems and prevent more problems from occurring.When asked about a new law he would like to create to help the environment, he said that when people throw away their cigarette butts, they have to throw them in the garbage bin. They should be fined if they throw them on the floor. Personally, Ed is so set against littering that he never litters. He always throws his trash into the garbage bin.Task 2 River pollutionIf you see dead fish floating on the river or notice that the water is discolored and smelly, you know the river has been polluted, and there are four main possible causes for it.First, fertilizer. If large amounts of fertilizer or farm waste drain into a river, the concentrations of nitrate and phosphate in the water increase considerably. Algae use these substances to grow rapidly, turning the water green. This massive growth of algae leads to pollution. When the algae die, they are broken down by the action of the bacteria, which quickly multiply, using up all the oxygen in the water and therefore causing the death of fish.Second, industrial waste. Factories sometimes discharge chemical waste into rivers. Examples of such pollutants include cyanide, lead, copper, and mercury. These substances may enter the water in such high concentrations that fish and other animals are killed immediately. Sometimes the pollutants enter the food chain and accumulate until they reach toxic levels, eventually killing fish and other animals.Third, oil pollution. If oil enters a slow-moving river, it forms a rainbow-colored film over the entiresurface, preventing oxygen from entering the water.Fourth, warm water. Industry often uses water for cooling processes, sometimes discharging large quantities of warm water back into rivers. A higher temperature of the water lowers the level of dissolved oxygen and upsets the balance of life in the water.Questions and key1. What is the passage mainly about?D) The causes of river pollution.2. Why does the river water turn green?A) Because nitrate and phosphate in the water increase.3. What harm does industrial waste cause?B) Poisoning.4. Which of the following is true of oil pollution?C) It prevents oxygen from entering the water.5. What harm can warm water in a river bring?D) Lack of oxygen.Task3: Curbing Carbon emissionsScriptAlthough it is not an easy task, China is striving to fulfill the promise to cut its carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40 to 45 percent in the next 10 years.Zhang Guobao, Director of the National Energy Administration, said, "The government puts great emphasis on seeking harmonious development between cities and the environment, and is readjusting the energy structure by giving priority to the development of clean and low-carbon energies, including hydroelectric, nuclear, wind, and solar power."Government authorities have closed small, coal-fired plants with a total capacity of 60.06 million kilowatts in the past four years. This year's target of closing 10 million kilowatts of capacity will be achieved by August. "We have promised to the international community that 15 percent of our power will be generated from non-fossil sources by 2020," Director Zhang said. At present, non-fossil energy accounts for only 7.8 percent.China is making efforts to increase the proportion of clean energy in its total energy consumption. Statistics show that China invested US$34.6 billion in clean energy last year, exceeding the United States which invested US$18.6 billion. Thus, China has become the world leader in generating clean energy. Five years earlier, China's investment in clean energy was only US$2.5 billion.However, China's carbon emission reduction target cannot be achieved easily. The shift to a low-carbon economy might be met at a cost to society. For instance, more than 400,000 people were laid off as a result of the shutdown of small coal-fired power plants in the past four years. Many studies indicate that the effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions may delay China's development, affect people's income, and lead to unemployment.Questions and key1. What is the passage mainly about?D) Cutting carbon dioxide emissions: China's achievements and problems.2. From four years ago until August this year, how many kilowatts of coal-fired plant capacity will have been closed?D) More than 70 million.3. By 2020, what will be the proportion of non-fossil energy in the total power in China?A) 15%.4. Which of the following is true of the investment by China and the United States in clean energy last year?B) China's investment was almost twice as large as the United States'.5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a problem arising from curbing greenhouse gas emissions?C) Causing more strikes.。

新标准大学视听说2原文Unit 1。

Part A。

A New Life in America。

In the United States, people often ask, "What do you do?" This means, "What is your job?" People also ask, "Where are you from?" This means, "What is your nationality?" People from different countries have different customs. For example, in the United States, people often smile at each other on the street. This is a way of being friendly. In some other countries, people do not smile at strangers. They think it is impolite. They only smile at people they know.Part B。

1. What is the main idea of the passage?A. People in the United States are friendly.B. People in different countries have different customs.C. People in the United States often ask, "What do you do?"D. People in the United States often ask, "Where are you from?"2. What does the word "customs" mean in the passage?A. Habits.B. Laws.C. Jobs.D. Schools.3. Which of the following is NOT true?A. People in the United States often smile at each other on the street.B. People in the United States often ask, "What do you do?"C. People in the United States often ask, "Where are you from?"D. People in some other countries only smile at people they know.Unit 2。