施心远主编《听力教程》3-(第2版)Unit-8答案

UNIT 8

Section One Tactics for Listening

Part 1 Spot Dictation

Corporate Social Responsibility〔企业的社会责任〕

Once upon a time, all- or almost all- businesses were (1) greedy and rapacious,

sparing a thought for their (2) workers or the environment only in order to (3) work

out how to exploit them. Then bosses found their (4) consciences, guided (or

sometimes forced) by (5) customers or critics from the (6) non-profit world. They

discovered the idea that companies should not exist only to make a profit but to (7)

serve society. Thus corporate social responsibility (CSR) got its (8) start as a business

fashion, and it is now hard to find a firm that has not (9) come up with an earnest (10)

statement about its relations with the wider world.

CSR is closely linked with the principles of (11) Sustainable Development in

proposing that enterprises should (12) be obliged to make decisions based not only on

the financial factors but also on the social and environmental (13) consequences of

their activities. Issues like environmental damage, improper treatment of workers and

(14) faulty production leading to customers inconvenience or danger, (15) are

highlighted in the media.

Some investors and investment fund managers have begun to 〔16〕 take account

of a corporation’s policy in making 〔17〕 investment decisions. Some consumers

have become increasingly sensitive to the CSR performance of the companies〔18〕

from which they buy their goods and services. These trends 〔19〕 have contributed to

the pressure on companies to〔20〕 operate in an economically, socially and

environmentally sustainable way.

Part 2 Listening for Gist

Small retailers across the United States are facing the same challenge:

competition from shopping malls 〔大型购物中心〕and chain stores〔连锁店〕. But,

in downtown Dickson, Tennessee, a group of retail merchants〔零售商〕 have banded

together 〔紧密团结起来〕 to win back〔赢回〕 their customers who have been

attracted to shopping areas 〔商业圈〕 in the neighboring big city.

Dickson is a typical small American city. It has quiet residential areas 〔居民区〕

and a nice little downtown that was once a thriving retail center. But according to

David Hamilton, president of Dickson's Chamber of Commerce 〔商会〕, highway

construction over the past several years changed that. Being just 65 kilometers away

from a big city like Nashville, Mr Hamilton says, presents another challenge to

Dickson's downtown shopping area. "Because we're so close to Nashville, and

because so many people work in Nashville, when they think about shopping, they

think of going to Nashville malls."

But small business owners in downtown Dickson didn't give up. Instead, they

decided to fight back. More than 40 of them founded the Retail Merchants

Association of Downtown Dickson. Members of the new association are committed

to success; they pay monthly dues 〔月缴会费〕 and meet periodically to suggest and

discuss creative ways of attracting more shoppers to downtown. Mr. Williams says

one idea is creating events modeled on the annual Christmas parade through the

downtown area that attracts a large number of city residents. Free refreshments 〔茶点，小吃〕 and giveaways 〔免费样品〕will be part of these regular events. Mr.

Williams says the group is also planning to beautify the downtown area with plants

and paint.

Though it might seem hard to compete with big chain stores, small retailers have

an advantage. They have a personal approach in serving customers. Chamber of

Commerce president David Hamilton agrees. He says retailers in his city serve

customers well, and customers in return, should support them by shopping in their

stores.

The downtown area is the heart of a city. And members of Dickson's new Retail

Merchants Association are determined to work together to keep the heart beating - to

revitalize〔使。。恢复生气〕 downtown Dickson so it is once again a busy, welcoming

place for people to come and shop.

Exercise

Directions: Listen to the passage and find its topic sentence.

The topic sentence is "In downtown Dickson Tennessee， a group of retail merchants

have banded together to win back their customers who have been attracted to

shopping areas in the neighboring big city."

Section Two Listening Comprehension

Part 1 Dialogue

Having Their Babies at Home

- What about ... um ... the number of mothers who are now choosing to have their

babies at home. Is that a, a growing number in Australia?

- It's still a very very small proportion at the moment and therefore many, um,

hospitals are thinking of actually introducing birthing centers, birthing units. We have

one at our hospital at the moment, where the, the unit is set up as a bedroom and a