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Unit 1OutsideviewConversation 1Li:What a wonderful view! This is such a great city!Do you ever get tired of living in London, Andy?A;"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford"Li:That's a quotation by Samuel Johnson, isn't it?A:Correct,so do you have any plans when you finish at Oxford?Li: I've got another year to go and then I suppose I'll go back home.A; And you will find a job?Li:I think I have to do my Master's before I look for work.But I must admit London is very special.Do you think you would ever leave London? A:Sure, I'd love to come to china one day, and I like traveling. But i think I'll always come back here.Li:Well, your roots are here and there are so many opportunities.A;But have you ever thought of living in London for a year or two?Li:Yes, but what could I do here? I had planned to become a teacher.But i have often thought if there was a job i could do here in publishing,maybe as an editor, I'll go for it.A:That's sounds like a great idea.I think that would really suit youLi:Maybe I should update my CV and send it to one or two publisher.A:Don't make it look too goodLi:Why not?A;Well,if you enjoy working with London Time Off, we don't want you working with anyone elseLi:Oh, working with you and Joe it's great fun and really interesting. I couldn't think of a better way to find out about a cityA;So maybe you should think about applying for a job with usLi:But do you think I'd stand a chance(有可能，有希望)?I mean, I'm not sure if Joe likes meA:Don't even think about it!Joe is very straight talking and I promise you that you'd know if he didn't like you.Li:Perhaps we should both update our CVs and look for jobs togetherA:Hey,right!That would be fun.Conversation 2Li:Talking about future plans,how do you see your career developing?A:My career?Well, I like working for London Time Off.It's a part of a larger media company called Lift off USA,so there are lots of opportunities.But...Li:But...What?A:It's not always very easy working with Joe.I mean,I kind of think he has a different agenda（different way of thinking from Andy不一样的想法）.I like his work, but sometimes I don't think his heart is in his job.Li:How did he end up in London?A:He did media studies in the States,and then found work as a gofer（杂工）at Lift off USA in New York.Li:What's a gofer?A:Go for this,go for that.It's a word for the least experienced person in the film and TV industry.Then he came to London and got a proper job as a researcher at Lift off UK,and then after a few years he got the producer's job in London Time OffLi:He is good at his job,isn't he?A:Yes,he is confident and competent at what he does,so the people who work with him rate him quite highly（speak highly of）.Li:Except you?A:No,I rate him too.And I get on with him quite well,although we are not best budies or anything like that,it's just...I want his job!Li:Now we know your little secret.I promise I won't tell anyoneA:Janet,there was something I was going to ask you...Li:Sure,what is it?A:I was wondering...oh,it's nothing.Anyway,all this talk about your future career is making me thirsty.Let's go for a drink.Li:Who is round ?A:You...Outsideview :How to get a jobGraduation.What a big day!Your life is about to begin!And then your parents say..."Get a job".I tell you!Looking for your first job out of college can be pretty hard.Reading all the job listing is so annoying.Even trying to figure out what the actual job is can be difficult.Searching through the want ads can be so boring.And writing your resume is really hard work."I don't have that day open."Getting a job interview,and then going on it—the whole process is pretty tough."Sorry to keep you waiting.Uh,have a seat.""I have your resume here,and you are interested in the assistant's position.""Yeah,yeah""Well,the right candidate for this job has to be very outgoing and sociable.After all it is a sale position.""Well, I'm a real extrovert(性格外向的人).Definitely.""And the right candidate has to have great self-confidence.Customers need to feel that you know what you're talking about.""Well, I'm really self-confident.Um I know what I'm talking about and I think I can project that""So,what skills would you bring to this job?"""Well, I realize that I'm completely overqualified for this position.I mean,um,in my last job,I was running the whole place.""Oh,so you've supervised people?""Yep,five of them.So,obviously I could do this job,no problem.I also have really good computer skills.Um what else do you want to know about me?""Eh..."Even though I was trying really hard,even though I had sent out about 300 resumes,even though I asked all my friend and relatives if they knew of anything.I wasn't getting anywhere!Despite all my best efforts,I was still unemployed."Please,why don't you see a career counsellor（顾问）?I'll pay for it.Anything to help you get a job!""Samantha,I'm Phyllis Stein.Welcome""Oh,hi,Phyllis.Nice to meet you."So I figure,heck,why not?I met with Phyllis Stein,a professional job coach."Interviewing is vital to getting the job that you want."She showed me how to prepare for an interview by doing research on the position and the company.And latter,she coaching me on my interviewing skills."I am going to pretend to be your interviewer,and then we'll stop it and replay it and look at the video and see what we could learn from that.OK?""I don't think that you should go into an interview having not practised with some of the questions that are pretty standard.""Tell me about yourself.""Well,my parents—my mom is a social worker,and my dad is an engineer.""Your preparation is really important.""What do you know about our organization?""Well,I saw on,um,on the Internet that ,you do business publishing?Right?""There is a whole range of things that have to do with how you present yourself/""Why should I hire you?""Oh,well.,um, I'm a really outgoing person,and I like,I like people a lot.I'm responsible and nice.""You need to think about what the interviewer is actually looking for.""Samantha, what was a major problem that you've encountered and how did you solve it?""I haven't really had any problems to deal with. ""Thank you.Now let's look at your mock interview on videotape. ""I think it boils down（归结为）to preparation,presentation, and understanding what the interviewer is looking for "(Watching the videotape)"Another way of answering it is not telling about yourself ,but telling your relationship to the job."So,they don't care so much about your parents and that you want to live in Cambridge.They may need you to be able to be a troubleshooter.You use some examples in your life from being a troubleshooter.""One of the things that someone who is an assistant in a trade show is doing,is dealing with problems.Youneed to be sure that you stay,sort of ,on target with preventing,presenting yourself in the strongest possible way."This time I felt a lot more confident when I went in for the interview."I have developed strong communication skills.In college I worked on the school paper and I brought some writing samples to show you.""I also worked every summer at a bed-and-breakfast.""I worked a lot with our guests.I booked reservation over the phone,got them what they needed,and handled any complains.""Well,I feel like I did really well.We'll see. "Making a good first impression is the most important part of a job interview.Arriving on time and being confident are the most important parts of a job interview.It's very important that you are being confident and you're being clear in your answers and listening carefullyNot fidgeting（坐立不安，烦躁）and being confident are the most important things in a job interview.Writing a thank-you note is the most important thing you want to do after a job interview/And go in there with a firm handshake.Listening in"It's not enough to ask what successful people are like...It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeed and who doesn't"This is the basic idea of an intriguing book called Outliers, by the American journalist Malclom Gladwell.The book explores the factors which contribute to people who are extremely successful in their careers, for example, the role the family , culture and friend play.Gladwell examines the causes of why the majority of Canada ice hokey players are born in the first few months of the calender year,what the founder of Microsoft Bill Gates did to achieve his extraordinary success,and why the Beatles managed to redefine the whole of popular music in the 1960s.Gladwell points out that the youth hockey league in Canada recruits from January the first, so that players born early in the year are bigger,stronger and better athletes than others born later in the year.And because they have this advantage at the start of their sports career,they're given extra coaching,and so there's a greater chance that they'll be picked for an elite hockey team in the future.He calls this phenomenon accumulative advantage（积累优势）,a bit like the idea that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.Success depends on the process by which talented athletes are identified as much as it does on their own abilities.Another aspect which contributes to success is the 10000 hour rule.Great success demands an enormous amount of time for practise and training.For example,the Beatles performed live in Hamburg Germany more than 1200times over four years,much more than the 10000 hours Gladwell claim is necessary for great success.So by the time they returned to England,they had developed their talente and sounded completely different from any other group.In the same way,Bill Gates had thousands of hours' worth of programming because he had access to a computer at his high school.He also became a teenager just at the right time to take advantage of the latest developments in computer technology.Outliers has met with extraordinary sucess,matched only by Gladwell's own career for 25 years in journalism.As a result, many citics have seen it as an autobiography, in which the writer appears to be apologizing for his own personal achievements.But the ides that you have to be born at the right moment,in the right place and in the right family,and then you have to work really hard is a thought-provoking way of revisiting our traditional view of genius and great achievement.It's certainly worth reading,as long as you don't take it too seriously.Listening in 2P:Hi,we are talking about typical working hours in the US and in Brazil.Eric...um...you're from the States,tell me what are the typical working hours in the States?E:Er...traditionally people go to work at 9o'clock in the morning and they finish at about 5,so sort of a 9to 5.P:And,and Penny I...I know you're English but you work in Brazil,what are the hours in Brazil?Penny:Um varies slightly,sometimes you can start um on an early shift,say,8o'clock in the morning to 5 um or 9 until 6.But in Brazil often people will work longer hours than this.P:Right,right ok.And what kind of clothes do you wear?I mean do you dress up formally or in a relaxed way?E:It used to be that you would wear a jacket and tie to work for...for men but er nowadays an open shirt is ok.You don't necessarily have to wear a tie and sometimes on a Friday you can wear a pair of jeans to work.P:Oh,right the dress down Friday?E:The dress down Friday that's right.P:Does that still happen?E:Yes, yes sure it does.P:And how about in Brazil?Penny:Um, it's fairly casual,quite informal,um I mean you need to look neat and tidy obviously,but you,you have your own choice rely on what you would wear,there are no rules and regulations.It's important to look smart but comfortable.P:Right,yeah do you have meal breaks or is that...you just fit in meals when you can or...?E:Lunch,lunch is usually an hour sometimes a little shorter if you have to do a lot of work from your desk.P:Yeah,how about Brazil?Penny:That's the same, about an hour.P:And,and with overtime,I mean,if you...I mean you're obviously contracted to do a certain number of hours.What happens if you do more than the hours that you...that's in you...that are in your contract?E:I have to make a fairly um strict record of my hours so if I go beyond 5 o'clock on most days I put in for overtime.P:Right.E:And it's...the first hour is one of overtime and then there's I think 15minute periods after that.So I could work an hour and a quarter.P:And you'd be paid for the quarter hours?E:That's right,by the quarter hour.P:How about in Brazil?Penny:It's,it's a lot looser in Brazil actually.We we often end up doing overtime but unfortunately not paid.P: Fine.That's hard luck.And what about holidays,what about in the States?You don't have much holidays in the States do you?E:No.When you start at a company you get two weeks holiday or two weeks vacation as we say...P:YeahE:Um then it's usually not until you've been at the company for about five ears that they give you another week.So you get three weeks after you've been there for five years.P:And what about in Brazil?Penny:Um it's quite good actually-30days.P:Sounds very generous.Penny:Yeah I can pop back to...P:Is that 30 working days or 30 days in total?Penny:That's 30 working daysP:Wow,that'sPenny:Yes,yeah it's a good deal.P:What about retirement?I know it's a long way of there!When do you retire?E:Generally speaking it's at 65.P:And the same for women.E:Um it's I think a little sooner than that for women.Women I think 62or 63.P;Right ,good.And in Brazil is it similar?Penny:Similar to the States.It's um after 60 for women.65 for men,or if you've clocked up about 30 or 35 years of service then you can retire after that.P:Right and when...do you have a pay day?When is pay day?E:Um,well ,we gt paid twice a month,so we get paid at the beginning of the month and then we get paid in the middle of the month at the 15th give or take(大约).P:Yeah,and what about in Brazil?Penny:I think it all depends which company you're working for.For the one I am working for right now I get paid twice a month but when I began,with a different company that was once a month,so,it varies.P:And are there any company benefits that you have in the States?Do you have a company car or a pension?E:Yeah,we get a company car.We're able to...we lease a car in effect but it's a company car that we get for 18 months to two years and then we...we can move on to another model from that.There's a fairly good pension scheme,that's still working,and hospitalization as well.P:Oh,that's importantE:Yeah,a health plan through work is very important.P:Right.And what about in Brazil?Penny:Yeah,excellent benefits like that.Well I mean it does depend on the company and the status of your or your job but you might get a car,living accommodation,school for the children,they'll pay for your lunch,travel passes,gasoline,health insurance,all sorts of benefits actually it's very good.P:Sounds very good,with the holiday and all those benefits it sounds a great place to work.Unit 2Outside viewConversation 1Joe: OK, when you finished chatting, let's get down to work.Andy: OK, sure.Janet: Fine by me. What's on the agenda?Joe: First up today is Read all about it! Now, I assume everyone has read all the books for the future? Has anyone read any of the books? Andy: Well, Joe, there are over 20 new books coming out next month, so…Joe: I'm sorry, I really think that's quite unacceptable. It's your job! What about you, Janet?Janet: I'm sorry but this is the first time I've worked on Read all about it! And I didn't know I was meant to read all the books.Andy: Have you read them?Joe: No, but that's why you're my assistants. You're meant to assist me.Andy: It's true that we need to read the books, Joe, but we haven't…Joe: OK, there you go. You are always making excuses!Andy: And what's more, we haven't even chosen the books yet.Joe: OK, let's get down with it. What's on the list?Janet: I suppose we're looking for books with a London angle（伦敦视角）?Andy: Not necessarily.Janet: Is it OK to look for non-fiction too?Joe: Absolutely.Janet: OK, here's an idea. There's a new biography（自传）of Charles Dickens which I'm reading.Andy: Sounds good-his books are always on TV.Janet: You see I'm studying Dickens at university, and I noticed it in the bookshop last week. It's really interesting.Joe: OK, tell us more.Janet: Well, it's a description of the London locations where he set many of his books like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield.Andy: Sounds right up your street（拿手的）!Joe Well done, Janet. Maybe you can show Andy how to plan the feature. OK, that's it everyone. Let's get to it!Conversation 2Janet: What's the matter with Joe today?Andy: No idea. He's a bit like that sometimes. He gets annoyed with me, but I don't really know why.Janet: He wasn't being at all fair. How often does he get like this?Andy: Well, I suppose it's not very often. But sometimes he really gets on my nerves（使某人心烦意乱）.Janet: Don't let it get to you. He's probably got too much work, and he's stressed.Andy: Well, he should keep his problems away from the studio. Anyway, you're the expert on Dickens, tell me something about him.Janet: Well, Charles Dickens was one of the most popular novelists in 19th century Britain. Many of his novels first appeared in magazines, in short episodes. Each one had a cliffhanger at the end that made people want to read the next episode（集，一集）.Andy: And was he a Londoner?Janet: He was born in Portsmouth but his family moved to London when he was ten years old.Andy: And he set most of his stories in London, didn't he?Janet: That's right. He knew the city very well.Andy: Whereabouts in London are his stories set?Janet: Around the Law Courts in the centre of London. He worked as a court reporter and many of the real life stories he heard in court inspired some of most famous characters in his novels.Andy: I think some of his stories take place south of the river?Janet: That's right, especially around Docklands. The thing was…Dickens was a social commentator（社会评论员）as much as he was a novelist-his stories describe the hardship, the poverty, and crime which many Londoners experienced in the 19th century. It makes me want to read some Dickens again. Maybe I'll just go shopping for a copy of Great Expectations.Andy: Anyway, you did me a huge favour. That was a real brainwave（突然想到的妙计，灵感）to suggest the new biography.Janet: Cheer up Andy. It wasn't your fault.Andy: No, it's OK, I'll get over it. Go on, off you go and enjoy your shopping!Outside viewBritish people read a lot. They read books, newspapers and magazines. And of course they read text messages on their mobile phones. Sixty-five percent of British people list "reading for pleasure" as a major hobby. A quarter of the population reads more than 20 books each year. So where do these books come from? Well, there are bookshops where you can buy books. And there are lots of public libraries where you can borrow books for free. In this library you can borrow books, but you can also buy a cup of coffee, look at an art exhibition, sit in a quiet study area or connect to the Internet. Y ou can also now borrow CDs, videos or DVDs of films and television programmes. Some libraries even let you borrow computer games. There are often reference rooms where you can go to look something up or go to study. Many libraries have also got special rooms with books and photograghs about the historu of the area. Libraries are very important in schools and universities both for study and for reading for pleasure. The British Library is one of the world's greatest libraries. The queen opened its new building in 1998. It receives a copy of every book published in Britain, and adds three million new items every year.It's got books of course, but also sound recordings, music, maps, newspapers, and magazines. People predicted that radio, then television, then the Internet will kill reading, but it still a very popular activity.Listening in 1M：So how long has your book group been running?C：Well, let me see, it's over 20years now. I think it's actually one of the oldest books groups around, because it was only about 20years ago that they started to become fashionable in the UK.M：And how often do you have meetings?C：We meet about once every four or five weeks, although we try to avoid meetings in the summer holidays, and during the run-up to（前奏，预备期）Christmas when we all start to get busy with other things.M：And how many members do you have?C：We're ten in all, although it's rare that everyone can attend.M：And what happens during the meeting?C：Well, we usually meet at one of our homes, and we start fairly late, around 8:30, and the host prepares dinner, and sometime during the meal, someone asks "So what did you think of the book?" and that's when the discussion starts.M：It sounds quite informal.C：It is, yes, and sometimes if we haven't enjoyed the book, the meal becomes more important than the discussion. But it's fairly rare that no one likes the book, and it gets quire interesting when opinions about it are divided.M And what sort of books do you read?C：Oh, all kinds, actually, not just novels, although I must admit that being a member of the club makes me read more modern fiction than I might do otherwise. But we also read the classics, you know the novels we all read or should have read 30 years ago, and it's quite good fun to revisit them, to see if our views of the books have changed. We re-read Thomas Hardy recently, and whereas I used to love it when I was a student, this time I thought it was exasperatingly（惹人恼火地）dull. And we read non-fiction. quite a lot of history and travel writing. Acouple of the members like poetry, which I don't, but you know, we're tolerant each other's choice, and it gives us a chance to try things we wouldn't usually read.M：And how do you choose the books?C：Well, at the end of the evening the person who hosts the dinner-basically, the cook- has the right to choose the next book.M：And that works OK?C：Yes, although there's quite a lot of stress on choosing something that will earn everyone else's respect. And we've got one member who likes science fiction, so we try not to go to his place too often!Listening in 2Well, thank you for your kind welcome, and for giving me the opportunity to give this brief tour of Literary England. I can't claim it's an authoritative tour, as I'm, not a professional literary specialist. However, I have two amateur passions: one is travel and the other is reading and English literature in particular. And this lecture is a description of different visits I have made to places in Britain and Ireland, chosen specifically for their close links with well-known writers of what we call the classics of English literature.Just to give you an overview of the lecture, I'm going to start in my home town of London, which is also the home of many well-known writers. But I think that the picture we have in our mind of London has been largely fashioned by the work of Charles Dickens and Shakespeare. Dickensian London is illustrated most clearly by his book Oliver Twist, and Shakespeare's London brings to mind the plays written and performed here, such as Romeo and Juliet. We'll also have a look at the memorial of freat British writers, Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.Then off we go to Oxford, another city rich in its literary history. I'm, going to focus on the greatest of Oxford's literary alumni, JRR Tolkien, the professor of English who wrote Lord of the Rings, which is now famous throughout the world because of the recent series of films.Then we turn south towards the gentle countryside of Hampshire, home of Jane Austen, where her various novels, including Price and Prejudice are set. She also spent a period of her life in the magnificent Georgian city of Bath.Then we turn north to the hills of west Yorkshire where we find Bronte country, so called because it was the home of the three sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte. Perhaps the two best known novels are Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyer, and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, also made into successful films.Then up to the north-west, to the stunning land of mountains and lakes which is the Lake District, home of the Lakeland poets. Perhaps its most famous son is William Wordsworth, whose poem "I wandered lonely as a cloud" has been learnt by generations of school children not just in Britain, but around the English-speaking world.So that's the basic route round Literary England, although I'll be thinking several detours to visit other famous writers whose work contributes to the glory which is English literature. Let's start…Unit3Outside viewLondon has always prided itself on being a little bit different when it comes to fashion. At the catwalk shows, designers showcase the hottest new trends for journalists and buyers from all over the world. But away from the glamour of designer collections, what do London girls actually wear? How do they create the affordable, personal style they are famous for? Hannah, who works for a fashion magazine, says London’s unique style is all about mixing and matching. One day can be punk. Next day you can be really girlie（少女般的）. It’s kind of choosing what you want in your wardrobe. Maybe taking an expensive piece but mixing it with something cheaper or second-hand. I think that is what London girls are really good at doing. Portobello Road, in the trendy Notting Hill area, is home to one of the most famous markets in London. Here, you name it and people wear it-anything from market stall bargains to to-die-for（令人渴望的）designer labels sold in trendy shops. But how do the capital’s women view their style? Eclectic. My style is certainly eclectic. It is from Tesco. It is the Catherine Kidston range from Tesco. Sam is matched her outfit today with a bag she bought in a supermarket. Angela is a fashion stylist. So tell me a little bit about your life. What are you wearing and what would you say your style is? My style tends to change week by week. Today I am wearing some jeans from Uniqlo.I’ve discovered Uniqlo jeans and bought about five pairs cos they fit really well. The boots are by Aldo .My T-shirt is from Tooshop. The jacket is a really old jacket that I bought in the States a few years ago. But um, yeah I mean it just…it does tend to change a lot. Over to New Bond Street, London’s designer shopping Mecca（胜地）and the style stakes have gone up a little. Some of the most famous and expensive shops in the world can be found here. Shops where you have to ask the price of that handbag…or pair of shoes…then you know you can not really afford it. Natalie, a student from the city, says being laid back is what gives London style its edge. I don’t know. Everyone says like. French is like so fashionable。
Unit 1Dr. Zhang: What’s so funny Lisa?Lisa: Ha, ha! I’ve just read an article about a Scottish touristwho had his passport stolen in New Zealand, by a parrot.Dr. Zhang: A parrot? A bird? That’s impossible! Are you pulling my leg?Lisa: No, I am dead se rious: it’s a true story!Dr. Zhang: What happened?Lisa: According to the article, the Scottish tourist had put his passport in a little bright bag. But the brightness of the bag drew the attention of a parrot, which swooped down, grabbed it, and flew away!Dr. Zhang: Oh my! The poor tourist! What’s he going to do?Lisa: Well, he can’t travel home. In fact, he will now have to spend an extra six weeks in New Zealand.Dr. Zhang: Six weeks?Lisa: Yeah. The article says that’s how long it will take him to get his passport renewed.Dr. Zhang: How inconvenient!Lisa: Indeed. That’s why, when I travel, I always keep important documents in a safe in my hotel room. I would never lose an ID card or passport!Lisa: Tina, I am in a panic. I can’t find my IDcard .I’ve lost it!Tina: It’s probably just misplaced. I am sure it will turn up.Lisa: No it won’t. I’ve looked everywhere for it .it’s nowhere to be found. I think I somehow threw the card out with the rubbish. I did a big house clean on Sunday and may have gotten a bit careless.Oh my, what have I done?Tina: Lisa, take it easy .it’s not the end of the world! You’ll just have to get it replaced.Lisa: How? Will I be fined?Tina: No, of course not. It’s a simple two-step process. I had to do it last year. The first thing is to report the card lost or stolen to your local police station.Lisa: That’s fairly straightforward. Then what?Tina: Take a copy of the police report to the Public Security Bureau opposite the National Library. They will issue a new card immediately.Lisa: That’s it?Tina: That’s it.Lisa: So I’ll have a new card by the end of the week?Tina: Yep. It’s no big deal, really.Lisa: You’re a star. Thanks for the help!Tina: No worries.Unit2Jack: Eric, I hope I meet the woman of my dreams sooner rather than later. I want to settle down and have a family before I am thirty.Eric: Well, I’ve always thought that you and Rachel would make a wonderful couple!Jack: Rachel? She’d never go for me.Eric: I wouldn’t be so sure. You should see the way she looks at you.What year were you born in?Jack: What year was I born in? What’s that got to do with anything?Eric: Lots. The year you were born says a great deal about your personality and who you would be compatible with as a mate.Jack: You’re kidding, right?Eric: No. I am perfectly serious.Jack: I was born in 1985.Eric: That’s the year of the ox. That makes sense, because you’re down to earth, caring and loyal, just like ox people. Are you aware that Rachel was born in 1987?Jack: Yes, I am, but what’s your point?Eric: That’s the year of the rabbit.Rabbit people are usually sweet natured, sociable and romantic.Jack: Just like Rachel…Eric: You know, it is said that an ideal match for a rabbit is an ox…Cindy: Lisa, you’re such an extro verted person, while I am much more introverted. You’re outgoing, whereas I am soft spoken. You’re very social, while I am very reserved. What do you think it is that makes our personalities so different? After all, we’re sisters!Lisa: I think it all has to do with the nature versus nurture debate?Cindy: Nature versus nurture?Lisa: Yes, some scientists think that people are born with their personalities. That’s the “nature” theory of human behavior. Other scientists claim that the environment people grow up in shapes their personalities. That’s the “nurture” theory of human behavior.Cindy: Hm. Interesting. I tend to think that the environment determines a person’s character. I guess that means I subscribe to the “nurture” theory.Lisa: Me too. I suppose that’s why we are so different. We went to different schools, you played sports while Istudied music, and we hung out with different types of friends.Cindy: Nonetheless, I do think nature plays a role in shaping personality too. After all, we’re both int elligent, talented in what we do and very caring towards others. These are probably all traits that we inherited.Lisa: Maybe. I am no expert. The important thing to me is that we get along so well, enjoy being together and love each other.Cindy: You’re right. I couldn’t ask for a better sister!Unit3Tina: This is Tina Lin from HTN news, and we are withRachel Wu today, a student of Feminist Studies. Rachel, would you say that there is true equality in our society between men and women?Rachel: That's a good question. On the whole, in most areas, I believe we can speak about real equality between men and women, and that is a very clear sign of social progress. However, the wage gap is still a significant problem women still earn a lot less money than men who have the same jobs.Tina: Can you give us a specific example of discriminatory wage practices based on sex?Rachel: Most certainly. Research shows that male health professionals, such as doctors and administrators, earn twice as much as female workers doing the same jobs full-time.Tina: Twice as much! That must be an extreme case.Rachel: Yes, on average, the pay gap is just under 10%. An example of such a gap would be hotel management. Male hotel managers generally earn 9.8% more than their female counterparts.Tina: Is there any reason to believe things will improve?Rachel: Yes, there is. In fact, the situation is getting better as we speak. 10 years ago, the pay gap was 16.2%. So in the last decade, there has been an improvement of over 6% 'this shows that our society is headed in the right direction.Tina: Rachel, thank you for speaking with us today.Rachel: You're very welcome.Mary: I am reading a compelling book right now. It's called Fire with Fire.Dan: Who's the author?Mary: Naomi Wolf.Dan: Never heard of her.Mary: She is a feminist writer. Female empowerment is one of the major themes of the book.Dan: Really? In what way?Mary: She wants all women to have a voice that is heard. Like most feminists, she believes in gender equality and equal opportunities for women.Dan: How about you: are you a feminist?Mary: I am in the sense that I support the idea of men and women having equal rights. I am also sensitive to how language sometimes discriminates against women.Dan: Language discriminates?Mary: Yes, you know, people often use terms like businessman, policeman or salesman'.Dan: What's wrong with that?Mary: It suggests that women can't do these jobs. Nondiscriminatory language would be terms like businessperson, police officer or sales representative'.Dan: Yes, I see. That language is much more gender neutral. Unit4Cindy: I just had a tiff with my father.Jane: Cindy, I'm sorry to hear that. What was it about?Cindy: He was asking me about my career plans and I toldhim that I want to be a housewife.Jane: A housewife? I'm somewhat surprised to hear you say that.I mean… why would you want to be a housewife?Cindy: Because I value family more than anything else. I guess I just want to spend my adult life making a warm and loving family home.Jane: So what was your father's reaction?Cindy: He got angry. He said he was wasting his money sending me to university if my intention is only to becomea housewife.Jane: Do you think he has a point?Cindy: No, not in the least! I mean, I am extremelygrateful that he is paying for my studies, but knowledge is priceless, it's the key to understanding the world around us. Besides, if I have children, I want to help educate them and get involved with their schooling. And who knows, maybe one day, I might decide that I want to work outside the home and I'll need a degree to show that I'm qualified.Jane: Well, if it's worth anything, I support you in your decision. My feeling is that people need to take on responsibilities that give meaning to their lives. Becoming a housewife will definitely give you this sense of purpose.Cindy: Thanks Jane. That means a lot to me. You're a good friend.Lisa: Did you realize that there is a meeting scheduled for 3:30 this afternoon?Tim: No, I didn't. Any reason given for the meeting?Lisa: Elsa wants to see what we can do to run a more successful department.Tim: That should be interesting. Our department is made up of seven men and eight women. My guess is that it will be hard for us to achieve a consensus because men and women define success very differently.Lisa: Isn't the idea of success more or less the same for everybody?Tim: Not according to an article I just read. It says that women see being successful at work as being a good team player and collaborator.Lisa: I would agree.Tim: Well, you are a woman!Lisa: Tell me about men then.Tim: Men, on the other hand, define being successful at work as being self-sufficient and achieving targets.Lisa: I would agree with that too an employee needs to be able to take initiative without always being told what todo. At the meeting, I think we need to aim to create a balance between men and women's views of success.Unit5Cindy: Julie’s asked me to go to her wedding — I am so excited!Jane: Julie is getting married —that’s great news! Please congratulate her on my behalf. What will you wear?Cindy: No idea: I can’t fit in to any of my fancy clothes.I need to lose weight immediately. Any suggestions?Jane: The recipe for weight loss is simple: exercise and a healthy diet.Cindy: But I can’t stand exercise! Whenever I go jogging I get bored after 5 minutes.Jane: Well, try to do fun things. There are many other ways to burn off fat. Get involved in team sports, like volleyball, or group exercise, like aerobics or even something like yoga.Cindy: I suppose I could try.Jane: I guess it depends on how much you want to fit into a nice dress!Cindy: Alright. I’ll do some exercise, but a diet, no way!I need my chocolate. Chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, chocolate brownies ,it’s all so scrumptious! The idea of a diet depresses me.Jane: You don’t have to give up chocolate completely just don’t overdo it. When you get a craving, eat some fruit or have a salad. You’ll feel refreshed!C indy: Easy for you to say. You’re not a chocoholic!Tim: Bob, you’re looking good. Have you been working out?Bob: Yeah, I’ve started this awesome exercise routine. I feel great!Tim: Well, you certainly look trim and fit. What’s the secret?Bob: Discipline and dedication. I make sure I stick to a routine.Tim: Can you walk me through it?Bob: Would love to. Every morning, before breakfast, I do some stretching to loosen up and make sure that I don’t pull any muscles during the day. Then I go for a 30-minute jog.Tim: I see what you mean by dedication. I can’t do anything before breakfast.Bob: Then, before lunch, I hit the gym and do some weight training and cardio work. It’s normally a 40-minute session.Tim: You must work up quite an appetite!Bob: I certainly do. Then, on my way home from work, I stop by the pool and go for a 1000-meter swim. Swimming is truly the best exercise: it works every muscle, including the heart, and is not hard on the joints.Tim: Well, your routine is impressive. In fact, if you keep it up, you could probably complete a triathlon.Bob: That’s my goal!Unit6Mary: What’s in that bag?Jack: A tent! I just bought it: I am going camping next month!Mary: Wow, how exciting! Where to?Jack: The Amazon. Mark and I are planning a 6-day hike through the rainforest. We’ll sleep in this tent every night, with the sounds of the jungle as background music.Mary: That has got to be the coolest camping trip ever.I’ve always wanted to explore the jungle! You'll see fascinating birds, reptiles and amphibians!Jack: I know. I’m actually afraid of snakes so hopefully we won’t come across too many of them! I am hoping we’ll see river dolphins from the shores of the Amazon.Mary: Oh yes! Pink Amazon river dolphins — those are incredible! Be sure to bring a camera.Jack: I will. I’ve actually bought a tripod so that I cantake good wildlife pictures.Mary: Great idea. Please do show me your shots when you get back.Jack: I will. I’ll make a slideshow and invite youover for a viewing and, hopefully, some great storytelling!Mary: I look forward to it!Jack: What exactly is ecotourism? It seems to be the latest travel buzzword.Eric: Indeed. Ecotravel, ecolodges, ecotourism all three terms are very popular in the travel industry nowadays. I myself am a big fan of ecotourism.Jack: So please tell me about it: I’m all ears!Eric: Well, let me begin with a question. On your view, what are some of the negative effects of tourism on travel destinations?Jack: Hmm. I guess there are two main drawbacks. The first thing is that tourism pollutes. I recently went to the seaside for the weekend, and couldn’t believe how much rubbish from travelers littered the beaches and sea... The second thing is that tourism sometimes disrupts the local cultures and practices.Eric: These two drawbacks a re are precisely what ecotourism wants to avoid. For example, TIES —The International Ecotourism Society promotes responsibletravel to tourist areas. TIES wants travel to be environmentally friendly and help improve the well-being of local people.Jack: How can these improvements be made? Eric: By providing financial benefits and empowerment for local people, and by raising awareness on environmental and cultural issues that are important to them.Jack: I think that’s commendable. From now on, I will be an ecotourist!Unit7Cindy: Dr. Wang, do you have a moment? I would like to ask you for some advice.Dr. Wang: Of course, Cindy, what can I do for you?Cindy: I wanted to ask you about idioms. I have an IELTS test next month and the public IELTS descriptors show that I can get a higher score on the speaking test if I use idiomatic vocabulary.Dr. Wang: Well, using idioms isn’t always easy. But I could give you one or two that might be helpful.Cindy: I’d appreciate that.Dr. Wang: Hmm, let’s see …If you’re asked to describe yourself, you could answer that you’re a person who doesn’t like to cause problems by saying you don’t like to rock the boat.Cindy: Sure, I can remember that. Thank you...Do you have some other suggestions?Dr. Wang: Well, let me think.If you find something to be easy to do,you can say: it’s a piece of cake.Cindy: Oh yeah, I’ve heard that before.I’ll try to use that idiom during my test.I could say: speaking English is a piece of cake! Ha, ha!Dr. Wang: Ha! Yes, that’s fine. Do make sure that you use these idioms in the appropriate context or they will not make sense.Cindy: I understand.I’ll practice lots during the nextfew weeks so that I get the hang of it!Simon: I am thinking of learning French.Sherly: Ah French, the language of romance and poetry...Simon: Yes, it is a beautiful language indeed.But I don’t want to become a French poet!I plan to learn French to increase my job prospects.Sherly: I d on’t follow you.Simon: Well, I am very proud to say that I am bilingual. I speak Chinese and English. But in today’s world,to find a good job, it’s better to be trilingual.Sherly: Trilingual? You mean, speak three languages.Simon: Yes.Sherly: So why French then?Simon: It was a tough call I was thinking French or Spanish, but decided on French because I am interested in working in countries where it is spoken.Sherly: Like Canada, Switzerland and Belgium?Simon: Yes, and also places in Africa, like Senegal or Cameroon, or in Latin America, like Haiti.Sherly: I agree, those would be fascinating places to work in. Good luck!Unit8Jane: Hey Dan, thanks for freeing up time to help me.Dan: Don’t mention it Jane, it’s no problem at all... So what’s u p?Jane: My sister wants to study in America next year but doesn’t know what admissions test to take: SAT or ACT. I thought maybe you could help because you started your university studies in Chicago.Dan: Yeah, of course I can help. Both tests are verydifferent and measure different skills so I think the best choice comes down to what your sister is good at. Basically, depending on her strengths and weaknesses, she may perform much better on one test than the other.Jane: Well, she is good at science and wants to study Biology, maybe even Medicine.Dan: Hmm, it sounds to me like she should take the ACT. Jane: Why is that?Dan: It’s more geared towards science students it includes a science-reasoning test whereas the SAT doesn’t.Jane: That’s good to know. Who is the SAT better for then?Dan: It’s better for people interested in subjects that require good problem solving and critical thinking skills.Jane: Ah, I see so it’s a test you’d be good at because you’re an expert at solving problems, especi ally mine!Jane: I am so nervous, Cindy! I have my IELTS test tomorrow.Cindy: Nervous, you? You have nothing to be worried about.Jane: You’re just saying that to lift my spirits.Cindy: Jane, I am serious: you’ll be fine.Jane: What makes you so sure?Cindy: Well, to begin with, your listening skills areterrific, and you have no problems with spelling and grammar. So your listening test should go very smoothly.Jane: I hope so!Cindy: I also predict strong writing and reading scores.After all, your vocabulary is good and you are a coherent, logical thinker.Jane: Why all the compliments?Cindy: I am just being honest. You need to believe in yourself.Jane: It’s hard. I just get so stressed before tests. The IELTS interview terrifies me.Cindy: Jane, you are a fluent speaker, who expressesopinions clearly and supports them with good evidence. Youwill ace the interview!Jane: I sure hope you’re right. If you are, let’scelebrate by eating out!Cindy: Sure, it’s a deal!。
[al:全新版大学英语（第二版）听说教程4][ti:Unit1 PartB][ar:上海外语教育出版社][by:上海外语教育出版社][00:00.00]Unit 1 One World[00:06.44]Part B[00:08.41]Listening Tasks[00:10.35]A Conversation[00:13.56]Birthday Celebrations Around the World[00:19.38]Exercise 1[00:21.83]Listen to the conversation and write down answers to the questions you hear. [00:28.42]Chairman: Welcome to this special birthday edition of One World.[00:32.21]Tonight we have a special program dedicated to birthday celebrations[00:36.50]around the world.[00:38.40]With us in the studio we have Shaheen Hag and Pat Cane,[00:43.10]who have a weekly column on birthdays in the Toronto Daily Star.[00:48.70]Shaheen: Good evening.[00:49.83]Pat: Good evening.[00:51.16]Chairman: Shaheen, perhaps we could begin with you.[00:54.14]How are birthdays celebrated in India?[00:57.75]Shaheen: Well, perhaps we're all assuming that[01:00.02]everyone in the world celebrates their birthday.[01:03.25]This just isn't the case.[01:05.33]Low-income families in India, for instance,[01:07.95]simply can't afford any festivities.[01:11.11]And most Muslims don't celebrate their birthdays.[01:14.40]Pat: I think Shaheen has raised an interesting point here.[01:17.70]The Christian church, too, was actively against celebrating birthdays.[01:22.76]Shaheen: Of course some Muslims do celebrate their birthdays.[01:26.28]In Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia,[01:29.05]for example, the rich people invite friends and families around.[01:33.16]But not in small villages.[01:36.05]Chairman: Here in England your twenty-first used to be the big one.[01:39.88]But now it seems to have moved to eighteen.[01:42.62]Is that true?[01:43.80]Pat: Yes, in most parts of the West eighteen is now the most important birthday. [01:48.94]In Finland, for example, eighteen is the age when you can vote,[01:53.62]you know, or buy wines, drive a car and so on.[01:57.59]But in Japan I think you have to wait till you're twenty[02:00.70]before you can smoke or drink.[02:03.95]Shaheen: I know in Senegal, which is another Muslim country,[02:07.47]girls get to vote at sixteen and boys at eighteen.[02:11.58]And in Bangladesh, girls at eighteen and boys at twenty-one.[02:16.64]Chairman: That's interesting.[02:17.95]I mean is it typical that around the world girls[02:21.03]are considered to be more mature than boys?[02:24.46]Shaheen: Yes, I think so, and in Mexico and Argentina,[02:28.59]for example, they have enormous parties for fifteen-year-old girls.[02:32.83]Pat: You know in Norway they have a great party[02:35.50]for anyone who's not married by the time they're thirty.[02:38.66]It's kind of embarrassing.[02:40.27]I mean you get pepper thrown at you.[02:42.71]Chairman: Pepper? Why pepper?[02:45.01]Pat: I'm not really sure.[02:46.91]Shaheen: So does that mean that on your twenty-ninth birthday[02:49.50]you can start thinking "God I better get married"?[02:52.66]Pat: Well, I'm not sure how seriously they take it.[02:55.69]Chairman: In England we have quite big parties for your fortieth, fiftieth, [03:00.06]sixtieth and so on.[03:02.32]Pat: Well, in Japan your eighty-eighth is considered ...[03:05.44]Chairman: Eighty-eighth?[03:06.61]Pat: ... to be the luckiest birthday.[03:07.92]Eight is a very lucky number in Japan.[03:13.43]Questions[03:15.91]1. What is One World?[03:21.15]2. What is the topic of the program?[03:27.06]3. What do Shaheen Hag and Pat Cane do?[03:33.65]4. Why don't some people in India celebrate their birthdays?[03:41.54]5. Why is the eighteenth birthday so important in Finland?[03:48.25]6. Why can girls in some countries get to vote at an earlier age than boys? [03:57.40]7. Which of the countries mentioned in the conversation are Muslim countries? [04:06.09]Exercise 2[04:07.58]Listen to the conversation again and decide if each of the statements you hear [04:11.82]is true (T) or false (F).[04:18.56]Chairman: Welcome to this special birthday edition of One World.[04:22.35]Tonight we have a special program dedicated to birthday celebrations[04:26.60]around the world.[04:28.45]With us in the studio we have Shaheen Hag and Pat Cane,[04:33.17]who have a weekly column on birthdays in the Toronto Daily Star.[04:39.58]Shaheen: Good evening.[04:40.58]Pat: Good evening.[04:41.75]Chairman: Shaheen, perhaps we could begin with you.[04:44.96]How are birthdays celebrated in India?[04:47.62]Shaheen: Well, perhaps we're all assuming that[04:50.83]everyone in the world celebrates their birthday.[04:54.08]This just isn't the case.[04:56.15]Low-income families in India, for instance,[04:58.82]simply can't afford any festivities.[05:01.84]And most Muslims don't celebrate their birthdays.[05:05.36]Pat: I think Shaheen has raised an interesting point here.[05:08.47]The Christian church, too, was actively against celebrating birthdays.[05:13.39]Shaheen: Of course some Muslims do celebrate their birthdays.[05:17.05]In Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia,[05:19.68]for example, the rich people invite friends and families around.[05:23.88]But not in small villages.[05:26.88]Chairman: Here in England your twenty-first used to be the big one.[05:30.58]But now it seems to have moved to eighteen.[05:33.47]Is that true?[05:34.56]Pat: Yes, in most parts of the West eighteen is now the most important birthday. [05:39.79]In Finland, for example, eighteen is the age when you can vote,[05:44.56]you know, or buy wines, drive a car and so on.[05:48.30]But in Japan I think you have to wait till you're twenty[05:51.60]before you can smoke or drink.[05:54.71]Shaheen: I know in Senegal, which is another Muslim country,[05:58.14]girls get to vote at sixteen and boys at eighteen.[06:02.16]And in Bangladesh, girls at eighteen and boys at twenty-one.[06:06.98]Chairman: That's interesting.[06:09.02]I mean is it typical that around the world girls[06:11.95]are considered to be more mature than boys?[06:15.56]Shaheen: Yes, I think so, and in Mexico and Argentina,[06:19.33]for example, they have enormous parties for fifteen-year-old girls.[06:23.98]Pat: You know in Norway they have a great party[06:26.53]for anyone who's not married by the time they're thirty.[06:29.37]It's kind of embarrassing.[06:31.36]I mean you get pepper thrown at you.[06:33.80]Chairman: Pepper? Why pepper?[06:36.15]Pat: I'm not really sure.[06:37.95]Shaheen: So does that mean that on your twenty-ninth birthday[06:40.57]you can start thinking "God I better get married"?[06:43.75]Pat: Well, I'm not sure how seriously they take it.[06:46.64]Chairman: In England we have quite big parties for your fortieth, fiftieth, [06:51.29]sixtieth and so on.[06:53.41]Pat: Well, in Japan your eighty-eighth is considered ...[06:56.62]Chairman: Eighty-eighth?[06:57.91]Pat: ... to be the luckiest birthday.[06:59.21]Eight is a very lucky number in Japan.[07:04.63]Statements[07:07.16]1. The program is broadcast in Canada every day.[07:14.11]2. People everywhere in the world celebrate their birthdays.[07:21.08]3. Many Muslims do not celebrate their birthdays for religious reasons.[07:29.11]4. In England, the twenty-first birthday is very important,[07:34.34]which is unusual in the West.[07:38.41]5. The twenty-first birthday is very important in Japan.[07:45.13]6. In Norway, young men and women usually get married[07:49.89]before thirty to avoid having pepper thrown at them.[07:55.67]7. Eighteen is a very lucky number in Japan.[08:02.03]8. It can be concluded that our world is made more colorful[08:07.00]by the many different ways birthdays are observed in different countries. [08:14.17]Speaking Tasks[08:17.46]Pair Work[08:19.45]A. Reflections on the text[08:23.78]You have just heard a program about birthday celebrations around the world. [08:28.39]What do you think of the celebrations?[08:31.45]Why is it that some people do not celebrate their birthdays?[08:35.87]What does your birthday mean to you?[08:38.31]Exchange views with your partner.[08:41.06]You may mention the following points in your discussion.[08:44.95]○what birthdays mean to you[08:48.06]○how birthdays are observed around the world[08:51.94]○why some people don't celebrate their birthdays[08:56.57]B. Picture talk — Talking about wedding customs[09:01.90]A Sample[09:03.75]Most people in the world hold a wedding ceremony when they get married. [09:08.40]However, like birthday celebrations,[09:11.11]wedding celebrations are conducted in different ways,[09:14.61]depending on where you live, which religion you believe in,[09:18.31]and how good is your financial situation.[09:21.74]The following are three groups of pictures showing three wedding ceremonies [09:25.62]held in different places and at different times.[09:30.36]Give a brief description of each picture[09:32.88]and then make a comparison between the three weddings.[09:38.67]Possible Description (for reference)[09:42.42]Pictures (a) — (c) show a typical wedding ceremony held in a church[09:47.43]in a Western country.[09:49.60]In the first picture, the bride is seen walking down the aisle,[09:53.66]leaning on her father's arm.[09:56.01]She is wearing a white wedding gown[09:58.18]and holding a bouquet of flowers in her right hand.[10:01.92]All eyes turn to her as she slowly moves forward to[10:05.45]take her place beside the bridegroom in front of the clergyman.[10:10.53]In Picture (b) we can see the clergyman presiding over the wedding ceremony. [10:16.17]He is asking the bride and the bridegroom the usual questions[10:19.87]on such an occasion.[10:22.04]In Picture (c) the parents of the bride[10:25.02]and the bridegroom are giving a large party in a garden.[10:28.99]Guests arrive in formal evening dress.[10:32.30]There is music and dancing.[10:36.54]Pictures (d) — (e) present a traditional Chinese wedding held at home.[10:41.95]In Picture (d), we can see a hall thronged with people.[10:46.20]There are red lanterns hanging on both sides of the hall.[10:50.38]On the lanterns are written the Chinese character "double happiness".[10:54.80]In Picture (e) we can see the bridegroom's parents seated in high-backed chairs. [11:01.15]The bride and bridegroom are bowing to them.[11:04.44]The bridegroom in his long gown looks very respectful.[11:08.78]The bride is dressed in bright red[11:11.03]but we can't see her face since it is covered with a piece of red cloth.[11:16.04]Along the two sides of the wedding hall stand the family members,[11:19.61]relatives and friends.[11:22.73]Pictures (f) — (h) show a wedding banquet held in a big restaurant in China. [11:28.41]In Picture (f), we can see the bride[11:31.30]and the bridegroom standing at the entrance greeting the guests.[11:35.64]The bride wears a long white dress, and the bridegroom is in a tuxedo.[11:41.23]In Picture (g), we find ourselves in a large banquet hall,[11:45.73]decorated with the cheerful colors of a wedding party.[11:49.25]About a hundred guests are seated around tables that[11:52.41]are graced with all kinds of delicious food and drinks.[11:56.07]The host, who is the father of the bridegroom, is making a speech,[12:00.40]expressing his thanks to the guests for coming to his son's wedding.[12:05.41]In Picture (h) the bride has changed to a traditional Chinese red gown, or qipao, [12:11.91]which is elegantly cut and shows her fine figure.[12:15.75]She and the bridegroom are going round the tables,[12:18.73]exchanging toasts and sharing a joyful moment with the guests.[12:25.86]Comparing[12:27.48]From the pictures, we can see that a wedding is an important event[12:31.39]everywhere in the world.[12:33.69]It has been so in China, for example,[12:36.26]from the old days to the present and the same holds true in Western countries. [12:41.73]As a rule, there is a big ceremony,[12:44.79]attended by family members, relatives and friends,[12:48.64]who have come to share the joy of this special occasion[12:51.79]in the lives of two people in love.[12:54.82]Food is plentiful and laughter fills the air.[12:58.66]To all those present, the ceremony is both sacred and joyous.[13:03.80]However, while sacredness and joy are the spirit of all weddings,[13:08.23]the way people observe the occasion varies from place to place[13:12.11]and changes over time.[13:14.16]This is reflected in various respects.[13:17.10]First, in Western countries,[13:18.95]many people get married in a church while in China this is rare.[13:24.09]Second, Western people often choose a scenic spot to hold wedding parties[13:29.11]whereas most people in China give their wedding parties either at home [13:33.58]or in a restaurant.[13:35.83]Third, in Western countries, the color of the bride's dress is white, [13:40.69]which is a symbol of purity, while in China, traditionally,[13:44.75]the color of the bride's dress is red, which is a symbol of happiness. [13:49.13]***** ***** ***** *****[13:51.25]Now use the above sample as your model[13:54.36]and carry on similar activities with your partner[13:57.16]according to the pictures given below.。
Unit 1 AudioLesson 1Why aren’t women happier these days? That’s the question raised by a thought-provoking study-- ‘The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness’released last month. The research showed that over the past 35 years women’s happiness has declined, both compared to the past and relative to men even though, by most objective measures, the lives of women in the U.S. have improved in recent decades. The research, by University of Pennsylvania economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers, released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, found the decline in happiness to be pervasive among women across a variety of demographic groups. The researchers measured similar declines in happiness among women who were single parents and married parents. They cast doubt on the hypothesis that trends in marriage and divorce, single parenthood or work/family balance are at the root of the happiness declines among women. One theory for the decline in happiness is that expectations for workplace and general advancement were raised too high by the women’s movement and women might feel inadequate for not having it all. The researchers acknowledge that is a possibility. They think that if the Women’s Movement raised women’s expectations faster than society was able to meet them, the women would be more likely disappointed by their actual life experiences. But the researchers also add that things could change for the better, as women’s expectations move into alignment with their experiences, this decline in happiness may reverse..Lesson 2Men May Be from Venus TooMen and women might be on the same planetary wavelength after all. According to Psychologist Professor Janet Hyde at the University of Wisconsin, men and women are more alike than different in personality, communication, cognitive ability and leadership than is generally believed.The studies looked at cognitive abilities, such as theability to do mathematics, verbaland nonverbal communication,aggression, leadership,self-esteem, moral reasoning andmotor behaviour, such asthrowing distance and found largegender differences in throwingdistance, and attitudes aboutcasual sex, and a moderatedifference in aggression. But formost psychological characteristics,she found no differences betweenmen and women.Hyde found evidence thatdifferences between men andwomen are linked to society’sexpectation of how they shouldbehave. For instance, womensmiled more than men whenobserved but this was not the casewhen they thought they were notbeing observed. Hyde said thefindings provide strong evidenceagainst the idea that psychologicaldifferences between men andwomen are “large and stable”.Besides these socialexpectations, over-inflatingclaims of differences betweenmen and women can be damaging.After examining the genderdifferences in math performancein high school, Hyde revealed thatit could be due to parents’havinglower expectations of theirdaughters’ success in math andthus affecting her self-confidenceand performance.She also found women’ssuccess as workplace leaders canalso be hindered if they go againstthe caring and nurturingstereotype.So it’s really amazing howpeople’s perceptions ofthemselves and their ownbehaviours are in fact a reflectionof assumptions and constructs insociety.Unit 4 AudioLesson 1China has changedenormously over the last 20 years.Its economy has been growing at10% a year. Today, 80% of theworld’s electronic goods aremade in China. As a result, moreand more western companieswant to do business in China. Buthow easy is it for a westerner todo business there? Here are sometips from the British Embassy inBeijing.Build relationships. In thewest, it’s usual to do businessfirst, and then see if a relationshipis possible. In China, it’s theopposite. You need to build arelationship before you can dobusiness. This leads to the idea of‘guanxi’. Guanxi means usingpersonal contacts andrelationships to do business, andwesterners need to understandhow real and strong this is inChina.It can also be useful to finda reliable Chinese ally to workwith you. He or she will be able tohelp with language or culturalproblems and will also be able tounderstand Chinese bodylanguage.You must remember torespect ‘face’. ‘Face’meanshaving high status with your peers.‘Face’can be lost, given orearned. Never criticize or insultsomeone in front of others, aslosing face will make itimpossible to make a deal. On theother hand, if you praise someoneby saying good things about himor her, then he or she will gainface, but be careful not to do it toomuch.All these tricks of the tradecan help you to play the game anddo business successfully in China.Be prepared, and be patient if youwant to be a winner in China.Lesson 2The Quarterly (Magazine):How has Carrefour had to adaptto Chinese tastes?Jean-Luc Chereau (Presidentof Carrefour China): Take theexample of fish. When I am inSan Francisco and I visit a store,the fish is filleted and packed; it’sdead. When I am in France, thefish is dead but it’s whole; it’s onice. I can see its eyes and see ifit’s fresh or not. Each place has itsown way of selling fish.If you are in China, you havetwo ways of selling fish. The firstis to display live fish. When weentered Taiwan, we went to thefresh markets in Taipei andKaohsiung to see what kind ofproducts they had, how they weredisplayed, and how customersbought those products. Carrefourdecided to adopt this fresh-marketstyle and to display the sameproducts at lower prices in a better,cleaner environment. And wewere very, very successful. Now,on the mainland, the first imagecustomers get when they enter aCarrefour store is fresh products.When customers are in the fresharea, they recognize the freshmarket they’re accustomed to.And now most of our competitors are following Carrefour in this way.But there is another method we neglected when we moved away from the coast: frozen fish. Why would frozen fish be important in China? Because the distance between the area where they have fresh fish and the stores in middle and western China is so vast that customers are more confident of frozen fish than of unfrozen dead fish, even if fresh. So we changed our product offering and we saw a 30 to 40 percent increase in fish sales throughout China.Unit 6 AudioLesson 1It is said that happiness is contagious. The supporting evidence is everywhere: from the streets of Rio during Carnival to more obscure celebrations elsewhere in the world. But long-term happiness may also be healthy. New York researcher Dr.Karina Davidson certainly thinks so.Dr. Davidson is a lead researcher in a 10-year study of more than 1,700 healthy men and women. The study revealed that people who are happy and content with their lives are 22% less likely than unhappy people to have a heart attack or suffer from symptoms of heart disease.Maintaining happy is surely protective of your mental health and this observational study is one of the first studies to show it may also protect your physical health. It is the first to show an independent relationship between positive emotions and coronary heart disease. But Dr. Davidson stresses that more work and clinical trials are needed before any treatment recommendations can be made. She says, though, that the study is the first step in providing doctors better insight about how to interact with their patients. The study may eventually shift healthcare providers to thinking about how they can help patients make sure that the things that make them happy stay in their routine.Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women in most industrialized countries. Dr. Davidson says she hopes her report will shine a light on a new approach for prevention. Lesson 2Everyone knows someonewho is difficult to be around. It isvery difficult to put up with them.The bad news is often times youare forced to interact with thesepeople on a daily basis and theycould have a personality disorderbut the good news is there aresimple ways you can learn to dealwith their behaviors.A person with a paranoidpersonality is someone who isvery much preoccupied with theloyalty of other people. It is aperson who constantly scans theenvironment and other peoplelooking for possible indications orsigns of some sort of deception.The solution: stick toconversation topics that are safeand not too personal, avoid anysigns of criticisms or attack andrefrain from using language that ispatronizing.A narcissistic person reallybelieves that she is better than youessentially a nd that “because I’manother person I’m better thanyou, I’m entitled to expect you todo things for me; I’m entitled tobe focused exclusively on myown needs and kind of disregardyours.”So how do you deal withthose people? Don’t be defensivewith this person. It could trigger afight and try to make you animportant part of his or her worldin order to keep up therelationship.People with obsessivecompulsive disorder can makeothers jumpy. Try acknowledgingtheir hard work with compliments.Compromise with them whenpossible and also avoid conflict.We all have a little bit ofthese personalities in ourselves sotreat others as you would like tobe treated.Unit 8 AudioLesson 1Competitive pressures haveforced most companies (andcountries) to increase their focuson innovation. This pressure toinnovate has increased the needfor talented engineers andscientists--not only in the rapidlyevolving computer andcommunications industries, but invirtually every other industry aswell.The automobile industry, forexample, has significantlyexpanded the electronics andcomputer content on the vehicle,with applications today rangingfrom power controls for improvedfuel economy and reducedemissions, to enhanced safetysystems and chassis controls.During the last decade, tomeet the ever-growing need foradvanced technology, GeneralMotors has recruited a rich blendof international talent, withengineers and scientists fromNorth and South America, Europe,the Middle East, China, Taiwan,India, and Korea. This melting potof technologists has created abubbling cauldron of excitingideas that General Motors isapplying to the development of avast array of product, technologyand business innovations. In fact,one of the biggest benefits ofglobalization for GM has beenaccess to technology beingdeveloped around the world.Today, GM’s most advancedresearch programs, such as thefuel cell technology development,are being conducted acrossseveral continents.By pulling together thetalents and resources from itsglobal network, General Motorshas been able to reduceredundancy, accelerate ongoingdevelopment, and start newdevelopment. Its 42-volt electricalarchitecture program is anexcellent example of this kind ofglobal collaboration. It includesall of the GM alliance partnersand key suppliers. Instead of morethan 10 separate projects, GMnow has one single program withclearly defined technologyroadmaps for each partner.Lesson 2With the globalization ofworld economy, China hasbecome an appealing market forforeign investors. Why did someforeign-funded enterprisesbecome successful when enteringthe China market while others fail,and why do some grow relativelyfaster than the rest? The followingfactors can determine how well orbad foreign-funded enterprisesperform in China:1. Establishment andimplementation of enterprise’sdevelopment strategies. In China,successful foreign-fundedenterprises will definitelyimplement long-termdevelopment strategy, unlikeother unsuccessful companieswhich do not look far and onlyconcentrate on short-term gains.Besides, the strategy will need tobe a flexible one as market conditions are constantlychanging due to the presence ofglobalization. The enterprise needs to be flexible as to reactimmediately to any changeswithout affecting its business operations.2. Leadership of the top management plays a decisive role in deciding the success of thecompany. In face of greatercompetition brought about by globalization, management todaywill need to possess strongerjudgment, decision making abilities, adaptability and greaterforesight. The ability to look far iscrucial as one need to be able to get ready at all times to react toany changes.3. It is essential for the foreign-funded enterprises to understand China’s culture,especially regarding the culture of Guanxi (relationship), so as to be able to gain the popularity and trust of China’s population. With a good relationship, businesses can become smoother and the probability of failure will be greatly reduced. Stronger bonds can also be built with the customers, suppliers and partners.。
UnitOneTra ck4-1-OL-lA.Jay and Elise are talking about an accident.Listen and check the correct picture.Jay:Come in here,Elise.You should see this show!Elise:Whatis it?Jay:It's called"The Titanic of the Sky."It's about the Hindenburg,a great engineering feat.Elise:The Hindenburg...Jay:You know,that giant zeppelin that crashed in1934.Thirty-five people died.Elise:Oh yeah,I remember now.It was flying from Germany to the United States.It crashed as it was landing.Jay:Right.It's so funny looking,don't you think?It doesn't look anything like the airplanes as have today.Elise:That's true.Why would people ride in a zeppelin anyway?It seems so dangerous.Jay:Well,some people called the Hindenburg"man's greatest achievement in flight."They thought it was safe,I guess.Elise:Who rode in it anyway?Jay:Mostly wealthy people.It accommodated between30and40passengers and crew.One person said it was like a "flying hotel."Eise:It sounds pretty great.Jay:Yeah,and it was fast.That's why people rode it.They wanted to get to their destination faster.Elise:Why didn't they just take a jet plane?Jay:Elise!You knowthey didn't have jets back then.Look,in1934it took five days to travel from Germanyto the U.S.by ship.The zeppelin could do it in half that time.It was speedy.Elise:Well,maybe I'll sit down and watch a little bit.Maybe I'll learn something...Tra ck4-1-O L-2B.Listen again.How was the zeppelin described?Check your answers.Track4-1-OL-3A.Listen to the conversation and check the correct picture.Jack:I think we should buy a bigger car.Big cars are safer.Kayla:Yes,but on the other hand,they consume more oil.Jack:They also look really cool.Kayla:That's true,but there are some SUVs which are not big but also very beautiful.Jack:And1think big cars are more fun to drive.Kayla:But then again,it's very expensive.Jack:Well,let's get more information about several kinds of cars,okay?Tr a ck4-1-O L-4Listen to another person talking about famous buildings in his country and fill in the blanks with information you hear.My country has two very famous buildings called the Petronas Towers.The buildings are made of glass,steel, and concrete.They were designed by an American architect,but he used a Malaysian style.They were finished in 1998,and they were the tallest buildings in the world at that time.Each tower has88floors,and is452meters high.I really like the Petronas Towers.They show both the modern and the traditional side of my country.Tr a ck4-1-O L-5A.Listen to a talk on controversies about modern buildings.Then fill in the blanks to complete the sentences. Modern buildings:We love them,We hate themThe world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris is almost500years old,and it faced a very modern problem: There simply wasn't enough space for six million visitors each year.In1989,American architect I.M.Pei designed a striking glass pyramid in the building's center to be a visitor entrance and shopping arcade.But he also started an angry debate.Some people felt his glass building was a piece of art,like the ones inside the museum.Others said it was just an ugly,modern mistake.Kyoto,Japan,is the country's ancient capital,and the heart of its culture.Its railroad station was too small for the millions of visitors.In1997,the city completed a new station in a huge shopping center,right in the oldest part of the city.Designed by Hiroshi Hara,the building also contains a hotel and department store.Before it was built, critics said that the high,wide,modern building would destroy the city's traditional look.On the other hand, supporters said it would bring new life into the city center.Track4-1-OL-6B.Now listen again and complete the chart with the information you hear.Track4-1-OL-7B.Listen to the interview with Erika Van Beek,an engineer.According to Erika,what should be done about overcrowding in cities?The future building boom?Interviewer:What do you think is the biggest problem facing our cities?Erika:I think it's overcrowding.Talk to anyone living in a major metropolitan area and they will say the same thing:There's no space.Even the suburbs are getting crowded.Interviewer:Well,in some places there simply isn't any land left for building,right?Erika:Yes,that's true,but you have to think creatively.You can't give up so easily.Interviewer:Think creatively?What do you suggest?E r i k a:What I'm saying is that we can build more structures underground.We can add parking lots,malls, hotels,and even apartment buildings.There's plenty of space.Interviewer:Isn't it expensive?E r i k a:Yes,it can be.In the past building underground has been very expensive.However,we have new technology that will bring the cost down.It involves using robots.You don't have to pay robots a salary!Interviewer:Isn't"building down"more dangerous than other kind of construction?E r i k a:Actually,I think it's safer than building skyscrapers,for example.Remember,we already do it.We have subways and underground shopping malls.I'm just suggesting we invest in a variety of bigger projects and that we dig deeper.Interviewer:What would you say to people who doubt your idea?E r i k a:I can understand their feelings.Whenever there's a new idea,it can cause controversy.But"building down" is not some kind of impractical idea.It makes sense.There is so much space underground:It can accommodate a lot of traffic,storage,and people.With the new technology we have,we'd be crazy not to consider the idea—it's the wave of the future!Track4-1-OL-8C.Listen again.Check the statements you think Erika would agree.Unit2Track4-2-OL-1Pam:Well,Lynn,I must be going.It was great to see you–Lynn:By,Pam.Pam:What’s that?Lynn:Oh…that’s Ollie.Pam:Ollie:I didn’t know you had a dog!Lynn:Well,we don’t…really.Pam:What do you mean?Lynn:Come here.Pam:Oh my goodness.It’s a robot!Lynn:That’s right.It’s a dog robot.They call it a“dogbot.”Pam:How interesting!…But it’s a little strange,don’t you think?Lynn:Well,I wanted to get an interactive toy for the kids.They love it.So I’m happy.Pam:How much did it cost?Lynn:Don’t ask.It wasn’t very affordable.It’s cheaper than having a real dog,though.We don’t ever have to buy dog food!And the batteries are rechargeable.Juliana:Hey,Henrik.Look.Henrik:What is it,Juliana?Juliana:What’s that guy doing over there?Henrik:Which guy?Juliana:The one over there.Wearing a suit.H’s punching so many buttons on his cell phone.Henrik:Oh,him.He’s probably playing a game.Juliana:Really?Henrik:A lot of people have games on their cell phones.It’s really popular here in Finland.They play them everywhere.Juliana:Do you play them,too?Henrik:Yes,I do.Juliana:I only use my phone to make telephone calls.I guess I’m old-fashioned.Henrik:I heard that some people play games even at work.They can play quietly during business meetings.No one knows about it.Juliana:I’d like to try it.Henrik:Here,use mine!Track4-2-OL-3Penny:Hello.Your Computer World sales department.Ted:Hi,Penny.It’s Ted.Penny:Oh,hi,Ted.What’s up?Ted:well,my computer has crashed again.Penny:Oh no!Ted:Oh,yes.That’s why I’m calling.You know,it’s five years old.And I need to speak to Scott about getting a new one.Penny:well,you’ve called at a good time.We have some attractive new models.Ted:Great!I’m looking for something affordable.And I want to get something portable this time.Penny:I’m sure Scott can help you with that…Let’s see,he is in a meeting until3:30.I’ll ask him to call you. Ted:No,that’s OK.I’ll call him after3:30.Please give him the message.E-mail is my favourite way to communicate.I think it is as fast as a fax machine,and it is as easy as a cell phone. Of course,e-mail has some problems,too.It isn’t as affordable as ordinary mail,because you need a computer and Internet service.And I don’t think it is as reliable as a fax machine.Sometimes e-mail messages get lost.But in myopinion,e-mail is as convenient as a cell phone.I can send a message from my home or office,and my friends can read it when they have time.Track4-2-OL-5In today’s report,we look at a new technology called pervasive computing.Pervasive computing means putting tiny computers into everyday electronic appliances,such as toasters and microwaves.With pervasive computing,appliances can communicate with their users–and with other appliances! Some companies now sell pervasive computing products like a“smart”toaster.It remembers your favourite kind of toast:light or panies are designing a“smart”coffee maker and a“smart”clock.The coffee maker can measure the water and coffee.It can even put milk in your breakfast coffee and make black coffee in the afternoon.The clock will check the time on other clocks in your house,and give information about other appliances.For example,it can tell you,“Your coffee maker needs more water.”And that’s only the beginning.One company is now advertising“Save time–phone your washing machine!”engineers are making a“smart”house.In this house,the lights,heater,and air conditioner change automatically when family members come home.This makes the home comfortable,and it saves a lot of energy.Pervasive computing could change many parts of our daily lives.But do people really want pervasive computing?Do they really need technology everywhere?One company asked people about their opinions on“smart”appliances.There were surprises.A“smart”refrigerator can buy more food on the internet,but people didn’t want it,because it might make mistakes.“Pervasive computing is as important as a telephone,”says Rebecca Blair,president of InnoTech Corporation. But some of these products are not useful,or even panies should learn more about the technology that people really want.Track4-2-OL-7Local girl rescuedShe may have a broken leg,but she can’t be happier.Morgan Bailey,11,is happy to be alive.Tuesday was like any other day for Morgan.She was at school.It was fourth period,and she was the first student to arrive in the gymnasium for her physical education class.Suddenly there was a loud noise.“There was a sharp cracking noise and then a loud boom.After that,I don’t remember anything,”said Morgan. The roof of the gymnasium had collapsed under the heavy snow.Morgan was trapped underneath.She couldn’t escape.“I woke up and there was a big piece of wood on my leg.I couldn’t move it.I was starting to get cold.”Fortunately,help was nearby.A new program using“rescue robots”was tried for the first time.“We were nervous about using the robot,”said Derrick Sneed,the man in charge of the program.“But in the end, the robot gave us reliable information.It went extremely well.”The rescue robot was able to go into the gym and locate Morgan’s exact position.“We send in robots first because it may not be safe for humans,”said Mr.Sneed.“Human beings are not as useful as robots in some situations.A gas leak,for example,could kill you or me but wouldn’t hurt a robot.”Although it didn’t happen in Morgan’s case,some rescue robots can bring fresh air or water to people who are trapped.Rescue robots go into rough,dangerous places.They work in life or death situations.They have to be durable. Doctors say that Morgan is doing well.She should be going home in two or three days.What is the first thing she wants to do after she gets out of the hospital?“I want to meet my hero,”laughs Morgan.“That little robot that saved my life!”Track4-2-OL-9The first word processorMrs.Morgan:Good.So change the first part and make those corrections and your paper will be great.Tara:OK.Thanks for all your help,Professor Morgan.I’ll e-mail my paper to you later today. Mrs.Morgan:You know,technology is amazing.In high school I used to write my term papers on a typewriter. Tara:It must have taken a long time to write a paper on a typewriter.Mrs.Morgan:Well,I was pretty fast,but I made some mistakes.Actually,the typewriters weren’t that bad.Now, as for the first computers…oh my gosh!Tara:What do you mean?Mrs.Morgan:The first computers were so unreliable.They used to crash all the time.And they were not as affordable or as fast as they are now.Tara:Mine’s pretty fast,but not as fast as some of the newer,more expensive ones.Mrs.Morgan:I know!And nowadays,almost everyone has a computer.In those days,nobody had their own computer.We used to use the ones at the university.Tara:In the computer lab?Mrs.Morgan:Yeah,that’s all we had.I’ll never forget,one spring,during final exams.Everybody was working on their term papers,and the electricity went out!Tara:So?No big deal…laptops have batteries…Mrs.Morgan:Yes,but remember,in those days we didn’t have laptops.If your computer crashed,you lost everything.Tara:Everything?Mrs.Morgan:Everything.We used to lose information all the time,but that time it was terrible.Everybody lost their papers that afternoon…including me.Tara:What did you do?Mrs.Morgan:I went back to the good,old-fashioned way.Tara:You mean typewriters?Mrs.Morgan:Nope.I used something more affordable,portable,reliable,disposable,something that always worked.Tara:What was that?Mrs.Morgan:(holds up pencil and paper)The first word processor.Unit3Track4-3-OL-1/Track4-3-OL-2Joe:What are you reading,Maria?Maria:The Daily News.Joe:The News?Ugh!That’s a terrible paper.Maria:Oh,Joe,it’s not so bad.Joe:Not so bad?Look at that headline on the front page!It’s so sensational.Maria:Well,they’ve got great comics.I can’t live without my comics.Joe:I know.But the news coverage is so poor,...especially the international news.It’s a joke,really.Maria:I’m not so interested in the international news.Besides,they have so many other good features.Joe:Like what?Maria:Like…the daily horoscope,for example.I love it.Joe:That’s not a good reason to buy a newspaper…for the horoscope!Maria:Look,the newspaper only costs50cents.What so you expect?Joe:Good point.Maria:Besides the horoscope,I also like the entertainment news.I like to read about the stars and their love affairs.Joe:Well,you can keep The Daily News.I’m going to stick with The Times.Track4-3-OL-3Amy:John,I’ve never notice this old photo of your family before.John:My mother just found it in the attic.She decided to hang it up.Amy:It’s a nice picture of your family.John：I think it’s embarrassing.And I look stupid.Amy:Well,you could‘ve combed your hair…it’s a nice shot,though.Look at how young you are!How old were you in the photo?John:Eight…no wait,I’d just turned nine.Amy:I guess these two people are your parents.John:Yep.They were married when that picture was taken.Now they’re divorced.Amy:Oh.What do they do?John:My father’s retired.Mom works in a hospital.Amy:What are their names?John：Well,my father’s name is Joseph.My mother is Olivia---she was named after a popular actress.Amy:How great!I have an aunt with the same name.I love the name Olivia…Who’s that guy?John:Which one?Amy:The guy standing behind you.Is that your brother,Tom?John:No,that's my Uncle Randy.He’s only two years older than my brother.Amy:He’s cute.I love a guy with a moustache.John:Um,sorry,but he’s married now.His wife just had a baby.Amy:I was just making a comment…So the other young guy must be your brother.John:Yes.That’s Tom.Amy:How old is he in the picture?John:Let’s see…he’s nine years older than me…so he would‘ve been18then.Amy:And there’s your little sister,Tina.She’s so cute!John:Yeah.She’s two years younger than me.It’s hard to believe she’s in high school now!Track4-3-OL-51.A bank robbery in Virginia,USA,was stopped when the robber and the bank teller couldn’t reach anagreement.The robber pushed a holdup note under the window,but the teller looked at it,said,”I can’tread this,”and gave it back.The robber pushed the note through a second time.The teller crumpled thenote up and threw it at the robber.He picked it up and walked out of the bank.2.A professional ice hockey player will miss the rest of this season’s games because he injured himself.National Hockey League goalie Jean-Louis Blanchard went on the injured list after he fell and seriously hurt his back.He was walking out of a restaurant in Ottawa,Canada,when he slipped on some ice.3.The first international camel beauty contest was held last week in Alxa,in western China.More than100dressed-up camels entered the contest.The judges examined them for shiny hair,tall humps,andbeautiful costumes.Unlike human beauty contests,though,there were no interviews with thecontestants.4.Police in Sheffield,England,arrested a41-year-old man for stealing five cars.Graham Owens went tocar dealers and said he wanted to buy a car,and borrowed a car to test-drive.Each time,he drove the car around,then cleaned it inside and washed it outside---before leaving it at the side of the road,andwalking home.Track4-3-OL-71.Nutty newsLulu is a kangaroo.For10years she has lived with the Richards family.Lulu was adopted by the family after they found her next to her dead mother.Mr.Ken Richards is a farmer.He was working on his farm when a heavy tree branch suddenly fell ontop of him.Lulu stood next to Mr.Richards’body.She started barking and didn’t leave Mr.Richards’side.I’ve never heard Lulu bark like that---she sounded like a dog.She barked and barked and she didn’t stop,“said Celeste,Mr.Richards’daughter.After15minutes,the Richards family went to investigate.They found Ken on the ground and he wasunconscious.“Lulu is a hero,“said Celeste.“She saved my father.”Mr.Middleton,an expert veterinarian,said that Lulu’s story is rare.“I have never seen a kangaroo actlike that.Maybe lulu helped Ken Richards because the Richards family is the only family she has everknown.”Lulu has always followed Ken around the farm.She’s a loyal,friendly,and very intelligent kangaroo.After Ken leaves the hospital,he is planning to go everywhere with Lulu.2.Nutty newsApproximately175,000people live in the Republic of Vanuatu,an island chain east of Australia.It is apopular tourist destination because there’s a lot to do there:you can visit waterfalls,go horseback riding, take an aerial tour,or visit a traditional Ni-Vanuatu village.Vanuatu is most famous for its scuba diving and snorkeling.In an effort to draw attention to these popular water sports,Vanuatu has created a world’s“first”:thegovernment has opened an underwater post office.You have to be a certified scuba driver to work there.The office is three meters below the surface in an area on the outskirts of Port Vila,the capital city.Sofar,the post office has hired four workers.They will work in a room surrounded by the beauty ofVanuatu’s underwater world.Customers will buy waterproof postcards on land and then drive down tothe post office to receive a special waterproof stamp.3-OL-51.cool2.sold out3.realizes4.music reviewer5.apartment building6.get them concert tickets7.goes over8.invites him to go with her9.a date with10.mind Takeshi going without himUnit4Track4-4-OL-1A.Listen to Camille’s job interview.Then circle the answer to the question.Man:So,I see here that you went to college.Camille:Yes,sir.For two years.I didn’t graduate.Man:Do you speak any languages besides English?Camille:Yes,I speak conversational French.Man:Any other languages?Camille:No,that’s it.Man:Well,that’s great.As you know,we fly to Paris twice a week.We always need people who can speak French.Man:Let’s see…have you worked for an airline before?Camille:No.I have no job experience.Man:So,this would be your first job.Camille:Yes.Man;Well,I only have two more questions.Are you healthy and physically fit?Can you lift heavy objects? Camille:Yes,I think so.Man:Well,the emergency window exit on the plane weighs about50pounds.And the meal cart is very heavy, too.You need to move those objects sometimes.Camille:I think I can do that.Man:Wonderful.Let me tell you about the next step.We have a six-week training program that takes place in the summer.You have to…Track4-4-OL-2B.Listen again.Check Yes or No for each statement about Camille.Track4-4-OL-3A.Listen to Olivia talking about her future plan and fill in the blanks with information from the talk.I plan to become a teacher after I finish my studies.I decided to study at this university because the teachingprogram is very good.We have a lot of practice working with children.I love to work with young kids.Iexpect to graduate from the university next June,and I hope to find a job in a kindergarten.I’ll try to start working in September.Track4-4-OL-4B.Listen to the job interview.Check the right item in the table based on the information from the interview.Mr.Grant:Hello,Ms.Hale.I’m Mr.Grant,the advertising manager for the company.Do you have a resume or curriculum vitae to give to me?Ms.Hale:Yes,Mr.Grant.Here it is.Mr.Grant:Thank you.Now,let me tell you a little bit about the job.We need someone to design brochures on the computer.Do you have up-to-date computer skills?Ms.Hale:Yes,I do.In my present position I use computer graphics all the time.I have experience with animation as well.Mr.Grant:Oh,that’s very good.We hope to launch a new group of animated ads next spring.Can you work with others in a pleasant manner,Ms.Hale?Ms.Hale:My co-workers seem to think so.I can also work independently by myself.Mr.Grant:That’s necessary,too.What about flexibility in working long hours on a project?Ms.Hale:I have a lot of energy and I’m willing to get the job done.The work I did last year won two awards at a national conference.Mr.Grant:Excellent.That’s very impressive.By the way,did I mention that we need someone to start next week? Ms.Hale:No,you didn’t,but it might be possible.Mr.Grant:Good.Thank you for coming today.We’ll be in touch soon.Track4-4-OL-5A.Listen to the passage about an unusual job.Fill in the blank with information from the passage.You’ve never met Melissa Hayes,and you don’t know her name,but you know her voice.Mellissarecord information messages for the telephone company.When you hear the number you called has beenchanged…--that’s Mellissa!“Yes,it’s true,”she say.“I’m the voice talent for Nation Telephone.”At least50000people hear her voice every day.“I try to sound warm and friendly,even when I’m saying,I’m sorry,that number is incorrect.Please try again.”Melissa works only three days a week,but she has to practice a lot.“My voice has to sound the same at the end of eight hours.”She’s very careful about her voice.“I don’t drink lots of water with honey.I can’t g to horror movies because I always scream,and I might hurt my voice!”How did she get her job?“A friend told me about it.I listened to all the telephone company messages on my phone,and then I recorded a cassette of those messages.After I sent it to the company,I called themevery day for a month!”She’s done this work for three years now,and she loves it.“It’s fun!And I’m helping people by using my voice.”Plus,people are always surprised when they hear about Melissa’s job.They say,“You’re a real person?I thought it was a computer!”Track4-4-OL-6B.Listen again.Check your answers.Track4-4-OL-7A.Listen to the interviews about Ken’s and Steven’s jobs.Then check Ken or Steven for each item in thebox below.Interview1Interviewer:What is your job,Ken?Ken：I’m a V.J.or“video jockey.”Interviewer:How would you describe your job?Ken:I’m on TV.I introduce music videos and talk about them.I also interview singers who appear in videos. Interviewer:What is the best part of your job?Ken:I get to meet a lot of famous people.That’s very exciting.Also,I love music,so it’s a lot of fun. Interviewer:What is the worst part of your job?Ken:I get to meet a lot of famous people.Some of them are not very nice.They think they are better than me. They can be very demanding.Interviewer:What was your most memorable moment?Ken:Last year,I presented an award on TV at a video music award show.I couldn’t believe it.They flew me out to Los Angeles and I stayed in Beverly Hill.I was on the TV show for a whole45seconds!I got to meet a lot of stars.Interviewer:I want to be a V.J.How I get the job?Ken:Well,first you have to make a videotape about yourself.You need to talk about certain things on the video.In my case,there was a list of question,like“What did you do last weekend?”and“What’s in your CD player right now?”After you talk about yourself,you send the videotape in to the TV station.They call you if they like the tape.Interview2Interviewer:What is your job,Steven?Steven:I’m a car courier.Interviewer:How would you describe your job?Steven:Sometimes a person or a company needs a car moved from one place to another.They may not have time to do it themselves.They hire me to drive the car.Interviewer:What is the best part of your job?Steven:I like to drive,so it’s fun for st summer,I drove all the way from New York to California.The weather was great.I had the radio on and enjoyed my trip very much.Interviewer:What is the worst part of your job?Steven:I have to be very punctual.If I say I’ll arrive on Monday at6:00,I have to be there by Monday at6:00.I have to be dependable.It’s stressful at times.Interviewer:What was your most memorable moment?Steven:I drove across the desert as the sun was setting.It was incredible!Interviewer:I want to be a car courier.How do I get the job?Steven:That’s a good question.My mother started this business,so she hired me.You’d have to call my mother to find out!Track4-4-OL-8B.Listen again and the complete the summaries of Ken’s and Steven’s job e the words in the box.Unit5Track4-5-OL-1B.Now listen to a quiz show and check your answers in A.Host:Welcome back to“You Snooze,You Lose!”the best game show on television!This is our final round.Let me remind you of the rules.We will show an object for a couple of seconds.It’s your jobto guess what it is.Michael?Linda?Are you ready to play?M&L:Yes!Host:Ok,then,let’s play“You Snooze,You Lose!”Show us item number one.Host:Yes,Michael?Michael:I know what they are.They’re called“cams”and they’re used in mountain climbing.Host:That’s right for one point!They’re used to hold climbing ropes.All right then,here’s our second object.Yes,Linda?Linda:Is it some kind of tool?Host:Can you be more specific?Linda:I don’t know…a tool used to fix some kind of machine?Host:No,I’m sorry.It’s a nose and ear hair trimmer.Next…item number three.Do you have any idea?Time is up.Since no one guessed,I’ll tell you the answer.Those are called Hopi ear candles. Linda:You stick them in your ears?Host:That’s right.They are used to clean out your ears.They also help to relax you.Let’s move on to item number four.Here it is.Michael:That’s obvious.It’s a corkscrew.You use it to open bottles.Host:Yes,that’s correct!It’s a mini-travel corkscrew.You can pack it in your suitcase.Oh,no!You know what that means!You’re out of time.Michael,with two correct answers,you are today’swinner!Congratulations!And before we leave,let me show the remaining objects.Item numberfive is an egg slicer.Item number six is a tongue scraper---make sure to use it so that you don’t havebad breath!That’s all the time we have for today.See you next time on“You Snooze,You Lose!”Goodbye everybody.Track4-5-OL-2A.You will listen to a passage about Microsoft Corporation.Then write down as much information as possible about Microsoft.Microsoft CorporationMicrosoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops,manufactures, licenses,and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices.Headquartered in Redmond, Washington,USA,its best selling flagship products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite.Microsoft ships products to Europe,Asia,and Latin America.It manages branch offices in more than60countries.It has nearly90,000employees in105countries by2008.Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April4,1975.In the mid-1980s,it rose to dominate the home computer operating system market with MS-DOS.Since1985,Microsoft has released an upgrading line of Windows operating systems featuring a friendly user interface.The latest one,Windows Vista, was released in January2007and has sold140million copies to date.As one commentator notes,Microsoft’s original mission was“a computer on every desk and in every home,running Microsoft software,”and now it is a goal near fulfillment.Microsoft also makes profits in other markets such as computer hardware products and home entertainment products.Track4-5-OL-3B.Listen again.Then fill in the table according to what you hear about Microsoft Corporation.Track4-5-OL-4A.You will listen to a passage which protests against advertising and shopping.Then fill in the blanks withwords from the passage.A different kind of holiday:shop less,live more!Advertising is everywhere.It’s on race cars and subway trains,on T-shirts and billboards.Every day,you see hundreds of ads,and each advertiser wants you to buy their product.But do we really need all these products?。
Unit One:Listing tasks:1. A: Jake Sutton! Is that you, man? How are you?•B: Hey, Andrew! I didn’t recognize you for a moment. Long time no see!•A: Yeah, wow, I haven’t seen you since high school graduation! What’ve you been up to? •B: I’ve been back East, at college.•A: College? Where?•B: Boston. B.U.•A: Oh, cool.•B: And this past year, I got to go to Spain as an exchange student.•A: Spain? No kidding? I remember you always hoped for an international lifestyle.•B: Exactly.•A: So how was it, amigo?•B: Oh, man, it was so great. I got to see a lot of Europe.•A: Yeah? Like where?•B: All over. Italy, France, Greece, and my homestay family was really nice. They’ve invited me back again if I want to go to graduate school there.•A: Sounds like we won’t be seeing you for another few more years then, eh?•B: I dunno. Half of me wants to go. Half of me wants to stay here. You know, when I was there, I missed home a lot more than I thought I would.•A: I can imagine.2. A: So, Terry, How have you been?•B: Good, good.•A: How are things going? Did you graduate this year?•B: Me? Nah!I went to State, but after my second year, I realized that what I really want to do is take over for my mom in the restaurant.•A: Oh, that’s right. Your family owns a little restaurant. Well, I mean, it’s not so little, but …•B: So I came back home and started apprenticing as a chef.•A: Really? That is so cool!You know, now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense for you. Even back in high school, you could cook up a storm. So, how is it being in the business?•B: Well, I love to cook, but, man, I have a lot to learn about running a business. I’m really glad my mom’s around to teach me.•A: Well, I’ll have to come by to try your cooking. What nights do you work?•B: Take your pick. I’m there seven nights a week.3. A: Ken? Ken Mackney, is that you?•B: Uh, yeah, I’m Ken Mackney.•A: It’s me. Barry Simmons. You know, Mr. Jones’s calculus class, senior year?•B: Um, so, how’s it going? What are you up to these days?•A: I’m pretty busy. I’m working as an accountant in the city.•B: Oh, that’s great!It sounds like you really put your math skills to good use.•A: Yeah. And I got married last fall. Hey, you might actually know my wife, Tina Chan, Jason Chan’s little sister?•B: Tina. Is she the one who went to Harvard Medical School?•A: No, that was Lisa Fong. Tina went to art school.•B: Oh! Well, I guess you and Tina are a good match, then. You were always into art, too, weren’t you?•A: No, not really. That’s my brother Tom you’re thinking of. You don’t remember very much from high school, do you?•B: No, I guess not! It’s been a long time!4. A: Hi, Kate. It’s me, Cindy Lohan. You remember me, don’t you?•B: Cindy, Cindy. I can’t seem to place the name. Oh, my gosh, yes!I do remember you!But …•A: But what?•B: Well, it’s just that you don’t look like the free-spirited Cindy I remember. You look so, so normal.•A: Normal? I guess you’re referring to my hair?•B: Yeah. I mean, you’re just a regular brunette now. When I knew you, you always had your hair dyed some interesting color. Blue one day, pink the next.•A: Well, I’m a lawyer now. Most judges have a thing against pink hair, so …•B: I can see your sense of humor hasn’t changed much!Real world listening:•Charisse: Karen, I can’t get over how gorgeous you look. I guess you must’ve become an actress, like you always wanted.•Karen: Thanks, but you’re not going to believe this.•Charisse: What?•Karen: Well, I moved away to Hollywood and did the usual waitress thing for a while. •Charisse: Yeah?•Karen: Eventually, I got a small part in a horror movie, and that’s when I discovered my true calling.•Charisse: What’s that? Playing zombies?•Karen: Nope. I’ve become a movie makeup artist!•Charisse: No way!That’s so amazing! But what made you give up acting?•Karen: I guess I just prefer working behind the scenes. But enough about me. How are you and Craig?•Charisse: Craig? Oh, him. You know, we broke up about a year after you left town. •Karen: Oh, I’m sorry. It just seemed like you two were so eager to get married and start a family.•Charisse: Funny how that ended up. I was too busy with school and then my job, and we just sort of drifted apart.•Karen: Huh!So what’ve you been doing all this time, Charisse?•Charisse: Well, a few years ago I got a great job with an advertising agency. And guess what?•Karen: What?•Charisse: They’ve just promoted me. I’m an account executive now!•Karen: Wow, pretty impressive.Unit Two:Listening tasks:1. A: Oh, my gosh. You won’t believe this!•B: What? What happened, Katie?•A: You know that guy Brett, from the football team?•B: Oh, yeah, the big, dumb jock. What did he do this time?•A: He gave me a poem.•B: A poem?•A: I mean, it’s beautiful!It’s romantic and it’s full of imagery. I just couldn’t believe it came from him.•B: You got that right. I didn’t even think he could read.•A: I just found out he plays two musical instruments and speaks French fluently!•B: Hmm. Well, maybe there’s more to Brett than meets the eye!2. A: Hey, Jeff, I didn’t know you took dance lessons.•B: What? How did you know that?•A: Your girlfriend showed me some pictures of you dancing.•B: Man, I told her not to show those to people!•A: Aw, come on. Actually, I think it’s pretty cool. I wish there was something I felt that passionate about.•B: Really? You know, I love to dance, but I don’t tell my friends about it. Dancing is a private thing for me. It’s just something I do for myself.3. A: Hey, Kayla. Can I borrow your notes from today’s math class?•B: Yeah, sure. Just make sure to give them back to me before my band plays tonight. I need time to study.•A: Did you say your “band”?•B: Yeah. I’m in a band called Rock Hard. I play the drums.•A: You’re kidding! You play the drums for a rock band? I never would’ve guessed.•B: Why? ’Cause I’m a straight A student?•A: Yeah. I mean, you’re the one everyone comes to for math help. I just assumed you were a …•B: A nerd?•A: Well, I don’t know about that.•B: Don’t worry. I’m not offended. I am a nerd. But who says nerds can’t play the drums?Real World Listening:•C: TJ, my man!How’s it goin’?•TJ: Hey, Cesar. What’s up, dude?•C: Oh, not much. But you, man. You’re all over the place. I saw you on TV last week. The Pro-Am skateboarding championship. Man, you tore it up on the half-pipe.•TJ: I guess I did OK. I got second place.•C: That flip you did was totally awesome. Anyway, I can’t believe you’ve gone pro, man. You’ve totally made it.•TJ: Yeah, I know. Contests, sponsorships, kids asking for my autograph all the time.It’s weird.•C: Sounds like it. But good weird.•TJ: Yeah. And you won’t even believe what the latest is.•C: What?•TJ: Nike wants me to do a commercial. They’ve been calling my agent. Nike, man.•C: Wow! I don’t believe that. That’s crazy, man. You’ve got it made.•TJ: Yeah, sorta.•C: What’s wrong?•TJ: Well, you know the fame and fortune are great, but sometimes I just want to have my old life back again.•C: Why? With the way things are going for you?•TJ: No, but it’s my family and my friends, like you. They think I’m too good for them now. They think I don’t have time for the stuff we used to do, like go to movies and just hang out.•C: Wow, man. That’s rough. But you know, your life is kinda different now.•TJ: Sure, I mean, people recognize me and stuff, but I’m still the same person I was before I went pro. I just wish everyone would understand that.•C: Don’t you like all the attention you’re getting?•TJ: I dunno, man. The truth is, it’s kind of embarrassing. I guess I’m shy or something.•C: You? No way, TJ. I thought you lived for the crowds.•TJ: Nah, it’s the sport I love. I can live without the spectators.•C: So what are you gonna do, man?•TJ: Just keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve gotta be true to myself, no matter what anyone else thinks about it.Unit Three:Listening tasks:1. A: So, Amy, how many kids do you and Tom have?•B: Uh, kids, none. Not yet.•A: Not yet? Did you say “not yet”? Hey, are you and Tom keeping score here or what?You must be, what, 35 by now. Clock’s a’tickin’. Tick-tock, tick-tock, you know?•B: Yeah, I think we’re aware of all that, but it’s kind of complicated. We’ve got our careers right now, and …•A: Complicated? You think you’re the only people who are trying to juggle careers and family?•B: No, no. I’m sure we’re not. Just, it’s kind of a personal thing.2. A: So, Jerry, have you thought about where you’re going to live after you graduate in June?•B: Uh, yeah. I think I’m going to move back in with my folks, save a little money, you know.•A: Your folks? You gotta be kidding!Don’t you think it’s time to leave the nest?•B: Um, yeah, I guess. But it’s not like it’s gonna be forever. Just until I can save upenough money to …•A: I gotta say, man, I think it’s a mistake.•B: Well, I’ve thought about it a lot, and I really think it’s the best decision for me right now.•A: But you need to go out on your own, get your own place, find yourself. Your parents are just going to get in the way.•B: Well, you know, I’m not the only one moving back home after college. Seems like half the people I know are doing it.3. A: Excuse me, ma’am.•B: Yes?•A: Your son’s tantrum is disturbing everyone in the store.•B: I know, I know. I’m trying to calm him down. Bobby, please be a good little boy for Mommy. I’ll give you a nice, yummy cookie if you stop crying.•A: If you ask me, what your son needs is a little good old-fashioned discipline. A nice spanking will do the job!You know what they say: Spare the rod and spoil the child!•B: Listen. How I raise my son is none of your business. We don’t believe in using physical violence with our children.4. A: So, Lucie, do you have anyone special in your life?•B: No. Not right now. It’s been a while since I’ve dated anybody.•A: Well, what have you been doing about it? You know, you can’t meet someone sitting at home on your couch on Friday nights eating chocolate ice cream. You’ve got to get yourself out there, girl!•B: Well, I don’t know. Meeting someone at a bar or club just isn’t for me.•A: I know! I’m fixing you up with a friend of mine. He’s perfect for you.•B: That’s OK. I’m not really into blind dates.•A: Don’t be ridiculous! You’re gonna love him!•B: You know, I’m not sure I really want to be dating anyone right now.Real World Listening:•Part 1. Andrea talks to Jackie.•Andrea: Andrea Price on “Who Needs Advice.”What’s your problem?•Jackie: Hi, I’m Jackie, from Toronto.•Andrea: Jackie, what’s your problem?•Jackie: My parents are driving me crazy! I’m in college, and my parents make me come home before midnight. Plus …•Andrea: Just a second, Jackie. Slow down. You’re in college, you’re living at home, your parents want you home at midnight. What’s wrong with that?•Jackie: Well, it’s not only that. They always want to know who I’m going out with, and if I’ve done my homework. How can I get them to leave me alone?•Andrea: Jackie, grow up already. If you live at home, you should follow their rules, or move out of their house. Clear enough?•Part 2. Andrea talks to Beatrice.•Andrea: Andrea Price on “Who Needs Advice.”•Beatrice: This is Beatrice from Atlanta.•Andrea: OK, Beatrice. What’s your problem?•Beatrice: I need some advice about dieting. Every time I go on a diet, I lose a few pounds, but it only lasts a little while.•Andrea: Uh huh. Go on.•Beatrice: Once I start eating normally again, I always gain the weight back.•Andrea: Do you exercise regularly?•Beatrice: No.•Andrea: There’s your problem. You can’t lose weight without exercise. Talk to your doctor about an exercise plan, and stick to it.•Part 3. Andrea talks to Pete.•Andrea: Andrea Price on “Who Needs Advice.”•Pete: This is Pete, from Denver.•Andrea: What’s your problem?•Pete: Could I ask you something?•Andrea: That’s what I’m here for.•Pete: Well, my car has been making funny noises lately. Like this—fffft fffft fffft fffft—but only when it’s moving. When it’s idle, it makes sounds sort of like, vvvttt, vvvtttt, vvvttt.•Andrea: Look, Pete.•Pete: I really don’t know what to do.•Andrea: Look, Pete, I give advice about people, not cars. You need to call a mechanic.Unit Four:Listening tasks:1. My sister is a really strict vegan. It’s not for religious or health reasons. It’s just she’s just a little nuts. Every time she comes over for a family dinner we have to make a special dish just for her. And if, like, the fork we’ve used to serve some meat even touches her plate for a split second, she freaks out and has to get another plate. Recently, she started this new thing where she can’t even eat any vegetables that are cooked. They have to be raw. And she put her cat on a vegan diet, too. The poor thing only eats vegetables. Every time I go over to her place, the cat looks at me with these sad eyes, like, “Meat … please?”2. My cousin Pat is a professional clown. He goes by the name Patty Cakes. He gets hired to do special events like kids’birthday parties. The thing about Pat is that he just can’t stop being a clown even when he’s not working. He’ll show up at his friend’s house and start making balloon hats for everyone. And then there’s his pet duck, Phoebe. Pat uses Phoebe in his clown act, but sometimes he doesn’t have time to take her home after work, so he just brings her along wherever he’s going. It’s just so strange to see Pat walk in somewhere with Phoebe following behind him wearing a diaper.3. My Aunt Samantha collects dolls. She’s a real fanatic. Most people have hobbies, you know,like sports or music or movies, but Aunt Samantha spends all her money on dolls. She has one room in her apartment completely devoted to Barbie dolls. I mean, the whole room is wall-to-wall Barbies!She’s got over a thousand of them lined up on shelves from floor to ceiling. The dolls are all in perfect condition. She stores them in their boxes and never takes them out. It’s kind of scary, actually. When you walk into that room, you just feel surrounded by them. It’s like they’re all watching you or something.4. My brother Andrew is really into TV and movies and, um ... How can I put this nicely? He can get pretty extreme about it. He’s always pretending to be a character from a movie or TV show. Now, when he was twelve or thirteen, he used to watch the TV show Star Trek all the time, and he’d go around talking exactly like Mr. Spock. Like if I’d say, “Andrew, get out of my room. I’m studying. You’re so irritating.”And he’d say, “Irritating? Ah, yes, one of your earthling emotions.”Stuff like that, a line right out of Star Trek. Now, sometimes, it’s funny. Like now he’s doing Harry Potter voices. But we worry about him a lot. I mean, does he even know who he is? He’s always acting like someone else.Real world listening:•Lydia: OK, Greg, I got the wedding invitations back from the printers. Let’s do this!•Greg: OK, I’m ready.•Lydia: Got your list?•Greg: Yeah, I just have a short list, though. Just my parents, and my brother Tim, and his wife, and my sister Tanya, and Jamie, my friend from college, and that’s about it. I can’t think of anyone else that I really want to invite.•Lydia: Greg, that’s like, what, ten people? Are you joking? This is our wedding.•Greg: Well, I guess we could invite my mom’s cousin Abigail. She lives nearby, but I don’t know her very well, and she’s kind of crazy. She has, like, fifteen cats.•Lydia: Greg, if she’s family, you should invite her.•Greg: I guess.•Lydia: So, including your mom’s cousin Abigail, you’ve now got a grand total of eleven guests. That just isn’t enough to fill up a reception room.•Greg: Well, how many people are you inviting?•Lydia: Um, let’s see. Here’s my list. I’ve got my brother and his wife.•Greg: Right.•Lydia: And her parents and relatives.•Greg: You’re inviting your sister-in-law’s relatives, too?•Lydia: Greg, this is a family event. Can’t leave anyone out.•Greg: Can’t leave anyone out?•Lydia: And then there’s my mother’s two brothers and their families.•Greg: They’ll come all the way from San Francisco for this?•Lydia: Oh, absolutely. And then my aunt Chia-Lin.•Greg: I thought she lived in Shanghai.•Lydia: She does, but she’ll come for the wedding.•Greg: Really?•Lydia: She wouldn’t miss it for the world, and besides, my mother would never forgiveher if she didn’t come to my wedding.•Greg: Ah.•Lydia: And then my father will want to invite all his close friends from work.•Greg: Wait a sec. Your father’s friends from work are coming? How many is that?•Lydia: Oh, Greg, he’s in the restaurant business. He’s got so many friends. There must be like, one, two, three, eight people who work in the restaurant alone, and then the suppliers, and all of his regular big customers.Maybe eighty or ninety. Something like that.•Greg: Eighty people!•Lydia: There’s no way he wouldn’t invite all of them to his daughter’s wedding. It’d be an insult!•Greg: But I thought we were just inviting family and close friends.•Lydia: Believe me, my father’s business associates are like family.•Greg: Wow! How many people are on that list there?•Lydia: Oh, just a few. This is just like three or four hundred people. I’m trying to keep it small.•Greg: Gosh, Lydia, where are we going to have this wedding, in Yankee Stadium?Unit Five:Listening tasks:1. A: Honey, I’ve been thinking.•B: Huh?•A: I’ve been thinking. I think I’d like to go back to work.•B: Really? Why?•A: Well, the kids are growing up. Jenny is off to university, and Ted is going to be in high school next year.•B: Uh huh, yeah, right?•A: Well, I just don’t think I need to be a stay-at-home mom anymore.•B: But, but who’s going to make dinner and do the laundry, and who’s going to clean the house?•A: I don’t know, honey, but we’ll figure it out. I’ve been weighing the pros and cons, and now it just seems like the best time to make a change.2. A: Hey, how’s it going, Frank?•B: Oh, not too sure.•A: Oh, what’s the problem?•B: It’s not really a problem. It’s kind of a good thing, I guess.•A: You guess?•B: Well, I applied for a job with a really good engineering firm a couple of months ago, and I talked to the boss yesterday.•A: Yeah?•B: And they want to hire me.•A: That’s great news.•B: Well, sort of. But the downside is the job’s in Texas. I would have to move. And they want me to start in six weeks.•A: Ooh, Texas. That’s really far away. What are you leaning toward?•B: At this point, I’m seriously considering accepting the offer. But I have until next week to let them know.3. A: Hey, Jamie, you look stressed out. What’s wrong?•B: Oh, I have to choose my major this month, and I’m still undecided.•A: I thought you were majoring in theater. Didn’t you say you wanted to be the next Angelina Jolie?•B: Yeah, but I changed my mind last semester and started taking more psychology classes.•A: Well, why don’t you do that? You could be the next Sigmund Freud, the female version.•B: I would, but I don’t know. I’m taking a really great physics class this semester. I totally love it.•A: Then why not do physics?•B: So I could be the next Albert Einstein, right? I don’t know about that, either. I kinda want to take some French classes. Yeah, that sounds good! Maybe I should major in French. Although, if I take French, then I can’t really take the physics. And I mean, theater still is really fun.4. A: What do you think about getting a puppy, Rick?•B: A puppy? Why would we do that?•A: Well, I was at the supermarket today, and there was this guy with a box of Labrador puppies out front, and they were so cute.•B: Yeah, of course they’re cute. Puppies are always cute. But they’re messy, too. •A: I know, but you should have seen them. Their little tails and their little faces.•B: The problem with a puppy is that it eventually becomes a dog, a big dog. What’s a big dog gonna do in our little apartment?•A: We’ll take it for walks. It’ll be great. C’mon.•B: I don’t know. I’ll think about it. Why don’t we get a cat instead?•Real World Listening :•Our topic today is decision making. We make decisions every day, right? Maybe about simple, personal things like which train to take to work or should you get a puppy as a pet, and also more complex things like what to major in at college or whether to take a job offer in a new city. We’re going to look at four dimensions of the decision-making process, OK? Approach, information, risk, and decisiveness.•The first dimension is approach, or the way that you view the decision-making process.There are two types of decision makers here: originators and adapters. Adapters tend to think in terms of the minimum change necessary to produce the results they want. They stick with ideas that have worked in the past. Originators, on the other hand, tend to produce decisions that are less similar to past ideas. They make decisions that seem unique and creative.•The second dimension is information. What kind of information do you need to make a decision? Are you a concrete information processor or an abstract information processor?Concrete information processors need complete and detailed information before making a decision. They prefer to work with clear, absolute, and exact facts and values. Abstractinformation processors, on the other hand, focus on the big picture and general information before they make their decision.•The third dimension is risk. What kind of risk taker are you when you make a big decision? How do you deal with struggles and challenges when you face a tough decision?Two types of risk takers here: conciliators and challengers. Conciliators prefer to be cautious and avoid risks. They avoid taking actions that might involve losing too much.The other type is the challenger. And a challenger will take a more extreme and risky choice in order to get a greater gain, even if the situation has a good chance of turning out badly.•The fourth dimension is decisiveness—how fast you make the decision, and how quickly you take steps towards implementing your decision. For this dimension, the two types of decision makers are called organized and flexible. Organized decision makers are quick to choose—bang, come on, make a decision—and also quick to act upon their decisions: OK, let’s do it!They commit their energy and time sooner than others. Flexible decision makers, on the other hand, are slow to choose and also slow to act upon their decisions.•They tend to change plans frequently, and they also procrastinate or postpone their plans unless they become absolutely necessary.•So that’s the theory: four dimensions of decision making. Where do you stand in each dimension? There’s no right or wrong way to make a decision, but by understanding our own decision making styles, we can make more effective, well-informed, and conscious decisions.。
Scripts for Unit OneListening Task 1The neighborhood children my age played together: either active, physical games outdoors or games of dolls-and-house indoors. I, on the other hand, spent much of my childhood alone. I’d curl up in a chair reading fairytales and myths, daydreaming, writing poems or stories and drawing pictures. Sometimes around the fourth grade, my “big” (often critical, judgmental) Grandma, who’d been visiting us said to me, “What’s wrong with you Why don’t the other children want to play with you”I remember being startled and confused by her question. I’d never been particularly interested in playing with the other children. It hadn’t, till then, occurred to me that that was either odd or something with me. Nor had it occurrred to me that they didn’t “want to play with”me. My first conscious memory of feeling different was in the fourth grade. At the wardrobe, listening to classmates joking, chattering and laughing with each other, I realized I hadn’t a clue about what was so funny or of how to participate in their easy chatter. They seemed to live in a universe about which I knew nothing at all. I tried to act like others but it was so difficult.I felt confused and disoriented. I turned back to my inner world: reading books, writing and daydreaming. My inwardness grew me in ways that continued to move me further away from the world of my age peers. The easy flow of casual social chat has remained forever beyond my reach and beyond my interest, too.Listening Task 2The greatest difficulty for me is that as a person of mixed origin I am at home neither here nor there. Wherever I am, I am regarded as being foreign, either “white” or “blac k”. It happens to me when I live in my mother’s country of origin, in Switzerland, and it happened to me when I was living in my father’s country, Ivory Coast. I would feel at home where I could feel that people accept me just the way I am! When you are a small child you first do not feel that you are different fromthe others. But soon the others will make you feel different – and children too can be very cruel in their behavior against the “strange child”. Sometimes incredible incidents happen. Some time ago I was riding my bike somewhere in a little place in Switzarland nearby to where I live. A car drove by, and the male driver opened the window and yelled at me: “Scheiss – Neger – dirty nigger!” I almost froze. I felt helpless and unable to defend myself. When I looked at the number plate, I saw that it was a German number plate. This means that the insulting person himself was a foreigner in this country! How could he dare insult me like this I felt that I wanted to kill this man. When I recovered I was able to think about it more clearly. These racist people are just stupid and do not know anything about life.Scripts for Unit TwoListening Task 1Everybody cheats. Whether it’s the taxi driver who tricks a visitor and takes hime the long way round, or the shop assistant who doesn’t give the correct change, or the police officer who accepts a bribe – everybody’s at it. Cheats in the news include the scientist whose research was based on fake data, the game show contestant who collaborated with a friend in the audience to win a million pounds, and the doctor who forged his qualifications and wasn’t really a doctor at all. Everybody cheats; nobody’s playing the game.Is cheating acceptable, a natural way of surviving and being successful Or is it something that should be frowned on, and young people discouraged from doing If it’s the latter, how can we explain to children why so many bend the rulesTake sport for example. The pinnacle of football, the World Cup, was rife with cheating. Whether pretending to be hurt or denying a handball, footballers will do anything for a free-kick or a penalty shot. French player Henry denied cheating to win the free-kick which led to his side’s second goal in their 3-1 victory over Spain. Whatever the nationality there’s one common strategy: the player rolls overholding his leg, ankle or head seeming to be in great pain. As a result a yellow card or free-kick is given for the foul and then, a few seconds later, the player is up and about as if nothing had happened!Of course it’s not just the footballers. In 1998 the Tour of France, the world’s greatest cycling event, was hit by a drug-taking scandal. Forty bottles of drugs found with a team triggered a massive investigation that almost caused the cycling tour to be abandoned. One rider was banned for nine months.Listening Task 2A climate of mistrust surrounds everyone.In the field of business, Enron, America’s seventh largest company, could serve as an unfortunate example. Its collapse in 2001 caused thousands of people to lose their jobs and life savings. The company had fooled investors into believing it was healthier than it really was. One boss now faces the rest of life in prison. Meanwhile companies around the world are losing billions of dollars to the counterfeit trade. From cut-price CDs and DVDs to sportswear and cosmetics, cheap fake products are everywhere. It has become socially acceptable to buy fake Gucci bags and illegal copies of films. If parents are doing this, their children will follow.So perhaps it’s not surprising that around the world more pupils than ever are caught cheating during exams. In one case keys to exam papers were put up for sale on the Internet. In another, widespread cheating took place by pupils using their mobile phones to receive texted answers. In a third case, pupils admitted to candidate substitution. They blame the pressure put on them to do well in exams. It doesn’t help that their role models are also cheats. Surely we can’t complain when we’re setting such a bad example.Unit 3 LifestyleListening task 1When she has young children, a stay-at-home mom has two jobs. Her house and her kids.A stay-at-home mom is expected to do all the house cleaning. She is expected to always be the one to get up in the middle of the night, do the school things –room-mother, baker, coordinator, chauffeur and carpooler, etc. often, a stay-at-home mom is expected to take over “daddy-type”chores such as lawn-mowing and taking cars for repair. Imagine sitting in a repair shop with two squirmy toddlers! The worst thing is that the stay-at-home mom is made to feel guilty for saying “no”. The reason the stay-at-home mom does not get her nails done or have a spa day is she feels guilty for spending family money on herself.Gosh, you all have such hectic lives. I’m dizzy just hearing your daily activities.I guess I have it nice. I have no schedule at all! I get up whn I want. I work my business when I want. I shop when I want to. I wash my hair when I bathe or I don’t wash my hair. When I go to work all I have to do is open up my office door in my house and I’m at work already. No traffic to deal with and there can be 10 feet of snow on the ground and I wouldn’t have to walk an inch of it because my house connects directly to my warehouse! If I get up and don’t feel like working I don’t.Listening task 2I took my first drink and smoked my first marijuana cigarette when I was 12 years old. In high school, I used all kinds of drugs. After high school until I was 21, I did a lot of binge drinking. When I was 31, I started using crack cocaine. That’s when the real problems began.I was addicted to alcohol and cocaine, and my life was a wreck. I tried to quit a number of times. I moved to Mexico and gave up cocaine. I still drank and smoked marijuana, but for the time I lived there, I was off cocaine. I thought that that time off cocaine would completely cure me of any desire for it, but when I got back in town two years later, I started using it again only five days later. Every partof my life was messed up. I remember my oldest son being embarrassed to be seen with me. He would pass me on the street with his friends but he wouldn’t even speak to me. The bottom came for me when I was finally evicted from my apartment. I lost my car, my home and my sons. I looked in the mirror that day, and I couldn’t look myself in the eyes. The next morning, I showed up at the treatment center. The first few days of detox and treatment were hard, but I was convinced that I needed help, so I stayed. I’ve been clean now for five years, and I have a new life.Unit Four FamilyListening Task OneThe traditional American family is a “nuclear family”. A nuclear family refers to a husband and wife and their children. The average American family today has two or three children. In some cultures, people live close to their extended family. Several generations may even live together. In America, only in a few cases does more than one household live under one roof.American values are valued in the home. Many homes are run like a democracy. Each family member can have a say. A sense of equality often exists in Amercan homes. Husbands and wives often share household chores. Often parents give children freedom to make their own decisions. Preschoolers choose what clothes to wear or which toys to buy. Young adults generally make their own choices about what career to pursue and whom to marry.Families in America, like those in every culture, face many problems. Social pressures are breaking apart more and more American homes. Over half of US marriages now end in divorce. More than one in four American children are growing up in single-parent homes. As a result, many people believe the American family is in trouble.Even so, there is stll reason for hope. Many organizations are working hard to strengthen families. Americans almost unanimously believe that the family is oneof the most important parts of life. They realize that problems in family life in recent years have brought serious consequences. As a result, more and more people are making their family a priority. Many women are quitting their jobs to stay home with their children. Families are going on vacations and outings together. Husbands and wives are making a concentrated effort to keep their marriages solid.The United Naitions has declared 1994 the “International Year of Family”. Not just in America, but all over the world, people recognize the importance of a strong family bond.Listening Task TwoWomen are beginning to rise steadily to the top in the workplace all over the developed world, but in the US they are forging ahead. New figures show that in almost a third of American households with a working wife, the woman brings home more money than her husband. They are gaining more college degrees and Masters of Business Administration qualifications than men and now occupy half the country’s high-paying, executive administrative and managerial occupations, compared with 34 per cent 20 years ago.The trend is caused by two main factors, experts say –a growing acceptance of men as househusbands and mass redundancy of male white-collar workers from the technology, finance and media industries in the last three years.The University of Maryland has produced a report that shows women to be the family’s bread-earner-in-chief in 11 per cent of all US marriages. And where bothe spouses work, she now brings in 60 per cent or more of the family income in per cent of the households.An economist at the University of Wisconsin said that ambitious women are increasingly looking for househusbands and leave men at the kitchen sink.Unit Five Health and DietListening Task 1I had just turned 40, and has spent most of my adult life working as a public relations consultant with little time to cook, let alone learn how to cook. But a few years ago I made a resolution to start writing down the recipes I had grown up with and posting them to my website. I come from a big family –six kids –and thought what a terrific family project to document our family recipes! Both my mother and father are excellent home cooks; mom raises us all, and dad loves to eat well and enjoys the experimentation of trying out new recipes. I’m spending a lot of time with my parents lately; we cook a meal and then over dinner discuss the finer points of the proper way to prepare the dishes, and whether or not a new recipe was worth the effort. Many of the recipes are family recipes, and many of them are those that we pick from cookbooks, magazines, and newspaper clippings we’ve collected over 30 years. But sometimes it’s hard when you only have a clipping. The recipes shown here use mostly whole food ingredients and only occasionally a few things from cans or prepared foods. We believe in a varied, healthy diet, using real butter, real cream, eggs, and protein from meat, fish, and cheese.About me, my name is Alice Bauer and I am a partner in a consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. I maintain several weblogs in addition to Simply Recipes as part of .Thanks so much for visiting Simply Recipes!Listening Task 2One of my most favorite breakfast is a poached egg on toast, with a side of papaya and lime, including some prosciutto with the papaya. Papaya is filled with enzymes that help digestion, and is even used to tenderize meat. The ingredients you need include: 1 firm but ripe papaya, 2 ounces of thinly sliced prosciutto, and 1/2 lime, cut and sliced into a few wedges. Now let’s go!First, using a vegetable peeler, peel away the outer skin of the papaya. Then cut the papaya in half. Using a metal spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. By theway, the seeds are edible. They taste peppery, like nasturtium flowers, and can be used in salads. Next, slice the papaya halves into wedges lengthwise. Arrange them on a plate. Now what you need to do is to roll up thin sheets of prosciutto and place them between the papaya wedges. Remember the last thing, squeeze fresh limejuice over the papaya and prosciutto.If you would like to serve the papaya as an appetizer, cut the papaya into 1-inch pieces, sprinkle on some lime juice, wrap each piece with some prosciutto, and secure with a tooth pick. It serves 2-4.Unit Six TravelListening Task 1I was spending my summer in a remote village in Ghana. I got afflicted with “the runny stomach”, as the family I lived with called it. After 5 days of the runny stomach, we left the village and took a 12-hour car ride to the capital city. Needless to say, 12-hour car rides and runny stomachs aren’t compatible. Once we had to stop in a village, greet the 20 or so people that were there, give a detailed explanation of my condition, and then I was allowed to use a brand-new porcelain toilet. I was very embarrassed because they had someone clean the toilet and stand outside while I did my noisy business. Through a crack in the bathroom wall I could hear some kids washing the dishes. I was splendid entertainment for the kids. Each time I let out some gas, I heard squeals of delight and hysterical laughter. They also muttered about “runny stomach”. But the highlight of my sickness had to be the wedding we attended in the capital. There I was greeted by countless guests. They asked about the details of my stomach condition. On my 8th day of sickness, we went to a private hospital and for the next two weeks I took lots of prescribed antibiotics and drank bottles of oral rehydration salts. My condition began improving in about two days. Much to my disappointment, the stool and blood samples came back negative, so my condition was a result of a change of diet. Needless to say, I learned not to beshy about stomach conditions.Listening Task 2When he realized that his short-term memory was failing, my husband decided to wear a multi-pocketed vest. The vest, with its 17 pockets each serving a purpose, did work for a while. Things were going so well that he started to relax a little and one day he turned back to his traditional pants-pocket wallet.Just seconds after boarding the crowded Rome subway, a pickpocket was attracted by the familiar bulge. My husband stared at him for a moment. Finally the would-be thief withdrew and joined the crowd.My partner became more careful, and the next time he was better organized, all the essentials in their assigned pockets. We had checked in for our flight to Athens. Before boarding I casually asked where his Swiss army knife was. His hand immediately went to the pocket designated for the knife, and found it safe there. Then his face fell: safe, that is , for anything but air travel.Realizing that his precious knife would be taken away at security, he returned to the check-in counter. Fortunately, the frowning attendant agreed to pack his knife in a little box and check it separately.By the time we got to Athens at midnight we were both exhausted. Our luggage emerged and all the other passengers were gone. My husband was still watching the carousel going round and round and round. Finally, he went to find a baggage handler and a half hour later reappeared triumphantly with his knife.Unit Seven LanguageListening Task 1Jessica Bucknam shouts “tiao!” and her fourth-grade students jump. “Dun!” she commands, and they crouch. They giggle as the commands keep coming in Mandarin Chinese. Most of the kids have studied Chinese since they were in kindergarten.They are part of a Chinese-immersion program at Woodstock Elementary School, in Portland, Oregon. Bucknam, who is from China, introduces her students to approximately 150 new Chinese characters each year. Students read stories, sing songs and learn math and science, all in Chinese.Half of the students at the school are enrolled in the program. They can continue studying Chinese in middle and high school. The goal: to speak like natives. About 24,000 American students are currently learning Chinese. Most are in high school. But the number of younger students is growing in response to China’s emergence as a global superpower. The government is helping to pay for language instruction. Recently, the Defense Department gave Oregon schools $700,000 for classes like Bucknam’s. The Senate is considering giving $ billion for Chinese classes in public schools.“China has become a stong partner of the United States,” says Mary Patterson, Woodstock’s principal. “Children who learn Chinese at a young age will have more opportunities for jobs in the future.” Isabel Weiss, 9, isn't thinking about the future. She thinks learning Chinese is fun. “When you hear people speaking in Chinese, you know what they’re saying,”she says. “And they don’t know that you know.”Want to learn Chinese You have to memorize 3,500 characters to really know it all! Start with these Chinese characters and their pronunciations.Listening Task 2An idiom is an expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions and the arrangement of its parts, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through conventional use. In the English expression to kick the bucket, a listener knowing only the meaning of kick and bucket would be unable to deduce the expression’s actual meaning, which is to die. Although kickthe bucket can refer literally to the act of striking a bucket with a foot, native speakers rarely use it that way.Idioms hence tend to confuse those not already familiar with them; students of a new language must learn its idiomatic expressions the way they learn its other vocabulary. In fact many natural language words have idiomatic origins, but have been sufficiently assimilated so that their figurative senses have been lost. Interestingly, many Chinese characters are likewise idiomatic constructs, as their meanings are more often not traceable to a literal meaning of their assembled parts, or radicals. Because all characters are composed from a relatively small base of about 214 radicals, their assembled meanings follow several different modes of interpretation –from the pictographic to the metaphorical to those whose original meaning has been lost in history.Real world listeningQ: Why are some idioms so difficult to be understood outside of the local culture A: Idioms are, in essence, often colloquial metaphors – terms which requires some foundational knowledge, information, or experience, to use only within a culture where parties must have common reference. As cultures are typically localized, idioms are more often not useful for communication outside of that local context.Q: Are all idioms translatable across languagesA: Not all idioms are translatable. But the most common idioms can have deep roots, traceable across many languages. To have blood on one’s hands is a familiar example, whose meaning is obvious. These idioms can be more universally used than others, and they can be easily translated, or their metaphorical meaning can be more easily deduced. Many have translations in other languages, and tend to become international.Q: How are idioms different from others in vocabularyA: First, the meaning of an idiom is not a straightforward composition of the meaning of its parts. For example, the meaning of kick the bucket has nothing to do with kicking buckets. Second, one cannot substitute a word in an idiom with a related word. For example, we can not say kick the pail instead of kick the bucket although bucket and pail are synonyms. Third, one can not modify an idiom or apply syntactic transformations. For example, John kicked the green bucket or the bucket was kicked has nothing to do with dying.Unit 8 ExaminationListening Task 1At first, fifth-grader Edward Lynch didn’t pay much attention to his teacher’s warnings about the big tests the class would take at the end of the school year. But two weeks before North Carolina’s first-ever elementary-promotion exams, Edward says he’s scared. He’s a B student but an erratic test taker. “The other night I had a dream my books were squishing me and pencils were stabbing me,”says the 11-year-old. His classmate West Bullock says, “I have friends who throw up the night before tests.” Their teacher, Kelly Allen, worries that half of her 21 students are at risk of failing next week’s multiple-choice tests on math and reading. If they fail, they won’t be able to graduate to middle school.In 1996 the state of North Carolina launched its ABCs testing program, a carrot-and-stick approach that holds schools responsible for their students’educational progress. Over the next four years, scores on statewide tests rose 14%. But critics of the program say the cost has been high, in ways that range from stomachaches to insomnia and depression.Schools, also, are sacrificing important lessons in science, social studies and foreign languages to focus on concepts that will be tested. Thus the harmful practices such as retention in grade and tracking are encouraged. High school biology students no longer dissect frogs. A history teacher doesn’t assign research papersbecause they don’t help him prepare students for state-mandated tests. Lisa, a mother of a struggling fifth-grader said. “If they have kids with straight A’s, they think it’s fine, but I think there’s too much pressure with this pass-fail system.”She views the accountability system as a social experiment whose outcome is not yet known.Listening Task 2No one wants to be tested. We would all like to get a driver’s license without answering questions about right of way or showing that we can parallel park a car. Many future lawyers and doctors probably wish they could join their profession without taking an exam.But tests and standards are a necessary fact of life. They protect us – most of the time – from inept drivers, hazardous products and shoddy professionals. In schools too, exams play a constructive role. They tell teachers what their students have learned –and have not. They tell parents how their children are doing compared with others their age. They encourage students to exert more effort.Therefore, formal testing has its place in the overall scope of education. The test data can be very useful in making decisions for the upcoming school year as well as for long term planning. Besides, the parents need accountability to themselves. Welcome the opportunity to discover their child’s strengths and weaknesses and to ascertain needs that should be addressed or pieces that are missing in the student’s academic training.However, all tests have a margin of error. Several factors will affect tests scores, including rapport established with examiner, health of students, lack of sleep the night before, temperature of testing room, attention span, and many other variables. In other words, don’t fall apart if the scores aren’t what you think they should have been. They are just test scores and tests are not infallible.。
⼤学体验英语听说教程第⼀单元听⼒原⽂第⼀单元听⼒原⽂Warm up1. Jack: Hey, guys, what's up?Lucy: Oh, nothing much.2. Hugh: Hi, Marci. How are you doing?Marci: Oh, you know. Pretty good. How about you?3. Suzie: Hi, Alan. Long time no see.Alan: Hey, what a surprise. Good to see you.4. Tony: Hello, I'm Tony Martin.Claire: Oh, you're Tony. I'm glad you're here.5. Alex: Hi, Jeff. How's it going?Jeff: Not bad … not bad at all.6. Don: It's nice to see you again, Sue.Sue: It's good to see you, too, Don.Listening task1. Mark: Hey, Tony, what's up?Tony: Not a whole lot.Mark: How's the job going?Tony: Ah, it's going fine.Mark: That's good.Tony: Yep.Mark: Well, got to go.Tony: Yeah, me too. Back to work.Mark: Yep.Tony: Well, see you.2. Dan: Hey. How are you?Jess: Pretty good. What's going on?Dan: Not much. You know, just shopping, walking around. Hey, who's your friend? Jess: Oh, sorry. This is Tanya. Tanya, this is Dan.Tanya: Hi, Dan.Dan: Hi. Nice to meet you.3. Lisa: Hi, Cara.Cara: Hi, Lisa. How are you doing?Lisa: Fine. How about you?Cara: Pretty good.Lisa: How's your math class going?Cara: Oh, it's kind of hard, but I like it.A lot of homework.Lisa: Yeah, homework. Well, keep at it.Cara: I'll try to.Lisa: See you.Cara: Bye.4. Craig: Good morning.Todd: Morning.Craig: How are you doing these days?Todd: Great, great. We're really busy at the office.Craig: Oh, yeah?Todd: Yeah. Just got a big new account.Craig: Well, that's good. Well, take it easy.Todd: Thanks, have a good one.5. Jerry: Hi! Anybody home?Amy: Oh, hi! You're home. I'm so happy to see you.Jerry: Yeah, I'm a little tired. It was a long flight.Amy: But you're back.Jerry: Hey, guys. I'm home.6. Rob: Hi, I'm Rob Martin from Jiffee Plastics.Donna: Hi, Rob. Donna Schneider.Rob: Nice to meet you.Donna: Yes, uh, Rob, I'd like to introduce you to Janet Ramiro. She's our project manager. Janet: Nice to meet you. Is it Rob?Rob: Yes, that's right.Real world listeningPart 1. Tomas talks to Eddie.Tomas: Hey, Eddie! How's it going?Eddie: Not bad. How are you doing?Tomas: Pretty good.Eddie: So how was your summer?Tomas: Mm, it was all right.Eddie: Cool.Tomas: Hey, where are you living this year?Eddie: Oh, I got an apartment with some friends.Tomas: Nice.Eddie: What about you? Where you living?Tomas: Eh, I'm in the dorms again.Eddie: Dorms. That's not too bad.Tomas: No, it works.Part 2. Tomas talks to Yuki.Tomas: Hey, how's it going?Yuki: Oh, hey. You're in this class too?Tomas: Yeah.Yuki: Do you think it's going to be hard?Tomas: Hmm. I don't know. I hope not.Yuki: Yeah, me too.Tomas: So …Yuki: Oh, here he comes.Tomas: Who?Yuki: The teacher.Tomas: Oh, well, talk to you later, OK?Part 3. Tomas talks to Dr. Collins.Tomas: Um, Dr. Collins?Dr. Collins: Yes? Can I help you with something? Tomas: Um, yes. Um, is there, um.Do you have room in your psychology class?Dr. Collins: Hmm. Psychology. Which class?Tomas: The one on Monday and Wednesday. Ten to eleven. Dr. Collins: Psychology 103. Hmm.Yes, I think I have room in that one. You're in luck. Tomas: Oh, great. I want to add the class. Can you sign this? Dr. Collins: Sure. There you go.Tomas: Thanks, Dr. Collins.Dr. Collins: You're welcome. I'll see you on Wednesday. Video 1Rachel: Excuse me. Are you Dr. Wang?Dr. Wang: Yes, I am. Can I help you?Rachel: Yes! We've just signed up for your philosophy course.My name is Rachel. And this is my friend Phil.Dr. Wang: It is very nice to meet you both.Phil: We are really looking forward to taking your course.So too is our friend Cindy, who should be here any minute.(Cindy arrives)Cindy: Hello everyone!Dr. Wang: Good afternoon.I am Dr. Wang, and you must be Cindy?Cindy: Yes! How did you know?Dr. Wang: Your friends were just beginning to tell mehow you will all be studying philosophy with me.Cindy: Indeed! And we are very excited about it!Dr. Wang: Great! I hope my course lives up to your expectationsand I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday in Lecture Hall 3.We are beginning with Plato.Be sure to arrive with some interesting questions!Video 2(Jack's phone rings. Mary answers)Jack: HelloMary: Hi Jack, it's Mary.Jack: Mary, my old friend, what a nice surprise!How are you?Mary: I am doing really well, thanks.I thought I'd call because I haven't seen or heard from you in ages! How have you been?Jack: Great, thanks. Yes, it has been a while.Too long in fact!Mary: I agree, we need to catch up —I was wondering if you would like to meet up for a drink or a meal? Jack: I would love to do both, but my schedule is pretty busy. When were you thinking?Mary: Tomorrow evening?Jack: Unfortunately that won't work;I have plans to catch a movie with my sister.How about Sunday, at 7pm?Mary: Yeah, Sunday at 7pm is perfect.Let's meet at the Pizza House next to the entrance to Lakeview Park. Jack: Great idea! Thanks Mary, see you soon.Mary: See you, Jack.。
Unit 1 Leisure activities in Book 4Part 1 listening oneEver wish you could do magic tricks, or introduce yourself as “the magician” at a party? Imagine, everybody wants to have fun, but nothing’s really happening, it’s time for you to show one of your new tricks. Here, you can learn how, and without any need for special materials or much practice.A trick with a coin, a handkerchief and a friend:Put the coin on your palm. Cover the coin with the handkerchief. Ask several people to put their hands beneath the handkerchief and feel the coin, to make sure that it is still there. Then take the corner of the handkerchief and pull it rapidly off your hand. The coin has gone! How? You must make sure the last friend who feels the coin knows the trick and removes the coin when he seems to be just feeling it. And nobody knows where it has gone!A trick with a piece of paper and a pencil:Tell your friend that you can communicate your thoughts without speaking to other people. Write on the piece of paper the word “No”. Don't let your friends see what you have written. Say, "Now I will put this word in your mind." Pretend to concentrate. Ask them if they know what is written on the piece of paper. They will say, "No!" And you say, "Quite correct! I wrote ‘No’ on the paper!"A trick with an egg and some salt:Ask your friends to stand the egg upright on the table. They won't manage to do it. Say that you can speak to the chicken inside. Say, "Chicken! Can you hear me? Get ready to balance your egg!"When you first get the egg back from your friends, pretend to kiss the egg at the base. Make the base wet. Then put the base into salt which is in your other hand. The salt will stick to the egg. Then put the egg on the table. Twist the egg around a few times as this will arrange the grains of salt. Then it will stand up. Don't forget to thank the chicken.Exe. 1 T F F F F TExe. 2Questions:1.What does the magician ask people to do in the first trick?2.What happens to the coin?3.How does the magician prove that he can communicate his thoughts to theaudience in the second trick?4.What is the first step to make the egg stand upright?5.What else is needed to make the egg stand upright?Keys: 1. B 2. C 3. C 4. A 5. DPart 1 listening two(The following is an interview from a weekly program.)Presenter: Good morning. Welcome to our weekly program aimed at all those underactive youngsters with time on their hands! Listen to what our twoguests have to say about their hobbies and how their hobbies have made adifference to their lives. Adrienne first, then, Jonathan.Adrienne: I collect very interesting jewelry. I tend to travel a lot as most of my family do, so whenever I have a holiday, I like to go traveling. Whenever I travelsomewhere, I like to pick up something to remind me of the place that Ivisited. And, the easiest thing to do is to pick up a small piece of jewelryinstead of getting a poster or a T-shirt that won’t last. I like the idea ofhaving something small and also, I find whenever I wear jewelry fromsomewhere, it’s a good conversation piece. Usually people ask you, “Wheredid you get this?” I then have a story to tell, and it’s a good way to meet andtalk to people. It’s just interesting. I have jewelry that I picked up when Itraveled to Thailand, when I traveled to Africa and when I traveled toEurope.Presenter: Wow! Sounds nice. You’ll have to show your collections to us. Adrienne: I’d love to.Presenter: Thank you, Adrienne. Now Jonathan.Jonathan: I prefer canoeing because you've always got the water there for support. If you're a good swimmer, have a good sense of balance and strong arms,you'll like canoeing! The main trouble is transporting your canoe to theright places—my father takes it on the roof of the car—or sometimes I put iton the roof of the club’s Land Rover. What it has taught me most is to beindependent. It's just you and the canoe against the wind, the weather andthe water. It gives you a lot of self-confidence and it can be really excitingas long as you don't mind getting soaked, of course! It makes you feel closeto nature somehow. Last year, when I was qualified, I began to run my owncanoeing center.Presenter: So you are making your hobby work for you.Jonathan: People are usually very skilled at their hobbies. The combination of interest and skills is a very compelling reason to choose a particular career. Presenter: Then, Adrienne, do you have a similar plan?Adrienne: Yes, I love making beaded jewelry. I’ve decided to get some formal training. I want to learn how to be a jewelry designer.Exe 1:Questions:1. Who is the target audience of the program?2. What is Adrienne’s hobby?3. What does Adrienne usually buy when she visits a place?4. How does Jonathan benefit from canoeing?5. What should be the major concern in choosing a career according to Jonathan? Keys: 1. A 2. B 3. D 4. C 5. BExe 2 T T F F T T F FPart 1 listening threeGerry: I've just been to see Gone with the Wind. It was fantastic, well worth seeing.Have you ever seen it?Judy : N o, but I've read the book. I don't think I would like to see the film . It would spoil the story for me.Gerry: Really? Oh, give me a film any day. Honestly, if I had to choose between the film of a story and the book of it, I'd choose the film.Judy : Would you?Gerry: Yes. It's far more real. You can feel the atmosphere much better. You know, the photography and location shots, period costumes, the right accents. Don'tyou think so?Judy : Not really. I much prefer to use my own imagination. I can imagine how I want it, rather than how someone makes me see it. Anyway, I think you get much more insight into the characters when you read a book. Part of a person's character is lost on the film because you never know what they are thinking. Gerry: True, but I don't know. It's much easier going to the cinema and it takes less time. I can get the whole story in two hours, but it might take me a week to read the book.Judy : I know, but it's so expensive to go to the cinema nowadays.Gerry: I know, but it's a social event. It's fun. You can go with your friends. When you read a book you have to do it on your own.Judy : All right. Let's agree to differ. I'll get some coffee.Keys:1.1.spoil the story1.2.any day1.3.Honestly choose the film1.4.atmosphere photography location period accents1.5.insight into the characters1.6.social event1.7.agree to differ2.Films: get the atmosphere better---photography/location shots/periodcostumes/right accenteasiertake less time: two hoursan social event: fun, go with friendsBooks: take more time: one weeknot a social event: do it on your ownbooks: use readers’ own imaginationget much more insight into the charactersfilms: spoil the storyexpensivePart 1 listening fourSally Marino gets married. After the wedding, there is a big party—a wedding reception. All the guests eat dinner. There is a band and, after dinner, everyone dances. Sally's mother and father pay for everything. At the end of the reception, Sally and her new husband cut the wedding cake and all the guests get a piece.Pete and Rose buy a new house. After moving in, they invite their friends and family to a party—a housewarming party. Everybody comes to see the new house. They look at the bedrooms, the dining room, even the garage. Pete and Rose serve drinks, sandwiches, and snacks. The party is on a Saturday afternoon.It is Christmas time. Ted and Sarah Robinson want to see many of their friends over the holiday. So they invite their friends to an open house. The hours of the party are from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. The guests arrive and leave whenever they want. The Robinsons serve sandwiches, drinks, and snacks. Some guests stay for just 20 minutes; others stay for 3 hours. About 50 people come to the open house.Mr. and Mrs. Todd ask their neighbors to come to an evening party. They don't serve much food, just snacks—pretzels, chips, peanuts and many types of drinks. No one dances. Conversation is important with people asking questions like "What's new with you?".Keys:1.√2 √32.1.dinner band dances piece2.2.house drinks snacks2.3.invite arrive fifty/502.4.snacks Conversation new with youPart 4 Further ListeningListening 1Receptionist: Good morning. Can I help you?Cathy: Er...a friend told me that you have exercise and dance classes here. Receptionist: That's right.Cathy: OK. Can you give me some information about days and times, please? Receptionist: Yes, there are four classes a day, every day from Monday to Saturday with nothing on Sunday.Cathy: Yeah, can you tell me the open hours?Receptionist: The first one is an aerobics class from 8:30 to 9:30 in the morning. Then there's another aerobics class at lunchtime from 12:30 to 1:30.Cathy: Right.Receptionist: Then in the evening from 5:30 to 6:30—another aerobics class too. And there's a jazz dance class from 6:30 to 7:30.Cathy: Right. And what level are they for? I mean, would they be OK for a beginner?Receptionist: The morning aerobics—8:30 to 9:30—is advanced. All the others are at the beginner to intermediate level. But let me give you a schedule. Cathy: Thanks. And how much does it cost for a class?Receptionist: You pay ￡1 entrance fee and then the classes are ￡2.50 each and ￡3.50 for the jazz dancing. It's there on the sheet.Cathy: Oh, yes, I see.Receptionist: If you become a member, entrance is free and...Cathy: Oh, no, it's OK. I'm only in London for two weeks.Receptionist: Oh, right. That won’t work.Cathy: And I guess you have showers and everything?Receptionist: Yes, sure, and in the evening you can use the sauna free, too.Cathy: Oh, great. So the next class is at 5:30? Well, I'll see you then. Receptionist: Fine. See you later!Questions:1. Where does the conversation most likely take place?2. How many classes are there every day except on Sunday?3. At what time does the last class end?4. How much is the entrance fee?5. Which class will Cathy most probably attend?6. What can we learn about Cathy from the conversation?Keys: 1. A 2.C 3.C 4. A 5. C 6. BListening 2Woman: W hy don't we go abroad for a change? I'd like to go to France, Spain, or even Italy.Man: Mm. I'm not all that keen on traveling really. I'd rather stay at home. Woman: O h, come on, Steve. Think of the sun!Man: Yes, but think of the cost! Going abroad is very expensive.Woman: O h, it isn't, Steve. Not these days.Man: Of course it is, Juliet. The best thing about having a holiday here in Britain is that it's cheaper. And another thing, traveling in Britain would be easier.No boats, planes or anything.Woman: Even so, we've been to many of the interesting places in Britain already.What's the point in seeing them again? Anyway, we can travel round Britainwhenever we like. There's no point in wasting our summer holiday here. Man: Mm, I suppose you're right. Nevertheless, what I can't stand is all the bother with foreign currency, changing money and all that when we go abroad.And, it's so confusing.Woman: O h, don't be silly, Steve.Man: And, what's more, I can't speak any other languages—you know that. It's all right for you. You can speak some foreign languages.Woman: Exactly. You see, what I'd really like to do is practice my French and Spanish. It would help me a lot at work.Man: Mm, but that's no use to me.Woman: B ut just think of the new places we'd see, the people we'd meet!Man: But look, if we stayed here, we wouldn't have to plan very much. Woman: I'm sorry, Steve, no. I don't fancy another cold English summer. Questions:1. Where does Steve want to spend the summer holiday?2. According to Steve, what is considered most important in planning a vacation?3. What does Steve find confusing about traveling abroad?4. What will help Juliet in her work?5. What does Juliet think of summer in Britain?Keys:1. C2. B3. D4. C5. B 6 A2. 1)keen on 2)The best thing about another thing 3)Nevertheless all thebother with confusing 4)fancyListening 3The game of football may have started in Roman times. It seems that the Romans played a game very much like our modern rugby with a round ball.English villagers played football in the 16th century and they often had almost 100 players on each side. It was a very common game, which was very rough and even dangerous until the early part of the 19th century. In the 18th century a Frenchman who had watched a rough game of football in a village wrote, "I could not believe that those men were playing a game. If this is what Englishmen call playing, I would not like to see them fighting!"From the mid-19th century, football was played in schools in England and soon spread all over Britain and Europe. Until 1850, it was not possible to have football matches between one school and another, because each school had different rules! So set rules had to be made. They were not improved though until, in 1863, those who preferred to play with hands as well as feet formed the Rugby Union while the others started the Football Association. It was only in 1863 that the first set of rules for all football clubs was agreed upon.Nearly 150 years later, football has become by far the most popular sport in the entire world. Would that 18th century Frenchman have believed this possible? Questions:1. According to the passage, when may the game of football have started?2. How many team members were often involved in the game when the Englishbegan to play the game?3. What did the speaker say about the earliest football game in England?4. Why was it NOT possible to have football matches between two schools until1850?5. What happened to football in 1863?Keys:1. D2. D3. A4. C5. CListening 4In one town, there were three longtime friends, Pat, Mike and Bob. Pat and Bob were quite bright, but Mike was rather dull.One day as Pat and Mike were walking down the sidewalk together, Pat put his hand on a solid brick wall and said, "Mike, hit my hand as hard as you can." Mike struck a hard blow, but Pat pulled his hand away from the wall just before Mike's fist hit it. Of course, it hurt Mike's hand very much when he hit the wall, but Pat said, "That was a good joke I played on you, wasn't it?" Mike agreed, but was not too happy.The following day Mike and Bob were walking in the town square when Mike decided to play the same joke on Bob. He looked around, and seeing no solid object about, he placed his hand over his face and said, "Bob, hit my hand as hard as you can." Bob agreed, and as he struck a hard blow with his fist, Mike quickly pulled his hand away and was knocked to the ground, unconscious. After a few minutes Mike recovered, and saw Bob looking down at him very worried. Mike said, "That was a good joke I played on you, wasn't it?"Questions:1.Who was NOT clever?2.What did Pat ask Mike to do?3.Who was hurt finally?4.On whom was Mike going to try this joke?5.Where did Mike put his hand when he asked Bob to hit him?6.What happened to Mike after Bob struck a hard blow with his fist?Keys:1.1A2. C3. A4.B5. C6. B2.√2 √5。
Unit 1 Men and Women’s PrejudicesFamous QuoteThere can be no two opinions as to what a highbrow is. He is the man or woman of thoroughbred intelligence who rides his mind at a gallop across country in pursuit of an idea.—Virginia WoolfVirginia Woolf (1882-1941): A British novelist, essayist, critic, publisher and feminist. Her most famous works include the novels Mrs Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927) andOrlando(1928), and the book-length essay A Room of One’s Own(1929), with itsfamous dictum, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to writefiction.”Unit OverviewDo men and women really come from the different planets? If not, why have they, for centuries, vilified one another? This may all result from the prejudices against each other. After the women’s movement and men’s movement, we are now on the way to a better understanding of men and women in terms of their differences and equality. In this unit, you will find out women’s social status, differences and similarities between the two sexes, and their new social roles. Students will consider the gender issue through listening, viewing and reading. A variety of activities will inspire them to talk about gender roles and gender equality using the words and expressions in this unit. And finally, they will conduct a survey on ‘Gender Consciousness in Advertisements’.In this unit, you will∙consider the gender issues through listening, viewing and reading∙discuss the gender roles and gender equality through guided activities∙conduct a survey on ‘Gender Consciousness in Advertisements’∙pick up useful words and expressions∙learn to reflect on your own learning and comment on that of your peers∙learn to think independently, critically and creativelyBackground Information“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction”. Eighty years ago Virginia Woolf published these words in an essay that was to become one of the seminal feminist texts of our age. “A Room of One’s Own” has shaped the way in which creative achievement by men and women is viewed, and provided a point of reference for generations of female writers. Woolf uses the ‘room’ as a symbol for privacy, leisure time, and financial independence, all of which have been historically lacking for women. Women today are still struggling to find the mental and physical space for their creativity and advocating for equal rights with men in society.In response to the Women’s Movement, there arose a Men’s Movement. Three books have catalyzed the mythopoetic me n’s movement: Robert Bly’s Iron John, Sam Keen’s Fire in the Belly, and Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette’s King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. All posit a stable entitycalled “male identity” and see initiation as a key to achieving it.Wherever these two movements will lead, it is time we took a new look on the gender roles and female-male relations.Global Gender Gap Index* 0-1 scale: 0= inequality, 1= equalityTopic Preview1. Read the passage on page X and learn the useful expressions related to women’s status.2. Log online and search for information concerning the women’s movement and the men’s movement.Lesson OneLead inTask 1 Describing the Picturechange(s)? To what extent do you think it is acceptable in China nowadays?Task 2 Reflecting on the ReadingTeaching Tips1.This task is designed to check students’ understanding of the reading material.2.Ask students to answer the following questions.Read through the Supplementary Reading on page X, and answer the following questions.1.Why does the author hold that the statistics in the workforce mislead us to believe that women’sstatus has improved?Answer: Because women don’t share the equal weight in business and social dimensions.2．How did women win their seats and says at workplaces in the past decades, according to the author?Answer: They won by competing with men fiercely at the expense of their own gender identity .3.What are the suggestions to women provided by the author to change the current situation?Answer: Women should build self-confidence; on the other hand, they should maintain their own gender identity and diversify their definition of success.4.According to the author, what is the essential part in the gender equality?Answer:To change attitudes, especially to cultivate respect for each other is essential to achieve real gender equality.5.What is the purpose of writing this article?Answer: The author intends to draw the public’s attention to the fact that women still don’t weigh much in business and social circles and advocates a change in perception of the opposite sex.Teaching Tips1.This task is designed to enlarge students’ vocabulary and improve their ability to explain words inEnglish.2.Ask students to match the words with the correct meaning and memorize the Englishexplanations.Read through the words in the left-hand column,and match each of them with the appropriate meaning in the right-hand column.1. conventional A. sailing for pleasure or relaxation2. aggressively B. stand up or offer resistance to sb. or sth.3. cruising C. accepted customs and proprieties4. measure D. stimulating interest or thought5. withstand E. in a hostile or bold manner6. thought-provoking F. standardKey: 1-C 2-E 3-A 4-F 5-B 6- DAudio StudioWord Bank1. paradox n. a situation that seems strange because it involves two ideas orqualities that are very different 自相矛盾2. pervasive adj. existing or spreading everywhere 弥漫的，遍布的3. demographic adj. relating to dynamic balance of a population 人口统计学的4. inadequate adj. not sufficient to meet a need 不够好，不足5. acknowledge v. to recognize as genuine or valid 承认6. alignment n. the state of being arranged parallel to something 与……排列成行7 reverse v. to change sth., so that it is the opposite of what it was before 改变Task 1 Identifying the GistListen to the audio clip, and choose the right answers to the questions.1.What is the audio clip mainly about?A) How to raise the women’s sense of happiness.B) Reason s for the women’s lesser sense of happiness.C) The improved women status in the U.S..2.What accounts for the declining sense of happiness for women?A) Discrepancy between women’s wants and gains.B) Single parenthood or divorce.C) Family financial problems.Listen to the audio clip again and fill in the blanks according to what you have heard. Repeat the sentences after you have completed them.1.The research showed that over the past 35 years women’s happiness has declined, both comparedto the past and relative to men even though, by most objective measures, the lives of women in the U.S. have improved in recent decades.2.They cast doubt on the hypothesis that trends in marriage and divorce, single parenthood orwork/family balance are at the root of the happiness declines among women.3.One theory for the decline in happiness is that expectations for workplace and generaladvancement were raised too high and women might feel inadequate for not having it all.4.The researchers acknowledge that is a possibility.5.But the researchers also add that things could change for the better, a s women’s e xpectationsmove into alignment with their experiences, this decline in happiness may reverse.Adapted from/juggle/2009/06/22/why-arent-women-happier/tab/article/Video StudioWord Bank1. ingrained Adjsomething firmly established and therefore difficult to change 根深蒂固的2. psyche n. s omeone’s mind or their basic nature, which controls their attitudes and behavior 心灵3. mathematician n. someone who studies or teaches mathematics, or is a specialist in mathematics 数学老师，数学家4. physicist n. someone who studies or works in physics 物理学家5.cite v.to mention something as an example, especially one that supports, proves or explains an idea or situation 引证6.coefficient n.the number by which something that varies is multiplied 系数 7. calculusn.the branch of mathematics that is concerned with limits and with the differentiation and integration of functions 微积分Complete the following statements with the phrases given below. Predict what will be talked about in the video. Then check your answers after watching the video clip.1. Many teachers and parents have said it; it is sort of a thought ingrained in the American psychethat boys are better than girls at mathematics.2. But today a team of researchers writing in the journal "Science" says the conventional wisdom iscompletely wrong.3. The lack of women mathematicians, engineers and physicists has often been cited as proof of adifference in the sexes in math performance.4. For anytime I see math, I just, I try and stay away from it.5. And teachers have been reaching out aggressively to girls, urging them to get in on the action.6. We are not born knowing how to do calculus.conventional wisdom be cited as proof be born knowing ingrained instay away fromreach outWatch the video clip and answer the following questions.1. What has been cited as proof of a gender difference? Answer : The lack of women mathematicians, engineers and physicists.2. What upset the public fifteen years ago? Answer : The girls’ lagged behind the boys on the SAT college entrance exam.3. What’s the special course offered by the New Jersey Institute of Technology?Answer: The New Jersey Institute of Technology offered a robot building course to the girls.4. What does Ramona mean when she said “The fact that I understand it so cruising”?Answer: She means she can understand math and handle the problems with ease.5. What has enabled some people to become rich? Answer : Hi-tech has.Watch the video clip again and complete the table.Source:/Technology/story?id=5441728&page=2Speaking WorkshopExpressions & Structures to UseDiscuss with your peers and complete the following tips with the information you have learned in the video clip. Then prepare an oral presentation with the help of the tips.Work with your peers on the situation below and try to come up with a solution to the problem described. You are expected to share your ideas and justify yourself in this process. Use as many phrases from the “Expressions & Structures to Use” box as possible.Situation1. Work in groups of four. One student should act as an HR manager of a giant telecommunicationscompany, who is hunting fora Sales Manager for its business development in China. The company engages in telecommunication equipment and services, and has been competing fiercely with its rivals for the market share in China. The others should act as applicants of both sexes. In a job interview, the candidates should try every means to convince the HR manager of his/her own competence for the post. Taking factors as the candidates qualities and labour cost into consideration, the HR manager should make the decision and tell why this is so. 2. You have 15 minutes to discuss within your own group.3. Several groups will be selected to present their role plays. The rest of the class will vote for theone they feel happiest to support in each group ’s performance.4. Ask the class to pay attention to the ways boy and girl students present themselves in the jobinterview. Discuss if there is any difference between male and female in terms of their communication strategies.Project BulletinWork on the following real-life project with your group members and present your report in the next class.Real-Life ProjectWork in a group of six to eight. C onduct a research on ‘Gender Consciousness in Advertisements’. First collect advertisements on the media. Present them to the students on your campus. Then ask them to use one or two adjectives to describe the model(s) in the ads, and interview them to ascertain if the adshave aroused their interest in buying the product, and if so why. Summarize and analyze the results. Then present a report in the next class on how male / female consciousness is expressed in the ads, and how they influence people’s consumption choice.Lesson TwoLead inTask 1 BrainstormingWork in pairs and write down as many as possible adjectives describing men and women’s characteristics. You can resort to your dictionary if you like. Share with your peers the words and the stories behind these words.Read through the words in the left-hand column,and match each of them with the appropriate meaning in the right-hand column.1. slacker A. significant progress2. out-earn B. exaggerating3. dynamic C. a hypothesis that is taken for granted4. over-inflating D. to earn more than...5. stride E. to assert or affirm strongly6. reveal F. an efficient incentive7. claim G. to make clear and visible8. assumption H. a person who shirks work or obligationKey: 1-H 2-D 3-F 4-B 5-A 6-G 7-E 8-CAudio StudioWord Bank1. Venus n. the second nearest planet to the sun, visible as an early morning staror an evening star 金星，也被称为晨星或暮星2. planetary adj. resembling the physical or orbital characteristics of a planet or theplanets 行星的3. cognitive adj. involving the psychological result of perception, learning andreasoning 认知的4. aggression n. violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked 进攻，侵略5. nurturing adj. helping develop or grow 照料的，养育的6. construct n. an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instances构想，概念1.What is the audio clip mainly about?A) An insignificant gender difference found by a research.B) Social reasons for gender bias.C) The genetic and psychological differences between sexes.2.Why may women leaders be hindered along their career paths?A) They are cognitively disadvantaged.B) They have lower social expectations.C) They go against their stereotype.Task 2 Checking the FactsListen to the audio clip again, and answer the following questions by completing the sentences.1.According to Professor Hyde, in what dimensions are men and women more similar?Answer:Men and women are more similar in 1) personality , communication, 2) cognitive ability and 3) leadership than we generally believe.2. According to Professor Hyde, why do girls lag behind their male counterparts in math?Answer: Their parents have lower expectation of their success and that affects their confidence.3.According to Professor Hyde, what accounts for the gender differences in society?Answer:1) Society’s expectation of how men and women should behave shape people’s attitudes and guide their behaviours.2) Over-inflating claims of gender differences exercise influence on people’s psychology.Adapted from‘Men may be from Venus too ’, by Anna Salleh, 19September2005.au/science/articles/2005/09/19/1462074.htmVideo StudioWord Bank1. psychiatristn. aphysician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mentaldisorders 精神病医师2.feminine a dj .womanly 女性的3. masculinity n. the properties of the male sex 男性，雄性4. chores n. the regular or daily light work of a household or farm 家务,杂事5. maternity leave n. leave allowed to the woman who has just given birth to a child 产假6. a stay-at-home mom a mom who remains at home especially to tend to children and domestic duties while her spouse is at work 全职妈妈7. flexibility n. a quality of being adaptable or variable 弹性，机动性8. cut to the chase get to the main point 闲话少说，切入正题Complete the following statements with the phrases given below. Predict what will be talked about in the video. Then check your answers after watching the video clip.come up with deprive sb. of... take onto relieve one’s guilt get freaked out have access to1.We understand why the men get freaked out.2.It’s guilt for leaving the household, going out, out-earning your spouse, depriving him of thatmasculinity3.Let me get to some of the tips that you both come up with for how to make this work in arelationship.4.They come home and they take on a vast majority of the household chores.5.You could manage as long as the woman still knows where the money is and she has access to themoney.6.I think that’s defensively somewhat to relieve their guilt.Watch the video clip. Identify the incorrect information in the following statements, and make corrections where necessary.1. 25% of marriages will end in divorce.Correction: In 25% of marriages women out-earn men.2. Women feel guilty because they are protected by men.Correction: Women feel guilty because they think they derive their spouses of masculinity.3. Men whose wives out-earn them take on a vast majority of household chores.Correction: Women who out-earn their husbands take on a vast majority of household chores.4. If a couple goes out to dinner, it is usually the breadwinner that pays the check.Correction: If a couple goes out to dinner, it is usually the male that pays the check.5. People who make a big money would like to talk about the fact that they make a lot of money.Correction: Men who make a big money would like to talk on this subject.Teaching Tips1.This task is designed to train students to take down key information through viewing.2.Before playing the video clip again, ask students to fill in the blanks from memory.3.Play the video clip. Ask students to focus on the key information.4.Allow students enough time to take down notes.Watch the video clip once again and complete the table.Problems with the MarriagesPercentage of themarriage in whichwives earn more25% of the marriagesProblems with the men 1.They get freaked out, because they are no more providers or a protectors to their families.2.With less or even no money made, they feel as if they are deprived of their masculinity by their wives, or in other words, they are losing power.Problems with the women 1.They feel guilty for leaving the household, going out,out-earning the spouse, robbing him of masculinity.2.They are more stressed because they take on a vast majority of the household chores.Both men and women wish to feel comfortable on both sides of the equation.Tips offered by the Experts1.To think outside the box:1) It means to redefine the terms: masculinity and feminine.2) Money doesn’t make one powerful, but time commitment,organization, and nurturing that make each other feel theirgender roles.2.Don’t feel guilty;3.To co-manage the finances: Men could manage the finances,as long as women have access to money.ScriptMatt Lauer: Dr. Gail Saltz is a psychiatrist and Today contributor and Money Magazine’s Jean Chatzky is Today’s financial editor. Ladies, good morning to both of you.Both: Good morning, Matt.Matt Lauer: So you, you look at this statistics, you say, Ok, 25 percent of marriages right now,the woman earn, earns more than the man. Great for women, great strides. But if you also look at thefact that in those marriages the divorce rate is higher than in marriages where the man makes more,you realize you have a problem here.Jean Chatzky: You absolut ely have a problem. It’s making people on both sides of the equation uncomfortable, women just as much as men.Matt Lauer: Men are uncomfortable because cut to the chase, money is power.Gail Saltz: Money is power and money, and power is masculinity. This has so much to do withwhat your view of it means to be masculine and feminine. And for both, it’s very important for both because if you don’t feel like your man is masculine, right? Then what does that say about your femininity?Matt Lauer:OK, just wait a second, we understand why the men g et freaked out. Just, coz’they’ve been taught to say I am the provider (Right!) I am the protector. But why exactly then are the women also (It’s guilt.) uneasy with this guilt?Jean Chatzky: It’s guilt, it’s guilt for leaving the household, going out, out-earning your spouse, depriving him of that masculinity.Gail Saltz:I think it’s that exactly that. Depriving him of that... it’s, it’s imagine if women couldget to, what am I really guilty about. They think they are robbing their husband of his masculinity.Matt Lauer:And at some point, don’t they start to question whether their husband’s really tryingas hard as he should be, and, and is he a slacker in some cases?Gail Saltz: I t hink that’s defensively somewhat to relieve their guilt. Wel l maybe he’s be ing a slacker, it’s not me robbing him of it. But of course there is a wish to have an equal partner and feel provided for too on the part of the woman.Matt Lauer: Let me get to some of the tips that you both come up with for how to make this workin a, in a relationship. Think outside the box and I think what, what you mean there is redefine what it means to the terms: masculine and feminine.Gail Saltz:Very much so. It’s th at and it’s also come look for other ways to make each other feel masc uline and feminine. So it doesn’t have to be only about money, being power. There is time commitment, there is organization, there is nurturing. What else do you provide in ways you can make/html/AandV/multithematic/2006/0112/864.htmlSpeaking WorkshopExpressions & Structures to Usevideo clips. Then prepare an oral presentation with the help of the tips.Debate on the motion House husband is a progress for society. Read through the Pros and Cons of the motion provided in the box, and develop your own arguments. During the debate, you are expected to justify yourself, challenge the opposite view and respond to your opponents properly and skillfully.Alternative debate: Ending woman bashing would improve male/female relations.Teamwork showTask 1 Team ReviewIn each group, discuss with each other how you designed and researched your project and reflect on what you have learnt in the process. You should list the ways you discovered how genderTask 2 Project ReportPresent yourproject to the class and hand in your report. Include in your comments to the class reflections on the significance of this new trend in gender image building in Task 1 above. Task 3 Challenging & DefendingAfter each group’s presentation, other students in the class should raise questions and make suggestions. Members of the group should respond when challenged.Home ListeningListen to the audio clip and fill in the blanks with the exact words or sentences. You are expected to do it after class and check the answers on your own.Where have all the Gentlemen Gone?What factors have contributed to the demise of chivalry ？Men tend to blame the decline on women’s tolerance of men’s trifling behavior. Females, on the other hand, blame the death of chivalry on the egocentric nature and 1) laziness of men. Our society has become increasingly 2) self-centered so people no longer abide by old school home training ofmanners and politeness.Both genders are correct, but whose actions started the 3) snowball effect? It is the classic chicken or the egg argument.Perhaps wit h the Women’s Rights Movement, women opened the door for men to become lazy with their courteousness. Maybe women started acting more independent so men figured, “Why bother?”Or, perhaps society in general is in a state of moral 4) bankruptcy. Marriages are dissolving at an all time high, people are no longer valuing monogamy. As trust in men 5) diminishes, women’s attitudes toward men shift and the way we 6) interact with them has changed—and not for the positive.Or, perhaps men are not settling down as often or as quickly, so there is a sense of desperation among the female race. Desperation leads to feeling the need to settle or 7) compete for men. Likewise, women have become more tolerant and/or numb to the waywardness of men.So, which is it? The ch icken or the egg? Did men’s behaviors and attitudes shift first or did women’s? We may never 8) figure the answer out.However, I think that 9) chivalry is about RESPECT. Chivalry and respect go hand in hand. Respect and character go hand in hand. And, 10) character and morality go hand in hand. If we can work on our morals we will work on our level of respect for each other. It just starts with everyone as individuals.Adapted from:/home/index.php/2009/07/the-frivolous-chivalrous-male/Appendix Supplementary Reading Unit 1 Men and Women’s PrejudicesUseful ExpressionsAdapted from/2009/10/24/opinion/24lipman.html by Joanne Lipman, Published: October 23, 2009。
大学体验英语听说教程听力原文【第四册U n i t1】I d e n t i t y(总8页)-本页仅作为预览文档封面，使用时请删除本页-Scripts for Unit OneListening Task 1The neighborhood children my age played together: either active, physical games outdoors or games of dolls-and-house indoors. I, on the other hand, spent much of my childhood alone. I’d curl up in a chair reading fairytales and myths, daydreaming, writing poems or stories and drawing pictures. Sometimes around the fourth grade, my “big” (often critical, judgmental) Grandma, who’d been visiting us said to me, “What’s wrong with youWhy don’t the other children want to play with you?” I remember being startled and confused by her question. I’d never been particularly interested in playing with the other children. It hadn’t, till then, occurred to me that that was either odd or something with me. Nor had it occurrred to me that they didn’t “want to play with”me. My first conscious memory of feeling different was in the fourth grade. At the wardrobe, listening to classmates joking, chattering and laughing with each other, I realized I hadn’t a clue about what was so funny or of how to participate in their easy chatter. They seemed to live in a universe about which I knew nothing at all. I tried to act like others but it was so difficult. I felt confused and disoriented. I turned back to my inner world: reading books, writing and daydreaming. My inwardness grew me in ways that continued to move me further away from the world of my age peers. The easy flow of casual social chat has remained forever beyond my reach and beyond my interest, too.Listening Task 2The greatest difficulty for me is that as a person of mixed origin I am at home neither here nor there. Wherever I am, I am regarded as being foreign, either “white” or “blac k”. It happens to me when I live in my mother’s country of origin, in Switzerland, and it happened to me when I was living in my father’s country, Ivory Coast. I would feel at home where I could feel that people accept me just the way I am! When you are a small child you first do not feel that you are different from the others. But soon the others will make you feel different – and children too can be very cruel in their behavior against the “strange child”. Sometimes incredible incidents happen. Some time ago I was riding my bike somewhere in a little place in Switzarland nearby to where I live. A car drove by, and the male driver opened the window and yelled at me: “Scheiss – Neger – dirty nigger!” I almost froze. I felt helpless and unable to defend myself. When I looked at the number plate, I saw that it was a German number plate. This means that the insulting person himself was a foreigner in this country! How could he dare insult me like thisI felt that I wanted to kill this man. When I recovered I was able to think about it more clearly. These racist people are just stupid and do not know anything about life. Scripts for Unit TwoListening Task 1Everybody cheats. Whether it’s the taxi driver who tricks a visitor and takes hime the long way round, or the shop assistant who doesn’t give the correct change, or the police officer who accepts a bribe – everybody’s at it. Cheats in the news include the scientist whose research was based on fake data, the game show contestant whocollaborated with a friend in the audience to win a million pounds, and the doctor who forged his qualifications and wasn’t really a doctor at all. Everybody cheats; nobody’s playing the game.Is cheating acceptable, a natural way of surviving and being successfulOr is it something that should be frowned on, and young people discouraged from doingIf it’s the latter, how can we explain to children why so many bend the rules?Take sport for example. The pinnacle of football, the World Cup, was rife with cheating. Whether pretending to be hurt or denying a handball, footballers will do anything for a free-kick or a penalty shot. French player Henry denied cheating to win the free-kick which led to his side’s second goal in their 3-1 victory over Spain. Whatever the nationality there’s one common strategy: the player rolls over holding his leg, ankle or head seeming to be in great pain. As a result a yellow card or free-kick is given for the foul and then, a few seconds later, the player is up and about as if nothing had happened!Of course it’s not just the footballers. In 1998 the Tour of France, the world’s greatest cycling event, was hit by a drug-taking scandal. Forty bottles of drugs found with a team triggered a massive investigation that almost caused the cycling tour to be abandoned. One rider was banned for nine months.Listening Task 2A climate of mistrust surrounds everyone.In the field of business, Enron, America’s seventh largest company, could serve as an unfortunate example. Its collapse in 2001 caused thousands of people to lose their jobs and life savings. The company had fooled investors into believing it was healthier than it really was. One boss now faces the rest of life in prison. Meanwhile companies around the world are losing billions of dollars to the counterfeit trade. From cut-price CDs and DVDs to sportswear and cosmetics, cheap fake products are everywhere. It has become socially acceptable to buy fake Gucci bags and illegal copies of films. If parents are doing this, their children will follow. So perhaps it’s not surprising that around the world more pupils than ever are caught cheating during exams. In one case keys to exam papers were put up for sale on the Internet. In another, widespread cheating took place by pupils using their mobile phones to receive texted answers. In a third case, pupils admitted to candidate substitution. They blame the pressure put on them to do well in exams. It doesn’t help that their role models are also cheats. Surely we can’t complain when we’re setting such a bad example.Unit 3 LifestyleListening task 1When she has young children, a stay-at-home mom has two jobs. Her house and her kids. A stay-at-home mom is expected to do all the house cleaning. She is expected to always be the one to get up in the middle of the night, do the school things –room-mother, baker, coordinator, chauffeur and carpooler, etc. often, a stay-at-home mom is expected to take over “daddy-type” chores such as lawn-mowing andtaking cars for repair. Imagine sitting in a repair shop with two squirmy toddlers! The worst thing is that the stay-at-home mom is made to feel guilty for saying “no”. The reason the stay-at-home mom does not get her nails done or have a spa day is she feels guilty for spending family money on herself.Gosh, you all have such hectic lives. I’m dizzy just hearing your daily activities. I guess I have it nice. I have no schedule at all! I get up whn I want. I work my business when I want. I shop when I want to. I wash my hair when I bathe or I don’t wash my hair. When I go to work all I have to do is open up my office door in my house and I’m at work already. No traffic to deal with and there can be 10 feet of snow on the ground and I wouldn’t have to walk an inch of it because my house connects directly to my warehouse! If I get up and don’t feel like working I don’t.Listening task 2I took my first drink and smoked my first marijuana cigarette when I was 12 years old. In high school, I used all kinds of drugs. After high school until I was 21, I did a lot of binge drinking. When I was 31, I started using crack cocaine. That’s when the real problems began.I was addicted to alcohol and cocaine, and my life was a wreck. I tried to quit a number of times. I moved to Mexico and gave up cocaine. I still drank and smoked marijuana, but for the time I lived there, I was off cocaine. I thought that that time off cocaine would completely cure me of any desire for it, but when I got back in town two years later, I started using it again only five days later. Every part of my life was messed up. I remember my oldest son being embarrassed to be seen with me. He would pass me on the street with his friends but he wouldn’t even speak to me. The bottom came for me when I was finally evicted from my apartment. I lost my car, my home and my sons. I looked in the mirror that day, and I couldn’t look myself in the eyes. The next morning, I showed up at the treatment center. The first few days of detox and treatment were hard, but I was convinced that I needed help, so I stayed. I’ve been clean now for five years, and I have a new life.Unit Four FamilyListening Task OneThe traditional American family is a “nuclear family”. A nuclear family refers to a husband and wife and their children. The average American family today has two or three children. In some cultures, people live close to their extended family. Several generations may even live together. In America, only in a few cases does more than one household live under one roof.American values are valued in the home. Many homes are run like a democracy. Each family member can have a say. A sense of equality often exists in Amercan homes. Husbands and wives often share household chores. Often parents give children freedom to make their own decisions. Preschoolers choose what clothes to wear or which toys to buy. Young adults generally make their own choices about what career to pursue and whom to marry.Families in America, like those in every culture, face many problems. Social pressures are breaking apart more and more American homes. Over half of US marriages nowend in divorce. More than one in four American children are growing up in single-parent homes. As a result, many people believe the American family is in trouble. Even so, there is stll reason for hope. Many organizations are working hard to strengthen families. Americans almost unanimously believe that the family is one of the most important parts of life. They realize that problems in family life in recent years have brought serious consequences. As a result, more and more people are making their family a priority. Many women are quitting their jobs to stay home with their children. Families are going on vacations and outings together. Husbands and wives are making a concentrated effort to keep their marriages solid.The United Naitions has declared 1994 the “International Year of Family”. Not just in America, but all over the world, people recognize the importance of a strong family bond.Listening Task TwoWomen are beginning to rise steadily to the top in the workplace all over the developed world, but in the US they are forging ahead. New figures show that in almost a third of American households with a working wife, the woman brings home more money than her husband. They are gaining more college degrees and Masters of Business Administration qualifications than men and now occupy half the country’s high-paying, executive administrative and managerial occupations, compared with 34 per cent 20 years ago.The trend is caused by two main factors, experts say – a growing acceptance of men as househusbands and mass redundancy of male white-collar workers from the technology, finance and media industries in the last three years.The University of Maryland has produced a report that shows women to be the family’s bread-earner-in-chief in 11 per cent of all US marriages. And where bothe spouses work, she now brings in 60 per cent or more of the family income in per cent of the households.An economist at the University of Wisconsin said that ambitious women are increasingly looking for househusbands and leave men at the kitchen sink.Unit Five Health and DietListening Task 1I had just turned 40, and has spent most of my adult life working as a public relations consultant with little time to cook, let alone learn how to cook. But a few years ago I made a resolution to start writing down the recipes I had grown up with and posting them to my website. I come from a big family – six kids – and thought what a terrific family project to document our family recipes! Both my mother and father are excellent home cooks; mom raises us all, and dad loves to eat well and enjoys the experimentation of trying out new recipes. I’m spending a lot of time with my parents lately; we cook a meal and then over dinner discuss the finer points of the proper way to prepare the dishes, and whether or not a new recipe was worth the effort.Many of the recipes are family recipes, and many of them are those that we pick from cookbooks, magazines, and newspaper clippings we’ve collected over 30 years. But sometimes it’s hard when you only have a clipping. The recipes shown here usemostly whole food ingredients and only occasionally a few things from cans or prepared foods. We believe in a varied, healthy diet, using real butter, real cream, eggs, and protein from meat, fish, and cheese.About me, my name is Alice Bauer and I am a partner in a consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. I maintain several weblogs in addition to Simply Recipes as part of .Thanks so much for visiting Simply Recipes!Listening Task 2One of my most favorite breakfast is a poached egg on toast, with a side of papaya and lime, including some prosciutto with the papaya. Papaya is filled with enzymes that help digestion, and is even used to tenderize meat. The ingredients you need include: 1 firm but ripe papaya, 2 ounces of thinly sliced prosciutto, and 1/2 lime, cut and sliced into a few wedges. Now let’s go!First, using a vegetable peeler, peel away the outer skin of the papaya. Then cut the papaya in half. Using a metal spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. By the way, the seeds are edible. They taste peppery, like nasturtium flowers, and can be used in salads. Next, slice the papaya halves into wedges lengthwise. Arrange them on a plate. Now what you need to do is to roll up thin sheets of prosciutto and place them between the papaya wedges. Remember the last thing, squeeze fresh limejuice over the papaya and prosciutto.If you would like to serve the papaya as an appetizer, cut the papaya into 1-inch pieces, sprinkle on some lime juice, wrap each piece with some prosciutto, and secure with a tooth pick. It serves 2-4.Unit Six TravelListening Task 1I was spending my summer in a remote village in Ghana. I got afflicted with “the runny stomach”, as the family I lived with called it. After 5 days of the runny stomach, we left the village and took a 12-hour car ride to the capital city. Needless to say, 12-hour car rides and runny stomachs aren’t compatible. Once we had to stop in a village, greet the 20 or so people that were there, give a detailed explanation of my condition, and then I was allowed to use a brand-new porcelain toilet. I was very embarrassed because they had someone clean the toilet and stand outside while I did my noisy business. Through a crack in the bathroom wall I could hear some kids washing the dishes. I was splendid entertainment for the kids. Each time I let out some gas, I heard squeals of delight and hysterical laughter. They also muttered about “runny stomach”. But the highlight of my sickness had to be the wedding we attended in the capital. There I was greeted by countless guests. They asked about the details of my stomach condition. On my 8th day of sickness, we went to a private hospital and for the next two weeks I took lots of prescribed antibiotics and drank bottles of oral rehydration salts. My condition began improving in about two days. Much to my disappointment, the stool and blood samples came back negative, so my condition was a result of a change of diet. Needless to say, I learned not to be shy about stomach conditions.Listening Task 2When he realized that his short-term memory was failing, my husband decided to wear a multi-pocketed vest. The vest, with its 17 pockets each serving a purpose, did work for a while. Things were going so well that he started to relax a little and one day he turned back to his traditional pants-pocket wallet.Just seconds after boarding the crowded Rome subway, a pickpocket was attracted by the familiar bulge. My husband stared at him for a moment. Finally the would-be thief withdrew and joined the crowd.My partner became more careful, and the next time he was better organized, all the essentials in their assigned pockets. We had checked in for our flight to Athens. Before boarding I casually asked where his Swiss army knife was. His hand immediately went to the pocket designated for the knife, and found it safe there. Then his face fell: safe, that is , for anything but air travel.Realizing that his precious knife would be taken away at security, he returned to the check-in counter. Fortunately, the frowning attendant agreed to pack his knife in a little box and check it separately.By the time we got to Athens at midnight we were both exhausted. Our luggage emerged and all the other passengers were gone. My husband was still watching the carousel going round and round and round. Finally, he went to find a baggage handler and a half hour later reappeared triumphantly with his knife.Unit Seven LanguageListening Task 1Jessica Bucknam shouts “tiao!” and her fourth-grade students jump. “Dun!” she commands, and they crouch. They giggle as the commands keep coming in Mandarin Chinese. Most of the kids have studied Chinese since they were in kindergarten. They are part of a Chinese-immersion program at Woodstock Elementary School, in Portland, Oregon. Bucknam, who is from China, introduces her students to approximately 150 new Chinese characters each year. Students read stories, sing songs and learn math and science, all in Chinese.Half of the students at the school are enrolled in the program. They can continue studying Chinese in middle and high school. The goal: to speak like natives.About 24,000 American students are currently learning Chinese. Most are in high school. But the number of younger students is growing in response to China’s emergence as a global superpower. The government is helping to pay for language instruction. Recently, the Defense Department gave Oregon schools $700,000 for classes like Bucknam’s. The Senate is considering giving $ billion for Chinese classes in public schools.“China has become a stong partner of the United States,” says Mary Patterson, Woodstock’s principal. “Children who learn Chinese at a young age will have more opportunities for jobs in the future.” Isabel Weiss, 9, isn't thinking about the future. She thinks learning Chinese is fun. “When you hear people speaking in Chinese, you know what they’re saying,” she says. “And they don’t know that you know.”Want to learn ChineseYou have to memorize 3,500 characters to really know it all! Start with these Chinese characters and their pronunciations.Listening Task 2An idiom is an expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from the literal definitions and the arrangement of its parts, but refers instead to a figurative meaning that is known only through conventional use. In the English expression to kick the bucket, a listener knowing only the meaning of kick and bucket would be unable to deduce the expression’s actual meaning, which is to die. Although kick the bucket can refer literally to the act of striking a bucket with a foot, native speakers rarely use it that way.Idioms hence tend to confuse those not already familiar with them; students of a new language must learn its idiomatic expressions the way they learn its other vocabulary. In fact many natural language words have idiomatic origins, but have been sufficiently assimilated so that their figurative senses have been lost. Interestingly, many Chinese characters are likewise idiomatic constructs, as their meanings are more often not traceable to a literal meaning of their assembled parts, or radicals. Because all characters are composed from a relatively small base of about 214 radicals, their assembled meanings follow several different modes of interpretation – from the pictographic to the metaphorical to those whose original meaning has been lost in history.Real world listeningQ: Why are some idioms so difficult to be understood outside of the local culture?A: Idioms are, in essence, often colloquial metaphors – terms which requires some foundational knowledge, information, or experience, to use only within a culture where parties must have common reference. As cultures are typically localized, idioms are more often not useful for communication outside of that local context.Q: Are all idioms translatable across languages?A: Not all idioms are translatable. But the most common idioms can have deep roots, traceable across many languages. To have blood on one’s hands is a familiar example, whose meaning is obvious. These idioms can be more universally used than others, and they can be easily translated, or their metaphorical meaning can be more easily deduced. Many have translations in other languages, and tend to become international.Q: How are idioms different from others in vocabulary?A: First, the meaning of an idiom is not a straightforward composition of the meaning of its parts. For example, the meaning of kick the bucket has nothing to do with kicking buckets. Second, one cannot substitute a word in an idiom with a related word. For example, we can not say kick the pail instead of kick the bucketalthough bucket and pail are synonyms. Third, one can not modify an idiom or apply syntactic transformations. For example, John kicked the green bucket or the bucket was kicked has nothing to do with dying.Unit 8 ExaminationListening Task 1At first, fifth-grader Edward Lynch didn’t pay much attention to his teacher’s warnings about the big tests the class would take at the end of the school year. But two weeks before North Carolina’s first-ever elementary-promotion exams, Edward says he’s scared. He’s a B student but an erratic test taker. “The other night I had a dream my books were squishing me and pencils were stabbing me,” says the 11-year-old. His classmate West Bullock says, “I have friends who throw up the night before tests.” Their teacher, Kelly Allen, worries that half of her 21 students are at risk of failing next week’s multiple-choice tests on math and reading. If they fail, they won’t be able to graduate to middle school.In 1996 the state of North Carolina launched its ABCs testing program, a carrot-and-stick approach that holds schools responsible for their students’ educational progress. Over the next four years, scores on statewide tests rose 14%. But critics of the program say the cost has been high, in ways that range from stomachaches to insomnia and depression.Schools, also, are sacrificing important lessons in science, social studies and foreign languages to focus on concepts that will be tested. Thus the harmful practices such as retention in grade and tracking are encouraged. High school biology students no longer dissect frogs. A history teacher doesn’t assign research papers because they don’t help him prepare students for state-mandated tests. Lisa, a mother of a struggling fifth-grader said. “If they have kids with straight A’s, they think it’s fine, but I think there’s too much pressure with this pass-fail system.” She views the accountability system as a social experiment whose outcome is not yet known. Listening Task 2No one wants to be tested. We would all like to get a driver’s license without answering questions about right of way or showing that we can parallel park a car. Many future lawyers and doctors probably wish they could join their profession without taking an exam.But tests and standards are a necessary fact of life. They protect us – most of the time – from inept drivers, hazardous products and shoddy professionals. In schools too, exams play a constructive role. They tell teachers what their students have learned – and have not. They tell parents how their children are doing compared with others their age. They encourage students to exert more effort.Therefore, formal testing has its place in the overall scope of education. The test data can be very useful in making decisions for the upcoming school year as well as for long term planning. Besides, the parents need accountability to themselves. Welcome the opportunity to discover their child’s strengths and weaknesses and to ascertain needs that should be addressed or pieces that are missing in the student’s academic training.However, all tests have a margin of error. Several factors will affect tests scores, including rapport established with examiner, health of students, lack of sleep the night before, temperature of testing room, attention span, and many other variables. In other words, don’t fall apart if the scores aren’t what you think they should have been. They are just test scores and tests are not infallible.。
