现代大学英语听力4 全册答案及原文

Unit 1 Task 1: 【 答案 八年级地理上册填图题岩土工程勘察试题省略号的作用及举例应急救援安全知识车间5s试题及答案 】 A. Event Year Kenny G was born. 1956 He toured Europe with his High School band. 1971 He made his first solo album. 1982 He won released his most successful album. 1993 He won the Best Artist Award. 1994 He broke the world record for playing a single note. 1997     B． 1) F 2) F 3) T 【原文】 Saxophonist Kenny G is now the world's most successful jazz musician. He was born in 1956 as Kenny Gorelick in Seattle, USA, and he learned to play the saxophone at an early age. When he was just 15 years old, he toured Europe with his High School band. After studying at Washington University he started his career as a musician. In 1982 he signed for Arista Records and made his first solo album Kenny G. Success came slowly at first, but during the 1990s Kenny became well-known on the international scene. He released Breathless, his most successful album so far in 1993, and in 1994 won the Best Artist Award at the 21st American Music Awards held in Los Angeles. As well as making records, he also found time to play in front of another famous saxophone player—US President Bill Clinton—at the "Gala for the President" concert in Washington, and to break the world record for playing a single note (45 minutes and 47 seconds!) at the J & R Music World Store in New York in 1997. During the last 20 years, Kenny G has played with superstars like Aretha Franklin, Michael Bolton and Whitney Houston, and he has sold more than 36 million albums worldwide... and he hasn't sung a note! Task 2: 【答案】 1) c 2) d 3) c 【原文】 Senn: Everybody always has this misconception that female policemen don't do the same thing as men do, you know. I've worked.. Interviewer: That's not true? Senn: That is not true!  I've worked my share of graveyard shifts, and, you know, split    shifts, and double-back and no days off, and... Interviewer: Uh-huh... Senn:  ...as much as the next guy. There's no distinction used if there's a male or female officer on duty.  Two men on duty—I'll refer to as two men,  ’cause in my field  there's no difference between the genders. We're still the same. Okay, if there's two men on duty—just because one's a female, she still gets in on the same type of call. If there's a bar disturbance downtown, then we go too.  There's been many times where being the only officer on duty—that's  it!  It’s just me and whoever else is on duty in the county.  They can come back me up if I need assistance. And it does get a little hairy.  You go in there, and you have these great big, huge monster-guys, and they're just drunker than skunks, and can't see three feet in front of them.  And when they see you, they see fifteen people, and you know... But still, there's enough... Interviewer: That's where the uniform is important, I should imagine. Senn: Sometimes, you know. If somebody is going to…or has a bad day, and they are  out  to get a cop,  you  know,  it doesn't  matter if you're, you know, boy, girl, infant or anything! When you've got that cop uniform on, they'll still take it out on you. Interviewer:  Yeah... Senn: But I think there's one advantage to being a female police officer. And that is the fact  that most men still have a little respect, and they won't smack you as easy as they would one of the guys. Interviewer: Uh-huh... Senn: But I'll tell you one thing I’ve learned—I'd rather deal with ten drunk men that one drunk woman any day of the week! Interviewer:  Well, why is that? Senn:  Because women are so unpredictable. You cannot ever predict what a woman's  going to do. Interviewer: Hmm... Senn: Especially, if she's agitated, you know. Interviewer: Emotionally upset. Senn:  Yeah.  I saw a lady one time just get mad at the guy she was with because  he  wouldn't buy  her  another  drink— take off  her high heel and lay his head wide open. Yuch! Oh, they can be so vicious, you know. Task 3: 【答案】 1) d 2) b 3) b 4) b 【原文】 You are watching a film in which two men are having a fight. They hit one another hard. At the start they only fight with their fists. But soon they begin hitting one another over the heads with chairs. And so it goes on until one of the men crashes through a window—and falls thirty feet to the ground below. He is dead！ Of course he isn't really dead. With any luck he isn't even hurt. Why? Because the men who fall out of high windows or jump from fast-moving trains, who crash cars of even catch fire, are professionals. They do this for a living. These men are called “stunt men”. That is to say, they perform “tricks”. There are two sides to their work. They actually do most of the things you see on the screen. For example, they fall from a high building. However, they do not fall on to hard ground but on to empty cardboard boxes covered with a mattress. Again, when they hit one another with chairs, the chairs are made of soft wood and when they crash through windows, the glass is made of sugar! But although their work depends on trick of this sort, it also requires a high degree of skill and training. Often a stunt man’s success depends on careful timing. For example, when he is "blown up" in a battle scene, he has to jump out of the way of the explosion just at the right moment. Naturally stuntmen are well-paid for their work, but they lead dangerous lives. They often get seriously injured, and sometimes killed. A Norwegian stuntman, for example, skied over the edge of a cliff a thousand feet high. His parachute failed to open—and he was killed. In spite of all the risks, this is no longer a profession for “men only”. Men no longer dress up as women when actresses have to perform some dangerous action. For nowadays there are “stunt girls” too！ Task 4: 【答案】 1) He started writing poetry when he was about 14 or 15. 2) He has published four books. 3) His first book came out when he was about 26. It wasn’t easy. He got a lot of his work rejected at first. 4) The British, or at least the English, are embarrassed by it. They’re embarrassed by people who reveal personal feelings, emotions, thoughts and wishes. 【原文】 When Thomas Edison was born in the small town of Milan, Ohio, in 1847, America was just beginning its great industrial development. In his lifetime of eighty-four years, Edison shared in the excitement of America’s growth into a modern nation. The time in which he lived was an age of invention, filled with human and scientific adventures, and Edison became the hero of that age.    As a boy, Edison was not a good student. His parents took him out of school and his mother taught him at home, where his great curiosity and desire to experiment often got him into trouble. When he was six, he set fire to his father’s barn “to see what would happen.” The barn burned down. When he was ten, Edison built his own chemistry laboratory. He sold sandwiches and newspapers on the trains in order to earn money to buy supplies for his laboratory. His parents became accustomed, more or less, to his experiments and the explosions which sometimes shook the house. Edison’s work as a sales boy with the railroad introduced him to the telegraph and, with a friend, he built his own telegraph set. Six years later, in 1869, Edison arrived in New York City, poor and in debt. He went to work with a telegraph company. It was there that he became interested in the uses of electricity. Task 5: 【答案】 1815， 1914， 35million I. A. villages，seaport B. danger，long ocean voyage C. a new land，a new language D. finding a place to live II. a better life，opportunity，freedom III. A. England, Germany, Russia, Hungary B. Roman Catholic, Jewish C. customs，languages IV. A.  Americanized，disappeared. B.  haven't disappeared，customs，identities V. A.  were cheated，prejudice，mistreated B.  hardest，least-paid，dirtiest，most overcrowded D.  rejected，old-fashioned，ashamed overcome 【原文】 Thousands of people came to American cities before Blacks and Puerto Ricans did. Between 1815 and 1914, more than 35 million Europeans crossed the ocean to find new homes in the United States. Most of these immigrants were ordinary people. Few were famous when they arrived. Few became famous afterward. Most had lived in small villages. Few had ever been far outside them. Most of them faced the same kinds of problems getting to America: the hardship of going from their villages to a seaport, the unpleasantness—even danger—of the long ocean voyage, the strangeness of a new land, and of a new language, the problem of finding a place to live, of finding work in a new, strange country. Every immigrant had his own reasons for coming to America. But nearly all shared one reason: They hoped for a better life. They considered America a special place, a land of opportunity, a land of freedom. Immigrants came from many different countries: England, Germany, Denmark, Finland[, Russia, Italy, Hungary and many others. They came with many different religions: Roman Catholic, Jewish, Quaker, Greek Orthodox. They brought many different customs and many languages. Some people have called the United States a "melting pot". After immigrants were here awhile—in the melting pot—they became Americanized. Differences were "melted down". They gradually disappeared. Some people say no. America isn't a melting pot. It's more like a salad bowl. Important differences between groups of people haven't disappeared. Many groups have kept their own ways, their customs, their identities, and this has given America great strength. Melting pot? Salad bowl? Perhaps there's some troth to both ideas. In any case, life in America was hard for most immigrants—especially at first. Often they were cheated. Often they met with prejudice. They were often laughed at, even mistreated, by people who themselves had been immigrants. Most of them soon found that the streets of America weren't paved with gold. They usually got the hardest jobs, and those that paid the least, the dirtiest places to live in, the most overcrowded tenements. They came to be citizens of a new country; but often they felt like people without a country. They had given up their own, but they didn't understand their new one. They didn't really feel a part of it. And the people of the new one didn't always welcome them. They came for the sake of their children, but in America their children often rejected them. To the children, their parents seemed old-fashioned. They didn't learn the new language quickly. Some didn't learn it at all. Their parents' customs made children ashamed. Gradually, however, problems were overcome. For most immigrants, life in America was better. It certainly was better for their children and for their grandchildren. Task 6: 【答案】 A. The Life Story of Thomas Edison Ohio，1847，industrial development, 1931, a modern nation I. A. curiosity，desire B. 1857，station master’s son C. 1863 II. A. New York City，electricity，report the prices B. New Jersey，invented，produced C. organized industrial research D. 1877 E.  1879 III. A. 1,000 B. motion-picture machine C.  photography D.  streetcars，electric trains IV. B.  turn off all power C.  the progress of man B. 1) F 2) F 3) T 4) T 5) F 【原文】 When Thomas Edison was born in the small town of Milan, Ohio, in 1847, America was just beginning its great industrial development. The time in which he lived was an age of invention, filled with human and scientific adventures, and Edison became the hero of that age. As a boy, Edison was not a good student. His parents took him out of school and his mother taught him at home, where his great curiosity and desire to experiment often got him into trouble. When he was ten, Edison built his own chemistry laboratory. He sold sandwiches and newspapers on the local trains in order to earn money to buy supplies for his laboratory. His parents became accustomed, more or less, to his experiments and the explosions which sometimes shook the house. Edison’s work as a sales boy with the railroad introduced him to the telegraph and with a friend, he built his own telegraph set. He taught himself the Morse telegraphic code and hoped for the chance to become a professional telegraph operator. A stroke of luck and Edison's quick thinking soon provided the opportunity. One day, as young Edison stood waiting for a train to arrive, he saw the station master's sot wander into the track of an approaching train. Edison rushed out and carried the boy to safety. The thankful station master offered to teach Edison railway telegraphy. Afterwards, in 1863, he became tan expert telegraph operator and left home to work in various cities. Six years later, in 1869, Edison arrived in New York City, poor and in debt. He went to work with a telegraph company. It was there that he became interested in the uses of electricity. At that time electricity was still in the experimental stages, and Edison hoped to invent new ways to use it for the benefit of people. As he once said: "My philosophy of life is work. I want to bring out the secrets of, nature and apply them for the happiness of man. I know of no better service to render for the short time we are in this world." The same year, when he was only 22 years old, Edison invented an improved ticker-tape machine which could better report the prices on the New York Market. The ticker-tape machine was successful, and Edison decided to leave his job and concentrate wholly on inventing. When the president of the telegraph company asked how much they owed him for his invention, Edison was ready to accept only $3,000. Cautiously he said: "Suppose you make me an offer." "How would $40,000 strike you?" the president inquired. Edison almost fainted, but he finally replied that the price was fair. With this money, and now calling himself an electrical engineer, Edison formed his own "invention factory" in Newark, New Jersey. over the next few years he invented and produced many new items, including the mimeograph machine, wax wrapping paper, and improvements of the telegraph. In 1877 Edison decided he could no longer continue both manufacturing and inventing. He sold his share in the factory and built a new laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. It was the first laboratory of its kind devoted to organized industrial research. One of the first inventions to come from his new laboratory was an improvement of Alexander Bell's telephone. Edison invented a more powerful mouthpiece which removed the need to shout into the telephone. But his great inventions were still to come. On August 12, 1877, Edison began experimenting with an instrument which he had designed and ordered to be built. It was a cylinder, wrapped in tinfoil and turned by a handle. As it revolved, a needle made a groove in the foil. Turning the handle, Edison began to shout. "Mary had a little lamb Whose fleece was white as snow!" He stopped and moved the needle back in the starting position. Then, putting his ear close to the needle, he turned the handle again. A voice came out of the machine: "Mary had a little lamb, Whose fleece was white as snow!" Edison had just invented the phonograph, a completely new concept: a talking machine. While he was perfecting his phonograph, Edison also worked on another invention. He called it "an Electric Lamp for Giving Light by Incandescence". Today we call it the light bulb. For years other inventors had experimented with electric lights, but none of the lights had proven economical to produce. Edison, in studying the problem, spent over a year experimenting. He tested 1,600 materials (even hairs from a friend's beard) to see if they would carry electric current and glow. Finally, on October 21, 1879, he tried passing electricity through a carbonized cotton thread in a vacuum glass bulb. In his own words Edison described the experiment: "... before nightfall the carbon was completed and inserted in the lamp. The bulb was exhausted of air and sealed, the current turned on, and the sight we had so long desired to see met our eyes." The lamp gave off a feeble, reddish glow, and it continued to bum for 40 hours. Edison's incredible invention proved that electric lighting would be the future light of the world. Edison was now so famous as an inventor that people thought there was nothing he could not do. They began to call him "the wizard", as if he could produce an invention like magic. Few people realized how hard Edison worked, often 20 hours a day, and that most of his inventions were the results of hundreds of experiments. For 60 years Edison was the world's leading inventor. He patented over 1,000 inventions which changed our way of living. He was one of the earliest inventors of the motion-picture machine. His invention of the phonograph was joined with photography to produce talking pictures. He also perfected the electric motor which made streetcars and electric trains possible. It is no wonder that Edison received many honors during his life for contributions to the progress of mankind. The United States gave him its highest award, a special Congressional Medal of Honor. Yet, in spite of all his fame, Edison remained a modest man. He preferred to continue his work, rather than rest on his achievements. His motto was: "I find what the world needs; then I go ahead and try to invent it." He never considered himself a brilliant man and once remarked that genius was "2 percent inspiration and 98 percent perspiration". When Edison died in 1931, it was proposed that the American people mm off all power in their homes, streets, and factories for several minutes in honor of this great man. Of course, it was quickly realized that such an honor would be impossible. Its impossibility was indeed the real tribute to Edison's achievements. Electric power had become so important and vital a part of America's life that a complete shut-down for even a few seconds would have created chaos. As "one of the great heroes of invention", Edison rightfully belongs among America's and the world's great contributors to the progress of man. Task 7: 【答案】 A. 1) c 2) a 3) d 4) c 5) c 6) a B. 1) That’s because the explosion robs the fire of oxygen. 2) Once the fire is out, the well still needs to be covered, or capped, to stop the flow of oil. This is the most dangerous part of the process. Any new heat or fire could cause the leaking well and the surrounding area to explode. 3) In March of 1991, Red Adair went to Kuwait. He and his crews were called in to help put out oil well fires. 4) He has spent his 76th birthday in Kuwait working side by side with his crew. 5) At his funeral, many family members and friends honored him by wearing red clothes. 【原文】 Paul Neal Adair was born in Houston, Texas in nineteen fifteen. He was one of five sons of a metal worker. He also had three sisters. While growing up, he became known as Red Adair because his hair was bright red. The color became a trademark for Adair. He wore red clothes and red boots. He drove a red car, and his crew members used red trucks and red equipment. During World War Two, Adair served on a trained army team that removed and destroyed bombs. After the war, he returned to Houston and took a job with Myron Kinley. At the time, Kinley was the leader in putting out fires in oil wells. Red Adair worked with Myron Kinley for fourteen years. But in nineteen fifty-nine, Adair started his own company. During his thirty-six years in business, Red Adair and his crews battled more than two thousand fires all over the world. Some were on land. Others were on ocean oil-drilling structures. Some fires were in burning oil wells. Others were in natural gas wells. Red Adair was a leader in a specialized and extremely dangerous profession. Putting out oil well fires can be difficult. This is because oil well fires are extinguished, or put out, at the wellhead just above ground. Normally, explosives are used to stop the fire from burning. The explosion robs the fire of oxygen. But, once the fire is out, the well still needs to be covered, or capped, to stop the flow of oil. This is the most dangerous part of the process. Any new heat or fire could cause the leaking well and the surrounding area to explode. Red Adair developed modern methods to extinguish and cover burning oil wells. They became known in the industry as Wild Well Control techniques. In addition to explosives, the techniques involved large amounts of water and dirt. Adair also developed special equipment made of bronze metal to help extinguish oil well fires. The modern tools and his Wild Well Control techniques earned Red Adair and his crews the honor of being called the "best in the business." Red Adair was known for not being afraid. He was also known for his sense of calm and safety. None of his workers were ever killed while putting out oil well or gas fires. He described his work this way: “It scares you—all the noise, the rattling, the shaking. But the look on everyone's face, when you are finished and packing, it is the best smile in the world; and there is nobody hurt, and the well is under control.” One of Red Adair's most important projects was in nineteen sixty-two. He and his crew put out a natural gas fire in the Sahara Desert in Algeria. The fire had been burning for six months. This famous fire was called the "Devil's Cigarette Lighter." Fire from the natural gas well shot about one hundred forty meters into the air. The fire was so big that American astronaut John Glenn could see it from space as he orbited Earth.The desert sand around the well had melted into glass from the extreme heat. News reports said Adair used about three hundred forty kilograms of nitroglycerine explosive material to pull the oxygen out of the fire. Adair's success with the "Devil's Cigarette Lighter" and earlier well fires captured the imagination of the American film industry. In nineteen sixty-eight, Hollywood made an action film called Hellfighters. It was loosely based on events in Red Adair's life. Actor John Wayne played an oil well firefighter from Houston, Texas whose life was similar to Adair's. Adair served as an advisor to Wayne while the film was being made. The two men became close friends. Adair said one of the best honors in the world was to have John Wayne play him in a movie. In nineteen eighty-eight, Adair fought what was possibly the world's worst off-shore accident. It was at the Piper Alpha drilling structure in the North Sea. Occidental Petroleum operated the structure off the coast of Scotland. The structure produced oil and gas from twenty-four wells. One hundred sixty-seven men were killed when the structure exploded after a gas leak. Red Adair had to stop the fires and cap the wells. He faced winds blowing more than one hundred twenty kilometers an hour, and ocean waves at least twenty meters high. In March of nineteen ninety-one, Red Adair went to Kuwait following the Persian Gulf War. He and his crews were called in to help put out fires set by the Iraqi army. The Red Adair Company capped more than one hundred wells. His crews were among twenty-seven teams from sixteen countries called in to fight the fires. The crews' efforts put out about seven hundred Kuwaiti fires. Their efforts saved millions of barrels of oil. Some experts say the operation also helped prevent an environmental tragedy. The job had been expected to take three to five years. However, it was completed in just eight months.  Red Adair had spent his seventy-sixth birthday in Kuwait working side by side with his crew. When asked when he might retire, he told reporters: "Retire? I do not know what that word means. As long as a man is able to work, and he is productive out there and he feels good—keep at it." Still, Red Adair finally did retire in nineteen ninety-four. At that time, he joked about where he would end up when he died. He said he hoped to be in Heaven. But he said this about Hell: "I have made a deal with the devil. He said he is going to give me an air-conditioned place when I go down there—if I go there—so I won't put all the fires out." Red Adair died in two thousand four. He was eighty-nine years old. At his funeral, many family members and friends honored him by wearing red clothes. Many Americans remember Red Adair for his bravery. He lived his life on the edge of danger. He was known for his willingness to risk his own life to save others. Task 8: 【答案】 A. 1) She was born in New York City in 1884. 2) After she finished school, Eleanor began teaching children to read in one of the poorest areas of New York City. She investigated factories where workers were said to be badly treated. She became involved with other women who shared the same ideas about improving social conditions. 3) She decided she would no longer play the part of a politician's wife. Instead, she began to build a life with interests of her own. 4) Franklin Roosevelt was elected president in 1932. His new economic program was called the New Deal. 5) She was different from the wives of earlier presidents in that she was the first to become active in political and social issues. 6) She publicly resigned her membership to protest the action of the group. 7) She spent the last years of her life visiting foreign countries. She became America's unofficial ambassador. She called on Americans to help the people in developing countries. B. 1) F 2) T 3) T 【原文】 Eleanor Roosevelt was the wife of America's thirty-second president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She helped her husband in many ways during his long political life. She also became one of the most influential people in America. She fought for equal rights for all people -- workers, women, poor people, black people. And she sought peace among nations. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City in eighteen eighty-four. Eleanor's family had great wealth and influence. When she was eight years old, her mother died. Two years later, her father died. It was Eleanor's grandmother who raised the Roosevelt children. After she finished school, Eleanor began teaching children to read in one of the poorest areas of New York City, called "Hell's Kitchen." She investigated factories where workers were said to be badly treated. She saw little children of four and five years old working until they dropped to the floor. She became involved with other women who shared the same ideas about improving social conditions. Franklin Roosevelt began visiting Eleanor. Franklin belonged to another part of the Roosevelt family. Franklin and Eleanor were married in nineteen-oh-five. In the next eleven years, they had six children. Franklin Roosevelt began his life in politics in New York. He was elected to be a state legislator. Later, President Woodrow Wilson appointed him to be assistant secretary of the Navy. The Roosevelts moved to Washington in nineteen thirteen. It was there, after thirteen years of marriage, that Eleanor Roosevelt went through one of the hardest periods of her life. She discovered that her husband had fallen in love with another woman. She wanted to end the marriage. But her husband urged her to remain his wife. She did. Yet her relationship with her husband changed. She decided she would no longer play the part of a politician's wife. Instead, she began to build a life with interests of her own. Eleanor Roosevelt learned about politics and became involved in issues and groups that interested her. In nineteen twenty-two, she became part of the Women's Trade Union League. She also joined the debate about ways to stop war. In those years after World War One, she argued that America must be involved in the world to prevent another war. "Peace is the question of the hour," she once told a group of women. "Women must work for peace to keep from losing their loved ones." The question of war and peace was forgotten as the United States entered a severe economic depression in nineteen twenty-nine. Prices suddenly dropped on the New York stock market. Banks lost their money. People lost their jobs. Franklin Roosevelt was elected president in nineteen thirty-two. He promised to end the Depression and put Americans back to work. Mrs. Roosevelt helped her husband by spreading information about his new economic program. It was called the New Deal. She traveled around the country giving speeches and visiting areas that needed economic aid. Eleanor Roosevelt was different from the wives of earlier presidents. She was the first to become active in political and social issues. While her husband was president, Missus Roosevelt held more than three hundred news conferences for female reporters. She wrote a daily newspaper commentary. She wrote for many magazines. These activities helped spread her ideas to all Americans and showed that women had important things to say. One issue Eleanor Roosevelt became involved in was equal rights for black Americans. She met publicly with black leaders to hear their problems. Few American politicians did this during the nineteen thirties and nineteen forties. One incident involving Eleanor Roosevelt became international news. In nineteen thirty-nine, an American singer, Marian Anderson, planned a performance at Constitution Hall in Washington. But a conservative women's group refused to permit her to sing there because she was black. Missus Roosevelt was a member of that organization, the Daughters of the American Revolution. She publicly resigned her membership to protest the action of the group. An opinion study showed that most Americans thought she was right. Eleanor Roosevelt helped the performance to be held outdoors, around the Lincoln Memorial. More than seventy thousand people heard Marian Anderson sing. Eleanor Roosevelt was always considered one of its strongest supporters of the civil rights movement. The United States was forced to enter World War Two when Japanese forces attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in nineteen forty-one. Missus Roosevelt made many speeches over the radio praising the soldiers she saw on her travels. She called on people to urge their government to work for peace after the war was over. Franklin Roosevelt died in nineteen forty-five, soon after he was elected to a fourth term as president. When his wife heard the news she said: "I am more sorry for the people of this country than I am for myself." Harry Truman became president after Franklin Roosevelt died. World War Two ended a few months later. The leaders of the world recognized the need for peace. So they joined together to form the United Nations. President Truman appointed Missus Roosevelt as a delegate to the first meeting of the UN. Eleanor Roosevelt spent the last years of her life visiting foreign countries. She became America's unofficial ambassador. She returned home troubled by what she saw. She recognized that the needs of the developing world were great. She called on Americans to help the people in developing countries. Eleanor Roosevelt gave the best she had all through her life. People around the world recognized their loss when she died in nineteen sixty-two. Unit 2 Task 1: 【答案】 June 5th，the United Nations，1972，world leaders and citizens how to protect the environment， San Francisco, California，"Plan the Planet"，"Green Cities"，most people now live，more than 75 percent，the former vice president，music concerts，parades，tree plantings，representatives from many environmental organizations 【原文】 Every year on June fifth many countries celebrate World Environment Day. The United Nations established this special day in nineteen seventy-two to get people to think about taking care of the planet. Faith Lapidus tells us more. “Public events for World Environment Day are taking place from June first through June fifth. The events and conferences help teach world leaders and citizens how to protect the environment. “Every year World Environment Day is celebrated in a different city. This year it is being held in San Francisco, California. This is the first time since the beginning of World Environment Day that the conference is being held in the United States. The main message of World Environment Day this year is ‘Plan for the Planet’. The events and conferences will show how to have ‘Green Cities’. This means that people will talk about ways that cities can have healthy environments. “Most people in the world live in cities. This makes them especially important areas of environmental concern. Cities use more than seventy-five percent of the world's natural resources such as water and gasoline. World Environment Day will center on how people in cities can work together to help save the planet. “San Francisco is holding public talks to discuss pollution reduction, clean energy sources and the importance of healthy parks and gardens. Special experts are among the speakers. For example, former vice-president Al Gore will talk about climate change. There also are fun events such as music concerts, movies, art shows, parades, bicycle rides and tree plantings. Local farmers and restaurant owners will serve food that has been naturally grown. “The Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, invited city leaders from all over the world to attend this conference and share ideas. Representatives from many environmental organizations also are attending. The United Nations hopes to create an international agreement that countries and citizens will follow to help improve the Earth's environment.” Task 2: 【答案】 A. 1) d 2) a 3) b 4) c B. 1) Occupational noise 2) Aircraft noise 3) Traffic noise 【原文】 The sense of sound is one of our most important means of knowing what is going on around us. Sound has a wasted product, too, in the form of noise. Noise has been called unwanted sound. Noise is growing and it may get much worse before it gets and better. Scientists, for several years, have been studying how noise affects people and animals. They are surprised by what they have learned. Peace and quiet are becoming harder to find. Noise pollution—the crashing, squeaking, banging, hammering of people—is no joke. It is a threat that should be looked at carefully. Sound is measured in units called “decibels”. At a level of 140 decibels people feel pain in their ears. Automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, airplanes, boats, factories, bands—all these things make noise. They bother not only our ears, but our minds and bodies as well. There is a saying about it being so noisy that you can’t hear yourself think. Doctors who study noise believe that we must sometimes hear ourselves think. If we don’t we may have headaches, other aches and pains, or even worse mental problems. Noise adds more tension to society that already faces enough stress. But noise is not a new problem. In ancient Rome, people complained so much about noise that the government stopped chariots from moving through the streets at night! Noise can be separated into a few general groups. The following examples are taken from hearings before the US Senate Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution in 1970. Occupational noise—Factory workers who always hear noise have poorer hearing than other groups. Aircraft noise—Around airports or on air routes the noise of airplanes taking off and landing causes the greatest complaints. Traffic noise—Away from the noise of planes, traffic sounds break in on our peace and quiet. Trucks and motorcycles cause the most problems. Task 3: 【答案】 1) F 2) F 3) T 4) F 5) T 6) F 7) F 8) T 9) T 【原文】 We usually think of pollution as a harmful waste substance that threatens the air and water. But some people have become concerned about another kind of pollution. It can be everywhere, depending on the time of day. And it was not thought of as a substance. It is light. The idea of light pollution has developed with the increase of lights in cities. In many areas, this light makes it difficult or impossible to observe stars and in the night sky. In 1998, the International Dark-Sky Association formed. This organization wants to reduce light pollution in the night sky. It also urges the effective use of electric lighting. There are a number of reasons why light pollution is important. One has become clear at the Mount Wilson near Los Angeles, California. Mount Wilson Observatory was home to the largest telescopes in the world during the first half of 1900. During that period, Los Angeles grew to become one of America's biggest cities. Today, light from Los Angeles makes the night sky above Mount Wilson very bright. It is no longer an important research center because of light pollution. Light pollution threatens to reduce the scientific value of research telescopes in other important observatories. They include Lick Observatory near San Jose, California and Yerkes Observatory near Chicago, Illinois. Light pollution is the result of wasted energy. Bright light shining into the sky is not being used to provide light where it is needed on Earth. Poorly designed lighting causes a great deal of light pollution. Lights that are brighter than necessary also cause light pollution. Recently, two Italian astronomers and an American environmental scientist created a world map of the night sky. The map shows that North America, Western Europe and Japan have the greatest amount of light pollution. Most people in America are surprised to find out that they are able to see our own galaxy, the Milky Way, with their own eyes. But about three fourths of Americans cannot see the Milky Way because of man-made light. Objects in the night sky are resources that provide everyone with wonder. And light pollution threatens to prevent those wonderful sights from being seen. Task 4: 【答案】 A. Israel and Jordan，365，the lowest point，saltiest，are important to Jews, Christians and Muslims，Minerals，The strange beauty of the sea B. Purpose of the project: To help save the Dead Sea from shrinking. Countries to initiate the project: Israel and Jordan. Cause of the shrinking: Water that used to flow from the Jordan River into the Dead Sea has been redirected for other uses in the area. Specific measures: A pipeline of more than 300 kilometers long will be built to pump water from the Red Sea through both countries into the Dead Sea. Duration of the project: At least three years. Cost of the project: 1,000 million dollars. Message sent by this project: The environment, ecology and nature are more important than borders or political conflicts. C. 1) T 2) T 【原文】 Israel and Jordan recently announced that they would work together to help save the Dead Sea from shrinking. Government officials said the joint project would help the sea, protect the area's unusual wildlife and increase the number of visitors to the area. The announcement was made during the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development earlier this month in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Dead Sea is on the border between Israel and Jordan. It is 365 meters below sea level. That is the lowest point on Earth. The Dead Sea is the saltiest large body of water in the world. The area around the Dead Sea has ancient places that are important to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Minerals in the Dead Sea are used for health treatments. The strange beauty of the sea brings many visitors to the area. But the Dead Sea is shrinking by almost one meter each year. Most of the water that flows into the Dead Sea comes from the Jordan River. However, water flowing from the Jordan River has been redirected for other uses in the area. Officials say within the next 50 years, the Dead Sea could shrink to less than half of its current size. To prevent that, Israel and Jordan plan to build a pipeline more than 300 kilometers long. The pipeline would pump water from the Red Sea through both countries into the Dead Sea. After the pipeline is built, the officials hope to build a canal and a salt removal System that will provide fresh water to Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians. The pipeline will take at least three years to build. The project will cost as much as 1,000 million dollars. Israel and Jordan hope to pay for it with help from other countries. The project is expected to begin after a nine-month study is completed. Israel and Jordan had hoped to cooperate closely on a number of issues after they signed a peace agreement in 1994. However, tensions have increased between them since the current Palestinian uprising began two years ago. Officials from Israel and Jordan described the water project as a major step forward. Experts say the agreement sends a message that the environment, ecology and nature are more important than borders or political conflicts. Task 5: 【答案】 A. 1) 27 percent, higher ocean temperatures，activities by people，60 percent 2) developing countries，off the coast of northeastern Australia，off the Philippines，the Caribbean islands，South America B. Coral reefs support many kinds of sea life. Coral reefs also protect coastal communities in storms. Coral reefs support fishing activities and protect inland waterways. Coral reefs also have become popular stops for travelers. Corals are even important for medical research. C. 1) F 2) T 3) T 【原文】 Environmental experts are concerned about the world's coral reefs. A recent study found that twenty-seven percent of all coral reef systems have been destroyed. Experts believe higher ocean temperatures and activities by people are to blame. The study warns that sixty percent of the reef systems could be permanently lost if nothing is done to stop the problem. Corals are groups of small organisms called polyps. These polyps live within a skeleton made of a substance called limestone. Corals are found in warm waters. Millions of corals grow together to form coral reefs. Coral reefs are some of the oldest natural systems in the world. The reefs support many kinds of sea life. They can be to important to local and national economies. The reefs also protect coastal communities in storms. The World Wildlife Fund paid for the independent report. The group warns that the destruction of coral reefs will result in severe losses to the world economy. Peter Bryant works with the Endangered Seas Program of the World Wildlife Fund. Mister Bryant notes that most of the reef systems are in developing countries. He says the presence of coral reefs produces money for many economies. Coral reefs support fishing activities and protect inland waterways. They also have become popular stops for travelers. Many people like to swim underwater to see coral reefs. Mister Bryant estimates that the world's coral reefs are worth thirty-thousand-million dollars a year. The largest in the world is the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of northeastern Australia. Coral reefs also are found in waters off the Philippines, Indonesia, the Caribbean islands, the United States and South America. Corals are even important for medical research. Mister Bryant says more than half of all new cancer drug studies involve sea creatures. For example, he notes there is a reef in the Caribbean with organisms that form the basis of the AIDS drug A-Z-T. The World Wildlife Fund say coral reefs should be declared protected areas. That way, human activities could be more closely supervised. The group says governments must take responsibility for the future of their coastal communities. Task 6: 【答案】 A. The group claims responsibility for hundreds of acts of destruction in the United States in the past five years, with the destruction estimated at more than 30 million dollars. Since 1996, members of the group have claimed to have damaged or burned hundreds of new homes, tree- cutting companies, federal offices and animal and plant research laboratories. They say their goal is to stop development and other activities they consider harmful to nature. They say their property attacks are aimed at industry and rich people who profit from the destruction of the natural environment. The Earth Liberation Front says it will use any direct action necessary to carry out its goals. But it says it is opposed to harming animals or humans. Traditional environmental groups in the United States reject the group's methods. B. 1) a 17-year-old student，the state of New York，cooperate with officials investigating the Earth Liberation Front 2) environmental extremists，the group usually leaves very little evidence behind 【原文】 For years, American law enforcement officials have been trying to solve a series of environmental crimes. The crimes are linked to a group known as the Earth Liberation Front. The group claims responsibility for hundreds of acts of destruction in the United States during the past five years. The destruction has caused more than thirty million dollars worth of damage. Federal investigators say they are finally closer to solving the crimes. Recently, a seventeen-year-old student reportedly admitted setting a series of fires in the state of New York. He was charged in connection with acts of damage believed to be carried out by the Earth Liberation Front. The student is the son of a New York City police officer. He reportedly made the admission during a secret court hearing. As part of a deal, the student agreed to cooperate with officials investigating the Earth Liberation Front. He could face up to twenty years in prison. This is the first time that a member of the group has admitted being responsible for environmental crimes linked to the Earth Liberation Front. Three other suspects in the property attacks were negotiating with federal officials. Since Nineteen-Ninety-Six, members of the group have claimed to have damaged or burned hundreds of new homes, tree-cutting companies, federal offices and animal and plant research laboratories. They say their goal is to stop development and other activities they consider harmful to nature. They say their property attacks are aimed at industry and rich people who profit from the destruction of the natural environment. The Earth Liberation Front says it will use any direct action necessary to carry out its goals. But it says it is opposed to harming animals or humans. Traditional environmental groups in the United States reject the group's methods. The Earth Liberation Front includes environmental extremists who operate independently of each other. Federal investigators say their lack of structure has made them difficult to stop. And they say the group usually leaves very little evidence behind. A few weeks ago, the group claimed responsibility for burning several new homes in Mount Sinai, New York. It has also claimed responsibility for destructive acts in Colorado, Arizona, Oregon and Wisconsin. Task 7: 【答案】 A. renewable energy，the next ten years，1 percent，1,500 megawatts，past 20 years，38 cents，3 cents，a 90 percent drop，government support B. A number of people who live on or visit the Cape say Cape Cod is a national treasure should not be open to industry. They argue that building the windmills would hurt fish and birds in the area, and it would hurt tourism. They say the windmills will ruin the beauty of looking out to sea from the coast. C. 1) T 2) F 【原文】 A study says wind power will lead the growth in the use of renewable energy in the United States and Canada over the next ten years. Renewable energy also includes forms like power from the sun. Navigant Consulting in the United States carried out the study. Energy companies helped pay for much of the research. The use of wind energy has grown in the United States, but remains less than one percent of all the energy produced. Lisa Frantzis led the study. She says the researchers expect additions of as much as one-thousand-five-hundred megawatts from wind power projects each year. That is about equal to the energy production of one nuclear power station. The study says there have been major improvements in the performance of all renewable energy technologies in the past twenty years. For example, the study reports a ninety percent drop in the price of electricity produced from wind. In the nineteen-eighties a kilowatt hour of wind power cost about thirty-eight cents. Now, a kilowatt hour is closer to three cents. The study found that government support must continue and grow to permit renewable energies to compete in the power industry. However, some renewable energy companies face criticism. In fact, wind energy producers usually have to deal with opposition from communities they try to enter. Currently, a wind energy company is trying to set up business in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. The Cape Wind company wants to place more than one-hundred windmills in nearby waters. The windmills are hundreds of meters tall. Cape Wind says the project could provide Cape Cod with seventy-five percent of its electricity needs. And, it would not create pollution. But, a number of people who live on or visit the Cape say they do not want the windmills. They say Cape Cod is a national treasure that should not be open to industry. They argue that building the windmills would hurt fish and birds in the area. And, they say it would hurt tourism. They say the windmills will ruin the beauty of looking out to sea from the coast. Environmental groups, however, look at the situation differently. They ague that a source of energy that does not cause pollution would protect natural environments like Cape Cod. Task 8: 【答案】 A. 1) For him, pollution is the way environment is being misused, the actions which consume the environment, like the overuse of artificial fertilizers and over-cropping in developing agriculture. And the harmful substances like the waste from motor cars and factories are less important. 2) They see pollution as a social problem, and the root cause of pollution is the way we organize our society and the incredible waste of resources. B. 1) Housewives can avoid buying things that they don't need. 2) They can also cut down on the amount of packaging and try not to buy dyed toilet paper to reduce water pollution. 3) People can avoid buying drinks in non-returnable bottles. 4) They can reduce consumption by making their own food instead of buying it. 【原文】 Matthew: Christopher, most countries now appear to become increasingly concerned with the issue of pollution and its control. How do you see this problem? Christopher: What I see as pollution is the way the environment is being mishandled. Um... obviously there are certain waste products which are vomited out of motor cars or out of factories, either into the sea or into the river ways and so on. But, you know, they are what people say is pollution. More important things, I think, in terms of pollution, are the way that the environment in general is being misused. Things like agriculture, where artificial fertilizers and over-cropping and so on literally consume the environment. It is all picked up, collected, and transported from the land in terms of food or fibers and then ends tip in the sea at some stage, either through sewage or through waste products. I think that they are probably more significant. Matthew: Right. Michael, can you tell me though whether.., urn.., as I get the feeling, this is a problem which has been blown up by the media, because people wish to avoid some of the more difficult problems to do with being a consumer society,...and, in a sensei trying to solve many aspects of the pollution problem is rather a sort of cleaning up process without getting to the root of the problem? Michael: Well, pollution is a symptom really rather than the cause. Matthew: Mmm. Michael: But of itself it does produce many quite serious results. In fact we do not really know what the long-term effects of many pollutants are going to be, but most forms of pollution can be solved.., urn.., fairly easily and usually by technical means. Now the difficulty with other environmental problems is that many of them have no technical solution and this is where the difference arises between those who are advocating technical solutions to problems which they see almost purely in terms of pollution and those who see the real problems of society as a whole, the way we organize it, the incredible waste of resources that is endemic in this society. Matthew: This seems a very complex problem. Jane, how can individuals of the public, housewives, children at school, anyone.., help to prevent pollution? Jane: Well, I think there are lots of things people can do in the home or at school or in the office. Mm... when it comes to tackling the problems on a major basis, I mean it's question of continual lobbying and pressuring, writing to newspapers, etc. But I think there are many things that people.., particularly housewives can do in the house, like urn.., for instance, just not buying things that have no use after the package has been opened,.., um... to really make a note of the sort of stuff that goes into the rubbish bin, that's very, very important; you can cut down on the amount of packaging.., on the amount of, for instance, water pollution like buying um... toilet paper that's dyed... um.., and all this sort of thing that people can cut down on. You can make a greater .effort not to buy drinks in non-returnable bottles; to make your own food, such as jams and drinks which are quite easy to do, rather than just going out and buying and consuming more and more. And if you put this into practice in all walks of life, in the home and at school and in the office, this is a very, very good, major contribution to helping solve some of the more immediate problems of pollution. Matthew: So in a sense, perhaps you are saying that it's the way we consume things that is creating pollution, by the litter they cause or perhaps by the fact that we use so much oil, and therefore there will be a number of oil tankers on the sea, and that means there will be accidents and oil spillage and so on, so that we have to stop consuming, is it...or...? Jane: I think that is a very big part of it actually... Certainly, you know, when you get down to the more technical sides of pollution, of atmospheric pollution caused by certain industrial processes, there's not a great deal that an individual can do other than cause a fuss about it, which I hope most people, you know, would consider doing. But certainly on a day by day household basis, much of the problems of pollution are certainly caused by either just complete thoughtlessness and waste or by problems of overconsuming natural resources. And in all the products that arrive at the housewife's table, the more refined and pre-packed and disposable it is, the more pollution it will have caused in its manufacture and it's likely to cause in its disposal Task 9: 【答案】 I. Energy transition (definition) A change of one major resource of energy to another. II. First energy transition: From wood to coal A. Wood as major fuel 1. Usages: Heat homes, cook food, and produce basic items. 2. Major advantages: It was cheap and easy to get and easy to burn. B. Coal as major fuel 1. Advantages over wood: a. It burns for a long time. b. It burns at a higher temperature. 2. Good effects on many Western countries in the 1800s and the early 1900s: a. The industry developed. b. People lived a better life. 3. Disadvantages revealed after 50 years of use: a. Air pollution. b. High costs, because it is not renewable. III. Second energy transition: From coal to petroleum A. Apparent advantages over the previous fuel: 1. It was cheap. 2. It was easy to get. 3. The supply around the world seemed to be large. B. Reasons for people to favor the new resource: 1. People's need for a better life. 2. Industrial development: The introduction of the internal combustion engine needed liquid fuel. C. Good effects on people's lives; It allowed people to travel by car, to heat their homes more efficiently, to buy a greater variety of things, and to purchase more things at lower prices. D. Disadvantages disclosed after 50 years of use: 1. As a fossil fuel, it is not renewable. 2. The price goes up. 3. It causes environmental pollution. IV. Conclusion A. The pattern in the previous energy transitions: 1. The transition is made in order to improve the quality of people's lives. 2. A new energy resource seems to have more advantages than the old energy source, and fewer disadvantages. B. The third energy transition: 1. Time: The late 20th century and early 21st century. 2. The important things to consider: The effects of this energy transition and the advantages and the disadvantages of the new fuel. 【原文】 Most industrialized nations have gone through two major energy transitions, and some nations are now making a third major energy transition. By energy transition we mean a change of one major resource of energy to another. The first major energy transition was from wood to coal. For many centuries people used wood as a primary source of energy. By burning wood people were able to heat their homes, cook their food, and produce basic items. By using wood societies were able to support themselves and take care of their needs. Most early societies grew up near a sufficient supply of wood. The main advantage of wood was that it was cheap and easy to get and easy to bum. During the early 1800s, probably around the year 1820, some towns and villages began to make transition from wood to coal as the basic source of energy. About that time, people thought that coal would have more advantages than wood. Wood is a renewable fuel, which means that it grows back. This is, an advantage. But most wood is not as efficient a source of energy as coal. Most wood doesn't burn for very long, and most wood doesn't burn at very high temperatures. It was found that coal could generally burn longer than wood. And it burned at a higher temperature. These were good points for industry because early in the 1800s industry began to develop very rapidly and a long-burning and hot-burning fuel was needed for the machines that were being used. Coal seemed to have another advantage. There was a lot of it, and it was easy to get. By digging just below the surface of the ground and by using simple tools, coal could be taken from the ground easily. In the 1800s transportation became more developed too, so coal could be shipped to faraway places. It was no longer necessary to live near a source of energy. Coal was used as a primary source of energy in many Western countries in the 1800s and the early 1900s. The transition from wood to coal seemed to have an overall effect. Industry developed. People were able to get more things, they were able to build bigger homes, and they were able to spend less time making what they needed for their daily lives. Most people would say that, in general, people's standard of living went up. People seemed to have lived a better life. After 50 years of using coal some disadvantages seemed obvious. One disadvantage was air pollution. Industrial centers of the early 1900s were often covered with a thick layer of smoke. Using coal was seen as somewhat unsafe and unhealthy. Another disadvantage of using coal was its rising costs. As more coal was used, it became harder to get. It became necessary to dig farther down in the ground in order to get the coal. Because coal was more difficult to get, the cost went up. And coal is a fossil fuel. It comes from under the ground. It doesn't renew itself. When it's gone, it's gone. At about the same time some of the disadvantages of coal became clear, petroleum began to reach the market. Petroleum became attractive because it was cheap and easy to get. Most people didn't know of any disadvantages in using petroleum. So the second transition was made—from coal to petroleum. The reason for changing from coal to petroleum was that people thought that their standard of living would be better. They thought their lives would be better by changing to this new energy source. And, once again, the change was connected to developments in industry. In the early 1900s, the internal combustion engine—the kind of engine used in most automobiles-was developed. An internal combustion engine needs liquid fuel. Petroleum was an excellent liquid fuel. It was fairly cheap and easy to get, and the supply around the world seemed to be quite large. In addition, other machinery was developed that used petroleum, so gradually, many industrialized societies changed over to petroleum. Using petroleum greatly affected people's lives. It allowed people to heat their homes more efficiently, to buy a greater variety of things, and to purchase more things at lower prices because production costs were reduced. And there was less visible pollution. So, in general, the transition from coal to petroleum seemed to be worthwhile. Of course, like using wood or coal, using petroleum has some disadvantages. And, as in the case of the change to coal, it's easier to see the disadvantages 50 years after the transition. One disadvantage of using petroleum is that it is a fossil fuel—it doesn't renew itself—so eventually—it will run out. There is a limited supply. And, as the supply decreases, the price goes higher. And, like burning wood or coal, burning petroleum also produces air pollution. This pollution isn't safe for people, particularly in industrial areas and in big cities. So, if we look at these energy transitions—first, from wood to coal, and then from coal to petroleum, we see a simple pattern. The transition is made in order to improve the quality of people's lives. And the transition is made because a new energy resource seems to have more advantages than the old energy source, and fewer disadvantages. During the late 20th century and early 21st century, many countries will be making another major energy transition. The transition this time will be from petroleum to another source of energy. As with earlier transitions, it will be important to consider the effects and the advantages and the disadvantages. Unit 3 Task 1: 【答案】 A. 1) voice signals，video images，computer data 2) 1983，four million，game-playing，educational，financial，budgeting,，accounting 3) 1983，52 percent，16 percent 4) 18—19，25 percent，18 percent，over-60s，3 percent，87 percent B. 1) ISDN stands for the integrated services digital network. 2) Some people attribute this growth industry to the recession which led to redundancies and a shorter working week, and this in turn led to more leisure time. Then people began indulging in home entertainment in their extra free time. Hundreds of companies have sprung up to fill this gap, and the sports, DIY and home entertainment industries are achieving phenomenal success. 3) Having teenagers in the home was a decisive factor in the purchase of a personal computer. 4) Users become more knowledgeable and want more expensive machines with all kinds of new things. 5) With more time on their hands people tend to spend more time keeping fit with the help of all kinds of new gadgets. 6) Rubik's cube is a famous toy of the early 1980s, which has six sides, each composed of nine rotating faces, with 43 quintillion combinations. 7) Hacker means an enthusiast who breaks into computers. They use their home computers to break into supposedly secure government and business computers, for example in banks, labs and research centers. 【原文】 Just before I give a few details about the fun aspect of computers—that is, for use at home and for entertainment—I'd like to mention a couple of facts about the outlook for ISDN—that's the integrated services digital network—and it foresees a world-wide telecommunications network which could transmit telex and voice signals and, indeed, full-color video images and high-speed computer data. Now, can you just imagine having a meeting with your colleagues around the world without even leaving your office? Well, that's what world-wide video teleconferencing can do, and it's on the cards that internal toll-free telephones may be available and also faster computer transmission with a digital network. And how are all these marvelous things achieved? Well, there are satellite relays, and digital packet switching, and laser devices which transmit over fiber-optic cables. But more about that another time. And after that slight diversion I'll get back to a totally different aspect of modern technology—home computers, or PCs—that stands for personal computers. First, a bit of background. Some people attribute this growth industry to the recession which led to redundancies and a shorter working week, and this in turn led to more leisure time. So what are people doing with this extra free time that's on their hands? They're indulging in home entertainment, that's what! Hundreds of companies have sprung up to fill this gap, and the sports, DIY and home entertainment industries are achieving phenomenal success. In 1983 in the US, there were four million PCs, and game-playing was the principal use, with educational use a close second; and in third place was the financial function for things like budgeting, balancing cheque books, accounting and forecasting and so on. To illustrate this with a few concrete figures, from the States again, in 1983, 52 per cent of the software was for entertainment programs, whereas only 16 percent was educational. Possibly this could be explained by the short life span of computer games, and having teenagers in the home was a decisive factor in the purchase of a personal computer, as households with children in this age-range were 50 per cent more likely to buy them. As far as the interest versus disapproval statistics go, in the 18-19 age-group, 25 per cent expressed interest in PCs and 18 per cent disapproval; and at the other end of the scale, the over-60s showed only 3 per cent interest and a resounding 87 per cent disapproval! And this trend towards PCs is likely to continue as users become more knowledgeable and want more expensive machines with all kinds of new things. And there's a wide range in sizes, too, as the portable market expands, and now you can buy a featherweight lap-size model that's less than 2 kg, or something larger at around 12 kg but still portable. Just to digress slightly, I'd like to point out that microtechnology has hit other aspects of the home and leisure industry as well. With more time on our hands it seems we're spending more time keeping fit, and fitness has become a real growth industry, and it seems prone to gadgetry as well! There are all sorts of new things on the market these days. Take, for example, the watches that monitor your pulse rate as you jog or do aerobics, or exercise bicycles with sensors in the handgrips to check your pulse rate and then display it on a screen. And for those of you who remember that famous toy of the early 80s—Rubik's cube, the one with six sides, each composed of nine rotating faces, with 43 quintillion combinations—well, anyway, in a lab in the US they're working on a Cubot—that's a self-contained robot using microprocessors and mechanics—to solve it. But I'm getting off the track again, so back to our home computers with a final warning. The technical innovations of the last couple of decades have led to a host of new words in our vocabulary, and one of these is hacker—that's H-A-C-K-E-R—and it simply means an enthusiast who breaks into computers. And, not so long ago in the States, teenagers who were hackers used their home computers to break into supposedly secure government and business computers, for example in banks, labs and research centers. They just tried out different passwords until they found the right one. And as one seventeen-year-old said, 'It was like child's play.' And all that's needed is a home computer and a modem—that's M-O-D-E-M—which is a device that allows computers to transmit data over the phone lines—and, of course, a basic knowledge of how to operate a computer! And this has led to tangled legal and ethical problems—but we won't go into that here. But, as you can see, home computers are indeed a handy thing to have around, not only for entertainment but also for educational value. And no doubt in future... Task 2: 【答案】 A. Time Name of the Programme Content Channel 7:15 Authors Now Interview with Pat Ellison Radio 3 7:45 Mystery Hour The second episode of Charles Richards' exciting thriller She Died on Monday Radio 2 8:00 Monday concert Classical music of Beethoven and Brahms Radio 3 8:50 Postbag Opinions of the audience Radio 3 10:30 Bedtime Reading Book Pat Ellison's most famous novel A Cousin from Birmingham will be read by Catherine Jeavons. Radio 4 From 11:30 p.m. onwards tomorrow night Swing the Day Away Caroline Peel will be playing some of the records the audience have requested for relatives and triends. Radio 1         B. 1) c 2) b 3) d 4) b 5) d 【原文】 Announcer: The time now is 5:52 and in 3 minutes here on Radio 4 we have the weather forecast followed at 6 o'clock by the news, which means we have time for a look at programmes for this evening and for the week ahead with Bernard Mitchell. Bernard Mitchell: For classical music lovers, tonight's Monday concert on Radio 3 will be broadcast live from the Royal Festival Hall and includes works by Beethoven and Brahms, starting at 8 o'clock. In the interval, Peter Simpson will be giving some of your opinions on radio programmes in "postbag" at 8:50. Fans of the writer Pat Ellison may be interested to know that she's being interviewed on tonight's edition of "Authors Now" at 7:15 on Radio 3 prior to our concert. Pat Ellison's most famous novel A Cousin from Birmingham is also our "Bedtime Reading Book", starting tonight at 10:30 after the news on Radio 4, and will be read by Catherine Jeavons. In "Mystery Hour" on Radio 2 starting at 7:45 you can hear the second episode of Charles Richards' exciting thriller She Died on Monday and that's followed by another edition of "Sports Desk" which will bring you an up-to-the-minute report of tonight's Portugal versus England match, as well as details of all today's other main sporting events. Those of you who enjoyed last month's programme "The Animals Came to Tea" on Radio 2 and would like to hear it again, or may have missed the broadcast altogether, may like to know that we are repeating the programme on Radio 4 on Thursday morning at 10:15. In case you don't already know, naturalist and explorer David Woods recounts some of his experiences in the Amazon jungle. If you fancy a little late-night music, you can "Swing the Day Away" with Caroline Peel on Radio 1 from 11:30 p.m. onwards tomorrow night, when she will be playing some of the records you have requested for relatives and friends. Also for pop music lovers, most of Tuesday evening on Radio 1 will be devoted to a rock concert recorded last week in the Albert Hall, featuring many well-known groups, and that will start at 7:30. If you are thinking of buying a home computer in the near future, in "Watchout" this Friday on Radio 4 at 10:45, Michael Sharp will be delving into this world of microtechnology and giving listeners advice on all the latest models available and what to look out for. And now back to you, Evelyn. Task 3: 【答案】 1) Yes, but it doesn't exist the same as it used to. It was totally based on the star system before. And now, it is more a matter of the talent and the people that would live to have the exposure. 2) a) They live in a totally different life style than they used to. b) They work in different motion pictures, but are not necessarily contracted to a studio. So the studios don't have as many contract players now as they used to have. 3) Not as much importance has been placed on the star career of the actors and actresses as there used to be, because their career now can rise and fall with a season on television. It rose and fell with almost their entire lifetime with the studio before. 【原文】 Interviewer: There's an image of Hollywood around the world... Mickennon:  Uh-hmm. Interviewer: Is that uh...image - does it exist anymore? Mickennon:  Not as much as it used to. Interviewer: All the glamour and the rest of it? Mickennon:  I don't think it exists the same as it used to. Uh...it was based on the star system so  totally before. And now, it is more a matter of uh...the talent, and the people and the uh...exposure of uh...those that would like to have the exposure. Interviewer:  What has happened to Hollywood actors and actresses then? Obviously, they're still      making motion picture material for television. Bat it's almost like a different medium, isn't it? Mickennon: Well, they like in a different life style—totally different life style that they used to. It used to be they all lived in fabulous mansions, and they had all kinds of uh...servants and that sort of thing. Uh...and their uh...their car status, and their...their beach home status... Interviewer:  Uh-huh... Mickennon: ...and uh...their status with the studio. It...it no longer is a matter of... Interviewer:  It's just different... Mickennon: ...what studio you're with. It's a matter that you're working  in this picture or that picture, but not necessarily contracted to studio. They don't have as many contract players now as they used to have. Interviewer: But is it that there is not the need to create as much of an image or something with  the television era as it was with motion pictures? Because a lot of the - Mickennon:  I don't think as much importance has been placed on their... their star career as there used to be. Because uh...their careers now can rise and fall with a season on television... Interviewer: Uh-huh. Mickennon:  But it rose and fell with almost their entire lifetime with the studio before... (To be continued) Task 4: 【答案】 1) Some people complain that television is not entertainment, but simply a commercial enterprise, which considers what it likes rather than what the masses like. 2) The broadcast stations are granted a license to ensure that they aim to educate as well as entertain. Otherwise, they are likely to lose sight of this fact, and strictly entertain. 3) A fair rating system would be one that the majority could control, rather than the few. Then the rating system would be an indication of what the people really want. 4) That's because he thinks that the cartoon is a less violent medium. And it gives an actor an opportunity to express himself in a way that he can't do on live action in front of the camera. 【原文】 Interviewer: Some people are very cynical about television as a medium. I've heard it said that it's, it's not entertainment—it's simply a commercial enterprise. Mickennon: It has a tendency to make you feel that way, and I think that more and more all the time, the producers are being made aware of this... Interviewer: Uhmmm. Mickennon: That's why the broadcast stations are granted a license--to educate as well as entertain. And in many cases, they lose sight of this fact, and they strictly entertain. And they don't consider the masses. They consider what they like rather than what the masses like. So, who's going to say what's a fair rating system? Interviewer: Uh-huh. Mickennon: I wish somebody could create one that the people could control, rather than the few—because then it would be an indication of what the people really want. Interviewer: You would think that they have... People complain about violence.., on... on television... Mickennon: No, I don't go for the violent stuff too much. I think that's one of the reasons I like to work cartoons—they're a less violent medium. And it...it gives an actor an opportunity to express himself in a way that you can't do on live action in front of the camera. Interviewer: Uh-huh Mickennon: Because you can do voices, and you can do interpretations—wild characters that you could never do otherwise, because nobody would ever cast you for that sort of thing. Especially, they cast you for the way you look on camera... Interviewer: Right. Mickennon: They cast you for the way you sound on cartoons! Task 5: 【答案】 A. single unifying，integrated a) play，story，interesting，cogent b) songs，dances，carry it forward c) dancing，of equal importance B. 1) It is often said that the modem musical show is America's most original and dynamic contribution to world theater. 2) When Oklahoma! burst into popularity in 1943, Broadway audiences and critics were struck by its originality, vitality, and excitement. 3) It proves that literature need not be coarsened by musicalization nor its spirit distorted. When the music is skillful and inspired and the collaborators well matched, the results are triumphant. 【原文】 It is often said that the modern musical show is America's most original and dynamic contribution to world theater. Certainly in the last quarter of a century, America has produced a spate of musical plays that have been phenomenally popular abroad as well as at home. Yet it is very difficult to explain what is new or characteristically American about them, for the ingredients are centuries old. For hundreds of years, drama and dance, music and verse have been combined in different ways to compose grand and light operas, operettas, musical reviews, and musical comedies. Perhaps the uniqueness of America's contribution to the genre can best be characterized through brief descriptions of several of the most important and best-known musicals. One of these is surely "Oklahoma!" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. When "Oklahoma!" burst into popularity in 1943, Broadway audiences and critics were struck by its originality, vitality, and excitement. This “new” type of musical was conceived as a kind of total theater which the play (or "book"), the music and lyrics, the dancing, and the scenic background were assembled not merely to provide entertainment and variety, but to share intimately in a single unifying concept. This meant that the play or story that provides the structure of the piece must be itself an interesting and cogent drama, not merely a skeleton on which to hang a series of unrelated songs and dances and jokes. It also meant that the songs and dances should arise (or seem to arise) naturally out of the situations of the story and should not interrupt the action but carry it forward. At last dancing had become more than an extra and entertaining frill, it had become a partner of equal importance. The choreographer of Oklahoma!, Agnes de Mille, was given free reign to create the dances in an American folk-dance style expanded by all the virtuosity of classical ballet and modern dance. The result was a brilliantly integrated performance by the talented dancers and singing actors. Oklahoma! also marked a new direction in the choice of story on which a musical is based. No longer were writers and composers content with a simple love story in a sentimentally picturesque or aristocratic setting. After Oklahoma! most musicals were based on plays or novels that had already proven themselves and that contained more realistic stories of young love in authentic social and cultural contexts. "Oklahoma!" itself was based on Lynn Rigg's successful and esteemed "folk play" Green Grow the Lilacs; its story dealt not only with the vicissitudes of young love, but also with opening of the American West. As in all genres, the musical has had its share of failures. Some worthy dramas have been pressed into service and musicalized and sometimes butchered in the process, and audiences have had to watch a fine play diluted into a mediocre musical. But the successes have been many and spectacular. Musicals such as My Fair Lady (1956), based on Shaw's delightful Pygmalion, have repeatedly proved that literature need not be coarsened by musicalization nor its spirit distorted. Indeed, when the music is skillful and inspired and the collaborators well matched, the results are triumphant. Task 6: 【答案】 A. About Corrie Clifton’s Latest Novel Tables in White Speaker General Opinion Further Explanation Rosie Wasn't impressed at all. The plot is pathetic/far-fetched, the characters have absolutely no credibility and the settings are just too simplistic/completely unrealistic. Rick It was a really good read. Maybe the main character was a bit wishy-washy, but the pace is fast-moving and it sure kept me up late at night finishing it. Toby Inclined to agree with Rosie about the characterization and the settings; but couldn't put it down. The characterization and the settings are a bit superficial and lacking the depth of description of the author's previous best-seller, but it's got a fast- moving plot. Penny So unrealistic. The author should have done far more research into the subject of hospitals and medicine and tried to present a more authentic picture.       About the Film Hidden Treasures Speaker General Opinion Further Explanation Toby Thoroughly enjoyed it. It had exactly the right blend of suspense and romance; the music was evocative but not overpowering, and the photography was beautiful, especially the underwater scenes. Rosie Would heartily recommend it. It was a fascinating film, both amusing and educational, though the music was a trifle soppy at times. Penny Refreshing; quite good fun. Lack of violence and horror. Rick Average. There is little plot, but the music is a pure joy.       B. 1) b 2) c 【原文】 Luke: It's our weekly round-up of what's new on the entertainment scene, and our panel will be giving you their opinions. This is Luke Greatwich, your regular host, and this evening our guests are Rosie Davis, the drama critic of the National Times. Rosie: Good evening! Luke: And Penny Williams, an up-and-coming British opera star. Penny: Hello! Luke: And Toby Price, the director of the Grimston Gallery. Toby: Good evening! Luke: And Rick Sun, who is an agent for several pop groups. Rick: Hi! Luke: So, a big welcome to all of you! Penny: Nice to be here. Toby: Glad to be on the programme. Rick: Pleasure. Luke: I'm sure our listeners are dying to hear your reactions to Corrie Clifton's latest novel Tables in White, the sequel to last year's blockbuster Rain on the Panes. So let's start with you, Rosie. Rosie: Frankly, I wasn't impressed at all! The plot is pathetic, the characters have absolutely no credibility and the settings are just too simplistic! Rick: Hey, hang on a minute, Rosie! I thought it was a really good read! Maybe the main character-that young doctor from Rain on the Panes—was a bit wishy-washy, but the pace is fast-moving and it sure kept me up late at night finishing it! Rosie: That's all very well, Rick, but the plot is so far-fetched and it's totally impossible to identify with any of the characters; and the descriptions of the places are like something out of a travel brochure for a holiday at rock-bottom prices! Completely unrealistic! Luke: Yes. Well, Toby, perhaps you could give us your comments on this novel. Toby: Well, I'm inclined to agree with Rosie about the characterization and the settingsa bit superficial and lacking the depth of description of her previous best-seller but, like Rick, I couldn't put it down It's got a fast moving plot. Penny: Ah, maybe so, but it's so unrealistic! Can you actually imagine real people getting involved in situations like that? Seriously, though, as the main character is a doctor, I felt she—Corrie Clifton, that is—should have done far more research into the subject of hospitals and medicine and tried to present a more authentic picture.