高中英语 unit 1 a land of diversity 听力原文练习 新人教版选修8

2014-2015学年高中英语 Unit 1 A land of diversity 听力原文练习 新人教版选修8A HOLIDAY IN CALIFORNIAGeorge (G) is on holiday in the United States. He is touring around California. Listen to him phoning home to talk to his friend Christie (C).Listen again and fill in the blanks.C: Hello.G: Hi, Christie. Its me, George.C: Gosh, George! Where are you?G: In Joshua Tree National Park.C: Wow, wheres that?G: Its in southeast California.C: Lucky you! What are you doing down there?G: Well, I started in northern California and Ive been travelling south.C: Cool. So hows the trip been?G: Jolly good. Theres so much to see and its nothing like what I imagined.C: Really?G: Yeah. I expected everyone to live near the beach in big houses, and I thought everyone here would be rich.C: (laughing) Just as I thought. Youve watched too many American movies!G: I know, and they can give you the wrong idea!C: So, tell me, whats it really like?G: Well, some people live near the coast; but further east, in the central part, is a huge valley where they grow all sorts of things like cotton, vegetables, nuts and fruit, oh lots of things. And lots of cattle.C: Mmm, sounds interesting. What other scenery is there?G: Well, if you go further southeast, you come to mountains and desert. That land is really spectacular.C: Sounds fantastic! So youre in the desert at the moment?G: Yes, thats right. Its very hot and very different from the rest of California.C: I wish I could see it for myself. What are the people like?G: Well, I didnt realize there were so many different races and cultures here.C: Such as? G: Well, there are white and black Americans of course, and lots of Asians. And about a quarter of all Californians are Hispanic.C: Hispanic?G: People whose ancestors came from Spanish speaking countries in South America.C: Oh I see.G: So theres a huge difference in culture and the way people look. Lots of different art, different types of festival, music, food and anything else you can think of. C: Sounds great. And what about ? Workbook-ListeningA TRAVELLERS STORYT = Tom M = MandyListen again and fill in the blanks.T: This is Tom Price, and you are listening to Travellers Tales, a weekly programme about travel. Today on the show, we have Mandy Long, who has just returned from New Orleans. Welcome, Mandy.M: Thank you for having me.T: Now first, tell us exactly where New Orleans is.M: Its in the far south of the United States, on the Mississippi River, about 160 kilometres from the Gulf of Mexico.T: And whats the climate like there?M: Well, it can get quite hot and humid. But the evenings are usually wonderfully warm and pleasant.T: I see. So what made you want to go to New Orleans?M: I think it was the Mardi Gras. This is a world famous festival that goes on for about three weeks every year. People hold parties in the street and theres music and dancing everywhere. And there are thirty or forty parades. Everyone in the parades wears fancy dress. Apparently it started in 1857 as a Christian religious festival. These days Mardi Gras earns over US$840 million in tourism for New Orleans!T: It must be huge.M: Yeah, it is. And you dont get much sleep as the celebrations go on all night.T: Apart from the Mardi Gras what else did you enjoy about New Orleans?M: Its hard to know where to start. New Orleans has such a diverse and interesting culture. New Orleans is in the state of Louisiana, which at different times belonged to the French, the Spanish and the English. Then in 1812 it became part of the United States. So New Orleans is now home to a mixture of nationalities and races, including the descendants of slaves from Africa. At the time when the slaves were freed, many came to live in New Orleans. Today New Orleans has a population of about half a million, of whom 62% are African-American, 35% are white and about 3% are Hispanic. So, New Orleans has a rich mix of music, food and culture. And many different architectural styles too.T: I see. So how did you spend your time in New Orleans?M: Well, I spent a lot of time Workbook-Listening TaskA JAZZ FUNERALMandy (M) is listening to a jazz CD she bought while she was in New Orleans. Listen to her talking to Phil (P) about jazz funerals.Listen again and fill in the blanks.P: Whats that music youre playing? Mandy?M: Its a song called “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”. Its on a CD I bought in New Orleans.P: Its a bit sad, isnt it? M: Its supposed to be. Its music from a Jazz funeral.P: Why do you want to play such unhappy music?M: Oh, its only at the beginning that its sad. Listen to this one from further on in the CD.P: Thats more like it! They play that at funerals?M: At a jazz funeral. You see its a very old tradition. Four centuries ago, in Africa, the ancestors of the American slaves used to have a special ceremony to bury the dead. When the slaves came to America, they promised each other that despite their hardships they would make sure they still had a proper funeral. And that promise grew into the jazz funeral.P: I see. So what happens at a jazz funeral?M: Everyone meets at the church where they have a Christian ceremony. P: But thats like an ordinary funeral.M: True, but after the ceremony the coffin is carried through the streets to where it will be buried. Everyone walks behind the coffin, and a band plays serious music.P: It must be very interesting to see that. Is that all? M: No. After the body is buried, the people walk away sadly and slowly. As they do so the leader of the band starts to play a few notes on a trumpet and the drummer begins drumming. Thats the sign for a change of emotion in the music. Listen to the song.P: Wow! Thats much happier.M: Yes. Ever