上外中级口译第三版听力教程原文及讲解--Unit-16.docx

Unit 16. Part one. Air quality in Britain. 2. Exercises. 1. Listen to the passage about air quality in Britain. And then briefly answer the following questions. Air quality in Britain has improved considerably in the last 30 years. Total emissions of smoke in the air have fallen by over 85 percent since 1960. London and other major cities no longer have the dense smoke led in smog of the 1950s. And in central London winter sunshine has increased by about 70 percent since the late 1950s. However new concerns have arisen, especially over the emissions from the growing number of motor vehicles, and their possible impact on health. Measures have consequently been adopted to reduce substantially emissions from new vehicles. The environment act of 1995 provides a new frame work for air quality management, including the publication by the government of the national strategy which was said air qualities standards and targets for the pollutants causing the most concern. This was issued for consultation in August 1996 containing air quality targets for the year 2005. The act also places new duties on local authorities to assess air quality in their boundaries, and to prepare action plans where standards are not met or are likely to be met in future. Pilot schemes are being taken forward in 14 areas before full implementation in April 1997. Earlier legislation allows local authorities to declare smoke control areas within which the emission of smoke from chimneys is in offends. About two thirds of the dwellings in connorbations are covered by smoke control orders around 6,340 are in force. 2. Listen again and supply the missing information. Part two. Statements. 2. Exercises. Listen and then choose the answer that is closest in meaning to the statement you hear. 1) According to the regulations enforced by the health care authorities visitors arent allowed to stay in the hospital after 10 p.m. 2) The famous pop singer will give her last performance in town on Friday afternoon. Wouldnt it be nice if we didnt have to work this Friday. 3) The bicycle rider was refused help by several passing motorists on the side of the highway leading into the town center. 4) The lawyer revealed that John was named the only beneficiary in his uncles will which was a surprise to all. John had never met his uncle before. 5) All the people who will fill the managerial positions of the new company have been recruited. And the new management training program will start later this week. 6) The client, a retired engineer in his early 70s was unhappy because the lawyer had turned down his case. 7) After the building was damaged by a fire caused by faulty wires, the inhabitants were paid by the insurance company. 8) Everyone knows the following trend as the technology of electronics improves, the prices of personal computers should come down. 9) There should be one of those dresses that can fit you. They come in 3 different sizes. They are all imported from France or Britain. 10) Moner has been offered the managers job, although she has hardly any work experience. This is a big surprise even for herself. 11) I need to do something to improve my spoken French. I dont know whether the community college offer something. 12) At the board meeting held last Friday she voted against the investment plan, because she thinks it involves too great a risk. 13) The landlord collects rent on the first of the month without fail. So I need to always have cash ready before the end of each month. 14) The president appointed Mr. Brown head of the newly formed commission, although Mr. Brown is already well over 60 and he is expected to retire soon. 15) In order to make more money to support her two sons Martha is holding down 2 jobs at the same time, but shed better take it easy. 16) Pawl looked better when we visited him in the hospital last week. The doctor said he could come home to recover. 17) Weve come to the restaurant a bit too late. We would like to have the table by the window, but that table has been reserved. 18) After meeting with several failures, Walter has been unsuccessful with his new business. He was rather depressed in recent months. 19) At the annual general meetings the board chairman of the car company outlined the development strategy for the next decade. 20) Everybody says that Bob shouldnt go into arts since he is no good in math. But he had to decide for himself in my opinion. Part three. 3. Exercises. 1. Acid rain. Listen to the following passage and then choose the best answer to each question you hear. M: You know everyone today is concerned about pollution. And scientists are talking a lot about one kind of pollution, acid rain. W: Why exactly is it called acid rain? M: Its called acid rain because the rain or some other kind of precipitation has been polluted with acid. W: Where does the acid come from? M: From cars or factories, anything that burns coal or oil. These are made up mostly of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which react with water vapor to form sulphuric acid or nitric acid. W: You mean that when coal or oil is burned acid gets formed. And when it rains or snows the acid falls back on the earth? M: Exactly. Thats why it is so dangerous. Acid rain has been falling over areas of Northern American and Northern Europe. And if it isnt checked the affect on the water supply and plant of animal life could be disastrous. W: This is something I should read more about. Questions: 1) What is the best topic of this conversation? 2) What energy sources cause acid rain? 3) How is sulphuric acid formed? 4) According to the man where is acid rain a problem? 5) What action does the woman think she should take next? 2. Is nuclear power safe? Listen to the following dialogue about the use of nuclear power, and then choose the best answer to each question you hear. M: The energy minster announced at a press conference yesterday the construction of 3 more nuclear power stations. These were forms of a vital part of the governments energy plans for the next 2 decades. And it needed to satisfy the countrys growing demands for electricity. The plans were strongly criticized by opposition MPs as well as anti-nuclear and environmentalist groups. W: They must be absolutely mad. More nuclear power stations? M: OK, Jane. But weve got to get the energy from somewhere, havent we? We cant just go on using oil and coal. W: Look, the main point is that they are just not safe. They are real menace. Every one of these things is an accident waiting to happen. Look at the Chernobyl forgotten to sake. M: Yes, OK. I agree there is a risk, of course there is. But its minimal. With modern technology nuclear reactors are much safer. W: Much safer? You must be joking. No, look at all that radio active waste they are dumping into the sea and underground, nobody really knows what will happen long term. M: That is a problem, sure. But its also true that nuclear energy is cheap and can produce electricity very quickly. Lots of countries have no alternatives. They dont have any oil, coal, or anything. What are they suppose to do? W: Oh, come on. There are lots of possibilities. Well, quite a few. We just havent really looked at them seriously enough. There are solar energy and wind power and whats called wave power. We still got a lot of coal. M: All right, but that all take time and money to develop. We need energy now. And nuclear power is the best alternative. W: Oh, I dont believe this. I reckon it just crazy. Questions: 1) Who made the government announcement yesterday? 2) What is the government planning to do? 3) How does the woman feel about this? 4) What is the womans main argument? 5) Which of the following statements is not true about the mans argument? 3. Building dams. Listen to a college report and then choose the best answer to each question you hear. Millions of acres of lands of all kinds of wild life made their homes have been ruined in recent years. This land has been ruined by federally approved water projects such as dams built in violation of the rarely enforced law passed in 1934. According to this law all projects to modify a body of water can be carried out only after a through study to discover what damage may be caused to the wild life in that area. Many states have not complied with the law. In three southern states, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, about 1.2 million acres of wild life habitats have been covered with water because of dams which have been constructed there. Another plan to build a dam in Tennessee was fought because it would flood large areas of wild life habitat particularly endangering a species of small fish called the snail darter. The proposed dam would also destroy several important archeological sites, including the ancestral capital of the ancient Cherryky Indian nation. To prevent any further destruction the public must become accurately informed about the advantages and disadvantages of our national water projects. Only then can we be assured the existing laws will be enforced. Questions: 1) According to the speaker why have many animals and birds lost their homes? 2) What type of projects does the 1934 law deal with? 3) What is required by the rarely enforced 1934 law? 4) According to the speaker how many southern states have lost land because of dams? 5) Why did people fight a plan to build a dam in Tennessee? 6) According to the speaker how can further destruction be prevented? 7) According to the speaker who can prevent further destruction? Part four. Listening and translation. 2. Exercises. 1. Sentence translation. Listen and translate each sentence you have heard into Chinese. Then write it in the space given below. 1) I have some funds on hand, and I am wondering whether I ought to put them in the savings account. 2) The university is building a language laboratory for the department of English, and the job is scheduled to be completed early next year. 3) The balance of powers is keeping us out of war because neither side would really dare to start a war because of the consequences. 4) In addition to using newspapers and the phone the internet has become the tool for getting more details on job openings, applicat