中科大综合英语听力教程Unit 1.doc

4Unit One Language and CulturePart 1 English and Its OriginTask 3Directions: Listen to the following passage about characteristics of English. The passage will be read only once. After listening, choose the best answer from the four suggested choices marked A, B, C, and D to each of the questions you hear. Part 1 English and Its Origin Task 3 English language is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is used as either a primary or secondary language in many countries. English has a larger vocabulary than any other language. There are more than 600,000 words in the largest dictionaries of the English language. Some English words have been passed on from generation to generation expressing basic ideas and feelings. Later, many words were borrowed from other languages, including Arabic, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. For example, algebra is from Arabic, fashion from French, piano from Italian, and canyon from Spanish. A number of English words were formed by combining other words. Words can also be shortened to form new words. Pronunciation and spelling in English sometimes seem illogical or inconsistent. Many words are spelled similarly though pronounced differently. Examples include cough, though, and through. Other words, such as blue, crew, to, too, and shoe, have similar pronunciations but are spelled differently. Many of these variations show changes that occurred during the development of English. The spelling of some words remained the same through the centuries, though their pronunciation changed. Grammar is the set of principles used to create sentences. These principles define the elements used to assemble sentences and the relationships between the elements. The elements include parts of speech and inflections. Some modern scholars divide the parts of speech into two categories, content words and function words. Content words are the main parts of speech-nouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives-and carry the basic vocabulary meanings. Function words express relationships between content words in a sentence. They show the grammatical, or structural, meanings of the sentence and are also called structure classes. Function words include articles, prepositions, pronouns, and conjunctions. English has fewer inflections than most other European languages. An inflection is a variation of the form of a word that gives the word a different meaning or function. An English noun has only two inflections, the plural and the possessive. Inflections are used to change the tense and number of a verb or the case of a pronoun. Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative or the superlative-for example, big, bigger, biggest. Questions:1. According to the largest dictionaries, approximately how many words are there in the English language?2. Many English words were borrowed from other languages. From which language was the word Piano borrowed ?3. Why do English pronunciation and spelling sometimes seem illogical or inconsistent?4. Which of the following parts of speech does not belong to the category of content words?5. What is the function of content words, according to this passage?6. How many inflections does an English noun have?1. A. 60,000 B. 600,000 C. 6,000,000 D. 60,000,0002. A. Latin B. French C. German D. Italian 3. A. Because many English words were borrowed from other languages.B. Because many English words were formed by combining other words. C.Because many English words are spelled similarly but pronounced differently, or vice versa. D. Because the pronunciation of some words remained the same, though their spellingchanged. 4. A. Pronouns B. Nouns C. Verbs D. Adverbs5. A. They are used to express relationships between function words in a sentence.B. They are used to show the structural meanings of the sentence.C. They are used to carry the basic vocabulary meanings. D. They are used to indicate variations of words.6. A. One B. Two C. Three D. Four Part 2 Language and Language LearningTask 3There are many important reasons for learning a foreign language. Among them are the following: (1) Learning a foreign language increases your range of communication. For example, if you speak only English, you can communicate with over 400 million other speakers. If you also learn Spanish, you could speak to any of the 371 million Spanish-speaking people in Latin America, Spain, and other parts of the world. (2) A foreign language can help you add to your knowledge of your own language. For example, by studying Latin, you can improve your understanding of many of the thousands of English words that have Latin root. (3) Learning a foreign language helps you add to your general stock of information. A foreign language can be a key that unlocks new fields of knowledge. If you learn German you will be able to read books that are written in German on almost any subject you may wish to study.Learning any language involves four skills: (1) speaking, (2) understanding, (3) reading, and (4) writing. If you understand a foreign language, and can make yourself understood in speech and writing, you have mastered it.No language is easy or difficult in itself. The ease or difficulty of any language depends on the age of the person learning it. Before the age of 10, all languages are equally easy when learned by the natural speaking method ( listening and imitating ). After 10, learning a language becomes more difficult. Therefore, it is desirable to learn foreign languages as early as possible. Some schools start foreign language instruction in kindergarten or in the primary grades. Questions:1. What does the passage mainly discuss?2. How many important reasons for learning a foreign language does the passage list?3. What point does the author illustrate by the example “studying Latin”?4. According to the passage, what does it mean to say one has mastered a language?5. On what does the ease or difficulty of learning any language depend?6. At what age are all languages equally easy when learned by the natural speaking method?1. A. Reasons for learning a foreign language. B. Skills in mastering a foreign language. C. The importance of age in language learning. D. Common issues involved in language learning.2. A. Two B. Three C. Four D. Five3. A. There are many important reasons for learning a foreign language.B. Foreign language can help add to your knowledge of your own language.C. Foreign language can help add to your knowledge of another language.D. Learning a foreign language helps you add to your general stock of information.4. A. He can speak and write.B. He can understand.C. He can read.D. He can make himself understood in speech and writing.5. A. Attitude of the person learning it.B. Motivation of the person learning it.C. Age of the person learning it.D. The way the person learns it.6. A. Before the age of 10.B. Around the age of 10.C. After the age of 10.D. At the age of 10.Part 3 Culture and CommunicationTask 3Directions: You are going to listen to a passage about American small talk. The passage will be read only once. After listening, you are expected to choose the best answer from the four suggested choices marked A, B, C, and D to each of the questions you hear. Part 3 Culture and Communication Task 3When Americans first encounter another person, they engage in a kind of conversation they call small talk. The most common topic of small talk is the weather; another very common topic is the speakers current physical surroundings-the room or building they are in, the sidewalk where they are standing, or whatever is appropriate. Later, after the preliminaries, Americans may talk about past experiences they have both had, such as watching a particular TV program, going to New York, or eating at a particular restaurant. Beyond these very general topics of small topic, there is variation according to the life situation of the people involved and the setting in which the conversation is taking place. Students are likely to talk about their teachers and classes; if they are of the same sex, they are likely to discuss their social lives. Adults may discuss their jobs, recreational interests, houses, or family matters. Men are likely to talk about sports or cars. Housewives, whose numbers are steadily decreasing in American society, are likely to talk about their children, if they have any, or about household matters or personal care. Americans are explicitly taught not to discuss religion and politics unless they are fairly well acquainted with the people theyre talking to. (In public meetings Americans will openly debate about political matters, but we are talking here about communicative style in interpersonal situations.) Politics and religion are thought to be controversial, and discussing a controversial topic can lead to an argument. Americans are taught to avoid arguments. Unlike Americans, people from Germany, Iran, and many other countries consider politics, and sometimes religion as well, to be excellent topics for informal discussion and debate. For them, discussing-and arguing about-politics is a favorite way to pass the time. There are other topics Americans generally avoid because they are too personal. Financial matters is one. Inquiries about a persons earnings or about the amount someone paid for an item are usually beyond the bounds of acceptable topics. So are body and mouth odors, the functioning of the urogenital organs, sexual behavior and responses, and fantasies. Questions:1. What does the passage mainly discuss?2. Which of the following is the very common topic of American small talk?3. What are American students of the same sex likely to discuss?4. In interpersonal situations, why do Americans usually avoid discussing politics and religion?5. Why do people from Germany and Iran like to discuss politics?6. Wh