世纪大学英语视听说听力原文.doc

英语视听说4听力原文UNIT1 Our EarthTrack 4-1-2& 4-1-3Blake: What are you working on, Mary?Mary: Im finishing my paper. Its due tomorrow, Blake.Blake: Whats the topic?Mary: Its about Greenland.Blake: Greenland. Hmmm . . . thats part of Canada, right?Mary: I think you need to study your world geography, Blake.Blake: Well, isnt it near Canada?Mary: Yes, its off the coast of northeast Canada, but its part of Denmark.Blake: Oh, I didnt know that. Well, whats your paper about exactly?Mary: In my paper, I answer the question Is Greenlandreally green? In other words, is Greenland covered by a lot of plants and trees?Blake: Is it?Mary: What do you think?Blake: Lets see . . . Greenland is in the Arctic Circle-way upnorth. Its cold, . . . so Is Greenland really green? Id answer probably not.Mary: Youd be correct. Its too cold there. In the north, a lotof the ground is frozen. The summers are short, so only the surface thaws.Blake: That sounds tough.Mary: Its hard for the construction industry. Its not easy to build in Greenland.Blake: It sounds so harsh. Why would anyone want to go there?Mary: There are big mountain ranges on the coasts. Theyre great for hiking and outdoor sports. And there are lots of animals there. You can sometimes see whales swimming in the harbors. Blake: That sounds cool! OK,so if its not really a green place, why was it named Greenland?Mary: The first settlers wanted to attract other people. They gave it an attractive name.4-1-4&4-1-5Jay:Come in here, Elise. You should see this show!Elise:What is it?Jay:Its called The Titanic of the Sky. Its about the Hindenburg, a great engineering feat.Elise:The Hindenburg . . .Jay:You know, that giant zeppelin that crashed in 1934.Thirty-five people died.Elise:Oh yeah, I remember now. It was flying from Germany to the United States. It crashed as it was landing.Jay:Right. Its so funny looking, dont you think? It doesntlook anything like the airplanes we have today.Elise:Thats true. Why would people ride in a zeppelinanyway? It seems so dangerous.Jay:Well, some people called the Hindenburg mans greatest achievement in flight.They thought it was safe, I guess.Elise:Who rode in it anyway?Jay:Mostly wealthy people. It accommodated between 30 and 40 passengers and crew. One person said it waslike a flying hotel.Elise:It sounds pretty great.Jay:Yeah, and it was fast. Thats why people rode it. They wanted to get to their destination faster.Elise:Why didnt they just take a jet plane?Jay:Elise! You know they didnt have jets back then. Look, in 1934 it took five days to travel from Germany to the U.S. by ship. The zeppelin could do it in half that time.It was speedy.Elise:Well, maybe Ill sit down and watch a little bit. Maybe Ill learn something . . .4-1-6&7&8Jack: I think we should buy a bigger car. Big cars are safer.Kayla: Yes, but on the other hand, they consume more oil.Jack: They also look really cool.Kayla: Thats true, but there are some SUVs which are not big but also very beautiful.Jack: And I think big cars are more fun to drive.Kayla: But then again, its very expensive.Jack: Well, lets get more information about several kinds of cars, okay?Track 4-1-9My country has two very famous buildings called the Petronas Towers. The buildings are made of glass, steel, and concrete. They were designed by an American architect, but he used a Malaysian style. They were finished in 1998, and they were the tallest buildings in the world at that time. Each tower has 88 floors, and is 452 meters high. I really like the Petronas Towers. They show both the modern and the traditional side of my countryTrack 4-1-10&11Modern buildings: We love them, We hate them The world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris is almost 500 years old, and it faced a very modern problem: There simply wasnt enough space for six million visitors each year. In 1989, American architect I.M. Pei designed a striking glass pyramid in the buildings center to be a visitor entrance and shopping arcade. But he also started an angry debate. Some people felt his glass building was a piece of art, like the ones inside the museum. Others said it was just an ugly, modern mistake. Kyoto, Japan, is the countrys ancient capital, and the heart of its culture. Its railroad station was too small for the millions of visitors. In 1997, the city completed a new station in a huge shopping center, right in the oldest part of the city. Designed by Hiroshi Hara, the building also contains a hotel and department store. Before it was built, critics said that the high, wide, modern building would destroy the citys traditional look. On the other hand, supporters said it would bring new life into the city center.Track 4-1-12&4-1-13The future building boom?Interviewer: What do you think is the biggest problem facing our cities?Erika:I think its overcrowding. Talk to anyone living in a major metropolitan area and they will say the same thing;Theres no space. Even the suburbs are getting crowded.Interviewer: Well, in some places there simply isnt any land left for building, right?Erika:Yes, thats true, but you have to think creatively. You cant give up so easily.Interviewer: Think creatively? What do you suggest?Erika:What Im saying is that we can build more structures underground. We can add parking lots,malls, hotels, and even apartment buildings.Theres plenty of space.Interviewer: Isnt it expensive?Erika:Yes, it can be. In the past building underground has been very expensive. However, we have newtechnology that will bring the cost down. It involves using robots. You dont have to pay robots a salary! Interviewer: Isnt building down more dangerous than other kind of construction?Erika:Actually, I think its safer than building skyscrapers, for example. Remember, we already do it. We have subways and underground shopping malls. Im just suggesting we invest in a variety of bigger projects and that we dig deeper.Interviewer: What would you say to people who doubt your idea?Erika:I can understand their feelings. Whenever theresa new idea, it can cause controversy. Butbuilding down is not some kind of impractical idea. It makes sense. There is so much space underground: It can accommodate a lot of traffic, storage, and people. With the new technology we have, wed be crazy not to consider the idea -its the wave of the future!Unit 1, Lesson BGlobal ViewpointsNatural wondersAlejandra: One of the most beautiful natural wonders Ive seen are the glaciers in the south of Argentina.Nick: The Matterhorn, which is a mountain in Switzerland, is one of the most beautiful places Ive ever seen. My dad and I climbed about half way, and once we got there it started snowing so we had to turn back.Catherine: I climbed up to Everest Base Camp. All of a sudden, you look up and theres this huge mountain that everyones talked about, that everyones photographed, and youve seen what its like in pictures but youve never seen it in person.Kumiko: Mt. Fuji is really beautiful from far away. When you climb it, its just rocks and dirt but its really beautiful from far away.Natalie: I went to Niagara Falls for a family reunion. It was one of the most memorable times of my life because I got to be around people who I love- my family. And it was also one of the most beautiful sites that Ive ever seen .Man-made structuresKevin: The most impressive man-made wonder that I have seen is the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall took several thousands of people to build, it stretches many, many miles throughout China, and it was made in a period where we didnt have all the technological advancementslike cranes and lifts.Gian: Last year I was in San Francisco and I had a chance to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. What an amazing feat of engineering. It gives you a chance to look through all of San Francisco and over San Francisco Bay and over San Francisco Bay and its just a wonderful chance to see the city.Woo Sung: I saw the Hoover Dam once and I didnt like it very much. It was in the middle of the desert and its just very hot, and there wasnt much activity going on and its just a big concrete structure.City LivingI love skyscrapers!Takeshi: Man, look at that! In New York theres always something being built. And everything goes up so quickly you never know whats going on to be around next week.Roberto: Yeah, but on the other hand, sometimes I wonder about overcrowding. Maybe they need to start building down more.Takeshi: Building down?Roberto: Yeah, its when you build underground instead of above ground.Takeshi: Nah, thats too much like living in a cave. I love the skyscrapers! They are the most incredible feats of engineering!Roberto: True. And some of the first ones were built right here in New York City.Takeshi: Thats right! You know, I wonder what New York looked like before all these buildings popped up.Roberto: I dont know, but Id like to see this one when its finished.Takeshi: Yeah. Ill bet itll be something fantastic!Roberto: Maybewhat do you think its going to look like?Takeshi: I dont know but you know what? Im going to remember what it looked like.Roberto: What are you talking about? And why are you taking pictures? Theres nothing there.Takeshi: Ok, You know how some people get famous because they have pictures of movie stars or performers before they make it big?Roberto: YeahTakeshi: Well, some buildings and architectural structures get to be famous too, like the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Buildingright?Roberto: Yeah, and ? Theres nothing here!Takeshi: Right ! But there will be. Someday this very spot may become really well-known-like maybe itll be some incredible hotel that the rich and famous stay at. And Ill be the only one with pictures of it before it was built. Cool,huh?Roberto: Uhyou are too much. Hey, lets ask this guy what your “famous” buildings going to be. (to passing construction worker) Excuse us, can you tell us what this is going to be when its finished? Maybe a fancy hotel or something?Construction worker: (laughs) Fancy hotel? No, this isnt going to be a hotel. Its going to be a parking garage.Roberto: A parking garage. Uhhuh. Thanks.Takeshi: Well maybe someone rich and famous will park here.Dictation:Listen to the story summary. Fill in the blanks with what you hear. Takeshi and Roberto walk by a construction site and start talking about all the buildings that are being built in New York. Takeshi then talks about how much he admires the skyscrapers. Suddenly, Takeshi starts taking pictures of the site, but Roberto cant understand why because nothing has been built yet. Takeshi explains that he thinks something famous may be there someday, like a hotel where the rich and famous stay, and he wants to be the only one with pictures of it before it was built. The funny part is when Roberto asks one of the construction workers whats being built on the site-it turns out its going to be a parking garage!UNIT2Track 4-2-1&4-2-2Situation 1Man: Oh no!Woman:What happened?Man: I cant believe it! I was sending a message and I accidentally clicked on Reply to All.Woman:So?Man: It was a personal message for my friend, Jerry. I wanted to send it to his e-mail address only.Woman:Oops.Man: Exactly. . Instead I sent it to everyone on the list.How embarrassing!Situation 2Man: I see you have a new keyboard. Thats nice.Woman:Yes, the company bought me a new one.Man: Thats good.Woman:Well, actually . I spilled coffee on my old keyboard,and it stopped working.Man:Oh, I see.Woman:Dont tell anyone. Drinking coffee near the computers is not allowed!Situation 3Woman:Have you finished working on my computer?Man: Yes, I have. Im afraid I dont have good news for you.Woman:Really?Man: Really. The problem is with your hardware.Woman:Oh. What do you suggest?Man: I think you should probably buy a new computer. This one cant be fixed.Woman:Well, I have had it for five years. Its time to replace it, I guess.Track 4-2-3&4-2-4Pam: Well, Lynn, I must be going. It was great to see you Lynn: By, Pam.Pam: Whats that?Lynn: Oh thats Ollie.Pam: Ollie:?I didnt know you had a dog!Lynn: Well, we dont really.Pam: What do you mean?Lynn: Come here.Pam: Oh my goodness. Its a robot!Lynn: Thats right. Its a dog robot. They call it a “dogbot.”Pam: How interesting! But its a little strange, dont you think?Lynn: Well, I wanted to get an interactive toy for the kids. They love it. So Im happy.Pam: How much did it cost?Lynn: Dont ask. It wasnt very affordable. Its cheaper than having a real dog, though. We dont ever have to buy dog food! And the batteries are rechargeable.Juliana: Hey, Henrik. Look.Henrik: What is it, Juliana?Juliana: Whats that guy doing over there?Henrik: Which guy?Juliana: The one over there. Wearing a suit. Hs punching so many buttons on his cell phone.Henrik: Oh, him. Hes probably playing a game.Juliana: Really?Henrik: A lot of people have games on their cell phones. Its really popular here in Finland. They play them everywhere.Juliana: Do you play them, too?Henrik: Yes, I do.Juliana: I only use my phone to make telephone calls. I guess Im old-fashioned.Henrik: I heard that some people play games even at work. They can play quietly during business meetings. No one knows about it.Juliana: Id like to try it.Henrik: Here, use mine!Track 4-2-5&4-2-6 In todays report, we look at a new technology called pervasive computing. Pervasive computing means putting tiny computers into everyday electronic appliances, such as toasters and microwaves. With pervasive computing, appliances can communicate with their users and with other appliances! Some companies now sell pervasive computing products like a “smart” toaster. It remembers your favourite kind of toast: light or dark. Companies are designing a “smart” coffee maker and a “smart” clock. The coffee maker can measure the water and coffee. It can even put milk in your breakfast coffee and make black coffee in the afternoon. The clock will check the time on other clocks in your house, and give information about other appliances. For example, it can tell you, “Your coffee maker needs more water.” And thats only the beginning. One company is now advertising “Save time phone your washing machine!” engineers are making a “smart” house. In this house, the lights, heater, and air conditioner change automatically when family members come home. This makes the home comfortable, and it saves a lot of energy. Pervasive computing could change many parts of our daily lives. But do people really want pervasive computing? Do they really need technology everywhere? One company asked people about their opinions on “smart” appliances. There were surprises. A “smart” refrigerator can buy more food on the internet, but people didnt want it, because it might make mistakes. “Pervasive computing is as important as a telephone,” says Rebecca Blair, president of InnoTech Corporation. But some of these products are not useful, or even practical. Companies should learn more about the technology that people really want.Track 4-2-7&8 （无）Track 4-2-9&4-2-10Local girl rescued She may have a broken leg, but she cant be happier. Morgan Bailey, 11, is happy to be alive. Tuesday was like any other day for Morgan. She was at school. It was fourth period, and she was the first student to arrive in the gymnasium for her physical education class. Suddenly there was a loud noise. “There was a sharp cracking noise and then a loud boom. After that, I dont remember anything,” said Morgan. The roof of the gymnasium had collapsed under the heavy snow. Morgan was trapped underneath. She couldnt escape. “I woke up and there was a big piece of wood on my leg. I couldnt move it. I was starting to get cold.” Fortunately, help was nearby. A new program using “rescue robots” was tried for the first time. “We were nervous about using the robot,” said Derrick Sneed, the man in charge of the program. “But in the end, the robot gave us reliable information. It went extremely well.” The rescue robot was able to go into the gym and locate Morgans exact position. “We send in robots first because it may not be safe for humans,” said Mr. Sneed. “Human beings are not as useful as robots in some situations. A gas leak, for example, could kill you or me but wouldnt hurt a robot.” Although it didnt happen in Morgans case, some rescue robots can bring fresh air or water to people who are trapped.Rescue robots go into rough, dangerous places. They work in life or death situations. They have to be durable.Doctors say that Morgan is doing well. She should be going home in two or three days. What is the first thing she wants to do after she gets out of the hospital? “I want to meet my hero,” laughs Morgan. “That little robot that saved my life!”Track 4-2-11&12 (无)Unit 2, Lesson BGlobal ViewpointsTechnology today Reda: I really dont know a lot about electronics but I think that new phonesnew cell phoneswith ahcameraswhich have digital cameras are very cool and theyre so easy to use. And you dont have to think all the time that you forgot the camerayou know? Because you always have it with you and thats so smart.Kevin: I like the laptop because its very, very thin. Its maybe less than one inch and its about four pounds and I can carry it anywhere I want.Alejandra: My favorite feature of my computer is the Instant Messenger. The reason for this is that its very affordable, fun, and convenient and al