听说教程 UnitCoincidence

1、Unit 2 CoincidencePart BListening TasksPassage 1What a Coincidence! (Part One)Word Banktuition n. payment for schooling 学费somehow ad. for some reason that is not clear 由于某种未知的原因click v. to become suddenly clear or understandable 突然变得明白real estate agent a person whose business is to buy, sell or look

2、 after houses or land for people 房地产经纪人note down to write down 记下Andrew （男子名）Stewart （姓）Script:Andrew had always wanted to be a doctor. But the tuition for a medical school in 1984 was 15,000 dollars a year, which was more than his family could afford. To help him realize his dream, his father, Mr.

3、Stewart, a real estate agent, began searching the house-for-sale ads in newspapers in order to find extra business. One advertisement that he noted down was for the sale of a house in a nearby town. Mr. Stewart called the owner, trying to persuade him to let him be his agent. Somehow he succeeded an

4、d the owner promised that he would come to him if he failed to get a good deal with his present agent. Then they made an appointment to meet and discuss the thing.As good things are never easy to acquire, the time for the appointment had to be changed almost ten times. On the day when they were supp

5、osed to meet at 3 oclock in the afternoon, Mr. Stewart received another call from the owner. His heart sank as he feared there would be another change of time. And so it was. The owner told him that he couldnt make it at three but if he would come right then, they could talk it over. Mr. Stewart was

6、 overjoyed. Leaving everything aside, he immediately set out to drive to the house.As he approached the area, he had a strange feeling of having been there before. The streets, the trees, the neighborhood, all looked familiar to him. And when he finally reached the house, something clicked in his mi

7、nd. It used to be the house of his father-in-law! The old man had died fifteen years ago but when he was alive, he had often visited him with his wife and children. He remembered that, like his son Andrew, his father-in-law had also wanted to study medicine and, failing to do so, had always hoped th

8、at one of his two daughters or his grandchildren could someday become a doctor.Language and Culture Notes1. Background informationCoincidences occur in everyones life, but probably not so dramatic as those mentioned in the texts. Coincidences make great stories, as the old Chinese saying rightly poi

9、nts out, “No coincidences, no stories.” The performing world is very good at making use of their dramatic effects and many plays and movies are based on such happenings.In many cultures, people have tried to explain this phenomenon. Most regard coincidences as pure chance but some people believe the

10、y are beyond chance, and are somehow connected to certain supernatural forces that they believe exist. Another explanation is that coincidences are the result of our own memories. The human mind tends to remember every single case of coincidence but forget hundreds of, even thousands of, cases where

11、 no coincidence occurs. In the Lincoln and Kennedy case (see Part C), for example, people list only what the two incidents have in common but ignore what they dont have in common, and, as a result, an amusing set of random connections are transformed into a mysterious, seemingly inexplicable pattern

12、. And to understand the coincidences that happened to twins (also see Part C), we can probably turn to genetics for help. The same genes inherited from their parents, in a way, account for the similarities in certain behavior patterns of twins. Hopefully, with the further development of science, the

13、re will be more convincing answers to certain cases of coincidence.2. the tuition for a medical schoolThe tuition for a medical school is usually very high, higher than that for other kinds of colleges. The annual fee is now even higher, about $25,000 to $30,000 for a good medical college, such as t

14、he Harvard Medical School.3. searching the house-for-sale ads to find extra businessMr. Stewart hoped to make some extra money by finding more customers for his business as an agent for people who want to sell their houses. A real estate agent can get a commission of about 5-6% of the actual price o

15、f the house sold.4.he would come to himhe would ask Mr. Stewart to find him a buyer for his house5. And so it was.The appointment time was changed again as Mr. Stewart expected.6. if he would come right thenif he would come immediately, right after he hung up the telephoneExercise 1Listen to the sto

16、ry and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.1.Who are the two main characters in the story you have just heard?a. Mr. Stewart and his son.b. Mr. Stewart and his client.c. Mr. Stewart and his father-in-law.d. Mr. Stewarts father-in-law and the owner of the house.2.How did Mr. Stewart ge

17、t to know the owner of the house?a. From a house-for-sale advertisement in a newspaper put up by the owner.b. Through the introduction of Mr. Stewarts father-in-law.c. They attended the same medical school.d. They lived in the same neighborhood.3.What problem did Mr. Stewart have?a. He had no house

18、to live in.b. He had lost his job.c. He was disappointed with his son.d. He did not have enough funds for his sons college education.4.What is the coincidence in the story you have just heard?a. His clients house was the one that once belonged to a friend of his.b. His clients house was the one his

19、family once lived in.c. His clients house was the one his father-in-law once lived in.d. His clients house was the one he once wanted to buy.Exercise 2Listen to the story again and fill in the blanks with the missing information.The story happened in 1984. Mr. Stewart, a real estate agent, had a son

20、 whose name was Andrew. The young man wanted to go to a medical school. But the tuition was so high that his father couldnt afford it. In order to help his son realize his dream, Mr. Stewart searched newspaper ads, hoping to find extra business. One advertisement caught his eye. It was for the sale

21、of a house near where he lived. But although he succeeded in persuading the owner of the house to let him be his agent, the appointment time was changed again and again. At last, he received a phone call from the owner, asking him to go and discuss the matter with him right away. Mr. Stewart put asi

22、de everything he was doing and left immediately for the house. When he approached the area, he found everything there looked familiar to him. And when he saw the house, he realized it was his father-in-laws old house. He had visited it many times years ago when his father-in-law was still alive. Wha

23、t a coincidence!Passage 2What a Coincidence! (Part Two)Word Banklatter n. the second of two things or persons just mentioned 后者intrigue v. to fascinate; to appeal strongly to sb. 激起极大的兴趣mystify v. to fill with wonder; to completely puzzle 使困惑；使大为惊奇standing a. being at a particular level or amount （水

24、平、量等）现有的，现在显示的cover v. to be enough to pay for sth. 够支付bear v. to have or show 具有，带有miracle n. a wonderful event 奇事，不可思议的事blessing n. a lucky thing 幸事be in for to be going to experience sth. 必定会经历receipt slip a written or printed statement acknowledging that sth. has been paid for or received 收条come

25、 to to amount to 合计，总数为in sb.s place instead of sb. 代替某人Script:When he entered the house, Mr. Stewart was even more amazed to find that the house was decorated exactly as he had remembered it. He told the owner about this and the latter became intrigued too. However, they were in for even greater su

26、rprises. It so happened that in the middle of their discussion, a postman came to deliver a letter. And the letter was addressed to Mr. Stewarts father-in-law! Were it not for Mr. Stewarts presence there and then, the letter would be returned as no person of that name lived in the house any longer.

27、As the postman demanded a signature on the receipt slip, Mr. Stewart signed for his long-deceased father-in-law. Mystified, the owner urged Mr. Stewart to open the letter and see what it contained. The letter was from a bank. When he opened it, two words immediately met his eye “For education”. It w

28、as a bank statement of an amount his father-in-law had put in years ago for his grandchildrens education needs. With the interest it had earned over the years, the standing value of the amount came to a little over $15,000, just enough money to cover the tuition of Andrews first year at a medical co

29、llege!Another thing that is worth mentioning is about the postman. The original postman, who had worked in this neighborhood, called in sick that day. So the postman, who was new to the area, came to deliver mail in his place. Had it been the old postman, the letter would undoubtedly have been retur

30、ned to the sender, as he knew full well that no person bearing that name lived in that house any longer.The miracle was a blessing for Andrew. With the money given to him by his grandfather he was able to study medicine. Now he is a doctor in Illinois.Language and Culture Notes1. Were it not for Mr.

31、 Stewarts presence there and then If Mr. Stewart had not been in that house at the time when the postman came to deliver the letter 2. bank statementa written statement issued by a bank to a client every month showing money paid and received within the month and the balance of the clients account (银

32、行月结算单). The bank statement mentioned in the text, however, belongs to a different kind. Andrews grandfather might have deposited the money for a period of more than fifteen years. He must have calculated that by the time it was mature (到期), Andrew would be old enough for college. Thats why the bank

33、statement was delivered years after the money was deposited. It was to inform the client of the present value of the amount and how much interest it had earned over the years.3. standing valuethe total amount of money available to a client at present4. called in sicktelephoned to ask for sick leaveE

34、xercise 1Listen to the recording and write down the coincidences mentioned in the text.1. The house was decorated exactly the same as Mr. Stewart remembered it.2. Mr. Stewart happened to be in the house when a postman came to deliver a letter to his father-in-law who had died 15 years ago.3. The old

35、 postman had called in sick that day, and the postman who came in his place was not familiar with the neighborhood. Otherwise the letter would have been returned to its sender.Exercise 2Listen to the recording again and write down answers to the following questions.1. How did the owner feel about th

36、e fact that Mr. Stewarts father-in-law once lived in the house?He was intrigued.2. What was inside the letter delivered by the postman?A bank statement.3. What did Mr. Stewart learn from the letter?His father-in-law had put an amount of money in the bank for his grandchildrens education.4. What was

37、the standing value of the amount of money fifteen years later?A little over $15,000.5. What could Andrew do with the money?He could use the money to cover the tuition of his first year at a medical college.6. What do you know about Andrew now?He is a doctor in Illinois.Speaking TasksPair WorkDebatin

38、g Arguments for or against believing in the supernaturalA SamplePeople hold different views toward coincidences. Some think that they are mere chance while those who believe in the supernatural search for some higher order behind them. Whats your view? Express and defend your view from the perspecti

39、ves given in the card below.Topic: Are there mysterious forces at work when coincidences occur?Perspectives:1. From the perspective of a person who believes in the supernatural (positive)2. From the perspective of a person who believes in science (negative)Possible Arguments (for reference)From the

40、perspective of a person who believes in the supernatural (positive)A lot of strange coincidences happen around us. And so far science hasnt been able to provide answers to them. For example, a friend of mine told me that he dreamed that his uncle had died and the death was confirmed by a phone call

41、he received the next morning immediately after he woke up. Wasnt that odd? There was no way he could have known about his uncles death beforehand. My friend believed that it was his uncle coming to bid him farewell before he left the world for good. And I dont know whether he is right or not. It cou

42、ldnt be just a coincidence, I think. There seems to be some mysterious forces at work. If not, how can we explain it?From the perspective of a person who believes in science (negative)I dont think there are mysterious forces at work when coincidences occur. Most coincidences are simply the result of

43、 pure chance. And some coincidences, unusual though they may be, can actually be explained. Take coincidental birth dates for example. An experiment mentioned in an article by a professor at the University of Virginia shows that if you randomly select a group of 23 persons, there is a 50 per cent ch

44、ance that at least two of them celebrate the same birth date. Unbelievable, isnt it? Few people would have guessed that could be so common. If thats the case with birth dates, isnt it likely that many other coincidences are probable as well?This experiment proves that it is possible to calculate the

45、 probabilities of some seemingly coincidental happenings. In real life, however, we tend to give coincidences a lesser probability than they deserve. Now use the above sample as a model and carry on similar activities with your partner. You can refer to the notes below for ideas and vocabulary. You

46、are also welcome to contribute ideas of your own. Topic: Do you think ones fate is a decisive factor in ones life?Perspectives:1. From the perspective of a person who believes in fate (positive)2. From the perspective of a person who believes that success depends on human effort (negative)Some Ideas

47、 for ReferenceThe Argument (positive)1. Effort alone sometimes can do nothing. In the old days, many girls were deprived of their right to education simply because they were girls. 2. People are sometimes too weak to fight against their fate. 3. We can never choose our parents / what families or wha

48、t regions we were born in.4. Our birth often determines what we can achieve in future.5. We can be limited in what we can achieve by forces beyond our control.6. There are things that we can hardly control. Natural disasters, diseases, wars are some of the things that can prevent our dreams from com

49、ing true no matter what great efforts we make.7. We human beings appear so fragile and helpless before misfortunes that may fall on us. 8. All our efforts would be wasted if we were unlucky enough to be the victim of an ill fate.The Counter-argument (negative)1. The success stories of many people at

50、 home and abroad have shown that so long as you persevere in doing what you aim to do, you will succeed one day no matter who you are.2. There are many factors contributing to a persons success in his or her life. According to Abraham Lincoln, our resolution to succeed is more important than anythin

51、g else.3. A persons clear goal and his or her perseverance in realizing it are really something that counts.4. For us college students, to have a clear aim and to work hard toward its realization is of vital importance. 5. Ones success has nothing to do with his or her fate. 6. We are not destined f

52、rom birth for what we are or will be. 7. We create our fate every day we live.8. Our fate is in our own hands.9. Fate is a cover-up for the fact that you dont have control over your own life.Part CTest Your ListeningA Compound DictationListen to the passage three times and supply the missing informa

53、tion.One of the best-known 1) collections of parallels is between the careers of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Both were 2) shot on a Friday, in the 3) presence of their wives; both were succeeded by a Southerner named Johnson; both their killers were themselves killed before they could be br

54、ought to 4) justice. Lincoln had a secretary called Kennedy; Kennedy a secretary called Lincoln. Lincoln was killed in the Ford 5) Theater; Kennedy met his death while riding in a Lincoln convertible made by the Ford Motor Company and so on. Similar coincidences often 6) occur between twins. A news

55、story from Finland reported of two 70-year-old twin brothers dying two hours apart in separate accidents, with both being hit by trucks while crossing the same road on bicycles. According to the police, the second 7) victim could not have known about his brothers death, as 8) officers had only manag

56、ed to identify the first victim minutes before the second accident.Connections are also found between identical twins who have been separated at birth. Dorothy Lowe and Bridget Harrison were separated in 1945, and did not meet until 1979, when they were flown over from Britain for an investigation b

57、y a psychologist at the University of Minnesota. They found that when they met they were both wearing seven rings on their hands, two bracelets on one wrist, a watch and a bracelet on the other. 9) They married on the same day, had worn identical wedding dresses and carried the same flowers. Dorothy

58、 had named her son Richard Andrew and her daughter Catherine Louise; Bridget had named her son Andrew Richard and her daughter Karen Louise. In fact, she had wanted to call her Catherine. Both had a cat called Tiger. They also had a string of similar mannerisms (习惯性的举止) when they were nervous. 10) How can we explain the above si