新世纪大学英语视听说系列教材4听力原文

1、 Our earth The natural worldListen to Mary and Blake talking about her paper. Then answer the question.What are you working on, Mary?Im finishing my paper. Its due tomorrow, Blake.Whats the topic?Its about Greenland.Greenland. Hmmm thats part of Canada, right?I think you need to study your world geo

2、graphy, Blake.Well, isnt it near Canada?Yes, its off the coast of northeast Canada, but its part of Denmark.Oh, I didnt know that. Well, whats your paper about exactly?In my paper, I answer the question “Is Greenland really green? In other words, is Greenland covered by a lot of plants and trees?Is

3、it?What do you think?Lets see Greenland is in the Arctic Circle way up north. Its cold, so “Is Greenland really green? Id answer “probably not.Youd be correct. Its too cold here. In the north, a lot of the ground is frozen. The summers are short, so only the surface thaws.That sounds tough.Its hard

4、for the construction industry. Its not easy to build in Greenland.It sounds so harsh. Why would anyone want to go there?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.T

5、hat sounds cool! Ok, so if its not really a “green place, why was it named “Greenland?The first settlers wanted to attract other people. They gave it an attractive name. Listen again. Circle True or False. Gustav and Carolina are international students. They are telling Bart about their summer work

6、experience in the United States. Did they enjoy themselves?So what exactly did you do over the summer?We worked as volunteers at Glacier National Park.Ive never been there. Whats it like?Its beautiful. There are mountains and lakes and, of course, glaciers!How was the job?We had to do a lot of physi

7、cal work. It was kind of hard.Thats true, but it was exciting, too! We actually saw bears!Wow! That does sound exciting. Maybe I should apply. Ill need a job next summer.Sorry, Bart, but you cant apply to that program. Its a special program for international students.Listen to two people talking abo

8、ut natural wonders and man-made structures. Pay attention to the expressions they use. 1. Mt. Fuji is really beautiful from far away. When you climb it, its just rocks and dirt but its really beautiful from far away.2. Last year I was in San Francisco and I had a chance to drive across the Golden Ga

9、te 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 its just a wonderful chance to see the city.Jay and Elise are talking about an accident. Listen and check the correct picture.Come in here, Elise. You should see

10、this show!What is it?Its called The Titanic of the Sky. Its about the Hindenburg, a great engineering feat.The Hindenburg .You know, that giant zeppelin that crashed in 1934. Thirty-five people died.Oh yeah, I remember now. It was flying from Germany to the United States. It crashed as it was landin

11、g.Right. Its so funny looking, dont you think? It doesnt look anything like the airplanes as have today.Thats true. Why would people ride in a zeppelin anyway? It seems so dangerous.Well, some people called the Hindenburg mans greatest achievement in flight. They thought it was safe, I guess. Who ro

12、de in it anyway? Mostly wealthy people. It accommodated between 30 and 40 passengers and crew. One person said it was like a flying hotel. It sounds pretty great.Yeah, and it was fast. Thats why people rode it. They wanted to get to their destination faster. Why didnt they just take a jet plane? Eli

13、se! 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. Well, maybe Ill sit down and watch a little bit. Maybe Ill learn something .Listen again. How was the zeppelin described

14、? Check your answers.Come in here, Elise. You should see this show!What is it?Its called The Titanic of the Sky. Its about the Hindenburg, a great engineering feat.The Hindenburg .You know, that giant zeppelin that crashed in 1934. Thirty-five people died.Oh yeah, I remember now. It was flying from

15、Germany to the United States. It crashed as it was landing.Right. Its so funny looking, dont you think? It doesnt look anything like the airplanes as have today.Thats true. Why would people ride in a zeppelin anyway? It seems so dangerous.Well, some people called the Hindenburg mans greatest achieve

16、ment in flight. They thought it was safe, I guess. Who rode in it anyway? Mostly wealthy people. It accommodated between 30 and 40 passengers and crew. One person said it was like a flying hotel. It sounds pretty great.Yeah, and it was fast. Thats why people rode it. They wanted to get to their dest

17、ination faster. Why didnt they just take a jet plane? 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. Well, maybe Ill sit down and watch a little bit. Maybe Ill lear

18、n something .Listen to the conversation and check the correct picture.I think we should buy a bigger car. Big cars are safer.Yes, but on the other hand, they consume more oil.They also look really cool.Thats true, but there are some SUVs which are not big but also very beautiful.And 1 think big cars

19、 are more fun to drive.But then again, its very expensive.Well, lets get more information about several kinds of cars, okay?Listen to another person talking about famous buildings in his country and fill in the blanks with information you hear.My country has two very famous buildings called the Petr

20、onas 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 th

21、e Petronas Towers. They show both the modern and the traditional side of my country.Listen to a talk on controversies about modern buildings. Then fill in the blanks to complete the sentences. Modern buildings: We love them. We hate themThe world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris is almost 500 years old

22、, 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

23、 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 sta

24、tion 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

25、 it would bring new life into the city center.Now listen again and complete the chart with the information you hear.My 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 Ma

26、laysian 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 country.Listen to a talk on controversies about mode

27、rn buildings. Then fill in the blanks to complete the sentences. Modern buildings: We love them. We hate themThe 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 arch

28、itect 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,

29、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 hot

30、el 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.Listen to the interview with Erika Van Beek, an engineer. According to Erika, what

31、 should be done about overcrowding in cities?The future building boom?What do you think is the biggest problem facing our cities?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.Well,

32、in some places there simply isnt any land left for building, right?Yes, thats true, but you have to think creatively. You cant give up so easily.Think creatively? What do you suggest?What Im saying is that we can build more structures underground. We can add parking lots, malls, hotels, and even apa

33、rtment buildings. Theres plenty of space.Isnt it expensive?Yes, it can be. In the past building underground has been very expensive. However, we have new technology that will bring the cost down. It involves using robots. You dont have to pay robots a salary!Isnt building down more dangerous than ot

34、her kind of construction?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.What would you say to people who doubt your ide

35、a?I can understand their feelings. Whenever theres a new idea, it can cause controversy. But building 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

36、 not to consider the idea its the wave of the future!Listen again. Check the statements you think Erika would agree.The future building boom?What do you think is the biggest problem facing our cities?I think its overcrowding. Talk to anyone living in a major metropolitan area and they will say the s

37、ame thing: Theres no space. Even the suburbs are getting crowded.Well, in some places there simply isnt any land left for building, right?Yes, thats true, but you have to think creatively. You cant give up so easily.Think creatively? What do you suggest?What Im saying is that we can build more struc

38、tures underground. We can add parking lots, malls, hotels, and even apartment buildings. Theres plenty of space.Isnt it expensive?Yes, it can be. In the past building underground has been very expensive. However, we have new technology that will bring the cost down. It involves using robots. You don

39、t have to pay robots a salary!Isnt building down more dangerous than other kind of construction?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

40、 and that we dig deeper.What would you say to people who doubt your idea?I can understand their feelings. Whenever theres a new idea, it can cause controversy. But building down is not some kind of impractical idea. It makes sense. There is so much space underground: It can accommodate a lot of traf

41、fic, storage, and people. With the new technology we have, wed be crazy not to consider the idea its the wave of the future! The man-made worldGlobal viewpointsNatural wondersOne of the most beautiful natural wonders Ive seen are the glaciers in the south of Argentina.The Matterhorn, which is a moun

42、tain in Switzerland, is one of the most beautiful places Ive ever seen. My dad and I climbed about halfway, and once we got there it started snowing so we had to turn back.I climbed up to Everest Base Camp. All of a sudden, you look up and theres this huge mountain that everyones talked about, that

43、everyones photographed, and youve seen what its like in pictures but youve never seen it in person.Mt. Fuji is really beautiful from far away. When you climb it, its just rocks and dirt but its really beautiful from far away.I went to Niagara Falls for a family reunion. It was one of the most memora

44、ble 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 structuresThe 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

45、, it stretches many, many miles throughout China, and it was made in a period where we didnt have all the technological advancements like cranes and lifts.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 c

46、hance to look through all of San Francisco and over San Francisco Bay and its just a wonderful chance to see the city.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

47、structure.City LivingI love skyscrapers!Man, look at that! In New York theres always something being built. And everything goes up so quickly you never know whats going to be around next week.Yeah, but on the other hand, sometimes I wonder about overcrowding. Maybe they need to start building down m

48、ore.Building down?Yeah, its when you build underground instead of above ground.Nah, thats too much like living in a cave. I love the skyscrapers! They are the most incredible feats of engineering!True. And some of the first ones were built right here in New York City. Thats right! You know, I wonder

49、 what New York looked like before all these buildings popped up. Yeah, Ill bet itll be something fantastic!Maybe what do you think its going to look like?I dont know but you know what? Im going to remember what it looked like.What are you talking about? And why are you taking pictures? Theres nothin

50、g there.Ok. You know how some people get famous because they have pictures of movie stars or performers before they make it big?Yeah?Well, some buildings and architectural structures get to be famous too, like the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building right?Yeah, and ? Theres nothing here!Right!

51、 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?Uh you are too much. Hey, lets ask this guy what your “famous buildings going

52、to be. Excuse me, can you tell what this is going to be when its finished? Maybe a fancy hotel or something?Fancy hotel? No, this isnt going to be a hotel. Its going to be a parking garage.A parking garage. Uh huh. Thanks.Well maybe someone rich and famous will park here.Listen to the story summary.

53、 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 unde

54、rstand 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 work

55、ers whats being built on the site it turns out its going to be a parking garage! Technology today Computers are everywhereListen to some people talking about different situations with their computers. Match each situation and its problem. Situation 1Oh no!What happened?I cant believe it. I was sendi

56、ng a message and I accidentally clicked on “Reply to All.So? It was a personal message for my friend, Jerry. I wanted to send it to his e-mail address only.Oops.Exactly Instead I sent it to everyone on the list. How embarrassing!Situation 2I see you have a new keyboard. That s nice.Yes, the company

57、bought me a new one.Thats good.Well, actually I spilled coffee on my old keyboard, and it stopped working.Oh, I see.Dont tell anyone. Drinking coffee near the computers is not allowed!Situation 3 Have you finished working on my computer?Yes, I have. Im afraid I dont have good news for you.Really?Rea

58、lly. The problem is with your hardware.Oh. What do you suggest?I think you should probably buy a new computer. This one cant be fixed. Well, I have had it for five years. Its time to replace it, I guess.Listen again. Circle the correct word.Situation 1Oh no!What happened?I cant believe it. I was sen

59、ding a message and I accidentally clicked on “Reply to All.So? It was a personal message for my friend, Jerry. I wanted to send it to his e-mail address only.Oops.Exactly Instead I sent it to everyone on the list. How embarrassing!Situation 2I see you have a new keyboard. That s nice.Yes, the compan

60、y bought me a new one.Thats good.Well, actually I spilled coffee on my old keyboard, and it stopped working.Oh, I see.Dont tell anyone. Drinking coffee near the computers is not allowed!Situation 3 Have you finished working on my computer?Yes, I have. Im afraid I dont have good news for you.Really?R