新未来大学英语 视听说教程1（智慧版） 听力脚本 Unit 4

Unit4Livingwithnature

Experiencetheworld

Listening1

Host: Wherearetheworld’smostchallengingnaturalenvironments?Howdopeoplesurviveintheseplaces?JoiningmetodiscussthesequestionsisDr.TomRogers.Heisasocialscientist.Heisalsothewriterofanewbookaboutlifeinextremeenvironments.Welcome,Tom.

Tom: Happytobehere.Yourradioprogramismyabsolutefavorite.

Host: Howniceofyoutosayso!Solet’sgetstarted.Whatenvironmentsaremostdifficultforhumanlife?

Tom: Well…theArctic,forone.IntheArctic,temperaturesarewellbelowzero.Thegroundissocoldthatfarmingisimpossible.TheInuitpeople,however,havesurvivedthereforcenturies.

Host: Howhavetheymanagedthat?Whatdotheyeat?

Tom: Theysurvivemostlyonmeatandfish.Andforcenturiestheyhaveusedanimalskinstokeepwarm.

Host: Interesting.Andwhataboutpeoplefightingextremeheat?

Tom: LookattheSaharaDesert.ItisoneofthehottestanddriestplacesonEarth.Here,waterishardtocomeby.Peopleareoftenforcedtomoveandsearchfornewwatersources.Theenvironmenthasmadeitdifficultforcommunitiestobuildpermanentvillages.Theysurvivebylivingatravelinglifestyle.

Host: Yes,IreadabouttheSaharanpeopleinyourbook.It’ssuchawonderfulandwell-researchedtext.

Tom: Thanks,Iappreciatethat.

Listening2

Intoday’smodernworld,it’seasytoforgethowmuchourlivesdependontheEarth’snaturalforces.Butinfact,theseforcesarepowerfulenoughtoshapehumansocieties,andcanevenentirelychangethecourseofhistory.Let’slookatafewexamples.

PompeiiwasanancientRomancity.Itwasverywealthyandhadarichculture.Ithadlivelyshops,marketsandbeautifulprivatehouses.Itevenhadagreattheaterandmanygreatworksofart.ButintheyearAD79,avolcanoeruptedandcompletelydestroyedthecity.

Pompeiiandallofitsculturewereburiedundermetersofvolcanicashwithinabout24hours.Itwasnotuntil17centurieslaterthatthecitywasrediscovered.

Sometimesnaturalforcestakealittlelongertoaffectsocieties,buttheresultscanbejustasdeadly.TheMayanEmpire,forexample,wasonceagreatandpowerfulsocietyinCentralAmerica.However,fromtheyearsAD800toAD1000,thecivilizationexperiencedaperiodofverydryweather.Thishadaterribleeffectonthelocalwatersupplyandfarmproduction.ManyresearchersbelievethatitwasthischangethateventuallydestroyedtheMayansociety.Thesocietymaysimplynothavehadenoughfoodorwatertosurvive.

Understandtheworld

Listening1

ForaslongasIlive,I’llneverforgetthedateDecember26,2003.ThatwasthedaytheBamearthquakehitmyhometowninIran.Earthquakesarequitecommoninmycountry,butI’dneverexperiencedonesodisastrousinBam.

EarlyinthemorningofDecember26,justasIwaswakingup,IfeltthegroundIsleptonstarttoshake.AtfirstIthoughtIwasimaginingthings.However,whenIstoodup,thewholeworldseemedtobeshaking.ThenextthingIknew,myplants,myteacups–nearlyeverythingwasfallingtotheground.That’swhenIknewitwasanearthquake.

ItriedtoraceoutofthehouseasquicklyasIcould,butbeforeIcouldmakeittothefrontdoor,thewallsandtheroofstartedtobreakupandfall.Suddenly,Iwastrappedbeneathallthefallingpieces!Iwasextremelyluckynottobebadlyhurt.Twohourslater,whenIwaspulledoutoftherubblebymyrelatives,Icouldhardlyrecognizemyneighborhood–allthehomesweredestroyed.

TheearthquakedamagedalmostallthebuildingsinBamandkilledmorethan26,000people.ItwasoneoftheworstnaturaldisastersandsaddestmemoriesinIranianhistory.

Viewing

…parchedterrainwherealmostnothingcangrow.ThispartoftheFloridaKeysislandchainwasoncehometoalargepineforest.ButChrisBergsaysrisingsealevelshavemadethegroundwaterincreasinglysalty,destroyingtheecosystem.

Chris: Whatusedtobeathrivingpineforest,usedtosupportKeydeer,usedtosupportfreshwater-dependentwildlife,nowdoesstillsupportcertainanimals,butnotthosefreshwater-dependentspecies.

Narrator: Floridaofficialsarenowpredictingthatthesealevelwillriseatanalarmingrate:60centimetersoverthenext50years.

Narrator: Bergobservesthepotentialimpactofthesenumberssimulatedonacomputermap.

Chris: Fourfeetisthehighestamountofsealevelrisethatwemodeled.Andyoucanseethatthere’sverylittleland.ThisisthehighestpointofBigPineherethatisnotaffected.

Narrator: Thelow-lyingislandofKeyWestwouldalsobeaffectedifthispredictioncomestrue.With25,000residents,it’sthemostpopulatedandvisitedislandintheKeys.Tourismmakesup80percentofitseconomy.

Man: Ithinkitwouldprobablychangeafewthings.Wewouldhavetoadapt.Howwe’dadapt,I’mnotreallysure.

Narrator: Localswillhavenochoice,becausethetrendisirreversible.Onewaytoescapethesealevel’sriseistobuildup,likethiselevatedfirestation.

Woman: Thisisjustthefirstofourbuildings,butweareplanningnowonbuildingallofournewcountyfacilitiesextra-elevatedtoaccountforthesealevelrise.

Narrator: Roads,parksandbridgesherewillalleventuallybebuilthigherup,ameasurethatcouldonedaybenecessaryforcoastalcitieslikeBostonorNewYork.

Listening2

Whatistherelationshipbetweenhumanbeingsandnature?Throughouttime,differentsocietieshavehadmanydifferentideasaboutthis.ButhowdidtheancientChineseviewthisrelationship?Theideaoftianrenheyimayhelpusanswerthisquestion.Tianrenheyibasicallymeansthathumansareanintegralpartofnatureandthatthereisharmonybetweenthetwo.

EarlyChinesethinkers,especiallyintheDaoistschool,hadagreatrespectforthenaturalworld.Theyrecognizedtheimportanceofworkingtowardtianrenheyi.

Forexample,itwasbelievedthathumanbeingsshouldliveaccordingtotheprinciplesofthenaturalworld,andorganizetheirworkandrestinlinewiththecycleofdayandnight.Similarly,farmworkshouldalsofollowthechangesinnature,andbearrangedinlinewiththe24solarterms.

Theconceptoftianrenheyihasbeendevelopedcontinuouslythroughouthistory,anditisstillrelevantinmoderntimes.Forexample,anunderstandingoftianrenheyicanhelpusdealwiththeseriousenvironmentalproblemsthatwearefacingtoday.Thisisbecauseitteachesustorespectnature,notcontrolit.Ifwefollowthisidea,wecankeepourenvironmenthealthy,whichiscrucialforourfuture.

Furtherlistening

Conversation

Peter: Haveyouheardofstormchasers,Ming?

Ming: Aren’tthosethepeoplewhogooutlookingforthebiggestandworststorms?

Peter: That’sright!

Ming: Andtheydoitforfun?

Peter: Manyofthemdo,yes.I’mreadingabookaboutstormchasingnow.Itlooksreallyexciting!

Ming: I’veneverunderstoodwhyanyonewoulddothat.IdoeverythingIcantoavoidstorms!

Peter: Icanunderstandit.Itsoundstomelikeagreatadventure!StormchasingasahobbyisactuallyquitecommonintheflatlandsoftheU.S.

Ming: Isthatthebestplacetochasestorms?

Peter: It’scertainlythemostpopular.Peoplefrommanydifferentcountriestravelthereduringstormseason.

Ming: Thestormsmustbebeautifulthere!

Peter: Theyare!StormchasingisgrowinginAustraliatoo.

Ming: That’shardlysurprising.Afterall,Australiaishometoquitealotofextremestorms!

Peter: I’dlovetoseeastormtheremyself.

Ming: Ireallythinkyouhavetobealittlebitcrazytobeastormchaser.

Peter: Well,maybe,althoughnotallstormchasersdoitforfun.Manyarescientistswhoareresearchingextremeweather.

Ming: Oh,yes,ofcourse.

Peter: Andalso,reportersneedtochasestormstoo.Theyneedtoletthepublicknowaboutdangerousweather.

Ming: Isupposeit’sdangerouswork,butsomebodyhastodoit!

Passage1

AChinesetechnologycompanyhaslaunchedapopularschemecalled“AntForest”.Thescheme,whichissupportedbyAlipay,hasmadeitfunto“gogreen”!

AntForestrewardsuserswhoperformenvironmentallyfriendlyactivitieswithvirtualgreenenergycredits.Ifuserswalkorridesharedbicycles,forexample,theygetcredits.Iftheyusepublictransport,theygetcredits.Iftheybuye-ticketsinsteadofpapertickets–evenmorecredits!Manymoredifferentbehaviorsarealsorewardedinthisway.

Whenusersearnenoughcredits,avirtualtreegrowsintheirpersonalaccounts.Buthere’sthetrulycreativepart:Foreveryvirtualtree,thecompanyplantsarealtreeorprotectsaconservationarea.Userscanfindthelocationoftheirreal-worldtreesonamap.Thiskeepsthemconnectedtotheprocess.Italsocreatesastrongerinterestintheenvironment.

Theschemeisnotjusthavingpositivebenefitsfortheenvironment.Itisalsohelpingpeoplestayhealthybyencouragingmoreactivehabits.Itisalsocreatingjobsfortreeplantersindesertregions.Inthisway,itcanimprovelocaleconomies.

Onlyafewyearsold,thisschemehasalreadybecomehugelypopular–especiallywithyoungerpeople.Sofar,morethan120milliontreeshavebeenplanted.

Passage2

Welcometo“AroundtheWorld”.Thisradioprogramexamineslifestylesandculturesacrossourgreatplanet.Ontoday’sshow,wefocusonhouses.Youmayhavenoticedthathousesoftenlookdifferentindifferentregions.Whyisthat?Well…ithasalottodowithenvironmentalfactors.Thelocalenvironmenthelpsdeterminethehousespeoplecanbuild.

Localmaterialsplayabigroleinhousedesign.InplaceslikenorthernCanadaandGreenland,manycommonbuildingmaterialsarenotavailablelocally.Forexample,thereisnotmuchwoodintheseareas,becausetherearenotmanytrees.

Butwhatisavailableinthecoldnorth?Snow,ofcourse!Sointheseregions,peoplewouldoftenbuildhousesoutofblocksofsnow.Thesehousesareknownasigloos.

Weatherconditionscanalsodeterminethedesignofhouses.ConsidertheTujiapeopleintheWulingMountainsofChina.Thisareacangetquitealotofrain.Forthisreason,theTujiapeoplebuildtheirhousesontopofstilts,whicharepostsmadeoutofbambooorwood.Thisprotectst