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初级英语听力(新) lesson 34

时间:2007-06-25 03:30:21

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(单词翻译)

1. I borrow videos every week. I can watch cartoons or adventures at any time and I can watch them over and over again. I never watch children's programs on television any more.

2. My wife likes the video because she doesn't speak any English. But I say, if she doesn't hear English, how can she learn it? She needs to learn English to meet people and make friends.

3. Videos are ruining the cinema, of course. Too many people copy films instead of buying or borrowing them. There are too many pirates1. Of course, more people can see their favorite films now. Videos are obviously cheaper than the cinema, but they don't have the same effect, do they?

4. I watch the video every day while I knit—mostly old films, ice-skating and pop videos. I used to watch television all the time—news, talk shows, soap operas—anything that was on. Now I can choose what I watch and when I watch it.

5. A lot of educational videos are made with government money and video is used by a lot of schools now. Videos can be used at any time of the day and they can be stopped and replayed. When I was learning to be a teacher we were filmed and we could see our mistakes. Of course some teachers just put the video on and let it do the work, but it can be extremely valuable in the classroom.

6. I use the video for three things: I record programs when I'm not at home and I watch them when I have time. At work we use videos for training new employees, and I hire films at weekends and my friends come to watch. It makes quite a nice social evening.

Speaker A: Well, hunk is a verb. And it means to carry something, particularly something that's heavy and difficult to move. So you can say something like 'When I saw the men they were hunking the piano down the stairs.'
Speaker B: Actually, hunk is the cry made by an elephant, especially when it's angry, or it's trying to contact other elephants. The word sounds like the noise they make 'hunk, hunk.' So you can say, for example, 'The elephants are hunking a lot tonight.'
Speaker C: No, no, the truth is, hunk is a noun. And it means a piece of something, a big thick piece. So if you cut a thin piece of bread, that's not a hunk. When you tear off a thick piece of bread, that's a hunk. Today, for example, I had a big hunk of bread and cheese for my lunch.


Tony; Whew. The disco wasn't bad but I'm glad to escape from the noise. Aren't you?
Richard: Ummmmm.
Tony: Richard, I'd forgotten. You've got a letter. Now where did I put it? There it is. Under the gas bill.
Richard: Oh, from my brother.
Tony: Good. How many brothers have you got?
Richard: Only one.
Tony: Name?
Richard: Mark.
Tony: Older or younger?
Richard: Much older.
Tony: How much?
Richard: Five years.
Tony: Get on all right?
Richard: Yes, all right.
Tony: Tell me about Mark. You must have a lot in common. Such as problems.
Richard: Well, when I have a real problem I usually discuss it with Mark.
Tony: And what is a real problem?
Richard: Money is one. But Mark never minds helping2 me out.
Tony: You say money is one problem. I suppose you mean there are others.
Richard: Well, yes. Of course there are. Friends and possessions. He knows who my friends are and I know who his friends are. But when we meet we hardly ever speak. His friends aren't interested in talking to my friends. And my friends think his friends are boring and patronising.
Tony: Go on, Richard. You mentioned possessions. What about possessions?
Richard: I can never find my favorite cassettes. Mark and his friends keep borrowing them. I suppose Mark has a point when he says he can't find his calculator. I use it whenever I can find it.
Tony: So ... if you were in real trouble, who would you contact first?
Richard: Mark, of course.


Chairman: Now Mr. Grant has a question, I think, on gardening. Mr. Grant?
Mr. Grant: Can the team please suggest any suitable gardening task that could be given to young children between eight and twelve years old.
Chairman: I usually get them to wash my car. But a gardening task, well, what do you suggest, Peter?
Peter: There's a great tendency among some people I know to treat young children like slave labor3. I don't think you should. I think you should give them a job which is going to be useful to you, not one that you would object to doing yourself and, if possible, one which is going to be of some educational benefit to them. A job I would suggest is hand weeding.
Chairman: You must have thought about this, Jeff. What job would you give them?
Jeff: Well, I'd sooner have them eating ice cream. No, seriously, I like having young people in the garden. One thing that they enjoy doing, because they get very messy, is cleaning tools, you know spades, rakes and things like that. I mean you give a little boy an old rag to clean them with and he is so happy. Another job they love and which I hate absolutely is edging. You know, trying to give a shape to the lawn. They make a horrible mess of it cutting it smaller and smaller and giving it no shape at all, but they thoroughly4 enjoy it. The other thing that I like to give them to do is pot washing. They're not so keen on that but I get them to wash the pots. But anything that's going to get them messy, lovely!
Chairman: What do you say, Susan?
Susan: Well, I would say heaven help any young boy or girl who came into my garden because their life would be made a misery5. The only way I would let anybody touch my garden is if I was in the garden with them and working alongside6, so I think the only thing to do is, whatever you do, work with them and make sure (a) that it's done properly and (b) that they're happy while they do it.


Three people are giving their opinions about boxing.
Speaker 1: When I look at a picture like this I feel ... hmm ... I feel ... I'm not really sure how I feel.
Interviewer: Disgusted perhaps? Horrified7?
Speaker 1: No, no, I wouldn't say that.
Interviewer: Are you excited, perhaps?
Speaker 1: Excited? No, no, not at all. What's there to be excited about?
Interviewer: Well, a lot of people who go to boxing matches seem to be excited.
Speaker 1: Yes, I know. But I really can't understand why anybody should do that sort of thing at all.
Interviewer: What? Go to a boxing match? Or box in one?
Speaker 1: No, the first. I ... I think ... well ... it's hard to understand why people should want to earn their living by fighting, but I think I can. I mean, it's the money, isn't it? No, I meant going to a thing like that and watching it. I ... I just can't understand it. That's all.
Speaker 2: Well, before ... I used to be disgusted by the idea of this sort of thing. Men fighting for money. Blood. All that sort of thing.
Interviewer: And now?
Speaker 2: Well, since I've started going to a few boxing matches with my boyfriend, I think I see something ... something else in it.
Interviewer: What?
Speaker 2: Well ... perhaps you'll be surprised when I say this ... but I think there's a real element of skill. Yes. Skill.
Interviewer: What kind of skill?
Speaker 2: Physical skill. Those men are really ... fit. And if you watch two good boxers8 ... boxers who know what they're doing ... you can see the skill. The way they ... they ... the way they watch each other and wait for an opening. That sort of thing. It's quite exciting, really. A bit like ... a chess game. Yes.
Speaker 3: To me it's just disgusting. A brutal9, disgusting spectacle10. It ought to be banned. It sickens me ... the very thought of it sickens me.


Woman: Well, what did you think of the film, Margaret?
Margaret: Oh, I enjoyed it actually. But I do like musicals and I think Julie Andrews is wonderful.
Woman: Lovely voice.
Margaret: Oh, beautiful.
Woman: And a lovely face.
Margaret: Oh, she's very very attractive.
Woman: I can't think why so many people criticize her.
Margaret: Oh well, a lot of people do, but I think it's a snob11 thing with a lot of people.
Woman: I've always enjoyed her films. Very well produced, too.
Margaret: Oh, excellent, yes.
Woman: Those lovely scenes in the Alps.
Margaret: Yes, where she was doing that number where she was dancing on the hills.
Woman: Mm, and that scene in the school. It brought tears to my eyes. What about next week then?
Margaret: Yes, what are we going to see next week? Do you know what's on? I haven't looked at the local paper to see what's on next week.
Woman: Well, I'd better give you a ring about it.
Margaret: All right. I hope there's another musical on.
Woman: Well, I believe there's Guys and Dolls on, if I remember well.
Margaret: Really? Are they bringing that back again?
Woman: I believe so. But it's on at the Odeon, on the other side of town, so it would involve quite a bit of travelling.
Margaret: Oh, yes, but I'd go anywhere to see Frank Sinatra.
Woman: I'd forgotten he was in it, so he is. Well, let's try and see that if we can.
Margaret: I have seen it before, of course, but they're always bringing it back.
Woman: What do you say, shall we meet for tea and then take in a matinee?
Margaret: Yes, that's a good idea. Where shall I meet you?
Woman: Now what about the Odeon cafe. Four o'clock?
Margaret; Fine. Which day?
Woman: Tuesday?
Margaret: No, I can't make it Tuesday. How about Thursday?
Woman: Yes, Thursday is all right. My husband likes to go off to his club on Thursday.
Margaret: So Thursday, four o'clock, have tea and then go and see Guys and Dolls. Well, that'll be nice because I do like Frank Sinatra. So I'll see you on Thursday. I have to be off now. Goodbye.
Woman: Bye.


Angela Rogers is describing a boat trip which she took with her husband down the Nile.
It was the summer of last year when we went. It was a special package holiday which included three days in Cairo, and a week cruising12 down the Nile. It sounded lovely in the brochure. Relaxing, luxurious13, delicious food—all the usual things. And the boat looked nice in the picture. In fact when we got there, and on the boat, it was exactly the opposite of luxurious. It was positively14 uncomfortable. It was too small to be comfortable. And too hot. The only air-conditioning was from the wind, and inside, in the cabins, it was too hot to sleep, and the dining room was stifling15.
My husband and I paid the special rate for the best cabin. I'm glad we didn't have to stay in the worst one. The cabins were very poorly equipped; there wasn't even a mirror, or a socket16 for a hair drier, or even a point for the electric razor. There was a shower, but the water pressure wasn't high enough to use it. The cabin was badly designed as well. There wasn't enough room to move. The beds took up three quarters of the space.
The brochure also talked about the mouth-watering French cuisine17 available on board, but you could hardly call it food. It was boring, and practically inedible18. There was nothing to do, really. There was a table-tennis table, but one bat was broken. In the daytime the decks were so crowded, there wasn't even enough room to sit. We did stop now and then for a swim, but who wants to swim in that filthy19 river? I certainly didn't.


Professor Ernest Taylor is a sociologist20 and the author of a number of books. He was interviewed recently on CBC radio by Norman Blunt21.
Blunt: Now Professor, in your latest book Granny Doesn't Live Here Any More, you suggest that Granny is a problem, and she is going to become even more of a problem in the future. Am I correct?
Taylor: Yes, in fact it's not only Granny who is a problem, it's Grandfather, too, and old people in general.
Blunt: Now, is this a peculiarly British phenomenon? It seems very sad that parents should give so much of their lives to bringing up their children and then, when they become old, be regarded as a problem.
Taylor: Our research was mainly carried out in Britain. In many countries it is still regarded as quite natural that a widowed mother should go to live with one of her married children, but in Britain, certainly during the last thirty or forty years, there has been considerable resistance to this idea.
Blunt: Now why do you think this is? Surely having a Granny about the place to take care of the younger children, and give a hand with the housework, can take a lot of pressure off a young wife, can't it?
Taylor: Yes, I think this is true. But remember the old people themselves are of ten totally opposed to the idea of going to live with the young family. And modern houses and flats are very small, much smaller than the sort of homes people used to live in.
Blunt: And when Granny gets very old, then the situation becomes even worse, doesn't it?
Taylor: Yes, as long as old people are able to look after themselves, the system works quite well. But as soon as they need anything in the way of care and attention, the situation becomes very difficult indeed.
Blunt: Well, presumably22 a point comes when old people have to go into a nursing home or something similar.
Taylor: Yes, but it's not as simple as that. Because of improvements in medical science, life expectancy23 is increasing all the time. The birth rate has fallen. This means that an ever smaller working population is having to provide for an ever larger number of old people, in need of care and attention. The number of places in old people's homes provided by the State is strictly24 limited. There are private nursing homes, but the cost is way out of reach of the average family.
Blunt: And how do you see the situation developing in the future?
Taylor: Well, obviously a lot of money is going to have to be spent. But it's difficult persuading people to do this. There aren't many votes for politicians in providing nursing homes for elderly.
Blunt: You don't see a reversal of this trend, with Granny going back to live with the family.
Taylor: I think this is most unlikely.

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 pirates cbb038d74db4fd0e22ac501524f92158     
n.海盗( pirate的名词复数 );剽窃者;侵犯版权者;非法播音的人(或组织)
参考例句:
  • Children dressed (themselves) up as pirates. 孩子们假扮成海盗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The pirates treated their captives with barbarity. 海盗们残暴地对待他们的俘虏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
2 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
3 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
4 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
参考例句:
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
5 misery G10yi     
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦
参考例句:
  • Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
  • He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。
6 alongside XLWym     
adv.在旁边;prep.和...在一起,在...旁边
参考例句:
  • There was a butcher's shop alongside the theatre.剧院旁边有一家肉店。
  • Alongside of him stood his uncle.他的身旁站着他叔叔。
7 horrified 8rUzZU     
a.(表现出)恐惧的
参考例句:
  • The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
  • We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。
8 boxers a8fc8ea2ba891ef896d3ca5822c4405d     
n.拳击短裤;(尤指职业)拳击手( boxer的名词复数 );拳师狗
参考例句:
  • The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The boxers slugged it out to the finish. 两名拳击手最后决出了胜负。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 brutal bSFyb     
adj.残忍的,野蛮的,不讲理的
参考例句:
  • She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
  • They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼,骨子里却是野蛮残忍。
10 spectacle wvbwj     
n.(大规模)场面,壮观[pl.]眼镜
参考例句:
  • She was fascinated at the spectacle of a rocket launching.她被发射火箭的壮观场面强烈地吸引住了。
  • The opening ceremony was a fine spectacle.开幕式典礼是个壮观的场面。
11 snob YFMzo     
n.势利小人,自以为高雅、有学问的人
参考例句:
  • Going to a private school had made her a snob.上私立学校后,她变得很势利。
  • If you think that way, you are a snob already.如果你那样想的话,你已经是势利小人了。
12 cruising e780b3b8dde01071b043c4c4d7233720     
adj.巡航的v.乘船巡游( cruise的现在分词 );以快而平稳的速度长距离行驶;巡航;轻而易举赢得(或获得)
参考例句:
  • The car was cruising along at 100 kilometres an hour. 这辆汽车平稳地以每小时100公里的速度行驶。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • They will go cruising in the Mediterranean. 他们将在地中海上巡游。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 luxurious S2pyv     
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的
参考例句:
  • This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
  • The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。
14 positively vPTxw     
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实
参考例句:
  • She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
  • The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
15 stifling dhxz7C     
a.令人窒息的
参考例句:
  • The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热,光景是要下雨。
  • We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里,简直透不过气来。
16 socket jw9wm     
n.窝,穴,孔,插座,插口
参考例句:
  • He put the electric plug into the socket.他把电插头插入插座。
  • The battery charger plugs into any mains socket.这个电池充电器可以插入任何类型的电源插座。
17 cuisine Yn1yX     
n.烹调,烹饪法
参考例句:
  • This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
  • This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。
18 inedible PQQzU     
adj.不能吃的,不宜食用的
参考例句:
  • The food was totally inedible.食物完全无法下咽。
  • These chemicals make the fruit inedible.这些化学品使这种水果不宜食用。
19 filthy ZgOzj     
adj.卑劣的;恶劣的,肮脏的
参考例句:
  • The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
  • You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发,然后再去买张新的。
20 sociologist 2wSwo     
n.研究社会学的人,社会学家
参考例句:
  • His mother was a sociologist,researching socialism.他的母亲是个社会学家,研究社会主义。
  • Max Weber is a great and outstanding sociologist.马克斯·韦伯是一位伟大的、杰出的社会学家。
21 blunt jt2zC     
adj.(刀子)钝的,不锋利的,迟钝的,直率的
参考例句:
  • The axe is too blunt to cut down the tree.斧头太钝,砍不倒树。
  • She is rather blunt in speech.她说话很直率。
22 presumably hQnxm     
adv.据推测,大概,可能
参考例句:
  • No reply from him yet,presumably he hasn't received my letter.他没有回信,想必没有收到我的信。
  • Presumably she could be trusted to find a safe place.或许满可以相信她,找得到安全的所在。
23 expectancy tlMys     
n.期望,预期,(根据概率统计求得)预期数额
参考例句:
  • Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
  • The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。
24 strictly GtNwe     
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地
参考例句:
  • His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
  • The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

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