新标准大学英语视听说教程(2)听力原文

Unit 1-- Conversation 1

Janet:So this is the Cherwell Boathouse — it's lovely! And look at those people punting! It looks quite easy.

Mark:I'm not so sure about that! Janet, there's something Kate and I wanted to discuss with you. Some people in college are organizing charity events this term. We've decided to get involved.

Janet:Raising money for charity? Right. In China, people raise money for charity but students don't usually do that.

Mark:Students often do that here. Anyway, we're thinking of doing sponsored punting.

Janet:Sponsored punting! What's that?

Kate:Sponsoring is when people pay you to do something — like run a long distance. So people would be sponsoring students to punt.

Janet: What a great idea! I'd love to join you!

Mark:That's why we're telling you about it. So that's decided then. Let's make a list of things we need to do.

Kate: I'll do that. One of the first things we should do is choose the charity.

Mark: Yes. And choose a day for the event. And we need to design the sponsorship form. I've got one here.

Kate:That looks fine, but we must change the wording. Who wants to do that?

Mark: I'll do that. What have we got so far?

Kate: Choose a charity. Also a day for the event. Change the wording on the sponsorship form... Um ... We have to decide where the punt will start from.

Mark: Cherwell Boathouse, no question! It's a very beautiful route from here, apparently.

Kate: I'm with you on that.

Janet: Me too

Janet: I'm not used to boats — Woah!

Mark: Whoops!

Kate: Watch out! You nearly hit me with that thing!

Mark: Sorry! I didn't mean to. ... OK, we're off!

Kate: Maybe I should do the punting.

Mark:It's fine.I've got the hang of it now —give me a chance.

Kate: Well, I'd like to have a go.

Mark: Supposing I do the first hour. Then you can take over for a while, if you want to.

Kate: Yes, great.

Janet: You're really good at it, Mark! This is fantastic! It's exactly how I imagined life here! Look over there —isn't it lovely! Kate: Yes, it is.

Unit 1--Conversation 2

Janet: Kate, everything's organized, isn't it, for collecting the sponsorship money?

Kate: Yes, I've arranged for people to get the money to me by next Friday — if they haven't paid online. I'll count it all up. Janet: Good. We'd better have a meeting soon after that, don't you think? How much have we raised?

Kate: About 600.

Janet: Fantastic! I'm so enjoying this!

Mark: Hey guys, I've got a suggestion — how about moving over to the bank and we can have our picnic! Hey, look, there's Louise and Sophie!

Mark: Whoo ...

Girls: Mark!

Janet: Are you all right?

Mark: Er .Of course I'm all right. Kate, I think it's your turn to punt!

Unit 1-Outside View

Voice-over Harvard University in Cambridge is one of the best universities in the world. We spoke to Alex Jude, the university's Head of Communications. He explained that Harvard looks for the best and most talented students from around the world.

Alex Harvard actually seeks students from around the

world, the best students that we can find, to study chemistry,

or study literature, or study government, or business. Our

business school is particularly well-known around the world,

as is the medical school and law school, so, um, and, and the

Kennedy School of Government, or the John F Kennedy

School of Government, so, er, we do seek very, very talented

students and we have open doors for them.

Voice-over We asked five students at Harvard to tell us

what kind of social life they have.

Ashley Um, well relaxing is a little hard to do around here, but basically, I mean, I still, I, I live nearby anyway, so I see a lot of my friends, and ... Um, there's a good social life here if you look for it. I go to the gym, run. So that's what I do.

Adam It's, it's whatever you want it to be. It's good. If

you wanna go out party, do anything you can. If you wanna

sit in your room and study all night like my friend over here,

you can also do that.

Brian Socially, like you said, it's, it's a lot of what you

make it. Um, we don't have fraternities here, and so, you

know, that's, it's obviously not as social. There's not as many

parties as there would be on another campus. Um, but on a

Friday or Saturday night, there, there, there will be a party.

Usually we end up studying until about 10 o'clock. And then

we, and then we'll go out and have fun maybe, or just watch a

movie with friends, or, you know, whatever is going on for

the night.

Jodie Not everyone would agree with me,

obviously, but it's, I think it's a fun place to be.

Interviewer Have you made a lot of friends?

Jodie Oh, definitely.

Interviewer Mm.

Jodie Many.

Interviewer What, what do you do with your friends?

Jodie Um, well, I like to go to concerts. I'm in three

music groups, so I have lots of rehearsals during the week for

that. Um, just do, you know, some fun things, on

the weekend.

Voice-over We asked the Harvard students if they use the

Internet.

Ashley Um, I, I use it a fairly good amount. Um, our

library system is online, so I use that a lot. And a lot of my

classes, you know, have to do research papers. You can find a

lot of information on there, so.

Interviewer So how often do you use it, a week, a day?

Ashley Um, I use it probably on more of a weekly basis. Maybe three or four times a week.

Brian Oh yes, definitely. We live through the Internet

actually. Well, I do a lot of research through the Internet,

follow my stocks on the Internet. Um, well, even though

e-mail is not officially Internet, we, that's how we

communicate a lot at college, so, through the e-mail.

John Um, I use the internet mostly for, er, I'd say,

sort of leisure purposes. I mean, I play, um, I use it for a lot

of, I don't, we don't have TV in my room, so I use it, uh, uh,

go to the CNN website, keep up on current events, things like

that. Uh, I also, uh, you know, there's some little games to

play over the Internet. Um, just um, I go to https://www.wendangku.net/doc/5b5524415.html, to see

what's happening, follow the Boston Red Sox, things like

that. Um, I think a lot of courses use it to post things, but I, I

don't usually use it that much for research, or things. I tend to

use the libraries for such things, so.

Unit 1-Listening in

Passage 1

Voice-over Hi, I'm Nick Carter, and this is SUR, your university radio station. This morning we went around campus to ask freshers -now half-way through their first year -the question, "How are you finding uni?" Here are some of the answers we got. Speaker 1It's cool. It's everything I hoped it would be. I'm

very ambitious, I want to be a journalist and I want to get to the top of the profession. I've started writing for the university newspaper so I've got my foot on the ladder already.

Speaker 2I'm working hard and the teaching is as good as I expected. And I've made some good friends. But I'm very homesick. I'm Nigerian and my family's so far away. I went home at Christmas for a month -that really helped, but man, I miss my family so much.

Speaker 3"How am I finding uni?" It's great. It's not perfect, nothing is, but, like, I've got a brilliant social life, just brilliant, and I've made lots of friends. For the first few months I just didn't do, really enough work. But I -1 talked about it with my parents and I'm working harder now and getting good grades.

Speaker 4Actually, I've been quite lonely to be honest. I'm a bit shy ... everyone else seemed to find it so easy to make friends straight away. But things have been better recently - yeah, they have. I've joined a couple of clubs and like, it really helps to get to know people when you have shared interests. So, yeah - I'm feeling a lot happier now.

Speaker 5 Uni's great, I love it. My only problem -and it's

quite a big problem - is money. My parents are both

unemployed so, you know, they can't help me financially. My

grant just isn't - it's just not enough for me to live on, so I've

taken a part-time job as a waitress — a lot of people I know,

like a lot, have had to do the same. I don't want to have huge

debts at the end.

Speaker 6I love my subject. History, and I'm, I'm getting

fantastic teaching here. I want to be a university lecturer and

that means I have to get a first. I have a good social life but

work definitely comes first for me.

Passage 2

Oxford and Cambridge - two universities so similar that they are often spoken of together as "Oxbridge". They're both in the UK, fairly near London, and both regularly come top in any ranking of the world's best universities.

The two universities began within a century of each other. Oxford University, now 900 years old, was founded towards the end of the 11th century. In 1209 there was a dispute between the university and the townspeople of Oxford. As a result, some of the Oxford teachers left and founded a university in the town of Cambridge, some 84 miles away. Ever since then, the two institutions have been very competitive.

Unlike most modem universities, both Oxford and Cambridge consist of a large number of colleges. Oxford has 39 and Cambridge 31. Many of these colleges have old and very beautiful architecture, and large numbers of tourists visit them.

In all UK universities, you need good grades in the national exams taken at 18. But to get into Oxford and Cambridge, it's not enough to get A grades in your exams. You also have to go for a long interview. In these interviews, students need to show that they are creative and capable of original thinking.

Through the centuries, both universities have made huge contributions to British cultural life. They have produced great writers, world leaders and politicians. Cambridge, in particular, has produced scientists whose discoveries and inventions have changed our lives.

Among the great university institutions is the world's most famous debating society, the Oxford Union, where undergraduates get a chance to practise speaking in public. Cambridge's comedy club Footlights has produced many first-class comedians, while some of the UK's most famous actors and actresses began their careers at The Oxford University Dramatic Society, known as OUDS. Then there's the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, which takes place every year in March or April, and is watched on television all over the UK.

So with all this excellence in so many fields, it's not surprising that the ambition of clever students all over the world is to attend either one of these great universities.

Unit 2—Conversation 1

Kate: Come in. Hey, Janet.

Ja n et: Hi Kate, are you busy?

Kate: Yes, I'm just doing an essay. But it's great to see you. So what's new?

Janet: Well, nothing much.

Kate: You look a bit fed up. What's bugging you?

Janet: Well, I had a phone call from my parents and it made me feel homesick. It happens every time they call, and it gets me down.

Kate: I'm sorry to hear that. I know how you feel. I love speaking to my mum and dad, but I always feel miserable after the call.

Janet: My dad doesn't say much, and I want to speak to him, but I wish I knew what to say.

Kate: Don't let it get to you. My dad doesn't say much on the phone either. I call, he answers the phone, and says, "Hi, I'll pass you to your mother." It's really irritating.

Janet: But I miss him and my mother a lot, and I like to hear his voice.

Kate: Just tell him what you're up to.

Janet: Sometimes I feel as if I made a mistake leaving home and coming to Oxford. Sometimes I feel like a moody teenager. Kate: Try not to worry about it, Janet. It's normal to feel like that. I understand how you feel, but I bet everything will be fine next term. You'll get used to it. Hey, why don't you do what I do?

Janet: What's that?

Kate: When my dad calls, I ask him for more money! He usually says no, but at least I get to hear his voice!

Janet: Maybe. I'm sorry to take up your time, Kate, but I must go now. Bye!

Kate: Wait a minute ...!

Unit 2--Conversation 2

Kate: I think I may have upset Janet last night.

Mark: What happened?

Kate: She came to see me. I was busy doing an essay but I was really pleased to see her. She'd had a call from

home, and said she was feeling homesick.

Mark: Poor kid! It must be tough when you guys living so far away from home.

Kate: I tried to make her laugh, told her not to worry about it, and that it was normal to feel miserable. Suddenly

she looked miserable, and then she got up and said, "I must go now" and left my room. It was really sudden. I felt

as if I'd said something wrong.

Mark:Maybe she was just being polite. It was probably because she realized you were working and didn't want to

disturb you.

Kate: I just wonder if she found it difficult to talk about her feelings with me. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to

make her laugh? Perhaps she thought I wasn't taking her seriously.

Mark: I wouldn't worry about it. Put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel if you were a student at college in

China?

Kate: I know. That's why I feel bad. If only she had stayed longer! I wish I could have helped her more.

Janet: Hey, everyone!

Mark: Hi Janet, you look cheerful!

Janet: Yes, I've just got my essay back. I got an alpha minus!

Kate: What an amazing grade! Well done.

Mark: I'm really happy for you, Janet.

Janet: I feel on top of the world!

Unit 2-Outside view

Sebastien

Hi. I'm Sebastien. I'm from Germany. Um, the idea of IQ of a measure of your brain power has been around for a while, but recently there's been this new idea of the EQ - your emotional quotient. And by now, it's actually almost being regarded as more important. If you look at it, businesses will... Well, they will prefer employing people with great EQ. Well, of course, IQ cannot be disregarded, but um, EQ does have its importance as well. Uh, I believe that, um,... I mean, people, most people will have, um, their basic means of communicating with other people. Most people are somewhat socially adept, and just like most people have, you know, a basic general knowledge. But then, what I think really is the difference between IQ and EQ, I mean, you can have a "brainiac", and they will be great at most things they do, but if you just can't get along with him, if you just can't communicate with him, I mean, you know, he's not really that useful.

Kim

Hi. This is Kim. I'm originally from Korea, and I was

raised in California. And today, we are going to talk about the differences between IQ and EQ -IQ meaning your intelligence, EQ meaning your emotions. Now, in ... When I was, when I was a little, little boy in Korea, I had to take ... I think I'd taken

like two or three IQ tests before the age often, which is when I moved to California. So, I guess we stress a lot of importance

on intelligence, on having great IQ1 scores. But after I moved to the States, I learnt how to associate with people, and along

the lines that this word EQ came up, you know, emotional, caring lout... It's basically how you deal with people, how you make people feel, and how people make you feel. think they're equally as, as important, but it seems that in the Eastern world they kind of stress on that a lot more back in the days. But I think again, you know, now that with Internet and people are communicating so much faster, there's a better mixture of the two I link. There's a stress on EQ in Korea as well, and a stress

on IQ in the States. Thank you.

Ted

Hello. My name is Ted, and I'm from the United States of America. Today, I'm going to talk a little bit about IQ or EQ - which is most important, or which is more important. Now, for a long time when I was growing up, people said, "IQ. What's your IQ? Take an IQ test." But then EQ, your emotions, how you interact with people, that became very important. And I think

they're ... that people might be onto something with that, because your EQ - how you deal with people, how you interact with people - is important. Now, a big part of this, in my opinion, is listening. I know I'm talking a lot right now, but if you want to get along well with people, you have to listen to them, so just take a minute, maybe shut your mouth for a minute, and listen to others, and then you can understand and communicate with them in a better way. So, part of EQ, I think, is listening - listening to others - and it can be more important than IQ.

Unit 2-Listening in

Passage 1

Presenter We're fortunate to have as our guest today Dr

Jenna Hudson, who has just written a book about how colours

affect us in our surroundings, especially in the world of

advertising. It's called Market Colours. Dr Hudson, which are

the most common colours in advertising and marketing?

Dr Hudson Well, of course, it depends what image the

marketing team wish to project with their products. So for

example, we often think of blue as a cold colour, but it also

makes you feel peaceful, quiet, and it doesn't suggest strong

emotions. So it's a favourite for banks and insurance

companies, who wish to suggest the image that they are

trustworthy. And for selling products, it's often used to

suggest something is pure and fresh.

Presenter What about red?

Dr Hudson You can sell almost anything with red.

It's a hot colour, which suggests a feeling of energy and even passion. It grabs your attention, and can make people buy almost anything. You often see red on magazine covers. But if you use it too much, it looks cheap and may make people tired. And orange has a similar effect to red, it's upbeat and happy, it suggests pleasant feelings and images. Most people react well to orange, and it's especially popular in advertising and on packaging for baked food.

Presenter What about yellow, for instance?

Dr Hudson Yellow is the colour of sunshine and it's a positive, happy colour, so it's used a lot in advertising. But it's also often used for warning signs, direction signs, and so on, where you have to read the message quickly and at a distance.

Presenter What about less popular colours for advertising?

Dr Hudson Surprisingly, green isn't used much in advertising except for garden products, It's friendly and restful. It can be cool and soothing, the colour of apples and mint, but it can also be quite strong and many people associate it with unpleasant ideas of decay or slimy creatures.

Presenter But most colours are not primary colours, they're a combination.

Dr Hudson Absolutely. So yellow-orange is common, and often used to give an impression of style and class, it looks like gold. But it's not often used in letters because it's not very strong. And yellow-green reminds people of feeling sick. Blue-green works well as a cool colour, suggesting freshness, and is sometimes used for toothpaste products, bathroom products, food and household cleaning products. It has many of the advantages of blue without the disadvantages of green. Presenter Fascinating. Thank you very much, Dr Hudson. Market Colours by Dr Jenna Hudson is on sale from next week, priced ￡15.99...

Passage2

Presenter What makes you embarrassed, Sally?

Sally Oh, I'm easily embarrassed. If anybody notices me or looks at me, I get very embarrassed. When people sing me Happy Birthday on my birthday, I get very embarrassed.

Presenter And what makes you upset?

Sally When people are selfish, people who think only of themselves. And cruelty -I can't bear people who are cruel, especially to animals or children.

Presenter Jake, what makes you depressed?

Jake I hate it when it rains, and I don't like people who look down on me, who think they're superior to me without any reason.

Presenter And what makes you angry?

Jake When people don't behave properly in public, bad behaviour like dropping litter or people pushing each other on the bus or the train.

Presenter Andrew, what makes you cheerful?

Andrew I like to see everyone around me being happy and having a positive attitude towards the future, optimistic people. Presenter And what makes you jealous?

Andrew Well, to be honest, I just never feel jealous. I can't see the point of it.

Presenter Monica, what makes you proud?

Monica I'm proud when I'm successful, especially in my work. Being recognized by my boss for what I can do makes me feel really proud. Oh, and my family. I'm very proud of them.

Presenter And what makes you nervous?

Monica Every time I teach a new class. The night before I'm very nervous. You don't know what the kids are

going to be like and how they might behave, or if they're going to like you.

Presenter Anything else?

Monica Doing interviews like this.

Unit 3—Conversation 1

Kate: So, what did you think of the movie?

Mark: It was good but I thought it was too long.

Kate: Yes, me too.

Kate: Hey, where's my bike? I don't believe it! It's gone!

Mark: It was next to mine, you chained it up!

Kate: Someone's stolen it! Oh, how could they!

Mark: Oh, Kate!

Kate: How could someone have done this! The creep!

Mark: It's a really mean thing to do, steal a bike.

Kate: It was a mountain bike and it cost a fortune —I don't have the money to buy another one.

Mark: Listen, I'll go down the street and see if I can see anyone with it. Why don't you go into that shop and see

if they've seen anything suspicious? I'll be back in a minute.

Kate: OK.

Kate: Well?

Ma rk: No luck. What did they say in the shop?

Kate: I asked the shopkeeper if she'd seen anything —

Mark: And?

Kate: She said she hadn't. I guess it was a long shot. She advised me to report it to the police. But according to

her, bikes get stolen all the time around here.

Mark: Listen, let's get back so you can report it.

Kate: I've got no bike. I'm just so upset!

Mark: It's not far to college. Come on!

Unit 3--Conversation 2

Mark: So did you ring the police?

Kate: Yes. I went to the police station to report it.

Mark: What did they say?

Kate: No one's found it. This woman said that Oxford has the fifth highest rate of bike theft in the country!

Mark: You're joking!

Kate: That's what she said.

Mark: What else did she say?

Kate: She told me that sometimes you do get bikes back — the thieves use them and then abandon them, apparently, and then people find them and report them.

Mark: So you might get it back.

Kate: I hope so, Mark, I really do. It's just too much, you know? But ... um ... what else? She told me to go to this sale they have of abandoned bikes. She thinks I might find it there. But it's only every two months, I can't wait till then! Honestly, Mark, I'm really furious!

Mark: You can always buy a cheap bike on eBay.

Kate: Hello ... Speaking ... You found it! Where was it? Is it ...? Oh, that's fantastic news! There was a lamp and a basket on it ... Right ... OK, thank you, I'll be in tomorrow morning to pick it up. Unbelievable! This guy found it!

Mark: Brilliant! Was that the police?

Kate: Yes. What they said was, someone dumped it outside this guy's backyard.

Mark: That's so strange!

Kate: The lamp's been stolen and the basket.

Mark: Forget about it! You're lucky to get it back!

Unit 3-Outside view

Part 1

Presenter Dodgy deals aren't the only problems associated with doorstep sellers. Your doorstep presents these unannounced visitors with a real opportunity to undertake distraction burglary where they often pose as bogus officials to gain access to your home. I'm joined now by Ian Holt, from Thames Valley Police. Ian, just outline for me what does distraction burglary actually entail?

Ian Holt Well basically what happens is, somebody uses a story to get inside somebody's house and then they steal items, usually cash or small items of jewellery.

Presenter And what are the different techniques that are commonly used?

Ian Holt Well basically they er ... the people that commit this crime move from area to area, er ... they will look at an area, they will try and pick a particular target and they can find that by looking at property, it may be er, an uncut garden, it may be repairs that need doing to the property. Something that indicates that there's a vulnerable person in there. Usually, it's an elderly person that lives there.

Presenter Is this quite a common problem now?

Ian Holt It is becoming more common. To get it in perspective, of the 14,000 burglaries that were in Thames Valley last year, we had reported 800 crimes of distraction burglary. But, it... there's a slight increase this year over last year's figures.

Presenter OK, you mentioned some of the victims being elderly. What other people are targeted?

Ian Holt Well, unfortunately, with this type of offence, it is the vulnerable in society and the elderly. The, the national average, if there's such a thing as a, a victim for this type of crime, is a white female aged 81 years.

Part 2

Presenter And what about things that people can do to prevent it happening, basically?

Ian Holt Well the things they can do are very, very simple. The difficulty comes, is that some of these people, er ... it's very difficult for them to remember what to do. But the three things we, we always say is: stop, chain and check. And that's stop before you open the door to make sure who's on the other side. Always apply a chain. If you haven't got a chain, fit a chain to the door, or a door bar if you've got difficulty in handling a chain with arthritic fingers. But also when you answer the door, check the identity of the person there. Generally the offenders say they are from the Water Board or from utilities. They may say they're from a charity or even from local authority. But generally, a utility will be in uniform. Ask for their identification. A genuine person will not mind you doing that and will wait until you can check them out. If you do need to check them, phone the number on, on your last bill. What won't happen is that if it is a bogus caller, they will become unnerved by this reaction and they will leave.

Presenter OK and there's also a couple of gadgets

new on the market that also can help as well. Just talk

us through that.

Ian Holt Certainly, yes. The ... a spy er ... viewer is

fairly standard. But for elderly who may have poor

eyesight there's a spyscope which actually makes it a

lot easier for them to see who's outside. As I

mentioned before about the door bar, again, it can be

easier to apply than the chain. Very reasonable priced

er, and something that is fairly new ... as I mentioned

before it's very difficult for some of these people to

remember what they have to do when they go to the

door and that's why they become victims. And this

item is called a Memo Minder and actually you can

record a message on there and it's nice to have a

grand-daughter or somebody to record a message, but

every time the person approaches the door it reminds

them with a voice to say "Put your chain on."

Unit 3-Listening in

Passage 1

Patrick I read a funny story today in the paper - true story.

Steve Go on, then.

Patrick OK. This 72-year-old guy stole a pair of trousers from a department store in Paris. A security man saw him and alerted the police and they were waiting for him when he came out of the shop. The shoplifter started running, but the policeman soon caught up with him. The man then bit the policeman on his arm several times.

Steve He bit the policeman?

Patrick Yes - you have to remember, he was 72.

Steve I'd forgotten that.

Patrick Problem was, it didn't hurt the policeman at all, 'cause the guy had forgotten to put his false teeth in before he left home. Steve Very funny!

Patrick And the moral of the story is -

Steve Always remember to wear your false teeth if you're going to bite someone.

Patrick That's good. I read a funny crime story the other day. Let's see ... yeah ... this guy... this guy robbed a supermarket somewhere in America -1 can't remember where exactly -anyway, he got away with about 4,000 dollars. The next week the local newspaper reported the story but said he'd stolen 6,000 dollars. The thief rang the newspaper office to complain. He said, "Look, I only took 4,000 dollars. I'm wondering if the supermarket manager took another 2,000 and said I'd taken it. I did not take 6,000, I promise you."

Steve He was probably telling the truth.

Patrick He probably was. Anyway, the newspaper managed to keep the guy talking while they rang the police. And the police traced the call - the guy was ringing from a phone booth - and they arrested him while he was still talking to the newspaper. Steve That's good. Stupid guy! I've got another true story ... This - this - old guy was in court for some crime - and he fell asleep. His case began and his lawyer stood up and said, "My client pleads not guilty." The man suddenly woke up, but wasn't sure what was happening. He jumped up and shouted, "I plead guilty! I plead guilty!"

Patrick So what happened?

Steve The judge allowed him to plead not guilty.

Patrick That's the best, I think.

Passage 2

Presenter You're listening to Kevin Fallen and my topic for today is street crime. Being mugged is something that can happen to anyone - and it's a very frightening experience. So it's positive when you hear of someone who was attacked by a mugger and defeated them - especially when that person is a woman. Anna Black was attacked by a mugger. She's here to tell us about it. How long ago did this happen, Anna?

Anna Just over a week ago. The day it happened,

I was coming home from work a bit later than usual -1 think it was about seven. I was on my mobile phone, talking to my husband.

Presenter And it was still daylight?

Anna Yes. Anyway, suddenly, someone pulled my hair from behind - and at the same time they grabbed my mobile phone. Now, I'm a karate black belt -

Presenter Really!

Anna Yes, I practise three times a week - so I'm ready for situations like this.

Presenter I bet you are.

Anna Yes, I can react very fast. So as soon as this guy grabbed me, I did what you're told to do in these situations. Presenter And what's that?

Anna I fell backwards onto him.

Presenter You fell backwards onto him!

Anna Yeah! I'm tall and quite heavy - so we both fell to the ground together.

Presenter Goodness!

Anna I er, yeah -1 was ready to hit him but then next thing I knew, two men had seized the guy. They were driving past and they, they stopped to help. They were big strong guys. They called the police who came in five minutes.

Presenter So the mugger was arrested?

Anna Yes, he was.

Presenter Do you think, if that hadn't happened, you could have injured him?

Anna Oh, I'd like to think so. I'm a black belt,

that's what I'm trained to do.

Presenter Well, it's great to hear of women coping well in situations like this. Perhaps we should all learn karate.

Anna I think it's a good idea to have some kind of defence training. Yes, especially if you live in an area that isn't very safe.

Unit 4-- Conversation 1

Mark: This is just so crazy!

Janet: What?

Mark: This story I'm reading.

Kate: So tell us.

Mark: A man within a wheelchair crossing the road in front of a lorry at some traffic lights. Somehow, the back of

the wheelchair got stuck on the front of the lorry. When the lorry started moving, it took the wheelchair and the

man with it!

Kate: You're joking!

Mark: The driver drove for several miles at 80 kilometres an hour before he stopped at a garage. The man was unhurt because his seat belt had stopped him falling out.

Janet: What a terrible story! Thank goodness the man was all right!

Mark: The police asked the driver if he'd realized he had a passenger. The driver said he had no idea at all.

Mark: Do you want to hear another one? A funny one this time.

Kate: Go on.

Mark: A woman reported that her car had been stolen and that she'd left her mobile phone in the car. The policeman suggested calling the mobile. When he did, the thief answered it. The policeman told the thief that he was answering

an ad in the paper and that he wanted to buy the car. And the thief agreed to sell it!

Janet: He didn't!

Mark: So they arranged to meet and the thief was arrested and the woman got her car back.

Janet: A happy ending!

Mark: You get these great stories in the papers — I alway

Unit 4--Conversation 2

Voice on radio: The news at one o'clock.

Tornadoes have damaged homes in Northern England.

There is still no news of missing company director, Alan Marsden.

Scientists claim that global warming is accelerating.

There are reports coming in of more fighting in ...

Mark: Do you mind if I turn it off?

Janet: It's fine, I wasn't listening.

Mark: Do you follow the news?

Janet: Yeah, I do. But I don't often listen to the radio, I mostly get my news online.

Kate: Do you?

Janet: Yes, I read articles from different papers.

Kate: My dad does that.

Mark: Well, I've got used to reading real newspapers.

Janet: You should try reading the news online. You get lots of different views, it's very stimulating.

Mark: True, it is stimulating. But I've got into the habit of reading the papers in the JCR — in a comfortable armchair, with lots of black coffee.

Kate: Don't either of you listen to the radio? It's a great way to wake up.

Mark: Yeah, I do that. And I download podcasts. And I watch the news on telly.

Kate: You're a news addict. We all know that.

Mark: You have to be if you read PPE. You have to be really knowledgeable about current affairs.

Janet: You are.

Kate: Well, I'm a TV addict. I spend too much time watching the soaps. I love British TV.

Janet: We've noticed, Kate. Are you going to watch Friends with me tonight?

Kate: You bet!

Unit 4-Outside view

Part 1

Keith I saw Robin Williams come to the patio. I made

the run, jumped a couple of sawhorses, climbed up a stairway,

got in front of him, and said, "Robin, do you mind if I take a

picture?" He goes, "After all that, how could I stop you?"

Voice-over Keith Sykes has a long career in journalism, photography, and communications.

Keith I've taken pictures of a lot of celebrities. Cindy Crawford. I've taken her picture a few times and, I, I think it's impossible to take a bad picture of her. James Garner. I've photographed famous politicians. I stood in the same position for two hours to get this picture. Photographing these people is uh, an exciting thing for me. When I moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to become editor of a weekly newspaper out there, I was really excited when I started getting these invitations to come to this award show, or this benefit show. I was showing up at all these events and seeing people that I had seen on the screen and it was, uh, really, uh, a magical moment for me.

Part 2

Keith The word paparazzi means "the pest" in Italian. Fellini dubbed a character who played a pesky photographer in La Doice Vita "Paparazzo". The roots of paparazzi photography were in Europe after World War II. The countries were all subject to many political factions who were deciding what direction their countries would go. This created awesome political rivalries. And photographers would cover political events, knowing that they would probably turn into violent protests and they'd get newsworthy pictures and be able to sell them. Now at the same time, more and more celebrities were going to the Mediterranean, to Monte Carlo ... And these photographers, who had started as political photographers, took pictures of the celebrities and their ... those celebrities' wild lives. There are financial rewards. If I got a photograph of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt holding hands, then I'd be paid maybe $10,000. If I shot Jennifer and Brad throwing drinks at each other, I would get $50,000. How much a photograph is worth is often determined by how negative it portrays that celebrity. When, uh, Princess Diana died, I started thinking. I had realized that the business had gone bad, that it was being motivated by money, that it was creating not artists, or even well-meaning photographers who wanted to pursue this craft, but rather, really bounty hunters.

Part 3

Keith I decided to use the small college town of North Hampton and go up there every Saturday night, and I put on the full uniform, photo vest, and press IDs, and I would lurk in doorways and follow people and jump out in front of them and take their picture. I've, you know, walked up with my camera behind me and then just pulled it out and shot it with the flash. We wanted to know what it felt like - as an everyday person, how do you like the idea that someone can take pictures of you on the street? And almost universally, people feel you shouldn't have the right to invade their privacy. I think, as consumers of the media, we at least have to look at ourselves occasionally and evaluate what it is we're consuming. Because whatever we're consuming, we're encouraging to spread.

Unit 4-Listening in

Passage 1

Phil Hello.

Tony Hello, is that Phil Taylor?

Phil Speaking.

Tony Hi, Phil, my name's Tony, and I'm a reporter for SUN.

Phil The uni paper! I suppose you want to talk to me about the fire.

Tony Yes, if it's OK with you. We'd like to do a piece on the fire for next week's paper. Can you tell people how it happened? Phil Yeah, OK, it probably is a good idea.

Tony So when can I come and see you?

Phil Um ... Wednesday afternoon? Three o'clock? I'm in South Block, Room 18.

Tony OK, I'll be there.

...

Tony OK, so let's get started. When did the fire happen?

Phil Two days ago.

Tony November the 10th. OK, so tell me how it happened.

Phil Um ... It was about 11pm. I decided to fry some chips, I use quite a lot of oil -1 was deep-frying. Um ... And I put the chips in. And then my girlfriend rang.

Tony OK.

Phil We'd had a quarrel, and I was pretty upset, so we started talking, and I completely forgot about the chips and went back to my room.

Tony You fool!

Phil Thanks. We talked for quite a long time. Next thing I knew, there was this smell of smoke, and someone was shouting, "Fire! Fire!" And I realized immediately of course, it was my chips! And I rushed out of my room - the kitchen was next door - and ... well... there were flames all over one wall.

Tony And it was all your fault!

Phil It was. But people were in the kitchen throwing blankets over the flames, and someone had already called the fire brigade and they came - in ten minutes I think - and put it out very quickly.

Tony So what was the damage?

Phil They're gonna to have to replace the cooker, two kitchen units, repaint one wall.

Tony Sounds pretty bad.

Phil It could have been a lot worse.

Tony Can I take a photo of you for the paper?

Phil Do you have to? Oh, OK.

Tony Thanks. It'll be front page news.

Phil Oh dear! Haven't you got anything else to write about?

Tony Not this week. There's not much happening on campus. I'm joking. You're on Page 2.

Phil Thanks!

Passage 2

Presenter Today's discussion is about reality TV programmes, the programmes loved by millions and hated by just as many. We have three people on our panel — Tricia a student at Liverpool University, Rick from Luton, and Karen who is a full-time mum.

Panel Hello.

Presenter So let's begin with a very obvious question. Do you watch reality TV programmes and if so, why?

Tricia Yes, I do, I love them, I'm addicted to them, I'm afraid.

Presenter Addicted to them?

Tricia Yes, I think all my friends are really. I guess it's

just, you know, fascinating to watch real people put under a

bit of pressure and then see how they behave.

Presenter That doesn't sound very nice exactly.

Tricia No, it isn't. But reality TV isn't very nice actually.

Presenter Karen, how about you?

Karen Yes, well I watch them but I'm not like Tricia. I'm definitely not addicted to them. I can take them or leave them. But I do like to watch property programmes.

Presenter Property programmes?

Karen You can learn a lot from them. And it's -it's great

to see real people buying a property and then doing it up, the

mistakes they make, that kind of thing. And yes, you know,

there's the human interest factor as well.

Presenter Rick -

Rick I can't stand reality TV. I mean, OK, if it's a property programme or a gardening programme, fine, but most of them are just - they're set up to humiliate people.

Tricia Not always.

Rick I disagree. People are on show. It's like

watching animals in a zoo. I mean, would you appear on a reality show?

Tricia Maybe. I don't know. Probably not.

Rick There you are you see? You don't want to be

humiliated.

Karen Some people do very well on reality shows. They

win a lot of money.

Rick OK, that's true, but - standards on reality shows

can be pretty low, you can't deny it.

Presenter Tricia, what have you got to say to that?

Tricia Well, it's true, yes.

Karen I agree with Rick.

Presenter So, next question ...

Unit 5—Conversation 1

Mark: Hi!

Kate: Hi, Janet! Have you been waiting long?

Janet: Not at all. What did you think of Hero?

Kate: It was brilliant, thanks for suggesting it.

Janet: Well, it was nominated for an Oscar, you know.

Kate: That figures. It's a beautiful film.

Mark: Yes. The costumes, and scenery were amazing,

Kate: I'd love to know more about the emperor, he was cool. Who was he?

Janet: Qin Shi Huang — it's said he was the first emperor in the history of China — he unified China.

Ka te: Did he? When?

Janet: Er ... 221 BC.

Mark: As long ago as that!

Waitress: Hi guys! What can I get you?

Kate: Yes, I'll have a coke, thanks.

Mark: Er ... Just a coffee.

Waitress: Sure.

Mark: Tell us more ...

Janet: Um ... Well, before that, there were seven big states and they had been fighting each other for many years.

Mark: Right.

Janet: It's called the Warring States Period. Anyway — Qin was king of the largest state and he defeated the six other states, one after another. It took him ten years to conquer them, each with a different strategy.

Mark: What kind of man was he?

Janet: Well, he was brilliant, obviously. And also wise. He had this huge army — they were very powerful. After his army had attacked the first state, the next state surrendered without much fight. They were so terrified.

Kate: Wow!

Janet: What else? The army leaders were very clever, they used a river to flood a city.

Mark: That can't have been easy.

Janet: Yes, anyway, after conquering the last state, Qin made himself Emperor of the whole of China.

Mark: Was he the emperor who created the Terracotta Warriors?

Janet: That's right. He was so afraid of death that he wanted them to guard him in the afterlife.

Unit 5--Conversation 2

Becky: OK.

Kate: Thank you.

Mark: Thanks.

Kate: So go on about Emperor Qin. It's really interesting.

Janet: It is, isn't it? Well, so he unified China and that was an incredible achievement. But as a result, huge numbers of soldiers were killed.

Kate: About how many?

Janet: Oh, I don't know, something like 500,000 men?

Kate: That is huge.

Mark: So how do the Chinese see Qin?

Janet: He's seen as the greatest emperor in Chinese history.

Mark: Why? Because he unified China? That's a very good reason, mind you.

Janet: Not only that. The thing is, as a result of the unification, he did many amazing things. He built roads all across China, he standardized writing ... and also the money system. Oh, and the system for measuring and weighing things as well.

Mark: So he was a great leader for China.

Janet: Yes, he was, but he was also very cruel.

Mark: Yes, but most emperors were cruel, weren't they?

Kate: Well I guess that's true. You're right.

Mark: So did he have enemies?

Janet:Of course,I think all great emperors have some enemies. Some people hated him so much they tried to kill him!

Mark: Was he the emperor who built the Great Wall of China?

Janet: He built the first Great Wall. You see, tribes from the north were always trying to invade so he built a huge wall across China to stop them. Hundreds of thousands of men died building it.

Kate: It's so sad — all those thousands of people dying.

Mark: But then ... that's war, isn't it?

Unit 5-Outside view

On the 25th of April each year, Australia and New Zealand celebrate Anzac Day, when they commemorate all the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who died in action during the First and Second World Wars, and in every armed conflict since then. We're here now at the Australian War Memorial at the start of the dawn service. They shall grow not old

As we that are left grow old

Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Lest we forget.

A verse from the poem. Ode to Remembrance by Laurence Binyon, is recited during the ceremony.

Inside the Hall of Memory is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This is the grave of a solider whose identity is not known and it represents all those soldiers who died in battle but were not identified.

Twenty-four years after the ravages of World War I, war came to the mainland of Australia where air raids killed hundreds of service personnel and civilians. In Malaya, Korea and Vietnam, we answered the call as we have in Afghanistan and Iraq. Through it all the one unshakable truth has been a steadfastness, bom of the traditions of the Australian servicemen. Today, Australia's special day, they remember in East Timor, on Bougainville, in Afghanistan and Iraq, on the island of Crete, at Gallipoli, they along with us, remember.

Anzac Day is a public holiday in Australia. It is one of the most important national days of the year and certainly the most solemn one. Commemoration services are held in all the major cities in Australia and huge crowds attend to pay their respects to those who died. Servicemen and women from all the armed services in Australia march in procession. They fought in the Second World War and other conflicts since then that have happened around the world. The men in the trucks are all wearing decorations. They're veterans from the Second World War, and perhaps a few last survivors from the First World War. After the Parade the veterans will gather in a pub or club to talk and share memories. This veteran fought in the Second World War in Western Australia.

Interviewer And what does Anzac Day mean to you?

Veteran Well, it means remembering not only those who didn't go home but the, the fact that you keep in touch with a lot of your ... friends.

Unit 5-Listening in

Passage 1

There are many war novels but the novel I'm going to talk about today is unusual because it's war seen through the eyes of a child. The "eyes" are those of JG Ballard, one of Britain's most respected novelists.

Let's begin with some information about Ballard. He was born in 1930, in Shanghai, where his father was a businessman, and he was only 11 years old when the city was occupied during World War II. Ballard and his family were placed in a prison camp and he has said that his experiences there affected him so deeply that it was 40 years before he felt able to write about them. "Twenty years to forget and 20 years to remember."

The result of Ballard's experiences was a semi-autobiographical novel called Empire of the Sun, published in 1984. It quickly became a success and in 1987 it was made into a movie by Hollywood director, Steven Spielberg.

Let's move on to the novel itself. Empire of the Sun tells the story of how a young boy, Jim Graham, survives the Japanese occupation. Interestingly, Jim is J G Ballard's first name and his second name is Graham. Also, Jim is the same age as Ballard - 11 -when the occupation begins.

At the start of the story, Jim is living with his parents in a wealthy part of Shanghai. When the invasion begins, many of Shanghai's inhabitants flee from the city and Jim's parents do the same. But the boy becomes separated from them and finds himself all alone. He goes back to their empty home and lives alone there. Inevitably, he's found and then he's sent to a prison camp.

It's a terrible four years, but the boy somehow survives. He steals food, finds ways of getting in and out of the camp, and is befriended by some Americans and a Japanese boy.

Is there a happy ending? Yes and no. Jim sees many people die; his Japanese friend is killed by the Americans. But at the end of the war, he gets back to Shanghai and is reunited with his parents.

Jim's experiences are terrible, as a child who discovers the depths of human cruelty. But he learns also about the strength and courage that is possible, even in these circumstances.

Both the great power and the truth of the novel come from the fact that it's based on the author's own experiences. The general opinion of critics is that Empire of the Sun is one of the best war novels ever written - so read it, it's worth it.

Passage 2

Host On Women's World, today, we look at women's role in the Second World War and the important part they played in it. In the First World War, women had worked in factories and as nurses, both at home and at the front. In the Second World War, women were even more essential to the war effort. Doris Watts was just 18 when the war began and Mavis Grey was only 20. Host Do you remember how you felt, Doris, the day the

war was declared?

Doris Oh yes ... of course I do. I felt frightened of course,

but we had known it would happen. The first thing, more than

anything I think, that I felt was ... was that I wanted to do

something! You know, do something useful, so I joined the

Land Girls.

Host Ah, yes, the Women's Land Army. That was an

organization started in the First World War. Women worked in

agriculture as the men were away fighting. Did you enjoy the

experience?

Doris Not really. It was very hard work, very physical. You never saw anybody except the officer coming to inspect your work. So when I heard about the WAAF I signed up.

Host That's the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. WAAF, for

short. So why the WAAF?

Doris I'd always thought planes were very exciting. And

it's silly but I liked the light blue uniforms.

Host That's a good enough reason! Now, Mavis, you were in the WAAF at the same time as Doris. Can you tell us more about it?

Mavis Yes. Organizations like the WAAF were a way for women to join the armed forces, since they weren't allowed to fight. Instead, the army, the navy and the air force all had support services, which women could join.

Host And Doris. What kind of things did you have to do?

Doris Oh, well, a lot of different things. I worked in transport and catering. We were very young but we were given a lot of responsibility.

Host And what did you do, Mavis?

Mavis V arious jobs but eventually I worked on a fighter station, tracking the German bombers as they flew towards London. It was very exciting.

Host Was it ever dangerous?

Doris Yes, we were always in danger of being bombed. They tell me that over 1,500 young women lost their lives. I was lucky.

Host And what about social life?

Mavis We did have some wonderful parties. And of course I met my husband, Eric. He was an electrician at the station.

Host One last question, Doris. Do you think women's work in the forces changed things for women?

Doris Without a doubt. Oh absolutely! After the war the position of women could never be the same again - we'd contributed so much.

Host Doris and Mavis, thank you both.

Unit 6—Conversation 1

Kate: Are you on your way to the boathouse?

Janet: No. What's happening?

Kate: There's a practice race to help choose who will row on the college team. Mark really wants a place on the team, so he has to row well today. And I'm going to watch.

Janet: Well, I'd like to, but I have an essay to finish.

Kate: That's too bad! I know how you feel.

Janet: Maybe I can come later?

Kate: Sure. I'm thinking of having lunch in the boathouse bar, and then watching the rowing all afternoon.

Janet: How do I get to the boathouse?

Kate: It's easy. Can you see where we are on the map? Here, look!

Janet: OK, which way round are we standing? ... Yes, got it!

Kate: OK, go down Catte Street, and turn right into the High Street. Go along the High Street and turn left into St Aldates. Walk along St Aldates, past Christ Church College until you get to Folly Bridge.

Janet: I see.

Kate: Then when you get to the bridge, cross over the river ... turn left and walk along the river bank. Keep going along the river ... And you're there! The boathouses are on the right, and the Hertford College Boathouse is the last one along. You can't miss it.

Janet: Thanks. I'm looking forward to seeing the rowing.

Kate: No problem. We shouldn't miss the rowing —it's a great university tradition!

Janet: I know, Mark was telling me.

Kate: Like the boat race between Oxford and Cambridge universities every year.

Janet: Of course! The great rivals!

Kate: The Boat Race has been going for years, maybe nearly 200 years.

Janet: And Oxford won it this year!

Kate: Yes, but Cambridge was very close behind. Anyway see you later, down by the river.

Janet: Bye.

Unit 6--Conversation 2

Kate: So the rules are ... the boats follow each other and the one behind has to bump the one in front ... just like that one has done.

Janet: Is that Mark's boat?

Kate: Yes! Look, his boat is about to bump the one in front! Well done!

Mark: Hi you guys!

Kate: Fantastic, Mark. You were amazing!

Mark: Well,we won the practice race, but I'm worried about getting a place on the team.The problem is that there are at least three other people on the team who have rowed before.And I can't help thinking that they were better than me.

Janet: Don't worry, Mark. Everything will be OK.

Mark: And then I hurt my knee getting into the boat.

Janet: Oh, I'm so sorry!

Kate: Too bad, but it's only a scratch. Listen up, Janet is right. No need to get nervous, Mark. You were the strongest looking guy in the boat today. Chill out!

Mark: Hey, they're putting the team list on the door.

Janet: Let's go over and see.

Mark: No, you go! I can't bear to look!

Kate: OK.

Kate: Hey, Mark, great news! You got a place on the college team!

Janet: Congratulations!

Kate: That's great, Mark, you deserve it. You trained so hard.

Mark: I can't believe it!

Unit 6-Outside view

Interviewer OK then Graham, I wonder if first off you could explain a little bit of the history of Tae Kwon Do.

Teacher Tae Kwon Do originated er ... about 2,000 years ago in Korea. It's in the present form we train and teach now is formulated in 1955 by a Korean general. He was asked to put a self-defence together for the Korean army. This is how we teach it now, but it's got origins going back thousands of years throughout Asia and of course obviously throughout Korea. Interviewer So how does it, I mean, for the uninitiated不熟悉的；不内行的how does it differ to, say, other martial arts? Teacher Tae Kwon Do is basically the hand and foot martial art. It's a self-defence martial art as I said, originated for the Korean martial art for the army. It's legs and hands, Tae means to kick, Kwon means to punch and Do means a way, or method. Interviewer OK. So I can see over your shoulder how it's a pretty popular class, what kind of mixture of people do you get coming along?

Teacher Luckily we get all sorts, that's the aim of the class, it's open to everyone, we take any flexibility level, any age, any

fitness level, and we guarantee to improve flexibility and fitness and also have a good time. We're also teaching a traditional martial art as well, so it's a fun aspect but with tradition mixed in as well.

Interviewer So how long have you been in this sport yourself?

Teacher Six years, and I'm a second Dan instructor now.

Interviewer What got you into it in the first place?

Teacher I've always wanted to do martial art, I lacked a little bit of self-confidence I must admit, and my wife's uncle was a black belt and I went along and watched, and thought, yeah I could do that. You know, I had no experience of it at all, and I've never looked back.

Interviewer So what do you think people in general get out of it?

Teacher Well hopefully, it's fun, as well as learning something. As I said it's a traditional martial art as well, so we teach tradition m our line work, in our patterns ... go back thousands of years, also the fun aspects, as I said fitness, flexibility, making new friends, getting out, beating the stresses of everyday, daily life. I mean there's nothing better than coming into a class and smacking用掌击a pad护具, you know, releasing the stresses of daily life, so hopefully they get quite a bit out of it. Interviewer OK, two things actually, whereabouts do you hold your classes and if people were interested in taking up how would they go about finding out?

Teacher OK, the Bytomic group, they run 26 Tae Kwon Do classes in around the southeast. The easiest way of finding out is look on the website which is www. https://www.wendangku.net/doc/5b5524415.html, or alternatively you can ring the office which is 01844 281 888. All the information is on the website or speak to the office. Local clubs are Long Crendon here on a Tuesday and Thursday, Aylesbury on Sundays and Tuesdays and Princes Risborough on a Monday and a Wednesday evening.

Interviewer OK, well thank you very much for your time Graham, cheers very much, very interesting, we'll give it a go. Teacher Thank you very much for your day. Anytime Chris, come along, free lesson!

Unit 6-Listening in

Passage 1

Speaker 1And David Seaman is in goal for the England

team down to our right... it's difficult to get used to the change

of team colours here ... I'm looking at the white shorts and

thinking they're English players, but they're not. For this

match it's the Germans who are wearing white. I hope the

English players don't have the same problem, we don't want

them to pass the ball to the Germans. Now Gascoigne for

England passes to McManaman for the first time ...

McManaman is immediately surrounded by three German

defenders ... he brings the ball to the near side of the pitch ...

still McManaman for England, crosses the ball to Pearce ...

Pearce takes a shot! ... saved by the German Ziegler, and

picked up by Ince only 25 yards away from the German

goal... good effort by Ince, aims at the goal! ... and Kopke, the

German goalkeeper pushes the ball over the top of the goal.

So a comer kick for England.

Speaker 2 A great shot by Ince, I'm sure he knows that Pearce set that up for him, but Kopke put the shot out of danger. Speaker 1 He does like to punch the ball, that Kopke in the German goal... England's first corner of this semi-final... Gascoigne will take it... Here comes the comer kick from Gascoigne ... and Shearer's there and Alan Shearer scores for England ... England have scored after only two minutes' play ... with a comer kick by Gascoigne ... aimed at the near post, and Alan Shearer heads the ball into the German goal ,.. It's an absolute dream start for the semi-final ... Shearer has got his fifth goal of the tournament... Would you believe it? It's England one, Germany nil!

Passage 2

Matt Now it's time for Critic's Choice, with news and reviews about the latest films. Good evening, Jack, seen anything good at the cinema this week?

Jack Good evening Matt, yes, I've seen one of the best sports films of recent years.

Matt Sports films? That's not usually a type of film which appeals to you.

Jack You're right, but this time it's different. I've been to see a film about mountain climbing, it's not really your typical sports film. It's more man against the mountain.

Matt Tell us more.

Jack I've been to see Touching the Void, which is the story of a pair of mountain climbers in the Peruvian Andes.

Matt Is it a true story?

Jack Yes, it is. In 1985, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates set out to climb the 7,000-metre Siula Grande mountain in the Peruvian Andes. Simpson and Yates were young, fit and confident they would succeed.

Matt So what happens?

Jack Simpson and Yates' style of climbing involved moving quickly up a mountain with very few supplies and no base camps, which is risky. You can't make any mistakes.

Matt I think I can guess what happens next.

Jack And sure enough after climbing well for three and a half days, disaster strikes. Simpson falls and breaks his right leg. With no food or water, the climbers know they have to get off the mountain - fast. Yates is determined to find a way to get his friend home, and he has to lower Simpson down the mountain. Simpson is in agony临死的挣扎, but Yates has no choice except to ignore his partner's cries of pain because otherwise he'll die.

Well, for a while, things go well. But suddenly Simpson, at the end of the rope, fails to respond to Yates' signal. Yates is unable to move any further and has no idea why Simpson is not responding. So Yates holds on with all of his strength, all too aware that eventually his strength would give out用尽and both would fall.

But what Yates doesn't know is that he has lowered Simpson over the edge of a crevasse裂缝. Simpson is hanging in mid-air from the vertical face of the mountain. He's unable to climb back up the rope and he's got frostbitten fingers and can't communicate with Yates above him.

Matt So what happens?

Jack Well, I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone who

hasn't seen it yet.

Matt But...

Jack But Yates hangs onto the rope for an hour, getting

weaker. For any climber, cutting the rope that binds him to his

partner is unthinkable.

Matt Sounds very exciting. So what about the direction

and the filming?

Jack The director is Kevin Macdonald, and he tells the

story by cutting from interviews to shots of the climb itself.

But it's the message of the film which interests me. You see,

in the end, the impression left by the film is astonishment that

a human being could do what Joe did, which is to survive.

Matt Thanks Jack, this week's Critic's Choice is

Touching the Void, on general release in all cinemas from next

Week.

Unit 7—Conversation 1

Mark: Hey, what's a cat doing in college? We're not supposed to have cats here.

Kate: No! What a lovely pussycat! I adore cats.

Mark: I can't stand them. I find them really boring.

Kate: But she's gorgeous! Aren't you, my darling? I wonder where she's come from, maybe she's wandered in from outside. Mark: Actually, I remember, I saw her the other day. Maybe she belongs to someone in college —she hasn't got a name tag on her.

Kate: We're not allowed to keep pets in college.

Mark: Maybe someone's breaking the rules.

Ka te: Could be. So — is it just cats you hate or all animals?

Mark: No, I don't hate animals. We've got three dogs at home.

Kate: Three!

Mark: Yeah, labradors.

Kate: Oh, they're very lovable, labradors. So you like animals then — apart from cats.

Mark: Yes, I love them. That reminds me, there's a programme on tonight about snakes. I really enjoy watching nature programmes.

Kate: So do I, but snakes — They're so scary. How can you like them?

Mark: I just do. Hey, what are we going to do about this horrible cat?

Kate: She's not horrible. I think she wants to come into my room. Do you want to come in? Such a sweetie!

Unit 7--Conversation 2

Kate: Come in.

Janet: Hi, Kate! What are you doing with a cat in your room?

Kate: I found her in the corridor.

Janet: Where did it come from?

Kate: Search me! She doesn't have a name tag.

Janet: What's that organization called that protects animals? Maybe you should ring them.

Kate: Um — I think it's called the RSPCA? Oh, no need. She'll find her way home.

Janet: They're so mad about animals, the British.

Kate: Yeah. So are Americans. So am I!

Janet: It's very different in China.

Kate: You don't keep animals as pets, do you?

Janet: Well, that's not so true for the last 15 years or so.

Kate: Yeah?

Janet: Yes, more people are keeping pets now, especially in cities. It's because they get lonely, I think. Sometimes people dislike animals. But that's the same as everywhere, right?

Kate: Yes! Some people just don't like pets. So how do you feel about them?

Janet: I quite like cats, they're all right. My mum's terrified of them, she thinks they carry disease. Lots of people do, they're frightened of catching rabies.

Kate: It's true. Dogs and cats can give people rabies.

Janet: I know. Actually, I'm afraid of dogs, I'm really scared of them. It's their teeth!

Kate: I adore dogs and cats. But then I'm just crazy about animals. Hey, I think she wants to leave. Do you want to go, baby? There you go! Isn't she cute?

Janet: Um ...

Unit 7-Outside view

Part 1

Presenter Once upon a time, Louis, a long, long, long time ago, your great-great-great-great grandad was a wolf. Go on, go on ... Today’s Wild, your weekly wildlife show around Oxfordshire, is all about the ancestors of all domestic dogs, the wolf. And if you're really lucky, you might have one coming soon to a school near you.

Presenter So are you looking forward to seeing the wolves today?

Kids Yeah!!!

Presenter Are you? Are you excited?

Kids Yeah!!!

Presenter Do you like ... no-one ... anyone scared of wolves?

Kids Yeah!'.No...!!

Presenter ... the one at the back ... come here then and talk to me for a minute ... Why are you scared of the wolf then? What do you think of dogs? Are you scared of dogs as well or is just the wolf?

Girl Just the wolf.

Presenter Just the wolf. OK, so we'll see what you think afterwards. What's your name?

Girl Amy.

Presenter OK, Amy. Well, I think we're going to go into the hall in a minute, so we'll go and ...

Child Are we going to see the wolves?

Child Can we hold them?

Child Are we allowed to stroke them?

Man I'll show you where we're going to be.

Presenter Yeah, great. Can we stroke them? Yeah, I think we can.

Part 2

Roger Good morning. I'll now ask you to stay

really quiet. Although these wolves are used to going into schools like this, they're still quite shy and any sudden noise ... and they wouldn't be very happy. As your headteacher said, my name's Roger and we're from the UK Wolf Conservation Trust which is half way from a big town just a bit west of here called Reading, halfway between Reading and Newbury. And we call these animals our living ambassadors for education and conservation. I'm quite happy to take any questions you may have, if you want to ask about what they eat, if you want to ask about how long they live, if you want to ask anything that comes to your mind. So put your hand up if you want to ask a question. Yes, at the back there.

Boy How long do they live?

Roger In captivity? Well we pander to every whim that the

wolf has, we feed them every day, we look after them with

real care. They can live to be at least 16 years old and there are cases of a wolf living to be ... 20 or just over.

Boy How fast can wolves run?

Roger How fast can wolves run? Well, they're not like a

cheetah, which can outrun its prey, by getting up to 60, 70

miles an hour over very short distances. Wolves have evolved

to be like a hound, so they can run fairly fast, about 40 miles

an hour for three or four miles. And then they've used up all

their energy. And in the wild, only about one in ten hunts is

successful.

Boy Um ... Are you allowed to keep them for pets?

Roger They ... you can't keep them literally as a pet. Because although they look ... like ... cuddly lapdogs, they're not. These are what we call a socialized wild animal which means that we hand-rear them from about seven days old. They have that all-important first week of special milk from their mother and then they're still blind and deaf so the first thing they may see and hear is a human bottle-feeding them. And by doing that, they grow up to be really friendly, but as I said at the outset, they may look like pets - they're not. These are wild animals which have learnt to like people. So if you had them in your house, in a very short time, they ... and they've done it in our house in years gone by, they will either eat holes in your sofa, they'll tear down your curtains, pull up your carpets. They're not animals you want to have loose in the house after all.

Part 3

Roger We have ... form a queue ... about there. Say hello. She wants to meet you ... You see how she spread her legs for ... She really likes it a lot. Underneath. That's it. That's what she likes. You can rub hard. You see how soft and thick her coat is. Presenter What was your name?

Girl Amy.

Presenter And you're ... ?

Girl Grace.

Presenter Grace. OK. Now Amy, you were very frightened of the wolf weren't you? When we started. What did you think ... what do you think now?

Amy They won't bite.

Presenter They what?

Amy They won't bite.

Presenter They won't bite. So d'you like them? ... So you're not too frightened anymore. What did you think when you stroked the wolf?

Amy I liked it.

Presenter You liked it? Did you? Do they seem a bit like dogs really?

Presenter They are cuddly?

Presenter And you're not frightened anymore of the wolves? Roger, you've done a good job here! ... And what do you think? Grace They're cute, they're fluffy ...

Presenter Fluffy?

Grace And ... er ... cuddly.

Presenter Thank you very much! You can go back to your class now.

Unit 7-Listening in

Passage 1

It's hard to believe but in America there are 68 million dog owners and 73 million cat owners. In the UK, which has a human population of 61 million, there are 6.8 million dogs and 9.58 million cats.

All over the developed world, the pet population is increasing. At the same time, people are spending more and more money on their pets, particularly on their dogs.

The most extraordinary example to date is that of Leonara Helmsley, a childless American billionaire. When she died, she left her dog, a white Maltese called Trouble, 12 million dollars. While Helmsley was alive, nothing was too good for her little dog. He shared her bed, was dressed in expensive clothes and wore a diamond collar. His meals were prepared by a chef and presented to him on a silver tray.

The problem was that Trouble lived up to his name and bit people. But Leonara didn't mind - she loved him and he loved

her. And so after her death, he got his reward - a lot of money that he didn't know he had and couldn't use anyway.

Americans were shocked by this story, but the fact is that more and more rich Americans are leaving their dogs money when they die - $ 250,000 is not unusual. In Britain, people don't spend as much money on their dogs as Americans but they do spoil them. At Christmas, 46 per cent of dogs can expect to receive toys, and biscuits. And one in ten dog owners say they dress their pet up for the special day.

One woman was in the news in America for designing 120 outfits for her dog, which has its own wardrobe, and a $17,000 bed that it doesn't actually sleep in. Its owner has a very successful dog boutique that sells - yes, you guessed it - designer clothes for dogs.

Now dogs may enjoy all this attention, but spoilt dogs can create problems for their owners. Dogs need a master and if their master acts like their friend or parent, they start behaving badly, attacking other animals, and damaging property - often their owner's homes. Yet, often, this doesn't make their owners love them less - dogs are their children, after all.

Passage 2

Interviewer One of the most exciting creatures in the sea is

the blue whale. Daniel Cameron is a film-maker who has

been filming blue whales for ten years in the south Atlantic.

First of all, tell us why you have this fascination with blue

whales.

Daniel Well, it seems obvious to me, really. They're extraordinary creatures. They're the largest mammals that have ever lived on earth. They — they can be as long as 33 metres - that's more than 16 times taller than a human being. And they're also the loudest animal on earth - the noise they make is louder than a jet plane. I've heard them - very, very loud. And when they come to the surface to breathe, their blow - well, it's usually about ten metres high.

Interviewer That's amazing.

Daniel And I forgot to say, they live for at least 80 years.

Interviewer But their numbers are declining, aren't they?

Daniel Yes, well, at the start of the 20th century there

were between 275,000 and 300,000 blue whales in the sea.

Now there are probably, probably under 5,000.

Interviewer And that's a result of...?

Daniel... well, of whaling, both in the Atlantic and the Pacific. And also, climate change is beginning to destroy the food they eat, krill.

Interviewer So they're an endangered species?

Daniel Yes. We're not at all sure they'll survive. That's partly why I film whales - to raise awareness of them and let people know how extraordinary they are. We don't want to lose them.

Interviewer Is it very difficult to film them?

Daniel It's very difficult. The thing is, we know very little about them so they're very hard to find. We - we had a boat with 12 men and often the weather was so bad that we couldn't go to sea. We had a small plane that we used to locate the whales and the plane would find them alright, but, but it would take hours for the boat to get there, and by the time we got there - the whales had gone!

Interviewer That must have been very frustrating.

Daniel Yes, it was. But then sometimes we'd meet another whale while we were on our way out. We'd see its blow - as I said, it's about ten metres high - and that's quite something to see. And then one day - finally - we managed to film a whale feeding. None of us will ever forget that.

Unit 8-- Conversation 1

Mark: Have you got your tickets for the play?

Kate: What play?

Mark: The play which OUDS are producing. You know, the play I'm in at the Oxford Playhouse.

Kate: Oh, that play! Well, er ...

Mark: What about you, Janet?

Janet: What's the play called?

Mark: Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett. You are coming, aren't you?

Kate: Beckett?

Janet: Why not?