Tapescripts:
1. The former American Defense Secretary William Perry has recommended a radical change of policy towards North Korea.
2. Hundreds of thousands of mothers from across the United States gathered here in Washington Sunday to push for tougher gun control laws.
3. There's been further fighting between Macedonian forces and Ethnic Albanian guerrillas inside the Macedonian border with Kosovo.
4. A bomb dropped by the United State's navy aircraft during training in Kuwait has hit a group of military observers, killing six of them.
5. NATO is taking a number of steps to allay growing disquiet about the possible health risks from ammunitions containing depleted uranium, which it used in Kosovo and Bosnia. B
1. What is the summit's statement expected to call on UN members?
To make commitments to eradicate poverty, promote democracy and education, and reverse the spread of AIDS.
2. Which three countries are admitted by ASEAN on Saturday? Burma, Cambodia, and the Laos. 3. What happened on Friday about ten miles south of Pearl Harbor?
A U. S. nuclear submarine tore through a Japanese fishing vessel, sinking it within minutes. How many people were on the vessel? And how many were missing? 35/9. 4. What happened in the West Bank and Gaza?
Gun battles between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen have been raiding overnight. 5. What are the problems with the nuclear facilities and nuclear plants in Japan? Some nuclear facilities have breached many health and safety laws. More than half of the nuclear plants failed some basic tests, such as checking radiation measurements. Tapescripts:
1. With the final declaration on its role in the 21st century, the summit's statement is expected to call on UN members to make commitments to eradicate poverty, promote democracy and education, and reverse the spread of AIDS. More than 150 heads of state and government attended the summit, the largest gathering of world leaders in history.
2. The Association of South-East Asian Nations has decided to invite Burma to join its ranks, shrugging off western denunciations of the military regime in Rangoon. ASEAN foreign ministers voted on Saturday to admit Burma, Cambodia, and the Laos.
3. The missing, four of them teenagers, were among 35 people aboard a high school fishing vessel from Japan. On Friday, a U.S. nuclear submarine tore through the ship, sinking it within minutes. The USS Greenville, which was not seriously damaged, was performing an emergency surfacing drill when the collision occurred about ten miles south of Pearl Harbor. Coast Guard rescue teams plucked all but nine of the victims from the rough seas.
4. Gun battles between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunman have been raiding overnight in the West Bank and Gaza. The upsurge in violence comes after Israeli attack helicopters targeted and killed a member of an elite Palestinian security force.
5. Some nuclear facilities in Japan have breached many health and safety laws. Government inspectors checked 17 nuclear plants. More than half of them failed some basic tests, such as checking radiation
measurements. Japanese nuclear regulators have been ordered to crack down following the country's worst nuclear accident in September. Sixty-nine people were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation in the accident.
Part II News reports Summary:
This news report tells us that the United Nations General Assembly has elected Columbia, Ireland, Mauritius, Norway and Singapore as its new non-permanent members of the Security Council. Statements:
1. Columbia, Ireland, and Singapore won their seats as nonpermanent members of the Security Council on the first round of balloting while Mauritius and Norway won their seats on the fourth ballot. 2. Sudan and Mauritius are two candidates for the second seat for the African and Asian group. 3. There were three countries contending for the two seats allotted to the western industrialized group of nations. 4. The Security Council is made up of 15 members, including five permanent members -- China, France, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States--and 10 non-permanent members. Tapescript:
The United Nations General Assembly has elected' Columbia, Ireland, Mauritius, Norway and Singapore as the new non-permanent members of the Security Council. The vote follows several weeks of haggling and maneuvering.
Columbia, Ireland, and Singapore won the required two thirds majority on the first round of balloting. But it took another three rounds of voting to decide on the remaining two regional seats.
Contention marked the voting for the second seat for the African and Asian group. The United States lobbied intensely against Sudan, the candidate of the Organization of African Unity. Mauritius, the candidate supported by Washington, won on the fourth round of voting.
Ireland easily captured one of the two seats allotted to the western industrialized group of nations on the first ballot. But Norway and Italy campaigned vigorously for the second spot. King Harald of Norway came to New York last week to press the case for his nation's representation on the Security Council for the first time since 1982. Norway also won on the fourth ballot. The new members begin their two-year terms in January. The Security Council is made up of a total of 15 members, including five permanent members -- China, France, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States -- and 10 non-permanent members. Five non-permanent members are elected to two-year terms each year. B
Summary
This news report tells us that the United Nations Human Rights Commission was going to hold an emergency meeting to deal with the crisis situation between Israelis and Palestinians. Answers to the questions: 1. 53 2. 48 3. 3 4. The United States 5. Canada 6. October 18th 7. No more than three days 8. To get the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table 9. 4 / Bosnian war / genocide in Rwanda / violence in East Timor Tapescript:
Forty-eight of the ( United Nations Human Rights Commission's) 53 member nations voted to hold the emergency meeting. The United States cast the sole dissenting vote and Canada abstained. Three other countries did not vote.
The special meeting will begin October 18th and will last for no more than three days.
UN spokeswoman Marie Heuze says one purpose of the meeting is to try to learn how the cycle of violence between Israelis and Palestinians can be stopped.
\"When you have such a high-profile for a crisis which is so dangerous, not only for the people in Palestine and in Israel, but in the region, there is a fear -- and this is probably why there was a large consensus on this meeting to discuss the issue -- because the situation in this part of the world is so volatile, so dangerous, so important to control that everybody thinks that they have something to contribute.\"
Ms Heuze says she thinks the United Nations and the international community as a whole can play a constructive role in the present situation and in trying to get the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. Officials from the UN Human Rights Commission will discuss the agenda toward the meeting on Wednesday.
This is only the fifth time the commission has gone into emergency meeting to deal with a crisis situation. Previous sessions dealt with the Bosnian war, the genocide in Rwanda, and the violence in East Timor. Questions:
1. How many members are there in the UN Human Rights Commission? 2. How many of them voted to hold the emergency meeting? 3. How many of them didn't vote?
4. Which country cast the dissenting vote? 5. Which country abstained? 6. When will the meeting begin? 7. How long will it last?
8. What's the purpose of this meeting?
9. How many emergency meetings have been held before this one? What were the three crisis situations that they dealt with? Part III Anti-piracy mission A
EU’s Naval Operation
The massive problem: Piracy off Somalia’s waters … 100 ships … 16 ships … more than 350 crew members …. EU’s mission:
… 6 warships … 3 surveillance planes… • Aim: To deter, to prevent, to protect … • Headquarters: Near London • Duration: At least a year B
Chinese Navy’s Escort Mission against Piracy
Primary mission: … vessels, personnel and cargo, … hit piracy …
Target: To protect the ship and personnel passing through the area, … transporting humanitarian materials …
Number of crew members:
800 incl. 70 soldiers from the Navy’s special forces Duration of the first phase: Three months Time ready to receive protection appeals: Jan. 6
Part IV Speeches
Extract 1 (expressing an opinion): I believe that... I believe we should... Extract 2 (paying a tribute): He said to those he touched and who sought to touch him ... Extract 3 (expressing an opinion) -- I have a dream... Extract 4 (expressing an opinion). America needs a full-time President and a full-time Congress. Extract 5 (accepting a post): I am profoundly grateful ... for giving me the chance to serve you. (making a promise): I will do everything I can to be worthy of ... I promise you ... that I will ... Tapescript:
1. I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so
difficult, or expensive to accomplish... But, in a very real sense, it will not be one man going to the moon. If we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be an entire nation ... I believe we should go to the moon. (John F. Kennedy 25/05/1961)
2. As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him: \"Some men see things as they are and say 'Why?' I dream things that never were and say 'Why not?'\" (Edward M. Kennedy 08/06/1968)
3. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former
slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day, even the State of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. (Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. 28/08/1963)
4. America needs a full-time President and a full-time Congress. Particularly at this time, with problems we face at home and abroad. To continue to fight through the months ahead for my personal vindication would almost totally absorb the time and attention of both the President and the Congress in a period when our entire focus should be on the great issues of peace abroad and prosperity without inflation at home. (Richard M. Nixon 08/08/1974)
5. Thank you for opening up your minds and your hearts, for seeing the possibility of what we could do
together for our children and for our future here in this state and in our nation. I am profoundly grateful to all of you for giving me the chance to serve you. I will... I will do everything I can to be worthy of your faith and trust and to honor the powerful example of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan ... I promise you tonight that I will reach across party lines to bring progress for all of New York's families. Today we voted as Democrats and Republicans. Tomorrow we begin again as New Yorkers .... (Hillary Clinton 07/11/2000)
Unit 2 World news:Earth and Environment Part 1 Warming up A
1. ...impact of climate change … damage to crops … worse ...
2. ...2000 delegates … northern Brazil … third United Nations Conference on Desertification. 3. ...A huge oil spill … Mexico, ...
4. Wildfires … Florida … contained … a week ...
5. ... Greenland is melting around the edges … 50 cubic kilometers … raise global sea level ... B
1. It attempts to balance environmental concerns and the needs of the community. 2. Reptile species are in greater trouble than amphibian species. 3. A new approach in the fight against the illegal drugs trade. 4. One in every eight species of plants is threatened with extinction.
5. A new local directory for the environmentally-aware, called the “Boulder County Green Pages”. Part II News Reports A
...Washington … the information economy … deteriorating health of the planet … information economy … communication … education and entertainment … physical exam … vital signs … species … climate … temperatures … water tables … glaciers … forests … fisheries … to stabilize both climate and world population growth B Summary
… the severe shortage of water in some developing nations. … global solutions are found soon. Answers to the questions 1. 150
2. Monday
3. Almost one billion people could suffer from a scarcity of water.
4. Middle East, parts of Africa, western Asia, Northeastern China, western and southern India, large parts of Pakistan and Mexico, parts of the Pacific coast of the United States and South America. 5. To treat water as a precious resource. 6. 5 liters 7. 50 liters 8. 500 liters
Part III City recycling A a. 2 b. 4 c. 3 d. 1 B
1. 130,000 / 80%
2. Plastic / glass / tin cans / newspapers 3. Recycle truck pick it up.
4. One of community’s recycling centers 5. Each weekday
6. Conducts tours of the plant 7. 3 / 4
8. Sod to other companies that make them into different products 9. Made into new containers 10. One of the top five in the USA
Unit 3 World News: Economic Developments Part I Warming up A
1. Who have been meeting in Hong Kong today to discuss the outlook for the global economy? Central Bank governors from more than a dozen countries.
2. What does UNCTAD say about the worldwide total of foreign investment? It grew by 40% last Year to more than 600 billion dollars. 3. Who has approved a cut in income tax rates? The United States House of Representatives.
4. Who has announced job cuts after a fall in demand for its products? Intel What is its plan?
To reduce its workforce by5,000.
5. What decisions have been made by EU, the U.S. and Canada after a case of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in France?
EU has imposed further restrictions on the movement of livestock.
The U.S. and Canada have issued temporary bans on the import of animal produce from EU.
Tapescript:
1. Central Bank governors from more than a dozen countries have been meeting in Hong Kong today. One subject they likely discussed is the outlook for the global economy because of the U. S. slowdown and
Japan's struggling recovery. Another topic they may have discussed is how to strengthen financial markets in emerging economies in Asia and elsewhere.
2. A United Nations' report says the worldwide total of foreign investment grew by nearly 40% last year to more than 600 billion dollars. The report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD says most of it took place between developed countries as big companies took one another over.
3. The United States House of Representatives has approved a cut in income tax rates, the first part of a package of tax cutting measures put forward by President Bush. The income tax reductions will amount to nearly 1 trillion dollars over ten years.
4. The world's largest maker of computer chips, Intel, has announced job cuts after a fall in demand for its products. Intel said it expected its revenue in the first quarter of this year to fall by a quarter than the same period last year. The California-based company plans to reduce its 85,000-strong work force by 5,000. 5. The European Union has imposed further restrictions on the movement of live-stock after a case of
foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in France. The United States and Canada have issued temporary bans on the import of all animal produce from EU countries. B
1.Foreign exchange rates:
1 dollar = 1.733 German marks
= 126.9 Japanese yen
1 pound =1.624 dollars Share Index
Dow Jones (up to) 6,783 (+45)
London’s 100 (up to) 4,390 (+20) Nikkie closed 2. Share Index:
Dow Jones 10,116 (+96) Standrd and Poor’s 500 1,254 (+6)
NASDAQ: (-1.5%) 3. Share Index:
Dow Jones 8,094 ( - 66 )
NASDAQ 1,662 (- 3 ) FT100 ( -36 )
CAC Quarante ( -33, -1% ) DAX ( -1% ) 4. Most active stocks:
Cable and Wireless HKT up $ 0.45
HSBC down $ 0.50
Hutchison down $ 0.50
Shanglongkai Property up $ 2.25
China Telecom down $ 1.50
Chang Kong down $ 0.25
Pacific Century Cyberworlds down $ 0.10 CCT Telecom down $ 0.275
New World CyberBase down $ 0.075 Hanong Holdings down $ 0.25 Gold prices:
Hong Kong gold: HK$ 2,670 London gold: US $ 289 5. Earnings:
Philips Electronics (last year): $ 2.4 billion ($ 300 million) Royal Dutch Shell (4th quarter): $ 3.6 billion
Electronic Data Systems (4th quarter): $ 0.70 per share ( $ 0.02 up)
Tapescripts:
1. The dollar is trading at one German mark seventy-three point three and at 126.9 Japanese yen. The pound buys one dollar sixty-two point four. In New York, the Dow Share Index closed 45 higher at 6,783. Earlier London's 100 Share Index ended 20 higher at 4,390. In Tokyo, the Nikkei Share Index is closed for a holiday.
2. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 96 points at 10,116. The Standard and Poor's 500 Index gained 6 points to close at 1,254. But the NASDAQ Index lost 1.5% as high technology and Internet stocks were battered.
3. Right now the Dow is down another 66 points at 8,094; the NASDAQ Composite down 3 points at 1,662. Turning to Europe's major markets: London stocks were hit by a wave of profit taking after five straight record closes; the FT 100 Index down 36 points; Paris seeing losses as well, the CAC quarante down 33 points or 1%; and Frankfurt's DAX also fell 1% after briefly moving into record territory.
4. The Hang Seng Index closed down 89 points at 3,521. The turnover was 7.71 billion dollars. Now look at the ten most active stocks. Cable and Wireless HKT up 45 cents, HSBC holdings down 50 cents, Hutchison down 50 cents, Shanglongkai Property up $2.25, and China Telecom down $1.50, Chang Kong up 25 cents, Pacific Century Cyberworlds down 10 cents, CCT Telecom down 27.5 cents, New World Cyberspace down 7.5 cents, and Hanong Holdings down 25 cents. The Hang Seng Index future for November and December were all down. Hong Kong gold closed at 2,670 Hong Kong dollars, and London gold is trading at 289 U.S.
dollars.
5. Consumer electronics maker Philips Electronics reported a lower than expected profit for last year. The company made about $2.4 billion, more than $300 million below estimates. Oil company Royal Dutch Shell posted its earnings. It made roughly a $3.6 billion profit for its fourth quarter. That was essentially in line with Street expectations. Electronic Data Systems also reported its fourth quarter numbers last night. It posted a 70-cent profit per share, two cents better than expectations.
Part II News reports A
Summary:
This news report is about Forbes's \"Super 100 Global\" list. Answer the questions:
1. Which of the following corporations are the top five on Forbes's list? Mark their ranks. 2 Citigroup
4 HSBC Banking Company -- BP-Amoco
5 Daimler-Chrysler
1 General Electric Corporation n Microsoft
3 Bank of America
2. How are the companies ranked?
The companies are ranked with a composite formula, which includes total sales, profits, assets and market capitalization, or the total value of their stock. 3. How are the 100 companies distributed?
46 in the United States, 54 in Europe and Japan.
4. Why were none of the Internet-related firms included in the list?
Because most of the Internet-related firms have little or no profits so far.
Tapescripts:
For the second year in a row, the General Electric Corporation is ranked number one in an annual survey of the 100 most powerful corporations in the world.
The survey, compiled and published by Forbes business magazine, shows General Electric of the United States ranked number one, followed in second and third place by the U.S. banking and financial services giants Citigroup and Bank of America. In fourth and fifth place are the British-based HSBC Banking Company and Daimler-Chrysler, the German-American auto-company. The companies are ranked with a composite formula, which includes total sales, profits, assets and market capitalization, or the total value of its (their) stock. What the magazine calls its \"Super 100 Global\" list are 46 companies based in the United States and 54 in Europe and Japan.
Mike Ozanian, the Forbes editor who compiled the list, says there is a growing trend of international mergers and acquisitions, citing companies such as Daimler-Chrysler and BP-Amoco, the Anglo-American Oil Company. Mr. Ozanian says that despite the huge capitalizations of many Internet-related firms, none were included because most have little, if any, profits -- at least not yet.
B
Summary:
This news report gives us a general picture of the U.S. stock market. It also presents some analysts' views on the market. Statements:
1. The Dow Jones Industrial Average went up less than one percent, to 10,546. 2. An analyst said that sales growth at Intel could be stronger than expected.
3. Retail stocks gained on stronger-than-expected sales because of the Thanksgiving holiday shopping season.
4. Sales of existing homes fell a steep 3.9% in October, their second monthly decline.
5. According to investment strategist Alan Skrainka, this is a very good entry point for a long-term investor to get into the market.
Tapescript:
U.S. stock prices were mixed on Monday, with the \"blue-chips\" in a rally mode. But volume was only moderate after a holiday-shortened week last week, showing lingering uncertainty among investors.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average went up 75 points, less than one percent, to 10,546. The S & P 500 Index gained 7 points. But the NASDAQ Composite backed off an early rally, taking a loss of almost one percent on weakness in selected technology stocks.
The Dow Industrials actually got a boost from their technology components. Shares of Intel traded higher after an analyst said sales growth at the leading computer chip-maker could be stronger than expected. Microsoft stock also edged higher.
Retail stocks gained on stronger-than-expected sales over the Thanksgiving weekend, as the holiday shopping season got underway.
However, analysts caution the retail picture is still clouded because many stores offered bargains to attract shoppers. Experts worry that higher oil prices and interest rates will make this a less than merry Christmas season for U.S. merchants.
The latest on the U.S. economy points to slower growth. Sales of existing homes fell a steep 3.9 percent in October, their second monthly decline.
Many analysts think uncertainty over the economy makes it increasingly likely that the major stock averages will close lower for the year. But investment strategist Alan Skrainka says the longer-term looks better.
\"No one can guess what will happen to the market over the next month. But over the long-term, we think the market looks very good. If you're a long-term investor, this is a very good entry point for getting into the market because this is what you've been waiting for. All the fear and uncertainty in the marketplace is setting us up for some very good values in the market.\"
Part III Voice mail may cost company’s business A
Jud Jessup (TakeCare HMO): …personalized service…”high service”…getting a recording…efficient…cost effective…
…individual problems….
Stanley Plogue (Plogue Research): …a fourth…let out…voice mail system…given up…
Sandy hale (Pacific Bell):… bottom line…costs…more efficient…customer service operations…a valuable tool. B 1. T 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. T 6. F 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. T C
3. Five years ago, people were wary of voice-mail.
4. TakeCare used a funny voice-mail message in its advertisements. 6. Voice-mail decreases contact between customers and companies. 7. The problem is not the technology, but the voice-mail menus.
Part IV Business jargon A
1. …language shorthand….
2. …overuse business jargon…a negative effect…
3. …a low opinion…management jargon…a third…a lack of confidence…one in five …untrustworthy…cover something up.
4. …an effective boss…can easily understand…of management jargon. B
1. T 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. F C
1. blue-sky thinking: imagine new or different ways of doing things 2. get our ducks in a row: have everything arranged efficiently 3. brain dump: tell everything you know about a particular subject 4. think outside the box: be creative in how you think about problems 5. the helicopter view: an overview 6. a heads up: a warning
7. that’s a real no-brainer: that’s simple
Unit 4 World News: Up in Space Part I Warming up A
1. To Mars / March of next year. 2. Because of a mechanical problem. 3. 5 males and 2 females.
4. NASA / At the end of September, 83 days after landing.
5. To return home at the Kennedy Space Center after completing repairs on the Hubble Telescope. B
Mir Facts 15 years
the Soviet Union, now Russia
$ 4.2 billion (for building and maintaining) 10 years (1986 — 1996) 135 tons
9,900 cubic feet
63 feet wide and 85 feet long 104 cosmonauts, astronauts 46
438 days
747 days, three Mar. 23rd,
Part II News reports A
Summary :
… the smallest and most earth-like extra solar planet. Answers to questions:
1. About a dozen.
2. Five times the mass of the earth. 3. A red dwarf. 4. Two.
5. One is similar to Neptune and the other is 8 times the mass of the earth. B
Event : NASA’s 12-year program of Mars • Starting time: 1996 • Finishing time: 2008 First installment:
• Names of spacecrafts: the Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter / the Pathfinder Lander • Arrival time: 1997
• Mission: To collect and analyze rocks Second installment:
• Names of spacecrafts: the Polar Lander / the Mars Climate Orbiter • Launch time: December • Arrival time: Next December Mission:
a. To inspect for subsurface water
b. To measure the distribution of water vapor, dust and condensates Grand finale:
• Launch time: 2005 • Return time: 2008
• Mission: To return soil and rock samples to Earth.
Part III Returning to the Moon Summary:
… UK’s possible collaboration with China on the Chang’e program. Answers to the questions: 1. Four phases
2. a. robotic spacecraft b. to return astronauts to the moon
c. to set up a permanent space station 3. Building of scientific instruments by UK 4. Five days 5. Thirteen days
Unit5 New Explorations in Food and Medicine Part I A1
1. A successful brain tissue transplant carried out by a South African surgeon. 2. The discovery of a new way to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy. 3. The possibility of a new way to treat glaucoma.
4. A new research on writing which shows that writing can result in clinically meaningful outcomes. A new research on writing which shows that writing can help people with chronic illness improve their health.
5. The theory and function of acupuncture. A2
1. A week ago / Parkinson’s disease. 2. A natural defense mechanism 3. The death of brain cells
4. Meeting patients’ psychological needs produces physical health benefits. 5. Side effects / cut back on medication.
Tapescripts:
1. The world’s leading transplant surgeon, Dr Christopher Bernard, has carried out one of the most difficult brain tissue transplants yet attempted. The South African surgeon has succeeded in transplanting tissues into the human brain in what is thought to be the first operation of its kind. The surgery was performed a week ago on a patient suffering from Parkinson’s disease. A portion of the patient’s adrenal gland was implanted into a part of the patient’s brain, an operation which has previously been performed only on rats and monkeys.
2. Approximately a third of all people develop cancer at one point in their lives. Chemotherapy has its limitations, but it is one of the major treatment options. Some American scientists have discovered they can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy by inhibiting a natural defense mechanism employed by cancer cells.
3. Glaucoma is responsible for blindness in an estimated 67 million people around the world. Until now, treatments have focused exclusively on the eyes. But that may change in the next few year, following the discovery that glaucoma involves the death of brain cells.
4. New research shows that the simple act of writing down thoughts about a stressful event can help people with chronic illnesses improve their health. This is the first study to show that writing can result in clinically meaningful outcomes for chronically-ill patients. The study adds to the growing amount of
scientific literature suggesting that meeting patient’s psychological needs produces physical health benefits. 5. Traditional Chinese medicine says that good health is associated with the balance of Qi. Qi can be hindered or helped by yang and yin. According to traditional theory, the goal of acupuncture is to promote the flow of qi by keeping yin and yang in balance ---- and this is done by inserting needles at various points along primary channels and meridians that crisscross the body. One of the key benefits of acupuncture is that it has few, if any, side-effects; and that when used with standard drug treatment --- in anesthesia, for example --- it allows physicians to cut back on medication, delivering the same level of benefit with fewer negative effects/ B
1. Instructions / characteristic / DNA / another / organism / genetically modified organism / genetic engineering
2. Artificial fertilizers / pest control / food / farming / artificial fertilizers / half 3. Genetic material / unrelated / another species / animal /plant / going across
4. Animals / cows, goats and pigs / genetically changed / pharmaceutical drugs / farming
5. Novel / 1797-1851/ scientist / subhuman / destroying / creation that ends up destroying the creator.
Part II（答案见听力原文中的红色部分）
In North Beach in San Francisco, where some pretty super food gets served every night. “Absolutely very super food!” “and I really like the taste of it”
But we’re not just talking about taste. Research now shows that some foods, including tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oil ---- are among the super foods. Super foods are packed with powerful chemicals that may offer your body great protection against chronic disease
“Including cancer, obesity, heart disease. Vibrantly colored red, yellow, orange and green all giving you different types of phytochemicals.”
Natalie Ledsma is a registered dietician at U. C. S. F. she says compounds found in super foods --- called phytochemicals ---- can reduce the risk of cancer, boost the immune system, and protect the heart. She showed us what everyone should try to eat each week for optimal health. One her shoppinglist? Herbs!
“Dark green ones (herbs), like rosemary and thyme, and any intensly colored spice, like turmeric or red pepper.”
“Both of those have anti-inflammatory properties.”
Turmeric many reduce the risk of leukemia, skin, and liver cancers. Hot peppers may reduce the risk of colon, stomach, and rectal cancers. Also on the list: green veggies. But not just nay green veggy.
“Brussels sprouts are part of the cruciferous vegetable family that has significant anti-cancer properties, and that family also has a very favorable effect on hormone metabolism.”
Other cruciferous veggies include cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. And don’t forget the tomato. “it is probably the best source of lycopene, which is one of the phytochemicals that has shown
significant anticancer properties, especially with prostate and potentially lung and breast cancer as well.”
As for fruit, citrus contains Vitamins C, limonoids, and phenols, which inactivate cancer cells and strengthen the immune system. Cantaloupes, mangos and carrots contain cancer-fighting carotenoids. And
berries are bursting with flavonoids and ellagic acid ---- antioxidants that protect against cancer, ulcers, and viruses. Natalie recommends organic.
“Organic fruits and vegetables have shown not only to have lower pesticide toxicities and lower pesticide levels, but also now have been shown to have higher phytochemical content.”
Don’t forget the fatty fish or flaxseed ---- both are excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids that inhibit the growth of cancer cells and boost the immune system, olive oil, which may reduce breast, prostate, or colon cancer, and soy.
“soy has protective effects for heart disease as well as osteoporosis, potentially.”
And finally onions, garlic, and shallots. They may protect the heart fight cancer, and help with asthma. B
I. Harvard Medical School
II. Borderline high blood pressure III. 10 /7
IV. Cardiovascular / by a quarter
Chances of dying from cardiovascular disease falling by 5/1 V. A: no more than 3 grams B: fast food C: labels
D: fresh fruit and vegetables
听力原文：
Salt is crucial to our health, but too much of it can put human at risk from high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Many reports, researchers at Harvard Medical School say the significant reduction in salt intake can cut the chances of heart disease and strokes by a quarter. Here is our health correspondent, Adam Brimelow.
It’s long been known that cutting salt can reduce blood pressure. But there has been much less evidence of what it means for cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes. The Harvard team followed up people with borderline high blood pressure, who had taken in part in two salt reduction studies, typically cutting intake from 10 to 7 grams a day. The risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the next decade or so was cut by a quarter compared with those who did not reduce their salt intake. And their chances of dying from cardiovascular disease fell by 5/1. In developed countries such as the United States and the UK, the average adult daily salt intake is about 10 grams. Much of this is already in the food that people buy, including processed foods and bread. Many experts say no one should have more than 3 grams. They say the best way to cut salt, is to get away from fast food, check labels and have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable. Adam Brimelow reporting.
Part III Medical emergency 911 A
( 3 ) a. How SYSCOM operates ( 4 ) b. Purpose of SYSCOM
( 2 ) c. Treatment by ambulance workers ( 1 ) d. Response to shooting accident
B.
1. What happens in Maryland when there is a serious accident?
2. What response is made to the accident reported to 9117 What does Lieutenant Mike Fahey do? 3. What do the ambulance paramedics do for this patient? 4. What is SYSCOM? What does it do? 5. What is the purpose of this system? C
1. How does this system help if you have a serious accident? a. Know where and when an accident happens b. Immediate action / life-saving care 2. How is this system activated? By dialing 911
3. Where is your call forwarded?
To fire department's emergency rescue service / then to nearest help / depending on information given 4. In this report, what kind of accident has happened? Shooting accident
5. Who responds first? How long docs it take to respond? Paramedic supervisor / 9 min.
6. How docs Lt. Fahey act? What effect docs he have on thepatient? Deliberately / calmly / calm patient down
7. What condition is the patient in when he is put in the ambulance? In shock
8. What has everyone agreed to do for this man? Why?
Send him to the regional shock trauma center / center is 6 min. away by land / available / equipped for his injury
9. What is SYSCOM?
Statewide System communication Center
10. What important function docs SYSCOM serve? Dispatch point for helicopters
11. What can SYSCOM do for paramedics?
Connect them by radio to hospitals and emergency specialists
12. According to Dr R. Adams Cowley, what needs to be done in order to save a person's life? Stop bleeding and restore blood pressure within an hour of accident
Tapescript 听力原文：
Maryland may be a small state, but it's a major player in developing emergency medical services. There are 49 hospitals that have 24-hour emergency departments. Nine of those hospitals are specially designated shock trauma centers, and there's a sophisticated communication center that links the state's ambulances, helicopters, and the hospitals.
\"A serious accident happens. Pre-hospital staff --paramedics, emergency medical technicians--through a sophisticated communication system know where and when the accident happened, and they are summoned immediately to provide the initial, quick, life-saving care.\"
That's Dr Philip Militello. He's head of trauma surgery for the state system. If you have a serious injury anywhere in Maryland, this system will get you the right treatment with the least delay. What kind of help do
you need? Where's the closest hospital? Should you go by ambulance or by helicopter? The answers to these questions come through sophisticated communications. The system springs into action with a telephone call to 911, your local emergency number anywhere in the state. \"Fire and rescue.”'
If you're injured, your call is forwarded to the fire department's emergency rescue service. Based on the information you give them, they send a radio call for the nearest available help. \"He has been shot. Hold on while I dispatch an ambulance.\"
A man has shot himself. The nearest available shock trauma ambulance is twenty minutes away. But a paramedic supervisor with some emergency medical equipment in his car responds to the radio call and arrives on the scene within nine minutes. The supervisor, Lieutenant Mike Fahey, is a nationally certified paramedic. He quietly talks to the patient while he bandages the bullet hole. Finding the patient's blood
pressure alarmingly low, he immediately starts intravenous blood plasma. His movements are deliberate and his voice is calm.
\"Come in. Take control of the situation. Remain calm. Chaos is contagious, and so is the calm that you have. When the patient looks up at you and you're calm, then you're reassuring. Then they calm down.\"
The paramedic ambulance with advanced life support equipment arrives twelve minutes later, and Fahey's patient is loaded on a stretcher, ready to go. But the patient is in shock. If he stays in shock, he has a poor chance of survival. Inside the ambulance, they start another line of plasma and apply medical anti-shock trousers. Those are rubberized trousers to squeeze the blood from the legs back to the brain and other vital organs. Through radio communication everyone has agreed to send him by ambulance to the regional shock trauma center. It's only six minutes by land; it's available; and the regional center is equipped for his particular injury.
\"They're putting on the trousers now. As soon as they get that, they'll be able to start going down the highway. '
\"If we can get the patient to the trauma center within twenty minutes, we go by land. If it's going to be longer than twenty minutes, we try to go by air.\"
Captain Linda Sterling. She's Mike Fahey's boss at the local emergency medical service. When one of her paramedics needs a medevac helicopter, the request goes quickly to the SYSCOM, the statewide System Communication Center. Three large screens dominate the darkened room at SYSCOM. The right screen shows which hospital can take what kind of injury. The center screen shows the location of all medevac helicopters. And the one on the left shows the helicopter landing pad at the main shock trauma center. SYSCOM operations chief Andy Polavski tells us what's happening.
\"Part of the operation here is the SYSCOM operation: system communications. They serve as the coordinators of the medevac activity in the state. This is the dispatch point for the State Police helicopters and the U.S. Park Police helicopters.\"
SYSCOM can also connect by radio any paramedic in the state with any hospital or any emergency
specialist. In shock trauma injuries, minutes can mean life or death. Maryland's communication system saves precious time by connecting citizens, ambulances, helicopters, and hospitals. Dr R. Adams Cowley, founder of the system, said, \"If I can get you and stop your bleeding and restore your blood pressure within an hour of your accident, then I can probably save your life.
Part IV Keeping the country healthy Part IV
1. NHS’(英国国民健康保险制度) greater focus on prevention 1. a gimmick
2. a: increased screening 2. proper timetable e.g. heart disease, stroke, cancer 3. treatment
b: the most vulnerable 4. private healthcare c: more widely available
听力原文：
It seems that politicians around the world are thinking about the health of their countries. While in China, Chen Zhu has announced his plans for a universal health service and reform across health services, Gordon Brown, the UK Prime Minister, ahs also announced he is planning to make some changes in our heath service.
The crux of Mr. Brown’s proposals are related to giving the NHS（National Health Service）a greater focus on prevention, rather than just curing patients.
He is planning to introduce increased screening for common diseases such as heart disease, strokes, and cancer, for example breast cancer. In Britain there are 200,000 deaths a year from heart attacks and strokes, many of which might have been avoided if the condition had been known about.
Initially, the diagnostic tests will be available fro those who are most vulnerable, or most likely to have the disease, but later on the Prime Minister claims that they will be more widely available. One example is a plan to offer all men over 65 an ultrasound test to check for problems with the main artery, a condition which kills 3,000 men a year.
The opposition have criticized Mr Brown’s proposals, saying that they are just a gimmick, and claiming that there is no proper timetable for the changes. They also say that Mr. Brown is reducing the money available for the treatment of certain conditions while putting more money towards testing for them.
The NHS was founded in 1948, and is paid for by taxation. The idea is that the rich pa more towards the health service than the poor. However in recent years there has been a great increase in the use of private healthcare.
Many people who can afford it choose to pay for medical care, often because it can be quicker, although the doctors and hospitals are often the same!! NHS waiting lists for operations can be very long, so people can jump the queue by paying for their operation.
生词：
Brain tissue 迷迭香 百里香（麝香） Natural defense mechanism 姜黄类
Psychological needs 结肠 、 直肠 Side effect 球芽甘蓝 柑橘属科 Medication 石碳酸（苯酚） Artificial fertilizers / pest control 类黄酮 Material species物种 鞣花酸 青葱类 亚麻子
Unit 6 Science and Technology Part I Warming up A1.
1. This news item is about a kind of new bulletproof vest made of silk.
2. This news item is about research done by American and Japanese researchers to predict severe weather in and around the Indian Ocean.
3. This news item is about a chess match between a world champion and the rest of the world on the Internet. 4. This news item is about the significance of the discovery of the structure of DNA. 5. This news item is about NEC's new robot that talks and under-stands orders. A2
1. While silk threads may be soft, they can be used to produce a stronger yarn than copper threads.
2. American and Japanese researchers have discovered a strong connection between extreme weather and conditions in the ocean.
3. Visitors to the site have 24 hours to vote on their counter move helped by a team of young chess experts who will suggest strategies.
4. Understanding its code has helped to unlock the mechanics of inherited disease, as well as beneficial biological traits such as intelligence and body strength.
5. The robot from NEC can record and send video mail through the Internet and switch on TVs, VCRs and air conditioners.
Tapescript.
1. Thai silk is known for its beauty and elegance. But a research team has found a new use for it. A bulletproof vest made of silk was put to the test at a shooting range in Thailand. After several rounds of gunfire, the vest was examined. The bullets were stuck in the first layer of fifteen pieces of silk. A member of the research team says while silk threads may be soft, they can be used to produce a stronger yarn than copper threads, the material used in regular bulletproof vests.
2. American and Japanese researchers say they are a step closer to predicting severe weather in and around the Indian Ocean. Researchers have analyzed weather data from the region over the past 40 years and they've discovered a strong connection between extreme weather and conditions in the ocean. A BBC science
correspondent says the findings could make it easier to predict droughts or, indeed, periods of heavy rainfall. 3. The world chess champion Garry Kasparov began a match against the rest of the world on the Internet. Kasparov made his first move with a meter-high pawn before an audience of chess fans at a park in New York. The move was immediately posted on a special website set up by the Microsoft corporation. Visitors to the site have 24 hours to vote on their counter move helped by a team of young chess experts who will suggest strategies.
4. Few scientific advances of this or any millennium can rival in significance the discovery of the structure of DNA, the basic molecule of life. Knowledge of the structure of DNA helps explains many things, including genetic mutation and , through it, evolution. Understanding its code has helped to unlock the
mechanics of inherited disease, as well as beneficial biological traits such as intelligence and body strength. The discovery of the DNA molecule also paved the way for many of today’s cutting-edge sciences, including genetic engineering, a controversial branch of knowledge that raises new ethical and moral questions that are certain to be with us far into the next millennium.
5. Some say it's hard to find good help these days, but a Japanese electronics firm thinks it's found the answer. It's a robot that talks and understands orders. The robot from NEC can record and send video mail through the Internet and switch on TVs and VCRs. And if it's becoming a bit warm for you, one simple command and the robot will switch on the air conditioner. B.
2. lightning patronizing X rays Enthusiatic Laser Bored
Yeast Friendly / intimate Friction Loudly but neutral Recycling Patiently
Tapescript:
1 .... Yes, you see, it's the force of attraction between any two objects. The strength of the force depends on the mass of the objects and the distance between them. Er... the most obvious effect is the way objects on the surface of the earth are attracted towards the center of the earth...
2 .... as it comes down it goes relatively slowly 100 to 1,000 miles per hour and you can't see it, but the return stroke goes up from the earth to the cloud and it goes at over 87,000 miles per hour and that's the one you can see, you see, the one that goes back up. It's really just a very large, powerful spark. The distance in miles you are away from it is the time in seconds between it and the sound you hear...
3 .... Well, they were first discovered in 1895 and they can penetrate matter that is opaque to light. Some matter is more transparent to them than others, which means you can see inside somebody. They are actually quite dangerous and people who work with them wear special protective clothing...
4 .... ordinary light consists of electromagnetic waves of different frequencies and phase(s). This is a bundle of waves of the same frequency and phase. You can create the beams from a ruby rod or a tube of carbon dioxide that's stimulated with flashes of ordinary light. The word is an acronym for light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation. Now, does anybody ...
5 .... they're all types of fungus. There are many different kinds of them but the best known are the ones used in cooking and brewing. When they're mixed with sugar they cause the sugar to ferment and two things
happen: first carbon dioxide is given off and second alcohol is formed, but when the proportion reaches 12%, it's all killed off naturally...
6 .... in contact with each other, there's a resistance to movement between them. The main reason why we use ball bearings and lubricating oil is to counteract this; the main reason why rubber is used in tires and shoes is to increase the effect of it ...
7 .... No, it's the process whereby materials are used again. Normally, it is cheaper to do this because it's more energy-efficient. On the other hand, one material that's hard to deal with in this way is plastic -- there are so many types that it's very difficult to separate ...
Part II A:
I．identify, Catalog, map and analyze / 100,000 II. A: a piece of DNA, the basic Molecule of life
B: on chromosomes in every cells
C: produce chemical instructions the cell needs in order to build and run the human body. III: Significance A: cure or prevent
B: desirable genetic traits
C: the brain, consciousness and the mind D: a scientific description IV controversy 1.Abuse
2. warfare 囊性纤维变性
听力原文：
The goal of the human genome project initiated in the early 1990s is to identify, catalog, map and analyze every one of the estimated 100,000 genes in the human body. If the multi-billion-dollar project is successful, its effects may be as fundamental to the human future as the discovery of fire and seed agriculture once were.
To understand the significance of the human genome project, it is necessary to know that each gene is a piece of DNA, the basic molecule of life. Genes are located on chromosomes that in turn reside in every cell in arrangements similar to the alternately colored rungs on a ladder. The sequence of genetic rungs produces the chemical instructions the cells need in order to build and run the human body. By identifying the location and makeup of each gene, the genome project should help scientists cure or
Part III Latest breakthroughs in technology A.
1. What is the trend for electronics in the future? Integrated, smaller, faster, better
2. What is the theme for electronics in the future?
The combination of computers and communications and then having them disappear from our sight B.
Tapescript:
\"Everybody thinks of technology as somebody in a lab coat, you know, tinkering with computer chips, but technology is really about how we live and how we communicate.\"
Suzanne Cantra is the \"What's New?\" editor at Popular Science magazine, a magazine that has been following advances in technology for more than a hundred years.
The most fanciful dream of mankind is today a startling reality.\" Remember when television was
considered a fad of the future? \"It may not be long before our news events and current world happenings will be witnessed in thousands of homes.\" Boy, were they wrong?
This recorder shows how far television has come. T-Bo's personal TV, an NBC investment, is one of the products that caught Cantra's eye.
\"One of the benefits of having a computer recording video is that the computer can read the video broadcast as it comes in so if the phone rings, you can hit pause on a live broadcast.\"
And not only that, this sort of smart VCR learns which TV shows and characters you like to watch and
records them for you. This device is only one of a hundred items, Cantra says, best represents the future. And
while we couldn't show you all of them, here are a few that reflect some of the new trends.
Like Ericsson's R380. You can make calls, browse the web, check your calendar and send and receive email, all in this one device.
\"This cell phone actually shows us the future of integrated devices.\"
And I bet you can't guess what this is? Although it looks like a watch, in fact, it's a camera. That's right. A camera.
\"The P3 wrist camera sort of talks to that whole concept of miniaturization and having devices integrated into things that you wouldn't think of.\"
And while the pictures are pretty good, only you can decide whether they're worth two grand. And how about this? It's a prototype computer that puts your mobile laptop to shame.
\"The IBM wearable PC definitely gives you a vision into what's gonna be coming down the line. We will be carrying (be carried easily ） these kinds of computing devices and you will need to only access the information somehow. Whether that's through an earpiece or whether it's just integrated into your clothing.\" The PC weighs less than a pound and clips onto your belt. The monitor, about the size of a pen cap rests an inch from your eye.
But if you don't necessarily wanna work during your down time, something like the Panasonic portable DVD player might be the gadget for you.
\"The ability to have a very small compact device where you can watch movies or listen to CDs is something that any business traveler will tell you is a great benefit.\"
If you're more the adventurous type, then Casio's GPS watch is a must (to) have.
\"A few years down the line, instead of just having, you know, your coordinates, it can actually tell you where you are on a map and give you directions.\"
Over the past several years, we've seen electronics get smaller, faster and better and that trend is going to continue into the next century.
\"The theme for electronics in the future is the combination of computers and communications and then having them disappear from our sight.\"
But Cantra says these new technologies are not just about bits and bites.
\"When you look at new technologies, they're based on the past and what we think that we need, but a lot of times it's just sheer human inventiveness that takes it to this next step. And there's nothing more exciting than finding a new way of being able to reach out and share information.\"
Molecule
Similar to the alternately colored rungs on a ladder Desirable
Consciousness 意识
Chart of DNA / blueprint Unique
Breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, Parkinson’s disease/ All class dismissed!!
Unit 7 Future of Communication(I) Part I Warming up A.
Tapescript:
1. And British papers report the latest trend when you meet someone in a bar is to get their number, go home, and google them. Yes that gorgeous girl or guy you met the other night is probably patrolling a search engine right now to check you out. So don't even think of trying to tell them you're a famous footballer or brain surgeon or television presenter.
2. The jamming, earlier this month, of several popular Internet sites with a flood of crippling messages sent a wakeup call to those involved with electronic or e-commerce. One recent suggestion is to form an industry-wide group to share information about security issues. High-tech executives want to make a coordinated effort to ensure that the Internet becomes a safe place to conduct business.
3. Now home to some 800 million pages--a figure that's doubling each year- searching the Internet can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. But Oslo-based Fast Search& Transfer (FAST) has developed a
search engine (www. alltheweb, com) capable of scanning more than 200 million pages. FAST is working on a mega-search engine that searches \"all the web, all the time.\"
4. This week, the Intel corporation held its semi-annual Developer Forum in Palm Springs, California. The gathering draws more than 2,000 hardware and software developers from around the world. Intel executives opened the event with a demonstration of a high-speed chip, code-named \"Williamette.\" The chip, designed to power personal computers, has a speed of one point five gigahertz, making it almost twice as fast as Intel's popular Pentium III chip which runs at 800 megahertz.
5. An online VCR seems like a bright idea but it's been quickly rendered non-functional by the copyright lawyers. Not for the first time, the Hollywood studios objected to re-transmitting network television shows, in this case for users to watch via the web. Programs were being made available for visitors to save remotely or record for subsequent viewing via Windows Media Player. B.
National Geographic:
Helping choose the magazine's cover Interviewing the photographers Showing more pictures Providing zip U. S. A. Hunger Site:
Helping alleviate world hunger.
Donating contributions to the United Nations World Food Program each time an individual logs on to the site.
Total value of distributed food: approximately $400,000. Ask Jeeves Site:
Asking questions in simple English Getting direct answers Starting year: 1997
Questions dealt with so far: more than 150 million
Tapescript:
1. National Geographic, the magazine, has redesigned its website with some new features. Among them, an opportunity for readers to help choose the magazine's cover, interviews with National Geographic photographers, and lots and lots of pictures. More pictures in fact than there was room for in the print
version. There's also Zip U. S. A., the feature you can find both online and in print. It's a focused look at one zip code in the U. S.
2. Now, there's a website created to help alleviate world hunger called the Hunger Site. Contributions, generated when computer users visit the site on the Worldwide Web, are donated to the United Nations World Food Program. \"The beauty of the site is that when the web surfer clicks on, they don't pay a penny.\" This is Abby Spring, a World Food Program official. She says that funds to purchase the food come from corporate donors who make a financial contribution each time an individual logs on to Hungersite -- that's one word -- dot com. Abby spring says that so far, thanks to Hungersite dot com, the World Food Program has been able to distribute food valued at approximately $400,000.
3. The Ask Jeeves Site on the Internet is one of the most useful Internet sites for asking questions in simple English and getting direct answers. Ask most search engines a question these days and they will return a result which gives thousands of pages for you to search. The Ask Jeeves Site gives you half a dozen where you can find the exact answer. The Ask Jeeves Site owners say they have dealt with more than 150 million questions since Ask Jeeves was set up in 1997. Just this month, people were asking Jeeves the following questions: What are the latest scores for baseball? What is the address of the website for Coca-Cola? Where can I find a list of airfare travel bargains? Tell me the names of the top 20 universities and colleges in the U.S.
Part II New Ways to communicate A1
1. When a friend is online 2. 1.6milion 3. 3,000
4. you can only contact someone (on the same network as you. )using the same program 5. laugh out loud. A2
Online / popular / take off / signing up / by / make up
Obvious / one very important disadvantage / bright / voice converstation / swap / funny
听力材料
When you meet someone for the first time，do you ask their ASL? Do you LOL if they come out with something funny, and say CU L8er when you finish the conversation? If you know what I’m talking about, then you are probably already a user of instant messaging, or IM.
The idea behind IM is simple. A program on your computer tells you when a friend is online. You can then send a message to your friend, who can type a reply instantly. To do this, you need an IM program.
Worldwide, AIM, the instant messaging service provided by AOL, is by far the most popular. It has 195 million users who send about 1.6 billion messages every day. ICQ, which is owned by AOL, has about 140 million messengers, and MSN and Windows IM make up about 75 million users.
The advantage over e-mail is that with instant messaging you know you’re likely to get a reply. IM is already hugely popular in the USA, where people spend five times more time online than in Europe.
However, IM is starting to take off in the UK, with over 3,000 people signing up to MSN Messenger alone every day.
While the plus points of IM are obvious, there is one very important disadvantage: you can only contact someone on the same network as you. If your friend is using AIM, and you are using MSN, you cannot talk
to each other. This makes IM less useful than it should be. Imagine if you couldn’t send an e-mail form hotmail to yahoo. However, things look like they’ll change soon.
In general, the future looks bright for IM. Lots of programs also allow you to have voice conversations, video conferencing ---- this means you can see the other person using a webcam ---- and also let you swap pictures, music and other files.
So, perhaps we’ll all soon be asking someone’s age, sex and location (ASL), and laughing out loud (LOL) when they say something funny. See you later (CU L8er). B:\\
How do you meet new people, make new friends, or find out about the latest bands? Here in the UK young people have traditionally done their socializing in bars, pubs and clubs.
However there is a new generation growing up that finds it easier to manage their social lives on the net, using free websites like MySpace, Bebo or MSN Spaces.
Welcome to the social networking website ---- a place where you can present yourself to the digital community and meet other like-minded people.
The most successful social networking website in the UK is MySpace.com. as of July 2006, MySpace is the world’s fourth most popular English-language website, attracting almost 3 million visitors per month. Myspace claims to have 95 million members with 500,000 new members joining the community each week. So how has it become to successful? Perhaps its secret is in its simplicity. Each new member can build their own page simply --- uploading photos, videos and MP3 files. Then they describe themselves, listing their likes, dislikes, favorite bands, relationship status, etc. it’s an easy way to hook up with people who share your interest.
Briana Dougherty, a 25-year-old MySpace devotee, told us, “It’s a casual way to stay in contact without appearing weird. ” it seems that many people do not feel comfortable giving out their phone number or personal e-mail address to new acquaintances but are perfectly happy to trade MySpace profiles
While socializing is the key to MySpace’s success, love of music is at the heart of the community. Indeed, most aspiring musicians in the UK upload their songs to the site, and with good reason: unsigned artists, Arctic Monkeys and Lilly Allen created such a buzz on the site that they were offered recording contracts and scored number one hits.
Social network sites could be a great place to practice your English. Why not give it a try? You can tell us about your experience by filing in the new comments form at the top of the screen.
Statements:
1. Most young people in the UK make new friends at work. 2. Yahoo and Google are social networking sites.
3. MySpace is one of the top five English-language website. 4. New brands put their music on the web for people to listen to. 5. Users of social networks usually pay for the service.
Part III Digital McLuhan Summary:
Marshall McLuhan, a communications expert from Canada, never touched a personal computer. But his research on the media and their effect on people and society remains relevant today. He was the first thinker to really look at television as something that had a serious impact upon our society. Although he was writing
about television, an enormous amount of what he said has even more applicability to the Internet age. He said that television was turning the world into a global village. And the notion of village becomes much more meaningful and real in our digital age. He saw a time when everyone would be a publisher with the help of the Xerox machine, and now the web is even expanding and amplifying that.
Tapescript.
I Interviewer L -- Paul Levinson
Marshall McLuhan, a communications expert from Canada, never touched a personal computer. He died in 1979. But his research on the media and their effect on people and society remains relevant today. Paul Levinson, an American high-tech expert knew Professor McLuhan, and discusses his impact in a volume entitled Digital McLuhan: A Guide to the Information Millennium. I. Mr. Levinson, why is Marshall McLuhan such an important figure?
L. Well, he did his writing in the 1950s,1960s and 1970s. And those decades, of course, were the first years of television. And he was the first thinker to really look at television as something that had a serious impact upon our society. Interestingly, although he was writing about television, an enormous amount of what he said has even more applicability to the Internet age. For example, he said that television was turning the world into a global village. What he meant by that is when everyone watches the same thing on the television screen, that group that's watching that television program is a community of sorts. It's like the people in a village all hearing and seeing the same thing. In contrast, now in the 1990s, as we move into the new millennium, when people communicate on the web, and through the Internet, they are not only doing and hearing and seeing the same thing, they are also participating, communicating among each other. And so, the notion of village becomes much more meaningful and real in our digital age. I. TV was a... or is a one-way medium, whereas the Internet is a ... is two-way.
L.. That's right. There is a crucial difference right there. Most media in the 20th century, in fact all the major media of the 20th century radio, motion pictures, television --were and are like newspapers and books, one-way media. The telephone, which of course was invented in 1876, is a two-way medium. But, it's a two-way personal medium. There is nothing public, or there shouldn't be much public about a telephone conversation. What makes the Internet so different is that it is public but it is also interactive and two-way. I. Marshall McLuhan saw a time when everyone would be a publisher. He was referring to the Xerox machine, the copying machine. Today, we have the Internet which makes everybody an editor, and ... or makes everybody a publisher but not an editor. Isn't this a problem when everybody is a publisher but there is no editor around?
L. The traditional value of the editor is to, in some way, stipulate and vouch for the quality of the publication of the production. So yes, there is a concern that when anyone can put anything on a web page, you know, there is no safeguard for the quality. But, on the other hand, and there is always another hand, I think the reason why McLuhan celebrated first the Xerox, allowing every author to be a publisher, and why I'm now so pleased that the web is even expanding and amplifying that, is ... there is also the danger of editors
keeping out of the mix things that are good. What the web does is it removes the middle man and allows the creator to communicate directly with his or her audience and on balance I think that's a good thing. There will be more drivel available. But, there'll also be more gems that would otherwise be hidden from public view.
Part IV Technical Jargon A
1. 40% 2. 67% 3. 30% 4. 75% 5. 68%
6. The technology industry B
1. what do millions of British people do every week? 2. What is Nielsen / NetRatings?
3. What is the growing trend for new technological jargon? C
Age, sex and location Laugh out loud See you later
A pocker-sized device used to play music files Really Simple Syndication Wireless fidelity
Personal digital assistant Video-on-demand
Personal video recorder
To read, write, or edit a shared online journal
To deliver a Web-based audio broadcast via an RSS feed over the Internet to subscribers To seek on line.
听力材料
Every week millions of Britons use computers to access the Internet but how many of them actually know their ipods form their IMs? Not many it seems. A recent survey from Nielsen / NetRatings --- a global Internet, media and market research company --- shows that while the British are crazy about buying and owning new technology they’re not so keen to keep up with the ever-changing jargon of 21st century technology.
According to Nielsen / NetRatings, people love having cutting-edge technology but often don’t understand the terms that describe what their devices actually do.
For example, 40% of online Britons receive news feeds but 67% don’t know that the official term for this service is Really Simple Syndication.
Terms like WiFi and PDA are still meaningless to more than 30% of the British public who regularly work or surf online.
Acronyms in particular bamboozle users. 75% of online Britons don’t know that VOD stands for
video-on-demand, while 68% are unaware that personal video recorders are more commonly referred to as PVRs.
Millions of people keep in touch via instant messaging but 57% of online Brits said they didn’t know that the acronym for it was IM.
Unit 8 Architecture Part I Warming up A.
Tapescript:
For hundreds of years, it has been an imperial capital of Europe. Its rulers raided the Western world to enrich the coffers of the empire. They spent their wealth on magnificent palaces and grand public buildings. They built an opera house that rivals any in Europe. They founded great museums and libraries. They
constructed massive, ornate government buildings. And they raised opulent palaces for themselves. A tour of Vienna is a tour of these monuments to excess.
Take Schonbrunn Palace, for instance. The Palace's Million Room, named after the cost of the
decorations -- 1 million guilders, is a Rococo masterpiece. Inset in the paneling are 260 rare miniatures of Indo-Persian heritage. The frames are real gold leaf, and the paneling is precious wood.
The Great Gallery, modeled after a room in Versailles near Paris, has 35-foot ceilings graced with giant frescoes（壁画） boasting of the power of the Austrian army. Massive crystal chandeliers reflect in the wall of mirrors, trimmed in gold leaf.
The list of other sights to see in Vienna is long. St. Stephen's Cathedral dominates the skyline of Old Town, the medieval section of the city. Its main spire soars 450 feet into the sky, and the top can be reached by climbing 343 steps. The cathedral' was begun in the 12th century.
In the catacombs（陵墓） beneath the cathedral are copper urns（骨灰坛） containing the intestines of deceased Habsburgs. Their bodies are in ornate caskets（棺材） in the Imperial Burial Vaults in the Kapuziner Church a few blocks away, and can be visited.
The Old Town is a fascinating place to walk. Most of the narrow streets have been turned into pedestrian malls lined with shops, coffeehouses and restaurants. In one section, the original Roman ruins under the streets can be seen by going to an underground museum.
The Natural History Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts occupy matching buildings on Maria Theresa Plaza, a small square across from the Hofburg. Hofburg is the Habsburg’s in-town palace. It is big, with 2,600 rooms, but not ornate. Hofburg is a jumble of buildings constructed at different times and in different styles, from Baroque, Gothic and Classical to Renaissance and Rococo. Its oldest parts date from the 13th century, but most were built from the 1700s on. B1.
The Palais du Louvre: Location: heart of Paris
Beginning year of construction: 1527
Time when first used as a public art gallery: 1793 The Louvre Pyramid:
Designer: Ieoh Ming Pei
Use: the main entrance to the Palais du Louvre Height: 21m Width: 33m
Materials: steel tubes, cables, sheet glass Year of completion: 1988
Tapescript:
The Palais du Louvre stands at the heart of Paris, and houses one of the world's greatest collections of works of art. The original palace dates from 1527, and it was extended and added to over the next four centuries. It was first used as a public art gallery in 1793. In 1981, the Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei was commissioned to redevelop the public part of the Louvre and create more space for reception areas and services. He designed the famous Glass Pyramid, which serves as the main entrance to the building, leading underground to the museum and art gallery. The Pyramid is 21 meters high and 33 meters wide, and uses a combination of steel tubes, cables and sheet glass. It was completed in 1988, and quickly became a major tourist attraction in its own right. B2
1. She likes the Louvre Pyramid because of the transparency, and it has a light effect.
2. She likes the Louvre Pyramid for its contrast of shapes. It emphasizes the beauty of the Louvre.
3. She thinks the right thing is to put something so contradictory to the Louvre. They stand in dialogue with each other and they don't try to complement each other.
4. She thinks it would have been the biggest mistake to try to build something similar to the Louvre.
Tapescript:
I like the Louvre Pyramid because of its transparency, because you can just look through it, and it has a very light effect. It is not heavy and it is made of glass, and so it looks like a light object. And I like it for its contrast of shapes, because it is such a contrast to the Louvre building that in fact it doesn't interfere with the beauty of the Louvre, but it even, it emphasizes the beauty of the Louvre. And in the evening when this pyramid is lighted, it's just a source of light to put the Louvre into a new light. And this has for me also a symbolic meaning. And it is such an unexpected shape in this urban context, just to use a traditional shape of a pyramid built in new materials with new technologies, high-tech, and so on, that it is a completely surprising effect. So that people get shocked by it or they like it, but there is nobody who would be
uninvolved or who could just pass and not notice this building. So it's something you have to look at. And I think this is also very important in building, and creating something in the cities, and exactly for example close to these historical buildings which are such a... they are so sensitive topics that nobody dares to touch them. I think the right thing is really to put something so contradictory to it that they stand in dialogue with each other and they don't even try to complement each other. Because it would have been the biggest mistake to try to build something similar to the Louvre, to put a building which would copy the Louvre, because it would just mean that we don't live in continuity, the architecture doesn't continue its history, but it would mean that architecture stands still on the level of the 17th century, and that would be a lie.
Ecology 生态学 ecological system 生态系统 Consultant 顾问 Model 模式
Minimize 减小，减少
Part II eco-conscious construction A
The world’s first eco-city /off the coast/
Agricultural land / half a million / $1.3 billion / a sustainability consultant / Sustainable development /
A more ecologically friendly model / minimize impact on nature / solar and wind power /power and fertilizers / electric cars B1.
1. a dream-house which is sustainable by the environment ----- an environmentally-sustainable dream-house 2. windows that face south -- south-facing windows 3. a kitchen that is well lit -- a well-lit kitchen
4. paint that is based on milk or uses milk as a base ---- milk-based paint
5. solutions which are beneficial to the environment -- environmentally-beneficial solutions
Tapescript.
1. Architect Jim Logan is building his environmentally-sustainable dream-house at the site of a former commune a few miles north of Boulder.
2. As you drive onto the small farm property, you're immediately struck by a series of large south-facing windows.
3. Walk through the well-lit kitchen, and you'll see that even the north side of the building has a passive solar component.
4. In all facets of construction, Logan is emphasizing both biodegradable building products and nontoxic materials. He's using milk-based paint, for example.
5. In many cases, many environmentally-beneficial solutions pay for themselves in as little as 6 or 7 or 8 months. B2
Tapescript.
1. Logan has incorporated nearly every aspect of a modern eco-conscious design.
2. Every room in this house has a window that faces south, regardless of where it's located.
3. All the rooms in the house have both day-lighting, which means that there's ample light coming in high into the room so that we don't need to use electric lights during the day.
4. As a result, Logan's house will have neither a furnace nor air-conditioning. 5. The so-called super-insulation is required to store the solar heat.
6. Logan is also using thermal mass, or dirt, to keep the house both warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
7. He's using milk-based paint, for example, and relatively little of that.
8. This room and the inside of this room -- virtually all the finishes did not need to be painted. 9. Painting is a fairly un-environmental act in that it is something that involves chemistry. 10. Initially, Logan will get all his water from a well.
11. The roof has gutters and will eventually collect rainwater for general use. B3.
Main features:
south-facing windows: day-lighting, solar heat no furnace
no air-conditioning solar heater: hot water
three-foot outside walls: adobe + insulation + adobe thermal mass milk-based paint ceiling: galvanized inside wall: plaster no carpet
not connected to a water system: well, rainwater
Tapescript:
A--Alan J--Jones L--Logan
A: Many environmentalists and energy experts say that the wave of the future won't be any one miracle cure, but rather overall conservation of available resources. The approach is being spearheaded by a quiet
revolution in the eco-conscious construction business. Colorado Public Radio's Peter Jones recently visited a building site near Boulder and brings us this report.
J: Architect Jim Logan is building his environmentally sustainable dream-house at the site of a former commune a few miles north of Boulder. Logan has incorporated nearly every aspect of a modern
eco-conscious design. As you drive onto the small farm property, you're immediately struck by a series of large south-facing windows. Walk through the well-lit kitchen, and you'll see that even the north side of the building has a passive solar component.
L: Every room in this house has a window that faces south, regardless of where it's located, so all the rooms in the house have both day-lighting, which means that there's ample light coming in high into the room so that we don't need to use electric lights during the day, and also have south-facing glass that provides solar heat.
J: As a result, Logan's house will have neither a furnace nor air-conditioning. For hot water, he'll tee an active solar heater. But efficient use of the sun is only one of the building's many eco-conscious features. L: The outside walls -- if you include a foot of adobe, a foot of insulation, and another foot of adobe- are three feet thick.
J: The so-called super-insulation is required to store the solar heat, but Logan is also using thermal mass, or dirt, to keep the house both warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
J: In all facets of construction, Logan is emphasizing both biodegradable building products and nontoxic materials. He's using milk-based paint, for example, and relatively little of that.
L: This room and the inside of this room- virtually all the finishes did not need to be painted. The ceiling is made out of galvanized metal and the walls are plaster. Painting is a fairly un-environmental act in that it is something that involves chemistry, it involves doing it over and over many times in the lifetime of the building.
J: And don't look for any carpeting in Logan's house.
L: Well even if carpet is made from recycled material, it still can't be recycled the second time currently, so carpet virtually always gets thrown away. Also, most carpet gives off volatile organic compounds.
J: Initially, Logan will get all his water from a well. The house won't be connected to a city water system. But he says the roof has gutters and will eventually collect rainwater for general use. Logan is paying $75 a square foot to build his house, and estimates environmental features added 10 - 15% to the up-front costs. But he says he'll save money in the long run.
L: In many cases, many environmentally-beneficial solutions pay for themselves in as little as 6 or 7 or 8 months. A low-flow showerhead in most situations will pay for itself in a month. Part III Tomorrow's house A.
1. What is home automation? In your opinion, what are some of the things that could be examples of home automation?
2. What are some of the main interests in creating automated houses?
3. Can home automation offer benefits and lifestyle improvements for elderly and disabled people? Imagine how. B.
Safety:
Security systems that detect fires, gas and water leaks, intruders, unwelcome guests, etc.
Security systems that limit home access to specific times of the day and tell you which doors and windows are open
Energy-efficiency:
Lights that turn themselves off when you leave a room
Sensors that help open skylights, turn on ceiling fans and close the draperies when the house reaches a certain temperature Convenience
Appliances that tell you when something is wrong with them.
Security system, spa, lights, CD player, garage door, thermostat, stereo, etc. that can be controlled while in the house or remotely from a touch-tone phone or computer and modem.
Lifestyle improvements for elderly and disabled people: voice command, infrared remote control, etc.
Tapescript:
Current advances in home automation offer homeowners convenience, security, energy savings and a lot of gee-whiz technology.
With a fully automated home, you'd be able to pick up your phone, call your house and instruct it to disarm the security system, start the spa, turn up the lights and coax classical music from the compact disc player. While you were at it, you could also open the garage door or set the thermostat to a pleasant 70 degrees. Sound intriguing? How about lights that turn themselves off when you leave a room? A stereo that quiets itself when the phone rings? Or appliances that tell you when something is wrong with them?
Although most home automation systems now on the market are expensive and available only in new homes, within the next two years you can expect an explosion of products that transform homes into architectural geniuses.
By all accounts, the time is right for houses to become \"smart.\" During the last decade, consumers have readily accepted such technological wonders as microwave ovens, fax machines and cellular phones. Our cars use microprocessors, automated tellers abound, and virtually everyone has access to a personal
computer. The interest in home automation, however, is not born out of a desire to create a space-age home. It stems from a genuine interest in ways to make houses safe, energy-efficient and more comfortable. Take security, for example. If there is a fire, an automated house will detect it, turn off the gas, close the dampers in the ventilation system, turn on the lights, unlock the doors, set off an alarm and call the fire department. More advanced systems might even tell you where the fire is and through which room you
should escape.
In the case of an intruder, a triggered motion detector can turn on floodlights in the yard and instruct your stereo to queue up the sound of a barking dog.
Or say you want to avoid unwelcome guests. By mounting a video camera at the front door, you can view visitors on a TV screen.
Automated security systems can also detect gas and water leaks, limit home access to specific times of the day and tell you which doors and windows are open when you activate the system.
With Home Manager, one of several automation systems on the market, you can warm up the master
bedroom, kitchen and bathroom in the morning before the alarm goes off. Or you can program it to keep the nursery at a constant temperature. In midsummer, you can even instruct sensors in the house to open skylights, turn on ceiling fans and close the draperies when the house reaches a certain temperature.
All of these functions can be controlled while in the house or remotely from a touch-tone phone or computer and modem.
In addition, home automation offers tremendous lifestyle improvements for elderly and disabled people. For those who cannot push a button or flip a switch, a voice command can be used to activate security cameras, turn up the stereo volume or drop the room temperature a few degrees. The click of an infra: red remote control could turn on the oven, close the blinds or open the door.
So what is home automation, exactly? In short, it's actually a combination of several things including microprocessors, enhanced power line transmission, computer chips, telephone and cable wiring, infrared sensors and radio frequency waves.
Fortunately, the manufacturers that are developing these automated products understand that consumers don't care how something works as much as they care that it does work and is easy to operate.
Unit 9 Ways to Travel Part I Warming up A
1. This news item is about Boeing's 18 billion new orders this year for its new 777 jetliner. 2. This news item is about possible mergers between airlines. A2
Tapescript:
1. Boeing, the world's leading commercial airplane maker, announced it has 18 billion dollars in new orders this year for its new 777 jetliner. This figure puts demand for the Boeing aircraft ahead of comparable models produced by rival Airbus of Europe.
2. British Airways and Dutch carrier KLM confirm they are in act of merger talks. Swiss Air won approval for taking majority control of Belgium's Sabena Airlines and there was another flurry of take-over
discussions among some major American carriers. They come on the heels of number one United Airlines' offer to buy number six U. S. Airways two weeks ago. The nation's number two, American Airlines, and the country's third largest, Delta, have been having what are described as preliminary discussions about a possible combination. American had reportedly been talking with Northwest about a hook up as well. The top three U.S. airlines, United, American and Delta currently control 56 percent of U.S. air traffic. If the mergers go through, they'd control 85 percent.
B
Monorail
1. Monorail systems rely on a very simple technology: rubber-tired cars riding on a narrow concrete guide-way.
2. Monorail systems are capable of speeds of 65 miles per hour and offer ride quality comparable to conventional rail transit technologies.
3. Monorail systems are safe and more environmentally sensitive than any other elevated transit technology. 4. And noise and neighborhood disruption caused by monorail construction are dramatically lower than other forms of mass transit.
Maglev
1. One of the most exiting recent innovations in railroad technology is magnetic levitation, or Maglev, which relies on the principle of magnetism -- attraction and repulsion.
2. This new technology will result in trains that are faster, smoother, more efficient, more comfortable, and more environmentally sound.
Light Rail
1. Light rail transit is an electric railway system characterized by its ability to operate single cars or multi-car trains along shared or exclusive rights-of-way at ground level, on aerial structures, in subways, or occasionally in streets.
2. It is able to board and discharge passengers at station platforms or at street, track, or car-floor level, and is normally powered by overhead electrical wires.
3. The maximum speed of light rail trains is normally 60 miles per hour (100 km per hour).
4. Passenger capacity of each car in a multiple car consist can be up to as many as 250 passengers (standees included).
Tapescript: 1. Monorail
Monorail systems rely on a very simple technology: rubber-tired cars riding on a narrow concrete guide-way. The cars are self propelled by electric motors with power pickup via distribution bars mounted on the side of the guide-way. Monorail systems are capable of speeds of 65 miles per hour and offer ride quality comparable to conventional rail transit technologies.
Monorail systems are safe because the design and nature of monorail systems make it very difficult for trespassers to access the guide-way and power rails.
Monorail systems are more environmentally sensitive than any other elevated transit technology due to the monorail's narrow guide-way structure and quiet rubber tires. Also, since many of the pylon and rail
components can be prefabricated elsewhere and then assembled along the routes, the noise and disruption of construction will be kept to a minimum. Thus, noise and neighborhood disruption caused by monorail construction are dramatically lower than other forms of mass transit.
2. Maglev
One of the most exiting recent innovations in railroad technology is magnetic levitation, or Maglev, which relies on the principle of magnetism- attraction and repulsion. This new technology, still under development,
will result in trains that are faster, smoother, more efficient, more comfortable, and more environmentally sound. No longer will trains rumble heavily along steel rails; rather, they will float along a magnetic cushion without any direct contact with the ground.
3. Light Rail
Light rail transit is an electric railway system, constructed in the 1970s or later, characterized by its ability to operate single cars or multi-car trains along shared or exclusive rights-of-way at ground level, on aerial structures, in subways, or occasionally in streets. It is able to board and discharge passengers at station platforms or at street, track, or car-floor level, and is normally powered by overhead electrical wires. In most current settings, light rail is anything but \"light\" and is built to exacting standards. The maximum speed of light rail trains is normally 60 miles per hour (100 km per hour), while heavy rail trains normally operate at higher speeds. Depending upon the specific system, the distance between light rail stations is shorter than within heavy rail systems, which lends some major advantages to urban settings.
Light rail trains operate as either single or multiple car consists. Passenger capacity of each car in a multiple car consist can be up to as many as 250 passengers (standees included).
PART II A
In 1888, Boston, Massachusetts, became the first American city to replace horse-drawn trolleys with electric streetcars. Streetcars, which look similar to train passenger coaches, clanged their bells, rattled
around the corners and crried almost 14 billion riders at their height in 1920. old photos show overhead vires crisscrossing almost every US city. Then streetcars ridership replaced trolleys steadily as Americans took to automobiles and communities replaced trolleys with buses. But now it seems cities can’t lay streetcars tracks fast enough.
So why is the number of US cities running streetcars and other light rail systems now up to 19? Why are 43 other cities building or drawing plans for light rail lines?
Dan Tangherlini is acting dicrestor of Wanshington D.C.’s Transportation Department.
:Many cities are beginning to re-evaluate that decision to move away from streetcars. We look at current bus ridership members, and many of the routes that have the highest bus ridership were some of our most popular streetcar routes. So there goes the notiong that the buses are providing increased flexibility, at least on those roads. And so maybe there’s something between the very expensive subway systems, which cost between 140 and 200 million dollars a mile and the bus route. And that’s what we’re beginning to ask.
Streetcar lines cost less than 10 million dollars a mile to build. Washington is the latest city to announce it is studying the feasibility of bringing back streetcars, even though it already it already enjoys a fast-moving regional subway system called “metro” that runs through several parts of the city.
Across country in Washington D.C., Bill Lind works for a conservative think tank called the Free Congress Foundation. The organization has printed several studies supporting light rail transit, including streetcars. “The old rationale for getting rid of the streetcars is that they get in the way of the automobiles. But what we found is that the automobile, generally with one person per car, is probably the least efficient way to use the limited amount of space you have on urban streets. If you’ve got 50 people on board a streetcar, you’re doing a lot better job of making use of the street space you have.”
Even if Washington’s transit department gets the green light to bring back streetcars, it’s likely to be at least ten years before Mr. Lind and his neighbor will be riding them. The city has to secure federal funding for a large chunk of the work. Citizens who say they pine for the trolleys may lose their nostalgia when they
realize the cars will be jangling past their windows or slowing their automobile rides across town.
But across America, streetcars and light rail trains are curiosities no longer. They’re a prestige item, tangible proof that a city is environmentally friendly, on the move, an din touch with the human desire, in the midst of today’s bustle and speed, for a streetcar’s soothing touch of serenity.
Reasons:
A: the most popular streetcar routes
B: less than 10 million dollars (130-190 million dollars) / between 140 and 200 million dollars According to Bill Lind
A: the least efficient way to use the limited amount of space on urban streets B: you’ve got 50 people on board a streetcar. Some of the barriers: A: federal funding
B: jangle past citizens’ windows C: slow the automobiles rides Significance:
A: a city is environmentally friendly
B: a streetcar’s soothing touch of serenity. B:
I. Above and underground public transit systems A. traffic jams / congestion
B. frustration / discomfort / unhapiness II. Public transportation A. light rail systems B. a new public train III.
B. 1. metro systems 2. Southeast Asia
3. innovative us of public transit buses. IV. Excessive greenhouse gas emissions B. clean
C. the amount of energy used
Transcript:
Today the world’s urban areas hold more than 4 times the population in the 1950’s. traffic is pilling up in nearly every major metropolitan area. In Bangkok, the Capital of Thailand, traffic jams last for hours while the economy loses an estimated 6% of output. Many governments are promoting above and underground transit systems to fight such congestion.
The sounds of public transit systems are spreading throughout the world. Urban trains are appearing even in the wide expanses of the western United States, in places like Dallas, a Texas city known for oil riches and big cars.
“In Texas, we are not very used to riding a train to travel around the city. But actually, Dallas and Houston have both started light rail systems. It is very popular in both cities.” This is Brewster McCracken, a city
council member in the Texas capital, Austin. Its citizen recently voted ofr a new public train similar ot those in Dallas and Houston. Then Sustin plan will use existing railroad tracks already in place throughout the city. What is happening in Texas reflects a growing trend elsewhere in the United States, says William Millar. He’s president of the non-profit American Public Transportation Association. “In the last several years, public transportation in America has undergone a renaissance.” Voters across the United States are
supporting public transit systems like the one in Austin. “What is shows is that the public in many places is ready to invest in public transportation.”
But a majority of Americans still commute with cars and most transportation funds are spent on building roads. Alan Pisarski is a transportation consultant and author of “Commuting in America.” He says the excitement over public transportation in America is “an expression of people’s frustration. There is a lot of discomfort and unhappiness around the country about congestion and about transportation services in general.”
In 1900, many US cities had extensive urban rail systems. But with the arrival of the automobile most of them disappeared by the 1950s. now many cities are returning to with they had 100 years ago.
In other countries, riding buses, trains or subways are part of everyday life. “Many, many countries support public transportation to a much greater degree than happens in the United States, particularly in
Europe. In other places in the world that are developing cities, there is a tremendous growth of investment in public transit. In China, for example, city after city now is building metro systems. Throughout Southeast Asia, certainly the capital cities, over the last tow or three decades, have built major rail systems.
Throughout South America we see not only rail systems being built, but we see some of the most innovative use of public transit buses as anywhere in the world.”
Rising levels of pollution from cars is leading to more investment in public transportation. Mike Ashforth is a historian of London’s underground system. He says urban transport can help cities develop without spoiling the environment with excessive greenhouse gas emissions. “The main impact of the underground is that it can reduce the amount of surface transport which in many cities largely depends on the internal combustion engine. The one advantage that electrically delivered urban passenger transport has it that it is relatively clean at the point of delivery. It can also, of course, actually carry far more people in terms of the amount of energy used.”
Many analysts say the growth of public transportation does not challenge the automobile but provides another choice to commutes. As a rising number of people want to go to an infinite number of places at any time, public transportation may be the answer.
Part III Tapescript:
1. EuroRoute is a scheme that operates at much lower running costs than each coast.., er... ten kilometers out from the coast and connect up with a twenty-kilometer submerged concrete tube tunnel made on two
man-made islands in the English Channel. Er... the.., roadways spiral gently down to the level of the tunnel, It's the same principle as the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in the U. S. A., and it ... it's well-researched technology. Thinking ahead to the twenty-first century, er ... I believe that people will prefer, will want to drive across, not queue up waiting for trains.
And finally, there are also two separate supplementary rail-only tunnels, and they can take up to 30 high-speed passenger and freight trains in each direction per hour.
2. The Channel Expressway is a scheme consisting of two tunnels which carry both road and train traffic. The rails are laid flush with the road surface like tram tracks in the fast lane which is closed to traffic once every half hour for the trains to pass through. Er... really, both the passenger trains and the freight trains are able to use the tunnel, but the freight trains will mostly run during the night when there's less road traffic. There will be special pumps at regular intervals along the tunnel to clean the air and remove the exhaust fumes from it.
3. Flexilink is the cheapest and most reliable scheme of them all, really. Ferries, especially the new giant super-ferries are more economical, safer and a lot more flexible than building a tunnel. And they're also
friendlier to the environment. For the motorist and the lorry driver, the pleasurable experience of strolling on the deck with time to enjoy a meal and take a relaxing break during the journey is much more pleasant than the claustrophobic sensation of being underground for an hour -- and the idea of, you know, being trapped. Time saved for cars and road freight by building the Channel Tunnel is less than an hour: insignificant saving on journeys of twelve hours or more. There's no doubt that ferries will continue operating in
competition with the tunnel, both on the short Channel crossing and on the longer crossings from southern England to France and England to Holland, Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia.
Part IV Southwest Column A
1. The stockholders are mostly interested in the bottom line. 2. The successful strategy paid off.
3. They have a very distinctive corporate culture. 4. You know the saying, \"Pride goeth before a fall.' 5. Southwest pays dividends by sticking to one strategy. Column B
a. Being too proud and sure of yourself can lead to disaster b. Produced good results
c. Making money; being profitable
d. Continue to hold to one plan of action e. Style of working
1-- c 2-- b 3-- e 4-- a 5—d B.
1. What is Kelleher's style?
2. How has Kelleher's style influenced Southwest's image? 3. What is the main reason for Southwest's success? 4. How docs Southwest operate as an airline? 5. What are Southwest's concerns about growth?
6. How does Kelleher plan to keep the company successful? C.
1, What is Kelleher's business style? Personal / informal / crazy
2. In addition to style, what do Southwest stockholders care about? Substance / the company makes profit 3. What is the soul of Southwest's existence? Low cost
4. What increase in dividends did Southwest stock pay in 1993? Increased 7%
5. What has Southwest been compared to? Bus company / cheap and frequent
6. What are the composition and purpose of the \"culture committee?'' 60 people / preserve special spirit of Southwest Airlines
7. What is Kelleher trying to prevent happening to Southwest? Excessive pride
Tapescript:
Another North American business hard hit in the late eighties and the early nineties is the airline industry. Major carriers have gone into bankruptcy or they've been bought up, while others have cut back operations and lost money. Only one airline reported big earnings in the early nineties: Dallas-based Southwest Airlines. Under the leadership of its charismatic chairman and CEO Herb Kelleher, and his low-cost, low-debt philosophy, Southwest has beaten the odds in the cutthroat game above the clouds.
Southwest's image reflects Kelleher's style: personal, informal, and a little crazy. He once arm-wrestled the president of an airline manufacturing firm for the right to use an advertising slogan. Employees are free to dress as they like, even wearing shorts around the company headquarters. Flight attendants were once famous for wearing \"hot pants.\" Southwest's ad Campaigns are clever and brash, and not afraid to make fun of competitors. But stockholders care about substance as well as style. And Southwest pays dividends by sticking to one strategy: \"Southwest Airlines has been so enormously successful because its low costs enable it to charge low fares.\"
\"Low cost is the soul of our existence, and we know it. We spend as much time arguing whether we should spend $25 versus $7 for something as we do whether it should be 25 million versus 23 million.., you know.., for an aircraft.\"
It paid off. For example, at the '93 annual meeting, Southwest declared a stock split and a 7 percent increase in dividends. But that philosophy, says Dallas stockbroker and business analyst David Johnson, grows out of Southwest's unusual place in the transportation business. It's an airline which competes against the car. \"There's an argument that Southwest Airlines isn't an airline, and it's not in the convention of ... you
know ... American, Delta, United... that sort of thing. It's really more like a bus company ... bus company ... in that it's frequent ... it's cheap. The competition is either a couch or ... you know ... ah... a good sturdy Buick. So just from the get-go, it's a quick, efficient airline. But again, it's not a conventional airline.\"
And if Southwest's business is unorthodox, its notion of corporate culture is just as novel. Colleen Barret says employees believe in an identifiable Southwest spirit, which Barret's sixtyperson culture committee seeks to preserve.
\"Now the bigger that we grow, and the more spread out that our system becomes ... and thus the further away from Dallas that our employees are based... I grew increasingly concerned that they wouldn't have a real sense of history. In the beginning, we just hired very spirited people who were warriors, and who banded together. We now make a very concerted effort to hire a very definite-profiled type person, and we probably spend more time on hiring than we do any other single thing at Southwest.\"
\"How much of that is an outgrowth of Herb Kelleher's personality?\"
\"I think that the personality, the spirit, the culture certainly emanates from Herb, but if Herb were gone tomorrow, I don't think it would stop. And I'm quite comfortable that our employees would.., just.., almost.., up-rise if there were any drastic or dramatic changes. I don't think they'd tolerate it.\"
Herb Kelleher says Southwest is trying to refute almost the entire history of humankind by not letting success lead to the kind of pride which \"goeth before a fall\" in revenues. And, more often than not, they're doing it with a laugh and one eye on the bottom line.
\"I think that the personality, the spirit, the culture certainly emanates from Herb, but if Herb were gone
tomorrow, I don't think it would stop. And I'm quite comfortable that our employees would.., just.., almost.., up-rise if there were any drastic or dramatic changes. I don't think they'd tolerate it.\"
Herb Kelleher says Southwest is trying to refute almost the entire history of humankind by not letting success lead to the kind of pride which \"goeth before a fall\" in revenues. And, more often than not, they're doing it with a laugh and one eye on the bottom line.
Unit 10 Love and Hate of Oil Part I Warming up A.
1. Running two new express bus routes especially for the company's employees 2. Subsidizing the cost of bus fares and monthly passes 3. Encouraging carpooling
4. A guaranteed ride-home program
Tapescript:
High pollution season's got us watching our driving pretty closely, but workers at Martin Marietta are getting really practical help. RTD and Martin Marietta will run two new express routes especially for Martin Marietta employees. With eight morning arrivals and eight afternoon departures, the company is even subsidizing bus fare books and monthly passes as an added incentive to use mass transit. Carpooling is encouraged. And to solve a major concern for people using alternate transportation, there's a guaranteed ride-home program. The company's goal is to double the number of workers using alternate modes to the single occupant vehicle by the end of the year. The program will be studied by the State Health Department. The State Legislature also wants to find out which are the most effective ways to cut vehicle miles traveled and help clear the air. B.
Symbol c (accident) on Chapel Street, A6, between Bridge Street and Blackfriars Street. Symbol a (fire) on John Dalton Street at the junction with Cross Street and Albert Square. Symbol d (burst water main) on Cannon Street, between Deans gate and Corporation Street.
Symbol e (diversion) on Great Ancoats Street, parallel with Henry Street, between Ancoats and Oldham Road.
Symbol b (road-works) on Mosley Street, between Princess Street and Piccadilly Gardens.
Tapescript
A -- Andy N -- Nick
A: And now over to Nick with the latest update on the traffic situation.
N: Thanks Andy. Well, there's a bit of a headache for drivers coming into the city-center this morning. First of all, a serious accident has completely blocked the A6, Chapel Street, in Salford, between Bridge Street and Blackfriars Street. There are already long tail-backs of traffic there and the police say the road won't be open again for another hour or so. Drivers should use Liverpool Road to come into the city-center from the Salford area. Once again, that's an accident blocking the A6, Chapel Street, between Bridge Street and Blackfriars Street, in Salford.
Another emergency, this time in John Dalton Street in the center of town, er where a fire has meant the
closing of the road and has also led to restricted access to Albert Square and the southern end of Cross Street, down there near the Town Hall. Avoid that area if you possibly can; it looks like things are pretty snarled up there. John Dalton Street, at the junction with Cross Street and Albert Square; there's a fire, causing serious congestion and delays, of course.
Er, Meanwhile, in Cannon Street, things are pretty wet outside the Cathedral, because.., yes, you've guessed it, there's a burst water main. The Water Authority gentlemen are all out there in their Wellingtons, but the road is, in fact, closed to traffic. That's Cannon Street closed between Deans-gate and Corporation Street, due to a burst water main.
And whilst we're talking about pipes under the ground, just a reminder that the sewer-reconstruction work is still going on in Great Ancoats Street, in Ancoats, with traffic being diverted into Henry Street on the east side of Great Ancoats Street, between Oldham Road and Ancoats.
And, finally, there are road-works starting today in Mosley Street, in the city-center, between Princess Street and Piccadilly Gardens. This section of Mosley Street will be reduced to single-lane traffic controlled by temporary traffic-lights and delays are expected. The work is due to last at least a fortnight. So, try to avoid Mosley Street, if you're in a hurry and, especially, at peak times.
Well, not a very happy picture on the roads in central Manchester this morning, I'm afraid. British Rail report no problems on the trains this morning, however, and things are running smoothly down at the airport, too. We'll have another update on the road situation, after the News, at 9. Meanwhile, back to Andy. A: Thanks very much Nick...
Saudi Arabia Iraq Iran Kuwait Libya Brazil
Part II oil reserves and parking places Saudi Arabia top
266 billion Iraq
Iran crude Kuwait
Canada 178 billion / strip mining / toxic chemicals / forests / water supply / US Biggest consumer / 21 billion / offshore drilling / environmental reasons
Mexico US
Brazil major exporter
Offshore oil field : 4 miles / ocean surface Russia 2nd largest producer Libya 39 billion
Crude / problems
Trillion barrels of oil / be discovered A
Transcript:
Let’s begin in the Mid East which has about 2/3 of the world’s proven oil reserves. Saudi Arabia’s on the top with 266 billion barrels. Iraq and Iran are also rich in crude along with Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
But it might surprise you that Canada has a lot of oil too, some 178billion barrels, much of it rests in the tar sands of Alberta. It is a gigantic strip mining operation. Environmentalists call it a disaster, leaving behind toxic chemical, stripping forests and contaminating the water supply.
Now let’s go south to Venezuela and parts of Mexico. Much of their oil, like Canada’s, feeds the veracious appetite for crude in the United States, which is the world’s biggest consumer of oil. Yet did you know that theh US has some 21 billion barrels in reserve?
So why doesn’t it produce more? Well, the US government bans most offshore drilling except in the Gulf of Mexico for environmental reasons.
So what does Russia fit in all of this? It’s flush with cash from its oil reserves and it is e world’s second largest producer. th
Let’s take a look at Africa now. Libya has the most oil reserves on the continent, about 39 billion barrels. And further south, Nigeria has lots of crude but lots of problems too. Militants routinely attack oil installations and kidnap workers, disrupting production and making lower prices soar.
All that’s said. Who is going to quench the global thirst for oil in the future? Well, it could be that Brazil becomes the newest major exporter with its discovery of a huge offshore oil field. The oil is at great depth, some 4 miles below the ocean surface. But experts say it is recoverable.
And that may be the future for oil, going to great extremes to get it out of the ground. Analysts estimate that there’s another trillion barrels of oil yet to be discovered. But they say it would be found in remote
places like the Arctic Ocean. So it’s going to cost a lot of money to get it from the ground into your fuel tank.
Innovative ways Premier automaker
Domestic market / brilliant B
1. When your time expires, red lights blink just to make sure that the parking cop gets over there quickly. They have electric eyes. That's what I think is really diabolical.
2. The meter is smart enough to know if your car has had its allowed sixty minutes, so you can't feed the meter and buy another hour.
3. The longer you've been parked illegally, the higher your ticket.
4. I guess people must be then developing real innovative ways to park their cars.
5. You can buy a car elevator for your house, and then you can keep two cars in where you used to have only space for one.
6. You can buy a three-level elevator for your home if you've got three cars in the house.
7. I've always understood that mass transit in Tokyo is great. Why is anybody buying a car living in Tokyo? 8. \"Myca, myca.\" It's the English phrase \"my car.\"
9. It's a pretty big irony that the world's premier automaker is the absolute worst place to have a car.
10. The Japanese auto industry has been trying to build up their domestic market, and they've done it with brilliant success.
Tapescript
I -- Interviewer R -- Reid
I: In many American cities, finding a place to park your car can be a headache; in Tokyo it's more like a
migraine. Parking is forbidden on 95 percent of Tokyo's streets and because landowners can make a lot more money by building apartments or office buildings, the city has few parking garages. Not surprisingly, most drivers park their cars illegally. The government has decided to fight back. Under the city's new parking laws the maximum fine for leaving a car parked illegally overnight is 1,400 dollars. The cheapest fine for a
parking infraction runs about 75 dollars. T.R. Reid reports for the Washington Post from Tokyo. He says the city's traffic cops have even enlisted the help of new high-tech parking meters.
R: They yell at the cop. When your time expires, red lights blink just to make sure that the parking cop gets over there quickly. They have electric eyes. That's what I think is really diabolical. They have an electric eye. They see your car the minute it pulls in, so the idea of sitting at the meter for a while and doing some work -- you can't do that because your sixty minutes is already ticking away.
The meter is smart enough to know if your car has had its allowed sixty minutes, so you can't feed the meter and buy another hour. And it keeps ticking after your time is up so that it tells the cop how long you've been there. And the longer you've been parked illegally, the higher your ticket.
I: Is there ... I mean ... I guess people must be then developing real innovative ways to park their cars. R: There are some really remarkable devices designed to fit more than one car into one parking place: car elevators, car carousels.
I: And these, of course, are businesses. People don't bring them with them, do they?
R: You can buy a car elevator for your house, and what they do is they dig down under the one that -- the tiny little postage stamp where you're allowed to park your car outside your house -- and so there's two level and then just an elevator, and you can keep two cars in where you used to have only space for one. I: Ahh.
R: You can buy this for a private home. You can buy a three-level elevator for your home if you've got three cars in the house.
I: I've always understood that mass transit in Tokyo -- and the rest of Japan, for that matter --is great. Why is anybody buying a car living in Tokyo?
R: Exactly. I agree all the way. You can get anywhere you want in this town. The reason is people can afford it now. It's a new idea. They have the money, and you gotta do something with this money, and you've already taken several trips to Hawaii. You can't quite afford to buy a house yet, and so buying a car is the thing to do.
I. This car boom- in fact, I gather there's a name for it even.
R. \"Myca, myca.\" It's the English phrase \"my car.\"
I. Well, it's a pretty big irony that the world's premier automaker is the absolute worst place -- in fact, an impossible place -- to have a car.
R. Exactly. And one of the things the Japanese auto industry has been doing, has been trying to build up their domestic market, and they've done it with brilliant success. Of course, they had an incredibly prosperous economy. Now the problem is there's no place for these cars.
Part III The new trends of automobiles A.
Major point Supporting details Development of electric cars Rush hour in Detroit cars: home from work
differences: size, shape, color same: gasoline, diesel fuel Problem air pollution Solution electric car Big 3 / research cost: SM
Chrysler: minivan Ford: wagon GM: Impact
The Impact model Supporting details Ignition
no standard auto ignition turn key / push button Acceleration
no pumping pistons surge of electric power Design sleek
aerodynamic two-seat sports Ride smooth quiet Speed
46 - 60 - 65 mph
electronically limited: 75 mph
Technological problem -- battery Limitations
heavy: 870 pounds
energy stored: 1.5 gallons limited travel distance B
1. The American auto industry has been looking for ways to rescue its sagging bottom line.
2. Better design and better quality are contributing to the beginning of a turnaround, but long-term success is going to mean major changes for the entire industry.
3. Ensuring that success involves planning for an entirely new type of automobile, one powered by electricity.
4. The electric car is still some distance down the road.
5. In addition to the U. S.-based car companies, automakers around the world are working on electric-vehicle research.
6. All are searching for the technology which will lead to a better electric, car battery.
Tapescript:
The American auto industry has been looking for ways to rescue its sagging bottom line. Better design and better quality are contributing to the beginning of a turnaround, but long-term success is going to mean major changes for the entire industry. Ensuring that success involves planning for an entirely new type of automobile, one powered by electricity. The electric car is still some distance down the road.
It's rush hour in Detroit, and the interstate freeway, 1-94, is jammed with cars heading for home after another workday in the city. Looking down on the freeway from an overpass, one sees cars and trucks of every size, shape, and color. But for all of their differences, these vehicles do have something in common: they're all powered by an internal combustion engine running on gasoline or diesel fuel. But as automobile-related pollution grows worse in major urban areas, governmental officials and
environmentalists are pushing automobile manufacturers to design vehicles powered by electricity. You see, electric cars have absolutely zero tailpipe emissions. In Detroit, the big three U.S. car companies have spent millions researching electric vehicles. Chrysler has an electric version of its popular minivan; and Ford, a small electric wagon; but none has attracted as much attention as General Motors' experimental electric car called the Impact.
That's the sound of the Impact starting. There's no standard auto ignition. You simply turn the key and push a button to turn on the electricity.. As the Impact accelerates, there are no pumping pistons, just a surge of electric power. It's a sleek, aerodynamic, two-seat sports car. It's both smooth and quiet. All you hear is wind whistling past and the sound of tires on the pavement.
\"We're doing about 46 miles an hour. We're up to 60 now and going to 65. Now we'll slow down a little bit. She's electronically limited at 75.\"
But as exciting and appealing as the Impact seems, there are still major technological hurdles engineers need to clear before such a car becomes available to the general public. The main problem is with the batteries. They are heavy, and the distance a vehicle can travel between overnight charging is limited. \"The biggest limitation of the battery that we have now is the amount of energy that it can store. The battery weighs 870 pounds. It can only store the energy equivalent of about one-and-a-half gallons of gasoline.\"
In addition to the U. S.-based car companies, automakers around the world are working on
electric-vehicle research. All are searching for the technology which will lead to a better electric-car battery.
Part IV clean air cars A
1. Besides gasoline or petrol, what can cars be powered by?
2. Have you ever heard about cars powered by natural gas? Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of using natural gas?
3. Do you think cars powered by natural gas will be a new trend of automobiles in the future? Why or why not? B
1. Why is natural gas a good alternative to gasoline, or petrol? 2. What is the Clean Air Cab Company?
3. What are the disadvantages of using natural gas to replace gasoline? 4. How do you refuel the car with natural gas? C
1. Why is natural gas better for the environment than petrol?
Much cleaner / comes out as water vapor / does not release carbon monoxide 2. What is the Clean Air Cab Company?
Fleet of taxicabs powered by natural gas / run by two young men
3. What technological innovation is in the 1993 Chevrolet Caprice used in the inaugural parade? Computerized system to deliver natural gas to engine 4. Why is natural gas safer than petrol? Does not burn like petrol
5. Why is it a good idea to have a petrol fueling system as a backup for the natural gas system? Could run out / not many natural gas stations yet
6. What do the environmentalists see as the advantages and disadvantages of this system? Disadvantage: limited resource like coal, etc. Adv: large reserves still available
7. What is involved in the process of filling up the tank with natural gas?
Put credit card into slot / unlocks gas hose / attaches gas nozzle to car / turns slowly / wait for pressure to rise / takes 4 - 5 minutes
8. How much gas can the tank hold on a hot day? How far can the car travel on a full tank? 3,400 pounds / 253 miles
Tapescript:
The day may soon come when, instead of filling up your car with gasoline or petrol, you'll take the car to a station and fill it up like a bicycle tire, with a compressed gas- natural gas. That'll be a good day, say many environmentalists, because petrol releases pollutants into the atmosphere, whereas natural gas is much cleaner. It comes out of the car mainly as water vapor and with no carbon monoxide.
One of the small companies is right here in Washington, DC. The company is called Clean Air Cab, and it may be the United States' very first fleet of taxicabs powered by natural gas. The founders are a couple of determined young entrepreneurs, Jim Doyle and Todd Ruell.
\"This here is a 1993 Chevrolet Caprice, one of six prototypes in the United States that was delivered by General Motors for use in the inaugural parade. It's a computerized system for delivering natural gas to the engine. We're hoping that this is going to be the wave in technology of the future for transportation.\"
For the moment, all six cabs are parked in a downtown garage. The cabs are shiny white, with signs on them about clean air and natural gas. \"Can we go for a ride?\"
\"Yeah, let's take that one there, number four. We'll go for a fill-up.\"
There have been questions about permitting signs saying \"powered by clean natural gas\" on the outside of the cabs, and questions about natural gas itself. Is it safe? Or does it easily explode? Todd Ruell says not to worry.
\"Natural gas dissipates upon impact. It's like popping a balloon: it goes up. It's an inert gas. It dissipates into the atmosphere.\"
\"Yeah, but say you have a fire going as it dissipates.\"
\"If there's a fire going, it wouldn't be because of the natural gas. Impact will not cause the gas to explode. As a matter of fact, you can take a gun and fire at the tank, and the gas would just release and go up into the atmosphere. Whereas gasoline is quite combustible. It will explode. And the bottom line is it is safer than our fuelled cars today.\"
We drive along to the gas station. The car sounds and feels like any other vehicle. In fact, it can switch from natural gas to petrol with a signal from a built-in computer. That's good because at times you may run out of natural gas and, as yet, there aren't so many stations available with natural-gas pumps, at least in the United States. Environmentalists have mixed feelings about natural gas. On the one hand, it's a fossil fuel, like petrol or coal, with a limited supply. On the other hand, there are large reserves still untapped, and
advocates say that natural gas could be a practical fuel, to wean drivers off petrol, and eventually switch to a completely clean and renewable source: hydrogen fuel, made from water. \"We're pulling into the refueling center. '
\"As you can see, the fuel pump looks the same as a regular gasoline pump. It just says CNG or
Compressed Natural Gas. What we're going to do now is step out and fuel, and you'll see it's quite a simple process.\"
Todd Ruell has taken out a kind of credit card and put it into a slot. That unlocks the gas hose and pays for the gas automatically. He attaches the gas nozzle to the car tank, turns it slowly, and we wait as the pressure rises.
\"Right now, we're at about ... a little over 2,000 pounds. Today ... it is warmer today, so we should get about a 2,500-pound fill. When it is very cold, the gas will compress, so you won't get as much fill as you would on a hot day, when the gas expands. On a hot day, you can get up to 3,400 pounds of gas. As I said, today, we should get between 2,500 --2,600 pounds, which will take us about 253 miles. It takes about four or five minutes to fill up the car, about the same time as it does for gasoline.\"
Unit 11 Tourism Part I A
1. resort
3. Golden Mile
4. stag and hen parties
The south coast 1. its pier with theaters / restaurants
2.shopping
Southwest 1. scenery
2.warmer climate 2. British surfing
Answers to the questions: 1. Blackpool
2. South Cornwell
Transcript:
Most visitors to the UK come here expecting the rain and miserable weather for which the country is famous. However, when summer finally does arrive, the British people like nothing more than packing their trunks and swimming costumes and heading for the coast. The UK is, after all, an island, and with 12,400 km of coastline to explore. Any visitor to the UK will be spoilt for choice. Here are some of the more famous resorts that you could expect to visit on a rip to Britain
Blackpool, in the northwest of England, is the most visited resort in the UK. Each year around 6.5 to 7 million people come to enjoy the mile of sandy beaches, the 158 m Blackpool Tower and the 11 km-long Golden Mile, where there are entertainments, pubs, ice rinks and even a zoo. A firm family favorite, it has also become a popular destination for stag and hen parties.
At the other end of the country on the south coast you can find Brighton. Until 1786, Brighton was a sleepy village. Then the future King George IV decided to build a residence there, and over the years Brighton grew into the large, cosmopolitan center it is now.
A part from the beaches, Brighton is famous for its pier. On the pier there are theaters, entertainments and restaurants. Brighton is also fantastic for shopping.
If you fancy traveling a little further, why not go to Cornwell inn the far southwest the UK? South Cornwell offers miles of sandy beaches and beautiful scenery. The climate here is warmer than the rest of Britain and you can even find plan trees.
For a bit more excitement, go to North Cornwell. The scenery here is more dramatic, and the beaches are famous for their powerful waves. As a result, North Cornwell has become the home f British surfing. One word of warning though, if you are using the roads in the UK on bank holidays or during school holidays, you can expect long traffic jams on the motorways. It might be better to take the train. B:
Place Problem(s) Cause(s)
Lake District Footpaths becoming trenches Too many walkers
Sistine Chapel Frescoes being damaged Breath and body heat
Notre Dame Floor being eroded Too many visitors Stonework rotting Exhaust fumes from buses Alpine resorts Trees being killed Pollution from cars landslides
Tapescript:
The footpaths in the' Lake District have become trenches. The frescoes in the Sistine Chapel are being damaged by the breath and body heat of spectators. A hundred and eight people enter Notre Dame every minute: their feet are eroding the floor and the buses that bring them there are rotting the stonework with exhaust fumes. Pollution from cars queuing to get to Alpine resorts is killing the trees and causing landslides. In 1987 they had to close Venice one day because it was too full. In 1963 forty-four people went down the Colorado River on a raft; now there are a thousand trips a day.
Part II A
Excessive visitors (averaged 50,000 during golden weeks) Cultural relics in the museum
An electronic ticket checking system
1). Real time record of the number of visitors inside the museum 2). Maximum reception capacity The flow of tourists
Transcript:
Troubled by excessive visitors, the Palace Museum or Forbidden City in Beijing will adopt an electronic ticket checking system and make the control of the flow of tourists. The new system will keep a real time record of the number of visitors inside the museum, and inform the ticket office to hold ticket sales once the number exceeds the musuem’s maximum reception capacity. The Palace Museum, on of the most
comprehensive Chinese museums, in terms of history and art, was established on the foundation of the palace that was the ritual center during two dynasties, the Ming and the Qing, and their collection of treasures. It has topped the must-see list of almost every visitor to the capital city. In recent years, the number of daily visitors to the Palace Museum averaged 50,000 during golden weeks, the week-long
national holidays observed three times a year in China. Superfluous tourists have caused damage to cultural relics in the museum. B B1.
1. Shananxi Province / China / Chang’an / the largest / the resting place 2. a group of warring states / a nation / toil and labor / historic spots
Transcript:
Ni hao, you’re listening to People in the Know, your window into the world around you, coming to you from Xi’an, online at www. Crienglish. Com here on China Radio International. In this edition of our show, we’re discussing tourism in China in the backdrop of one of the cities that relies on tourism for its livelihood, Xi’an. So let’s get started.
For anyone who’s done a small amount of research on China, one the the must-see’s on the list for China is Xi’an. This city, now the capital Shaanxi Province, was, during the Tang Dynasty, the largest city in the
world and the capital of China, known then as Chang’an. But Xi’an also holds the distinction of being the resting place of China’s first Emperor, the man who unified a group of warring states to create a nation. Qin Shihuang was a man who searched his entire life for the elixir which would allow him to live forever. It was on one of these journeys ----- ironically ---- he would live on eternity in safety and comfort. To that end, for 37 years, thousands of Chinese toiled and labored to build what is now one the most remarkable historic spots on the face of the earth. We all know it’s the home of the Terracotta Warriors. To that end, we decided it would be prudent while in Xi’an to talk to tourists at the Terracotta Museum about their thoughts, not only on the Warriors themselves, but on traveling to China as a whole. We sat down recently and had a chat with three tourists visiting Xi’an to see the famous Terracotta Warriors. B2
Germany Yes
Nice, wonderful, proper Transcript:
“Can I get your name, first?” “My name is Barbara.”
“ What’s your last name, Barbara?” “Oppenheimer.” “from Germany?” “from Germany.”
“so this is your first time here in China?” “Yes, it’s my first time.”
“and so … your impression of the warriors?”
“it was very nice impression and I am very lucky to be here. I didn’t thought (think) it was so nice, really. I’ve pictures, photos and the book, and I will show all the people that they will come to China again.” “it’s wonderful, really. It’s very proper. The garden has very good mates: the trees, flowers… and very clean, and I didn’t thought it was like this.”
“when you tell your friends back home, what sort of directions would you give them if they had a plan to come here to China? What would you recommend?”
“I think more and more German people are coming here to see. We saw a lot of other lands and America and so on. But it’s really another thing to come here.”
“you tell me about. It. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.” “you’re welcome.” B3
“Can I get your name?” “Linda”
“Linda, what’s your last name, Linda?” “Linux”
“Linux from Toronto. Your impression of the Terracotta Warriors?”
“… was incredible. It was just a sheer number of them, the history. I was really, mostly impressed by the number that have been left untouched until the preservation process can be further researched” “ yeah, you find that it was what you had expected when you came?”
“yes, I actually teach in Canada. And so I learned about Terracotta Warriors as part of study with Grade Five students of ancient civilizations or early civilizations. And we looked at China. And this is one the things that we studied.” “oh, really?”
“so I’ve seen pictures. I’ve seen some video footage and … so it was very much what I’ve expected. And it was even more impressive than I expected.”
“yeah. What about the actual tour part itself? Did you find that it was a bit maybe too touristy?”
“I’m here with the guide. He did a great job of explaining the history. I like the other signage around, the museum too, the attractive pieces as well.”
“ yeah. What about overall…. I mean have you had a chance to Xi’an itself, the actual city and take a look around?”
“We visited a little bit yesterday, yeah.” “what did you think?”
“Great! We did a bike ride around the city wall. And that was fabulous. It was nice to be out. And there are so many crowds in China. It is very different from Canada. So it was nice to be able to move freely around the city wall quickly.”
“well, Linda. Thank you a lot for the time. I appreciate it.” “you are very welcome.” B4
“First stuff, can I get your name?” “Bill Vineberg”
“Vineberg from British Columbia. You are part of a larger tour. You are here for 3 weeks. Where have you been elsewhere?” “Just Beijing so far”
“Oh, really? Did you catch all the sights there as well?”
“well, as many as we could. You know the Great Wall, Tian An Men Square, Forbidden City, you know, Imperial Palace, you know.”
“what were your impression of Beijing?”
“Well, the Great Wall really impressed me. That was phenomenal.”
“let me ask you about touring around in Beijing. Did you find it diffilcult? Are you with the group?” “we are with the group.”
“if you wanted to venture out on your own, would you feel comfortable doing that?”
“not really too comfortable… no, not knowing the language, you know, I wouldn’t want to venture too far away.”
“yeah. Makes sense I suppose. So why China? I mean, what drew you here?”
“well, it’s a part of the world we’ve seen before, we want to see it before it changes too much. It’s got modernized pretty quick. ”
“so if you had any recommendations for people back home, what would you tell them about China? How would you tell them to go about doing things here?”
“I would definitely tell them to go with an organized tour. You know, something that… when you have a guide, who knows what the are doing, yeah. I definitely will do that, yes.” “thank you very much” “you are welcome.”
Part III 听力材料
About 100 million votes were cast by the Internet and cell-phone text messages to choose the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Academy Award-winning British actor Ben Kingsley announced the winners at a glitzy international show at Portugal’s largest venue, the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. “The Colosseum in Rome, ” he said.
The only site in Europe selected was the Colosseum. The others were: The Great Wall of China, India’s Taj Mahal, Jordan’s ancient city of Petra, the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, Brazil’s Statue of Christ Redeemer, and Mexico’s Chichen Itza pyramid/
The seven winners beat out 14 other nominated landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Easter Island in the Pacific, the Statue of Liberty in New York City, the Acropolis in Athens, Russia’s Kremlin and Australia’s Sydney Opera House.
Thousands enjoyed the show in Lisbon, which included breakdancing and singing by tenor Jose Carrenras and pop star Jennifer Lopez. Others celebrated in the countries home to the sites chosen.
In India, this young man said he was proud he was born in the city of the Taj Mahal. He said he was proud it was selected as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
In Mexico, Yucatan State Governor, Yvonne Ortega celebrated the selection of the Chichen Itza pyramid. Ortega said, “The Mayan brought luck to us, the people from Yuncatan, but now we must take advantage of this with a great economic development for the country.”
The campaign to name the new wonders was launched in 1999 with almost 200 nominations coming in from around the world. The list of candidates was narrowed to 21 by the start of 2006. organizers also went on a world tour, visiting each site.
The original list of wonders was concentrated in the Mediterranean and Middle East. The only surviving structures from the original seven wonders of the ancient are the Great Pyramids of Giza.
The New Seven Wonders organization was established by Swiss-Canadian adventure Bernard Weber. It aims to promote cultural diversity by supporting, preserving and restoring monuments. It relies on private donation and revenue from selling broadcasting rights.
Unit 12 Review A
Travel on land water and snow fly portable wing.
Fishing or hunting 15 kilometers stay still
30-horsepower motor 160 kilometers 80 450 kilometers
Marketing campaign back light aircraft B
A golf course named Fox Hollow, which has won an award for its relatively low impact on environment and sustainable wildlife.
听力材料
Golf courses and the environment have historically been at odds. It’s hard to reconcile the careful
grooming and excessive water needed for greens and fairways with conservation and natural habitats. One case in point, Lakewood’s Fox Hollow Golf Course had its construction temporarily halted so some killdeer eggs can hatch. A pair of retail hawks were also born during the construction of Fox Hollow. However, the golf course has recently won an award for its relatively low impact an sustained wildlife. The Golf Course Superintendents of America say Lakewood’s 27-hole Fox Hollow course blends well with Bear Creek Lake’s grasslands, and the land still hosts foxes, deer, great horned owls, blue herons, coyotes, and other wildlife. Only three Environmental Steward Awards are given out each year, so Lakewook officials are pretty excited about helping set the standard for golf courses with a soft touch. C
C1: F F T F T
C2: 1999 old school friends 2005 12 million
School college university a list of the members personal profile other people’s details
Lives about yourself your self-esteem
School reunions childhood sweethearts relationships
听力材料
Have you ever wondered what your old schoolmates are doing now? well, plenty of people in Britain do. One of the most successful Internet ventures in Britain has shown how popular, and how lucrative, nostalgia can be.
The website Friends Reunited was started for fun in 1999 by a couple who were interested to know what their old school friends were doing. The project snowballed and by 2005, the site had 12 million members. One extraordinary fact is that Friends Reunited has never advertised, its success is entirely due to word-of-mouth.
You can search for a school, college or university and find a list of the members who were there in any year. You can also post a personal profile showing what you are doing now, and read other people’s details. Steve Pankhurst, one of the founders of the site, thinks that one of the reasons for its success is that some people like to be anonymous. On Friends Reunited, you can snoop on other people’s lives without giving away anything about yourself if you don’t want to. It’s also an opportunity to bolster your self-esteem by showing off to everyone just how successful and happy you are now, even if you weren’t while you were at school.
Friends Reunited has also led to many successful school reninons, and people meeting up with each other after many years. In particular, many people use the site to look up their childhood sweethearts and many couples have actually rekindled relationships after contacting each other through the site.
There have even been Friends Reunited weddings and babies, and Friends Reunited now has a new site called Friends Reunited Dating especially for people who are looking for love. The company has also
launched other sites, such as Genes Reunited, which helps people to find long-lost relatives and build their family tress online.
So, whether you want to be nosy, contact old friends, organize a school reunion, find your first love, or simply show off you success, Friends Reunited is the site to visit.
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