英语听力精选进阶版 6337
时间：2019-02-21 作者：英语课 分类：英语听力精选进阶版
An American town called Boring has voted in favour of pairing with a village by the name of Dull in Scotland.
This means the two of them will participate in joint 1 activities, such as the promotion 2 of tourism and cultural exchange. Boring decided 3 in favour of the move after being approached by the residents of Dull.
But what's in a name? Is Boring really tiresome 4 and is Dull tedious? Are these places in themselves humdrum 5 and insipid 6 or is it just their names which suggest they are drab?
The village of Dull consists of just one row of houses on the north side of a river valley, which means that it must be very peaceful but probably rather stale and monotonous 7 for young people looking for exciting nightlife. It should also be said that the origin of the name Dull is from the Gaelic language, which was spoken in Scotland before the arrival of the English. Therefore it probably means 'meadow' rather than mundane 8.
Boring, on the other hand, was named after an early resident of the town, William H. Boring, though whether he was a wearisome fellow himself is not known. The town lies in the state of Oregon, about 30 kilometres from the city of Portland. Is it flat? Not in a literal sense. Oregon is a mountainous state. And Boring's residents insist that the town is "The most exciting place to live". However, in comparison to Seattle, the biggest city in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, Boring must be at least a little lifeless.
However exciting the communities may or may not be, they are both planning events to celebrate their pairing. The Dull and Weem Community Council intends to mark the partnership 9 with a new road sign and street party.
Quiz 测验
1. Is there a town in Scotland called Boring?
No, it's in America.
2. What word describes when two communities in different countries make a formal arrangement to have a cultural exchange?
Pairing.
3. Is Dull a big village?
No, it's just a row of houses.
4. Does Dull get its name from English?
No, it's from Gaelic.
5. Was William H. Boring a boring man?
It's not known.
Glossary 词汇表
boring 无聊的
dull 乏味的
tiresome 烦人的
tedious 沉闷的
humdrum 无聊的
insipid 清淡无趣的
drab 无生气的
stale 陈腐的
monotonous 单调的
mundane 平凡的
wearisome 使厌倦的
flat 平坦的
lifeless死气沉沉的
- I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
- We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
- The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
- The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。
- This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
- There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
- His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
- He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。
- Their lives consist of the humdrum activities of everyday existence.他们的生活由日常生存的平凡活动所构成。
- The accountant said it was the most humdrum day that she had ever passed.会计师说这是她所度过的最无聊的一天。
- The food was rather insipid and needed gingering up.这食物缺少味道，需要加点作料。
- She said she was a good cook,but the food she cooked is insipid.她说她是个好厨师，但她做的食物却是无味道的。
- She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
- His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律，一个调调儿。
- I hope I can get an interesting job and not something mundane.我希望我可以得到的是一份有趣的工作，而不是一份平凡无奇的。
- I find it humorous sometimes that even the most mundane occurrences can have an impact on our awareness.我发现生活有时挺诙谐的，即使是最平凡的事情也能影响我们的感知。
- The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
- Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。