时间:2018-12-11 作者:英语课 分类:听故事练听力


英语课

Lesson 27


                          Is It an Ideal Career?


                                       Text A


    I am not an extreme feminist 1. I am not an extreme anything. However, I am a firm believer in equality and freedom. I think we are all entitled to the same rights and opportunities.
    perhaps my views on feminism are influenced by the fact that I was an only child and perhaps if I had had a brother,he (and I) might have been treated differently.



    My mother was the perfect example of all an ardent 2 feminist would hate: she waited hand and foot on my father and did it all without complaint. When my father arrived home from work his soup was served. Every night his clothes for the next day were left out with the underwear thoughtfully placed on top so that he didn't even have to think what to put on first.


His shoes were always polished for him, his right to be first in the bathroom was never challenged, and if he ever found himself in the kitchen, it was by mistake. My mother was honestly content with this situstion and regarded my father as a perfect husband: he was a caring, generous man-a good provider. What more could any woman ask?



    I remember being brought up, not as a male or femaie,but simply as an individual, and although I suppose I must have been influenced by my parents, I do not remember ever being eneouraged to make marriage my major ambition.
    I was fortunate enough to marry a man who did not expect to chain me to the kitchen sink. He was quite capable of polishing his own shoes , and mine too while he was at it. He was also able to wash dishes , dust , or do anything else around the house. We managed beautifully, with no strict male/female division of labour.



    Our first baby arrived, much to our delight, six months ago. I was more than pleased to give up my job as I had become sick of it. I looked forward to my baby, and now he is here I actually enjoy him very much. I have no intention of returning to Work, as I think our son ought to have a parent to care for him for a few years at least. Indeed, I could be very happy with the situation, were I not experiencing quite unexpected problems adapting to my new role.



    When I attended the ante-natal clinicfi, I remember the doctor asking me what I 'was' , meaning my occupation, rather than my blood group or star sign. Yet when I went to the baby clinic for the first time, all they wanted to know was what my husband 'was'. I am still wonderirig what difference that makes to anything, and I was hurt that nobody wanted to know about me any more. Quite suddenly I was just someone's wife and someone's mother. I no longer seemed to have an identity of my



    Where, previously 3, my husband was quite happy to help around the house, his attitude now seems to be that if I'm at home all day, I can do all the housework. And what bugs 4 me most is that I find myself going along with it. If the baby cries during the night, then there is no question about who gets up. Have I taken leave of my senses? My sense of self-esteern seems to be clogged 5 with baby powder and baby cream!     



    But the aspect of motherhood I've found hardest to take has been the loss of earning power, and what I see as a loss of financial independence. For seven years I enjoyed helping 6 to bring home the bacon; and money never caused a row. It does now.



    Although the decision to have our baby and for me to stay at home was a joint 7 one, I feel totally dependent on my husband, who is becoming more and more irritated by my stupidity. The indignity 8 of being financially dependent on my husband is something I feel very, sensitive about. Logically, having a baby ought to have extended me as a person: I should be the person I was plus the person I am, as a result of my new experience.



    It hasn't worked out like that. Motherhood seems to have wiped out ten years of varied 9 and interesting work experience and taken me back, not forwards-a whole generation back. But the big difference between my mother and me is that she was happy and I am not. I know a conflict that she couldn't have imagined.


 
                                       Text B


    Having a specia! day in honour of teachers is a fine thing. But one day a year is not enough!
    Where would the world be withocrt teachers? What hope would there be for human progress? Teachers deserve the respect of the whole of society the whole year round. But they haven't got it. What is most remarkable 10 and regrettable is that in this great land of China, with its ancient civilization and traditional respect for learning, teachers are so looked d'own upon that it is necessary to set aside a day to show respect for them.



    Why is this? I believe that teachers' low social status is inseparable
from their I'ow pay, and poor living and: working conditions-though
these are gradually being improved. But still the state allocation of funds for education is, per capila, amongthe lowest in the world. So teachers are, in gengeral,under-paid and overworded-especially those in pre-school, primary and secondary education.


This despite the faat that Comrade Deng Xiaoping immediately onv resuming office pointedout: education is a continuous process and the pay and'conditions of teachers from the most elementary level must be improved. This statement was most encouraging', but progress since it was made, some years ago,. has been painfully slow.
    So today, who wants to become a teacher? Who wants to marry a teacher? When far better prospects 12 are offered in other professions?


 True,"man does not live by bread alone " -but he can't live without it. Of course many fine dedicated 13 people are still willing, even eager to become and remain teachers. Many, but not enough. That's one reason why there are middle sehool classes of 70 and more pupils , an intolerabl'e situation. The lower the number of students in a class , the higher the quality of education can be.



    Of course I am not speaking personally. Looking back on, 35 years as a teacher in China I feel grateful. As a teacher here I have had a happy and rewarding life. Being surrounded by young people has helped to keep me young. But my pay and conditions are well above those of my Chinese colleagues.A big and rapid improvement in their social status, together with a similar improvement in their pay, working cond'i~ions and bousing, will attract more and more fine people to the teaching profession. Th is a vital and urgent necessity for China's socialist 14 modernization 15.


 


                           Additional Information


    For many of you this will be your last year at shcool and now is the time for you to begin thinking seriously about your future careers. In order to give you as much help as possible, I have drawn 16 up a list of questions that you ought to ask yourself.



"Have I given thought to what I would like to be doing 15 to 20 yeas from now?" Bear in mind that the career you choose will affect the future course of your life. It will partially 17 determine your range of friends, your choice of husband or wife, where you live, your recreational activities. and other important aspects of your life.



    "Have I a clear knowledge of my abilities and aptitudes 18, as well as my interests and aims?" & honest about your weak points as well as your strong ones. Take a really good look at yourself and give real thought to the kind of person you are, what you are good at, and what kind of person you want to be.



    "Do I know the kind of occupations in which people like myself tend to find success and satisfaction?" Once you have examined and found out about yourself , your next question is what you can really do with yourself. You can gain some idea of what other people, with similar abilities and interests. consider to be important and challenging in the careers that they chose , by talking to people already in the careers that interest you. Watch these people at work.



    "Have I weighed carefully the immediate 11 advantages against the longterm
prospects offered by the jobs I am considering?" Will the occupation you select give you satisfaction, not just when you start, but in the years to come? Realize now the importance of education in all fields, technical and professional. Remember that when promotion 19 occurs, preference is usually given to educated persons-other things being equal.



    "Have I talked about my job references with my careers master, my parents, my teachers and my headmaster?" Remember they have a tremendous furid of experience from which you should benefit. They can help you think about the job in which you will find satisfaction and challenge. They can stimulate 20 you to give careful thought to what you really want to do, and offer useful suggestions as to how you might take full advantage of your personal qualities and qualification.



    "Have I made a real study of jobs in Hong Kong?" It takes a very long time to find the work that suits you the best. Reading about and studying a number of occupations is something you should do over and over again. In Hong Kong very little written material is provided about the careers available. But there is some. You or your parents should obtairi it as soon as possible. Your careers master will be able to help you in this, if your school has one.



    "How do I regard my job? Is it just a means of getting money to do the things that I want to do? Is the work important to me and my future happiness and contentment? Is it a combination of both these things?" The above questions and their answers should give you some better ideas about how you should start planning your career. Your life-long job cannot be approached in any kind of haphazard 21 fashion. It must be considered carefull, examined from every angle, talked over with those who know you and those who can help you in any way.



1 feminist
adj.主张男女平等的,女权主义的
  • She followed the feminist movement.她支持女权运动。
  • From then on,feminist studies on literature boomed.从那时起,男女平等受教育的现象开始迅速兴起。
2 ardent
adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的
  • He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。
  • Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。
3 previously
adv.以前,先前(地)
  • The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
  • Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿,解释原先发生了什么。
4 bugs
adj.疯狂的,发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 );病菌;虫子;[计算机](制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的)错误
  • All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞,都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 clogged
(使)阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 ); 淤滞
  • The narrow streets were clogged with traffic. 狭窄的街道上交通堵塞。
  • The intake of gasoline was stopped by a clogged fuel line. 汽油的注入由于管道阻塞而停止了。
6 helping
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
7 joint
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合
  • 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。
8 indignity
n.侮辱,伤害尊严,轻蔑
  • For more than a year we have suffered the indignity.在一年多的时间里,我们丢尽了丑。
  • She was subjected to indignity and humiliation.她受到侮辱和羞辱。
9 varied
adj.多样的,多变化的
  • The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
  • The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。
10 remarkable
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
11 immediate
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
12 prospects
n.希望,前途(恒为复数)
  • There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
  • They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。
13 dedicated
adj.一心一意的;献身的;热诚的
  • He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
  • His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。
14 socialist
n.社会主义者;adj.社会主义的
  • China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家,也是一个发展中国家。
  • His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。
15 modernization
n.现代化,现代化的事物
  • This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
  • The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。
16 drawn
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
17 partially
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲
  • The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
  • The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静,宵禁部分解除。
18 aptitudes
(学习方面的)才能,资质,天资( aptitude的名词复数 )
  • They all require special aptitudes combined with special training. 他们都应具有专门技能,并受过专门训练。
  • Do program development with passion. has aptitudes for learning. research. innovation. 热爱程序开发工作。具有学习。钻研。创新的精神。
19 promotion
n.提升,晋级;促销,宣传
  • 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。
20 stimulate
vt.刺激,使兴奋;激励,使…振奋
  • Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
  • Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。
21 haphazard
adj.无计划的,随意的,杂乱无章的
  • The town grew in a haphazard way.这城镇无计划地随意发展。
  • He regrerted his haphazard remarks.他悔不该随口说出那些评论话。