中级英语听力lesson 21
时间:2018-12-26 作者:英语课 分类:中级英语听力
Stuart: What did you do last night then? Did you work all night?
Judy: Yes, I did some work (Yes) but erm ... I watched a bit of TV ... (Uh-huh) got to relax, you know.
Stuart: Did you watch the football?
Judy: No, no I didn't. I can't bear football.
Stuart: Really?
Judy: Yes. I really hate it. (Yes) Well, actually, just before the football came on, I switched over (Yes) just to ... just to protest.
Stuart: What did you see then?
Judy: Well, I saw the programme before ... just the end of a film (Uh-huh) that was on before the football. It looked quite good actually. It's a shame I didn't erm ... switch on earlier. It was some kind of love story ... with Dustin Hoffman, you know, the erm ...
Stuart: The Graduate?
Judy: That's it. The Graduate.
Stuart: Yes. I know. I've seen that. (Yes) Yes, good ... good film.
Judy: Yes, and nice music. (Mm-mm) And then, when the football came on I turned over.
Stuart: Terrible, terrible!
Judy: I hate it! I really can't stand it.
Stuart: It was a great game!
Judy: Yes? (What did) Who was playing?
Stuart: England of course. (Oh) What did you see then that was more important than football?
Judy: Foxes. Yes, a good programme on foxes. (Uh-huh) Yes, they spent ages watching these foxes in a house. (Yes) They were watching them all night and these little baby foxes ... it was tremendous.
Stuart: Yes, sounds all right.
Judy: Yes, it was good; better than football ... and then, then I turned over, back to the other channel (Mm-mm) to see who won the football, but I missed it and I just saw the beginning of the News and packed up and went to bed.
Stuart: Well, I'm sorry you missed it. It was a good game.
Judy: Yes? Who did win?
Stuart: England, of course. Who do you think? (Ah) Six nil 1. (Yes) Yes.
Judy: Must have been quite good then!
Stuart: Yes, it was good, actually. It was very good. (Mm)
Commentator 2: It's Carter to serve—he needs just one more point. He serves. AND SMITH MISSES! WHAT A GREAT SERVE! ... So the championship goes to 19-year-old Harry 3 Carter. Who d've believed it a week ago? Poor old Smith just shakes his head in bewilderment. Well, well! What a way to finish it off! ... And now I'll hand you over to Peter Plumber 4, who's on court waiting to interview the two finalists.
Plumber: Thank you, David. Well Harry, congratulations on a marvellous victory. You were on tremendous form.
Carter: Thank you, Peter. Nice of you to say so. You know, well, I think I won because, well, I just knew all along I was in with a good chance.
Plumber: Yes, you certainly were pretty convincing today, but what about the earlier rounds? Any nervous moments?
Carter: Well, you know, I was a bit nervous against Jones when he took the lead in the second set, but then ... er ...
Plumber: Yes, that was in the quarter-finals, wasn't it? And of course you met Gardener in the next round, didn't you? Er ... the score was ... er ... 6-4, 7-5, wasn't it?
Carter: Yes, that was quite a tough match, I suppose, but ... er ...
Plumber: Anything else you'd like to add?
Carter: Well, I would like to say how sorry I am for John Fairlight not making it past the quarter-finals. He's unbeatable, you know, on his day, and ... er ... I'd also like to say what a terrific job the officials here have done you know, the ballboys and linesmen and umpires and so on. You know ... er ... lots of players have been complaining, but ... er ...
Plumber: Well, that's great. Harry, Well done again. And now let's have a quick word with the runner-up to the title, Mark Smith. If you just stand over here, Mark ... that's right ... Well, bad luck, Mark. It wasn't really your day, was it? I mean, what a terrible final set! Anyway, the less said about that the better, as I'm sure you'll agree.
Smith: Yeah, but you know, I did pretty well to beat Hutchins in the semis and ... er ... what's his name? ... Brown in the quarter-finals. And, I mean, what a terrible umpire, eh? I mean, half of Carter's points were on ... er ... doubtful decisions, weren't they?
Plumber: Well, that's probably a bit of an exaggeration, but anyway it's time for us to leave the tournament now at the end of a tremendously exciting week, and I hand you back to the studio in London.
Chairman: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, I declare the meeting open, and I take it you all have a copy of the agenda, so we'll take the minutes of our last meeting as read and get straight down to business. Now, the proposal before you is that we should see if we can reduce the size of the Olympic Games in any way and thereby 5 ease the burden placed on the host city. We all know that each time we hold the Games this burden increases because of the vast undertaking 6 it is to host them. Today, however, I only want to sound out your opinion of this proposal, so this is really no more than an exploratory meeting.
Mrs. Armstrong: Could I say something straight away, Mr. Chairman?
Chairman: Yes, Mrs. Armstrong.
Mrs. Armstrong: I can't accept your proposal at all on the grounds that I feel that to reduce the size of the Olympic Games would seriously damage their character, detract from their universal appeal and penalize 7 certain countries if we start arbitrarily throwing things out before ...
Herr Müller: Yes, Mrs. Armstrong, if I may interrupt you for a moment. I think we all sympathize with your point of view, but we mustn't overlook the main point of this meeting put forward by the Chairman, which is to see if we can cut down the programme a bit, without in any way damaging the overall appeal of the Games, so let's not reject the proposal out of hand before we've had a chance to discuss it.
Mrs. Armstrong: Very well, Herr Müller, but I'd like to state here and now that I'm totally opposed to any reduction in the number of events in the Games.
Chairman: Your objections will be noted 8, Mrs. Armstrong, but to get back to the point of the meeting, could I hear from the rest of you what you feel? Sr. Cordoba, for example, what's your opinion?
Sr. Cordoba: Reluctant as I am to alter the composition of the Olympic Games, I can see the point that in terms of space and financial demands, the host city is subjected to a lot of difficulty. The costs seem to soar phenomenally every time we stage the Olympics, so we might be able to make one or two savings 9 here and there. There is, for instance, quite a strong lobby against boxing because of its apparently 10 violent nature so I did wonder if ...
Mrs. Armstrong: But that is one of the most popular sports in the world, and one of the oldest.
Sr. Cordoba: Agreed, but people get a lot of boxing on their television screens all the year round, so I was just thinking that we might be able to drop that from the programme. Football, too, is another thing which already enjoys a lot of television coverage 11, and as it takes up a lot of space accommodating all the football pitches, mightn't we also perhaps consider dropping that too?
Mrs. Patel: Mr. Chairman ...
Chairman: Yes, Mrs. Patel.
Mrs. Patel: I wholeheartedly endorse 12 what Sr. Cordoba said about boxing and football. In my opinion we should concentrate on some of the more unusual sports which are rarely seen on our screens such as fencing and archery, for a change, since it is on TV that the majority of people watch the Games.
Herr Müller: Perhaps we could cut out hockey along with football because, relatively 13 speaking, that too takes up a lot of space, as measured against its universally popular appeal.
Mrs. Patel: I can see your point, Herr Müller, and as one of the basic tenets of the Olympic Games is individual excellence 14, I feel we ought to concentrate on those sports which really are a true test of the individual, I, therefore, suggest we cut out—that is, if we go ahead with this idea—the team games such as basketball, volleyball, football and hockey.
Mrs. Armstrong: But then you're sacrificing some of the most interesting items in the programme. People like to watch team games as well as take part in them; it'll be very dull without them.
Chairman: I think Mrs. Armstrong has made a very valid 15 point. We ought to keep some of the team games, although I am inclined to agree with what has been said about football.
Sr. Cordoba: There's one thing I would like to say about this and that is to suggest that we could remove from the programme sports like sailing and canoeing and possibly the equestrian 16 events, where the test is not so much of the stamina 17 of the competitor but of his skill in handling the boat or whatever.
Mrs. Armstrong: What about the pentathlon, then? Riding is one part of that, so we are going to need facilities to cater 18 for that in any case, so why not use them for horse-riding as well—or do you think we should axe 19 that too?
Chairman: Well, let's not get too heated about it, as this is only a preliminary discussion about possibilities and we are not yet in a position to make any final decisions. I will, however, briefly 20 summarize what has been said so far, as I understand it. Mrs. Armstrong is totally opposed to reducing the size of the Games in any way at all. There is one body of opinion in favour of removing from the Games those sports which are already well represented in other international contests and in the media. Another strand 21 of thought is that we should concentrate on individual excellence by cutting out the team games featured in the programme, and Mrs. Patel suggested we ought to focus attention on the more unusual sports in the programme which do not normally gain so much international attention. Sr. Cordoba also brought up the idea that we could drop boxing because of its seemingly violent nature. There was also an opinion voiced that we might exclude events where the skills of a competitor in handling a horse or yacht, for example, were being tested, rather than the stamina of the individual himself, as is the case with, say, athletics 22. Well, it is quite clear that we shall need to discuss this further, but in the meantime I think we'd better move on to something else ...
1. The houses they lived in were not meant to be permanent dwellings 23; as a matter of fact, we have no remaining evidence of their houses. Probably in the summertime they lived up on the mesa top near their fields, in temporary structures made of poles and brush. In winter they most likely moved down to the caves in the cliffs for warmth and protection against the snow.
2. People were experimenting and changing their methods of potting; the broken pieces are evidence of the steps in the process.
The first attempt at pottery 24 came as women mixed clay, a kind of dirt, with water to make pots. When the clay dried, however, it crumbled 25 and fell apart. Clearly this would not work.
The second idea was to add extra material to bind 26 the clay together: grass, straw, or pieces of bark. This held the pot together very well until it was set on the fire. Then the binding 27 material burned up, leaving a pot full of holes.
Again the Anasazi women tried to find the secret of success. They added sand or volcanic 28 grit 29 to the clay to make it harder, and they baked the pots before using them. This final step proved to be successful, and it is the basic method which is still used today.
3. The pots which the women made this way were far superior to baskets for carrying, cooking, and storing food and water. Now the people could add beans, a rich source of protein, to their diet. Water could be stored safely over long periods. Life became much easier, and so effort could now be spent on other developments.
4. Their culture developed to its height, and the main improvement was in housing. The earlier pit houses were modified to one-story row houses, made with pieces of stone. Several separate buildings stood near each other like a small village. Some villages were as large as several hundred rooms and could contain as many as a thousand people. The name for this kind of house and for these Indians is "Pueblo 30", which is the Spanish word for "village".
- My knowledge of the subject is practically nil.我在这方面的知识几乎等于零。
- Their legal rights are virtually nil.他们实际上毫无法律权利。
- He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛,是个好的解说者。
- The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。
- Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
- Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
- Have you asked the plumber to come and look at the leaking pipe?你叫管道工来检查漏水的管子了吗?
- The plumber screwed up the tap by means of a spanner.管子工用板手把龙头旋紧。
- I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市,因此对它不怎么熟悉。
- He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民,因而得到了投票权。
- He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
- He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小,不敢从事任何事业。
- It would be unfair to penalize those without a job.失业人员待遇低下是不公平的。
- The association decided not to penalize you for the race.赛马协会决定对你不予处罚。
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
- I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
- By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
- An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
- He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
- There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
- This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。
- No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
- I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。
- The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
- The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
- His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
- My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。
- His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
- Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗?
- They all showed extraordinary equestrian skills.他们的骑术都很高超。
- I want to book two equestrian tickets.我想订两张马术比赛的票。
- I lacked the stamina to run the whole length of the race.我没有跑完全程的耐力。
- Giving up smoking had a magical effect on his stamina.戒烟神奇地增强了他的体力。
- I expect he will be able to cater for your particular needs.我预计他能满足你的特殊需要。
- Most schools cater for children of different abilities.大多数学校能够满足具有不同天资的儿童的需要。
- Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利,你要当心。
- The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。
- I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
- He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
- She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
- The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。
- When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
- Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中,我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。
- The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices. 新建楼区将由66栋住房和一些办公用房组成。
- The hovels which passed for dwellings are being pulled down. 过去用作住室的陋屋正在被拆除。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- My sister likes to learn art pottery in her spare time.我妹妹喜欢在空余时间学习陶艺。
- The pottery was left to bake in the hot sun.陶器放在外面让炎热的太阳烘晒焙干。
- He crumbled the bread in his fingers. 他用手指把面包捻碎。
- Our hopes crumbled when the business went bankrupt. 商行破产了,我们的希望也破灭了。
- I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
- He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。
- The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
- Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。
- There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
- Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。
- The soldiers showed that they had plenty of grit. 士兵们表现得很有勇气。
- I've got some grit in my shoe.我的鞋子里弄进了一些砂子。
- For over 2,000 years,Pueblo peoples occupied a vast region of the south-western United States.在长达2,000多年的时间里,印第安人统治着现在美国西南部的大片土地。
- The cross memorializes the Spanish victims of the 1680 revolt,when the region's Pueblo Indians rose up in violent protest against their mistreatment and burned the cit