北外英语中级听力-20

 　　Principal: Well it looks to me as if we shall have to fit him in somewhere. What does Monday morning look like?

Secretary: Well, Monday morning is extremely busy. You've got all the short list interviews.

Principal: Oh goodness. And how long do they go on for?

Secretary: Well, the last one is due at ... to come at 10 o'clock and will probably go on through until 10:30.

Principal: And then?

Secretary: Then you've got your Japanese agent and you did tell him you'd probably take him out to lunch.

Principal: Yes, well can't pass that up ... erm ... what's Tuesday morning look like?

Secretary: Tuesday morning is also very full. You've got a committee meeting, starts at 9:30 probably won't finish until 12:30.

Principal: Huh-Huh. And lunch?

Secretary: Lunch is with your publisher.

Principal: Oh yes. And I do remember that I've got something in the afternoon ... erm ... from the examining board, haven't I? I've got...

Secretary: Yes. At 2:30. You're expecting the chief examiner (Oh) regarding the review report.

Principal: Oh yes. And I've got ... I've got somebody's parents coming.

Secretary: Yes, at 4 o'clock Johan Blun's parents are coming.

Principal: And there ... isn't there a meeting, a principal's meeting after ... anyway he didn't want to be that late ... erm ... well, let's have a look at Monday afternoon. What have we got then?

Secretary: Well the lunch with the Japanese agent is probably likely to last until 2:30. (Mm-Mm) At 2:30 you've got the lawyer regarding the planning permission.

Principal: Oh, I've ... yes ... and?

Secretary: Well at 3:30 there's a tutorial with Maria Rosa ...

Principal: Oh well hang on ... erm ... look what we can do ... you ... if you could give the lawyer a ring and ask him if he can fix it, the appointment, for Wednesday and if he can't make Wednesday, later in the week. It's not absolutely vital that I should do it then. And give Maria Rosa a ring also if you can contact her, otherwise you can tell her when she arrives and ... erm ... I can give I can definitely give her ... I've got Wednesday clear, haven't I? So ... erm ... (Yes) I can give her a tutorial on Wednesday morning (Yes) and that gives us two hours so you could ring the Cultural Council and fix it for then. His name's Mr. Dennis I think, isn't it?

Secretary: Yes. So I'll ring him and tell him you're expecting him at 2:30 on Monday afternoon.

Principal: OK then.

Secretary: Fine. Thank you.

At 7:20 pm on May 6th 1937, the world's largest airship, the Hindenburg, floated majestically 1 over Lakehurst airport, New Jersey 2, after an uneventful crossing from Frankfurt, Germany. There were 97 people on board for the first Atlantic crossing of the season. There were a number of journalists waiting to greet it. Suddenly radio listeners heard the commentator 3 screaming 'Oh, my God! It's broken into flames. It's flashing ... flashing. It's flashing terribly.' 32 seconds later the airship had disintegrated 4 and 35 people were dead. The Age of the Airship was over.

The Hindenburg was the last in a series of airships which had been developed over 40 years in both Europe and the United States. They were designed to carry passengers and cargo 5 over long distances. The Hindenburg could carry 50 passengers accommodated in 25 luxury cabins with all the amenities 6 of a first class hotel. All the cabins had hot and cold water and electric heating. There was a dining-room, a bar and a lounge with a dance floor and a baby grand piano. The Hindenburg had been built to compete with the great luxury transatlantic liners. It was 245 metres long with a diameter of 41 metres. It could cruise at a speed of 125 km/h, and was able to cross the Atlantic in less than half the time of a liner. By 1937 it had carried 1,000 passengers safely and had even transported circus animals and cars. Its sister ship, the Graf Zeppelin, had flown one and a half million kilometres and it had carried 13,100 passengers without incident.

The Hindenburg was filled with hydrogen, which is a highly flammable gas, and every safety precaution had been taken to prevent accidents. It had a smoking room which was pressurized in order to prevent gas from ever entering it. The cigarette lighters 7 were chained to the tables and both passengers and crew were searched for matches before entering the ship. Special materials, which were used in the construction of the airship, had been chosen to minimize the possibility of accidental sparks, which might cause an explosion.

Nobody knows the exact cause of the Hindenburg disaster. Sabotage 8 has been suggested, but experts at the time believed that it was caused by leaking gas which was ignited by static electricity. It had been waiting to land for three hours because of heavy thunderstorms. The explosion happened just as the first mooring 9 rope, which was wet, touched the ground. Observers saw the first flames appear near the tail, and they began to spread quickly along the hull 10. There were a number of flashes as the hydrogen-filled compartments 11 exploded. The airship sank to the ground. The most surprising thing is that 62 people managed to escape. The fatalities 12 were highest among the crew, many of whom were working deep inside the airship. After the Hindenburg disaster, all airships were grounded and, until recently, they have never been seriously considered as a commercial proposition.

David: Hello Peggy. What are you doing going through all those newspapers?

Peggy: Oh hallo David. I'm trying to find a flat and I've got to go through all these advertisements. I just can't find anything good.

David: Are you wanting to share or do you want a flat on your own?

Peggy: Well, you know Sara and Mary? I'd really like to share with them.

David: Well, I know of an empty flat. I don't know if you'd like it though. It's on the number ten bus route in Woodside Road. Number 10 I think it is.

Peggy: Oh, I know Woodside Road and the ten bus is the one that brings me to work. Would be a marvellous place. How many rooms has it got?

David: Well, it's got a kitchen and a bathroom. Um, apart from that I think it's got two bedrooms and a sitting-room 13.

Peggy: Two bedrooms. Mm. Well, I suppose two of us could share, or one of us could sleep in the sitting-room. How much is the rent?

David: I think they want ￡21 a week for it.

Peggy: Twenty-one. Oh, that's fine, that would be ￡7 each. I don't really want to spend more than ￡7.

David: No, but you see the trouble is it might be a bit noisy. Woodside Road is really quite busy. It's on the bus route after all. With all that traffic going past I don't know if you'd really like it.

Peggy: Oh, that doesn't matter. We'd be out all day. It'd be marvellous to be on the ten bus route, we wouldn't have to walk at all and we'd get to work so quickly. Oh thanks so much David. I must go and tell Sara and Mary.

David: Well, I hope it's what you want.

Peggy: Oh yes, thanks a lot.

David: That's all right.

Rod: Mm, it's not a bad size room, is it?

Liz: Oh, it's great! It's lovely. Oh, and look at that fireplace! Oh, we can have the two chairs right in front of the fireplace there in the middle of the room and toast our feet.

Rod: The first thing we ought to do is just decide where the bed's going.

Liz: Oh, well ... (So) what about right here next to the door (yes) sort of behind the door as you come in?

Rod: Yes, that's a good idea-just as you come in, just in that corner there.

Liz: Yes. Well now, let's think. What else?

Rod: What else is there? Erm ... well there's that huge wardrobe of yours ... (Mm) that's got to go somewhere.

Liz: What about over here-you know-across from the fireplace there, because then, in that little corner where it ... where the wall goes back ... look, over there. (Mm) That'd do, wouldn't it?

Rod: Ok, well we'll put the wardrobe there then. (Yes) OK? So the wardrobe's opposite the fireplace.

Liz: Er ... (OK) what about your desk? (Er) Where are you going to put that?

Rod: Er ... I need lots of light, so I think in that far corner in between the two windows, OK?

Liz: Oh, I see in the corner there, (Yes) yes. (Erm) Yes, that'd be good.

Rod: So the desk goes there.

Liz: So you'd have your chair with your back to the fireplace? (Yes) Yes, that'll be all right.

Rod: Yes. And there's (yes) the chest of drawers.

Liz: Oh, that'd be nice in between the two windows there, right in the middle. (Yes) It really ... come on, I know you're going to like it. (OK) Come on, let's shove it over there. (I mean) I bet ... I er ...

Rod: I knew you'd ask me to move it.

Liz: Come on. Let's go.

Rod: OK. Let's go then. All right.

Liz: Nearly there! That's got it.

Rod: God, what on earth have you got in there?

Liz: Well, there's nothing much in there. I emptied it ... most of it out.

Rod: Oh God, my back hurts!

Liz: There! Wait a minute. Let me stand back and have a look.

Rod: Yes, it's not bad ... sticks out a bit.

Liz: No, it's fine. (OK) What about the TV? Where are we going to put that?

Rod: Er ... it's really got to go in the opposite corner, hasn't it? (Mm) Opposite the desk, that is.

Liz: Oh, you mean in the corner between the windows and the fireplace? (Yes) Yes.

Rod: And then the stereo, er ... the amplifier underneath 14 the television and then the two speakers one on either side of the fireplace.

Liz: Yes, that'd be good. (Erm) Well lovely! So it'll all fit in beautifully! (Yes) What else ... what else have we got?

Rod: It's the er ... there's the bookcase, isn't there? Erm ...

Liz: Oh Lord ... where'll we put that?

Rod: Well, as you come in the door, er ... immediately on the er ... left-hand side ...

Liz: Oh along that wall there you mean?

Rod: Because that's ... there's just about enough space there. There's about two feet, so it shouldn't stick out too much, no.

Liz: Yes, it's not very wide is it? So you come in the door (Yes) and then the bookcase is right there on the left. (Yes) There's a long way from your desk, though.

Rod: Well, exercise'll do me good, won't it? Er ... table lamp. Well, we can just put that er ...

Liz: On the chest of drawers. (Yes) When it's ... (Mm) Yes. That'd be nice.

Rod: And no matter who wants to use it, you know.

Liz: Yes. Oh this is going to be lovely. When are we going to get it all in? Now?

Rod: Er ... no, not now. Let's just go to the kitchen and er ... sort that out and have a cup of tea, eh.

Liz: Oh, haha, good. (Right) Yes, I haven't seen the kitchen. Come on.

Rod: Come on then. Let's go.

1. Another use for Landsats is to find fresh water. In dry areas such as deserts, Landsat photos may show black areas that indicate water or they may show red areas that indicate healthy plants. People who are trying to find water in these dry areas can save time by looking in the places that are black or red on the Landsat pictures.

2. The fifth use is to warn us of natural disasters, such as the damage done by large forest fires, melting ice near the North and South Poles, and lines in the earth where earthquakes might happen.

3. Many experts believe that we must turn to the sun to solve our energy needs. Solar energy is clean and unlimited 15. It is estimated that the amount of solar energy falling on the continental 16 United States is 700 times our total energy consumption. It's possible to convert, or change, this energy for our use, but the cost is the major problem. The federal government is spending millions of dollars to find ways to convert, or change, sunshine into economical energy. By the year 2000, solar technology could be supplying about 25 percent of the United States' energy needs.

4. The major expense involved in a solar heating system is the purchase cost of all the parts of the system and the cost of their installation. The approximate cost to buy and put a solar heating system into a three-bedroom house at present varies from $7,000 to $12,000. This is a one-time cost that can be financed over many years. This finance charge may be more expensive than heating with oil at the present prices.