《英语视听说》课程教学资源（教材用书）现代大学英语（第二版）听力2.pdf_P16-P20

Celsius equal to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Question 1 in Exercise 1 tests whether students can makeinferencesfromthecontext.Task 8The rises and falls in air pressureScriptAs the air pressure around you either rises or falls, many changes in nature occur. Most ofthese are very obvious changes while others are of a more subtle nature.Mountains and other faraway objects will appear to be much closer and more sharplyfocused aswetweatherapproachesandtheairpressuredrops.Thedustparticlesintheairbeginto settle to thegroundand the air clears allowingyou toseemoredetails of farawayobjects.As ahigh-pressure front approaches and the airbecomes thicker, more dust particles becomesuspendedintheairandthingstakeontheirnormal somewhathazyappearance.Sharphornsonthemoonthreatenbadweather.This and a bright, clear moon are goodindicators that wet weather is on the way. As the air clears of dust particles ahead of a lowpressure system, the moon appears to become closer and more sharply focused due to the lack ofdust.Sounds such as birds'calls, too, become sharper and more focused prior to stormy weather.Insteadoftravelingupwardandoutwardintotheatmosphere,soundsarebentbacktotheearthand their range extended.If you find yourself out in a marsh or swamp and the air really seems to stink more thannormal, expect rainy weather. This happens when the pressure drops and the methane trapped inthe bottom of the swamp is released in greater quantities. In reverse, as fair weather approachesandthepressurerises,amarshwon't smellquitesostrong.Birds and bats have a tendency to fly much lower to the ground right before a rain due tothe “thinning" of the air. They prefer to fly where the air is the mest dense (densest) and they canget greater lift with their wings. With high pressure and dry air, the atmosphere becomes denserand they can easily fly at higher altitudes.Smoke rising straight into the air means fair weather and smoke hanging low means rain ison the way. This is pretty much the same as with the birds and methane in the swamp. With thehighpressureapproachingandtheairbecomingdenser,smokewillrise,whereaswithlowpressure it can't rise and tends to lay lowRemember a grandparent talking about how their corns, bunions or joints ached right beforerain? Again, this is due to the decreasing atmospheric pressure allowing the gas in our bodies toexpand.KeyCausesNatural phenomenaAir pressure(rise or fall)The dust particles begin toFarawayobjectsaremoreFallingsettletothe ground inthinnersharplyfocusedair and theair clearsInstead of traveling upwardandoutwardintotheFallingBirds' calls become sharper.atmosphere,soundsarebentback to the earth and their15

Celsius equal to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Question 1 in Exercise 1 tests whether students can make inferences from the context. Task 8 The rises and falls in air pressure Script As the air pressure around you either rises or falls, many changes in nature occur. Most of these are very obvious changes while others are of a more subtle nature. Mountains and other faraway objects will appear to be much closer and more sharply focused as wet weather approaches and the air pressure drops. The dust particles in the air begin to settle to the ground and the air clears allowing you to see more details of faraway objects. As a high-pressure front approaches and the air becomes thicker, more dust particles become suspended in the air and things take on their normal somewhat hazy appearance. “Sharp horns on the moon threaten bad weather.” This and a bright, clear moon are good indicators that wet weather is on the way. As the air clears of dust particles ahead of a low pressure system, the moon appears to become closer and more sharply focused due to the lack of dust. Sounds such as birds’ calls, too, become sharper and more focused prior to stormy weather. Instead of traveling upward and outward into the atmosphere, sounds are bent back to the earth and their range extended. If you find yourself out in a marsh or swamp and the air really seems to stink more than normal, expect rainy weather. This happens when the pressure drops and the methane trapped in the bottom of the swamp is released in greater quantities. In reverse, as fair weather approaches and the pressure rises, a marsh won’t smell quite so strong. Birds and bats have a tendency to fly much lower to the ground right before a rain due to the “thinning” of the air. They prefer to fly where the air is the most dense (densest) and they can get greater lift with their wings. With high pressure and dry air, the atmosphere becomes denser and they can easily fly at higher altitudes. Smoke rising straight into the air means fair weather and smoke hanging low means rain is on the way. This is pretty much the same as with the birds and methane in the swamp. With the high pressure approaching and the air becoming denser, smoke will rise; whereas with low pressure it can’t rise and tends to lay low. Remember a grandparent talking about how their corns, bunions or joints ached right before rain? Again, this is due to the decreasing atmospheric pressure allowing the gas in our bodies to expand. Key Natural phenomena Air pressure (rise or fall) Causes Faraway objects are more sharply focused. Falling The dust particles begin to settle to the ground in thinner air and the air clears. Birds’ calls become sharper. Falling Instead of traveling upward and outward into the atmosphere, sounds are bent back to the earth and their 15

rangeextendedThemethaneistrapped intheSwampsdon'tsmellveryRisingbottom of the swamp becausestrong.of the thick air.Birds prefer to fly where theair is the densest and they canBirds fly high.Risingget greater lift with theirwingsRisingSmoke rises high in the airSmoke rises with thicker airThe gas in our bodies expandsFallingElderly people's joints ache.inlowerairpressureTipsStudents can be encouraged to glance over the exercise before listening to the recordingAfter playing the recording, the teacher should help students to go over each naturalphenomenonmentionedandtalkaboutitsrespectivecausesbeforecompletingthetable.Task 9 How does weather affect us?SeriptIt's hardly surprising that weather is a favorite topic for so many people around the worldit affects wherewe chooseto live, what wewear, our moods, and perhaps even our nationalcharacteristics. A sunny day can relieve the deepest depression, while extreme weather candestroyhomesandthreatenlives.Palm trees bent double in hurricane force winds, cars stranded in snow drifts, peoplenavigatingsmallboatsdownfloodedcitystreets--imagesweareallfamiliarwithfromnewsreportsofsevereweatherspells.Butmanyoftheeffectsoftheweatherarelessnewsworthy"I'm feeling a bit under the weather" is a common complaint in Britain, especially onMondaymornings,and it seems that weather reallycan be responsibleformoods.Studies haveshownthatchangeableweathercanmakeithardtoconcentrate,cloudyskiesslowdownreflexes.high humidity causes tiredness, and hot dry winds make many people irritable and snappy.Some suggest that weather also leaves its mark on character,giving peoplefrom the sameregion similar temperaments, although it seems that economic, political and social factors arelikelytohaveamuch strongereffectthan theweather.But what causes the differences in weather? If you live in a place like Britain, where theweather seems to change daily if not hourly, you could be forgiven for thinking that the weatheris random. In fact weather is controlled by systems which move around the globe. In the UK theweatherdependsondepressions,oftencalledlows."andanticyclones,alsoknownashighs."These systems start in the Atlantic Ocean, and make their way across the British Isles from thewest to the east. Highs bring sunny weather, while lows bring rain and wind.Key1I. How does weather affect us?A. In extreme weather:Palm trees bent double in hurricane force winds, cars strandedin snowdrifts,peoplenavigating small boatsdown flooded city streets.16

range extended. Swamps don’t smell very strong. Rising The methane is trapped in the bottom of the swamp because of the thick air. Birds fly high. Rising Birds prefer to fly where the air is the densest and they can get greater lift with their wings. Smoke rises high in the air. Rising Smoke rises with thicker air. Elderly people’s joints ache. Falling The gas in our bodies expands in lower air pressure. Tips Students can be encouraged to glance over the exercise before listening to the recording. After playing the recording, the teacher should help students to go over each natural phenomenon mentioned and talk about its respective causes before completing the table. Task 9 How does weather affect us? Script It’s hardly surprising that weather is a favorite topic for so many people around the world— it affects where we choose to live, what we wear, our moods, and perhaps even our national characteristics. A sunny day can relieve the deepest depression, while extreme weather can destroy homes and threaten lives. Palm trees bent double in hurricane force winds, cars stranded in snow drifts, people navigating small boats down flooded city streets—images we are all familiar with from news reports of severe weather spells. But many of the effects of the weather are less newsworthy. “I’m feeling a bit under the weather” is a common complaint in Britain, especially on Monday mornings, and it seems that weather really can be responsible for moods. Studies have shown that changeable weather can make it hard to concentrate, cloudy skies slow down reflexes, high humidity causes tiredness, and hot dry winds make many people irritable and snappy. Some suggest that weather also leaves its mark on character, giving people from the same region similar temperaments, although it seems that economic, political and social factors are likely to have a much stronger effect than the weather. But what causes the differences in weather? If you live in a place like Britain, where the weather seems to change daily if not hourly, you could be forgiven for thinking that the weather is random. In fact weather is controlled by systems which move around the globe. In the UK the weather depends on depressions, often called “lows,” and anticyclones, also known as “highs.” These systems start in the Atlantic Ocean, and make their way across the British Isles from the west to the east. Highs bring sunny weather, while lows bring rain and wind. Key 1. I. How does weather affect us? A. In extreme weather: Palm trees bent double in hurricane force winds, cars stranded in snow drifts, people navigating small boats down flooded city streets. 16

Unit3Social IssuesTask 1 Stress on the jobScriptStress on the job costs American companies as much as s150 billion a year in lowerproductivity, unnecessary employee sick leave, and higher medical costs. Three-quartersof office workers today say they suffer from stress at work. Recently, psychologists anddoctors have begun to study the problem more closely. They have discovered that themost stressful professions are those that involve danger, extreme pressure and those thatcarryalotof responsibilitywithout muchcontrol.Signs of stress range from nervousness, anger, and frequent illness to forgetfulnessor even mental problems.The best way to deal with stress is through relaxation, butsometimes the only answer is to fight back or walk away.Key1.1) Key: Stress on the job costs American companies as much as $15o billion a year inlower productivity,unnecessaryemployee sickleave, and highermedical costs.2)Key:The most stressful professions are those that involve danger, extreme pressureand those that carry a lot of responsibility without much control.3)Key: The best way to deal with stress is through relaxation, but sometimes the onlyansweristofightbackorwalkaway.2.1) Three-quarters2) psychologists, doctors3)nervousness,anger,frequent illness,forgetfulness,mental problemsTipsThis short introduction gives an overview of stress on the job. It discussesconsequences, causes, symptoms, and remedies of stress from work. Before playing therecording,ask students topredict whatmay be discussed and to come upwith suitablewords and phrases that the speaker may use.Task 2Government's response toterrorismScriptMargaret: Governments give in too easily to hijackers' demands. A hijacker onlyhas to threaten to blow up a plane or commit some other outrage, and a government givesin to his demands.Valerie: Naturally. It's the lesser of two evils. What government would risk innocentlives just to see if terrorists will really do what they threaten to do? Terrorists have provedoften enough that they really mean business.Margaret: Yes, but if a government doesn't hold out against this kind of blackmail,we will always have terrorists. Governments are afraid to punish these people. Theyalmost always let them go free. Start executing terrorists automatically wherever they18

Unit 3 Social Issues Task 1 Stress on the job Script Stress on the job costs American companies as much as $150 billion a year in lower productivity, unnecessary employee sick leave, and higher medical costs. Three-quarters of office workers today say they suffer from stress at work. Recently, psychologists and doctors have begun to study the problem more closely. They have discovered that the most stressful professions are those that involve danger, extreme pressure and those that carry a lot of responsibility without much control. Signs of stress range from nervousness, anger, and frequent illness to forgetfulness or even mental problems. The best way to deal with stress is through relaxation, but sometimes the only answer is to fight back or walk away. Key 1. 1) Key: Stress on the job costs American companies as much as $150 billion a year in lower productivity, unnecessary employee sick leave, and higher medical costs. 2) Key: The most stressful professions are those that involve danger, extreme pressure and those that carry a lot of responsibility without much control. 3) Key: The best way to deal with stress is through relaxation, but sometimes the only answer is to fight back or walk away. 2. 1) Three-quarters 2) psychologists, doctors 3) nervousness, anger, frequent illness, forgetfulness, mental problems Tips This short introduction gives an overview of stress on the job. It discusses consequences, causes, symptoms, and remedies of stress from work. Before playing the recording, ask students to predict what may be discussed and to come up with suitable words and phrases that the speaker may use. Task 2 Government’s response to terrorism Script Margaret: Governments give in too easily to hijackers’ demands. A hijacker only has to threaten to blow up a plane or commit some other outrage, and a government gives in to his demands. Valerie: Naturally. It’s the lesser of two evils. What government would risk innocent lives just to see if terrorists will really do what they threaten to do? Terrorists have proved often enough that they really mean business. Margaret: Yes, but if a government doesn’t hold out against this kind of blackmail, we will always have terrorists. Governments are afraid to punish these people. They almost always let them go free. Start executing terrorists automatically wherever they 18

land, and terrorism will stop.Valerie: And what about the innocent lives that will be lost in the process?Terrorismisbasedonthesimpleideathatthreateningtheinnocentwillachieveitsends.Margaret: You can't get rid of evil without being prepared to face the consequencesofevil.Valerie: So long as you're not one of the victims!KeyI. The first speaker's attitude: Governments shouldn't give in so easily to hiackers'demands.A. A hijacker only has to threaten to blow up a plane or commit some other outrageB. If a government doesn't hold out against this kind of blackmail, we will alwayshaveterrorists.Startexecutingterrorists automaticallywherevertheyland,andterrorism will stop.C. If you want to get rid of evil, you must be prepared to face the consequences ofevil.II. The second speaker's attitude: Governments must protect innocent lives even if thatmeansyieldingtothedemandsofhijackers.A. It's the lesser of two evils. Terrorists have proved often enough that they reallymeanbusinessB. Innocent lives will be lost in the process. Terrorism is based on the simple ideathat threatening the innocent will achieve its ends.TipsThis is a short discussion about the government's attitude toward terrorism.Margaret and Valerie hold oppositeviews on this topic.Beforeplaying therecording,askstudents tobrainstorm howthey think governments should respond to terrorism.With thiswarm-up exercise, students will not only develop a useful vocabulary but also becomefamiliar with how to present arguments. The key is for reference only. Encouragestudentstousetheirownwordstofillintheblanks.Task3SweatshopScriptEight kilometers from downtown Los Angeles there is a narrow street with five-andsix-storeybuildings.Insideoneofthesebuildingsthereisasmallfactorymakingshirtsand jeans. The women working in the factory sit close together, each with a small table,each with their own sewing machine. The women say nothing, and work hard. In one oftherooms therearethirty-five women.Thereis onlya littlenatural light,and this (which)comes from a small window in the roof. The room is hot, airless, and very noisy. On theleft-hand side of the room there is a young girl sitting next to the wall. Every now andagain she closes her eyes, and her fingers stop working. She's already been in her chairfor tenhours,but she'll behere until the bell rings--and that won't befor another twohours.HernameisMaria,andshecomesfromMexico.Shewon'tcomplainaboutherwork. She won't say that the working hours ought to be changed; she won't say that theworking conditions shouldn't be permitted. Maria is an illegal immigrant. She won't say19

land, and terrorism will stop. Valerie: And what about the innocent lives that will be lost in the process? Terrorism is based on the simple idea that threatening the innocent will achieve its ends. Margaret: You can’t get rid of evil without being prepared to face the consequences of evil. Valerie: So long as you’re not one of the victims! Key I. The first speaker’s attitude: Governments shouldn’t give in so easily to hijackers’ demands. A. A hijacker only has to threaten to blow up a plane or commit some other outrage. B. If a government doesn’t hold out against this kind of blackmail, we will always have terrorists. Start executing terrorists automatically wherever they land, and terrorism will stop. C. If you want to get rid of evil, you must be prepared to face the consequences of evil. II. The second speaker’s attitude: Governments must protect innocent lives even if that means yielding to the demands of hijackers. A. It’s the lesser of two evils. Terrorists have proved often enough that they really mean business. B. Innocent lives will be lost in the process. Terrorism is based on the simple idea that threatening the innocent will achieve its ends. Tips This is a short discussion about the government’s attitude toward terrorism. Margaret and Valerie hold opposite views on this topic. Before playing the recording, ask students to brainstorm how they think governments should respond to terrorism. With this warm-up exercise, students will not only develop a useful vocabulary but also become familiar with how to present arguments. The key is for reference only. Encourage students to use their own words to fill in the blanks. Task 3 Sweatshop Script Eight kilometers from downtown Los Angeles there is a narrow street with five- and six-storey buildings. Inside one of these buildings there is a small factory making shirts and jeans. The women working in the factory sit close together, each with a small table, each with their own sewing machine. The women say nothing, and work hard. In one of the rooms there are thirty-five women. There is only a little natural light, and this (which) comes from a small window in the roof. The room is hot, airless, and very noisy. On the left-hand side of the room there is a young girl sitting next to the wall. Every now and again she closes her eyes, and her fingers stop working. She’s already been in her chair for ten hours, but she’ll be here until the bell rings—and that won’t be for another two hours. Her name is Maria, and she comes from Mexico. She won’t complain about her work. She won’t say that the working hours ought to be changed; she won’t say that the working conditions shouldn’t be permitted. Maria is an illegal immigrant. She won’t say 19