录音材料:
Text 1
M: Do your students study English?
W: I don't know, but some of them are studying Italian.
Text 2
W: As a child, did you have any special fears?
M: Yeah, I was afraid of spiders. How about you?
W: I was really afraid of big dogs.
Text 3
M: Good morning! Did you have a good weekend, Jane?
W: No, I didn't. I had a busy time. I studied all weekend for today's exam.
M: But there is no exam today.
W: I know. I just found out.
Text 4
W: What do you think of the Modern Art Exhibition?
M: It was too difficult for me to understand. But my wife enjoyed every minute of it.
Text 5
W: Autumn is the most beautiful time of the year.
M: That's not always true. Last year, it was really cold, and it rained all the time.
Text 6
M: Jane, do you have a pen pal?
W: Yes, I do. Her name is Alice.
M: Where is she?
W: In England. But we don't often write to each other because neither of us has much time. We both have a lot of work to do.
M: Do you know what your pen pal's hobbies are?
W: Yes. She enjoys listening to music. Among school subjects, she likes math best.
M: Are you going to write to her soon?
W: I’m not sure. I'm pretty busy. But I’ll write to her when I have time.
Text 7
W: Good afternoon, doctor.
M: Good afternoon, Mrs. Brown. Well, what's wrong with this little boy?
W: He is my son, Jim. He's got a cough.
M: How long has he had it?
W: Ever since last night.
M: Has he had anything to eat today?
W: Yes. He had a little milk and an egg this morning.
M: Well, Mrs. Brown, I think he's caught a cold.
W: Is it serious?
M: No, it's nothing serious, but he'd better stay at home and rest.
W: Thank you very much.
M: You're welcome.
Text 8
M: I was half an hour late for work today. There was just too much traffic.
W: Yes, there really are too many cars on the road. More people need to carpool(合伙使用汽车).
M: Carpool?
W: Yeah, you know, a group of people that ride to work together in one car.
M: Hey, that's a good idea. How do you join a carpool?
W: Well, there is a special phone number you can call. You leave a message with your address and phone number, and then someone calls you back with the names and phone numbers of other people in your area who want to carpool.
M: That's really a great idea! How do you know so much about this carpool system, Nancy?
W: Me? I called the number for the first time about five years ago. Carpooling is a great way to go to work.
Text 9
M: What are pubs?
W: Pubs in England are friendly and warm places where you can have a drink and usually a simple meal.
M: What kind of drinks do people get?
W: You can get wine and beer in most pubs. Many also serve coffee. You go to the counter to order and pay for your drinks.
M: When do people go to the pubs?
W: Pubs are not open all day. They can decide when to open. Most are open for 3 or 4 hours at lunchtime and again from about 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. In busy areas, pubs may stay open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Are there pubs in China?
M: Yes. Most of the customers are young people. They like to hang out with their friends after work and have fun.
W: It is against the law in England to go into a pub if you are under the age of l4. So many pubs provide a special room for children.
Text 10
Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England, in 1942. He went to school at St. Albans. After leaving school, Hawking first went to Oxford University where he studied physics, and then he went on studying in Cambridge University. As he himself admits, he didn't work hard. He was a lazy student, and he did very little work. However, he still got good grades.
At the age of 20, he first noticed something was wrong with him. His mother was very worried and took him to see a doctor. He was taken to the hospital for exams. He had a very serious illness. The doctor said he would die before he was 23.
At first, he became very sad and disappointed. After coming out of the hospital, he suddenly realized that life was beautiful. Later he found a job and had three children. He also conducted some of the most important scientific studies.
Today, Hawking still works at Cambridge University as a professor. He believes that his story shows that nobody should lose hope. "Life is not fair," he once said. "You just have to do the best you can."