听力材料
Text 1
It is very difficult these days to find someone to come and fix your fridge, your TV set or your washing machine if it breaks. Everyone wants to sell you a new fridge, new TV sets or new washing machines. No one wants to fix them when they stop working. One day Mrs. White discovered that her washing machine didn’t work, so she telephoned a workshop. Three days later, a man from the shop came to see what was wrong with her washing machine. But Mrs. White was not too glad and said,“Well, you’ve finally arrived. I called you three days ago.”The man paid no attention to what she said. He simply took a piece of paper out of his pocket and looked at it. Then he said,“Three days ago? That was the 21st, wasn’t it? Well, I am sorry. I’ve come to the wrong place. I’m looking for Mrs. Smith’s house, not yours. She telephoned me on the 20th.”
Text 2
When you first arrive in a Western country, you’ll probably find that constantly ringing telephones nearly drive you crazy. But you’ll get used to it after a while, and you’ll probably come to depend on phones almost as much as Westerners do.
Many times in the course of a work day, or often in the evening as well, you may use telephones. In small places, like college towns, you might drop in on friends informally. But in big cities you never just show up at someone’s house, even a relative’s, without calling first. If you want to go to a film, you might call to see what’s playing, ask the time and check the prices; if you want to take a train, bus or plane, you can call to find out the time, prices and ticketing information; if you want to shop for clothes after work, you might call to ask how late the store is open before you travel all the way downtown.
Text 3
People like to talk about “first”. They like to remember their first love or their first car. But not all firsts are happy ones. Few people enjoy the firsts that are bad. One of history’s bad but important firsts was the first car accident. Cars were still young when it happened. It took place in New York in May 1896. A man from Massachusetts was visiting the city in his new car. At that time, bicycle riders were still trying to get used to the new set of wheels on the road. No one was sure who was at fault. Anyway, a bike and the car collided. The man on the bike was hurt. The driver of the car had to stay in prison and wait for the hospital report on the bike rider. It was lucky that the bike rider was not killed.
Three years later, another car accident took place. It was again in New York City. A man named Henry Bliss got off a street car. He was hit by a passing car. Again, no one was sure just how it happened or who was wrong. The driver of the car was put in prison. Poor Mr. Bliss became the first person to die in a car accident.
Text 4
Martha and Charles are sitting at the kitchen table. Charles is nervous and upset, and he’s smoking. Martha’s eyes are red. She looks tired. Their children, two boys, eight and ten, are sitting with them. Tony and George know that their parents are having problems. They argue all the time. They don’t talk to each other any more. Their mum and dad aren’t happy together any more. Now, their parents are telling the boys that they’re going to get a divorce.
Their mother is telling them that she loves them and their father loves them, too. But, she and their father are having problems. They aren’t going to live together as a family any more. The boys are going to live with her. They’re going to stay in the same house, and go to the same school.
Now, the father is telling them that he’s going to leave the house this weekend. But he promises not to move that far away. He’s going to be in the next town. Two weekends a month, the boys are going to stay with him. And they’re going to be with him one month in the summer time. He’ll take his vacation then and they’ll go to the beach together.
Tony and George don’t really understand what’s happening. They know that their parents aren’t happy. But they want all of them to stay together.
Text 5
Why do people play football? It’s a stupid game, and dangerous too. Twenty-two men fight for two hours to kick a ball into a net. They get more black eyes than goals. On dry, hard patches they break their bones. On muddy ones they sprain their muscles. Footballers must be mad. And why do people watch football? They must be mad too. They certainly shout and scream like mad men. In fact I’m afraid to go out when there’s a football match. The crowds are so dangerous. I’d rather stay at home and watch TV. But what happens when I switch on? They’re showing a football match. So I turn on the radio. What do I hear? “The latest football scores”. And what do I see when I open a newspaper? Photos of footballers, interviews with footballers and reports of football matches. Footballers are the heroes of the twentieth century. They’re rich and famous. Why? Because they can kick a ball around. How stupid! Everyone seems to be mad about football. But I’m not. Down with football, I say.
Text 6
A lot of young people today find it difficult to get a job, especially in the first few months after they leave school. In some parts of the country 60% or even 70% of the young people in the last year of school will be without a job for a whole year after leaving school.
Our Jobs Information Service Center has been in touch with thousands of young people over the last 2 or 3 years, talking to them about their hopes and their fears, and in fact, we have been able to give a lot of help and advice to young people who have just left school.
Are you recently out of school and still without a job? Or are you still in school and worried about getting a job when you leave? We have found that many people don’t know who to talk to and sometimes don’t know what questions to ask. That is why our experience at Jobs Information Service Center is so important. It will cost you nothing—just a phone call. If you would like to talk to us, we are here to talk to you. Please phone 24987 any day between 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
