Unit 1
Warming Up
W Did the doctor call? Did he say I’m pregnant?
M Yeah,I just talked to him.
W What did he say? Are we going to have a baby?
M You’re really excited about this,aren’t you?
W You know I am! It’s my dream to have a baby that I can teach how to be a loving person.
I thought you were excited too.
M Sure,I am . I’m excited for the same reason as you are. I think we can do what you said-we can teach this baby how to grow up and become a loving person.
W so … is there a baby? What did the doctor say?
M It’s exactly what we wanted. We’re going to have a baby! Let’s start off by calling our families and telling them the good news,I believe our parents are going to be as thrilled as we are.
Short Conversations
1. W: I don’t know what to say about your new girlfriend-she seems so cold,so distant.
M: Deep down,she’s a loving person .The problem is that she didn’t have a loving family like ours. So she doesn’t know how to express love.
Q: According to the man,what’s wrong with his new girlfriend?
2. W: You look at my father and see a tough man with a gun and blood on his hands. But I see him as a man who always provides for his family.
M: Whoa,wait a minute .I didn’t say anything of the sort. I admire your father a lot.
Q: What does the man think about the woman’ s father?
3. W: You know,I never understood why my parents kept giving second chances to my
brother. He never does right by them.
M: Then you don’t understand the nature of love .Love means never quitting on the
one you love.
Q: What does the woman NOT understand?
4. W: If only I had more money,I would buy my parents everything they wanted.
M: That’s a very nice thought,but it’s really not necessary. Visit them more. That should
be enough for them.
Q: What should the woman do for her parents?
5. W: Excuse me! Have you already started class? Or am I on time?
M: I‘ve already begun the lesson,We’re talking about the meaning of love .Please
take your seat·
Q: What is the topic for the class?
6. W: Some learn from their parents,some from their friends … but if a person has never
learned about love,his life is a waste.
M: I agree whole-heartedly. Thankfully,I learned about love from my parents at an early age.
Q: What are the speakers talking about?
7. W: It's 10 0’clock! You’re late again! I just don’t know what to say anymore.
M: Sweetheart, love, darling, you should know that my being late has nothing to do with my love for you .Try to understand me.
Q: What can we infer from the conversation?
8. W: Sometimes I’m glad our mother isn’t alive,I think if she could see the person I've become,she’d really be disappointed.
M: Mom had a lot of love for you .If she were here now,she wouldn’t judge you that way. She just would’ve been happy to see her kids and help them when she could.
Q: According to the man,what would their mother NOT have done if she were alive?
9. M: Pardon me。Um,why don’t you teach us anything about love in class?
W: Well,love is important,but it’s not a good topic for the classroom. You should learn about love from your parents or grandparents.
Q: What is the probable relationship between the two speakers?
10. W: I’ve been thinking about how I could teach my children to be more loving.
M: Sounds like a job for you and your husband .How about I give you some vacation time? You could take a family trip and talk more with your kids.
Q: What is the probable relationship between the two speakers?
Long Conversation
M: Sometimes I really don’t understand you. You are often rude to our children,you never play with them,and you rarely say you love them. This isn’t how parents are supposed to act .Where did you learn such behavior?
W: Hey! I don’t think I’ve treated them any differently than my parents treated me and my sisters!
M: So that’s where you learned it…from your parents?
W: My parents were good. They raised three children.
M: From what I can see,they didn’t teach you how to be a loving person. What is going to happen to our kids? If you keep treating them poorly,they’re going to grow up to be just like you.
W: Listen,there’s a lot that I can learn about being a good mother,but I still think I’m doing
a good job. Look at our kids. They’re already kind and loving people. And I don’t think you have any reason to worry.
Q: 1. What are the two speakers talking about?
2. According to the man, what is the wrong with the way the woman treats the children?
3. According to the man, what didn’t the woman’s parents teach her?
4. What does the woman think?
5. What is the probable relationship between the two speakers?
Passage
All parents want to raise a happy, successful and loving child,but there is little agreement about how best to reach this goal. Over the years,parents have tried dramatically different ways. They have put their baby on a schedule, or they have fed on demand; they have let their baby cry himself to sleep,or they have picked him up as soon as he cried; they have given their child whatever he wants,or they have taught him to get everything through his own efforts. These contrasting parenting strategies arise from quite different views of the nature of children and childhood and the roles of parents. Some parents view their child as naturally social. To them,their job is to allow him the space to succeed. Others think that their child should be taught how to act. There are probably positives and negatives to each method. None of them guarantees that your child will become the loving individual you want him to be. But some things are certain-a child will be more likely to be loving if you show him love,more successful if you give him examples of success,and happier if you are happy.
Q: 1. What is this passage about?
2. What do parents NOT agree upon?
3. Why do parents have different methods for raising children?
4. How will a father raise his child if he believes his child is naturally social?
5. What can we be certain of?
Radio Program
Our “This I Believe” essay today comes from Corinne Colbert, a listener in Athens, Ohio. Colbert. Colbert is a mother of two. She writes the newsletter for a business organization,and she is president of a parent-teacher’s organization. Here’s Corinne Colbert with her essay for “This I Believe”.
My husband is not my best friend .He doesn’t complete me. In fact, he can be a self-absorbed jerk. We’re nearly polar opposites: He’s a lifetime member of the NRA who doesn’t care for journalists, and I’m a lifelong liberal with a journalism degree. On the other hand,he doesn’t beat or emotionally abuse me .He doesn’t drink or chase other women. He’s a good provider. So I’m sticking with him .Some people would call that “settling”, like it’s a bad thing. But I believe in settling.
Alas, to many of us, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. From movies to magazines to commercials,we’re told that we should demand more from lives that are,for many of us,pretty good. We suppose to look better, eat better, find better jobs,be better lovers and parents and workers .A stable marriage isn’t enough. It’s supposed to be a fairy tale. Perfection is the goal.
Settling in my sense,is about acceptance . I’m a pretty happy person, in large part because I’m honest with myself about what I have.
Of course,some situations are worth improving. If your weight jeopardizes your health, exercise and change your eating habits; if your job makes you truly miserable, find a new one. If your marriage is toxic, end it. Chances are, though, you probably have what you need. If you’re unhappy, ask yourself: Am I unhappy because I really don’t have what I need,or because I just want more?
So, yes, I’m settling. I’m happy with my husband who,despite his flaws,is a caring father,capable of acts of stunning generosity and fiercely protective of his family. Thinking about him may not set me on fire as it used to, but after 17 years and two kids, our love is still warm. And I believe that’s good enough.
Listening and Speaking
Before the television was invented, families spent their spare time doing different activities together. Now,most families stay at home and watch TV. But there are a few reasons why watching television can be harmful.
The most important reason why watching TV is bad is it influences how much family members communicate. Parents, grandparents, and other family members have a lot of wisdom to share. This wisdom, however, is often ignored by young people who watch TV.
Furthermore,watching television is bad because it reduces children’s study time. Researchers have found that children who watch little or no television spend three hours a day on study more than frequent TV watchers.
Finally, TV programs can be a bad influence. Some shows,as we all know,include inappropriate language and too much violence. And while there is still a great amount of general discussion as to whether or not children will imitate the bad things they see on TV, many researchers say children do repeat what they see .Several studies link their behaviors to TV programs; for example, children are three times more likely to get into fights at school if they watch violent TV programs.
Supplementary Listening
1. M: Hello? Yes, Um,can I get some help over here?
W: Sure thing,handsome. What’ll it be?
M: A menu,please.
W: We don’t serve food-just the beers you see on the wall.
M: All right .What about that one? It’s German, right?
W: Yeah,It is. Is that what yon’d like?
M: That’ll do. But I’d like a cold one if you got one.
W: Sure thing, sweetie. That’ll be $6.25.
M: Say, you’re kinda friendly, wren’t you?
W: Suppose it comes with the job. It pays to be nice to people,don’t you think?
M: I suppose it does. That’s what my mother said to me anyway. Oh, wait. Wait a second. Oh no. I can’t believe this.
W: What’s wrong?
M: I think I left my wallet somewhere.
W: Quick, look around. It’s gotta be around here. Maybe on the floor.
M: No … it's not there. I don’t know where it could be. Any chance you can be nice and give
the beer for free?
W: No chance of that happening. No,if no one’s paying,I’m not nice.
Q: 1. What is the man doing in this conversation?
2. Where does this conversation take place?
3. What does the man want?
4. What did the man’s mother teach him?
5. When is the woman friendly?
2. It’s difficult to know what is truly happening inside a relationship. Though a woman might appear to be happy,she may be a victim of violence. And though a man may appear to be gentle, he might not actually be. Every year estimates range from 3.4 million acts of violence against a wife or girlfriend to 3 .9 million in this small country.
This is bad news. Unfortunately, there is more. Nearly one-third of women reported being beaten by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. Some of this violence resulted in injuries that required a doctor’s care. Thirty-seven percent of women who sought emergency room treatment for violence-related injuries in 2005 were injured by their own husbands or boyfriends. What’s more, twenty-six percent of all female murder victims in 2006 were killed by their partners.
What this means is that we as a society must look for the signs of violence. Do you know someone who often gives poor excuses for being hurt? Maybe you should talk with her about violence. Often a woman will stay in a violent relationship because she believes her husband or boyfriend loves her. But she should know that violence does not equal love.
Q: 1. According to the passage, what is difficult?
2. How many women are beaten by a husband or boyfriend per year?
3. What can we infer from this passage?
4. What percentage of female murder victims were killed by a partner in 2006?
5. Why does a woman often choose to stay in a violent relationship?
3. Who doesn’t love being in love? A true love listens to talk about work, lets you have that last 1)slice of pie, and (usually) remembers to take out the trash. He is ready to forget all kinds of 2)misunderstandings . And he always thinks you’re 3)beautiful , even without makeup.
Scientists have long been keen to prove that love gives us health 4)benefits too. Researchers can’t say for sure that a lover is more important than a loving family or warm friendship when it comes to 5)wellness . But they are learning more about how a romantic partner makes us stronger, with health gains that 6)range from faster healing and better control over illnesses to living longer.
The benefits of love are 7)explicit and measurable. A study last year from the University of Pittsburgh found that women in good marriages have a much lower risk of hear disease than those in high-stress relationship. The National Love and Health Study 8) has been tracking more than a million subjects since 1979 . The study shows that married people live longer, 9)have fewer heart attack and lower cancer rates , and even get pneumonia less frequently than singles. A new study from the University of Iowa also found that caner patients with 10)a strong sense of connection to others and in satisfying relationships were better able to fight off cancer. It seems that love helps people strengthen their immune systems.
答案:
Unit 1
Warming up
1. F 2.NG 3.T
Listening
Short conversations
1. C 2.D 3.A 4.D 5.B 6.A 7.D 8.C 9.A 10.B
Long conversation
1.A 2.C 3.B 4.B 5.D
Passage
1.B 2.A 3.C 4.C 5.C
Radio program
1. a journalism degree
2. pretty good
3. about what she has
4. you just want more
5. protective of his family
Homework
Task 1
1.C 2.C 3.A 4.D 5.B
Task 2
1.A 2.C 3.D 4.C 5.D
Task 3
1.slice
2.misunderstandings
3.beautiful
4.benefits
5.wellness
6.range
7.explicit
8.has been tracking more than a million sujects since 1979
9.have fewer heart attacks and lower cancer rates
10.a strong sense of connection to others and in satisfying relationship