新标准大学英语视听说教程2册unit1-3听力原文 2

Outside view

V/O （画外音）

Harvard University in Cambridge is one of the best universities in the world. We spoke to Alex Jude, the university’s Head of Communications. He explained that Harvard looks for the best and most talented students from around the world.

Alex

Harvard actually seeks students from around the world, the best students that we can find, to study chemistry, or study literature, or study government, or business. Our business school is particularly well-known around the world, as is the medical school and law school, so, um, and, and the Kennedy School of government, for the John F. Kennedy School of Government, so, er, we do seek very, very talented students and we have open doors for them. V/O （画外音）

We asked five students at Harvard to tell us what kind of social life they have. Ashley

Um, well relaxing is a little hard to do around here, but basically, I mean, I still, I, I live nearby anyway, so I see a lot of my friends, and … Um, there’s a good social life here if you look for it. I go to the gym, run. So that’s what I do. Adam

It is whatever you want it to be. It’s good. If you wanna go out party, do anything you can. If you wanna sit in your room and study all night like my friend over here, you can also do that. Brian

Socially, like you said, it’s, it’s a lot of what you make it. Um, we don’t have fraternities here, and so, you know, that’s, it’s obviously not as social. There’s not as many parties as there would be on another campus. Um, but on a Friday or Saturday night, there, there, there will be a party. Usually we end up studying until about 10 o’clock. And then we, and then we’ll go out and have fun maybe, or just watch a movie with friends, or, you know, whatever is going on for the night. Jodie

Not everyone would agree with me, obviously, but it’s, I think it’s a fun place to be. Interviewer: Have you made a lot of friends? Jodie : Oh, definitely. Interview. ：Mm. Jodie: Many.

Interviewer: What, what do you do with your friends?

Jodie: Um, well, I like to go to concerts. I’m in three music groups, so I have lots of rehearsals

during the week for that. Um, just do, you know, some fun things, on the weekend. V/O （画外音）

We asked the Harvard students if they use the Internet.

Ashley: Um, I, I use it a fairly good amount. Um, our library system is online, so I use that a lot.

And a lot of my classes, you know, have to do research papers. You can find a lot of information on there, so.

Interviewer: So how often do you use it, a week, a day?

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Ashley: Um, I use it probably on more of a weekly basis. Maybe three or four times a week.

Brian: Oh yes, definitely. We live through the Internet actually. Well, I do a lot of research

through the Internet, follow my stocks on the Internet. Um, well, even though e-mail is not officially Internet, we, that’s how we communicate a lot at college, so, through the e-mail.

John: Um, I use the internet mostly for, er, I’d say, sort of leisure purposes. I mean, I play, um, I use it for a lot of, I don’t, we don’t have TV in my room, so I use it, uh, uh, go to the CNN website, keep up on current events, things like that. Uh, I also, uh, you know, there’s some little games to play over the Internet. Um, just um, I go to espn.com to see what’s happening, follow the Boston Red Sox, things like that. Um, I think a lot of courses use it to post things, but I, I don’t usually use it that much for research, or things. I tend to use the libraries for such things, so. Listening in

Passage 1 Voice-over

Hi, I’m Nick Carter, and this is SUR, your university radio station. This morning we went around campus to ask freshers – now half-way through their first year – the question, “How are you finding uni?” Here are some of the answers we got.

Speaker 1

It’s cool. It’s everything I hoped it would be. I’m very ambitious, I want to be a journalist and I want to get to the top of the profession. I’ve started writing for the university newspaper so I’ve got my foot on the ladder already. Speaker 2

I’m working hard and the teaching is as good as I expected. And I’ve made some good friends. But I’m very homesick. I’m Nigerian and my family’s so far away. I went home at Christmas for a month – that really helped, but man, I miss my family so much. Speaker 3

“How am I finding uni?” It’s great. It’s not perfect, nothing is, but, like, I’ve got a brilliant social life, just brilliant, and I’ve made lots of friends. For the first few months I just didn’t do, really enough work. But I – I talked about it with my parents and I’m working harder now and getting good grades. Speaker 4

Actually, I’ve been quite lonely to be honest. I’m a bit shy … everyone else seemed to find it so easy to make friends straight away. But things have been better recently – yeah, they have. I’ve joined a couple of clubs and like, it really helps to get to know people when you have shared interests. So, yeah – I’m feeling a lot happier now. Speaker 5

Uni’s great, I love it. My only problem – and it’s quite a big problem – is money. My parents are both unemployed so, you know, they can’t help me financially. My grant just isn’t – it’s just not enough for me to live on, so I’ve taken a part-time job as a waitress – a lot of people I know, like a lot, have had to do the same. I don’t want to have huge debts at the end. Speaker 6

I love my subject, History, and I’m, I’m getting fantastic teaching here. I want to be a university

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lecturer and that means I have to get a first. I have a good social life but work definitely comes first for me.

Passage 2

Oxford and Cambridge – two universities so similar that they are often spoken of together as “Oxbridge”. They’re both in the UK, fairly near London, and both regularly come top in any ranking of the world’s best universities.

The two universities began within a century of each other. Oxford University, now 900 years old, was founded towards the end of the 11th century. In 1209 there was a dispute between the university and the townspeople of Oxford. As a result, some of the Oxford teachers left and founded a university in the town of Cambridge, some 84 miles away. Ever since then, the two institutions have been very competitive.

Unlike most modern universities, both Oxford and Cambridge consist of a large number of colleges. Oxford has 39 and Cambridge 31. Many of these colleges have old and very beautiful architecture, and large numbers of tourists visit them.

In all UK universities, you need good grades in the national exams taken at 18. But to get into Oxford and Cambridge, it’s not enough to get A grades in your exams. You also have to go for a long interview. In these interviews, students need to show that they are creative and capable of original thinking.

Through the centuries, both universities have made huge contributions to British cultural life. They have produced great writers, world leaders and politicians. Cambridge, in particular, has produced scientists whose discoveries and inventions have changed our lives.

Among the great university institutions is the world’s most famous debating society, the Oxford Union, where undergraduates get a chance to practise speaking in public. Cambridge’s comedy club

Footlights has produced many first-class comedians, while some of the UK’s most famous actors and actresses began their careers at The Oxford University Dramatic Society, known as OUDS. Then there’s the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, which takes place every year in March or April, and is watched on television all over the UK.

So with all this excellence in so many fields, it’s not surprising that the ambition of clever students all over the world is to attend either one of these great universities.

Unit 2 Mixed feelings

Inside view

Conversation 1

Kate ：Come in. Hey, Janet. Janet ：Hi Kate, are you busy?

Kate ：Yes, I’m just doing an essay. But it’s great to see you. So what’s new? Janet ：Well, nothing much.

Kate ：You look a bit fed up. What’s bugging you?

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Janet ：Well, I had a phone call from my parents and it made me feel homesick. It happens every

time they call, and it gets me down.

Kate ：I’m sorry to hear that. I know how you feel. I love speaking to my mum and dad, but I

always feel miserable after the call.

Janet ：My dad doesn’t say much, and I want to speak to him, but I wish I knew what to say. Kate ：Don’t let it get to you. My dad doesn’t say much on the phone either. I call, he answers

the phone, and says, “Hi, I’ll pass you to your mother.” It’s really irritating.

Janet ：But I miss him and my mother a lot, and I like to hear his voice. Kate ：Just tell him what you’re up to.

Janet ：Sometimes I feel as if I made a mistake leaving home and coming to Oxford.

Sometimes I feel like a moody teenager.

Kate ：Try not to worry about it, Janet. It’s normal to feel like that. I understand how you feel, but

I bet everything will be fine next term. You’ll get used to it. Hey, why don’t you do what I do?

Janet ：What’s that?

Kate ：When my dad calls, I ask him for more money! He usually says no, but at least I get

to hear his voice!

Janet ：Maybe. I’m sorry to take up your time, Kate, but I must go now. Bye! Kate ：Wait a minute …!

Conversation 2

Kate ：I think I may have upset Janet last night. Mark : What happened?

Kate ：She came to see me. I was busy doing an essay but I was really pleased to see her. She’d

had a call from home, and said she was feeling homesick.

Mark : Poor kid! It must be tough on you guys, living so far away from home.

Kate ：I tried to make her laugh, told her not to worry about it, and that it was normal to feel

miserable. Suddenly she looked miserable, and then she got up and said, “I must go now” and left my room. It was really sudden. I felt as if I’d said something wrong.

Mark ：Maybe she was just being polite. It was probably because she realized you were working

and didn’t want to disturb you.

Kate ：I just wonder if she found it difficult to talk about her feelings with me. Maybe I shouldn’t

have tried to make her laugh? Perhaps she thought I wasn’t taking her seriously.

Mark ：I wouldn’t worry about it. Put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel if you were a

student at college in China?

Kate ：I know. That’s why I feel bad. If only she had stayed longer! I wish I could have helped her more.

Janet ：Hey, everyone!

Mark ：Hi Janet, you look cheerful!

Janet ：Yes, I’ve just got my essay back. I got an alpha minus! Kate ：What an amazing grade! Well done. Mark ：I’m really happy for you, Janet. Janet ：I feel on top of the world!

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