聽力原文

text1

W: Dad, I need a few supplies for school and I was wondering if...

M: Yeah, there are a couple of pencils and. an eraser in the kitchen drawer, I think.

W: Dad, I am in the eighth grade now. And I need real supplies for my demanding classes.

M: Oh, so you need a ruler, too.

W: Dad, I need some high-tech things, like a calculator, and an MP3, and a computer.

M: Ur? I didn’t have any of that when I was in middle school. And I did just fine.

W: Yeah, and there weren’t any cars, either, were there?

M: Well, we can forget the MP3, whatever, and the computer, and actually the calculator. Yeah... I think perhaps you might...

W: Dad, I need a calculator for geometry.

M: OK, how much is this thing going to cost me?

W: Well, I saw it at a store for only 99 dollars, or you could buy it online. Dad, please. Everyone has one. And you always say you want me to be the best in school. And I’ll contribute 10 dollars of my own.

M: When do you need it?

W: Now, right now.

text2

W: So, I was just hanging out in San Francisco the other weekend.

M: I love San Francisco.

W: What a great town!

M: I mean if it wasn’t so expensive, I’d totally be there. Ur.

W: Me too, exactly. God, ur, you know, there are so many things to do and...

M: Did you run out of...

(The man’s cell phone rings)

M: Oh, hold on. Hello, yeah, hey! How’s it going? No, no! I mean, I...I can’t visit you tonight. I don’t think I can. Really? I’ll call you back. All right! OK, bye! I am sorry, ur, what were you saying?

W: You know, I just have to say, I... I’m sorry, I hate it when people do that. I think that it is so rude. When we’re having a conversation, and your phone rings, and you just, you know, you are so involved in your conversation that I am left hanging.

M: Yeah, I mean.

W: I think it’s rude.

M: I am sorry, I mean, when people call you, don’t you feel like...ur, it could be something important? I should at least check.

W: I actually... Ur, don’t have a cell phone.

text3

M: I’m feeling unhappy. You know, I gave a good friend of mine a gift two weeks ago.

W: Dr huh?

M: And I haven’t got any message of receipt to the gift. I’m still waiting to hear from her.

W: That’s probably one of my biggest problems right now. When I was a kid, my parents told me to write a thank-you card that moment. When someone gives you a gift to honor your arrival, your birthday, a holiday or any other vacation, it is best to write them a card, thanking them for the gift.

M: Immediately.

W: Yes. Write the card, push it in the mail.

M: That’s right.

W: Nobody does it any more. And it drives me crazy.

M: It’s...it’s gone out... I guess. I think it’s very rude.

W: Do you think it’s inconvenient or people don’t know how to do it because maybe they weren’t read and taught to write a thank-you card?

M: I think it’s a combination of both. People aren’t doing it as much and...

W: That’s horrible.

M: Coz they didn’t learn from their parents.

W: It’s absolutely horrible.

M: Yeah.

text4

M: There are seven million people in my city and everyone lives within 15 kilometers off the center. Wow! All cities of this size suffer from the modern problems of pollution, etc. You must disagree that overcrowding affects every part of our lives in the city. Here’s an example. We often face difficulties with both public and private transport. Buses can be slow and uncomfortable because all the people are using them. And using cars is almost impossible in some cities. You’ve guessed the result- traffic jam! Parking in the rush hour? Forget it! Another area of our lives that is affected is the actual space we’re living in Space? That’s a joke! In cities people often have to share narrow stairs with strangers, move around small rooms. And 99% of homes have no gardens. This can cause problems with neighbors and stress within families.

There are two main things that could be done and I’ll get straight to the point. My first suggestion is that there should be more planning. Let’s use all the existing free space in the cities. My second recommendation would be that the government should encourage areas outside big cities to become less dependent on city centers. People would then have less reason to get on my No. 68 bus.

text5

M: Have you heard the local newspaper The Times is closing down in three months’ time?

W: Then, that’s good news. That newspaper is terrible. I won’t miss it.

M: What do you mean? The Times is the best newspaper in the city. If that closes, we’ll only? have the Pioneer and that City Journal, which is too awful for words.

W: You only like The Times because it takes up to 20 pages every day with sports. The City Journal is a great paper. And you don’t like it because it doesn’t devote 5 pages every? day to baseball results.

M: This is a baseball city. We’ve got a great team. Why shouldn’t we read about it? Where are we going to get the results now?

W: I think a newspaper needs to meet all the needs of its readers, not just those who like sports.

M: Then what about the Job Section in The Times? That was one of the most useful parts of it. Every business, every store in the city knows if they want to employ someone, get someone to work for them, they have to play some ads in The Times. Have all these people gone to get work now? This will absolutely destroy the local economy.

W: Destroy the local economy, will it? I admit the Job Section with pretty good in The Times, but one of the other two newspapers will just get the ads instead. That’s how things work.

text6

W: Today, I’d like to talk to you about the changing seasons in my city, which was the given topic for this class.

First of all, the winter season usually begins in December and ends in early March. The coldest month is January. And temperatures can drop below freezing for most of this month. Occasionally we have snowstorms that can drop a foot of snow in a very short period of time. Winter activities during this season include skiing and snowshoeing.

Spring usually arrives in late March and the temperatures stay around 50 degrees during the day. It’s a beautiful season because the flowers start to bloom. It’s sometimes windy. People in my city often like to go on picnics, stroll through parks and play outdoor games.

Next, summer starts in June, as temperatures slowly rise to around 80 degrees. The summer in my city is very dry with little rain throughout the season. Fortunately the weather is very pleasant even on hot days. Popular activities during this season include hiking, fishing, camping, water skiing and outdoor sports including football and soccer.

And finally, summer changes to fall in late September when the weather cools off and the trees begin to change colors. A lot of people enjoy driving into the mountains and viewing the fall colors. It is also a time for people to clean up their yards and gardens in preparation for the winter season.

So as you can see, my city has a lot to offer, no matter when you visit this area.