高级英语视听说原文.docx

高级英语视听说原文.docx

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高级英语视听说原文

ListeningandSpeaking

Chapter1Napoleon：

FromSchoolboytoEmperor

　　NapoleonwasaFrenchsoldierwhobecameemperorofFrance.Hewasbornin1769ontheislandofCorsica.Whenhewasonly10yearsold,hisfathersenthimtomilitaryschoolinFrance.N.wasn’taverygoodstudentinmostofhisclasses,butheexcelledinmathematicsandmilitaryscience.Whenhewas16yearsold,hejoinedtheFrencharmy.Inthatyearhebeganthemilitarycareerthatbroughthimfame,power,riches,and,finally,defeat.N.becameageneralintheFrencharmyattheyoungageof24.Severalyearslater,hebecametheemperoroftheFrenchEmpire.

　　N.wasmanythings.Hewas,firstofall,abrilliantmilitaryleader.Hissoldierswerereadytodieforhim.Asaresult,N.wonmany,manymilitaryvictories.AtonetimehecontrolledmostofEurope,butmanycountries,includingEngland,Russia,andAustriafoughtfiercelyagainsthim.Hisdefeat–hisend–camewhenhedecidedtoattackRussia.InthismilitarycampaignagainstRussia,helostmostofhisarmy.

ThegreatFrenchconquerordiedalone--desertedbyhisfamilyandfriends–in1821.N.wasonly51yearsoldwhenhedied.

ListeningFactoid#1

ThecauseofNapoleon'sdeathattheageof51ontheislandofSt.Helenaisstillamystery.Thereisnodoubtthataverysickmanatthetimeofhisdeath.Onetheoryaboutthecauseofhisdeathisthathehadstomachcancer.Anothertheoryisthathewasdeliberatelypoisonedbyaservant.Thisthirdtheorysuggeststhathewaspoisoned,butnotbyhisservant.Thisthirdtheorysuggeststhatthathewaspoisoned,accidentallybyfumesfromthewallpaperwereanalyzedandtracesofarsenicwerefoundinit.ArsenicispowerfulpoisonthatwasusedinsomeofthedyesinwallpaperduringthetimethatNapoleonlived.Morethan170yearsafterhisdeath,peoplearestillspeculatingaboutthecauseofhisdeath.

ListeningFactoid#2

1.Tenpeoplewhospeakmakemorenoisethan10,000whoaresilent.

2.Inpolitics,stupidityisnotahandicap.

3.Amanwillfightharderforhisintereststhanforhisrights.

4.Menofgeniusaremeteorsintendedtoburntolighttheircentury.

5.Iknow,whenitisnecessary,howtoleavetheskinoftheliontotaketheskinofthefox.

6.Historyistheversionofpasteventsthatpeoplehavedecidedtoagreeupon.

7.Itissuccesswhichmakesgreatmen.

Chapter2Pompeii：

Destroyed,Forgotten,andFound

TodaymanypeoplewholiveinlargemetropolitanareassuchasParisandNewYorkleavethecityinthesummer.Theygotothemountainsortotheseashoretoescapethecitynoiseandheat.Over2,000yearsago,manyrichRomansdidthesamething.TheyleftthecityofRomeinthesummer.ManyofthesewealthyRomansspenttheirsummersinthecityofPompeii.P.wasabeautifulcity;itwaslocatedontheocean,ontheBayofNaples.

Intheyear79C.E.,ayoungboywholaterbecameaveryfamousRomanhistorianwasvisitinghisuncleinP..Theboy’snamewasPlinytheYounger.OnedayPlinywaslookingupatthesky.Hesawafrighteningsight.Itwasaverylargedarkcloud.Thisblackcloudrosehighintothesky.Rockandashflewthroughtheair.WhatPlinysawwastheeruption–theexplosion--ofthevolcano,Vesuvius.ThecityofP.wasatthefootofMt.V..

Whenthevolcanofirsterupted,manypeoplewereabletofleethecityandtoescapedeath.Infact,18,000peopleescapedtheterribledisaster.Unfortunately,therewasnotenoughtimeforeveryonetoescape.Morethan2,000peopledied.Theseunluckypeoplewereburiedaliveunderthevolcanicash.Theeruptionlastedforabout3days.Whentheeruptionwasover,P.wasburiedunder20feetofvolcanicrockandash.ThecityofP.wasburiedandforgottenfor1,700years.

Intheyearof1748anItalianfarmerwasdiggingonhisfarm.Ashewasdigging,heuncoveredapartofawalloftheancientcityofP..Soonarchaeologistsbegantoexcavate–todig--inthearea.Astimewentby,muchoftheancientcityofP.wasuncovered.TodaytouristsfromallovertheworldcometoseetheruinsofthefamouscityofPompeii.

Listeningfactoid#1

　　In1951,anAustralianpilotpreventedhisplaneformbeingshotdown-byflakformavolcano.TheplanewasflyingoveravolcanoinPapua,NewGuineawhenthevolcanosuddenlyerupted.Itsentashandflak36,000feetintotheair.Bitsofstonepoundedagainsttheplane’swingsandfuselage,butthepilotkeptcontrolandflewtheplanetosafety.Incidentally,almost3,000peopleonthegrounddiedasaresultoftheeruptionofthisvolcano.

Listeningfactoid#2

　　PlinytheYoungersawtheeruptionofMountVesuviusformadistance.Onthedayoftheeruption,theboy’sunclePlinytheElderwasincommandofaRomanfleetwhichwasnotfarofftheshoreofPompeii.OnseeingtheremarkableeruptionofMt.Vesuvius,PlinytheElder,whowasagreatnaturalist,sailedtoshoretotakealookattheeruptionofthemountain.Onhisapproachtotheshore,hewasmetbyashowerofhotcinderswhichgrewthickerandhotterasheadvanced.Hefinallylandedontheshore,andwenttoahouseawayformthebeach.Heevenwenttosleep,butlaterinthenight,theservantswokehimup.Bythen,thehousehadbeguntorocksoviolentlythatPlinyandeveryoneinhishouseholdleftthehouseandwenttowardthebeachtoescape.Tyingpillowcasesontheirheads,andusingtorchestolighttheway,theygropedtheirwaytothebeach.ButitwastoolateforPlinytheElder.Apparently,hebecametiredandlaydownonthegroundtorest.Butwhenhelaydownontheground,hedied.Hisdeathwasprobablyduetocarbondioxidepoisoning.SinceCO2isheavierthanair,ithugsthegroundandmakesitimpossibletobreathewhenoneisclosetotheground.ItislikelythatothersintheareaalsodiedofcarbondioxidepoisoningiftheylaydowntorestonthegroundbelowMt.Vesuvius.

Chapter3LanceArmstrong:

SurvivorandWinner

LanceArmstrongwasbornonSeptember18,1971inasuburbofDallas,Texas,calledPlano.Lancebeganrunningandswimmingcompetitivelywhenhewasonly10yearsold.Bythetimehewas13,hewascompetingintriathlonsandwontheIronKidsTriathlon.Lance’smother,whoraisedL.mostlybyherself,recognizedandencouragedhiscompetitivespirit.

Duringhissenioryearinhighschool,L.wasinvitedtotrainwiththeUSOlympiccyclingdevelopmentalteaminColorado.Fromthattimeon,L.focusedcompletelyoncycling.By1991,L.wastheUSNationalAmateurChampion.Healsowon2majornationalracesthesameyear--evenbeatingsomeprofessionalcyclists.

Althoughhewasgenerallydoingverywell,L.hadhisupsanddowns.In1992,hewasexpectedtodoverywellattheBarcelonaOlympics,butfinishedin14thplace.Thiswasabigdisappointment.L.gotoverthedisappointmentanddecidedtoturnprofessional.Inhisfirstprofessionalrace,the1992ClassicoSanSebastian,heendedupfinishingdeadlast,27minutesbehindthewinner.L.’smothercontinuedtoencourageL.throughhisdifficulttimes.

ThingswentmuchbetterforL.inthefollowingyears.In1993,hewastheyoungestpersontowintheWorldRaceChampionships.Inthesameyear,heenteredtheTourdeFranceforthefirsttime.Hewononestageoftherace,butdroppedoutoftheracebeforefinishing.In1995,heevenwontheClassicoS.S.,theracehehadfinishedlastin,in1992.L.alsowonthemostimportantUStournament,theTourduPont,2times,inboth1995and1996.By1996,L.wasranked7thamongcyclistsintheworld,andhesigneda2-yearcontractwithaFrenchracingteam.Atthattime,everythingwaslookingverygoodforL.A..

However,everythingchangeddramaticallyanddrasticallyinOctoberof1996,shortlyafterhis25thbirthday.Atthistime,L.wasdiagnosedwithadvancedcancerthathadalreadyspreadtohisbrainandlungs.Healmostimmediatelyunderwent2cancersurgeries.Afterthese2surgeries,hewasgivena50-50chanceofsurvivalashebegananaggressive3-monthcourseofchemotherapy.ThechemotherapyleftL.veryweak,butthetreatmentworkedwell.Quitesoonafter,L.wasdeclaredfreeofcancer.L.returnedtocyclingandtrainingonly5monthsafterhewasinitiallydiagnosedwithcancer.Hevowedhewouldreturntocompetitivecyclingbetterthanever.

However,hisFrenchcyclingteamdroppedL.fromtheteam.Theydidn’tbelievethatL.wouldeverbeabletoreturntohisformerlevelofstrengthandendurance.FortunatelytheUSPostalServiceTeambecamehisnewsponsor.WiththesupportoftheUSPostalServiceTeam,L.returnedtoracingin1998.Afteroneparticularlybaddayduringoneofhisraces,L.pulledoveranddecidedhewasdonewithracing.However,afterspendingtimewithhisreallygoodcyclingfriends,L.returnedtoracing,andagainhewasoffagaininpursuitofcyclingvictories!

L.’sbigcomebackwasmarkedbyhisvictoryatthe1999TourdeFrance.L.repeatedthisfeatintheyears2000,2001,2002,2003and2004,foratotalof6consecutivevictoriesintheTourdeFrance,themostprestigiousandthemostgruelingofallcyclingcontests.L.s’TourdeFrancerecordmayneverbebeatenorevenmatched.Interestingly,L.wastheyoungestpersontowintheWorldCyclingChampionshipsin1993andtheoldestpersonevertowintheTourdeFrancein2004!

Inadditiontohisamazingathleticperformance,L.A.hasestablishedtheL.A.Foundation,whichisdevotedtoprovidinginformationaboutcancerandsupporttocancervictims.HehasalsowrittenabookabouthislifeandwinningtheTdF,calledEverySecondCounts,andforL.,everysecondhascounted.

L.A.givesalotofcreditforhissuccesstohismother,whoseindependentspiritandsu