英语中级听力课程Lesson19.docx

英语中级听力课程Lesson19.docx

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英语中级听力课程Lesson19

Lesson19

Presenter:

Thisweek'sfinancialtalkwillbegivenbyourpropertyexpert,JamesMilligan,whoisheretotellusaboutsomesurprisingnewdevelopmentsintheLondonarea.

JamesMilligan:

Goodafternoon.Notsoverylongagoitwouldhavebeenreallyunusualtopay￡1millionforahouse.Unfortunatelythisisnolongerso.Declineintherealvalueofmoneyoverthepastfewyearshasmadepropertyvaluesrocket.Thecheaphouseisathingofthepast.Now,thesaleofa￡1millionhousenolongercausessurprise,norisitlikelytobethesubjectofanewspaperarticle.

  Whatexactlycanweexpecttogetfor￡1milliontoday?

Well,firstofall,space,ofcourse.Livinginlargecitieshasmadeusalltiredoflivinginthosecrampedlittlehousesandflatsbuiltjustafterthewar.Wenowwantspace;spacetoliveandrelaxin,preferablywithagarden.Andthis,ofcourse,iswhatputsthepriceup.Anotherreasonforneedingspaceisthefactthatwehavelargerfamiliesgrowingupunderoneroofandevenquitesmallchildrendemandtheirownroomthesedays,whileteenagersmaydemandanextraroomwheretheycanentertaintheirfriendsprivately.Alsothetrendofgoingouttoeatisdyingoutduetorisingpricesofrestaurantandtransport,sopeopleareoncemorebeginningtoentertainanddineathome,whichrequiresalargerdiningroom.TherearenumerousnewdevelopmentsinLondonatthemomentwhichcanprovideallthisandmore—ifyouhavethemoney!

  AtthemomentthemostfashionableplacesseemtobetheBarbican,StJohn'sWood,Morgan'sWalkinBattersea.PeoplewantingquietintheeveningtendtoprefertheBarbicansituatedinthebusinessheartofthecityandthereforefairlyfreeoftrafficintheevenings,althoughseveraltheatreshaveopenedtherelately.TheBarbicanisalsoforthosewholikelivinghighup,accommodationbeingsituatedmostlyintowerblocks.StJohn'sWood,ontheotherhand,isfavouredmostlybyupper-middleclassfamilieswhopreferadetachedhousesurroundedbyawalledgarden,thusensuringtheirprivacy.Gardensofcoursetendtoraisethepriceofaproperty.ThosenotinterestedingardeningcanchoosefromthegrandmansionsinBatterseawhereyougetawonderfulviewoftheThamesandarestillonlyafewminutesawayfromLondon'stheatresandshops.

  Lookaroundandtakeyourpick.Oh...justmakesurethatyouhavethatmillionpoundsfirst!

Interviewer:

Nowyou'retheFirstLadyofJazz;probablythegreatestbluessingertheworldhaseverknown.Justwhatisitthatmakesyousingasyoudo?

Singer:

Idon'tknow;onenightit'salittlebitslower,thenextnightit'salittlebitlighter.It'sallaccordingtohowIfeel.Ineverfeelthesamewaytwice.Thebluesisamixedupsortofthing.There'stwokindsofblues;there'shappybluesandthere'ssadblues.Idon'tthinkIeversingthesamewaytwice.

Interviewer:

Andhowdidyoubecomeajazzsingerinthefirstplace?

Singer:

Well,itwasallbyaccidentreally.Yousee,IwantedtobeadancersoIwentalongtotryout,youknow,toanauditionandIwasjustakid,Ididn'tknowhowtodanceatall.SoIkeptdoingthetwostepsIdidknowoverandoveruntiltheytoldmetogetoffthestage.ButIguessthepianistfeltsortofsorryformebecausehecalledmebackandaskedmeifIcouldsing.Huh,'CourseIcansing,man,'Itoldhim;'I'vebeensingingallmylife.Whatthehelluseisthat?

'Andthenheaskedmetosingabluessong,StLouisBlues,Ithinkitwas,andIjustkeptonsingingandhejustkeptonplaying,andintheendIhadajob.ThatwasonWest42ndStreet.Nowthatwasthestreetforjazzinthosedays.AndslowlyIbecameknown;peoplestartedcomingtoseemeratherthanjusttolistentotheorchestra,andthat'showitstarted.Imean,itbeganlikethatandit'sjustbeengoingoneversince.

Interviewer:

You'veneverlookedbackandyou'vebeensuccessfuleversince?

Singer:

Well,itwasn'tquiteaseasyasitsounds.Imean,whenIstartedoutIdidn'tknowanything,Imeanlikechordsandsharpsandflats.Ijustsang.Butifyou'regoingtosingjazzyouhavetoknowthesethings.AndpeoplewereveryniceandkindtomeandtheyslowlytaughtmewhatkeyIhadtosingeachsongin.Andthat'showIreallybecameaprofessionalmusician.Imean,thebeginningwasjustluck,butifyouwanttostayatthetopyoureallyhavetoknowyourjob.Youhavetoknowwhatyou'redoingandyouhavetoknowhowtobeabletochangeittogowiththepublic'staste;withthechangingfashions.Otherwiseyoufindyourselfoutofworkandbackonthestreetswhereyoustartedfrom.

Interviewer:

Butsurely,youneverneededtogowiththefashions?

Imean,you'vealwaysbeenpopular.

Singer:

Well,that'strueuptoapoint.Andifyou'regoodenoughyoucanevenchangethefashions.I'veneverdonethat.I'vealwayssungwhatIwantedandiftheydidn'tlikeit,theydidn'thavetobuyit.I'venevermadeafortunefrommymusicbecauseIwon'tsingjustanydamnthing.IchoosewhatIwanttosing.ButanythingIdosingispartofmylife.SoithastobeimportanttomebeforeI'llsingit.Ithinkthisiswhypeoplelikemymusic;theyknowthatwhateverIsayinmysongsIreallybelieveandthismeanssomethingtothemandhelpsthemintheirlives.I'mnotarichpopsingerandneverwantedtobe.Andthere'sbeenalotofscandalattachedtomylife.Someofit'strue;someofit'snot.ButatleastI'vealwaysbeenmytrueselfinmymusicandI'llalwaysstaythatway.IthinkaguycalledShakespeareoncewrote'Untothineownselfbetrueandthoucanstnotthentoanymanbefalse'.Well,that'showIfeelwhenI'msingingmysongs.Youmaylikethem,youmayhatethem,butnobodycansaythatI'mnotsingingfromdeepdowninsidemyself.Iwon'teversinganythingIdon'tbelieveinalthough,asIsaid,it'sneverthesamewaytwonightsrunning:

itmaybehappyonenightandsadthenext.It'sallaccordingtohowIfeel.AndnowI'mfeelingtheneedforadrinkofsomethingstrong;I'vegotfourhoursonstagetonightandthatreallytakesitoutofyou,believeme.

Interviewer:

Gorightaheadandthankyoufortheinterview.

Singer:

That'sOK.Here'sacoupleoftickets;comeandseetheshow.

  Nowfirstwemustidentifythepartsofthishomecomputersystem.Beforewecansetupthesystem,wemustallknowwhatthenamesofthedifferentpartsofthecomputerareandwhattheydo.SofirstI'mgoingtotellyouthenamesofthepartsandwhattheyareusedforinahomecomputersystem.

  First,andmostimportantofall,isyourinstructionmanual.Canyouallseethat?

Theinstructionmanualisthebookofinstructions—ittellsyouhowtosetupyoursystemandthenhowtouseit.OK?

  Next,themonitor.Themonitoristhepartthateveryonecanrecognizeimmediatelybecauseitlooksjustlikeatelevision.Themonitorshowsyoutheinformationyouhavetypedinonthescreen.Youcanchangetheinformation,moveitaroundortakeitaway,whileitisonthescreen.Right?

  Now,whenyouhavefinishedworkingwithyourinformationandyouwantacopyofthisonpaper,thenyouhavetousetheprinter.Theprinterprintsoutonpaperwhatyouhaveonthemonitorscreen.Thenyouhaveacopyofyourworkonpaper.

  Nowthekeyboard.Thekeyboardcontainstheactualcomputeranditlooksjustlikeatypewriter.Eachpieceonthekeyboardiscalledakey.Youhavekeysforletters（a,b,cetc.）andkeysforinstructionstothecomputer.Youhavetobeabletotypeifyouwanttouseacomputerproperly.

  Nowwhathavewegotleft?

Ahyes,the2floppydiscsandthediscdrive.Thediscdriveisquitesimple—it'sthepartofthesystemthatoperatesthefloppydiscs,wesayitpowersthefloppydiscs.Youputthefloppydiscsintothediscdriveandthediscdrivemakesthemwork.

  Sofinally,thetwofloppydiscs.Youneedtwobecausethefirstonecontainstheprogramme—thatis,theinstructions—andthesecondiswhereyoutypeinyourinformationandwheretheprogramworksonthisinformation.Soyoureallyworkonthesecondfloppydisc:

then,whenyouarereadytoprint,theprintertakeseverythingfromthesecondfloppydiscandprintsoutwhatyouhavedone.

  Now,isthatclear?

Arethereanyquestions?

  There'snodoubtthatthecomputerhasenlargedman'sworkingcapacityaswellashisintellectualcapacityenormously.Er...butitbringswithitdangerstomatchthebenefits.Nowbythis,Imeandangertophysicalandmentalwell-beingofthepeoplewhoworkatcomputerterminals,notthedangerstopersonalprivacyornationalorindustrialsecurity.

  There'soneveryalarmingsetofstatisticswhichcomefromasurveydoneintheUKon800pregnantwomen,whohappenedtousecomputerterminalsforamajorpartoftheirworkingday.Innolessthan36%ofthesubjectstherewassomesevereabnormalityduringthepregnancy,enoughtomakeaterminationnecessary.Nowthesefigurescomparesignificantlywithacontrolgroupofpregnantwomenofthesameagebutwhodidnotworkwithcomputerterminals.Theincidenceofsevereabnormalitiesintheircasewasonly16%.ThissurveyconfirmssimilarinvestigationscarriedoutinDenmark,Canada,AustraliaandtheUSA.Now,nooneyethasaclearideaabouttheexactconnectionbetweenworkingwithcomputerterminalsandtheproblemswithpregnancy,butthefiguresatleastsuggestthatthere's,well,acauseforalarm.

  Inmoregeneralterms,increasedstressanddisturbancestovisionhavebeennotedinworkersexposedforlongperiodstothevideoscreen,andinmanycountriestradeunionsofworkersinvolvedwithcomputershavelaiddownthe