新世纪大学英语4视听说听力原文.docx

1、新世纪大学英语4视听说听力原文Unit 1OL2 (A)Jack: I think we should buy a bigger car. Big cars are safer.Kayla: Yes, but on the other hand, they consume more oil.Jack: They also look really cool.Kayla: Thats true, but there are some SUVs which are not big but also very beautiful.Jack: And I think big cars are more

2、fun to drive.Kayla: But then again, its very expensive.Jack: Well, lets get more information about several kinds of cars, okay?OL2(B)My country has two very famous buildings called the Petronas Towers. The buildings are made of glass, steel, and concrete. They were designed by an American architect,

3、 but he used a Malaysian style. They were finished in 1998, and they were the tallest buildings in the world at that time. Each tower has 88 floors, and is 452 meters high. I really like the Petronas Towers. They show both the modern and the traditional side of my countryOL3Modern buildings: We love

4、 them, We hate them The world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris is almost 500 years old, and it faced a very modern problem: There simply wasnt enough space for six million visitors each year. In 1989, American architect I.M. Pei designed a striking glass pyramid in the buildings center to be a visitor

5、entrance and shopping arcade. But he also started an angry debate. Some people felt his glass building was a piece of art, like the ones inside the museum. Others said it was just an ugly, modern mistake. Kyoto, Japan, is the countrys ancient capital, and the heart of its culture. Its railroad stati

6、on was too small for the millions of visitors. In 1997, the city completed a new station in a huge shopping center, right in the oldest part of the city. Designed by Hiroshi Hara, the building also contains a hotel and department store. Before it was built, critics said that the high, wide, modern b

7、uilding would destroy the citys traditional look. On the other hand, supporters said it would bring new life into the city center.OL4The future building boom?Interviewer: What do you think is the biggest problem facing our cities?Erika: I think its overcrowding. Talk to anyone living in a major metr

8、opolitan area and they will say the same thing: Theres no space. Even the suburbs are getting crowded.Interviewer: Well, in some places there simply isnt any land left for building, right?Erika: Yes, thats true, but you have to think creatively. You cant give up so easily.Interviewer: Think creative

9、ly? What do you suggest?Erika: What Im saying is that we can build more structures underground. We can add parking lots, malls, hotels, and even apartment buildings. Theres plenty of space.Interviewer: Isnt it expensive?Erika: Yes, it can be. In the past building underground has been very expensive.

10、 However, we have new technology that will bring the cost down. It involves using robots. You dont have to pay robots a salary!Interviewer: Isnt “building down” more dangerous than other kind of construction?Erika: Actually, I think its safer than building skyscrapers, for example. Remember, we alre

11、ady do it. We have subways and underground shopping malls. Im just suggesting we invest in a variety of bigger projects and that we dig deeper.Interviewer: What would you say to people who doubt your idea?Erika: I can understand their feelings. Whenever theres a new idea, it can cause controversy. B

12、ut “building down” is not some kind of impractical idea. It makes sense. There is so much space underground: it can accommodate a lot of traffic, storage, and people. With the new technology we have, wed be crazy not to consider the idea-its the wave of the future!Unit 2OL2 (A)Penny: Hello. Your Com

13、puter World sales department.Ted: Hi, Penny. Its Ted.Penny: Oh, hi, Ted. Whats up?Ted: Well, my computer has crashed again.Penny: Oh no!Ted: Oh, yes. Thats why Im calling. You know, its five years old. And I needto speak to Scott about getting a new one.Penny: Well, youve called at a good time. We h

14、ave some attractive new models.Ted: Great! Im looking for something affordable. And I want to get somethingportable this time.Penny: Im sure Scott can help you with thatLets see, he is in a meeting until 3:30. Ill ask him to call you.Ted: No, thats OK. Ill call him after 3:30. Please give him the me

15、ssage.OL2 (B) E-mail is my favorite way to communicate. I think it is as fast as a fax machine,and it is as easy as a cell phone. Of course e-mail has some problems, too. It isnt asaffordable as ordinary mail, because you need a computer and Internet service. And Idont think it is as reliable as a f

16、ax machine. Sometimes e-mail messages get lost. Butin my opinion, e-mail is as convenient as a cell phone. I can send a message from myhome or office, and my friends can read it when they have time.OL3In todays report, we look at a new technology called pervasive computing.Pervasive computing means

17、putting tiny computers into everyday electronic appliances, such as toasters and microwaves. With pervasive computing, appliances can communicate with their users and with other appliances!Some companies now sell pervasive computing products like a “smart” toaster. It remembers your favorite kind of

18、 toast: light or dark. Companies are designing a “smart” coffee maker and a “smart” clock. The coffee maker can measure the water and coffee. It can even put milk in your breakfast coffee and make black coffee in the afternoon. The clock will check the time on other clocks in your house, and give in

19、formation about other appliances. For example, it can tell you, “Your coffee maker needs more water.”And thats only the beginning. One company is now advertising “Save time phone your washing machine!” Engineers are making a “smart” house. In this house, the lights, heater, and air conditioner chang

20、e automatically when family members come home. This makes the home comfortable, and it saves a lot of energy. Pervasive computing could change many parts of our daily lives.But do people really want pervasive computing? Do they really need technology everywhere? One company asked people about their

21、opinions on “smart” appliances. There were surprises. A “smart” refrigerator can buy more food on the Internet, but people didnt want it, because it might make mistakes.“Pervasive computing is as important as a telephone,” says Rebecca Blair, president of InnoTech Corporation. But some of these prod

22、ucts are not useful, or even practical. Companies should learn more about the technology that people really want. OL4Local girl rescued She may have a broken leg, but she cant be happier. Morgan Bailey, 11, is happy to be alive.Tuesday was like any other day for Morgan. She was at school. It was fou

23、rth period, and she was the first student to arrive in the gymnasium for her physical education class.Suddenly there was a loud noise.“There was a sharp cracking noise and then a loud boom. After that, I dont remember anything,” said Morgan. The roof of the gymnasium had collapsed under the heavy sn

24、ow. Morgan was trapped underneath. She couldnt escape. “I woke up and there was a big piece of wood on my leg. I couldnt move it. I was starting to get cold.”Fortunately, help was nearby. A new program using “rescue robots” was tried for the first time.“We were nervous about using the robot,” said D

25、errick Sneed, the man in charge of the program. “But in the end, the robot gave us reliable information. It went extremely well.”The rescue robot was able to go into the gym and locate Morgans exact position.“We send in robots first because it may not be safe for humans,” said Mr. Sneed. “Human bein

26、gs are not as useful as robots in some situations. A gas leak, for example, could kill you or me but wouldnt hurt a robot.”Although it didnt happen in Morgans case, some rescue robots can bring fresh air or water to people who are trapped.Rescue robots go into rough, dangerous places. They work in l

27、ife or death situations. They have to be durable.Doctors say that Morgan is doing well. She should be going home in two or three days. What is the first thing she wants to do after she gets out of the hospital?“I want to meet my hero,” laughs Morgan. “That little robot that saved my life!”Unit 3OL2A

28、my: John, Ive never notice this old photo of your family before.John: My mother just found it in the attic. She decided to hang it up.Amy: Its a nice picture of your family.John: I think its embarrassing. And I look stupid.Amy: Well, you couldve combed your hairits a nice shot, though. Look at how y

29、oung you are! How old were you in the photo?John: Eightno wait, Id just turned nine.Amy: I guess these two people are your parents. John: Yep. They were married when that picture was taken. Now theyre divorced.Amy: Oh. What do they do?John: My fathers retired. Mom works in a hospital.Amy: What are t

30、heir names?John: Well, my fathers name is Joseph. My mother is Olivia she was named after a popular actress.Amy: How great! I have an aunt with the same name. I love the name OliviaWhos that guy?John: Which one?Amy: The guy standing behind you. Is that your brother, Tom?John: No, thats my Uncle Rand

31、y. Hes only two years older than my brother.Amy: Hes cute. I love a guy with a mustache.John: Um, sorry, but hes married now. his wife just had a baby.Amy: I was just making a commentSo the other young guy must be your brother.John: Yes. Thats Tom.Amy: How old is he in the picture?John: Lets seehes

32、nine years older than me, so he wouldve been 18 then.Amy: And theres your little sister, Tina. Shes so cute!John: Yeah. Shes two years younger than me. Its hard to believe shes in high school now!OL3A bank robbery in Virginia, USA, was stopped when the robber and the bank teller couldnt reach an agreement. The robber pushed a holdup note under the window, but the teller looked at it, said, “I cant read this,