Unit 10
Part Two
Listening I
I was born across the street from the public library, and in my memory it remains my favorite spot in my hometown. When I was six I learned to read. From the beginning, language seemed like magic to me. Recently I read that Freud said, "Words and magic were in the beginning one and the same thing, and even today words retain much of their magical power."
During the Christmas season of 1927, when I was a sophomore in high school, I hung out in the street with other kids of my age. The weather was so harsh we played indoors, and after swimming and running and tumbling, we became bored. I suggested we hold a contest to see who could keep a diary the longest. My challenge was accepted by two of my friends. One wrote his diary for two weeks, the other three months, and here I am, still writing mine when I am 50. It has taught me that one way to find the truth is to tell the truth.
Questions:
1. What is the speaker's favorite spot in his hometown?
2. When did the speaker learn to read?
3. Why did the speaker play indoors during the Christmas season of 1927?
4. How long has the speaker been writing his diary?
5. What has the speaker learned from writing his diary?
Exercise 1 1. B 2. A 3. B 4. C 5. B
Exercise 2 1. T 2. F 3. T 4. F 5.F
Listening II
On Aging
by Maya Angelou
When you see me sitting quietly,
Like a sack left on the shelf,
Don't think I need your chattering.
I'm listening to myself.
Hold! Stop! Don't pity me!
Hold! Stop your sympathy!
Understanding if you got it,
Otherwise I'll do without it!
When my bones are stiff and aching
And my feet won't climb the stair,
I will only ask one favor:
Don't bring me no rocking chair.
When you see me walking, stumbling,
Don't study and get it wrong.
'Cause tired don't mean lazy
And every goodbye ain't gone.
I'm the same person I was back then,
A little less hair, a little less chin,
A lot less lungs and much less wind.
But ain't I lucky I can still breathe in.
Exercise 1
1. quietly 2. myself 3. pity 4. sympathy 5. Understanding
6. favor 7. rocking 8. wrong 9. tired 10. lazy
11. same 12. lucky
Part Three More Listening
Practice One
A teacher, a petty thief and a lawyer all died and went to the pearly gates. Because of crowding, St. Peter told them they had to pass a test before ascending any further. Addressing the teacher, he asked, "What was the name of the famous ship that hit an iceberg and sank?"
"The Titanic," she answered, and St. Peter motioned her into heaven.
The thief was next. "How many people died on that ship?" St. Peter asked.
"Gee, that's tough," the man replied. "But luckily I just saw the movie. The answer is 1,500." St. Peter let him through.
Then St. Peter turned to the lawyer, "Name them."
Exercise 1 1. name of the ship
2. number of people/ passengers
3. names of the people/ passengers
Exercise 2
1. N 2. F 3.
T 4. F 5. T
Practice Two
(The following is a short radio drama concerning two friends, David and John, who both play on a football team.)
David: I am back from the doctor. He told me I was going to die next week.
John: Oh, that seems impossible, David. You are in such good health.
Narrator: David takes from his pocket a medical certificate and shows it to his friend. After reading it, John realizes the doctor is right. He tries to reassure his friend, but also asks David to promise to send news as soon as he arrives in Paradise. One week later, as the doctor said, David dies. A month goes past without news, then two. At last, after three months, David calls his friend.
John: Hello, how are you, David?
David: Fine, thanks. I've got good news and bad news, John.
John: I'd rather you would begin first with the good news.
David: OK, listen. In Paradise, everything is marvelous. The sun shines all the time and people are so lovely. And, if you may remember, I played on a little team down there but here I play with the best players. Also, I am sure you have never seen such a big football stadium. Angels and God are our public. You know, it is really marvelous.
John: Oh, yes. It sounds wonderful. I am really happy for you. BUT you haven't told me the bad news, David.
David: Ah yes, my friend. Your name is marked on the notice board. You are going to play in two weeks.
Statements:
1. David and John are both football players.
2. John thinks that David is joking when David says he is going to die.
3. John doesn't believe what David has told him until he goes to the doctor and sees the medical certificate.
4. David promises to send good news to John from Heaven to relieve his sorrow.
5. It is not until two months after David dies that John gets a call from David.
6. David tells John that life in Heaven is pleasant and people there are friendly.
7. David tells John that Angels and God all like to play football.
8. We can infer from the drama that John will die soon.
Exercise 1 1. T 2. T 3. F 4. F 5.F 6.T 7.F 8. T
Exercise 2
1. marvelous 2. shines 3. lovely 4. little team
5. the best players 6. football stadium 7. public
8. name 9. notice board 10. in two weeks
Practice Three
Speaker A:
Actually it was one of the first lessons I'd ever taught. I had this beginners' class, and I'd noticed that everything I wrote down on the blackboard they'd copy down into their books. So we were doing the days of the week, and I wrote them all up on the board and I decided to write an eighth day and called it "my day", and sure enough there were some who diligently wrote it down. I then tried to convince them that in Australia we had eight days a week, but they didn't fall for that one.
Speaker B:
I've always been interested in psychology and I decided to try out an experiment of my own. I had this advanced class and I wanted to do a lesson on speech and silence. The idea was that I'd go in the
class, sit down and say nothing and then see how long it would take for someone in the class to say something. Then the students would be able to compare what they'd been thinking during this silence, plus a general discussion on how silence can be embarrassing, and also why people find it difficult or are reluctant to say something when they don't understand what is going on. The fact is that I fell asleep; this was the last lesson of the day and I hadn't slept much the night before.
Statements:
1. The story happened in a psychology class.
2. The teacher tried to carry out an experiment on speech and silence in his class.
3. It was a long time before students started to talk.
4. The students were reluctant to get involved in a general discussion.
5. The teacher himself finally fell asleep in his class.
Exercise 1
1. beginners’ 2. copy down 3. days of the week
4. an 8th day 5. sure enough 6. convince 7. Australia
8. that one
Exercise 2 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. F 5.T
Practice Four
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them—work, family, health, friends and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls—family, health, friends and spirit—are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same.
You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?
Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different and each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as they would be your life. For without them, life is meaningless.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
Exercise 1
1. work, family, health, friends, spirit
2. work / bounce back / marked/ damaged
Exercise 2
1. undermine your worth 2. special 3. set your goals
4. take for granted 5. meaningless 6. slip through y
our fingers
7. all the days 8. give up 9. stop trying 10. encounter risks
11. to be brave 12. shut 13. give 14. hold 15. wings
16. learn 17. treasure 18. retrieved 19. race 20. journey
Part Four Testing Yourself
Section I
Andrew Carnegie, known as the King of Steel, built the steel industry in the United States, and, in the process, became one of the wealthiest men in America. His success resulted in part from his ability to sell the product and in part from his policy of expanding during periods of economic decline, when most of his competitors were reducing their investments.
Carnegie believed that individuals should progress through hard work, but he also felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society. He opposed charity, preferring instead to provide educational opportunities that would allow others to help themselves. "He who dies rich, dies disgraced," he often said.
Among his more noteworthy contributions to society are those that bear his name, including the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh, which has a library, a museum of fine arts, and a museum of national history. He also founded a school of technology that is now part of Carnegie Mellon University. Other generous gifts he gave to society are the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to promote understanding between nations, the Carnegie Institute of Washington to fund scientific research, and Carnegie Hall to provide a center for the arts.
Few Americans have been left untouched by Andrew Carnegie's generosity. His contributions of more than five million dollars established 2,500 libraries in small communities throughout the country and formed the nucleus of the public library system that we all enjoy today.
Questions:
1. What is the key to Carnegie's success in his business?
2. According to Carnegie, what should the wealthy do?
3. What did Carnegie do with his wealth?
4. What is the total amount of money Carnegie donated to library establishment?
5. Which of the following statements in NOT true for Carnegie?
1. D 2. B 3. D 4.C 5. A
Section II
Host: Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen. It gives me great pleasure to introduce our keynote speaker for today's plenary address, Dr. Howard Miller. Dr. Miller, Professor of Sociology at Washington University, has written numerous articles and books on the issues facing older Americans in our aging society for the past 15 years. Dr. Miller...
Dr. Miller: Thank you for that introduction. Today, I'd like to begin my remarks with a story from my own life which I feel highlights our common concerns that bring us here. Several years ago when my grandparents were well into their eighties, they were faced with the reality of no longer being able to adequately care for themselves. My grandfather spoke of his greatest fear, that of leaving the only home they had known for the past 60 years. Fighting back the tears, he told of how he had built their home h
imself from the beginning to the very end. The prospect of having to sell it, give up their independence, and move into a retirement home was an extremely upsetting experience for them. He said that he felt they weren't considered important anymore.
For them and some older Americans, their so-called "golden years" are at times not so pleasant, for this period can mean the decline of not only one's health but the loss of identity and self-worth. In many societies, this self-identity is closely related with our social status, occupation, material possessions, or independence. Furthermore, we often live in societies that value only those things which are "new" or in fashion. I mean, how would your family react if you came home tonight, exclaiming, "Hey, come to the living room and see the OLD black and white TV I brought!" Unfortunately, the word "old" raises images of the need to replace or discard.
Now, many of the lectures given at this conference have focused on the issues of pension reform, medical care, and the development of public facilities for senior citizens. And while these are vital issues that must be addressed, I'd like to focus my comments on an underlying issue that will affect the overall success of the other programs mentioned. This has to do with altering our perspectives on what it means to be a part of this group, and finding meaningful roles the elderly can and should play in our societies.
1. C 2. B 3. D 4.A 5. B
Section III
A man once passed through a forest in Africa, walking at his leisure, smelling the flowers and admiring the beauty of the place. Suddenly he heard the sound of fast approaching danger that was loud and frightening. When he turned, it was to face a large lion rushing at him. The lion's thin waist made evident its hunger. With the lion chasing him, the man's heart nearly leaped out at the sight of it, and so he started to run for his life.
The lion was about to catch up with him when the man came upon a well. Then with a mighty leap he jumped into the well and ended up dangling in the heart of the well hanging onto a rope.
The lion's voice eventually quieted, but he soon heard the hissing of a snake that had a giant head and a long body which came from somewhere below him. Just as the man was thinking of what to do with the lion and the snake, a black mouse and a white one climbed up to where the rope was attached and started to nibble away at the rope.
The man was shocked and so started to shake the rope, hoping to get rid of the mice. As he did so the rope began to swing and knocked him against the walls. The man felt something wet and sticky come into contact with his sides as he banged against the walls. The man licked the substance only to find that it was honey, the type made by bees in the forests and mountains. The honey was so sweet and delicious that he continued to lick it and forgot the situation he was in.
Suddenly the man woke up. It was all just a horrible dream! So the man
decided he should get his dream interpreted. He went to meet a knowledgeable scholar who was good at interpreting dreams. He told the scholar of his dream. The scholar laughed and said, "Don't you know its interpretation?"
The man said he didn't. So the scholar replied, "The lion that was chasing you was the angel of death and the well with the snake in it was your grave and the two mice are the nights and the days that are passing in your life".
The man asked, "And how about the honey?"
The scholar replied, "That is the sweet taste of life that is distracting you and making you forget death."
1. interpret 2. forest 3. flowers 4. chased 5.run
6. catch 7. jumped 8. giant 9.long 10.black
11. white 12. shaking 13. wet 14. sweet 15. delicious
16. angel 17. grave 18. nights 19. days 20. taste