新视野英语听力原文及答案(unit 4)

1、UNIT 4 The Telecommunications RevolutionUNDERSTANDING SHORT CONVERSATIONS1. M: The article entitled A Transformation Is Occurring in the Developing World is helpful for me to write my paper. W: What transformation? M: Telecommunications. The up-to-date telecommunication technologies help people in t

2、hose countries boost their living standards greatly. Q: What are the speakers talking about?2. W: Computers are being widely used and changing our world today. M: Yes. In America and many other countries, wherever a person turns, he finds a computer working somewhere. W: That is why I chose to major

3、 in computer science at the university. Q: What did the woman decide to study?3. M: Operator! Operator! W: This is the operator. May I help you? M: Yes, operator. ! This is 6241 Chester Road. Please send an ambulance fight away. We need a doctor. Q: Why does the man call the operator?4. M: Many deve

4、loping regions see advanced communications as a way to leap over many stages of economic development. W: Thats quite true. Widespread access to information technology can reduce the time required to catch up with Western countries. M: China and Vietnam are just such a case in point. Q: Why are China

5、 and Vietnam mentioned in the conversation?5. W: If I had enough money, I would buy a mobile phone. But as it is I cant do it. M: Youve said it several times. Are you desperate for one? W: Yes. The phone in the dormitory is always busy. I cant have access to it when I need to.6. M: The New York Time

6、s reports that Russia is determined to thrive in the Information Age. W: I also read that article. Russia has a strategic plan to pump $40 billion into various communication projects and is starting to install optical fiber. M: But the problem is that its economy is stuck in recession. How could it

7、have the money to put its plans into practice? Q: What does the man imply? 7. W: As far as telecommunications are concerned, China sets a good example of taking advantage of it. M: Exactly. In a sense, Chinas backwardness is an advantage. W: What do you mean by saying that? Q: What does the woman wa

8、nt the man to explain? 8. W: In the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai was a financial center around the world. M: Now Shanghai is dreaming of becoming a top financial center again. W: But how? M: Perhaps the telecommunication industry will play a key role in this process. Q: What are the speakers mainly tal

9、king about? 9. W: How did you spend your summer holidays? M: I went to Hungary. I had a wonderful time there. W: Oh, really? I am doing research on telecommunications in developing countries. Would you like to give me some information? Q: What does the woman mean?10. M: Nowadays telephones are so wi

10、dely used that we cant imagine what life would be like without them. W: Thats just what I am thinking. M: Do you happen to know how the telephone was invented? W: On March 10, 1876, Bell and Watson were working in separate rooms. Bell spilled some acid on his clothes by accident and said, Mr. Watson

11、, come here. I want you! Watson heard the message through the telephone and came immediately. This was the first complete sentence transmitted over the telephone. Q: What is the conversation mainly about?11. W: What time does your train leave? M: At 6: 30. I want to make some phone calls. Then Ill p

12、ack my suitcase. W: But you have a meeting with Mr. Powers at 3: 30, remember? M: Thats right. I nearly forgot about it. Q: What will the man do before going to the railway station?12. M: My son went to study in Northeastern University last month. W: Northeastern University? Where is it located? M:

13、In Shenyang, the biggest city in the northeast of China. Frankly, I do not know much about that university. My son told me that students there had a well-stocked library at their disposal. Q: What does the man mean?13. W: Now people almost everywhere in the world can speak to each other over the tel

14、ephone. A special telephone can also transmit a picture of the speaker as well as the voice. This device allows deaf people to use the telephone. M: And how is this used? W: By reading lips, or watching the movements of the speakers lips, a deaf person can actually see what the person on the other t

15、elephone is saying. Q: How can deaf people use the special telephone?14. W: I am going to work as a secretary next week. I feel a little nervous because this is my first job. What aspect should I pay special attention to? M: Office calls. W: Office calls? M: Yeah. The first impression that a custome

16、r receives of a company is very often through a telephone contact. A caller who is left hanging on hold will get the feeling that he or she has been forgotten or ignored. And if a call is answered rudely, the caller may become angry. Q: What is the conversation mainly about?15. W: You have a telepho

17、ne call, Mr. Smith. M: Who is it? W: He didnt say. M: Tell him Im out of the office until next Monday. W: All right. Q: What can be inferred from the conversation?16. M: If indeed silence is golden, then it is becoming as rare as gold. W: What do you mean by saying that? M: It seems that mans progre

18、ss includes a rising volume of noise and the calming effects of silence are nowhere to be found. Between sunrise and sunset, streets and highways are a constant source of noise from cars, buses, and trucks. Music is played in every supermarket, most restaurants, and many offices. Q: What is the man

19、complaining about?17. W: Hi, Bob. I havent seen you for a long time. Where have you been? M: I went to Thailand. I worked in the National Telecommunications Corporation for two months and Ive just come back. W: What impressed you most in Thailand? M: The traffic jams and the popularity of mobile pho

20、nes. Q: How long had the man worked in Thailand?18. W: Are you attending the computer sales conference? M: Yes, I am. W: Im from The Mirror. M: The Mirror .? W: Yes. Its a newspaper. Im writing an article about the conference. Could I interview you for my article? Q: What does the woman want the man

21、 to do?19. W: Long distance. May I help you? M: Yes. I want to make a person-to-person call to Denver, please. W: What is the name of the party, please? M: Robert Ritchie. W: And what is the number? Q: Who is the woman?20. M: Hi, what are you reading? W: Oh, its just an old Agatha Christie book, Dea

22、th on the Nile. Have you read it? M: No, not that one, but I saw the movie. Could I borrow it when youve finished? W: Sure. I didnt know that you liked mysteries. Q: What kind of books is the woman interested in?Key: 1. (A) 2. (B) 3. (A) 4. (D) 5. (A) 6. (A) 7. (A) 8. (B) 9. (D) 10. (B) 11. (B) 12.

23、(B) 13. (A) 14. (A) 15. (D) 16. (D) 17. (C) 18. (A) 19. (C) 20. (A)UNDERSTANDING LONG CONVERSATIONS What Can I Do?W: Have a seat, Mr. Johnson. Now, whats the problem?M: Well, as I told you on the phone, Im having a bit of trouble with my landlord.W: Oh! Yes. What sort of trouble?M: Well, when I move

24、d in six months ago, he said he was going to fix up a couple of things that needed doing.W: What sort of things exactly?M: Well, there was no ventilation in the kitchen and the hot water system wasnt working properly.W: And he said hed have them attended to?M: Yes, thats right, he agreed to have the

25、m done. But now six months have gone by and nothing has been done.W: Um so hes broken his promise.M: Yes, and not only that. Now that the lease has run out, he says he wants to increase the rent The White House by $6.00 a week!W: Well, he cant do that without your agreement, you know.M: Yes, I know

26、that, but the trouble is he can evict me if I dont agree.W: Yes, thats true, he can. However, eviction is easier said than done.M: You mean it could be difficult for him?W: Yes, he cant just throw you out on the street. He has to give you reasonable notice, usually a month.M: Yes. Well, thats comfor

27、ting to know, but, you see, I dont want to move. Id prefer to stay where I am.W: Would you pay the increase if he actually did the work?M: Yes, I would. I just want the work done. Id do it myself and send him the bill, but.W: No! Dont do that. A tenant cant make alterations or improvements without t

28、he landlords approval. You wont have a leg to stand on if you do that.M: Well, then, what can I do?W: Youve been a good tenant, I gather. I mean, are you up to date with your rent?M: Yes, of course. Weve never been behind with our rent, not even once.W: Well, I suggest you go and see him again and t

29、ell him youll agree to the increase if he has the work done.M: And if he doesnt agree?W: Well, tell him youve seen me at the Tenants Action Union and I have advised you to take out a legal action against him to make him do the work.M: I understand, sort of threatening him?W: No, not exactly, just po

30、inting out your legal rights. I think hell get the message.Questions 1 to 5 are based on the conversation you have just heard:1. Who is the male speaker?2, What did the landlord promise to do?3. Has the man been a good tenant?4. Why did the woman ask the man to go and see the landlord again?5. Where

31、 does this conversation probably take place?Conversation two Advantages and Disadvantages of TelephonesW: Which topic are you going to talk about?M: Well, Id like to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of the telephone.W: What advantages does the telephone have in your opinion?M: I think the

32、rere two main advantages. The first is speed and the second is directness.W: Thats quite true. Its obviously easier to phone someone rather than to write a letter to them.M: I always think its such a long process writing a letter. You have to sit down and write it out or type it out. Then you have t

33、o find a stamp, and then walk to the pillar-box to mail it. If you want information, its often possible to get it very quickly by telephone, whereas a letter always takes several days.W: I do agree with you.M: I think another advantage of the telephone is that its personal. If you want to speak or g

34、et in contact with a friend or a relative you feel much closer to them if youre talking to them on the telephone.W: What about the disadvantages?M: Obviously, there are some disadvantages. If you have a telephone at home, it often tings at an inconvenient time. At home, my telephone often rings when

35、 Im sitting in my bath or when Im watching my favorite TV program. And I find it very annoying. I think another disadvantage sometimes is that you cant easily get a record of a telephone conversation. And sometimes you might misunderstand what somebodys saying.W: Uh, if its a matter of really import

36、ant information, its probably safer to have it in writing in a letter rather than on a telephone.M: But telephone is very convenient. It is very swift, and I think it is also very personal. These are definite advantages. And I cant really imagine how we would get on without it.Questions 6 to 10 are

37、based on the conversation you have just heard: 6. What topic is the man going to talk about? 7. What are the advantages of the telephone? 8. Which one of the following is not mentioned by the man? 9. What is the mans opinion of writing a letter compared with making a phone call?10. How does the man

38、feel when his phone rings at an inconvenient time?Key:Conversation 1: 1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (B) 4. (C) 5. (A)Conversation 2: 6. (B) 7. (A) 8. (C) 9. (C) 10. (A)UNDERSTANDING PASSAGESPassage 1 The Invention of the Telephone In the nineteenth century, the invention of the telegraph made it possible to send

39、 noises, signals, and even music over wires from one place to another. However, the human voice had never traveled this way, many inventors tried to find a way to send voice over wires, and in 1876 some of their efforts were crowned with success. Two American inventors, Alexander Graham Bell and Eli

40、sha Gray, succeeded at almost the same time. The United States Supreme Court finally had to decide which of the two was the first inventor of the telephone. The Court decided in Bells favor. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Bell grew up in a family that was very interested in teaching people to speak. H

41、is grandfather had been an actor who left the theater to teach elocution; his father was a teacher who helped deaf people learn how to speak. However, probably none of the later inventions gave Bell the same feeling of triumph as he has had on the day when he spilled some acid from his batteries. It

42、 was after he had worked for months to find ways to send something more than metallic twangs over the wires. Thinking Watson, his helper, was in the next room, Bell called, Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.Watson was not in the next room. He was down in his laboratory, next to the receiver. To Wats

43、ons surprise, he heard the words perfectly. He ran to tell Bell the news: the wires had carried Bells voice perfectly.Questions 1 to 5 are based on the passage you have just heard:1. What made it possible to send noises, signals and music over wires in the nineteenth century?2. When was the human vo

44、ice successfully sent over wires?3. Who decided that Bell was the first inventor of the telephone?4. What was the Bell family interested in?5. What did Watson do after he heard Bells voice?Passage 2 Telecommunications Satellite Spins out of Control People in most countries depend on communications t

45、echnology more than ever before. One day in May, an accident forced millions of Americans to be silent. They had to live and work without the technology they depend on every day. A telecommunication satellite experienced computer failure. The satellite, known as Galaxy Four, moved from its correct o

46、rbit and was unable to. receive signals from Earth. A backup computer failed to turn on, and the satellite began to spin out of control. Galaxy Four was launched in 1993. It cost two hundred fifty million dollars. Galaxy Four provided the major link for millions of pagers, credit card operations, co

47、mpany communications systems, and home satellite equipment. The satellite also was used to send television and radio broadcasts. The telecommunication satellite failure created big problems for many companies. At least eight of the nations ten biggest paging companies depend on Galaxy Four. A pager

48、is an electronic device that receives telephone messages. The pager makes a beeping sound when it receives one. Ninety percent of the nations forty-five million pagers lost service when Galaxy Four failed. Paging companies were unable to provide services to police department, doctors and other indiv

49、iduals. The satellite failure affected many television and radio broadcasts. Thousands of computer users were unable to use the Internet. A nearby satellite called Galaxy Six has replaced the Galaxy Four satellite. Signals for broadcasting companies are being sent through Galaxy Six. Another satelli

50、te, Galaxy Three-R, is replacing Galaxy Four for paging and other signals. Technical experts had to move each persons satellite equipment to point to Galaxy Three-R. Each move takes about thirty minutes. Technicians say the moves must be exact to within less than a centimeter. They were able to rest

51、ore service to most customers within a few days.Questions 6 to 10 are based on the passage you have just heard: 6. What were the consequences of the failure of the telecommunication satellite? 7. What caused the failure of the telecommunication satellite? 8. When was the telecommunication satellite

52、Galaxy Four launched? 9. Which of the following was affected most by the accident?10. How long did it take the service to be restored to most customers?Passage 3 Chinas Links with the World Expand Through Giant Cable An undersea fiber optic cable stretching from China to the United States in the 25,

53、000 kilometer underwater loop system will soon expand Chinas links with the world. The $1.5 billion China-US Cable Network, as it is called, provides a digital connection between China and the US, and overcomes the small fiber optic capacity which has been available until now, and which, among other

54、 things, affects the ability to expand Internet capacity. China Telecom has been trying for some time to set up a direct link with the US and is also keen to own some of the fiber capacity to reduce its costs. The cable will be used for all communications such as telephone line services including In

55、ternet connections and e-mail links. The Internet, while no doubt taking a portion of the cable, is not the primary motivation for developing the cable link. Expansion of all communication services and overall quality is driving all international systems. The Internet, however, is beginning to take

56、a disproportionate amount of capacity, and this will definitely drive some new pricing structures for Internet Service Providers and end-users over the next couple of years. There are already major fiber optic systems connecting China to the rest of the world through Japan, Korea and Guangzhou-Hong Kong. From Hong Kong, cables are also available through Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan, a province of China. Most of these cables can be pa