英语听力练习材料文稿

8-27 In just two weeks, we’ll come together, as a nation, to mark the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. We’ll remember the innocent lives we lost. We’ll stand with the families who loved them. We’ll honor the heroic first responders who rushed to the scene and saved so many. And we’ll pay tribute to our troops and military families, and all those who have served over the past ten years, to keep us safe and strong.

We’ll also recall how the worst terrorist attack in American history brought out the best in the American people. How Americans lined up to give blood. How volunteers drove across the country to lend a hand. How schoolchildren donated their savings. How communities, faith groups and businesses collected food and clothing.

We were united, and the outpouring of generosity and compassion reminded us that in times of challenge, we Americans move forward together, as one people.

This September 11th, Michelle and I will join the commemorations at Ground Zero, in Shanksville, and at the Pentagon. But even if you can’t be in New York, Pennsylvania or Virginia, every American can be part of this anniversary. Once again, 9/11 will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance. And in the days and weeks ahead, folks across the country—in all 50 states—will come together, in their communities and neighborhoods, to honor the victims of 9/11 and to reaffirm the strength of our nation with acts of service and charity.

In Minneapolis, volunteers will help restore a community center. In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, they’ll hammer shingles and lay floors to give families a new home. In Tallahassee, Florida, they’ll assemble care packages for our troops overseas and their families here at home. In Orange County, California, they’ll renovate homes for our veterans. And once again, Michelle and I look forward to joining a local service project as well.

There are so many ways to get involved, and every American can do

something. To learn more about the opportunities where you live, just go online and visit Serve.gov. Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost; a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.

On this 10th anniversary, we still face great challenges as a nation. We’re emerging from the worst economic crisis in our lifetimes. We’re taking the fight to al Qaeda, ending the war in Iraq and starting to bring our troops home from Afghanistan. And we’re working to rebuild the foundation of our national strength here at home.

None of this will be easy. And it can’t be the work of government alone. As we saw after 9/11, the strength of America has always been the character and compassion of our people. So as we mark this solemn anniversary, let’s summon that spirit once more. And let’s show that the sense of common purpose that we need in America doesn’t have to be a fleeting moment; it can be a lasting virtue—not just on one day, but every day.

8-20 Hello from the Country Corner Farm in Alpha, Illinois! For the past few days, I’ve been traveling to small towns and farm towns here in the heartland of this country. I sat down with small business owners in Gutenberg, Iowa; and ranchers and farmers in Peosta. I had lunch with veterans in Cannon Falls, Minnesota; and talked to plant workers at a seed distributor in Atkinson, Illinois. And to the girls volleyball team at Maquoketa High School, let me just say one thing: Go Cardinals.

Now, I’m out here for one reason: I think Washington, DC can learn something from the folks in Atkinson and Peosta and Cannon Falls. I think our country would be a whole lot better off if our elected leaders showed the same kind of discipline and integrity and responsibility that most Americans demonstrate in their lives every single day.

Because, the fact is, we’re going through a tough time right now. We’re coming through a terrible recession; a lot of folks are still looking for work. A lot of people are getting by with smaller paychecks or less money in the cash register. So we need folks in Washington – the people whose job it is to deal with the country’s problems, the people who you elected to serve – we need them to put aside their differences to get things done.

There are things we can do right now that will mean more customers for businesses and more jobs across the country. We can cut payroll taxes again, so families have an extra $1,000 to spend. We can pass a road construction bill so

construction crews – now sitting idle – can head back to the worksite, rebuilding roads, bridges, and airports. We’ve got brave, skilled Americans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Let’s connect them with businesses that could use their skills. And let’s pass trade deals to level the playing field for our businesses. We have Americans driving Hyundais and Kias. Well, I want to see folks in Korea driving Fords, Chevys and Chryslers. I want more products sold around the globe stamped with three words: Made in America.

These are commonsense ideas – ideas that have been supported by both Democrats and Republicans. The only thing holding them back is politics. The only thing preventing us from passing these bills is the refusal by some in Congress to put country ahead of party. That’s the problem we have right now. That’s what’s holding this country back. That’s what we have to change.

Because, for all the knocks we’ve taken, despite all the challenges we face, this is still the greatest country on earth. We still have the best workers and farmers, entrepreneurs and businesses, students and scientists. And you can see that here in Alpha. You can see it along the country roads that connect these small towns and farmlands.

These past few days, I’ve been seeing little kids with American flags and grandparents in lawn chairs. I’ve shaken hands with folks outside machine shops and churches, corner stores and farms. It reminds me why I got into public service in the first place. Getting out of Washington and spending time with the people of this country – seeing how hard you’re working, how creative you are, how

resourceful you are, how determined you are – that only makes me more determined to serve you as best I can as President. And it only makes me more confident in our future.

That’s why it’s so important that folks in Washington put country before party. That’s why it’s so important that our elected leaders get past their differences to help grow the economy and put this nation back to work. Because here in Alpha it couldn’t be more clear: if we can come together, there’s no stopping the United States of America. There’s no doubt that our future is bright.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

Talking about yoga

Mike: What're you doing up so early, Amanda? Have you decided to take up jogging in the park like me?

Amanda: No, Mike. You know I really can't stand jogging. I've joined a yoga class at our local fitness center. I hear it's a great way to stay fit. Want to join me?

Mike: No way! Yoga is for girls. I'd rather do some weights or cardio at the gym than contort my body into painful postures.

Amanda: Come on, there's more to yoga than that! It's perfect for physical and spiritual well-being. It also helps your body become more flexible.

Mike: No thanks－I think all of this is just a moneymaking gimmick. I'm telling you Amanda, don't buy into it!

Amanda: Mike, we just learn three new postures every day and do some meditation. My yoga guru is going to teach us about breathing today. Did you know that we don't even breathe properly anymore?

Mike: Count me out! I don't need anyone to tell me how to breathe! Just because celebrities are doing yoga, everyone's jumping on the bandwagon.

Amanda: That's not true! You're always reluctant to try something new. Give it a chance－you might enjoy it.

Mike: Okay, but only if you promise I'll end up with a body like Matthew McConaughey!

to contort (v.) 扭曲；曲解

Peter's face contorted with rage when he found out his sister had broken his laptop computer.

posture (n.) 姿势；姿态

He maintained a good posture even in old age by sitting straight instead of slouching.

flexible (adj.) 可弯曲的；柔韧有弹性的

The dancer is so flexible that she can touch her head with her foot.

guru (n.) 导师；大师

Many people in the U.S. consider Martha Stewart to be a lifestyle guru.

reluctant (adj.) 不情愿的；勉强的

Sharon was reluctant to leave the children alone with the babysitter, but she had no other choice.

spiritual well-being 心灵上的平静；心灵上的喜悦

A: Aren't you glad we decided to take a trip to the Himalayas instead of New York?

B: Yes, the peaceful atmosphere and fresh air have been good for my spiritual well-being.

moneymaking gimmick 赚钱的技俩；赚钱的花招

A: Guess what? The department store is offering a buy-one-get-one-free deal on all clothes and jewelry!

B: Come on, that's just a moneymaking gimmick to attract more customers.

to end up with 最后…；结果…

A: Why are we here so early? The concert doesn't start until an hour later!

B: I wanted to find good seats－I always end up with seats in the back row when I arrive late

Talking about poetry 谈谈诗歌

Amanda: Hi, Mike. What are you reading?

Mike: Oh, these are just some books I picked up at a local poetry festival that took place a couple of weeks ago. Even though a lot of what the featured poets read wasn't in English, it was still neat to see that there are so many people who appreciate poetry in Taiwan.

Amanda: I didn't know you were such a poetry lover, Mike. Personally, I've always found that stuff a little bit boring and hard to understand. All that flowery language gives me a headache! I'd rather read a nice long novel any day.

Mike: I'll admit that poetry's an acquired taste. But once you learn more about it, you'll find that poems aren't all flowery and incomprehensible－they don't even have to rhyme! One of my favorite poets is Billy Collins, who writes really funny, clever poems in simple everyday English.

Amanda: I'll have to look him up. Say, have you ever written any poetry of your own? Some love sonnets, perhaps?

Mike: No love sonnets, but I did try to write some poems a long time ago. They were all really bad. Once I spent three hours trying to come up with a word that rhymes with \"panda\"!

Amanda: Silly Mike! How could you not think of \"Amanda\"?

poetry (n.) 诗

Most people have heard of Ernest Hemingway's short stories, but did you know that he wrote poetry as well?

festival (n.) 节庆

At this year's international food festival, I tried a lot of dishes that I'd never had before.

headache (n.) 头痛

I didn't get much sleep last night, so I've had a headache all day long.

incomprehensible (adj.) 难懂的；无法理解的

Lisa didn't know anything about the stock market, so most of what her friends

were discussing was incomprehensible to her.

to rhyme (v.) 押韵

Sandi Landy's friends often teased her because her name rhymed.

flowery language 瑰丽的词藻

A: How did you do on your essay?

B: Better than I expected. I was afraid I'd used too much flowery language, but my teacher still gave me a good grade.

love sonnet 十四行情诗

A: Can you think of a good way to impress the girl I like?

B: Maybe you should memorize a few love sonnets and recite them to her.

to come up with 想出…

A: This math problem is so hard!

B: Relax. I'm sure if we work on it together we'll be able to come up with the correct answer

Schooling and Education

It is commonly believed in United States that school is where people go to get an education. Nevertheless, it has been said that today children interrupt their education to go to school. The distinction between schooling and education implied by this remark is important.

Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. Education knows no bounds. It can take place anywhere, whether in the shower or in the job, whether in a kitchen or on a tractor. It includes both the formal learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of informal learning. The agents of education can range from a revered grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio, from a child to a distinguished scientist. Whereas schooling has a certain predictability, education quite often produces surprises. A chance conversation with a stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other religions. People are engaged in education from infancy on. Education, then, is a very broad, inclusive term. It is a lifelong process, a process that starts long before the start of school, and one that should be an integral part of one’s entire life.

Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern varies little from one setting to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take assigned seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, do homework, take exams, and so on. The slices of reality that are to be learned, whether they are the alphabet or an understanding

of the working of government, have usually been limited by the boundaries of the subject being taught. For example, high school students know that there not likely to find out in their classes the truth about political problems in their communities or what the newest filmmakers are experimenting with. There are definite conditions surrounding the formalized process of schooling.

上学与受教育

在美国，人们通常认为上学是为了受教育。 而现在却有人认为孩子们上学打断了他们受教育的过程。 这种观念中的上学与受教育之间的区别非常重要。 与上学相比，教育更具开放性，内容更广泛。 教育不受任何。 它可以在任何场合下进行，在淋浴时，在工作时，在厨房里或拖拉机上。 它既包括在学校所受的正规教育，也包括一切非正规教育。 传授知识的人可以是德高望重的老者，可以是收音机里进行政治辩论的人们，可以是小孩子，也可以是知名的科学家。 上学读书多少有点可预见性，而教育往往能带来意外的发现。 与陌生人的一次随意谈话可能会使人认识到自己对其它宗教其实所知甚少。 人们从幼时起就开始受教育。 因此，教育是一个内涵很丰富的词，它自始至终伴随人的一生，早在人们上学之前就开始了。 教育应成为人生命中不可缺少的一部分。然而，上学却是一个特定的形式化了的过程。 在不同场合下，它的基本形式大同小异。 在全国各地，孩子们几乎在同一时刻到达学校，坐在指定的座位上，由一位成年人传授知识，使用大致相同的教材，做作业，考试等等。 他们所学的现实生活中的一些片断，如字母表或的运作，往往受到科目范围的。 例如，高中生们知道，在课堂上他们没法弄清楚他们社区里政治问题的真情，也不会了解到最新潮的电影制片人在做哪些尝试。 学校教育这一形式化的过程是有特定的的。

The Language of Music

A painter hangs his or her finished pictures on a wall, and everyone can see it. A composer writes a work, but no one can hear it until it is performed. Professional singers and players have great responsibilities, for the composer is utterly dependent on them. A student of music needs as long and as arduous a training to become a performer as a medical student needs to become a doctor. Most training is concerned with technique, for musicians have to have the muscular proficiency of an athlete or a ballet dancer. Singers practice breathing every day, as their vocal chords would be inadequate without controlled muscular support. String players practice moving the fingers of the left hand up and down, while drawing the bow to and fro with the right arm—two entirely different movements.

Singers and instruments have to be able to get every note perfectly in tune. Pianists are spared this particular anxiety, for the notes are already there, waiting for them, and it is the piano tuner’s responsibility to tune the instrument for them. But they have their own difficulties; the hammers that hit the string have to be coaxed not to sound like percussion, and each overlapping tone has to sound clear.

This problem of getting clear texture is one that confronts student conductors: they have to learn to know every note of the music and how it should sound, and they have to aim at controlling these sound with fanatical but selfless authority.

Technique is of no use unless it is combined with musical knowledge and understanding. Great artists are those who are so thoroughly at home in the language of music that they can enjoy performing works written in any century.

音乐的语言

画家将已完成的作品挂在墙上，每个人都可以观赏到。 作曲家写完了一部作品，得由演奏者将其演奏出来，其他人才能得以欣赏。因为作曲家是如此完全地依赖于职业歌手和职业演奏者，所以职业歌手和职业演奏者肩上的担子可谓不轻。 一名学音乐的学生要想成为一名演奏者，需要经受长期的、严格的训练，就象一名医科的学生要成为一名医生一样。 绝大多数的训练是技巧性的。 音乐家们控制肌肉的熟练程度，必须达到与运动员或巴蕾舞演员相当的水平。 歌手们每天都练习吊嗓子，因为如果不能有效地控制肌肉的话，他们的声带将不能满足演唱的要求。 弦乐器的演奏者练习的则是在左手的手指上下滑动的同时，用右手前后拉动琴弓--两个截然不同的动作。歌手和乐器演奏者必须使所有的音符完全相同协调。 钢琴家们则不用操这份心，因为每个音符都已在那里等待着他们了。 给钢琴调音是调音师的职责。 但调音师们也有他们的难处： 他们必须耐心地调理敲击琴弦的音锤，不能让音锤发出的声音象是打击乐器，而且每个交叠的音都必须要清晰。如何得到乐章清晰的纹理是学生指挥们所面临的难题：他们必须学会了解音乐中的每一个音及其发音之道。 他们还必须致力于以热忱而又客观的权威去控制这些音符。除非是和音乐方面的知识和悟性结合起来，单纯的技巧没有任何用处。 艺术家之所以伟大在于他们对音乐语言驾轻就熟，以致于可以满怀喜悦地演出写于任何时代的作品。