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W: Here's a white one in medium. And it's 100% cotton. M: Perfect. I'll take it. 2-7-B
Fashion -- Image or Reality?
Why do people spend so much money on fashion? Do they want to create an image or make sure they are not old-fashioned? Do people really judge each other by the clothes they wear? The billion-dollar fashion industry certainly tries to convince consumers that such judgements are made.
Unfortunately, they may be right. A recent study using elementary school students was interesting. They said that people wearing Calvin Klein designer jeans were more handsome and successful than those wearing Wranglers. Levi-wearers were seen as sporty, fashionable and fun! Obviously we learn early that \In other words, clothes show age, outlook, status and income. However, clothes that look great on professional models may look terrible on the average buyer.
Although beautiful clothes don't help physically, they are important for social and psychological effects. Expensive clothes can make the wearer feel like part of the high status group that sets taste and style. So you are buying an image of success. You may really live a routine life, waking up in the morning feeling dull and ordinary. But when you dress in these expensive clothes, your mood brightens. You feel good, ready to face another day with energy. Sound crazy? People who love clothes say it's true.
Of course, a lot of people don't like high fashion. They'd rather spend their money on something practical. Which would you prefer -- the image or the reality? 2-7-C
Platform Shoes
If you have been thinking that platform shoes are the newest fashion trend on the planet, then it is about time you found out something about these height boosters. Not only were they wildly popular during the noisy disco days of the 1970's, but they were also all the rage during the late 1400's to 1600's.
The platform shoes that were the sign of high fashion in the 1600's were more practical than today's style symbols. They were worn over delicate shoes to protect them from getting dirty when walking in muddy or dusty streets.
After going out of fashion in the 1600's, platforms returned to the style scene in the 1930's when designers such as Salvatore Ferragamo began breaking the rules of fashion. They re-emerged again towards the end of the 1960's and by 1975 were so common that men were also trying to balance on their massive heels.
No matter how fashionable platforms are, they also have a reputation for creating problems. It is very easy to twist your ankle while wearing platforms and the damage this can do to your foot can be serious. In Japan, they have also brought about traffic problems as women wearing them while driving have been unable to brake quickly enough and as a result caused accidents! 2-8-A
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Nowadays, dieting is a popular practice in many countries. However, of the nearly 50 American adults currently dieting, only less than 10% will be able to maintain their weight loss for at least a year. Researchers in the Framingham Heart Study pointed out that losing and gaining weight again might be harmful to your heart. Over a 14-year period, they analyzed the weight changes and health of 3,130 people. They found that those adults whose weight shifted the most had about a 50% increased risk of developing heart disease than those whose weight remained more stable. For now the researchers are not sure how weight changes are linked to health problems, but they think that people who diet frequently may prefer high-fat foods. Losing and regaining weight may also cause an unhealthy distribution of body weight. Dieters may lose pounds from their legs only to regain weight in an area such as their stomach, which increases the risk of developing heart disease. 2-8-B
Lottery Winners
Do you dream of winning the lottery? So have millions of other people. Every day, millions of Americans buy lottery tickets. They are hoping to win $100,000, $1,000,000 or more. What happens after you win the lottery?
When you win a million dollars, you don't receive a check for the total amount. You receive $50, 000 a year for twenty years. Also, you must pay taxes. After taxes, you receive from $25,000 to $40,000 a year for twenty years. This is a lot of extra spending money.
What have some people done with their money? Let's look at three past winners. Lisa K wanted to be an artist, but she didn't have enough money to go to art school. She was working at a job she didn't enjoy. In August, Lisa bought one ticket and won two million dollars. She quit her job three weeks later and is now attending art school. Mark L was a car salesman. He worked seven days a week and had little time for family life. After he won the lottery, he quit working. Now he spends his time bowling, working in the garden, and fixing things in his house. But, he's bored. He doesn't want to sell cars again, but he isn't sure what he wants to do with his life. Jack B is one of the small number of winners who did not quit his job. Jack still teaches at a school near his home. But now he and his wife take their children on an interesting vacation every year. And they don't worry about sending their children to college. They say that money brings security and gives a person opportunities, but it doesn't bring happiness. 2-8-C
An Abandoned Newborn Baby
A healthy newborn girl was discovered in Central Park yesterday morning. The baby was abandoned on the top of a rock shortly before dawn after the mother gave birth to her there.
The police said that the baby was healthy and weighed 7 pounds. Now they were searching for the mother. A policeman said that they had never had anything like this before. They really didn't get babies left in the park. But they were just happy the baby was all right.
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The police rushed the baby to a nearby hospital. Fortunately she was OK. The police believed the baby was born less than half an hour before she was discovered. They also believed judging from the amount of blood found on the rock, that the mother might have given birth there. It was 70 degrees when the baby was found. Detectives were investigating whether the mother was a homeless woman who called a baby rescue hotline early yesterday. The head of Hope Foundation said that his hotline received a call about 5:30 a.m. from a young homeless woman in
Manhattan. The caller asked, \labor. Then she was told to go to either a hospital or a fire station. But the woman was afraid she would be recognized there. The head also said that the woman wouldn't even tell him where he could possibly meet her since they had two teams that could help with the delivery, if necessary. 2-9-A
Jack was a six-year-old dog. It ate up two 100-dollar bills but returned them to his master Paul the natural way. The first bill was found the next morning, smelly and undamaged, followed by the second during an evening walk. When Paul got all the money back, he said: “The bills are slightly yellow and I think I'll clean them.” 2-9-B
A Belated Postcard
A postcard carrying a George V stamp has mysteriously arrived at its destination at least 63 years after it was first posted.
The card was sent to a baker named Richard Price of South Wales, before the
outbreak of the Second World War. it was delivered to a van hire company last week, which is the current owner of the High Street house formerly used by the baker. After an appeal in the local newspaper to discover who the Mr. Richard Price of the address really was, a puzzled Mrs. Meyrick came forward.
Pam Meyrick, who is 66 years old, is a granddaughter of the baker. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the address and the name. \1970 at the age of 92,\head on it. I just don't know how it was delivered. Seeing his name brings it all back to me. But it baffled me to understand where the card, which is in mint condition, has been all this time.\keepsake to her and her family.
The card was sent from Birmingham by a salesman for a fruit essence maker. On the card it says: \in a few days.\
A spokeswoman for the Royal Mail said it was unlikely that the postcard was delivered by a postman. \system but I don't think the postman would have missed the stamp,\certainly look into the matter.\2-9-C
A Broken Tube
One morning I was sitting in a junior college classroom listening to a sociology professor explain why he thought corporal punishment for disobedient children was a
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great idea. He suggested that \choose the instrument of punishment for themselves, from a selection of belts, switches, and sticks. I couldn't believe my ears at this. I was so angry that without thinking, I raised my hand and asked the professor if he beat his wife as well as he beat his children. A tense silence swept through the classroom at that moment. The professor and I were glaring at each other. Both of us were speechless and shaking with rage. We were all waiting for something to snap. But before either of us could react to the horrible situation, the light in the enclosed ceiling box directly over my head shattered. Broken but untouched! You could see fragments of glass lying on the plastic window of the box. Everybody jumped at the little explosion. And startle turned immediately to laughter. The spell of anger was broken. And the professor
finished his lecture and sent us all home early. The event was never discussed in class. 2-10-A Report 1:
Turkey says more than 10,000 people now are confirmed dead after the earthquake three days ago. Most of the deaths are in 5 north-western cities. About 34,000 people are reported injured. Rescue workers are still searching for about 35,000 missing people; many are trapped under fallen buildings. Rescuers are using cameras, dogs and listening devices to search for survivors. Report 2:
Early this morning a severe explosion took place in Shijiazhuang, the capital of North China's Hebei Province, killing 108 and injuring 38, according to the public security department. After treatment, 15 of those injured have been discharged from hospital care. Hospital officials say 5 among the 11, who were severely injured, are now out of danger. Police are still investigating the cause of the explosion. 2-10-B
Surviving a Plane Crash
Three months ago I flew to Burma with my boyfriend, Johan. The plane was a
small one and our seats were near the back. The sky looked very black as we took off, and throughout the flight, we kept our seat belts fastened. Twenty minutes later we flew into a terrible storm. The plane rolled and shook in the wind. We were both very frightened. I couldn't remember anything after that until I opened my eyes. I didn't know where I was. Slowly I realized that the plane had crashed. I was in terrible pain and I couldn't move. \he wasn't in his seat. I heard groans and I worked out that possibly six other people were still alive. When daylight came, I could see all the bodies around me. Johan was on the other side of the aisle, but I knew that he was dead.
After a day or two the other voices stopped and I was alone. But the rescuers didn't come. \swamp in the middle of a jungle and that the helicopters couldn't fly in the heavy rain. Outside the window the flood water was slowly going up. But that water saved my life. I managed to stay alive by drinking that dirty water. At night the mosquitoes came. I was out of consciousness because of pain and hunger. Then I heard voices. I
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pushed my hand out of the window and amazingly someone grabbed it. The rescue team had arrived ... nine days after the crash. 2-10-C
Mount St. Helens
Most volcanoes are quiet. They rest peacefully for hundreds of years. No one pays much attention to them.
Mount St. Helens was one of these volcanoes. Until 1980, it was a beautiful recreation area. Its last eruption had been 123 years ago. No one was worried about another one. Then, in March 1980, Mount St. Helens began to make noises. At first, there were tremors. Then, small eruptions occurred. Some residents left immediately. Others felt there was no danger.
But on the morning of May 18, 1980, the mountain blew its top. With the power of twenty-five atomic bombs, Mount St. Helens exploded. Clouds of dust and ash rose more than twelve miles into the sky. Rocks and mud crashed down the slopes.
Unfortunately, many people were still living, camping, or working in the area. Over forty people lost their lives. Others were rescued.
Robert Baker was fishing with his family when the explosion occurred. He reported that the morning of May 18 was strange. No birds were singing. The air was still. Then, he saw a large black cloud coming down toward them. In minutes, day turned into night. He called his family to their van and they started on the slow dark ride away from the mountain. All the time, hot ash was raining on them.
But other people were not so lucky. David Johnston, a volcano expert, was standing near the summit of the mountain. At 8:31 a. m. , he radioed, \heard from again.
Mount St. Helens is peaceful now. But its slopes are empty. It will be many years before fish, plants, and trees will again live on the mountain. 2-11-A Passage 1:
Napoleon was many things but he was, first of all, remembered as a military leader. Rising from an artillery officer to the commander of the French army, he waged war after war against neighboring countries. In 1804, he declared himself emperor and became the most powerful man in the world. At one time he controlled most of Europe. But Napoleon's power was short-lived. His defeat came when he decided to attack Russia. Soon the whole of Europe rose against him, eventually forcing him to give up his throne. In 1821, he died alone on the small island of St. Helena. Passage 2:
Tom Cruise has always represented cool, but somehow over the last couple of years, he has gone from just another Hollywood pretty boy to a certified world renowned actor. It seems that everything he touches turns to gold. Not everyone likes him, but at least now almost everyone respects him. His movies make millions, he is an international star -- men envy him, and women love him. Passage 3:
His critics agree that the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, is a dignified moral idealist.
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全新版大学英语听说教程第二册听力原文及答案教学文案
