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France. In 1990, Celine made her first English language record with Unison but her real breakthrough in America came when she was selected by Disney to sing the theme song of Beauty and the Beast. The song went to No.1 on the chart and won both a Grammy and an Academy award. In 1996 she performed at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and in 1997 she recorded the theme song for Titanic, and her name became synonymous with the enormously successful film. Celine Dion's favorite theme is love. She sings the depth and the power of love in a great many of her hits such as \Loved Me\On\
Unit 5 Health Part A
Listening Strategy
Identifying the Relationship Between the Speakers in a Conversation
Identifying the relationship between the speakers in a conversation is an important skill in listening comprehension. Although sometimes the conversation itself does not contain words that say exactly what the relationship is, we can rely on contextual clues to find it out. Such clues include the degree of intimacy (e.g., how intimately the speakers address each other, what endearments are used), the degree of politeness (strangers tend to be more polite towards each other than friends or family members), and the particular situation (at a doctor's consulting room, at a shop, etc.).
Listen to the following conversations and choose the right answers to the questions that follow the conversations.
1. M: What's the trouble?
W: I feel dizzy and my whole body aches. M: How long have you been sick? W: Two or three days now. M: How's your appetite?
W: I've got no appetite. The sight of food simply turns my stomach. What's wrong with me? M: You seem to be generally run-down.
Q: What is the mnost probable relationship between the two speakers? 2. W: What's the matter, Jack? You look pale. M: Oh, I feel terrible.
W: Why? What's the matter?
M: I have a splitting headache and a sore throat. W: Why didn't you tell me?
M: I thought they might go away, but I feel worse this morning. I'm aching all over.
W: Hmm. You feel warm, too. You must have got a fever. There's a pretty bad flu going around, you know.
Q: What's the most probable relationship between the two speakers?
[ti:Unit 5 Part B] Listening Tasks A Conversation
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Going to See the Doctor
Exercise 1
Listen to the conversation and choose the right answers to complete the statements. D: So what's your trouble?
P: Well, doctor, I haven't been feeling well lately. My biggest problem is that I'm having trouble sleeping.
D: Have you tried any of the sleeping medications available? P: I've tried one or two, but they don't seem to help. D: How long have you had this problem?
P: Three or four months — it's been rather a long time now.
D: Are you suffering from an unusual level of stress in your life lately? P: Not more than usual. My biggest worry is the fact I can't sleep. D: Well, some people don't need as much sleep as others. P: But I feel tired all day, so it is a problem for me. D: Have you been experiencing any other symptoms? P: I've also had a lot of indigestion lately.
D: Well, you are a little overweight, aren't you?
P: Yes. And I've gained about seven kilograms this past year.
D: You really should try to lose at least that extra weight. Do you get much exercise? P: No, not very much.
D: Physical activity is very important. P: So what do you recommend, doctor?
D: I will give you some medications for your insomnia and your indigestion. But I also recommend that you begin a regular exercise program.
P: But I have neither the time nor the money to go to a gym.
D: You don't need to go to a gym. A simple walking program would be very beneficial for you. I think you'll find that diet and exercise will be very helpful in taking care of your recent complaints.
Speaking Tasks Pair Work
Listen to the following conversations and repeat after the recording. Then role-play them with your partner. Conversation 1
D: What's wrong with you?
P: I have a burning stomachache. And I feel like vomiting, too. D: How long has it been like this? P: Since yesterday.
D: What did you eat yesterday? Did you eat seafood?
P: Yes. I had some crabs at lunch and then I just felt terrible. D: Yours seems to be a minor case of food poisoning. P: What do you think I should do, doctor?
D: I'll give you some medications for your stomachache and indigestion. And don't eat any seafood for the next week or so.
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P: I won't, doctor. Thank you. Conversation 2
D: What seems to be the problem?
P: I hurt my left foot yesterday. I missed one step while coming down the stairs.
D: (after examining the foot) You have a sprained ankle. It's slightly swollen. How does it feel? P: Rather painful there. What should I do, doctor?
D: I'll give you an X-ray to see if there is anything wrong with the bone.
Now make similar conversations according to the given situations. Use the structures and expressions above in your conversations where appropriate.
[ti:Unit 5 Part C] Test Your Listening
You're going to hear five short conversations. Listen carefully and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.
1. W: Jane kept coughing and couldn't go to sleep all night. M: She must be sick. I hope she's better today. Q: What do you know about Jane? 2. M: I haven't seen Jack for ages.
W: Neither have I. But I heard he had been in hospital for three weeks. Q: What do you learn from the conversation?
3. W: Doctor, I've been suffering from a stomachache for quite a long time.
M: Tell me what you usually eat. You know eating properly is very important for health. Q: What does the doctor say about the possible cause of the woman's illness? 4. M: How is your son Peter feeling today?
W: Much better than yesterday. But he still needs to rest for a couple of days before going to school.
Q: What does the woman say about Peter? 5. M: How is your husband after the operation?
W: He's getting better. But he still needs to go to the hospital for a checkup in a week. Q: What does the woman say about her husband?
Unit 6 Business Part A
Listening Strategy
Identifying the Major Events in a Conversation
The ability to identify the major events of a conversation is an important aspect of training in listening comprehension. Here we are concerned with what the speakers are doing. Are they engaged in small talk to promote friendship, or discussing something serious to bring about an action? Questions like the following can give us a clue as to what is actually happening in a conversation: Who are the speakers? What is the relationship between them? What are they talking about?
Listen to the conversation and answer the questions.
W: Here we are, Mr. Wang. This is a newly-built building. M: What a fine building! How many floors are there?
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W: Forty. Our company has offices on four floors in the building. M: Yours is really a big company.
W: Yes, it is. The sales office is on the first floor. The marketing and accounting offices are on the second floor. And we have many other departments: personnel, research, etc. They are all on the 8th floor.
M: Where's the manager's office?
W: It's on the 9th floor. Let me show you around. M: Thank you.
Listen to the passage and fill in the missing information.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our company. Our company was established in 1999. It is a joint-venture company specializing in sportswear. Most of our products are for young students; some are for adults. All our products sell well both at home and abroad. In recent years, we have expanded our markets from China to Southeast Asia, East Africa, North America, and South America.
[ti:Unit 6 Part B] Listening Tasks A Conversation
Who Is to Be Promoted?
Exercise 1
Listen to the conversation and answer the questions below.
(The Personnel Department is having a meeting. Joan Black is the chairperson of the meeting.) Joan: I think John Jeffrey's already been with the company for 20 years. Surely he's not still expecting promotion. Do you agree, Peter?
Peter: Well, in my opinion, John's always shown great loyalty to the company. It's time this was rewarded. What do you think, Clive?
Clive: It's not just a question of loyalty. Would he be any good at the job? He would need to manage a small team — he's got no experience of that yet.
Peter: He never will have any experience unless we give him a chance!
Joan: We can't afford to be sentimental. I don't think he's the man for the job. He's always been a follower, not a leader. Let's move on to the other candidates. Rita Hayden has already shown great personnel management skill, I feel, even if she's?
Peter: Oh, come on, Joan! Rita's still learning her trade! We can't afford to take a risk with someone so inexperienced.
Clive: I agree with Peter. I favor Susan Palmer. She's got a lot of experience. She's already worked in the department on other occasions so she knows the ropes and she's?
Joan: But Susan's always struck me as a bit cautious. We need someone dynamic for this job.
Peter: I'd agree with Clive. I think Susan Palmer would do a good job. Maybe she's a bit cautious but she's solid, reliable... We need those qualities too.
Joan: Well, if you're both so sure, I suppose I'll have to agree. Still, we'll wait a week before confirming it just in case any other applicants put their names forward.
Speaking Tasks Pair Work
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Listen to the following conversations and repeat the recording. Then role-play them with your partner.
Conversation 1
W: Hi, Ross. How do you like your new job?
M: Very much. Ours is a very good company to work for. Working there is fun. W: That's great. What sort of work do you do? M: I'm in sales.
W: How many hours do you have to work?
M: I have flexible working hours. But on average I work about 10 hours a day. W: Do you get a good salary?
M: Quite good. The company pays its employees well, I should say. Most of us in sales earn about 3,000 yuan a month. W: What about bonus?
M: We usually get 5,000 yuan as bonus at year-end. You know, we're rewarded for our accomplishments and contributions. W: Sounds like a good job. Conversation 2
W: What does your father do, Phil?
M: He works in the marketing department in a joint venture company. He's the manager. W: Does he like his job?
M: He's proud of it. Their products are exported to over 20 different countries. The company made a profit of ten million dollars last year. W: Your father must be working very hard.
M: Sure. He often has to work overtime. He seems never home for dinner. W: And he still loves his job?
M: Well, the work is rewarding. Besides, the benefits are good. W: Like what?
M: Well, the usual things, life insurance, health care, retirement plan, plus a 2-week paid holiday. W: Mm. Not bad, not bad at all.
Now make similar conversations according to the given situations. Use the structures and expressions above in your conversations where appropriate. One of you should begin the conversations with \with the information below.
[ti:Unit 6 Part C] Test Your Listening
Listen to the story and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.
Mr. Stevenson was the owner of a general appliance store. He had seen many newly-weds coming into his store to shop for their first refrigerator, washer and dryer, and air-conditioner. Pen and pencil in hand, they would ask him a lot of questions about price, features and after-sale services, but they would usually walk away at the end of their inquiry. The other day a young couple came into his store. They asked him all the usual questions and he answered all of them patiently. But when he suggested an order at the end, they replied firmly, \have to look around places first.\