英語聽力教程第2冊Unit4聽力原文

1、Unit4聽力原文PartIBTom:Whatkindofschooldidyougoto,Ann?Ann:Well,Iwenttoapublicprimaryschoolandthentoaprivatehighschool.Tom:Sowhichdoyouthinkisbetter?Ann:Actually,Ipreferprivateschoolsbecauseofthesmallerclassesand.usuallyyouhaveawiderchoiceofsubjects.Tom:Yeah,Isupposethatstrue.Ann:Andthenthereareusuallybe

2、ttersportsfacilities.Forexample,theschoolIwenttohadaswimmingpoolandahugegym.Tom:Yeah.well,thepublichighschoolIwenttohadgreatsportsfacilities.Besides,privateschoolsarereallyexpensive.Ann:Yeah,butIthinktheyreworthit.Tom:Idonknowt.Ithinkyouhavetojudgeeveryschoolindividually,whetheritpublicsprivate.orAn

3、n:Thatmaybetrue.butchildrengenerallygetabetter,more.well-roundededucationinaprivateschool.Tom:Maybe,butImnottotallyconvinced.Bytheway,Ann,wereyouonthedebatingteaminhighschool,byanychance?Ann:Isurewas!Iwasthecaptain!CStevesfirstmorningStevewasrathernervousabouthisfirstdayofthepolytechnic.Hedidnknowta

4、nyotherstudentsandhedidnknowthiswayaroundthebuilding.At9oclock,hewasatthemainentrancewithacrowdofhundredsofotherstudents.AllofthemseemtoknowwhattodoexceptSteve.Thenhefoundanotice.Therewasameetingforallthefirst-yearstudents.Hefoundthemallwaitinginthelargehall.First,thedirectorofthePolytechnicwelcomed

5、them.Thentheheadofstudentsvicsers,andfinallytheheadofphysicaleducation.Headofphysicaleducation:ImheretotellyouaboutthesportyoucandoatthePoly.HereinEdington,wehaveafitnessroomwhereyoucandoexercisestokeepfit,andweeklyyoucandoallsortsofsports,suchastennis,football,hockeyandbadminton.Buttherearealsomany

6、otheractivities.Youcangosailing.Youcangodown-caves.Youcangoclimbingandmanymore.Wehopeallofyouwilltakepartinatleastoneofthese.Ifyouwanttojoin,comeonweeklyonWednesdayafternoon.Anyquestions?Astudent:Whataboutswimming?Headofphysicaleducation:Wedonthaveourownpool.ButyoucanswiminthepublicpoolsinHanksyorMu

7、stonFerry.Afterthemeetingwasover,Stevelookedatthistimetable.Hisfirstclasswasbusinessstudies,andwasinroom316.ButwherewasRoom316?Steve:Excuseme.DoyouknowwhereRoom316is?Malestudent1:Oh,Ihaventaclue,mate.Steve:DoyouknowwhereRoom316is?Femalestudent1:No,doyou?Steve:ImlookingforRoom316.Malestudent2:Oh,nota

8、notherFirstyear.Lookatthenoticeboard.Steve:Butwhereisthenoticeboard?Malestudent2:Dontaskme.Steve:CouldyoutellmewhereRoom316is?Femalestudent2:YoumeanbusinessstudiesforCateringstudents.Steve:Thatsit.Femalestudent2:Oh,Imlookingforitformyself.You-year?reafirstSteve:Yes.Femalestudent2:SoamI.Letsseeifweca

9、nfindittogether.Questions:1.WherewasSteveat9oclock?Howmanypeoplemadewelcomespeechesatthemeetingforallthefirstyearstudents?Whoarethey?WhatkindsofsportsareavailableinEdingtonPolytechnic?5.WhatwasStevesfirstclass?Wherewillhehavetheclass?HowmanystudentsdidSteveaskwhenhetriedtofindhisclass?Didhegettheans

10、wer?PartIIHomeschoolingAlthougheducationiscompulsoryintheUnitedStates,itisnotcompulsoryforallchildrentogettheireducationatschool.Anumberofparentsbelievethattheycanprovideabettereducationfortheirchildrenathome.Childrenwhoareeducatedathomeareknownas-schoolers.“”homeThereareabout300000home-schoolersint

11、heUnitedStatestoday.Interestingly,resultsshowthathome-schooledchildrentendtodobetterthanaverageonnationaltestsinreadingandmath.DavidGutersonisanAmericanwriter.Heandhiswifeteachtheirthreechildrenthemselves.Gutersonsaysthathischildrenlearnverydifferentlyfromchildreninaregularschool.Learningstartswitht

12、hechildrensinterestsandquestions.Forexample,whenthereisheavysnowfallonawinterday,itmaystartadiscussionorreadingaboutclimate,snowremovalequipment,Alaska,polarbears,andwintertourism.Oraspringevening,whenthefamilyiswatchingthestars,isagoodtimeforsettingupatelescopeandaskingquestionsaboutsatellites,come

13、ts,meteors,andthespaceprogram.Atdinner,iftheBrazilianrainforestsareonthenews,itcouldbeaperfecttimetogetouttheatlasandencyclopedia.Thentheremightbetwohoursormoreofeating,askingquestions,lookingupanswers,discoveringhowrainforestsinfluencetheclimate,whatthe“greenhouseeffect”is,howdesertsareformedandhow

14、thepolarpsiceaffectcaoceanlevels.Althoughhomeschoolingoffersanexperiencethatisoftenmoreinterestingthanregularschools,criticspointoutthathome-schoolersmissoutonmanyimportantthings.Thehome-schoolerisanoutsiderwho,becauseheorsheneverattendedschool,mightbeuncomfortablemixingwithotherpeopleinadultlife.Cr

15、iticsalsosaythatmostparentsarenotwellqualifiedtoteachtheirchildrenandmaypassontheirownnarrowviewstotheirchildren.However,mostparentsdonthavetimethordesiretoteachtheirchildrenathome,soschoolswillcontinuetobewheremostchildrengettheirformaleducation.PartIIIAJohnJames:Idisagree,Peter.Idontthinkitreallym

16、atterswhatyoureducationalbackgroundis.Anyonewhoisbrightenoughisgoingtodowellwhatevertheireducation.PeterDavies:ButJohn,.JohnJames:Infact,Ithinksomepeoplecarryonwiththeireducationwhentheywoulddoalotbettertogetoutandstartbuildingtheirowncareersbylearningthingsinreallife.PeterDavies:Yes,butthewholepoin

17、tis,lifeisgettingsomuchmorecomplicatedthesedaysthatunlessyoucarryonwithyourstudiesyoujustcantcope.JohnJames:Forcertainthings,andcertainpeople,OK,buttomymind,thebigproblemineducationisthatyouspecializetooquickly.Imean,inEngland,youstartspecializingfromthethirdyearinsecondaryschool,whenyoureabout14.An

18、ditgetssteadilynarroweruntilyoudoyour“A”levelsinonlytwoorthreesubjects.Youeitherdolanguages,ornaturalsciences,orsocialsciences.PeterDavies:Butsurelythesedaysyouhaveto,Johnyoucanpossiblytstudyeverythingbecausetheresjusttoomuch.JohnJames：Yes,buthowmanykidsattheageofsixteenreallyknowwhattheywanttodo?Ho

19、wmanyofthemareconvincedthatthethreesubjectstheyvechosen,orhavebeenrecommended,aretheonesthatwillletthemfollowthecareerstheyeventuallydecideon?PeterDavies:Oh,Ithinkmostyoungpeoplewhostayonatschoolhaveafairideaofwhattheywanttodo.JohnJames：Imnotsosure,Peter.Andafterall,thatsnottheendofit.Whentheygettou

20、niversityinEngland,thesubjectstheystudyaresonarrowthattheyareonlygoodforonething,sotheyarestuckwithit.PeterDavies:ButIdontreallyseethatthereisanyalternativeifpeoplearegoingtolearnenoughtobecompetentintheirsubject.Theyvegottospecializeearly,andIsupposethosethatrealizetheyvemadeamistakecanalwaysswapto

21、methingselse.JohnJames：Ah,butthatsjustit.Youcant.Supposeyoustudylanguagesatuniversityandthendecidethatyouarenotcutoutforitandwouldliketobeadoctor.Youveburntyourbridges.Youcantjustchangehorsesinmidstream;youvegottogorightbacktothebeginningandyouloseyears.IthinktheAmericansystemismuchbetter.BJohnJames

22、:.IthinktheAmericansystemismuchbetter.PeterDavies:Inwhatway?JohnJames:Well,foryourfirstdegreeyouvefairlygotwidetostudyrangeofsubjects,andyoucanchoosethemyourself,withincertainlimits.PeterDavies:Fine,butdoesntthatmeanthatAmericanstudentswithafirstdegreedondepthofknowledgetheyshouldhave?JohnJames:Shou

23、ldhaveforwhat?PeterDavies:Well,theyoftenarentacceptedforpostgraduateworkinEnglandwithjustafirstdegree.JohnJames:Maybenot,butIdontreallythinkthatsimportant.Theycomeoutwithaprettygoodgeneralknowledgeinawidearea.Afterall,whenyouthinkaboutalotofthestuffEnglishstudentshavetostudy,whatgoodisittothemafterw

24、ards?ImsurethemajorityofBritishstudentsneveruse90percentofwhattheystudiedatuniversity.PeterDavies:Thatmaybetrueofsomeartssubjects,butwhataboutthesciences?JohnJames:Eventhere,alotwhattheydoatuniversityissoacademicandabstrusethattheywillneverbeabletoputittoanypracticaluse.Imsuretheywouldbenefit-thefar

25、-morejobfromonexperience.Andiftheyvehadabroadercourseofstudytheyvegottwoadvantages.PeterDavies:Howdoyoumean?JohnJames:Firstofall,theywillhaveabetterunderstandingoftheworldingeneral,sotheywillbemoreflexibleintheirjobs,andthenifthingsdogowrongtheywillbeabletoswitchjobseasily.PeterDavies:Thatallsoundsv

26、erysimple,butIthinkyourestillunderestimatingtheamountofpurelearningthatyouneedthesedays,particularlyintechnicalandscientificareas.Imeanevenatschoolthesedays,childrenhavetolearnfarmorethingsthanwedidwhenwewereatschool.JohnJames:Allthemorereasonweshouldnottrytoconcentrateonsuchafewthingsatsuchanearlya

27、ge.Thingsarechangingsorapidlythesedaysthatwehavetochangewiththem.Whenwewereyounger,therewasaprettygoodchancethatwewouldbeabletocarryonintheprofessionwedchosenuntilweretired.Butthesedays,peoplehavegottobepreparedtochangetheirjobsandlearnnewskillsastechnologymovesahead.Takejusttheareaoftheoffice,forex

28、ample.Howmanyoffices.PartImaginebeingaskedtospendtwelveorsoyearsofyourlifeinasocietywhichconsistedonlyofmembersofyourownsex.Howwouldyoureact?Unlesstherewassomethingdefinitelywrongwithyou,youwouldntbesohappyaboutit,tosaytheleast.Itisallthemoresurprisingthereforethatsomanyparentsintheworldchoosetoimpo

29、sesuchabnormalconditionsontheirchildrenconditionswhichtheythemselveswouldnputupwithtforoneminute!Anydiscussionofthistopicisboundtoquestiontheaimsofeducation.Stuffingchildrenheadfullofknowledgeisfarfrombeingforemostamongthem.Oneofthechiefaimsofeducationistoequipfuturecitizenswithalltheyrequiretotaket

30、heirplaceinadultsociety.Nowadultsocietyismadeupofmenandwomen,sohowcanasegregatedschoolpossiblyoffertherightsortofpreparationforit?Anyoneenteringadultsocietyafteryearsofsegregationcanonlybeinforashock.Aco-educationalschoolofferschildrennothinglessthanatrueversionofsocietyinminiature.Boysandgirlsaregi

31、ventheopportunitytogettoknoweachother,tolearntolivetogetherfromtheirearliestyears.Theyareputinapositionwheretheycancomparethemselveswitheachotherintermsofacademicability,athleticachievementandmanyoftheextra-curricularactivitieswhicharepartofschoollife.Whatapracticaladvantageitis(togivejustasmallexam

32、ple)tobeabletoputonaschoolplayinwhichthemalepartswillbetakenbyboysandthefemalepartsbygirls!Whensegregated,boysandgirlsaremadetofeelthattheyarearaceapart.Inaco-educationalschool,everythingfallsintoitsproperplace.Butperhapsthegreatestcontributionofco-educationisthehealthyattitudetolifeitencourages.Boy

33、sdontgrowupbelievingthatwomenaremysteriouscreatures.Girlsdonupimaginingthatmenareromanticheroes.Yearsoflivingtogetherdispelillusionsofthiskind.Theawkwardstageofadolescencebringsintosharpfocussomeofthephysicalandemotionalproblemsinvolvedingrowingup.Thesecanbetterbeovercomeinaco-educationalenvironment

34、.Whenthetimecomesforthepupilstoleaveschool,theyarefullypreparedtoentersocietyaswell-adjustedadults.Theyhavealreadyhadyearsofexperienceincopingwithmanyoftheproblemsthatfacemenandwomen.PartVIsChinatheworldscleverestcountry?Chinaachieved“remarkableresults”inthePisainternationaleducationtests,whichmeasurepupilskeyskills:reading,numeracyandscience.TheresultsindicatethatChinaseducationsystemisnotonlyaboveaverage,itsovtheperformanceofmanyWesterncountries.Butwhyd