1、中級英語聽力教程：Lesson 20 Tell Us About Your HobbiesTell Us About Your HobbiesText AJOHN:What I like most, I suppose, is the fact that it's so unusual. I mean,when Itell people what I do,they just look at me usually as if I'm mad.Maybe I am, anyway what I do is this. I get up about a quarter past s

2、ix every morning.I leave my wife in bed because she's not as mad as me - and I put my trunks on under under tracksuit and drive down tothe park with my clothes in a case. It only takes about five minutes .becausethere's no traffic of course at that time in the morning. So, when I get thereI

3、leave the car in the car park and run round a bit.I usually run for about ten minutes till I'm nice and warm, then comes the interesting bit. I run over to the car,get my case and then over to the pool. I take my tracksuit off and -inI jump. It's pretty cold I can tell you especially in the

4、middle of winter-butI do a coupte of quick lengths and then I climb out, get changed and drive home, I just get back in time for breakfast - and Inormally feel I've earnedit too.JACK:Well, it's very detailed work you see, but I find it very relaxing. It'sstrange I suppose that something

5、like this where you have to concentrate a lot can be relaxing ing, but you see in my job I'm always making decisions and telling people whatto do but I never actuplly see what I've done. This is completely different.You see, here I'm actually making something myself. I start with a kite,

6、 usually it's got all the basic materials in it. Then you have to cut out all the shapes from the wood and stick them together. When you've made theframe,the wings and the fuselage, that is, you cover them with special paper andpaint. Of course if it's goingto fly properly, everything ha

7、s to be properly balanced, you know. I must sayreally though. I think I enjoy actaually making them more than flying them.JANE:Well in a sense I suppose I do it to save money. I mean things are soincredibly .expensive in the shops nowadays days, aren't they? But that's notthe only reason rea

8、llyNo, the beautiful thing is that you can make what you want when you want-and inmaterial you've chosen. I mean you don't have to depend on some paris designerto say what is fashionable. If you like an idea you see then of course youcan copy it , but it gives you much more independence to d

9、o it yourself.I mean obviously it takes time , but I enjoy it , and with a sewing machineit doesn't take all that long to make even quitecomplicated things. Andthenfinally you know that you've got something really unique. Especially if it'ssomething you've designed yourself.HARRY:Wel

10、l, it gives me the chance to be alone-and for me that's really themost Itimportant thing I suppose,after being with crowds of people all week.gives you time to think, you know. And another thing is that it gets meout of doors. I suppose it isn't very energetic really after all. I mean youdon

11、't do very much except just sit there, but at least it's in the fresh air.And that's more than you can say for things likedarts , isn't it? No,that's really what I like about it.I like having time to think in the open air.I'm not terribly keen on the man against animal bit, y

12、ou know manthe hunter against nature. No, actually I don t usually catch very many you know. And if I do, I always throw them straight back.Text BJEFF: What's on the telly this evening? I feel like relaxing.MARY: Why ask me that? You know I never watch it.JEFE: Too busy with the latest hobby, ar

13、e you? What is it thistime, knitting socksfor your nephews? Or collecting buttons? I wish I had as much free time as you do.MARY:Men! As a matter of fact, you probably have more than I do. But youwaste itall watching your telly.JEFF: That's not a waste of time. I've got to rest sometimes.MAR

14、Y:Sometimes , maybe , but not all the time. And anyway ,I relax with myhobbies.A change is as good as a rest.JEFF: Well, the telly's my hobby, and I learn a lot from it.MARY:But it doesn't teach you to do anything, does it? You ust sit there andstareat it. That's not lerning.JEFF: But I

15、do learn. There are lots of educational programmes.MARY:But you don't watch them, do you? Whenever an educationalprogramme comes on, you eithes switch ove to the other channel or go to sleep.JEFF: When I come home from work. I need to put my feet up, at least for a while.Life's not all work,

16、 you know.MARY:Hobbies aren't work, Jeff. I like putting my feet up, too, at the end of theday,but I like doing things while I rest. Life's too short for us to waste time.JEFF: Mary dear, as I've said many times, we're different. There are two kinds ofpeople in the world.MARY:I know,

17、 I know. Those who are never happy unless they're runningabout doingthings.JEFF: That's right, and those who are never happy unless they're doing nothing. I'mone of the latter and you.MARY:I know, dear. I'm one of the former. And proud of it.JEFF: So now we agree. Live, and let l

18、ive. You can go peacefully back to your -buttoncollection, and I can watch TV.MARY:If only you organised yourself better, there's so much you could do,really.You're wasting your talents. And one last thing I'm not collecting buttons.JEFF: What are you doing then? Making sculptures from p

19、otatoes?MARY:No, I'm learning how to make Turkish cakes, and the first ones cameout very well.Of course, if you're too tired, I won't insist on you trying them.Additional lnformationA hobby can be almost anything a person likes to do in his spare time.Hobbyists raise pets, build model sh

20、ips, weave baskets, or carve soap figures.They watch birds, hunt animals, climb mountains, raise flowers, fish, ski, skate, and swim. Hobbyists also paint pictures, attend concerts and plays, and perform on musical instruments. They collect everything from books to butterflies, and from shells to st

21、amps.4中級英語聽力教程：Lesson 20 Tell Us About Your HobbiesPeople take up hobbies because these activities offerenjoyment , friendship,knowledge, and relaxation . Sometimes they even yield financial profit.Hobbies help people relax after periods of hard work, and provide a balance between work and play. Hob

22、bies also offer interesting activities for persons who have retired . Anyone, rich or poor, old or young, sick or well, can follow a satisfying hobby, regardless of his age, position, or income.Hobbies can help a person's mental and physical health. Doctors have found that hobbies are valuable i

23、n helping patients recover from physical or mental illness. Hobbies give bedridden or wheel-chair patients something to do, and provide interests that keep them from thinking about themselves. Many hospitals treat patients by having them take up interesting hobbies or pastimes .In early times, most

24、people were too busy making a living to have many hobbies. But some persons who hadleisure did enjoy hobbies. The ancientEgyptians played games with balls made of wood,pottery , and papyrus .some Greeks and Romans collectedminiature soldiers.People today have more time than ever before for hobbies.

25、Machines and automation have reduced the amount of time they must spend on their jobs. Hobbies provide variety for workers who do the samemonotonous tasksall day long. More people are retiring than ever before, and at an earlier age.Those who have developed hobbies never need to worry about what to

26、do with their newly-found leisure hours.Sir William Osler, a famous Canadian doctor, expressed the value of hobbies by saying, "No man is really happy or safe without a hobb.y, and it makes precious little difference what the outsidc interest may be-botany, bcetles, or 5中級英語聽力教程：Lesson 20 Tell

27、Us About Your Hobbiesbutterflies; roses, tulips, or irises: fishing, mountaimeering, or antiques - anything1 normally Aadv.正常地，通常地 參考例句：I normally do all my shopping on Saturdays.我通常在星期六買東西。My pulse beats normally.我脈搏正常。2 detailed Aadj.詳細(xì)的，詳盡的，極注意細(xì)節(jié)的，完全的參考例句：He had made a detailed study of the terra

28、in.他對地形作了 縝密的研究。A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我們的出版物有一份詳細(xì)的目錄備索。3 obviouslyadv.顯然；明白地參考例句：Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.顯然他們是在給他以嚴(yán)峻的考驗(yàn)OObviously he was lying.顯然他是在撒謊。4 complicatedAadj.錯(cuò)綜復(fù)雜的，麻煩的，結(jié)構(gòu)復(fù)雜的 參考例句：The poem is so complicated that I cannot make o

29、ut its meaning.這首詩太復(fù)雜，我理解不了它的意思。This is the most complicated case I have ever handled.這是我所處理過的最為復(fù)雜的案子。5 dartsn.擲飛鏢游又飛鏢（dart的名詞復(fù)數(shù)）；急馳，飛奔v.投擲，投射（dart的第三人稱單 數(shù)）；向前沖，飛奔參考例句：His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece.他將擲鏢獎(jiǎng)杯放在壁爐頂上最顯著的地方。來自簡明英漢詞典I never saw so many darts in a bodice!我從沒見過緊身胸衣上

30、納了這么多的縫褶！來自簡明英漢詞典6 keen Aadj.熱心的；敏銳的；激烈的；鋒利的參考例句：There is keen competition between the two motorcar firms.兩家汽車公司之間存在著激烈的競爭。The children are mad keen to go to the zoo.孩子們非常想去動物園。7 knitting An.編結(jié)物；接合，聯(lián)合；外科骨愈合v.（使）愈合（knit的現(xiàn)在分詞）；編結(jié)，編織；（使）緊密地結(jié)合；織平針參考例句：Weaving and knitting are traditional cottage industr

31、ies.編織和針織是傳統(tǒng)的家庭手工業(yè)。manipulative skills such as typing and knitting諸如打字、 編織這樣的技能8 learning >n.學(xué)問，學(xué)識，學(xué)習(xí)；動詞 learn的現(xiàn)在分詞參考例句：When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初學(xué)騎自行車時(shí)，常會從車上掉下來。Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.學(xué)習(xí)語言不僅 僅是記些單詞的事。9 additional >adj.

32、添加的，額外的，另外的參考例句：It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定這些補(bǔ)充規(guī)貝 U。I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我們可以再加建一間房子。10 enjoyment An.樂趣；享有；享用參考例句：Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit.有您的陪同， 我們這次訪問更加愉快了。After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢講完一個(gè)笑話，這老人就呵呵笑著表

33、示他的高興。11 relaxation >n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娛樂參考例句：The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部長一向反對法律上的任何放寬。She listens to classical music for relaxation.她聽古典音樂放松。12 yield Av.生產(chǎn)，出產(chǎn)；讓步，屈服； n.產(chǎn)量，收獲量 參考例句：A cow will yield several gallons of milk each day.頭母牛每天產(chǎn)幾力口侖的牛奶。We shall never yie

34、ld to a conqueror.我們永遠(yuǎn)不會向征服者低頭。13 retired >adj.隱退的，退休的，退役的參考例句：The old man retired to the country for rest.這位老人下鄉(xiāng)休息去了。Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.許多退休的人都以從事園藝為嗜好。14 helping >n.食物的一份&adj.幫助人的，輔助的參考例句：The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger.那些可憐的孩子們總是要求我把我的漢堡包再給他們一份。By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition.這樣一來，他在某些時(shí)候，有助于競爭的加強(qiáng)。15 pastimes An.消遣，娛樂(pastime 的名詞復(fù)數(shù))參考例句：First, pastimes (or "amuseme