1、Unit 1Dr. Zhang: What s so funny Lisa?Lisa: Ha, ha! I ve just read an article about a Scottish touristwho had his passport stolen in New Zealand, by a parrot.Dr. Zhang: A parrot? A bird? That s impossible! Are you pulling my leg?Lisa: No, I am dead serious: it s a true story!Dr. Zhang: What happened

2、?Lisa: According to the article, the Scottish tourist had put his passport in a little bright bag. But the brightness of the bag drew the attention of a parrot, which swooped down, grabbed it, and flew away!Dr. Zhang: Oh my! The poor tourist! What s he going to do?Lisa: Well, he can t travel home. I

3、n fact, he will now have to spend an extra six weeks in New Zealand.Dr. Zhang: Six weeks?Lisa: Yeah. The article says that s how long it will take him to get his passport renewed.Dr. Zhang: How inconvenient!Lisa: Indeed. That s why, when I travel, I always keep important documents in a safe in my ho

4、tel room. I would never lose an ID card or passport!Lisa: Tina, I am in a panic. I can t find my ID card .I ve lost it!Tina: It s probably just misplaced. I am sure it will turn up.Lisa: No it won t. I ve looked everywhere for it .it s nowhere to be found. I think I somehow threw the card out with t

5、he rubbish. I did a big house clean on Sunday and may have gotten a bit careless.Oh my, what have I done?Tina: Lisa, take it easy .it s not the end of the world! You ll just have to get it replaced.Lisa: How? Will I be fined?Tina: No, of course not. It s a simple two-step process. I had to do it las

6、t year. The first thing is to report the card lost or stolen to your local police station.Lisa: That s fairly straightforward. Then what?Tina: Take a copy of the police report to the Public Security Bureau opposite the National Library. They will issue a new card immediately.Lisa: That s it?Tina: Th

7、at s it.Lisa: So I ll have a new card by the end of the week?Tina: Yep. It s no big deal, really.Lisa: You re a star. Thanks for the help!Tina: No worries.Unit2Jack: Eric, I hope I meet the woman of my dreams sooner rather than later. I want to settle down and have a family before I am thirty.Eric:

8、Well, I ve always thought that you and Rachel would make a wonderful couple!Jack: Rachel? She d never go for me.Eric: I wouldn t be so sure. You should see the way she looks at you.What year were you born in?Jack: What year was I born in? What s that got to do with anything?Eric: Lots. The year you

9、were born says a great deal about your personality and who you would be compatible with as a mate.Jack: You re kidding, right?Eric: No. I am perfectly serious.Jack: I was born in 1985.Eric: That s the year of the ox. That makes sense, because you re down to earth, caring and loyal, just like ox peop

10、le. Are you aware that Rachel was born in 1987?Jack: Yes, I am, but what s your point?Eric: That s the year of the rabbit.Rabbit people are usually sweet natured, sociable and romantic.Jack: Just like Rachel Eric: You know, it is said that an ideal match for a rabbit is an ox Cindy: Lisa, you re suc

11、h an extroverted person, while I am much more introverted. You re outgoing, whereas I am soft spoken.You re very social, while I am very reserved. What do you think it is that makes our personalities so different? After all, we re sisters!Lisa: I think it all has to do with the nature versus nurture

12、 debate?Cindy: Nature versus nurture?Lisa: Yes, some scientists think that people are born with their personalities. That s the “nature ” theory of human behavior. Other scientists claim that the environment people grow up in shapes their personalities. That s the “nurture ” theory of human behavior

13、.Cindy: Hm. Interesting. I tend to think that the environment determines a person s character. I guess that means I subscribe to the “ nurture ” theory.Lisa: Me too. I suppose that s why we are so different. We went to different schools, you played sports while I studied music, and we hung out with

14、different types of friends.Cindy: Nonetheless, I do think nature plays a role in shaping personality too. After all, we re both intelligent, talented in what we do and very caring towards others. These are probably all traits that we inherited.Lisa: Maybe. I am no expert. The important thing to me i

15、s that we get along so well, enjoy being together and love each other.Cindy: You re right. I couldn t ask for a better sister!Unit3Tina: This is Tina Lin from HTN news, and we are with Rachel Wu today, a student of Feminist Studies. Rachel, would you say that there is true equality in our society be

16、tween men and women?Rachel: Thats a good question. On the whole, in most areas, I believe we can speak about real equality between men and women, and that is a very clear sign of social progress. However, the wage gap is still a significant problem women still earn a lot less money than men who have

17、 the same jobs.Tina: Can you give us a specific example of discriminatory wage practices based on sex?Rachel: Most certainly. Research shows that male health professionals, such as doctors and administrators, earn twice as much as female workers doing the same jobs full-time.Tina: Twice as much! Tha

18、t must be an extreme case.Rachel: Yes, on average, the pay gap is just under 10%. An example of such a gap would be hotel management. Male hotel managers generally earn 9.8% more than their female counterparts.Tina: Is there any reason to believe things will improve?Rachel: Yes, there is. In fact, t

19、he situation is getting better as we speak. 10 years ago, the pay gap was 16.2%. So in the last decade, there has been an improvement of over 6% this shows that our society is headed in the right direction.Tina: Rachel, thank you for speaking with us today.Rachel: Youre very welcome.Mary: I am readi

20、ng a compelling book right now. Its called Fire with Fire.Dan: Whos the author?Mary: Naomi Wolf.Dan: Never heard of her.Mary: She is a feminist writer. Female empowerment is one of the major themes of the book.Dan: Really? In what way?Mary: She wants all women to have a voice that is heard. Like mos

21、t feminists, she believes in gender equality and equal opportunities for women.Dan: How about you: are you a feminist?Mary: I am in the sense that I support the idea of men and women having equal rights. I am also sensitive to how language sometimes discriminates against women.Dan: Language discrimi

22、nates?Mary: Yes, you know, people often use terms like businessman, policeman or salesman.Dan: Whats wrong with that?Mary: It suggests that women cant do these jobs. Nondiscriminatory language would be terms like businessperson, police officer or sales representative.Dan: Yes, I see. That language i

23、s much more gender neutral.Unit4Cindy: I just had a tiff with my father.Jane: Cindy, Im sorry to hear that. What was it about?Cindy: He was asking me about my career plans and I told him that I want to be a housewife.Jane: A housewife? Im somewhat surprised to hear you say that.I mean why would you

24、want to be a housewife?Cindy: Because I value family more than anything else. I guess I just want to spend my adult life making a warm and loving family home.Jane: So what was your fathers reaction?Cindy: He got angry. He said he was wasting his money sending me to university if my intention is only

25、 to become a housewife.Jane: Do you think he has a point?Cindy: No, not in the least! I mean, I am extremely grateful that he is paying for my studies, but knowledge is priceless, its the key to understanding the world around us. Besides, if I have children, I want to help educate them and get invol

26、ved with their schooling. And who knows, maybe one day, I might decide that I want to work outside the home and Ill need a degree to show that Im qualified.Jane: Well, if its worth anything, I support you in your decision. My feeling is that people need to take on responsibilities that give meaning

27、to their lives. Becoming a housewife will definitely give you this sense of purpose.Cindy: Thanks Jane. That means a lot to me. Youre a good friend.Lisa: Did you realize that there is a meeting scheduled for 3:30 this afternoon?Tim: No, I didnt. Any reason given for the meeting?Lisa: Elsa wants to s

28、ee what we can do to run a more successful department.Tim: That should be interesting. Our department is made up of seven men and eight women. My guess is that it will be hard for us to achieve a consensus because men and women define success very differently.Lisa: Isnt the idea of success more or l

29、ess the same for everybody?Tim: Not according to an article I just read. It says that women see being successful at work as being a good team player and collaborator.Lisa: I would agree.Tim: Well, you are a woman!Lisa: Tell me about men then.Tim: Men, on the other hand, define being successful at wo

30、rk as being self-sufficient and achieving targets.Lisa: I would agree with that too an employee needs to be able to take initiative without always being told what to do. At the meeting, I think we need to aim to create a balance between men and womens views of success.Unit5Cindy: Julie s asked me to

31、 go to her wedding I am so excited!Jane: Julie is getting married that s great news! Please congratulate her on my behalf. What will you wear?Cindy: No idea: I can t fit in to any of my fancy clothes. I need to lose weight immediately. Any suggestions?Jane: The recipe for weight loss is simple: exer

32、cise and a healthy diet.Cindy: But I can t stand exercise! Whenever I go jogging I get bored after 5 minutes.Jane: Well, try to do fun things. There are many other ways to burn off fat. Get involved in team sports, like volleyball, or group exercise, like aerobics or even something like yoga.Cindy:

33、I suppose I could try.Jane: I guess it depends on how much you want to fit into a nice dress!Cindy: Alright. I ll do some exercise, but a diet, no way! I need my chocolate. Chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, chocolate brownies ,it s all so scrumptious! The idea of a diet depresses me.Jane: You don

34、 t have to give up chocolate completely just don t overdo it. When you get a craving, eat some fruit or have a salad.You ll feel refreshed!Cindy: Easy for you to say. You re not a chocoholic!Tim: Bob, you re looking good. Have you been working out?Bob: Yeah, I ve started this awesome exercise routin

35、e. I feel great!Tim: Well, you certainly look trim and fit. What s the secret?Bob: Discipline and dedication. I make sure I stick to a routine.Tim: Can you walk me through it?Bob: Would love to. Every morning, before breakfast, I do some stretching to loosen up and make sure that I don t pull any mu

36、scles during the day. Then I go for a 30-minute jog.Tim: I see what you mean by dedication. I can t do anything before breakfast.Bob: Then, before lunch, I hit the gym and do some weight training and cardio work. It s normally a 40-minute session.Tim: You must work up quite an appetite!Bob: I certai

37、nly do. Then, on my way home from work, I stop by the pool and go for a 1000-meter swim. Swimming is truly the best exercise: it works every muscle, including the heart, and is not hard on the joints.Tim: Well, your routine is impressive. In fact, if you keep it up, you could probably complete a tri

38、athlon.Bob: That s my goal!Unit6Mary: What s in that bag?Jack: A tent! I just bought it: I am going camping next month!Mary: Wow, how exciting! Where to?Jack: The Amazon. Mark and I are planning a 6-day hike through the rainforest. We ll sleep in this tent every night, with the sounds of the jungle

39、as background music.Mary: That has got to be the coolest camping trip ever. I ve always wanted to explore the jungle! Youll see fascinating birds, reptiles and amphibians!Jack: I know. I m actually afraid of snakes so hopefully we won t come across too many of them! I am hoping we ll see river dolph

40、ins from the shores of the Amazon.Mary: Oh yes! Pink Amazon river dolphins those are incredible! Be sure to bring a camera.Jack: I will. I ve actually bought a tripod so that I cantake good wildlife pictures.Mary: Great idea. Please do show me your shots when you get back.Jack: I will. I ll make a s

41、lideshow and invite youover for a viewing and, hopefully, some great storytelling!Mary: I look forward to it!Jack: What exactly is ecotourism? It seems to be the latest travel buzzword.Eric: Indeed. Ecotravel, ecolodges, ecotourism all three terms are very popular in the travel industry nowadays. I

42、myself am a big fan of ecotourism.Jack: So please tell me about it: I m all ears!Eric: Well, let me begin with a question. On your view, what are some of the negative effects of tourism on travel destinations?Jack: Hmm. I guess there are two main drawbacks. The first thing is that tourism pollutes.

43、I recently went to the seaside for the weekend, and couldn t believe how much rubbish from travelers littered the beaches and sea. The second thing is that tourism sometimes disrupts the local cultures and practices.Eric: These two drawbacks a re are precisely what ecotourism wants to avoid. For exa

44、mple, TIES The International Ecotourism Society promotes responsible travel to tourist areas. TIES wants travel to be environmentally friendly and help improve the well-being of local people.Jack: How can these improvements be made? Eric: By providing financial benefits and empowerment for local peo

45、ple, and by raising awareness on environmental and cultural issues that are important to them.Jack: I think that s commendable. From now on, I will be an ecotourist!Unit7Cindy: Dr. Wang, do you have a moment? I would like to ask you for some advice.Dr. Wang: Of course, Cindy, what can I do for you?C

46、indy: I wanted to ask you about idioms. I have an IELTS test next month and the public IELTS descriptors show that I can get a higher score on the speaking test if I use idiomatic vocabulary.Dr. Wang: Well, using idioms isn t always easy. But I could give you one or two that might be helpful.Cindy:

47、I d appreciate that.Dr. Wang: Hmm, let s see If you re asked to describe yourself, you could answer that you re a person who doesn t like to cause problems by saying you don t like to rock the boat.Cindy: Sure, I can remember that. Thank you.Do you have some other suggestions?Dr. Wang: Well, let me

48、think. If you find something to be easy to do, you can say: it s a piece of cake.Cindy: Oh yeah, I ve heard that before. I ll try to use that idiom during my test. I could say: speaking English is a piece of cake! Ha, ha!Dr. Wang: Ha! Yes, that s fine. Do make sure that you use these idioms in the a

49、ppropriate context or they will not make sense.Cindy: I understand. I ll practice lots during the next few weeks so that I get the hang of it!Simon: I am thinking of learning French.Sherly: Ah French, the language of romance and poetry.Simon: Yes, it is a beautiful language indeed. But I don t want

50、to become a French poet! I plan to learn French to increase my job prospects.Sherly: I don t follow you.Simon: Well, I am very proud to say that I am bilingual. I speak Chinese and English. But in today s world,to find a good job, it s better to be trilingual.Sherly: Trilingual? You mean, speak thre

51、e languages.Simon: Yes.Sherly: So why French then?Simon: It was a tough call I was thinking French or Spanish, but decided on French because I am interested in working in countries where it is spoken.Sherly: Like Canada, Switzerland and Belgium?Simon: Yes, and also places in Africa, like Senegal or

52、Cameroon, or in Latin America, like Haiti.Sherly: I agree, those would be fascinating places to work in. Good luck!Unit8Jane: Hey Dan, thanks for freeing up time to help me.Dan: Don t mention it Jane, it s no problem at all. So what s up?Jane: My sister wants to study in America next year but doesn t know what admissions test to take: SAT or ACT. I thought maybe you could help because you started your university studies in Chicago.Dan: Yeah, of course I can he