新编大学英语自主1Unit 8

[00:07.20]Practice One  Holidays in USA
[00:12.35]Words You Need to Know
[00:13.93]unique        originate       colonist       survive       perish
[00:38.30]turkey       feast        barbecue        ethnic¹         festivity
[01:00.44]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the passage and put a tick ( ) against the names of the holidays if they are mentioned in the tape and a cross ( ) if they are not.
[01:16.14]Several holidays are unique to America. Columbus Day, which is celebrated² on the second Monday in October to honor the discovery of North Americ
[01:30.29]Fourth of July, which is Independence Day; Washington's Birthday, which is celebrated on the third Monday in February to honor the first president of the Republi
[01:45.77]and Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving originates from the days of the early New England colonists³ who were having difficulty surviving in the New Lan
[02:01.00]Without the help of the native American Indians, the settlers would have perishe
[02:07.19]The Indians showed the colonists how to hunt wild turkeys and grow corn
[02:14.32]In the fall, the Indians and colonists gathered for a feast to honor their friendshi
[02:21.34]Today, Americans follow the tradition by inviting⁴ friends and relatives for a turkey dinner on the fourth Thursday of November.
[02:32.35]Don't be surprised if you are invited to a Thanksgiving dinner or perhaps a Fourth of July barbecue held in the back yar
[02:42.90]You may be asked to a Chinese New Year celebration, or St Patrick's Day party. The different ethnic and religious groups in the USA celebrate their own special festivities. (185 words)
[02:59.78]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the passage again and fill in the diagram according to the information you hear on the tape.Please read the tape and listen again.
[03:16.78]Practice Two  Plans for Thanksgiving Day
[03:21.20]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the conversation and answer the following questions, using no more than ten words.
[03:34.42]Jane:Today's November fifteenth. It's almost time for Thanksgiving.
[03:39.64]Richard:What are your plans for Thanksgiving Day?
[03:42.01]Jane:The same as usual. My aunts and uncles and cousins come to our house for dinner.
[03:47.81]Richard:Do you cook the turkey?
[03:49.39]Jane:My mother cooks it. But I prepare the vegetables. My aunts usually bring the pies.
[03:56.23]Richard:My father and I go to my married sister's every year. When my mother was alive, the whole family came to our hous
[04:04.62]The women cooked the meal, and the men washed the dishes.
[04:08.69]Jane:In our family the kids wash the dishes. The whole thing is a lot of work.
[04:14.12]Richard:Yes, but I like Thanksgiving. I was out of the country last year, and I really missed i
[04:21.14]That's one time in the year when families get together. (129 words)
[04:24.89]1)How does Richard usually spend Thanksgiving?
[04:29.68]2)Why does Richard like Thanksgiving?
[04:33.42]3)What are Jane's plans for Thanksgiving Day?
[04:37.74]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the conversation again and match the following two categories.Please read one the tape and listen again.
[04:51.53]Exercise 3:Directions:Listen to the conversation for the third time and decide whether the following statements are ture (T) or false (F).
[05:04.88]1)  Jane's aunts and uncles come to her house for Thanksgiving every year.
[05:11.87]2)  Richard's mother is dead now.
[05:15.25]3)  Richard visited his uncle on Thanksgiving Day last year.
[05:20.80]4)  Jane likes Thanksgiving more than Richard does.
[05:25.76]Practice Three Christmas in Great Britain
[05:29.54]Words You Need to Know
[05:31.20]connected     chimney      nut

[05:42.14]disappointed     pudding     deliver
[05:54.10]mince⁵     carol     hymn     holly⁶
[06:09.22]Exercise 1:Directions:Some Christmas customs are listed below. Try to decide whether each one is mentioned in the passage you hear on the tape
[06:22.97]Put a tick ( ) before the statements that are mentioned.
[06:26.60]If you try to catch a train on 24th December you may have difficulty in finding a sea
[06:33.66]This is the day when many people are travelling home to be with their families on Christmas Day, 25th Decembe
[06:41.40]There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but perhaps the most important one is the giving of present
[06:50.36]Family members wrap up their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas mornin
[06:58.68]Children leave a long sock or stocking at the end of their bed on Christmas Eve, 24th December, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents, fruit and nut
[07:18.01]They are usually not disappointed! At some time on Christmas Day the family will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas puddin
[07:30.54]They will probably pull a cracker⁷ with another member of the family
[07:34.61]It will make a loud crack and a colored hat, small toy and joke will fall out!
[07:41.63]Later in the afternoon they may watch the Queen on television as she delivers her traditional Christmas message to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealt
[07:53.98]If they have room for even more food they may enjoy a piece of Christmas cake or eat a hot mince pi
[08:02.72]26th December is also a public holiday, Boxing Day, and this is the time to visit friends and relatives or watch football.  (254 words)
[08:15.65]1)   It is very crowded on the train just before Christmas Day.
[08:21.16]2)  On the sunday before Christmas many churches hold a carol service where special hymns⁸ are sung.
[08:29.44]3)  Most families decorate their houses with brightly-colored paper or holly.
[08:36.74]4)   Family members wrap up their presents and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning.
[08:46.21]5)   Father Christmas is expected to come down the chimney.
[08:51.86]6)   Queen Elizabeth  exchanges her Christmas presents with the royal family members and the ministers of the United Kingdom.
[09:02.05]7)  Just before the bell strikes twelve, everyone makes a wish and prays.
[09:09.18]8)    People usually visit their friends and relatives or watch football on Boxing Day.
[09:16.34]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the passage again and try to figure out what British people usually do during each of the following periods.Please one the tape and listen again.
[09:34.85]Exercise 3:Directions:Listen to the passage for the third time and take some notes about what people do around Christmas
[09:47.23]Compare the traditions with the Chinese ones in celebrating Spring Festival her
[09:52.74]You may refer to the questions below and form a passage out of the answers.
[09:57.71]1)On the day before Spring Festival, what do people do?
[10:02.82]2)Do people prepare gifts for their family members? If so, what kind of gifts?
[10:10.96]3)Is there anyone in China who adds to the spirit of the festival?
[10:16.90]4)What do the Chinese people have for dinner on that day?
[10:22.69]5)Do they play games or do they pull crackers⁹?
[10:28.85]6)When do the Chinese people visit their friends and relatives?
[10:35.40]Please read one the tape and listen agai
[10:38.89]Happy Minute
[10:39.86]Listen to the poem and figure out when the Christmas work begins and what the work is
[10:46.02]Then follow the tape and try to recite the poem.
[10:49.62]The Work of Christmas
[10:50.99]When the song of the angels is stilled,
[10:53.54]When the star in the sky is gone,
[10:55.74]When the kings and princes are home

[10:58.01]When the shepherds are back with their flock,
[11:00.06]The work of Christmas begins:
[11:01.93]To find the los
[11:03.30]To heal the broken,to feel the hungry
[11:05.86]To release the prisoner,
[11:07.19]To rebuild the nations,
[11:08.92]To bring peace among brothers,
[11:10.72]To make music in the heart.
[11:09.72]Lesson Two People and Their Pets
[11:08.72]Practice One My Dear Dogs
[11:07.72]Words You Need to Know
[11:06.72]temperament¹⁰      disposition¹¹      clutch      collapse¹²
[11:05.72]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the story and fill in the blanks.
[11:04.72]At a workshop on dog temperament, the instructor¹³ noted¹⁴ that a test for a dog's disposition was for anowner to fall down and act hur
[11:03.72]A dog with poor temperament would try to bite the person, whereas a good dog would lick his owner's face or show concern.
[11:02.72]Once, while eating pizza in the living room, I decided¹⁵ to try out this theory on my two dog
[11:01.72]I stood up, clutched my heart, let out a scream and collapsed¹⁶ on the floo
[11:00.72]The dogs looked at me, glanced at each other and raced to the coffee table for my pizza.   (101 words)
[10:59.72]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the story again and answer the following questions briefly¹⁷.
[10:58.72]1)What will a dog with poor temperament do when he sees his owner in trouble, according to the theory?
[10:57.72]2)How did the speaker act hurt?
[10:59.59]Practice Two As Stupid as Pigs?
[11:03.91]Words You Need to Know
[11:05.20]fame     dive      genuine      game
[11:19.86]barnyard       tumble         earn one's ke
[11:33.18]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the passage and list all the things that pigs can do.
[11:43.00]Some people claim that full-grown pigs can be intelligent, useful pet
[11:48.84]A pig named Ralph has earned fame from his diving act at a park in Texa
[11:55.03]A pig named Charlotte earns her keep in Maryland by giving children genuine piggyback ride
[12:02.91]Some pigs have been trained to hunt small game such as rabbits and birds and to guard a barnyar
[12:11.30]Pigs have been trained to race, dance, tumble, and even fetch the morning paper. (70 words)
[12:18.14]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the passage again and figure out the main idea of the passage.
[12:27.50]Practice Three Guide Dogs
[12:30.34]Words You Need to know
[12:31.86]commute¹⁸     unreliable     luxury       overestimate¹⁹
[12:51.66]voluntarily        contribution         minimun      Tunbridge Wells
[13:13.26]Charing²⁰ Cross      Rye     Alsatian        Labrad
[13:32.59]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the dialogue and choose the correct answer to each question according to the information you hear on the tape.
[13:45.33]Richard commutes²¹ from Tunbridge Wells to Charing Cross in the London area every da
[13:51.60]This difficult journey is made easier with the help of Raffles²², his guide dog! Laura met him on the train.
[14:01.10]Laura:What a lovely dog! How long have you had her?
[14:04.99]Richard:...Um...since July, 1998.
[14:08.41]Laura:Isn't it a bit unusual to have an Alsatian as a guide dog? Aren't they usually Labradors?
[14:15.36]Richard:Yes, you're right. I did have a Labrador before Raffles, but we were walking through London one day when a bomb went off and it frightened her so much that she became unreliable.
[14:29.50]Laura:Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What happened to her?
[14:33.46]Richard:She's fine. She's leading a life of luxury with a family in Rye.
[14:38.58]Laura:What about Raffles, though? Could you commute without her for instance?
[14:43.33]Richard:Mm, yes... but much more slowly. On the other hand, people often overestimate what guide dogs can do

[14:52.83]Laura:Really-in what way?
[14:54.56]Richard:Well, it's impossible to train them to cope with modern traffic, especially in Londo
[15:00.97]The best she can do is to warn me of a dangerous situation.
[15:04.78]Laura:How can she do that?
[15:06.37]Richard:Simply by sitting down and refusing to move. I have to stand still and just hope that the driver misses me.
[15:15.12]Laura:That must be a terrible experience...
[15:17.49]Richard:Yes, it's not much fun!
[15:19.47]Laura:Can I ask how huch you paid for Rarffles?
[15:22.21]Richard:50 pounds.
[15:23.32]Laura:What?
[15:24.22]Richard:50 pounds...Any blind person can buy a dog for 50 pounds. Of course a lot of people pay more voluntarily, but the minimum price is 50 pounds.
[15:35.31]Laura:So public contributions are really important.
[15:38.73]Richard:Absolutely.  (278 words)
[15:40.06]1)Why did Richard part with his Labrador?
[15:43.88]2)What is people's opinion of guide dogs according to Richard?
[15:49.03]3)What does Raffles do to warn the owner of a dangerous situation?
[15:54.57]4)How much did Richard pay for Raffles?
[15:58.57]5)How does Richard feel about the public contributions?
[16:03.50]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the dialogue again. Tick the facts that Laura feels surprised about.
[16:14.16]1)  Richard commutes from Tunbridge Wells to Charing Cross every day.
[16:19.84]2)  Richard uses an Alsatian instead of a Labrador.
[16:24.78]3)  The dog that Richard used to have is leading a life of luxury with a family in Rye.
[16:32.95]4)  Richard can do without Raffles when walking.
[16:37.63]5)  People have false ideas about what guide dogs can do.
[16:43.82]6)  Blind men sometimes feel hopeless even though they are with guide dogs.
[16:50.80]7)  Richard paid a small amount of money for Raffles.
[16:55.27]8)  Public contributions are important according to Richard

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

3 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

5 mince   

n.切碎物；v.切碎，矫揉做作地说

参考例句：

• Would you like me to mince the meat for you?你要我替你把肉切碎吗？
• Don't mince matters,but speak plainly.不要含糊其词，有话就直说吧。

6 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。

7 cracker   

n.（无甜味的）薄脆饼干

参考例句：

• Buy me some peanuts and cracker.给我买一些花生和饼干。
• There was a cracker beside every place at the table.桌上每个位置旁都有彩包爆竹。

8 hymns   

n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At first, they played the hymns and marches familiar to them. 起初他们只吹奏自己熟悉的赞美诗和进行曲。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821
• I like singing hymns. 我喜欢唱圣歌。 来自辞典例句

9 crackers   

adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘

参考例句：

• That noise is driving me crackers. 那噪声闹得我简直要疯了。
• We served some crackers and cheese as an appetiser. 我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 temperament   

n.气质，性格，性情

参考例句：

• The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
• Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。

11 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

12 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

13 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

16 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

17 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

18 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。

19 overestimate   

v.估计过高，过高评价

参考例句：

• Don't overestimate seriousness of the problem.别把问题看重了。
• We overestimate our influence and our nuisance value.我们过高地估计了自己的影响力和破坏作用。

20 charing   

n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣

参考例句：

• We married in the chapel of Charing Cross Hospital in London. 我们是在伦敦查令十字医院的小教堂里结的婚。 来自辞典例句
• No additional charge for children under12 charing room with parents. ☆十二岁以下小童与父母同房不另收费。 来自互联网

21 commutes   

上下班路程( commute的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She commutes from Oxford to London every day. 她每天上下班往返于牛津与伦敦之间。
• Barbara lives in Oxford and commutes. 芭芭拉住在牛津，通勤往来。

22 raffles   

n.抽彩售物( raffle的名词复数 )v.以抽彩方式售（物）( raffle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Elsa and I will buzz on to the Raffles bar. 埃尔莎和我继续往前去，到拉福尔旅馆的酒巴。 来自辞典例句
• Tudsbury rushed to the Raffles and dictated this hot story to Pamela. 塔茨伯利冲到拉福尔旅馆，对帕米拉口述了这个最新消息。 来自辞典例句