大学体验英语听说教程 第四册08

　　Unit 8 A choice of attitude
Vocabulary Task
Script and Answers
1. A: How did Sam strike you?
B: He’s a wishy-washy guy.
A: Really? Why?
B: He never knows what he wants.
2. A: What’s wrong, Fred? You don’t look too good.
B: I don’t know if I’m coming or going.
A: What do you mean?
B: Well, Jane was taken into hospital last night. The children are crying, but I’ve got to work overtime¹ today. What shall I do?
3. A: What’s the matter, Toshio? You seem upset.
B: I don’t know why I let Coach talk me into the switch.
A: Haven’t you made up your mind?
B: No. I think it’s a crazy idea to join you in figure skating.
4. A: Congratulations, Vicky! You’ve been offered the chance to work abroad for one year.
B: Thanks, Reginald! But I feel I’m pulled in two directions.
A: What’s wrong?
B: You know, I have two career opportunities at the same time-- my career as a teacher and my career as a mother.
5. A: Hi, Wilma. What’s the deal with hockey?
B: I can’t go back.
A: Why?
B: I’ve been wrestling with the question of whether, being in such shape, I’ll ever nail my opponent.
Listening Task
2. Listening Activity
1) First Listening
Answers
1. He is Abraham Lincoln. He was determined³ to become a public servant.
2. He is Henry Ford⁴. His bliss⁵ was the automobile⁶.
3. He is Babe Ruth. He loved playing baseball.
2) Second Listening
Answers
1. Stumbles⁸: He ran for legislature and lost. He ran for Congress and lost. He ran for the Senate twice and lost both times. He tried for a state land officer and was rejected.
Success: In 1860 he was elected President of the United States.
2. Stumbles: He tried to establish two car companies and both went bankrupt⁹ when he was 40 years old.
Success: By 50 years old, he was the world’s leading auto-maker and was well on the way to becoming the first billionaire.
3. Stumbles: He struck out 1 330 times and he failed.
Success: The 714 times he hit a home run and he held the record for many years as having struck out more than any ball player in history.
Script
Follow your bliss
It is natural for you to be faced with choices in life. My advice is to follow your bliss. It means to follow a course in life that is most exciting and challenging for you and to follow a direction that brings you the greatest personal satisfaction.
Do you know the story of King Arthur’s knights¹⁰? When they set out on their quest² for the Holy Grail, each set out alone. Each entered the woods at the deepest, darkest point, where there was no way or path. If there is a well-worn path, it is someone else’s path, not yours.
There was a man who was determined to become a public servant. He ran for legislature and lost. He ran for Congress and lost. He ran for the Senate twice and lost both times. After all these failures, he even tried for a political appointment as a state land officer, something like a Justice of the Peace, and he was flatly rejected. Yet this guy held to his vision of public service, and in 1860 was elected President of the United States. The man, of course, was Abraham Lincoln.
Look at this guy. At 40, he tried to establish two car companies. Both went bankrupt, and he was flat broke. Yet the automobile was his bliss. By 50, he was the world’s leading automaker, and was well on his way to becoming the first billionaire. That man was Henry Ford.
Consider the baseball player who held the record for many years as having struck out more than any ball player in history. In his career, he struck out 1 330 times. Yet what we remember about Babe Ruth is not the 1 330 times he failed, but the 714 times he hit a home run.
Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Edgar Allen Poe and Shelly were all expelled¹¹ from school at one point. People are stumbling¹² while following their bliss. Where you stumble⁷, stop and smile, for there your treasure may lie.
Real World Listening
1. Predict
Answers
Claudia: □excited □confident
Toshio: □upset □ hesitant
2. Get the Main Ideas
Answers
Question 1:
Claudia:
□I can’t do the triple¹³ toe loop.
□My legs aren’t strong enough.
Toshio:
□I want to get back my shape.
Question 2:
Claudia:
□ If we stick to it, perhaps we can compete against the best.
□Let’s give it a try.
□I plan to go to the Olympics by any means necessary.
Toshio:
□I think it is a crazy idea. It’ll never work.
□I don’t think figure skating is for guys.
□I never planned to take the figure skating seriously.
Script and Answers to Self-study
A choice of attitude-- accept the switch or not?
In a moment, you are going to hear a conversation between Claudia and Toshio. They are discussing Coach’s suggestion of going to the Olympics as a team.
Claudia: Hey, are you okay? Toshio, you seem upset. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings in there. It’s just that--
Toshio: Don’t be ridiculous. I can accept the switch. Well, just for the record, I think this is a crazy idea. It’ll never work. I don’t know why I let Coach talk me into it. I’m only here to get back in shape.
Claudia: You seem in pretty good shape to me. There doesn’t seem to be much wrong with the way you move on the ice.
Toshio: Glad you noticed.
Claudia: What’s the deal with hockey? Why can’t you go back?
Toshio: It’s a long story. I don’t want to talk about it.
Claudia: I’m sorry I asked.
Toshio: What I don’t understand is why you are doing this. I mean, isn’t it better to get to the Olympics as a solo¹⁴ performer? You seem the type who wants the limelight all to yourself.
Claudia: Coach just told me I won’t get to the Olympics as a solo skater. I can’t do the triple toe loop. My legs aren’t strong enough. And Coach doesn’t think I’ll ever nail it. So I can’t follow my real dream anymore -- just like you can’t follow your hockey dreams.
Toshio: So we’re both failures, then. Maybe we really do belong together.
Claudia: Speak for yourself. I don’t consider myself a failure. I’m just changing directions. That’s all. I intend to get to the Olympics by any means necessary.
Toshio: But I never planned to take this figure skating seriously.
Claudia: Coach said you had talent, that you should try it out.
Toshio: Well, maybe it’s okay for girls. But guys don’t figure skate-- not real guys. They do stuff like football and hockey.
Claudia: Are you willing to give it a try, Toshio? Let’s just work together and see if it’s right for both of us. And if we stick to it, perhaps we can compete against the best.

1 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

2 quest   

n.寻求，搜索，追求

参考例句：

• Man will suffer many disappointments in his quest for truth.人类在探索真理过程中必然会遭受挫折。
• His quest for perfection is relentless.他不断追求完美。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

5 bliss   

n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福

参考例句：

• It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
• He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴，因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。

6 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

7 stumble   

n.绊倒，失策；vi.绊倒，失策，踌躇，无意中发现；vt.绊倒，困惑

参考例句：

• Be grateful to those who have made you stumble,for they have strengthened your ability.感激绊倒你的人，因为他强化了你的能力。
• You never knew when you might stumble across some new talent.谁也说不准什么时候会碰上一位新的天才。

8 stumbles   

v.（不顺畅地）说( stumble的第三人称单数 )；跌跌撞撞地走；绊脚；（说话、演奏等）出错

参考例句：

• Mary often stumbles in her speech. 玛丽常常结结巴巴地讲话。 来自辞典例句
• Jastrow stares in a stunned way at the still audience, then stumbles toward the first row. 杰斯罗用惊呆了的神气瞪眼望着鸦雀无声的听众，然后趔趔趄趄地朝着第一排听众走过去。 来自辞典例句

9 bankrupt   

n.破产者；adj.破产的；vt.使...破产

参考例句：

• That factory has gone bankrupt.那家工厂倒了。
• The enemy's scheme went bankrupt.敌人的计谋破产了。

10 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

11 expelled   

驱逐( expel的过去式和过去分词 )； 赶走； 把…除名； 排出

参考例句：

• She was expelled from school at 15. 她15岁时被学校开除了。
• After the outbreak of fighting,all foreign journalists were expelled. 战斗开始后，所有的外国记者都被驱逐出境。

12 stumbling   

adj.摇摇晃晃或跌跌撞撞的v.（不顺畅地）说( stumble的现在分词 )；跌跌撞撞地走；绊脚；（说话、演奏等）出错

参考例句：

• The question of disarmament proved a major stumbling block to agreement. 结果证明裁军问题是达成协议的主要障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His stumbling attempts at colloquial Russian amused her. 他结结巴巴地学说俄语，把她逗乐了。 来自辞典例句

13 triple   

n.三倍之数，三个一组；adj.三倍的

参考例句：

• Twelve is the triple of four.十二是四的三倍数。
• He received triple wages for all his extra work.由于额外的工作他领取了三倍的工资。

14 solo   

n.独奏，独唱；adj.单独的；adv.单独地；v.放单飞，单独表演

参考例句：

• Tara is currently working on a solo album.塔拉眼下正忙着制作个人专辑。
• There's wonderfully lyrical flute solo in the middle of this symphony.在交响乐中间有一段奇妙的抒情长笛独奏。