英语听力精选进阶版 7044

(Li comes into the office and finds Rob¹ very annoyed)

Li: Good morning, Rob.

Rob: Hi Li. I wish the morning was good but it's not.

Li: Why not?

Rob: Well, I came to the office very early today to write a programme about art.

Li: Interesting.

Rob: But it's giving me a headache because I don't really understand art. I think I'm going to pull the plug² on this idea!

Li: Pull the plug?

Rob: Yes. If I pull the plug on this one I will be more relaxed and inspired to write a programme about technology. They're the ones I like the best. I love new gadgets³!

Li: No problem. I can do it for you.

Rob: (surprised and concerned) Oh, my computer has been switched⁴ off!What's happened!?

Li: Here's the plug. I've just pulled it out.You can be more relaxed now. There you go.

Rob: Oh Li, I didn't literally⁵ mean "pull the plug out". In English, when we tell someone that we're going to pull the plug on something, we mean we are going to stop spending time or money on it.

Li: Ah, I see. 如果我们告诉某人我们将 pull the plug on something 的时候意思就是不再在某件事情上花时间了，要终止做某事，彻底不干了。

Rob: Let's listen to some examples.

Research on the new product was becoming very expensive so the company pulled the plug on the project.

The play got really bad reviews and almost no one came to see it, but the theatre owner said he wouldn't pull the plug on it.

Li: OK. So you don't want to spend time on a programme you don't enjoy writing.

Rob: No, not really.

Li: So I might have done you a favour bypulling the plug out.

Rob: Well, maybe. Yes, you're right Li. Thank you.

Li: OK. Now that you sound more relaxed, I will plug it back in again so you can write about… technology!

Rob: That's right. And I can start describing the wonders of electricity!

Li: That's a great idea. You see, you see, your face has just lit up with joy! Bye.

Rob: Bye.

1 rob   

v.抢劫；vi.抢劫，盗窃；vt.非法剥夺，使丧失，抢劫

参考例句：

• Two men formed a plot to rob the bank.两人制定了抢劫那家银行的秘密计划。
• They were scheming to rob the bank.他们在密谋抢劫银行。

2 plug   

n.塞子，消防栓，电插头；vt.插入，塞住，接插头；vi.被塞住

参考例句：

• The girl let her mother plug in the TV set.女孩叫母亲插上电视机的插头。
• They used electricity from a plug in the garage.他们通过车库插座取电。

3 gadgets   

n.小机械，小器具（ gadget的名词复数 ）

参考例句：

• Certainly. The idea is not to have a house full of gadgets. 当然。设想是房屋不再充满小配件。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• This meant more gadgets and more experiments. 这意味着要设计出更多的装置，做更多的实验。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

4 switched   

v.转变，改变( switch的过去式和过去分词 )；转换；挥动（棍棒、鞭子等）；迅速转动

参考例句：

• A single red LED shows that the power is switched on. 单支红色发光二极管表示电源已接通。
• The block becomes magnetic when the current is switched on. 一通上电流，这块板就会有磁性。

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。