Lesson Four TRANSPORTATION (II)
Part B Macro-Listening (Tapescripts, Notes, Exercises with Key) Passage 1
Fine Thirty Dollars
I. Tapescript
The 27th of'June was George's birthday. His brother Frank gave him thirty dollars as a birthday present.
George was very happy. He and his girlfriend Nina went to the horse racing that afternoon. George took the thirty dollars with him in his pocket. They arrived at the races at 2 p.m. George parked the car, and paid the man at the entrance gate. He and Nina were both very excited when they stood in the grandstand.
Suddenly George exclaimed, 'Where's my money My thirty dollars? It isn't in my pocket. It is lost!'
George and Nina searched everywhere for the thirty dollars. But they could not find the money. It was really lost.
'Now I've only two dollars, ' said George, 'only TWO dollars! '
George was very unhappy. But Nina said, ' George, Horse No. 3 was very good in the last race. My boss told me. It's called Sure Thing and the odds are 16 to 1. '
George bet on Sure Thing. 'Two dollars on Sure Thing, to win, ' he said to the bookmaker.
The last race started and Sure Thing was indeed a very good horse. She was very fast. Sure Thing won!
George was very happy now. He collected his winnings from the bookmaker. 'Now I've got my thirty dollars again, ' George said.
On their way home, a policeman on a motorcycle stopped George's car.
'The speed limit here is 60 kilometers per hour,' the policeman said to George. 'Your speed was 70 kilometers per hour. Do you have a reason for exceeding the speed limit?'
' No, ' said George.
'May I see your driving licence?' said the policeman.
George gave his driving licence to the policeman. The policeman wrote a speeding ticket and gave it to George.
George looked at the ticket and saw the following words:' Fine thirty dollars. '
Passage 2
Don’t Forget to Lock Your Bicycle
Tapescript
Two years ago I bought a bicycle. If you live in a town, it is often faster than a car and you don't have to worry about parking. You can leave it anywhere. As it has a seat at the back and a basket at the front, I can take my small daughter to school, to the library, shop- ping, anywhere in fact.
I use it mostly in summer when the weather is warm and dry. It can be very unpleasant in winter when it is cold and the rain is pouring down. It can also be very dangerous to go out by bicycle in these seasons, so you have to be very careful. Accidents are not the only problems though. One day I went shopping on it and when I came out of the supermarket I found my front wheel missing. It was a long walk to the bicycle shop! Now I have three strong locks.
My husband uses my bicycle sometimes for short journeys. He is not a keen cyclist but says it is better than waiting for a bus. He still prefers his car for longer journeys, but I think that all this sitting down is making him fat and lazy. On my bicycle I get a lot of exercise and fresh air, and cycling makes me feel a lot younger. |