Listening texts to Unit One Good Friends(SB)

Situation 1

A:Hi, Peter.

B: Hi, Jim.

A: Peter, I’m not happy about this. This is the third time you are late for football practice! You have to do something about this.

B: Uh, I’m sorry, Jim. What’s the big deal? So I’m a few minutes late, what difference does it make?

A: What difference does it make? We have to wait for you. Look, everybody is here and ready to play. We don’t like waiting for you. Please try to be on time in the future.

B: OK, I will try.

Situation 2

A: Hi, Ann. Have you seen my calculator?

B: Hi, Mary. Oh, I forgot to tell you. I needed a calculator yesterday and I borrowed yours. I hope you don’t mind.

A: What? You borrowed my calculator without asking? How could you do that? You always do this, borrowing things from me without asking. And then you don’t return things on time either.

B: I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were so upset about it.

Situation 3

A: Hi, John.

B: Hi, Adam. How’s it going?

A: Pretty good. Look, I have something I need to tell you.

B: OK, what’s up?

A: Well, you know I borrowed your CD player yesterday.

B: Yes?

A: Well, um, I think it’s broken.

B: What? Broken! What happened?

A: I didn’t do anything. I was just listening to some music when suddenly it stopped. I can’t make it play again.

B: Hm, that’s strange. I’ve never had any problems with it before. Are you sure you didn’t do anything to it?

A: Yeah, I just listened to it. But don’t worry. I’ll ask my uncle to fix it when he comes back.

Listening texts to Unit One (WB)

Everybody needs friends. But being a good friend can sometimes be hard work. Learning how to solve problems in a friendship can make you a better friend and a happier person. A common problem between friends is that they don’t know how to talk to each other about difficult things. When they do talk, they often get mad with each other. What can they do? Well, it takes time to learn how to communicate well, and it is important to understand why a friend gets angry with you when you say something. If you know what it is that makes your friend angry, then you can try to talk about the problem in a different way.

Another problem that many friends have to deal with is what to do after one of them gets angry or upset. If friends get angry with each other and say something bad because they are angry, they often find it difficult to apologize after the quarrel. The best way to apologize after a quarrel is simply to start by telling each other that you are sorry and then go from there. A simple apology is often enough and is a good starting point. What about friends who can’t keep a secret? Sometimes it seems impossible to keep a secret from becoming a rumour that everyone knows. Shouldn’t a good friend be able to keep a secret? Perhaps, but it is not always that easy to keep a secret, and telling a secret to someone will often put them in a difficult situation - they may have to lie to other friends to keep the secret. The best way to make sure that a secret doesn’t become a rumour is simply to keep it to yourself - don’t tell anyone.

Listening texts to VOCABULARY

1 “The books are too heavy! I think it’s going to break.”

2 “Oh no! I forgot where I put it! I have written down all the important phone numbers.”

3 “Yum! You have bought it at last. We can have fried fish for dinner. Mmm … I can’t wait to put this fish in it. ”

4 “Hands up! Don’t move or I’ll shoot. Give me all your money!”

5 “Ooooh! I look very nice in this new dress!!!”

6 A: I think we’re lost. What should we do now?

B: Don’t worry. I have it here and I know how to use it.

7 “Ouch! I hit myself with it.”

8 A: Hurry up! It’s so dark here. I can’t see anything.

9 “It is shaking badly. Am I going to die? Help! … Oh, thank God!”

10 “I feel sad when it comes to the part in which the two friends become enemies.”

Unit Two English Around the World

SB Listening text:

It's that woman. She drives me crazy. It all started right from the very first day, I would say from the very first evening when I set foot into that house. Good evening, Mr Brown, could you please put your coat on a peg? - Oh no, not there, in the closet, please. Yes, thank you, and oh, your shoes, could you please take them off? Thank you. And eh, your umbrella, yes, could you please put your umbrella in the umbrella stand? Oh no, not there, here! Please don't forget. The key of the front door, here you are, and remember, if you come home after midnight, please lock the door. Good night! Oh Mr Brown, would you please be quiet after nine o'clock in the evening?

And that was only the beginning. Mr Brown, don't shower after nine, she shouted. She would walk past my door and say: Mr Brown, would you please remember not to smoke in the bathroom? Could you walk the dog, please? Will you turn down your radio, please? Please, Mr Brown, could you speak quietly on the phone? It was terrible. Oh, I could not have stayed there another week, for sure. And then there was this letter. Dear Mr Brown, it said, could you please return the key of the front door? And one more question. Can you help me find a new tenant for my flat?

Listening text to WB Listening

DAVID:What’s it like living in England, Terry?

TERRY:Well, I’m having a great time. But I sometimes have a difficulty understanding what people are saying.

DAVID:Can you explain that, please? Do you have trouble with our pronunciation?

TERRY:No, but there are many words that you use in a different way. I sometimes really don’t understand.

DAVID:Can you give an example?

TERRY:A woman said she would ring me the next day.

DAVID:What’s strange about that?

TERRY:Well, we say, “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

DAVID:Now that sounds funny to me!

TERRY:There are other things that are different. In the States people stand closer to each other than English people. For example, if I’m talking to English people at a party, I find that they stand quite far away from me.

DAVID:Anything else?

TERRY:Well, yes. It’s clear to me that English people don’t like touching somebody or being touched. Now in the States, touching is an important part of being friends. Friends touch each other on the arm, for example. And we often put an arm round a friend when we say “Hello” or “Goodbye”.

DAVID:No, people in Britain wouldn’t do that.

TERRY:So I have to remember not to touch people when I’m in England.

DAVID:What else?

TERRY:You drive on the left and we drive on the right. I almost got killed on the street, the other day. I wanted to cross the street so I stopped. I looked to the left and started to cross. There was a car coming from my right! Luckily it stopped and didn’t hit me.

TEXTS to Unit 3（SB）

part 1

1 Your attention, please. flight CA 1145 from Beijing to Tokyo is now boarding at gate D 45. Please get your boarding cards ready and go to the gate.

2 Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please? The gate for flight UA 445 from Beijing to Changsha has been changed. The new gate is gate A 15. We will begin boarding in about ten minutes.Thank you.

3 Attention all passengers on flight SE 3765 from Beijing to Paris. Your ffight will be twenty minutes late because of bad weather. Please be ready to board the flight at gate E 34. Thank you.

part 2

1 1 am having a great time here. I have seen the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, and I have also been to Tiananmen Square. I came here by train. The train ride was long but nice. I talked to my friends on the train. Wish you were here, John

2 Wow, this tower is really tall! We can see almost the whole city from up here! Look, there’s the flag: red, white, and blue. We came here by bus and then we took the lift up to the top of this tower. There is the museum with the famous painting “Mona Lisa”. We went there yesterday. This city is really romantic! I just wish I could speak better French, so I could talk to more people here in this European capital. See you soon, Jenny

3 Brrrr! I should have brought more clothes, because it is really cold here! No houses, no trees, just snow and ice as far as you can see. The plane ride took 16 hours and then we had to walk two miles in the snow. There are some strange animals here, big black and white birds who walk on the ice. Oh no, what’s that? Help, it’s a polar bear, run! Mike

4 Ah, finally! It took a long time to get here. It was the first time I have been inside a spaceship. This is wonderful. It is so quiet here. When I walk, I can take huge steps I can jump 10 metres! I just wish we didn’t have to wear these strange clothes. There is no air here. We can see the earth in the distance. I like it here, but I hope I can go back home soon. If you look up at the sky at night you might see me. Gina

5 This place is fantastic! Look at all the fish! Wow, it’s good we have enough air, because we can’t breathe here. We had to swim for twenty minutes to get here. It’s difficult to write a postcard here--- the paper is all wet. Oh, look at that big fish, it looks like a SHARK!!! Let’s go! Peter and Tina.

Listening Texts toUnit 3 (workbook)

Jane and Steve are asking for help at the airport

W: Good morning. How can I help you?

J: This is the first time we fly and we don’t know what to do. Can you please tell us how to do this?

W: OK. First of all, you have to take your tickets and your bags to the check-in counter There, they will take your bags and give you a card that lets you get on the plane. You will also get a card that you can use to pick up your bags when you arrive. Next, you have to pay an airport fee.

J: What’s an airport fee?

W: It helps pay for the airport It costs about 50 yuan. When you have paid the fee, you must go through a security check. An officer will check your name on a computer and then make sure that you are not bringing anything dangerous onto the plane. Your bags will go through a special machine so that the officers can see what you are bringing.

J: It’s good to know that you care about our safety. What do we do after that?

W: Then you can go to the gate.

J: What’s a gate?

W: A gate is the place where you enter the plane. It’s just a door really, and a counter where they check the card you got when you showed your tickets.

J: How do we know when it’s time to get on the plane?

W: There will be a call about twenty minutes before your plane leaves.

J: What do we need to do when we arrive?

W: Oh, that’s easy. You just pick up your bags in a special area. When you have your bags, you can go meet your friends.

J: Thank you, you have been very helpful.

W: Not at all. Have a good flight!

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 4(for the student’s book)

Part 1

I will never forget the day when the earthquake took place. The time was a quarter past five in the afternoon and I was driving along the road to fetch my daughter from school. Our plan had been to go swimming together. I had finished work at about four o’clock and had then gone to the post office.

I was driving along a high road on my way to the school. Over my road was another road for cars going the other way. Suddenly I saw the cars in front of me start to move from side to side. I slowed down. Then my car started to shake! I didn’t know what was happening. Perhaps something had gone wrong with my car. I drove even slower. Then the road above started to fall down. I stopped the car and at the same moment the road fell onto the cars in front of me.

Part 2

I found myself in the dark. I couldn’t move. The bottom part of my legs and my feet were hurting badly and I couldn’t move them. All around me was quiet, but below me I could hear shouts and a lot of noise. Then I remembered what had happened. It became clear to me that I had been in an earthquake.

For about two hours nobody came. Then I heard people climbing towards me. A team of people had come to see if anyone was under the broken road. I called out “I’m here!” I heard a shout. Soon a stranger climbed to the side of the bridge near my car. It took them more than twelve hours to get me out of my car and bring me to a hospital.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 4(workbook)

JILL: Do you know any of those four people over there?

GRACE: Why sure. The girl who’s wearing glasses, that’s Chrissy. She’s 19. We were at school together. She’s a student now at Nankai University. Do you see the tall guy who’s talking to the man with the hat? I think that’s her new boyfriend.

JILL: Oh, he’s really cute. What’s his name?

GRACE: He’s called Jack.

JILL: What does he do? He looks too young to be a student.

GRACE: No, you’re quite wrong there. It’s true that he looks very young, but he’s older than he looks. In fact, he’s a student at the film academy now, in Beijing. He won the first prize in the National Competition last year.

JILL: And what about the middle-aged woman, who’s wearing that purple dress?

GRACE: Oh, that’s Ms Brown. Let’s go. I’ll introduce them to you.

JILL: Don’t forget to introduce me to Jack.

GRACE: Excuse me, Doctor Brown, this is my friend Jill, whom I think you haven’t met before.

DR BROWN: Good evening, Miss Jill, nice to meet you.

GRACE: Dr Brown is a good friend of my father, isn’t it, Dr Brown?

DR BROWN: Oh yes, we’ve known each other for years. We work in the same hospital.

JILL: And the woman in the purple dress, is she your wife?

DR BROWN: Oh no, hahaha. She’s my daughter. Mind you, she’s in her thirties.

JILL: What does Miss Brown do?

DR BROWN: She teaches Japanese at Nankai University, here in Tianjin.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 5(students’ book)

In the dialogue, R = Reporter, L = Malcolm Langland

R: Today, on our programme about the history of modem theatre and film, we will interview Mr Malcolm Langland. He is a famous actor who plays the leading part in the new Shakespeare play in London. Welcome to the studio, Mr Langland.

L: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here.

R: As a first question, I should like to ask you how your career in the theatre started. Have you always wanted to be an actor?

L: No, not really. When I was a student, I hoped to become a teacher. I sometimes dreamt of being a film star, but I grew up in a small town in the West. People there don’t have big dreams. When I was young, I looked only at what I thought was possible in our small town. We lived far away from the big cities. We didn’t even have a theatre. Films were shown in the school library. There wasn’t a lot to do.

R: When you were eighteen years old, you went to university in Melbourne. You studied law. Why didn’t you study art?

L: Because my father did not want me to study art. He said that I could never find a good job as an art student. My father wanted me to study medicine, or engineering. Well, I chose to study law. It was boring to me. In my free time, I joined a Student Club. I spent many, many evenings there. We used to sing, dance and act on the stage.

R: And when did you decide to become an actor?

L: When I met my wife Fiona at the Student Club. She made me leave university and start a career with her in the theatre.

R: You had a job in the theatre before playing in your first film. How did that come about?

L: In the first film I acted, I was only given a small part. It was The Dream Machine. Fiona introduced me to the director. I was only a beginning actor, and didn’t have any experience. It was a small beginning, but it was the beginning of my career.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 5(workbook)

In the dialogues, I = Interviewer, JE = Jennifer, A = Alex, IA = James

I: Jennifer, I heard you like films. Do you have a favourite director?

JE: Well, there are so many, but I think I still like Spielberg most. I’ve seen most of his films, like Jaws and Jurassic Park, ET, and last week I saw AI.

I: What is that film about?

JE: AI is about a time in the future when people make robots that love people. The film is about a little boy, who is really a machine. The people throw him away. The biggest dream of the boy is to become a real human person, so that the family will love him. The film shows that true love is for ever.

I: What did you think about this film?

JE: I like the film a lot because the story is simple but very strong.

I: Hi, Alex. Do you often go to the film?

A: No, not very much. Tickets for the film are quite expensive you know. But I watch many VCDs and DVDs.

I: You’ve brought some with you, haven’t you? Hmm, Batman. Is that one of your favourites?

A: Yeah, though at this moment I’m most fond of Spiderman. I like those kinds of stories, in which the good fights against the bad. And wins of course. Very exciting, but also funny.

I: Have you seen any other films by Sam Raimi?

A: Sam Raimi? No, I had never heard of Raimi before.

I: So, James. It’s your turn.

JA: Yes, well, I almost never go to see a film, but some time ago a film was shown at school.

I: Do you remember the title of that film?

JA: I believe it was called Shower, by Zhang Yang.

I: Do you remember what the film was about?

JA: Yes. I must say, I liked this one. It was about an old bathhouse where many neighbours come every day. The bathhouse keeps the people together. It’s about friendship and family taking care of each other. But when the father dies, the bathhouse is closed and broken down. It’s a bit sad really, because most of the people never see each other again.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 6(students’ book)

A: Hi, Cliff, I’m here about returning your bike.

B: So, it was you who took it.

A: Yeah, we’re friends, so I thought it would be OK.

B: Well, listen here. I want you to ask me first.

A: Oh, I’m sorry. I only used it to get to school because I was late.

B: That’s OK. Just ask me next time, will you?

A: Yes, well, there is a bit of a problem.

B: What is it?

A: I really have to apologise. It’s about your bike.

B: What is it about my bike? Where is it?

A: That’s the problem. I’m really very sorry, but it was stolen while I was at school.

B: Stolen? Didn’t you lock it?

A: Of course I locked it. Here’s the key. But when I came back it was gone. I’m really very sorry. I suppose I should pay for it.

B: Oh, that’s all right. I guess it wasn’t really your fault, was it?

A: Thanks a lot, Bill. I’m really sorry about the bike.

B: That’s OK. Forget it. It was an old bike anyway.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 6(workbook)

Dialogue 1

BETTY: Oh, hi Wilma. What a surprise to see you! So you’ve come back. Did you have a nice vacation?

WILMA: Oh, we had a great time. Fresh air and sunshine every day. We were really lucky with the weather.

BETTY: Come on in for a cup of coffee.

WILMA: Thanks, but I’ve still a lot of work to do. I just stopped by with this - it’s for you.

BETTY: Oh, Wilma! Thank you. It’s beautiful. I don’t have any plants like this. But you shouldn’t have.

WILMA: Well, Fred and I just want to thank you for taking care of our house and watering the plants while we were away.

BETTY: Well, what are friends for? You need not bring a gift. Why don’t you come around next week, and we’ll have dinner with Fred and Barney.

WILMA: That sounds lovely. I’ll call you on Tuesday.

Dialogue 2

EMILY: Excuse me, Monica? It’s getting late, so I’m afraid we’ll have to be leaving.

MONICA: Oh, so early?

EMILY: Well, Jerry’s got to get up and drive to the airport for an eight o’clock plane tomorrow morning.

JERRY: We’ve had a wonderful time, Monica. Thank you very much for inviting us.

MONICA: Say, Emily, why don’t we meet downtown for lunch some day next week?

EMILY: I’d love to.

MONICA: There’s a new fish restaurant on the corner of Broad Street.

EMILY: Oh, that sounds wonderful.

MONICA: I’ll give you a call later on and we can decide the time.

JERRY: Emily?

EMILY: Oh, we’ve got to go now. Well, it’s been a wonderful evening. Thank you very much.

MONICA: Not at all.

EMILY: I’ll look forward to your phone call.

JERRY: Thanks again. Good night.

MONICA: Good night.

EMILY: Good night.

Listening Text to Unit 7(students’ book)

1A: We are standing in front of the main building of this old palace. The palace is called the Winter Palace. On the left, there is a statue of a horse. On the right, there is a large stone elephant. The main building is in the centre.

B: Why is this site so important?

A: This site is important because it tells us about how people lived in the past.

B: What steps have you taken to protect the site?

A: Visitors are not allowed to go inside the house. Instead, they can walk around the building and look at the park behind it. There is also a small museum, where visitors can look at pictures of the inside of the house.

2. We are standing in front of the Sunshine Temple. This beautiful temple stands between a lake and a mountam. The temple is an important part of our history; many important things happened here, and many poems have been written about the temple. Water from the lake is destroying the temple. We are trying to save the temple by building a wall between the lake and the temple. We will also move some of the things in the temple to the new museum that is being built between the mountain and the village.

3. Mt Lu Shan is one of the most beautiful places in China. The mountain is an important part of China’s history and many great leaders have been here. People come here to look at the beautiful mountains and waterfalls. Over here, between Red Sun Mountain and the lake, is the Blue Waterfall, one of the biggest in Lu Shan. Between the lake and the village is the Moon Tower, where people can go look at the moon and stars at night. There are too many cars in Lu Shan and the air is becoming polluted. We are trying to limit the number of cars on the mountain and try to use more buses.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 7(workbook)

Why is it so important to protect cultural relics? Well, one reason is that cultural relics can help us understand how people lived in the past. However, it isn’t always easy to know what life was like. Most of the things we use today - sneakers, backpacks, chairs -won’t be here a thousand years from now. That means people in the future will only be able to find some everyday objects. We have the same problem, of course. When we try to learn about the past, we can only see the things that survived time and the weather. The things we do find from the past can tell us something about everyday life in ancient times.

In some cases, more relics are saved than usual. In Egypt, for example, important people were buried in large tombs in which they put lots of everyday objects. Because the tombs were locked and hidden, the things inside were well kept over thousands of years. Thanks to this, we know that the ancient Egyptians lived in houses made of bricks, that ancient Egyptian women wore make-up, and that most people slept on wooden beds. The objects can give us an idea of how people lived and how they probably thought.

Protecting our cultural relics is an important task and we should take it seriously. We are protecting our history and knowledge so that people in the future will know and enjoy it. We are also helping ourselves and our children to better understand who we are and where we come from. This is why we in China are trying so hard to protect our cultural relics.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 8(students’ book)

1 Let’s see what happened in sports today. How about taking a look at the NBA? In today’s basketball action, the Los Angeles Lakers won against the Miami Heat. The Lakers scored 20 points in the last quarter, beating the Heat 101-96. Los Angeles have now won their last five games and may be on the way to this year’s playoffs.

2 And here are the results from today’s soccer league games. Manchester United came back from one goal behind to tie Leeds 2-2 in Wednesday’s game. Leeds scored their first goal after only ten minutes. It looked like Leeds would win when they took a 2-1 lead in the second half, but Manchester scored their second goal with five minutes left. Manchester is now two wins away from their third title.

3 The masters of their game once again showed that they cannot be stopped. China won against Russia in Saturday’s table tennis match. The Chinese team won the two first singles matches 3-1 and 3-0, while the Russians won the doubles match. China did not give up, but won the singles match. The win in the last singles match gave them a final win of 3-1. China has not lost any matches this year and it doesn’t look like any team can beat them.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 8(workbook)

Sports Star of the Year

Part 1

Ladies and gentlemen! The time has come for you to decide who the sports star of the year will be. You have three stars to choose from. Let’s hear about the stars!

The first star is the football player Ronaldo, from Brazil. Ronaldo has had a very good year. He scored many goals for his club and for his country. Perhaps more importantly, Ronaldo also showed the world that he was able to overcome difficulties. He was hurt twice in the past few years and had to spend a lot of time in hospital and improve his skills. But Ronaldo has done more than just play football, he has also helped the United Nations make the world better.

The second star won a gold medal in the 2000 Olympic Games and seems to get better every year. Jason Kidd led his team to victory after victory, and he helpd his teammates become better players. Basketball is important to Kidd and he likes to show everybody that he loves this game. Jason Kidd has also helped children and teenagers love the game and love school, telling them that they can make their dreams come true if they do their best.

Part 2

The third star is ... Well, we need your help with this one. The third star is one of China’s many great athletes. There are so many stars to choose from that we can’t pick one. Please help us. Work together in groups or pairs and decide which Chinese sports star you think should be chosen as sports star of the year. Don’t forget to write down reasons for your choice. When you have finished, use the cards to decide who should be chosen.. Report your decision to the class. Thank you and good luck.

Listening Text to Unit 9(Students’ Book)

1 These are very simple. Two sticks, about centimetres long. They are usually made of wood. You hold the two sticks in one hand. You put one stick between two of your fingers, and you hold the other one with your thumb. These things can be difficult to use at first, but you will soon learn how to pick up even small pieces of food.

2 This thing is very popular and useful. Almost everyone has one these days. You can see people using this thing on the bus, when they are walking, or at home. It is usually small, about the same size as your hand, and it comes in many colours. There are several buttons on it, some for numbers, others for other things. It can be put in your pocket or in a small bag. With it, you can talk to people far away.

3 This is a large box with a big door. If you open the door, a light comes on and you can see what’s inside. You’d better not leave the door open for too long, because it is not good for the things inside. You might catch a cold, too, if you stand in front of the open door. There are several shelves inside, some in the box itself, some in the door. You usually find this large box in the kitchen.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 9 (workbook)

The International Space Station

As you are listening to this, the International Space Station is moving around the Earth. The International Space Station is an international project to build a small city in space. Sixteen countries are working together to build a space station where scientists can conduct experiments and learn more about space and the earth. The sixteen international partners are the United States, Russia, Canada, Japan, Brazil, and the European Space Agency. The United States and Russia are leading the effort but every country is making an important contribution to the ISS.

The International Space Station is made up of several parts and will be about the size of two soccer fields when completed. The different parts will be added one by one. Some parts are laboratories, some are for power sources, and others are for people to live in. The parts will be put together in space. When the new parts have been put together, space station astronauts will perform space walks to connect the parts to the station. The space walks are very dangerous and astronauts must be very careful -one small mistake could be deadly! A total of 46 flights will be necessary to connect the more than 100 parts. If all goes well, the station will be completed in a few years.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 10 (Students’ Book)

1 Walk along the streets of any major city and you will see that the air you breathe is not very fresh. Air pollution is a serious problem in many of the world’s big cities. It is caused by cars and factories. We also pollute the air when we burn oil or coal for energy and heat.

2 Oh my, look at this! Dead fish everywhere! What happened? We used to be able to drink the water in our rivers and lakes, but today, many rivers and lakes have been so polluted that the water is useless. Factories and drainage are polluting the water and we are not taking good care of our water. We use too much water and we waste water. What is more, we pollute water.

3 This beautiful mountain is one of the most popular places for people to visit during holidays and festivals. Thousands of people come here to hike in the mountain’s forests and valleys. Unfortunately, the tourists leave a lot of rubbish behind. Plastic bags, soda bottles and other things are thrown everywhere. Many tourists also pick flowers and damage the trees, and the many hotels and restaurants being built are having a negative effect on the environment, too.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 10(workbook)

Charles Darwin’s famous Theory of Evolution tells us about survival of the fittest. Survival of the fittest means that strong animals survive and weak animals die out. Today, many people are worried about endangered species. But isn’t it just normal for some animals to die out?

The situation today is different from that of the past. In the past, animals died out over a long period of time. When animals died out in the past, it was usually because of changes in the weather or other natural causes.

What is happening today is totally different. We are killing millions of species in a short time. The result is that we are killing our future, because so many species are being killed in such a short time that even the fittest can’t survive. In fact, there won’t be enough species to choose from. Without enough animals and plants, evolution cannot function and nature will get worse instead of better.

Many of the species that are disappearing are unknown and few people even know that they are dying out. These animals and plants have been here long before us and we have no right to kill them. We may also need these species in the future. We must try to keep the endangered species alive. If we allow these species to die out, we are in fact becoming endangered ourselves.

Listening Text to Unit 11(Students’ Book)

Lyrics of the three songs:

1. Happy Christmas

So this is Christmas

And what have you done?

Another year over

And a new one just begun.

And so this is Christmas

I hope you have fun

The near and the dear ones

The old and the young

A merry merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year

Let’s hope it’s a good one

Without any fear.

2. Father And Son

F It’s not time to make a change, just relax take it easy, you’re still young that’s your fault there’s so much you have to know. Find a girl settle down. If you want you can marry, look at me, I am old but I’m happy.

I was once like you are now, and I know that it’s not easy, to be calm when you’ve found something going on. But take your time, think a lot, why think of everything you’ve got. For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.

S How can I try to explain, cause when I do he turns away again, It’s always been the same same old story. From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen, now there’s a way and I know that I have to go.. Away, I know, I have to go.

3. Dedicated follower of fashion

They seek him here

They seek him there

His clothes are loud

But never square

It will make or break him

So he’s got to buy the best

Cause he’s a (dedicated follower of fashion)

And when he does

His little round

On busy streets

Of old London town

Eagerly pursuing all the latest fads and trends

For he’s a dedicated follower of fashion.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 11(workbook)

Michael Jackson is one of America’s most successful singers. He is also well known for his dancing.

He started singing when he was about five years old. He made his first record in 1968. Nobody knows how many records he has sold all over the world. One of his records sold more than 20 million copies in America.

Michael was born on August 29,1958. He has four brothers. The five of them used to sing in a band called The Jackson Five. They started singing in public in 1965. In 1970 the band made their first record; it was called I want you back, which was very successful. In America it was Number 1 and in Britain it was Number 2. They had three more hits in the same year.

In 1978 Michael acted in his first film. The first record which he made on his own sold eight million copies in the world. This was the beginning of his success. His most successful record sold as many as 50 million copies.

Michael Jackson is an artist who has been known to three generations. Although he has had some problems in his personal life, he enjoys his career and is still popular in the world today.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 12(Students’ Book)

1

A: Capital Museum, this is Jennifer speaking. How can I help you?

B: Hi. I’d like to buy tickets for the Picasso exhibition. I would like to know when I can go and how much the tickets are.

A: Hmm, let me see. The exhibition is open weekdays 8 am to 6 pm, and weekends 4 pm to 8 pm.

B: Weekdays 8 to 6, weekends 4 to 8, got it. Thank you. And what about the prices?

A: It’s $5 for adults, $3 for children, and $2 for groups. Children under fourteen do not have to buy tickets.

B: $5 for adults, $3 for children, $2 for groups. I see. How many people do we need to have to make up a group?

A: At least five.

B: I see. Do I have to order tickets now, or can I buy them when I get there?

A:You can buy them here. The exhibition is on the second floor of the museum, Hall 3.

B: Second floor, Hall 3. Thank you.

2

A: Joanna, look here! It says in the newspaper that there’ll be a Peking Opera next week. I love Peking Opera. Do you want to go?

B: Hmm, I don’t know. When and where is it?

A: Let me see, oh, it’s on Thursday at 7 pm, at the Music Hall.

B: The Music Hall? Where’s that?

A: The Music Hall is on Green Street, next to the cinema.

B: Thursday at 7. Ok, I think I can go. How much are the tickets?

A: Adults pay $7, students $5, children under fourteen $3, groups $4.

B: Hmm, we are students, so that means we should pay $5.

A: Well, you and I are 13, so we can get tickets for $3.

B: Ah, it’s good to be young!

3

Listen up, theatre fans! The Grand Theatre Company is proud to present their performance of William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest. The play will be performed at the Grand Theatre at 7 pm on March 3 - don’t forget it, 7 pm on March 3, the Grand Theater. Tickets go on sale next week. Adults $10, under eighteen $8, groups $6. Don’t miss it - it’s your chance to experience Shakespeare! That’s the Grand Theatre Company bringing you the Tempest at the Grand Theatre, March 3, 7 pm. Tickets only $10 for adults, $8 if you’re under eighteen, and $6 for groups.

LISTENING TEXT to Unit 12 (workbook)

A WOMAN OF WORDS

Part 1

Toni Morrison is a well-known American writer. When she was a young girl, she discovered that it wasn’t always easy to be a black person in America. Her family supported her. Later, she told a reporter that her parents used to say that “all things are possible and don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do something.” But the support of her family did not change the way the world was. Toni Morrison’s early life was difficult. She had a gift - a rich and beautiful imagination - but she never imagined that she would one day become a writer and a Nobel Prize winner.

Toni Morrison became a writer when she was about twenty-nine years old. Her life at that time was difficult and unhappy. She once told a reporter that “I had no will, no power, no self, I only had a love for words and the hope that was inside them.” Morrison’s novels and stories are often about pain and suffering, but they always show the joy and beauty of life. About the meaning of life, Morrison says “We live and we die, but we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.”

Part 2

In 1993, Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature. She began her Nobel speech by telling a simple story.

Once upon a time there was an old woman, blind but wise. She was known to be the wisest person in the town. One day the woman is visited by some young people who seem to want to show that the woman is not as wise as everybody says. Their plan is simple: they come to her house and ask her a simple question that they know she won’t be able to answer, because she is blind. They stand before her, and one of them says, “Old woman, I hold in my hand a bird. Tell me whether it is living or dead.”

She does not answer, and they ask again, “Is the bird I am holding living or dead?”

Still she doesn’t answer. She is blind and cannot see her visitors, let alone what is in their hands. She does not know who they are or where they come from. She only knows what they want to do. The old woman’s silence is so long that the young people cannot help laughing.

Finally she speaks. “I don’t know,” she says. “I don’t know whether the bird you are holding is dead or alive, but what I do know is that it is in your hands. It is in your hands.”

Her answer can be taken to mean: if it is dead, you have either found it that way or you have killed it. If it is alive, you can still kill it. Whether it is to stay alive, it is your decision.