新视野英语听力原文及答案(unit 5)
UNIT 5 Choose to be alone on purpose UNDERSTANDING SHORT CONVERSATIONS
1. M: Do you mean you once lived alone in that hotel?
W: Yeah.
M: What was your life like before you were introduced to this center for the old?
W: Oh, it was a nightmare. I wasn't sick, but I was acting sick. Every day was the same -- I would just lie on my bed and maybe cook up some soup.
Q: What does the woman mean?
2. W: Mr. Jones has been living all by himself for four years since his wife died.
M: Yes. And he is 71 already.
W: You know, he used to be very talkative. I wonder how he can endure the solitude.
M: Well, I hear he goes to "The Brighter Side" -- Rockford's Day Care Center for the elderly -- and meets other elderly people there.
Q" What is the conversation about?
3. W: You always seem to be busy. How did you find time to write that book and make it a best-seller?
M: Well, I worked on it for a stretch of 14 days during the last Christmas holidays.
W" Didn't you stay with your family?
M: My parents and my brother were traveling in Thailand at that time. So I had more time for the book.
Q: What does the man mean?
4. W: Traveling is a real delight. But I wonder why you prefer traveling alone.
M: It can make you understand what absolute freedom means -- without the company of friends or family.
W: Mm... I see your point. I may have a try someday.
Q: What does the woman think of the man's idea?
5. M: I'm going to take a trip by myself next week.
W: But what about your wife Jenny?
M: She'll go with her friends -- Mary and Helen perhaps. We read an article the other day, you know, and decided to try out the idea ourselves.
W: What's it about?
M: In fact, what impressed us most in the article were the words printed on a rock at Taiwan's most famous resort Sun Moon Lake. One tourist wrote, "Came with my wife, had a lovely time." And beside it someone wrote later, "Came without my wife, had a far better time."
Q: What can be learned from the conversation?
6. M: I can hardly imagine myself living alone all my life.
W: It's not easy. You might be faced with difficulties concerning food or accommodation. And some people's hostile criticisms can be very embarrassing.
M: What's more, you might feel lonely and frustrated when you are advanced in years.
Q: Which of the following is not a problem of living alone according to the conversation?
7. W: It seems that loneliness has become a national disease in the United States, don't you think?
M: Yes, that's true. When you're alone, you sometimes want to lose the feeling of separateness and belong to something larger and more powerful than the weak, lonely self.
W: So the sense of moral isolation is unbearable.
Q: What is the conversation about?
W: You've been in New York for two months. What about your new life there?
M: Not bad. I like the job, only I feel lonely sometimes.
W" That's nothing new. Loneliness is common among people living in cities, and it even affects children. I can still remember the words of a 12-year-old girl.
She said, "...for a long time, I have just been an "I" person. All people belong to a "We" except me. Not belonging to a "We" makes you too lonely.
M: Well, there must be something unnatural about it.
Q: What's the man's problem living in New York?
9. M: So many people choose to live alone nowadays. What do you think of that?
W: Well, some of them love such kind of lifestyle while some others don" t.
M: It can't be easy anyway. You must be prepared to face difficulties all by yourself.
W: Yeah. But if you are alone and enjoying life all the while, you have mastered an art of a high degree.
Q: What does the woman mean?
10. W: Do you often watch foreign movies?
M: Yes, quite often, especially Hollywood movies. I admire those American heroes in them.
W: What are the characteristics of an American hero in your opinion?
M: Urn... he chooses to be alone. He may explore wild areas, fight against crimes or other things without the company of others. That's only one characteristic among many, but that's the very thing that strikes me most.
Q: What characteristic of an American hero impresses the man most deeply? 11. M: It suddenly occurred to me yesterday why there aren't many art schools in the United States.
W: Why is that, do you think?
M: You see, the Europeans are generally secure in their family ties and rigid class faithfulness, so the European artists tend to form groups. But the Americans usually seek out things as individuals alone. That's to say, American artists are often independent-minded.
Q: Why aren't there many schools of art in America according to the man? 12. W: My friends are all busy now, so I have to spend the whole morning alone.
M: But you can still find pleasure in solitude.
W: Do you mean you can enjoy yourself without company?
M: That's right. For me, a solitary life means much more than loneliness. When I am alone, I can do whatever I like, and feel whatever I feel. That's a great
luxury!
Q: What does the man think of solitude?
13. M: Why don't you want to go to the party with Peter?
W: We don't have the same tastes. I'd rather be alone than go with him.
Q: What does the woman mean?
14. W: I'm going to the library. Will you go with me?
M: No, I'd like to study alone. Thank you.
W: I do need some solitary hours when I'm writing. But when it comes to the review of the term's work, I prefer discussions with others.
Q: What will the woman do when she wants to review the lessons?
15. W: Why are you so happy?
M: I have made a great find.
W: Oh, yes? What's that?
M: Well, The other day I found myself unexpectedly alone in Beijing for about three or four hours between the appointments. So I went to Wangfujing and spent the "empty" time looking at things by myself. Just think of it! I discovered I could enjoy myself being alone.
Q: What did the man find a few days ago?
16. M: What on earth do you think is the pleasure of a solitary life?
W: For one thing you can do whatever you like without interference, and for another, you needn't be afraid of hurting others or offending people, when you don't have the same taste, character or mood as other people.
Q: What is the conversation about?
17. W: Why, you look so sleepy!
M: I stayed up until midnight last night.
W: Why is that?
M: My parents were out and so I finished a novel I had been longing to read at one sitting.
Q: Why did the man stay up late?
18. M: Is that Mr. Kennan over there?
W: Yes. He's quite a solitary type of person really. You know, he spends most of his time at home, reading, listening to the radio, things like that.
M: I see him at the pub occasionally.
W: That's also possible. But you would never see him at weekends. He's always off somewhere in the country -- of course always on his own.
Q: What can be learned about Mr. Kennan?
19. W: What if you were left alone on a deserted island for years?
M: Like Robinson Crusoe?
W: Yeah.
M: Umm... I guess I could get by if there were rich natural resources. But I'm not sure whether I would still be able to speak after so many years of a solitary life.
Q: What is the conversation about?
20. W: You're growing a beard, aren't you?
M: Yeah. I'm a free man now.
W: Why?
M: My wife has been away on a business trip. I'm my own boss for the time being.
Q: What does the man mean?
Key: 1. (D) 2. (C) 3. (A) 4. (C) 5. (C)
6. (B)
7. (C)
8. (C)
9. (D) 10. (B)
11. (D) 12. (B) 13. (A) 14. (D) 15. (C)
16. (A) 17. (D) 18. (B) 19. (C) 20. (D)
Understanding Long Conversation
Reporter: I was surprised to find the other day that a lot of children have the experience of being home alone, such as during the vacations. The children enjoy themselves without the control of their parents, but there are also some hidden dangers for them in this society filled with violence. That's why many parents are worried when they have to leave their children alone in the house. Professor Elkind, do you think this has become a serious social problem?
Professor Elkind: Yes. As we know, this used to be a problem of poor children, but now more and more middle-class kids are left at home alone, too, and the suburbs have some of the same social ills as cities.
Reporter: So it's more common now.
Professor Elkind: That's right.
Reporter: I wonder if all the children enjoy staying at home alone?
Professor Elkind: Not all of them. The data show that it's a frightening experience for 8- or 9-year-olds to be at home alone even though it's sometimes necessary. Reporter: I'm sure you must have some good advice for the anxious parents. Professor Elkind: Yeah, quite a lot. First, be sure the child knows how to lock and unlock the doors and what to do if a stranger calls or knocks on the door. All children should be conscious of strangers and be wary of them. Second, we can teach communication. Give them phone numbers of people to call if there's any problem, and give them strategies to cope, rather than just saying, "This is good practice for you." Some parents throw up their hands, thinking that because they can't do everything to protect their children completely, they can't do anything, but that's not true.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the conversation you have just heard:
I. What is the main topic of this conversation?
2. Which of the following was a problem in the past?
3. Who is afraid of staying at home alone according to the conversation?
4. Whom are the suggestions addressed to?
5. What idea that some parents have is wrong about the protection of their children? Key: 1. (C) 2. (D) 3. (A) 4. (B) 5. (D)
UNDERSTANDING PASSAGES
Passage 1
A solitary diner slips into a midtown Manhattan restaurant, trying not to be noticed. No sooner does he check his coat than the voice of the headwaiter comes booming across the restaurant.
"Alone again, eh? "
As all eyes are raised, the waiter, with enormous good cheer, adds: "That's because they won't accept him."
And then, just in case there is a customer in the restaurant who isn't yet aware of his situation, a waiter shouts out from the counter: "Well, we'll take care of him anyway, won't we fellows!" And there are a lot of glances and whispers.
Eating alone in a restaurant is one of the most frightening experiences in America.
Obviously, the solitary diner is looked down upon by waiters, and made fun of by couples. He is the unwanted and unloved child of the restaurant. As soon as he appears, he is led out of sight and seated at a thin table with barely enough room on it for a cold dish. The solitary diner is squeezed between two thin tables, often a hair's breadth from the men's room. There he sits with his feet lodged in a railing and wondering where he went wrong in life.
Most solitary guys are afraid to face this embarrassing situation. Therefore, they would prefer to take small bites at a sandwich in their relatively safe apartments.
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the passage you have just heard:
1. How does the solitary diner usually enter a restaurant?
2. How is the solitary diner often treated by waiters according to the speaker?
3. How would people feel if they eat alone in an American restaurant?
4. Which of the following is not mentioned as a solitary guy's experience in the restaurant?
5. What would most solitary guys do to avoid the frightening experience in the restaurant?
Passage 2
In less than 20 years, from 1975 to 1993, the number of Americans over 65 who live with their adult children declined by half, dropping from 18 percent to less than 10 percent. There are certainly many reasons for this decrease, from the improved health of older Americans to the amber of two-or-more-job households. But a third of the over-65 population live entirely alone.
When middle-aged children in America announce that their 80- or 90-year-old mother "still lives in her own house", I notice that they are quite proud and satisfied. But do the old people in the United States like to live alone?
No doubt some of them do. Or at least some of them prefer living alone. They don't like to change their habit or adjust to new ones when living with others. After all, independence is the chief and most honored virtue in this country.
Independence is one of the things older Americans try to achieve in their lives. But if you live long enough, independence inevitably becomes an illusion. You can no longer keep up with ~yard work, so you move to an apartment or even a center for the elderly. And you can't see well enough to drive anymore.
Seeking help with the routine work of living also means surrendering control. If you ask i0thers to take you to the grocery store, you must fit your shopping to their schedule and preference for supermarkets. Rely on restaurants to deliver your dinner and you have to accept unfamiliar dishes. If your daughter volunteers to clean your house, you can't point out to her the way you ie0uld when she was a teenager, the dust she missed. After a lifetime of doing and having things your own way, you may have to work at feeling -- or even pretending -- gratitude.
Questions 6 to 10 are based on the passage you have just heard:
6. How many Americans over 65 live by themselves according to the speaker?
7. What do middle-aged Americans think of their aged parents living alone?
8. What will happen if you are in your old age according to the speaker?
9. What will the old people do if they choose to live with others?
10. Which of the following is true about the old people living alone?
Passage 3
A funny thing happened on the way to the communications revolution: we stopped talking to one another.
I was walking in the park with a friend recently, and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were, walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and -- I became invisible, absent from the conversation.
The telephone used to connect you to the absent. Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent. Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communications technology is a setback to the intimacy of human interaction. With e-mail and instant messaging over the Internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With voice mail, you can conduct entire conversations without ever reaching anyone. If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine.
As almost every contact we can imagine between human beings gets automated, the alienation index goes up. You can't even call a person to get the phone number of another person anymore. Directory assistance is almost always fully automated.
I am not against modern technology. I own a cell Phone, an ATM card, a voice-mail system, and an e-mail account. Giving them up isn't wise -- they're a great help to us. It's some of their possible consequences that make me feel uneasy.
More and more, I find myself hiding behind e-mail to do a job meant for conversation. Or being relieved that voice mail picked up because I didn't really have time to talk. The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier-- or at least facilitating my antisocial instincts.
So I've put myself on technology restriction: no instant messaging with people who live near me, no cell-phoning in the presence of friends, no letting the voice mail pick up when I'm at home.
Questions 11 to 15 are based on the passage you have just heard:
11. What happened to the speaker when she was walking with her friend in the park?
12. What does the speaker think of the progress in communications technology?
13. Why can't we call a person to get another phone number?
14. How does the speaker react to automation?
15. What is the bad effect of communications technology according to the speaker? Passage 4
Distinct noises are coming through my bedroom wall. "John, are you moving furniture in there? Again? " I call. The wall muffles his "yes" but does not filter out of his voice the tinge of the excitement.
I am not upset by these impulsive rearrangements, just amused at their frequency.
Among the noises, I remember how much John longed for the privacy of his own domain two years ago when he was sharing a room with his younger brother, Robert. "Morn, " he said, "can I have a room of my own? I could use Jeff's. He won't mind."
It was true that Jeff had graduated from college that past June and had flown from the nest. But would he mind if the place where he had spent so many hours growing up was pulled out from under him?
It turned out that getting Jeff's permission to change the room was easy. "Of course, " he said. "It would be selfish of me to hold on to it."
Then John and I began to clean out closets and drawers, sending all the things Jeff had left behind. In that room, Jeff's things piled up around me, and I could almost touch the little boy I knew was gone forever.
But we accept -- at least we say we do. All of parenting is a series of letting go by degrees. The child walks and runs and rides a bike. Then he is driving a car, and we are falling asleep before he gets home, alert, even in our dreams, to the sound of his motor gearing down.
As Jeff said, to hold on would be selfish. Now it was time for John, shouldering through the door with his things under his arms, his eyes bright with the promise of independence, to disappear behind the door. It was time for the letting go to begin again.
Questions 16 to 20 are based on the passage you have just heard:
16. What is the speaker's reaction to John's frequent rearrangements of things in his room?
17. Where does Jeff live now ?
18. Why does the speaker say that she "could almost touch the little boy"?
19. What does the speaker think of parenting?
20. How did John achieve independence according to the speaker?
Passage 5
Thirty years ago, anyone blaming loneliness for physical illness would have been laughed at. But as scientists studied different populations, loneliness kept emerging as a risk factor. In one study, Californian researchers followed 4,700 residents of Alameda County for 10 years, starting in 1965.
At first, the participants reported their key sources of companionship and estimated the time they devoted to each other. During the study, the people who reported the least social contact died at nearly three times the rate of those reporting the most. The source of companionship didn't matter, but time spent with others was critical.
Since then, researchers have studied men, women, soldiers and students from countries all over the world. And the same pattern keeps emerging. Women who say they feel isolated go on to die of cancer at several times the expected rate. College students who report "strained and cold" relationships with their parents suffer extraordinary rates of hypertension and heart disease decades later. Heart-attack survivors who happen to live by themselves die at twice the rate of those who live with others.
For those of us who are still healthy, the lesson should be obvious. It's clear that reaching out to others can help our bodies thrive. It's equally clear that we're growing more isolated. In 1900, only 5 percent of U.S. households consisted of one person living alone. The proportion reached 13 percent in 1960, and it stands at 25 percent today. In a book entitled Bowling Alone, author Robert Putnam shows that our social connections are disappearing on other levels, too. In 1976, Americans attended an average of 12 club meetings a year. The current average is five. Card games, dinner parties and shared family meals have all followed the same pattern. We all have a good excuse -- we're too busy -- but we shouldn't be surprised when it catches up with us.
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard:
21. When did the Californian researchers finish their study?
22. What is the essential factor taken into consideration in the study?
23. What can healthy people learn from the study?
24. What trend is introduced by the speaker?
25. What pattern do activities such as card games and dinner parties follow? Key: Passage 1: 1. (D) 2. (A) 3. (B) 4. (C) 5. (C) Passage 2: 6. (C) 7. (B) 8. (D) 9. (A) 10. (B)
Passage 3:11. (C) 12. (A) 13. (C) 14. (C) 15. (D)
Passage 4: 16. (C) 17. (D) 18. (C) 19. (C) 20. (A)
Passage 5: 21. (C) 22. (B) 23. (D) 24. (D) 25. (B)