1、/Unit 1 Our EarthListeningAudio Track 4-1-11. Ive visited a few caves in Guilin. The rocks in the caves are in different shapes and colors. If you use your imagination, the rocks can resemble many different things. It looks like a whole other world.2. I went to the desert in Gansu once. As I stood i
2、n the middle of the desert, I faced endless sand and felt very small. By day the desert was extremely hot, by night it got very cold. I experienced summer and winter in the same day.3. To my knowledge, California has beautiful coastlines. People love them and thousands of volunteers often give up pa
3、rt of their weekends to keep the sandy Californian beaches clean.4. The Port of Shanghai is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River. It handles many millions of shipping containers each year. In fact it might even be the busiest container port in the world.5. Japan has many hot springs. Some of th
4、em are located in mountainous areas and are great attractions to foreign tourists. Supposedly, the hot springs have healing properties.6. The most famous mountain range in the world is the Himalayas. It contains the worlds highest mountain, Mount Everest (i.e. Qomolangma), which climbs to a height o
5、f 8,848 meters.7. The White Cliffs of Dover are one of the United Kingdoms most spectacular natural sights. The cliffs are made from bright white stone. On a clear day, they are visible from France, approximately 30 kilometers away.8. Mount Vesuvius is a famous volcano in Italy, which has not been a
6、ctive for about two centuries. But people say it might erupt again, someday soon.9. Niagara Falls crosses the border of two countries, Canada and the United States. Every year, millions of tourists observe the beauty of these magnificent waterfalls. More recently, the waterfalls have become a valuab
7、le source of hydroelectric power.Audio Track 4-1-2/Audio Track 4-1-3Blake: What are you working on, Mary?Mary: Im finishing my paper. Its due tomorrow, Blake.Blake: Whats the topic?Mary: Its about Greenland.Blake: Greenland. Hmmm thats part of Canada, right?Mary: I think you need to study your world
8、 geography, Blake.Blake: Well, isnt it near Canada?Mary: Yes, its off the coast of northeast Canada, but its part of Denmark.Blake: Oh, I didnt know that. Well, whats your paper about exactly?/Mary: In my paper, I answer the question “Is Greenland really green?” In other words, is Greenland covered
9、by a lot of plants and trees?Blake: Is it?Mary: What do you think?Blake: Lets see Greenland is in the Arctic Circle way up north. Its cold, so “Is Greenland really green?” Id answer “probably not.”Mary: Youd be correct. Its too cold there. In the north, a lot of the ground is frozen. The summers are
10、 short, so only the surface thaws.Blake: That sounds tough.Mary: Its hard for the construction industry. Its not easy to build in Greenland.Blake: It sounds so harsh. Why would anyone want to go there?Mary: There are big mountain ranges on the coasts. Theyre great for hiking and outdoor sports. And
11、there are lots of animals there. You can sometimes see whales swimming in the harbors.Blake: That sounds cool! OK, so if its not really a “green” place, why was it named “Greenland”?Mary: The first settlers wanted to attract other people. They gave it an attractive name.Audio Track 4-1-4/Audio Track
12、 4-1-5Jay: Come in here, Elise. You should see this show!Elise: What is it?Jay: Its called “The Titanic of the Sky.” Its about the Hindenburg, a great engineering feat.Elise: The Hindenburg Jay: You know, that giant zeppelin that crashed in 1934. Thirty-five people died.Elise: Oh yeah, I remember no
13、w. It was flying from Germany to the United States. It crashed as it was landing.Jay: Right. Its so funny looking, dont you think? It doesnt look anything like the airplanes we have today.Elise: Thats true. Why would people ride in a zeppelin anyway? It seems so dangerous.Jay: Well, some people call
14、ed the Hindenburg “mans greatest achievement in flight.” They thought it was safe, I guess.Elise: Who rode in it anyway?Jay: Mostly wealthy people. It accommodated between 30 and 40 passengers and crew. One person said it was like a “flying hotel.”Elise: It sounds pretty great.Jay: Yeah, and it was
15、fast. Thats why people rode it. They wanted to get to their destination faster.Elise: Why didnt they just take a jet plane?Jay: Elise! You know they didnt have jets back then. Look, in 1934 it took five days to travel from Germany to the US by ship. The zeppelin could do it in half that time. It was
16、 speedy.Elise: Well, maybe Ill sit down and watch a little bit. Maybe Ill learn something Audio Track 4-1-6/Audio Track 4-1-7/Audio Track 4-1-8/Jack: I think we should buy a bigger car. Big cars are safer.Kayla: Yes, but on the other hand, they consume more oil.Jack: They also look really cool.Kayla
17、: Thats true, but there are some SUVs which are not that big but also very beautiful.Jack: And I think big cars are more fun to drive.Kayla: But then again, its very expensive.Jack: Well, lets get more information about several kinds of cars, okay?Audio Track 4-1-9My country has two very famous buil
18、dings called the Petronas Towers. The buildings are made of glass, steel, and concrete. They were designed by an American architect, but he used a Malaysian style. They were finished in 1998, and they were the tallest buildings in the world at that time. Each tower has 88 floors, and is 452 meters h
19、igh. I really like the Petronas Towers. They show both the modern and the traditional side of my country.Audio Track 4-1-10/Audio Track 4-1-11Modern buildings: We love them, we hate them.The world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris is almost 500 years old, and it faced a very modern problem: There simply
20、 wasnt enough space for six million visitors each year. In 1989, American architect I.M. Pei designed a striking glass pyramid in the buildings center to be a visitors entrance and shopping arcade. But he also started an angry debate. Some people felt his glass building was a piece of art, like the
21、ones inside the museum. Others said it was just an ugly, modern mistake.Kyoto, Japan, is the countrys ancient capital, and the heart of its culture. Its railroad station was too small for the millions of visitors. In 1997, the city completed a new station in a huge shopping center, right in the olde
22、st part of the city. Designed by Hiroshi Hara, the building also contains a hotel and department store. Before it was built, critics said that the high, wide, modern building would destroy the citys traditional look. On the other hand, supporters said it would bring new life into the city center.Aud
23、io Track 4-1-12/Audio Track 4-1-13Interviewer: What do you think is the biggest problem facing our cities?Erika: I think its overcrowding. Talk to anyone living in a major metropolitan area and they will say the same thing. Theres no space. Even the suburbs are getting crowded.Interviewer: Well, in
24、some places there simply isnt any land left for building, right?Erika: Yes, thats true, but you have to think creatively. You cant give up so easily.Interviewer: Think creatively? What do you suggest?Erika: What Im saying is that we can build more structures underground. We can add parking lots, /ma
25、lls, hotels and even apartment buildings. Theres plenty of space.Interviewer: Isnt it expensive?Erika: Yes, it can be. In the past building underground has been very expensive. However, we have new technology that will bring the cost down. It involves using robots. You dont have to pay robots a sala
26、ry.Interviewer: Isnt “building down” more dangerous than other kinds of construction?Erika: Actually, I think its safer than building skyscrapers, for example. Remember, we already do it. We have subways, and underground shopping malls. Im just suggesting we invest in a variety of bigger projects an
27、d that we dig deeper.Interviewer: What would you say to people who doubt your idea?Erika: I can understand their feelings. Whenever theres a new idea, it can cause controversy. But “building down” is not some kind of impractical idea. It makes sense. There is so much space underground: it can accomm
28、odate a lot of traffic, storage, and people. With the new technology we have, wed be crazy not to consider the idea its the wave of the future.Audio Track 4-1-141. deep cave2. arid desert3. long mountain range4. active volcanoAudio Track 4-1-15a. narrow harborb. long, sunny beachc. busy vacationd. h
29、igh cliffsSpeaking it also offers a banquet of features such as a music player, gaming apps, Internet browser, electronic dictionary, camera, and video recorder.Its hard to argue with the merits of having access to so much entertainment on the go. And its harder to argue with the convenience of havi
30、ng multiple entertainment and communication functions served up in a single device. However, some would argue that these phones are eating up too much of peoples time. Its certainly food for thought. As phones become smarter they might indeed devour whats left of our social and interpersonal skills.
31、 Well have to wait and see.Audio Track 4-2-9/Audio Track 4-2-10Local girl rescuedShe may have a broken leg, but she cant be happier. Morgan Bailey, 11, is happy to be alive.Tuesday was like any other day for Morgan. She was at school. It was fourth period, and she was the first student to arrive in
32、the gymnasium for her physical education class.Suddenly there was a loud noise.“There was a sharp cracking noise and then a loud boom. After that, I dont remember anything,” said Morgan.The roof of the gymnasium had collapsed under the heavy snow. Morgan was trapped underneath. She couldnt escape.“I
33、 woke up and there was a big piece of wood on my leg. I couldnt move it. I was starting to get cold.”Fortunately, help was nearby. A new program using “rescue robots” was tried for the first time.”We were nervous about using the robot,” said Derrick Sneed, the man in charge of the program. “But in t
34、he end, the robot gave us reliable information. It went extremely well.”The rescue robot was able to go into the gym and locate Morgans exact position.“We send in robots first because it may not be safe for humans,” said Mr. Sneed. “Human beings are not as useful as robots in some situations. A gas
35、leak, for example, could kill you or me but wouldnt hurt a robot.”Although it didnt happen in Morgans case, some rescue robots can bring fresh air or water to /people who are trapped.Rescue robots go into rough, dangerous places. They work in life or death situations. They have to be durable.Doctors
36、 say that Morgan is doing well. She should be going home in two or three days. What is the first thing she wants to do after she gets out of the hospital?”“I want to meet my hero,” laughs Morgan. “That little robot that saved my life!”Audio Track 4-2-11/Audio Track 4-2-12An increasing number of comp
37、anies and individuals are now opting to purchase virtual storage for their computer files and programs.Accessibility is generally cited as the single most persuasive factor when making the switch. Being virtual, Clouds can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection, and at any time. F
38、or those with slower Internet connections, sophisticated software accelerates upload and download times.Cost is always a mitigating factor when it comes to choosing which technology solution to adopt. And Clouds offer maximum flexibility when purchasing storage space. No longer do companies have to
39、make long-term investments in expensive server equipment. They can purchase only the space they require now, with the knowledge that they can easily upgrade and expand at any point in the future.Apprehensions, about the security of data, have now been put at ease as globally recognized software firm
40、s are building in the necessary security solutions.Audio Track 4-2-131. I used to type my term papers on a typewriter. 2. I didnt use to wear scarves. 3. What kind of computer do you use?4. I used my brothers cell phone.Audio Track 4-2-141. She used the phone in her office.2. He used to paint his ow
41、n house.3. Do you use a computer?4. I didnt use to eat meat.Speaking I use it to listen to music, and sometimes I watch movies. Its really handy for passing the time while Im commuting. The only negative is that the battery doesnt last long. It hardly lasts a day before it needs to be recharged. I s
42、hould add that my phone is very practical, too. I use it to communicate with my friends and family. I cant make long distance calls to my parents as its too expensive, but with my cell phone I can send text messages quite cheaply.Video Course/Video Track 4-2-1Reda: I really dont know a lot about ele
43、ctronics but I think that new phones new cell phones with ah cameras which have digital cameras are very cool and theyre so easy to use. And you dont have to think all the time that you forgot the camera you know? Because you always have it with you and thats so smart.Kevin: I like the laptop becaus
44、e its very, very thin. Its maybe less than one inch and its about four pounds and I can carry it anywhere I want.Alejandra: My favorite feature of my computer is the Instant Messenger. The reason for this is that its very affordable, fun, and convenient and allows me to chat with my friends from all
45、 over the world.Denise: I stay in touch with my family in Brazil with like Instant Messenger.Jackie: I use the computer for chatting online, searching the web, and downloadingmusic.Catherine: I have a lot of friends in New York and Philadelphia and California, so instead of talking on the phone with
46、 them, I e-mail them constantly Dave: My laptop computer is fun because I can do all sorts of things on it. I can write a paper while Im on the train on the way home.Julianna: I use my computer to surf on the Internet, to do my homework, and to work. My computer was expensive, but it is reliable.Jon
47、athan: I dont really like my computer because its old and not reliable.Video Track 4-2-2Reda: I really dont know a lot about electronics but I think that new phones new cell phones with ah cameras which have digital cameras are very cool and theyre so easy to use. And you dont have to think all the
48、time that you forgot the camera you know? Because you always have it with you and thats so smart.Video Track 4-2-3Prof. Morgan: Good. So change the first part and make those corrections and your paper will be great.Tara: OK. Thanks for all your help, ProfessorMorgan. Ill e-mail my paper to you later
49、 today.Prof. Morgan: You know, technology is amazing. In high school I used to write my term papers on a typewriter.Tara: It must have taken a long time to write a paper on a typewriter.Prof. Morgan: Well, I was pretty fast, but I made some mistakes. Actually, the typewriters werent that bad. Now, as for the first computers oh my gosh!/Tara: What do you mean?Prof. Morgan: The first computers were so unreliable. They used to crash all the time. And they wer
