新视野大学英语6听说教程听力原文7.docx

新视野大学英语6听说教程听力原文7.docx

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新视野大学英语6听说教程听力原文7

      WhenJamesgotupthatmorning,hiswife,Joyce,wasstillasleep.Hecreptdownstairs,andslippedoutofthehouse.Withinafewminuteshewasjoggingthroughthewoodsthatledtothesea.Thesunwasjustbreakingthroughtheearlymorningmist.Itwasgoingtobeanotherfineday.ButJameshardlynoticed.

      "MyGod,I'llbe30inafewdays.WhathaveIdonewithmylife?

"heaskedhimself.Asusual,thisquestionmadehimthinkofhisbrother,Hugh.Hughwasabrilliantelectronicsengineer,andeventhoughhewasonlyafewyearsolderthanJames,healreadyhadhisowncompany.Hughwasearningalotofmoney.HughhadanelegantflatinLondonandawhiteMercedessportscartogowithit.Hughwasengagedtothebeautifuldaughterofarichbanker.Hughwasasuccess.Therewasnodoubtaboutthat.

      "WhatamI?

Justaschoolteacherinasleepyseasidetown!

"hesaidtohimself.ButJamesknewthathewasverygoodathisjobanditgavehimalotofsatisfaction.Thechildrenandtheirparentsrespectedhim.However,healsoknewhewouldneverearnagreatdealofmoneyatit,eventhoughlifewascomfortableenough.Hiswifewasworkingpart-timeatatravelagency.Mandy,theirdaughter,wasabright,healthychildandhadjuststartedkindergarten.

      Hughwokeupearlythatmorning,too,feelingterrible.Hehadbeenuplatethenightbefore,entertainingclients.Hismouthfeltdry.Hisheadfeltasifitweresplittingopen.Hestaggeredintothebathroom,lookingforsomeaspirin.Butthenherememberedwhathisdoctorhadtoldhim.Hehadasuspectedulcer,andtakingaspirinwasn'tgoodforhisstomach.Groaningslightly,hestumbledintothekitchen,wherehemadehimselfacupofextrastrongcoffee.Hesatthere,drinkingitandthinkingaboutthenextfewdays.Allsortsofproblemshadpiledup.

      HehadagreedtosupplyaGermanfirmwithalargenumberofcomputercomponents.Inordertomakeaprofitonthedeal,hehadtokeephisownproductioncostsdowntotheminimumandmeetastrictdeadline.Butthedeadlinewasonlyafewdaysaway,andhehadrunintoanumberofdifficultiesinproduction.TheGermanfirmwasgoingtophonelaterthatdayandaskallsortsofdifficultquestions.ThentherewasHelen,hisfiancée.Theyhadhadanotherquarrelandshehadtoldhimthatshedidn'twanttoseehimortalktohimforseveraldays.Shesaidthatsheneededtimetothinkthingsthrough.Hughwishedhecouldatleastseeherovertheweekend,buthehadtogotoBuffaloonFriday.Hehatedtheplaceanditmeantstayinginahotelforseveraldays,whichhehatedevenmore.ButhewastryingtogetanimportantorderfromanAmericancompanythere. 

（Inacafeteria,twohighschoolstudents,JoeandAl,aretalkingwiththeirfriendLarry.LarryhasjustfinishedasuccessfulinternshipatthelocalTVstation.）

Al:

HowdidyoueverhavethecouragetoapplyforthatTVinternship?

Larry:

It'salongstory.

Joe:

Well,tellusaboutit.

Larry:

Asyouknow,I'vealwayssaidI'dliketoworkinTVproduction,buteveryoneItalkedtotoldmeIwastooyoungandinexperienced.TheysaidI'dhavetogetacollegedegreefirst,andthenlookforajobtogivemeexperience.

Al:

So,Iguessyoudidn'tbelieveinthat,didyou?

Larry:

Ididuntilastrangethinghappenedatwork.YouknowIusedtoworkatJordan'srestaurantafterschool.Ididallkindsofboringworklikebeingacashier,seatingpeopleandcleaningtablesafterthecustomersweredonewiththeirmeals.Oneeveningwewerereallybusy,andIreallyhadtohurrytokeepupwithmytablecleaning.Alotofcustomerscameandwent,andsomeofthemlikedtocomplainaboutthefood,theservice,etc.Butacoupleofoldladiesjustsatthereinaboothbythewindows,atetheirfoodandwatchedme.

Joe:

That'skindofstrange,isn'tit?

Larry:

Ithoughtsotooatfirst,butyougetusedtoallkindsofpeople,andIreallydidn'tpaymuchattentiontothem.Whentheyfinishedtheirmealtheytalkedtome,askedmeaboutschool,whatIwasinterestedin,andsoforth.Theywerenice.

Al:

ButwhatdoesthathavetodowithyourTVinternship?

Larry:

Astheyleft,oneofthemsaidtomeinaquietvoice,"Icantellyou'regoingplaces."Itreallygottome!

Iwassotired,andthiswassounexpectedthatIalmosthadtearsinmyeyes.ShereallymademebelievethatIcoulddosomethingworthwhile.

Joe:

So,whathappenednext?

Larry:

IthoughtaboutwhatIreallywantedtodo,andIrememberedseeinganannouncementontheschoolbulletinboardabouttheinternshipwiththeTVstation.Icalledthem.

Al:

Andthen?

Larry:

TheysaidtheylikedwhatIdid,butthatIstillneedacollegedegreebeforeIcangetasteadyjobwiththeTVstation.Well,thatreallymademefeelgood,soI'veappliedtotheuniversityfornextyear,andIplantomajorinTVandradiobroadcasting.

Joe:

Luckyyou!

Statements:

1.

LarryusedtobelievethathewastooyoungandinexperiencedtoworkinTVproduction.

2.

LarrylikedhisjobatJordan'srestaurantverymuchbecauseitwasquiteinteresting.

3.

Larrydidnotpaymuchattentiontotheoldladiesbecausehehadgotusedtoallkindsofpeople.

4.

Larryalmostcriedwhenheheardtheoldlady'swords.

5.

Larryisauniversitystudent,majoringinTVandradiobroadcasting.

      TheBritishtheoreticalphysicistStephenHawkinghasdevotedmuchofhislifetoprobingthespace-timedescribedbygeneralrelativityandtheexceptionswhereitbreaksdown.Andhe'sdonemostofthisworkwhileconfinedtoawheelchair,whichwasbroughtonbytheprogressiveneurologicaldisease"LouGehrig'sDisease".HawkingistheLucasianProfessorofMathematicsatCambridge,apostonceheldbyIsaacNewton.

      Inthelate1960s,Hawkingprovedthatifgeneralrelativityistrueandtheuniverseisexpanding,anexceptionmusthaveoccurredatthebirthoftheuniverse.In1974hefirstrecognizedatrulyremarkablepropertyofblackholes,objectsfromwhichnothingwassupposedtobeabletoescape.Butperhapshismostimpressivefeatwaswritingtheinternationalbest-sellerABriefHistoryofTime.Thebookwasonthebest-sellerlistoftheLondonSundayTimesformorethanfouryears.Itisthelongestrunforanybookinhistory.ThisiswhatHawkingsaysabouthiswork:

      "Wheredowecomefrom?

Howdidtheuniversebegin?

Whyistheuniversethewayitis?

Howwillitend?

Allmylife,Ihavebeenfascinatedbythebigquestionsthatfaceus,andhavetriedtofindscientificanswerstothem.If,likeme,youhavelookedatthestars,andtriedtomakesenseofwhatyousee,youtoohavestartedtowonderwhatmakestheuniverseexist.Thequestionsareclear,anddeceptivelysimple.Buttheanswershavealwaysseemedwellbeyondourreach.Untilnow.Theideaswhichhadgrownovertwothousandyearsofobservationhavehadtoberadicallyrevised.Inlessthanahundredyears,wehavefoundanewwaytothinkofourselves.Fromsittingatthecenteroftheuniverse,wenowfindourselvesorbitinganaverage-sizedsun,whichisjustoneofmillionsofstarsinourownMilkyWaygalaxy.And,ourgalaxyitselfisjustoneofbillionsofgalaxies,inauniversethatisinfiniteandexpanding.Butthisisfarfromtheendofalonghistoryofinquiry.Hugequestionsremaintobeanswered,beforewecanhopetohaveacompletepictureoftheuniversewelivein."

（Afewmembersofasmallbookclub.Rose,Leo,IvanandMaria,arediscussingthebook,WomaninBronze,anditsauthorAntanasSileika.）

Rose:

Eachofushashadanopportunitytoreadandthinkaboutthebook,WomaninBronze.Imustadmit,whileIfindthebookwell-written,itwasabitdepressing.

Leo:

Well,TomasStumbrashadatoughlife,butwhilehehadtragedyandhardships,IlikedthewaySileikainsertedhumorintothestory.Ifanyonebelievesthattheauthorthinksthatlifeisunfair,theyshouldthinkagain.

Ivan:

Whydoyousaythat?

Leo:

JustlookatTomasStumbras'life.HewasbornandlivedonafarminLithuania,andwhilehewantedtobecomeasculptor,itwasunlikelythathecouldbe,becausetherewerefewopportunitiesforhimthere.Friendsandfamilyconsideredhistalentsincarvingreligiousfiguresawasteoftime.

Maria:

I'veneverconsideredwarasagoodthing,butitforcedTomastoleavehome,andheendedupinParis,aleadingcenterforartistsintheearly20thcentury.Itwasherethathishopestobecomeasculptorbecameareality.Hewasabletoattendanartschoolandpursuehisdreams.

Rose:

I'lladmitthatSileikaisrealisticinhisdescriptionofTomas'difficultiesinmakingtheprogressnecessarytobecomingasculptor.

Leo:

Iliketherealisminthenovel.ThoughTomascontinuedtostruggle,noteveryonecanbecomefamous,andTomasStumbrasisagoodexampleofthis.But,hehadrewardingexperiencesfromtimetotimealongwithhisdisappointments,andthatwasapparentlyenoughforhim.

Rose:

I'llhavetoadmitthatalthoughTomashadalotoftragedyinhislife,healwaysremainedambitiousandseemedtolearnsomethingpositivefromit.MaybethatisthepointthatSileikaistryingtomake.

（Alltheothersagree.）

Questions:

1.

WhatisthebookWomaninBronzemainlyabout?

2.

WhatdowelearnaboutTomasStumbrasfromtheconversation?

3.

Whycouldn'tTomasStumbraspossiblybecomeasculptorifhehadstayedinLithuania?

4.

WhydidTomasStumbrasleavehome?

5.

WhatpointistheauthorofthebookWomaninBronzetryingtomake?

      InH.G.Wells'novel,TheTimeMachine,themaincharacterjumpedintoaspecialchairwithblinkinglights,spunafewdials,andfoundh