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