最新版雅思听力指南 Test 3 section 3

英语自学网

　　In a moment,you are going to hear the rest of Yuki and Michael's conversation. They are discussing a book on the subject of famous first events in modern history. Before you listen,look at Questions 22 to 33. Note the examples that have been done for you. As you listen to the conversation,answer Questions 22 to 33.
        　　Yuki:So,Michael,what is that book you're reading?
        　　Michael:It's titled "Did You Know... Famous Firsts throughout the Modern Age."by Herbert Brown. It's a compilation of facts and dates about the first time certain events happened or when important items were invented.
        　　Yuki:I am not sure I understand what you mean. Well,the chapter I am reading right now is named 'Transportation Firsts'. So,for instance,it contains facts such as train services that carried passengers were first used 1830 in Britain.
        　　Yuki:That book sounds rather interesting.What else does it say?
        　　Michael:Well,the first Underground was used in London in 1863.
        　　Yuki:What is an 'Underground'? Michael:Oh,right, sorry. 'Underground'is the name we in the UK use to refer tothe subway.
        　　Yuki:How adorable! Underground!Yes I understand now. You British are so clever with your terminology. You know,I bet they invented the subway just so the people of London do not have to stand in the rain while waiting for their trains to arrive I hear London weather is terrible.
        　　Michael:You really shouldn't believe everything you hear,Yuki. Actually,it doesn't rain as much as everyone says it does. I mean,the weather is not anywhere near as nice as it is here in New Zealand,but it's not bad either. Did you know that Milan and Paris both get much more rain than London? Ok,ok,so next time I'm in the London area I'll be sure to check the weather. So what else does your book have to say? You just can't admit when you're wrong,can you Yuki?Let's see... The first bullet train was used in Japan in 1964. It went 130 miles per hour.
        　　Yuki:130 miles per hour in 1964? Wow,that seems to me to be quite technologically advanced for the time Leave it to the Japanese to figure out a way to take something that was invented in England 100 years earlier and modify it to be even faster and more modern. Michael:Very funny. The first cable cars were used in San Francisco,USA,in 1873.
        　　Yuki:Well,of course they were!I was there last summer. San Francisco is famous for its cable cars. The city is built on very hilly terrain, so the city had to design a mass transit system that could make it up sharp inclines. Engineers came up with a system of cables,pulleys and levers. The cars were literally pulled up the hills. Actually,the city still operates some of the cable cars, and it's really quite a lot of fun to ride up the steep hills of the city on one of those old things. It makes you feel as though you area part of history.
        　　Michael:I didn't know that you'd been to the States. Where else did you go?
        　　Yuki:I only visited California.I have relatives in Los Angeles.
        　　Michael:In that case, did you know that the first trolley was used in Los Angeles in 1910?
        　　Yuki:Now,how would I know that? I don't even think I have ever seen a trolley.
        　　Michael:You're kidding! Well,these days we don't have many historic things of that nature just lying about Japan. Oh,I forgot the Japanese went immediately from Shinto shrines to bullet trains. Hey,here is something interesting! Taxicabs were first used in 1896 in Stuttgart,Germany. That doesn't surprise me at all. Also,the name of the first commercial jetliner was theComet.
        　　Yuki:Comet,I lik that.I've been looking for a name for my cat. I think I am going to name him'Comet'.
        　　Michael:Really,I don't know why I bother with you sometimes.
        　　Yuki:Because no one else wants to talk to you!
        　　Michael:I'll ignore that.The first jumbo jet was used in 1970; it was the Boeing 747.
        　　Yuki:Don't they still use those?
        　　Michael:I think so,but now they have ven larger jumbo jets. The largest are used by the military. In 1976 the Concord flew its first passenger flight.
        　　Ynki:What's the Concord?
        　　Michael:The Concord was the world's first supersonic plane. It broke the sound barrier.Imagine flying faster than sound. That's even stranger than crossing the international date-line.
        　　Yuki:Michael,may I see your book?
        　　Michael:Feel free.Here you are.
        　　Yuki:Let's find a more interesting chapter,shall we? Hmmm... Here we are. This chapter is about firsts in the fashion world.
        　　Michael:Right.How about we look at another chapter?
            
            

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        　　Yuki:Hey!I had to sit through you telling me about trolleys and taxis. Now you're going to learn about fashion. Besides,here is something that relates to your life.The first pair of blue jeans was manufactured in America over a hundred years ago; Levi Strauss made them in 1850.
        　　Michael:So are the Levis jeans of today related to Levi Strauss?
        　　Yuki:They are one and the same company. Haven't you ever read the big brown tag on the back of every pair of Levis jeans? Hey,listen to this:European shoemakers first made shoes
        　　with different shapes for the left and right feet in 1818. Don't you think that sounds a bit late? You'd think they would have figured that one out quicker. Shoes must have been uncomfortable before 1818. On the other hand,contact lenses have been in existence since 1887. They were invented in Switzerland. I would have thought they were a relatively more modern invention.
        　　Michael:Yeah,but who would have thought that nowadays people, who do not even need to wear contact lenses choose to wear them only to change their eye color.Crazy world! Well it makes sense,then,that only 29 years after contact lenses were invented wearing false eyelashes became popular in Europe and America. At the same time,using nail polish became fashionable as well.
        　　Michael:So,once women were able to take off their glasses they wanted to dress up their now exposed eyes somehow. So they started to wear false eyelashes. I can see that.Forgive the pun.
        　　Yuki:Your sense of humor really leaves something to be desired. You know that,don't you? Here's something else that should interest you. A French designer first produced the bikini in 1946.
        　　Muchael:So when did the first swim suit magazine come out?1947?
        　　Yuki:Ha,Ha,Michael. No wonder you don't have a girlfriend.
        　　Michael:But I thought you were my girlfriend,Yuki.
        　　Yuki:Sure,I am.Just keep telling yourself that. Sometimes I don't even want to admit that I know you.
        　　Michael:Stop it!You're hurting my feelings! Yuki:Anyway... miniskirts were first made popular in 1965 by a British designer named Mary Quant. You know how I told you that my mother keeps everything she's ever owned? Well,in her closet at home she has a bunch of miniskirts that she bought when she was a teenager in the sixties. She and my grandparents were visiting London in the late sixties, and they were all the rage,very fashionable;so she bought a couple. However,she couldn't wear them in Tokyo, because,at that time,Japan was a very conservative place. If she had worn one of those miniskirts in public, she would probably have caused a riot! Now every girl in Tokyo wears them.How things have changed!
        　　Michael:Well,you know,in the sixties everyone said 'London swings'. Now I guess it would be appropriate to say'Tokyo swings'.
            
            

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        　　Question 22-32 according to section 3. Question 22-23.Write no more than three words for each answer.
        　　Example: Book:Did you know (Famous Firsts) throughout the Mordern Age,by Herbert Brown.
        　　22.The'Underground' is the British term for ( ).
        　　With the bullet train,Japan improved on the subway system,
        　　which had been invented by the British over 100 years earlier.
        　　23.Cable cars were invented in orer to create a mass transit system
        　　that would word in a city lots of ( )
        　　The first trolley was used on Los Angeles in 1910.
        　　Question 24-26. 24.The Comet was ( )
        　　A.the name of the first taxicab B.the name of the first commercial jet liner
        　　C.the name of Yuki's cat
        　　D.the last name of the inventor of the first aeroplane
        　　25.The first ( ) was introduced in 1970,by the Boeing company.
        　　26.The Concord is able to fly ( ).
        　　Question 27-32
        　　27.Which country or region was different shapes for shoes intented in 1818?
        　　28.When was contact Lenses first intented ?
        　　29.Which country or region did False Eyelashes become popular?
        　　30.When was Nail Polsih popular?
        　　31.When was Bikini first intented ?
        　　32.Which country or region did Miniskirts become popular?
        　　Section 4
        　　Thursten Tenent:Hello students. I am extremely pleased to see so many of you have decided to attend this meeting. First off,I would like to thank Headmaster Williams for allowing me to take some time away from your regular courses, so that I am able to give this lecture. Let me just mention now that we will be discussing stereotypes about British culture. With that said,let's begin,shall we? Societies change over time,while their reputations lag behind. Many things which are often regarded as typically British derive from books,songs or plays which were written a long time ago and which are no longer representative of modern life. One example of this is the popular belief that Britain is a 'land of tradition'. This is what most tourist brochures claim. The claim is based on what can be seen in public life and in the centuries of political continuity. At the level of public life,this is undoubtedly true. The annual ceremony of the state opening of Parliament,for instance, carefully follows customs that are centuries old. Likewise,the changing of the guard ritual outside Buckingham Palace itself never changes. There are many examples of supposedly typical British habits which are simply not typical anymore.For example, the stereotyped image of the London "city gent" includes the wearing of a bowler hat. In fact,this type of hat has not been commonly worn for a long time. Food and drink provide other examples. The traditional "British" (or "English") breakfast is a large "fry-up" preceded by cereal with milk and followed by toast,butter and marmalade,all washed down with lots of tea. In fact, only 10 percent of the people in Britain actually have this sort of breakfast. Two-thirds have cut out the fry-up and just have the cereal,tea and toast. The rest have even less. What the vast majority of British people have in the mornings is much closer to what is called a "continental" breakfast, which is a European style breakfast,not British style. The image of the British as a nation of tea-drinkers is another stereotype that is somewhat out of date. It is true that tea is still prepared in a distinctive way(strong and with milk) but more coffee than tea is now bought in the country's shops. As for the tradition of afternoon tea with biscuits,scones,sandwiches or cake, this is a minority activity, largely confined to retired people and the leisured upper middle class. Even when a British habit conforms to the stereotype, the wrong conclusions can sometimes be drawn from it. The supposed British love of queues is an example. Yes,British people do form queues whenever they are waiting for something, but this does not mean they enjoy it. In 1992,a survey found that the average wait to pay in a British supermarket was three minutes and twenty-three seconds, and that the average wait to be served in a bank was two minutes and thirty-three seconds. You might think that these times sound very reasonable. But the Sunday Times newspaper did not think so. It referred to these figures as a "problem" Some banks now promise to serve their customers "within two minutes" It would therefore seem wrong to conclude that their habit of queuing shows that the British are a patient people. Apparently,the British hate having to wait, and have less patience than people in many other countries.