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发表于 2016-7-12 23:05:07
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Listen and complete questions 26 to 29.
Hiro:Doesn't this constant switching of loyalties ever cause problems?Shouldn't people who were born or who have lived in one country for a very long time support only that country?
Liam:Actually, it has caused quite a few problems, especially in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Hiro:Yes, I have heard something of the so-called 'Irish Troubles'.Isn't there, at this moment, a civil war going on in Northern Ireland?I believe it is because some citizens want to remain as part of the United Kingdom,but other people want to become part of the Republic of Ireland.
Liam:That is a subject that is difficult to discuss.Some people in Northern Ireland want to be unified with Ireland.However over the years many immigrants from Britain as well as Irish loyal to the crown want to continue to be ruled by the British government.This is a subject that the British prefer not to talk about.
Hiro:Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. You aren't Irish are you?
Liam:No. Actually my hometown is Glasgow in Scotland.
Hiro:Oh Scottish! Does that mean that sometimes you wear a skirt?
Liam:I think you mean a kilt, which is not the same as a skirt at all.
Hiro:Sorry. There is so much about U.K. culture I do not understand.If you don't mind me asking, why do the Irish want independence from Britain,but the Scottish do not?
Liam:There are some people from my hometown that would disagree with you,but the truth is that Scotland and England have a long history of immigration and communication.Perhaps you've heard of Mary Queen of Scots, who once ruled England as well.The Irish, on the other hand, partly due to the fact that Ireland is a separate island were always more isolated,and had almost no political power.
Hiro:Oh, that makes a lot of sense to me, I come from a very isolated island country as well.
Liam:Really, where is that?
Hiro:Well, I'm Japanese. My hometown is Okinawa.
Liam:I can't say I've ever been there, but I've always wanted to visit Japan.I wonder if it is anything like the U.
Hiro:Well, because England and Japan are islands importing goods is therefore very expensive.
Liam:Yeah, and the U.K. and Japan are the only countries where the driver sits on the right side of a car.
Hiro:Hey, you're right!
Liam:So, how much longer will you be on holiday here?
Hiro:Unfortunately, I leave in two days.
Liam:That's too bad. There is a huge music festival taking place this weekend in Reading.If you do decide to stay longer, you really ought to attend it.
Hiro:That sounds fun!That is the end of Section 3. You now have half a minute to check your answers.Now listen to the lecture and answer questions 30-35.Good morning ladies and gentlemen.Today's topic in our series of lectures on the development of British socialism is health care.Some believe that the current system is the world's greatest.This morning I will present the facts and let you decide if this statement is truThe National Health Service Act of 1946-7 was based on the Beveridge Report recommendations.It established the NHS to replace the previous private system of payment for health care.The NHS now provides a comprehensive range of free medical and some free dental services for the whole country.It includes hospitals, doctors, dentists, nurses and other health facilities,and is financed out of public taxation and some contributions from the national insurance scheme.At first, the NHS was opposed by the medical profession,which wished to retain private medicine.But such objections were countered by the Labour government.In its first years of operation the NHS covered 95 per cent of the population and cost some 400 million pounds a year to run.This cost currently stands at 36,000 million pounds, or some 14 per cent of total government expenditure,and the NHS is also the biggest single employer of labour in Western Europe.Yet total health expenditure in Britain as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) is some six per cent,and lower than in other major western industrialized countries.The NHS in England is divided into central government,
regional and district health authorities.The Secretary of State for Health has overall responsibility for policy,and for supervising the regional and district authorities.Secretaries of state do a similar job in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.The district authorities in England and Wales, health boards in Scotland,and health and social service boards in Northern Ireland organize health in their local areas.In England, because of its size, the additional 14 regional authorities (which the government wants to abolih) are centered on university medical schools,and are a link between the Department of Health and the districts.It was originally intended that the NHS would be completely free of charge in its provision of consultations,treatment and medicine.Before the final part of the lecture, look at questions 36 to 40.
Answer questions 36 to 40 according to the information given in the lecture.But prescriptions, which are written notes from a doctor enabling patients to obtain drugs from a chemist,now have to be paid for, as do some dental work, dental checks and eye tests.Such payments are, however, dependent upon employment status, age and income, so that children under 16,recipients of social security benefits and most old-age pensioners usually receive free health services.In practice, some 80 per cent of medical prescriptions are supplied free.Similarly, hospital care and treatment under the NHS is free for British and European Union citizens.The NHS occupies an ambivalent position in the public imagination.On the one hand, it is praised for its ork and status as a free service, and for its achievements.It is perceived to be a success in terms of consumer demand,especially when contrasted with earlier provisions for medical care.Today, people in general receive help when they need it, and many who would previously have died or suffered are surviving and being cared for.The standards of living and medicine have risen, better diets have been devised and there is a greater health awareness among the population at large.On the other hand, the NHS is criticized for its alleged inefficiency,inadequate standards and bureaucracy.Its objectives are sometimes considered too ambitious for the money spent on it.The media are constantly drawing attention to shortcomings and forecasting breakdowns.Workers within the NHS, such as doctors, nurses and non-medical staff,have frequently complained about low pay, long hours,bureaucracy and inadequate levels of staffing.They and other critics seem to feel that many of the problems could be solved simply by injecting more finance into the NHS.It is also argued that the government is cutting services and resources.The NHS is in many ways a victim of its own success,and the demands that the British place upon it as of right.It is inevitable that a free, consumer-led service will either require increasing levels of expenditure,or better management of existing resources. Yet, despite these problems,the NHS has worked well and gives great value for money.Foreign observers feel that the British do not always appreciate what a good health system they have compared with those of many other countries.
That is the end of Section 4. You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Section 4. You now have one minute to check your answers for the entire test.That is the end of the Listening Test. You now have exactly 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the Listening Test Answer Sheet. |
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