Lesson 3

听力部分

听力练习

一级练习：［难度系数★］

本课的主题“sports”在TOEFL听力里出现。先听一段简单的小对话，试一试！

A. He doesn't recommend going to Central Mountain.

B. He doesn't plan to go skiing during spring break.

C. He has never been to Central Mountain.

D. He isn't an experienced skier.

听力原文如下：

W: I'm thinking about spending my spring break skiing at Central Mountain. You were there last year. How was it?

M: To be completely honest, it left a lot to be desired.

Q: What does the man imply?

二级练习：［难度系数★★］

这次的主题“mountaineering”在较长的TOEFL听力段落题里出现。依然是你熟悉的主题和词汇，挑战一下吧！

1. A. The advantages of traditional surveying methods.

B. Using satellites to communicate with mountain climbers.

C. Obtaining new information about a mountain.

D. Controlling satellites from the top of a mountain.

2. A. To indicate how climbers communicated.

B. To show that climbers enjoyed many comforts.

C. To show that modem telephones work at high attitudes.

D. To emphasize how small some equipment had become.

3. A. Detailed maps from previous studies.

B. Recent advances in technology.

C. Plenty of funding for the study.

D. Experience carrying heavy loads up mountains.

4. A. To carry information that would help determine elevation.

B. To provide accurate weather reports.

C. To relay information from scientists around the world.

D. To indicate which route the mountain climbers should take.

听力原文如下：

Not long ago, some of you may have read about the team of mountain climbing scientists who helped to recalculate the elevation of the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest. Of course the elevation of Mount Everest was determined many years ago using traditional surveying methods. But these scientists wanted to make a more precise measurement, using a new method that takes advantage of recent advances in technology; it's called the Global Positioning System. The Global Positioning System uses 24 satellites that circle the earth. Each of the satellites is constantly sending out signals, and each signal contains important information that can be used to determine the longitude, latitude and elevation at any point on the earth's surface. Well, in order to use this system to calculate Mount Everest's elevation, scientists need to put a special receiver on its summit to receive signals from the satellites. The problem with this was that in the past, the receivers were much too heavy for climbers to carry. But now these receivers have been reduced to about the size and weight of a hand-held telephone, so climbers were able to take the receiver to the top of the Everest, and from there, to access the satellite system signals that would allow them to determine the precise elevation. And it turns out that the famous peak is actually a few feet higher than was previously thought.

Q:

1. What is the talk mainly about?

2. Why does the speaker mention a hand-held telephone?

3. According to the talk, what probably contributed most to the success of the new study of Mount Everest?

4. In the study described, how were satellite signals used?

听说练习

一级练习：听写填空［难度系数★］

这次的主题“sports”在听写练习段落里出现。在这里我们加大了听写练习题的难度，加入了口语练习，但录音的速度适当放慢了。依然是你熟悉的主题和词汇，先用听写填空的方式挑战一下吧！

Mountain climbing is most commonly regarded as ___________________. Mountain climbing is popular worldwide, wherever _________________________________. The activity's rewards include _________________ it requires, ________________________________ by working with others, ________________________, and ____ _______________ from a mountaintop. ____________________ are other reasons that people climb mountains.

二级练习：口语复读与背诵［难度系数★★］

刚才听写练习的答案是“mountaineering”主题的关键表达，一定要积累成自己的口语素材。在今后同类主题的听力口语考试中，回忆起来，从容应对。

第一步：看着上面的听力原文跟读一遍。

第二步：自己试着完整地背诵一遍。（计时3分钟，背诵开始…）

词汇部分

一级练习：［难度系数★］

本课新学的词汇出现在六级、专业四级、考研考试中。这些词汇如果在题干里出现，是否减轻了你的阅读负担呢？如果在选项里出现（可它们不一定是正确选项），你能选对吗？试一试吧！

临考情境模拟：每题控制在1分钟内，本级测试限时6分钟，请把计时器调到6分钟。计时开始！

考查词汇：course

1. As one of the youngest professors in the university, Mr. Brown is certainly on the ______ of a brilliant career.

A. porch

B. edge

C. course

D. threshold

［六级真题］

考查词汇：accompany

2. This area of the park has been specially ______ for children, but accompanying adults are also welcome.

A. inaugurated

B. designated

C. entitled

D. delegated

［六级真题］

考查词汇：summit

3. They believed that this was not the ______ of their campaign for equality but merely the beginning.

A. climax

B. summit

C. pitch

D. maximum

［六级真题］

考查词汇：invariably

4. If you go to the park every day in the morning, you will ______ find him doing physical exercise there.

A. ordinarily

B. invariably

C. logically

D. persistently

［六级真题］

5. The individual TV viewer invariably senses that he or she is ______ an anonymous, statistically insignificant part of a huge and diverse audience.

A. everything except

B. anything but

C. no less than

D. nothing more than

［考研真题］

6. Rite of Passage is a good novel by any standards; ______, it should rank high on any list of science fiction.

A. consistently

B. consequently

C. invariably

D. fortunately

［专四真题］

二级练习：［难度系数★★］

这次新学的词汇在较难的GRE考试里出现，挑战一下吧！

临考情境模拟：每题控制在2分钟内，本级测试限时14分钟，请把计时器调到14分钟。计时开始！

考查词汇：attain

1. Nurturing the Royal Ballet's artistic growth while preserving its institutional stability has been difficult, because the claims of the latter seem inescapably to ______ development; apparently, attaining artistic success is simpler than ______ it.

A. ensure...promoting

B. inhibit...perpetuating

C. undermine...resurrecting

D. modify...appreciating

E. supplement...confining

［GRE真题］

2. Vaillant，who has been particularly interested in the means by which people attain mental health，seems to be looking for ______ answers：a way to close the book on at least a few questions about human nature.

A. definitive

B. confused

C. temporary

D. personal

E. derivative

［GRE真题］

考查词汇：solitary

3. There are no solitary, free-living creatures; every form of life is ______ other forms.

A. segregated from

B. parallel to

C. dependent on

D. overshadowed by

E. mimicked by

［GRE真题］

4. Though many medieval women possessed devotional books that had belonged to their mothers, formal written evidence of women bequeathing books to their daughters is scarce, which suggests that such bequests were ______ and required no ______.

A. unselfish...rationalization

B. tangential...approval

C. customary...documentation

D. covert...discretion

E. spurious...record

［GRE真题］

考查词汇：course

5. In retrospect, Gordon's students appreciated her ______ assignments, realizing that such assignments were specifically designed to ______ original thought rather than to review the content of her course.

A. didactic...ingrain

B. intimidating...thwart

C. difficult...discourage

D. conventional...explicate

E. enigmatic...stimulate

［GRE真题］

6. Demonstrating a mastery of innuendo，he issued several ______ insults in the course of the evening's conversation.

A. blunt

B. boisterous

C. fallacious

D. veiled

E. embellished

［GRE真题］

7. Unfortunately, since courses in nutrition are often ______ medical school curriculums, a family physician is ______ to be an enlightening source of general information about diet.

A. questioned by...encouraged

B. encountered among...unable

C. unappreciated by...expected

D. neglected in...unlikely

E. squeezed into...intended

［GRE真题］

阅读部分

一级练习：［难度系数★］

本课的主题“sports and tourism”在英语专业八级考试阅读里出现。下面的文章和题目中有你熟悉的主题和词汇，试一试！

临考情境模拟：请在5分钟内读完文章，4分钟做完题。请把计时器调到9分钟。计时开始！

The biggest problem facing Chile as it promotes itself as a tourist destination to be reckoned with, is that it is at the end of the earth. It is too far south to be a convenient stop on the way to anywhere else and is much farther than a relatively cheap half-day's flight away from the big tourist markets, unlike Mexico, for example.

Chile, therefore, is having to fight hard to attract tourists, to convince travellers that it is worth coming halfway round the world to visit. But it is succeeding, not only in existing markets like the USA and Western Europe but in new territories, in particular the Far East. Markets closer to home, however, are not being forgotten. More than 50% of visitors to Chile still come from its nearest neighbour, Argentina, where the cost of living is much higher.

Like all South American countries, Chile sees tourism as a valuable earner of foreign currency, although it has been far more serious than most in promoting its image abroad. Relatively stable politically within the region, it has benefited from the problems suffered in other areas. In Peru, guerrilla warfare in recent years has dealt a heavy blow to the tourist industry and fear of street crime in Brazil has reduced the attraction of Rio de Janeiro as a dream destination for foreigners.

More than 150,000 people are directly involved in Chile's tourist sector, an industry which earns the country more than US$950 million each year. The state-run National Tourism Service, in partnership with a number of private companies, is currently running a worldwide campaign, taking part in trade fairs and international events to attract visitors to Chile.

Chile's great strength as a tourist destination is its geographical diversity. From the parched Atacama Desert in the north to the Antarctic snowfields of the south, it is more than 5,000km long. With the Pacific on one side and the Andean mountains on the other, Chile boasts natural attractions. Its beaches are not up to Caribbean standards but resorts such as Vina del Mar are generally clean and unspoilt and have a high standard of services.

But the trump card is the Andes mountain range. There are a number of excellent ski resorts within one hour's drive of the capital, Santiago, and the national parks in the south are home to rare animal and plant species. The parks already attract specialist visitors, including mountaineers, who come to climb the technically difficult peaks, and fishermen, lured by the salmon and trout in the region's rivers.

However, infrastructural development in these areas is limited. The ski resorts do not have as many lifts as their European counterparts and the poor quality of roads in the south means that only the most determined travellers see the best of the national parks.

Air links between Chile and the rest of the world are, at present, relatively poor. While Chile's two largest airlines have extensive networks within South America, they operate only a small number of routes to the United States and Europe, while services to Asia are almost non-existent.

Internal transport links are being improved and luxury hotels are being built in one of its national parks. Nor is development being restricted to the Andes. Easter Island and Chile's Antarctic Territory are also on the list of areas where the Government believes it can create tourist markets.

But the rush to open hitherto inaccessible areas to mass tourism is not being welcomed by everyone. Indigenous and environmental groups, including Greenpeace, say that many parts of the Andes will suffer if they become over-developed. There is a genuine fear that areas of Chile will suffer the cultural destruction witnessed in Mexico and European resorts.

The policy of opening up Antarctica to tourism is also politically sensitive. Chile already has permanent settlements on the ice and many people see the decision to allow tourists there as a political move, enhancing Santiago's territorial claim over part of Antarctica.

The Chilean Government has promised to respect the environment as it seeks to bring tourism to these areas. But there are immense commercial pressures to exploit the country's tourism potential. The Government will have to monitor developments closely if it is genuinely concerned in creating a balanced, controlled industry and if the price of an increasingly lucrative tourist market is not going to mean the loss of many of Chile's natural riches.

1. Chile is disadvantaged in the promotion of its tourism by ______.

A. geographical location

B. guerrilla warfare

C. political instability

D. street crime

2. Many of Chile's tourists used to come from EXCEPT ______.

A. U.S.A.

B. the Far East

C. western Europe

D. her neighbours

3. According to the author, Chile's greatest attraction is ______.

A. the unspoilt beaches

B. the dry and hot desert

C. the famous mountain range

D. the high standard of services

4. According to the passage, in WHICH area improvement is already under way?

A. Facilities in the ski resorts.

B. Domestic transport system.

C. Air services to Asia.

D. Road network in the south.

5. The objection to the development of Chile's tourism might be all EXCEPT that it ______.

A. is ambitious and unrealistic

B. is politically sensitive

C. will bring harm to culture

D. will cause pollution in the area

［专八真题］

二级练习：［难度系数★★］

这次的主题“traveling”在六级阅读里出现。依然是你熟悉的主题和词汇，挑战一下吧！

临考情境模拟：请在5分钟内读完文章，4分钟做完题。请把计时器调到9分钟。计时开始！

Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they'll say, “Success.” The dream of individual opportunity has been home in America since Europeans discovered a “new world” in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer （1782） he wrote, “We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered （无拘无束的） and unrestrained, because each person works for himself... We have no princes, for whom we toil （干苦力活），starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.” The promise of a land where“the rewards of a man's industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.

Our national mythology （神话） is full of illustrations of the American success story. There's Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became America's best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to “make a fortune in real estate with no money down,” and“dressing for success.” The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it's as important to be “successful” in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.

But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to “make it” also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the “right” neighborhoods, wear the “right” clothes, eat the “right” foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.

1. What is the essence of the American Dream according to Crevecoeur?

A. People are free to develop their power of imagination.

B. People who are honest and work hard can succeed.

C. People are free from exploitation and oppression.

D. People can fully enjoy individual freedom.

2. By saying “the rewards of a man's industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” （lines 8-9, para. 1）, the author means ______.

A. the more diligent one is, the bigger his returns

B. laborious work ensures the growth of an industry

C. a man's business should be developed step by step

D. a company's success depends on its employees' hard work

3. The characters described in Horatio Alger's novels are people who ______.

A. succeeded in real estate investment

B. earned enormous fortunes by chances

C. became wealthy after starting life very poor

D. became famous despite their modest origins

4. It can be inferred from the last sentence of the second paragraph that ______.

A. business success often contributes to a successful marriage

B. Americans wish to succeed in every aspect of life

C. good personal relationships lead to business success

D. successful business people provide good care for their children

5. What is the paradox of American culture according to the author?

A. The American road to success is full of nightmares.

B. Status symbols are not a real indicator of a person's wealth.

C. The American Dream is nothing but an empty dream.

D. What Americans strive after often contradicts their beliefs.

［六级真题］

写作部分

本课介绍了运动的主题，这里给大家提供这方面的写作素材，方便大家积累下来，在以后遇到的运动的话题中结合课文使用。

真题举例

Why do you think some people are attracted to dangerous sports or other dangerous activities? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

［TOEFL真题］

写作素材

Dangerous and Extreme Sport

1. Extreme sport （also called action sport and adventure sport） is a media term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger. These actives often involve speed, height, high level of physical exertion, high specialized gear or spectacular stunts.

2. Some who enjoy extreme sports repudiate the stereotypical “adrenaline junkie” tag. The practitioners would claim they enjoy developing their physical and/or mental skills, seek mastery of inhospitable environments, look to escape from the mundane rigors of day-to-day existence, or simply love the wilderness environment in which many of these sports take place. Bob Drury, a paraglider pilot says, “We do these things not to escape life, but to prevent life escaping us”—even though accidents in these sports could be fatal. Many participants also don't think of their activities as either extreme or sports at all. To the most passionate purists, the sport label doesn't fit because they aren't competing to win anything. Worse, the extreme label has frequently been blamed for stereotyping participants in these activities as stupid, reckless, and even suicidal.

3. It is suggested that Generations X and Y have fewer real risks to face and; therefore, some feel the need to live out challenges through risky behavior. While previous generations were burdened with global wars and the threat of world destruction, recent generations have lived through a relatively peaceful era.

4. Daron Rahlves, a top U.S. downhill ski racer：

“The high element of risk makes you feel alive, tests what you are made of and how far you can take yourself,” Rahlves said in a previous interview with U.S. Ski Team staff.

“I'm not looking for danger. I'm in it for the challenge, my heart thumping as I finish, the feeling of being alive,” he said. “I definitely get scared on some of the courses. It just makes me fight more ... The hairier the course the better. That's when I do best.”

The fear that drives many people away from the risks of extreme sports may be the same ingredient that keeps others coming back for more.

5. Extreme sports are about exhilaration, skill and danger. They do not normally involve teams and there are very few rules. People who take part use their skills and experience to control the risks. That control is what makes them sports and not just dangerous behaviour.