Unit 1Section One Tactics for ListeningListening and Translation1.A college education can be very costly in the United States.在美国，大学教育的费用会很贵。

2.R ising costs have led more and more families to borrow money to help pay for college.费用的上涨使越来越多的美国家庭通过借钱来支付上大学的费用。

3.T here are different federal loans and private loans for students.有各种各样的联邦贷款和私人贷款可供学生挑选。

4. Interest rates on some of these loans will go up on July 1st.在这些贷款品种中，有些品种的利率将从7月1日起上调。

5. There are growing concerns that many students graduate with too much debt.人们越来越担心，很多学生将背着沉重的债务从大学毕业。

Section two Listening ComprehensionPart 1 Dialogue-Social GroupingInterviewer: Right. You're talking about social groupings here. Could you tell us something about theways animals form into groups?Nike Down: Yes. Er, many, many animals are very solitary* animals. The only times they gettogether is when they mate, or when they'rebringing up their young. The majority ofanimals are solitary, but a very significantgroup of mammals and insects, like ants andtermites*, bees and wasps, are very social andthey group together because in a group it'smuch safer. You can defend yourself more easilyif you're in a group, you can find males moreeasily if you're in a group, and you can changethe world around you by working with theothers if you live in a group. Solitary animalshave a much more difficult time in many ways. Interviewer: You mentioned lions and other carnivores* earlier on. Do they group very much?Nike Down: Yes. Most cats in fact don't group. Er, lions and, to a lesser extent, cheetahs* are the onlycats that group together. A group of lions iscalled a pride*, and you might get anything upto 15 or 20 lions in a pride. A pride of lionswould have perhaps two or three males,perhaps a dozen females, and then the cubs.But the real lion group consists of females withtheir cubs. The males tend to stay for a fewyears and then they get kicked out by a groupof younger males that come in and take over. Interviewer: And how about the apes?Nike Down: Ah, well, now you're talking about the group of animals that we belong to. Apes — some apes— live in very, very big and complicated socialgroups. Not all. Orangutans*, for example, bigapes that live in Indonesia and Malaysia —they're very solitary and one adult may meetanother adult only once every two or threeyears, when a male and a female mate, and then,the only relationship will be between a motherand her baby. The baby will stay with themother for two or three years, four years, fiveyears even, learning from the mother, learningwhat sorts of foods to eat, what the signs of danger are, and then when the baby grows up, off it'll go, and live its own solitary life. The reason why orangutans are solitary is because there's not very much food in a forest and if there was a big group of orangutans, all the food would just run out. But, leaving Asia and going to Africa, then you find very social apes. Now, gorillas, for example. Gorillas live in unimale* groups. They used to be called harems*, but the technical term is unimale because there's one male within the group; one male, and then around him will be anything up to six, seven, eight, nine females, plus all the babies. And that one male in the group is the silverback gorilla, and he's much bigger and stronger than the others. He's got silvery fur on his back and the others won't challenge him and he'll lead the group slowly through the forest, settling down every night and moving on the next day, finding food. So that's a unimale group. But if you move a little bit further west into West Africa, you'll start to come across chimpanzees. Now they're a bit smaller thangorillas. They spend a lot of time in the trees, whereas gorillas are down on the ground. And chimpanzees are much more closely related to us than they are to gorillas. They're our closest living relatives. Now chimps* live in multimale groups; in other words, you'll get, oh, anything up to six, seven, eight males, then you'll get two or three times that number of females — a dozen, two dozen females —plus all the youngsters, so we're talking about groups that can be as big as 40 or 50 or even 60. Now a chimpanzee group —multimale group —is a very flexible type of group. It constantly splits into smaller groups. Off they go for a few days, back they come, reform, break up again. And within that group the males tend to hang around the outside, protecting the group, fighting off rival males that might want to come in and mate with the females, but they tend to come and go to some extent. The ongoing core of the chimpanzee group consists of females with their young and sometimes sisters will actually work together to bring up their young collectively. Yes, so apes are very, very socialanimals indeed.ExerciseDirections: Listen to the dialogue and choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences.l.A 2. C 3. D 4. C 5. B 6. C 7. B 8. APart 2 Passage Community CollegesGreat challenges faced the United States in the early 20th century, including global economic competition. National and local leaders realized that a more skilled workforce was key to the country's continued economic strength,a need that called for a dramatic increase in college attendance. Yet three-quarters of high school graduates were choosing not to further their education, in part because they were reluctant to leave home for a distant college.During the same period, the country's rapidly growing public high schools were seeking new ways to serve their communities. It was common for them to add a teacher institute, manual learning (vocational education) division or citizenship school to the diploma program. The high school-based community college* was the most successful type of addition. Meanwhile, small, private colleges had fashioned an effective model ofhigher education grounded on the principles of small classes, close student-faculty relations and a program that included both academics and extracurricular activities.From the combination of these traditions emerged the earliest community colleges, roughly balanced in number between private and public control but united in their commitment to meet local needs. The typical early community college was small, rarely enrolling more than 150 students. It nevertheless offered a program of solid academics as well as a variety of student activities.A distinctive feature of the institutions was their accessibility to women, attributable to the leading role the colleges played in preparing grammar school teachers. In such states as Missouri, which did not yet require K-8* teachers to have a bachelor's degree, it was common for more than 60 percent of community college students to be women, virtually all of them preparing to be teachers.Community colleges are centers of educational opportunity. More than 100 years ago, this unique, American invention put publicly funded higher education at close-to-home facilities and initiated* a practice of welcoming all who desire to learn, regardlessof wealth, heritage or previous academic experience. Today, the community college continues the process of making higher education available to a maximum number of people at 1,166 public and independent community colleges.The breadth of programming and the variety of students' goals make it difficult to accurately quantify* community college performance. Unlike four-year colleges, where attainment of a bachelor's degree is the implicit* goal of students, community college students do not share a common goal beyond self-improvement.Research shows that education pays. Students who complete associate degrees* and certificates are more likely to move into higher-status management and professional positions with higher earnings. An investment of a few thousand dollars now will likely pay lifelong dividends*, as students who earn associate degrees average lifetime earnings of $250,000 more than people without degrees.But success at community colleges must be broadly defined to include not just those who attain associate degrees and those who earn certificates, but also the millions who take noncredit and workforce training classes.Exercise A Pre-listening QuestionIn the United States the terms "college" and "university" can describe a variety of institutions. A college may form one major division of a university, offering programs in a specific academic field that lead to undergraduate or graduate degrees, or both. Colleges may also be independent of a university, offering four-year programs of general education that lead to a bachelor's degree in the liberal arts and sciences. Universities generally comprise various colleges and professional schools that make up the academic divisions of the institution. Universities provide higher education leading to a bachelor’s degree as well as professional and graduate programs leading to master's and doctoral degrees.Community colleges offer two-year programs of general education or vocational education.Exercise B Sentence DictationDirections: Listen to some sentences and write them down. You will hear each sentence three times.1.G reat challenges faced the Unites States in the early 20th century, including global economic competition.2. During the same period, the country's rapidly growingpublic high schools were seeking new ways to serve their communities.3. It offered a program of solid academics as well as a variety of student activities.4. A distinctive feature of the institutions was their accessibility to women, attributable to the leading role the colleges played in preparing grammar school teachers.5. The breadth of programming and the variety of students' goals make it difficult to accurately quantify community college performance.Exercise C Detailed ListeningDirections: Listen to the passage and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). Discuss with your classmates why you think the statement is true or false.F 1. The leaders of the US realized that a skilled workforce was needed in the country's key economic sectors.(National and local leaders realized that a more skilled workforce was key to the country's continued economic strength.)F 2. Three-quarters of high school graduates could not further their education because there were not enoughhigher education facilities available in the early 20th century. (Yet three-quarters of high school graduates were choosing not to further their education, in part because they were reluctant to leave home for a distant college.)T 3. It was common for public high schools to add a teacher institute, manual learning division or citizenship school to the diploma program in the early 20th century. (During the same period ... public high schools were seeking new ways to serve their communities. It was common for them to add a teacher institute, manual learning division or citizenship school to the diploma program.)T 4. During the same time, small, private colleges had formed an effective model of higher education based on the principles of small classes and close student-faculty relations. (Meanwhile, small, private colleges had fashioned an effective model of higher education grounded on the principles of small classes, close student-faculty relations ...)F 5. The typical early community college rarely enrolled over 115 students. (The typical early community college was small, rarely enrolling more than 150 students.)T 6. Community colleges were good places for women to get education needed to be primary school teachers. (In such states as Missouri, which did not yet require K-8 teachers to have a bachelor's degree, it was common for more than 60 percent of community college students to be women, virtually all of them preparing to be teachers.)T 7. Community colleges, which appeared a century ago, make it possible for anyone who wants to learn to get publicly funded higher education close to their homes. (More than 100 years ago, this unique, American invention put publicly funded higher education at close-to-home facilities and initiated a practice of welcoming all who desire to learn, regardless of wealth, heritage or previous academic experience.)F 8. The success of community colleges can be defined as granting students associate degrees or certificates they need to find a job.(But success at community colleges must be broadly defined to include not just those who attain associate degrees and those who earn certificates, but also the millions who take noncredit and workforce training classes.)Exercise D After-listening DiscussionDirections: Listen to the passage again and discuss thefollowing questions.1.R esearch shows that education pays. Students who complete associate degrees and certificates are more likely to move into higher-status management and professional positions with higher earnings. An investment of a few thousand dollars now will likely pay lifelong dividends, as students who earn associate degrees average lifetime earnings of $250,000 more than people without degrees.2.(open)Section Three NewsNews Item 1China's wasted no time in setting out the latest plans for its ambitious space program. A senior official said the next manned mission will be in 2007, when the astronauts will attempt a space walk. After that, scientists will focus on developing the capability to rendezvous* and dock* with other spacecraft. He added that China also wanted to recruit female astronauts in the near future.The announcement comes just hours after the country's second manned space mission touched down in the remote grasslands of Inner Mongolia. The returningastronauts have been given a hero's welcome, riding in an open car in a nationally televised parade. Thousands of soldiers and groups of schoolchildren lined the route, waving Chinese flags. It's a sign of the great importance China attaches to its space program, viewing it as a source of national pride and international prestige. Exercise ADirections: Listen to the news and complete the summary. This news item is about China's ambitious space program. Exercise BDirections: Listen to the news again and complete the following outline.-China's second manned space mission1.l anding spot: In the remote grasslands of Inner Mongolia2.s ignificance: A source of national pride and international prestige- Future plan1. The next manned mission1) Time: 20072) Goal: The astronauts will attempt a space walk.2. Focus of further development: The capability to rendezvous and dock with other spacecraft3. Recruitment of astronauts: To recruit female astronautsin the near futureNews item 2China’s economy has recovered earlier and more strongly than any other. This latest data is further evidence of that trend. The rise in industrial output confirms what factory owners have been saying for some time now, that customers have been restocking their inventories and confidence is returning.There are still question marks though over the stability of the recovery. The property sector is showing signs of overheating. The government this week announced measures to try to cool it. At the same time officials decided to extend tax subsidies for purchases of small vehicles and appliances suggesting that some here still believe Chinese manufacturers need government support.Growth was strongest in heavy industries such as coal, steel, power generation and automobiles. Consumer prices rose in November for the first time since February. But the rise was small and probably reflected higher food prices caused by early snowstorms which destroyed crops and disrupted transport.A: Directions: Listen to the news and complete thesummary.This news item is about the growth of China’s economy.B: Directions: Listen to the news again and fill in the blanks with the missing information.There are still question marks though over the stability of the recovery. The property sector is showing signs of overheating. The government this week announced measures to try to cool it. At the same time officials decided to extend tax subsidies for purchases of small vehicles and appliances suggesting that some here still believe Chinese manufacturers need government support.Growth was strongest in heavy industries such as coal, steel, power generation and automobiles. Consumer prices rose in November for the first time since February. But the rise was small and probably reflected higher food prices caused by early snowstorms which destroyed crops and disrupted transport.News Item 3If you visit almost any marketplace in Africa, many of the consumer goods on sale — from buckets to razor blades to hurricane lamps — are likely to be Chinese. Ina very large number of African capitals, the main football stadium is likely to have been built with Chinese aid money.Sino-African trade —and aid —is large and growing. Some estimates put it as high as 12 billion dollars a year. Although direct comparisons are difficult, the links between the world's largest developing country —China, and the world's largest developing continent could grow to challenge the post-colonial links between Europe and Africa. The meeting in Addis Ababa* has heard Chinese promises to cancel debts, grant duty-free access into China for African products and increase Chinese investments in Africa.Exercise ADirections: Listen to the news and complete the summary. This news item is about China’s large and growing trade with and aid to Africa.Exercise BDirections: Listen to the news again and answer the following questions.1.I n many African capitals, the main football stadium is likely to have been built with Chinese aid money.2.I t is estimated that Sino-African trade —and aid —amounts to as high as 12 billion dollars a year.3.T he links between China and Africa could grow to challenge the post-colonial links between Europe and Africa.4.O n the meeting in Addis Ababa, China promised to cancel debts, grant duty-free access into China for African products and increase Chinese investments in Africa.。