第10期Practice听说训练录音材料
Part A: Reading Aloud
The traditional roles of mum and dad have changed radically in the last quarter of a century. Men have reinvented what it means to be a father in less than a generation. In the 1970s, when I was growing up, dads spent on average a quarter of an hour a day involved in child-related activities. Now, that figure’s moved up to nearly two hours. Many fathers want to be more involved in their child’s upbringing. That’s great. This is the 21st century, after all. But new research suggests that the role of the father in bringing up their kids is far more important than we thought.
Part B：Role Play
W: What sort of hours do you work, Steve?
M: Oh, I have to work very long hours, about 11 hours a day.
W: What time do you start?
M: I work 9 to 3. Then I start again at 5:30 and work until 11. Six days a week. So I have to work very unsocial hours.
W: And do you have to work at the weekend?
M: Oh, yes, that’s our busiest time. I get Wednesdays off.
W: What are the things you have to do, and the things you don’t have to do?
M: Uh, I don’t have to do the washing-up, so that’s good. I have to wear white and I have to keep everything in the kitchen totally clean.
W: What’s hard about the job?
M: You’re standing up all the time. When we’re busy, people get angry and sharp. But that’s normal.
Part C：Story Retelling
Once a king was walking around a pool with his ministers(大臣). Suddenly, he came up with an idea. He asked, “How many basketfuls of water are there in the pool?” The ministers couldn’t give an answer. The king was angry, “You must answer my question in three days!”
Three days passed, but none of the ministers had the answer. Just then, a child said that he knew it. The king told the ministers to take the child to the pool. To their surprise, the child refused and said with a smile, “It is easy. No need to go to the pool. ” This made the king pleased. “All right. Let us know what it is.” The child said, “If you know the size of the basket, the answer is clearly known. If it is as big as the pool, there is one basketful of water; half as big, two basketfuls...” “Stop! That’s it. You have got the answer. They were thinking of things in a wrong way.”
Sometimes to get out of the difficulty, one must change one’s way of thinking.