高效磨耳朵 | 最好的英语听力资源

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕

关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频

词汇提示

1.ferries 渡船

2.cruise 巡航

3.cruise ships 游艇

4.voyage 旅行

5.ports 港口

原文

Methods of Transportation

In the modern age，people often travel long distances.

Sometime people travel for reasons related to their work.

Sometimes they travel as tourists.

And sometimes people travel to visit relatives and friends.

There are many different ways that people can travel.

Some forms of transportation move people along the ground.

Other methods of transportation move people across the water，or through the air.

Airplanes provide the fastest method of travelling.

Modern jet airlines travel at about 1000 kilometers per hour.

There airplanes cruise through the skies，almost ten kilometers above the level of the sea.

Jet airplanes allow people to travel great distances in a short time.

For example，it is possible to fly across the great ocean，such as the Pacific or the Atlantic，in several hours.

Ships were once the only way to travel across the oceans.

Before airplanes，it took many weeks or months to travel around the world.

Today，many people still travel by ship when crossing smaller bodies of water.

Some ships，called ferries，allow people to bring their cars with them onto the ship.

Some people also like to travel by ship as a part of a holiday.

These holiday ships，called cruise ships，stop in several interesting ports long the voyage.

Trains are very popular in many places.

In some places，such as Japan and France，trains travel at a high speed of about 300 kilometers per hour.

These trains move people through the country very quickly and efficiently.

Trains are also used to move people over short distances，such as the trip form one's home to one's workplace.

Buses and cars are also widely used for transportation.

Some people travel by bus or car for only short trips，but sometimes buses and cars are used for very long journeys.

In North America，many people have driven across Canada or the United States in their cars.

The wide，smooth roads allow cars and buses to travel quickly from one place to another.

There are many different methods of transportation.

Which one do you think is the best？

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕

关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频

词汇提示

1.chess 国际象棋

2.checkers 国际跳棋

3.co-ordination 协调

原文

Personal Computers

During the 1980s and 1990s，personal computers became very widespread.

The use of the computer has changed people's lifestyles in several ways.

Before 1980，hardly anyone owned a computer.

Only governments and large companies had computers.

But throughout the 1980s and 1990s，computers became much cheaper，faster，and smaller，and they held much more memory.

More and more people were able to afford to buy a computer.

By the years 2000，computers had become very common.

For many people，the personal computer is used mainly for performing calculations and for word processing.

For example，people can calculate their finance on the computer.

They can also use the computer to type their written documents，such as essays and letters.

Many people enjoy playing games on their computers.

Some people like to play chess or checkers on their computers.

Other people prefer games that require fast reflexes and fine co-ordination.

Computer games were very simple during the early days of the 1980s.

Today's computer games show detailed images and sounds.

Another very popular use of computers involves communication.

Many people keep in touch with their friends and relatives by using electronic mail，or e-mail.

E-mail allows people to send letter instantly to people far away.

It is even possible to attach pictures to one's e-mail messages.

Many people also like to use their computers to gain information on the Internet.

The Internet is a vast network of electronic pages where people can find information on many different topics.

For example，people can read newspapers and magazines on the Internet.

Personal computers have only existed for a short time.

But for many people，those computers have quickly become a very useful part of everyday life！

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕

关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频

词汇提示

1.hardware 硬件

2.supplies 供应

3.elementary 初级

原文

A Small Town

I grew up in a small town.

There were only about two thousand people who live in the town where I grew up.

When a town is very small，it is also called a village.

My village was surrounded by many farms and many lakes.

The house where my family lived was near the middle of the town.

On the street where we lived，most of the houses were similar in size，but many of them had different shapes and different colors.

Each house was surrounded by a yard，where people grew their lawn and their garden.

Often，I would walk from my house to the downtown part of the village.

“Downtown”is the area where the stores and shops of a town are located.

Because I lived a small town，it was a short walk to the downtown area.

Along the main street，there were several different kinds of stores.

Some stores sold food，some stores sold clothing，and some stores sold hardware（or building supplies）.

It was also a short walk to the schools in my town.

When I went to elementary school，it would take about ten minutes to walk to the school.

Some of my friends lived on the same street where I lived.

Sometimes，we walked to school together.

During the summer months，many people came from the big city to visit our village.

The people liked to get away from the busy street of the city.

They enjoyed the quietness and the slow pace of the village life.

They also like to spend their vacations near the lake that were near the village.

People from the city often said that people who live in villages seems very friendly.

When I grew up，I left my village，and I went to work in a large town.

But sometimes I like to go back and visit the place where I grew up.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕

关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频

词汇提示

1.stethoscope 听诊器

2.cuff 袖口

3.reflexes 反射作用

4.needle 针

5.vaccinations 疫苗

原文

Visiting the Doctor

When people feel sick，they go to a doctor.

But sometimes people visit the doctor even when they are not sick.

Doctors can perform a medical“check-up”，to find out if a person is healthy.

By performing this physical examination，the doctor can identify any healthy problems that might be developing.

During a check-up，the doctor exams your eyes，ears and throat.

The doctor uses a small flashlight to examine the eyes，ears and throat.

It is important to make sure that the eyes are react normally to change in light.

It is also important to make sure that the ears and throat have a normal appearance.

When the doctor examines your throat，he or she will ask you to open your mouth wide and say“ah”.

The doctor uses a stethoscope to examine the patient's heartbeat.

The stethoscope hangs around the doctor's neck.

By using a stethoscope，a doctor can hear the patient's heartbeat very clearly.

While checking the patient's heart，the doctor also listens carefully to make sure that the patient's breathing is normal.

The doctor also checks the patient's blood pressure.

Blood pressure is measured by placing a cuff around the arm.

Air is then pumped in the cuff，and this allows the blood pressure to be measured.

Having very high blood pressure，or very low blood pressure，is not good for one's health，it is better to be“in between”.

Another part of the examination is a test of the reflexes.

The doctor tests the patient's reflexes by gently hitting his or her knee with a small hammer.

If a person has normal reflexes，the leg will extend suddenly.

Sometimes a doctor may give injection using a needle，as an extra part of the check-up.

These injections，called vaccinations，prevent the patient from developing certain illnesses.

Medical check-up can help to maintain health，but people also should maintain health by leading in a heathy lifestyle.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕

关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频

词汇提示

1.merely 仅仅

2.pedestrians 行人

3.yield 让步

4.merge 融入

5.lanes 车道

6.interfere 干涉

7.irritate 刺激

8.donors 捐献者

原文

Being a Good Citizen

Every society has laws that regulate the way people behave.

A good citizen should obey the laws.

However，there is more to being a good citizen than merely obey laws.

There are many other things that people can do to make their society a pleasant one for every person.

One way to be a good citizen is to be polite in everyday activities.

For example，when passing through a door，a considerate person will hold the door open for a person who is close behind.

Holding doors open is especially important when someone is carrying a heavy load.

Being a good citizen is very important when travelling on the roads and streets.

Pedestrians，bicyclists，and car drivers should all follow the rules of the road.

Bicyclists should yield to pedestrians，and car drivers should yield to both bicyclists and pedestrians.

Drivers should also allow other drivers to merge into their lanes.

Also，drivers should avoid honking their horns except when this is necessary.

A good citizen will also avoid doing things that interfere with others.

For example，a considerate person dose not smoke cigarette in areas where this might irritate others.

Also，a polite person avoid playing music so loudly that other people will annoyed.

And of course，a good citizen avoid littering or making a mess.

Other ways of being a good citizen involve greater effort.

Some people serve their community by doing volunteer work of some kind.

Other people help by donating money to a charity.

Another way to serve the community is to donate blood.

Blood donors are needed so that there will be enough blood available to help people who are sick or injured.

Being a good citizen is very helpful for the community，and it also gives a feeling of satisfaction and pride！

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕

关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频

词汇提示

1.format 格式

2.rhythm-and-blues 节奏布鲁斯

3.theatrical 戏剧的

原文

Radio Stations

When I drive in my car，I like to turn on the radio.

By listening to the radio，I can enjoy music，and learn the latest news when I am travelling from one place to another.

Of course，you can also listen to the radio at home，or even at work.

Listening to the radio is a popular activity for many people，and each city has many different radio stations.

There are many different kinds of radio stations.

Some radio stations provide news and information.

Other radio stations have a“talk”format，where listeners can call the radio station's experts，to discuss the political affairs or to ask for personal advice.

Although there are many radio stations that provide news and opinions，most radio stations are mainly devoted to playing music of some kinds.

For example，some radio stations play the songs that are currently most popular，often called the“top 40”songs.

Other radio stations specialize in particular types of music.

There are some stations that only play classical music.

Other radio stations mainly play jazz music.

Some very popular radio stations play“hard rock”music.

Others specialize in country music.

Some people prefer the radio stations that play rhythm-and-blues music.

Still other people enjoy the radio stations that specialize in soft，“easy listening”music.

If you have a favorite kind of music，or even if you like to listen to all kinds of music，you can probably find at least one radio station that you will like.

In addition to news and music，some radio stations provide other kinds of entertainment.

Sometimes，a story from a book will be told over the radio.

Occasionally，the words of a theatrical play may be heard on the radio.

Even in the age of television and computers，the radio has remain an important source of entertainment and information.

People will surely listen to the radio for a long time to come.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕

关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频

词汇提示

1.buffet 自助餐柜

原文

Eating Out

Many people enjoy the experience of going out to eat at a restaurant.

It is enjoyable to eat one's favorite food，or to try some entirely new food.

Going out to a restaurant is also fun because it allows a change from the usual routine of eating at home.

There are many different kinds of restaurants.

One popular type of restaurant is the fast-food restaurant.

When ordering fast-food，you must first wait in the line at the front of the restaurant，and then order the food from the counter.

After paying，the food is quickly delivered，and you can then take the food to a table，where you enjoy your meal.

In most restaurant，you don't have to go to a counter to order your food.

Instead，you are taken to a table soon after entering the restaurant.

There，a waiter comes to give you a menu.

You can choose your meal from the foods that are listed on the menu.

After ordering，it takes some time to prepare you food.

After a while，the waiter brings your meal to the table.

When you finish eating，the waiter brings the“bill”or“check”.

You then pay for the bill，and leave some extra money as a“tip”for the waiter.

In some restaurant，the waiter dose not bring the meal to your table.

Instead，after you are taken to a table，you then go to a counter called a“buffet”.

There you can select different types of foods，such as salad，soups，meats，breads，vegetables，and desserts.

After putting food on your plate，you return to your table.

After eating，you can return to the buffet to get more food.

Other restaurants can be very fancy.

They may have beautiful decorations，and they may have food hat is prepared by expert chefs.

These restaurants may also serve fine wines with the food.

Of course，these restaurants are very expensive.

At these restaurants，it is necessary to reserve a table by telephoning the restaurant in advance.

Different restaurants specialize in different kinds of food.

Fast-food restaurant may specialize in hamburgers and chicken.

Some restaurants specialize in steak or seafood.

Other restaurants specialize in foods that belong to a certain nationality.

For example，many restaurants specialize in Italian，Mexican，Chinese，Indian or Thai food.

Eating out at a restaurant can be a fun and tasty experience.

What is your favorite kind of restaurant？

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕

关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频

词汇提示

1.construction workers 建筑工人

2.mowing lawns 修剪草坪

3.cashiers 出纳员

原文

Summer Jobs

In North America，many young people attend high school，college and university.

But during the summer months，most of those students work at a summer jobs.

For most students，there are no classes during the months of July and August，and sometimes none in May and June also.

Having a summer job allows students to make money that they will need during the rest of the year.

They need this money because it costs a lot of money to pay for university or college.

Of course，students also want money to spend on things that are fun，also.

Many students have summer jobs that involve working with children.

For example，some students work at children's camps，where they teach children various skills and games.

Some students work as lifeguards，at swimming pools and at beaches.

Some students do heavy work in their summer jobs.

For example，some students find jobs as construction workers.

Other students work in factories，and some students work on farm.

There are other students who find jobs mowing lawns or collecting trash.

Quite a few students work stores.

Some of these students have jobs as cashiers，and some have jobs putting products on store shelves.

Other students work in restaurants，as waiters or as cooks.

Other students work in offices.

Some of them work as assistants for other employees.

Their tasks might including typing letters，programming computers，or delivering mails.

Some of students enjoy their summer jobs very much，and they find those jobs to be a pleasant break from studying.

Other students do not really enjoy their summer jobs，but find their jobs to be a nice way to make new friends.

But nearly all students who have summer jobs are pleased to have the chance to earn some extra money.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕

关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频

词汇提示

1.classified advertisement 分类广告

原文

Reading the Newspaper

I often enjoy reading the newspaper.

In my city，there are three different newspapers，and I look at different newspapers on different days.

I find that each section of a newspaper has some interesting information.

Most newspaper contain several sections that can be easily removed from the rest of the newspaper.

The main section is found at the front of the newspaper.

This section usually contains the most important news from around the world，from around the nation，and from the local area.

Sometimes the main section also including some pages contain the opinions about the news.

The editors of the newspaper write an editorial opinion.

Other writers provide many different opinions about current events.

Also，some readers of the newspaper write letters to the editor，in which they express their opinions.

Another popular section of the newspaper is the sports section.

This section contains information about many different sports events.

The sports section provides scores and results from many games and competitions.

Another section of the newspaper contains information about entertainment and the arts.

The arts and entertainment section tell readers about new movie and plays.

It also describes new books，music concerts，and art exhibits.

Most newspapers also have a business section.

This section provides information about new business deals，and about the stock market.

Many people read the business section of the newspaper to gain information and advice about investing their money.

Finally，newspapers usually have a section for classified advertisements.

This section allows people to advertise about things that they want to buy or sell

It also gives notices about job openings.

Reading the newspaper is surely a good way to keep informed about many different events in the world around us.

在喜马拉雅已支持实时字幕

关注公众号“高效英语磨耳朵”获取文稿和音频

词汇提示

1.harsh 恶劣的

2.evolve 进化

原文

Life in Outer Space？

People have often wondered about whether or not there is life beyond the planet Earth.

For years，the idea of intelligent life on other planets has been very popular.

Many books and movies tell stories of what those forms of life might be like.

Many scientists believe that very simple forms of life are likely to exist on many other planets.

Under the right conditions，simple forms of life might arise.

Those conditions，which including moisture and warmth，might occurs in many parts of the universe.

Fewer scientists believe that very intelligent forms of life are likely to exist on many other planets.

For intelligent life to evolve，a very long period of time is needed.

During that time，the conditions on a planet must not be too harsh.

Otherwise，the evolving life forms will die.

The amount of water，heat，and various chemicals must be“just right”.

If not，the complex life might never be evolve.

The conditions needed for intelligent life to evolve are very unlikely to occur on any one planet.

However，some scientists believe that intelligent life might be common in the universe.

Because there are so many stars and planets in the universe，there might be a few places that have intelligent life.

However，those place are probably very，very far away.

Other scientists disagree.

They think the conditions needed for intelligent life are extremely rare.

Because of this，our planet might be the only place that has intelligent life！

So far，it is impossible to know whether or not there are intelligent beings on other planets.

But even if those beings do exist，it seems very unlikely that we will ever meet them.