Passage 1
Digital Cameras
[00:45.70]① According to a standard definition, /
[00:48.34]a digital camera is a camera that produces digital images /
[00:53.63]that can be stored in a computer, displayed on a screen and printed. /
[01:00.17]② Years ago people used to possess two different devices /
[01:04.47] in order to take pictures and make videos. /
[01:08.42]③ The creation of digital cameras was motivated mainly by two factors. /
[01:14.04]④ First, need to spare space. /
[01:17.78]⑤ Second, make it more comfortable for people
[01:21.07]to do both things with higher quality results. /
[01:25.49]⑥ The multi-functionalism of digital cameras
[01:28.62]and the combination of several devices in one /
[01:32.12]make it a popular choice for a modern man. /
[01:35.99]⑦ For years a digital camera has been unaffordable for many families. /
[01:41.39]⑧ However, the variety of digital cameras and various prices nowadays /
[01:47.06]make it possible for almost every single family to buy a digital camera. /
[01:52.92]⑨ With increasingly fierce competition, /
[01:55.51] the digital camera manufacturers satisfy customers
[02:00.35]with lower prices but best quality standards.
Passage 2
The Migration of Birds
[00:48.91]① The most obvious feature of birds is that they can fly. /
[00:52.81]② This facility gives them great mobility and control over their movements. /
[00:58.39]③ Many species can travel quickly and economically over long distances— /
[01:04.28]up to thousands of kilometers, /
[01:07.14]if necessary, crossing seas, deserts or other inhospitable areas. /
[01:13.46]④ They also have great orientation and navigational skills, /
[01:18.14]and are able to remember and re-find
[01:21.42]remote places they have previously visited. /
[01:24.61]⑤ Birds can thereby occupy widely separated areas at different seasons, /
[01:30.80]returning repeatedly to the same localities from year to year. /
[01:35.76]⑥ Although migration is evident in other animal groups, /
[01:40.09]including insects, mammals, and fish, /
[01:43.49]in none is it as widely and well developed as in birds. /
[01:48.22]⑦ The collective travel routes of birds span almost the entire planet. /
[01:53.69]⑧ As a result of migration, bird distributions are continually changing— /
[02:00.05]on regular seasonal patterns, and on local, regional or global scales.
Passage 3
Benefits of Becoming a Teacher
[00:48.55]① Becoming a teacher gives you a chance /
[00:50.69]to spend a major portion of your day with children or youngsters. /
[00:55.26]② With kids around,
[00:56.63]you are a part of their world of innocence and purity. /
[01:01.01]③ It indeed creates a healthy work environment for you. /
[01:05.14]④ On becoming a teacher, /
[01:07.19]you get a chance to be with children,
[01:09.38]laugh with them, think their way /
[01:12.00]and enjoy their innocently silly and healthily naughty behavior. /
[01:18.17]⑤ Apart from this, the nature of your job is that /
[01:22.11]you do not work on weekends and you get your share of holidays. /
[01:28.07]⑥ Becoming a teacher entitles you /
[01:31.03]for receiving private scholarships and sponsorships
[01:35.23]for teaching programs. /
[01:37.10]⑦ However, one of the most important benefits
[01:40.69]of becoming a teacher is that /
[01:43.17]teachers contribute to the shaping of the future generations. /
[01:48.39]⑧ They make a difference to society /
[01:51.09]by playing a vital role in nurturing young minds.
Passage 4
Computer
[00:47.10]① With the development of computer technology, /
[00:51.02]computers are becoming increasingly popular all over the world. /
[00:55.78]② The computer is being used in many fields. /
[00:59.64]③ In industry, business, education, medicine,
[01:04.59]nearly all walks of life, /
[01:06.99]computers have made their appearance,
[01:09.32]providing great speed and accuracy for our work. /
[01:13.85]④ Computers have been used in the home, offices,
[01:17.45]laboratories and research institutions, /
[01:21.25]acting as the most efficient and multifunctional instruments /
[01:25.94]for calculating, sorting, filing, recording and distributing. /
[01:32.70]⑤ And they have also become a window
[01:35.23]through which we can understand the world better. /
[01:39.17]⑥ During the past fifty years,
[01:41.61]the computer has been rapidly advanced. /
[01:45.21]⑦ Ever since the computer came into being,
[01:48.42]it has experienced the development of several generations. /
[01:53.74]⑧ The earliest computers were of great size, /
[01:57.04]and had no match for the latest electronic computers
[02:00.93]in speed and accuracy. /
[02:03.60]⑨ Now efforts are being made
[02:05.83]not only to bring the hardware to perfection, /
[02:08.84]but also to improve the quality of the software.
Passage 5
Computer Addiction
[00:45.84]① Nowadays, computer users have started developing
[00:49.94]some bad habits regarding using computers, /
[00:53.41]which have led to significant problems in their lives. /
[00:57.32]② The negative consequences from computer addiction /
[01:01.30]are similar to those of many other known addictive disorders /
[01:05.62]that cause mental and physical disturbances. /
[01:09.00]③ As a result, the term “computer or Internet addiction”
[01:14.39] has come into use. /
[01:16.39]④ It is also known as cyberspace addiction
[01:19.55]and Internet addiction disorder. /
[01:22.47]⑤ It's not an easy task
[01:24.59]to identify which type of computer addiction
[01:27.40]is responsible for most computer addicts, /
[01:30.81]as there are many types of computer addictions, /
[01:34.24]such as online games, chat, e-mail, online shopping,
[01:39.50]online gambling and so on. /
[01:42.11]⑥ No one knows in the future, /
[01:44.40]which technology would attract more people
[01:47.31]to become computer addicts. /
[01:49.29]⑦ However, there are various organizations /
[01:52.55]that specifically deal with computer addiction /
[01:55.50]and have helped many thousands of people
[01:57.95]to get rid of this damaging addiction.
Passage 6
Listening Skills
[00:47.69]① Communication with others involves learning listening skills. /
[00:52.92]② It's a good feeling when someone listens to you /
[00:56.64]when you're talking to them. /
[00:58.54]③ It makes you feel like they care about you
[01:01.04]and what you're saying. /
[01:02.92]④ The same respect should be given to people
[01:05.33]that are speaking to you. /
[01:07.03]⑤ Controlling the conversation or interrupting constantly
[01:11.74]with your views or suggestions /
[01:14.30]is not listening to the other person. /
[01:17.39]⑥ Listening closely and then responding at the appropriate time
[01:22.06]makes a good conversation. /
[01:24.64]⑦ Making comments at the correct time
[01:27.10]lets the speaker know you're interested /
[01:29.94]and can help you stay centered on the conversation. /
[01:34.24]⑧ Asking good questions about the subject
[01:37.00]will show you want to know more about it. /
[01:40.44]⑨ Try not to ask too many questions with the word “why”. /
[01:44.71]⑩ People might not know the answer
[01:47.12]and won't be able to respond to the question. /
[01:50.65]⑪ Always, let people finish what they're saying /
[01:54.03]before you talk about something else.
Passage 7
Book Review
[00:48.11]① The determination of the book review
[00:50.69]is to communicate to the readers’ mind /
[00:53.49]the ideas and sensations book reviewer experienced /
[00:58.35] while researching the content. /
[01:00.76]② Professional book reviews are important in all professions. /
[01:06.17]③ But they are especially important in the sciences, /
[01:10.22]which define the specialization of the book reviewer. /
[01:15.11]④ That is because the basic unit of scientific communication,
[01:20.64]the primary research paper, /
[01:23.12]is typically five to eight printed pages in most fields, /
[01:28.58]which is short and narrowly specific. /
[01:32.50]⑤ Therefore, to provide a general overview
[01:36.16]of a significant slice of science, /
[01:39.15]professional writers of scientific books have to
[01:43.03]organize and join the reported knowledge in a field /
[01:46.85]into a much larger, more meaningful package. /
[01:51.26]⑥ In other words, new scientific knowledge is made meaningful /
[01:56.99]by sorting the bits and pieces into book reviews
[02:00.81]to provide a larger picture. /
[02:03.49]⑦ Thus, the individual plants and flowers,
[02:07.18]and even the weeds, become a landscape.
Passage 8
Television Advertisements
[00:46.76]① A television advertisement or television commercial
[00:51.00]is a span of television programming /
[00:54.43]produced and paid for by an organization
[00:58.32]that conveys a message. /
[01:00.88]② Advertisement revenue provides
[01:02.71]a significant portion of the funding /
[01:06.23]for most privately owned television networks. /
[01:10.14]③ The vast majority of television advertisements today
[01:14.33]consist of brief advertising spots, /
[01:18.17]ranging in length from a few seconds to several minutes. /
[01:23.45]④ Advertisements of this sort have been used to
[01:26.96]sell every product imaginable over the years, /
[01:31.32]from household products to goods and services,
[01:35.12]to political campaigns. /
[01:37.79]⑤ The effect of television advertisements upon the viewing public /
[01:42.84]has been greatly successful and pervasive. /
[01:46.97]⑥ In some countries, like the United States, /
[01:49.96]it is considered impossible for a politician
[01:53.77]to wage a successful election campaign /
[01:57.20]without the purchase of television advertising. /
[02:00.97]⑦ In other countries, such as France,
[02:03.98]political advertising is strictly limited on television. /
[02:08.76]⑧ Some countries, like Norway, even completely ban it.
Passage 9
Waste
[00:46.63]① Waste is sometimes a subjective concept, /
[00:50.53]because items that some people discard may have value to others. /
[00:56.78]② It is widely recognized that waste materials
[01:00.77]are a valuable resource, /
[01:03.41]while there is debate as to how this value is best realized. /
[01:09.99]③ Governments need to define what waste is /
[01:14.04]in order that it can be safely and legally managed. /
[01:18.65]④ Different definitions need to be combined /
[01:22.48]in order to ensure the safe and legal disposal of the waste. /
[01:27.89]⑤ The European Union has started a discussion /
[01:31.60]that will end in an End-of-Waste directive. /
[01:36.44]⑥ It will clarify the distinction between waste
[01:39.29]that shall be treated for disposal /
[01:42.04]and raw materials that can be reused for other purposes. /
[01:47.58]⑦ All over the world, America generates more waste
[01:51.36]than any other nation in the world, /
[01:54.17]with 4. 5 pounds of municipal solid waste per person per day, /
[02:01.38]55 percent of which is contributed as residential garbage.
Passage 10
Getting Paid to Shop
[00:48.71]① Advertising in our days has joined our lives quite well. /
[00:53.16]② Getting paid to shop is another form of advertising. /
[00:57.61]③ A contractor evaluates products and services
[01:01.87]offered by various companies /
[01:04.55]in order to become known to the public /
[01:07.12]with the main purpose to increase their sales. /
[01:12.56]④ Getting paid to shop,
[01:14.67]users have the opportunity to shop favorite products /
[01:19.40]like jewelry, handbags, clothes, shoes and other things, /
[01:26.26]and create an income
[01:28.28] that might later lead them to financial freedom. /
[01:31.74]⑤ To be more clear and specific, /
[01:34.34] anyone who joins a getting paid to shop program /
[01:37.97]will have the opportunity to shop things that you wish for free /
[01:42.50]while at the end of the campaign
[01:44.63]might those things become yours. /
[01:47.14]⑥ In addition, those companies that offer such opportunity
[01:51.63]will pay their members to do that. /
[01:54.39]⑦ Getting paid to shop is certainly the ideal solution /
[01:58.19]that fits perfectly with most women
[02:00.59]who like to shop often or see shopping as a hobby.
Passage 11
Negative Effects of Television
[00:49.82]① Spending too many hours watching television
[00:53.23]wastes the precious time /
[00:55.67]that can rather be spent in fruitful and healthy activities
[01:00.37]like exercise or reading. /
[01:03.27]② It also uses up the time /
[01:05.63]that you can rather spend with your family and friends. /
[01:09.99]③ Chatting with your near ones,
[01:12.88]spending time with your close ones /
[01:15.27]is a better way of spending time than watching TV. /
[01:19.01]④ People watching television,
[01:21.51]especially children and youngsters, /
[01:24.24]start identifying with what is shown on TV. /
[01:28.06]⑤ They relate to television shows and films to such an extent /
[01:33.15]that they get bored of living a normal and simple life. /
[01:37.70]⑥ They are eager for fame and money; /
[01:40.33]they long for living the lives of their favorite TV characters. /
[01:44.94]⑦ This may lead to a high amount of dissatisfaction
[01:49.08]for the real world. /
[01:51.11]⑧ As real life is the contrast of the life shown on TV, /
[01:56.08]such TV addicts become hungry for power, money and status.
Passage 12
Culture Shock
[00:47.96]① Culture shock isn’t a clinical term or medical condition. /
[00:51.89]② It’s simply a common way to describe
[00:54.48]the confusing and nervous feelings a person may have /
[00:57.87]after leaving a familiar culture
[00:59.88]to live in a new and different culture. /
[01:02.73]③ When you move to a new place, /
[01:05.25]you’re bound to face a lot of changes. /
[01:07.72]④ That can be exciting and stimulating, /
[01:10.45]but it can also be overwhelming. /
[01:13.33]⑤ You may feel sad, anxious, frustrated, and want to go home. /
[01:18.69]⑥ It’s natural to have difficulty adjusting to a new culture. /
[01:22.76]⑦ People from other cultures may have grown up
[01:25.69]with values and beliefs that differ from yours. /
[01:28.96]⑧ Because of these differences, /
[01:30.97]the things they talk about, the ways they express themselves, /
[01:34.53]and the importance of various ideas /
[01:37.10]may be very different from what you are used to. /
[01:40.88]⑨ But the good news is that culture shock is usually temporary.
Passage 13
Environmentally Friendly Cars
[00:48.54]① Environmentally friendly cars are supposed to be
[00:52.42]the vehicles of future generations. /
[00:55.93]② Nevertheless, such cars exist now /
[00:59.29]and are becoming more popular in the modern car market
[01:03.28]than traditional vehicles /
[01:05.47]which work on fossil fuels. /
[01:07.96]③ The advantages of such cars
[01:10.27]are not only in their lower harmfulness
[01:13.39]for the environment and people’ s health /
[01:16.29]but also in the lower fuel costs. /
[01:19.28]④ However, their production is rather expensive, /
[01:23.14]so it is still a controversial point /
[01:26.01]both for the customers and the automobile manufacturers. /
[01:30.31]⑤ Although they are more expensive to buy, /
[01:32.95]they pay for themselves in a period of about 5 years /
[01:37.47]because they consume less expensive fuels. /
[01:41.31]⑥ The common types of environmentally friendly cars
[01:44.95]include electric cars, fuel-cell-powered cars,
[01:49.79]crossbreed cars and solar cars. /
[01:53.47]⑦ And environmentally friendly cars
[01:56.46]have become the choice of many people /
[01:59.20]who decided to reduce the influence
[02:01.90]of burning fossil fuels on the nature.
Passage 14
The Earth Day
[00:47.84]① Our Planet Earth has so much to give us. /
[00:50.71]② From the beautiful natural surroundings
[00:53.64]to the rich types of creatures, /
[00:56.16]Planet Earth has loads of things to offer /
[00:59.74]that only make the life more beautiful. /
[01:02.76]③ However, have you given a thought to
[01:05.94]how many individuals actually respect this planet? /
[01:11.20]④ April 22nd is known the world over as Earth Day. /
[01:16.60]⑤ It is celebrated to create more awareness about our planet /
[01:21.81]and situations that we need to take care of /
[01:24.83]to ensure our Planet Earth is well loved and cared for. /
[01:29.64]⑥ As things are, we need to celebrate it on one day /
[01:33.84]to remind us of the responsibilities
[01:36.33]we need to handle in the coming years. /
[01:39.47]⑦ The importance of Planet Earth is something /
[01:42.44]that should be taught to children in their early years,
[01:46.24]at home and in the school. /
[01:49.22]⑧ Only then will the young and old alike,
[01:52.39]understand the issues /
[01:54.37]such as global warming, energy conservation
[01:59.30]and the importance of recycling.
Passage 15
Differences Between Chinese and Western Eating Habits
[00:50.52]① There are great differences
[00:52.18]between Chinese and Western eating habits. /
[00:55.74]② Unlike the West, where everyone has their own plate of food, /
[01:00.16]in China the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. /
[01:05.46]③ If you are being treated by a Chinese host, /
[01:09.13]be prepared for a ton of food. /
[01:12.45]④ Chinese are very proud of their culture of cuisine /
[01:16.07]and will do their best to show their hospitality. /
[01:19.90]⑤ And sometimes the Chinese hosts use their chopsticks
[01:23.70]to put food in your bowl or plate. /
[01:26.99]⑥ This is a sign of politeness. /
[01:30.07]⑦ The appropriate thing to do would be to eat whatever-it-is /
[01:34.80]and say how tasty it is. /
[01:37.63]⑧ If you feel uncomfortable with this, /
[01:40.04]you can just say a polite thank-you and leave the food there. /
[01:44.95]⑨ And you should never tap on your bowl with your chopsticks, /
[01:48.79]which can be very insulting to the host.
Passage 16
Artificial Intelligence
[00:48.81]① Artificial Intelligence is the intelligence of machines
[00:52.45]and the branch of computer science
[00:54.47]which aims to create it. /
[00:56.92]② Textbooks define it
[00:58.55]as the study and design of intelligent agents, /
[01:01.90]where an intelligent agent is a system
[01:04.96]that perceives its environment /
[01:07.03]and takes actions which maximize its chances of success. /
[01:12.23]③ The field was founded on the claim that
[01:15.23]human intelligence can be so precisely described /
[01:18.89]that it can be simulated by a machine. /
[01:22.32]④ The discipline of Artificial Intelligence was born
[01:25.92]in the summer of 1956. /
[01:29.16]⑤ Half of a century has passed, /
[01:31.51]and Artificial Intelligence has come a long way
[01:34.86]since its beginning. /
[01:37.29]⑥ It has turned into an important field, /
[01:39.59]whose influence on our daily lives
[01:42.71]can hardly be underestimated. /
[01:45.64]⑦ Many specialized Artificial Intelligence systems
[01:49.30]exist that are at work in our cars, /
[01:51.87]in our laptop computers,
[01:54.28]and in our personal and commercial technologies. /
[01:57.71]⑧ There is no doubt that the impact of Artificial Intelligence
[02:01.96]on our lives in the future /
[02:03.85]will become even more general and universal.
Passage 17
Idioms
[00:46.45]① An idiom is defined as a group of words /
[00:49.47]whose meaning must be known as a whole, /
[00:53.14]because it cannot be learned from the meaning
[00:56.00]of the same words used separately. /
[00:58.98]② Obviously, there is a problem /
[01:01.12]when you cannot look up individual words in a dictionary
[01:04.96]and find the meaning, /
[01:06.87]the usual strategy we all employ
[01:09.60]when we come across a word or words that are unfamiliar. /
[01:14.10]③ With idioms, however, we must learn the group of words. /
[01:18.69]④ In everyday English, idioms are in common use. /
[01:23.16]⑤ In fact, idioms are so common /
[01:26.13]that most native speakers do not even realize
[01:30.02]that they are using idioms. /
[01:32.62]⑥ It is particularly important to recognize idioms /
[01:36.83]when you hear them or read them. /
[01:38.92]⑦ When you are able to use them comfortably
[01:41.39]in your own speech and writing, /
[01:43.46]then you have achieved a higher level of mastery /
[01:47.43]and fluency in the language.
Passage 18
Children’s Health
[00:49.40]① It seems we have developed
[00:50.95]such a fast paced society of convenience /
[00:55.01]that kids today don’t play outside much anymore. /
[00:59.08]② They would rather stay inside and have things done for them. /
[01:04.04]③ They spend too much time inside on the sofa /
[01:07.87]and neglect any kind of physical activity, /
[01:11.46]which causes a state of being inactive and unhealthy. /
[01:16.94]④ Inactive kids have a higher risk of becoming obese, /
[01:21.56]having high blood pressure and a higher risk of heart disease. /
[01:26.12]⑤ Along with being inactive, /
[01:29.62]kids today don’t get enough personal interaction with other kids, /
[01:35.16]causing them to have a lack of interpersonal skills. /
[01:39.31]⑥ Besides, their parents and grandparents
[01:42.77]allow children to have everything they want. /
[01:45.99]⑦ Parents’ spoiling only makes for an attitude of selfishness. /
[01:51.93]⑧ To avoid this situation, parents should encourage their kids
[01:56.53]to spend more time out of the house, /
[01:59.86]such as playing basketball in a community basketball team.
Passage 19
Customer Service
[00:49.90]① Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. /
[00:55.65]② You can offer promotions and slash prices
[00:59.30]to bring in as many new customers as you want. /
[01:02.92]③ But unless you can get some of those customers to come back, /
[01:07.49]your business won’ t be profitable for long. /
[01:11.34]④ Good customer service is all about bringing customers back /
[01:16.45]and about sending them away happy, /
[01:19.00]happy enough to pass positive feedback
[01:21.91]about your business along to others, /
[01:24.55]who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves /
[01:29.77]and in their turn become repeat customers. /
[01:33.80]⑤ If you’ re a good salesperson, /
[01:36.72]you can sell anything to anyone once. /
[01:40.66]⑥ But it will be your approach to customer service that determines /
[01:45.55]whether or not you’ ll ever be able to sell that person anything else. /
[01:51.24]⑦ The essence of good customer service
[01:54.20]is forming a relationship with customers, /
[01:57.60]a relationship that the individual customer feels
[02:01.37]that he would like to pursue.
Passage 20
AIDS
[00:48.48]① When AIDS first emerged, /
[00:50.77]no one could have predicted
[00:52.80]how the epidemic would spread across the world /
[00:56.01]and how many millions of lives it would change. /
[00:59.75]② There was no real idea what caused it /
[01:03.08]and consequently no real idea how to protect against it. /
[01:08.42]③ Now we know from bitter experience /
[01:11.33]that AIDS is caused by the virus HIV, /
[01:15.61]and that it can destroy families,
[01:17.75]communities and whole continents. /
[01:20.98]④ However, experience has also shown us
[01:24.56]that the right approaches can
[01:26.78]and do result in lower national HIV infection rates /
[01:32.48]and less suffering for those affected by the epidemic. /
[01:36.98]⑤ Already, more than twenty-five million people
[01:39.93]around the world have died of AIDS-related diseases. /
[01:45.02]⑥ 33 million people around the world are now living with HIV, /
[01:50.86]and most of these are likely to die over the next decade or so. /
[01:56.84]⑦ It is disappointing that the global numbers of people
[02:00.43]infected with HIV continue to rise, /
[02:04.22]despite the fact that effective prevention strategies already exist.
Passage 21
[00:44.73]Homeschooling
[00:46.67]① More and more parents are feeling /
[00:48.95]that the schools are not up to a suitable standard
[00:52.36]required to meet their children’s needs. /
[00:55.51]② Therefore, homeschooling becomes
[00:58.32]an appealing prospect for parents /
[01:00.78]who want to remain in control of their children’s learning. /
[01:04.82]③ There are both benefits and drawbacks
[01:07.78]to homeschooling a child, /
[01:09.94]but the positives seem to outweigh the negatives
[01:13.67]in the minds of parents. /
[01:15.55]④ In UK homeschooling has increased in recent years
[01:20.36]as the gap between the best-
[01:22.33]and worst-performing schools has grown. /
[01:25.67]⑤ Parents increasingly feel excluded from
[01:29.24]their children’s education, /
[01:31.02]for schools have turned into examination factories. /
[01:35.06]⑥ In schools, teaching to the test is the norm, /
[01:39.40]instead of allowing children to explore their own creativity. /
[01:43.72]⑦ Schools need to achieve good examination results
[01:47.88]in order to have their higher status recognized, /
[01:51.94]which obviously has implications
[01:54.17]for the level of funding they receive. /
[01:57.42]⑧ Hence, it would almost seem that
[01:59.62]students are seen as a means to an end, /
[02:03.58]rather than as the whole reason for a school’s existence.
Passage 22
Mail Fraud
[00:49.47]① Mail fraud occurs when someone asks for
[00:53.00]something of value to be sent through the mail, /
[00:55.37]promising something in return, then fails to deliver. /
[01:00.37]② Fraud can also be committed by wire, phone, or e-mail, /
[01:05.39]but is only considered mail fraud /
[01:08.21]when it involves things being sent by mail. /
[01:11.93]③ This fraud can take the form of
[01:14.07]offering a product or service /
[01:16.09]which is then not provided or offering employment
[01:20.33]that turns out to be a scam. /
[01:23.05]④ It can also be offering a product or service for a price /
[01:27.39]that is already provided for free by the government. /
[01:31.76]⑤ Sometimes, you may receive an advertisement
[01:35.55]for something designed to look like an invoice. /
[01:39.53]⑥ Some Internet domain registration providers
[01:43.07]are known for sending mail to owners of domains /
[01:47.27]registered through competing companies, /
[01:50.71]urging them to renew their domains. /
[01:54.11]⑦ But in the process of renewing, /
[01:56.18]the domain registration would be transferred
[01:59.18]to the provider sending the mail, /
[02:02.30]often at a higher cost.
Passage 23
Online Shopping
[00:47.90]① With just a click of the mouse, /
[00:50.58]shoppers can buy nearly any product online, /
[00:54.31]from groceries to cars, /
[00:56.34]from insurance policies to home loans. /
[01:00.07]② The world of electronic commerce,
[01:02.79]also known as e-commerce, /
[01:05.17]enables consumers to shop at thousands of online stores
[01:09.79]and pay for their purchases /
[01:12.10]without leaving the comfort of home. /
[01:14.82]③ For many, the Internet has taken the place of
[01:17.90]Saturday afternoon window shopping at the mall. /
[01:22.63]④ Consumers expect merchants to
[01:25.08]not only make their products available on the Web, /
[01:28.28]but to make payments a simple and secure process. /
[01:33.10]⑤ However, the same things can go wrong
[01:35.90]in cyberspace as in the real world. /
[01:39.16]⑥ Sometimes it is simply a case of a computer bug
[01:42.69]or poor customer service. /
[01:45.64]⑦ Other times, shoppers are cheated by clever scam artists. /
H:\fanwen caiji two\写给亲爱老婆的情
.doc[01:51.80]⑧ Therefore, online shoppers need to
[01:54.74]take sensible precautions /
[01:57.53]to make their online shopping experiences enjoyable and safe.
Passage 24
Aliens
[00:49.54]① For a long time, aliens have often been in the news. /
[00:53.33]② They have always been surrounded by mystery /
[00:56.42]and interest of people all around the world. /
[00:59.72]③ People have claimed to have been abducted by aliens. /
[01:04.59]④ Some have claimed to have actually seen them. /
[01:08.25]⑤ But is there a sound proof that can prove aliens to be real? /
[01:14.03]⑥ Alien sightings have mostly been accompanied by
[01:17.76]sightings of lights in the night sky. /
[01:21.36]⑦ Some of them have also believed /
[01:23.66]that the lights came from the spaceships used by the aliens. /
[01:28.37]⑧ Disk-like objects traveling across the sky /
[01:32.39]have often been taken as aliens’ vehicles. /
[01:37.48]⑨ At times, people have found blood or hair at the locations /
[01:42.63]where aliens were sighted. /
[01:45.27]⑩ Researchers say alien sightings could have probably been
[01:50.01]a result of human imagination accompanied by fear, /
[01:55.12]and some of these sightings might have been
[01:57.67]a result of certain astronomical phenomena.
Passage 25
Traditional Brazilian Clothing
[00:50.68]① Brazil is known internationally for its stylish
[00:54.53]and sophisticated clothing. /
[00:56.96]② Brazilian clothes are comfortable, vivid, beautifully crafted
[01:01.79]and decorated with attractive laces. /
[01:04.85]③ Traditional Brazilian clothing is influenced by
[01:08.59]a combination of different races and immigrants
[01:12.31]from all over the world. /
[01:14.73]④ A true traditional Brazilian clothing
[01:17.58]can be seen in the countryside, /
[01:20.05]where men’s clothing includes shirt, jeans
[01:24.09]and dresses made from inexpensive cotton. /
[01:28.08]⑤ In the south of Brazil, the cowboys wear a distinctive dress
[01:33.49]including loose-fitting trousers, /
[01:36.38]while in the northeast region they wear coat,
[01:39.74]hat and leather trousers. /
[01:42.53]⑥ In the urban areas of Brazil,
[01:45.24]most people prefer modern clothing. /
[01:48.16]⑦ Young men wear jeans and T-shirts. /
[01:51.39]⑧ Short skirts and dresses are very popular among women. /
[01:56.42]⑨ Brazilian jeans are very common /
[01:59.00]and they come in a wide variety of styles and textures. /
[02:04.51]⑩ Jeans made for women are tight-fitting
[02:07.99]and loose-fitting near the feet. /
[02:10.87]⑪ Due to abundance of beautiful beaches, /
[02:13.87]beachwear is a very popular clothing in Brazil.
Passage 26
Water Pollution
[00:48.69]① Water pollution is an undesirable change
[00:52.23]in the state of water, /
[00:54.06]polluted with harmful substances. /
[00:57.71]② It is the second most important environmental issue
[01:01.56]next to air pollution. /
[01:04.00]③ Any change in the physical, chemical
[01:06.70]or biological properties of water /
[01:09.45]will have a harmful effect on living things. /
[01:13.03]④ Water pollution affects all the major water bodies
[01:16.73]of the world /
[01:17.97]such as lakes, rivers, oceans and groundwater. /
[01:23.42]⑤ Polluted water is unfit for drinking
[01:26.69]and for other consumption processes. /
[01:30.06]⑥ It is also not suitable for agricultural and industrial use. /
[01:35.77]⑦ The effects of water pollution are harmful to
[01:38.66]human beings, plants, animals, fishes and birds. /
[01:44.59]⑧ Water problems in the future
[01:47.00]will become more intense and more complex. /
[01:50.77]⑨ Our increasing population
[01:52.72]will tremendously increase urban wastes, primarily sewage. /
[01:58.01]⑩ On the other hand, increasing demands for water /
[02:02.03]will decrease the amount of water available for
[02:04.94]dealing with wastes. /
[02:07.38]⑪ Due to water pollution, the entire ecosystem gets disturbed.
Passage 27
Marketing
[00:48.60]① Marketing is the process of planning
[00:50.89]and executing the conception, /
[00:53.83]pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas,
[00:58.37]goods and services /
[01:00.71]to create exchanges that satisfy individual
[01:05.00]and organizational objectives. /
[01:08.87]② It consists of advertising and promoting your products
[01:12.97]or services in order to sell them. /
[01:16.24]③ Your business produces goods and services. /
[01:21.37]④ Marketing is to let potential customers know
[01:25.17]what are available for sale. /
[01:28.00]⑤ Sales, advertising, and public relations
[01:32.10]are essential components of marketing /
[01:35.68]and each requires specialized skills and expertise. /
[01:40.84]⑥ While a small business may have only one person /
[01:45.78]performing all these functions
[01:48.02]under the marketing umbrella, /
[01:50.56]knowledge of each area is important to
[01:53.80]develop a focused effort. /
[01:57.13]⑦ A focus on what the customer wants and needs /
[01:59.95]is essential to successful marketing efforts. /
[02:03.71]⑧ This customer-orientation should go hand-in-hand
[02:08.30]with the company’s objective
[02:10.63]of maintaining a profitable volume of sales. /
[02:15.83]⑨ Marketing is a creative process
[02:18.86]combining all of the activities
[02:20.54]needed to accomplish all of these objectives.
Passage 28
The Free Hugs Campaign
[00:49.53]① The Free Hugs Campaign is a social movement /
[00:52.41]involving individuals who offer hugs to strangers in public places. /
[00:57.82]② The campaign in its present form was started in 2004
[01:02.25]by an Australian man. /
[01:04.86]③ Initially, people were suspicious of the strange man on the street /
[01:09.25]offering to hug anyone who wanted one. /
[01:12.49]④ Soon, however, suspicion gave way to enthusiastic acceptance. /
[01:17.59]⑤ When authorities tried to stop the campaign, /
[01:20.25]over 10,000 people signed to ensure its continuance. /
[01:24.82]⑥ The campaign became famous internationally in 2006
[01:29.48]as the result of a music video uploaded into the Internet. /
[01:33.72]⑦ The response to the video was astounding. /
[01:36.96]⑧ Many people joined this newly created movement, /
[01:40.27]and went out offering free hugs to whoever wanted one. /
[01:43.64]⑨ This event demonstrates how the Internet can be used to
[01:48.12]connect humanity beyond the boundaries of space and time. /
[01:52.58]⑩ The hugs are meant to be random acts of kindness, /
[01:56.32]reputedly selfless acts performed by a person
[01:59.44]for the sole reason of making others feel better.
Passage 29
Nongovernmental Organization in Denmark
[00:51.54]① Danes pursue common interests in leisure, sports, and politics. /
[00:58.72]② Associations are essentially nongovernmental,
[01:03.12]originating in the late 19th century, /
[01:07.27]when farmers and workers formed interest groups. /
[01:12.05]③ Today Denmark has one of the highest proportions
[01:16.26]of association membership in the world. /
[01:19.76]④ More than 90 percent of the population
[01:22.62]belongs to an organization, /
[01:24.97]and more than 73 percent of the people
[01:27.90]have multiple memberships
[01:30.90]in more than three hundred thousand organizations. /
[01:35.52]⑤ Organizations and associations play three important roles. /
[01:41.58]⑥ First, they have been able to develop common interests
[01:46.05]and identities among different groups of people. /
[01:50.06]⑦ Second, practical improvements in the form of production,
[01:54.82]increases in salary, /
[01:57.03]and membership discounts have been achieved. /
[02:01.05]⑧ Third, organizations participate in the political
[02:05.42]struggle for the distribution of values and goods in society. /
[02:11.31]⑨ For example, charities use sophisticated
[02:15.19]public relations campaigns to raise funds /
[02:19.49]and employ standard lobbying techniques with governments. /
[02:24.26]⑩ Interest groups may be of political importance /
[02:28.34]because of their ability to influence social and political outcomes.
Passage 30
Lead Time
[00:47.20]① Lead time is the period between a customer’s order
[00:50.52]and delivery of the final product. /
[00:53.97]② A small order of a pre-existing item
[00:56.80]may only have a few hours’ lead time, /
[01:00.20]but a larger order of custom-made parts
[01:03.21]may have a lead time of weeks, months or even longer. /
[01:08.14]③ It all depends on a number of factors, /
[01:11.34]from the time it takes to create the machinery
[01:14.38]to the speed of the delivery system. /
[01:18.16]④ Lead time may change according to seasons or holidays /
[01:22.59]or overall demand for the product. /
[01:25.82]⑤ Manufacturers are always looking for ways /
[01:29.16]to improve the lead time on their products. /
[01:32.52]⑥ Lead time can mean the difference /
[01:34.92]between making the sale
[01:36.82]and watching a competitor sign the contract. /
[01:40.73]⑦ If a company can deliver the product
[01:43.77]weeks ahead of the competition, /
[01:45.93]it stands a better chance of receiving future orders. /
[01:50.57]⑧ Because of this, management and labor teams
[01:54.35]routinely hold meetings /
[01:56.64]to discuss lead time improvements.
[02:00.94]The second and third readings,
[02:02.90]you should begin writing now.