1、Unit 1 ParentsPart BListening TasksPassage 1Dating with My Mother (Part One)Script:After 22 years of marriage, I have discovered the secret to keep love alive in my relationship with my wife, Peggy. I started dating with another woman.It was Peggys idea. One day she said to me, “Life is too short, y
2、ou need to spend time with the people you love. You probably wont believe me, but I know you love her and I think that if the two of you spend more time together, it will make us closer.”The “other” woman my wife was encouraging me to date is my mother, a 72-year-old widow who has lived alone since
3、my father died 20 years ago. Right after his death, I moved 2,500 miles away to California and started my own life and career. When I moved back near my hometown six years ago, I promised myself that I would spend more time with mom. But with the demands of my job and three kids, I never got around
4、to seeing her much beyond family get-togethers and holidays.Mom was surprised and suspicious when I called and suggested the two of us go out to dinner and a movie. “Whats wrong?” she asked. “I thought it would be nice to spend some time with you,” I said. “Just the two of us.”“I would like that a l
5、ot,” she said.When I pulled into her driveway, she was waiting by the door with her coat on. Her hair was curled, and she was smiling. “I told my lady friends I was going out with my son, and they were all impressed. They cant wait to hear about our evening,” Mother said.Exercise 1Listen to the reco
6、rding and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.1. What would make the speaker closer to his wife, Peggy?a. Never dating another woman.b. Asking his mother to live with his family.c. Seeing more of his mother.d. Taking his wife and children to a dinner and a movie.2. What do you know ab
7、out the speakers mother?a. She has lived a lonely life for many years.b. She has got three children.c. She does not get on well with her daughter-in-law. d. She often goes out with her lady friends.3. Which of the following adjectives best describes Peggy?a. Understandable. b. Caring. c. Sympathetic
8、. d. Friendly.Exercise 2Listen again and complete the answers to the following questions.1. What was Peggys idea? What did she say to her husband?She suggested that her husband spend more time with his mother. She said to her husband, “Life is too short, you need to spend time with the people you lo
9、ve. You probably wont believe me, but I know you love her and I think that if the two of you spend more time together, it will make us closer.”2. How do you know that the mother was excited about the date with her son?1) When the speaker drove into his mothers driveway, she was waiting by the door w
10、ith her coat on and she had her hair curled.2) She had told her lady friends about this.Passage 2Dating with My Mother (Part Two)Script:We didnt go anywhere fancy, just a neighborhood place where we could talk. Since her eyes now see only large shapes and shadows, I had to read the menu for both of
11、us. “I used to be the reader when you were little,” she said.“Then it is time for you to relax and let me return the favor,” I said.We had a nice talk over dinner, just catching up on each others lives. We talked for so long that we missed the movie. “Ill go out with you again,” my mother said as I
12、dropped her off, “but only if you let me buy dinner next time.” I agreed.“How was your date?” my wife asked when I got home that evening.“Nice nicer than I thought it would be,” I said. Mom and I get out for dinner a couple of times a month. Sometimes we take in a movie, but mostly we talk. I tell h
13、er about my trails at work and brag about the kids and Peggy. Mom fills me in on family gossip and tells me about her past. Now I know what it was like for her to work in a factory during the Second World War. I know how she met my father there, and know how they went through the difficult times. I
14、cant get enough of these stories. They are important to me, a part of my history. We also talk about the future. Because of health problems, my mother worries about the days ahead.Spending time with my mom has taught me the importance of slowing down. Peggy was right. Dating another woman has helped
15、 my marriage.Exercise 1Listen to the recording and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.1. What does the story mainly tell us?a. Learning about ones family history is more important than work.b. One should spend time catching up on missing links in ones family history. c. Spending time
16、 with ones aged mother is a rewarding experience.d. Life will be more meaningful if you can balance work and family. 2. Which of the following is true?a. The speaker finds his dates with his mother as rewarding as he had expected. b. The speaker cares little about his family history.c. The speaker k
17、nows nothing about his parents past.d. The speaker is proud of his wife and children.3. What can you learn from the story?a. The speakers marriage is in crisis.b. The speaker must be a workaholic.c. The speakers mother wont have to worry about her future any more.d. The speakers family life becomes
18、happier after his regular outings with his mother.Exercise 2Listen to the recording once again. Then complete the answers to the following questions.1. What did the speaker do when he had the first date with his mother?He took his mother out to dinner in a neighborhood place.2. What did the speaker
19、think of the date with his mother?He thought it was nicer than he expected.3. How often do the speaker and his mother meet every month?A couple of times.4. What does the speaker think of spending time with his mother?He thinks that 1) spending time with his mother has taught him the importance of sl
20、owing down; 2) dating with his mother has helped his marriage.Part CTest Your ListeningShort ConversationsListen to five short conversations between two speakers and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.1. a. Parents should deal with teenage drinking seriously.b. Parents shouldnt allow
21、 their children too much freedom.c. Children should be aware of the consequences of too much drinking.d. Children should not drink too much.2. a. The value of money.b. How to budget their expenses wisely.c. Monthly allowances for children.d. A good way to spend money.3. a. Happy. b. Worried.c. Unhap
22、py. d. Proud.4. a. Her fathers accident.b. Her fathers injuries after the accident.c. Her fathers poor health.d. Her fathers operation.5. a. Mothers decorate their houses with flowers to celebrate the occasion.b. Mothers wear pink carnations on that day.c. Children buy their mothers carnations of di
23、fferent colors.d. Children send their mothers flowers and cards. Script:1. W: You know, many American parents are now wondering why they cant keep their teenage children from drinking.M: I know. To my mind, its the permissive attitude of the parents that is to blame.Q: What can you learn from the ma
24、ns response?2. M: Dont you think its good to give our children a monthly allowance?W: I think so. It can teach them the value of money. With a monthly allowance they can learn to budget their expenses wisely.Q: What are they talking about?3. M: Mom, Ive got a part-time job at a supermarket. Three ho
25、urs a day weekdays and all day Saturday.W: Congratulations, Tom. But are you sure you can handle it? What about your homework and your piano lessons?Q: How does the mother feel about Toms part-time job at the supermarket?4. M: Hey, Mary, you look so upset. What happened?W: My father had an accident
26、the other day. He is now in hospital and will have an operation tomorrow. You see, his heart is rather weak. I really dont know whether he can survive it.Q: Whats the woman worried about?5. W: Mothers Day is coming soon. Could you tell me what sons and daughters do in your country on that day?M: Wel
27、l, they send their mothers flowers and cards to celebrate the occasion. Besides, it is a common practice for them to wear pink carnations on that day.Q: Which of the following is true of the customs of Mothers Day in the mans country?Unit 2 CoincidencePart BListening TasksPassage 1What a Coincidence
28、! (Part One)Script:Andrew had always wanted to be a doctor. But the tuition for a medical school in 1984 was 15,000 dollars a year, which was more than his family could afford. To help him realize his dream, his father, Mr. Stewart, a real estate agent, began searching the house-for-sale ads in news
29、papers in order to find extra business. One advertisement that he noted down was for the sale of a house in a nearby town. Mr. Stewart called the owner, trying to persuade him to let him be his agent. Somehow he succeeded and the owner promised that he would come to him if he failed to get a good de
30、al with his present agent. Then they made an appointment to meet and discuss the thing.As good things are never easy to acquire, the time for the appointment had to be changed almost ten times. On the day when they were supposed to meet at 3 oclock in the afternoon, Mr. Stewart received another call
31、 from the owner. His heart sank as he feared there would be another change of time. And so it was. The owner told him that he couldnt make it at three but if he would come right then, they could talk it over. Mr. Stewart was overjoyed. Leaving everything aside, he immediately set out to drive to the
32、 house.As he approached the area, he had a strange feeling of having been there before. The streets, the trees, the neighborhood, all looked familiar to him. And when he finally reached the house, something clicked in his mind. It used to be the house of his father-in-law! The old man had died fifte
33、en years ago but when he was alive, he had often visited him with his wife and children. He remembered that, like his son Andrew, his father-in-law had also wanted to study medicine and, failing to do so, had always hoped that one of his two daughters or his grandchildren could someday become a doct
34、or.Exercise 1Listen to the story and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.1. Who are the two main characters in the story you have just heard?a. Mr. Stewart and his son.b. Mr. Stewart and his client.c. Mr. Stewart and his father-in-law.d. Mr. Stewarts father-in-law and the owner of the
35、 house.2. How did Mr. Stewart get to know the owner of the house?a. From a house-for-sale advertisement in a newspaper put up by the owner.b. Through the introduction of Mr. Stewarts father-in-law.c. They attended the same medical school.d. They lived in the same neighborhood.3. What problem did Mr.
36、 Stewart have?a. He had no house to live in.b. He had lost his job.c. He was disappointed with his son.d. He did not have enough funds for his sons college education.4. What is the coincidence in the story you have just heard?a. His clients house was the one that once belonged to a friend of his.b.
37、His clients house was the one his family once lived in.c. His clients house was the one his father-in-law once lived in.d. His clients house was the one he once wanted to buy.Exercise 2Listen to the story again and fill in the blanks with the missing information.The story happened in 1984. Mr. Stewa
38、rt, a real estate agent, had a son whose name was Andrew. The young man wanted to go to a medical school. But the tuition was so high that his father couldnt afford it. In order to help his son realize his dream, Mr. Stewart searched newspaper ads, hoping to find extra business. One advertisement ca
39、ught his eye. It was for the sale of a house near where he lived. But although he succeeded in persuading the owner of the house to let him be his agent, the appointment time was changed again and again. At last, he received a phone call from the owner, asking him to go and discuss the matter with h
40、im right away. Mr. Stewart put aside everything he was doing and left immediately for the house. When he approached the area, he found everything there looked familiar to him. And when he saw the house, he realized it was his father-in-laws old house. He had visited it many times years ago when his
41、father-in-law was still alive. What a coincidence!Passage 2What a Coincidence! (Part Two)Script:When he entered the house, Mr. Stewart was even more amazed to find that the house was decorated exactly as he had remembered it. He told the owner about this and the latter became intrigued too. However,
42、 they were in for even greater surprises. It so happened that in the middle of their discussion, a postman came to deliver a letter. And the letter was addressed to Mr. Stewarts father-in-law! Were it not for Mr. Stewarts presence there and then, the letter would be returned as no person of that nam
43、e lived in the house any longer. As the postman demanded a signature on the receipt slip, Mr. Stewart signed for his long-deceased father-in-law. Mystified, the owner urged Mr. Stewart to open the letter and see what it contained. The letter was from a bank. When he opened it, two words immediately
44、met his eye “For education”. It was a bank statement of an amount his father-in-law had put in years ago for his grandchildrens education needs. With the interest it had earned over the years, the standing value of the amount came to a little over $15,000, just enough money to cover the tuition of A
45、ndrews first year at a medical college!Another thing that is worth mentioning is about the postman. The original postman, who had worked in this neighborhood, called in sick that day. So the postman, who was new to the area, came to deliver mail in his place. Had it been the old postman, the letter
46、would undoubtedly have been returned to the sender, as he knew full well that no person bearing that name lived in that house any longer.The miracle was a blessing for Andrew. With the money given to him by his grandfather he was able to study medicine. Now he is a doctor in Illinois.Exercise 1Liste
47、n to the recording and write down the coincidences mentioned in the text.1. The house was decorated exactly the same as Mr. Stewart remembered it.2. Mr. Stewart happened to be in the house when a postman came to deliver a letter to his father-in-law who had died 15 years ago.3. The old postman had c
48、alled in sick that day, and the postman who came in his place was not familiar with the neighborhood. Otherwise the letter would have been returned to its sender.Exercise 2Listen to the recording again and write down answers to the following questions.1. How did the owner feel about the fact that Mr
49、. Stewarts father-in-law once lived in the house?He was intrigued.2. What was inside the letter delivered by the postman?A bank statement.3. What did Mr. Stewart learn from the letter?His father-in-law had put an amount of money in the bank for his grandchildrens education.4. What was the standing value of the amount of money fifteen years later?A little over $15,000.5. What could Andrew do with the money?He could use the money to cover the tuition of his first year at a medical college.6. What do you know about A
