流利说 Level6 全文

Level 6

Unit 1

1/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Harry’s Injury 1-2

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Lovers’ Quarrel

Reading

Lesson 4 The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Lesson 5 Survival in the Outback

2/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Talking about Verbs

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Changes in Life

Reading

Winter in Antarctica: Staying Sane at the Bottom of the World

Chernobyl: Lessons from Nature

3/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Depression & Treatment 1-2

Dialogue

Lesson 2 New Policy of a Company

Reading

Preventing Injuries

Blood Pressure and Stroke

4/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Buying a House 1-2

Dialogue

Lesson 3 AI Girlfriend

Reading

Mysteries of Mona Lisa

A Story of Friendship and Love

Unit 2

1/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Planning for Retirement 1-2

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Vacation Plans

Reading

Is Online Dating Killing Love

Sport injuries

2/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Talking about Modals 1-2

Dialogue

Lesson 3 A Fight between Lovers

Reading

The Love Lab

The Lost City of the Incas

3/4

Listening

Lesson 1 The murder of Caesar

Lesson 2 JFK Assassination

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Taking Core of the Elderly

Reading

The Assassination of Caesar

Unban Elderly in India

4/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Aging Population

Lesson 2 Dependency Ratio

Dialogue

Lesson 3 John’s Resignation

Reading

Trends in Global Life Expectancy

Virtual Heaven

Unit 3

1/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Cyber Theft 1-2

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Presentation & Feedback

Reading

Depletion of Fossil Fuels

The Meaning of Catching 22

2/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Infectious Diseases 1-2

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Raising Kids

Reading

Hedy Lamarr: A Hollywood Star and Mother of Wi-Fi

The Challenge of AI

3/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Prison Experiment 1-2

Dialogue

Lesson 3 A Test of Characters

Reading

What Happened to Character?

Digital Intelligence

4/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Rent or Buy

Dialogue

Lesson 3 A Job Interview

Reading

Technology to Make Our Lives Better

Investors Beware!

 

Level 6

Unit 1

1/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Harry’s Injury 1-2

 

Harry Beecham works for a high-tech German company, based in Munich.

Last month he was in an automobile accident.

He was on his way to attend an important meeting in New York City.

He had just arrived on a flight from London and was taking a taxi into the city.

 

The purpose of his trip was to attend a meeting.

 

The weather was terrible and the road was icy.

He was in a hurry so he asked the taxi driver to get him into the city as soon as possible.

The taxi driver agreed and sped up. But just as they left the airport, the car went out of control.

It spun around and skidded into the path of an oncoming truck.

Fortunately, the truck wasn’t going too fast, so nobody was killed.

But the taxi was severely damaged and both passengers were injured.

 

The accident wouldn’t have happened had the weather been better.

Had the weather been better the accident wouldn’t have happened

If the weather hadn’t been bad, the accident probably wouldn’t have happened.

 

The taxi driver survived with only a few injuries because he was wearing a seatbelt.

The taxi’s airbag had also deployed, absorbing much of the impact.

However, Harry, who is in the back seat, hadn’t put on his seatbelt.

As a result, he was severely injured and had to be rush to a hospital.

 

Had he put on his seatbelt, he might not have been injured so badly.

 

Now a month later Harry still can’t remember much of what happened.

When he first woke up in the hospital it was several hours after the accident and he was sure where he was.

The bad news was that he couldn’t move his legs.

This was because his back had been broken in the accident.

The doctors later told him that he might never regain the use of his legs.

Some of the nerves in his spine and legs had been damaged but everything else was OK.

 

He couldn’t move his legs because his back had been broken in the accident.

 

Now Harry is trying to figure out what to do.

If he works hard and exercises every day there is still a chance that his legs will recover on their own.

There are also some new treatments that might help his nerves regenerate.

Still he should be prepared for the long recovery and the possibility that he might never walk again.

Without the use of his legs he wouldn’t be able to continue working in the same way.

It wouldn’t be possible to travel so he would have to find another way to attend meetings.

Either that or he would have to look for another way to make a living.

 

If he regains the use of his legs, he’ll be able to continue working in the same way.

 

Harry has good disability insurance so money won’t be a problem for a while.

But sooner or later he wants to be able to earn a living again.

Of course he isn’t planning to give up on his legs.

If he works hard he might still be able to regain their use and learn to walk again.

Some of his nerves had been damaged but there is a chance that they will heal.

The new drugs being developed might make it possible for the nerves to grow back.

Still he has to face the possibility that nothing will work.

 

If he wants to regain the use of his legs he’ll have to work hard.

 

However happens Harry is determined to think positively.

Even if he can’t walk he can still attend meetings all over the world.

With new technology he would be anywhere and there is much of that he could still do.

Luckily he still has the use of his arms and hands and his brain is still functioning.

With the right attitude he can find a way forward.

There is no reason for despair or feeling sorry for oneself.

That kind of thinking won’t solve anything.

He just hope that his company or another company will give him the chance to prove himself.

He can still be a valuable asset for them, come with me.

 

He has a positive attitude toward life and is determined to prove himself.

 

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Lovers’ Quarrel

 

W: Hey, what do you think? Do you like it?

M: No, it’s too short. You can’t wear that to the office. If you do, nobody will be able to concentrate.

W: What about this one?

M: That’s the right length, but I hate the color. I hate pink.

W: OK, I’ll see if they have it another color, but it isn’t cheap.

M: It’s OK if you don’t buy anything else for a while.

W: Sure, this will last for a while.

 

M: Well, I’m glad you like your dress. It looks great on you.

W: You should get some new clothes too. You never buy anything for yourself.

M: I have an expensive girlfriend now, so I can’t afford it. And besides I don’t the time to go shopping.

 

W: What are you doing? Are you staring at that woman?

M: What? No, of course not.

W: Yes, you were. You were staring at her. How do you think it makes me feel?

M: I was just looking in that direction.

W: No, you were staring at her for several seconds.

M: I’m sorry but I couldn’t help it.

 

W: I’ve told you many time to stop that.

And if you are going to stare, you shouldn’t do it like that, so obvious and rude.

M: OK. What’s the best way to stare?

W: don’t stare for 4 or 5 seconds. Just take a quick looks, 2 seconds long. Then it isn’t so obvious.

M: Sorry, My eyes just went there. I’m program like that.

W: That’s no excuse.

 

W: And don’t ever tell me you don’t like pink again. She is wearing pink.

Why is it that pink is so bad on me when you can’t help staring at someone who is wearing pink?

M: I didn’t notice that she is wearing pink.

W: Ah, so the clothes don’t matter. She is more attractive than I am. Why don’t you go sit with her?

M: Hey, come on, let’s not get into a fight.

W: I thought you were getting better. But you never change. You just had to ruin the evening.

M: Hey, come on, I’m sorry.

W: No, don’t say anything, I don’t want to hear it.

 

In this exchange, we see a lovers’ quarrel.

He can’t afford to buy new clothes for himself because he spends a lot on his girlfriend.

 

Reading

Lesson 4 The Boy Who Cried Wolf

 

Once upon a time there was a mischievous young boy who was given the task of tending a herd of sheep on a hillside near a village. The boy grew tired and board while watching the sheep, so he found ways to amuse himself, such as climbing trees or chasing sheep. One day he came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea. He climbed to the top of a tree and shouted toward the village: “Wolf! Wolf! Help me please!”

 

When the villagers heard his cries for help, they rushed up the hill to rescue him and chase the wolf away. Of course, when they got there, there was no wolf to be seen, and the boy, who was still in the tree, was laughing. The sheep were grazing peacefully. Annoyed, the villagers returned to the village and back to their normal activities.

 

A few days later, the boy grew bored again and played the same trick on the villagers. This time the villagers were furious at the boy. That night he was punished by his mother for his bad behavior.

 

For a while after that, life went on as normal and the boy behaved. He didn’t want to be punished again. Then, one afternoon while he was tending the sheep, he noticed that she sheep were bleating and nervous. He didn’t know what was causing their strange behavior, so he climbed a tree to see if he could determine what was going on. What he saw from the tree was a frightening sight, a big, hairy wolf chasing after the sheep. Terrified, he screamed for help: “Wolf, Wolf! There’s a wolf chasing the sheep!”

 

This time, when the villagers heard his cries for help, they were convinced that it was another one of his pranks. Nobody believed that there was really a wolf, so they ignored his frantic calls for help. The wolf, having nothing to fear, feasted on several of the sheep and then slipped back into the forest.

 

The villagers were annoyed when the boy fooled them the first time.

He learned that lying to others can have serious consequences.

 

Lesson 5 Survival in the Outback

 

What would you do if you ever found yourself lost in the wild? To find out, you can join a weekend survival course in Australia’s Outback Desert. This vast area is famous for its harsh desert climate.

 

To survive, your first task will be to find water, a rare commodity in the desert. Animals such as ants and seed-eating birds are strong indicators of water. You can also cut and suck moisture from the roots and leaves of plants. Trees like the desert oak have roots near the surface. But be careful. The branches of gum trees are a rich source of water, but the leaves are poisonous, so don’t eat them.

 

The best place to build a shelter is in an area with a least around of sunlight, like between sand dunes or in a trench. To make a trench, dig a hole big enough to lie down in and use the extra sand to create a barrier or wall on each side. This can help to shield you from the glare and scorching heat of the sun.

 

Nights can be cold, so knowing how to make a fire is essential. One way to build a fire is to use the hand drill method.        

 

This is one of the oldest and simplest ways to start a fire. It involves rolling a stick between your hands while pressing it onto a notched piece of wood with dry tinder below. The idea is to use friction to create enough heat to ignite the tinder. This can be a lot of work.

 

As for food, you’ll have to be open-minded. Some forms of life can be ugly to look at but can provide you with enough protein to survive. They may even taste good, like scrambled eggs!

 

If you are lost in the desert, your first task will be to find water.

2/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Talking about Verbs

 

Now that you studying English at a high level, you need to be able to talk about the language itself.

One of the biggest areas of confusion for students is the difference between the past tense and the present perfect.

The past tense is indicated by use of past tense marker, represented here by V sub d.

Here are some examples of regular verbs and their past tense forms.

So, as you can see, for regular verbs, the past tense form is indicated by addition of an “ed” at the end of the verb.

However, some of the most common verbs in English are irregular, so it’s important to learn them.

Here are some examples.

Altogether, there are over 200 regular verbs in normal use.

 

Many people think that the past tense form only indicates past time.

However, that is only one of the possible meanings.

The past tense form is also used to express something that is unlikely or imaginary, from the speaker’s point of view.

Here is an example: “He wishes he had a car.”

The fact is that he doesn’t have a car, so the use of “had” indicates that it isn’t real, it’s imaginary.

If he had a car, he could drive us to school.

Again, he doesn’t have a car, so he can’t drive us to school.

This condition expresses something that isn’t a fact.

It’s a counter-factual condition, which means it goes against where we know or believe.

 

Look at these two sentences.

If she waits another week, she can save money…

If she waited for another week, she could save money because there’s going to be a sale.

Both sentences are correct, but there’s difference in meaning.

In the top sentence the condition that she waits is more likely from the speaker’s point of view.

In the bottom sentence the speaker thinks it’s less likely that she is going to wait.

 

If that flight left a few minutes later, we could take the next shuttle bus.

If that flight leaves on time, we are going to miss it, so let’s run.

If that flight leaves on time, the next shuttle bus may not get us to the airport on time.

If that flight left an hour later, we wouldn’t have to get to the airport so early tomorrow morning.

He wishes he had a car, but he doesn’t have enough money to buy one.

There was a big sale last week, so we all went shopping.

I wish we didn’t have to run, but if we don’t hurry, we’ll miss the next bus.

There’s going to be a sale next week, so I hope she doesn’t go shopping tomorrow.

 

When we talk about experience or results, we use past perfect form.

This form uses “have” followed by the participle.

For regular verbs, these participle are identical to the past tense form.

For irregular verbs, these participle are often different.

When we use the perfect form, the primary focus on the subject of the sentence, not the verb.

It emphasizes condition, experience or result, rather than actions or events.

In these two examples we see the contrast.

 

She has already left hotel.

She left the hotel a few minutes ago.

 

The top sentence gives the condition or state of the subject, and the bottom sentence expresses an event.

The top sentence describes the condition of the subject of the sentence “she” rather than the event.

The fact that she has left the hotel is now part of her experience or state of being.

The bottom sentence expresses the action or event, she left, which is something she did.

In general, the past tense form expresses events or acts, and the perfect form expresses experience or conditions.

When we use the perfect form of the verb, we focus on the state of the subject, and not an action or event.

 

He enjoyed his studies and graduated a few months ago. Now that he had graduated, he’s ready to get a job.

 

Note that the past form expresses the events that are specific points or periods of time, such as the last year or past five years.

He worked at several companies. (in the past)

He finished the project last week. (in the past, last week)

These events are distance from the speaker’s point of view.

The perfect form expresses something from the speaker’s point of view, not distance in time.

He has worked at several companies. (his experience now)

He has finished the project. (his experience now)

These two sentences are incorrect and confusing because they give two different points of view.

He has worked at the company until last week. (incorrect)

He has finished the project last week. (incorrect and confusing)

 

Here are some sentences that use the perfect form.

He has finished practicing.

He has been practicing.

She may have eaten.

Her computer may have been stolen.

Some are simple, such as the first one, and some are complex, like the last one.

The last one is complex because it combines many verb forms, including the passive.

 

He must have taken her computer with him.

He have practiced hard, so he should do well in the competition.

He took his computer with him because he wants to work at home.

He may have taken his computer with him, but I’m not sure if he did or not.

He may have been travelling when he got sick.

It might have been broken by the accident.

He may have been arrested by the police.

The fire might have been started by someone.

He may have been injure

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Changes in Life

What are you thinking about?

You look so pensive.

I was just thinking about how much things have changed since I was a child.

Oh, sometimes I think about that too.

What were your thoughts?

Nostalgic for sure.

Generally I remember the best times, and then I get a bit depressed when I think about how things have changed.

What kinds of changes depress you?

Well, one thing is the pace of life.

Everything is so fast paced now, so there isn't enough time to think.

That's because you've grown up.

You're not a child anymore, so you have responsibilities.

It's more than just having responsibilities.

My parents had to work, but they also had time for other things.

My dad used to go fishing on the weekends, and my mom used to work in her garden.

She loved to grow flowers and vegetables.

Yeah, that does sound nice.

Living in the city makes things like that really difficult.

Yes, living in the city is certainly part of the problem, right?

Well, that depends on you.

You make things sound as if you have no choices in life.

It's the choices you've made that put you where you are now.

Sure, that's certainly part of the problem.

I guess I've changed.

You want a lifestyle that you can't have in the city.

If you really wanted those things, you could move back to the countryside.

No that's not an option.

If I did that my wife would divorce me.

Have you ever talked about it with her?

No, I haven't.

We don't talk about things like that.

We are both too busy.

I think she's even busier than I am.

Well, maybe she would surprise you.

Maybe she'd like a change too.

You should talk to her.

Emm, I don't know.

What about you?

I'm okay.

My wife and I expect things as they are.

We try to think positively, and we support each other.

 

It sounds like you have a good marriage.

Yes, we do.

And one reason for that is that we share our thoughts with each other.

We don't want to grow apart like so many couples.

Maybe I'll surprise my wife, and start sharing my thoughts with her.

Well if you don't do it now, nothing is going to change.

Yes, you probably right.

I'll think about it.

 

Reading

Winter in Antarctica: Staying Sane at the Bottom of the World

On Antarctica, the world’s coldest continent, the average high temperature is -49 degrees Celsius. In the summer, the sun never sets, and in the winter, it never rises. Keeping sane there is its own special challenge.

The McMurdo Station is a research base perched on the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, the world’s largest body of floating ice. The station is administered by the United States and is the largest community in Antarctica. Capable of supporting more than 1200 residents, the population of the station drops to 150 brave (perhaps foolish) people when winter begins in March. Their task is to maintain the station during the months of total night. The biologists, astronomers, geologists, and climate scientists who were there before, have gone, as any research is impossible in the brutal winter.

Every day the remaining staff of maintenance personnel perform their routine tasks and make repairs when needed. Sometimes they peer through the darkness toward their friends from New Zealand, at Scott Base, about two miles away. Though most of the time they’re just voices on the radio, it’s so nice to have neighbors not too far away. Together, they share a power grid and one coast of a dark forbidding continent.

Though the days are dark and freezing cold in the depths of winter, the moon will rest above the horizon for weeks at a time. Its pale light illuminates the cold, craggy landscape as if acknowledging a companion and reaffirming the bonds of life. So even for those who live in the darkest part of the Earth, there’s light.

 

It’s about the importance of connection.

Something is routine if it’s normal and respected.

A power grid is needed to supply electricity.

The writer shares what it feels like to live and work in Antarctica.

Most of the researchers leave because it’s impossible to do research during the winter.

To acknowledge something means to recognize or admit its existence.

 

Chernobyl: Lessons from Nature

On April 26, 1986, Unit 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in northern Ukraine, then a part of the Soviet Union, was shut down for an unauthorized safety test. When the nuclear fuel rods hit the cooling water, the fission reaction accelerated out of control due to a sudden power surge. This caused the reactor to overheat and build up pressure until its structure failed and it blew up, releasing large amounts of radiation. It took officials a whole day to comprehend the scale of the disaster and to order an evacuation of the surrounding area. Some 50,000 people had to leave, not knowing that they would never return. In the following months, massive efforts were made to decontaminate the area while increased radiation levels were detected across much of Europe. Fallout from the disaster continues to this day, decades later, and long-term effects such as cancers are still being investigated. Estimates of the number of deaths that will eventually result from the accident vary enormously.

The forest area near the reactor site is one of the most radioactive places on Earth. Named the Red Forest because its trees turned a reddish-brown color as they died, the forest is trying to make a recovery. Animals such as elk and eagles have been seen in the area. And birch trees grow where the radioactive trees of the forest were bulldozed and buried by the Soviet government.

Some people have returned as well, mostly former residents who returned illegally after the evacuation. The old company town of Pripyat, once home to 50,000 plant workers is still deserted, but is slowly being reclaimed by the forest. It seems that nature can recover and even thrive where humans cannot. Let’s hope that humans can learn from this experience. Chernobyl, and more recently Fukushima in Japan, have lessons to teach us.

 

The purpose of this article is to educate.

It’s clearly that officials were completely unprepared for this accident.

We should never underestimate the danger of nuclear technologies.

The reactor exploded because too much pressure built up inside.

3/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Depression & Treatment 1-2

Jack is a psychiatrist, which means he treats people who have mental problems.

He has been treating patients for many years and has used a variety of treatments.

Sometimes he just listens and talks to patients and sometimes he uses medications.

These medications affect the brain in many different ways.

 

As a psychiatrist he treats people who have mental problems.

A psychiatrist is a doctor who treats people who have mental problems.

He has been a psychiatrist for many years.

 

Over the years Jack found that some patients improved with the treatment while the others didn’t improve at all.

In some cases a patient’s responds to a treatment was the opposite of what was expected.

Several years ago he had a young patient who showed him why these treatment didn’t work.

The patient’s name was Bob.

He was 20 years old when he first came to see Jack for help.

The reason he came was because he had attempted suicide.

 

He wouldn’t have come to see Jack if he hadn’t tried to kill himself.

 

Bob was extremely smart and was a student at one of the best universities in the world.

However, he was often extremely depressed.

Because of his depression he took drugs and drank a lot of alcohol.

It was an overdose of drugs and alcohol that nearly killed him.

His roommate called 911 when he discovered Bob unconscious in their dormitory room.

 

If his roommate hadn’t called 911 Bob would probably have died.

He took drugs and drank a lot because of his depression.

 

Once Bob recovered and was discharged from the hospital he took time off from school to get help.

That was when he came to the clinic where Jack practices his medicine.

At first Jack attempted to treat Bob with a tie depression medications.

He also used conversation and recommendations to help him rethink his life and memories.

After a few months Bob began to improve but only moderately.

Through he cooperated with the treatment he continued to think negatively.

He also continued to go through periods of depression.

As a result he wasn’t able to return to school.

 

He wasn’t able to return to school because his treatment wasn’t working.

Had the treatment been successful, he probably would have returned to school.

He was also going through periods of depression.

 

Because the treatment wasn’t working Jack tried something new.

He decided to use brain scans to look inside Bob’s brain.

Brain scans are a way to look inside the brain to see how it was functioning.

What the scans showed about Bob was crucial.

They showed that his brain was damaged in a way that nobody had anticipated.

There were significant damage to the front part of his brain.

An injury in this part of brain can contribute to depression and negative feeling.

It can also contribute to feelings of anger and rage.

The fact that his brain was injured and unbalanced explained why the treatment hadn’t work.

 

The brain scans showed why the medications and other treatments hadn’t worked.

They had failed because they didn’t address the brain injury.

After discuss the injury with Bob and his parents, they concluded that the cause of the injury was from playing soccer.

In fact Jack knew of quite a few soccer players who had suffered head injuries from playing that sport.

Heading a hard soccer ball many times can damage the brain.

 

If he hadn’t played soccer, his brain wouldn’t have been injured.

 

With this new information, Jack used a new medicine to treat the injury.

Gradually Bob improved and after a few months was close to full recovery.

He no longer had any signs of depression and was finally able to return to school.

Alternately Bob graduated from his university with honors and entered a famous law’s school.

 

From this experience Jack realized that the brain imaging had allowed him to save Bob’s life.

If he hadn’t been for the scans Bob would have ended up killing himself.

Detecting and treating the injury to the front of his brain was the key step in his treatment.

Jack now believed that brain scans can be an important tool for psychiatrists.

An injured brain must be healed before other treatments such as vitamins, drugs and counseling, can work.

 

Dialogue

Lesson 2 New Policy of a Company

W: We’ve got big problems on our hands. We are getting a lot of complaints.

M: About the proposed new policy?

W: Yes, people think it’s an invasion of privacy.

M: Don’t they agree that regular exercise and staying in shape is good for everyone?

W: Sure, they agree.

But they don’t think we have the right to use an app to track how much they exercise.

M: Using the app is the only way to make sure our employees get enough exercises.

 

W: This new policy will reduce our health cause and improve productivity, which helps everyone!

M: That’s not how they see it. This kind of regulation makes people feel like robots.

They have no freedom anymore.

Requiring everyone to wear a smart device like this on the wrist means they have no privacy.

W: Well, if you put it that way, I can see the problem.

 

M: However, I don’t see any other way to change people’s habits. This is just a friendly reminder.

W: It’s more than a reminder.

It makes things public and puts press on people to meet the requirements.

It will force people to work out even when they don’t want to. There won’t be any choices.

M: No, it doesn’t have to be that way. We can still be flexible.

W: That’s not the point. People hate the idea that the company knows everything they do.

It’s bad enough that they have to communicate with each other at night and on weekends.

 

M: What if we make the use of the app an option?

W: If you do that, it still puts press on people to use it. I think it’s best that we get rid of this idea.

I’m all for standards, but what about freedom and creativity?

If we go ahead with this policy, I think we will lose some of our best people.

 

W: There are other ways to deal with health issues.

M: Such as? What’s your suggestion?

W: Give extra holidays to people who take fewer sick days.

M: No, that wouldn’t work.

It will put press on people to come to work sick and get everyone else sick too.

If someone is sick, I’d rather that they stay at home.

 

W: Then there’s a radical idea. Why not let your department managers handle it?

They are the ones who decide on promotions and bonus.

Setting everything in stone in a form of policies can be very dangerous.

M: OK, I’ll consider it. For now, I’ll give up the idea of using this app.

Please let people know that we are listening to them. We do care about our employees.

W: I will. I’m sure people will appreciate it. It shows that you have faith in them.

M: Thanks, I appreciate your advice. 

 

They think it gives the company too much control over their lives.

They don’t want the company to know so much about their lives.

Even if it were an option, it would still put press on people to use it.

He would rather have sick people stay at home than come to work.

People would be able to see how well they are doing in comparison with others.

The policy is still being considered and hasn’t been put into effect yet.

Creative people often value their freedom more than other and won’t like the new policy.

Reading

Preventing Injuries

Exercise and a certain amount of strenuous physical activity are important for maintaining good health. However, before engaging in them, it’s important to know how to prevent injuries from occurring, especially for athletes and elderly people. Injuries can be minimized by doing a proper warm up. This consists of increasing your heart rate and the blood flow to all parts of your body. A good way to do this is through a series of static stretches followed by a series of dynamic stretches, which are done while moving. Using the proper equipment is essential, especially in contact sports. To protect the head, for example, well-designed helmets can greatly reduce the incidence of concussions. Concussions are caused when the soft, jello-like brain slams into the hard human skull. Research shows that repeated concussions can have serious consequences.

Compression sportswear is another way to reduce the risk of injury, especially muscle injuries. More and more athletes are using them because their use can also speed up muscle recovery when an injury occurs. Another contributing factor in sports injuries is fatigue. Doctors believe that fatigue is an important warning sign that the body has reached its limit. When fatigued it is more difficult for the body to protect itself. Therefore it’s a good idea to stop an activity at the first sign of fatigue. Rest periods, even for professional athletes, can prevent serious injuries from occurring.

Understanding injuries and the body’s reaction to them can help people cope with problems that accompany physical exercises. The support and understanding of coaches, teammates and family can be a critical factor in prevention and recovery. Once and injury occurs, it’s too late to prevent it, and recovery can take a long time. For the elderly, a simple fall can be fatal.

 

A fatal accident or injury is one that causes death.

It’s important to know how to prevent injuries from occurring.

 

Blood Pressure and Stroke

A large international study has found that ten risk factors account for 90 percent of all the risk of stroke. Of that list, five risk factors usually related to lifestyle are responsible for a full 80 percent of stroke risk. According to the researchers these risk factors – high blood pressure, smoking, abdominal obesity, diet and physical activity – are modifiable and can be controlled.

The findings come from a study of 3,000 people who had had strokes and an equal number of healthy individuals with no history of stroke. The study also includes a brain scan of all participating stroke survivors, according to the researchers. Across the board, high blood pressure was the most important factor, accounting for one-third of all stroke risk. Blood pressure, it was noted, plays a major role in both forms of stroke ischemic, the most common form (caused by blockage of a brain blood vessel), and hemorrhagic or bleeding stroke, in which a blood vessel in the brain bursts.

Blood pressure is easily measured, and there are lots of treatments. Lifestyle modifications to control it include increasing physical activity and reducing salt intake. The other lifestyle risk factors are modifiable as well. High intake of fish and fruits, for example, is associated with a lower risk of stroke.

Many of the same risk factors have been reported in other studies, but this is the first stoke risk study to include both low- and middle-income participants in developing countries. The study confirms that high blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke in both developing can developed countries. This highlights the need for health authorities in those countries to develop strategies to reduce high blood pressure, salt intake and other risk factors.

 

According to this article, lifestyle factors are responsible for most strokes.

The other lifestyle risk factors are modifiable as well.

Blood pressure is easily measured, and there are lots of treatments.

The most common form of stroke is caused by blockage of a blood vessel.

High blood pressure accounts for a one-third of all stroke risk.

The study confirms that high blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke.

4/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Buying a House 1-2

John and Linda are worry about their future.

They both have good jobs, but they are concerned about economy.

Of the two of them, Linda is the most worried.

She wants the security of owning her own home.

Her husband disagrees.

As a result they often fight about money.

They live in a nice apartment but the rent goes up every year.

So now they are trying to decide whether or not to buy a house.

 

Linda wants to buy a house but John is against the idea.

He thinks the prices are too high, and he doesn’t want to be trapped.

If they owned a house or flat, it would be more difficult to move somewhere else if things changed.

For example what would happen if he lost his job?

If he lost his job, they might want to move to another city or country.

If they owned a home or flat, it would be more difficult to move.

If they decided to move, they would probably have to sale.

If prices had risen they would be OK.

In fact they might even make a profit.

However if price were down when they had to sell, they would lose money.

 

Owning a home could make it more difficult to move to another location.

 

Last week John got some bad news.

His company is downsizing and moving its head office to another city.

It’s moving because it can no longer afford to do business where they are now.

Expenses are too high, especially salaries, so it’s more difficult to compete with other companies.

In fact, several other companies would be moving out too.

Office base is expensive in the area, along with the cost of living for employees.

As a result, it’s becoming more difficult to hire good employees.

Nobody wants to live there unless their salary can support a good standard of living.

 

With all of these changes, John thinks there’s a good chance that he would be transferred to the new head office. This could happen fairly soon.

If so, it would be foolish to buy a house at this time.

Linda still disagrees about buying a house but she’s willing to wait a year to see what happens.

She hopes that they won’t have to move but they may have to unless John is willing to change companies.

She would prefer not to move because she doesn’t want to lose her job.

 

Now they have to consider what they’ll do if he’s transferred.

John has to decide whether or not he should begin to look for a new company.

If he could find another job in the area, it would put less stress on his wife.

If they stay and can wait for a while maybe housing prices would begin to come down.

If prices don’t come down, then he and his wife will continue to disagree about buying a house.

Sooner or later they are going to have to make a decision and stop fighting about it.

 

It’s downsizing and relocating its head office to a less expensive area.

If he’s transferred, he’ll have to decide whether or not to stay with the company.

She is willing to postpone the decision until they know where John is going to work.

She hopes that they won’t have to move, but they may have to unless John is willing to change companies.

 

Dialogue

Lesson 3 AI Girlfriend

M1: Are you having any luck finding a new girlfriend?

M2: No, I’m not. I haven’t found anyone I like. So far they are all after my money and fancy life style.

What is happen to real love?

M1: I don’t know. The same thought has occurred to me lately. I’m afraid I become a bit of a cynic.

 

M2: I was just reading about some new robots called AIs. They have artificial intelligent, or AI.

M1: Yes, AIs. I heard about it. And they’ve been in some movie too.

M2: Evidently, these new AIs can be very attractive companions. What do you think about that?

M1: You must be kidding. Relating to a smart robot? It sounds sick to me.

M2: I don’t know, maybe not. I wonder what would be like to have an AI girl-friend.

Maybe you could program to be like your dream woman.

 

M1: A dream woman, hah. Well, it’s an interesting idea, but hard to imagine in reality.

I guess it could be fun for a while, but then it would get boring, don’t you think?

M2: For sure, no real emotion. Everything would be mechanical and artificial, even the language.

There wouldn’t be a soul inside, just an empty machine.

M1: Well, not necessarily. That would depend on how intelligent it is.

There are some who say that AIs are going to be more intelligent than we are.

M2: Emm, I’ve heard that too. In fact, they may even be a threat to us, right?

 

M1: Anyway, if it were possible, would you want a woman you could control?

M2: A woman I could control? No, I can’t imagine it.

Most of the women I’ve been with have tried to control me.

M1: Well, that’s one of the differences between men and women. We see things differently.

M2: We never measure up to their standards, hah.

 

M1: However, if there’s real love, the bonds between two people can be very deep.

It may not happen very often, but I’ve seen it.

M2: Yes, that’s what I’m looking for. I hope it’s not just a dream.

M1: If that’s what you want, you are probably not going to find her in a bar.

 

M2: Maybe I’ll just let people know I’m looking for someone nice.

M1: Be sure they don’t tell her you’re rich. Maybe I can help you find someone.

M2: You have my permission. And just for fun, I’ll start checking out some of those smart robots.

It sounds crazy, but I’m curious.

M1: With all the lonely people out there, it may turn out to be a huge business.

 

He was reading about some new AIs that are designed to be attractive companions.

Reading

Mysteries of Mona Lisa

Without a doubt, one of the world’s most recognizable pieces of art is the Mona Lisa. Painted in the 16th Century by Leonardo da Vinci, it continues to attract crowds of people who are captivated by the mysterious woman in the portrait. Her enigmatic smile and penetrating gaze reach out through the ages as if she were alive today.

Critics and art lovers still argue about her identity. One theory is that the way she posed suggests that she was with child. Another theory argues that her hairless face – no brows or lashes – indicates that she was a prostitute. It seems that in 16th Century Italy women working in the world’s oldest profession has hairless faces in order to make themselves more sexually arousing. There is, however, evidence that at one time the woman in the portrait had thick eyebrows. Perhaps they were inadvertently erased when the painting was cleaned. Nobody knows for sure.

The painting itself has an interesting history. With the death of Leonardo, it went to his friend King Francois I, and then to Louis XV and the Palace of Versailles. It wasn’t until 300 years after its completion that it was recognized as a masterpiece. For a time, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte hung it in his bedroom. Eventually, it found a permanent home when it was added to the collection of the Louvre in Paris. In 1911 it was stolen by a museum employee and two accomplices. This theft made the painting famous all over the world. During World War II it was taken away and hidden from the Nazis, as were many important works of art.

Today the painting resides at Louvre, captivating a whole new generation. Whoever she was, the mysteries surrounding the Mona Lisa continue to engage our imaginations.

 

This article was written in a style to keep the mystery alive.

 

A Story of Friendship and Love

This is the story of a donkey named Jellybean and a goat named Mr. G. For ten years they lived together on a farm owned by a woman who loved animals but could barely care for herself. She had dozens of animals, but the living conditions for all of them were deplorable. Finally, an animal rescue organization came and took the animals away, relocating them to animal sanctuaries.

Throughout their years at the farm, Jellybean and Mr. G had been inseparable. Wherever the donkey was, the goat was never far away. For the same reason, they had bonded, and nobody suspected how strong the bond had become. When Jellybean was taken to local animal rescue center, Mr. G was moved to a center far away. When he arrived, he refused to eat. Not only did he refused to eat, but he refused to get up or move around. He spent his days lying in a corner of the barn, barely lifting his head. The staff at the center tried feeding him treats, including apples and sweets, but nothing worked.

As the days went by, he continued to weaken. The staff had to move him physically to ensure he didn’t spend too long lying down. Worried that he was ill, they gave him a series of health examinations, but none showed anything wrong. Finally, they realized that he was depressed and mourning the loss of his best friend.

With his condition getting worse, drastic measures were required. A volunteer at the center offered to make the 14-hour-round-trip journey to fetch Jellybean so the two could be reunited.

Once Jellybean arrived and the goat sensed his presence, he rose to his feet, breathed in deeply and rushed to his friend’s side. Shortly after that, he began to eat, moving the entire staff to tears. Such a beautiful reunion was inspiring – an amazing testimonial to the depth of nonhuman emotions.

Since the video of the reunion was posted on the Internet, it has been viewed by millions. And from now on, the two friends will remain together.

 

The animals were taken away because their living conditions were deplorable.

This story teaches us that humans have much in common with animals.

 

Unit 2

1/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Planning for Retirement 1-2

Walter wants to retire within the next few years.

He’s been working at the same company for over 15 years as an accountant.

During that time he’s been saving his money and paying off his debts.

However even with his savings and investments, he isn’t sure that he’ll have enough money for retirement.

If he doesn’t, he’ll have to keep on working, which depends on the company.

For now, the company is okay, but it’s no longer growing as fast as it used to.

 

Whether or not he can keep on working will also depend on his health.

Fortunately he’s in good health, but he knows that that could change at any time.

If he fell down or had a stroke, it could force him to stop working.

If that happened, he would have to rely on his savings and other assets to survive.

Sooner or later, he knows his health will decline and he’ll have to stop working. So he needs to prepare.

 

He’s been saving money and paying off debts to prepare for retirement.

 

Most of his wealth is in the form of company stock and the value of his home.

Both of this are at risk.

The company stock may go down and the value of his home may also fall.

The company he works for is a pharmaceutical company.

It develops new drugs, which is a risky business, and sells them worldwide.

It’s expensive to develop new drug and it can take a very long time to get new drug approved.

Without government approval, it can’t be sold, which can result in a huge loss.

 

Another threat to the company comes from foreign competition, which is getting strong.

The company has also started to move some of its research and production facilities overseas.

Salary levels are lower there, and the quality of foreign worker is getting better.

As a result, the company has reduced its local hiring and is no longer going large bonuses.

 

It has reduced its local hiring, because salaries levels are lower overseas.

 

One thing he is considering is to sell his shares in the company.

He could begin to sell a little at that time and reinvest the money somewhere else.

But where could he invest?

He doesn’t know much about investing and several of his friends have lost a lot by making bad investments.

Investing in real estate or the stock market could be very risky.

 

In the best case he would make a lot of money.

If that happed, he could finally retire and enjoy a comfortable life.

On the other hand, in the worst case, his investments could result in a huge loss.

If that happed, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his retirement.

He wouldn’t be able to travel or do any of the things he has dreamed about doing.

 

So, now he has to decide what he should do.

Should he begin to sell his stock in the company or should he wait until he actually needs the money.

If he sold now, he would have to decide what to do with the money.

His investments could turn out well, or, they could turn out to be a disaster.

On the other hand, if he decides to wait, everything will depend on the company.

The one in advance he has with this option is that he’s being on the inside of the company.

 

With his insider information, he can predict the company’s short-term future.

This is especially true, because as an accountant, he has access to the company’s financial data.

If things start to go badly, he can begin to sell his stock and avoid a big loss.

Otherwise, it’s probably safer to keep his stock and hope that the company does well, even if its growth rate declines.

So for now, that’s probably what he should do.

If you were he, what would you do? 

 

If his investment resulted in a huge loss, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his retirement.

In his role as an accountant, he has special access to the company’s financial data.

 

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Vacation Plans

W: So, where should we go on the vocation? What about Africa?

M: Africa? No, that’s not for me. Why do you want to go to Africa?

W: I’d like to get out and see the wild life, the drama of nature.

We could see some of the great migrations.

M: Wow, you are an adventurer. What about food and diseases? What about terrorism?

W: Sure, something bad could happen, but if we never take any risks,

we won’t have an interesting life.

I don’t want to have a boring life.

 

He’s concerned about food, diseases and terrorism.

She thinks it’s worth taking a few risks in order to have an interesting life.

 

M: So, you think I’m boring then, right?

W: Well, you are certainly not the exciting person. You play things save and secure.

M: I don’t mind taking a few risks, but it’s got to be worth it.

Watching animal’s migration is something I can see in the documentary.

And I don’t like the idea of being around predators, like lions and hyenas.

 

W: OK, my brave man. What would you like to do?

M: Well, I’ve been thinking about it.

I think it would be nice to go to Paris in the fall, and visit some museums.

We could go to a concern and maybe see boa.

W: Ah, we’ve been to Paris before.

There’s nothing excited about going to Paris and I’m tired of museums.

 

She thinks his suggestion isn’t very exciting.

 

W: Any other ideas?

M: One place that might be interesting is in South America, Machu Picchu.

It’s an abandon city way up in the mountain and Peru.

W: Yes, I’ve heard of it. That might be interesting.

M: Should we look into it?

W: Sure, you look into it, and I’ll get some information about trips to Africa.

 

M: So your heart is really set on Africa, isn’t it?

W: Yes, it really is. I need something exciting in my life now. I do is working be with you.

I need a change. Don’t you ever feel that way?

M: OK, I hear you. Let’s go to Africa. Ant don’t blame me if you get sick along the way.

W: Great, you are not so bad after all. I can only depend on you.

M: Be careful. Maybe one of these days I’ll surprise you.

 

He agrees to go to Africa with her because he sees how important it is to her.

Reading

Is Online Dating Killing Love

A fair maiden is guarded by a dragon. A handsome prince must stay the dragon to save her. Then, magically, they all in love and live happily ever after.

Traditional stories tend to emphasize the fantastic, magical side of love. Fate plays matchmaker. Strangers see each other from across a room and instantly know that they are destined to be together. It isn’t difficult to imagine two strangers coming together and falling in love despite their differences. It suggests that love is challenging, uncertain, and incomprehensible.

But with more people using online dating services, a very different kind of love has emerged: one that is scientific, convenient, and self-directed. It minimizes risk and provides a choice, like on a menu. There is anonymity and the avoidance of immediate rejection. Meeting terms are negotiated online.

Online dating also allows the setting of preconditions. Computer algorithms exclude undesirable traits such as the wrong hair color, race or age. But they also exclude randomness. They reduce the chances of meeting someone different, or someone who could challenge one’s romantic ideals. Instead, they find the partner we think we want and exclude everyone else. As a result, we could be missing the opportunity of lifetime, to meet someone we would never have expected to fall in love with.

Perhaps this new way represents a more efficient form of romance. Traditional ideas of love may be enchanting – but are they useful? Loneliness and boredom are less exciting than chance encounters, but they represent the more realistic side of love. All too often people have suffered through bad dates and humiliations. If they could just choose what they wanted, wouldn’t it save time and reduce suffering?

However, by choosing partners based one our preconceived ideas, we may be indulging in our illusions. Instead of letting ourselves grow with someone, love becomes more about looking for ourselves in the other. What if we don’t know ourselves as well as we think? Perhaps love isn’t about knowing what we want. Perhaps it’s about being open to unimagined possibilities.

 

Sport injuries

Sports injuries are injuries that happen to athletes participating in sporting events. In many cases, these types of injuries are due to overuse of a part of the body. For example, runner’s knee is a painful condition associated with running, while tennis elbow is a form of repetitive stress injury at the elbow. Other types of injuries, such as a broken bone, can be caused by hard contact with something.

Injuries are a common occurrence in professional sports, and most teams have a staff of trainers and close connections to the medical community. Controversy has arisen at times, when teams have made decisions that could threaten a player’s long-term health for short-term gain. 

Sports injuries can be classified as either traumatic or overuse injuries. Traumatic injuries account for most injuries in contact sports such as soccer, rugby, and American football. This is of course due to the dynamic and high collision nature of these games. These injuries range from bruises and muscle strains to fractures and head injuries.

A bruise is damage to small blood vessels which causes bleeding within the tissues. A muscle strain is a small tear of muscle fibers and a ligament sprain is a small tear of ligament tissue. The body’s response to these injuries is the same in the initial five-day period immediately following the incident – inflammation. Inflammation is characterized by pain, localized swelling, heat, redness and a loss of function. Inflammation is the first phase of healing, and typically lasts for around five days. However, too much of an inflammatory response can mean that the healing process will take longer, and a return to activity is delayed. Sports injury treatments are intended to minimize that inflammatory phase of an injury so that the overall healing process is accelerated.

 

The tone of this article is logical and informative.

To account for means the same as to be responsible for.

Collision means about the same thing as crash.

2/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Talking about Modals 1-2

Now that you start in English at a high level, let’s get a better understanding of modals.

By now, you should already have a good understanding of what they mean.

Here are the modals which are used to express degree of certainty.

Will, shall, may, can.

These modals are used for making predictions, judgements, and speculations.

They indicate how much the speaker knows about the likelihood of an event.

First, the modal will, expresses certainty, as in, if you heat water, it will boil.

Based on what has known, the speaker is certain it will happen.

The modal may expresses possibility, as in, it may rain this evening, but I’m not sure.

Based on what has known, the speaker asserts that the event is possible, rather that certain, or impossible.

The modal can expresses potential, or ability, as in, he can afford it, but he may decide not to buy.

 

Which modal predict something with certainty?

–will.

–“the modal will” shows that the speaker is making a prediction of certainty.

 

Which sentence express possibility but not certainty?

-he may be here a bit late.

-in this sentence, the speaker is expressing possibility.

 

“The modal shall” is a bit different from the others.

“Tina shall be there” means the speaker is determined that Tina will be there.

In other words, the speaker is determined to get her to come and will try to influence events to make it happen.

We would never say “it shall rain”.

Nobody can make it rain, so whether or not it rains is beyond anyone’s control.

If someone were to say that, it would seem as if they were claiming the power to control or influence nature.

Note that the question, shall I open the door, invites the person who is asked to make the decision.

Whether or not the door is opened depends on the person’s answer.

In contract, will I open the door, asks for a prediction rather than a decision.

 

Which sentence is an invitation?

-would you like to come to the party?

-This is an invitation to come to the party.

 

Which sentence is a prediction with certainty?

-we will overcome all obstacles!

- we will overcome all obstacles, is a prediction with certainty, … or stong belif.

 

She has something else planed for that evening, so she… -can’t come to the party.

 

Note that these modals can be weakened or removed from reality by the use of their past tense form.

Would, should, might, could.

“We would go if we had more money, but we don’t.”

This sentence expresses the speaker is certainty of going IF they had more money, which they don’t.

So the certain prediction exist, but is in an imaginary or unreal situation.

The modal “might” expresses less possibility than “may”, so “might go” is less likely than “may go”.

The modal “could” expresses less potential than “can”, and is often used in conditionals.

“If he could come” expresses less potential than “If he can come”.

The sentence ”if he could come, we would all be happier” expresses the feeling that, in fact, he can’t come.

 

They’ll finish working at 5:00, unless the boss gives them more work to do, which is likely, which is the best choice? -They might finish at 5:00.

-It’s unlikely they’ll finish at five, but it’s possible.

 

They’ll finish working at 5:00, unless the boss gives them more work to do, which is unlikely, which is the best choice?

-They should finish at 5:00.

- It isn’t certain, but there’s a good probability that they will finish at five.

 

They can’t leave on Friday if the weather is still bad. Which is the best choice?

-They might not be able to leave on Friday.

-We don’t know for sure, but there is still a possibility that they can leave on Friday.

 

Here is the second set of modals.

These modals expresses degree of logical force, or social expectation.

Must, had better, should, ought to.

Note that none of them has a past tense or weakened form.

The first one, must, indicates logical or social necessity.

It expresses a strongest logical or social force.

The modal should and ought to assert that something is probable or expected, but not necessary.

The modal had better expresses advisability.

In other works, if someone had batter do something, they should do it, or there may be negative consequences.

Therefore, had batter has the feeling of a threat, as in “you had better be there.”

This isn’t the same as you should do it, which means that you are expected to do it, but without an imply threat if you don’t.

 

One interesting rule is that no more than one modal can be used with any verb.

There are no exception to this rule.

Therefore it’s incorrect to say: “He will must be there”.

To avoid breaking this rule, there are other words that have the same meaning, but are not modals. In the case of “must”, for example, we use “have to”, as in “He will have to be there”.

Similarly, we cannot say ”He may can come”.

Instead, we say “He may be able to come”.

 

One last thing to know about modals.

They use the same form regardless of what the subject is.

If the grammatical subject is “I”, “it”, “we” or “they”, we use the same form, “will”.

We would never say “He wills be there”.

But with non-modal forms, such as "have to" we must change the form to match the subject.

“He has to be there“ and ”I have to be there“.

 

“What must we do?” has the same meaning as “what do we have to do?”

Tom must be taller than Sue because he’s taller than Ben and Ben is taller than Sue.

The expression “be able to” has the same meaning as “can”, but isn’t a modal.

 

Dialogue

Lesson 3 A Fight between Lovers

W1: What’s wrong? You look awful.

W2: My boyfriend and I have just had another fight. I think I’m going to break up with him.

W1: Hey, you’ve said that before. Calm down. Is that really what you want to do?

W2: Yeah, I think so. I don’t see any future in our relationship.

 

W1: Is there anyone else you’re interested in?

W2: No, but there are some guys on the internet who had sent me messages.

W1: What? You’ve been on line?

W2: Sure, just for fun. It’s nice to know that I can meet people if I want to.

W1: Does your boyfriend know about it?

W2: No, if he knew it, he would be furious. He can be very jealous and he has a violent temper.

 

W1: Anyway, what was your fight about?

W2: Oh, it’s just the way he talks to me.

He never shows any interest in what I’m doing or in what I’m feeling.

If I have a bad headache or anything, he says nothing.

W1: So who started the fight?

W2: He came over and wanted to kiss me and I turned away.

I told him I didn’t feel anything for him right then. So then he got angry and we both blew up.

 

W2: Now we are not talking to each other.

W1: Oh, is that all? That kind of thing is normal. Maybe you are overreacting.

W2: No, it’s just that I’m beginning to realize that I don’t feel anything for him anymore.

Our relationship is getting cold. I don’t feel appreciated.

 

W1: Well then, maybe you should break up for a while and start seeing other men.

But be careful. If I were you, I wouldn’t start seeing anybody else until I break up first.

W2: Why do you think so?

W1: If he sees that you are serious about breaking up, he may change.

W2: Maybe, but I doubt it.

W1: It could be that he feels the same way about you.

Maybe he’s lost interest. So it’s best to find out.

You need to have a serious conversation with him.

W2: Hmm, you’re right. Maybe it’s time to really find our.

 

Reading

The Love Lab

How we communicate with our romantic partners can have a strong impact on the quality of our relationships. Psychologists John and Julie Gottman run the “Love Lab”, where thousands of couples have been studies over the last 30 years. The purpose of their research is to determine the factors that lead to happy and unhappy relationships. From their data, they have concluded that contempt, criticism, defensiveness, and stonewalling are the most significant factors that can hurt a marriage or relationship.

Among these, contempt is the biggest predictor of divorce. People who feel contempt for their partner often convey disapproval without addressing the issue. They sometimes label their partner with insulting words such as “lazy” ”stupid” or “emotional”, which is particularly damaging.

Many couples try to address issues by criticizing their partner’s flaws or mistakes directly. Being too direct with criticism can hurt your partner’s self-esteem. Some people may react to criticism by becoming defensive and focused on winning the argument, rather than on improving themselves. Others may react to criticism by stonewalling, where they refuse to acknowledge and respond to their partner for a period of time. Unfortunately, fighting back or ignoring your partner can make it difficult to determine the root of your problems. If your partner feels that they aren’t valued, it may lead to increased dissatisfaction with the relationship.

The Gottmans maintain that being aware of these factors in communication is the first step to improving a relationship. It is important to acknowledge that all relationships have issues. The goal shouldn’t be to avoid these issues, but to learn to resolve them. In particular, we should avoid communicating in ways that hurt our partner’s self-esteem. It is better to discuss problems in a way that is less confrontational and can better help your partner sympathize with your perspective. For example, rather than saying “Why are you ignoring me? It’s rude!”, one should say “I feel hurt and undervalued when I don’t get a response from you.” By being conscious of how we communicate with our partner, we can begin to build a healthier relationship.

 

-The tone of this article is… –logical and insightful.

-What is the purpose of the passage? –It’s to advise readers on how to identify and improve problems in a relationship.

-Which sentence best summarizes the idea of the passage? –We can use their research findings to improve our relationship.

-Which sentence below would most likely lower somebody’s self-esteem? –You are too lazy around the house.

-What can make your partner feel that they aren’t valued? –Refusing to acknowledge and respond to them.

-What is the purpose of Gottmans’ research? –to identify characteristics of successful and unsuccessful relationships.

 

-Someone who is defensive in an argument will probably… -not admit fault.

-To confront something means… -to face it.

-To sympathize with perspective means… -to understand another person’s feelings. -To determine the root of a problem means to find… -its source.

-What is another word for acknowledge? –to recognize or admit -To show contempt means… -to be disrespectful.

-What is the biggest predictor of devoice? –Among this, contempt is the biggest predictor of devoice.

-how should we avoid communicating with our partners? –In particular, we should avoid communicating in ways that hurt our partner’s self-esteem.

 

-What’s an example of insulting word? -They sometimes label their partner with insulting words such as “lazy” ”stupid” or “emotional”, which is particularly damaging.

-What may happen if your partner feels undervalued?

-If your partner feels that they aren’t valued, it may lead to increased dissatisfaction with the relationship.

-What is the first thing we should do to repair our relationship?

-The Gottmans maintain that being aware of these factors in communication is the first step to improving a relationship.

-What might make it be difficult to find out the cause of your relationship problems?

 -Unfortunately, fighting back or ignoring your partner can make it difficult to determine the root of your problems.

 

Some people respond to criticism by stonewalling, where they refuse to acknowledge and respond to their partner for a period of time.

Unfortunately, ignoring your partner can make it difficult to determine the root of your problems.

If your partner feels that they aren’t valued, it may lead to increased marital dissatisfaction.

Their research has given us insight into how to make our relationships better.

Stonewalling your partner can make them feel like they aren’t valued.

Telling somebody that they are too lazy would probably hurt their self-esteem.

They used data from observing thousands of couples to determine the factors that lead to unhappy relationships.

The purpose of their research is to determine the factors that lead to happy and unhappy relationships.

 

The Lost City of the Incas

Machu Picchu is one of the world’s most impressive historical sites. It was built around 1450 by the Incas, who ruled most of South America at that time. They called themselves children of the Sun, the powerful god they worshipped as the source of light and life.

Located in the Andes Mountains of Peru, at 8,000 feet above sea level, the “City of the Incas” was mysteriously abandoned just 100 years after its construction. This was when the Spanish were beginning their conquest of the Inca Empire, in the 1530’s. There is no evidence that the Spanish invaders ever attacked or even reached the mountaintop city, so many believe that the city’s inhabitants deserted the site because of a smallpox epidemic. The city was almost forgotten until 1911 when it was discovered by an American historian, Hiram Bingham, after he heard rumors of its existence. Bingham was led to the site by local farmers and was amazed by what he saw, which seemed like an unbelievable dream. He wondered if anyone would believe what he had found.

Though the surrounding jungle had overgrown the site, what remained was impressive. The city had been built on a remote and nearly inaccessible mountaintop, often shrouded in clouds. Forty rows of farming terraces hugged the steep mountainside, each over 10 feet high and linked together by over 3000 stone steps. Among the city were what appeared to be neighborhoods of homes and exquisite stone buildings that are thought to be temples. Even today, the mystery remains as to the purpose of these temples, how the city was used and what its citizens did.

Despite its remote location, Machu Picchu has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Every year, thousands of people travel to Peru to admire its magnificent stonework and breathtaking design. What they see is a wonderful harmony between the city and the landscape around it that is captivating.

 

-How does the author describe the relationship between the city and the landscape around it? –harmonious.

-The purpose of this article is probably to… -encourage tourists to visit the site.

-As a piece of writing this article succeeds in… -expressing the author’s fascination with the site.

-Why did the city’s inhabitants live the city? –It may have been because of an epidemic.

-What led to the discovery of the city? –An American historian heard rumors of its existence.

-How did the American historian find the site? –He was led to the site by local farmers.

 

-The conquest of a country or territory happens when…? –It is defeated and taken over.

-If something is remote, it is… -far away.

-If something is inaccessible, it is… -difficult to reach.

-To admire something means… -to look at it with respect.

-To abandon something means… -to leave it behind.

-Exquisite means about the same thing as… -extremely beautiful.

 

-What do the Incas call themselves? -They called themselves children of the Sun, the powerful god they worshipped as the source of light and life.

-What do the Incas worship as the source of light and life? -They called themselves children of the Sun, the powerful god they worshipped as the source of light and life.

-What do the Incas worship as the source of light and life? -They called themselves children of the Sun, the powerful god they worshipped as the source of light and life.

-Who conquest the Inca empire? -This was when the Spanish were beginning their conquest of the Inca Empire, in the 1530’s.

-When was the city built? -It was built around 1450 by the Incas, who ruled most of South America at that time.

-When was the city abandoned? -Located in the Andes Mountains of Peru, at 8,000 feet above sea level, the “City of the Incas” was mysteriously abandoned just 100 years after its construction.

 

Machu Picchu was abandoned an estimated 100 years after its construction, probably around the time the Spanish began their conquest of the might Inca civilization in the 1530s.

There is no evidence that the Spanish invaders ever attacked or even reached the mountaintop city.

For this reason, some have suggested that the residents’ desertion occurred because of a smallpox epidemic.

The American historian was led to the site by local farmers.

An American historian discovered the city after he heard rumors of its existence.

This article succeeds in expressing the author’s fascination with the site.

Many believe that the city’s inhabitants abandoned the city because of an epidemic.

 

3/4

Listening

Lesson 1 The murder of Caesar  

In this course, we have tried to prepare you to understand and discussing point topics that are often in the news.

Sometimes the news is good news, but all too often, we learn of problems and crises.

Once in a while, an event is extraordinary and will change the world.

In this lesson, we focus on two events that changed history forever.

These events are the assassinations of two political leaders, Julius Caesar, and US president, John Kennedy.

We will never know how history might have been different had these events not taken place.

But we can speculate about their causes and about how they might have been prevented.

 

-Why does this course focus on such topics as in the historical event? –This kind of language is often used in news reports.

 

One of the most famous assassinations in history was the assassination of Julius Caesar.

At the time of his death in 44 B.C. he was the leader of Rome Empire.

His title was “Dictator for Life”, which meant he had absolute authority for as long as he lived.

He had gained this power through his successes as a military commander.

In fact some historians consider him to be one of the greatest military commanders in history.

 

Once gaining power he fought against corruption and began to restructure the government.

For example, he increased the number of senators and changed how they were chosen.

Instead of being elected, they could be appointed, even if they were not from Rome.

These actions reduced the power of individual senators and switched the power to Caesar himself.

In doing so, he created many enemies, especially among the aristocracy.

However, he also had many admirers who supported his effects to end corruption.

 

-What’s an example of how he restructure the government? –He changed how senators were chosen.

-Why were many aristocracy against him? –He was reducing their power.

-What does the aristocracy mean? –is the ruling class of a country.

-If he hadn’t acted against the aristocracy, he… -wouldn’t have created as many enemies.

 

Caesar was stabbed to death by a group of Rome senators on March 15, 44 B.C.

He was scheduled to leave Rome 3 days later, to fight in another war.

He had appointed members of his army to rule the empire while he was away.

This action angered many in the Rome senators who didn’t want to take orders from Caesar support.

He should have been aware that many of the senators hated him, but he dismissed his security force not long before the assassination.

If he hadn’t dismissed it the assassination attempt might not have succeed.

 

-What should he have been aware of? –Many of the senators hated him.

-What shouldn’t he have done? –He dismissed his security force.

He appointed members of his army to rule while he was away from Rome.

 

On the day of his assassination, it is reported that Caesar may have been handed a warning note as he entered the senate.

If he did receive such a note, he didn’t read it.

It seems that he was in a state of denial and refused to recognize the danger that was facing him.

Once he had entered the senate, he was surrounded by senators holding daggers, or knives.

The first blow hit Caesar in his neck and drew blood.

Then the other senators joined in and stabbed him repeatedly until he fell to the floor and died.

In total he suffered 23 knife woods.

 

-If Caesar received a warning note, why didn’t he read it? –He may have been overconfident and in a state of denial.

If he did receive the warning note and had read it, he might have escaped.

 

With his death, power shifted to his adopt son, Octavian, who vowed revenge against the assassins.

Eventually, several of the leading assassins was either killed or committed suicide.

After a power struggle Octavian strengthened his position as leader and ruled the Empire for many years.

In the end Caesar’s attempts to end corruption failed.

 

Lesson 2 JFK Assassination

 

Another event that shocked the world was the assassination of US president, John Kennedy.

He was shot while riding in a motorcade in a city of Dallas, Texas.

Kennedy and his wife were sitting in an open car, waving to a large crowd of people when he was shot.

They were sitting in an open car with no protection because the sky was clear.

It had rained until about 10 a.m. but then the sun came out.

If the sky hadn’t cleared there would have been a bubble top or clear roof on the car.

This would have prevented the assassination.

Kennedy wanted it down so that he could be closer to the crows who had there to agree him.

 

-Why did Kennedy prefer to riding in an open car? –He wanted to be closer to the crows.

 

Another factor that contributed to the assassination was the route of the motorcade through the city.

The route was published several days earlier in the local newspapers.

The motorcade was to pass through downtown Dallas and around a sharp corner, near the building where the assassin worked.

From that building there was a clear view of the president’s car.

If the route had been different the assassination probably wouldn’t have taken place.

 

-What made it possible for the assassin to get a clear shot to the president’s car? – The motorcade passed close by the building where he worked.

 

The president was struck by two bullets, but it was the second one that probably killed him.

That was the fatal shot.

It opened a massive wood in his head.

Sitting beside him, his wife’s last words to her husband were:” Jack, Jack, can you hear me? I love you Jack “.

The assassin’s quick shots were incredibly accurate

If the fatal shot had been off by just a little, Kennedy might have survived.

 

So if any of these factors had been different history would have changed.

Kennedy’s death disillusioned many Americans who had been inspired by his vision for the future.

With his death a whole generation of Americans woke up to a reality where their dreams for a brighter future had been shattered.

 

It’s highly unlikely that the assassin would have used that location had the view not been clear.

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Taking Core of the Elderly

W1: I’m sorry to hear about your father. I hope he died peacefully.

W2: Hmm, he knew it was coming and he had a good life. He’s been sick for about a year.

Luckily, there wasn’t much pain.

W1: So how was your mother?

W2: She isn’t taken it well. Even though she knew it was coming, she has a hard time without him.

She says the house seems so empty and she feels useless.

 

W1: I can imagine. Does she have many friends?

W2: She has a few. But she’s never been very social.

Maybe she’ll get out a bit more now but I don’t think that’s very likely.

She’s also beginning to lose her memory.

W1: Oh, that’s too bad. My mum is losing her memory too.

Sometimes she doesn’t know who I am. She mixes me up with my sister.

 

-Why is unlikely that her mother will begin to make more friends? –She’s never been very social.

 

W2: Does she live by herself?

W1: She did until about a year ago. Then we had her come and stay with us.

W2: Oh, is that working out?

W1: It was okay at first, but now with her memory problems, it isn’t working.

We are thinking about putting her in a senior living community.

It’s expensive but it can provide her with her support needs.

 

-They are thinking about putting her mother into a senior community because…. –her memory problems are getting worse.

-In addition to providing a place to live, the service of a senior community…. –include meals and medical support. Senior communities generally provide meals and medical support.

 

W2: We may have to do that too. My husband and mother don’t get along at all.

He can’t relax when she’s around.

When I mentioned it to him, he said he would consider it but only if it were for a very short time.

W1: Well, I’m sorry you have to deal with it. It doesn’t seem like there are any good choices.

W2: Hmm, I’m afraid that’s right. We are getting older too.

This is another reminder of our mortality.

We are no longer children so now it’s our turn to take care of our parents.

 

-Under what condition will her husband agree to have her mother come and live with them? –It has to be for a very short time.

 

W1: The way I see it is a reminder for us to enjoy our life while we can.

If you like I can send you information about some senior communities.

W2: Please do, we need to start making plans.

W1: There are waiting list to get into some of them, so you shouldn’t wait to apply.

 

-Why does they need to start making plans?

–They shouldn’t wait because some options require a waiting period. It doesn’t seem that there are any good choices. 讲的是seem like，卡面是seem that，要读成seem that，不然会低分。

 

Reading

The Assassination of Caesar

Should a good leader be loved or feared? This question is as relevant to leaders today as it was to Julius Caesar when he took control of Rome in 44 BC. How Caesar treated his enemies is a valuable lesson on forgiveness, arrogance, and absolute power.

After Caesar seized power, he had to decide how to handle those who opposed him. Roman politics had always been bloody. The previous dictator had murdered 5,000 of his rivals and confiscated their property after coming to power. Caesar’s enemies expected a similar punishment.

But Caesar was determined not to rule through fear. If he were to reform the government, he would need the support of the people. So he made a fateful decision: rather than punish or kill his enemies, he offered them mercy and incentives. He didn’t seize their property, and he even rewarded some of them with high-ranking government positions.

However, not all of his enemies wanted to be forgiven. Caesar’s rivals came from the aristocracy. Many had held power in the Senate for centuries. By expanding and reforming in Senate, Caesar had shifted power away from the aristocracy and taken it for himself. The high-ranking positions he had given as rewards had no real authority. For the aristocracy, to live without power was not forgiveness, but humiliation.

Caesar should have known that many senators hated him, but his arrogance seems to have blinded him. After he made himself dictator for life, he proclaimed himself a god and consolidated more power. These actions infuriated his enemies and even his allies. However, he still considered many senators to be his loyal friends. He even dismissed his personal security force. Ironically, when he was assassinated, it was his good friends, Brutus, who led the plot.

Perhaps it is better for a leader to be feared. If Caesar hadn’t let his rivals live, he might not have been murdered. But was forgiveness the problem? Caesar’s reforms took power from the aristocracy, and his arrogance angered both friends and enemies. Perhaps if he hadn’t been so arrogant, or acted like a god, he would have survived.

 

-Which factor help contribute to Caesar’s assassination? –His reformed shifted power away from the ruling class.

-What does the author believe Caesar’s arrogance? –It blinded him to the dangers around him and led to his death.

-How did Caesar treat his enemies after he seized power? –He offered them mercy and incentives.

-To consolidate power means… -to combine and unify its sources.

-To reform something means… -to make changes to it to improve it.

-Why does Caesar’s enemies expect to be punished by Caesar? -The previous dictator had murdered 5,000 of his rivals and confiscated their property after coming to power.

-How does Caesar handle his opposition? -So he made a fateful decision: rather than punish or kill his enemies, he offered them mercy and incentives.

For the aristocracy, to live without power was humiliating.

 

Unban Elderly in India

Lack of adequate are for senior citizens is a real issue in India that cuts across economic and social strata. Many of us have personally lived through and experienced it with our parents and elders. Most senior citizens, especially those who live independently, are unable to get the care and trusted support they need. As a result, they compromise on their needs and lifestyle. Their children or caregivers are forced to spend disproportionate time, and/or resources to support them. So much so, that many women are forced to stay away from the workforce to take care of elders at home.

The imminent demographic, economic and social changes that accompany the growing population of senior citizens, together with the rising aspirations of the young, are rapidly driving up the magnitude of this problem. If we look at numbers, India is home to 115 million elderly, which is more than 8% of the population. Many of us don’t realize it, but that puts India into the category of “aging” countries. While India’s overall population will grow by about 40% from 2006 to 2050, the population of the oldest elderly, 80 plus, will grow 500% over the same period. This should be enough to make one take notice. Engaging with the elderly will become one of the biggest areas of work in the country. Some may see this as a challenge and some as a huge opportunity.

Businesses have attempted to address this only sporadically, with emotional advertising that features a poignant conversation involving an elderly grandparent. But there has been very little effort to provide products and services. The reasons for such apathy, especially among entrepreneurs, are not difficult to guess. Many feel that the elderly are cynical, not open to experiment and not willing to spend. Investors see bigger opportunities for exponential growth in addressing young, upwardly mobile consumers.

Still, I’m left with the question of why aren’t more products and services designed for the elderly? I sense a problem looking for a solution.

 

-From this article, we learn that… -There aren’t enough products and services for the elderly.

 

4/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Aging Population

The world’s population is growing at a rate of a little more than 1% per year.

However, not all segments of the population are growing at the same rate.

This graph shows the rate of growth of 3 different groups: children, adults and the elderly.

As you can see, while the population of children is fairly constant, the elderly population is increasing at the fastest rate.

This is due to very low birth rates in developed countries and birth rate declines in most developing countries.

As a result of these trends, the world’s population is aging.

 

-What does the graph show? –Different segments of the population are growing at different rates.

 

Between 2015 and 2050, the percentage of world’s population over 60 is expected to nearly double.

In 2015 there were 900 million people over 60, in 2050 the number should be around 2 billion.

Aging populations are becoming a huge problem in many countries, especially developing countries.

It used to be that many elderly people lived with their family and helped take care of the next generation.

They had a place to stay and people to help take care of them when they need assistance.

Now however many elderly people or senior citizens are left on their own.

This is partly the results of people having fewer children and also because of massive urbanization.

Young and middle-aged adults have left rural areas for economic opportunities only available in large urban centers.

As a result, there is no one to care for the elderly who are left behind to live on their own.

This is especially true in developing countries.

 

-Massive urbanization means… -people moving from rural to urban areas.

 

With an aging population, health problems become a growing concern.

Some of the leading conditions that accompany aging including vision problems, hearing loss, diabetes, and dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease.

These problems can lead to disabilities, they make it difficult to live without assistances.

With diseases such as out summers people lose their memory and unable to recognize their own children.

Worldwide, more than 46% of people age 60 and over have disabilities.

Getting meals and medical care for example becomes both expensive and difficult.

As a result the cause of providing services to the sick and disabled can become a huge problem.

 

-What is an example of disability? –Memory loss.

With an aging population there would be more sick and disabled people to care for. Memory loss is one example of a disability.

 

Lesson 2 Dependency Ratio

In economics, the dependency ratio shows the relationship between the number of people not in the labor force and those in the labor force.

Those not in the labor force are the dependent part of the population.

Those in the labor force are the productive part of the population.

A high dependency ratio means that there are fewer working people to support health, social security and education services, which are used by the dependent sectors by a population.

This number is calculated by adding together the total number of young and old people, and dividing that number by the number of working aging people.

 

-What is the opposite of dependent? –independent.

 

Sometimes the dependent ratio is presented in two parts.

One part focuses on the ratio between children and working age population.

This is the dependent ratio for the young.

The others is the ratio between the elderly and working age population, which is the dependent ratio for the old.

Here are some dependent ratios for the old in 5 countries, China, India, Japan, the US and UK.

It shows the ratios at 3 different points of time, 2000, 2015 and 2050. Note that greatest percentage change from 2015 to 2050 is for China.

The dependent ratio nearly triples, from 13.1 to 39.

The other countries show gains, but as a percentage increase, they are less. In Japan, the ratio increases from 43.6 to 71.8, which is less than double.

 

-What is the dependency ratio for Japan expected to be in 2050? -71.8

-In which country has the dependency ratio increase the most since 2000? –Japan.

 

The life expectancy for Japan in 2050 is predicted to be 93, which is the highest in these countries.

A high life expectancy obviously increases the dependency ratio.

And note that the dependency ratio ignores the fact that those counted in the elderly segment of a population are not necessarily dependent.

An increasing proportion of them are working and many of those in the working aging segment may not be working.

So this way of calculating the dependency ratio in a country can be misleading.

By pointing this out, we can see the danger of using such a number to make policy without understanding how they are calculated.

In the end details are important.

 

-How does the life expectancy of a country affect to its dependency ratio? –The higher the life expectancy, the higher the dependency ratio.

The unemployment rate isn’t taken into account, so the dependency ratio doesn’t change.

 

Dialogue

 Lesson 3 John’s Resignation

 

So what is it that you wanted to see me about, John?

I thought it would be good for us to have a heart-to-heart conversation.

You're unhappy with how things are going, right?

Yes, I am. But I don't want others in the company to know.

I thought we should meet outside.

Ok, so what are you thinking?

To be perfectly frank, I’ve decided that it doesn’t make sense for me to stay with the company.

You are the CEO, but I don’t agree with how you’re handling things.

I can no longer support you.

Hmm, OK, I have suspected that for quite a while.

I’m still happy to support the company if I can, of course, but I’d like to work elsewhere.

There's a start-up that has contacted me, and I’m planning to join them as soon as I can.

Are you gentlemen really to order?

No, not yet.

Could you come back in a few minutes?

Certainly, sir.

Well, we are going to miss you.

There's nothing I can say that would change your mind?

No, it’s too late for that.

I no longer have confidence in your decisions.

Your latest business plan, for example, makes no sense at all.

It makes us weaker in the area where we are strong, and it takes us in some new areas where we can’t compete.

Well, that’s where we disagree.

So, if that’s the way you feel about it, I agree that it’s best that you work somewhere else.

Still, I hope we can count on you when we need you for something.

Sure, keep me informed and let me know if and when I can be useful.

I will.

So how do you propose that we should communicate this to the company.

I will write up something and you can review it.

I’ll make it sound as positive as possible.

OK, thanks.

I’m sure it will come as a shock to many.

Things are already difficult enough.

I know and maybe I’m wrong.

Maybe your plan will work.

If so, I will be the first to congratulate you.

Are you ready to order?

Sure, though I don’t feel like eating much.

Waiter.

---

In a heart-to-heart conversation…people are expected to reveal their true feelings to each other.

He disagrees with how the CEO is running the company.

It’s obvious that they have some problems between them.

John’s resignation is best for the company.

To count on someone means about the same as to rely on them.

From this exchange it means as if… the CEO realizes that John’s departure will make things even more difficult.

It’s clear that he is going to resign because he no longer supports the CEO.

 

Reading

Trends in Global Life Expectancy

People today are living longer than at any point in human history. Virtually every country enjoys a higher life expectancy than it did in the 19th century. In 1870, the average person could expect to live for 30 years. By 2015 that number had increased to 71, more than doubling.

The West was the first region to see an increase in life expectancy. Scientific discoveries led to a growing awareness of germs and disease. New medicines and treatments were developed, and people adopted more hygienic lifestyles. Public health measures were a major factor. During the 20th century, the average lifespan in the United States increased by more than 30 years, of which 25 years can be attributed to advances in public health. Between 1900 and 1950, Europe’s life expectancy grew from 43 years to 65 years. However, this did not reflect the experience of the rest of the world, which largely remained impoverished and underdeveloped. In 1950, Asia’s average life expectancy was 42 and Africa’s was 36. In the follow decades, living conditions in both continents improved, along with the life expectancy. As Asian economies grew, people had better access to health services and greater quantities of food. In Africa however, several countries did not see significant economic growth, but still enjoyed a growing life expectancy. This was due to better access to medicines and vaccines. As of 2015, the life expectancies of Asia and Africa were about 72 and 60 years respectively.

In all countries, some facts are universal, including higher mortality rates associated with childhood. Therefore, life expectancy increases with age. Economic conditions also affect life expectancy. For example, in the UK, life expectancy among the wealthiest is several years higher than among the poorest. This may reflect factors such as diet and lifestyle, as well as access to medical care.

And finally, women enjoy an advantage over men. Females have a higher survival rate from birth to old age. Of individuals aged 110, 90% are women. In fact, for almost all animal species except birds, females have high survival rates than males.

 

Virtual Heaven

If you could live forever, would you want to? The challenge of keeping your body alive seems impossible, but some scientists are working on an alternative. They want to create a digital copy of your “self” and keep that copy “alive” long after your physical body has stopped functioning.

In effect, their plan is to clone a person electronically. Unlike ordinary physical clones – which have identical features as their parents, but which are independent organisms, each with a different conscious self – your electronic clone would believe itself to be you.

One plan relies on the development of nanotechnology. Ray Kurzweil, a leading futurist, predicts that within two or three decades we will have tiny transmitter that can be injected into the brain. Once there they would line up alongside neurons and monitor the details of the brain’s activity. They would then be able to transmit that information to receivers insider a special helmet, allowing us to map the brain.

As a further step, Kurzweil foresees using these tiny transmitters to connect you to a world of virtual reality. With the transmitters in place, you could think your way onto the internet. Instead of seeing pictures on a screen, you would see them in your mind. Rather than send emails to your friends, you could meet them on some virtual tropical beach and exchange messages in “virtual person”.

For a futurist like Ray, this would be heaven, a virtual heaven. Once you upload the brain onto the internet and log on to that virtual world, your body can be left to decompose while your virtual self can play games for as long as you wish.

However, there is still a problem. To exist on the net, your virtual self will have to reside on the computer of a web-hosting company. These companies want to be paid real money, or they will delete your “self” and sell the place to someone else. With your body long gone how will you play?

 

Unit 3

1/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Cyber Theft 1-2

John is the owner of a small consulting business.

Last night some important documents were stolen from John’s office.

There were locked up in the safe and the only way to open the safe was with an 8-digit access code.

Who ever got into that safe must have had that code.

So now he’s trying to figure out who could have gotten it.

 

Only two people in the company were authorized to have the code.

To improve security John change the code every month.

He had the code, of course, and so did his assistant, Sylvia.

As far as he knew, nobody else had it, or had ever asked to use it to get something from the safe.

There was no reason for Sylvia to take the documents, so he couldn’t imagine that it was her.

That wouldn’t make sense and she was completely trustworthy.

Besides, she was on a business trip and wouldn’t be back for several more days.

So somebody else must have had the code and stolen the document.

If so, who was it, and how did he get the code?

 

One possibility is that the code was written down somewhere, maybe in a notebook.

Sylvia was famous for written things down.

She had a notoriously bad memory, so she kept a lot of notes.

Maybe she wasn’t careful and someone looked into her notes and discovered the code.

But Sylvia wasn’t that careless or irresponsible.

She would never have written the code down on a piece of paper. So that couldn’t be the answer.

 

-Why wouldn’t she have written the code down on a piece of paper? –She wasn’t that irresponsible.

 

Another possibility is that somebody hacked into her computer.

She had probably stored the code somewhere on her computer and the thief was able to get it from there.

But who could it have been?

Suddenly he realized that there was a new IT guy in the office.

He maintained the company’s computer network and provided technical support for the stuff.

Perhaps he was the guilty one.

If anyone could have done it, he certainly had the skills.

He was a security expert and he had helped Sylvia installing something on her computer last week.

 

-Why was the new IT guy probably the guilty one? –He had the necessary skills.

-Where does Sylvia probably store the access code? –somewhere on her computer.

 

Then John realized that nobody had done a proper background check on the guy.

One of the other engineers in the company had recommend him and he seemed nice.

They had been in a hurry to hire someone for the position so they didn’t check his background very carefully.

Suddenly he had a bad feeling.

Immediately he used his smart phone to check the company’s bank accounts.

To his horror he found that a large amount of money was missing from one of these accounts.

There had been a large withdrawal earlier that morning, more than 75 thousand dollars.

He then discovered that the money had been wired to an account in another country.

So not only did the IT guy get the access code for the safe, but he also got the log-in information for the bank. This was a disaster.

 

-Besides getting the access code, what else was the thief able to do? –He was able to get into the company’s bank accounts.

-What did he discover when he checked the company’s bank account? –A lot of money was missing.

 

John immediately called the police and reported the incident.

He also called the bank to see if they could stop the transaction.

Unfortunately they said it was too late, the transaction had gone through.

Just then John got an email with a subject line, from the IT guy.

It showed a smiling face and said, thank you for being so stupid.

Don’t waste your time trying to find me.

I’ve left the country and will never return.

Be thankful that I didn’t take everything in the account.

This should be a good lesson for you.

It was signed, your IT guy.

 

-What was the lesson John should learn? –to take security seriously.

He tried to stop the withdrawal of money from the account, but it was too late.

To hack into a computer means to use it to gain unauthorized access to data.

 

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Presentation & Feedback

M: Well, what did you think of my presentation?

W: Do you want me to be frank? I know you worked very hard on it.

M: Yes, give it to me straight.

I have my own opinion too, but I appreciate your comments and suggestions.

W: You said you have your own opinion about it. So how do you think it went?

M: I thought it went okay at first, but I could feel that there were some bad transitions.

I think I spent too much time on some slides and didn’t express them well.

 

-What kind of feedback does he want? –an honest assessment.

 

W: I agree on this points. But to me, it was flat. Five minutes into it, I had a hard time paying attention.

M: Flat? Do you mean my voice?

W: Yes, that’s part of it. There was very little passion, almost like you were reading it.

I’m sure you can do better.

 

-What happened five minutes into the presentation? –She lost interest in it.

 

M: Do you have any suggestions?

W: First, let me say that I like the slides themselves.

The designs were nice and easy to read.

But the one thing you didn’t do was engage with the audience.

You focused on the slides and didn’t address the audience.

M: Oh, I was trying to, but I guess I was too nervous. I didn’t want to forget anything.

 

-What did he do too much of during his presentation? –he focused too much on the slides and not enough on the audience.

 

W: You have a great smile.

You need to show that smile and your expressions when you present. Make eye contact.

M: When you present, I noticed you always do that.

And you pause between ideas. But it seems so easy for you.

W: For me I look the faces in the audience. I watch their expression.

I really try to communicate with them.

Once I do that it comes naturally, because it becomes a real communication.

 

-What comes naturally after she tries to communicate with the audience? –She’s able to connect with them.

 

M: You seem to enjoy it.

W: Well, I’m always nervous too before I get started. But once I connect with audience, I’m okay.

M: So connecting with the audience is the key. Focus on them and not me, right?

W: Yes, well put. In fact, if you do that, you’ll have to adjust your presentation.

It has to flow, like in a real conversation. We have to respond to each other.

And the pauses are so that the presentation can breathe.

 

-What helps get rid of nervousness? –Connecting with the audience.

 

M: Hmm, it seems so obvious, but I never thought it like that. That’s great advices.

I wish we had talk before my presentation.

W: If we had, you may not have been open like you are now.

Anyway, I’m sure your next presentations will improve. I take practice as anything.

Don’t be too hard on yourself.

M: No, I won’t. But next time I’ll do better, and I hope you’re there.

W: Ok, well, let’s get back to work.

 

-What kind of attitude does he have? –It’s positive.

To be hard on someone means to put pressure on them.

She describes a good presentation as if it were alive and breathing.

He has a very positive attitude which should help him grow.

She thought his presentation lacked emotion and was too mechanical.

 

Reading

Depletion of Fossil Fuels

A number of scientists are emphasizing the tremendous challenges that will soon be faced when the depletion of fossil fuel supplies coincides with an alarming increase in the global population. They highlight agriculture which is heavily dependent not only on gasoline to fuel machinery, but also on the petrochemicals necessary to manufacture synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Without these petrochemicals, crop yields would be only a fraction of what they are today. To assume that an abundant source of renewable energy will address this challenge is to ignore the vital non-fuel uses of petrochemicals.

Then there is the challenge posed to the current levels of mobility. As a fuel, gasoline is unrivalled in its portability. Electricity requires bulky batteries and hydrogen is notoriously difficult to store. Biofuels might seem like an alternative, but the energy consumed when converting corn into bioethanol, for instance, greatly exceeds the output when the fuel is utilized. In any case, once we reach a crisis in the food supply, it will not make sense to divert food crops to other uses.

Although there seems to be a widespread belief that the era of oil dependency is coming to an end due to some technological remedy, this may be mistaken. Relying on such an assumption can lead to complacency and a failure to take precautions. Experts may not be able to come up with the kind of solution that can lead to a pain-free transition.

Scientists warn that relying on alternative resources might only support half of the global population. The absence of a realistic alternative to fossil fuels will mean that the first priority will be to curb the demand for food.

 

-The aim of the article is to –highlight the seriousness of the situation.

-According to the article, why doesn’t it make sense to convert corn into biofuel? -Food crops such as corn are needed for food.

-To assume means –to believe without proof.

-To take precautions means –to act to prevent a problem from happening.

-What would happen to crop yields without petrochemicals? -Without these petrochemicals, crop yields would be only a fraction of what they are today.

-What widespread belief might be mistaken? -Although there seems to be a widespread belief that the era of oil dependency is coming to an end due to some technological remedy, this may be mistaken.

 

The Meaning of Catching 22

One of the most interesting books of the 20th century was the novel, Catch 22. In the novel, the term “a catch 22 situation” was introduced. The term has nothing to do with catching anything. It has a much deeper meaning, and it describes a kind of logical conundrum that’s worth exploring. First, it’s important to put the phrase into context. In the novel, a group of American bomber pilots is on an island in the Mediterranean. They face death almost every day when they fly their bombing missions. Many have already lost their lives. The remaining pilots know that it is only a matter of time before they will be the next victims.

One of the characters in the novel is a doctor. It is his job to see that the pilots are fit to fly. In particular, there is a rule that says he has to ground anyone who is crazy. To ground them means to remove them from active duty so that they don’t fly.

Some of the men believed in the principles they were fighting for. They were willing to give their lives for their countries. But to others, this was crazy. They thought the whole thing was insane. One of them, Yossarian, wanted out. He was friends with the doctor, and he wanted the doctor to ground him.

When Yossarian asked the doctor to ground him, the doctor replied: “You’re wasting your time. You’re not crazy.” Yossarian told him to ask one of the other pilots, Clevinger, to tell him how crazy he was. “There’s no pilot. He’s crazy,” the doctor replied. “Crazy people can’t decide whether you are crazy or not.”

“Clevinger isn’t crazy! He’s one of the sanest pilots here.”

“So he’s obviously out of his head,” said the Doc. “He’s got to be insane to keep on flying combat missions after all the close calls he’s had.”

“Well, if he’s crazy, why don’t you ground him?”

“I can’t unless he asks to be grounded. That’s part of the rule.”

“So all he has to do is ask?”

“No, then I can’t ground him.”

“So there’s a catch,” said Yossarian, trying to get things straight.

“Sure, there’s a catch,” said the Doc, with a slight smile. “Catch 22. If he asks, then he can’t be crazy. Only those who are crazy are grounded”.

“That’s some catch,” observed Yossarian.

“It’s the best there is,” the Doc replied.

2/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Infectious Diseases 1-2

Despite advances in technology, one of the biggest threats to human survival comes from primitive life forms.

Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites.

These organisms have no access to education or technology, but they present a huge challenge to humanity.

That’s because they are adaptable.

Just as adaptability has helped humans survive, it makes it more difficult to control infectious diseases.

 

There are several kinds of infectious diseases.

Bacterial infection, such as pneumonia, are caused by bacteria.

These infections can be treated by antibiotics, which kill the bacteria.

Viral infections are caused by viruses, such as the influenza virus.

These can sometimes be prevented by vaccines, such as the flu vaccine.

An example of the parasitic infection is Malaria.

Malaria is caused by parasites transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes.

Once inside the body, the parasites can be difficult to kill or control.

And of course, the parasites are also adaptable.

 

-What’s an example of a parasites infection? –malaria.

 

How serious are infectious diseases?

Consider what happened in 1918, the influenza pandemic.

It started in the fall of 1918 with what seemed to be something no more serious than the common cold.

In the next two years however, it infected a fifth of the world’s population.

In fact, it turned out to be the most deadly epidemic in history, killing between 20 and 40 million people.

The influenza viruses that cause it was much stronger than previous influenza viruses.

Its mortality rate was 2.5% compared to 0.1% in previous influenza epidemics.

It struck quickly and without mercy, sometimes killing people within hours.

Schools and businesses closed in many places and people wore masks to prevent transmission of the virus through the air.

What was unusual about this pandemic was that it was most deadly for people aged 20 to 40, rather than the elderly and young children.

 

-The more talenty rate indicates –the proportion of infected people who died

-What did people do to prevent the transmission of the viruses through the air? –They wore masks.

 

Now a century later we have flu vaccines that have reduced the severity of epidemics.

These vaccines need to be updated every year because the virus changes and new strains emerge.

What researches fear is that a new strain of the virus will develop and cause another pandemic?

Once an outbreak occurs, transmission of the disease will be even faster than before.

An unintended consequence of our improved transportation system will be the speed at which an epidemic can spread.

Experts predict that public health system will be overwhelmed and unable to react quickly enough.

 

-A new strain of a virus is… -a mutated form of the virus.

-What has reduced the seriety of epidemics? –vaccines.

 

So the best defense will be to prevent an outbreak from occurring.

This will require global cooperation and the sharing of data.

It may also require changes in how humans interact with animals.

Animals such as birds and pigs carry viruses that may mutate into a strain that can infect humans.

Such a new strain could lead to another pandemic well before a new vaccine could be developed.

Since diseases and epidemics don’t stop at national borders, this is a global issue requiring global action.

The threat of a global epidemic is another example of why we must learn to live together.

 

-One danger is that animal virus… -may mutate into a strain that can infect humans.

An improved transportation system allows epidemic to spread more quickly.

 

Dialogue

Lesson 3 Raising Kids

W1: You know, my husband and I are having a terrific fight over how to raise our son.

W2: What about? He’s only 4 years old.

W1: My husband thinks I’m putting too much pressure on him. He thinks it’s the wrong thing to do.

W2: I wouldn’t know. I’m not even married yet.

That’s my problem. I wish I had a husband to disagree with.

 

-Her husband thinks they should… -put less pressure on their son.

-Her husband thinks it’s wrong to… -put too much pressure on their son.

-She and her husband are fighting about… -how to raise their son.

 

W1: Well, he thinks it’s important for kids to have time to be bored.

W2: Bored?

W1: Yes, he really said that. Can you believe it?

W2: Why does he think so? Did he have time to be bored when he was a boy?

W1: Well, he grew up in a countryside. He said he had to find things for himself to do.

He says he feels sorry for kids these days because their days are so structured.

 

-Why does her husband feel sorry for kids these days? –He thinks their days are too structured.

-From this conversation, her husband probably… -has good memories of his childhood.

They are fighting about how much pressure to put on their son.

 

W2: Hmm, I see his point. But things have changed a lot since he was a boy.

W1: That’s exactly what I told him. Then he started getting angry.

W2: That isn’t sound like him. He’s usually so calm and reserved.

In fact I can’t ever remember hearing him express an opinion.

W1: Well, the other day our boy said he didn’t like one of his teachers.

It’s his English teacher. And that got my husband’s attention.

 

W2: What happened?

W1: He got angry and said he wasn’t happy with all these emphasis on English and math.

He said I should find someplace for our boy to do more of what he wants to do.

He said to find a class or teacher who encourage his kids to explore things.

W2: That sounds a bit idealistic.

W1: That’s what I told him. Then he said it’s important to learn how to be independent,

and not always depend on being told what to do.

He said that can develop creativity and a lot of learning.

W2: Certainly. But what happens when he’s behind all the other kids in school?

Won’t he be discouraged?

W1: He said to our boy deal with it, and see what happens.

Some people are competitive and some aren’t.

 

-What did she think might happen to a child who is falling behind the others in school? –She worries that the child might be discouraged.

 

W2: Anyway, it’s an interesting point of view. It may works for some kids and not for others.

What about your boy? What do you think?

W1: He has a good imagination. Sometimes he talks himself as really likes music and dancing.

He has a lot of energy. Sometimes it’s exhausting to be around him.

W2: I guess if I were you I just give him a lot of choices and see where his interests take him.

And he needs a place where he can use all that energy.

W1: Yes, that’s what my husband wants to. I just get nervous because all his friends are taking classes.

I don’t want him to fall behind.

 

-What is this conversation mostly about? –It’s about how to develop a child’s imagination and creativity.

 

W2: I don’t know what to say. Maybe you can do some research and see what others advise.

I’m sure you are not the only one facing this problem. At least your husband is taking an interest.

If I ever get married I hope my husband will be as involved as yours is.

But he has to help you with this and not just complain.

W1: Yes, that’s where we were fighting about.

I can’t be expected to do this on my own. We have to do this together.

W2: Good luck. And wish me luck in finding a husband, okay?

 

They both think her husband should help more and not just complain.

Reading

Hedy Lamarr: A Hollywood Star and Mother of Wi-Fi

Hedy Lamarr was born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in 1914 in Vienna, Austria. By the time she was a teenager, she had decided to drop out of school and seek fame as an actress. She first appeared in a German film in 1930. She was attractive and talented enough to be in three more films in 1931, but it was her controversial film “Ecstasy” that brought her worldwide fame as an actress.

In 1937 she fled from her country and secretly moved to Hollywood, where she reinvented herself. She changed her name to Hedy Lamarr, with the nickname ”The Most Beautiful Woman in Films”. However, Lamarr defied the leading-lady stereotype by also pursing an interest in mathematics and engineering. She soon took up inventing. Her earliest inventions included an improved traffic stoplight and a tablet that would dissolve in water to create a carbonated drink.

With the ongoing World War, Lamarr was inspired to contribute to the war effort. She designed a radio guidance system for torpedoes. With the help of composer George Antheil, whom she met in 1940, she discovered a way to break up signals and transmit them over different frequencies. Using a method similar to the way player pianos work, they designed a frequency-hopping system that would continually change the radio signals sent to a torpedo. While others, including Nikola Tesla, had explored similar ideas of frequency hopping, Lamarr and Antheil obtained a patent for their invention in 1942 for what would become known as spread-spectrum technology. Although the U.S. Navy did not adopt the technology during the war, it was used during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. For decades Lamarr’s technology remained behind the scenes, but ultimately it led to the creation of today’s spread-spectrum communication technology, such as Wi-Fi networks, mobile phones, GPS and Bluetooth technologies.

Lamarr and Antheil eventually received several awards for their lifetime creative achievements that contributed so much to society. They were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014, after her death in 2000.

 

The Challenge of AI

The Internet and smartphones have changed the world and how we relate to each other. Instead of meeting in person, we increasingly interface through handheld devices. In a sense, real people are being removed, replaced by technology and virtual friends. Some people even say that they prefer to confide in their virtual friends rather than their real friends!

AI, or artificial intelligence, is another technology that is highly disruptive. With AI, smartphones and other devices will have even more capabilities. They will be able to converse with us and tell us jokes. They may even become personal tutors, and replace our online human tutors. They will be able to do this because they will have an access to our life histories. They will know what kind of problems we have, our preferences, and any content we want to learn or practice. They will be able to adapt to our need and be available at any time. And all this will be at less cost than using a human.

In fact, the substitution of AIs for human labor has the potential to transform our world. Experts warn that smart machines may cause widespread unemployment. Many workers will become redundant, replaced by machines that can perform cognitive tasks better than people. An even greater danger is that they will develop personalities and become more interesting than people. Work is already underway to produce AI companions for lonely people. Are these developments something to worry about or something to welcome? How are they different than developments in the past, such as the industrial revolution? Cars replaced horses; machines and industrial robots replaced factory workers.

Since the shift to AI is inevitable, the challenge for policy makers will be to help existing workers acquire new skills. Future generations must be prepared for a workplace populated by AIs that will continue to develop and take on new tasks. Are we up to the task?

3/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Prison Experiment 1-2

In 1971, psychologists created one of the most important experiments in the history of psychology.

The experiment, known as the Stanford prison experiment, looked at the impact of situations on human behavior.

The researchers, led by Philip Zimbardo, wanted to know how situations could affect how people behave.

In particular, they wanted to know if good people would change their personalities and lose their values.

In the experiment, participants were divided into 2 groups.

One group became prison guards and the other group became prison inmates.

 

-What kind of the experiment was it? –It’s was a psychology experiment.

 

The experiment was set up in Stanford University psychology building.

A group of 24 students was chosen to play the roles, 12 guards and 12 prisoners.

The students came from a large group of volunteers, who wanted to participate in a psychology experiment.

Those who were chosen had no criminal background, and had no significant medical or sick-logical problems.

They agreed to participate in the experiment for one to two weeks.

 

-What’s another word for significant? –important.

The experiment was scheduled to last one to two weeks.

 

The prisoners had to remain in prison 24 hours a day during the experiment.

Guards worked in teams of three and assigned to work in 8-hour shifts.

Unlike the prisoners, they were free to return to their homes between shifts.

Hidden cameras and microphones were used to observe the behaviors of both prisoners and guards.

 

-Which group had to work in 8-hour shifts? –the guards.

Hidden cameras and microphones were used to observe the prisoners and guards.

The prisoners had to remain in prison for the duration of the experiment.

 

The simulated prison included three small prison cells, six feet by nine feet.

Each cell had three small beds and held three prisoners.

There was also a closet that served as a solitary confinement room.

This was used to isolate prisoners who need to be punish for bad behavior.

Guards were instructed not to physically hurt the prisoners in any way.

Prisoners were to be addressed by their assigned numbers, and never by name.

To prevent eye contact with the prisoners, guards wore mirrored sunglasses.

This were done to dehumanize the relationship between guards and prisoners.

 

-What is the very small room usually used to store clothes? –a closet.

-To isolate someone means… -to keep them apart from others.

 

Though the experiment was designed to last for 14 days, it had to be stopped after just 6 days.

It had to be stopped because what was happening to the participants.

The interactions between the prisoners and guards had become hostile and degrading.

The guards had become aggressive and brutal, and the prisoners were passive and depressed.

As a result, 5 of the prisoners had to be released earlier, because of severe negative emotion.

Even the researchers were affected, and they began to overlook what was happening.

Instead of halting the experiment, they let it continue.

They themselves had become dehumanized by the situation they had designed. Finally, they realized that the experiment had to be stopped.

 

-To become dehumanized means… -to no longer act or feel like a human being.

 

What the experiment demonstrates is the powerful effect that situations can have on human behavior.

Given the position of power, people can begin to behave differently than they normally would.

They can begin to behave in an aggressive manner, while those with no power can become passive and depressed.

In other words, the experiment shows that situations can cause abuse of behavior.

 

There are some important criticism of this experiment.

One criticism is that it is an example of unethical research.

It went on longer than it should have.

It is also unrepresentative since the participants were mostly white, middle-class males.

Despite the criticism, the experiment remains an important study of human behavior.

Recent examples of the Stanford Effect may include the treatment of prisoners of war by American soldiers in the Iraq war.

Other possible examples including bullying at school and gang behavior.

According to the head researcher, Philip Zimbardo, it helps to explain how ordinary people sometimes turn evil.

If situations do influence people behavior, then managing situations can be a way of controlling people.

 

-What’s the possible example of the Stanford effect? –bullying at school.

In a bullying situation some students take on a new, evil personality.

 

Dialogue

Lesson 3 A Test of Characters

 

Hi, what’s so urgent?

When you message me, you seemed really upset.

Yes, I was.

I was confused and I still am.

I need your advice. You’ve known me for a long time.

You are my best friend.

So, what is it?

I’ve been offered another job.

Oh, that’s usually a nice thing.  So, what’s the problem?

The problem is that they are our strongest competitor.

He messaged him because he is confused, and he needs advice.

 

Oh, you mean Beta Corp.

Right, they've made me a great offer, more than double my present salary.

Ah, I see.

So the dilemma you’re facing is whether to take it or not.

Yes, that’s it exactly.

It will be a betrayal of everyone I’ve been working with for more than 10 years!

It makes me sick to even think about it.

But I’m really tempted.

It’s a LOT of money.

What is the temptation? to take the job and the higher salary.

 

Look, I’ve known you since our student days.

If you took that job, you would be betraying yourself.

Yes, I know that.

I wish they hadn’t made me such an offer.

So why are you asking for my advice?

If I were to say it’s okay to take the job, would that give you an excuse to take it?

You are the one who has to live with yourself.

 

Honestly, what would you do?

If I were in your situation, I'd probably feel the same way.

And to be honest, I hope I would be able to stay true to myself.

I suppose if my family were really poor and in trouble, I’d be tempted.

But even then, to betray my friends and colleagues, who would I be.

It’s a real test of character.

 

Yes, those are my thoughts.

And I’m not sure what my wife will think.

Look, I know your wife.

I think she will be proud of you if you do the right thing.

Yes, she probably will.

And in the end, I’m not sure I can ever trust Beta Corp.

They are a branch of cutthroats.

They have no integrity.

 

So I think the answer is clear.

And one more thing, I hope you do the right thing even for me.

We need the people to stand up and do the right thing.

If you were to betray yourself, it would discourage everyone who knows you.

You have a lot of influence and people look up to you.

I don’t want to lose faith in humanity.

Thanks.

That’s what I thought you would say.

I'd be disappointed if you thought I say anything different.

We look up to people who we respect.

 

I'll do the right thing, whatever the consequences.

I know there will be people who will think I'm being a fool for turning it down.

Yes, but there are the ones who matter.

Cheers!

To you and saving the world. Ha Ha...

 

Some people will think he's a fool for turning down the offer.

 

Reading

What Happened to Character?

Media and technologies are reprogramming the human brain, changing how we think and live in significant ways. Nobody really knows how this will affect the future, and few seem to care. The tendency is to let it happen and go with the flow, despite warnings from some that all is not well. Nobody can stop progress. Still, it’s fun to reflect on changes to see what might be lost.

Looking back to classic movies and comparing them with what we have today, we see many similarities. However, there are major differences. In particular, classic movies succeeded with few if any special effects. The camera focused more on faces and expressions, like in the movies Casablanca. Violent actions were seldom shown in gruesome detail but were interred from the situation. Storylines focused on character and personal dilemmas. Much was left to the imagination. And of course, sex was hinted at, but never shown, expect in seedy theaters.

Some of the best movies took place in a single location, such as on a lifeboat or in jury room. Would such movies draw an audience today? Those movies depended on writers who could build drama into the interactions between characters who had character. This required an interest in human psychology. It also required audiences to have a similar interest, who could empathize and be moved. Do those audiences exist today?

Flash forward to the present. So many movies are filled with fast-moving special effects, explicit violence, and lots of sex. We have become voyeurs, addicted to getting thrills through the experiences of other. Subtle emotions? Psychological dilemmas? Or just plain escape! Of course, these have always been escape movies – Bollywood movies with stars dancing in the street. It’s just the balance which has shifted.

Classical music and jazz played for more than a few minutes. People concentrated and took time to enjoy and savor it. But now, immersed in media, there is no time. Experiences are quick and shallow, measured by the number of likes. We flee into the noise, perhaps to escape from ourselves. What do you think? Or has it always been this way?

 

-How would you characterize this piece of writing? –It’s an interesting commentary on technology and human behavior.

-How are today’s experience described? –quick and shallow.

-To savor something means… -to enjoy it to the fullest.

-If something is gruesome to look at, it is… -awful to the point of being sickening.

-What is an example of escape movies? -Of course, these have always been escape movies

-Bollywood movies with stars dancing in the street.

-Why does the author believe people don’t have time? –But now, immersed in media, there is no time.

 

Digital Intelligence

The impact of technology is widespread and accelerating. Expects predict that 90% of the world’s population will connect to the Internet within ten years or less. Evolving technology has become an unstoppable force, reshaping our societies, ignoring national borders, and interconnecting economies. There doesn’t seem to be any way to control it. However, one fact is certain: our kids are at the center of it.

Today’s children are born into a digital world. They use technologies and media from the time they begin to walk. Sometimes they have difficulty distinguishing between the virtual and the real worlds. In fact, children spend more time immersed in technology than they do with people, including their parents. It is estimated that they spend an average of 7 hours a day in front of some sort of digital device.

With the ever increasing amount and flow of information, digital proficiency may be the next survival skill. Therefore it is essential that children learn how to develop that skill without losing themselves in the process. Guiding them is a challenge we need to face. First, we need to realize that with so much exposure to content, there are both opportunities and dangers. What and when is something appropriate for children, and at what age? Who decides? Media is so pervasive and accessible, yet there is no consensus about what is suitable. People have different perspectives, not only about content, but also about how to govern access. Governments must also decide what controls are necessary. Policies must be put into place and standards set. Whatever the decisions, the consequences will be enormous. 

It seems naïve to sit back and ley children make their own decisions and explore whatever captures their fancy. So technology has presented us with a huge dilemma that will shape the future. Without a doubt, it’s an issue that parents and governments will need to address. Not only children need to develop a digital intelligence, but so do each and every one of us.

 

-What is the author’s major concern about the impact of technology? –its potential effect on children.

-Why is it important for children to develop their digital proficiency? –They need to be able to access and use digital information.

-In this context, to be exposed to something means to be… -in contact with it.

-When there is consensus, there is… -general agreement.

-What fact is certain about the impact of technology? - However, one fact is certain: our kids are at the center of it.

-What do people need to develop to know how to deal with digital technologies? -Not only children need to develop a digital intelligence, but so do each and every one of us.

 

4/4

Listening

Lesson 1 Rent or Buy

 

John and Linda have been arguing about whether to buy a house for a long time.

They have been renting a small flat for several years, and the rent keeps going up.

Last year, John wasn’t sure about his job situation, so they agreed to delay the decision.

They also invested some money in the stock market, and their investments are doing well.

Linda really wants to have a place of her own.

She is growing impatient and doesn’t want to wait any longer.

She wants to sell some of their investments and put the money into a nice house.

They delayed their decision because John was uncertain about his job.

She's growing impatient and is tired of waiting.

 

John is against buying now because he thinks prices are too high.

He is also worried about the high cost of living in the area.

This is beginning to make the area less attractive to companies.

Unless a company is innovative and successful, it can’t afford to do business in the area.

Salary levels have risen so quickly that companies can no longer afford to attract good workers.

Good workers won’t come unless they are paid enough to buy a house.

So many companies are relocating or moving overseas where costs are lower.

They can't afford to stay because of the high cost of living.

It makes it more difficult for companies to stay.

They invested some money in the stock market.

 

John is worried that once companies start to leave, housing prices will come down.

Only fools are buying now, paying prices that are probably 10 to 20% higher than they should be.

He wants to buy when prices have fallen to a more reasonable level.

Until then, it doesn’t make sense to buy.

He thinks that companies will move out of the area, causing prices to weaken.

If companies leave the area, people will lose their jobs and the demand for housing will decline.

 

He remembers what happened in other countries just a few years ago, when prices climbed and then fell 15%.

Many people lost their homes because they owed more on their homes than the homes were worth.

When they lost their jobs, they couldn’t pay the mortgage.

They couldn’t sell either, because the selling price was less than what they owed to the bank.

So they had to move out and the banks took possession.

Now prices are rising again so the same thing could happen again.

A cycle of boom and bust which people tend to forget.

Unless they can pay cash, they'll need to get a loan from a bank to help pay for it.

A cycle of boom and bust when an economy grows too fast, then takes a rapid fall, and the cycle begins again.

 

Linda has a different view.

She thinks he worries too much.

She thinks if they buy now, prices will continue to rise.

If they don’t buy now, they will miss the opportunity and regret it later.

She isn’t worried by the possibility that the prices may drop in the future.

She isn't sure, but she thinks prices will continue to rise.

She thinks they will regret it later if they don't buy now.

 

Another reason John is against buying a house is that he doesn’t have confidence in his new company.

It is no longer growing as fast as it used to.

Though the management talks about a bright future, he has doubts.

They say great things to keep everyone motivated, but he doesn’t trust them.

When he does a SWOT analysis of the company, he is even more concerned.

SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

The company's strength is based on technology that is very competitive.

But technology changes fast and what’s good now will soon be out of date.

Continuous innovation is necessary.

In the SWOT acronym, the O stands for opportunities.

 

The company’s weakness is that it hasn’t developed an alternative to what it has now.

Nobody is working on the next generation.

There are already signs that their technology is nearing the end of its life cycle.

There're still opportunities if the company is willing to hire new people or acquire a company with new technology.

The main threat is that other companies are spending more on research and development.

The main threat facing the company is that its competitors are spending more on research and development.

The company still has opportunities if it takes steps to acquire new technology.

 

So based on his analysis, the company is okay for the next year or two.

But beyond that, its future is questionable.

As a result, John doesn’t want to buy a house now and take on a huge debt.

Until he has more confidence in his situation, he doesn’t want to take the risk.

If he would to buy a house now, it would mean taking on a huge debt.

 

His wife thinks he’s too conservative.

She has waited long enough and she doesn’t want to wait any longer.

So John’s dilemma is how to balance his wife’s happiness against the risk of losing a lot of money.

One thing for sure is that she isn’t happy as things stand now.

She’s been waiting for a long time and he loves her.

So the decision seems clear.

John knows exactly what to do.

Maybe some flowers and a celebration?

 

What are they going to celebrate? The decision to buy a house.

Based on his analysis, the company's long-term future is questionable.

He has to decide between his wife's happiness and the risk of losing money.

They are going to celebrate the decision to buy a house regardless of the risks.

If you sell your home at a price less than what you paid for it, you'll take a loss.

 

Dialogue

Lesson 3 A Job Interview

 

Interviewer: Yes, I’ve enjoyed listening to you and learning more about your background.

Your experiences are impressive and it’s obvious that you do good work.

Employee: Thanks. What you try to do here interests me. I think there is a lot of potential.

As I said I’m ready to leave my present job if the opportunity is attractive enough.

Interviewer: Great. As I’m sure you are aware and it won’t be easy.

There’s a lot of uncertainly. We need a strong committed team.

Employee: Sure, I understand.

 

-What does he like about the company? –It’s interesting and has potential.

 

Interviewer: As for what we can offer you. First I want to stress again that we are a startup.

The people we have working here now are on reduced salaries.

Employee: I understand. I’m willing to take less than what I being paid now, but I have two children,

so I’ve got to consider that too. All need to at least cover our basic expenses?

 

-Why are the people in the company working on reduced salaries? –It’s a startups, so the employees are also investors.

-What is the smallest salaries he’s willing to accept? –He needs to earn at least enough to pay for his family’s basic living expenses.

 

Interviewer: Okay, we have two ways we can do this.

Both of them have you starting at a reduced salary.

One will give you a bonus after each round of financing.

With the other you can start with a higher salary but the bonus will be smaller, or none at all.

Employee: What is time for the financing?

Interviewer: That depends on a lot of things.

We are hoping to get the next round of financing within six to nine months.

We don’t want to go to our investors too early because you want to be in a strong position.

And for that we all need to perform. For now, we have enough cash to cover us for about a year.

 

-When does the company hope to get the next around financial? –They are hoping to get it with 6 to 9 months.

 

Employee: Okay, that make sense. Well, I’ll talk to my wife and see what she says.

Interviewer: Right. You need to cover your expenses but not enough to have savings.

The less you ask for now, the greater your bonus will move forward. That’s the idea.

Employee: Got it. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.

 

-Why should employees who accepts a lower salary get a large bonus later? –They needed to be rewarded for taking a larger risk.

 

Interviewer: Well, what do you think?

Director: He’s impressive. I think he’s someone who can strengthen our team.

Interviewer: I think so too. If he can accept a low enough salary we should hire him.

That will show that he believes enough in our plan to take on the risk.

 

Director: What if he ask for more than we can afford?

Interviewer: In that case, we can see if he’ll consider working on a short-term project first.

That way he could keep his present job and we could try to bring him in later. It will low his risk.

Director: I doubt if he will consider that, but it worth to try.

Interviewer: Yeah, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Whatever, we should try to avoid losing him completely.

 

-What advantage would he have by agree to work on a short term project? –It would lower his risk.

 

Director: Well, I’m optimistic. I think he’ll decide to join us. He’s the kind of guy who likes a challenge.

Interviewer: From what I could tell, we certainly won’t have to push him to get things done.

Director: Exactly. He’ll feel the pressure just like the rest of us. Hah.

 

-Why are they optimistic? –They think he’ll join them because he likes a challenge.

 

Reading

Technology to Make Our Lives Better

Paralyzed people can now control artificial limbs by thought alone. This is possible because of the development of technologies which involve connecting the brain to a computer or other electronic devices. One well-known use of such technology enables deaf people to hear. The device has several parts. One part is surgically implanted into the inner ear. There it stimulates nerves to cause the sensation of sound. The other part sits behind the ear and works like a miniature microphone.

Another new device allows those who have lost an arm or a leg to control their artificial limb just by thinking. The first human volunteer to try this out was Matt Nagel. Matt was paralyzed from the neck down due to a vicious knife attack.

The process of implanting the device into Matt was quite involved. First, a circular piece of his skull was removed. Then a tiny plate with hair-thin electrodes was inserted into his brain. It was placed in the motor cortex, the brain region that controls movement. This plate detects the electrical signals in the brain that usually control hand movement. From the plate, thin cables were connected to a small computer which decodes the signals from the plate and converts them into commands. Hopefully, these commands would control the artificial hand attached to Matt’s arm.

Shortly after the operation, Matt was surrounded by the surgeons as he stared at his artificial hand with hope. To the delight of the crowd, the hand started moving, and the fingers closed, becoming a fist. At that moment Matt made history. He became the first person to control an artificial limb by using a device surgically inserted into his brain.

Since the operation, Nagel has continued to test the technology and further investigate its capabilities. Using thought alone, he can now perform a variety of tasks. He can control a TV and even open emails. Such uses of technology are inspiring and bring joy to our hearts. It is powerful evidence that technological advancements will improve our lives.

 

-What is the author’s attitude toward technology? –inspired.

-What audiences is this piece primary intend for? –the general public.

-What do technologies that transform live of people with disabilities often use? –electronic devices.

-Where was the device that enable Matt to move his artificial hand inserted? –his motor cortex.

-Something which is artificial is… -not natural.

-Within the context of the passage, decode means about the same as… -to interpret the meaning.

-To convert into means about the same as to… -change into.

-When something emerges, it… -appears.

 

-What can technology enable paralyzed people to do? –Paralyzed people can now control artificial limbs by thought alone.

-Go in forward, what would be the role of technological advancements in our lives? –It is powerful evidence that technological advancements will improve our lives.

-How does the device that enables deaf people to hear work? -This is possible because of the development of technologies which involve connecting the brain to a computer or other electronic devices.

-To what do the scientists connect Matt’s brain? -From the plate, thin cables were connected to a small computer which decodes the signals from the plate and converts them into commands.

 

Investors Beware!

When people talk about investing, they are always looking for the best advice. Many are willing to pay a lot for it. The problem with this, however, is that many financial advisors give the wrong advice.

Ultimately, decisions must be made by the investor. Here are some guidelines that may help investors save a lot of money. First, a key to successful investing is time itself. What makes many investors rich is that they have invested over a long time. This allows their investments to grow, even if they weren’t active investors. Unfortunately, most people don’t start saving enough until it’s too late. That lack of time limits the power of compounding. So the best advice is to start saving as soon as possible.

What about economic projections and earnings growth estimates? The truth is, nobody knows. What they really reflect are people’s feelings about the future. It’s interesting to note that someone who buys a low-cost index fund on average does better than someone who invests in an expensive fund managed by famous experts. With investing, simple and basic can earn a bigger return than complex and expensive. Sometimes the pros don’t know what they are talking about. They just talk as if they do.

What about risk and volatility? One thing for sure is that the stock market will fluctuate. Since 1900 one of the largest index funds has returned about 6% per year. Compare that to the average difference between any year’s highest close and lowest close which is 23%. When an expert tries to explain why the market is down, they are really trying to explain why the sun goes up and down.

And finally, beware! The financial industry is dominated by people whose only interest in your wealth is how much they can charge you. Unfortunately, the louder a financial experts is, the more exposure he will get even though he’s often wrong. This is one of the most important things to know about finance. Don’t be misled by experts.

 

-The style of this article is… -friendly and accessible.

-What does the article warn investors about? –Being misled by experts.

-Why should investors beware of many financial advisors? –Many financial advisors are only interested in charging fees.

-What is needed to take advantage of the power of compounding? –Sufficient time.

-If something is volatile, it… -changes rapidly and unpredictably.

 

-If something fluctuates, its value… -rises and falls in an irregular manner.

-An index fund is a type of investment… -that invests in all of the companies in a market index such as the S&P 500, which includes 500 companies.

-In investing, the market close refers to… -the value of the stock market at the end of the trading day.

-Why is it important to start saving early? -That lack of time limits the power of compounding.

-What kind of people dominate the finally industry? -The financial industry is dominated by people whose only interest in your wealth is how much they can charge you.