英语听力精选进阶版 6149

Our Christmas Message 我们的祝语

Every week Take Away English reports on interesting events and fascinating people in the UK and around the world, but this week we are talking directly to you to tell you all about our Christmas and New Year Plans.

Firstly, let’s hear from Alison, the editor of the China Team, who is having a family Christmas followed by a wild New Year:

"For New Year, I'm taking a trip to Hamburg in Germany. I am going to a New Year's party in a restaurant, there'll be a gourmet¹ menu with champagne² and then dancing and fireworks at midnight outside. In Germany they like to let off fireworks that bang³ loudly," says Alison.

Emily, our broadcast assistant, is looking forward to some traditional Christmas fare with her family after exchanging presents.

"Before dinner we give each other presents around the Christmas tree. For dinner we eat all the traditional food such as turkey, potatoes, Brussels sprouts⁴, and Christmas pudding; and after dinner we play party games, eat chocolates, sweets, nuts, and drink wine," says Emily.

But what about our Chinese colleagues, how do they celebrate at this time of year? Producer Helen has a baby boy, who can complicate⁵ Christmas.

"I'm spending this Christmas with my family at my home in London. It's going to be my son Leonard's second Christmas, so we have made a bit of effort putting up a few baby-friendly decorations in our flat.

"We've got a few pots of poinsettias which are big red flowers with a very Christmas feel, and there are no prickly needles, so Leonard is safe from causing disasters," says Helen.

As for our writer Diarmuid, he is flying to France to visit his family there for a gastronomic⁶ yuletide celebration.

"Having Christmas in France means there will be a fantastic variety of delicious French wines to enjoy. Who knows? I might even bring some back for the team," he says.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

fascinating 精彩的，迷人的

editor 编辑

wild 疯狂的

gourmet 美食

fireworks 烟花

let off 放（烟花）

bang 突然巨响

broadcast assistant 广播助理

traditional 传统的

fare 可口佳肴 

turkey 火鸡

Brussels sprouts 抱子甘蓝（俗称小洋白菜）

nuts 坚果

decorations 装饰  

poinsettias 猩猩木

prickly needles 荆棘

disasters 灾难

gastronomic 美食学的

yuletide 圣诞节 （古语）

wines 葡萄酒

1 gourmet   

n.食物品尝家；adj.出于美食家之手的

参考例句：

• What does a gourmet writer do? 美食评论家做什么？
• A gourmet like him always eats in expensive restaurants.像他这样的美食家总是到豪华的餐馆用餐。

2 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

3 bang   

n.巨响，猛击；vi.砰砰作响；vt.砰地敲，猛击

参考例句：

• Pack it up, you kids;or I'll bang your heads together!住手，你们这些小孩，再弄就揍你们！
• She fell and got a nasty bang on the knee.她摔倒了，膝盖猛撞在地上。

4 sprouts   

n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• The wheat sprouts grew perceptibly after the rain. 下了一场雨，麦苗立刻见长。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The sprouts have pushed up the earth. 嫩芽把土顶起来了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

6 gastronomic   

adj.美食（烹饪）法的，烹任学的

参考例句：

• The gastronomic restaurant is a feature of the hotel. 美食餐厅是这家饭店的一个特色。 来自互联网
• The restaurant offers a special gastronomic menu. 这家餐馆备有一份特别的美食菜单。 来自互联网