英语听力精选进阶版 6221

Final Designs for London's New Buses Unveiled 伦敦推出最新版巴士设计

What is red but green, open but closed and old but new? Answer: London's stunning¹ new double-decker buses.

The traditional red double-deckers are a symbol of London. Their iconic status was sealed in 2008 when one bus made the longer-than-usual trip to Beijing to collect a very special passenger: the Olympic Flame.

Now a new bus design has been unveiled and it has been wowing Londoners.

The new bus uses more efficient green technology and has two staircases and an open platform, enabling people to hop² on and hop off. It also has a unique asymmetric³ design for the front end, which gives it a futuristic look.

Despite its innovations the design is not all new. Its exterior⁴ is very reminiscent of London's faithful old double-decker, the Routemaster.

In December 2005 the original Routemaster was withdrawn⁵ from general service for accessibility and environmental reasons, but it can still be seen on two heritage routes in London.

In July 2008 a competition was launched by the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, to design a new Routemaster bus for the capital. There were over 700 entries, with several designers jointly⁶ winning the ￡25,000 (244,000 Yuan) prize.

The new double-deckers, which have three doors to speed up boarding, are expected to be in service in 2012.

Mr Johnson said: "This iconic new part of our transport system is not only beautiful, but also has a green heart beating beneath its stylish⁷, swooshing exterior".

He expects cities around the globe to be "beside themselves with envy" for what he described as a "stunning red emblem⁸" of 21st-century London.

However, Mr Johnson has not yet persuaded everyone to climb on board. The mayor has been criticised by some for the high cost of the new buses. A normal double-decker bus costs around ￡190,000 (around 1,900,000 Yuan) but it has cost ￡7.8m (76,000,000 Yuan) to design and build five new ones.

Glossary 词汇表

double-decker 双层巴士 

iconic 标志性的 

sealed 盖上印章 

unveiled 揭开面纱/剪彩 

wowing 让人惊叹 

hop on and hop off 跳上 跳下 

asymmetric 不对称的 

futuristic 极新潮的 

reminiscent of 怀旧的 

Routemaster 马路大师（伦敦老版巴士车的名字） 

accessibility 便于残疾人使用 

heritage routes 游览线路 

launched 发布 

entries 参赛作品 

boarding 登车、船或飞机 

swooshing exterior 旋弧形外观 

beside themselves with envy 羡慕生嫉妒 

stunning 惊艳的 

emblem 标志/象征 

on board 上车/入伙

1 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

2 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

3 asymmetric   

a.不对称的

参考例句：

• Most people's faces are asymmetric. 大多数人的脸不对称。
• We have made no reference to asymmetric carbon atoms. 我们未曾涉及不对称碳原子。

4 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

5 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

6 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

7 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

8 emblem   

n.象征，标志；徽章

参考例句：

• Her shirt has the company emblem on it.她的衬衫印有公司的标记。
• The eagle was an emblem of strength and courage.鹰是力量和勇气的象征。