英语听力精选进阶版 6360

What have former French President Nicholas Sarkozy, ex-Beatles singer John Lennon and female tennis champion Maria Sharapova got in common? They all share a passion for philately, or stamp collecting.

As fewer people send letters to one another, the hobby of stamp collecting has steadily¹ been in decline. But, in tough economic times, the market for desirable stamps has been booming.

A rare stamp in mint condition can hold real value. Collectable or limited-edition stamps can sell for many times their original value. Stamps can even attract serious investors²: the Treskilling Yellow, a Swedish stamp originally printed in 1855, was sold at a private auction³ in 2010 for the sum of $2.3 million (14.6 million yuan).

Stamp memorabilia is also a flourishing business, as they provide great souvenirs for important occasions. They can commemorate⁴ important anniversaries, such as Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee⁵, or celebrate enduring cultural icons⁶, like The Beatles. Some argue that stamp collecting is also a great way to learn about other nations and their cultures.

Interest in stamp collecting has also grown in emerging economies, such as India and Brazil, as it provides a sound and stable investment opportunity for collectors. In China, where stamp collecting was once seen as a potentially subversive⁷ activity, it is now a thriving hobby for millions. Chinese stamps produced in the 1960s during the Cultural Revolution are especially highly-prized, compared with European stamps from the same period.

In the UK, the Royal Mail recently issued a variety of stamps to honour each gold medal winner from Great Britain's successful Olympic team. Stamps are therefore used as a way to venerate⁸ national heroes.

Although she herself appears on many UK and Commonwealth⁹ stamps, one of the largest collections belongs to Queen Elizabeth II, as she inherited the treasured set from her father, King George V. He amassed¹⁰ a huge compendium¹¹ after visiting many countries around the world.

So, while some people see stamp collecting as a boring sideline for grey-haired men, it can prove to be an educational and financially astute¹² pastime.

Quiz 测验

What other name can be used to describe stamp collecting?

philately

What phrase describes an item in a perfect form?

in mint condition

What is the collective term for souvenirs and collectables?

memorabilia

What verb means to honour or revere¹³?

to venerate

What other word in used to describe a collection?

compendium

Glossary 词汇表

philately 集邮，集邮者

desirable 抢手的，中意的

in mint condition 崭新的

collectable 可收集物，珍藏物

limited edition 限量版

memorabilia 纪念品

flourishing 繁荣兴旺的

souvenirs 纪念品

commemorate 纪念

enduring 持久的

icons 偶像人物

sound 明智的，可靠的

subversive 颠覆性的

thriving 繁荣兴旺的

highly-prized 被视为珍宝的

issued 发行

honour （以示）纪念

venerate 尊敬

inherited 继承的

treasured 珍视的

amassed 积聚，收集

compendium 概略（成套的邮票）

sideline 副业

astute 精明的

1 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

2 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

3 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

4 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

5 jubilee   

n.周年纪念；欢乐

参考例句：

• They had a big jubilee to celebrate the victory.他们举行盛大的周年纪念活动以祝贺胜利。
• Every Jubilee,to take the opposite case,has served a function.反过来说，历次君主巡幸，都曾起到某种作用。

6 icons   

n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像

参考例句：

• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons. 用图标来区分重要的文本项。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Daemonic icons should only be employed persistently if they provide continuous, useful status information. 只有会连续地提供有用状态信息的情况下，后台应用程序才应该一直使用图标。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

7 subversive   

adj.颠覆性的，破坏性的；n.破坏份子，危险份子

参考例句：

• She was seen as a potentially subversive within the party.她被看成党内潜在的颠覆分子。
• The police is investigating subversive group in the student organization.警方正调查学生组织中的搞颠覆阴谋的集团。

8 venerate   

v.尊敬，崇敬，崇拜

参考例句：

• They came to venerate him as a symbolic figure.他们把他当作偶像来崇拜。
• We were taught to venerate the glorious example of our heroes and martyrs.我们受到教导要崇敬英雄、烈士的光辉榜样。

9 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

10 amassed   

v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He amassed a fortune from silver mining. 他靠开采银矿积累了一笔财富。
• They have amassed a fortune in just a few years. 他们在几年的时间里就聚集了一笔财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 compendium   

n.简要，概略

参考例句：

• The Compendium of Materia Medica has been held in high esteem since it was first published.“本草纲目”问世之后，深受人们的推重。
• The book is a compendium of their poetry,religion and philosophy.这本书是他们诗歌、宗教和哲学的概略。

12 astute   

adj.机敏的，精明的

参考例句：

• A good leader must be an astute judge of ability.一个优秀的领导人必须善于识别人的能力。
• The criminal was very astute and well matched the detective in intelligence.这个罪犯非常狡猾，足以对付侦探的机智。

13 revere   

vt.尊崇，崇敬，敬畏

参考例句：

• Students revere the old professors.学生们十分尊敬那些老教授。
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven.中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。