英语听力精选进阶版 6460

What's the allure¹ of coffee shops? It's been said that JK Rowling wrote the Harry² Potter books sitting in one in Edinburgh.

Many people spend hours in these places nursing a coffee as they work away on their laptops. But if you're spending all day buying one expensive coffee after another and haven't sold your first novel yet, the costs can really add up.

For those who work outside of a traditional office or just want to take time out, there's a new alternative in London: a pay-per-minute café.

You can linger³ for as long as you like in the Ziferblat coffee shop. You'll be given a clock when you come in to keep time. When you leave, you return the item and pay the bill.

The cost of hanging out, eating, working and meeting new people in the place is 3p per minute - or ￡1.80 an hour. The shop's owner, Ivan Meetin, says: "Everything is free, except the time you spend there".

Customers help themselves to coffee and cookies. They can also bring their own food to eat on the premises⁴ while accessing the internet through wi-fi.

Meetin's customers clearly are not the types who rush to work with a paper cup to drink from at their desks. They are there for the ambience. The new coffee shop's atmosphere is relaxed and a bit bohemian. Informality is at the heart of Meetin's concept⁵. He's always loved the idea of building his own house. "With my mates⁶, we were building treehouses where rules of society didn't exist," he says.

Meetin believes his coffee shop is a bit like "social media", but with a face. Like-minded people go there to socialise. Some feel so much at home that they wash the dishes.

The concept of coffee shops, where you pay for the time and not for the cup, has proved popular in Russia. Ziferblat is part of a Russian chain. Only time will tell if the British will warm to the idea.

I'd like to try it at least once. Who knows - I might even start writing my own novel. If coffee shops are good enough for JK Rowling to spend quality time in, why can't I?

Quiz 测验

1. Who wrote a book in a coffee shop?

JK Rowling.

2. What can you get for free in the pay-per-minute coffee shop?

Coffee, food and internet access.

3. What kind of customer might not go to Meetin's coffee shop?

People in a hurry who just want coffee to take away.

4. Which expression means people who think the same way?

Like-minded people.

5. Which verb in English is applied⁷ to using up time or money?

To spend.

Glossary 词汇表

allure 魅力

to spend 度过（时光）

to nurse 慢慢喝(咖啡)

to add up 累计

to take time out 抽出时间休息

pay-per-minute 按分钟付费

a café 一个咖啡店

to linger 逗留

to keep time 计时

to hang out 出去玩、消遣

to help (yourself) 自己拿取东西

the premises 场地

wi-fi 无线网络

to rush 匆忙赶去

ambience 氛围

bohemian 波西米亚式的，不拘于传统的

like-minded 志同道合的

to warm to 接受，喜欢

quality time 优质、宝贵时光

1 allure   

n.诱惑力，魅力；vt.诱惑，引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• The window displays allure customers to buy goods.橱窗陈列品吸引顾客购买货物。
• The book has a certain allure for which it is hard to find a reason.这本书有一种难以解释的魅力。

2 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

3 linger   

vt.消磨，无所事事；vi.逗留，消磨，徘徊，漫步

参考例句：

• Don't linger away your holidays,try to find something useful to do.不要虚度假日，尽量找些有意义的事做。
• His last words still linger in our ears.他的临终嘱咐仍萦绕在我们耳际。

4 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

5 concept   

n.概念，观念，思想

参考例句：

• A small baby has no concept of right and wrong.婴儿没有是非概念。
• He was asked to define his concept of cool.他被要求说明自己关于“酷”的定义。

6 mates   

[英]伙伴( mate的名词复数 )； 同伴； （非正式）配偶； （熟练工人的）助手

参考例句：

• He's out boozing with his mates. 他和他的朋友们喝酒去了。
• They've been best mates since school. 他们从上学时期以来就是最要好的朋友。

7 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。