英语听力精选进阶版 7262

全球都在学英语，而且有越来越多的人出国学习，爱尔兰就是其中之一。该国的语言学校说尽管经济不景气，可是他们的生意却越来越兴隆。

Oliver Lyons runs the Swan Institute, which has been a fixture¹ on Dublin's main shopping street for the past decade. His school attracts around 4,000 students a year from Europe and beyond, with more and more coming from the Middle East and China.

This year, many schools like Oliver's are reporting extra business, due, they think, to the Olympics in London. Some even suggest that reports of higher costs for accommodation and flights into the UK might have led more students to choose Ireland. And the Irish accent, rather than being viewed as a handicap², is actually quite sought after by students, Oliver says: "Irish English tends to be pretty clear in its pronunciation, easier to actually study. People have said that, for example, in the UK, in advertising³ agencies⁴, the Irish accent is considered attractive because it's got no particular class connotation, and it's a warm, friendly inflection and tone⁵. I think people find that attractive."

And how do you tell if someone's studied English here or not? The clue is in what Oliver tells me is the rhotic ‘r’:

"In Irish English when we speak we simply put the 'r' - we pronounce it when it's actually there, when it's not there, we don't pronounce it."

"So give me an example - a difference between …"

"Law. When we say 'the law', we don't say 'the law-r'."

So next time you meet an English language student, listen out for that 'r'. Apparently⁶, it's a giveaway.

Quiz 听力测试

Has the economic downturn reduced the number of students going to Ireland to learn English?

No. There are more and more students going to Ireland to study.

Why do some people prefer to learn Irish Engilsh?

''Irish English tends to be pretty clear in its pronunciation, easier to actually study''.

Can you tell an Irish speaker’s social status from the way he/she speaks?

No. Irish English is said to have no particular class connotation, according to Oliver Lyons.

What does the word 'giveaway' mean?

It means something that makes it very easy to guess.

Glossary⁷ 词汇表

A fixture on 一个固定的部分

beyond 更远的/...之外的

handicap 弱点

sought after 寻求，追求

class connotation 社会等级内涵

inflection 音调变化

tone 语气/音调

clue 线索

the rhotic 'r' （英语方言）有r儿音的。 在爱尔兰英语里，字母 'r' 一般都要读出'r'音来，这一点同英语不一样 (比如 butter, hard, world)

it's a giveaway 无意中泄露的事(或物)

1 fixture   

n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款

参考例句：

• Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
• The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。

2 handicap   

n.障碍（身体或智力方面的），缺陷；vt.妨碍

参考例句：

• Losing our best player was a handicap to the team.失去最棒的运动员对我队不利。
• His physical handicap prevented him from standing.因为他身体残废，无法站立。

3 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

4 agencies   

n.代理( agency的名词复数 )；服务机构；（政府的）专门机构；代理（或经销）业务（或关系）

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations. 联合国有许多专门机构。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The project is funded by the World Bank and other multilateral agencies. 这项计划由世界银行和其他多国机构资助。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。

6 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

7 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。