英语听力精选进阶版 7274

学习一门新的语言很不容易，特别是在拼写生词的时候更是如此。“根据发音来拼写的全球计划”（缩写为 SAYPU）旨在让每一个人都能根据单词的发音来拼写，并希望全球统一使用拉丁字母来进行拼写。

School children in English-speaking countries have difficulty spelling words such as 'people' and 'friend'. They contain the odd vowels¹ which are not pronounced. SAYPU suggests it is about time we started spelling what we pronounced and not just in English, but in all languages. Say, for instance, the word 'oui' - or 'yes' in French - would be spelled WEE and the word 'Leute' in German - meaning 'people' - as LOITE. The director of Logos Capital, Jaber George, who is launching the programme today, insists their aim is to help raise worldwide literacy levels by making spelling easier.

"One of the reasons why, in some cultures and in certain languages, there is higher illiteracy² rates than in others is because of the difficulty in learning how to read and write, and by having, actually, a phonetic³ alphabet, then you don't have this problem anymore; everyone will be able to read and write much more easily. So Esperanto, basically, is to have a single language spoken by everyone; here, what we are trying to do is just to have all these languages written using the same alphabet."

Even though there might be linguists⁴ out there frowning at the project already, Jaber insists their programme won't undermine the beauty and the playfulness of words and languages. They aim to create their own dictionary of words from around the world. And if you are so inclined, you could log in and add a word or two from your part of the world.

Quiz 听力测验

What is the aim of the new project-SAYPU?

To help raise worldwide literacy levels by making spelling easier.

True or false: The proposed idea is to have all the languages written in the same alphabet.

True.

True or false: All linguists like the new idea.

False, because the report said that there might be linguists out there frowning at the project already.

Explain the meaning of the underlined part of the following sentence: 'If you are so inclined, you could log in and add a word or two from your part of the world.'

If you like, you could log in and add a word or two from your part of the world.

Glossary 词汇表

vowels 元音

pronounced 发音，读音

literacy 读写能力

phonetic 语音的，按照拼写的读音

Esperanto 世界语

linguists 语言学家

frowning at （对某事）不赞同

undermine 削弱

playfulness 嬉闹，乐趣

so inclined 愿意（做某事）

1 vowels   

n.元音，元音字母( vowel的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Vowels possess greater sonority than consonants. 元音比辅音响亮。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Note the various sounds of vowels followed by r. 注意r跟随的各种元音的发音。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

2 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

3 phonetic   

adj.语言的，语言上的，表示语音的

参考例句：

• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。
• English phonetic teaching is an important teaching step in elementary stages.语音教学是英语基础阶段重要的教学环节。

4 linguists   

n.通晓数国语言的人( linguist的名词复数 )；语言学家

参考例句：

• The linguists went to study tribal languages in the field. 语言学家们去实地研究部落语言了。 来自辞典例句
• The linguists' main interest has been to analyze and describe languages. 语言学家的主要兴趣一直在于分析并描述语言。 来自辞典例句