英语听力精选进阶版 11238

 

Binge 

Professor David Crystal 

Going on 'a binge' has a long linguistic¹ history. It means 'a heavy 

drinking bout²', and goes right back to the 1850s, both as a noun 

and as a verb – you didn't need the word 'drinking', 'binge' meant 

drinking in those days.  

But, you see, in recent times, all sorts of other meanings have 

come along. In the 1970s, people referred to eating heavily as 

'binge eating' – it was a disorder³, an actual medical condition, you 

would see a doctor about it.  

And then, the wheel turned full circle. 'Binge drinking' – people 

who drink in order to get drunk, drinking large quantities quickly, 

and for fun. And so you get other uses then like, 'he's a binge 

drinker' or 'they're binge drinkers'. And then, not just alcoholic⁴ drink, any kind of 

stuff you put into our body. Somebody was on a caffeine binge – too much coffee. 

A chocolate binge – too much chocolate. People now go on binge shopping 

sprees - binge shopping. And also, of course, you get it in the context of drugs - 

cocaine⁵ binge, crack binge. 

And the people who do these things? They're bingers. 

1 linguistic   

adj.语言的，语言学的

参考例句：

• She is pursuing her linguistic researches.她在从事语言学的研究。
• The ability to write is a supreme test of linguistic competence.写作能力是对语言能力的最高形式的测试。

2 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

3 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

4 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

5 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。