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英语听力精选进阶版 6387
The UK government has said that from 2014, it will ban calculators in maths tests for primary school children in England. All 11-year-olds sit three maths tests. Pupils are allowed to use a calculator in the hardest of these. A sample question is: Ti
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英语听力精选进阶版 6388
Perhaps because of traditional beliefs that men are tougher than women, it's common for British people these days to joke about men's weaknesses. A man who complains he's ill with a cold might be told he just has 'man flu.' The implication is a woman
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英语听力精选进阶版 6389
A BBC investigation has highlighted the growing problem of an industry where students can try to deceive teachers by paying to have their coursework written for them. Tucked away in the windows of newsagents across London, in amongst the postcards ad
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英语听力精选进阶版 6390
The first ever portable computer was very big and very heavy. Released in 1981, it weighed nearly 11 kilos and folded up, it looked a bit like you were carrying a sewing machine. But at least there wasn't much chance you'd leave it on the bus - unlik
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英语听力精选进阶版 6391
The fall from grace of retired General David Petraeus, once America's most prominent post-9/11 military leader, has surprised a nation. In the past he's been held in high esteem and has even been mentioned as a future presidential candidate. But afte
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英语听力精选进阶版 6392
Christmas. A family gathered around the Christmas tree, showing how much they love each other, through the presents they give. Or... a ruthless battle for relationship control. In Christmas-celebrating nations, millions of pounds a year are spent on
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英语听力精选进阶版 6393
In the UK, we throw away more than 7 million tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year. At least half of that food is perfectly edible. One reason for this is a problem with portions we keep on cooking more than we can eat. And most people j
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英语听力精选进阶版 6394
We expect companies selling products to make them as available as possible. But now some of them are bringing back rationing. As you might expect, it's all part of a plan to make us spend more, not less. Once upon a time, goods were scarce, and hard
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英语听力精选进阶版 6395
Whenever anyone measures educational success, East Asian countries are always top scorers. But in a recent league table, a European country, Finland, was top of the class. South Korea was still in second place, though. Britain was at number 6. What i
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英语听力精选进阶版 6396
What would you pack for a six-month trek on the coldest continent in the world? Bear in mind that there'll be no shops around and no help from home. That's the challenge the British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes faces as he prepares to lead a six-stro
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英语听力精选进阶版 6397
How can you tell if someone's lying? The answer is, they're probably not. Traditional economics says that people are rational beings who will lie if it's to their advantage. A recent university study has shown that, actually, we're pretty honest - es
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英语听力精选进阶版 6398
Do you think of yourself as a bit of an expert at board games like chess or Go? Maybe you're not quite as good as you think. New research from the University of Manchester and the University of Oxford suggests complex games like these are impossible
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英语听力精选进阶版 6399
In English the colour green is associated with jealousy, which is sometimes jokingly called 'the green-eyed monster'. But it's no joke when jealousy takes over your life. Researchers are only starting to understand how jealousy can go wrong in the hu
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英语听力精选进阶版 6400
Do you know the open-air art gallery in London's Blackall Street? Not many Londoners know it either, but Henri does and he is willing to show it to you. Henri used to sleep rough until he met a charity that helps homeless people get back on their fee
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英语听力精选进阶版 6401
Cookie is a hero! This pet parrot's courage was celebrated in a news article after he saved his teenage owner when a fire broke out in their home in Wales. The bird flapped its wings and squawked to alert Ben Rees to the blaze. He fled, Cookie died.
