Unit 4 Can Time Move Backward?
Part Ⅰ Getting ready
If you read a clock, you can know the time of day. But no one knows what time itself is. We cannot see it; we cannot touch it; we cannot hear it. We know it only by the way we mark its passing. Despite of all our success in measuring the smallest parts of time, time itself is still one of the great mysteries of the universe.
A The following words and phrases will appear in this unit. All of them are related to time. Listen carefully and study the definitions.
1. a quarter: fifteen minutes
2. half: thirty minutes
3. set: put to the right time
4. sharp: exactly at the stated time
5. be off: be slow
6. local time: the time system in a particular part of the world
7. sundial: an apparatus, used in former times, which shows the time according to where the shadow of a pointer falls
8. hourglass: a glass container for measuring time, which is narrow in the middle so that the sand inside can run slowly from the top half to the bottom, taking exactly one hour
9. time zone: any of the 24, each about 15 °wide, into which the Earth is divided for the purpose of keeping time.
10. GMT: Greenwich Mean Time
There are four ways of referring to time. For example, 10:35 p.m. can be called twenty-five minutes to eleven in the evening in Britain, twenty-five minutes till / of eleven in the evening in America, ten thirty-five in the evening in a 12-hour clock, and twenty-two thirty-five hours in a 24-hour clock. The 24-hour clock is not commonly used in conversation. It is used especially in timetables and at some radio stations.
B You are going to hear eight short dialogues concerning time. As you listen, choose from the following the clock which gives the time at which each dialogue takes place and write the number of the dialogue in the brackets above it.
We can use a clock or a watch to mark the passing of time. But what time is it now? Clocks in different parts of the world do not show the same time at the same time.
C You are going to hear five statements about time difference. Complete the following sentences.
1. When it is and ________ in Tokyo, it is ________ in New York and ________ in Hong Kong.
2. When it is________ in Melbourne, it is ________ in Denver and ________ in Baghdad.
3. When it is ________ in Singapore, it is ________ in Miami and ________ in Honolulu.
4. When it is ________ in Mexico City, it is ________ in Guam and ________ in Rome.
5. When it is ________ in London, it is ________ in Shanghai and ________ in Stantiago.
Part Ⅱ Local time
The time on the earth is set by the sun's position in the sky above. We all have a twelve o'clock noon each day. Noon is the time when the sun is the highest in the sky. But when it is twelve o'clock noon where I am, it may be ten o'clock at night where you are. So it is extremely important to know the local time while travelling.
A You are going to hear an announcement made on a plane during landing. Write down every word as a dictation. It will be read three times. In the first reading, you will hear the whole announcement from beginning to end. In the second reading, you will hear a pause after each sentence or just part of a sentence. During the pause, you must write down what you have just heard as quickly as possible. You can check what you have written with the third reading.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
B You are going to hear a recorded phone call. While listening for the first time, add more key words if you can in the left-hand column. After the second listening, complete the messages in the right-hand column with the help of the notes.
Messages
From: __________ from _____________
To: _____________________________
Messages:
1. He will not be ________ in Melbourne until quite ________ this ________, at ________ a.m. ________ time.
2. He wants to ________ whether ________ Cox will still be able to ________ him or not.
3. ________ the ________ Hotel that he'll be arriving very ________.
4. Telex or ________ him to ________.
C Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the phonecall.
Part Ⅲ Ladies and gentlemen
There are all kinds of announcements: airport announcements, railway announcements, wedding announcements, radio announcements, TV announcements, meeting announcements, etc. Time and place are usually the most important two features of an announcement.
A You are going to hear some announcements made by Professor Williams at the final plenary session of an international conference on urban planning. The following vocabulary is used in the conversation. Guess the meaning when you hear these words in the announcements. Match them with their definitions. Write the correct number before each definition. While you listen don't forget to add more key words in the notes column. They will be very helpful for the next section.
1. session __ something that makes you think of a particular person, event, or action
2. urban __ those who are in charge and who decide when each person is allowed to speak at an official meeting or debate
3. domestic __ a meeting or period of time used for a particular purpose or activity
4. lodge __ fruitful, rewarding
5. chairpeople __ a large motor vehicle which carries passengers on long journeys by road
6. coach __ belonging to or relating to a town or a city
7. reprints __ a large gathering of people who meet to discuss the business of their organisation or political group
8. reminder __ concerned with the running of a home and family
9. convention __ a copy of a book which has been reprinted
10. productive __ a small house at the entrance to the grounds of a large house, often used as the home of a gatekeeper or other servant
B Below are Professor Williams's notes for the announcements. Listen to his announcements again and fill in the missing information.
1. Move ________ discussion of urban ________ to Room ________.
2. Domestic ________ session will be changed from Room ________ to Room ________.
3. Return ________ to ________ lodge before ________.
4. Return discussion ________ to session ________ by ________ o'clock this ________. That's ________ hundred hours.
5. First ________ for airport will be outside Kennedy Building at ________ p.m. That's ________ hours.
6. Second ________ will be at ________ p.m. That's ________ hours.
7. Ask delegates to arrive at least ________ before ________.
8. Ask Drs Schapsinger. Garbeldi and Surinander to ________ reprints from conference ________ before ________.
9. Dr. Goldman (Chicago ________) ________th Annual ________ of PES, in ________, in Hawaii. Ask interested parties to leave ________ at ________ desk.
C Now try this: Dr. Collins is a delegate at the conference, and has been attending the sessions on computer-aided building design. This morning he took notes of the discussion he attended. He is leaving the conference today and is booked on the 17:15 plane. He has always wanted to visit Hawaii. Listen to some more authentic versions of the announcements and decide what Dr. Collins will do after he has heard the announcements. Tick all the possible answers.
1. Go to Room 201.
2. Go to Room 304.
3. Get the keys and return them to the conference desk.
4. Leave the keys in his room.
5. Hand in the notes he took during the morning discussion to the session chairpeople before 5 p.m.
6. Wait outside the Kennedy Building at 3:20 p.m.
7. Wait outside the Kennedy Building at 5:10 p.m.
8. Collect reprints from the conference desk.
9. Mark October 6th in his calendar.
10. Leave his name at the conference desk.
Part Ⅳ More about the topic: Timing Devices
In the former times people used sundials and hourglasses to measure time. Now we use clocks and watches. There are many kinds of clocks, to name some: alarm clock, travelling alarm clock, carriage clock, grandfather clock, cuckoo clock, and digital clock.
The following short passage is about timing devices. Supply the missing words while listening.
Humans have used many devices to ________ time. The sundial was one of the ________ and ________.
A sundial measures the movement of the sun ________ the sky each day. It has a ________ or other_______that rises above a flat ________. The stick blocking sunlight ________ a shadow. As the sun ________, so does the ________ of the stick across the flat surface. Marks on the surface show the passing of ________ and perhaps _______. The sundial works well only when the sun is ________, so other ways were ________ to measure the passing of time.
One device is the hourglass. It uses a thin string of falling sand to measure time. The hourglass is shaped like the number "________" wide at the ________ and ________, but very thin in the ________. In a true hourglass, it takes ________ one hour for all the sand to ________ from the ________ to the________ through a very small opening in the ________. When the hourglass is turned with the ________ down, it begins to ________ the passing of another ________.
By the ________ century, people had developed mechanical ________ and ________. And today, many of our clocks and watches are ________.
As international communications and ________ increased, it became ________ that it would be necessary to establish a ________ time for all parts of the world. In ________, an international __________ divided the world into __________ time areas or__________. Each zone represents __________ hour. The astronomical observatory in Greenwich England was chosen as the ________ point for the time zones. __________ zones are __________ of Greenwich; __________ are __________. The time at Greenwich as __________ by the sun is called _________ time. For many years, it was called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Part Ⅴ Memory test: Radio Announcement
Do you like listening to the radio? Are you fond of watching TV? Knowing the exact time of your favourite programme can save a lot of time.
You are going to hear a radio announcer describing tonight's programmes (preferably only one time). After that several questions will be asked. Find the right answers as quickly as possible according to the notes you have taken while listening.
Notes
____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________
____________________ ____________________
1. a. 1 b. 2 c. 3
2. a. 1 b. 2 c. 3
3. a. 1 b. 2 c. 3
4. a. Tuesday
b. Wednesday
c. Thursday
d. Friday
5. a. My Favourite Discs
b. Tommy Brian Show
c. La Traviata
b. Tommy Brian Show
6. a. My Favourite Discs
b. Tommy Brian Show
c. La Traviata
d. Old People Talking
7. a. Jenny Lindley with her friends
b. James Farmer with his friends
c. Felicity Newcombe with her friends
d. Joe Newland with his friends
8. a. Scotland
b. St. Paul
c. Middle East
d. Albeit Hall
9. a. 11:00 b. 7:30 c. 9:15 d. 8:00
10. a. 11:00 b. 7:30 c. 9:15 d. 9:00
Part Ⅵ Reminder of key points in this unit
Verb & Verb Phrase Noun & Noun Phrase Other
Part Ⅰ set a quarter exactly
be off appointment sharp
time difference
Part Ⅱ remain seated local time royal
hold on a moment announcement
inform final position
telex crew
confirm flu
be in touch with
Part Ⅲ mention session urban
regard conference domestic
have sb's attention pollution promptly
shelter particular
porter's lodge annual
discussion record productive
chairpeople
coach
departure time
reprint reminder
convention
calendar
Part Ⅳ measure device mechanical
block sundial electronic
create surface common
invent shadow astronomical
turn upside down hourglass universal
mark opening
establish communication
represent time area/zone
observatory
starting point
Greenwich Mean Time
Part Ⅴ influence announcer favourite
stay tuned pensioner social
disc interval
career continuous
service pop
broadcast live
major role
adventure
interview
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