Activity 1 Weather forecast
A Listen to the weather forecast. Supply the missing information.
Areas Weather conditions Temperatures
Mexico City Mostly cloudy _____________
Buenos Aries __________________ _____________
La Paz Partly sunny _____________
Kingston(Jamaica) Periods of clouds and sun-
shine, windy, very humid _____________
Algiers Sunny and breezy _____________
Abidjan __________________ _____________
Capetown Partly sunny _____________
Dallas __________________ _____________
Nairobi Partly sunny _____________
Cairo Sunny, hot, humid _____________
Jerusalem __________________ _____________
Teheran Mostly sunny _____________
Berlin __________________ _____________
London Partly sunny _____________
Belgrade __________________ _____________
Moscow Rainy, breezy and cool _____________
B Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the weather forecast.
Activity 2 National Geographic Society
The following passage is about the National Geographic Society. Supply the missing words while listening.
The National Geographic Society began ______ years ago. In January, _______, 33 men gathered at a social ________ in Washington. The group included scientists, _____________, military officers and __________. Most of them had traveled _________. They were excited about new __________ and they believed in the importance of __________ -the study of the earth. All of them believed in the idea that travel helped people understand their ________ and other __________. So they established the National Geographic Society.
The __________ of the National Geographic-Explorers' Hall-is filled with _______ that use modern technology to explain the world and its ____________.
Explorers' Hall has more than traditional _________ of museum exhibits where visitors look at objects behind __________. It has things for visitors to do. For example, there are television __________ showing video picture. But you do not just watch them. You interact with the __________ by touching the screen to answer __________ for example.
One of the interactive exhibits is an international __________ report. It tells the __________ weather for all areas of the world. You touch a television screen to see __________ about the area you are interested in. You can find out the __________ and rain fall and you can see __________ pictures of weather ________ in the area.
Several exhibits of the National Geographic include remote control microscopes. You move the _____________ from a distance. Then you see through them for a close __________. These exhibits are among the most popular with _________. As you walk through Explorers' Hall, you can hear __________ calling to each other. "Come here, look at this!" Such __________ about geography is the ________ of Explorers' Hall. Using the tools of modern __________ such as satellite pictures and robot microscopes make the subject of geography come __________.
Since __________ the National Geographic Society has supported more than __________ explorations and research projects. In __________. researchers supported by the Society found the British __________ ship Titanic on the bottom of the Atlantic __________.
The Society's committee for research and __________ spends more than __________ a year. It gives money to scientists working in subjects from archeology to __________. Its support increasingly goes to research that helps protect the Earth's natural __________. This includes studies of different kinds of ________ and animals that are in __________ of dying out.
The official record of the Society-a ________ called "National Geographic" -is sent around the world every __________ to more than __________ members of National Geographic. Through the years, the Society has added new __________ to spread information to the _______. It continues to expand through television programs, books, _______, movies and other educational __________.
The educational __________ used by the National Geographic Society have changed in the past __________ years. Yet the Society's __________ remains the same. It works to increase __________ and help people understand the complex __________ of the world we share.
Activity 3 Environmental issues
Listen to the interview. Complete the outline.
Outline
Ⅰ. ___________________________________________________________
A. difficult to make a hierarchy of worry
B. rain forests concentrated on most by the campaigning organization
Ⅱ. ___________________________________________________________
A. countries depending on them
e.g. people depending on them for their livelihood and the quality of their environment
B. the biological richness of the rain forests
e.g. more than 60% of the world's species found in
C. _______________________________
Activity 4 Learning a language in another country
Listen to a radio broadcast by a foreign journalist in Japan talking about some of his experiences there. Complete the flow diagram.
Activity 5 Quiz game
A Listen to the following radio quiz game. Who are those people in the panel? Supply the missing information.
Names Occupation
Tim Brown _____________________
Maxine Morgan _____________________
David Walker _____________________
Laura Dennison _____________________
B Now listen again. Put a mark beside each question. Put a tick if it is true. If it is false, put a cross. Finally write down who that person is.
Questions True or false Questions True or false
Alive _____________ Australian ______________
A fictional _____________ American ______________
character
A real person _____________ A writer ______________
British _____________ Anything to do ______________
with peace
From Europe _____________ Famous as an ______________
entertainer
Conclusion: ________________________________________________
Activity 6 Differences between American education and British education
Listen to Mike comparing American education with British education. Supply the missing information.
According to Mike:
American education
Ⅰ. ______________
Example: senior high- ________ different subjects, such as PE, Social Studies, Mathematics
Ⅱ. _______________ varying from _______________
British education
1. Deep / not ________
Example 1: "A" levels in English schools ≈ _______________
Example 2: "A" levels- _______________
Activity 7 Disaster
A Listen to the following report. Supply the information.
Event: ______________________________________________________
Time: _______________________________________________________
Place: ______________________________________________________
Estimated death toll: _______________________________________
Estimated relief cost: $ 15 million's worth of _______________
Aids offered by other countries:
1. the European Community: ________________________________
2. Saudi Arabia: 3 plane loads of _________________________
3. India: _________________________________________________
4. The U.S.: _____________ and more would be made available
5. The British Charity Oxfam: food and water purification tablets
B Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the report.
Activity 8 The hottest year
Listen to the report. Complete the outline.
Outline
Ⅰ. 1998-the hottest year
A. average surface temperature worldwide-0.7 ℃ higher than the one at the end of the 19th century
B. average temperature- _________________________________
C. almost all land areas-having above-average temperatures
Ⅱ. _________________________________________________________
A. severe storms and flooding
B. driest period
C. ______________________________________________________
Ⅲ. Prediction and impact
A. surface temperatures rising by ________ during the next ________
B. ice in Antarctica & near the Arctic circle melting
C. sea levels rising by about _________ by the year ________
D. more flooding
E. small islands disappearing
Activity 9 Pets
The following passage is about pets. Supply the missing words while listening.
What animals Americans keep as ________? Americans keep many kinds of animals as pets including ________, cats, birds, horses, snakes and __________. Other pets are not as __________.
Unusual pets can cause __________ problems. A few years ago, police in a Californian city went to investigate __________ coming from a house. What they found was __________ the kind of family fight they expected. The family's large ________ was being attacked by _______ family pet.
The most common American pets are dogs and ________. Americans now own __________ cats than dogs. Cats are especially __________ with people who live in __________. Cats are easier to care for than dogs. They can live comfortably in __________ living spaces. Dogs were more popular when there was a lot of __________ land where they could run and __________.
This year what may be the most popular pets in America are not _________. They are toys known as "Virtual Pets". They are seen on an extremely small __________ screen. Each toy shows a picture of a cat, dog, _________ or space creature. The "Virtual Pet" must be cared for by its _______ who pushes buttons on the device to __________ it, or clean it. The pet makes a beeping _________ when it needs such care. The "Virtual Pet" ________ larger on the computer screen as its owner meets its ________. If the owner does not do this, the "Virtual Pet" _______.
This has caused problems in ________ of American homes as schools ________ to permit the toy pets in class. Some _______ take care of the pets while their children are in school. Others refuse. They say that if the "Virtual Pet" dies ________ the child gets home, pushing a few buttons will bring it back to __________. |