英语听力精选进阶版 6296（在线收听）

How long could you listen to someone talking about the evolution of the electric hand-dryer without yawning and becoming restless?

How about listening to a man talking about what makes him sneeze or finding out about British motorways?

If all this sounds mind-numbingly dull, it's a good thing that you missed a recent one-day event called Boring 2011, in which these and other tedious topics were discussed.

Contrary to what you might expect, the conference was sold out and judging by the press reports of the day, the crowd were far from bored stiff. In fact, they were engaged and stimulated.

The aim of Boring 2011 was to celebrate "the mundane, the obvious and the overlooked". The organiser James Ward sees boredom as a reaction against the noise and overstimulation of modern media and advertising:

"Boring is the opposite of that. It's slow, makes you think more. It's about stillness and patience."

So can watching paint dry really be a positive experience?

Some psychologists think so. Dr Richard Ralley from Edge Hill College in Lancashire thinks that boredom during holidays could benefit pupils, since it gives their brains a chance to rest. (There's no rest for their parents of course – by the end of the summer the kids are climbing the walls.)

Let's face it – most of us have to learn to deal with monotony. How else would we survive all those dreary household chores, that repetitive trip to work or, worst of all, that coma-inducing meeting in the afternoon?

Quiz 小测验

1. Name three subjects discussed at the event Boring 2011.

The evolution of hand-driers, British motorways and sneezing.

2. Why could boredom be a reaction against our current culture, according to the article?

The event's organiser James Ward said that it goes against the noise and overstimulation of modern media and advertising.

3. What sort of dull activities are people subjected to today?

Household chores, repetitive trips to work and boring meetings.

4. Look at the article. What phrase is used to describe feeling very restless?

Climbing the walls.

5. Look at the article. What are two words which mean the opposite of bored?

Engaged, stimulated.

Glossary 词汇表

yawning 打哈欠

restless 烦躁，坐立不安

mind-numbingly dull 给人造成头昏脑胀的感觉

tedious 枯燥乏味的，沉闷的

bored stiff 无聊透顶

engaged 参予（活动），有互动

stimulated 受鼓舞，受启发

mundane 非常平凡

overlooked 忽略了

stillness 平静

like watching paint dry 喻某事太过单调无味。

climbing the walls 喻坐不住，想活动的感觉

monotony 单调

dreary 枯燥的,令人生厌的

repetitive 重复的

coma-inducing 喻让人无聊到简直要进入休眠状态。