英语听力精选进阶版 6385（在线收听）

Is 'sorry' the hardest word? Not for the British Education Secretary Michael Gove, who has apologised recently to his former French teacher for misbehaving in class.

It took him 30 years to express regret for, as he said, competing with his classmates to ask "clever-dick questions" and indulging in "pathetic showing off".

In a letter published in a magazine, Mr Gove says: "It may be too late to say I'm sorry. But, as my mum told me, it's never too late to set the record straight."

It seems contrite politicians are in fashion. A recent apology on video by the deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, has become a hit on the internet.

Mr Clegg wanted the electorate to forgive him for having broken his word and not voting against increases in student tuition fees. But a satirical website added music to the track. It is difficult to be sure if the apology was heartfelt or insincere, but it turned out to be a catchy tune.

Researchers suggest that people have too high an expectation of the power of saying sorry. Dutch psychologist David De Cremer and his colleagues say in a study published in Psychological Science that receiving an apology isn't as healing as people like to think.

Nevertheless, apologies might be an important social tool as they reaffirm the existence of rules that need to be observed.

In Britain, the word sorry is often said and heard. If you step on someone else's toe by chance you have to apologise but the person whose foot was squashed has to do it too. It conveys the idea that none of you is left with hard feelings.

The Education Secretary's apology might have gone down well with his old teacher but it might land him in trouble. According to the Daily Mail newspaper, Mr Gove's mother didn't know he was causing trouble at school and said: "He would have been strung up if I had known he was being so cheeky."

"I can never get in touch with him these days - it just goes through to his answering machine - but when I do eventually speak to him, I'll give him a good telling off."

Quiz 测验

How has Mr Gove apologised to his former teacher?

In a letter published in a magazine.

Who has become a hit on the internet?

The British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.

Look at the article. What is the social purpose of apologies?

To reaffirm the existence of rules that need to be observed.

Is the following statement true, false or not given? Mr Gove's mother was surprised when she learnt about her son's apology.

True. Mrs Gove didn't know her son had misbehaved at school.

Look at the article. What words are used to qualify an apology?

Heartfelt and insincere.

Glossary 词汇表

to apologise 认错道歉

to misbehave 行为不当，捣乱

to regret 后悔、悔恨

a clever-dick question 一个为了卖弄聪明的问题

pathetic 令人反感的

to set the record straight 纠正错误，澄清问题事实

contrite 悔过自新的

a hit 一个热点

to forgive 原谅

to break (his) word 食言、失信

heartfelt 衷心的、发自肺腑的

insincere 不诚恳的

a catchy tune 好记的曲子

expectation 期望

healing 使情感恢复常态

to reaffirm 再肯定

hard feelings 怨恨

cheeky 调皮捣蛋的

answering machine 电话自动留言

to tell off 批评、斥责