英语听力精选进阶版 7078（在线收听）

Background: 英女王参观了互联网谷歌搜索引擎公司驻英国的总部。她会见了该公司的员工们，同时在影视网站 YouTube 上发表了一段在 1968 年录制的有关她自己的电影。

It might seem like an unlikely match 难以想象的组合- an ancient institution 古老的机构 getting to grips with 慢慢掌握cutting edge 超前，先进 technology - but the British royal family has been active online for more than a decade.

They launched their own website in 1997. The Queen's Christmas message is available as a podcast 播客, and a year ago the official Royal Channel was launched on YouTube, showing videos of the family at work.

Royal watchers 皇室观察人士 describe the 82 year old Queen as a silver surfer 银发（ 年纪大的）互联网使用者 - someone who's enthusiastic about the internet and who keeps in touch with younger members of her family by email.

It made the comic author Sue Townsend wonder what the Queen might do when she logs in at Buckingham Palace. She wrote this for the actress Jan Ravens to read:

"Ah Facebook! How do you do? I am Elizabeth Windsor. I am of mature years 年龄大了 and work as a ribbon cutter 剪彩师 at school, hospital and bridge openings. I am a dog and horse lover, and my hobbies are stamp collecting, amassing a private fortune 积累了私人财富 and improving my internet skills."

The Queen will certainly be doing that as part of today's visit, looking at maps on Google Earth and hearing more about the Californian company's mobile phone technology. But she's already well-represented 广泛的代表 on Google - a search for her offers more than 31 million results.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

unlikely match 难以想象的组合

ancient institution 古老的机构

getting to grips with 慢慢掌握

cutting edge 超前，先进

podcast 播客

Royal watchers 皇室观察人士

silver surfer 银发（ 年纪大的）互联网使用者

mature years 年龄大了

ribbon cutter 剪彩师

amassing a private fortune 积累了私人财富

well-represented 广泛的代表

Questions and Answers

1. True or false: The royal family is new to the internet.

False – the British royal family has been online for more than a decade.

2. True or false: The Queen is enthusiastic about the internet.

True – She is described as a Silver surfer – someone who is enthusiastic about the internet and who keeps in touch with younger members of her family by email.

3. Does the Queen describe herself as a ribbon cutter?

No – this section was written by the comic author Sue Townsend and read by Jan Ravens, not the Queen.

4. Is it easy to find out about the Queen on the internet?

Yes – she is ‘well-represented’ on Google.