Beyond Concept—Listening II

Prepared by Guodong Jia

Unit One Student Life

Part I Review

Winter Homework Check

Part II Listening Strategies

Key
1. comes from； 2. communicate； 3. lesson； 4. shouted； 5. shows
Script
1. What we, uh, know as western civilization originates, or comes from, ancient Greece.
2. Actually, you know, the purpose of Aesop’s fables was to prove a point, uh, to settle an
argument, or to pass on, or communicate, common sense or good judgment.
3. All of the stories end with a moral, or lesson to be learned from what happened in the fable or
how the characters, uh, acted.
4. So, to liven things up, one afternoon, the boy cried, or shouted, “Wolf! Wolf! Help! There’s a
wolf!!”
5. OK! Now, I’d like you to get into groups of four to five and discuss how “The Boy Who Cried
Wolf” illustrates, or shows, the characteristics of most Aesop’s fables.

Part III Dialogues, Passages and News

Dialogue 1
Key
1. Because he is so tired and wants some sleep.
2. He had to hand in the paper before ten o’clock.
3. Probably he would be in trouble.
4. It is something that you say in order to show you completely agree with something that
someone has just said.
Script
Charlie: What time is it?
Alan: You don’t want to know…It’s 4:20.
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Charlie: I’m so tired. I need to take a nap and then I’ll study again.
Alan: No, you don’t. Just get another cup of coffee.
Charlie: I don’t want any more coffee. I just want my bed. I can’t stay up all night.
Alan: Well, if you can’t pull an all-nighter, then you need to hit the books every night. Can you do
that?
Charlie: I can try. It’s better than having no sleep.
Alan: OK, then. Good-night. But you told me your paper is due at ten o’clock. Are you going to
turn it late?
Charlie: Probably not. I’ll tell the teacher I was sick.
Alan: That’s not very honest. What will happen if you hand it late?
Charlie: Well, I’ll probably be in hot water. I already missed a test and my teacher’s not happy
about that. I’m not doing well in that class.
Alan: You’re too busy. It’s hard working full-time and going to school.
Charlie: You can say that again! Well, good night my friend.
Alan: Good night. Sleep well. And I hope you won’t be sorry tomorrow!

Strategy：
Retelling: from dialogue to a passage
Tense: from present to past
Pronoun: from ‘I’ or ‘we’ to he/she or they

Passage 1
Key
1. C 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. B
Script
Oh, my nightmare was terrible! At first, I was in a big classroom with around a thousand people.
The professor wrote the homework assignment on the board—read five hundred pages in two
days. He also gave us three lab reports to write and announced a big test. He just wouldn’t let up.
But the other students looked happy. I was the only one who seemed worried about how to keep
up with the work.
Then I remember I was in the library. I was trying to read all those pages. I was reading, but I
couldn’t remember anything, so I started to panic. Then, all of a sudden, my professor was sitting
next to me. He asked me the strangest question: “What are you doing in this neck of the woods?” I
looked at him like he was crazy and told him that I was trying to do the work that he had assigned,
and that I was upset because I couldn’t remember anything I was reading. Then he asked me why I
cared so much, and I told him that my grade was at stake. I needed an “A” in the class. When he
heard this, he smiled and said, “That’s wishful thinking. You’ll never get an ‘A’!”
Then he told me to close the book. He wanted to tell me what it was like when he was a student.
Day in and day out he studied, and studied. But he never complained, and he never got burnt out.
He told me that I went to too many movies and parties. I told him that he was dead wrong. I was a
good student, but I was tired. He then asked me what the problem was—that he had assigned only
fifty pages to read.
That’s when I woke up. What a relief to realize it was just a dream! But it seemed so real. I
guess it shows that I’m under a lot of pressure these days.

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News 1
Key
1. T 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. F
Script
It is not easy to become a doctor in the United States. Students must attend a college or
university and do well in their studies. Students who want to become doctors usually study large
amounts of biology and chemistry in college. Some students work for a year or two in a medical
or research job before they attempt to enter medical school.
More than one hundred twenty American schools offer study programs for people seeking to
become a doctor. Competition to enter these medical schools is strong. About thirty-five thousand
people compete for sixteen thousand openings in American medical schools each year.
Students must take the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT. The Association of
American Medical Colleges provides the test by computer. Applicants for medical school need to
do well on the MCAT.
Once in medical school, students spend their first two years mainly in classroom study. They
learn about the body and all its systems. They also begin studying how to recognize and treat
disease.
By the third year, students begin working with patients in hospitals. Experienced doctors who
have treated many patients guide them as they work.
During the fourth year, students begin applying to programs in hospitals for the additional
training they will need after medical school. Competition to work at a top hospital can be fierce.
Doctors-in-training in hospitals are called interns or residents. They treat patients while guided by
experienced doctors, medical professors and other experts.
Some doctors work a long time in hospitals before they are fully trained in a specialty.
Neurosurgeons are a good example. They operate on the brain, neck and back. Some
neurosurgeons spend six years or more as residents in hospitals before beginning private practice
and treating patients on their own.
The American Association of Medical Colleges reports that last year there were over seven
hundred thousand active doctors practicing in the United States.

Part II Assignment

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Reference keys

Dialogue 2
A
1. Annette is very tired because she didn’t sleep last night. Also, she’s worried about her grade on
a quiz. She’s under a lot of pressure.
2. He got the date of the test wrong, so he didn’t study.
3. Yes, Alan is helpful. He listens to Annette and he tells her to go home and take a nap.
B
1. T 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. T
Script
Alan: Annette, is everything OK? You look really tired.
Annette: It’s that obvious? Well, you’re right. I am tired. Last night I pulled an all-nighter
writing a paper for my psych class.
Alan: Did you finish it?
Annette: Yeah, and just in the nick of time. I e-mailed it to my professor five minutes before
the deadline.
Alan: Well, that was close. Are you going home now?
Annette: No, I have to hurry to my history class. See you later.
*
(A few hours later)
Annette: Alan, I’m really in hot water. My history teacher gave us a surprise quiz and I couldn’t
remember anything. My mind went totally blank. I didn’t even want to hand in my quiz
because I knew everything was wrong. Oh, I can’t believe this! I’m going to get an F on a test!
Alan: That happened to me once, but it wasn’t a surprise quiz. I just got the date of the test
wrong, so I didn’t study. I took the test cold and didn’t do well.
Annette: What grade did you get?
Alan: I think I got a C.
Annette: Well, at least a C is passing. I’m going to get an F!
Alan: Listen Annette, you need to take it easy. For all you know, you passed the quiz. So why
don’t you go home and take a nap?
Annette: That’s a good idea, but I have another class at two, and we’re going to have a test. I
need to go to the library to hit the books.
Alan: What a day you’re having!
Annette: You can say that again!

Dialogue 3
A

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1. Jan is bored in her class because there’s no discussion, just a lecture.
2. Steve is interested in his class because his professor is great. She’s interesting and enthusiastic,
and she allows discussion in the class.
3. Jan is jealous about Steve’s class because it seems that Steve’s class is very interesting
B
1. F 2. T 3. T 4. T 5. F 6. F 7. F
Script
Jan: Mmm. This coffee is really strong.
Steve: I like it that way.
Jan: So do I. All during my last class I was thinking about coming here and could almost taste the
coffee.
Steve: Sounds like it wasn’t too exciting.
Jan: I was bored to death. I’m in that class only because it’s a requirement, so I have to stick it
out. The problem is, the professor doesn’t know how to spark our interest. She just walks in
and lectures. There’s no discussion.
Steve: What a drag! Don’t people ask questions?
Jan: Oh, yeah, once in a blue moon. But I always see an awful lot of people doodling, and I can
tell their minds are wandering. Do you have any classes like that?
Steve: I have only one big lecture class—world history—and the professor’s the best. It’s so
interesting; I’m always on the edge of my seat. And when we have discussions, the room is filled
with electricity.
Jan: I’m jealous. Too bad I already took history.
Steve: You know, one day it dawned on me that I was lucky to be in her class because I
found myself thinking a lot about what she said. Did you ever have a teacher like that?
Jan: I’d have to think about it. I don’t know.
Steve: You should come with me to class sometime, just to see what I mean.
Jan: Sounds like you’re in love with her, Steve.
Steve: Very funny. She could be my grandmother. Anyway, I guess what it really comes
down to is her enthusiasm for the subject. She just loves history. I remember at the beginning
of the semester, I was fooling around a lot and not taking anything in school very seriously. I
bombed the first history test, but then I buckled down because I started really enjoying school,
especially her class.
Jan: You’ve got me really curious about this teacher. I think I’ll take you up on your idea to
visit your class. When does it meet?

Passage 2
1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. T 6. T 7. F 8. T 9. F
Script
Lin:
I’m from China and I’ve been studying in Bristol for 4 years. I’ve just finished my MA
degree. When I first arrived in the UK I found it very difficult as I didn’t know anybody here,
but I soon met other Chinese people studying at the university, and as my English improved I
made friends with more people on my course.

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 Studying in the UK has been a very positive experience for me. I’ve met a lot of interesting
people and traveled around Europe in the holidays. For me the most difficult aspect was having
the confidence to take part in tutorials, and when I was told I would have to give a presentation
to the rest of the class, I was very nervous.
My tutor helped me a lot, however, and said that for someone using their second language I
did very well.
Tomash:
I came to Leicester on the Erasmus scheme a year ago. I had a choice of universities and I
chose this one because it’s in a multicultural area. In the Czech Republic I had never come across
foreigners, so I was interested in living in a place with people from many different cultures.
The social life here is great, and I will really miss the good friends I’ve made when I go
back home next week. There aren’t many other Czech people here so I’ve had to make friends
with people from other countries. That’s been very good for my English—some Erasmus
students stay mostly with people from the same country and they don’t get the same
experience. The worst thing has been that everything is so expensive. I had to get a part time
job and borrow from my parents to afford to live here.
Syed:
I won a scholarship to do an MSc in Telecommunications at Manchester University. The
course was excellent and enabled me to get a good job when I finished. Now I’m thinking of
doing a PhD before I return to India.
I enjoyed the way the course was taught. We were encouraged to think for ourselves rather
than read piles of textbooks. It’s a different approach to the way I’d studied before, and one that I
would recommend. I would also recommend living in student accommodation—it’s the cheapest
option and although the rooms are small they have everything you need, and you get to know
other people very easily. For me, the only problem was that the social life centers around
alcohol, and I don’t drink.

Passage 3
A
1. national, planned educational reforms, local issues, individual students
2. occupy, sometimes, setting up
3. action, severe disciplinary measures
4. no less intelligent or knowledgeable
5. up to 20% less, many interruptions
B
1. F 2. C 3. B 4. J 5. H 6. A 7. I 8. G 9. E 10. D
Script
When most people think of strikes, they think of factory workers asking for better pay and
conditions, or perhaps refusing to work to support a colleague who has been unfairly sacked. It is
not often that people associate strikes with school students.
But in Italy, it is different. While in many countries it is absolutely unthinkable, in Italy
it happens almost every year. Some people may remember the “Paris spring” of 1968, when
in the French capital university students and factory workers all went on strike in a crisis which
almost made the French republic collapse, but for many this is a long time ago now. But in
Italy, however, the tradition has remained. It seems that almost every autumn there is a
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 reason to protest. Most of the protests are national, like the current opposition to the
government’s planned educational reforms, but there are also protests against things like local
issues such as heating in the classes or treatment of individual students.
And what do students do to protest? All over the country they go on strike, they have
demonstrations in the streets, they occupy their schools, they have lots of meetings and
sometimes they try to run the schools themselves for a period, setting up their own lessons and
courses.
Are all the students behind this? Well, it’s difficult to say exactly. But what is certain, is
that very few students object.
“I think it’s important to show what we feel,” says one high school student, “the new
school reform will be very bad for state schools.”
Other students are more skeptical. “I think it’s great!” says one student, “It means we get a
few days off school.” Another student is openly cynical: “All the people who are doing this…
well, some of them are just trouble makers, others are people who are already planning to
become politicians. They want to start their career now.” Others say that the strike leaders are
being manipulated or used by groups from outside the schools.
Problems occurred recently when students from one school which was being occupied
marched to another school which wasn’t protesting. The strikers stood outside the school and
shouted and threw things at the windows. The non-striking students sat in their classrooms and
did nothing, but their teachers went out and began to shout at the students from the striking
school.
In Britain, and a lot of other countries, such action is unthinkable. Students are not
allowed to go on strike, and if they did they would probably face severe disciplinary measures.
The strange thing about this, however, is that despite the number of school hours lost to
strikes, Italian students are certainly no less intelligent or knowledgeable than their European
counterparts. Their national averages are the same as others, despite the fact that on average
they spend up to 20% less time in the classroom—with strikes being only one of the many
interruptions of the Italian school year.
Troublemakers or not, perhaps there is something to be learned from the Italian way of
studying.

News 2
1. More than four hundred EducationUSA centers are located around the world. They do not
charge any money for their services.
2. They help students find schools and get information about financial aid, admissions tests and
visa requirements.
3. Since 1982, the United States Higher Education Fairs in Asia have been held. More than
fourteen thousand students attended the fair last year.
4. The next higher education fairs in Asia are to be held in Hong Kong on October 11th.
5. To give yourself plenty of time to plan your studies in the United States.

Script
This week in our Foreign Student Series, we discuss the first steps for students interested
in higher education in the United States.
One place to go for advice and information about American colleges and universities is an
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Education USA center. More than four hundred of these educational advising centers are located
around the world.
The advisers at EducationUSA centers do not charge any money for their services. They help
students find schools and get information about financial aid, admissions tests and visa
requirements.
The centers are supported by the State Department. You can find the nearest one on
the State Department’s website for international students. The address is
educationusa.state.go v . Again, it’s educationusa (all one word).state.gov.
Another place to get information is at an educational fair. Representatives of American
colleges and
universities present information and answer questions from students and their parents.
The Institute of International Education has been organizing United States Higher
Education Fairs in Asia since 1982. Last year, more than fourteen thousand students attended
these fairs in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The next higher education fairs in Asia are in October. For example, more than seventy
colleges and universities will have representatives in Hong Kong on October 11th.
Other organizations hold similar events in other parts of the world. Information about
educational fairs in your country can be found at the same website, educationusa.state.gov.
One important piece of advice—give yourself plenty of time to plan your studies in the
United States.
Educational advisers say you should begin planning at least two years before you want to start
classes.

News 3
1. F 2. T 3. T 4. T 5. F
Script
Azuz:
On Monday, most of the country’s taking time off of work or school for Memorial Day.
The federal holiday honors men and women who have given their lives in service to their
country. Well, there is one young woman who is showing her appreciation to troops
currently serving overseas by keeping them entertained. She’s not a famous actor or singer.
She’s a student, just like you, guys are. Her name is Kaylee Radzyminski, and we’re honoring
her as a CNN hero.
Kaylee Radzyminski, Young Wonder:
Listening to music, first of all, it gets the stress out. And you relax to it. It’s a big part of
my life, and it’s a big part of theirs. I’ve always had a very special place in my heart for the
military. They sacrifice so much for us, why can’t I do a little bit to give back to them?
My name is Kaylee Marie Radzyminski. I’ve been sending CDs and DVDs overseas to our
troops to bring a little bit of home and a little bit of entertainment. I got to talking with some
military personnel, and I asked what was the number one thing they missed. The first thing was,
of course, their families. But second to that was entertainment. Well, CDs, DVDs, those are
entertainment. So, I started asking my friends, and I got all mine together. And then we did a
drive at school. And eventually, it spread to the community. And now it’s a nationwide project.
They all get a sticker with the “Tunes 4 The Troops” e-mail address. Then, all we have to
do is finish filling out custom forms and pay for shipping. Sometimes it does get very stressful. I
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had to miss my junior prom. But that is nothing compared to what these 18, 19 and 20-year-olds
give up.
U.S. Soldier: Kinda takes you outta here for a little while.
U.S. Soldier: It gave me a chance to feel like I was back home a little bit.
U.S. Soldier: The project is awesome.
Radzyminski: To have such a large outcome of happy soldiers is so worth it.

Part IV Dictation
A. Sentences
1. She has been a serious music student since she was five years old.
2. For example, we explained about the need for student health insurance.
3. Recently, a seventeen-year-old student reportedly admitted setting a series of fires in the state of
New York.
4. A student of animal medicine explains the situation this way: Dogs follow you around.
5. The program also will provide money for a student’s travel and living costs.

B. Paragraph
Many people volunteer in Britain every day. Volunteering work has many benefits including
gaining new skills you are likely to need later in life. It’s also a great way to meet people, find new
friends and get into varied work which could lead into a career. School students are already used
to volunteering, in the schools’ curriculum; pupils already spend an average of two weeks in an
unpaid work placement.

Section IV: Supplementary Listening

1. Can I still take a plane if I have acrophobia, or fear of great heights?
2. Biochemistry, or the science of life, offers insight into the continuous changes within the human
organism.
3. The three essential factors, or key elements, by which Chinese cooking is judged, are known as
“color, aroma and taste”.
4. For hundreds of years China has spread across the globe its knowledge of traditional medicine
and health care, acquired over 5,000 years of history. Today, the traditional Chinese health
preservation methods, such as taijiquan boxing (or shadow boxing), static qigong breathing, or
controlled deep breathing exercise, and therapeutic massage, are gaining increasing importance.
5. They divided the consumers into the teenager, the yuppie, the baby boomer, the singleton and
the metrosexual, or men with a strong concern for their appearance.