英语自考本科-口译与听力考试_听力重点篇.doc

12-1-1 Dustbin day robbery
Gentleman Jim has worked out a plan to rob a bank. He's telling his gang, Fingers Jones and Ginger Robertson about the plan. Listen to their conversation.
Fingers: Let's see. You're going to walk up the counter and you're going to start writing a cheque. Then you're going to open the canister of nerve gas, and everyone will go to sleep instantly.
Jim: That's right. This gas will put anyone to sleep for exactly three minutes.
Fingers: And while everyone is asleep, you're going to go round to the manager's desk and steal all the money?
Jim: Exactly. I've worked it out very carefully. There should be about ￡50,000 in used bank notes.
Ginger: Sounds great. There's only one thing. If you open the gas, you'll go to sleep too, won't you?
Jim: I have thought of that. I'll wear a motor-cycle helmet, with an oxygen mask inside. If I wear a helmet, no one will be able to recognize me afterwards, either.
Ginger: I think it's risky. If the bank clerk sees you take out a gas canister, he won't wait. He'll push the alarm button straight away.
Fingers: I've just had an idea. If I came into the bank when you were standing at the counter, no one would even look at me. Then, if I threw the can of nerve gas, they wouldn't guess that we were connected.
Ginger: Yes, that might be better. Are you going to wear a helmet, too?
Fingers: No. It would look very suspicious if two people were wearing motor cycle helmets. I'll just open the door, throw in the gas canister, and leave Gentleman Jim to rob the bank.
Jim: I like that idea. Right, we'll do that. Any other problems that you can see?
Ginger: What are you going to do with the money? If you walk out with ￡50,000 under your arm, somebody will surely notice you.
Jim: You'll be sitting in a get-away car, waiting for me outsaid the bank.
Ginger: But there is a police station just fifty yards away. If I park a car outside the bank, the police would probably come and ask me to move.
Fingers: Well, what do you suggest? He can't just walk around the town. He'll be carrying￡50,000 in bundles of bank notes.
Jim: Just a minute! I've thought of something. What day is this robbery?
Fingers: Monday.
Jim: Monday! You know what happens on Monday, don't you? It's dustbin day!
Ginger: So?
Jim: So, can you think of a better way of moving the money? If you saw a man pick up ￡
50,000 and put it into a car, what would you think?
Fingers: I'd think he was a thief.
Jim: Exactly. But if you saw a man pick up a dustbin and put it into a lorry, what would you think?
Fingers: I'd think he was a dustman. Hey! That's clever!
Ginger: And if the ￡50,000 was in the dustbin, I could pick up the money and nobody would notice. That's brilliant.
Fingers: Is there a dustbin?
Jim: Oh yes, several. They put the dustbins out every Monday. They'll be standing there, outside the bank.
Fingers: But if you put the money in a dustbin, it'll stink. We'll never be able to spend it if it smells like that.
Jim: We don't have to put it in a dustbin. We can put it in a black plastic bag. They often have black plastic bags for rubbish nowadays. If I carry one in my pocket, I can pull it out after you've thrown the gas. OK? Let's run through the plan once more.
Ginger: You go into the bank with a motor-cycle helmet on, and a black rubbish bag in your pocket.
Fingers: I come in a few minutes later. I open the door, throw in the open gas canister, and then go ... where?
Jim: I've hired a room in the building right opposite the bank. Go up in the lift to the top floor and keep a look out. When you get there, radio Ginger, and tell him to come.
Ginger: In the meantime, everyone in the bank has gone to sleep, except you. You take the money, and put it in the plastic bag.
Jim: I come out, and put the bag with the rubbish, and then go back into the bank.
Ginger: Go back?
Jim：Oh yes. If everyone woke up and I wasn't there, they'd know I was one of the thieves. No, I'll go back and pretend to wake up with everyone else.
Fingers: That's a really clever touch.
Ginger: I drive a dustcart and wait in the cul-de-sac behind the bank until Fingers contacts me. Then I come and pick up the rubbish, including the ￡50,000.
Jim: I can't think of any problems, can you?

Task 2: Shop-lifter 12-2-2
Man: Excuse me, madam.
Woman: Yes?
Man: Would you mind letting me take a look in your bag?
Woman: I beg your pardon?
Man: I'd like to look into your bag, if you don't mind.
Woman: Well I'm afraid I certainly do mind, if it's all the same to you. Now go away. Impertinence!
Man: I'm afraid I shall have to insist, madam.
Woman: And just who are you to insist, may I ask? I advise you to take yourself off, young man, before I call a policeman.
Man: I am a policeman, madam. Here's my identity card.
Woman: What? Oh ... well ... and just what right does that give you to go around looking into people's bags?
Man: None whatsoever, unless I have reason to believe that there's something in the bags belonging to someone else?
Woman: What do you mean belonging to someone else?
Man: Well, perhaps, things that haven't been paid for?
Woman: Are you talking about stolen goods? That's a nice way to talk, I must say. I don't know what things are coming to when perfectly honest citizens get stopped in the street and have their bags examined. A nice state of affairs!
Man: Exactly, but if the citizens are honest, they wouldn't mind, would they? So may I look in your bag, madam? We don't want to make a fuss, do we?
Woman: Fuss? Who's making a fuss? Stopping people in the street and demanding to see what they've got in their bags. Charming! That's what I call it, charming! Now go away; I've got a train to catch.
Man: I'm sorry. I'm trying to do my job as politely as possible but I'm afraid you're making it rather difficult. However, I must insist on seeing what you have in your bag.
Woman: And what, precisely, do you expect to find in there? The Crown Jewels?
Man: No need to be sarcastic, Madam. I thought I'd made myself plain. If there's nothing in there which doesn't belong to you, you can go straight off and catch your train and I'll apologize for the inconvenience.
Women: Oh, very well. Anything to help the police.
Man: Thank you, madam.
Woman: Not at all, only too happy to cooperate. There you are.
Man: Thank you，Mm. Six lipsticks?
Woman: Yes, nothing unusual in that. I like to change the colour with my mood.
Man: And five powder-compacts?
Woman: I use a lot of powder. I don't want to embarrass you, but I sweat a lot. (Laughs)
Man: And ten men's watches?
Woman: Er, yes. I get very nervous if I don't know the time. Anxiety, you know. We all suffer from it in this day and age.
Man: I see you smoke a lot, too, madam. Fifteen cigarette lighters?
Woman: Yes, I am rather a heavy smoker. And ... and I use them for finding my way in the dark and ... and for finding the keyhole late at night. And ... and I happen to collect lighters. It's my hobby. I have a superb collection at home.
Man: I bet you do, madam. Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come along with me.
Woman: How dare you! I don't go out with strange men. And anyway I told you I have a train to catch.
Man: I'm afraid you won't be catching it today, madam. Now are you going to come along quietly or am I going to have to call for help?
Woman: But this is outrageous! (Start fade)

13-2-1 What do you like about your job?
First speaker: I'm a night person. I love the hours, you know? I like going to work at around six at night and then getting home at two or three in the morning. I like being out around people, you know, talking to them, listening to their problems. Some of my regulars are always on the lookout for ways that they can stump me. Like last week, one of them came in and asked for a Ramos gin fizz. He didn't think I knew how to make it. Hah! But I know how to make every drink in the book, and then some. Although some of the nights when I go in I just don't feel like dealing with all the noise. When I get in a big crowd it can be pretty noisy. People talking, the sound system blaring, the pinball machine, the video games. And then at the end of the night you don't always smell so good, either. You smell like cigarettes. But I like the place and I plan on sticking around for a while.

Second speaker: If I had to sit behind a desk all day, I'd go crazy! I'm really glad I have a job where I can keep moving, you know? My favourite part is picking out the music—I use new music for every ten-week session. For my last class I always use the Beatles—it's a great beat to move to, and everybody loves them. I like to sort of educate people about their bodies, and show them, you know, how to do the exercises and movements safely. Like, it just kills me when I see people trying to do situps with straight legs—it' so bad for your back! And ... let's see ... I—I like to see people make progress—at the end of a session you can really see how people have slimmed down and sort of built up some muscle—it's very gratifying.
The part I don't like is, well, it's hard to keep coming up with new ideas for classes. I mean, you know, there are just so many ways you can move your body, and it's hard to keep coming up with interesting routines and ... and new exercises. And it's hard on my voice—I have to yell all the time so people can hear me above the music, and like after three classes in one day my voice has had it. Then again, having three classes in one day has its compensations—I can eat just about anything I want and not gain any weight!
Third speaker: What do I like about my job? Money. M-O-N-E-Y. No, I like the creativity, and I like my studio. All my tools are like toys to me—you know, my watercolours , pen and inks, coloured pencils, drafting table—I love playing with them. and I have lots of different kinds of clients—I do magazines, book covers, album covers, newspaper articles—so there's lots of variety, which I like. You know, sometimes when I start working on a project I could be doing it for hours and have no conception of how much time has gone by—what some people call a flow experience. I don't like the pressure, though, and there's plenty of it in this business. You're always working against a tight deadline. And I don't like the business end of it—you know, contacting clients for work, negotiating contracts, which get long and complicated.
Fourth speaker: Well, I'll tell you. At first it was fun, because there was so much to learn, and working with figures and money was interesting. But after about two years the thrill was gone, and now it's very routine. I keep the books, do the payroll, pay the taxes, pay the insurance, pay the bills. I hate paying the bills, because there's never enough money to pay them! I also don't like the pressure of having to remember when all the bills and taxes are due. And my job requires a lot of reading that I don't particularly enjoy. I can have to keep up to date on all the latest tax forms, and it's pretty dull. I like it when we're making money, though, because I get to see all of my efforts rewarded.

13-2-2 What do you think of yourself?

TV Interviewer: In this week's edition of 'Up with People' we went out into the streets and asked a number of people a question they just didn't expect. We asked them to be self-critical ... to ask themselves exactly what they thought they lacked or—the other side of the coin—what virtues they had. Here is what we heard.
Jane Smith: Well ... I ... I don't know really ... it's not the sort of question you ask yourself directly. I know I'm good at my job ... at least my boss calls me hard-working, conscientious, efficient. I'm a secretary by the way. As for when I look at myself in a mirror as it were ... you know ... you sometimes do in the privacy of your own bedroom or at your reflection in the ... in the shop windows as you walk up the street ... Well ... then I see someone a bit different. Yes ... I'm different in my private life. And that's probably my main fault I should say ... I'm not exactly—oh how shall I say? —I suppose I'm, not coherent in my behaviour. My office is always in order...but my flat! Well...you'd have to see it to believe it.
Chris Bonner: I think the question is irrelevant. You shouldn't be asking what I think of myself ... but what I think of the state of this country. And this country is in a terrible mess. There's only one hope for it—the National Front. It's law and order that we need. I say get rid of these thugs who call themselves Socialist Workers ... get rid of them I say. So don't ask about me. I'm the sort of ordinary decent person who wants to bring law and order back to this country. And if we can't do it by peaceful means then ...
Tommy Finch: Think of myself? Well I'm an easy-going bloke really ... unless of course you wind me up. Then I'm a bit vicious. You know. I mean you have to live for yourself don't you. And think of your mates. That's what makes a bloke. I ain't got much sympathy like with them what's always thinking of causes ... civil rights and all that. I mean ... this is a free country inning? What do we want to fight for civil rights for? We've got them.
Charles Dimmak: Well ... I'm retired you know. Used to be an army officer. And ... I think I've kept myself ... yes I've kept myself respectable—that's the word I'd use—respectable and dignified the whole of my life. I've tried to help those who depended on me. I've done my best. Perhaps you might consider me a bit of a fanatic about organization and discipline—self-discipline comes first—and all that sort of thing. But basically I'm a good chap ... not too polemic ... fond of my wife and family ... That's me.
Arthur Fuller: Well ... when I was young I was very shy. At times I ... I was very unhappy ... especially when I was sent to boarding-school at seven. I didn't make close friends till ... till quite late in life ... till I was about ... what ... fifteen. Then I became quite good at being by myself. I had no one to rely on ... and no one to ask for advice. That made me independent ... and I've always solved my problems myself. My wife and I have two sons. We ... we didn't want an only child because I felt ... well I felt I'd missed a lot of things.

15-1-2
Task 2:A new way of life
Announcer: On 'TV Magazine' tonight we're looking at people who have given up regular jobs and high salaries to start a new way of life. First of all, we have two interviews with people who decided to leave the 'rat race'. Nicola Burgess spoke to them.
Nicola: This is the Isle of Skye. Behind me you can see the croft belonging to Daniel and Michelle Burns, who gave up their jobs to come to this remote area of Scotland. Daniel was the sales manager of Hi-Vita, the breakfast cereal company, and Michelle