新编大学英语自主听力 4Unit 7

[10:56.78]As in the early history of the United States, it was the English who established the permanent settlements in Australia.
[11:07.84]This history and the geography of these two former British colonies have some other things in common as well.
[11:19.50]Australia and the United States are about equal in size, and barren western portions of the two bear a close physical resemblance.
[11:33.11]It was the eastern coast of Australia and America that the English first settled, and both colonies soon began to expand to the west.
[11:47.00]However, this westward expansion occurred more because the colonists were searching for better land than because the population was increasing.
[12:00.97]Settlement of the western part of both countries quickened after gold was discovered in America in 1849 and in Australia two years later.
[12:16.56]Although the parallels in the development of these two countries are striking,
[12:24.34]there are some sharp contrasts as well.
[12:28.01]The United States gained its independence from the English by revolution,
[12:34.78]whereas Australia was granted its independence without having to go to war.
[12:41.90]Australia, unlike the United States, was originally colonized by English convicts, and its economy was rooted in wheat growing and sheep raising.
[12:59.87]By 1922, for example, Australia had fifteen times more sheep that it had people,
[13:10.81]or almost half as many sheep as there are people today in the United States, Yet, in spite of these and other major differences,
[13:25.14]Australia and the United States have more in common with each other than either one has with most of the rest of the world. (290 words)
[13:37.52]Exercise 2:Directions:Listen to the passage again and fill in the table with the information you get from the recording.
[13:51.71]Exercise 3:Directions:Listen to the passage for the third time and answer the following questions briefly.
[14:06.14]Happy Minute
[14:08.02]Enjoy listening to the story and answer the following question.
[14:14.39]Who should have gotten on the train?
[14:17.63]There professors at the railway station were deep in conversation.
[14:23.68]They did not notice the train arrive. Then the guard shouted, "Take your seats, please."
[14:32.68]The professors rushed for the train, and two of them managed to climb aboard before it moved.
[14:41.24]The third one was left behind. One of the professor's students happened to be at the station and he offered words of comfort.
[14:52.94]"Two out of three caught the train,  Sir." he said, "That's not too bad."
[14:58.45]"I know," said the professor.  "But it was my train. My friends only came to say good-bye".
[15:07.70]Lesson Two Cultural Delights
[15:13.68]Practice One The US:Eating Alternatives   Words You Need to Know
[15:25.34]ethnic      accent    well-being     preservative
[15:35.06]culture      stand     Creole
[15:41.94]Exercise 1:Directions:Listen to the passage and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F),
[15:57.28]then underline the word(s) conveying wrong information and correct it.
[16:04.91]The United States is traditionally famous for its very solid and unchanging diet of meat and potatoes.
[16:16.97]Now we have many different alternatives to choose from:ethnic food, health food, and fast food, in addition to the traditional home-cooked meal.
[16:33.60]Ethnic restaurants and supermarkets are common in the United States.
[16:41.20]Because the United States is a country of immigrants, there is an immense variety.
[16:50.41]Any large American city is filled with restaurants serving international cooking.
[16:58.15]Many cities even have ethnic sections:Chinatown, Little Italy, or Germantown.
[17:09.31]With this vast ethnic choice, we can enjoy food from all over the world.
[17:17.38]This is a pleasant thought for those who come here to travel or to work;
[17:24.32]they can usually find their natives specialties.