英语专业八级满分听力 Chapter Three

[21:18.81]CONVERSATION 1
[21:42.81]In this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY.
[21:46.99]Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
[21:50.82]Questions 1 to 5 are based on a conversation.
[21:54.75]At the end of the conversation,
[21:57.17]you will be given 10 seconds to answer each of the following 5 questions.
[22:01.54]Now listen to the conversation.
[22:04.26]Headmaster(M): Good morning, Mrs. Harris.Do sit down.
[22:08.25]I understand you’d like to have a word with me about William.
[22:11.86]Mrs. Harris (W): Yes, that’s right, Headmaster.
[22:14.39]I felt I should see you as soon as possible
[22:17.25]before William does anything he’ll regret.
[22:20.31]M: Regret, Mrs. Harris?
[22:22.59]W: Well, you see, he’s set his heart on becoming an artist,
[22:26.55]and my husband and I think he ought to take up something more secure.
[22:31.64]I mean even if he went to Art School,
[22:34.59]there’d be no guarantee he could get a good job afterwards
[22:38.84]and we worry so much about what he could live on.
[22:42.80]M: That’s not such a big problem. He could probably teach, Mrs. Harris.
[22:47.88]W: He wouldn’t like that, Headmaster.
[22:50.28]He says he wouldn’t be a teacher if it were the last job on earth—
[22:54.64]Oh,I beg your pardon, Headmaster, I didn’t mean…
[22:58.08]M: Not at all, Mrs. Harris.
[22:59.34]I wouldn’t have been a teacher myself if I’d had my way.
[23:02.64]I’d have been an actor if my parents had let me,
[23:05.99]so I have some sympathy with William’s problems.
[23:09.37]Now, let’s see—if he wants to be an artist,
[23:13.33]he’ll have to decide what sort of artist he wants to be.
[23:16.15]W: Oh, pardon. I don’t quite follow you, Headmaster.
[23:20.63]M: Well, what I mean is,
[23:22.72]if he wanted to be a commercial artist, graphics, cartoons, that sort of thing,
[23:27.77]he might do very well if he took an art course at a Technical College,
[23:31.24]and besides,the entry qualifications wouldn’t be so stiff. On the other hand,
[23:36.58]if he wants to go to one of the major Art Schools,
[23:39.33]you’d better not raise his hopes too high.
[23:41.61]There’s a good deal of competition to get accepted,
[23:44.69]and he’d have to have at least three “O” levels and two “A’s” at good grades
[23:50.38]before he’d even be considered. Oh, and there’s another thing,
[23:53.73]he’d have to do a year’s foundation course first, probably at another college.
[23:57.97]He’d get a grant, of course, provided he’d got the right “O’s” and “A’s”.
[24:02.25]W: But art, Headmaster. It’s so chancy. I wish he weren’t so set on it.
[24:09.89]M: I don’t think you should stand in his way, Mrs. Harris.
[24:13.35]If I were you, I’d let him decide for himself.
[24:15.87]You’d better accept the fact that
[24:18.25]nowadays young people don’t worry about security the way we did when we were young.
[24:22.63]W: Well, I must admit my husband and I would have felt much happier
[24:28.25]if he’d chosen to do something else.
[24:30.55]Perhaps it’s still not too late for him to change his mind.
[24:35.13]You know,I could get him a good job with my own firm
[24:38.93]if he had a science degree instead of the Arts.
[24:42.78]M: From what I know of him, Mrs. Harris,
[24:45.39]I don’t think he’s the sort of boy to change his mind, not in a hurry at any rate.
[24:50.21]In any case, I think you ought to let him decide.
[24:52.84]W: But an artist, Headmaster! What’s he going to live on?
[24:58.10]M: Making a career as an artist isn’t easy, of course.
[25:01.91]It would be a good idea if you had a talk with our art master, Mr. Sims;
[25:05.82]he can tell you more about the possibilities than I can.
[25:08.79]I know he thinks very highly of William’s work,
[25:11.95]though you’d better not tell William I said so.
[25:14.68]W: I suppose I shouldn’t worry so much, Headmaster,
[25:18.20]but I can’t say I like the idea.
[25:21.03]Painting pictures and that — it doesn’t seem like real work to my husband or me.
[25:26.83]M: On second thought,
[25:28.59]I think the best thing would be for me to have a word with Mr. Sims first
[25:32.74]and find out what he thinks of William’s chances of being accepted at Art School.
[25:37.77]It’s a very liberal training, you know — not just painting pictures.
[25:41.81]W: No, of course not. Thank you very much for your advice, Headmaster.
[25:46.51]I’d be grateful if you’d let me know what Mr. Sims says.
[25:50.12]M: I’ll do that, Mrs. Harris. And in the meantime don’t worry about William.
[25:55.36]He’ll be all right so long as he does as well as he’s doing at present.