美式英语正音训练第19期: Exercise 1-17 Staircase Intonation Practice

 　　第一章 练习17：阶梯状语调的练习 Exercise 1-17 Staircase¹ Intonation² Practice

　　Exercise 1-17: Staircase Intonation Practice

　　Draw one step of the staircase for each word of the paragraph.

　　Start a new staircase for every stressed word.

　　There usually is more than one staircase in a sentence.

　　New sentences don't have to start new staircases³; they can continue from the previous sentence until you come to a stressed word.

　　I'll read the beginning sentences.

　　Check the first sentence against the example.

　　Then put the words of the second sentence on a staircase, based on the way I read it.

　　Remember, I'm exaggerating⁴ to make a point.

　　Hello. My name is ____.

　　I'm taking American Accent Training.

　　There's a lot to learn, but I hope to make it as enjoyable as possible.

　　I should pick up on the American intonation pattern pretty easily,

　　although the only way to get it is to practice all of the time.

　　I use the up and down, or peaks and valleys, intonation more than I used to.

　　I've been paying attention to pitch, too.

　　It's like walking down a staircase.

　　I've been talking to a lot of Americans lately,

　　and they tell me that I'm easier to understand.

　　Anyway, I could go on and on,

　　but the important thing is to listen well and sound good.

　　Well, what do you think?

　　Do I?

　　Write out the rest of the staircases.

　　Turn the CD back on to check your staircases with the way I read the paragraph.

　　Pause the CD again to check your staircases in the Answer Key, beginning on page 193.

　　Back up the CD, and listen and repeat my reading of the paragraph while following the staircases in the Answer Key.

1 staircase   

n.楼梯，楼梯间

参考例句：

• Footsteps on the staircase interrupted his train of thought.楼梯上传来脚步声，打断了他的思路。
• I crossed the staircase landing,and entered the room she indicated.我经过一个楼梯平台，走进她说的那个房间。

2 intonation   

n.语调，声调；发声

参考例句：

• The teacher checks for pronunciation and intonation.老师在检查发音和语调。
• Questions are spoken with a rising intonation.疑问句是以升调说出来的。

3 staircases   

n.楼梯( staircase的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We have fully functional smoke alarms on all staircases. 我们在各层楼梯都安装有完全可用的烟雾警报器。 来自辞典例句
• A slender superstructure was dictated with gently sloping approaches rather than staircases. 细长的上部结构，带有微缓斜坡接坡，比布置阶梯为优。 来自辞典例句

4 exaggerating   

（使）扩大( exaggerate的现在分词 )； （使）增加； 夸大； 夸张

参考例句：

• The hotel was really filthy and I'm not exaggerating. 我不是夸张，这旅店真的很脏。
• The salesman padded the bill for his travelling expenses by exaggerating his food expenses. 那个推销员在用餐费上弄虚作假，多报差旅费。