英语听力精选进阶版 6018

Most visitors to the UK come here expecting the rain and miserable¹ weather for which the country is famous.

However, when summer finally does arrive, the British people like nothing more than packing their trunks and swimming costumes and heading for the coast.

The UK is, after all, an island, and with 12,400km of coastline to explore any visitor to the UK will be spoilt for choice.

Here are some of the more famous resorts that you could expect to visit on a trip to Britain.

Blackpool, in the north-west of England, is the most visited resort in the UK. Each year around 6.5 to 7 million people come to enjoy the miles of sandy beaches, the 158m Blackpool Tower and the 11km-long Golden Mile, where there are entertainments, pubs, ice rinks and even a zoo. A firm family favourite, it has also become a popular destination for stag and hen parties.

At the other end of the country on the south coast you can find Brighton. Until 1786, Brighton was a sleepy village. Then the future king George IV decided² to build a residence there, and over the years Brighton grew into the large, cosmopolitan³ centre it is now.

Apart from the beaches, Brighton is famous for its pier⁴. On the pier there are theatres, entertainments and restaurants. Brighton is also fantastic for shopping.

If you fancy travelling a little further, why not go to Cornwall in the far south west of the UK? South Cornwall offers miles of sandy beaches and beautiful scenery. The climate here is warmer than the rest of Britain and you can even find palm trees.

For a bit more excitement, go to north Cornwall. The scenery here is more dramatic, and the beaches are famous for their powerful waves. As a result, North Cornwall has become the home of British surfing.

One word of warning though, if you are using the roads in the UK on bank holidays or during school holidays, you can expect long traffic jams on the motorways⁵. It might be better to take the train.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

miserable weather 令人压抑的天气

trunks 泳裤  

swimming costumes( 女) 泳装  

spoilt for choice 选不胜选   

resorts (旅游,海滨)胜地   

sandy beaches 沙滩  

tag and hen parties 在嫁娶前, 男女各方召集同性朋友狂饮狂欢的聚会 

sleepy village 静寂的村落   

pier 码头

scenery 景色, 景观 

palm trees 棕榈树

waves 波浪  

surfing 冲浪运动   

word of warning 提醒；警告  

bank holiday 公共假日 

traffic jams 交通堵塞 

motorways 高速公路

1 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 cosmopolitan   

adj.世界性的，全世界的，四海为家的，全球的

参考例句：

• New York is a highly cosmopolitan city.纽约是一个高度世界性的城市。
• She has a very cosmopolitan outlook on life.她有四海一家的人生观。

4 pier   

n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱

参考例句：

• The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害，专家担心它已不能负重。
• The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。

5 motorways   

n.高速公路( motorway的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most of Britain's motorways radiated from London. 英国的大多数公路从伦敦向四方延伸。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Cuba is well served by motorways. 古巴的高速公路四通八达。 来自辞典例句