英语听力精选进阶版 6087

Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm, Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell; those names mean only one thing, the Spice Girls, and they are back!

Seven years after splitting¹ up, the Spice Girls have performed the first night of their comeback tour in Vancouver in Canada, and it was a sell-out success.

They are bringing the tour to the UK in the next few weeks, and they’ll be in Beijing on the 10th of January.

The show is reported to make them more than ￡10 million each.

More than 15,000 fans watched as the girl band performed on stage for the first time in nine years.

The tour is a big affair. It's a two hour show and there are twenty two tracks. Included in the line up are their nine UK number ones as well as their new single just out 'Headlines.'

There are a staggering² eight costume changes in any one show and the stage set is impressive too. As the performance begins the Girls are seen on raised platforms singing 'Spice Up Your Life.'

The first concert was a truly international event with fans coming from all over the world. One even travelled to Vancouver from Italy.

Ticket prices have soared³ too, with some devotees paying as much as ￡750 for the experience.

David Beckham made an unexpected appearance, having flown from New Zealand, where he was on tour with his football team LA Galaxy⁴.

In the coming months, the five will also perform in Los Angeles, San Jose, Las Vegas, New York, Cape⁵ Town, London, and Madrid.

After that the group get to excite audiences in China. They will perform in Shanghai and Beijing at the beginning of January 2008.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

splitting up 分道扬镳

first night 第一场演唱会

comeback tour 重返乐坛巡演

sell-out 全部售空

girl band 女子乐队（组合）

tracks 乐曲 

single 单曲

staggering 数量惊人的

soared 飙升；急剧上涨

devotees 忠实者；发烧友

1 splitting   

爆裂式的

参考例句：

• the splitting of the atom 原子的分裂
• We heard an ear-splitting scream from the terrified girl. 我们听见那个受惊的女孩发出一声刺耳的尖叫声。

2 staggering   

a.惊人的

参考例句：

• Why is that man staggering about the room like that? 那人为什么那样摇摇晃晃地在屋里走来走去？
• Profits have shot up by a staggering 25%. 利润惊人地攀升了25%。

3 soared   

v.高飞( soar的过去式和过去分词 )；猛增；（音乐）升高；高耸

参考例句：

• The bird soared high, with outspread wings. 鸟儿展翅高飞。
• The rocket soared skywards. 火箭呼啸着朝天上飞去。

4 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

5 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。