英语听力精选进阶版 7192

背景：一位英国设计师因出色设计出一种低能耗灯泡而获得一项设计大奖。布鲁门灯泡获得了由伦敦设计博物馆颁发的年度设计大赛的大奖。这种灯泡可以省电80%，并且比传统灯泡的寿命长八倍。

Will Gompertz: Now here is a bright idea - a designer, low-energy light bulb. So now, if you want to illuminate¹ your home in an eco-friendly fashion, you have this curvaceous choice. The designers spent a great deal of time worrying about what might turn people on, and what might turn them off.

Their quest was to marry practicality, something that actually works, with a sense of style and beauty, to create an object of desire. Something that you not only wanted to own, but hopefully also wanted to keep.

Nicolas Roope: And that's really the role of the designer, I think, is to make objects that people really connect with and really cherish, you know. I think that's one of our roles, and obviously in this case this isn't just about prettifying. This is about, you know, obviously, the underlying² problem of getting people to adopt this stuff, because obviously that's in everybody's interests.

Will Gompertz: That is if money is not too much of an issue - funky³ costs. Each one is nearly ￡20. That's up to twenty times the price of some other low-energy bulbs. It's too early to judge if this product has a dazzling future, but its creators will be reassured⁴ to know that at least one major household goods retailer⁵ said its customers did not consider light bulbs dull. In fact, to them, design matters.

Will Gompertz, BBC News

Glossary⁶ 词汇表

a bright idea 聪明的主意 

an eco-friendly fashion 对生态环境友好的方式 

curvaceous 优美曲线的 

to turn people on 让人感兴趣 

to marry 与… 结缘、结婚 

to cherish 珍惜 

the underlying problem 潜在的问题 

to adopt 采纳、采用 

dazzling 灿烂的 

dull 枯燥、无趣的

Questions and Answers

1. What word does the reporter use to describe the shape of the light bulb? 

Curvaceous.

2. True or false - the designer says his role as an artistic⁷ person is to shock and offend people with his creations? 

False. He says a designer should create something people cherish.

3. What institution awards the Design of the Year? 

It's awarded by the Design Museum in London.

4. What does the reporter mean when he says "Funky costs"? 

He's explaining that fashionable or trendy light bulbs are more expensive than ordinary ones.

1 illuminate   

vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释

参考例句：

• Dreams kindle a flame to illuminate our dark roads.梦想点燃火炬照亮我们黑暗的道路。
• They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.他们用游戏和图画来阐明他们的主题。

2 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

3 funky   

adj.畏缩的，怯懦的，霉臭的；adj.新式的，时髦的

参考例句：

• The kitchen smelled really funky.这个厨房有一股霉味。
• It is a funky restaurant with very interesting art on the walls.那是一家墙上挂着很有意思的绘画的新潮餐馆。

4 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

6 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。

7 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。