Step by Step2000第四册 Unit12 Extending Life through Fun(I（在线收听）

Unit 12 Extending Life through Fun (II)

Part I Warming up

A.

A1.

First: kittens / cats

Second: snakes

A2.

First: sweet / playful / affectionate / toy mouse / curl up / sleep/ clean

Second: unusual / revolting / slimy / dry / poisonous / move / fascinating / colors / patterns / beautiful

Tapescript:

1. Well, they were really sweet little things - very playful and affectionate. I didn't mind looking after them at all. They used to play for hours with their toy mouse or just curl up and go to sleep in their basket. They were no trouble, no, and they're very clean animals too.

2. I know it's a bit unusual, but I really like them. I have done ever since I saw them in the zoo, as a child. I don't know why. Most people think they're revolting. They imagine that they're slimy to touch or something but that's not tree -- they're quite dry. I'm not saying they'd make a good pet or anything, and I wouldn't want to get too close to one of the poisonous ones, but I think the way they move is fascinating. Some of them have colors and patterns which are really beautiful.

B. Now you are going to hear five people talking about their hobbies.

B1.

First: photography

Second: skiing

Third: horse riding

Fourth: bird watching

Fifth: sailing

B2.

First: photograph / still life / moving object / feel of equipment

Second: amazing / equipment / safer / scenery / air / speed / exhilaration

Third: powerful animal / relationship of trust / skill / walk / gallop

Fourth. 6,500 species / looking at birds

Fifth: force of wind / complicated / boats / navigation / essential skills

Tapescript

1. The first part is to go out of your house and choose a subject matter to photograph, and that could range from a still life of some kind to a moving object such as a racing car or a riot or some street scene. I like the feel of the equipment whilst I'm taking the photograph.

2. Well I think it's the most amazing sport because I ... I ... I first had a go about twenty-five years ago, and obviously the equipment has changed quite a lot in the time since and it's become a lot safer. Urn, the scenery's absolutely superb and the ... the air is ... is wonderful, and the speed and the exhilaration. You sleep well after it And it's ... for me it's just the best sport

3. I think there's something rather special about it as a hobby, or a sport, because with most hobbies you just rely on yourself and maybe some equipment. Um, but here, you're depending on an animal and quite a powerful animal at that. So you have to build up a special relationship of trust between you. And if you.., if you do build up that relationship of trust, and if you develop some skill, then there's enormous satisfaction and pleasure in what you can do together, whether it's walking quietly along a lane or galloping over open countryside.

4. One of the things I find most interesting is there are something like six and a half thousand different types of birds in the world, that's six and a half thousand species of birds, and it's only in the last fifty to a hundred years, perhaps, that people have started looking at birds as something beautiful to admire in their own setting. Prior to that, we ate birds. We still do. Birds were shot and killed for their feathers, to put in hats, to decorate clothes. Birds were used. Whereas now, a lot of people who enjoy looking at birds, simply do that.

5. You're using the force of the wind to get around over the earth's surface, as people did two thousand years ago. And it has been complicated -- boats have become more complicated, and navigation equipment has become electronic and complicated. But these are luxuries. The essential skills are exactly the same as they were two thousand years ago. And I think that's the ... the fun.

C. Read the following difficult sentences and listen.

1. I think the unique thing about a barbecue is that no matter where you go in America, they'll have a different recipe, so in some parts, they'll have tomatoes in the sauce, and in some parts, they wouldn't dream of having tomatoes in the sauce.

2. When you work the clay, if both hands use the same strength, the clay will look like a bull's head; if both hands use different strength, the clay will look like a chrysanthemum.

3. He hammers the piton into the rock, loops his equipment and slings around his body, and begins to climb; a graceful exercise where he moves freely up and along the rock.

4. You have to think why you're afraid. I mean, you have a fear that's coming up, and the nice thing about this sport is learning to control fear, like, learning to ... to just use it rather than have it consume you.

Part II New fashions

A.

1. Why do men in the West like barbecue?

cavemen

2. What is the unique thing about barbecue?

different recipe

3. What is potluck?

party / everyone brings food

3. What's it like in Britain when people have a barbecue?

sky / rain

Tapescript:

R -- Rebecca E – Elyn G -- Guest

E: Hi! Remember we spent all day preparing that barbecue? Well, the time is come. It's evening?

R: Yeah. And our guests are coming soon.

E. I hope you're hungry.

R. It reminds me of growing up in Texas. In Texas, they're very famous for barbecue. They are very serious about barbecue. And one thing that's interesting about grilling and barbecue is that it's one form of cooking that men like to do. In the West, in the U.S. in particular, a lot of men don't cook at all. But oh, in the summer, they'll go out and cook on the grill. They'll light the charcoal with fire and they'll put the meat out there, just like they were cavemen. And of course the women are usually setting the table and making the salads and helping a lot, but the men like to say, "I made the barbecue." And they have special recipes; they have certain spicy chile or very special sauce. Elyn, what do you think about all the different kinds of sauces there are?

E. I think the unique thing about a barbecue is that no matter where you go in America, they'll have a different recipe, so in some parts, they'll have tomatoes in the sauce, and in some parts, they wouldn't dream of having tomatoes in the sauce. (It's true. ) Maybe they just have vinegar and spice~ And in other places, they like to use wood.., they like to use wood to grill the meat with. And in other places, they like to use charcoal. Charcoal is wood that's been cooked until there's no more smoke.

R: Almost every cookbook, like this American cookbook, has a section on just preparing your vegetables and meats to go on to the grill, and how you should do it carefully so that it doesn't burn your food.

E: This book has.., this book has several pages of recipes, and one of the famous ones that they have is ribs, the ribs of the cow, and they especially like to cook ribs at a barbecue. Sometimes they like a whole pig, don't they?

R. If you have enough people, say, forty people, you could roast a huge lamb, or a whole pig or some large piece of meat, and that would serve a big crowd. Some barbecues don't even use a table. Everyone goes to a park, say, on American Independence Day, and you might have hundreds of people come, and everyone brings food. It's potluck. Remember that expression? And maybe someone will make a huge piece of meat, and people will all sit on the ground, and that's picnic style barbecue.

E. And then maybe after dinner, if they like it, they might have a square dance.

R. Yeah, music or dancing, singing perhaps, depends on if you're sitting on the ground in a park or at a table in someone's backyard. Whatever, a barbecue is supposed to be fun. I hope it is tonight.

E. Well so you'll get a chance to see this evening. We got a man to do the barbecue. So you need to know the right words if you're coming to a barbecue. If you come to a barbecue and you see the.., the guy there grilling the meat you can say, "Oh, macho!"

E: What do you like best about the barbecue?

G. Oh, I like salads, they are good for you and you don't have to cook them.

E: OK.

E. Now, you are from Britain, what's it like in Britain when you have a barbecue?

G: Well, in Britain, when we have a barbecue, we always have to watch the sky to see if it's going to rain.

E: How about you? You... I know you like salads. Tony said you did (Yeah) What do you like the best about the barbecue?

G. Well, I like the barbecue, because someone else always does the cooking.

E. Well, our barbecue is done, and we are all very full. We've eaten a lot, haven't we?

G. Yes, we have. It's been really great. Thanks.

G. Thank you for a lovely barbecue.

R. It was our pleasure, we had a great time, but now it's really starting to rain. I'm afraid we have to clean up.

B.

Tapescript:

B1.

As the rhythm of urban life grows faster and faster, there are lots of new and fun things to do. Our recreational life is becoming more and more rich.

After a day's busy work or study, urban young people have different ideas about how to relax and enjoy their free time. Bars and disco halls are not as popular as they were and another recreational activity -- making pottery -- has quietly appeared.

Making pottery, an ancient Chinese art, is no longer just for artists and craftsmen, but something for the common people. In the pottery studio, you can make an artistic work of your own with the help of a pottery teacher, while listening to music. You will have the joy of "playing with mud" like you did when you were a child. Also you can talk with the other potters, talk about your creations or just talk about the weather.

When you see the clay turning and forming in your hands, you will feel calm and forget the troubles you had that day.

B2 Listen to the second part of the report Put the pottery-making steps in the right order.

( 2 ) Putting the clay on the turntable

( 9 ) Going to the kiln to fire the clay

( 8 ) Cooling for 3 or 4 days

( 1 ) Mixing the clay

( 4 ) Drying for a few days

( 7 )Sculpting

( 5 ) Smoothing or rounding the edges

( 10 ) Painting with glaze

( 6 )Polishing

( 3 ) Throwing

( 11 ) Firing again

Tapescript:

We discovered that the procedure to make pottery is not simply "playing with mud." There are many things to do like mixing the clay, polishing the pot, and sculpting.

Mixing the clay is a fundamental step in making a pot.

The clay used for pottery combines white kaolin and Beijing yellow clay together.

When you work the clay, if both hands use the same strength, the clay will look like a bull's head; if both hands use different strength, the clay will look like a chrysanthemum. When the clay is mixed well, it can be put on the wheel. The wheel is a round turntable.

Using the wheel to make a pot, called "throwing" a pot, is the most important step during the pottery making procedure. The form of the pot depends on how you use your strength and the coordination of your two hands.

After drying it a few days, you may still need to smooth the pot or round its edge. When it's half dry, you can use tools to polish it. Then you can use something hard, like a film canister or a spoon, to polish the surface of the body in order to make it smooth and shiny. The more you polish your body, the smoother it will be.

When you finish polishing, you can go to sculpting. You need to be patient and careful when you do this. The half-done work should be put in a cool place for 3 or 4 days. Then it can go to the kiln to be fired. If you like a more finished look, you can paint it again with some chemicals, called glaze, and fire it again. Isn't it pretty?

Now you know more about making pottery. Wouldn't you like to try it yourself?

Part III Rock climbing

A.

1. Have you ever tried rock climbing? Would you be interested in practicing this sport? Why or why not?

2. What sports do you consider physically challenging?

3. When practicing a difficult or dangerous sport, what mental or emotional challenges do you have to be prepared for?

4. When a person is devoted to a sport, how does it affect his life?

5. Would you consider rock climbing a dangerous sport? What is required to be a good rock climber?

B.

1. Why has the Province of Alberta become home to some of the best rock climbers in the world?

the Rockies / over 12,000 feet

2. why are the Canadian Rockies very special?

a lot of wilderness / grizzly bear

3. How high is First Rock? How does it compare with other climbs Blanchard often does?

First Rock: 25 meters / others: 50 times as high

4. What is the purpose of the climbing equipment?

attach rock to rope / rope to body

5. How did Blanchard first learn to climb? Where did he do his first climbing?

reading / around house, i.e. , basement rafters, walls

6. How important is rock climbing in Blanchard's life?

an integral part of his life / challenges / opportunities

Tapescript:

If you follow the rugged spine of the Rockies north from Colorado, the mountains take you into Canada. And there they rise out of the Canadian prairie like a huge craggy wall. In the province of Alberta, the Rockies reach heights of over 12,000 feet. It's not surprising that this area has become home to some of the best rock climbers in the world.

Here at the head of Heart Creek, Barry Blanchard is making his way through an evergreen forest alongside a rushing creek. He's on his way to First Rock, a favorite practice spot for accomplished rock climbers. Bianchard has climbed all over the world, but finds the Canadian Rockies very special.

"I guess the situation here is a lot different than a lot of other places. For instance, the Italian Dolomites are very similar geologically to the Rockies -- sedimentary limestone, but, you know, the culture around the bottom is a lot different. Here, we have a lot of wilderness, and in Italy there's ... there's none. I live in Alberta largely because many of the other mountain places you can live in the world, there just isn't a lot of wilderness. I mean, here, in this valley, we can see a grizzly. In Europe, there hasn't been a bear that size in a long, long time. '

First Rock, where Blanchard stops to begin climbing, is about 25 meters high. It's an afternoon's workout for a man who often climbs rock faces 50 times that height. As he unloads his backpack, he explains that the purpose of climbing equipment is to attach the rock to the rope, and the rope to his body.

"Okay, there's a piton hammer. We use that to drive the spikes into the rook."

"You had to trust those little things, pretty.., pretty much, eh?" "Yeah, yeah, but, I mean, with ... with experience, putting 'em in and taking 'em out, you ... learn to judge 'em pretty well."

Learning to judge them. In a sport as dangerous as rock climbing, a climbing course would seem to be the only way to begin. Blanchard explains how he learned his craft.

"Well, for me, it was a lot of reading, actually and, got some equipment and basically practiced around the house in the

neighborhood on buildings and stuff."

"Around the house?"

"Yeah, around the house. I used to ..."

"Literally climbing the walls?"

"Ah yeah, yeah. Yeah, climbing the basement rafters. And, used to have my brother sit on my bed so there was enough weight that I could put the rope around the leg of my bed and rappel out of the second-story window. Then I got the chance to go out, at one point, with a friend who'd taken a climbing course. So yeah, a climbing course is a great thing, for all kind(s) of beginner climbers because it's a risk sport. I mean, there's ... there's heavy consequences to be paid for a fall."

He hammers the piton into the rock, loops his equipment and slings around his body, and begins to climb; a graceful exercise where he moves freely up and along the rock. Blanchard is thin and in peak physical condition. The muscles in his legs and arms each appear to operate independently as he uses the tiniest cracks in the rock for toe- and handholds. It often looks as if he is magically sticking to the side of the smooth rock.

Back at ground level, Blanchard explains that physical conditioning is just one part of the sport. Mental conditioning is every bit as important.

"You also have to learn to think, you know, as you get started to get scared because you're beginning to expose yourself to a fall, or maybe the holds are getting smaller. You have to think why you're afraid. I mean, you have a fear that's coming up, and the nice thing about this sport is learning to control fear, like, learning to ... to just use it rather than have it consume you."

For Barry Blanchard, rock climbing is an integral part of his life. It provides him with challenges and opportunities that most people miss.