英语听力精选进阶版 7106（在线收听）

Background: 只有金发美女可以参加的游行，只有金发美女可以参加的高尔夫球公开赛，全部由金发美女组成的交响乐团，拉脱维亚首都里加即将上演金发女郎周末。

Hundreds of women are taking part in Latvia's Blonde Weekend which carries the motto "make the world a brighter place".

The idea is to put a smile back on the faces of the people of Latvia who've been ground down by the recession.

The head of Latvia's Blondes' Association, Marika Gederte, who is organising the event, said she got the idea from Bulgaria.

The weekend's events include a parade, a beauty contest and a number of sporting events open only to blondes.

It's all in the interests of fun, but Mrs Gederte says there is a serious side to the festival.

"And of course we have a very serious idea in the background, and it is charity. We are going to open children's playgrounds in the parks."

Mrs Gederte said blondes were anything but stupid and blamed the bad publicity they frequently got and the nickname, dumb blonde, on the character Marilyn Monroe played in the classic movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

Blonde 金黄色头发的人

motto 座右铭，箴言

ground down 使某人受打击，折磨

parade （庆祝）游行

beauty contest 选美比赛

sporting events 体育赛事

charity 慈善机构

playgrounds 操场

blamed 批评，责备

bad publicity 负面的宣传

nickname 绰号

dumb 笨的

Questions and Answers

1. Where did Marika Gederte get the idea for the Latvian Blonde Weekend?

She got the idea from Bulgaria.

2. Can brunettes or red-haired people take part in the sporting events or the beauty contest?

No, only people with blonde hair can take part in the events.

3. What does Marika hope to achieve through the charity behind the blonde weekend?

She hopes to open children's playgrounds in the parks.

4. Why does Marika think that blondes often receive the nickname dumb blonde?

Marika blames the bad publicity on the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.