The world at 7 billion, and growing
Census Bureau人口普查局Shortage 短缺
fertility: 生育力demographic人口统计学的
dividend股息; 红利
malnourished 营养失调的; 营养不良的
听力原文
The United Nations estimates that the world reached seven billion people on Monday. No one can be sure. The United States Census Bureau does not expect that to happen until March.
Populations are growing faster than economies in many poor countries in Africa and some in Asia. At the same time, low fertility rates in Japan and many European nations have raised concerns about labor shortages.
Population experts at the United Nations estimated that the world reached six billion in October 1999. They predict nine billion by 2050 and 10 billion by the end of the century.
China's population of one and a third billion is currently the world's largest. India is second at 1.2 billion. But India is expected to pass China and reach one and a half billion people around 2025. India will also have one of the world's youngest populations.
Economists say this is a chance for a so-called demographic dividend. India could gain from the skills of young people in a growing economy at a time when other countries have aging populations. But economists say current rates of growth, although high, may not create enough jobs.
Also, the public education system is failing to meet demand and schooling is often of poor quality. Another concern is health care. Nearly half of India's children under the age of five are malnourished.
听写原文
The United Nations estimates that the world reached seven billion people on Monday.
Populations are growing faster than economies in many poor countries in Africa and some in Asia.
At the same time, low fertility rates in Japan and many European nations have raised concerns about labor shortages.
Population experts at the United Nations estimated that the world reached six billion in October 1999. They predict nine billion by 2050 and 10 billion by the end of the century.
China's population of one and a third billion is currently the world's largest. India is second at 1.2 billion. But India is expected to pass China and reach one and a half billion people around 2025.
India will also have one of the world's youngest populations.
Economists say this is a chance for a so-called demographic dividend.
India could gain from the skills of young people in a growing economy at a time when other countries have aging populations.
But economists say current rates of growth, although high, may not create enough jobs.
Also, the public education system is failing to meet demand and schooling is often of poor quality. Another concern is health care. Nearly half of India's children under the age of five are malnourished.
Tiger Mother
虎妈战歌
Comparing American and Chinese Parents 比较中美家长对孩子教育方式差异
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother 《虎妈战歌》
Amy Chua蔡美儿
Yale Law School耶鲁法学院New Haven纽黑文
raise 养大
immigrant移民represent代表
stuffed animal毛绒玩具
insult责骂
sleepover外面过夜
play date同学聚会
school play课外活动
makes fun of 嘲弄
ease放松
low expectation较低期望
assume 采取，承担
fragility脆弱
stirring信号、焦点
intense激烈
retreat退让
Some American parents might think their children need better educations to compete with China and other countries. But how much do the parents themselves need to change?
一些美国家长可能认为他们的孩子需要接受更好的教育，来与中国以及其他国家的孩子竞争。但家长本身又需要做出多大改变呢？
A new book called "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua has caused a debate about cultural differences in parenting. Ms. Chua is a professor at the Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, and the mother of two daughters. She was raise d in the American Midwest by immigrant Chinese parents.
蔡美儿（Amy Chua ）撰写的新书《虎妈战歌》引发了一场关于在教育孩子上的文化差异的辩论。蔡女士是耶鲁大学法学院的一名教授，同时也是2个孩子的妈妈。她在美国中西部的一个中国移民家庭长大。
In the Chinese culture, the tiger represent s strength and power. In her book, Ms. Chua writes about how she demanded excellence from her daughters. For example, she threatened to burn her daughter's stuffed animal s unless she played a piece of music perfectly. She would insult her daughters if they failed to meet her expectations.
在中华文化中，老虎代表的力量和权势。蔡女士在她的书中写到了她如何要求女儿表现优异。例如，她扬言要烧毁女儿的毛绒玩具，除非她们能完美的弹奏一段音乐。如果达不到她的期望，她就会责骂她们。
Ms. Chua told NBC television that she had a clear list of what her daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were not permitted to do.
蔡女士告诉NBC电视台说，她明确了列出了她女儿索菲亚和路易莎不允许做的事情。
AMY CHUA: "Attend a sleepover, have a play date, watch TV or play computer games, be in a school play, get any grade less than an A."
蔡美儿：“在外面过夜、与同学聚会、看电视或玩电脑游戏、参加课外活动、任何一门成绩低于A，（这些都是不允许的。）”
Many people have criticize d Amy Chua. Some say her parenting methods were abusive. She even admits that her husband, who is not Chinese, sometimes object ed to her parenting style. But she says that was the way her parents raised her and her three sisters.
许多人批评蔡美儿，有人称她的教育方式是虐待。她承认，她的丈夫不是华裔，有时也会反对她的教育方式。但她表示，这就是她的父母教育她们姐妹四个的方式。
Ms. Chua makes fun of her own extreme style of parenting. She says she eased some of the pressure after her younger daughter rebelled and shouted "I hate my life! I hate you!"
蔡女士自嘲自己极端的教育方法。她说，在她的小女儿反抗并冲她大喊“我恨我的生活，我恨你！”后，她略微放松了部分要求。
Ms. Chua says she decided to retreat when it seemed like there was a risk that she might lose her daughter. But she also says American parents often have low expectations of their children's abilities.
蔡女士说，当她意识到她可能失去女儿时，她决定退让。但她表示，美国家长通常对孩子能力的期望较低。
AMY CHUA: "One of the biggest differences I see between Western and Chinese parents is that Chinese parents assume strength rather than fragility."
蔡美儿：“我认为中西方父母最大的差异之一就是中国父母更强势。”
Stacy DeBroff has written four books on parenting.
斯泰西·迪柏夫（Stacy DeBroff）写了四本关于教育孩子的书。
STACY DEBROFF: "The stirring of this intense debate has to do with what does it mean to be a successful parent and what does it mean to be a successful child?"
迪柏夫：“这场激烈辩论的焦点在于怎么才算是一个成功的父母？怎么才算是一个成功的孩子？”
Ms. DeBroff says Amy Chua's parenting style is not limited to Chinese families. She says it represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants seeking a better future for their children.
迪柏夫称蔡美儿的教育方式不仅限于华人家庭。它代表着移民家庭望子成龙的传统教育方式。
But she also sees a risk. When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life. Stacey DeBroff advises parents to develop their own style of parenting and
not just repeat the way they were raised.
但她也看到了这当中的风险。当孩子没有时间参加社交活动或发展自己的兴趣爱好时，他们可能就无法发展生活中取得成功所需的其他技能。迪柏夫建议家长找到自己的教育方法，而不是重复上一辈对自己的教育方式。
Less Salt Can Mean More Life
少盐生活，更多健康
单词学习：
heart disease/attack心脏病diet饮食
computer model电脑模型predict预测
reduction减少
gram克
health care医疗保健
stroke中风
new cases新增病例
Stanford University斯坦福大学Columbia University哥伦比亚大学
New England Journal of Medicine
《新英格兰医学期刊》
teaspoon茶匙
blood pressure血压
sodium钠
milligram毫克
salt content盐含量
American Heart Association
美国心脏协会
Mayor市长
National Salt Reduction Initiative
全国减盐行动
critic批评家
government interference政府干涉
calorie能量/卡路里
Seattle Children's Research Institute
西雅图儿童研究所
Pediatrics儿科
count数字
Even a small reduction in salt in the diet can be a big help to the heart. A new study used a computer model to predict how just three gram s less a day would affect heart disease in the United States.
饮食中即使减少少量的盐分，对心脏也会产生很大的帮助。美国一项最新研究利用电脑模型预测每天减少三克盐将对心脏病产生怎样的影响。
The result: thirteen percent fewer heart attack s. Eight percent fewer stroke s. Four percent fewer deaths. Eleven percent fewer new cases of heart disease. And two hundred forty billion dollars in health care savings.
结果：心脏病发病率减少13%。中风减少8%。死亡率降低4%。新增心脏病患者减少11%。医疗保健费用节约2400亿美元。
Researchers found it could prevent one hundred thousand heart attacks and ninety-two thousand deaths every year.
研究人员发现，每天减少三克盐可以减少10万人次心脏病发作，减少9.2万心脏病死亡并列。
The study is in the New England Journal of Medicine. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo at the University of California San Francisco, was the lead author. She says people would not even notice a difference in taste with three grams, or one-half teaspoon, less salt per day. The team also included researchers at Stanford and Columbia University.
该研究发表在《新英格兰医学期刊》上。加州大学旧金山分校的Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo是首席作者。她表示，每天都饮食中减少三克盐，甚至减少半匙，人在味道上不会注意到有什么差别。该研究小组还包括斯坦福大学和哥伦比亚大学的研究人员。
Each gram of salt contains four hundred milligram s of sodium, which is how foods may list their salt content.
每克盐中含有400毫克钠，这也是食品标明盐含量的方式。
The government says the average American man eats ten grams of salt a day. The American Heart Association advises no more than three grams for healthy people. It says salt in the American diet has increased fifty percent since the nineteen seventies, while blood pressure s have also risen. Less salt can mean a lower blood pressure.
政府表示，普通的美国男子平均每天使用10克盐。美国心脏协会建议健康人每天摄入的盐量不超过3克。该协会表示，自70年代以来，美国饮食中的含盐量增加了50%，同时血压水平也上升。少吃盐可以降低血压水平。New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leading an effort called the National Salt Reduction Initiative. The idea is to put pressure on food companies and restaurants. Critic s call it government interference.
纽约市长Michael Bloomberg领导进行了一个叫做“全国减盐行动”(National Salt Reduction Initiative)的项目。该项目主要是向食品公司和餐馆施加压力。批评家称这是政府干涉行为。
Mayor Bloomberg has already succeeded in other areas, like requiring fast food places in the city to list calorie information. Now a study by the Seattle Children's Research Institute shows how that idea can influence what parents order for their children.
Bloomberg市长在其他领域已经获得了成功，例如要求该市快餐场所标明能量信息。现在，西雅图儿童研究所一项研究表明了该项目怎样影响父母为孩子预订饮食。
Ninety-nine parents of three to six year olds took part. Half had McDonald's menus clearly showing how many calories were in each food. The other half got menus without the calorie information.
99名三至六岁孩子的父母参加了调查。一半的父母手中持有的麦当劳菜单标明了每种食物的能量水平。另一半所持的菜单则没有能量信息。
Parents given the count s chose an average of one hundred two fewer calories when asked what they would order for their children. Yet there was no difference in calories between the two groups for foods that the parents would have chosen for themselves.
手中持有能量数字的每位父母都为孩子选择了102种能量较少的食物。而在为自己选择饮食方面，两组在能量选择方面没有差异。
Study leader Pooja Tandon says even small calorie reductions on a regular basis can prevent weight gain over time. The study was published in the journal Pediatrics.
研究负责人Pooja Tandon表示，即使经常减少少量的能量，长期来看也能防止体重增加。这项研究发表在儿科期刊上。
Are People Who Speak More Than One Language Smarter?
双语能使人更聪明吗？（*只听写黑体部分）
score 得分
intelligence test 智力测试
bilingual 双语的
monolingual 单语的
American Association for the Advancement of Science 美国科学促进会
bilingualism 双语环境/行为executive control system 行为控制系统
cognitive system 认知系统
Stroop Test 斯特鲁测验
salient 显著的
override 压倒，驾驭
dementia (Alzheimer's disease) 老年痴呆症（又名阿尔茨海默氏病）
In the early nineteen fifties, researchers found that people scored lower on intelligence tests if they spoke more than one language. Research in the sixties found the opposite. Bilingual people scored higher than monolinguals--people who speak only one language. So which is it?
上世纪五十年代早期，研究人员发现掌握超过一门语言的人在智力测试上得分更低。而六十年代研究的发现则恰恰相反，“双语者”比只懂一种语言的“单语者”得分更高。那么，哪个发现是正确的呢？
Researchers presented their newest studies last month at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The latest evidence shows that being bilingual does not necessarily make people smarter. But researcher Ellen Bialystock says it probably does make you better at certain skills.
研究人员上月在美国科学促进会的一次会议上介绍了他们的最新研究成果。最新证据表明，通晓双语并不能使人更聪明。但研究人员艾伦·比雅利斯托克（Ellen Bialystock）表示，它会使你在某些技能上表现更好。
ELLEN BIALYSTOCK: "Imagine driving down the highway. There's many things that could capture your attention and you really need to be able to monitor all of them. Why would bilingualism make you any better at that?"
比雅利斯托克：“想象一下在高速公路上开车，可能会有很多吸引你注意力的东西，你必须能够同时关注所有这一些。为什么双语环境可能会让你在这方面表现更好呢？”
And the answer, she says, is that bilingual people are often better at controlling their attention -- a function called the executive control system.
她表示，答案就是“双语者”更善于控制自己的注意力，这种能力也被称为行为控制系统。
ELLEN BIALYSTOCK: "It's quite possibly the most important cognitive system we have because it's where all of your decisions about what to attend to, what to ignore, what to process are made."
比雅利斯托克：“这可能是人类具备的最重要的认知系统。因为你做出专注、忽略、执行的决定时都离不开它。”
Ms. Bialystock is a psychology professor at York University in Toronto, Canada. She says the best method to measure the executive control system is called the Stroop Test. A person is shown words in different colors. The person has to ignore the word but say the color. The problem is that the words are all names of colors.
比雅利斯托克是加拿大约克大学的心理学教授。她表示，衡量行为控制系统能力最好的办法是斯特鲁测验（Stroop Test）。该测试向被测试者展示各种不同颜色的单词。被测试者需要忽略单词本身，说出字体的颜色。难点在于，这些单词都是一些颜色的名称。
ELLEN BIALYSTOCK: "So you would have the word blue written in red, but you have to say red. But blue is so salient, it's just lighting up all these circuits in your brain, and you really want to say blue. So you need a mechanism to override that so that you can say red. That's the executive control system."
比雅利斯托克：“因此，“蓝色”这个单词可能是用红色书写的，而你必须说“红色”。但“蓝色”这两个字非常突出，它一直闪现在你的大脑中，你很想说“蓝色”。这时你就需要一种抑制该想法的系统，你才能说出红色。这就是行为控制系统。”
Her work shows that bilingual people continually practice this function. They have to, because both languages are active in their brain at the same time. They need to suppress one to be able to speak in the other.
她的研究表明，“双语者”在不断锻炼这种能力，因为两种语言同时都在他们大脑中活跃，他们必须抑制一种语言，才能用另一种语言表达。
This mental exercise might help in other ways, too. Researchers say bilingual children are better able to separate a word from its meaning, and more likely to have friends from different cultures. Bilingual adults are often four to five years later than others in developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
这一脑力锻炼在其它方面也有所帮助。研究人员称，双语儿童能更好地区别单词含义，也更有可能结交不同文化背景的朋友。双语成年人患老年痴呆症（又名阿尔茨海默氏病）的时间要比其他人晚4-5年。
Foreign language study has increased in the United States. But linguist Alison Mackey at Georgetown University points out that English-speaking countries are still far behind the rest of the world.
外语学习在美国有所提升。但乔治城大学的语言学家艾莉森·麦基（Alison Mackey）指出，英语系国家（在外语学习方面）仍远远落后于世界上其他国家。
ALISON MACKEY: "In England, like in the United States, bilingualism is seen as something special and unique and something to be commented on and perhaps work towards, whereas in many other parts of the world being bilingual is just seen as a natural part of life."
麦基：“英国和美国一样，双语被看作特殊的，惹人评论的东西，也可能是努力的方向。而在世界上许多其他地方，双语只是生活中很自然的一部分。”
一.Scientists: Rising Sea Levels to Continue Scientists say sea levels are rising and will continue to do so into the future. Coastal communities around the world are already experiencing the impact of rising seas. Many cities and towns are taking steps to deal with this new reality. Photographers have taken pictures to document those efforts. Their photos are part of an exhibit called "Sink or Swim: Designing for a Sea Change." It can be seen at the Aquarium of the Pacific, in Long Beach, California. There, experts explain the causes of the rising seas and how people are trying to adapt to the changes. Disastrous storms and floods could be a new reality around the world. That is the opinion of oceanographer Jerry Schubel. He is president of the Aquarium of the Pacific. 二.Robots Ready to Work in Restaurants For many years, machines have been doing work that people once did, including some difficult jobs. Search and rescue operations in dangerous environments are often seen as the first areas that will employ high technology robots. But there is another area that may soon take jobs traditionally held by human beings: the restaurant industry. Teams from around the world competed in early June at the DARPA Robotic Challenge Finals in California. A team from South Korea and its robot, called DRC-Hubo, won first place in the competition. The second and third place finishers were from the United States. The robots were required to drive a vehicle, climb up steps and do mechanical work. Such activities are easy for humans to perform, but more difficult for machines. Not all of the competitors were successful. The failures showed how difficult it is to design effective walking machines.
如何用voa学习 最佳实践一：用VOA Special English 练听力 网站上提供的VOA Special English 节目文本是配有MP3声音的，声音文件由美国本土资深专业播音员录制，如果想有效提高自己的英语听力，VOA Special English 节目资料将是非常好的听力练习素材。而最快最有效的提高英语听力的方法就是做听写，怎么听呢？下面分几个层次介绍听写的方法。 （一）初级英语水平学生（相当于高中英语水平）做听写的方法 1、下载一个5 分钟的report 到电脑里（包括下载report的MP3录音和文本），准备好一本英汉词典或电子词典 2、认真阅读report文本一至两遍，遇到不懂的单词请立即查词典。 3、将文本放在一边，开始听report的MP3录音，并将听到的写下来，就是做听写练习。一直循环播放，尽可能的将自己能听写出来的，全部写出来。 4、将自己的听写稿和原稿对照，找出没有听写出来的词句，并标上记号，这些没有听出来的词句可能很简单，但事实是你没有听写出来，这些就是你听力的盲点，所以要特别留意。
5、再反复地听report的MP3录音，这次不用纸笔听写，而是在脑袋里做听写，就是指当你听到一句的时候，脑袋里把这一句给拼出来，确保听清每一个词句，并留意你在听写时没有写出来的词句的发音。 6、第二天再听上面的report的MP3录音，并采用上面第5点所用的听法。第四天再听上面的report的MP3录音，等到第七天再听几篇，仍采用上面第5点所用的听法。为什么要反复地听？因为我们之所以听不懂，是因为听的太少了。反复听的目的在于强化，让你形成一种听力条件反射，就是让你拥有一听到某些词句就能立即条件反射式地在脑袋里写出来你所听到的词句。 练习听力有点像练习电脑打字里的盲打，花时间多做练习自然就会盲打，如果只是想着如何学习盲打而不加以练习，那你永远也学不会盲打。 （二）中级英语水平学生（相当于低年级英语专业，非英语专业大学本科，硕士水平）做听写的方法 基本方法与初级英语水平学生采用的方法类似，选择听写材料时先初听一遍，如果已经真真正正能完全听懂，说明这篇对你来讲太容易了，请换一遍难点的，采用上述方法的1、3、4、5、6条的顺序做听写练习。 最佳实践二：用VOA Special English 训练出纯正英语发音和表达 当你在听中文学得还不错的外国人讲中文时，经常觉得听上去很别扭，因为他的
VOA等英语广播听力心得范文 许多学英语的人都希望收听VOA，BBC等英语新闻广播，想以此来提高听力和口语水平，但不少人认为听英语新闻广播比较困难。从这几年的中等以上英语听力考试来看，都涉及到测试英语新闻广播的内容。从教学上来说，许多大专院校的英语系的听力课都增加了听英语新闻报道的内容。那么怎样才能基本上听懂外台的英语新闻报道呢?我们认为，除了多听以外，还必须掌握英语新闻报道的特点和一些收听技巧。 (1)掌握新闻报道的结构新闻报道往往采用“倒金字塔体”。 所谓“倒金字塔体”，也称为倒途法，即按新闻事实重要性的程度由要点到细节逐步扩展，安排全文。把最重要的事实置于全文的第一个句子中，这个句子被称为新闻导语(the news lead)。它告知听众最关心最重要的事实，如事件(what)、时间(when)、地点(where)、人物(who)，以及原因和方式(why，how，即新闻导语包含了我们常说的五个WH和一个H构成的“新闻六大要素”。新闻导语是整条新闻的高度浓缩形式，听懂了导语，也就听懂了新闻的主要内容。当然，由于新闻报道的侧重点不同，有时新闻导语也可能只包含其中几个要素。 例如： Oil ministers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will bold an emergency meeting Friday to discuss. 这一新闻导语包含了以下几个要素： What：An emergency meeting vail be held When：Friday Who：Oil Ministers Of the Organization of Petroleum Ex—poring Countries (2)扩大词汇量，熟记新闻报道中的常用词汇 ①普通词汇。尽管新闻报道所使用的词汇量很大，但是语言的基本词汇是稳定的。如VOA广播中的special English(特别节目)的新闻报告中常用词汇约1 500个，这的重复率在报道中是很高的，如cease-fire，presidential eleation等政治性词汇，financebankinggroup等经济词汇以aceshuttle，robot等科技词汇。而新闻英语中的特有用语就更具稳定性。若能掌握这些词汇，再加上一些听力技巧，基本听懂新闻报道就不是件难事了。 ②专有词汇。新闻报道是有关世界范围的最新消息，因在报道中常涉及许多人名、地名、国名。除此之外，新闻报道中还常常出现一些河流、山脉及名胜古迹等专有名词熟悉这些专有名词可使听者更快更准确地了解所听的新闻。 (3)掌握一定数量的缩略语(acronym) 由于新闻报道时间的限制，不少机构的名称常采用其缩略形式，即由该名称中数个词的首字母的大写形式组成，如：PLO是thePalestineLiberationOrganization的缩写形式。需要注意的是，听者不仅要了解这些缩略语的确切含义，而且还应知道它们的正确读音。 (4)掌握数字的不同读法 在新闻报道中经常出现许多数字，大到几十亿，上百亿，小到分数或小数。尤其对一些多位数的数字，要想立刻听准这些数字的确不容易，其主要难点在于位数过多。因此在听多位数的数字时，应对billion(十亿)、million(百万)、thousand(千)、hundred(百)等词尤为重视。同时，要注意一个数字的多种读法，如播音员把两个足球队比赛结果2：0读作two to nothing 而不是读成two to nought或two to zero． (5)掌握循序渐进，从慢到快的原则 目前，许多外台(如BBC，VOA)的新闻英语报道有特别英语(Special English)和标准英语(Standard English)两种。所谓Special English也可称为慢速英语，即新闻播放的语速较慢。就VOA而言，慢速英语每分钟不超过90个单词，而且新闻报道均是由简单易懂的英语缩写的，因此较适合初级阶段的新闻英语训练。然而它毕竟有其局限性，只能作为听力训练的一种手
VOA等英语广播的听力技巧有哪些 VOA等英语广播的听力技巧有哪些 例如： OilministersoftheOrganizationofPetroleumExportingCountri eswillboldanemergencymeetingFridaytodiscuss What：Anemergencymeetingvailbeheld When：Friday Who：OilMinistersOftheOrganizationofPetroleumEx—poringCountries (2)扩大词汇量，熟记新闻报道中的常用词汇 ①普通词汇。尽管新闻报道所使用的词汇量很大，但是语言的基本词汇是稳定的。如VOA广播中的specialEnglish(特别节目)的新 闻报告中常用词汇约1500个，这的重复率在报道中是很高的，如cease-fire，presidentialeleation等政治性词汇，financebankinggroup等经济词汇以aceshuttle，robot等科技词汇。而新闻英语中的特有用语就更具稳定性。若能掌握这些词汇， 再加上一些听力技巧，基本听懂新闻报道就不是件难事了。 ②专有词汇。新闻报道是有关世界范围的最新消息，因在报道中常涉及许多人名、地名、国名。除此之外，新闻报道中还常常出现 一些河流、山脉及名胜古迹等专有名词熟悉这些专有名词可使听者 更快更准确地了解所听的新 (3)掌握一定数量的缩略语(acronym) 由于新闻报道时间的限制，不少机构的名称常采用其缩略形式，即由该名称中数个词的首字母的大写形式组成，如：PLO是thePalestineLiberationOrganization的缩写形式。需要注意的是，
1. Foods and Health This is the VOA Special English Health Report. Experts say the food people eat greatly affects their health. They say that some foods are especially good for preventing disease. Many foods contain substances that protect against tissue damage. One of these is tomatoes. The substance lycopene is released when tomatoes are cooked. Lycopene helps reduce the risk of developing cancer in the digestive system, which processes food. The dark green vegetable spinach contains folic acid that prevents problems in developing fetuses. It also lowers blood levels of homocysteine. High homocysteine levels have been linked to heart attacks and strokes. Another vegetable, broccoli, can help protect against cancers of the breast, colon and stomach. Oats help lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease. They also may improve the levels of sugar in the blood. This reduces the chance of developing the disease, diabetes. Fish that contain omega three fatty acids help prevent blockages in the arteries. Omega three also lowers bad cholesterol and may protect brain cells from diseases like Alzheimer's. Fish that provide a lot of omega three acids are salmon, herring, mackerel and bluefish. Garlic may help protect the heart by reducing cholesterol and making the blood less sticky. Health experts also suggest cooking with olive oil because it also has been shown to help prevent cancer and heart disease. Studies show that drinking green tea may help prevent cancer of the liver and stomach. Green tea also slows the growth of bacteria in the mouth. Blueberries have been shown to help protect against heart disease and cancer. They can also help prevent some infections by preventing the bacteria from attacking the bladder. Experts say the skins of red grapes contain substances that increase the good kind of cholesterol in the blood. To get this protection, you can drink red wine... but not more than a few glasses a week. Drinking too much alcohol can be dangerous! Eating too much chocolate can increase weight. But recent studies have shown that substances in chocolate can help prevent heart attacks and cancer. They have also shown that chocolate is not as bad for the teeth as had been thought. The experts say the best chocolate to eat is the dark kind because it contains the most healthful substances. This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. 2. Study of Cousins Who Marry This is the VOA Special English Health Report. Sometimes people who are first cousins get married. Two people are first cousins if their mothers are sisters, or their fathers are brothers, or one's mother and the other's father are brother and sister. American researchers now say it is
2016年6月大学英语四级听力VOA慢速英语练习题（第二十二套） 2016年6月大学英语四级听力VOA慢速英语练习题（第二十二套） Apps to Help Students Do Their Best Work Evernote Application software for computers or mobile devices can do a lot of things for students of all ages. Apps?can help students get better organized, study for tests and prepare research papers. In other words, they can help the user do his or her very best work. Apps can help any users, even those who are not students, get more organized and improve their work. Whether or not you are a student, here are some apps worth considering. Quizlet Quizlet is a study aid app. It is filled with?flash cards?on many subjects to study. Use the cards that come with the app or create your own. Quizlet has links to subjects like: Arts & Literature Languages & Vocabulary Math & Science History & Geography Standardized Tests Professional & Careers The app has a mix of text, images and audio recordings, includingpronunciation?of words in different languages. Quizlet has games to play and tests to take. Cards are available on the app even when you are not connected to the Internet. Quizlet is available as a free app from Apple’s iTunes store. Quizlet for iPhone and iPad Quizlet for Android devices You can learn more at the Quizlet website. EasyBib Sometimes the most difficult part of writing a research paper is creating thebibliography. A bibliography lists all of the publications and other sources used in your research. Getting just the right?citations?to appear in the correct?format?can be difficult and take a lot of time. The EasyBib app can make creating a bibliography easier. The app can help organize the information and find citations for books, websites and more. EasyBib users can simply?scan?the barcode on a book with a mobile phone camera to get the information they need. You can also search for documentation in the app if the book is unavailable at the time. The app offers over 7,000 different citation formats, including the commonly used Modern Language Association, or MLA, style. Users can change the way in which the information is organized and stored within the app. Users can email information from EasyBib to others or to send it to a home
VOA News The study compared the mental health of college students to that of non-students the same age. About half of Americans age eighteen to twenty-four attend college. The information used in the study came from five thousand college-age men and women. They were questioned for a national survey between two thousand one and two thousand two. About two thousand of them were college students. The questioners were not doctors but trained interviewers. The questions were based on symptoms listed in a book widely used by doctors to identify mental disorders. The researchers found that twenty percent of college students abused alcohol -- the most common disorder in that group. Personality disorders, like obsessive compulsive disorder, came next. The study says almost eighteen percent of college students appeared to have a personality disorder. That was true of about twenty-two percent of those not in college. The college students were also less likely to have a drug-use disorder, nicotine dependence or bipolar disorder. And they were less likely to have used tobacco. But their risk of alcohol disorders was greater. The National Institutes of Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention helped pay for the study. Over all, the study found that almost half of all the college-age individuals showed signs of at least one psychiatric disorder. The researchers say this age group may be especially sensitive to disorders because of the great pressures of entering adulthood. Yet they say only one–fourth sought treatment. Joseph Glenmullen is a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School who believes that psychiatric medications are overused. He told the Bloomberg news agency that the finding of a psychiatric disorder in about half of those studied "seems extraordinarily high." He says it may represent what he called "a watering down of the diagnostic criteria such that they capture more people with milder symptoms.'' What he is saying is that more people may be told they have a mental disorder because the definitions have been widened. And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. I'm Steve Ember.
说到雅思听力能力的提高，想必很多考生就会说到听BBC或是VOA。那么，雅思听力水平提高用BBC还是VOA呢?其实，不管是哪一种，并不一定适合所有水平的考生，也不是所有考生都能准确使用，效果显著。本文前程百利小编就和大家一起聊一聊，希望对考生有所帮助。 一、BBC、VOA的选择 不管是BBC 还是VOA，任何一种，只要考生付出了时间与努力的话都会有所进步，但是考生在使用时要注意的是是否适合自己，是否高效。因为，雅思听力水平的提高并非一蹴而就的，也并不简单。 考生也要明白听力训练中的一个原则，就是最多只能听懂自己能读得懂的东西。也就是说听力提高最关键的地方并不在于听了多少东西，而是在于考生的阅读基础，比如词汇量，语法基础等。阅读基础越好，看得懂的东西就越多，那么，听力过程也会越顺畅。 另外，听力训练的目标的是努力听懂能读得懂的东西，听懂该听懂的，对于读不懂的东西，只能通过提高词汇量来解决。 所以，考生要根据自己的实际水平来选择合适的听力材料。 BBC和VOA之间有明显的区别，考生要先搞清楚再做选择。 VOA是一种慢速英语，美式发音，适合练发音;BBC的语速快,纯英语发音，适合练高水平听力。VOA的内容侧重生活,BBC侧重新闻。 二、BBC、VOA使用时的注意事项 考生在使用这两类资料时，要注意四点，即1)某些英语单词的弱读。如介词of，音标是[ov]，但它通常被弱化成[ev]，有时甚至被弱化成[v]或[f]。所以考生一定要把一条新闻中所有的弱读单词听出来。2)某些英语单词的连读。有时，听听力时总感觉有的单词听不懂，其实，是有一些连读的地方误导了考生，比如not at all经常被连读。 3)某些单音节的英语单词。多音节的单词，比如foreign、minister等，由于音节多，很容易听出来，比较麻烦的是那些单音节单词，比如did、was、him等，只有一个音节，发音时间短促，很容易被忽略，因此在听一条新闻时，一定要重点识别这些单音节单词。4)单词与头脑的同步。也就是每听到一个单词，头脑中必须马上想到这个单词的中文意思，比如听到Russia，马上想到“俄国”，听到president，马上想到“总统”，等等。 一条新闻中的每个单词，都能准确听出来之后，就可以复制下一条新闻，继续进行听力训练。当然，每个人的具体情况不同，第一条新闻，能全部听懂，可能需要三天，第二条新闻可能缩短到一天，第三条新闻可能缩短到半天。不管怎么样，考生还是要多加注意并勤加练习，定会有所成效。 三、BBC、VOA使用的方法 BBC、VOA使用方法主要有三点，第一步是全段的听，这时考生要全段的听录音，即使期间有的单词没听懂，也不要停下来。在听的时候把自己能够听到的或是听懂的记录下来，这里指的是记下关键词。如果水平较高的考生都
VOA英语听力练习 慢速VOA对于英语初学者来说是很好的听力演习材料，较慢的语速可许可进修者有较多的时光反响所听单词的含义；并且还可以用来演习白话，模仿其发音，对于完美美式发音的声调语调等，有很大年夜益处。 常速VOA则是英语国度人日常平凡措辞的语速，多听些这类材料可以使本身怀孕临其境，固然不在外国，却似身在国外的宝贵语境。 若何应用这些听力资本也是有必定讲究的： 我简单的说说小我的一些实践与领会： 第一步，我会下载VOA常速的MP3，然后遴选一些有翻译，词语解释，语法分析的篇章，进行精听。所谓精听，就是针对一篇较短的听力材料进行反复听力演习，直到能大年夜部分听懂。 第二步，这也是至关重要的一部，也是很多英语进修者忽视或是并不看重的一步。讲本身所听的内容写下来，可以边听边写，没听清楚或没明白的处所，可以倒归去，再听过。固然这有些逝世板，然则在反复的听力过程中，我们不只加深了对很多单词的懂得，语法的实际应用，语篇的融合，并且培养语感。 看着本身写下的听力材料然后再和原文比较，发来岁夜部分甚至全部都是一样的，那种骄傲感，知足感真是满满的，信赖只有实践，亲自领会的人才能明白。 第三步，温故而知新。在开端今天的听力前，再回想一下昨天的内容，会有很多不测的收成哦~ 听力演习过程中，存在如许的问题，边听边写的时刻，写得不敷快，老是让一段听力过了我才写完，中心就忽视很多没听到。针对这个问题，我建议下载一个复读软件，应用后果和日常平凡复读机一样。可以在听了一句话，或是8到9个单词的时刻就让它复读，如许就可以在复读时安闲的把听到的单词写下来，心里就不会认为很急促，不知所措了。 O(∩_∩)O~英语进修没有捷径，也没有独一的门路。贵在不懈尽力。欲望本身一点浅见能与大年夜家分享，合营进步！加油，加油！！！！ 若何听懂VOA等英语广播 很多学英语的人都欲望收听VOA，BBC等英语消息广播，想以此来进步听力和白话程度，但不少人认为听英语消息广播比较艰苦。从这几年的中等以上英语听力测验来看，都涉及到测试英语消息广播的内容。从教授教化上来说，很多大年夜专院校的英语系的听力课都增长
We usually think of pollution as a harmful waste substance that threatens the air and water.But some people have become concerned about another kind of pollution.It can be everywhere,depending on the time of day.And it is not thought of as a substance.It is light. The idea of light pollution has developed with the increase of lights in cities.In many areas,this light makes it difficult or impossible to observe stars and planets in the night sky.In Nineteen-Eighty-Eight,the International Dark-Sky Association formed.This organization wants to reduce light pollution in the night sky.It also urges the effective use of electric lighting. There are a number of reasons why light pollution is important.One has become clear at the Mount Wilson Observatory near Los Angeles,California.Mount Wilson Observatory was home to the largest telescopes in the world during the first half of the Nineteen-Hundreds. During that period,Los Angeles grew to become one of America's biggest cities. Today,light from Los Angeles makes the night sky above Mount Wilson very bright.It is no longer an important research center because of light pollution. Light pollution threatens to reduce the scientific value of research telescopes in other important observatories.They include Lick Observatory near San Jose,California and Yerkes Observatory near Chicago,Illinois. Light pollution is the result of wasted energy.Bright light that shines into the sky is not being used to provide light where it is needed on Earth.Poorly designed lighting causes a great deal of light pollution.Lights that are brighter than necessary also cause light pollution. Recently,two Italian astronomers and an American environmental scientist created a world map of the night sky.The map shows that North America,Western Europe and Japan have the greatest amount of light pollution. Most people in America are surprised to find out that they are able to see our own galaxy,The Milky Way,with their own eyes.But about three-fourths of Americans cannot see the Milky Way because of man-made light. Objects in the night sky are resources that provide everyone with wonder.But light pollution threatens to prevent those wonderful sights from being seen.
很多学英语的同学都喜欢收听VOA、BBC、CNN等英语新闻广播，想以此来提高听力和口语水平，于是每天早上都能看到一些同学拿着收音机在校园里边走边听，有的怕信号不好，还用手把收音机举起来，像个自由女神一样。其刻苦学习英语的态度令人敬佩，但很多同学都说基本上听不懂，也不知道该怎么听。这是个非常普遍的问题，也是个比较棘手的问题，有的同学甚至由此产生了对学英语的恐惧。但大可不必这样，其实这些新闻广播是有一些特点的，我们只要掌握这些特点和一些收听技巧，还是能够听懂这些新闻的。下面就来具体的谈谈这些特点和技巧。 一、采用主动的、积极的听力方法。 听力分两种方法。一种是消极的、被动的（passive）听力，这是很多同学都采用的方法，就是试图去听懂每一个单词，采用这种听法最后只有两种可能：要不就是每个单词都听懂了，但是不明白句子的意思，要不就是在一个生词上耽搁太长的时间，导致后面的几句都没有听清楚。这实际上是一种效果很差的听力方法。而我给大家推荐的是另一种听力方法，就是主动的、积极的（positive）听力。这种方法就是要注意把握句子的结构，听懂关键词。我们来看这样一个句子：Part of the pressure on lawmakers to put stronger protections in defined-contribution and savings plans comes from retiree-advocacy groups such as the American Association of Retired Persons. 这个句子没有什么生僻的单词，但是如果我们试图去听懂每一个单词，而不去把握句子的结构的话，就不能听懂这句话的意思的。而如果我们找到这个句子的主干：pressure comes from retiree-advocacy groups, 就很容易明白这句话的意思了，因为其他的部分都是修饰成分。关于积极的听力方法我会在以后专门著文来描述的，这里就不多展开了。 二、要特别注重新闻报道的第一句话 新闻报道的开头第一句话一般是对整个报道的一个概括，这个句子被称为新闻导语(the news lead)。它告诉听众最关心最重要的事实，如事件(what)、时间(when)、地点(where)、人物(who)，原因（why）和方式(how)，即新闻导语包含了我们常说的五个WH和一个H构成的"新闻六大要素"。新闻导语是整条新闻的高度浓缩形式，听懂了导语，也就知道了新闻的主要内容。当然，由于新闻报道的侧重点不同，有时新闻导语也可能只包含其中几个要素。 例如： BENWEDEMAN: The gates of Guantanamo were open to the media today.这一新闻导语包含了以下几个要素： When：Today Who：Guantanamo What：Open to the media 短短的一句话，10个单词就把这篇新闻报道的时间、主角和事件告诉了听众。后面的报道都是围绕这这一事件展开的。 三、扩大词汇量 1、普通词汇。尽管新闻报道所使用的词汇量很大，但是语言的基本词汇是稳定的。如VOA广播中的special English(特别节目)的新闻报告中常用词汇约1 500个，这些词汇的重复率在报道中是很高的，如Foreign Aid, Terroris, Nuclear Energy, Nationa Election等政治性词汇，WTO, finance, share-list等经济类词汇，Space Station, robot, Mars, Clinical等科技词汇，Super Bowl, Olympics, World Cup等体育类词汇。而新闻英语中的特有用语就更具稳定性。若能掌握这些词汇，再加上一些听力技巧，基本听懂新闻报道就不是件难事了。 2、专有词汇。新闻报道是有关世界范围的最新消息，因在报道中常涉及许多人名、地