Listening Challenge

Cxerdse 11. Listen and repeat the sentences; mind the structure and pauses

betuueen syntagmas.

1.No one knows /whether river dolphins/ were once more abundant// or whether their numbers /have always been low// because of their restrictive and specialised habitat.//

2.If we ask /why the ancestors of lions took to meat-eating,/ while the ancestors of antelopes /took to grass-eating, /the answer could be that originally it was an accident.//

3.Her eyes tightly closed in a vain attempt to hold back more tears, // she could not see his expression,/ but she did hear his harsh intake of breath.//

4.The speed of one wolf/was recorded at between 1 5 and 30 miles an hour/for a distance of 12 miles, //after which the animal had to slow down to a trot.//

5.A total of 2958 non smokers in 1988 /were surveyed in 1990,// 2924 (99%) of whom gave a valid response for smoking status.//

6.Addictions do come in handy sometimes: /at least/ you have to get out of bed for them.//

7.If the dinosaur did,/ after all,/ live on dry land,/ then the long neck could have usefully functioned to allow the animal to browse the high foliage of trees.//

I f you haven't understood how English works and why it is challenging to learn it, then let's face it.

Think. Try it. You'll like it.

There is no egg in eggplant or ham in hamburger, neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

I f teachers taught, why d id n 't preachers praught?

I f a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian e a t? /

Cxerdse 12. Listen to the follouuing text.

«Head-over-heels emotion gives couples a great start. But success down the road calls for something more»

txercise 13. Read the passage from the Bible, uuhich describes the perfect love.

• Love suf f ers long and is kind;

• Love does not envy;

• Love does not parade its e lf, is not puffed up;

•Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own;

•Love is not provoked, thinks no evil;

• Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the tru th .

• Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things;

• Love never fails.

1 - Corinthians 13:4-7

Have you ever thought about that?

Do you think you will be able to love taking account of all the points listed above? If yes, then can you compare your feelings with those above?

Cxerdse 14. Noui listen to a continuation of the text and ansuier the questions b e k m

Love asks for everything, but how hard it is to give everything! Indeed, it is impossible. We are held back by busy schedules, by words we wish we could take back, by an innate tendency to look out for our own good rather than our partner's. We can declare our undying love dramatically at a wedding ceremony, but that is just a start, a mere statement of intention. Acting on that declaration takes more than love. A marriage grows and thrives because the partners support and strengthen their love with four other elements. They work at open communication, even when they're tired, hurt or angry. They reaffirm their commitment through words and actions, even when the warm feelings of romantic love seem nothing more than a dim memory. They freely admit their mistakes and actively ask for and grant forgiveness. And they put themselves in their mate's place to understand the struggles and challenges that he or she faces. No marriage can remain healthy when love is not renewed and enhanced by these four essential components. Couples who use their love as a foundation on which to build a complete relationship will enjoy a great reward. Their marriage will overcome the setbacks and will remain very, very good.

(by Les and Leslie Parrott)

Doyou believe thatsharing everything is the ultimate secret ofa love that wouldlast forever? Is itreallypossible toguard against losing theglory oflove?

Is it within the realm ofhuman capability to keep love always protected from harm? Is love enough tosustain a marriage?

Doyou agree that marriage means coming to terms with new limits on yourindependence? Why? Do you think that marriage becomes an invasion ofprivacy?

Cxercise 5. Listen and soy the uuords containing different vowel sounds.

Read th e jo ke

Years ago a British visitor was shown around an American canning factory in Chicago. The superintendent, who was showing him about, said smugly, «You see, we're very economical here in America. We eat all we can, and all we can't we can». The Brit looked puzzled; and,

after an hour, when he had gotten in a street car half a dozen blocks from the factory, he saw the point, and burst into a roar of laughter.The street car conductor and all the passengers stared at him in amazement. Feeling that an explanation was needed, the Britisher said blandly, «I am just laughing at the wit of some of you Americans, you know. The superintendent of this canning factory just told me a whizzer. He said, 'we eat all we're able to, and all we're not, we tin» But nobody laughed. Everybody was looking at him like at an idiot.

Cxercise 10. Listen to the folloujing sentences and repeat them.

1.A clever student will not listen to a long lecture unless it is short.

2.A clever student would have listened to a long lecture if he hadn’t been late.

3.1wish I knew a clever student had listened to a long lecture.

4.1wish a clever student would listen to a long lecture.

5.1wish I had been at a long lecture that was listened to by a clever student.

6.It is believed that a clever student always listens to a long lecture.

7.A clever student who had listened to a long lecture got tired.

8.A long lecture which a clever student has been listening to for a long time is due to be over.

9.A clever student listened to a long lecture at the University where he studies.

10.A clever student will listen to a long lecture if it finishes on time.

11.A clever student would listen to a long lecture if it wasn't too boring.

12.Although he was starving a clever student was listening to a long lecture attentively.

13.A clever student could listen to a long lecture if he was asked.

14.If a student were clever enough he would listen to a long lecture.

15.A clever student was listening to a long lecture as if he hadn't been at University long.

16.A clever student fell asleep while he was listening to a long lecture.

17.As long as the long lecture proceeded a clever student got more and more interested in the subject matter.

Think. Try it. You'll like it. what language do people re cite a t a play and play at a recital?

Ship by tru ck and send cargo by ship?

Have noses th a t run and fe e t th a t smell?

Park on driveways and drive on parkways?

Port Two

Cxercise 11. Listen to the folloujing sentences and repeot them and mark pauses betuueen

the syntagmas.

I. Germany cannot afford to build a new airliner on its own, any more than Britain or France

can.

2 . 1 published the results in a book called 'Manwatching' and for twenty years continued my investigations into that bizarre species Homo sapiens.

3.It was crucial that the postal and telephone services, access roads, car parks, electricity, gas, drainage, etc. should be available or could easily be provided.

4.A healthy ecosystem is one that is diverse, sustainable, and balanced; an unhealthy one is one that lacks one or more of these characteristics.

5.A person experiences fever and night sweats when the body becomes vulnerable to infections.

6.These rather gloomy thoughts were in our minds as we arrived.

7.All I hear is low murmuring, words too faint, a radio band clogged with interference.

8.Apart from the sore cracks between most of his toes, his heels were covered in blisters.

9.Add the sugar and stir until it too has dissolved.

10.There is much history connected with the area, as it was originally the site of a fortified camp where fierce battles were fought between the Saxons and the Danes.

I I . There is some evidence that sleep disturbance in healthy old men is more frequent than in healthy old women.

12.The union called on teachers in certain schools to take action by refusing to supervise in

Cxerdse 12. Listen to the text "Roommate: friend or foe?"

Cxercise 13. Roommates: a breed apart!

Here is a quick quiz: Can you identify the following «breeds» of roommates? You may currently live with one or two of them. Hey! Maybe YOU are one of them!

• The coffee addict. This peppy, wide-eyed, nocturnal creature is often found walking around the dorm at 3 a.m., with his or her favourite mug in hand. Favorite hang out: Any 24-hour coffee house located near campus will do.

The Greek. This often exuberant person usually has the room plastered with Greek fraternity or sorority paraphernalia: party pics, pennants, paddles, signifying their allegiance to «The House». Favourite hang out: Wherever other Greeks are in large quantities, such as blow­ out parties or campus sporting events.

• The barn Animal. This type of roommate simply spreads dirty, soiled clothing and junk (especially old Dominos pizza boxes!) all around the room, earning low marks for hygiene, even from the cockroaches. Favorite slogan:«A place for everything and everything in its place: the floor!»

Have you noticed how anxious relationships can make us? We wish for strong, deep ones, yet often settle for surface encounters. This lack of intimacy can build massive frustration and

isolation. Even the most successful people seem to be notoriously unsuccessful at building depth and commitment in relationships.

Let's face it: As a crucial part of our university experience, we want to achieve meaningful «connection» with people, both while we are in college and beyond. We want to make friends for a lifetime. How does it happen? Inevitably, it's the individual roommates themselves that must make it work.

«In the end», says Judy Spain, former national adviser at the National Association of College Housing Administrations, «Sharing a room is not unlike a marriage. There must be some com prom ise-you give up some independence, and you learn to accept another person».

Acceptance. Compromise. Honesty. Sacrifice. Conflict resolution. These are just some of the necessary communication tools for success in any kind of relationship.

Here is some excellent advice for people of different backgrounds and walks of life who are living together in a close community:

•«Tell your neighbour the truth. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself».

•«Go ahead and be angry...but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Watch the way you talk».

Shareyourown experience ofthissort. Woulditbe possible foryou tofollowthisgoodadvice?

Cxercise 14. Now listen to the fairy tole "Jock and the Beanstalk".

Listen to the song by Sting

Fragile

If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one Drying in the colour of the evening sun. Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away but something on our minds will always stay.

Perhaps this final act was meant to clinch a lifetime argument

That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could.

For all those born beneath an angry star

Lest we forget how fragile we are.

On and on the rain will fall

Like tears from a star

On and on the rain will say how fragile we are

Cxcrcise 2. listen and ujrite the uuords you hear.

Cxercise 3. Listen and say the uuords you hear. Mind the length and stress.

Cxercise 4. Listen and uurite the uuords you hear.

Cxercise 6. Listen again, mind the stresses ond check the stressed vowels in each word.