UNIT9

II Listening Skills

Crashing into a building

Italian investigators are trying to discover what caused a small private plane to crash into Milan’ tallest building on Thursday，killing at least three，injuring dozens more and making a big hole in the 32-story building．

The aircraft was piloted by a 68-year-old Swiss man．It hit the 26th floor of the tower in an apparent accident at 5：48 P．m．8 minutes after taking off, Italian officials said．

An Italian police officer said they had no evidence of fl link to terrorism．An intelligence official in Washington told the media that，in spite of past warnings，there was no information about a possible terrorist attack aiming at Italy．

Milan fire brigade officials said the aircraft had only the pilot and no passengers，according to the flight plan．It was on fire as it flew into the tower．There was an explosion in the building when the tour-seat plane hit，but there was no danger that the building would collapse，the police said．

 

III．Listening In

Task 1：The Seatbelt

Lisa：Do you wear the seatbelt every time you drive or ride a car?

Mike：No，seatbelts are for chickens．Besides，I’m a great driver.

Lisa：The chances of being injured in a car accident this year are 1 in 75. I think that’s worth thinking about seriously．

Mike：Have you ever been involved in an automobile accident?

Lisa：Only once. My car slid on a rainy night and went off the road．Fortunately 1 was wearing my seatbelt．

Mike：I’ve never had a serious accident．

Lisa：My brother was more unlucky than 1 was．Last December he was almost killed in an  accident． He was in the back seat of his friend’s car when it rolled．He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt．

Mike：Wow, that’s terrible．

Lisa：Fastening your seatbelt should be an automatic thing as soon as you get into your car．But too many people still refuse to wear them.

Mike：It’s just hard for me to get in the habit of wearing one．

Lisa：All it takes is one close-call and you’ll wear your seatbelts．

Mike：0.K., I’ve got the message．From now on I’11 hook up my seatbelt．

 1.T 2.F 3.T 4.F 5.F

 

Task 2: Why did you stop at a green light?

One day．two friends were driving downtown when they came to an intersection with a traffic light．The light was red but the driver sped right through the red light．The passenger looked in terror at the driver and shouted， ‘What the hell are you doing? You‘re going to get us killed!!”

 

The driver replied． “Don’t worry, my mom always drivers like this，and she is all right．” Later．they came to another traffic light and that too was red． Again the driver shot right through the light．Again the passenger looked at the driver and shouted, “I thought I have told you，you I would get us killed! Would you please stop this nonsense!?”

 

The driver looked at the passenger and answered． “All right! I get it, but I told you my mom drove like this all the time! And she’s quite OK.”

 

They came to another traffic light．It was green．The driver slammed on the brakes，suddenly stopping the car. The passenger was thrown forward. “What on earth are you doing?” he screamed. “This is the third time you almost got us killed．Why did you stop at a green light?”

 

“Well,” said the driver, “my mom might be coming the other way.”

 

Task 3 Candle fires

Yesterday a house fire in Worcester, Massachusetts claimed the lives of six firefighters. That’s more than were killed by any other U.S. building fire in nearly 30 years. The cause of that fire was a candle knocked over by a homeless couple in the building.

“There’s no such thing as a perfectly safe candle,” says Jim Shannon of the National Fire Prevention Association.” The most recent statistics we have for one year show that about 190 people were killed form candle fires in the United States, and almost 1, 500 injured.” Those statistics also show that, in one year alone, the number of candle fires rose 15 percent, and nearly five percent of home fires were started by candles. By comparison, only about one percent of house fires were caused by candles 10 years ago.

Why the increase? Experts say it’s the jump in the popularity of candles. In the last 10 years, candle sales have increased by at least 700 percent.

Valerie Cooper, executive vice president of the National Candle Association, noted, “We believe that 80 percent of all candle fires can be eliminated by three basic safety precautions: Never leave a burning candle unattended. Keep candles away from things that can catch fire and keep them away from children and pets.”

New York City Chief John Coloe pointed out some common mistakes people make when burning candles, such as putting them near flammable objects. He says, “You should keep all flammable things at least a foot away. Otherwise, if the candle gets tipped over, it could very easily start a fire in the house.”

 

Part V Let’s Talk

Sir, you were speeding

A policeman stops a driver and says to the driver, “Sir， were speeding． I see your license， you Can please?”

The driver replies． I don’t have one．

“You don’t have one?’

The driver answers, “I lost it for drunk driving.”

The policeman is surprised. “I see．Will you show me your vehicle registration papers．please?”

“I m sorry．I can’t do that.”

The policeman asks, “Why not?”

“I stole this car.”

The Officer says, “Stole it?”

The driver answers , “Yes，and I killed the owner.”

The 0fficer is shocked, “You did what?”

“She’s in the trunk if you want to see.”

The officer is horrified and calls for backup．Within minutes，five police cars show up，surrounding the car．A police chief cautiously approaches the car，asking, “Sir，could you open the trunk of your car，please?” The driver opens the trunk，revealing nothing but all empty trunk．

The chief says， “Is this your car，sir?”

The driver says “Yes,” and hands over the registration papers.

The officer is quite surprised. “One of my officers says you don’t have a driving license.”

The driver quickly produces his license．The chief examines it and finds nothing wrong. He looks puzzled. “Thank you, Sir．One of my Officers told me you didn’t have a license, stole this car, and murdered the owner.”

The man replies, “I bet the lying bastard told you I was speeding，too!” “

 

VI Further Listening and Speaking

 Task 1: Tips for the prevention of home accidents

Many household accidents could have been prevented, but accidents seem to make news headlines every day. While accidents can happen anytime or anywhere, parents with young children can prevent accidents at home by taking a few steps.

First, set your water heater correctly: “To avoid burns from hot water, make sure your water heater’s temperature is set below 120 degree Fahrenheit, or set to “low”. Anything above that temperature can cause a child serious burns within seconds.

Second, beware of candles: statistics show that the smell candle flames cause approximately 15,000 home fires a year. If you have young children and pets, stop using candles or be sure to blow them out before leaving a room.

Third, recognize danger signals: It is important to pay attention to signs of danger from electrical appliances. If the wiring in your home does not function normally, you need to update it. Potential warning signs that might require an electrician’s inspection include wavering TV pictures or computer screens, flicking lights and shocks from appliances.

It is impossible to prevent all accidents, so it is necessary to create a fire escape plan. In addition to having a smoke alarm on every floor of your home, draw a simple floor of your home. On it, mark two exits from every room, including windows and an outside family assembly point, such as a driveway or parking lot.

 

 

Task 2:Have a drink!

 

In the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, a woman and a man are involved in a car accident. Both of their cars are damaged, but surprisingly neither of them is hurt. After they climb out of their cars, the woman says, "So you're a man. That's interesting. I'm a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There's nothing left. But fortunately we're not injured. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days." The man replies, "I agree with you completely. This must be a sign from God!" The woman continues, "And look at this, here's another miracle. My car is completely destroyed, but this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good luck." Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, opens it, takes a few large drinks, and then hands it back to the woman. The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cork back in the bottle, and puts it away. The man asks, Aren’t you having any?” The woman replies, ' Yes, but not until the police get here."

1. Which of the following is true of the accident?

   A) Both cars are damaged, but neither of the drivers is hurt.

2. Which of the following is true of what the woman says?

C) God has arranged for the man and woman to become friends.

3. What does the woman say about the bottle of wine?

C) God wants the man and woman to drink it to celebrate.

4. Why does the man drink the wine?

B) He believes he's following God's will.

5. What can we infer from the passage?

D) The woman makes the man appear to have been driving while drunk.

 

Task 3:

An Emergency Call

Operator: Hello. This is the emergency 911 operator. 

Taxi Driver: Help! Help! Please help me!

Operator: Yes sir. Please calm down and explain exactly what is happening.

Taxi Driver: Calm down! My car has broken down on the highway; I have a lady passenger, and she's going into labor.

Operator: Now relax, sir. Explain exactly where you are..

Taxi Driver: I’ m...I’ m in the southbound lane of No. 15 Expressway, about 15 miles from the tunnel, and this lady isn't going to wait.

Operator: Okay. What's your name, sir, and your passenger's?

Taxi Driver: It's... it's Mike, and I have no idea about the woman. She's in no condition to tell me. How soon can someone get here?

Operator: I've just sent an ambulance to your location. They should be there any second.

Taxi Driver: Hey, is there anything I can do while we wait for the ambulance?

Operator: Yes, uh, keep her calm and warm.

Taxi Driver: Okay. Please hurry... Oh, they're too late. It's a boy!

 

Speaking

A Minor Car Accident

Jill: I had an accident last week.

Richard: What happened?

Jill: Somebody bumped into the rear end of my car.

Richard: Were you hurt?

Jill: No, but my car was damaged.

Richard: You were very lucky that you weren't seriously hurt. Who's to blame for the accident? The other driver?

Jill: It was not his fault. Seeing a dog running across the road, I suddenly braked. Then the next car crashed into the back of my car.

Richard: Fortunately, you've insured your car.

Jill: Yes, I have.