大学英语精读听力第四册 unit8

[00:00.00]Unit Eight  Text
[00:23.82]Would you choose to live underground if you could gain many advantages from doing so?
[00:29.15]Wheather would no longer trouble you.
[00:31.29]Temperature would remain the same all the year round.
[00:34.72]Arificial lighting could make the rhythm of our life uniform everywhere.
[00:39.55]And the ecology of the natural world above ground would be greatly improved.
[00:44.72]Still,the prospect of moving underground may not be appealing to many people.
[00:50.39]THE NEW CAVES   Isaac Asimov
[00:54.62]During the ice ages,human beings exposed to the colder temperatures of the time
[00:59.79]would often make their homes in caves.
[00:58.79]There they found greater comfort and security than they would have in the open
[01:03.97]We still live in caves called houses,again for comfort and security.
[01:08.90]Virtually no one would willingly sleep on the ground under the stars.
[01:13.84]Is it possible that someday we may seek to add further to our comfort and security
[01:19.61]by building our houses underground --in new,manmade caves?
[01:24.45]It may not seem a palatable suggestion,at first thought.
[01:29.10]We have so many evil associations with the underground.
[01:32.94]In our myths and legends,
[01:34.69]the underground is the realm of evil spirits and of the dead,
[01:38.06]and is often the location of an afterlife of torment.
[01:41.90](This may be because dead bodies are buried underground,
[01:45.32]and because volcanic eruptions make the underground
[01:48.90]appear to be a hellish place of fire and noxious gases.)
[01:53.31]Yet there are advantages to underground life,too,
[01:57.05]and something to be said for imagining whole cities,
[01:58.96]even mankind generally,moving downward;
[02:02.25]of having the outermost mile of the Earth\'s crust
[02:05.80]honeycombed with passages and structures,like a gigantic ant hill.
[02:10.63]First,weather would no longer be important,
[02:14.00]since it is primarily a phenomenon of the atmosphere.
[02:19.54]Rain,snow,sleet,fog would not trouble the underground world.
[02:23.88]Even temperature variations\'re limited to the open surface and would not exist underground
[02:30.22]Whether day or night,summeror winter,
[02:29.22]temperatures in the underground world would remain equable and nearly constant.
[02:34.27]The vast amounts of energy now expended in warming our surface surroundings
[02:39.44]when they are too cold
[02:40.69]and cooling them when they are too warm,could be saved.
[02:44.45]The damage done to manmade structures
[02:47.20]and to human beings by weather would be gone.
[02:50.46]Transportation over local distances would be simplified.
[02:54.22](Earthquakes would remain a danger,of course.)
[02:57.28]Second,local time would no longer be important.
[03:01.64]On the surface,the tyranny of day and night cannot beavoided,
[03:05.25]and when it is morning in one place,it is noon in another,
[03:08.59]evening in still another and midnightin yet another.
[03:07.59]The rhythm of human life therefore varies from place to place.
[03:11.48]Underground,where there is no externally produced day,
[03:15.17]but only perpetual darkness,
[03:17.13]it would be arificial lighting that produces the day
[03:20.08]and this could be adjusted to suit man\'s convenience.
[03:23.39]to be continued
[03:26.29]Unit Eight  Text (Continued)
[03:30.92]The whole world could be on eight-hour shifts,
[03:34.65]starting and ending on the stroke everywhere,
[03:37.21]at least as far as business and community endeavors were concerned.
[03:41.26]This could be important in a freely mobile world.
[03:44.53]Air transportation over long distances would no longer have to entail"jet lag."
[03:49.60]Individuals landing on another coast or another continent
[03:53.04]would find the society they reached
[03:55.19]geared to the same time of day as at home.
[03:58.24]Third,the ecological structure could be stabilized.
[04:02.11]To a certain extent,mankind encumbers the Earth.
[04:05.79]It is not only his enormous numbers that take up room;
[04:09.34]more so,it is all the structures he builds to house himself and his machines,
[04:14.49]to make possible his transportation and communication,
[04:18.23]to offer him rest and recreation.
[04:20.81]All these things distort the wild,
[04:23.11]depriving many species of plants and animals of their natural habitat--
[04:27.37]and sometimes,involunt arily,
[04:29.59]favoring a few,such as rats and roaches.
[04:32.67]If the works of man were removed below ground--
[04:36.22]and,mind you,below the level of the natural world of the burrowing animals--
[04:39.52]man would still occupy the surface with his farms,his forestry,
[04:43.96]his observation towers,his air terminals and so on,
[04:47.93]but the extent of that occupation would be enormously decreased.
[04:52.76]Indeed,as one imagines the underground world to become increasingly elaborate,
[04:58.22]one can visualize much of the food supply
[05:00.99]eventually deriving from hydroponic growth in artificially illuminated areas underground.
[05:07.44]The Earth\'s surface might be increasingly turned over to park and to wilderness,
[05:12.40]maintained at ecological stability.
[05:15.36]Fourth,nature would be closer.
[05:18.54]It might seem that to withdraw underground is to withdraw from the natural world,
[05:23.79]but would that be so?
[05:23.90]Would the withdrawal be more complete than it is now,
[05:27.16]when so many people work in city buildings that are often windowless
[05:31.32]and artificially conditioned?
[05:33.46]Even where there are windows,what is the prospect one views(if one bother to)
[05:39.10]but sun,sky,and buildings to the horizon--plus some limited greenery?
[05:44.51]And to get away from the city now?
[05:46.99]To reach the real countryside?
[05:49.05]One must travel horizontally for miles,
[05:52.42]first across city pavements and then across suburban sprawls.
[05:56.81]In an underworld culture,the countryside would be right there,
[06:01.96]a few hundred yards above the upper level of the cities--wherever you are.
[06:06.92]The surface would have to be protected from too frequent,
[06:10.29]or too intense,or too careless visiting,
[06:13.24]but however carefully restricted the upward trips might be,
[06:17.53]the chances are that the dwellers of the new caves would see more greenery,
[06:22.46]under ecologically healthier conditions,
[06:25.15]than dwellers of surface cities do today.
[06:27.92]However odd and repulsive underground living may seem at first thought,
[06:32.81]there are things to be said for it --and I haven\'t even said them all.
[06:37.48]New words
[06:52.03]virtually
[06:52.80]ad.almost
[06:53.57]someday
[06:54.30]ad. 有朝一日
[06:55.03]underground
[06:55.75]a. 地下的;秘密的
[06:56.47]manmade
[06:57.54]a.produced by people;not existing in nature
[06:58.61]palatable
[06:59.55]a.可口的,受欢迎的
[07:00.49]association
[07:01.26]n.场所,位置
[07:02.03]legend
[07:02.76]n.传说,传奇
[07:03.50]spirit
[07:04.16]n.神灵;鬼怪
[07:04.83]location
[07:05.69]n.场所,位置
[07:06.55]afterlife
[07:06.55]n.来世
[07:06.55]torment
[07:07.18]n.痛苦;折磨
[07:07.81]volcanic
[07:08.59]a.--of,like,produced or caused by a volcano
[07:09.37]eruption
[07:10.09]n.爆发
[07:10.81]hellish
[07:11.52]a.like hell;horrible,devilish
[07:12.22]noxious
[07:12.97]a.有害的,有毒的
[07:13.71]mankind
[07:14.40]n.人类
[07:15.09]downward
[07:15.81]ad.Towards a lower level or position
[07:16.53]outermost
[07:17.26]a.farthest from the inside or center
[07:17.99]crust
[07:18.66]n.地壳
[07:19.33]honeycomb
[07:19.90]vt.使成蜂窝状
[07:20.48]gigantic
[07:21.26]a.巨大的,庞大的
[07:22.04]ant
[07:22.66]n. 蚂蚁
[07:23.27]fog
[07:23.91]n.very thick mist
[07:24.55]variation
[07:25.23]n.变化
[07:25.91]equable
[07:26.64]a.稳定的
[07:27.37]constant
[07:28.04]a.永恒的
[07:28.70]simplify
[07:29.38]vt.make simple;make easy to do or understand
[07:30.06]earthquake
[07:30.75]n.地震
[07:31.45]tyranny
[07:32.03]n.专制
[07:32.62]vary
[07:33.30]v.变化
[07:33.98]variable
[07:34.70]a.易变的 n.变量
[07:35.42]externally
[07:36.14]ad. outside
[07:36.85]external
[07:37.74]a.
[07:38.63]artificial
[07:39.51]a.not natural or real;
[07:40.38]adjust
[07:41.10]vt.调整;调节
[07:41.82]convenience
[07:42.60]n.便利,方便
[07:43.39]convenient
[07:43.42]a.方便
[07:43.46]stroke
[07:44.15]n.钟鸣声
[07:44.84]community
[07:45.60]n.社区（居民）
[07:46.36]endeavo(u)r
[07:45.86]n.努力 vt.试图
[07:45.36]mobile
[07:46.04]a.活动的
[07:46.72]entail
[07:47.41]vt.使成为必需
[07:48.10]jet
[07:48.78]n.喷射;喷气式飞机
[07:49.46]lag
[07:50.19]n.滞后;(事件等的)间隔
[07:50.92]jet lag
[07:51.80](长时间乘飞机旅行后产生的）时差反应
[07:52.67]coast
[07:53.40]n.海岸;海滨
[07:54.13]gear
[07:54.76]vt.adjust,adapt;connect by gears
[07:55.39]stabilize
[07:56.26]n. 齿轮;(汽车等的)排挡
[07:57.14]extent
[07:56.64]n.程度,范围
[07:56.14]encumber
[07:56.84]vt.塞满,妨碍
[07:57.55]communication
[07:58.32]n.通讯;交通
[07:59.09]recreation
[07:59.91]n.娱乐
[08:00.74]deprive
[08:01.52]vt.剥夺
[08:02.30]species
[08:02.61]n.物种
[08:02.91]habitat
[08:03.54]n.产地;栖息地
[08:04.17]involuntarily
[08:05.24]ad.不自觉地;无意识地
[08:06.31]rat
[08:06.87]n.鼠
[08:07.43]roach
[08:08.11]n.蟑螂
[08:08.79]burrow
[08:09.42]v.打（地沿）
[08:10.05]forestry
[08:10.86]n.林地;林学
[08:11.67]terminal
[08:12.24]n.终点站
[08:12.82]air terminal
[08:13.69]n.航空终点站;航空集散站
[08:14.57]occupation
[08:15.40]n.占据、占领、职业
[08:16.24]elaborate
[08:17.14]a.精心制作的;复杂的
[08:18.04]visualize
[08:18.76]vt.想像
[08:19.48]visual
[08:20.14]a.视觉的
[08:20.81]derive
[08:21.58]vi.来（自）,起源（于）vt.  get
[08:22.35]hydroponic
[08:23.38]a.溶液培养（学）的;水栽法的
[08:24.41]illuminate
[08:25.08]vt.  照亮,照明
[08:25.75]wilderness
[08:26.63]n. 荒野
[08:27.52]stability
[08:28.27]n.稳定（性）
[08:29.01]stable
[08:29.73]a.
[08:30.45]withdraw(withdrew,withdrawn)
[08:31.45]v.撤退撤回
[08:32.46]withdrawal
[08:33.28]n.withdrawing or being withdrawn
[08:34.11]condition
[08:34.89]vt.使处于良好状态
[08:35.67]greenery
[08:36.46]n.草木
[08:37.24]countryside
[08:38.02]n.农村
[08:38.81]horizontally
[08:39.67]ad.水平地
[08:40.53]horizontal
[08:41.42]a.
[08:42.31]pavement
[08:42.99]n.(英)人行道;(美)铺过的道路
[08:43.67]suburban
[08:44.34]a.效区的
[08:45.02]sprawl
[08:45.70]n.散乱的街区
[08:46.38]underworld
[08:47.23]n. a region underground
[08:48.08]culture
[08:48.76]n.文化;文明
[08:49.44]intense
[08:50.22]a.强烈的
[08:51.01]restrict
[08:51.83]vt.限制
[08:52.65]dweller
[08:53.36]n.居住者
[08:54.06]repulsive
[08:54.94]a.令人厌恶的
[08:55.81]Phrases & Expressions
[08:58.37]expose to
[08:59.31]使暴露在
[09:00.25]in the open
[09:00.28]在户外,在野外
[09:00.31]add to
[09:01.25]增加
[09:02.19]on the stroke
[09:03.23]准点地
[09:04.28]at first thought
[09:05.28]乍一想
[09:06.29]to a certain extent
[09:07.55]在一定程度上
[09:08.82]take up
[09:09.74]占据
[09:10.65]deprive of
[09:11.54]剥夺
[09:12.43]mind you
[09:13.31]听着;请注意
[09:14.20]derive from
[09:15.29]来自,起源于;从…得到
[09:16.37]turn over
[09:17.14]移交;交给
[09:17.91]get away from
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