11. for the disabled 13. prevent their involvement in 15. blue, yellow, black, green and red 17. not the triumph but the struggle 19. used to kindle it
Unit 5
12. usually the same city or venue 14. 5 geographic areas
16. not to win but to take part 18. swifter, higher, stronger 20. to the site of the Games
Compound dictation
Sigmund Freud saw the human personality as made up of three elements: the id, the ego, and the superego. Freud’s life spanned the second half of the 19th century, and most of the first half of the 20th. Like all of us, Freud was in many ways a product of his upbringing and of the times in which he lived. As the eldest of 8 children and his mother’s favorite, he set his sights high at an early age. He graduated from the medical school of the University of Vienna, planning to do scientific research. However, as a Jew, he had limited opportunities, as a husband and father, he had pressing financial needs. Therefore, he went into the private practice of medicine, specializing in treating nervous disorders, at that time a new branch of medicine.
Freud tried to help his patient – mostly middle-aged, upper-middle-class Viennese women – through hypnosis. When this proved ineffective, he applied the “talking cure” technique into what we now know as psychoanalysis. As Freud listened to his patients talk about their experiences and their problems, he began to realize some common threads: the lifelong influence of experiences in early childhood, the existence and importance of infantile sexuality, the significance of dreams, the way much of our lives is ruled by deeply-rooted elements of which we are not consciously aware, on the basis of these and other observations, he formulated his theories, sometimes illustration his points by writing up individual case histories.
Freud’s notions shocked Victorian society – especially his claim that infants were sexual beings and that their powerful sexual urges establish lifelong personality patterns. However, the originality of his ideas, the force of his personality, and the persuasiveness of his writing won him many followers (a number of whom eventually left him to develop their own psychoanalytic theories) and a secure place in history.
Key
1. made up of 2. Like all of us 3. in which he lived 4. set his sights high 5. graduated from 6. do scientific research 7. limited opportunities 8. pressing financial needs 9. specializing in 10. mostly middle-aged 11. talking cure 12. their experiences and their problems
21
13. the lifelong influence 15. deeply-rooted elements 17. individual case histories 19. the originality of his ideas
Unit 6
14. the significance of dreams 16. on the basis of
18. especially his claim 20. a number of
Compound dictation
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain in which nerve cells deteriorate and die for unknown reasons. Its first symptoms usually involve impaired memory and confusion about recent event. As the disease advances, it results in great impairment of memory, thinking, behavior, and physical health.
The rate of progression of Alzheimer’s varies, ranging from 3 to 20 years; the average length of time from onset of symptoms until death is 8 years. Eventually, affected individuals lose their ability to care for themselves and become susceptible to infections for the lungs, urinary tract, or other organs as they grow progressively more debilitated.
Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated 4 million Americans, striking men and women of all ethnic groups. Although most people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are older than 60, some cases occur in people in their 40s and 50s. By age 65, an estimated 10 percent of the population has affected by Alzheimer’s, and the disease affects almost half of those over 85. In the United States, annual costs of diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care are estimated at $100 billion.
Diagnosis involves a comprehensive evaluation that may include a complete health history, a physical examination, neurological and mental status assessments, and other testing as needed. Skilled healthcare professionals can generally diagnose Alzheimer’s with about 90 percent accuracy.
Treatments for cognitive and behavioral symptoms are available, but no intervention has yet been developed that prevents Alzheimer’s or reverses its course. Providing care for people with Alzheimer’s is physically and psychologically demanding. Nearly 70 percent of affected individuals live at home, where family or friends care for them. In advanced stages of the disease, many individuals require care in a nursing home.
Key
1. the most common form of 3. impaired memory and confusion 5. ranging from 3 to 20 years 7. susceptible to infections 9. an estimated 4 million
2. deteriorate and die
4. thinking, behavior and physical health 6. lose their ability to
8. progressively more debilitated 10. all ethnic groups
22
11. in their 40s and 50s 13. long-term care 15. mental status assessment 17. cognitive and behavioral 19. physically and psychologically
Unit 7
12. almost half of those
14. a comprehensive evaluation 16. healthcare professionals 18. reverses its course 20. family or friend
Compound dictation
In Australia, there are 40 universities, (37 public universities and 3 private universities.) All universities are regulated by the Australian authorities, which ensure that all universities operate with high level of quality insurance and the degrees which are awarded from Australian universities are part of the Australian qualification framework. So all the degrees issued in higher education in Australia are nationally and internationally recognized. In fact, during the Chinese president Hu Jintao’s visit to Australia, the two countries had the signing of an arrangement of higher education qualification recognition. That’s the further strengthening of the opportunity for Chinese students to go to Australia to further their studies and to be confident about the recognition of higher education qualification.
Any student who has the chance of studying abroad should make the best of that opportunity. So don’t just be involved in the academic life of being a student but take the opportunity to do some sightseeing or part-time job. The Australian government allows international students to work for up to 20 hours per week. Many students take the part-time job because it gives them exposure to different environment and different part of life they might not otherwise experience. Many students like the home-stay arrangement because it offers them some exposure to real Australian family life. As you know, universities and other places these days provide a very good range of support services and advice on finding a dorm, or banking. So make full use of these services, and if the students have any problems with their studies or their assignment, maybe they are lonely, they should go on to talk with people about it because these services are available and they shouldn’t think they are on their own. Key
1. 37 public universities 2. are regulated 3. operate with high level 4. are part of 5. issued in higher education 6. visit to Australia 7. qualification recognition 8. the opportunity for 9. further their studies 10. studying abroad 11. be involved in 12. do some sightseeing 13. work for up to 20 hours 14. exposure to 15. home-stay arrangement 16. a very good range of
23
17. make full use of 18. any problems with 19. go on to talk with 20. are available
Unit 8
Compound dictation
The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated to have been about 5 million. Today it is estimated that some 300 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, the Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language, as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in spoken and written forms.
It is virtually impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purposes for which English is learned and the situation in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to define and still more difficult to assess what constitutes an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the infinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of the most important works in science, technology and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the dissemination of information over the radio and television networks of many nations and regions. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce industry, law and education as well as international communication and for access to the scientific and technological development in the west. Key
1. is estimated to 2. 300 million people
3. Ireland, South Africa, Australia 4. a great many regional and social 5. various levels of usage 6. spoken and written 7. virtually impossible 8. in addition to 9. so varied that 10. more difficult to assess 11. the widespread demand 12. as a world language 13. some of the most important works 14. widely used for 15. international conferences 16. many nations and regions
24
17. a number of developing countries 18. multilingual population 19. law and education 20. for access to scientific and technological
Unit 9
Compound dictation
Venice is famous for its many bridges, but one in particular attracts tourists, as once it brought fear to the hearts of criminals.
The Bridge of Signs connected the courtrooms in the Doges’ Palace to the nearby new prisons – completed at the beginning of the 17th century – over the canal.
It had already been ordered in the 16th century when the infamous prisons of the palace were judged to be too narrow and unhealthy.
Ponte and then Contin built the bridge, later to be called the Bridge of Sighs. It is built of Istrian stone with internal corridors lengthwise divided by a wall. The condemned had to cross the bridge.
The fearful prisons of the Doges’ Palace were still in use: both the 18 dungeons of the wells on the ground floor, and the lead cells under the roof.
The latter got its name from the fact that the ceiling was plated in lead. In both of these prisons, damp, extremely narrow and unhealthy, the prisoners lived out a hell on earth.
Usually they were brought here after being tortured in the “Room of Torments”, as we learn from the well-known memoirs of Casanova, libertine and traveler, condemned for licentious conduct and insults to religion.
Casanova made a spectacular escape in 1756. Even today, amidst all the splendors of the palace we can still see the lions’ mouths in which were slipped the odious anonymous letters of informers. On the prison walls, you can still read the prisoners’ dramatic messages. Key
1. is famous for 2. brought fear to 3. nearby new prisons 4. over the canal 5. in the 16th century 6. too narrow and unhealthy 7. later to be called 8. internal corridors 9. had to cross 10. still in use 11. on the ground floor 12. under the roof 13. got its name from 14. lived out a hell 15. being tortured 16. the well-known memoirs 17. insults to religion 18. made a spectacular escape 19. anonymous letters 20. dramatic messages
25