important part in life in Britain.

Listening in

Passage1

Just as Chinese children learn about the emperors of China, English children learn about England's history through its kings and queens.There have been many more kings than queens but one of the greatest and most loved rulers of England was a woman.Queen Elizabeth I.During her reign（统治） in the second half of the 16th century Elizabeth made Englang rich from international trade and also defeated one of the most frightening invasions 侵略 England ever faced.

Elizabeth's father,King Henry VII, had six wives—he divorced two of them and executed（处死） two. Elizabth's mother,Queen Anne Boleyn, was Henry's second wife and one of those whom he executed,when Elizabeth was three years old.

Elizabeth,who was born in 1553,was very intelligent, talented ,and, usually for a woman, received an excellent education. However,for much of her early life she was afraid that she would be executed like her mother.But after the death of her half-brother and half-sister, she became Queen in 1558 at the age of 25.All the rulers of Europe wanted to marry her and Elizabeth advisors 顾问also wanted her to marry and have a son.But Elizabeth never did,because she was afraid a husband would try to control her.

One of Elizabeth 's greatest problems was her cousin, Marry ,Queen of Scots.Marry believed she should have been ruler of England.Believing that her cousin was a danger to her as long as she remained alive.Elizabeth imprisoned（关押，监禁） Marry in 1568 and finally executed her in 1587.

The King of Spain, Philip II, had once wanted to marry Elizabeth but the two countries then became enemies.Marry, Queen of Scots shared the same religion as Philip, and her death gave the King an excuse to go to war with England.At the same time Spain was the most powerful country in Europe and in 1558 Philip assembled收集 a huge navy called the Spainish Armada. It sailed for England with the intention of invading it.Queen Elizabeth made a famous speech to her soldiers, in which she said:\a weak and feeble（虚弱的，无力的） woman, but I have the heart and stomach 可我有一国之君的心胸of a king,and of a King of England too.\

By the time she died in 1603.Elizabeth was ruler of one of the most powerful and richest countries in the world.

Passage 2

P=Presenter R=Rebecca

P :Natural disasters happen everywhere in the world and one of the most famous natural disaster is the volcano eruption that destroyed Pompeii, a town in the south of Italy,almost 2000years ago.I'm here now,on the streets of Pompeii and with me is Rebecca Young, a guide to the town.She's going to tell me more about what happened on that terrible day.So,what did happen,Rebecca? Rebecca:Well—turn around—what do you see?

P: A mountain, a smoking mountain, it must be the volcano, Vesuvius.So is it still active?

R:Yes, it could erupted again.And almost 2000years ago on August 24th in AD 79, that volcano

suddenly erupted.People weren't expecting it,they were just doing what they normally do, walking through the streets,buying food at the market.And suddenly, there was this terrible noise and huge rocks and hot ash started raining down on the town.Lava（熔岩） was pouring down the mountain and—people where the stood.Look over there.What do you see?

P:A man and woman,lying with their arms around each other.And what's this man doing with his hands?Is he praying or something? R:Yes, he was praying.

P:They look so real!How long did the eruption last?

R:Two days.And by the time it had finished,the city had completely disappeared,buried by ten metres of ash.And everyone forgot about it P:So when was it discovered again?

R:Not until 1748.People started excavating（发掘，挖掘古物） and they found Pompeii again.The ash have preserved it and everything was exactly as it was on that day in AD79.There was a forum广场, four public baths,26 public fountains...喷泉 P:Twenty-six public fountains? R:Yes!Two theatres a hotel... P:A hotel?

R:Yes,let's go into the house here.This is the entrance courtyard P:What kind of person owned it?

R:There were two owners—they had a small business.Look at the floor.Can you see some kind of writing ?

P:Yes.So what does it say?

R:It says, \P:\

R:I'm going to take you to another house,belonging to a wealthy man this time. P:All these beautiful paintings on the walls! R:Yes,they covered their walls with these frescoes（湿壁画）, which is wonderful for archaeologists（考古学家）.Look at this woman.Isn't she beautiful? P:Yes!What's she holding?

R:We think it was a mirror although we haven't had...

Unit 7

Conversation1

Janet: SO when do you have to move out.

Andy: Well, my landlord has given me four weeks’ notice to leave. It’s not going to be easy to

find somewhere immediately.

Janet: What sort of price range are you looking for?

Andy: well, I can’t spend more than 400 hundred pounds per week. Janet: That sounds like a lot of money.

Andy: Yes, you are right. London is one of the most expensive cities in the whole world.

Anyway, this one looks quite promising. One bedroom for rent in a flat in Shepherd’s Bush,

shared with three other people. Janet: What’s the rent?

Andy: 110 pounds per week. It’s a bit more than I can afford but let’s see. Joe: Janet.

Andy: I will try it quickly before we start work. Joe: Janet, are you in the studio? Janet: Hi there Joe, I’m here.

Joe: Can you tell Andy that I’d like to have a word with him when he comes in? Andy: Tell him I’m not in yet.

Janet: Andy, you really shouldn’t ask me to tell lies. I’ll pretend I don’t understand. Ok, Joe. I’ll tell him, OK!

Hurry up, otherwise he will catch you.

Joe: Oh ,and Janet…Oh I thought you told me he wasn’t in? Janet: I’m sorry,Joe. I didn’t understand……

Andy: Hello, yes,I was wondering if the room was still vacant…

Joe: Well, tell him that if it’s a personal call, he can do it outside business hours, in his own time. Janet: But he is looking for a new flat.

Joe: Sorry, not interested. Andy, put the phone down, or you will be looking for a new job as well. Andy: It isn't ?Ok, thanks…Bye, too late, it’s already gone.Pity,it sounds really good. Oh ,hi Joe! Joe: Andy, I really wish you wouldn’t make private calls at work.

Conversation2

Janet: So why does your landlord want you to move out? Andy: Well, he’s been living abroad but he’s coming back. J: Sounds fair enough.

A: Sure, but it’s frustrating, because I’ve lived there for nearly two years now, and I quite like it. It’s just round the corner from where I was brought up. J: Yes, it is kind of nice round there.

A: It’s really convenient for work, as it’s close to a tube station. And it’s fairly cheap, because it’s south of the river.

J: So living south of the River Thames is cheaper?

A: Oh, yes, kind of. Generally north of the River is more expensive because public transport is better, and it always has been more fashionable.

J: But around Borough Market is very fashionable, isn’t it? A: Well, it’s fashionable now, but it didn’t used to be. J: Why is the transport better north of the river?

A: Well, the tube was first built in the centre and north of London. In the south, until a few years ago, there were only a couple of tube lines. Plenty of buses, but it’s always been an advantage to be close to a tube station.

J: How about this? Three bedrooms vacant, large living room, no students, no pets.

A: Where is it? Ok, got it. That’s in Finsbury Park. That’s on the Victoria Line. Let’s give it a go.

A: Hello, yes ,I’m calling about the flat in today’s Evening Standard. Can you tell me something about it? …right, yeah, five minutes from the tube…two bedrooms still vacant…Ok, I see

…So, it’s 100 pounds but with electricity, gas and water bills to be paid on top. Can I come round to see it? Ok then, I’ll come round this evening. My name is Andy Harrison…yes, that’s right. Thanks a lot…see you this evening…Bye. J: Great!

A: It sound great! I’ll go and see it tonight. Do you want to come? J: I’d love to.

Outside View

Where do people live in Britain? Do they live in houses or flats? Do they live in towns or the countryside? Well, 90 per cent of the population live in towns. There are lots of different kinds of houses. This is the kind of house you find in British towns. Terraced houses are joined together-Sometimes in a long row, but some terraces have only got a few houses. These are

semi-detached houses-just two houses joined together. There are as many semi-detached

houses in Britain as terraced houses. Sixty per cent of the population live in terraced or semi-detached houses. These are detached houses-there aren't any other houses joined on to them. Some detached houses are very large, but others can be quite small. Lots of people live in flats, especially in big towns and cities. Houses in different parts of Britain can look very different. There are lots of regional variations, because builders use local materials. There are also differences in age. Some houses are very modern and some are hundreds of years old. These are traditional thatched cottages. Thatch is made from reeds and is used for the roof. Cottage is the name for a small house in the country. The famous traditional saying is \home is his castle.\is called DIY, which means do-it-yourself. There are large DIY stores and garden centers near every town. British people are always trying to make their home into a castle.

Listening in 1

A woman who spent nine months living in her car has had a book accepted by major publisher HarperCollins. The book, an autobiography, is due to be published next spring.

The woman, Anya Peters, first came to the attention of the public through a bolg in which she kept a diary of her experience of homelessness. Peters, a law graduate in her early 30s, became homeless after a series of difficult events. Unable to pay the rent, she started living in her car, spending time in institutions such as libraries and hospitals during the day and sleeping in her car at night. Unusually, she did not seek help from charities or hospitals for the homeless. However, her online diary of her experiences, written at public libraries, soon found readers and came to the attention of one of the largest literary agencies. She was encouraged to turn her experiences and blog into a book, which immediately found a publisher. The advance from the book has enabled Peter to move out of her car into rented accommodation.

Anya Peters' story has drawn attention to the problems of homeless people in Britain.