新世纪大学英语综合课程2(第二

版)Unit1-Unit8-Listen-and-Respond听力原文

Unit 1 Living in Harmony

[00:04.00]Listen and Respond [00:06.78]Smile

[00:10.76]I am a mother of three and have recently completed my college degree.

[00:16.57]The last project the professor assigned us to do was called “Smile.”

[00:22.95]The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and then write down their reaction.

[00:30.42]I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone I meet and say “hello.”

[00:36.54]So I thought that it would be a piece of cake for me. [00:41.52]Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband,

[00:45.47]the youngest son and I went out to the local McDonalds on a cold March morning.

[00:51.63]Just when we were standing in line, waiting to be served, [00:55.66]I smelled a horrible “dirty body” smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

[01:03.96]As I looked down at the shorter gentleman close to me, he was smiling.

[01:09.48]His beautiful sky blue eyes were searching for acceptance. [01:14.19]He said, “Good day” as he counted the few coins he had. [01:19.73]The second man was mentally retarded.

[01:23.65]The young lady at the counter asked the shorter man what they wanted.

[01:28.38]He said, “Just coffee for the two of us.” [01:32.48]Obviously, it was all they could afford.

[01:35.94]To sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something — they just wanted to be warm.

[01:44.01]Then I was suddenly filled with sympathy.

[01:47.18]All eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.

[01:52.74]I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to [01:56.79]give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.

[02:00.93]I then walked to the table where the two men were sitting. [02:05.09]I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand.

[02:12.07]He looked up at me and said, “Thank you.”

[02:15.98]I leaned over and said, “Just help yourselves.”

[02:20.22]I started to cry when I walked away to join my husband and son. [02:25.10]As I sat down, my husband smiled at me and held my hand for a moment.

[02:32.03]I returned to college, with this story in hand.

[02:35.74]I turned in “my project” and the professor was touched and

read it to the whole class.

[02:43.20]The whole class was touched.

[02:45.34]I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn — UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Unit 2 Optimism and Positive Thinking [00:05.81]Listen and Respond

[00:08.87]Attitude Is Everything

[00:12.53]Michael was a natural optimist. [00:15.46]He was always in a good mood, always up and always had something positive to say.

[00:22.52]If an employee was having a bad day,

[00:25.29]Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

[00:31.51]Seeing his optimism really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael

[00:37.44]and asked him, “I don’t get it. [00:39.70]You can’t be positive all the time. [00:42.52]How do you do it?”

[00:45.24]Michael replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself: Mike, you have two choices today.

[00:53.41]You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.

[00:58.89]I choose to be in a good mood.

[01:01.46]Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it.

[01:08.30]I choose to learn from it.

[01:10.88]Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept the complaining

[01:16.56]or I can point out the positive side of life, I always choose the positive side of life.” [01:23.05]“Yeah, right.

[01:24.25]But it isn’t that easy.” [01:25.94]I said.

[01:27.13]“Yes, it is easy,” Michael said. [01:30.30]“Life is all about choices.

[01:32.75]Every situation in life is a choice.

[01:35.67]You choose how you react to situations; you choose how people will affect your mood; you choose how you feel. [01:43.93]The bottom line is: It’s your choice how you live your life.” [01:49.18]From Michael I have learned that every day we have a choice to live fully.

[01:54.09]So I will choose to be an optimist.

[01:56.80]If I am an optimist I may feel better, enjoy life more, and maybe have more chances of success.