A:And when was the tower built S:In 1859

J:And how old are the House of Parliament? S:They are completed in 1850

J:So none of these building we can see are really old?

S:No,that's not what I'm trying to say. Er, the oldest part of the ancient Palace of Weatminster is Weatminster Hall,which dates back to the 11th century.Er, it would appear that it was used for entertaining and as a court room. A:So how did the system of Parliament we know now first start

S: It seems that over hundreds of years Parliament we know has developed into two houses-the House of Lords and the House of Commons with elected representatives from all over the country Li:And they are what you call MPs?

S:Yes,there is little doubt that they were the first MPs although not everyone had the right to bote in these days. Li:So who is more powerful, the King, the Queen, or the prime minster ?

S:Well, it is widely though that the king or queen has more powerful.But it's the government which is elected by the people and the prime minster is the leader of the government.So he or she is considered to be the most powerful person in the country Li:That's fascinating!But what's even more amazing is how old is the House of Parliament are? A:Two large houses, one palace, one hall.I wonder if there 's a spare room Li:What do you mean ?

A:Well, I was annoyed to be told that I have to move out of my flat.I was even more furiour to learn that I have to leave by next month Li:So what will you do

A:Search me!I would do with a royal palace to live in. Outside view

In England no town is more than 170 kilometres from the sea.So there is no surprise that Britain has a very important history ships and the seas.The British Navy was the biggest navy in the world at one time.Now it's smaller, but many other ships are still used for importing and exporting goods and for taking people on business or holiday.In Liverpool there is a great museum of maritime（航海的） history.It's got several ships in the docks outside.Inside it shows what it was like to be on some of the ships.Ships like this one——the Cutty Sark at Greenwich in London—brought tea from India to Britain.It was a very profitable trade and made may people very rich.The ships used only sails and achieved very high speeds.Young men had to climb the rigging（帆具，索具） to put up the sails.It was very dangerous.Between 1830 and 1930, more than nine million people from all over Europe left from the port of Liverpolol to start a new life in America or Australia.In the early of 20th century, there were large numbers of very elegant passengers.They crossed the Atlantic from Liverpool or Southampton to New York in five or six days.The most famous ship was probably the Titanic.It sank in 1912 and over 1500 people drowned.It was the worst disaster in maritime history.You probably know about it from one of the most expensive films ever made—Titanic!One of the most famous shipping companies is Cunard.It's got the world's biggest cruise ship, the Queen Marry2 which crosses the Atlantic from Southampton to New York.It still takes five or six days but some people prefer that to five or six hours in an aeroplane.The majority of people do travel around the world by plane, but ships are still very important for moving goods.These metal boxes, or containers, are packed with clothes,television sets,computers,furniture and toys. Here at the Southampton Container Terminal, they unload more than one and a half million containers each year.So the sea still play a very 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 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

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Queen in 1558 at the age of 25.All the rulers of Europe wanted to marry her and Elizabeth advisors 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 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:\（虚弱的，无力的） woman, but I have the heart and stomach 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, four public baths,26 public fountains... 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.

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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!

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

珍妮特：那么为什么你的房东要你搬出去吗？

安迪：嗯，他一直住在国外，但他回来了。

听起来很公平。

当然，但这很令人沮丧，因为我已经在那里住了近两年了，我很喜欢它。它就在拐角处，从那里我长大了。

是的，那里有一个很好的圆。

工作很方便，因为它靠近地铁站。它相当便宜，因为它的南部的河流。

记者：所以住在河的南部是便宜的吗？

哦，是的，有点。一般来说，河的北部更贵，因为公共交通更为好，而且它一直都很时髦。

记者：但在博罗市场很时髦，不是吗？

哦，现在很流行，但这并不是。

为什么这条河的交通更北？

答：好的，这是第一次在伦敦市中心和北的地铁。在南方，在几年前，只有几条管道。许多公共汽车，但它始终是一个优势靠近地铁站。

这是怎样的？三间卧室空置，大客厅，没有学生，没有宠物。

那是哪里？好了，得到它。那是在芬斯伯里公园。这是关于维多利亚线。让我们给它一个去。

你好，是的，我在今天晚上的标准里打电话给我。你能告诉我一些关于它的事吗？……对了，五分钟从管……2间卧室还空……好，我看

……如此，它的100磅，但与电力，天然气和水的费用要支付的顶部。我可以来看看吗？好吧，我今晚就来。我的名字是哈里森安迪…是的，这是正确的。谢谢很多……见你今晚……再见。

伟大的！

听起来很不错！我今晚去看看。你要来吗？

我很想去。 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

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