1
Unit 6-Conversation 1
Janet
:
What are you reading, Kate?
Kate
:Alice
in
Wonderland,
by
Lewis
Carroll.
Do
you
know
it?
Janet
:
I've heard of it, yes, but I've never read it. It's a 19th
century children's story, isn't it?
K
a
te:
That's
right.
It's
very
famous.
It's
set
in
Oxford.
It
starts
with
this
young
girl
sitting
on
a
river
bank.
The
interesting
thing
is,
the
author,
Lewis
Carroll,
he
was
an
Oxford
professor
and
he
used
to
have
tea
with
the
girl's
family on this river bank.
Ja
net:
Oh, that's fascinating! I'll put it into my diary.
Kate
:
Is
that
what
you're
writing?
I
know
you've
been
keeping a diary all the year.
Janet
:
It's been a great year. I've had such a good time
鈥?/p>
so
lucky to have Mark and Kate as friends. Feel I've been doing
well
with
work.
Much
happier
about
asking
questions
in
tutorials.
Janet
:
My screen's gone dark.
Mark:
You're
using
the
battery,
remember.
It's
run
out,
obviously.
Janet
:
It can't be the battery. It's still charged. Oh no it's still
black.
Oh
dear,
I
hope
it's
nothing
serious.
I
haven't
backed
anything up recently.
Kate
:
That's not like you, Janet.
Janet
:
I know, but I lost my memory stick. I really should
have
backed
things
up.
How
stupid
of
me
not
to
do
that!
Supposing I've lost everything!
Mark
:
Let me take a look. The power is still on. And also
the operating system still seems to be working ... I think it has
to be the graphics card ... But maybe that's not the problem ...
Janet
:
If only I'd backed things up!
Kate
:
Relax, Janet! We'll
take it to the computer shop this
afternoon. I'm sure it'll be OK.
Janet
:
I hope so.
Unit 6-Conversation 2
Janet:
Tell me about Alice in Wonderland.
Kate
:
I tell you what, I'll read it to you.
Kate
:
Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her
sister on the bank and having nothing to do: Once or twice,
she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had
no
pictures
or
conversations
in
it,
"and
what
is
the
use
of
a
book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversation?" So
she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could,
for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid) ...
Janet
:
Kate,
Mark,
where
are
you
going?
You've
got
my
laptop!
Kate
:
It's
all
right,
Janet,
we're
taking
it
to
the
computer
shop. We'll be back soon.
Mark
:
It's not like Janet to forget to back up her work.
Kate
:
She should have been more careful.
Janet
:
It was stupid of me, I know! Stupid, stupid!
Janet
:
Oh! It was a dream! What a relief!
Kate
:
You were talking in your sleep.
Janet
:
What was I saying?
Kate:
"
Stupid, stupid.
"
M
ark
:
I've sorted out your computer.
Janet
:
Have
you?
Oh,
thank
goodness!
What
was
the
problem?
Mark
:
It was the graphics card, as I predicted ...
Janet
:
Is that what it was! I'm so relieved! Thanks, Mark.
Kate
:
He's great, isn't he?
Janet
:
Yes. So are you, Kate.
Kate
:
You're such a good friend.
Unit 6-Outside view
Computers are a very important part of our lives. They tell us
about delays to transport. They drive trains, analyze evidence
and
control
buildings.
Did
you
know
that
60
per
cent
of
homes
in
Britain
have
got
a
PC
(a
personal
computer)?
For
many young people, playing computer games is their favorite
way of spending spare time. Computers are a very important
part of most areas of life in Britain-libraries, the police and in
school. But they are becoming more important in our homes
as
well.
They
鈥?/p>
ll
even
control
the
way
we
live-in
鈥?/p>
smart
homes
鈥?/p>
or
computer-controlled
houses.
The
smart
home
is
now a real possibility. It will become very common. A central
computer
will
adjust
the
temperature,
act
as
a
burglar alarm
and switch on lights, ready for you to come back home. And
of
course
you
will
be
able
to
give
new
instructions
to
the
computer from your mobile phone. So if your plans change,
your home will react to match. Many homes have got lots of
televisions
and
several
computers.
The
smart
home
will
provide TV and Internet sockets in every room, so you
鈥?/p>
ll be
able
to
do
what
you
want
whenever
you
want.
If
the
temperature outside changes, the smart home will adjust the
temperature
levels
inside.
The
computer
will
also
close
the
blinds when it gets dark or to stop so much sun from entering
a
room.
And
if
you
want
to
eat
when
you
get
home,
the
computer will turn the oven on for you! Are computers taking
over
our
lives?
In
a
survey,
44
per
cent
of
young
people
between 11 and 16 said their PC was a trusted friend. Twenty
per
cent
said
they
were
happier
at
their
computer
than
spending
time
with
family
or
friends.
Another
survey
found
that
people
in
Britain
spend
so
much
time
on
the
phone,
texting and reading emails that they no longer have time for
conversation. What do you think about that?
Unit 6-Listening in
News Report
US
Scientists
have
announced
the
discovery
of
gravitational
waves,
which
are
tiny
waves
produced
by
massive
objects