Spot dictation
You might think that hamburgers were invented in the United States, but that is not totally true. These round, flat cakes or patties actually came from Germany in the middle of the 19th century. They were brought to the United States by German immigrants who came from the city of Hamburg.
That is why their name was Hamburger Stake. However, people in other places claim that they invented the hamburger. Perhaps we’ll never have a clear answer. But there is no question that the hamburger was a great hit. Why? Perhaps because at that time, industry was growing, and the kind of fast, practical and cheap food was needed for workers. The hamburger became even more popular in the 1920s when the first chain of fast food restaurants was started. This chain was called White Castle. It served tiny hamburgers that were sold for only 5 cents each. Then, in the 1940s there came the drive-in restaurant where customers were served in their cars by waiters in uniform. And the hamburger was one of the most popular manual items. By now, the hamburger was ready to conquer the world and this happened with McDonalds, which was actually a hotdog stand at first. But by the early 1950s the hotdog was replaced by the hamburger. McDonalds and other fast food restaurants spring up around the world throughout the west of the 20th century. McDonalds alone has sold 12 hamburgers for every person in the world. The importance of the hamburger to US culture remains significant. About 60% of all sandwiches that are eaten are hamburgers. According to some sources, 7% of current workers in the Untied States had their first job at McDonalds. But the face of the hamburger is changing according to the times. Nowadays it is possible to buy a chicken burger, a turkey burger, a fish burger or a veggie burger.
Statement:
Mrs Jones came to us at the airport. We thought she was the secretary but she turned out to be the president of the company.After Susan carefully explained her ideas at the board meeting last week, the directors all voted for the change she’s made concerning the proposed project Of the students participating in our university’s research project, 73% classified themselves as freshmen and sophomores.
Originally we had planned to buy a car by the end of last year, but then with the recent fluctuation of the crude oil prices we decided to postpone the purchase.Most people I know are interested in the proposed tax reform being debated in the congress because they hope it will lower taxes for them.If you’re good at managing your own time and energy, it is very likely that you can do well both in your schoolwork and for your careerMr. Paul White, thank you very much for your inquiry, but I feel the position more suits a female applicant. Anyway, I will keep your name on file.Is this your best quote? I thought the prices will be coming down now given the current situation of financial and economic crisis.
Last month our manager took a ten-day business trip to Chicago, but he had to stay there for 3 more days situation as the negotiation turned out to be a tougher one.When our children are made confident that they are positive and competent individuals, they will adapt themselves to the changing society and successfully accomplish personal goals.
Talks and Conversations
Passage one (Q11-14)
W：What are you laughing about?
M: I just saw the serious advertisement on TV for Germen soups. It’s said our products are home-made with the freshest vegetables and fruits. Then a scene in the factory showed that products were prepared and packed by the most sophisticated machinery.
W: And I am sure that the word NATURE was put on the jars and cans of the products. I think the stupidest advertisements are those that imply that you are one of a kind. If you buy the product, you will be a very special person. Now you will be just like every other one of the 20 billion people who bought it.
M: That’s really silly. But to me, the dullest of them all is when advertisers put a celebrity on TV to talk about a particular brand of soap or about a particular car. I bet that the celebrity’s never used the product before they got the job of appearing in the commercial.
W: Yeah! But most of these commercials work and people remember the product.
M: I agree, here we are talking about ads we’ve seen, aren’t we? We are all influenced by those celebrities and brand names.
W: I think teenagers are specially vulnerable. Advertisers try to get teenagers used to a brand because they know that in later years, the teenagers will stick to that particular product of theirs.
Question 11: What in the advertisement has made the man laugh?
Question 12: When some ads imply that you are one of a kind, what does that mean?
Question 13: Why does the advertiser put the celebrity on TV to talk about a particular product?
Question 14: According to the women, what will teenagers do if they are used to a brand?
Passage two (Q15-18)
Many of you may have heard of jet lag, which is a condition of space disorders, resulting from rapid travel over time zones. Such as on a jet plane. The symptom of jet lag can be quite varied, and may include loss of appetite, nausea, headache, fatigue, insomnia, or even mild depression.
Here are a few tips for you to avoid jetlag, or cope if you are stricken by the condition.
First, adjust your biological rhythm several days before your departure, and develop a plan to start switching to the time zone of your destination. For instance, if you will be flying from New York to Paris, where it is 6 hours later, get up one hour earlier for a couple of days, then 2 hours earlier, then 3 hours earlier, I will try to at least get half way to your new time zone. Turn lights on during day time in your destination, and off at night time. Second, during the time of your adjustment, especially during the flight, drink plenty of water. If you are not a big water fan, drink some other fluid that is not high in sugar, carbonation and caffeine; avoid junk food, salty food and caffeine, and alcohol on the plane. Of course I say that, but I always have a couple of drinks during the flight. If you do that, just be sure to drink as much water between drinks as possible. Thirdly, when you arrive in your destination, try to resist the urge to nap during the day time. Get outside, during the daylight hours, even it is just to sit in a café and relax. Try to get a good night sleep for the 1st couple of nights. The key is to reset your body’s natural clock to get enough rest. Finally, when you return home, use some of the same tactic above to return to your previous time zone.
Q15. What’s the speaker’s definition of jet lag?
Q16.What’s the difference of the time zone between New York and Paris?
Q17.what does the speaker recommend if you do not want to drink much water during the flight?
Q18. According to the speaker, what should you try to do if you arrived at the destination?
Passage 3 (Q19-22)
F: Come on Mr. Edision, take a seat.
M: Good morning doctor.
F: Now let’s get a few details. Shall we? First your age, now you’re 40?
M: Er, 35 actually, doctor
F: Right, 35. And your weight?
M: About, 105 kilos
F: That’s rather a lot for your height, don’t you think?
M: Yes, Well, I don’t get much exercises, doctor.
F: And what kind of work do you do exactly?
M: I work with computers,
F; So you sit most of the day, is that right?
M: All day.
F: Right, so tell me, do you smoke?
M: Well, I used to smoke 20-30 a day, but now it’s about 10.
F: En, Have you had any illness likely?
M: Nothing serious, just usual coughs and colds
F: I see. Now, let’s talk about your diet. What have you eaten this morning, for example?
M: I’ve had two fried eggs, 5 bread, toast, butter and jam, and oh, 3 cups of tea.
F: Well, Mr. Edison, that isn’t the best diet now, is it? What else do you normally eat?
M: Beef burghers a lot, Chips
F: Dear Oh dear. And what about exercise do you have Mr. Endison? Do you play any Sports?
M: Er, can’t say I do really.
F: Well Mr. Edison this is rather serious. I think we have to Change a few things in your life, firstly I recommend that you stop smoking completely. Secondly, you need to get some exercise, walk, instead of drive Mr. Edison. Join in a sports club. And lastly, we must make some changes to your diet. No more fried foods, no more chips, and beef burgers, good healthy vegetables, boiled potatoes, grilled meat and fish.
19. What does the woman say about the man’s health?
20. How many cigarettes does the man smoke each day now?
21. What does the woman think of the man’s breakfast?
22. Which of the following can not be concluded from the conversion?
Passage 4 (Q23-26)
May I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen? Since the international club meets only once every semester for this special event, the first thing on our agenda is to have the secretary read the minutes of the last meeting. So when I finish this opening speech, the secretary will read the minutes of our meeting for the last semester. And then we’ll go through our annual treasurer’s report and decide whether it can be accepted or not.
At the top of our agenda, and I’m sure in everyone’s mind, is the International Display Week. It has been proposed for discussion. I was chairman of the African club, and now as chairman of the international club, I know more than anyone else the importance of such a display week.
Let me explain. There are ten foreign clubs here representing the foreign students on our campus. The purpose of these clubs is, first of all, to get the students from the same countries together, so they won’t get too homesick, and so we can help each other over the rough spots. And secondly, so that the American students can join the club of their interest and learn about our culture as we learn theirs.
Now, about the display. Some of you old hands will have to help me out, as there was so much going on I can’t remember at all. Let me see. There are the Scottish folk dance and Irish one, too. We’ll team up with the folk music club and recruit anyone who can sew to make costumes. Of course, each group will set up a booth decorated with pictures and things of interest in their respective countries, and everyone will wear his national costume.
Question 23: Who is the man? Chairman of the international club
Question 24: How often is the meeting held? Once every semester
Question 25: What is at the top of the meeting’s agenda? International Display Week
Question 26: What is the purpose of organizing foreign clubs on campus? Get the students from the same countries together, so they won’t get too homesick / they can help each other over the rough spots / the American students can join the club of their interest and learn about different cultures.
Passage 5 (Q27-30)
F: Paul, nice to see you back from the university. How do you like your new university? I remember your mum had wanted you to go to London University so that you can live at home and walk or cycle to attend the lectures.
M: Well, you know I didn’t go to London University after all. My new university is on the suburbs of an ancient cathedral city and it is almost 8 miles from the city center. The university is planned on the so called American campus system. That is to say, students live in halls of residence groupped around the main university buildings.
F: You mean you live, eat and study within the university proper?
M: Yes, I like it. Because we are a real community. We’ve got comfortable common rooms and bars. We arrange dances and parties. We’ve got clubs, theater groups, choirs and so on. And we’ve got an orchestra. I played the drums in it. By the way, how about your university days, Betty?
F: I rented a house with two other girls in the middle of the city about then minutes walk from the university. The house is falling to pieces. It is damp and there is no proper heating.
M: That sounds awful. I couldn’t work in a place like yours. The district is poor and could almost be classed as a slum.
F: I don’t think so. We live among real people who treat us as real people. We’ve got an electrician living next door, who is always coming in and mending our cooker and electric fires. We could try to get into one of the halls of the residents. But we prefer to be independent. It’s nice to belong to the city and to do things outside the university.
M: What sort of things do you do outside the university?
M: Well, there is a group of us who go and help in a home for handicapped children. And I think in the city bar choir we get on well with the local people, not like you in that suburban district.
W: Well, I like history. And my university is one of the best universities for that subject. Besides, it is an ancient city with a lot of historical relics and sightseeing spots. If you can drop by by any chance, I can show you around.
F: You bet.
27. What do the man’s live?
28. What is typical of the American campus system?
29. Why did the women choose to rent a house at the city center?
30. What does the man promise to do for the woman?
Listening and Translation
Sentence Translation
1.Please hold my telephone calls and just take a message. I can call back later. I must have a little peace and quiet to concentrate on these figures.
请别挂断我的电话，先留个言，我一会儿会再打来的。现在我必须静静地先集中精力看一下这些数字。
2.This company has a registered capital of 15 million US dollars and specializes in importing and exporting and a great variety of digital products.
这家公司有1500万美元的注册资金，主营各类数码产品的进出口。
3.Share prices on the London market have fallen sharply today. Following sharp losses are on Wall Street. Shares of living financial banks have been the worst hit.
随着今天伦敦市场的股价暴跌，华尔街也遭受了巨大损失，现存的金融银行的股价跌得最为厉害。
4.Good health is usually associated with exercise. But that is not the whole picture. In order to keep fit, you have to eat well, sleep well and generally feel good about yourself.
健康的身体往往会让人联想到锻炼，但锻炼并非全部，保持身体健康还需要吃好、睡好和对自我感觉良好。
5.Many young people dream of becoming top models. To become slim is what they usually desire. Therefore in order to keep their weight down, they simply avoid food.
很多年轻人梦想着成为名模，她们通常渴望变得苗条。因此，为了减肥，她们就干脆不吃东西。
Passage Translation
American Businessmen frequently use social situations to make business deals. One of the best examples of this practice is the business lunch. It is used to win clients, to make influential contacts, to discuss and settle internal disagreements, and even to interview potential employees. Some companies always conduct job interviews over lunch. A business lunch usually lasts from one to two hours and it often takes place at a restaurant with a pleasant, quiet atmosphere conducive to private discussions.
美国商人经常利用社交场合来做生意，最好的例子就是商务午餐，可以用来争取客户，扩大影响，讨论并解决内部分歧，甚至面试未来的员工。很多工作面试都是在商务午餐中完成的。商务午餐通常持续1-2.5小时，在餐厅举行，那里安静宜人，适合进行私人对话。
As the world population becomes denser, we will feel greater pressure from the expanding number of people. Some experts argue that we are approaching the limit of the number of people the earth can support adequately and they feel we shall turn to compulsory birth control. Other authorities feel that if birth control is imposed on the population, the future of mankind will be seriously endangered. They think intelligent people will be more likely to have fewer children, which will bring about a lowering of the level of intelligence.
世界人口密度不断加大，越来越多的人口带来的压力也随之增加。专家认为，我们正在接近地球所能承受的人口极限，因此应该进行人口生育控制，也有人认为如果这样会危及到人类的未来。因为通常高智商人群生育的孩子较少，所以有人担心这会导致人类整体智力水平的下降。
From:教育人生网
总体来说，这次考试和以往相比难度差不多，同学们听懂每一段的大意基本是没有问题的。
Spot dictation的主题是：汉堡包的历史，同学们只要抓住时间这条主线，整篇文章的内容很容易掌握。 难度和以往比基本持平。 文章中基本没有难词， 有一些词汇： 如：drive-in restaurant, 我们在平时上课的时候都提到过，而且都出现在我们给同学们准备的倒计时资料中。
Listening comprehension:
Statement 听的时候同学们一定要注意转折词，这次的句子中有好几个是对比关系，如第一句中：not secretary but president, 第四句中原先打算买车，但是因为油价的问题，现在推延了计划。这一次的statement 倒是没有出现以前考的难词组，所以整体的难度是不大的。
Talks and Conversations，5篇 第一篇讲到名人做广告的问题;第二篇讲到：应付“时差” 的一些方法，考到细节;第三篇讲到：医生给病人的一些建议，如饮食的改变，加强运动等等。第四篇讲到会议的安排，主要提到建立club,让留学生和本地学生融洽相处，交流文化等。第五篇：大学生活介绍
Listening and Translation难度不大。其中句子翻译较简单。四句话，第一句提到：说话者会回拨电话，需要时间来处理数据;第二句提到：某公司的资产，以及业务范围;第三句提到：股票下跌;第四句提到：健康的要素;第五句提到：模特渴望苗条，所以一直减肥。 段落口译，第一段passage translation提到：一些公司利用吃饭的时间会见客户，建立社交关系甚至是面试，因为吃饭的时候氛围比较好。第二段passage translation提到：人口膨胀带来的问题。
上海新东方口译研究中心 听力课题组 黄翌
3.15中级口译听力即时点评
09年3`15的中级口译笔试刚刚落下帷幕，综观整个听力部分，难度比往年偏低，题型中规中矩。
Spot-Dictation讲的是汉堡包的前世今生。美利坚文化的象征汉堡包，名字起源于德国西北城市汉堡(Hamburg)，居住在那里的人们喜欢把牛排捣碎成一定形状，这种吃法被当时的大量德国移民传到了美洲。由于工业蓬勃发展，人们需要既方便又省钱的食品，汉堡包应运而得以走红。十九世纪二十年代，美国有了第一家汉堡连锁店“白色城堡(White Castle)”。三十年代，出现了Drive-in Restaurant，为车主提供免下车服务，汉堡包又成为菜单上最受宠的单品。它的继续发扬光大靠的是大家熟识的麦当劳，麦当劳原来卖的是热狗，而热狗在五十年代被汉堡包逐渐取代。
Statements部分难度较低，甚至语速也略慢于往年。题型无非还是我们在上海新东方课堂上反复强调过的那些，而且最简单的转折题型反复出现了三次(分别在第1、第4和第9句)，难词组出现零次，就连一贯让考生头疼的数字题也没有出现。因此考生只要发挥正常，这一部分应该不难取得高分。
Talks & Conversation整体难度适中，出题循规蹈矩，考生们只要把握住上海新东方课堂上我们强调的关键字，应该是能准确定位答案的。第一篇讲的是电视广告，及名人对青少年品牌忠诚度起到的作用;第二篇讲的是时差的症状及解决方法;第三篇是一个医生对一个整天坐在电脑前工作的白领的建议，如戒烟、适度运动、改变饮食习惯等;第四篇稍难，是一个俱乐部主席的会议活动安排，旨在帮助留学生和当地学生进行文化交流;第五篇是一个租房住在市中心的学生和另一个住在城郊学生两种不同生活的对比，我们也在上海新东方课堂上作为文化背景专门介绍过。
最后的Listening Translation部分也不难，数字也仅出现一次，考生只要记下个别关键字就能翻出大意。Sentence Translation第一句讲说话人忙完数据处理，就会进行电话回拨;第二句中出现了较难词---register capital(注册资本)，其实它曾出现在中级口译听力教材(小绿皮)中，课上我还提到过，记得的同学就不会感到陌生了;第三句提到了近期热点：金融危机、股价下跌;第四句讲的是健康的要素，除了运动之外，还要吃好睡好，对自身感觉良好;第五句讲超模为保持身材而拼命节食。Passage Translation第一篇讲商务午餐对美国人进行交易的重要性，他们喜欢利用午餐1到2小时的时间，在愉悦的环境中谈生意或进行面试;第二篇讲人口膨胀问题，以及对计划生育的两种不同建议。
（责任编辑:allen）
