研究生英语视听说2-furtherlistening1+2原文

FurtherListening1Ourdemandforfossilfuelssuchasoilandnaturalgasisgrowing.Thisgrowingneedforenergycausesustoburnmoreandmorefossilfuels.Burningfossilfuelssuchascoalputscarbonintotheair.Carbondioxide,orCO2,andothergasesreducetheamountofheatthatgoesoutintospace.Whenlessheatgoesoutintospace,itmeansthatmoreheatstaysintheearth’satmosphere.Whenmoreheatstaysintheearth’satmosphere,theaveragetemperatureincreases,makingitwarmer.Asignificantlyhigheraveragetemperatureleadstoclimatechangeandchangestotheweather.Climatechangecanhaveanegativeimpactonpeople’slives.Forexample,climatechangecanmakeitdifficulttogrowfoodinsomeplaces.Peoplearestartingtoconserveenergybymakingchangesthatcausethemtouselessfuel.Forexample,peoplearebuyingsmallercars.Smallercarsaremoreefficientbecausetheyuselessgasandoil.FurtherListening2Scientistsbelievethattheearth’stemperatureisincreasing.Theybelievethisincreaseintemperatureishavinganegativeimpactonourenvironment.Youmightthinkthatprotectingtheplanetistoobigajobforyou,butitisn’t.Therearemanysmallandpracticalwaysyoucanconserveenergyandhelpprotecttheenvironment.Herearesomehelpfultips.Cutbackondrivingbytakingpublictransportationorwalkingmoreoften.Youwillsavealotofgasifyoudrivetoworktwoorthreedaysaweekinsteadoffive!Shopatlocalstoresclosetoyourhome.Youwilldriveless,soyoucanspendlessmoneyongasandmoremoneyonfood.Turnofflightsandelectronicswhenyouaren’tusingthemsoyoudon’twasteelectricity.Replaceyouroldapplianceslikerefrigeratorsanddishwasherswithnew,efficientmodels.Oldappliancesconsumemoreenergythannewones.Keeptrackoftheelectricityandgasyouuseandhowyouuseit.Writedownthedifferentactivitiesyoudothatusegasorelectricityandhowoftenyoudotheminanenergyjournal.Useyourenergyjournaltohelpyousetalowertargetforyourenergyuseeachmonth.Forexample,ifyourenergybillis$100onemonth,tryloweringyourbillto$80,orby20percentthenextmonth.Trytoreducetheamountofenergyyouusebymakinggradualchangestoyourlifestyle.Youwillseethatmakingsmallchangeseachmonthcanhaveabigimpactontheamountofenergyyouuse—andhelpprotectourbeautifulplanet!FurtherListening1Inthe1800s,cowboysworkedwithcattleallacrossthewesternregionoftheUnitedStates.Animportantfactorinthecowboys’workwastherailroad.MostcattlewereinTexas,buttherailroadwasmorethan1,000miles(1,609kilometers)away.Cowboysmovedthecattlethereinbigcattledrives.Expertsestimatethatinacattledrive,only10cowboyscouldtakemorethan3,000cattletoarailroadtown.Cowboystypicallyworkedforaboutfourmonths,andreceivedalltheirpayattheend.Thentheyspentitveryquicklyinthetown.Theaveragecowboywasonly24yearsold.Workingalonewiththeircattle,cowboysdevelopedsomeveryinterestingcustoms.Forexample,atnight,somecowboyswouldsingtothecattletokeepthemquiet.SometraditionalAmericansongscamefromthesesingingcowboys.Cowboyshavenotdisappearedcompletely,buttherearenotnearlyasmanyastherewereinthepast.Onereasonforthisisveryfewyoungpeoplewanttoworksohardforsolittlemoney,sothecowboys’wayoflifeisendangered.Althoughthenumberofactualcowboyshasdecreased,therearemanypeoplewhohelppreserveaspectsofthecowboyculture.Forexample,cowboyhatsandbootsareverypopular,especiallyinthewesternpartoftheUnitedStates,andmanyplacesstillhaverodeos.FurtherListening2Emily:YousaidthatMexicohadthefirstrealcowboys.Aretherestillcowboystoday?ProfessorDaley:Yes,thereare.They’reworkerswholivewiththecattleandtakecareofthem.Someranchesareverylargeandcattleneedtobemovedfromplacetoplace,soyes,therearestillcowboys.Li:YoualsotalkedabouttwokindsofcowboysinMexico.Couldyouexplainthat?ProfessorDaley:Sure.ThemostfamouscowboysinMexicoarethecharros.Theyridetheirhorsesincontestscalledcharreadas.Theotherkindofcowboysarethevaqueros—theoneswhoworkwithcattleeveryday.Li:Istilldon’tunderstand.ProfessorDaley:Letmeexplain.SomeMexicancowboysdoitasahobby,andothersdoitasajob.Forthecharros,it’smostlyasport,orahobby.Forthevaqueros,it’stheirwork.Li:So,whatyoumeanisthatManuelRodriguezisavaquero,andnotacharro.ProfessorDaley:Exactly!Emily:Doyoumeanthatcharrosaren’treallycowboys?ProfessorDaley:No,charrosareapartofthetradition,butmanyofthemdon’tdoitasactualwork.WhatImeanis,theyarecowboys—butitisn’tajob.FurtherListening1Waterisimportantinanycountry,butinAustralia,itisthemostimportantresource.Australiaisoneofthedriestcontinentsintheworld,andwaterisveryscarceinmanyregions.Thenormalamountofraininsomeplacesisonlyoneinch(25millimeters)peryear.Severalyearsago,therainstoppedfallinginAustralia,andmanypartsofthecountrysoonexperiencedadrought—atimeofextremelydryweather.Childreninsometownshaveneverseenrainintheirwholelives.Itwasacrisisfortheentirecountry,andmanypeoplewereveryworried.Thegovernmenthadtodecidehowtoallocatewaterfordifferentuses.Rulesweremadeaboutdomesticuseofwaterforthingssuchasgardens,swimmingpools,andshowers.Somewaterisalsoneededforindustrybecausethecountrymakescars,ships,andmachines.ButAustralians’mainuseofwaterisforagriculture.Farmsproducerice,grapes,oranges,cattle,andmanyotherfoods,andtheserequirealotofwater.Insteadofrain,Australiauseswaterfromriversandundergroundreservoirsforfarming.SomepartsofAustraliahavehadmorenor