英语听力教程第三版(张民伦主编)Unit7AKaleidoscopeofCulture听力原文

Unit7AKaleidoscopeofCulturePartIGettingreadyMewYorkisoneofthemostimportantcitiesintheworld.Itisnotonlyacenterforbusiness,butalsoacenterformusicandart.Ithasmanyfamousbuildingsandplacesofinterest.Andit,too,hasjotitsnickname.Whatisit?AudioscriptAAreyoureadyforthetriptothemuseumintheBigApple?Icanhardlywait.BTheBigApple?Whatareyoutalkingabout?ATheBigAppleisthenicknameforNewYorkCity.YouaregoingtoNewYorkwithus,aren'tyou?BYes,I'mgoing.I'mespeciallylookingforwardtoseeingtheMuseumofModernArt.There'saspecialshowof20thcenturyAmericanpaintersthere.But,tellme,wheredidthenicknametheBigApplecomefrom?AThejazzmusiciansofthe1920sareresponsibleforthename.Whentheyplayedaconcertinacity,theycalledthatcityanapple.OfcourseNewYorkwasthebiggestcityinthecountryandbestplaceforajazzconcert.SothemusicianscalleditTheBigApple.BAmazing!NewYorkissuchafascinatingplaceanditevenhasaninterestingnickname,onethatit'shadformorethan50years.Britainisfamousforitspubs,whereyoucansampleapintofBritishbeer,enjoygood-valuebarmealsandsavorthefriendlyatmosphere.Thepubboastsanexcellentrangeofhotandcoldbarsnacksorawideselectionofhome-cookedmealswithawarmandrelaxedatmosphere.AudioscriptTherearevisitorswhocometoEnglandandleavethinkingtheyhaveneverbeeninsideapub.Theydon'trealizethatthewordspuborpublichousearerarelyincludedinthetitleoftheplace.Sohowdoyouknowwhetherabuildingisapubandwhatdoesapubofferthevisitor?Thefirstthingtolookforisalargesigneitherhangingoverthestreetorplacedonapoleoutsidethebuilding.ThissignmayhaveanamelikeTheKingsArms,TheBlackRabbitorTheDukeofKendaloranappropriatepicture.Manypubshavenameslinkedtoroyalty,popularheroes,sportsorgreatoccasions.ThereisapubcalledTheConcordeafterthenewairliner.OnthedoorsofapubyoumayseethewordsSaloonBarorPublicBar.TheSaloonBarismorecomfortablyfurnished.OccasionallythewordsFreeHousecanbeseenbesidethenameofthepub.Thisdoesn'tmeantheyservefreefoodanddrink;itreferstothefactthatthepubdoesn'tbuyitsdrinksfromoneparticularbreweryonly.Itisn'tatiedhouse--tiedtoabrewery.Theservicesapuboffersvaryaroundthecountry.Thebasicserviceisthesaleofalcoholicdrinkatcertaintimesoftheday.Openingtimes,astheseperiodsareoftencalled,areusuallyfrom10.30a.m.to3p.m.andfrom6p.m.to11p.m.onweekdays.OnSundaystheopeningtimesare12noonuntil2p.m.and7-10.30p.m.althoughthesetimescanvaryslightlyaccordingtotheregion.Pubscanalsoofferfoodandaccommodation.Tohelpvisitors,anexperimentalsystemofsymbolshasbeentriedoutinSouthernEnglandandEastAnglia.Thesesymbolsindicatejustwhatisavailablefromaparticularpub.PartIITimessquareTimesSquareisintheheartofNewYorkCity.Everyyear,TimesSquareisthecenterofworldwideattentiononNewYear'sEvebecauseoftherooftopcelebrationstousherintheNewYear.Apartfromthat,therearesomeotherthingsthatmakeTimesSquarefamous.AudioscriptTimesSquareisNewYork.ThosearethewordsoftheheadoftheTimesSquareAlliance,acoalitionofareabusinesses.ThemillionsofvisitorstoTimesSquareeachyearwouldprobablyagree.Theareahasoneofthemostrecognizablenamesintheworld.But,TimesSquareisnotreallyasquare.ItisthenamefortheareaaroundwhereBroadwaycrosses42ndStreetinManhattan.TheTimesSquareareastretchesmorethantenblocksnorthtosouth.Theborderstotheeastandwestareuneven.Somepeoplecalltheshapeoftheareaabowtie.TimesSquaregetsitsnamefromTheNewYorkTimesnewspaper.In1904,thenewspaperbegantobuilditsheadquartersinwhatwasthencalledLongAcreSquare.Thecity'sundergroundtrainsystembuiltastopundertheTimesTower.ThecityrenamedtheareaTimesSquare.OnDecember31st,1904,thenewspaperheldabigcelebrationinTimesSquaretowelcometheNewYear.Fireworkslitthesky.Celebrationshavetakenplaceeveryyearsincethen.Now,crowdsalsowatchabigglassballslidedownapoleastheNewYeararrives.HundredsofbusinessesareinTimesSquare.ThealliancesaystwentypercentofallhotelroomsinNewYorkCityareinTimesSquare.ItsaysTimesSquarealsohasaboutsixandone-halfmillionsquaremetersofofficespace.Andmoreisbeingbuilt.TimesSquareishometofamousBroadwaytheaters.Andseveraltelevisioncompanieshavestudiosthere.MTVisoneofthem.TimesSquareisprobablymostfamousforitshugecolorfulsigns.ThealliancesaysTimesSquareistheonlyplaceinNewYorkwherebusinessesarerequiredtousethem.AudioscriptItisanothertypicalmorninginTimesSquare:Taxicabsblaretheirhorns,15footbillboardslookdownoverthrongsofpeoplehurryingby,andinthemiddleofitall,membersofasmashBroadwaymusicalclimbuponastagetodanceandsingforthetourists.TheentertainmentisbeingorganizedbytheTimesSquareBusinessImprovementDistrict,thepeopleresponsibleformakingtheareaaswelcomingtotouristsaspossible.Rightnow,thesquareiscrowdedandbusinessisbooming.Somuchso,infact,thatseveralsidewalkshadtobewidenedrecentlytocopewiththeincreaseinvisitors.AndsomeNewYorkersareevenpushingfortheentireareatobeofflimitstotraffic:modelingTimesSquareafteraEuropeanplaza.Ithasnotalwaysbeenthisway.Untiladecadeorsoago,TimesSquarehadthewell-deservedreputationofaseedyneighborhoodteemingwithprostitutesanddrugdealers.Asizeablepartofthearea'seconomycamefromstoressellingpornographyorcheapknock-offgoods.Thecitygovernmentneglectedthearea,spendinglittleofitstourismbudgetonimprovements.Buttoday,theate