新视野视听说(第三版)B1U4 听力原文(2)

could do similar jobs closer, but not with the work rewards and job satisfaction I have now. And I could live closer, but I wouldn’t have the lifestyle that I desire.”

Longer commutes frequently involve people who live at one end of the city and work at another. Such a pattern probably begins with companies moving away from the city center, attracting workers to move to less expensive areas farther away from the city center. People see this as an opportunity because such a move may provide more affordable housing or better schools.

Steven spends about $185 a week on gas. Even high fuel costs can pay off in a better quality of life.

Added to long commutes are increased traffic jams, however. Commuters typically spend 47 hours a year in traffic jams, up from 40 hours a decade earlier.

Q1: How much time on average do Americans spend on their way to work? Q2: What is the present situation about Americans’ commuting to work? Q3: Why does Steven choose to have an extreme commute?

Q4: Which of the following is the disadvantage of long commutes? Passage 2

Scripts and answers

Humans’ first means of transportation were walking and swimming. 1) Gradually, humans

learned to use animals for transportation. The use of animals not only allowed heavier loads to be hauled by them, but also 2) enabled humans to ride the animals so they could travel longer distances in a shorter amount of time. The invention of the wheel helped make animal

transportation more efficient through the introduction of 3) vehicles. Also, water transportation 4) dates back to very early times and it was the best way to move large quantities of materials over long distances before the Industrial Revolution. 5) As a result, most cities that grew up as sites for trading have been established along rivers or the coast.

Until the Industrial Revolution, transportation was very slow and expensive. After the

Revolution, transportation changed 6) thoroughly. In the 19th century, the invention of the steam engine made land transportation independent of human or animal power. Both speed and 7) capacity increased rapidly.

With the development of cars at the 8) turn of the 20th century, land transportation became more common. In 1903, the first controllable airplane was invented, and after World War I, it became a fast way to transport people and goods. After World War II, 9) automobiles and airplanes

became more popular as methods of transportation. Then, after high-speed rail was first introduced

in Japan in 1964, passengers started using it in Asia and Europe instead of using airplanes to travel long distances.

Now, 10) thanks to the development of technology, human beings are able to enjoy various methods of transportation for their speed and comfort.

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