新增一两套口语，作为 11 月 28 日晚针对 11 月 29 日的紧急更新
Task 1
1
When visiting a new city, which of the following would you choose to better learn about the place. Visiting a museum, walking through streets, or take a organized trip.
I like walking through streets the most. I love walking aimlessly in a new city, it’s like going on an adventure, you never know what you’re gonna see or find. The best things are hidden in the details. Walking around gives me a chance to see how people at these places live their lives. You get to learn more about the kind of daily activities local people enjoy, the sport they do, and the food they eat. Also, street photography is my hobby. I find that the best pictures I took are of everyday objects, such as street signs, pedestrians passing by, even just some kids goofing around makes great photos.
TASK 1
2
Talk about two schools which you attended and their differences. Is it better to attend a large school or small school?
I would like to point out some differences between my high school and university. First in high school I proceeded from one class directly to another for about eight hours a day. In college I have longer hours between classes to myself for individual studies and research. Second, the facilities in my high school were pretty basic we didn't have the latest scientific equipment to toy with and the book collection in the library was very limited. But in college, I can operate better machinery and use super computers to solve complicated problems.
I went to high school and then to university when I was a little older, and the two schools were very different. First, I went to high school in my hometown. Students did not seem too interested in studying then, and instead spent a lot of time socializing with girlfriends and boyfriends, talking about parties, and trying to make money in after-school jobs. Later, when I went to university, everything changed. Young adults spent most of their time discussing their classes or upcoming exams. They also enjoyed getting involved in politics, since they were old enough to vote.
Task 2
1
Some people like surprise visits from their friends, others prefer to be informed of such visits. Which one do you prefer?
I prefer knowing that someone is coming over so I can be better prepared. First, I have to be honest I’m not the tidiest man. I like to relax when I get home, that means I don’t always fold my clothes or wash my dishes right away. If people come by without noticing me first, I won’t have to time to clean my mess up. Second, I don’t enjoy being caught off guard. I like having plans. When I’m told there will be a party, I want to get all the food and drinks ready before time so when everyone shows up, we don’t run out of things to eat and drink.
TASK 2
Some people prefer to buy high-tech products as soon as they are introduced to the market other prefer to wait for some time to get them. Which do you prefer? 万能理由-学生需要省钱可以用于回答这道题，因为新产品才上市往往比较贵。
I prefer to buy my high-tech products long after they're first introduced for the following reasons. First, products like cellphone and computers are usually very expensive when they are first introduced to the market. When iPhone first came out the price was really high. But it was only about three months later; Apple cut the price by $200. Not buying these products too soon can save us lots of money. Second, the first batch of product can be flawed. It's wise to wait for reviews to come out so we can find out if they work as advertised. If there are problems companies will iron out these glitches and make it better pretty quickly.
I usually wait several weeks or even months to buy a product. And I have two reasons. The first reason is the price. When a new Apple product hits the market, the price is always quite high. As time passes, the price of the product decreases significantly. Furthermore, new products are great, but they almost always have functionality problems. And after some time passes, the company will remove all the small problems and produce a better product.
Task3
【学校通知】: The lounge in the dorm should be changed into study room. Reason 1: People can go there to study. Reason
2: The study room should be equipped with computers.
【学生对话】The man agrees. Reason
1: It's too noisy in the lounge because people watch TV there, and the dorm rooms can be noisy too because the roommate is always on the phone or listening to music, and they have nowhere to study. Reason
2: Computers make it so much more convenient to study, because not everyone has a computer, sometimes they have to go to the library to use the computers there and the library is closed when it's too late.
The university has announced that the lounge in the dorm building will be converted into a study room equipped with computers. In the conversation, the man agrees with this change
for two reasons. First, he says that currently the lounge is too noisy because people watch TV there, and since the dorm rooms are also too noisy students have nowhere to study. A study room can solve the problem. Next, he likes the idea of having computers in the study room. Since not every student has their own computer, and the library is closed when it’s too late, students will find the study room a quite convenient place to go.
Task4
【名词解释】 Latent demand means that potential customers needs can be identified by the companies thus better meet the needs of the customers.
【讲座举例】Example: People used large stereos to listen to music at the beginning, later smaller stereos appeared and people started bringing them to outdoors to listen to music. Some companies sensed this latent demand, and they figured that isn't it great if people could listen to music in public but privately instead of playing it out loud? So they made tiny stereos with ear buds, and it was a huge success and there was no competition back then.
The reading passage defines a term “latent demand”. It means the demand for a product or service that is not yet available. By identifying latent demands companies can better meet the needs of their customers. For example, in the past, people used very large stereos to listen to music. Later, these large stereos were gradually replaced with smaller ones which people could bring outdoors. Then, some companies sensed a latent demand. They figured that it would be great if people could listen to music in public places, but privately instead of letting everyone around hear the music. So they began producing and selling tiny stereos with ear buds. It turned out a huge success because there was little competition at that time.
Task5
【学生问题】 The mail was supposed to go to the seaside with friends, but Mary asked him to go help her to move on a short notice because she has to move out by tomorrow.
【解决方案】1:
Find someone to replace him. It might not work at this last minute. 2: Cancel his appointment with his friends, but he has been planning to go for long, and later
the weather will turn cold, and they can't go to the beach any more.
The man was supposed to go to the seaside with his friends, but Mary asked him to help her move out. He could either find someone else to help Mary, or he could cancel the appointment with his friends to the beach. I would prefer the first solution. That is to find someone else to help Mary. This is because the man has already got an appointment with his friends. It would be impolite to cancel it on such short notice. Plus as the boy mentioned, they probably won’t have good weather if they change it to a later date because it is getting colder. So it’s wise to stick to his original plan. As to Mary, I think the man can explain to the situation to her. I’m sure Mary will have other friends who can help her move out.
Task6
【讲座主题】2 mechanisms to make it hard for the predators to predict the next behavior of the animals.
【讲座举例】Example
1: Squid don't go straight, and the speed is unsteady, they choose to move in a zigzag pattern which makes it extremely difficult for the predators to anticipate its behavior. Example 2: Squid can change into different colors, they can change from pink to blue then to white, for instance, the predator stares at something pink but all of a sudden it changes into blue, it confuses the predator thus gives the squid a chance to escape.
The lecture talks about two mechanisms animals use to make it hard for the predators to predict their next behavior. The first mechanism is to change their pattern of movement. For example, the squid usually moves in a straightforward pattern. But when the squid encounters a predator, it would move in a zigzag pattern and at an unsteady speed. This makes it difficult for the predators to anticipate its next behavior. The second mechanism is to change colors. For example, the squid can change from pink to blue and then to white. This is confusing to the predator. The predator first sees something pink but all of a sudden it changes into something blue. While the predator is confused, the squid has a chance to escape.
新增一两套口语，作为 11 月 28 日晚针对 11 月 29 日的紧急更新
Task 1
1
When visiting a new city, which of the following would you choose to better learn about the place. Visiting a museum, walking through streets, or take a organized trip.
I like walking through streets the most. I love walking aimlessly in a new city, it’s like going on an adventure, you never know what you’re gonna see or find. The best things are hidden in the details. Walking around gives me a chance to see how people at these places live their lives. You get to learn more about the kind of daily activities local people enjoy, the sport they do, and the food they eat. Also, street photography is my hobby. I find that the best pictures I took are of everyday objects, such as street signs, pedestrians passing by, even just some kids goofing around makes great photos.
TASK 1
2
Talk about two schools which you attended and their differences. Is it better to attend a large school or small school?
I would like to point out some differences between my high school and university. First in high school I proceeded from one class directly to another for about eight hours a day. In college I have longer hours between classes to myself for individual studies and research. Second, the facilities in my high school were pretty basic we didn't have the latest scientific equipment to toy with and the book collection in the library was very limited. But in college, I can operate better machinery and use super computers to solve complicated problems.
I went to high school and then to university when I was a little older, and the two schools were very different. First, I went to high school in my hometown. Students did not seem too interested in studying then, and instead spent a lot of time socializing with girlfriends and boyfriends, talking about parties, and trying to make money in after-school jobs. Later, when I went to university, everything changed. Young adults spent most of their time discussing their classes or upcoming exams. They also enjoyed getting involved in politics, since they were old enough to vote.
Task 2
1
Some people like surprise visits from their friends, others prefer to be informed of such visits. Which one do you prefer?
I prefer knowing that someone is coming over so I can be better prepared. First, I have to be honest I’m not the tidiest man. I like to relax when I get home, that means I don’t always fold my clothes or wash my dishes right away. If people come by without noticing me first, I won’t have to time to clean my mess up. Second, I don’t enjoy being caught off guard. I like having plans. When I’m told there will be a party, I want to get all the food and drinks ready before time so when everyone shows up, we don’t run out of things to eat and drink.
TASK 2
Some people prefer to buy high-tech products as soon as they are introduced to the market other prefer to wait for some time to get them. Which do you prefer? 万能理由-学生需要省钱可以用于回答这道题，因为新产品才上市往往比较贵。
I prefer to buy my high-tech products long after they're first introduced for the following reasons. First, products like cellphone and computers are usually very expensive when they are first introduced to the market. When iPhone first came out the price was really high. But it was only about three months later; Apple cut the price by $200. Not buying these products too soon can save us lots of money. Second, the first batch of product can be flawed. It's wise to wait for reviews to come out so we can find out if they work as advertised. If there are problems companies will iron out these glitches and make it better pretty quickly.
I usually wait several weeks or even months to buy a product. And I have two reasons. The first reason is the price. When a new Apple product hits the market, the price is always quite high. As time passes, the price of the product decreases significantly. Furthermore, new products are great, but they almost always have functionality problems. And after some time passes, the company will remove all the small problems and produce a better product.
Task3
【学校通知】: The lounge in the dorm should be changed into study room. Reason 1: People can go there to study. Reason
2: The study room should be equipped with computers.
【学生对话】The man agrees. Reason
1: It's too noisy in the lounge because people watch TV there, and the dorm rooms can be noisy too because the roommate is always on the phone or listening to music, and they have nowhere to study. Reason
2: Computers make it so much more convenient to study, because not everyone has a computer, sometimes they have to go to the library to use the computers there and the library is closed when it's too late.
The university has announced that the lounge in the dorm building will be converted into a study room equipped with computers. In the conversation, the man agrees with this change
for two reasons. First, he says that currently the lounge is too noisy because people watch TV there, and since the dorm rooms are also too noisy students have nowhere to study. A study room can solve the problem. Next, he likes the idea of having computers in the study room. Since not every student has their own computer, and the library is closed when it’s too late, students will find the study room a quite convenient place to go.
Task4
【名词解释】 Latent demand means that potential customers needs can be identified by the companies thus better meet the needs of the customers.
【讲座举例】Example: People used large stereos to listen to music at the beginning, later smaller stereos appeared and people started bringing them to outdoors to listen to music. Some companies sensed this latent demand, and they figured that isn't it great if people could listen to music in public but privately instead of playing it out loud? So they made tiny stereos with ear buds, and it was a huge success and there was no competition back then.
The reading passage defines a term “latent demand”. It means the demand for a product or service that is not yet available. By identifying latent demands companies can better meet the needs of their customers. For example, in the past, people used very large stereos to listen to music. Later, these large stereos were gradually replaced with smaller ones which people could bring outdoors. Then, some companies sensed a latent demand. They figured that it would be great if people could listen to music in public places, but privately instead of letting everyone around hear the music. So they began producing and selling tiny stereos with ear buds. It turned out a huge success because there was little competition at that time.
Task5
【学生问题】 The mail was supposed to go to the seaside with friends, but Mary asked him to go help her to move on a short notice because she has to move out by tomorrow.
【解决方案】1:
Find someone to replace him. It might not work at this last minute. 2: Cancel his appointment with his friends, but he has been planning to go for long, and later
the weather will turn cold, and they can't go to the beach any more.
The man was supposed to go to the seaside with his friends, but Mary asked him to help her move out. He could either find someone else to help Mary, or he could cancel the appointment with his friends to the beach. I would prefer the first solution. That is to find someone else to help Mary. This is because the man has already got an appointment with his friends. It would be impolite to cancel it on such short notice. Plus as the boy mentioned, they probably won’t have good weather if they change it to a later date because it is getting colder. So it’s wise to stick to his original plan. As to Mary, I think the man can explain to the situation to her. I’m sure Mary will have other friends who can help her move out.
Task6
【讲座主题】2 mechanisms to make it hard for the predators to predict the next behavior of the animals.
【讲座举例】Example
1: Squid don't go straight, and the speed is unsteady, they choose to move in a zigzag pattern which makes it extremely difficult for the predators to anticipate its behavior. Example 2: Squid can change into different colors, they can change from pink to blue then to white, for instance, the predator stares at something pink but all of a sudden it changes into blue, it confuses the predator thus gives the squid a chance to escape.
The lecture talks about two mechanisms animals use to make it hard for the predators to predict their next behavior. The first mechanism is to change their pattern of movement. For example, the squid usually moves in a straightforward pattern. But when the squid encounters a predator, it would move in a zigzag pattern and at an unsteady speed. This makes it difficult for the predators to anticipate its next behavior. The second mechanism is to change colors. For example, the squid can change from pink to blue and then to white. This is confusing to the predator. The predator first sees something pink but all of a sudden it changes into something blue. While the predator is confused, the squid has a chance to escape.