M: I didn't turn on the radio this morning, but I did see the headlines. If you remember, he threatened to leave the office at the last cabinet meeting。
. _4 N, X* M( Z0 x" w Q: How did Mr. Johnson learn that the Prime Minister has resigned?5 m; A) U# A+ A1 U6 c, B+ U# Z8 v
Now you’ll hear two long conversations。9 p4 G: \! }/ M
Conversation One
6 a, v4 V s/ e% }5 e6 V* K+ j W: Hi, Mike. I wonder if you have time to go with me to the cinema this Sunday。; j6 r* h6 Z% E% P: ?1 L! q( z1 V" o
M: Oh, I planned to finish my term paper that day, but Yamada invited me to a tea ceremony at his home。6 M+ |( A1 ^) u' T6 k2 J% P) z
W: Really? You’re lucky! The tea ceremony is a special form of entertainment for distinguished guests。
+ \' F5 }" K4 ?8 }& ?& |+ v# D M: Yes, the tradition of tea ceremony has existed for about six hundred years. But, to be frank, I know little about those special and strict rules of the ceremony。# l8 d5 l/ b" q/ {0 k+ S
W: It’s not as hard as you imagine. I happened to have been invited to one tea ceremony once. I think I can give you some suggestions。
* F2 F! X" I3 `3 }7 R M: Oh, that’s good。
' E/ O) {& L- l W: Remember, no matter what kind of tea ceremony you attend, they have one thing in common, that is, guests are invited to enjoy a moment of peace and calm。
' z6 Q+ q, a$ ]1 u) K& c% s* s M: Do you mean that the atmosphere is more important than the cakes and the tea itself?5 w8 i+ m7 V$ U/ s# P: J0 y
W: Yes. And don’t forget to wash your hands in a rock water basin before entering the tea-room。
) S8 M$ W+ V& V. e% X4 w5 d M: It sounds interesting. Is there a special room for a tea ceremony?
( g' U% u2 I2 b, e/ B! B W: Of course. The room is very simple but very beautiful. The host and the guests will all sit on a kind of bamboo mats named ‘tatami’。
: H1 t8 B" d1 K4 ` M: I know. I’m practicing to sit on my knees on the floor these days. My knees ached a lot。! T! g3 Z" Q3 Y: L
W: But I’m sure the tea ceremony will release your pain and make you feel happy and peaceful。' |4 x2 @. M, ?- _8 U. v: w5 l
Questions 19 to 22 are based on the conversation you have just heard。+ }& h2 n' L4 `
19.Why couldn’t Mike go to the cinema with Jane this Sunday?
) K% k4 \( x5 c7 {( C 20.What is in common at all tea ceremonies?/ n/ N9 ^0 e" X' r
21.According to the dialogue, what should the guest do before entering the tea-room? Z6 G7 r1 W! P/ R2 F' m
22.How will people sit at the tea ceremonies?
2 R" Q' }8 K3 D3 B9 ~3 O Conversation Two9 R9 O, B R% {) s! d5 D$ ]
W:Hi, Tom!
) F6 @0 Q( ?7 c( f. N M:Judy. I haven't seen you in weeks. Where have you been?
& R$ c% k/ L2 ~% M W: In Florida。
; q1 w+ C ?5 ?" b2 `: q0 S M:What vacationing! While the rest of us studying on the campus in February cold?9 [* @2 D0 s# C
W:Not exactly. I spent most of my time under water。
* u/ k8 G7 |$ z8 ~5 _5 v* a0 u M:I don't understand。" ^* Y7 Q" |3 M9 Q. B: l0 B; w
W:I was on a special field trip. I went with my marine biology class。
+ [5 @8 _7 V) w+ t7 B4 y M:So you went scuba diving. What were you looking for? Sunken treasure? ; y! _0 x. V: w
W:You might say so. The sea's full of treasures. All kinds of strange fascinating organisms. Our class concentrated on studying plankton。 {) i9 T. p7 d z) T( P" d
M:I found plankton were too small to be seen。
- o9 |5 U0 F: ~2 r) g+ N W: That's a common misconception. The term plankton covers a wild variety of freely flowing plants and animals, from microscopic one cell organisms to larger ones, such as the common jellyfish。6 O4 Z+ ]$ ]: }! _3 e
M:Jellyfish may be large enough to be seen. But they are transparent, aren't they?
+ d! r& e' R: h" F W:Yes, most planktons have transparent tissues as protected camouflage, it makes them practically invisible to predators。
3 [3 H" K. }4 ~ T M:But not invisible to your biology class, I hope。6 h. E: Q) N* C
W:By concentrating, I was able to see the outlines of lots of different plankton plants and animals. In fact, our professor even took photographs of gastropods, which are small oceanic snails。 |