大学英语听力原文.docVIP

Unit 1 Our Earth . Audio Track 4-1-10/Audio Track 4-1-11 Modern buildings: We love them, we hate them. The world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris is almost 500 years old, and it faced a very modern problem: There simply wasn’t enough space for six million visitors each year. In 1989, American architect I.M. Pei designed a striking glass pyramid in the building’s center to be a visitor’s entrance and shopping arcade. But he also started an angry debate. Some people felt his glass building was a piece of art, like the ones inside the museum. Others said it was just an ugly, modern mistake. Kyoto, Japan, is the country’s ancient capital, and the heart of its culture. Its railroad station was too small for the millions of visitors. In 1997, the city completed a new station in a huge shopping center, right in the oldest part of the city. Designed by Hiroshi Hara, the building also contains a hotel and department store. Before it was built, critics said that the high, wide, modern building would destroy the city’s traditional look. On the other hand, supporters said it would bring new life into the city center. Unit 2 Technology Today Audio Track 4-2-5/Audio Track 4-2-6 In today’s report, we look at a new technology called pervasive computing. Pervasive computing means putting tiny computers into everyday electronic appliances, such as toasters and microwaves. With pervasive computing, appliances can communicate with their users — and with other appliances! Some companies now sell pervasive computing products like a “smart” toaster. It remembers your favorite kind of toast: light or dark. Companies are designing a “smart” coffee maker and a “smart” clock. The coffee maker can measure the water and coffee. It can even put milk in your breakfast coffee and make black coffee in the afternoon. The clock will check the time on other clocks in your house, and give information about other appliances. For example, it can tell you, “Your coffee maker needs more water.” And that’s