Unit One Spoken Language

Part 1 Dictation—The Ways to Improve Your Listening Comprehension 2

Part 2 Listen for Fun—Nice to Meet You 2

Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Spoken Language 2

Part 4 Skills in Focus—Dictation 6

Part 5 TED Speech—A One-Woman Global Village 8

Part 6 Listening in Tests—Conversations in IELTS 9

Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Start a Conversation 10

Part 8 Supplementary Listening—Seasons in the Sun 11

Unit Two Stories of Inventors

Part 1 Dictation—Inventions and Inventors 14

Part 2 Listen for Fun—A Blind Man and His Lantern 14

Part 3 Language in Focus—Basic Elements of a Story 14

Part 4 Skills in Focus—Identifying Main Idea and Supporting Details 18

Part 5 TED Speech—My Simple Invention, Designed to Keep My Grandfather Safe 20

Part 6 Listening in Tests—Stories in CET 4 21

Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Change the Topic 22

Part 8 Supplementary Listening—A Behavioral Science Experiment 24

Unit Three College Life

Part 1 Dictation—Freedom in College Life 26

Part 2 Listen for Fun—Tooth Extracting 26

Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Conversation 26

Part 4 Skills in Focus—Listening for Implied Meaning 29

Part 5 TED Speech—5 Ways to Kill Your Dreams 31

Part 6 Listening in Tests—Conversations in CET 4 31

Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Discuss the Present Perfectly 33

Part 8 Supplementary Listening—A Casual Dialogue 34

Unit Four Plants

Part 1 Dictation—Growing Plants Without Soil 38

Part 2 Listen for Fun—A Clever Prisoner 38

Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Explaining a Process 38

Part 4 Skills in Focus—Using Flow Charts for a Process 43

Part 5 TED Speech—How to Grow a Forest in Your Backyard 44

Part 6 Listening in Tests—Processes in IELTS 45

Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Disagree 47

Part 8 Supplementary Listening—How to Grow a Mango Tree from Seed 48

Unit Five Cultural Values

Part 1 Dictation—Building Blocks of Culture 50

Part 2 Listen for Fun—Jump into the Sea 50

Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of a Lecture 50

Part 4 Skills in Focus—Notes Technique I: Abbreviations and Symbols 54

Part 5 TED Speech—Understanding the Rise of China 56

Part 6 Listening in Tests—Lectures in IELTS 57

Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Ask Questions in Different Ways 58

Part 8 Supplementary Listening—Hofstede’s Cultural Taxonomy 59

Unit Six Health

Part 1 Dictation—Health Tips 62

Part 2 Listen for Fun—Good News and Bad News 62

Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Cause-and-Effect Relationship 62

Part 4 Skills in Focus—Notes Technique II: Cause-and-Effect Relationship 66

Part 5 TED Speech—The Coming Neurological Epidemic 69

Part 6 Listening in Tests—Lectures in IELTS 70

Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Clarify Your Conversation 71

Part 8 Supplementary Listening—Why Thinking You're Ugly Is Bad for You 72

Unit Seven Personality and Happiness

Part 1 Dictation—Personality and Well-being 76

Part 2 Listen for Fun—Three Parrots 76

Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Comparison 76

Part 4 Skills in Focus—Notes Technique III: Comparison 81

Part 5 TED Speech—What Makes a Good Life? 83

Part 6 Listening in Tests—Lectures in IELTS 84

Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Be Polite 85

Part 8 Supplementary Listening—Steve Jobs vs. Confucius 86

Unit Eight Disasters and Accidents

Part 1 Dictation—Overview of Disasters and Accidents 90

Part 2 Listen for Fun—Probability of the Threat 90

Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Hard News 90

Part 4 Skills in Focus—Listening for Numbers 94

Part 5 TED Speech—These Robots Come to the Rescue After a Disaster 95

Part 6 Listening in Tests—News in CET 4 96

Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Show Regret 98

Part 8 Supplementary Listening—BBC News Reporting 99

Unit Nine Technology and Life

Part 1 Dictation—Modern Technology in Life 102

Part 2 Listen for Fun—Navajo Message for the Moon 102

Part 3 Language in Focus—Features of Soft News 102

Part 4 Skills in Focus—Listening for Facts and Opinions 107

Part 5 TED Speech—Space Technologies We Can Use to Improve Life on Earth 108

Part 6 Listening in Tests—Trip to Space 110

Part 7 Conversational Tips—How to Use Your Body Language 110

Part 8 Supplementary Listening—3D-Printed Home 112