学 海 无 涯 Unit 1 Parents Part B Listening Tasks Passage 1 Dating with My Mother Part One Script After 22 years of marriage I have discovered the secret to keep love alive in my relationship with my wife Peggy I started dating with another woman It was Peggy s idea One day she said to me Life is too short you need to spend time with the people you love You probably won t believe me but I know you love her and I think that if the two of you spend more time together it will make us closer The other woman my wife was encouraging me to date is my mother a 72 year old widow who has lived alone since my father died 20 years ago Right after his death I moved 2 500 miles away to California and started my own life and career When I moved back near my hometown six years ago I promised myself that I would spend more time with mom But with the demands of my job and three kids I never got around to seeing her much beyond family get togethers and holidays Mom was surprised and suspicious when I called and suggested the two of us go out to dinner and a movie What s wrong she asked I thought it would be nice to spend some time with you I said Just the two of us I would like that a lot she said When I pulled into her driveway she was waiting by the door with her coat on Her hair was curled and she was smiling I told my lady friends I was going out with my son and they were all impressed They can t wait to hear about our evening Mother said Exercise 1 Listen to the recording and choose the right answers to the questions you hear 1 What would make the speaker closer to his wife Peggy a Never dating another woman b Asking his mother to live with his family c Seeing more of his mother d Taking his wife and children to a dinner and a movie 2 What do you know about the speaker s mother a She has lived a lonely life for many years b She has got three children c She does not get on well with her daughter in law d She often goes out with her lady friends 3 Which of the following adjectives best describes Peggy a Understandable b Caring 学 海 无 涯 c Sympathetic d Friendly Exercise 2 Listen again and complete the answers to the following questions 1 What was Peggy s idea What did she say to her husband She suggested that her husband spend more time with his mother She said to her husband Life is too short you need to spend time with the people you love You probably won t believe me but I know you love her and I think that if the two of you spend more time together it will make us closer 2 How do you know that the mother was excited about the date with her son 1 When the speaker drove into his mother s driveway she was waiting by the door with her coat on and she had her hair curled 2 She had told her lady friends about this Passage 2 Dating with My Mother Part Two Script We didn t go anywhere fancy just a neighborhood place where we could talk Since her eyes now see only large shapes and shadows I had to read the menu for both of us I used to be the reader when you were little she said Then it is time for you to relax and let me return the favor I said We had a nice talk over dinner just catching up on each other s lives We talked for so long that we missed the movie I ll go out with you again my mother said as I dropped her off but only if you let me buy dinner next time I agreed How was your date my wife asked when I got home that evening Nice nicer than I thought it would be I said Mom and I get out for dinner a couple of times a month Sometimes we take in a movie but mostly we talk I tell her about my trails at work and brag about the kids and Peggy Mom fills me in on family gossip and tells me about her past Now I know what it was like for her to work in a factory during the Second World War I know how she met my father there and know how they went through the difficult times I can t get enough of these stories They are important to me a part of my history We also talk about the future Because of health problems my mother worries about the days ahead Spending time with my mom has taught me the importance of slowing down Peggy was right Dating another woman has helped my marriage Exercise 1 Listen to the recording and choose the right answers to the questions you hear 1 What does the story mainly tell us a Learning about one s family history is more important than work b One should spend time catching up on missing links in one s family history c Spending time with one s aged mother is a rewarding experience 学 海 无 涯 d Life will be more meaningful if you can balance work and family 2 Which of the following is true a The speaker finds his dates with his mother as rewarding as he had expected b The speaker cares little about his family history c The speaker knows nothing about his parents past d The speaker is proud of his wife and children 3 What can you learn from the story a The speaker s marriage is in crisis b The speaker must be a workaholic c The speaker s mother won t have to worry about her future any more d The speaker s family l