SECTION ONE Part I Spot dictation: houses in the future Vocabulary insulate：隔离， （金属）绝缘 economical: able to save money solar heating: contract: to reduce in size.ex: metal contracts as it becomes cool. 金属冷却时体积缩小。 gadget: small devices sensor: any device that receives a signal or stimulus (as heat or pressure or light or motion etc.) and responds to it in a distinctive manner Script something that has been copied 复制品 ventriloquist: 口技表演者 a performer who projects the voice into a wooden dummy Edgar Bergen 人名 plaster： 石灰 from marble(大理石） to metal unscathed: wholly unharmed Styrofoam 泡沫聚苯乙烯 Beverly Hills：比弗利山庄 via air express 通过（美）航空快递邮包 Windy city: nickname of Chicago mysteriously vanished en route from the Windy City to the City of Angels en route（法）在途中 dumpster：大型垃圾装卸卡车；垃圾大铁桶 Willie Fulgear 人名 unscathed：unharmed; unhurt lacquer: 漆 a black resinous substance obtained from certain trees and used as a natural varnish corroded: 侵蚀的，已被腐蚀的 endure: 忍耐 Script ventriloquist Edgar Bergen was presented with a wooden statuette with a moveable mouth; and Walt Disney was honored with one full-size and seven miniature statuettes on behalf of his animated feature SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS. Between 1942 and 1944, in support of the war effort, Oscars were made of plaster. After the War, winners turned in the temporary awards for golden Oscar statuettes. The traditional Oscar statuette, however, hasnt changed since the 1940s, when the base was made higher. In 1945, the base was changed from marble to metal and in 1949, Academy Award statuettes began to be numbered, starting with No. 501. Approximately 50 Oscars are made each year in Chicago by the manufacturer, R.S. Owens. If they dont meet strict quality control standards, the statuettes are immediately cut in half and melted down. Each award is individually packed into a Styrofoam container slightly larger than a shoebox. Eight of these are then packed into a larger cardboard box, and the large boxes are shipped to the Academy offices in Beverly Hills via air express, with no identifiable markings. On March 10, 2000, 55 Academy Awards mysteriously vanished en route from the Windy City to the City of Angels. Nine days later, 52 of stolen statuettes were discovered next to a dumpster in the Korea town section of Los Angeles by Willie Fulgear, who was later invited by the Academy to attend the Oscar 2000 ceremonies as a special guest. For eight decades, Oscar has survived war, weathered earthquakes, and even managed to escape unscathed from common thieves. Since 1995, however, R.S. Owens has repaired more than 160 statuettes. “Maybe somebody used chemicals on them to polish them and the chemicals rubbed right through the lacquer and into the gold,“ explains the company president. “Or maybe people stored them someplace where they corroded.“ Although he stresses that the statuette is made to endure, Siegel offers this sage advice to all Oscar winners: “If it gets dusty, simply wipe it with a soft dry cloth.“Exercise B: 1. Industry insiders and members of the press called the award “the Academy statuette“, “the golden trophy“ or “the statue of merit“, but the term never stuck. 2. No hard evidence exists to support that tale, but in any case, by the sixth Awards Presentation in 1934, a Hollywood columnist used the name in his column. 3. Walt Disney was honored with one full-size and seven miniature statuettes on behalf of his animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.4. If the statuettes dont meet strict quality control standards, they are immediately cut in half and melted down. 5. The large boxes are shipped to the Academy offices via air express, with no identifiable markings.Exercise C: 1. T 2. F 3. T 4. F 5.T 6.T 7.F 8.F SECTION THREE NEWSNews Item 1 Vocabulary a grand closing ceremony 宏大的闭幕式 infrastructure: 基础设施；公共建设 iconic: very famous or popular, especially being considered to represent particular opinions or particular time 标志性的 venues: the place where a public event or meeting happens 场馆；场所 gear up: 准备好 to host the Paralympics 主办残奥会Paralympics原为脊髓病患者举行的运动会 physical disability: 肢体残疾 be accessible to: 容易接近的 dedicated: 专用的 shuttle bus:班车（在较近距离之间往返的交通车） athlete：运动员 Water Cube 水立方 Birds Nest stadium鸟巢Script & Exercise The Beijing Olympic ended Sunday night with a grand closing ceremony. Beijings organization, infrastructure, and iconic sports venues for the games were widely praised during the 2 weeks of competition. Beijing is now gearing up to host the Paralympics the worlds biggest sporting event for those with physical disabilities. As part of its Olympic preparation, Beijing has made all of its subway stops accessible to wheelchairs. During the Paralympics, there will be 16 dedicated public bus lines for the disabled and 400 shuttle buses. More than 4,000 athletes will compete in the Paralympics, which begin September 6 and last 12 days. The athletes will compete in and stay in the s