听力是语言学习的基本技能之一，也是我国学生英语学习的一个难点。本书编者针对这个难点进行了教材的编写，全书努力贯彻《大学英语课程教学要求》的精神，借鉴雅思、托福等国际考试中生存类英语学术类英语的思想，书中精选的具有较强的时代性、知识性、可思性及趣味性。本书适合高校学生进行英语听说训练时使用。
进入21世纪，我国的经济和社会发展进入了一个新的时期。随着对外交流的日益广泛．社会对大学生的英语能力，尤其是应用能力，提出了更高的要求，大学英语教学面临新的形势和任务。为此，教育部于2004年颁布了《大学英语课程教学要求》（试行），提出了新的大学英语教学目标，即培养学生的英语综合应用能力，特别是听说能力。
听力是语言学习的基本技能之一，也是我国学生英语学习中的一个难点。突破这个难关有利于其他语言技能，尤其是口语能力的提高，同时也能为培养学生的英语交际能力奠定一个良好的基础。但是，目前我国大学生的听力水平不容乐观。从国内大型的英语测试（如四、六级考试）情况来看，大学生在听力理解部分得分普遍较低。学生在英语学习的自我评估中，也常常将听力列为一项薄弱技能。
Chapter One Survival Situation
Unit One Renting a House
Part A： Do You Have a House for Rent?
Part B： At a Rental Agency
Unit Two Travel and Holiday
Part A： Discussing about the Coming Holidays
Part B： A Trip to Greece
Unit Three Registration in the University
Part A： Registration Procedures
Part B： What Courses Shall I Take?
Unit Four Seeing a Doctor
Part A： A Terrible Cough
Part B： Insomnia
Unit Five Checking in at the Airport
Part A： At the Airport
Part B： At the Passport Control
Unit Six Individual Information
Part A： Advice about Choosing a Career
Part B： Applying for a Parking Sticker
Unit Seven Applying for a Job
Part A： A Job Interview
Part B： How to Succeed in a Job Interview
Unit Eight Lost and Found Office
Part A： Reporting a Lost Briefcase
Part B： Reporting a Lost Purse
Unit Nine Booking a Hotel
Part A： Id Like to Book a Room
Part B： Checking in at a Hotel
Unit Ten
Part A： Opening an Account
Part B： What is a Student Account?
Chapter Two Academic Situation
Unit One Universities in Brits.in
Part A： Universities in Britain
Part B： Universities and Polytechnics in Britain
Unit Two How to Prepare a Presentation
Part A： How to Present a Seminar Paper
Part B： Improving Presentation Skills
Unit Three Consulting in the Library
Part A： Introducing University Library Service
Part B： A Lecture About the University Library
Unit Four Counseling Service in the University
Part A： An Introduction to the College Counseling Service
Part B： A Counseling Session
Unit Five Orientation Meetings in the University
Part A： What New Students Should Know
Part B： An Orientation Meeting for Foreign Students
Unit Six Language Learning
Part A： Tips on Language Learning
Part B： How to Learn a Foreign Language
Unit Seven Acid Rain in Europe
Part A： An Introduction to Acid Rain
Part B： Acid Rain in the UK
Unit Eight Aridity
Part A： Aridity in Australia
Part B： Water Consumption in Australia
Unit Nine Agriculture in the United Kindom
Part A： An Introduction to British Agriculture
Part B： A Lecture on British Agriculture
Unit Ten Enviroment
Part A： Environmental Problems in Coastal Areas
Part B： The Importance of Trees to Urban Areas
Unit Eleven Wales-Land and People
Part A： A Brief Introduction to Wales
Part B： Wales-Land of Song
Unit Twelve
Part A： Climatic Regions in Canada
Part B： The School System in Canada
Unit Thirteen
Part A： A Brief Introduction to New Zealand
Part B： Tourist Attractions in New Zealand
Unit Fourteen
Part A： Causes and Consequences of Stress
Part B： Coping with Stress
Unit Fifteen
Part A： The Childhood of the Wright Brothers
Part B： The Wright Brothers and the History of Flight
Unit Sixteen
Part A： Burglary
Part B： Car Theft
Unit Seventeen
Part A： The Graying of America
Part B： The Aging Society
Unit Eighteen Academic Report
Part A： Natural Resources
Part B： The Mystery of UFOs
Unit Nineteen Health
Part A： Vitamins
Part B： The Effects of Old Age on Health
Unit Twenty Festivals
Part A： Western Festivals
Part B： The First Thanksgiving
Appendix I Keys and Scripts
Appendix II Glossary
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