College English listening comprehension course

Text A Toward a brighter future for all 

Toward a brighter future for all 

1 Good afternoon! As president of the university, I am proud to welcome you to this university. Your achievement is the triumph of years of hard work, both of your own and of your parents and teachers. Here at the university, we pledge to make your educational experience as rewarding as possible. 

2 In welcoming you to the university, I am reminded of my own high school graduation and the photograph my mom took of my dad and me. "Pose naturally," Mom instructed us. "Wait!" said Dad, "Let's take a picture of me handing him an alarm clock." The clock woke me up every morning in college. It is still on my office desk. 

3 Let me share with you something that you may not expect. You will miss your old routines and your parents' reminders to work hard and attain your best. You may have cried tears of joy to be finally finished with high school, and your parents may have cried tears of joy to be finally finished with doing your laundry! But know this: The future is built on a strong foundation of the past. 

4 For you, these next four years will be a time unlike any other. Here you are surrounded by great resources: interesting students from all over the country, a learned and caring faculty, a comprehensive library, great sports facilities, and student organizations covering every possible interest from the arts to science, to community service and so on. You will have the freedom to explore and learn about new subjects. You will learn to get by on very little sleep, meet fascinating people, and pursue new passions. I want to encourage you to make the most of this unique experience, and to use your energy and enthusiasm to reap the benefits of this opportunity. 

5 You may feel overwhelmed by the wealth of courses available to you. You will not be able to experience them all, but sample them widely! College offers many things to do and to learn, and each of them offers a different way to see the world. If I could give you only one piece of advice about selecting courses, it would be this: Challenge yourself! Don't assume that you know in advance what fields will interest you the most. Take some courses in fields you've never tried before. You will not only emerge as a more broadly educated person, but you will also stand a better chance of discovering an unsuspected passion that will help to shape your future. A wonderful example of this is the fashion designer, Vera Wang, who originally studied art history. Over time, Wang paired her studies in art history with her love of fashion and turned it into a passion for design, which made her a famous designer around the world. 

6 Here at the university, it may not always be pleasant to have so many new experiences all at once. In your dorm, the student next door may repeatedly play the one song, which gives you a giant headache! You may be an early bird while your roommate is a night owl! And still, you and your roommate may become best friends. Don't worry if you become a little uncomfortable with some of your new experiences. I promise you that the happy experiences will outweigh the unpleasant ones. And I promise that virtually all of them will provide you with valuable lessons which will enrich your life. So, with a glow in your eye and a song in your heart, step forward to meet these new experiences! 

7 We have confidence that your journey toward self-discovery and your progress toward finding your own passion will yield more than personal advancement. We believe that as you become members of our community of scholars, you will soon come to recognize that with the abundant opportunities for self-enrichment provided by the university, there also come responsibilities. A wise man said: "Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another." You are the inheritors of the hard work of your families and the hard work of many countless others who came before you. They built and transmitted the knowledge you will need to succeed. Now it is your turn. What knowledge will you acquire? What passions will you discover? What will you do to build a strong and prosperous future for the generations that will come after you? 

8 We take great pleasure in opening the door to this great step in your journey. We take delight in the many opportunities which you will find, and in the responsibilities that you will carry as citizens of your communities, your country, and the world. Welcome！

Words and Expressions

triumph 

n. （尤指苦战后获得的）胜利，成功，成就 

pledge 

vt. 发誓；作保证 

pose 

vi. （为照相或画像而）摆姿势 

vt. 造成，导致（困难或危险） 

routine 

n. 例行公事；常规；惯例 

a. 常规的；例行的；惯常的 

attain 

vt. 得到；获得；赢得 

foundation 

n. 基础 

resource 

n. 1 资源；2 自然资源 

faculty 

n. 1 全体教员；2 天赋；能力；本领 

comprehensive 

a. 综合的；多方面的 

facility 

n. （为某种目的而提供的）设施，设备 

community 

n. 1 （同住一地的人所构成的）社区；2 群体；团体 

explore 

vt. 探讨，研究（主题、思想等） 

v. 勘探；探测；考察 

fascinating 

a. 吸引人的；迷人的；使人神魂颠倒的 

pursue 

vt. 1 追求；致力于；2 追赶；追逐 

passion 

n. 1 强烈的爱好；热爱 

n. 2 强烈的情感；激情 

unique 

a. 1 特别的；极不寻常的；极好的；2 不同的；独特的 

enthusiasm 

n. 热爱；热情；热心 

reap 

vt. 收获；获得 

v. 收割（庄稼） 

benefit 

n. 好处；益处；裨益 

opportunity 

n. 机会；时机 

overwhelm 

vt. （数量大得）使无法对付 

available 

a. 可获得的；可利用的；现成的 

sample 

vt. 1 体验；2 对…作抽样检验 

n. 样本；样品；货样 

assume 

vt. 假定；假设；认为 

emerge 

vi. 1 出现；为……所公认；2 出现；露出 

giant 

a. 巨大的；特大的 

mate 

n. 同事；同伴 

roommate 

n. （尤指大学里的）室友 

owl 

n. 猫头鹰 

virtual 

a. 1 几乎相同的；实质上的；2 虚拟的；模拟的 

virtually 

ad. 1 实际上；几乎；差不多；2 虚拟地；模拟地 

enrich 

vt. 使丰富；充实；强化 

glow 

n. 1 （某种）强烈的情感；2 柔和稳定的光 

vi. 发出柔和稳定的光 

confidence 

n. 1 信心；信赖；信任；2 自信心 

yield 

vt. 1 产生（结果等）；2 出产；产生 

vi. 屈从；让步 

abundant 

a. 大量的；丰富的；充裕的 

responsibility 

n. 1 （道德、社会）责任，义务；2 责任；3 职责；任务；义务 

inherit 

vt. 沿袭，秉承（信仰、传统或生活方式） 

v. 继承（财产） 

inheritor 

n. 1 （生活或思想方式的）后继者，继承人；2 遗产继承人 

transmit 

vt. 传送；传递；传播 

acquire 

vt. 1 学到，获得（知识、技能）；2 取得；获得；3 购得；得到 

prosperous 

a. 富裕的；繁荣的；兴旺的 

remind sb. of sb./sth. 

1 使某人想起某人或某事 

2 使某人想起（相似的）人或事 

get by 

过活；过得去；勉强应付 

make the most of sth. 

最大限度地利用某物 

reap the benefits (of sth.) 

得享（某事物的）好处 

in advance 

预先；提前 

stand a chance (of doing sth.) 

有（做成某事的）希望 

over time 

逐渐地；慢慢地 

turn (sb./sth.) into sth. 

（使某人/某物）变成 

all at once 

1 同时 

2 一下子；突然 

take pleasure in (doing) sth. 

乐于做某事 

open the door to sth. 

给…以机会；给…敞开方便之门 

take delight in (doing) sth. 

以（做）某事为乐 

Vera Wang 

王薇薇（1949– ，著名美籍华裔设计师，被誉为“婚纱女王”）