听力练习

精听建议：

先完整地把一条新闻听一到三遍，争取掌握大意。然后，一句一句精听，力争每句话都听明白。遇到实在不懂的地方，再听写。

下面的文本材料中空缺部分里面要填的词都很简单，不过是一些值得注意的连读或者典型的美式发音哦，有些语速比较快。试试看，你能不能全部写对？

（参考文本，欢迎指正^^）

Lesson42 An Affable Man

J.S. Minion was a maintenance foreman in the Public Works department of Excelsior City. He was a 1 of the senior officials at City Hall. They all praised his unfailing affability.

"I like Minion,"said the Superintendent of Works. "He has good judgment and is always 2 ."

This behavior was appropriate for Minion's position: he was not supposed to make policy, so he had no need to 3 his superiors.

The Superintendent of Works 4 and Minion succeeded him. Minion continued to agree with everyone. He passed on to his foreman every suggestion that came from above. The resulting conflicts in policy, and the continual changing of plans, soon demoralized the department. Complaints poured in from the Mayor and other officials, from taxpayers and from the maintenance workers"union. The Maintenance Department regularly exceeds its budget, yet fails to fulfill its program of work.Minion still says "Yes" to everyone, and carries messages briskly 5 between his superiors and his subordinates.

■填空答案■

中文翻译

一个和蔼可亲的人

密尼是埃克斯塞尔市公共事业部的一个维修工长。市政厅里的高级办公人员都很喜欢他。他们都赞赏他，因为他总是和蔼可亲。

“我喜欢密尼，”公共事业部的主管说。“他有很好的判断力，总是和蔼可亲容易相处。”

这样的举止与密尼的职位很相配：他无权决策，所以他没有必要与领导的意见相左。

事业部的主管退休了，密尼接替了他的职位。密尼继续与每个人融洽相处。他向下属传达每一个领导的建议。决策上的冲突，计划的不断变更很快使部门士气受挫。市长和其他官员、纳税人和维修工人协会都怨声载道。维修部门经常超出预算，却无法完成工作目标。

密尼仍旧对每个人说着“是”，并且在上级和下属之间传递着信息。

词汇讲解

1. AnAffableMan
一个和蔼可亲的人

affable 和蔼可亲的,友善的,殷勤的，如：

He found her parents veryaffable.
他觉得她父母很好说话。

2. The resulting conflicts in policy, and the continual changing of plans, soondemoralizedthe department.
决策上的冲突，计划的不断变更很快使部门士气受挫。

demoralize 使士气低落,使失去斗志，如：

The troops were thoroughlydemoralizedby this set-back.
这一挫败使部队士气丧失殆尽.

3. Complaints poured in from the Mayor and other officials, from taxpayers and from themaintenanceworkers"union.
市长和其他官员、纳税人和维修工人协会都怨声载道。

maintenance 维护,保持,维修,生活费用，如：

The machinery requires constantmaintenance.
这些机器需要经常保养维修。