新视野大学英语(第三版) 视听说教程1 听力原文

Unit 1 Traces of the past

Listening to the world

Sharing

Scripts

H = Hina; M1 = Man 1, etc.; W1 = Woman 1, etc.

Part 1

H: I have a busy social life. I go out most nights after work with friends. Last night, I went out for

a meal with an old friend from university – it was really good to see her. Tell me about your

social life. Do you go out a lot?

Part 2

M1:I do go out quite a lot, yeah. I ... I like to go out to bars and I quite like going to friends’ houses and having dinner and things like that.

W1: I like to go to the cinema and um, I think the last movie I saw was The Hangover– it was very funny. And ... and I like to go to the theater also.

W2: No, we don’t go out a lot – um, possibly weekends. We go out for meals or something.

M2: Not too regularly. Weekends. I play golf … um, socialize afterwards.

W3: During the day we do. Er, in the evening, no, no. No, we don’t.

W4: My friends and I like to go out quite a lot. We go clubbing; we go to discos.

W5: Yes, I go out sometimes in the village. Er, we live in a small village, so a lot of our social life is in the village, so we go out to friends’ houses, go to parties, go to the pub.

W6: Um, not so much … but I like it a lot. I like to go to the theater, to the cinema, meet friends, eat out.

W7: Sometimes I go out for a ... for a couple of drinks with some good friends, but ... um, not very often. A couple of times a month maybe.

Part 3

H: Did you go out last night?

W4: We went to this club in Piccadilly Circus and we danced all night. We had a few drinks, but then mostly dancing. And there was (were) a few guys there and they were really cute and we, like, talked to them.

W5: We had dinner in an Italian restaurant by Tower Bridge and it was lovely. We had a lovely evening of just l ooking at the … the river and enjoying the view and enjoying lots of fun with the family.

W6: Well, I went to the cinema – seeing the last Harry Potter film – ah, which I enjoyed a lot.

And afterwards I met some friends for a … for a drink in town.

M2: We went to see, er, Mamma Mia! At the Prince of Wales Theater, and it was excellent.

W2: We went to the theater. We saw a play by Tom Stoppard called Arcadia, which was extremely interesting and we enjoyed it very much. Afterwards, we went with friends for a meal. We had a Spanish “tapas” type meal, which was extremely enjoyable.

W1: Um, last night I went to, um, Westfield Shopping Center, which is in the west of London and

I enjoyed a delicious meal there.

M1: Last night I went to a friend of mine’s hou se which is in south London and um, we went out and went to a fish and chip shop, bought some fish and chips and went home and had that with a beer in front of the television.

Listening

Scripts

I = Interviewer; B = Baruti

I: Thank you for coming on the show, Baruti. We are all very interested to know more about your work. But, first of all, let’s start from the beginning. Um, where were you born?

B: I was born in Johannesburg in 1962.

I: Can I ask you about your childhood?

B: Yes, of course. I was the fourth child in a very big family – there were 11 of us. My father was

a teacher and my mother cleaned houses for rich people.

I: Did you go to school?

B: Yes, I did. Education was very important to my parents.

I: When did you decide to work with poor children?

B: When I was in school, one of my friends lost his parents. He had no family … um … no living grandparents, so he moved to a house for orphans. I visited him and when I saw his life there, I decided to work with orphans.

I: When did you open your orphanage?

B: We opened it in 1996.

I: We?

B: Yes, my wife and I. We got married in 1990.

I: And who’s your hero?

B: I’m glad you asked that –it’s Mother Teresa. I often think about her words: “I can do no great things, only smal l things with great love.”

I: That’s very interesting. I have one more question: What’s your favorite book?

B: Let me think about that. I like many books, but Long Walk to Freedom is one of my favorites.

It’s the story of Nelson Mandela’s life in his own words.

I: That sounds interesting. Thank you. OK … now, it’s time to ask the audience for questions. Are there any questions for Baruti? … Yes, you at the back …

Viewing

Scripts

Carlos Acosta is one of the greatest living ballet dancers. He was the first black principal dancer at Covent Garden in London. He is famous around the world and in his home country of Cuba he is a national hero.

Carlos now travels the world but always sees Cuba as his home. All his family are still there. In Cuba he is n’t a foreigner. He says that in Cuba a child learns to dance first and then to speak. He talks about the heat and the sea, about dance and music and happiness.

“Cuba is always going to be my home. In my heart, that’s the only country, you know, and becau se that’s where all my relatives are, my memories, you know, and this is the only place I’m never going to be a foreigner. You learn how to dance first; then you learn how to speak, you know, in Cuba. It’s something that’s been passed on through generation to generation. And it’s also, you know, the heat, and the tropic (tropics), and the sea and … it’s … it’s almost, that’s what it’s asking for, dance and music and happiness.”

Carlos was born in Havana, the youngest of 11 children in a poor family. He often missed school. He was a champion breakdancer in the streets but didn’t want to be a professional dancer.

When he was nine, his father sent him to a ballet school. Carlos hated it. He told his father he wanted to do something else.

“So I … I did tell him many times that I didn’t want to be … and that I wanted to … to do something else – football, you know –but he didn’t want to hear it. So, I went and … But thank God he didn’t want to hear it because thanks to that I’m here now.”

At ballet school, Carl os wasn’t always a good student and didn’t want to be a dancer. But when he was 13, Carlos saw the Cuban National Ballet and he loved it so much that he changed his mind about ballet. He decided to work hard and three years later, at 16, he traveled to Europe for the first time. That year he won four major dance competitions and became famous all over the world.

Now he is an international star and he dances in many countries, but he still goes home to Cuba several times a year to visit his family.

Speaking for communication

Role-play

Scripts

I = Isabel; M = Marek

Part 1

I: Hi, Marek. How was your weekend?

M: OK. And yours? What did you do?

I: I went for a walk. It was great!

M: Who did you go with?

I: With my boyfriend, Diego. He’s a fo otball player.

M: Oh. Where did you go?

I: By the river. It was really beautiful.

M: That sounds good.

Part 2

I: And you? What did you do?

M: Oh, I played football; cleaned the flat.

I: Who did you play football with?

M: With some guys from work. We play every weekend.

I: Really? Where did you play?

M: In the park. There’s a football pitch there.

I: Did you win?

M: Of course. I scored five goals!

I: Ha! I don’t believe you!

Group discussion

Scripts

I = Interviewer; W = Writer

I: We are very pleased to have you here, George. Shall we start from the beginning? Could you tell us about your childhood?

W: Yes, of course. I was born in a small town in the northeast. My father was a truck driver and my mother worked part-time in a hospital. I have a brother and a sister. We all went to the same local school.

I: You wrote your first novel just one year after you left college, didn’t you?

W: Yes, that was in 1993. I was only 22 then. And the next year I went to Brazil.

I: Is that period of your life related to your later career in any way?

W: That’s a good question. You see, it was my experience there that inspired my film Lost in the Forest, although I didn’t actually make that film until several years later, in 2008.

I: When did you start making films?

W: In 2003. That was after I gave up farming.

I: Farming?

W: Yes. I stayed in Brazil for 7 years, during which I met my wife. After we came back we bought

a farm in the south of the country. A kind of experiment, really.

I: That sounds interesting. Why did you give it up then?

W: It was very hard work. I was also busy working on my second novel …

Further practice in listening

Short conversations

Scripts

Conversation 1

W: Hi, John. I’m back. Did any of my friends call m e? We were supposed to meet at the bar for drinks, and then go to the cinema. But they never showed up.

M: Sorry. I’ve been home since I came back from the office and the phone never rang once. Q: Where does the conversation probably take place?

Conversation 2

M: Not all great people are famous; take Jack Kilby as an example.

W: Right. Jack Kilby invented the microchip, and received the Nobel Prize. But only a small part of the public knows of him. It’s very surprising.

Q: What does the woman think is very surprising?

Conversation 3

W: I don’t quite understand what made Charlie Chaplin such a popular movie star.

M: Are you serious? Look at Charlie Chaplin’s works and compare them to other films of the time.

He was so original that people were really surprised by his films.

Q: What does the man say about Charlie Chaplin’s films?

Conversation 4

W: What’s the greatest invention of the last few hundred years?

M: Let’s see. The computer, the car, the phone? No, I think it’s the light bulb. This invention has changed the world more than anything else.

Q: Which invention does the man think changed the world most?

Conversation 5

W: Our play last night was a great success. We’re all proud of Bob.

M: Yes. But if Bob had remembered all his lines, his performance would have been more natural. Q: What does the man mean?

Long conversation

Scripts

W: Hey, Bob, I’m taking care of my cousin this weekend. Can you think of any fun things for us to do?

M: You guys should go see the new Harry Potter movie!

W: That’s a great idea! J. K. Rowling is such an inspiration. I just watched an interview with her on BBC news. Did you know her first book was rejected by 12 different publishers? Everyone told her to get a different job, and that she wouldn’t b e able to make any money by writing children’s books.

M: Yeah, it’s hard to believe that once she was really poor but now she’s so wealthy. She came up with the idea for Harry Potter at a café in London … no, wait, I think it was a bookstore in Manchester … right?

W: Haha, almost! It was actually on a train between London and Manchester. But she did write in cafés a lot. She could only write when her baby daughter was sleeping, so she took her on long walks around the neighborhood to get her to fall asleep. She would usually end up in a caféand write as much as possible before her baby woke up again.

M: Did J. K. Rowling say what she’s going to write next in her interview? I can’t wait to see what she will write after her Harry Potter books!

W: No. She keeps her future plans a secret. Personally, I hope she writes more magic stories, with flying horses and lots of animals!

M: Not me. I hope she works on more serious material. I’d love to read stories with historical settings and big battle scenes!

Q1: What does the man suggest that the woman do this weekend?

Q2: Where did J. K. Rowling come up with the idea for Harry Potter?

Q3: What are J. K. Rowling’s future plans?

Q4: What are the two speakers mainly talking about?

Passage 1

Scripts

Stephen Glenn is a famous research scientist. When he was interviewed by a newspaper reporter who asked him why he was so much more creative than the average person, he responded that it all came from an experience with his mother that occurred when he was about two years old.

He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his hold on the bottle and it fell, spilling milk all over the kitchen floor. When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of shouting at him, giving him a lecture or punishing him, she said, “What a wonderful mess you have made! Well, the damage has already been done. You know, Stephen, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up and bring everything to its proper order.” So together they cleaned up the spilled milk. His mother then said, “What we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let’s go out in the backyard and fill the bottle with water, and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it.” The little boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful lesson!

This famous scientist then remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didn’t need to be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, mistakes were just opportunities for learning something new, which is, after all, what scientific experiments are all about.

Q1: What happened when Stephen tried to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator?

Q2: What did Stephen’s mother do when she came into the kitchen?

Q3: What did Stephen’s mother teach him later?

Q4: What did Stephen learn from this experience?

Passage 2

Scripts and answers

There are so many changes when a person comes to college. Some of the new college students may have been to camps or 1) programs away from home before, but for some it’s the 2) very first time they’ve left home. That means having to make certain 3) decisions that they’ve never really had to make before.

Besides some basic everyday activities, for example, eating and 4) doing laundry, there are many more important matters, such as whom to become friends with. “And what happens if I don’t do well on my first test? Does that mean I should change fields?” 5) Obviously, there are just so many issues new college students have to face. It’s really a jump from high school.

It’s such a change when they don’t have any parents around. They need to make 6) choices with their studies, and with their social lives. They need to learn how to act in the right way so that they can enjoy their social lives without 7) ruining their studies.

This is very common to college students in the first year. It takes a little while for them to 8) get used to their college life and learn to balance their studies and social lives. There are a lot of 9) opportunities for students to try new things. There are so many new ways to meet other people on campus. If they find out it’s not working for them, they can 10) step back and try something else. They should just give it a go! That’s the way everybody learns to grow up.

Unit 2 A break for fun

Listening to the world

Sharing

Scripts

F = Finn; M1 = Man 1, etc.; W1 = Woman 1, etc.

Part 1

F: I love films. I love going to the cinema. I go at least once a week. How about you? How often do you go to the cinema?

M1: Uh, on average, probably once a month.

W1: I like going to the cinema a lot, but probably only get there about once a month.

M2: Not very often. But I do go occasionally.

M3: I go to the cinema, probably once or twice a month.

W2: I go to the cinema about once a week during the summertime, usually when there are the best movies.

M4: We probably go together, maybe once a fortnight.

M5: I go, normally, probably once every month or two months, but it depends on the film.

M6: I go to the cinema about once every fortnight. Often I’ll go on a Wednesday because we get “buy one get one free” cinema tickets, so I can take a friend with me.

Part 2

F: What kinds of films do you like?

W1: I always like romantic comedies. Slumdog Millionaire was a great movie. Australia was a movie I saw recently which was really good.

M1: … probably recommend, er, the new Terminator movie. Er, that’s once again filled with action. Very exciting.

M5: I like old films. I … I’ve a complete collection of John Wayne and Charlton Heston … And musicals, anything that’s quite happy or adventurous, that takes me away from real life.

Those are the ones I watch.

W2: I saw The Proposal not too long ago and I really liked it. It was really interesting; it was a really funny, romantic comedy.

M3: Sweeney Todd. I really enjoyed with Johnny Depp –simply because he was fantastic; and Helena Bonham Carter, one of my favorite actresses, was also really good.

M4: I’d recommend The Graduate. I enjoyed that as a young man and … and growing up as well.

I think it’s a “coming of age” film.

M6: My favorite film is called Golden Eye. It’s a James Bond film and I think the action scenes are just absolutely fantastic in it.

Part 3

F: Who’s your favorite actor?

M5: John Wayne’s my favorite actor.

M6: My favorite actor is the new James Bond, er, Daniel Craig. I think he’s very good at showing emotions in his films. My favorite actress is called Angelina Jolie. She’s very beautiful, but she’s also played lots of different roles in films.

M3: My favorite actor is Johnny Depp because I think he’s funny and I think he’s lively and he always has energy on stage.

W2: My favorite actor is Brad Pitt. He’s very good-looking and he can play many different roles and he’s very talented.

M4: My favorite film star’s Robert DeNiro because I look like him.

Listening

Scripts

I = Interviewer

Part 1

I: Hello and welcome to Fashion Now, with me, Dan Tayl or. In today’s program, we ask the question, “What is beauty?” Do men today really like women with blonde hair and blue eyes? And do women like the James Bond look –tall, dark and very masculine, or do they like something different now? Are ideas about beauty changing? We went out to see what you really think …

I = Interviewer; W1 = Woman 1, etc.; M1 = Man 1, etc.

Part 2

I: Excuse me, ladies. Do you have a moment?

W1: Yes?

I: Just a quick question. Research says that these days women prefer men with feminine faces … W1: Really?

I: Yes. It’s true … honestly!

W1: I don’t agree at all. I like masculine faces … I:

Can I show you some photos?

W1: Sure.

I: So which of these guys do you like best?

W1: Hmm, Sean Connery. He’s definitely the b est-looking man here. And he’s tall, isn’t he?

Yeah … I like tall men. And I like a man with a beard.

I: Uh-huh. What about you?

W2: Mm. I’m not sure. I like this one. What’s his name?

I: It’s Gael Garcia Bernal. He’s a Mexican film star.

W2: Yea h? Well, he’s got quite a feminine face and he’s very good-looking. I like his eyes –he’s got dark brown eyes and I like men with dark eyes and black hair. But I think it’s more in the personality … in the smile … so I like this one best. Will Smith. He’s got a really nice smile. I: Thank you. And here’s another lady. Excuse me. Have you got a moment?

W3: Well …

I: I’m doing a survey about the changing face of beauty. Can I ask you some questions?

W3: Yes, OK. Yes.

I: I’ve got some photos here. C an you tell me which of these people you like? Do you think any of them are good-looking?

W3: Well, I don’t really like any of them …

I: No? Er, well, so what sort of man do you like?

W3: What sort of man do I like? Well, my husband’s over there. I think he’s goodlooking. I like his hair. I love guys with red hair.

I: Which one? The one looking in the shop window?

W3: No, he’s over there. He’s wearing a white T-shirt and he’s talking to … that blonde woman …

Excuse me …

I: And then I talked to some men to find out if they really prefer blondes – just like they did 50 years ago. Do you think it’s true that men prefer blondes, sir?

M1: What? No, not at all! Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and ages. Look at this photo of Judi Dench. She’s lovely. She isn’t young, but she’s got beautiful grey eyes and she always wears beautiful clothes. She looks kind and intelligent.

M2: Yeah, she does. But I still prefer blondes, you know … like Scarlett Johansson. She’s lovely … slim, blonde hair, blue eyes –that’s the sort of woman I like.

M1: Scarlett Johansson, slim?

M2: Well, OK … but she’s not fat.

M1: No, that’s true …

I: OK, guys. Thanks for talking to us …

Viewing

Scripts

V = V oice-over; W1 = Woman 1, etc.; M1 = Man 1, etc.

V: All over the world, festivals bring people together. But why do people go? For the music? The food? The fun and games? We went to Bestival in the Isle of Wight, England to find out. But the first question is – where do we sleep?

M1: I ... I’ve got a beach hut up here to stay in, and I’ve got the key.

V: One man said it was like sleeping in the back garden.

M2: It’s like opening your back door, going down to the end of your garden, getting in your shed with your baby and wife, and then calling it a holiday.

V: You can stay in a hut, but most people here sleep in tents. There are a lot of different people here –families, young people, older people. We asked: Why do so many different people come to festivals?

W1: Well, I suppose it gives everybody a chance just to be themselves, and just to be free and be away from their normal jobs.

W2: People will respect each other and have ... um … sort of some of those old-fashioned traditional values, but actually values that everyone really likes.

M3: The thing I always think about festivals is they’re just playgrounds for grownups.

V: And, of course, there’s one reason everyone’s here: the music. This really is a festival for all the community, young and old mixing together. In the tea tent these women are having a great time. Why do they go to festivals?

W3: The community getting together, the young mixing with the older people. We make cakes; we do pop festivals; we’ll go anywhere, do anything.

V: So, if there’s one answer to the question, why are you here? One t hing that everyone talks about is this: being together.

Speaking for communication

Role-play

Scripts

Conversation 1

W: OK … What do you feel like watching?

M: Hmm. I … I don’t know really. What do you recommend?

W: Um … Well, how abo ut French Kiss? Do you know it?

M: No, I don’t think so. What’s it about?

W: Well, it’s a romantic comedy. It’s about an American woman. She goes to France and meets a French guy and … they fall in love. It’s quite old, but it’s really funny.

M: Um, sou nds OK, I suppose. Who’s in it?

W: Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline.

M: Oh, I like Meg Ryan. Mm. Do you think I’d like it?

W: Yeah, I think so. You like comedies, don’t you? And it’s very funny.

M: Yeah, OK. Why don’t we get it then?

W: Great. Excuse me. Can we have this one, please?

Conversation 2

W: What was the last DVD you saw?

M: Um, Let me think. Oh – I know, it was Speed.

W: Speed? Is it new? What’s it about?

M: No, it’s a bit old actually. It’s an action film. It’s about a bus and it can’t stop. It has to go at top speed or … or it explodes. It’s great!

W: Right. Who’s in it?

M: Sandra Bullock and … the guy is, the actor is, er … Keanu Reeves.

W: Mm. Do you think I’d like it?

M: Well, do you like action films?

W: Mm … not really. I prefer ro mantic films and dramas.

M: Oh, then I don’t think you’d like it … Er, well. Oh, I know. I think you’d like that French film, you know, with the actress Juliette Binoche. What’s it called? Oh, yeah: Chocolat.

W: Chocolat? Do I know it? … Oh, with Johnny Depp? Mm! Now that is a good recommendation.

Have you got the DVD?

Group discussion

Scripts

Recently I went to a concert in the park with my boyfriend and some other friends. It was in City Park … We went because we all like the band, Double-X, and we listen to their music all the time.

The concert only lasted two hours, but we took a picnic with us and went out early in the afternoon – it was a free concert, you see, so there were already a lot of people sitting out in the park in front of the stage.

We got a really good place, close to the stage. We chatted and lay in the sun all afternoon … and then in the evening more and more people came and it got quite crowded. Then the concert started and well, it was … fantastic! Double-X is an amazing band … and better live!

I really liked the concert because everyone was dancing and singing – we had a great time. Further practice in listening

Short conversations

Scripts

Conversation 1

W: Why didn’t you show up at John’s party last night? He was expecting you. You know, he is leaving the city for good.

M: I’m terribly sorry. I had planned to go, but I had to take care of an emergency. I tried calling him many times but couldn’t reach him.

Q: Why didn’t the man go to the party?

Conversation 2

M: I haven’t seen you around for quite a while. What have you been doing?

W: I’ve been reading Shakespeare’s great play Hamlet. My literature professor required me to present a unique review about Hamlet for my term paper.

Q: What has the woman been preparing for?

Conversation 3

W: Which do you prefer, classical music or pop music?

M: Neither. Have you ever seen me listening to music at all? You know, I don’t have an ear for music.

Q: What does the man say about music?

Conversation 4

M: I’m ta king the minimum credits to graduate. Making friends, traveling, partying – these are what matter most to me right now.

W: I’m not here to make friends or go to parties. I’m doing part-time jobs to save money to start my own company once I graduate.

Q: What are the two speakers talking about?

Conversation 5

W: Tom, have you read the notice on the school website? I’ve won the scholarship for next term. M: No surprise to me. You have earned it. While others are at parties, you are in the library. Q: What does the man mean?

Long conversation

Scripts

M: After such a tiring week, I can’t wait to have a rest and relax a little this weekend.

W: Me too, Mr. Simpson. So what are you doing this weekend? Looks like it’ll be nice weather for sailing.

M: Y es, Mary, I hope it stays this sunny. I’m going out to the beach and spending all weekend surfing.

W: You, sir? Surfing?

M: Haha, I bet you think I’m too old for surfing! I’ve been surfing since I was 11, and it’s still my favorite activity. The cool blue waves, the smell of the sea, just take me back to when I was a teenager free from care. I forget all my troubles. By Sunday night, I fall into a deep sleep, sore and tired, without a care in the world.

W: That’s really nice. I’m going to the beach, too. I love relaxing in the warm sun, watching my niece and nephew play in the sand and jump in the waves. They’ll tire themselves out building sand castles, collecting seashells, and trying to bury each other in the sand.

M: Oh, I remember building sand castles with my brothers ... such great fun. How old are little Timmy and Monica now?

W: Tim’s five and Monica’s three.

M: Wow, kids grow up so fast!

Q1: Why is surfing the man’s favorite activity?

Q2: What is the woman going to do this weekend?

Q3: What does the woman love doing?

Q4: What does the man remember doing with his brothers?

Passage 1

Scripts

People in Britain enjoy various leisure activities including watching TV, seeing friends and relatives, listening to music, shopping, listening to the radio, gardening, doing sports, reading, and so on. The latest data from a survey show that in 2010, 89 percent of all adults watched television in their free time. Spending time with family and friends was the second most popular activity at 84 percent, listening to music came next at 76 percent, and shopping was fourth at 71 percent.

Truly, the most common leisure activity in the UK has been watching television. The average viewing time is 25 hours per person per week. Many television programs are about wildlife, animals, holidays, cooking and gardening. All these things are much valued by British people. The second most popular activity in Britain is visiting or entertaining friends or relatives. Actually, in the survey, those aged 25 to 34 reported spending time with friends and family as their top activity. Besides, many British people like to listen to music. Among those aged 16 to 24 spending time listening to music was selected as their top activity.

Younger people tend to have different hobbies from old people. According to the survey, comparing the 16 to 24 age group with those aged 55 and over, the activities which were reported less frequently as age increased were listening to music; surfing the Internet and emailing; doing sports and exercise; going out to pubs, clubs or bars; and going out to the cinema. For example, people aged 16 to 24 spent more than 3 hours a day using a computer while those aged 55 and over spent only 1 hour and 12 minutes. Again comparing the youngest and oldest age groups, the activities which were reported more frequently as age increased were reading and gardening.

Q1: According to the survey, what percentage of British adults watched TV in their free time?

Q2: Which age group would be the most likely to visit their friends and relatives?

Q3: What does the speaker say about listening to music as a leisure activity for British people? Q4: According to the survey, how are leisure activities related to age?

Passage 2

Scripts and answers

People joke that no one in Los Angeles reads; everyone watches TV, rents videos, or goes to the movies. The most popular reading materials are 1) comic books, movie magazines, and TV guides. City libraries have only 10 percent of the 2) traffic that car washes have. But how do you explain this? A yearly book festival in west Los Angeles is 3) constantly “sold out” year after year. People wait half an hour for a parking space to become 4) available.

This outdoor festival, supported by a newspaper, takes place every April for one weekend. This year, about 70,000 people 5) took part in the festival on Saturday and 75,000 on Sunday. The festival 6) attracted 280 exhibitors. There were about 90 talks given by authors, with an 7) audience question-and-answer period following each talk. A food court sold all kinds of local foods, from hotdogs to ice drinks. Except for a $7 parking fee, the festival was 8) free of charge. Even so, some people take their own sandwiches and drinks to avoid the high prices of the food court.

The idea for holding the festival in Los Angles was 9) put forward years ago, but nobody knew if it would succeed. Although book festivals were already popular in other US cities, would people in this city 10) embrace one? “Fortunately, they do,” said one of the fest ival founders.