英语听力背景知识50篇.pdf

听力背景知识 50 篇
1. Superstition 迷信
One person in four in Britain is, apparently, superstitious, and they’ll do everything from
hanging horseshoes over their fireplace to crossing their fingers, touching wood and absolutely
never walking under a ladder. And they’re careful about cats. Black cats are supposed to be the
familiars of witches, so if one is following you it’s definitely bad luck — a witch is after you! On
the other hand, if one crosses your path and continues then it’s good luck because it hasn’t noticed
you. However, in some places the beliefs are different — so it pays to know where your black cat
comes from!
Old superstitions linger even in today’s modern world. The author Philip Pullman drew on
them in his award winning novel “His Dark Materials”. The novel, which appeals to both children
and adults, has been adapted for radio and also the theatre.
2. Graduate Student 研究生
Graduate students specialize in a particular field of study. They study to become experts in
this field and to learn new advances in their fields while they earn an . or . Sometimes
when they get an M. A. in one field they begin studying another field. They hope that when they
earn their graduate degrees they will succeed in finding important jobs. They hope to get jobs that
are interesting and high paying. The life of a graduate student is often difficult. They are usually
too busy studying to make a good living. Often they have to pay high tuition fees for their
education. Some give up studying before they get their degrees. But most keep on working at their
studies until they graduate. In today’s world, most graduate students don’t regret spending time
with their studies. They are finding that new developments are occurring in all fields. For many
graduate study has become a necessity.
3. April Fool’s Day 愚人节
1st April is a day to be careful, or you could easily get tric