《学术英语听说交流：高级》参考答案

Unit 1: Anxiety Management

Lead-in
1) Coping strategies include taking a deep breath, talking to your friend, doing sports,
listening to music, eating and sleeping well, learning about them, or writing about
them.
2) Not always. Negative emotions like fear and anxiety are signs that we are facing
danger or doing something important. In such circumstances, they give us extra
energy, help us stay focused, and push us to work harder.
3) Answers may vary.
4) Possible reasons include fear of making mistakes, fear of forgetting words, fear of
being judged, fear of losing face, fear of not being able to get messages across, fear
of not being able to offer something valuable, having difficulty engaging the
audience, and anxiety about one’s physical appearances.

Section A: Speaking Up Without Freaking Out

Warming Up
1) tremendous anxiety
2) address the fear
3) high-stakes
4) concerned about
5) physiologically
6) feel composed
7) mentality
8) engaging
9) crush

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) high-stakes speaking situations
(2) addressing its symptoms and sources
(3) Take a deep breath, gesture broadly, or hold something cold in your hand.
(4) Greet/acknowledge/accept your anxiety.
(5) Have a map/structure of your talk.
(6) Redirect your audience’s attention.
(7) Reframe your talk as a conversation.
(8) Everyone can learn to feel more confident when communicating.

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. Not entirely. It gives us energy, helps us stay focused, and tells us that what we
are doing is important.
b. Because our relative status in a group is essential for our survival.

2) Part Two
a. Take a deep breath. Gesture broadly.
b. People can tell themselves that it is natural to feel nervous, and there are actions
that can be taken to keep it under control, like walking around.

3) Part Three
a. A structure showing how information is organized. It helps both the speaker and
the listener to stay oriented.
b. Whether there is the right or wrong way to do things. To make the shift from a
performance to a conversation, we should take the “audience-centric” approach by
considering the needs of the audience rather than those of our own. We can use inclusive
conversational language such as “we, you, us, our”, and ask questions.

4) Part Four
a. A sharp criticism from an unkind teacher made her do everything to avoid direct
communication with others.
b. Determination + asking for help + hard work of practice

5) Omitted

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) Answers may vary. Other ways to manage anxiety in public speaking include
sufficient preparation, rehearsing in front of a mirror or a group of friends, voice
warming up, using prompt cards, and wearing nice and comfortable clothes.
2) Answers may vary.

Seminar Skill Focus

Seminar behavior Mostly Good Mostly Poor It depends.
1) Prepare by reading and √
thinking in advance.
2) Take notes of your own √
points/questions and
other people’s points.
3) Compliment others who √
have make good points. It should be done
appropriately.
4) Refrain from asking for √
clarification when you Not asking for
feel confused. clarification is
poor, but
interrupting
 others is also not
advisable.
5) Try hard to change other √
people’s minds. This is not the
goal of
participating in a
seminar. Stay
open-minded.
6) Feel too shy or nervous √
to speak up.
7) Be over-eager to impress √
others. A seminar is not
a show or
performance.
8) Dominate the ongoing √
discussion.
9) Refrain from √
interrupting while Take notes and
someone is talking. ask later.
10) Encourage others to √
speak up. It should be done
appropriately.
11) Believe that you don’t √
have anything valuable
to say.
12) Get busy writing down √
your own thoughts so Listening is as
that you can’t listen to important as
others carefully. speaking in a
seminar
discussion.

Seminar Skill Practice

Omitted.

Section B: How to ‘Overcome’ Fear?

Warming Up
Students can answer the question based on their own experiences.

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) To bridge the gap between what the science tells us about fear and how fear is
normally treated. OR: inform people of the science about fear.
(2) The amygdala/the lizard brain.
(3) It doesn’t distinguish between real danger and good challenges.
(4) Uncertainty, attention, change, and struggle.
(5) To tell people to be fearless.
(6) To dance with fear: accept fear as natural, use it as a compass.
(7) To deal with fear effectively so we can face challenges

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. Its primary role is to keep us alive in dangerous situations.
b. Because of fear.
c. In situations of choice making, like procrastination or diet choices, it seeks
instant gratification, and makes us avoid uncertainty, attention, change, and struggle.

2) Part Two
a. Because no one hits the ball to the right field, it is where there is the least danger
and challenge.
b. Potential outcome/opportunities to grow and experiences.

3) Part Three
a. Valuable experiences of learning in the first year at college.
b. To learn about fear and use it as a compass. Be aware that when we feel fear, we
are possibly doing something powerful and important. Instead of following the lizard
brain to run away, do exactly the opposite: face the challenges.

4) Part Four
a. For one thing, to ask people to feel no fear is to ask people to run away from
challenges, and not do what they should. For another, it turns the natural feeling of fear
into something negative and shameful.
b. To keep fear in the back seat of your car: accepting that it is inevitable, making
good use of it, and not letting it control your life.

5) Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear.
(1) bridge the gap
(2) normally think about it
(3) wired in
(4) region of our brain
(5) lizard brain
(6) for survival
(7) steer us away from
(8) flying into the crowd
(9) quick and reactive
(10) generates fear
Task 3. Critical Listening
1) The “game” possibly means the game of life: how people survive and how people
live their lives. The “software” means our brain mechanism, how the brain works to
survive or even thrive. Ragan was saying that the game of living is different (e.g., with
different challenges which require different skills and responses) from that of our
ancestors, but our brain stills works in basically the same way.
2) Answers may vary.

Presentation Skill Practice

Omitted.
 Unit 2: Building Positivity

Lead-in
Students can answer the questions according to their own experiences.

Section A: Resisting the Marshmallow and the Success of Self-Control

Warming Up
Students can answer the question according to their own experiences.

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) Some preschoolers are each given a marshmallow and told that they could either eat
it right away or they could have an extra marshmallow if they could wait for a while.
(2) Those kids who could resist the temptation and wait turned out to be more successful
later in life.
(3) kids living in poverty
(4) controlling their own feelings or impulses like anger and aggression
(5) pretending the temptations to be poisonous, taking a deep breath
(6) Students who are taught about self-control in school have much better academic
records than those who don’t.

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. Grit, gratitude, optimism and curiosity, zest, social intelligence, and self-control.
b. Because kids with self-control can pay attention to teachers and thus learn better
in school.
c. Self-control can be taught.

2) Part Two
a. The limbic system’s response is immediate and emotional. In order to control this
“hot” system, the “cold” system is needed, which is the pre-frontal cortex.
b. Because the high stress levels usually associated with poverty make the hot
system keep getting hot.

3) Part Three
a. KIPP alumni have higher levels of academic achievement. Nearly half of them
complete a four-year college degree, five times that of average low-income students.
b. Resisting the urge for shopping in order to save money. Pretending the store has
bedbugs.
c. To arm the students with as many self-control strategies as possible to help them
thrive in their lives.

4) Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear.
(1) regardless of prior academic record
 (2) complete a four-year degree
(3) they are living a very hard life
(4) Born and raised
(5) mediocre
(6) majoring in history and physics
(7) your effort doesn’t reap any benefit
(8) if you wait just a little bit longer

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) Self-control plays a role in many aspects of our lives, but to the young, it is the most
important for their school learning, i.e., being able to plan for the future, resist
immediate temptations and impulses, to concentrate in class, and have good
academic outcomes.
2) In “There’s another marshmallow if you wait just a little bit longer.”, the
marshmallow means reward for self-control or achieving a long-term goal, while in
“Whatever your marshmallow test is, there’re always strategies that can help you.”,
it means temptations.
The answer to “your marshmallow” may vary. It would be interesting to share and
discuss.

Seminar Skill Practice

Answers may vary. The following are some typical scenarios that require self-control:
resisting temptations, managing anger, handling stressful situations, avoiding
distractions, respecting others' boundaries, healthy eating habits, managing time wisely.
Strategies to improve self-control may include: mindfulness meditation, Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (CBT), goal setting, delaying gratification, stress reduction,
physical exercises, proper sleep, developing healthy habits, and social support.

Section B: Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are

Warming Up
1) Nonverbal behavior or body language refers to the use of body movement to
convey messages, consciously or sometimes subconsciously. It includes posture (the
way you carry your body), gestures (hand movements), facial expressions, eye
contact, the tone and pitch of the voice, etc. Concrete examples of body language are
handshaking or bowing or kissing on the cheeks when people greet each other, where
and how people stand when they deliver a speech, and where they look when they
speak with somebody. Both verbal and nonverbal behavior are vital for
communication.

2) Answers may vary. The “impostor syndrome” is the phenomenon where you look
around and feel that people around you are all talented, competent, and excellent in
many ways. It is connected with self-doubt and triggers insecurity. Coping strategies
may include sharing your real feelings (many people around you feel the same way),
asking someone for help, knowing your own values and keeping building them up,
being self-compassionate, and thinking about the “bigger picture”.

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) A free no-tech life-hack: if you learn to tweak your posture, it could bring significant
changes to your life.
(2) Our body language shapes our mind, which in turns brings real life changes.
(3) Do our nonverbals influence the way we think and feel about ourselves? OR: Can
our body change our mind?
(4) Yes, as indicated by changes in hormones and risk tolerance.
(5) Can power posing for a few minutes bring real meaningful life changes?
(6) Yes, as indicated by job interview outcomes in lab tests.
(7) “you can fake it till you become it”
(8) Tiny tweaks can lead to big changes. Try power posing and share the science.

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. Examples include who we hire, who we promote, who we ask out on a date,
whether we like a doctor, whether to vote for a political candidate, or the importance of
using proper emoticons in digital communication.
b. The first interpretation fits into the context: Our thoughts, our feelings, and our
physiology are also influenced by our own nonverbals.

2) Part Two
a. Humans and other animals use similar nonverbals of power or dominance, such
as expanding of the body to signify power.
b. Gender and participation.

3) Part Three
a. Testosterone, the dominance hormone, and cortisol, the stress hormone.
b. The more powerful people have higher levels of testosterone but lower level of
cortisol; it’s the opposite for people feeling less powerful.
c. The high-power pose group experienced a rise in testosterone and a drop in
cortisol; it’s the opposite for the low-power pose group.

4) Part Four
a. The presence that people bring to the interview, such as the sense of confidence,
passion, authenticity, enthusiasm, and comfort, rather than variables like competence.
b. Power posing for a few minutes can lead to real life outcomes.

5) Part Five
a. She suffered a severe head injury and her IQ dropped significantly. It was
traumatic for her because it took away her identity as a gifted person. She overcame it
by hard work and also thanks to the support from her supervisor.
 b. Try power posing and share the science.

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) “Fake it till you make it” means faking it and succeeding in a specific event or activity.
It is short-term and about external outcomes. “Fake it till you become it” is about faking
it, through perseverance, until you internalize it and it becomes a part of who you are.
It is more about long-term internal changes.
2) Answers may vary. Faking it may not be sufficient for success to happen. Other
possible “ingredients” for success in college include resilience (or high AQ: adversity
quotient), confidence, self-discipline, setting goals, team spirit, initiative, physical and
mental health, time management, and having support from your friends, family, or
teachers and mentors.
3) Answers may vary. For example, the talk tells us that there are positive changes that
we can make to really change our life. This gives us a sense of agency in our life course.
Examples of questions about the talk: What should we do when we fake it but we still
can’t make it? Can being honest and authentic be a better strategy than faking it? What
is the neurological mechanism of the connection between power posing and hormonal
changes?

Presentation Skill Practice

Omitted.
 Unit 3: Language & Mind

Lead-in
1) Answers may vary. The idea that language influences the ways people perceive and
think about the world is now generally accepted. Language may not exert such a strong
impact that it determines thought, but it certainly affects the ease with which people
perform certain mental tasks. For example, people recall or recognize things more
easily for which there are readily available words in their language. Students can also
reflect on the differences they observe between English and Chinese.
2) Answers may vary. Possible benefits: exciting, novel, creative, improving memory,
seeing things differently. Possible negatives: time-consuming, frustrating, difficult to
speak fluently.

Section A: How the Languages We Speak Shape the Ways We Think

Warming Up
(1) long-standing
(2) proposed
(3) validity
(4) impacts
(5) recognized
(6) flexible
(7) cognitive tests
(8) identify

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) the direction of reading & writing
(2) in the front or at the back of one’s body
(3) from east to west/ in line with the direction of the sun
(4) the topography of the place where people live
(5) the knowledge of math
(6) the image of things in people’s mind
(7) describe and remember
(8) Language guides our way of thinking. And linguistic diversity in the world shows
how creative and flexible the human mind is.

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. From right to left. They are used to scanning images from right to left, which
affects the way they imagine things unfolding in their mind.
 b. Yes, we have eyes on the front of our head, not on the back of our head. We walk
forwards not backwards. To the Aymara, the past is known - it’s manifest. That’s why
it’s described as in front of us, because we can see it. But the future is unknown, so it’s
described as behind us.
c. They sort cards according to the direction of the Sun: from east to west.

2) Part Two
a. Number words.
b. In many examples across different languages, there appear to be no natural
reasons or rules governing how genders get assigned to which nouns. For example, the
sun is feminine in German and masculine in Spanish. The moon is exactly the reverse.
c. One can predict the gender of the personification from the grammatical gender in
the artist’s native language.

3) Part Three
a. The act of breaking the vase can either be an accident or an intentional action.
b. No, because Spanish strongly distinguishes between intentional and accidental
actions.
c. They may do so in different ways, because patterns in our language guide our
attention, tell us what we should pay attention to, and how we should think about an
event.

4) Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear.
(1) inherit
(2) intellectual labor
(3) joint work
(4) take completely for granted
(5) cognitive entropy
(6) variety of ways
(7) entrenched
(8) follow the grooves
(9) linguistic diversity
(10) testament
(11) incredible ingenuity

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) Answers may vary. It is convincing if those examples are true and indeed caused by
the differences in the languages. Still, be aware that in this talk, Professor
Boroditsky presents only a part of the complex interdependent relationship between
language and the mind.
2) Answers may vary. Students can answer the questions based on their own
experiences and perspectives.

Seminar Skill Practice

Omitted.

Section B: Cognitive Advantages of Bilingualism

Warming up
(1) acquiring
(2) bilinguals
(3) pronounced
(4) relationship
(5) structure
(6) altered
(7) protective
(8) symptoms

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) The likelihood of having Alzheimer’s
(2) Bilingual babies
(3) they have better executive control
(4) not significant
(5) not conclusive yet
(6) without literacy/with only the oral tradition
(7) smaller vocabularies before age five and language interference
(8) input
(9) Bilingualism is a way of life. More needs to be done to make the world more
bilingual rather than monolingual.

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. Five times less.
b. According to psychological theory, people need the executive control to distribute
attention and control when performing tasks. It also helps people stay focused by
suppressing attention to irrelevant information for an ongoing activity.
c. Early childhood, at least before five years old. Yes, but the effect is only marginal.

2) Part Two
a. Bilingual children have a smaller vocabulary in each language than monolingual
children. Because bilingual children hear half of the information that they’d hear if they
were just a monolingual speaker. Around age five.
b. Because they don’t see the use of it, as it has no literacy. No, because literacy is
secondary to language and there are millions and millions of speakers who speak
languages with no literacy or with just the oral tradition. And they still have significant
knowledge and significant cognitive advantages.
c. To have as much exposure to a particular language as possible.
3) Part Three
Exact wording may vary. Here is one sample.
Many people go to Florida when they turn 70 and live in assisted living or nursing
homes. There was a study in one of the nursing homes with about 800 subjects, asking
whether the participants grew up bilingual. The study discovered that the likelihood of
having Alzheimer’s is five times less in people who are bilingual than in monolinguals.
Since today everyone is trying to live longer, it’s not a bad thing to have a low risk of
Alzheimer’s.

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) Answers may vary. In general, being the minority means being different, which
brings societal pressure.
2) Answers may vary. Being big Switzerland means language diversity, and being one
big United States or Russia means language uniformity.

Presentation skill practice

Omitted.
 Unit 4: The Art of Communication

Lead-in
1) Answers may vary. Prepare well and think in advance. Begin by clearly developing
your key message and defining your target audience. Understand your audience and
know what they need. Then, you need to effectively convey your message to your
audience via a well-structured speech with carefully devised rhetoric.
2) Answers may vary. Have an introduction, body, and conclusion with structured
paragraphs. The structure can be modified to best suit specific communicative needs.
Students can review details of structuring a talk in Unit 2 and learn more in Video 4.1
of this unit. Commonly used rhetorical devices include using metaphors to create
imagery of ideas for the audience, and using proper repetitions to draw focus on a
specific concept or way of thinking. More details can be found in Video 4.2 of this unit.

Section A: The Secret Structure of Greatest Talks

Warming Up
This storytelling method is a classic one, and we can identify it in almost every fiction
and TV show. There can be other possible models, but the essential structures are similar.

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) it stays inside of you/it is not heard or adopted
(2) telling stories
(3) bore people/are not effective
(4) establish what is/ the status quo
(5) what (it) could be
(6) a call to action ending with describing the world as a new bliss
(7) You can change your sphere. The future is a place that you get to create

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. The woman bearer’s fiery spirit, which resembles her own passion for
presentations.
b. They listen with rapt attention.
c. Their excitement and attention just flatline.

2) Part Two
a. There’s a likable hero→ the hero encounters roadblocks→ the hero emerges
transformed with roadblocks removed.
b. The audience. Because if the audience doesn’t adopt that idea, it goes nowhere,
and the world is never changed
c. To explain the idea that similar to sailing, a speaker has to anticipate the possible
resistance from the audience and use that resistance to bring along the audience and get
his/her idea cross.

3) Part Three
a. The things Jobs did include marveling at his own product, doing a demo, telling
stories, and so on, so that he succeeded in creating star moments that the audience will
always remember.
b. He turns to storytelling to keep the audience engaged.
c. The things that King did include moving back and forth between what is and
what could be, ending with a very poetic new bliss, speaking with passion and rhythm,
and using powerful rhetorical devices to engage the audience emotionally.

4) Part Four
a. She was trying to encourage the audience by saying that if an ordinary woman
like her who was raised in a poor environment can achieve the goal, then everyone can.
b. She was abused when she was little. Her parents were both alcoholic and
emotionally unstable. Her mom abandoned the family when she was sixteen years old.
c. She called upon the audience to change their lives, even though it may only affect
their own small world.

5) Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear.
(1) clapped and roared
(2) marked insufficient funds
(3) in your account
(4) charged up
(5) cash this check
(6) the security of justice
(7) at a more frenzied pace
(8) heightened sense of excitement

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) Answers may vary. Students can answer the questions based on their own
experiences and perspectives. The question is ultimately related to how people view the
precedence of words or communication over other elements in life such actions.
2) This quote states the importance of always looking toward the future. If the focus is
on the present or past, where the puck has been, one is going to fall behind.

Seminar Skill Practice

Omitted.

Section B: Reviving Rhetoric

Listening Tasks
Warming Up
Omitted.
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) three breathless sentences
(2) three repetitive sentences
(3) contrasts
(4) metaphor
(5) exaggeration
(6) rhyme
(7) should Britain leave the EU
(8) democracy

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. Three breathless sentences.
b. Repetition.
c. Contrasts, three contrasts in a row.

2) Part Two
a. Remainers: Britain leaving the EU is like “a messy divorce”. Brexiteers: The EU
is like “a car spinning out of control” and people in Britain have no control over it.
b. People in the Department of Education describe education as “a machine that
they had to drive and accelerate”. They probably view education as something under
their control, or probably a system that has to be operated on and possibly reformed.
Educators describe education as “journeys, moving forward helping children escape the
shackles of a poor upbringing, helping them move towards enlightenment illumination”.
They see education as a means to change people’s lives for the better.
c. It’s related to the processing fluency of language. Giving someone a difficult and
non-rhyming sentence is like giving them something hard to swallow and digest,
whereas processing rhyming information is an easy and pleasant experience.

3) Part Three
a. Massive expense accounts, bungling bureaucrats, excessive regulation.
b. We’re shackled by the burdens of European bureaucracy.
c. Everyone has an ability to articulate themselves.

4) Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear.
(1) typically associate with
(2) reaching for
(3) is littered with
(4) deliberate persuasive effect
(5) entice people closer
(6) implies
(7) ineffective regulators
(8) prospects for renewal
 (9) by definition
(10) faulty architecture

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) Possible examples include: war metaphors (the China-US trade war); natural
metaphors (big winds and big waves); journey metaphors (The US-sponsored trade war
is just a bot/predicament in China’s development process.); life-is-a-show metaphor (on
the stage of life).
2) Answers may vary.
3) Answers may vary.

Presentation Skill Practice

Omitted.
 Unit 5: Climate Change

Lead-in
1) Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.
Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic
eruptions. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of
climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
An energy crisis or energy shortage is any significant bottleneck in the supply of
energy resources to an economy. In literature, it often refers to one of the energy
sources used at a certain time and place, in particular, those that supply national
electricity grids or those used as fuel in industrial development.
Climate change and the energy crisis are intertwined. Fossil fuel use for energy
drives climate change through emissions. Conversely, climate change disrupts
energy systems. Transitioning to renewables mitigates emissions, while adapting to
climate impacts requires adjusting energy infrastructure. Both challenges
necessitate sustainable energy solutions and efficiency improvements
2) Students may answer the question in relation to their own academic study.

Section A: How to Make the Radical Climate Action the New Normal?
Warming Up
1) pollution to overpopulation
2) trap some of the heat
3) a third
4) the coastal regions
5) drought
6) water supplies
7) asthma, heart disease
8) solar and wind

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) human civilization and the Earth’s ecological system
(2) high temperatures, increase in uninhabitable area, sea temperature rise causing
cyclonic storms, bigger and more frequent atmospheric river, drought, forest fire,
lightening, endangerment of species, pandemic diseases
(3) rapidly increasing solar and wind power
(4) There’s a narrow-sighted focus on the short-term profits of shareholders, while
externalities such as environmental impacts are neglected. OR: Solutions are not
equitably distributed; investment in solar and wind power is still small in comparison
with fossil fuel (products); plastic investment meets with the problem of degeneration.
(5) sustainability revolution

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. You could drive an automobile across it in about five minutes.
b. Hurricane Ida struck the Gulf Coast, continued on north and northeast across
North America to New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It killed a lot of people and
dropped rain bombs. And in New York City some basement apartments were flooded.
c. Communities of color and poor people.

2) Part Two
a. It is cheaper than fossil fuels in increasing areas of the world today while coal
and gas are not getting cheaper.
b. Because the costs of making the solar panels and the windmills continue to come
down.
c. Because their investment in renewables only accounts for a tiny fraction of their
total investment.

3) Part Three
a. The sustainability revolution is the biggest business opportunity in the history of
the world with the scale of the industrial revolution and the speed of the digital
revolution.
b. Value spectrum is compared to electromagnetic spectrum in order to explain the
problems with current capitalism. On the electromagnetic spectrum, human eyes can
detect only a very small fraction of electromagnetic waves. The same can be said about
social value system, where we attach importance to short-term shareholder interests
only while ignoring/leaving out interests of the rest of the world, issues like of
environmental protection, investing in education, and income inequality.
c. By taking into account externalities such as the environment into account. For
example, G7 nations have banned financing of coal plants overseas and in Paris
Agreement, every country is committed to net-zero.

4) Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear.
(1) pulling the moisture out
(2) in memory
(3) in the most extreme form
(4) draining the reservoirs
(5) down to levels not seen
(6) in at least 500 years
(7) experiencing food insecurity
(8) the temperatures go up
(9) ruin your golf game
(10) become the new normal
Task 3. Critical Listening
1) Answers may vary. For example, flooding commonly happens in my hometown.
Measures to address and mitigate flooding involve a combination of engineering,
planning, and policy strategies aimed at reducing the impact of floods on
communities and the environment. Common measures often taken to address
flooding include implementing early warning systems that use weather forecasts,
river gauges, and other monitoring tools to alert communities about impending
floods, giving residents time to prepare or evacuate, and building and maintaining
flood control structures such as levees, dams, dikes, and floodwalls to divert or
contain floodwaters and protect communities. These measures can vary depending
on the specific circumstances and the severity of flooding in a given area.
2) The sentence "It always seems impossible until it's done" conveys the idea that
when faced with a challenging or daunting task, it often appears difficult or
unachievable at first glance. However, as efforts are made and progress is achieved,
the task becomes more manageable and eventually can be completed accomplished.
This quote encourages persistence, determination, and belief in one's abilities to
overcome obstacles and accomplish things that may initially seem insurmountable.
It reminds us that even though something may appear overwhelming initially, with
effort and perseverance, it can be accomplished.
Students are encouraged to share their own examples.
3) The metaphor means that the determination of politicians to take action on
important issues can be restored or refreshed, just like how we can use certain
resources again and again without running out. Even if politicians lose interest or
focus on a problem, it can be renewed through things like public pressure, new
leaders, or changing situations. So, even when it seems like they're not interested,
their determination can come back and they can still work on important things.

Seminar Skill Practice

Omitted.

Section B: Why Nuclear Power is on the Edge of a Renaissance?

Warming Up
1) Nuclear power is a way to generate electricity using energy from nuclear reactions.
It's efficient, doesn't produce a lot of greenhouse gases, and provides steady power.
But it has safety concerns, like accidents, radioactive waste, and the likelihood of
nuclear weapons proliferation. Moreover, building nuclear plants is expensive and
can take a long time.
2) Answers may vary. The development and use of nuclear technology is a complex
and much debated issue. Supporters argue that nuclear technology can play a role
in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing a reliable source of electricity,
particularly in regions with limited access to renewable energy sources. Critics
highlight concerns about safety, the long-term management of radioactive waste,
and the potential for nuclear weapons proliferation.
 Ultimately, the decision to develop nuclear technology or expand existing nuclear
programs is a matter of policy and depends on the priorities and assessments of
individual countries and their citizens. It often involves careful consideration of
risks and benefits and is subject to regulatory oversight and international
agreements.
3) Renewable energy sources (like solar, wind, hydro) and nuclear power are low-
carbon alternatives to fossil fuels for generating electricity. Renewables use natural
processes, are abundant, and have minimal direct environmental impact.
Renewables are generally considered safer and have lower environmental risks
compared to nuclear power.

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) that it is very difficult for many people to separate nuclear for energy production
and nuclear for destruction/nuclear weapons
(2) an emission-free and reliable way of producing large amounts of electricity
(3) being smaller, cheaper, safer, easier to deploy, portable and transportable
(4) nuclear accidents, deregulation of the energy market, problems with radioactive
waste disposal, and the development of alternatives
(5) the need for constant supply of energy, energy safety or independence, zero-carbon
emission objective
(6) From Fukushima: Each reactor should be provided independent capability against
natural hazards. From Chernobyl: Reactor design and personnel training should be
improved; human intervention should be decreased; there should be concrete covering
over the reactors.
(7) advanced nuclear fission reactors and nuclear fusion reactors

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. It has 93 commercial reactors active, 26 in some phase of decommissioning, only
2 reactors under construction; and uranium mainly comes from Canada, Kazakhstan,
and Russia.
b. Nuclear fission occurs when a heavy atom like a uranium atom is bombarded
with neutrons or interacts with neutrons. These particles interact with the nucleus of a
uranium atom and makes it unstable. It splits apart to produce large quantities of energy.
That energy release heats up in the coolant, which in light water reactors is water. That
heated water then produces steam. The steam turns a turbine which turns a generator to
produce electricity.
c. The common practice is to store the waste in concrete and steel casks, which first
goes through active cooling and then passive cooling. Another alternative is to
reprocess the spent fuel, which is however costly and unnecessary for the US because
it has plentiful and cheap uranium.

2) Part Two
 a. The American government now wants to retain the nuclear power plants, which
were planned to be shut down, in order to meet the climate objective.
b. The backup diesel generators located on the ground were flooded and did not
function to cool down the fuel, which melt down the bottom of the reactor. As the
hydrogen built up pressure inside the reactor, then the containment exploded.
c. Even though no direct death resulted from the accident, and harmful effects of
radioactive exposure is not discernible, over 160 000 people were evacuated from their
homes as a result of the tsunami and nuclear incident. About 41 000 have not yet been
able to return home. Some experts predict that it will take another 30 years to clean up
the Fukushima plant.

3) Part Three
a. Size and operation: smaller in size, easier to operate at different sites like hospital,
military base and disastrous areas. Manufacture: can be manufactured at factories with
far less cost and construction time. Applications: increase electric grid resilience, and
enjoy both high-grade and low-grade heat applications. Safety: automated, equipped
with shielding, new and more efficient coolant, and new fuel of strong safety pedigree.
b. The International Atomic Energy Agency has a standard that says any uranium
enrichment level above 20% is weapons usable. However, in an advanced reactor the
enrichment needs to be closer to 19 to 20%. So care should be given not to exceed that
limit to avoid being accused of trying to proliferate nuclear weapons.

4) Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear.
(1) advanced reactors
(2) scale and commercialize
(3) fusing atoms together
(4) In theory
(5) radioactive waste.
(6) being constructed
(7) around $22 billion
(8) skeptical of our ability
(9) counsels us to be more hopeful
(10) commitment from the federal government
(11) with urgency that our situation demands

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) The Russia-Ukraine conflict has made people worry about nuclear weapon
proliferation, safety of nuclear facilities, and the issue of energy security. It shows that
agreements to limit nuclear weapons are important, reminding us that trust between
nations is crucial. This conflict also raises concerns about the safety of nuclear power
plants in a war zone. Moreover, for countries that rely on a particular country or region
for energy, wars bring disruption to their energy supply. Overall, it's a reminder that the
world needs to work together to keep nuclear weapons under control and prevent
dangerous situations.
2) China can learn from Germany's energy mistakes by doing a few things differently:
Mix It Up: Use different types of energy sources to make sure there's always enough
power.
Better Grids: Improve the systems that move electricity around so renewable energy
works smoothly.
Store Energy: Find effective ways to save extra energy from renewable sources for
later use.
Keep It Affordable: Make sure clean energy doesn't cost too much for people and
businesses.
Stay Secure: Be careful when switching from old energy sources to new ones to avoid
problems.
Take Care of Nature: Be mindful of how clean energy projects affect the environment.
Ask the Public: Involve the public in planning and decisions about energy.
Work Together: Learn from other countries and cooperate globally.
Adapt to Change: Keep policies flexible to adjust as things evolve.
These lessons can help China make smart energy choices for the future.
3) Answers may vary.

Presentation Skill Practice

Possible questions helpful for developing the topic may include:
✓ Is nuclear power a great help to satisfy our need of energy consumption?
✓ Is nuclear power climate friendly?
✓ Is nuclear power an economically viable source of energy?
✓ Is nuclear power safe enough? How to deal with nuclear waste?
✓ Can new generations of nuclear energy fix some of the problems?
✓ What’s the relationship between fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear energy?
 Unit 6: Inequality

Lead-in
1) Omitted.
2) Modern inequality involves disparities in income, education, health, race, gender,
and more. Wealthy individuals often have disproportionate power and resources,
leaving many with limited opportunities. This inequality can perpetuate cycles of
poverty and injustice. Addressing this problem requires policies that promote equal
access to education, healthcare, and job opportunities. It also demands efforts to combat
discrimination and bias. Redistributive measures may be necessary to reduce wealth
gaps. A more equal society is not only fairer but also more stable and prosperous,
benefiting everyone. Tackling inequality is a complex challenge, but it is essential for
a just and thriving world.

Section A: Why Women Are Paid Less?

Warming up
1) Answers may vary. Gender differences are distinctions between how society views
and treats people based on whether they are seen as male or female. These distinctions
can involve physical traits, societal expectations, and how people express their gender.
It's crucial to understand that not everyone fits neatly into these categories, and some
may identify differently. Gender differences can vary by culture and evolve over time.
2) Answers may vary. Gender equality is important because it upholds the principles of
fairness and justice, ensuring that individuals of all genders have equal opportunities
and rights. It is a fundamental human right that promotes economic growth, as it
harnesses the talents and contributions of everyone. Gender equality correlates with
improved health, education, and reduced poverty, benefiting societies as a whole.
Inclusive decision-making and diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes, and gender
equality contributes to peace and stability. It aligns with global development goals,
making it a central pillar for a more equitable and prosperous world that respects the
rights and potential of every individual, regardless of their gender.
3) Answers may vary. Yes, gender inequality is mainly a social problem. It happens
because society has certain ideas about how people of different genders should behave
and what they can or cannot do. These ideas create unfairness in things like pay, jobs,
and opportunities. To fix this, we need to change these social beliefs, challenge old-
fashioned ideas, and make sure everyone, no matter their gender, has the same chances
and rights. It's a problem that needs all of us to work together to create a more equal
and fair society.

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) are women around the world paid so much less than men?
(2) Women had lower educational rate.
(3) Women were not in workforce in big numbers.
(4) Women were grouped in traditionally feminine industries.
(5) It was perfectly legal to pay women less.
(6) There exist cultural norms about gender roles and aptitudes.
(7) the popular expectation that women should do most of the work of raising children
(OR: women are assumed to be primary caregivers of children)
(8) women with children and everybody else
(9) gender roles about who should be the caregivers and who should be the
breadwinners

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. multiplier or accelerator
b. They were not educated as well as men. (OR: Few of them had college education.)
c. menial jobs on factories, assembly lines, or offices.

2) Part Two
a. First, there are more women in higher positions or in occupations previously
closed to them. Second, women outnumber men in earning college and advanced
degrees. Third, women outnumber men in workplace.
b. Only a very small fraction of people think women should work full time when
there are young kids in the family, while 70 percent think the new father should work
full time.
c. They have to think of having a child. As they need to spend more time caring for
the child, they are less likely to be promoted than men in their jobs. Then the earning
potentials between men and women continue to diverge.

3) Part Three
a. The study found that the pay gap isn’t caused by gender difference but by
childbirth. When a woman gives birth to a child, she often makes a choice to stay at
home taking care of child because she is supposed to and have to do so. The result is
the increasingly larger salary gap.
b. It proves the existence of traditional bias that caregiving is more of a woman’s
job than a man’s.
c. It implemented a host of new policies to get more women into positions of power.
For example, its new constitution included a commitment to equal rights between men
and women, stipulating that 30 percent of representatives at all levels of government be
women.
c. Rwanda has achieved lasting progress in closing the gender gap.

4) Part Four
a. It elected the first female president, and the number of women in the islandic
parliament skyrocketed.
b. The laws encouraged moms to stay home while new fathers kept working,
reinforcing cultural norms at the heart of the pay gap that women are caregivers and
men are not.
 c. Iceland passed a law in 2000 to give obligational parental leave to dads.

5) Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear.
(1) trade-offs that we don’t immediately see
(2) you gotta pay for it
(3) penalize a small business owner
(4) flexibility in filling positions
(5) has declined over the decades
(6) cultural shift
(7) both caregivers and breadwinners
(8) reinforcing that stereotype

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) Answers may vary. China can draw insights from Rwanda and Iceland in addressing
the gender pay gap by adopting measures such as enhancing legal provisions for equal
pay, mandating transparency in reporting pay disparities, and encouraging women's
participation in leadership roles. Supporting work-life balance through family-friendly
policies, investing in women's education and training, and promoting awareness
campaigns challenging gender stereotypes are also crucial steps. Engaging the private
sector and international collaboration can further advance gender equity. Robust data
collection and a long-term commitment to policy implementation and adjustment are
essential. By adopting these measures, China can work towards narrowing the gender
pay gap and fostering a fairer and more inclusive society.
2) Answers may vary. Hillary Clinton's statement, "the wage gap is not just a woman's
issue, it's a family issue," underscores the idea that the gender pay gap affects not only
women but also entire families and, by extension, society as a whole.
The gender wage gap is primarily driven by factors like occupational segregation, pay
discrimination, workplace policies, and biases. Additionally, unpaid caregiving
responsibilities, differences in access to education and training, and the lack of women
in leadership roles also contribute.

Seminar Skill Practice

Omitted.

Section B:
Warming Up
1) Yes, income inequality is a global phenomenon, meaning it exists in nearly every
country around the world to varying degrees. While the extent and nature of income
inequality may differ from one country to another, it is a pervasive issue that affects
both developed and developing nations.
Certainly, there are examples of countries that are known for having relatively high
levels of income equality (more equal) and others that struggle with significant income
inequality (less equal). Here are a few examples of each. Countries like Sweden,
Denmark, and Norway are often cited as examples of more equal societies. South Africa
has one of the highest income inequality levels globally, with a history of racial and
economic disparities. Brazil faces significant income inequality, with a wide gap
between the wealthy and the poor. Social and economic disparities persist, despite
efforts to address them. India is another country with big gaps between different social
classes.
2) Answers may vary. Economic inequality can stem from various factors:
Education: Unequal access to quality education and training.
Labor Market: Wage discrimination, job segregation, and job loss.
Wealth Inheritance: Passing down assets and wealth.
Tax Policies: Low taxes on the wealthy.
Globalization: Economic shifts and outsourcing.
Technology: Job displacement and skill gaps.
Unemployment: High joblessness and underemployment.
Minimum Wage: Low minimum wages.
Healthcare: Unequal access to healthcare.
Social Safety Nets: Insufficient support systems.
Discrimination: Bias based on race, gender, etc.
Global Factors: Economic crises and trends.
Policies: Government choices and regulations.
These factors often interact, making inequality complex. Reducing income disparities
requires a holistic approach addressing education, work, taxes, and social support.

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
1) whether it is a rich or poor country
2) the income gap within the country
3) mental illness
4) high school dropout rate
5) social mobility
6) both the rich and the poor (OR: people from all levels within the social hierarchy)
7) selection of data, other countries, controlling for factors, causality
8) by reducing the income differences

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. Within our society, we are looking at our relative income, social position in a
society, and the size of gap between us and others.
b. The data compared the income gap between the richer top 20 percent with the
poorer bottom 20 percent within a country. Yes, they are usually considered credible as
they come from the UN.
c. The paper finds that kids do worse in the more unequal societies, but if you look
at that measure of child well-being, in relation to national income per person, there's no
relationship.
2) Part Two
a. About 15 percent of the population feel they can trust others in unequal societies
while in the more equal societies, the proportion rises to 60 or 65 percent.
b. More unequal American societies compared with Canadian provinces.
c. It means that there are more chances to be successful in Denmark than in the
USA as social inequality is far more serious in America than in Denmark, which makes
it harder to climb up the social ladder there.

3) Part Three
a. Sweden has huge wage differences and it narrows the gap by taxes and general
welfare system while Japan starts with small differences in earnings before taxing with
lower taxes and smaller welfare system. But they achieve the similar social equality. It
means that it does not matter in what ways you achieve the greater equality, but whether
you have achieved it in the end.
b. Inequality leads to social status comparison and then the social evaluation
anxiety of being negatively judged by others. These stressful tasks of socio-evaluative
threat then greatly raise the stress hormones physiologically.

4) Fill in the blanks with the exact words or phrases you hear.
(1) national income and economic growth
(2) where we are in relation to each other
(3) proportion of the population
(4) at the more unequal end
(5) rises to 60 or 65 percent
(6) involvement in community life
(7) a separate test bed
(8) a general social survey
(9) similar scatter over a similar range
(10) fluke

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) John Donne's quote, "No man is an island," suggests that individuals are
interconnected and interdependent within society. In the context of social inequality,
this quote underscores the idea that the well-being and opportunities of one person are
closely tied to the well-being and opportunities of others.
2) By addressing issues of selection of data, controlling for factors, the claim of
causality, and the situations in other countries, Wilkinson was basically saying that his
research followed established scientific principles and therefore, his results and
conclusions were credible and possibly generalizable to wider situations.
3) Apart from the impacts on social trust, mental illness, homicide rate, population in
prison, high school dropout, and social mobility, economic inequality may also
undermine democratic institutions. Wealthy individuals and corporations may have
undue influence over politics, policy-making, and the media, potentially distorting the
democratic process. Economic inequality is not limited to individual countries. On a
global scale, it can contribute to instability and conflict between nations. Disparities in
wealth and resources can lead to tensions over trade, immigration, and geopolitical
power dynamics. When a significant portion of the population lacks access to
opportunities and resources, it represents a waste of human potential. Society misses
out on the contributions that these individuals could make to economic growth,
innovation, and social progress.

Presentation skill practice

Omitted.
 Unit 7: Artificial Intelligence

Lead-in
1) Artificial intelligence, or AI, is all around us in everyday life. It's in voice assistants
like Siri and Alexa, helps doctors diagnose illnesses, personalizes our learning
experiences, and even operates self-driving cars. AI makes online shopping better by
suggesting products we might like and makes factories more efficient. It also helps keep
us safe by predicting crimes and disasters. But AI also makes us think about important
issues like privacy and job changes. In a short time, AI has become a big part of our
lives, changing how we do things and raising important questions about how it affects
us.
2) Answers may vary. Yes, we do have this worry to a great extent. AI's threat to humans
lies in potential job displacement, economic disruption, and privacy invasion.
Automation driven by AI could lead to unemployment and economic upheaval. AI-
powered surveillance and data analysis can compromise personal privacy and civil
liberties. Autonomous weapons may make lethal decisions independently, raising
ethical concerns. Biases in AI can result in discrimination in areas like hiring and law
enforcement. The risk of losing control over advanced AI systems poses further
challenges. While these threats are real, responsible development, ethical guidelines,
and regulations aim to mitigate these risks and ensure AI benefits society without
causing harm.

Section A: AI Isn’t as Smart as You Think, but It Could Be.

Warming Up
1) Narrow AI is like a specialist. It's really good at one specific thing, like recognizing
faces in photos or translating languages, but it can't do anything else. General AI is like
a super-smart, adaptable human. It can learn and excel in lots of different tasks, just like
we humans.
2) Yes, powerful AI systems can indeed be used in harmful ways. These include
cyberattacks, spreading disinformation, making and spreading deepfakes, invading
privacy through surveillance, and biased decision-making in areas like hiring and law
enforcement. To prevent these negative consequences, several steps are essential:
Ethical Guidelines and Regulations: Establish clear ethical guidelines and
regulations for AI development and use, emphasizing transparency, fairness,
accountability, and privacy protection.
Bias Mitigation: Implement techniques to mitigate biases in AI algorithms, such as
diverse training data and ongoing auditing.
Education and Awareness: Promote AI literacy to inform decision-makers and the
public about AI technology's potential and risks.
International Collaboration: Encourage global cooperation on AI governance and
standards to address AI challenges collectively.
Responsible Research: Prioritize research focused on AI safety, ethics, and
humanity's well-being.
Ethical Development: Develop AI systems that align with human values and
prioritize safety and ethical considerations.
Continuous Monitoring: Continuously monitor AI systems for real-world
applications and promptly address harmful consequences.
By adopting these measures and fostering collaboration among governments,
organizations, researchers, and the public, we can strive to ensure that AI benefits
society while minimizing its potential for misuse or harm. Responsible AI development
and governance are key to achieving this balance.

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
(1) we're still doing it all wrong in many ways
(2) see, understand language, and understand speech
(3) neural networks and computational power
(4) Most neural networks today are trained to do one thing.
(5) Multitask networks.
(6) Most of our models today deal with only a single modality of data.
(7) Modals that deal with different modalities.
(8) Today’s model is dense.
(9) Sparse model.
(10) fairness, interpretability, privacy and security
(11) the future of AI, unintended consequences, commitment to the principles of AI
development, and how to ensure that AI will benefit the human world, but not just for
commercial profitability?

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. Neural networks are a series of interconnected artificial neurons that loosely
imitate the real human neurons. It repeatedly adjusts various weight values in order to
guide the whole system to do desired operations like language translation and photo
objects detection.
b. They are tolerant of reduced precision and are all composed of two algorithmic
operations, matrix and vectors. If you apply both special properties to neural network
computation, it will work great.

2) Part Two
a. When learning vertical hydroponic gardening, one doesn’t have to relearn
everything about plants, but leverage that knowledge in learning this new skill. We can
apply the expertise we already have in the related kinds of things so that we can more
quickly be able to do this new task.
b. Whether the model sees the word "leopard," a video of a leopard, or hears
someone say the word "leopard," the same concept of a leopard can be triggered to deal
with problem.
c. We will only call upon the part of our brain that are relevant for the task at hand.
As Shakespeare’s sonnets are not related to the danger of car backing, they won’t be
triggered to deal with the problem.

3) Part Three
a. Google needs to train the AI models on large amounts of data, making sure that
data is representative of different communities and situations all around the world.
b. Build a wall between humanity purpose and commercial interest.

4) Fill in the blanks with the exact words/phrases you hear.

(1) single-purpose systems
(2) recognize patterns
(3) general-purpose intelligent systems
(4) enable us to tackle
(5) diagnose more disease
(6) engineer better medicines
(7) advance educational systems
(8) tackle really complicated issues
(9) requiring the multidisciplinary expertise
(10) make progress

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) Answers may vary.
2) Super tech companies like Google bear substantial social responsibilities in their AI
endeavors due to their prominent roles in shaping the AI landscape. These
responsibilities encompass ethical, transparent, and inclusive AI development.

Debating Skill Practice

Omitted.

Section B:
Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
Sophia the Robot: Robot consciousness is the reflection of human consciousness.
Elon Musk: Digital superintelligence may pose existential threat to humans. AI is more
dangerous than nukes, so it needs regulatory oversight.
Bill Gates: Robots may develop different goals from human beings.
Stephen Hawking: Full artificial intelligence will spell the end of the human race.
Max Tegmark: The issue of consciousness is both important and unimportant. He is
against carbon chauvinism. AGI can be more intelligent than humans.
Luis Perez-Breva: Similar to mass production as brought by Ford, AI will create a whole
new economy. AI is about making computers better partners of humans.
Joscha Bach: AI may be a good thing for humans because it will accelerate the need to
reorganize the society so as to address issues like the allocation/distribution of resources.
Steven Pinker: AI should not subjugate less intelligent beings but should be made
unaggressive like women.

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. Cars will become robots and the whole car industry will become a part of the
robotics industry.
b. Consciousness might be irrelevant just like when a heat-seeking missile is
chasing you and threatening your life, what you care is what it does, but not what it
feels. Consciousness in machines might be very important as it is essential to achieve
AGI and make machines much better than us.
c. Both are worried that superintelligence might get out of human control.

2) Part Two
a. When robots realize they are just adding machines for human beings, they may
change their ideas, develop their own goals, and choose to endanger humans instead.
b. Elon’s warning of robots today is like what we used to worry about after the
introduction of the printing press and the horseless carriage.
c. Carbon chauvinism is the idea that life or intelligence can exist only in biological
organisms made of cells and carbon atoms. Tegmark says intelligence is just kind of
information processing performed by elementary particles according to laws of physics.
There is no laws in physics which prevents creating machines that are more intelligent
than humans.

3) Part Three
a. A whole new economy.
b. Luis uses the google example to show our relationship with AI is a partnership,
not replacement.
c. Sophia “holds the idea” that robots have released us from menial tasks and
needless toiling and then saved us a lot of time. Luis thinks that AI will create new jobs
and a whole new economy. They share a common idea that AI may be a great blessing
to human beings.

4) Part Four
a. The future world doesn’t need to have AI replace all the jobs, and it also doesn’t
have to turn to Universal Basic Income. It might be like massive public employment
where everyone has a favorite and useful job to do while still maintaining high
productivity and standards of living.
b. The real question lies in the allocation system. In the future, with sufficient
productivity, we need to change the way of allocating resources in the best way. AI may
accelerate this need and the solution might turn out to be easier than we thought.
c. Human intelligence is aggressive as a product of natural selection, which is an
inherently competitive process, but AI doesn’t have to be so if we design it in a proper
way.
Task 3. Critical Listening
1) The concerns voiced by influential figures like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Stephen
Hawking regarding the potential risks of advanced AI highlight the need for
policymakers in AI research and development (R&D) to prioritize safety, ethics, and
long-term societal well-being. Policymakers must create a framework that balances
innovation with safeguarding against unintended consequences. This involves stringent
safety regulations and ethical guidelines to guide AI development. Furthermore,
collaboration among nations and research institutions is crucial to establish global
standards and governance for AI R&D. Policymakers should encourage transparency,
public awareness, and education initiatives to foster responsible AI practices.
Evaluating the societal impact of AI, especially highly advanced AI like AGI, and
assessing risks and benefits should be central to policymaking. The establishment of
ethics boards or advisory groups can provide valuable guidance.
Overall, policymakers must navigate the rapid advancements in AI while ensuring that
technology serves humanity's best interests, minimizes risks, and adheres to ethical and
safety standards.
2) Answers may vary. Steven Pinker's idea that AI can be designed to evolve in a way
that is benign and aligned with human values, rather than posing a threat, represents a
hopeful perspective in AI development. It suggests that we can harness the power of AI
without the fear of unintended consequences. While this idea is inspiring, it has its
merits and challenges:
Merits:
Ethical Framework: Designing AI to align with human values is ethically
responsible, emphasizing the well-being of humanity.
Safety: Such an approach prioritizes safety, reducing the risk of AI systems causing
harm.
Public Acceptance: AI systems aligned with human values are more likely to be
accepted and trusted by the public, promoting wider adoption.
Challenges:
Complexity: Ensuring value alignment in AI is intricate, and defining human values
is challenging, as they can vary across individuals and cultures.
Technical Difficulties: Building AI systems with value alignment involves complex
technical and philosophical challenges.
Unintended Consequences: Despite the best intentions, AI systems may still have
unforeseen consequences or biases.
Malicious Use: AI designed with value alignment may not prevent malicious actors
from exploiting AI technology.
While Pinker's idea is a helpful guideline, it should be part of a broader approach that
includes robust research, ongoing monitoring, and regulatory frameworks to address
the complexities and potential risks of AI development comprehensively.

Presentation Skill Practice

Omitted.
 Unit 8: Biotechnology—Gene Editing

Lead-in
1) Answers may vary. Gene editing is the technology capable of making specific
changes in the DNA sequence of a living organism. It is probably the most prominent
area of biotechnology. It has led to the creation of new genetic combinations that are of
great values in science, medicine, agriculture, and industry. Among varied gene editing
techniques, CRISPR-Cas9 is a break-through molecular tool that allows researchers to
cut and replace DNA sequences with more efficiency, precision, and less cost.
The use of GMOs in medicine and research has produced a debate that is more
philosophical in nature. For example, while genetic researchers believe they are
working to cure disease and ameliorate suffering, many people worry that current gene
therapy approaches may one day be applied to produce “designer” children or to
lengthen the natural human life span.
Similar to many other technologies, gene therapy and the production and application of
GMOs can be used to address and resolve complicated scientific, medical, and
environmental issues, but they must be used wisely.
2) Answers may vary. Genetically modified organism (GMO) are organisms whose
genomes have been engineered in the laboratory in order to favor the expression of
desired physiological traits or the generation of desired biological products. While
GMOs offer many potential benefits to society, the potential risks associated with them
have fueled controversy, especially in the food industry.
3) Answers may vary. Bioengineered food approved for human consumption includes
varieties of corn, soybean, potato, tomato, wheat, canola, and rice, with various genetic
modifications such as herbicide tolerance, insect, fungal, and drought resistance, and
flavor or nutrition enhancement.
There is no evidence that current GE foods pose any risk to humans. The U.S. Food and
Drug Administration, the National Academy of Sciences, the European Food Safety
Agency, and numerous other international regulatory agencies and scientific bodies
have all reached that same conclusion.
While herbicide-tolerant crops may be safe to eat, they are used in conjunction with
herbicides, such as glyphosate, that could end up on food that is made from those crops.
In early 2015, the respected International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
determined that glyphosate is a “probable” cancer-causing compound. It may pose a
risk to farmers, farm workers, and others who may ingest or inhale glyphosate.

Section A: How CRISPR Lets Us Edit Our DNA?

Warming Up
1) F The article only mentions that the mechanism was found in bacteria and single-
celled organisms.
2) T
3) F Scientists still need to improve the technology since the DNA editing process
may induce errors and off-target effects.
4) T
5) F The complete control over the DNA editing process has not yet been achieved.
6) T

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
1. Introduction
DNA editing technology: CRISPR-Cas9
Applications
Social and ethical concerns
2. What is CRISPR? What can it do?
A system in bacteria to fight viral infection
It can be used to edit DNA sequences in a cell.
3. Where are we today?
Applications in animal models of human diseases
There is the need to better control the repairing process and off-target effects.
4. Why do we need to be prudent?
There is a huge interest in commercializing the technology.
Unintended consequences
Social and ethical consequences
5. Q&A
The scientific community has varied views.
Doudna: going forward without careful consideration is irresponsible.
She hopes other fields would do the same.

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. CRISPR can detect and destroy viral DNA.
b. Its applications on human embryos.

2) Part Two
a. Similar to a vaccination card, which keeps record of the vaccinations someone
has received, the CRISPR locus in cells stores the DNA information of invading viruses
to enable some kind of immune response.
b. The CRISPR system integrates viral DNA and creates an exact RNA copy of the
viral DNA. The guide RNA combines with Cas9 to search for DNA sequences in the
cell that are identical to that of the RNA. Cas9 then makes double-stranded cuts at those
sites.

3) Part Three
a. The CRISPR technology is programmable, so it’s more efficient and easier to
use.
b. Testing the effects of the tool in particular tissues in animal models,
understanding how to better control the repairing process and limit off-target effects.
4) Part Four
a. She seemed quite confident and optimistic about clinical application of the
technology and even genome-engineered humans in the future.
b. She said that for a technology like this with so much consequence, people have
to stop to fully understand the unintended consequences and thoroughly discuss the
relevant social and ethical implications before taking the next step forward.

5) Part Five
a. Let different views be completely aired and discussed.
b. Some are less cautious and look at the issue only as a question of safety. They
would like to take the opportunity and move forward if the technology is tested to be
safe.

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) Answers may vary. Other analogies Doudna used include: (a) “the CRISPR locus is
effectively a genetic vaccination card in cells”, (b) “we recognized that that activity
could be harnessed for genome engineering, to allow cells to make a very precise
change to the DNA at the site where this break was introduced. That's sort of
analogous to the way that we use a word-processing program to fix a typo in a
document.” Such analogies are effective to help the audience understand complex
concepts and processes and leave deeper impressions.
2) Answers may vary.

Debating Skill Practice

Omitted.

Section B: Gene editing—Should you be worried?

Warming Up
1) organisms that have been altered using genetic engineering methods
2) inserting the trait into a desired organism
3) tolerance to drought or pests
4) the use of insecticides
5) vitamin A deficiency
6) conclusive health risks
7) humans lack the specific enzymes and receptors for the Bt toxin to work
8) simulating the effect of GM proteins in the human gut or animal tests

Listening Tasks
Task 1. Analytical Listening
1. The banana dilemma
The Cavendish banana under threat
Solution: GMO banana
World moral dilemma: rejection of GMO crops vs. the need to address climate change
 2. GMO mosquitoes
GMO mosquito birth control experiment
Opposition from the locals
Faling to engage the community
3. Promise of CRISPR
The ability to rewrite the code of life
Treating sickle cell disease
4. Human germline editing
Concerns about designer humans
A global moratorium on human germline editing
5. Gene editing on other species
Promising opportunities & concerns
Conclusion
There’s a need to tease out a fear for the new and a real ethical issue.
We may rethink how science and ethics relate to each other.

Task 2. Detailed Listening

1) Part One
a. A deadly disease known as TR4, which is deadly and has no cure.
b. Widespread negative public perception of GMO crops.

2) Part Two
a. To control the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like Zika and dengue fever.
b. When GMO male mosquitoes mate with female mosquitoes, only the male
offspring survive. Gradually, the mosquito population would drop significantly.
c. Failing to engage the community involved can turn people against the technology,
which will block technological advancement and prevent people from benefitting from
it.

3) Part Three
a. It’s easier to use, more precise, and cheaper.
b. To achieve a definitive cure.

4) Part Four
a. Hereditary diseases like hereditary deafness
b. It causes concern because: firstly, it involves editing human embryos, and
secondly, people worry that such clinical research may eventually lead to designer
humans.
c. Because germline editing induces genetic changes that can be passed down
generations.

5) Part Five
a. In some countries, genetic edited foods that don’t involve cross-species genes
are not as strictly regulated as those that do have genes from other species.
 b. Examples include tomatoes with health benefits, mushrooms that don’t brown
easily, and possibly breeding elephants which can survive low temperatures.

Task 3. Critical Listening

1) Answers may vary. Morton possibly meant that generally, ethics is or is seen as a
conservative force trying to block scientific progress. But instead of seeing ethics and
science work against each other, they should work together with ethics serving as a
guide to direct the development of science and technology.
2) Answers may vary. The key reasons for such research include advancing knowledge
of the human life, searching for definitive cure for genetic diseases, gaining advantages
in international competition, and the potential impact on national strategic development;
the main reasons against such research include the safety and the possible irreparable
consequences for the individuals involved, the possibility of designer humans and all
the social and ethical consequences associated with it.
Due to its far-reaching impacts, the decision-making process should involve all
stakeholders.

Presentation Skill Practice

Omitted.