Listening

Situation 1 Talking about How to Choose an Air Conditioner

Task 1

Listen to a conversation and answer the following questions.

1.In what aspects do air conditioners vary?

2.What factors should be considered when choosing an air conditioner?

3.How should we measure the cooling capacity of an air conditioner?

4.What special features of an air conditioner are mentioned in the conversation?

5.In what way can you get advice and feedback before buying an air conditioner?

Task 2

Listen to the conversation again and complete the following sentences.

Lizzy: Good morning,Mr.Smith.Glad to know that you are an engineer in the field of air conditioning.

Mr.Smith: Good morning,Lizzy.Is there anything I can do for you?

Lizzy: I want to buy an air conditioner.Can you give me some advice?

Mr.Smith: Sure.Air conditioners vary in price, 1 and cooling capacity.The type of air conditioner that is right for your home also 2 your room size,window or wall opening,and installation requirements.

Lizzy: Then how could I buy an air conditioner that will save money and energy while keeping my space cool?

Mr.Smith: First,decide between a window, 3 or wall air conditioning unit and then measure the rooms to be cooled.

Lizzy: That's easy.What should I do next?

Mr.Smith: Check the cooling capacity.This is measured in BTUs per hour;higher BTUs mean more cooling capacity.And you'd better 4 the Energy Efficiency Rating or EER of air conditioners.

Lizzy: It seems difficult for me to understand.

Mr.Smith: The EER is required to be 5 on modern air conditioners.Units with higher EER ratings consume less energy.

Lizzy: Oh,I see.

Mr.Smith: In addition,you must consider special features.Some air conditioners have remote controls,making it easier to 6 the settings from across the room. 7 are another beneficial feature;they allow you to program different power levels for different times of the day or turn on the air conditioner before you get home from work.

Lizzy: That sounds good.

Mr.Smith: Get advice and 8.Read reviews and model comparisons from reliable sources and consumer sites.Be on the lookout for complaints about specific models or companies.Try out the air conditioning unit in the store to check on the noise level and ease in operating.

Lizzy: Thank you for your advice.

Mr.Smith: Not at all.

Situation 2 Learning about How a Fridge Works

Task 3

Listen to a passage and answer the following questions.

1.What is the basic principle for a refrigerator to work?

2.What is used to absorb the heat in a refrigerator?

3.What are the five main parts that contribute to the operation of a refrigerator?

4.By what is the compressor powered?

5.What is a condenser?

Task 4

Listen to the passage with some blanks for you to fill in.

The basic principle behind how your fridge works is the 1 of thermodynamics.This essentially means that if you place a cool object and a warm object 2 one another,the warm object will start to cool and the cool object will start to warm.In a refrigerator the evaporation of a liquid is used to 3 the heat.This is like when you place water on your skin to cool you down.The water becomes warmer and evaporates absorbing the heat of your skin.The refrigerant or 4 used in your fridge evaporates at an extremely low temperature and therefore 5 low temperatures within the fridge.

There are five main parts that 6 the operation of your fridge.These are:

1)The compressor—which is powered by the motor;

2)The condenser—heat 7 on the outside of the fridge;

3)Expansion valve;

4)Heat exchange pipes inside the fridge;

5)Refrigerant—R134A or R410A which evaporates at-27 ℉or-32 ℃.

All five parts work together to cool the inside of your fridge.