感谢大耳朵网友"兜兜兜兜"提供的听力原文

接下来课文...Now, slowly and at first faintly, an opposite tendency is showing itself. ...

opposite tendency

showing itself:显露迹象

suggest itself

As time goes on ,the advantage of my sound English is showing itself.

随着时光流逝,我良好的英语功底终于派上用场了.

接下来课文....Better roads and better vehicles at first induced the wealthier classes to live on the outskirts of the cities. ...

vehicle: (in Britain)

lorry or motocar ,automobile : (in America )

induce=attracted

outskirts: it is only whthin the city but actually it is outer city.

接下来课文...The urgent need for defence had also vanished. ...

urgent need : 迫切需求

接下来课文...This tendency is now spreading rapidly downwards. ...

downwards :向下转移

I am homeward. 我朝家里走去.

I am schoolward.我上学去.

I am eastward.我向东走去. I am bridgeward . 我向桥上走去.

I am restaurantdward. 我吃饭去. I am bookstoreward. 我买书去.

接下来课文...But a new set of conditions is just showing itself. Up to the present time, throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, this new tendency placed the home in the immediate suburbs, ...

suburb

outskirts

city

expansion outward 向外扩展

immediate goal : 近期目标 long term goal:长期目标

immediate boss: 顶头上司

接下来课文...but concentrated manufacturing activity, Business relations, government, and pleasure in the centres of the cities. ...

concentrate : 集中

concentrate on my studies 集中学习

business relations 商业贸易