本期雅思听力提分训练素材：心脏2号尺寸太小?Grinch先生，来看心脏病专家(Heart 2 Sizes Too Small? Mr. Grinch, See Your Cardiologist)。本听力素材来自NPR，NPR新闻是美国的国家公共广播，纯公益，所以内容更加去纯粹，直击心灵。可作为雅思听力泛听训练的日常素材，坚持长期听，除了锻炼英语听力，还能积累雅思听力词汇。

英语泛听听力MP3素材下载：http://m.newstudy.cn/listinfo-156-0.html?/thread-420636-1-1.html

雅思听力泛听内容原文：Heart 2 Sizes Too Small? Mr. Grinch, See Your Cardiologist

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Let's talk about the Grinch. He's best known for his psychological problems.

让我们和Grinch谈谈。他最出名的是他的心理问题。

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOU'RE A mean ONE, MR. GRINCH")

THURL RAVENSCROFT: (Singing) You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch. You're a nastywasty (ph) skunk.

MARTIN: Definitely some anger and empathy issues there, and he did try to steal Christmas. But NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton wanted to understand the Grinch's physical challenge, a heart that was two sizes too small.

确实有一些愤怒和移情的问题，他确实想偷圣诞礼物。但NPR的科学记者Jon Hamilton想了解Grinch的身体挑战，心太小两号。

JON HAMILTON, BYLINE: So I went to see a guy who specializes in hearts. His name is David Kass. He's a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University, and he's been thinking about the Grinch.

DAVID KASS: Tough problem, tough problem 'cause heart at least reputedly is two sizes too small. We in fact don't see this very much.

HAMILTON: Kass says there are conditions that effectively reduce the size of the heart, and they're no fun.

KASS: You're just going to have to have that small heart beating twice as fast. So that means you're going to feel your heart racing all the time.

HAMILTON: Which could make you grumpy. And it would definitely make it hard to do physical labor. So how did the Grinch shimmy up all those chimneys and carry off every Christmas present in Whoville? I ask Kass if that would have even been possible for someone whose cardiac output was so limited.

KASS: No. He would be doing more traditional grinchy things - just sitting around, moping.

HAMILTON: Anyway, from a cardiologist point of view, the story takes an even more remarkable twist.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!")

BORIS KARLOFF: (As Narrator) And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day.

HAMILTON: Kass says this is possible, sort of.

KASS: There are situations where the human heart can fairly rapidly get large.

HAMILTON: Like when a valve suddenly ruptures.

KASS: But you don't feel good when that happens. This couldn't be Grinch's issue.

HAMILTON: So Kass has a different explanation.

KASS: He's really a snake. I mean, not just any snake - he's a python.

HAMILTON: Specifically a Burmese python. That makes sense because the heart of a Burmese python is designed to grow rapidly after a big meal, like, say, a roast beast.

KASS: That would do it. His heart would get large, yeah.

HAMILTON: But Kass says the big meal hypothesis isn't perfect.

KASS: When a snake like a python has done that, does he, like, run around lifting sleds and doing - no. He looks like all of us after Thanksgiving. You know, we're on the couch. If we can watch TV, yeah, that's about it.

HAMILTON: So even a big-hearted Grinch probably would not have returned those toys to every family in Whoville. Jon Hamilton, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WELCOME CHRISTMAS")

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: (Singing) Welcome Christmas while we stand heart to heart and hand in hand. Fahoo fores, dahoo dores (ph) - welcome, welcome Christmas - Christmas Day.

雅思听力高频词汇

twist 扭曲

remarkable 非凡的

python 蟒蛇

makes sense 有道理

heart to heart 心与心的

heart racing 心跳

hand in hand 手牵手

grumpy 脾气暴躁的

chimneys 烟囱

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