ScalersTalk聽力零階段小組是ScalersTalk旗下聽力狂練小組的子群，在零階段小組連續十天聽寫慢速VOA的正確率達到95%以上的成員將被邀請進入狂練小組。為了進一步促進學習效果，ScalersTalk聽力小組自2016年起，已經轉為成長會內部小組，不再接受外部申請。聽力零階段訓練組目前50人，每兩周清退一次，便移除排在末尾的一位。詳情請參見[386][ScalersTalk聽力狂練小組成立與行動召集]
題目的設置有如下幾種形式：
本次復盤分兩個階段進行
往期日誌：
ScalersTalk聽力零階段小組第49周訓練日誌
ScalersTalk聽力零階段小組第48周訓練日誌
ScalersTalk聽力零階段小組第47周訓練日誌
前幾天我有做升級測試，但是當時測試的結果是79%，雖然只有1%的差距，但是感覺能力還要差很多。語速上去了，連讀也比較多，自己就聽不出來。只要是比較簡單，自己錯的比較少的，我都會把裡面的生詞記住，如果是比較難，我就會多聽一下自己聽不出來的。
我們不能僅僅局限於慢速，畢竟速度比較慢，難度也比較低，所以我現在每天都會再聽一篇BBC，聽完BBC再聽VOA special就會感覺特別簡單。等到自己什麼時候可以連續十天BBC達到80%以上的時候，我才會再去參加升級測試。聽力練習，要堅持，同時要不停地複習，總會有進步的。
第一篇：兩千萬年前猴子用筏渡洋（1/2）
Scientists believe (1) monkeys used a raft to (2) of ocean from South to North America about 21 million years ago.
The monkeys are similar to today’s capuchins, small monkeys that often perform with humans at the (3).
Scientists found seven monkey teeth that became fossils in an area near the Panama Canal. The teeth were more than (4) old. Scientists think that is when the (5) of North and South America came together.
They said the teeth (6) a species they call Panamacebustransitus. When the species lived, South America was not in contact with other continents.
For that reason, South America has a strange variety of (7). The animals grew and (8) because they were separated from other animals.
生詞/短語
raft /ˈræft/ n. 木筏，木排
cross the stream on a raft
乘木筏過河
capuchin [『kæpjʊˌtʃɪn] n. （南美產）捲尾猴，僧帽猴
fossil /ˈfɑːsəl/ n. 化石
例句：
The fossils may be a million years old.
這些化石可能有100萬年了。
continent /ˈkɑːntənənt/ n. 洲，大陸
the continent of Asia亞洲大陸
mammal /ˈmæməl/ n. 哺乳動物
第二篇：兩千萬年前猴子用筏渡洋（2/2）
Jonathan Bloch works at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the University of Florida campus. He said that Panama was (1) than any other place in North America. He said the monkeys might (2), but probably (3) some kind of a raft.
Bloch believes these monkeys were the only mammals that were able to cross the (4) from South America to reach present-day Panama.
The (5) of land, known as the Isthmus of Panama, was formed about 3.5 million years ago. That (6) permitted large numbers of animals to begin walking between the continents in one of (7) of species on record.
Bloch said learning that monkeys lived in North America that long ago was a surprising discovery. For a long time, scientists thought that monkeys simply did not exist there.
It would be like learning that Australia’s (8) live in the wilds of Asia today.
生詞/短語
strip [strɪp] n. 帶；條狀
例句：
The dough is twisted into a rope-like strip and pelletized into small lumps.
將面搓成條，掐成彈丸狀小塊。
isthmus [『ɪsməs] n. 地峽
例句：
The Panama Railway certainly shows the potential role for a cross-isthmus railway.
巴拿馬鐵路無疑展示了跨地峽鐵路的潛在功能。
第三篇：為何人們難以在陌生的地方入眠（1/2）
Have you ever had trouble sleeping in a new place?
Lots of people do. And now researchers from Brown University in Rhode Island think they know why.
They found that (1) of the brain 「remains more awake」 than the other half when people are trying to sleep in a new place.
This appears to be (2) of the brain keeping people ready for trouble in a new place, the researchers said.
The sleep findings were reported in Current Biology and by Brown University.
In their report, the researchers said many people report they have a (3) sleeping the first night at a hotel or other places outside their home.
They call it, 「first-night effect.」
「In Japan they say, 『if you change your (4), you can’t sleep,』」 said Yuka Sasaki, one of the (5) authors. 「You don’t sleep very well in a new place. We all know about it.」
The researchers measured (6) for 35 volunteers over two nights in a (7). The two nights were (8) apart.
第四篇：為何人們難以在陌生的地方入眠（2/2）
They found during the first night the left hemisphere of the brain was more active than the right hemisphere. This was during the first (1) period, the researchers said.
Sasaki said a lot of questions remain.
Researchers did not keep measuring brain waves all night long. So, they don’t know if the left hemisphere keeps watch all night. Or whether it works (2) with the right hemisphere later in the night.
They also do not know why the extra brain activity, at least during the (3) of deep sleep, is always on the left hemisphere.
For some, this research may be (4). It is good to know that our brain is (5) for us, in a new place.
But it may not help with sleep. That extra brain activity, at least according to this new research, makes it harder to get the sleep people need to wake up well (6) in the morning.
生詞/短語
deep-sleep n.深度睡眠
例句：
The best way i feel is to open your windows and curtains, and allow natural light to lift you from your deep sleep.
我覺得最好的辦法是打開你的窗戶和窗簾，讓自然的光亮將你從深度睡眠中喚醒。
in shifts adv. 輪流，輪班
例句：
Prisons are so overcrowded that inmates sometimes sleep in shifts, or seated.
監獄過於擁擠，犯人時而輪班睡覺，或坐著睡覺。
calming [『ka:miŋ] adj. 平靜的，鎮靜的
例句：
Stillness has a calming effect on the world around us as well.
在這個世界上，在我們周圍，靜有一種鎮靜的效用。
looking out v. 注意
例句:
When crossing the street, look out for cars.
過街時注意車輛。
rested [『rɛstɪd] adj. 休息得好的，精力充沛的
例句：
We know that if we sleep well, we feel rested.
我們知道，如果我們睡得好，我們感覺精力充沛。
第五篇：「鳥腦子」不再是罵人語（1/2）
Using the term 「birdbrain」 is one way to (1) another person’s intelligence. That is because a bird’s brain is small. So, anyone with such a (2) was thought to be not that intelligent.
But calling someone a birdbrain might not be as insulting as it once was.
That finding comes from a study of the mental abilities of birds.
Two European scientists reported that at least two kinds of birds (3) can think logically. A crow or parrot can recognize itself when the bird sees its image in a mirror.
The scientists say crows and parrots can also feel (4). In other words, they are able to understand and share the experiences and emotions of other birds.
According to researchers, these abilities are 「as (5) as those of apes.」
However, the brains of birds and those of apes are different. The brain of a bird does not have a (6). The neocortex controls thinking and remembering — one『s cognitive skills. A bird brain is also much smaller than the brain of a monkey or other ape.
生詞/短語
birdbrain [ˈbəːdbreɪn] n. 笨蛋
例句：
Her brother’s a real birdbrain.
她的老兄是個十足的笨蛋。
empathy [ˈɛmpəθi] n. 同感；共鳴
例句：
Having begun my life in a children’s home I have great empathy with the little ones.
由於從小生活在兒童院，我對小傢伙們產生了強烈的共鳴。
sophisticated [səˈfɪstɪˌketɪd] adj. 複雜的
例句：Honeybees use one of the most sophisticated communication systems of any insect.
蜜蜂之間所用的交流方式是昆蟲中最為複雜的方式之一。
neocortex [ˌnioʊˈkɔrteks] n. 大腦皮層
例句：However, Jung’s notion suggests that there is also an algorithm in the neocortex.
此外, 榮格的觀點還提到大腦的新皮層也存在一種算法。
cognitive [ˈkɑgnətɪv] adj. 認知的
例句：As children grow older, their cognitive processes become sharper.
孩子們越長越大，他們的認知過程變得更為敏銳。
第六篇：「鳥腦子」不再是罵人語（2/2）
So how can birds perform as well as (1) in some activities?
Researchers in Germany suggest that different methods of complex thinking developed independently in birds and mammals.
The researchers found that the brains of birds and mammals do have different structures. But there are also (2) in the brain (3).
The brains of both (4) have what is called a (5) structure that controls similar high-level functions. The researchers propose a separate path of development for the similarities. The reason: both species faced the same challenges for survival.
The researchers noted that neither a (6) nor a big brain is required for complex mental skills. They reported their findings in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
第七篇：阿富汗梅阿富汗梅西小粉絲舉家避難（1/2）
A five-year-old Afghan boy who became world famous earlier this year has (1) his country because of safety concerns.
A photograph of Murtaza Ahmadi first appeared on the Internet in January. He was wearing a homemade (2) that looked like the one (3) by Lionel Messi, the Argentinian soccer star.
The boy’s brother made the shirt from a blue-and-white (4) bag. The bag had the name Messi and number 10 written on the back.
The (5) spread quickly on the Internet. Eventually, Messi himself heard about the boy and sent him a soccer ball and signed jerseys.
The story seemed to have a happy ending.
生詞/短語
ScalersTalk ID:scalerstalk本微信公眾號作者Scalers，遊走在口譯世界的IT從業者。微信公眾號ScalersTalk，微博@Scalers，網站ScalersTalk.com，口譯100小時訓練計劃群C 456036104
成長會是由Scalers發起的面向成長、實踐行動，且凝聚了來自全球各地各行各業從業者的社群。有意入會者請和Scalers直接聯繫，我和其他會員會和你直接交流關於成長行動等各方面的經驗教訓。2016年成長會持續招募中，參見做能說會寫的持續行動者：ScalersTalk成長會2016年會員計劃介紹(2016.3更新)