【填空答案】
- patternbook: 样书
- substantial: adj. large enough in amount or number to be noticeable or to have an important effect 大量的;重大的;有重要影响力的
- inprint: printed in a book, newspaper etc 已印出来,已发表出来
- invaluable: adj. extremely useful 极有价值的
- historian: n. [C]someone who studies or writes about history 历史学家,史学工作者
- restore: v. to repair an old building, piece of furniture, or painting etc so that it is in its original condition 修复(建筑物、家具、画作等)
- reprint: v. an act of printing a book again because all the copies of it have been sold 再版,重印
【听力原文】
In today's class we'll be examining some nineteenth-century pattern books that were used for building houses. I think it's fair to say that these pattern books were the most important influence on the design of North American houses during the nineteenth century. This was because most people who wanted to build a house couldn't afford to hire an architect. Instead, they bought a pattern book, picked out a plan, and took it to the builder. The difference in cost was substantial. In 1870, for example, hiring an architect would've cost about a hundred dollars. At the same time, a pattern book written by an architect cost only five dollars. At that price, it's easy to see why pattern books were so popular. Some are back in print again today, and of course they cost a lot more than they did a hundred years ago. But they're an invaluable resource for historians, and also for people who restore old houses. I have a modern reprint here that I'll be passing around the room in a moment so that everyone can have a look.