[ti:Lesson 8  A famous Monastery]
[ar:新概念英语英音版]
[al:新概念英语]
[00:00]Lesson 8  A famous Monastery
[00:15.91]The Great St Bernard Pass connects Switzerland to Italy.
[00:21.09] At 2470 metres, it is the highest mountain pass in Europe.
[00:28.55]The famous monastery of St Bernard, which was founded in the eleventh century, lies about a mile away.
[00:37.37]For hundreds of years, St Bernard dogs have saved the lives of travellers crossing the dangerous Pass.
[00:44.84]These friendly dogs, which were first brought from Asia, were used as watch-dogs even in Roman times.
[00:53.08]Now that a tunnel has been built through the mountains, the Pass is less dangerous, but each year,
[00:59.96]the dogs are still sent out into the snow whenever a traveller is in difficulty.
[01:06.68]Despite the new tunnel, there are still a few people who rashly attempt to cross the Pass on foot.
[01:15.82]During the summer months, the monastery is very busy,for it is visited by thousands of people who cross the Pass in cars,
[01:25.64]As there are so many people about, the dogs have to be kept in a special enclosure.
[01:32.15]In winter, however, life at the monastery is quite different.
[01:37.32]The temperature drops to -30 and very few people attempt to cross the Pass.
[01:45.36]The monks Prefer winter to summer for they have more privacy.
[01:50.54]The dogs have greater freedom, too,for they are allowed to wander outside their enclosure.
[01:58.02]The only regular visitors to the monastery in winter are parties of skiers who go there at Christmas and Easter.
[02:06.25]These young people, who love the peace of the mountains, always receive a warm Welcome at St Bernard's monastery.