y true friend was her diary. She said, “I don’t want to set down a
series of facts in a diary as most people do, but I want this diary
itself to be my friend, and I shall call my friend Kitty.” Now read
how she felt after being in the hiding place since July 1942.
在第二次世界大战期间,安妮住在荷兰的阿姆斯特丹。她一家人都是犹太人,所以他们不得不躲藏起来,否则就会被德国的纳粹分子抓去。她和她的家人躲藏了25个月之后才被发现。在那段时期,她的日记成了她唯一忠实的朋友。她说:“我不愿像大多数人那样在日记中记流水账。我要把我的日记当作自己的朋友,我把我的这个朋友叫做基蒂。”现在,来看看安妮自1942年7月起躲进藏身处后的那种心情吧。
Thursday 15, June, 1944
Dear kitty,
I wonder if it’s because I haven’t been
able to be outdoors for so long that I’ve grown so crazy about
everything to do with nature. I can well remember that there was a
time when a deep blue sky, the song of the birds, moonlight and
flowers could never have kept me spellbound. That’s changed since I
was here.
For example, when it was so warm, I stayed awake on
purpose until half past eleven one evening in order to have a good
look at the moon for once by myself. But as the moon gave far too
much light, I didn’t dare open a window. Another time some months
ago, I happened to be upstairs one evening when the window was
open. I didn’t go downstairs until the window had to be shut. The
dark, rainy evening, the wind, the thundering clouds held me
entirely in their power; it was the first time in a year and a half
that I’d seen the night face to face…
Sadly…I am only able to look at nature
through dirty curtains hanging before very dusty windows. It’s no
pleasure looking through these any longer because nature is one
thing that really must be experienced.
Yours,
Anne
1944年6月15日,星期四
亲爱的基蒂:
我不知道这是不是因为我太久无法出门的缘故,我变得对一切与大自然有关的事物都无比狂热。我记得非常清楚,以前,湛蓝的天空、鸟儿的歌唱、月光和鲜花,从未令我心迷神往过。自从我来到这里之后,这一切都变了。
比如说,有一天晚上天气很暖和,我故意熬到晚上11点半都不睡觉,为的就是能独自好好地看看月亮。但是因为月光太亮了,我都不敢打开窗户。还有一次,就在五个月以前的一个晚上,我碰巧在楼上,窗户是开着的,我一直呆到非关窗不可的时候才下楼去。漆黑的雨夜,刮着大风,电闪雷鸣,乌云滚滚,我完全被这种景象镇住了。这是我一年半以来第一次亲眼目睹的夜晚……
不幸的是……我只能透过那满是灰尘的窗帘下那脏兮兮的窗户看看大自然。只能隔着窗户看那大自然实在没意思,因为大自然是需要真正体验的东西。
你的安妮
Reading and listening
读与听
1)
Read the letter that Lisa wrote to Miss
Wang of Radio for Teenagers and predict what Miss Wang will say.
After listening, check and discuss her advice.
Dear Miss Wang,
I am having some trouble with my classmates at the moment. I’m
getting along well with a boy in my class. We often do homework
together and we enjoy helping each other. We have become really
good friends. But other students have started gossiping. They say
that this boy and I have fallen in love. This has made me angry. I
don’t want to end the friendship, but I hate others gossiping. What
should I do?
Yours,
Lisa
1
读读琳达为青少年写给电台王小组的这封信,然后王小姐可能会怎么说。听完录音之后,核对并讨论她的建议。
亲爱的王小姐:
现在我同班上的同学有些麻烦事。我跟我们班里的一位男同学一直相处的很好。我们常常一起做家庭作业,而且很乐意互相帮助。我们成了真正好朋友。可是,其他同学却在背后议论起来,他们说我和这位男同学在谈恋爱,这使我很生气。我不想中断这段友谊,但是,我又讨厌人家背后说闲话。我该怎么办呢?
你的莉萨
Reading and writing
Miss Wang has received a letter from Xiaodong. He is also asking
for some advice. Read the letter on the right carefully and help
Miss Wang answer it.
王小姐收到小冬的一封来信。小冬是要征求一些意见。仔细阅读右边的信,然后帮王
www.jinyilai.cn小姐回复。
Dear Miss Wang,
I’m a student from Huzhou Senior High School. I have a problem. I’m
not very good at communicating with people. Although I try to talk
to my classmates, I still find it hard to make good friends with
them. So I feel quite lonely sometimes. I do want to change this
situation, but I don’t know how. I would be grateful if you could
give me some advice.
Yours,
Xiaodong
亲爱的王小姐:
我是湖州高中的一名学生,我有一个难题,我不大善于与人们交际。虽然我试着和班上的同学交谈,但是,我还是很难跟他们成为好朋友。因此,有时候我感到十分的孤独。我确实想改变这种现状,但是我却不知道怎么办。如果您能给我提些建议,我会非常感谢的。
你的小东
2
Decide which are the best ideas and put them into an
order. Then write down your advice and explain how it will help.
Each idea can make one paragraph. The following sample and the
expressions may help you
Dear Xiaodong,
I’m sorry you are having trouble in making friends. However, the
situation is easy to change if you follow my advice. Here are some
tips to help you.
First, why not…?
If you do this,…
Secondly, you could / can …
Then / That way, …
Thirdly, it would be a good idea if …
By doing this, …
I hope you will find these ideas useful.
Yours
Miss Wang
2
决定哪些是最好并把它们按顺序组织起来。然后把你的建议写出来,并解释它为什么会有所帮助。每个想法可以自成一个段落。下面的例子和表达可能对你有所帮助。
亲爱的小冬:
很遗憾听说你在交朋友的过程中遇到了困难。但是,如果你听听我的建议,这种情况是很容易改变的。这些建议会对你有所帮助。
第一,为什么不……呢?
如果你这样做……
第二,你可以……
这样的话……
第三,如果……那将是个不错的主意。
通过做……
我希望你会发现这些想法对你有所帮助。
你的王小姐
LEARNING TIP 学习建议
It’s a good habit for you to keep a diary. It can help you remember
past events. You can express your feelings and thoughts in it. It
will help you improve your English if you write your diary in
English. Why not have a try?
写日记对你来说是一个好习惯。它可以帮你记住一些过去发生的事件。你还可以在日记中表达你的情感和思想。如果你用英语写日记的话,还可以帮助你提高英语水平。为什么不试一试呢?
第二单元
Reading
THE ROAD TO MODERN ENGLISH
At the end of the 16th century, about five to seven million people
spoke English. Nearly all of them lived in England. Later in the
next century, people from England made voyages to conquer other
parts of the world and because of that, English began to be spoken
in many other countries. Today, more people speak English as their
first, second or foreign language than ever before.
通向现代英语之路
在16世纪末,大约有五至七百万人讲英语。几乎所有这些讲英语的人都住在英格兰。在其后的一个世纪中,英格兰人为征服世界航海到了世界其他一些地方,结果世界的其他地方的人们也开始说英语了。今天,把英语作为自己的第一语言、第二语言或外语来使用的人比以往任何时候都多。
Native English speakers can understand each
other even if they don’t speak the same kind of English. Look at
this example:
British Betty: Would you like to see my flat?
American Amy: Yes, I’d like to come up to your apartment.
以英语作为母语的人,即使他们所讲不是同一种英语,他们也能彼此听懂。请看看这个例子:
英国人贝蒂:来看看我的公寓吗?
美国人艾米:好的,我来看看你的公寓吧。
So why has English changed over time? Actually all languages change
and develop when cultures meet and communicate with each other. At
first the English spoken in England between about AD 450 and 1150
was very different from the English spoken today. It was based more
on German than the English we speak at present. Then gradually
between about AD 800 and 1150, English became less like German
because those who ruled England spoken first Danish and later
French. These new settlers enriched the English language and
especially its vocabulary. So by the 1600’s Shakespeare was able to
make use of a wider vocabulary than ever before. In 1620 some
British settlers moved to America. Later in the 18th century some
British people were taken to Australia too. English began to be
spoken in both countries.
那么,随着时间的推移英语为什么发生了变化呢?实际上,当不同文化相互交流渗透时,所有的语言都会有所发展和变化。开始,英格兰人在大约公元450年到1150年之间所说的英语与我们今天所说的英语很不一样。当时的英语更多的是以德语为基础的,不像我们现在说的英语。后来,大约在公元800年至1150年之间,英语慢慢变得不那么像德语,因为统治英格兰的那些人开始是说丹麦语,后来说法语。这些新来的定居者丰富了英语语言,尤其是丰富了英语词汇。所以到17世纪初的时候,莎士比亚能够得以使用比以往任何时候都丰富的词汇。1620年一些英国定居者来到了美洲,后来到了18世纪的时候,一些英国人还被带到了澳大利亚。英语也就开始在这两个国家使用。
Finally by the 19th century the language was settled. At that time
two big changes in English spelling happened: first Samuel Johnson
wrote his dictionary and later Noah Webster wrote The American
Dictionary of the English Language. The latter gave a separate
identity to American English spelling.
最后到19世纪的时候,英语这种语言就变得稳定了。当时,英语的拼写发生了两个很大的变化:先是塞缪尔•约翰逊编写了他的英语词典,后是诺亚•韦伯斯特出版了《美国英语词典》。后者使得美式英语的拼写有了其独特的个性。
English now is also spoken as a foreign or second language in South
Asia. For example, India has a very large number of fluent English
speakers because Britain ruled India from 1765 to 1947. During that
time English became the language for government and education.
English is also spoken in Singapore and Malaysia and countries in
Africa such as South Africa. Today the number of people learning
English in China is increasing rapidly. In fact, China may have the
largest number of English learners. Will Chinese English develop
its own identity? Only time will tell.
现在英语在南亚地区也被作为外语或第二语言使用。比如,印度就有很多人说英语说得很流利,因为在1765年到1947年之间英国统治着印度。在此期间,英语成了印度政府和教育所用的语言。在新加坡和马来西亚以及像非洲的南非,人们现在也说英语。当今,在中国学英语的人数正在快速增加,事实上,中国可能是学英语人数最多的国家。中国式英语是否也能发展成一种具有自己独特个性的语言?这还有待时间去证明。
STANDARD ENGLISH AND DIALECTS
What is standard English? Is it spoken in Britain, the US, Canada,
Australia, India and New Zealand? Believe it or not, there is no
such thing as standard English. Many people believe the English
spoken on TV and the radio is standard English. This is because in
the early days of radio, those who reported the news were expected
to speak excellent English. However, on TV and the radio you will
hear differences in the way people speak.
When people use words and expressions different form “standard
language”, it is called a dialect. American English has many
dialects, especially the midwestern, southern, African American and
Spanish dialects. Even in some parts of the USA, two people from
neighbouring towns speak a little differently. American English has
so many dialects because people have come from all over the
world.
Geography also plays a part in making dialects. Some people who
live in the mountains of the eastern USA speak with an older kind
of English dialect. When Americans moved form one place to another,
they took their dialects with them. So people from the mountains in
the southeastern USA speak with almost the same dialect as people
in the northwestern USA. The USA is a large country in which many
different dialects are spoken. Although many Americans move a lot,
they still recognize and understand each other’s dialects.
什么是标准英语?是在英国、美国、加拿大、澳大利亚、印度、新西兰所说的英语吗?信不信由你,(世界上)没有什么标准英语。许多人认为,电视和收音机里所说的英语就是标准英语,这是因为在早期的电台节目里,人们期望新闻播音员所说的英语是最好的英语。然而,在电视和收音机里,你也会听出
人们在说话时的差异。
当人们使用不同于“标准语言”的词语和表达时,那就叫做方言。美国英语有许多方言,特别是中西部地区和南部地区的方言,以及美国黑人和西班牙人的方言。即使在美国有些地区,两个相邻城镇的人所说的方言也可能稍有不同。美国英语之所以有这么多的方言是因为美国人是来自世界各地的缘故。
地理位置对方言的形成也有所影响。住在美国东部山区的一些人说着比较古老的英语方言。当美国人从一个地方搬到另一个地方时,他们也就把他们的方言随着带去了。因此,美国东南部山区的人同美国西北部的人所说的方言就几乎相同。美国是一个大国,有着许许多多彼此不同的方言。虽然许多美国人经常搬家,但是他们仍然能够辨别和理解彼此的方言。
Reading and speaking
读与说
1
Amy and her American friends are visiting London.
They plan to visit Amy’s aunt and decide to go there by
underground, but cannot find the nearest underground station. So
she asks directions and then tells her friends. Read the dialogue
and circle the words that mean the same.
1
艾米和她的美国朋友正在参观伦敦。她们计划去拜访艾米的姑妈,并决定乘地铁去,但是她们找不到最近的地铁站。所以她问问了路,然后告诉她的朋友。读对话,然后圈出意思相同的词。
AMY: Excuse me, Ma’ma. Could you tell me where the nearest subways
is?
LADY: Er...the underground? Well, go round the corner on your
left-hand side, straight on and cross two streets. It’ll be on your
right-hand side.
AMY: Thanks so much.
FRIENDS: What did she say, Amy?
AMY: She told us to go around the corner on the left and keep going
straight for two blocks. The subway will be on our right.
艾米:对不起,夫人,你能告诉我去最近的地铁站怎么走吗?
夫人:呃……地铁?哦,往左边拐过去,一直往前走,走过两条街,地铁就是右边。
艾米:多谢了。
朋友:艾米,她说什么?
艾米:她叫我们往左边拐过去,一直往前走,走过两条街,地铁就是右边。
【意思相同的词】
subway←→underground (地铁)
right-hand side←→right (右边)
street←→block 街道,街区
第三单元
Travel journal
JOURNEY DOWN THE MEKONG
PART 1 THE DREAM AND THE PLAN
My name is Wang Kun. Ever since middle school, my sister Wang Wei
and I have dreamed about taking a great bike trip. Two years ago
she bought an expensive mountain bike and then she persuaded me to
buy one. Last year, she visited our cousins, Dao Wei and Yu Hang at
their college in Kunming. They are Dai and grew up in western
Yunnan Province near the Lancang River, the Chinese part of the
river that is called the Mekong River in other countries. Wang Wei
soon got them interested in cycling too. After graduating from
college.we finally got the chance to take a bike trip. I asked my
sister, 'Where are we going?' It was my sister who first had the
idea to cycle along the entire Mekong River from where it begins to
where it ends. Now she is planning our schedule for the trip.
I am fond of my sister but she has one serious shortcoming. She can
be really stubborn. Although she didn't know the best way of
getting to places, she insisted that she organize the trip
properly. Now, I know that the proper way is always her way. I kept
asking her, 'When are we leaving and when are we coming back?' I
asked her whether she had looked at a map yet. Of course, she
hadn't; my sister doesn't care about details. So I told her that
the source of the Mekong is in Qinghai Province. She gave me a
determined look—the kind that said she would not change her mind.
When I told her that our journey would begin at an altitude of more
than 5,000 metres, she seemed to be excited about it. When I told
her the air would be hard to breathe and it would be very cold, she
said it would be an interesting experience. I know my sister well.
Once she has made up her mind, nothing can change it. Finally, I
had to give in.
Several months before our trip,Wang Wei and I went to the
library. We found a large atlas with good maps that showed details
of world geography. From the atlas we could see that the Mekong
River begins in a glacier on a Tibetan mountain. At first the river
is small and the water is clear and cold. Then it begins to move
quickly. It becomes rapids as it passes through deep valleys,
travelling across western Yunnan Province. Sometimes the river
becomes a waterfall and enters wide valleys. We were both surprised
to learn that half of the river is in China. After it leaves China
and the high altitude,the Mekong becomes wide,brown and warm. As it
enters Southeast Asia, its pace slows. It makes wide bends or
meanders through low valleys to the plains where rice grows. At
last, the river delta enters the South China Sea.
沿湄公河而下的旅行
第一部分 梦想与计划
我的名字叫王坤。从高中起,我姐姐和我就一直梦想作一次伟大的自行车旅行。两年前,她买了一辆价钱昂贵的山地自行车,然后她还说服我也买了一辆。去年她去看望了我们的表兄弟—在昆明读大学的刀伟和宇航。他们是傣族人,在云南省西部靠近澜沧江的地方长大,湄公河在中国境内的这一段叫澜沧江,流经其他国家后就叫湄公河。很快,王薇使表兄弟也对骑车旅行产生了兴趣。到大学毕业后,我们终于有了作一次骑车旅行的机会。我问姐姐:“我们要去哪里?”首先想到要沿湄公河从源头到终点骑车旅行的是我的姐姐。现在,她正为这次旅行制订计划。
我很喜欢我姐姐,但是她有一个严重的缺点,她有时确实很固执。尽管她对到某些地方的最佳路线并不清楚,她却坚持要把这次旅行安排的尽善尽美。现在我知道了这个尽善尽美的方式总是她的方式。我老是问她:“我们什么时候动身?什么时候回来?”我问她是否已经看过地图。当然她并没有看过,我的姐姐是不会考虑细节的。于是我告诉她湄公河的源头在青海省。她给了我一个坚定的眼神—这种眼神表明她是不会改变主意的。当我告诉她我们的旅行将从5000多米的的高地出发时,她似乎显得很兴奋。当我告诉她那里空气稀薄,呼吸会很困难,而且天气会很冷时,她却说这将是一次很有趣的经历。我非常了解我的姐姐,她一旦下了决心,就什么也不能使她改变。最后,我只好让步了。
在我们旅行前的几个月,王薇和我去了图书馆。我们找到了一本大型的地图册,里面有一些世界地理的明细图。我们从图上可以看到,湄公河源于西藏一座山上的冰川。起初,河很小,河水清澈而冷冽,然后它开始快速流动。它穿过深谷时就变成了急流。流经云南西部。有时,这条河形成瀑布进入宽阔的峡谷。我们惊奇的发现这条河有一半是在中国境内。当流出中国,流出高地后,湄公河就变宽,变暖了。河水也变成了黄褐色。而当它进入东南亚以后,流速减慢,河水变宽慢慢地穿过低谷,到了长着稻谷的平原。最后,湄公河三角洲的各支流流入中国南海。
Reading and discussing
JOURNEY DOWN THE MEKONG
PART 2 A NIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS
Although it was autumn, the snow was already beginning to fall in
Tibet. Our legs were so heavy and cold that they felt like blocks
of ice. Have you ever seen snowmen ride bicycles? That's what we
looked like! Along the way children dressed in long wool coats
stopped to look at us. In the late afternoon we found it was so
cold that our water bottles froze. However, the lakes shone like
glass in the setting sun and looked wonderful. Wang Wei rode in
front of me as usual. She is very reliable and I knew I didn't need
to encourage her. To climb the mountains was hard work but as we
looked around us, we were surprised by the view. We seemed to be
able to see for miles. At one point we were so high that we found
ourselves cycling through clouds. Then we began going down the
hills. It was great fun especially as it gradually became much
warmer. In the valleys colorful
butterflies flew
around us and we saw many yaks and sheep eating green grass. At
this point we had to change our caps, coats, gloves and trousers
for T-shirts and shorts.
In the early evening we always stop to make camp. We put up our
tent and then we eat. After supper Wang Wei put her head down on
her pillow and went to sleep but I stayed awake. At midnight the
sky became clearer and the stars grew brighter. It was so quiet.
There was almost no wind-only the flames of our fire for company.
As I lay beneath the stars I thought about how far we had already
travelled.
We will reach Dali in Yunnan Province soon, where our cousins Dao
Wei and Yu Hang will join us. We can hardly wait to see them!
Unit 4 Earthquakes
A NIGHT THE EARTH DIDN'T SLEEP
Strange things were happening in the countryside of northeast
Hebei.For three days the water in the village wells rose and fell,
rose and fell. Farmers noticed that the well walls had deep cracks
in them. A smelly gas came out of the cracks. In the farmyards, the
chickens and even the pigs were too nervous to eat. Mice ran out of
the fields looking for places to hide. Fish jumped out of their
bowls and ponds. At about 3:00 am on July 28,1976,some people saw
bright lights in the sky. The sound of planes could be heard
outside the city of Tangshan even when no planes were in the sky.
In the city, the water pipes in some buildings cracked and burst.
but the one million people of the city, who thought little of these
events, were asleep as usual that night.
At 3:42 am everything began to shake. It seemed as if the world was
at an end! Eleven kilometers directly below the city the greatest
earthquake of the 20th century had begun. It was felt in Beijing,
which is more than two hundred kilometers away. One-third
of the nation felt it. A huge crack that was eight kilometres long
and thirty metres wide cut across houses, roads and canals. Steam
burst from holes in the ground. Hard hills of rock became rivers of
dir. In fifteen terrible seconds a large city lay in ruins. The
suffering of the people was extreme. Two-thirds of them died or
were left without parents. The number of people who were killed or
injured reached more than 400,000.
But how could the survivors believe it was natural? Everywhere they
looked nearly everything was destroyed. All of the city's
hospitals,75%of its factories and buildings and 90% of its homes
were gone. Bricks covered the ground like red autumn leaves. No
wind, however, could blow them away. Two dams fell and most of the
bridges also fell or were not safe for travelling. The railway
tracks were now useless pieces of steel.Tens of thousands of cows
would never give milk again. Half a million oigs and millions of
chickens were dead.Sand now filled the wells instead of
water.People were shocked.Then,later that afternoon,another big
quake which was almost as strong as the first one shook
Tangshan.Some of the rescue workers and doctors were trapped under
the ruins.More buildings fell down.Water,food,and electricity were
hard to get.people begab to wonder how long the disaster would
last.
All hope was not lost.Soon after the quakes,the army sent 150,000
soldiers to Tangshan to help the rescue workers.Hundreds of
thousands of people were helped.The army organized teams to dig out
those who were trapped and to bury the dead.To the north of the
city,most of the 10,000 miners were rescued from the coal mines
there.Workers built shelters for survivors whose homes had been
destroyed.Fresh water was taken to the city bu train,truck and
plane.Slowly,the city began to breathe again.
Office of the City Government
Tangshan,Hebei
China
July5,2007
Dear____,
Congratulations!We are pleased to tell you that you have won the
high school speaking competition about new Tangshan. Your speech
was heard by a group of five judges, all of whom agreed that it was
the best one this year. Your parents and your school should be very
proud of you!
Next month the city will open a new park to honour those who died
in the terrible disaster. The park will also honour those who
helped the survivors. Our office would like to have you speak to
the park vistors on July 28 at 11:00 am. As you know,this is the
day the quake happened thirty-____years ago.
We invite you to bring your family and friends on that special
day.
Sincerely,
Zhang Sha
Unit 5
ELIAS’ STORY
My name is Elias. I am a poor black worker in South Africa. The
time when I first met Nelson Mandela was a very difficult period of
my life. I was twelve years old. It was in 1952 and Mandela was the
black lawyer to whom I went for advice. He offered guidance to poor
black people on their legal problems. He was generous with his
time, for which I was grateful.
I needed his help because I had very little education. I began
school at six. The school where I studied for only two years was
three kilometers away. I had to leave because my family could not
continue to pay the school fees and the bus fare. I could not read
or write well. After trying hard, I got a job in a gold mine.
However, this was a time when one had got to have a passbook to
live in Johannesburg. Sadly I did not have it because I was not
born there, and I worried about whether I would become out of
work.
The day when Nelson Mandela helped me was one of my happiest. He
told my how to get the correct papers so I could stay in
Johannesburg. I became more hopeful about my future. I never forgot
how kind Mandela was. When he organized the ANC Youth League, I
joined it as soon as I could. He said:
“The last thirty years have seen the greatest number of laws
stopping our rights and progress, until today we have reached a
stage where we have almost no rights at all.”
It was the truth. Black people could not vote or choose their
leaders. They could not get the jobs they wanted. The parts of town
in which they had to live were decided by white people. The places
outside the towns where they were sent to live were the poorest
parts of South Africa. No one could grow food there. In fact as
Nelson Mandela said:
“…we were put into a position in which we had either to accept we
were less important or fight the government. We chose to attack the
laws. We first broke the law in a way which was peaceful; when this
was not allowed…only then did we decide to answer violence with
violence.
As a matter of fact, I do not like violence…but in 1963 I helped
him blow up some government buildings. It was very dangerous
because if I was caught I could be put in prison. But I was happy
to help because I knew it would help us achieve our dream of making
black and white people equal.
THE REST OF ELIAS' STORY
You cannot imagine how the name of Robben Island made us afraid. It
was a prison from which no one escaped. There I spent the hardest
time of my life. But when I got there Nelsom Mandela was also there
and he helped me. Mr Mandela began a school for those of us who had
little learning. He taught us during the lunch breaks and the
evenings when we should have been asleep. We read books under our
blankets and used anything we could find to make candles to see the
words. I became a good student. I wanted to study for my degree but
I was not allowed to do that. Later, Mr Mandela allowed the prison
guards to join us. He said they should not be stopped from studying
for their degrees. They were not cleverer than me , but they did
pass their exams. So I knwe I could get a degree too. That made me
feel good about myself.
When I finished the four years in prison, I went to find a job.
Since I was better educated, I got a job working in an office.
However, the police found out and told my boss that I had been in
prinson for blowing up government buildings. So I lost my job. I
did not work again for twenty years until M r Mandela and the ANC
came to power in 1994. All that time my wife and children had to
beg for good and help from relatives or friends. Luckily Mr Mandela
remembered me and gave me a job taking tourists around my old
prison on Robben Islannd. I felt bad the first time I talked to a
group. All the terror and fear of that time came back to me. I
remembered the beatings and the cruelty of the guards and my
friends who had died. I felt I would not be able to do it, but my
family encouraged me. They said that the job and the pay from the
new South African government were my reward after working all my
life for equal rights for the Blacks. So now at 51 I am proud to
show visitors over the prison, for I helped to make our people free
in their own land.
必修2 unit1
IN SEARCH OF THE AMBER ROOM
Frederick William Ⅰ,the King of Prussia , could never have imagined
that his greatest gift to the Russian people would have such an
amazing history . This gift was the Amber Room , which was given
this name because several tons of amber were used to make it . The
amber which was selected had a beautiful yellow-brown colour like
honey . The design of the room was in the fancy style popular in
those days . It was also a treasure decorated with gold and jewels
, which took the country's best artists about ten years to make
.
In fact , the room was not made to be a gift . It was designed for
the palace of Frederick Ⅰ. However, the next King of Prussia ,
Frederick William Ⅰ,to whom the amber room belonged, decided not to
keep it. In 1716 he gave it to Peter the Great. In return , the
Czar sent him a troop of his best soldiers. So the Amber Room
because part of the Czar's winter palace in St Petersburg.About
four metres long, the room served as a small reception hall for
important visitors .
Later,Catherine Ⅱ had the Amber Room moved to a palace outside St
Petersburg where she spent her summers. She told her artists to add
more details to it .In 1770 the room was completed the way she
wanted . Almost six hundred candles lit the room ,and its mirrors
and pictures shone like gold. Sadly , although the Amber Room was
considered one of the wonders of the world , it is now missing
.
In September 1941, the Nazi army was near St Petersburg . This was
a time when the two countries were at war . Before the Nazis could
get to the summer palace , the Russians were able to remove some
furniture and small art objects from the Amber Room . However ,
some of the Nazis secretly stole the room itself . In less than two
days 100,000 pieces were put inside twenty-seven woooden boxs .
There is no doubt that the boxs were then put on a train for
Konigsberg, which was at that time a German city on the Baltic Sea
. After that, what happened to the Amber Room remains a mystery
.
Recently , the Russians and Germans have built a new Amber Room at
the summer palace . By studying old photos of the former Amber Room
, they have made the new one look like the old one .In 2003 it was
ready for the people of St Petersburg when they celebrated the
300th birthday of their city .
A FACT OR AN OPINION?
What is a fact? Is it something that people believe? No. A fact is
anything that can be proved. For example, it can be proved that
China has more people than any other country in the world. This is
a fact.
Then what is an opinion? An opinion is what someone believes is
true but has not been proved. So an opinion is not good evidence in
a trial. For example, it is an opinion if you say “Cats are better
pets than dogs”. It may be true, but it is difficult to prove. Some
people may not agree with this opinion but they also cannot prove
that they are right.
In a trial, a judge must decide which eyewitnesses to believe and
which not to believe. The judge does not consider what each
eyewitness looks like or where that person lives or works. He/she
only cares about whether the eyewitness has given true information,
which must be facts rather than opinions. This kind of information
is called evidence.
Unit 2
AN INTERVIEW
Pausanias, who was a Greek writer about 2,000 years ago, has come
on a magical journey on March 18th 2007 to find out about the
present-day Olympic Games. He is now interviewing Li Yan, a
volunteer for the 2008 Olympic Games.
P: My name is Pausanias. I lived in what you call “Ancient Greece”
and I used to write about the Olympic Games a long time ago. I’ve
come to your time to find out about the present-day Olympic Games
because I know that in 2004 they were held in my homeland. May I
ask you some questions about the modern Olympics?
L: Good heavens! Have you really come from so long ago? But of
course you can ask any questions you like. What would you like to
know?
P: How often do you hold your Games?
L: Every four years. There are two main sets of Games-the Winter
and Summer Olympics, and both are held every four years on a
regular basis. The Winter Olympics are usually held two years
before the Summer Games. Only athletes who have reached the agreed
standard for their event will be admitted as competitors. They may
come from anywhere in the world.
P: Winter Games? How can the runners enjoy competing in winter? And
what about the horses?
L: Oh no! There are no running races or horse riding events.
Instead there are competitions like skiing and ice skating which
need snow and ice. That’s why they’re called the Winter Olympics.
It’s in the Summer Olympics that you have the running races,
together with swimming, sailing and all the team sports.
P: I see. Earlier you said that athletes are invited from all over
the world. Do you mean the Greek world? Our Greek cities used to
compete against each other just for the honour of winning. No other
countries could join in, nor could slaves or women!
L: Nowadays any country can take part if their athletes are good
enough. There are over 250 sports and each on has its own standard.
Women are not only allowed, but play a very important role in
gymnastics, athletics, team sports and …
P: Please wait a minute! All those events, all those countries and
even women taking part! Where are all the athletes housed?
L: For each Olympics, a special village is built for them to live
in, a main reception building, several stadiums for competitions,
and a gymnasium as well.
P: That sounds very expensive. Does anyone want to host the Olympic
Games?
L: As a matter of fact, every country wants the opportunity. It’s a
great responsibility but also a great honour to be chosen. There’s
as much competition among countries to host the Olympics as to win
Olympic medals. The 2008 Olympics will be held in Beijing, China.
Did you know that?
P: Oh yes! You must be very proud.
L: Certainly. And after that the 2012 Olympics will be held in
London. They have already started planning for it. A new village
for the athletes and all the stadiums will be built to the east of
London. New medals will be designed of course and …
P: Did you say medals? So even the olive wreath has been replaced!
Oh dear! Do you compete for prize money too?
L: No, we don’t. it’s still all about being able to run faster,
jump higher and throw further. That’s the motto of the Olympics,
you know-“Swifter, Higher and Stronger.”
P: Well, that’s good news. How interesting! Thank you so much for
your time.
THE STORY OF ATLANTA
Atlanta was a Greek princess. She was very beautiful and could run
faster than any man in Greece. But she was not allowed to run and
win glory for herself in the Olympic Games. She was so angry that
she said to her father that she would not marry anyone who could
not run faster than her. Her father said that she must marry, so
Atlanta made a bargain with him. She said to him,'These are my
rules. When a man says he wants to marry me, I will run against
him. If he cannot run as fast as me, he will be killed. No one will
be pardoned.'
Many kings and princes wanted to marry Atlanta, but when they heard
of rules they knew it was hopeless. So many of them sadly went
home, but others stayed to run the race. There was a man called
Hippomenes who was amazed when he heard of Atlanta's rules,'Why are
these men so foolish?' he thought. 'Why will they let themselves be
killed because they cannot run as fast as this princess?' However,
when she saw Atlanta come out of her house to run, Hippomenes
changed his mind.'I will marry Atlanta--or die!' he said.
The race started and although the man ran very fast, Atlanta ran
faster. As Hippomenes watched he thought, 'How can I run as fast as
Atlanta?' He went to ask the Greek Godness of Love for help. She
promised to help him and gave him three golden apples. She said,'
Throw an apple in front of Atlanta when she is running past. When
she stops to pick it up, you will be able to run past her and
win.'
Hippomenes took the apples and went to the King. He said,' I want
to marry Atlanta .' The King was sad to see another man die, but
Hippomenes said,' I will marry her------or die!' So the race
began.
Unit 3
WHO AM I?
Over time I have been changed quite a lot. I began as a calculating
machine in France in 1642. Although I was young I could simplify
difficult sums. I developed very slowly and it took nearly two
hundred years before I was built as an analytical machine by
Charles Babbage. After I was programmed by an operator who used
cards with holes, I could “think” logically and produce an answer
quicker than any person. At that time it was considered a
technological revolution and the start of my “artificial
intelligence”. In 1936 my real father, Alan Turing, wrote a book
about how I could be made to work as a “universal machine” to solve
any difficult mathematical problem. From then on, I grew rapidly
both in size and in brainpower. By the 1949s I had grown as large
as a room, and I wondered if I would grow any larger. However, this
reality also worried my designers. As time went by, as was make
smaller. First as a PC(personal computer) and then as a laptop, I
have been used in offices and homes since the 1970s.
These changes only became possible as my memory improved. First it
was stored in tubes, then on transistors and later on very small
chips. As a result I totally changed my shape. As I have grown
older I have also grown smaller. Over time my memory has developed
so much that, like an elephant, I never forget anything I have been
told! And my memory became so large that even I couldn’t believe
it! But I was always so lonely standing there by myself, until in
early 1960s they gave me a family connected by a network. I was
able to share my knowledge with others through the World Wide
Web.
Since the 1970s many new applications have been found for my. I
have become very important in communication, finance and trade. I
have also been put into robots and used to make mobile phones as
well as help with medical operations. I have even been put into
space rockets and sent to explore the Moon and Mars. Anyhow, my
goal is to provide humans with a life of high quality. I am now
truly filled with happiness that I am a devoted friend and helper
of the human race!
ANDY – THE ANDROID
I’m part of an android football team. About once a year we are
allowed to get together to play a game of football. I’m as big as a
human. It fact, I look like one too. On the football team I’m a
striker so I have to be able to run very fast. My computer ships
help me to move and think like a human. For example, I have learned
to signal to my teammates in computer language to give me the ball
when I am open and have a good for a goal.
My first football competition was in Nagoya, Japan several years
ago. Last year our team went to Seattle, Washington in the USA. We
won second place. Personally, I think the team that won first place
cheated. They had developed a new type of program just before the
competition. So we need to encourage our programmer to improve our
intelligence too. We are determined to create an even better
system. In a way our programmer is like our coach. She programs us
with all the possible moves she has seen while watching human
games. Then she prepares reliable moves to use if a new situation
arises. In this way I can make up new moves using my “artificial
intelligence”. I could like to play against a human team, for I
have been programmed to act just like them. After all, with the
help of my electronic brain which never forgets anything, using my
intelligence is what I’m all about!
Unit 4
HOW DAISY LEARNED TO HELP
WILDLIFE
Daisy had always longed to help endangered species of
wildlife. One day she woke up and found a flying carpet by her bed.
“Where do you want to go?” it asked. Daisy responded immediately.
“I’d like to see some endangered wildlife,” she said. “Please take
me to a distant land where I can find the animal that gave fur to
make this sweater.” At once the carpet flew away and took her to
Tibet. There daisy saw an antelope looking sad. It said, “We’re
being killed for the wool beneath our stomachs. Our fur is being
used to make sweaters for people like you. As a result, we are now
an endangered species.” At that Daisy cried, “I’m sorry I didn’t
know that. I wonder what is being done to help you. Flying carpet,
please show me a place where there’s some wildlife
protection.”
The flying carpet traveled so fast that next minute
they were in Zimbabwe. Daisy turned around and found that she was
being watched by an elephant. “Have you come to take my photo?” it
asked. In relief松了口气 Daisy burst into laughter. “Don’t laugh,” said
the elephant, “We used to be an endangered species. Farmers hunted
us without mercy. They said we destroyed their farms, and money
from tourists only went to the large tour companies. So the
government decided to help. They allowed tourists to hunt only a
certain number of animals if they paid the farmers. Now the farmers
are happy and our numbers are increasing. So good things are being
done here to save local wildlife.”
Daisy smiled, “That’s good news. It shows the
importance of wildlife protection, but I’d like to help as the WWF
suggests.” The carpet rose again and almost at once they were in a
thick rainforest. A monkey watched them as it rubbed itself. “What
are you doing?” asked Daisy. “I’m protecting myself from
mosquitoes,” it replied. When I find a millipede insect, I rub it
over my body. It contains a powerful drug which affects mosquitoes.
You should pay more attention to the rainforest where I live
and appreciate how the animals live together. No
rainforest, no animals, no drugs.”
Daisy was amazed. “Flying carpet, please take me home
so I can tell WWF and we can begin producing this new drug. Monkey,
please come and help.” The monkey agreed. The carpet flew home. As
they landed, things began to disappear. Two minutes later
everything had gone-the monkey, too. So Daisy was not able to make
her new drug. But what an experience! She had learned so much! And
there was always WWF…
P.30
ANIMAL EXTINCTION
Many animals have disappeared during the long history
of the earth.The most famous of these animals are dinosaurs.They
lived on the earth tens of millions of years ago, long before
humans came into being and their future seemed secure at that
time.
There were many different kinds of dinosaur and a
number of them used to live in China.The eggs of twenty-five
species have been found in Xixia County, Nanyang, Henan Province.
Not long ago a rare new species of bird-like dinosaur was
discovered in Chaoyang County, Liaoning Province. When scientists
inspected the bones, they were surprised to find that these
dinosaurs could not only run like the others but also climb trees.
They learned this from the way the bones were joined
together.
Dinosaurs died out suddenly about 65 million years
ago. Some scientists think it came after an
unexpected incident when a huge rock
from space hit the earth and put too much dust into the air. Others
think the earth got too hot for the dinosaurs
to live on any ore. Nobody knows for sure why and how
dinosaurs disappeared from the earth in such a short
time.
We know many other wild plants, animals, insects and
birds have died out more recently. According to a UN
report, some 844 animals and plants have
disappeared in the last 500 years. The dodo
is one of them. It lived on the Island of Mauritius and was a very
friendly animal. Please listen to a story of the dodo and how it
disappeared from the earth.
P.64.
My name is Lin Hui. I like to tell stories about
people who work together. What is even better is when countries
help each other and build a good friendship. An excellent example
of this happened when Britain and China worked together to bring
the Milu deer back to China.
The Milu deer, a species with large horns
(角), used to be common in China long ago.Like other deer they lived
together and ate grass and the soft parts of trees such as
small
branches. Milu deer were often hunted for food or sport in the
past. The Ming and Qing dynasties did not protect them and many
were killed. That is how the Milu deer disappeared from
China.
Luckily before all of them were killed,
some were taken to Britain to improve the environment of the
beautiful park which belonged to the Duke of Bedford. He liked them
so much that he took them all the way from China to Britain. The
Milu deer liked the cool, wet weather in England and their number
increased year by year. As a result, when in 1985 the government of
China wanted to reintroduce the Milu deer, the Duke of Bedford was
happy to help. The first deer came back to China to the Nanhaizi
Milu Park 20 kilometres south of Beijing and the centre in Dafeng,
Jiangsu Province.
The deer certainly seem happy to be back in
China because their numbers have grown rapidly. There are now so
many of them that a new park has been opened for them in Hubei
Province. At the moment the Milu deer live in centres where they
are being well protected and cared for. It is hoped that one day
there will be enough animals to let them live in the wild again. So
Britain helped China by bringing back an animal that had
disappeared from its homeland. This is a good example of friendship
and understanding between these two countries.
Unit 5
P.34
the band that wasn't
Have you ever wanted to be part of a band as a
famous singer or musician? Have you ever dreamed of playing in
front of thousands of people at a concert, at which everyone is
clapping and appreciating your music? Do you sing karaoke and
pretend you are a famous singer like Song Zuying or Liu Huan? To be
honest, a lot of people attach great importance to becoming rich
and famous. But just how do people form a band?
Many musicians meet and form a band because
they like to write and play their own music. They may start as a
group of high-school students, for whom practising their music in
someone's house is the first step to fame. Sometimes they may play
to passers-by in the street or subway so that they can earn some
extra money for themselves or to pay for their instruments. Later
they may give performances in pubs or clubs, for which they are
paid in cash. Of course they hope to make records in a studio and
sell millions of copies to become millionaires!
However, there was one band that started in
a different way. It was called the Monkees and began as a TV show.
The musicians were to play jokes on each other as well as play
music, most of which was based loosely on the Beatles. The TV
organizers had planned to find four musicians who could act as well
as sing. They put an advertisement in a newspaper looking for rock
musicians, but they could only find one who was good enough. They
had to use actors for the other three members of the band.
As some of these actors could not sing well
enough, they had to rely on other musicians to help them. So during
the broadcasts they just pretended to sing. Anyhow their
performances were humorous enough to be copied by other groups.
They were so popular that their fans formed clubs in order to get
more familiar with them. Each week on TV, the Monkees would play
and sing songs written by other musicians. However, after a year or
so in which they became more serious about their work, the Monkees
started to play and sing their own songs like a real band. Then
they produced their own records and started touring and playing
their own music. In the USA they became even more popular than the
Beatles and sold even more records. The band broke up about 1970,
but happily they reunited in the mid-1980s. They produced a new
record in 1996, with which they celebrated their former time as a
real band.
P. 38
Not long after Freddy and
the band became famous, they visited Britain on a brief tour. Fans
showed their devotion by waiting for hours to get tickets for their
concerts. Freddy was now quite confident when he went into a
concert hall. He enjoyed singing and all the congratulations
afterwards! His most exciting invitation was to perform on a TV
programme called 'Top of the Pops.' He had to go to London, wear an
expensive suit and give a performance to a TV camera. It felt very
strange. But as soon as the programme was over, the telephones
which were in the same room started ringing. Everybody was asking
when they could see Freddy and his band again. They were truly
stars.
Then things went wrong. Freddy and his band could
not go out anywhere without being followed. Even when they wore
sunglasses or beards people recognized them. Fans found them even
when they went into the toilet. They tried to hide in the reading
rooms of libraries, but it was useless. Someone was always there!
Their personal life was regularly discussed by people who did not
know them but talked as if they were close friends. At last feeling
very upset and sensitive, Freddy and his band realized that they
must leave the country before it became too painful for them. So
they left Britain, to which they were never to return, and went
back to the lake.
P. 73
英语必修2 Unit 5 Music-Reading Task
CAT'S IN THE CRADLE
by Harry Chapin and Sandy
Chapin
Part 1
My child arrived just the other day;
He came to the world in the usual way,
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay,
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking before I knew it,
And as he grew he'd say:
'l'm going to be like you, dad,
You know I'm going to be like you.'
Chorus
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
'When you coming home, dad?'
'I don't know when,
But we’ll get together then,
You know we'll have a good time then.'
Part2
My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, 'Thanks for the ball, dad, come on, let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?”
I said, 'Not today, I've got a lot to do.'
He said, 'That's OK.'
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed;
He said I'm going to be like him, yeah.
You know I'm going to be like him. (Chorus)
Part3
Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man, I just had to say,
'Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?”
He shook his head and said with a smile,
'What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later, can I have them please?” (Chorus)
Part4
I've long since retired, my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, “I’d like to see you if you don't mind.'
He said, 'I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time.
You see, my new job's a worry and the kids have the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.
It's sure been nice talking to you.'
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.
CAT'S IN THE CRADLE
by Harry Chapin and Sandy
Chapin
Part 1
My child arrived just the other day;
He came to the world in the usual way,
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay,
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking before I knew it,
And as he grew he'd say:
'l'm going to be like you, dad,
You know I'm going to be like you.'
Chorus
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
'When you coming home, dad?'
'I don't know when,
But we’ll get together then,
You know we'll have a good time then.'
Part2
My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, 'Thanks for the ball, dad, come on, let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?”
I said, 'Not today, I've got a lot to do.'
He said, 'That's OK.'
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed;
He said I'm going to be like him, yeah.
You know I'm going to be like him. (Chorus)
Part3
Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man, I just had to say,
'Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?”
He shook his head and said with a smile,
'What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later, can I have them please?” (Chorus)
Part4
I've long since retired, my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, “I’d like to see you if you don't mind.'
He said, 'I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time.
You see, my new job's a worry and the kids have the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.
It's sure been nice talking to you.'
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.
必修3 unit1
Festivals and celebrations
Festivals and celebrations of all kinds have been held everywhere
since ancient times.Most ancient festivals would celebrate the end
of cold weather,planting in spring and harvest in autumn.Sometimes
celebratewould be held after hunters had caught animals.At that
time people would starve if food was difficult to find,especially
during the cold winter months.Today’s festivals have many origins
,some religious,some seasonal, and some for special people or
events.
Festivals of the Dead
Some festivals are held to honour the dead or to satisfy the
ancestors,who might return either to help or to do harm.For the
Japanese festival.Obon,people should go to clean graves and light
incense in memory of their ancestors.They also light lamps and play
music because they think that this will lead the ancestors back to
earth.In Mexico,people celebrate the Day of the Dead in early
November.On this impoutant feast day,people eat food in the shape
of skulls and cakes with”bones”on them.They offer food,flowers and
gifts to the dead.The Western holiday Halloween also had its origin
in old beliefs about the return of the spirits of dead people. It
is now a children’s festival,when they can dress up and to to their
neighbours’homes to ask for sweets.Ifthe neighbours do not give any
sweets,the children might play a trick on them.
Festivals to Honour People
Festivals can also be held to honour famous people .The Dragon Boat
Festival in China honours the famous ancient poet,Qu Yuan.In the
USA Columbus Day is in memory of the arrival of Christopher
Columbus in New World.India has a national festival on October 2 to
honour Mohandas Gandhi,the leader who helped gain India’s
independence from Britain.
Harvest Festivals
Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals can be very happy events.People
are grateful because their food is gathered for the winter and the
agricultural work is over.In European countries,people will usually
decorate churches and town halls with flowers and fruit,and will
get together to have meals.Some people might win awards for their
farm produce,like the biggest watermelon or the most handsome
rooster.China and Japan have mid-autumn festivals,when people
admire the moon and in China,enjoy mooncakes.
Spring Festivals
The most energetic and important festivals are the ones that look
forward to the end of winter and to the coming of spring.At the
Spring Festival in China,people eat dumplings,fish and meat and may
give children lucky money in red paper.There are dragon dances and
carnivals,and families celebrate the Lunar New Year together.Some
Western countries have very exciting carnivals,which take place
forty days before Easter,usually in February.These carnivals might
include parades,dancing in the streets day and night,loud music and
colourful clothing of all kinds.Easter is an important religious
and social festival for Christians aroud the world.It celebrates
the return of Jesus from the dead and the coming of spring and new
life.Japan’s Cherry Blossom Festival happens a little later.The
country, covered with cherry tree flowers, looks as thought it is
covered with pink snow.
People love to get together to eat , drink and have fun with each
other.Festivals let us enjoy life,be proud of our customs and
forget our work for a little while
A SAD LOVE STORY
Li Fang was heart-broken.It was Valentine’s Day and Hu Jin had said
she would meet him at the coffee shop after work. But she didn’t
turn up. She could be with her friends right now laughing at
him.She said she would be there at seven o’clock, and he thought
she would keep her word. He had looked forward to meeting her all
day, and now he was alone with his roses and chocolates, like a
fool. Well, he was not going to hold his breath for her to
apologize. He would drown his sadness in coffee.
It was obvious that the manager of the coffee shop was waiting for
Li Fang to leave-he wiped the tables, then sat down and turned on
the TV-just what Li Fang needed! A sad Chinese story about lost
love.
The granddaughter of the Goddess of Heaven visted the earth. Her
name was Zhinü,the weaving girl. While she was on earth she met the
herd boy Niulang and they fell in love.(“Just like me and Hu
Jin,”thought Li Fang.)They got married secretly, and they were very
happy.(“We could be like that,”thought Li Fang.)When the Goddess of
Heaven knew that her granddaughter was married to a human, she
became very angry and made the weaving girl return to
Heaven.Niulang tried to follow her, but the river of stars,the
Milly Way, stopped him.Finding that Zhinü was heart-broken, her
grandmother finally decided to let the couple cross the Milky Way
to meet once a year. Magpies make a bridge of their wings so the
couple can cross the river to meet on the seventh day of the
seventh lunar month. People in China hope that the weather will be
fine on that day, because if it is raining, it means that Zhinü is
weeping and the couple won’t be able to meet.
The announcer said,”This is the story of Qiqiao Festival.When
foreigners hear about the story, they call it a Chinese Valentine’s
story.It’s a fine day today, so I hope you can all meet the one you
love.”
As Li Fang set off for home, he thought,”I guess Hu Jin doesn’t
love me .I’ll just throw these flowers and chocolates away. I don’t
want them to remind me of her.” So he did.
As he sadly passed the tea shop on the corner on his way home, he
heard a voice calling him. There was Hu Jin waving at him and
calling , “why are you so late?I’ve been waiting for you for a long
time!And I have a gift for you!”
What would he do? He had thrown away her Valentine gifts!She would
never forgive him. This would not be a happy Valentine’s Day!
必修3 UNIT2
COME AND EAT HERE (1)
Wang Peng sat in
his empty restaurant feeling very frustrated. It had been a very
strange morning. Usually he got up early and prepared his menu of
barbecued mutton kebabs,
roast pork, stir-flied vegetables and fried rice. Then by lunchtime
they would all be sold. By now his restaurant ought to be full of
people. But not today! Why was that? What could
have happened? He thought of his mutton, beef and bacon cooked in
the hottest, finest oil. His cola was sugary and cold, and his ice
cream was made of milk, cream and delicious fruit. 'Nothing could
be better,' he thought. Suddenly he saw his friend Li Chang
hurrying by. 'Hello, Lao Li,' he called. 'Your usual?' But Li Chang
seemed not to hear. What was the matter? Something terrible must
have happened if Li Chang was not coming to eat in his restaurant
as he always did.
Wang Peng followed Li Chang
into a new small restaurant. He saw a sign in the window.
Tired of all that fat? Want
to lose weight?
Come inside Yong Hui’s
slimming restaurant.
Only slimming foods served
here.
Make yourself thin
again!
Curiosity drove Wang Peng
inside. It was full of people. The hostess, a very thin lady, came
forward. 'Welcome,' she said. 'My name is Yong Hui. I'll help you
lose weight and be fit in two weeks if you eat here every day.'
Then she gave a menu to Wang Peng. There were few choices of food
and drink on it: just rice, raw vegetables served in vinegar, fruit
and water. Wang Peng was amazed at this and especially at the
prices. It cost more than a good meal in his restaurant! He could
not believe his eyes. He threw down the menu and hurried outside.
On his way home he thought about his own menu. Did it make people
fat? Perhaps he should go to the library and find out. He could not
have Yong Hui getting away with telling people lies! He had better
do some research!
At the library Wang Peng was
surprised to find that his restaurant served far too much fat and
Yong Hui’s far too little. Even though her customers might get thin
after eating Yong Hui’s food, they were not eating enough
energy-giving food to keep them fit. They would become tired very
quickly. Wang Peng felt more hopeful as he drove back home.
Perhaps
with a discount and a new sign he could win his customers back. So
he wrote:
Want to feel fit and energetic?
Come and eat here! Discounts today!
Our food gives you energy all day!
The competition between the two restaurants was
on!
到这里来用餐吧(1)
王鹏做在他那空荡荡的餐馆里,感到很沮丧。这个上午真是怪的很。通常他很早就起床,准备他的菜肴—烤羊肉串、烤猪肉、炒菜和炒饭。然后到午饭时分,这些菜都会卖完。到了这个时候,他的餐馆本该宾客盈门的,但今天却不是!为什么会这样?发生了什么事?他想起了他用滚烫的精制油烹制的羊肉串、牛排和腊肉。他的可乐又甜又冷,冰激凌用牛奶、奶油和水果制成的。他想:“再没有比这些更好吃的了”。突然间,他看到自己的朋友李昌匆匆地走过。他喊道,“喂,老李!你还是吃老一套的吧?”可是李昌似乎没有听到。怎么会事呢?要是李昌不像往常那样到他店里吃饭,那问题一定严重了。
王鹏跟着李昌来到街尾一家新开张的小餐馆。窗子上的标牌写着这样一些字:“肥腻的东西吃厌了吧!想变瘦吗?请到雍慧减肥餐馆来。此地只供应减肥食品,让你恢复苗条!”
王鹏受到好奇心的驱使,走了进去。里面坐满了人。店老板,一个清瘦的女人走上前来说道:“欢迎光临!我叫雍慧。您要是每天来这儿用餐,我可以保证在两周内去掉您的全部脂肪,”然后,她递给王鹏一张菜谱,菜谱上有很少几样食物和饮料:米饭、蘸醋吃的生蔬菜、水果和水。王鹏对此感到吃惊,特别是对它们的价格。这比在他的餐馆里吃一顿好饭花的钱还要多。他几乎不能相信他的眼睛!他甩了菜谱就急急往外走。在回家的路上,他想起了自己的菜谱。那些菜让人发胖了吗?也许他该去图书馆查查看。他可不能让雍慧哄骗人们后跑掉。他最好做一番调查!
在图书馆,王鹏很惊讶地发现,他餐馆的食物脂肪含量太高,而雍慧餐馆的食物脂肪含量又太低。尽管顾客吃她的餐馆里的饭会变得苗条,但他们摄取不到足够的热量来保持健康,很快就会感到疲乏。开车回家时,王鹏觉得又有了希望。也许写个新的标牌、打点折,能够帮他赢回顾客!于是他写下了他的标牌:
“想保持苗条、健康又精力旺盛吗?
到这里来用餐吧!今天打折!
我们的食物能够给您提供一整天所需的热量!”
这两家餐馆之间的竞争开始了!
COME AND EAT HERE(2)
A week later, Wang Peng' s restaurant was nearly full and he felt
happier. Perhaps he would be able to earn his living after all and
not have to close his restaurant. He did not look forward to being
in debt because his restaurant was no longer popular. He smiled as
he welcomed some customers warmly at the door but the smile left
his face when he saw Yong Hui walking in. She did not look happy
but glared at him. ' May I ask what you were doing in my restaurant
the other day? I thought you were a new customer and now I know
that you only came to spy on me and my menu,' she shouted. ' Please
excuse me,' he calmly explained,' I wanted to know where all my
customers had gone last week. I followed one of them and found them
in your restaurant. I don' t want to upset you, but I found your
menu so limited that I stopped worrying and started advertising the
benefits of my food. Why don' t you sit down and try a meal?'
Yong Hui agreed to stay and soon they were both enjoying
dumplings and breast of chicken cooked with garlic. When they were
served the ice cream,Yong Hui began to look ill. 'I feel sick with
all this fat and heavy food,'she said,'I miss my vegetables and
fruit. 'Wang Peng was enjoying a second plate of dumplings so he
sighed. ' Yes,' he added,' and I would miss my dumplings and fatty
pork. Don't you get tired quickly?''Well,I do have to rest a
lot,'admitted Yong Hui. 'But don't you think it would be better if
you were a bit thinner? I’m sure you ' d feel much healthier.
'
They began to talk about menus and balanced diets. ' According to
my research, neither your restaurant nor mine offers a balanced
diet,' explained Wang Peng. ' I don' t offer enough fibre and you
don' t offer enough body-building and energy-giving food. Perhaps
we ought to combine our ideas and provide a balanced menu with food
full of energy and fibre. ' So that is what they did. They served
raw vegetables with the hamburgers and boiled the potatoes rather
than frying them. They served fresh fruit with the ice cream. In
this way they cut down the fat and increased the fibre in the meal.
Their balanced diets became- such a success that before long Wang
Peng became slimmer and Yong Hui put on more weight. After some
time the two found that their business cooperation had turned into
a personal one. Finally they got married and lived happily ever
after!
到这里来用餐吧(2)
一周后,王鹏的餐馆几乎坐满了人,他感到高兴些了。也许他仍然能够谋生,而不至于关闭自己的餐馆。他不希望由于餐馆不受欢迎而负债。他微笑地站在门口热情地迎接他的客人。但他一见到雍慧走进来,脸上的笑容马上就消失了。雍慧瞪着他,看上去不太高兴。“请问你那天到我餐馆里来干什么?”她大声问道,“我本来以为你是一位新顾客,现在我才发现你只是过来打探我和我的菜谱的。”王鹏心平气和地解释说,“很对不起,上周我想知道我的顾客是上哪儿吃饭去了。我并不想让你心烦,不过我发现你的菜谱上的菜太少了,所以我也就不着急了,我也开始宣传我餐馆食物的好处。你为什么不坐下吃顿饭呢?”
雍慧同意留下来。没过一会,他们两人就津津有味地吃起饺子和蒜蓉及胸。当要吃冰激凌时,雍慧开始感到不舒服了。她说,“吃了这么多油腻的、难消化的食物,我都觉得恶心了。我想吃我的蔬菜和水果。”这时候,王鹏正在吃第二盘饺子,他叹了一口气,说道,“同样地,(如果在你的餐馆)我还想吃我的饺子和肥肉呢。你不觉得自己很容易疲乏么?”“是的,我的确经常需要休息;”雍慧承认了,“不过,难道你不认为你瘦一点更好么?我相信,那样你会觉得更健康些。”
他们开始谈论菜谱和平衡膳食的问题。王鹏解释道,“我的研究表明,你我两家所提供的都不是平衡膳食。我没有提供足够的纤维食物,而你提供的食物没有足够的营养和热量。也许我们应该把我们的想法综合起来,作出一份富于营养、热量和纤维的平衡食谱。”于是,他们就照此做了。他们用生蔬菜配汉堡包,煮土豆不是油炸土豆,还拿新鲜水果配上冰激凌。这样,他们减少了饭菜中的脂肪含量,增加了纤维素。他们的平衡食谱非常有效,王鹏很快就瘦了,而雍慧却胖了,过了不久,这两个人发现,他们生意上的合作变成了私人的合作了。最后,他们结了婚,过上了幸福美满的生活。
必修3 Unit 3
THE MILLION POUND BANK NOTE
Act I, Scene 3
NARRATOR: It is the summer of 1903. Two old and wealthy brothers,
Roderick and Oliver, have made a bet. Oliver believes that with a
million pound bank note a man could survive a month in London. His
brother Roderick doubts it. At this moment, they see a penniless
young man wandering on the pavement outside their house. It is
Henry Adams, an American businessman, who is lost in London and
does not know what he should do.
RODERICK:
Young man, would you step inside a
moment, please?
HENRY:
Who? Me, sir?
RODERICK:
Yes, you.
OLIVER:
Through the front door on your left.
HENRY:
(A servant opens a door) Thanks.
SERVANT:
Good morning, sir.
Would you please
come in? Permit me to lead the way,
sir.
OLIVER:
(Henry enters) Thank you, James. That will
be all.
RODERICK:
How do you do, Mr ... er
...?
HENRY:
Adams. Henry Adams.
OLIVER:
Come and sit down, Mr Adams.
HENRY:
Thank you.
RODERICK:
You're an American?
HENRY:
That's right, from San Francisco.
RODERICK:
How well do you know
London?
HENRY:
Not at all, it's my first trip here.
RODERICK:
I wonder, Mr Adams, if you'd mind us
asking a few questions.
HENRY:
Not at all. Go right ahead.
RODERICK:
May we ask what you're doing in this
country and what your plans are?
HENRY:
Well, I can't say that I have any plans. I'm hoping
to find work. As a matter of fact, I landed in Britain by
accident.
OLIVER:
How is that possible?
HENRY:
Well, you see, back home I had my own boat. About a
month ago, I was sailing out of the bay ... (his eyes stare at what
is left of the brother's dinner on table)
OLIVER:
Well, go on.
HENRY:
Oh, yes. Well, towards nightfall I found myself
carried out to sea by a strong wind. It was all my fault. I didn't
know whether I could survive until morning. The next morning I'd
just about given myself up for lost when I was spotted by a
ship.
OLIVER:
And it was the ship that brought you to England.
HENRY:
Yes. The fact is that I earned my passage by
working as an unpaid hand, which accounts for my appearance. I went
to the American embassy to seek help, but ... (The brothers smile
at each other.)
RODERICK:
Well, you mustn't worry about that. It's an
advantage.
HENRY:
I'm afraid I don't quite follow you, sir.
RODERICK:
Tell us, Mr Adams, what sort of work did you do
in America?
HENRY:
I worked for a mining company. Could you offer me
some kind of work here?
RODERICK:
Patience, Mr Adams. If you don't mind, may I ask
you how much money you have?
HENRY:
Well, to be honest, I have none.
OLIVER:
(happily) What luck! Brother, what luck! (claps his hands
together)
HENRY:
Well, it may seem lucky to you but not to me! On
the contrary, in fact. If this is your idea of some kind of joke, I
don't think it's very funny. (Henry stands up to leave) Now if
you'll excuse me, I think I'll be on my way.
RODERICK:
Please don't go, Mr Adams~ You mustn't
think we don't care about you. Oliver, give him the letter.
OLIVER:
Yes, the letter. (gets it from a desk and gives it to Henry
like a gift) The letter.
HENRY:
(taking it carefully) For me?
RODERICK:
For you. (Henry starts to open it) Oh,
no, you mustn't open it. Not yet. You can't open it until two
o'clock.
HENRY:
Oh, this is silly.
RODERICK:
Not silly. There's money in it. (calls to the
servant) James?
HENRY:
Oh, no. I don't want your charity. I just want an honest
job.
RODERICK:
We know you're hard-working. That's why we've
given you the letter. James, show Mr Adams out.
OLIVER:
Good luck, Mr Adams.
HENRY:
Well, why don't you explain what this is all about?
RODERICK: You'll soon know. (looks at the clock) In exactly an hour
and a half.
SERVANT:
This way, sir.
RODERICK:
Mr Adams, not until 2 o'clock. Promise?
HENRY:
Promise. Goodbye.
THE MILLION POUND BANK NOTE
Act I, Scene 4
(Outside a restaurant Henry looks at the envelope without opening
it and decides to go in. He sits down at a table next to the front
window.)
OWNER:
(seeing Henry's poor appearance) That one's
reserved. This way, please. (to the waiter) Take this gentleman's
order, Horace.
HENRY:
(after sitting down and
putting the letter on the table) I'd like some ham and eggs and a
nice big steak. Make it extra thick. I'd also like a cup of coffee
and a pineapple
dessert.
WAITER:
Right, sir. I'm afraid it'll cost a large
amount of money.
HENRY:
I understand. And I'll have a large
glass of beer.
WAITER:
OK. (The waiter leaves and soon returns
with all the food.)
HOSTESS:
My goodness! Why, look at him. He eats like a
wolf.
OWNER:
We'll see if he's clever as a wolf,
eh?
HENRY:
(having just finished every bit of food) Ah,
waiter. (waiter returns) Same thing again, please. Oh, and another
beer.
WAITER:
Again? Everything?
HENRY:
Yes, that's right. (sees the look on
the waiter's face) Anything wrong?
WAITER:
No, not at all. (to the owner) He's asked
for more of the same.
OWNER:
Well, it is well-known that Americans like
to eat a lot. Well, we'll have to take a chance. Go ahead and let
him have it.
WAITER:
(reading the bill after the meal) All
right. That's two orders of ham and eggs, two extra thick steaks,
two large glasses of beer, two cups of coffee and two
desserts.
HENRY:
(looking at the clock on the wall)
Would you mind waiting just a few minutes?
WAITER:
(in a rude manner) What's there to wait
for?
OWNER:
All right, Horace. I'll take care of
this.
HENRY:
(to owner) That was a wonderful
meal. It's amazing how much pleasure you get out of tile simple
things in life, especially if you can't have them for a
while.
OWNER:
Yes, very interesting. Now perhaps, sir, if
you pay your bill I can help the other customers.
HENRY:
(looking at the clock on the wall
again) Well, I see it's two o'clock. (he opens the envelope and
holds a million pound bank note in his hands. Henry is surprised
but the owner and waiter are shocked) I'm very sorry. But ... I ...
I don't have anything smaller.
OWNER:
(still shocked and nervous) Well .. er ...
just one moment. Maggie, look! (the hostess screams, the other
customers look at her and she puts a hand to her mouth) Do you
think it's genuine?
HOSTESS:
Oh, dear, I don't know. I simply don't know.
OWNER:
Well, I did hear that the Bank of England
had issued two notes in this amount ... Anyway, I don't think it
can be a fake. People would pay too much attention to a bank note
of this amount. No thief would want that to happen.
HOSTESS: But he's in rags!
OWNER:
Perhaps he's a very strange, rich man. (as
if he has discovered something for the first time) Why, yes! That
must be it!
HOSTESS: (hits her husband's arm) And you put him in the back of
the restaurant! Go and see him at once.
OWNER:
(to Henry) I'm so sorry, sir, so sorry, but
I cannot change this bank note.
HENRY:
But it's all I have on me.
OWNER:
Oh, please, don't worry, sir. Doesn't matter
at all. We're so very glad that you even entered our little eating
place. Indeed, sir, I hope you'll come here whenever you
like.
HENRY:
Well, that's very kind of you.
OWNER:
Kind, sir? No, it's kind of you. You must
come whenever you want and have whatever you like. Just having you
sit here is a great honour! As for the bill, sir, please forget
it.
HENRY:
Forget it? Well ... thank you very
much. That's very nice of you.
OWNER:
Oh, it's for us to thank you, sir and I do,
sir, from the bottom of my heart. (The owner, hostess and waiter
all bow as Henry leaves.)
必修3 Unit 4
HOW LIFE BEGAN ON THE EARTH
No
one knows exactly how the earth began, as it happened so long ago.
However, according to a widely accepted theory, the universe began
with a 'Big Bang' that threw matter in all directions.After that,
atoms began to form and combine to create stars and other
bodies.
For several billion years after the 'Big Bang', the earth
was still just a cloud of dust. What it was to become was uncertain
until between 4.5 and 3.8 billion years ago when
the dust settled into a solid globe. The earth became so violent
that it was not clear whether the shape would last or not. It
exploded loudly with fire and rock. They were in
time to produce carbon, nitrogen, water vapour and other gases,
which were to make the earth's atmosphere. What is even more
important is that as the earth cooled down, water
began to appear on its surface.
Water had also appeared on other planets like Mars but, unlike the
earth, it had disappeared later. It was not immediately obvious
that water was to be fundamental to the development of life. What
many scientists believe is that the continued presence of water
allowed the earth to dissolve harmful gases and acids into the
oceans and seas. This produced a chain reaction, which made it
possible for life to develop.
Many millions of years later, the first extremely small plants
began to appear on the surface of the water. They multiplied and
filled the oceans and seas with oxygen, which encouraged the later
development of early shellfish and all sorts of fish. Next, green
plants began to grow on land. They were followed in time by land
animals. Some were insects. Others, called amphibians, were able to
live on land as well as in the water. Later when the plants grew
into forests, reptiles appeared for the first time. They produced
young enerally by laying eggs. After that, some huge animals,
called dinosaurs, developed. They laid eggs too and existed on the
earth for more than 140 million years. However,
65 million years ago the age of the dinosaurs ended. Why they
suddenly disappeared still remains a mystery. This disappearance
made possible the rise of mammals on the earth. These animals were
different from all life forms in the past, because they gave birth
to young baby animals and produced milk to feed them.
Finally about 2.6 million years ago some small clever animals, now
with hands and feet, appeared and spread all over the earth. Thus
they have, in their turn, become the most important animals on the
planet. But they are not looking after the earth very well. They
are putting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which
prevents heat from escaping from the earth into space. As a result
of this, many scientists believe the earth may become too hot to
live on. So whether life will continue on the earth for millions of
years to come will depend on whether this problem can be
solved.
A VISIT TO THE MOON
Last month I was lucky
enough to have a chance to make a trip into space with my friend Li
Yanping, an astronomer. We visited the moon in our spaceship!
Before we left, Li Yanping
explained to me that the force of gravity would change three times
on our journey and that the first change would be the most
powerful. Then we were off. As the rocket rose into the air, we
were pushed back into our seats because we were trying to escape
the pull of the earth's gravity. It was so hard that we could not
say anything to each other. Gradually the weight lessened and I was
able to talk to him. 'Why is the spaceship not falling back to the
earth? On the earth if I fall from a tree I will fall to the
ground.' I asked. 'We are too far from the earth now to feel its
pull,' he explained, 'so we feel as if there is no gravity at all.
When we get closer to the moon, we shall feel its gravity pulling
us, but it will not be as strong a pull as the earth's.' I cheered
up immediately and floated weightlessly around in our spaceship
cabin watching the earth become smaller and the moon larger.
When we got there, I wanted
to explore immediately. 'Come on,' I said. 'If you are right, my
mass will be less than on the earth because the moon is smaller and
I will be able to move more freely. I might even grow taller if I
stay here long enough. I shall certainly weigh less!' I laughed and
climbed down the steps from the spaceship. But when I tried to step
forward, I found I was carried twice as far as on the earth and
fell over. 'Oh dear,' I cried, 'walking does need a bit of practice
now that gravity has changed.' After a while I got the hang of it
and we began to enjoy ourselves.
Leaving the moon's gravity
was not as painful as leaving the earth's. But returning to the
earth was very frightening. We watched, amazed as fire broke out on
the outside of the spaceship as the earth's gravity increased.
Again we were pushed hard into our seats as we came back to land.
'That was very exhausting but very exciting too,' I said. 'Now I
know much more about gravity! Do you think we could visit some
stars next time?' 'Of course,' he smiled, 'which star would you
like to go to?'
必修3 Unit 5
A TRIP ON 'THE TRUE NORTH'
Li Daiyu and her cousin Liu Qian were on a trip to Canada to
visit their cousins in Montreal on the Atlantic coast. Rather than
take the aeroplane all the way, they decided to fly to Vancouver
and then take the train west to east across Canada. The thought
that they could cross the whole continent was exciting.
Their friend, Danny Lin, was waiting at the
airport. He was going to take them and their baggage to catch 'The
True North', the cross-Canada train. On the way to the station, he
chatted about their trip. 'You're going to see some great scenery.
Going eastward, you'll pass mountains and thousands of lakes and
forests, as well as wide rivers and large cities. Some people have
the idea that you can cross Canada in less than five days, but they
forget the fact that Canada is 5,500 kilometres from coast to
coast. Here in Vancouver, you're in Canada's warmest part. People
say it is Canada's most beautiful city, surrounded by mountains and
the Pacific Ocean. Skiing in the Rocky Mountains and sailing in the
harbour make Vancouver one of Canada's most popular cities to live
in. Its population is increasing rapidly. The coast north of
Vancouver has some of the oldest and most beautiful forests in the
world. It is so wet there that the trees are extremely tall, some
measuring over 90 metres.'
That afternoon aboard the
train, the cousins settled down in their seats. Earlier that day,
when they crossed the Rocky Mountains, they managed to catch sight
of some mountain goats and even a grizzly bear and an eagle. Their
next stop was Calgary, which is famous for the Calgary Stampede.
Cowboys from all over the world come to compete in the Stampede.
Many of them have a gift for riding wild horses and can win
thousands of dollars in prizes.
After two days'
travel, the girls began to realize that Canada is quite empty. At
school, they had learned that most Canadians live within a few
hundred kilometres of the USA border, and Canada's population is
only slightly over thirty million, but now they were amazed to see
such an empty country. They went through a wheat-growing province
and saw farms that covered thousands of acres. After dinner, they
were back in an urban area, the busy port city of Thunder Bay at
the top of the Great Lakes. The girls were surprised at the fact
that ocean ships can sail up the Great Lakes. Because of the Great
Lakes, they learned, Canada has more fresh water than any other
country in the world. In fact, it has one-third of the world's
total fresh water, and much of it is in the Great Lakes.
That night as they
slept, the train rushed across the top of Lake Superior, through
the great forests and southward towards Toronto.
“THE TURE NORTH”FROM TORONTO TO MONTREAL
The next morning the bushes
and maple trees outside their windows were red, gold and orange,
and there was frost on the ground, confirming that fall had arrived
in Canada.
Around noon they arrived in
Toronto, the biggest and most wealthy city in Canada. They were not
leaving for Montreal until later, so they went on a tour of the
city. They went up the tall CN Tower and looked across the lake. In
the distance, they could see the misty cloud that rose from the
great Niagara Falls, which is on the south side of the lake. The
water flows into the Niagara River and over the falls on its way to
the sea.
They saw the covered
stadium, home of several famous basketball teams. As they walked
north from the harbour area, Li Daiyu said, 'Lin Fei, one of my
mother's old schoolmates, lives here. I should phone her from a
telephone booth.'
They met Lin Fei around
dusk in downtown Chinatown, one of the three in Toronto. Over
dinner at a restaurant called The Pink Pearl, the cousins chatted
with Lin Fei, who had moved to Canada many years earlier. 'We can
get good Cantonese food here,' Lin Fei told them, 'because most of
the Chinese people here come from South China, especially Hong
Kong. It's too bad you can't go as far as Ottawa, Canada's capital.
It's approximately four hundred kilometres northeast of Toronto, so
it would take too long.'
The train left late
that night and arrived in Montreal at dawn the next morning. At the
station, people everywhere were speaking French. There were signs
and ads in French, but some of them had English words in smaller
letters. 'We don't leave until this evening,' said Liu Qian. 'Let's
go downtown. Old Montreal is close to the water.' They spent the
afternoon in lovely shops and visiting artists in their workplaces
beside the water. As they sat in a buffet restaurant looking over
the broad St Lawrence River, a young man sat down with them.
'Hello, my name is
Henri. I'm a student at the university nearby,' he said, 'and I was
wondering where you are from.' The girls told him they were on a
train trip across Canada and that they had only one day in
Montreal. 'That's too bad,' he said. 'Montreal is a city with
wonderful restaurants and clubs. Most of us speak both English and
French, but the city has French culture and traditions. We love
good coffee, good bread and good music.'
That night
as the train was speeding along the St Lawrence River toward the
Gulf of St Lawrence and down to the distant east coast, the cousins
dreamed of French restaurants and red maple leaves.
必修4 Unit 1
A STUDENT OF AFRICAN WILDLIFE
It is 5:45 am and the sun
is just rising over Gombe National Park in East Africa. Following
Jane's way of studying chimps, our group are all going to visit
them in the forest. Jane has studied these families of chimps for
many years and helped people understand how much they behave like
humans. Watching a family of chimps wake up is our first activity
of the day. This means going back to the place where we left the
family sleeping in a tree the night before. Everybody sits and
waits in the shade of the trees while the family begins to wake up
and move off. Then we follow as they wander into the forest. Most
of the time, chimps either feed or clean each other as a way of
showing love in their family. Jane warns us that our group is going
to be very tired and dirty by the afternoon and she is right.
However, the evening makes it all worthwhile. We watch the mother
chimp and her babies play in the tree. Then we see them go to sleep
together in their nest for the night. We realize that the bond
between members of a chimp family is as strong as in a human
family.
Nobody before Jane fully understood
chimp behaviour. She spent years observing and recording their
daily activities. Since her childhood she had wanted to work with
animals in their own environment. However, this was not easy. When
she first arrived in Gombe in 1960, it was unusual for a woman to
live in the forest. Only after her mother came to help her for the
first few months was she allowed to begin her project. Her work
changed the way people think about chimps. For example, one
important thing she discovered was that chimps hunt and eat meat.
Until then everyone had thought chimps ate only fruit and nuts. She
actually observed chimps as a group hunting a monkey and then
eating it. She also discovered how chimps communicate with each
other, and her study of their body language helped her work out
their social system.
For forty years Jane
Goodall has been outspoken about making the rest of the world
understand and respect the life of these animals. She has argued
that wild animals should be left in the wild and not used for
entertainment or advertisements. She has helped to set up special
places where they can live safely. She is leading a busy life but
she says: 'Once I stop, it all comes crowding in and I remember the
chimps in laboratories. It's terrible. It affects me when I watch
the wild chimps. I say to myself, 'Aren't they lucky?' And then I
think about small chimps in cages though they have done nothing
wrong. Once you have seen that you
can never forget
...'
She has achieved everything
she wanted to do: working with animals in their own environment,
gaining a doctor's degree and showing that women can live in the
forest as men can. She inspires those who want to cheer the
achievements of women.
WHY NOT CARRY ON HER GOOD WORK?
I enjoyed English, biology, and chemistry at school, but which one
should I choose to study at university? I did not know the answer
until one evening when I sat down at the computer to do some
research on great women of China.
By chance I came
across an article about a doctor called Lin Qiaozhi, a specialist
in women's diseases. She lived from 1901 to 1983. It seemed that
she had been very busy in her chosen career, travelling abroad to
study as well as writing books and articles. One of them caught my
eye. It was a small
book explaining how to cut the death rate from having and caring
for babies. She gave some simple rules to follow for keeping babies
clean, healthy and free from sickness. Why did she write that? Who
were the women that Lin Qiaozhi thought needed this advice? I
looked carefully at the text and
realized that it was intended for women in the countryside. Perhaps
if they had an emergency they could not reach a doctor.
Suddenly it hit me
how difficult it was for a woman to get medical training at that
time. That was a generation when girls' education was always placed
second to boys'. Was she so much cleverer than anyone else? Further
reading made me realize that it was hard work and determination as
well as her gentle nature that got her into medical school. What
made her succeed later on was the kindness and consideration she
showed to all her patients. There was story after story of how Lin
Qiaozhi, tired after a day's work, went late at night to deliver a
baby for a poor family who could not pay her.
By
now I could not wait to find out more about her. I discovered that
Lin Qiaozhi had devoted her whole life to her patients and had
chosen not to have a family of her own. Instead she made sure that
about 50,000 babies were safely delivered. By this time I was very
excited. Why not study at medical college like Lin Qiaozhi and
carry on her good work? It was still not too late for me to improve
my studies, prepare for the university entrance examinations,
and….
必修4 Unit 2
A PIONEER FOR ALL PEOPLE
Although he is one
of China's most famous scientists, Yuan Longping considers himself
a farmer, for he works the land to do his research. Indeed, his
sunburnt face and arms and his slim, strong body are just like
those of millions of Chinese farmers, for whom he has struggled for
the past five decades. Dr Yuan Longping grows what is called super
hybrid rice. In 1974, he became the first agricultural pioneer in
the world to grow rice that has a high output. This special strain
of rice makes it possible to produce one-third more of the crop in
the same fields. Now more than 60% of the rice produced in China
each year is from this hybrid strain.
Born into a poor farmer's
family in 1930, Dr Yuan graduated from Southwest Agricultural
College in 1953. Since then, finding ways to grow more rice has
been his life goal. As a young man, he saw the great need for
increasing the rice output. At that time, hunger was a disturbing
problem in many parts of the countryside. Dr Yuan searched for a
way to increase rice harvests without expanding the area of the
fields. In 1950, Chinese farmers could produce only fifty million
tons of rice. In a recent harvest, however, nearly two hundred
million tons of rice was produced. These increased harvests mean
that 22% of the world's people are fed from just 7% of the farmland
in China. Dr Yuan is now circulating his knowledge in India,
Vietnam and many other less developed countries to increase their
rice harvests. Thanks to his research, the UN has more tools in the
battle to rid the world of hunger. Using his hybrid rice, farmers
are producing harvests twice as large as before.
Dr Yuan is quite satisfied
with his life. However, he doesn't care about being famous. He
feels it gives him less freedom to do his research. He would much
rather keep time for his hobbles. He enjoys listening to violin
music, playing mah-jong, swimming and reading. Spending money on
himself or leading a comfortable life also means very little to
him. Indeed, he believes that a person with too much money has more
rather than fewer troubles. He therefore gives millions of yuan to
equip others for their research in agriculture.
Just dreaming for things,
however, costs nothing. Long ago Dr yuan had a dream about rice
plants as tall as sorghum. Each ear of rice was as big as an ear of
corn and each grain of rice was as huge as a peanut. Dr Yuan awoke
from his dream with the hope of producing a kind of rice that could
feed more people. Now, many years later, Dr Yuan has another dream:
to export his rice so that it can be grown around the globe. One
dream is not always enough, especially for a person who loves and
cares for his people.
CHEMICAL OR ORGANIC FARMING?
Over the past half century, using chemical fertilizers has
become very common in farming. Many farmers welcomed them as a
great way to stop crop disease and increase production. Recently,
however, scientists have been finding that long-term use of these
fertilizers can cause damage to the land and, even more dangerous,
to people's health.
What are
some of the problems caused by chemical fertilizers? First, they
damage the land by killing the helpful bacteria and pests as well
as the harmful ones. Chemicals also stay in the ground and
underground water for a long time. This affects crops and,
therefore, animals and humans, since chemicals get inside the crops
and cannot just be washed off. These chemicals in the food supply
build up in people's bodies over time. Many of these chemicals can
lead to cancer or other illnesses. In addition, fruit, vegetables
and other food grown with chemical fertilizers usually grow too
fast to be full of much nutrition. They may look beautiful, but
inside there is usually more water than vitamins and
minerals.
With these
discoveries, some farmers and many customers are beginning to turn
to organic farming. Organic farming is simply farming without using
any chemicals. They focus on keeping their soil rich and free of
disease. A healthy soil reduces disease and helps crops grow strong
and healthy. Organic farmers, therefore, often prefer using natural
waste from animals as fertilizer. They feel that this makes the
soil in their fields richer in minerals and so more fertile. This
also keeps the air, soil, water and crops free from
chemicals.
Organic farmers
also use many other methods to keep the soil fertile. They often
change the kind of crop in each field every few years, for example,
growing corn or wheat and then the next year peas or soybeans.
Crops such as peas or soybeans put important minerals back into the
soil, making it ready for crops such as wheat or corn that need
rich and fertile soil. Organic farmers also plant crops to use
different levels of soil, for example, planting peanuts that use
the ground's surface followed by vegetables that put down deep
roots. Some organic farmers prefer planting grass between crops to
prevent wind or water from carrying away the soil, and then leaving
it in the ground to become a natural fertilizer for the next year's
crop. These many different organic farming methods have the same
goal: to grow good food and avoid damaging the environment or
people's health.
必修4 Unit 3
A MASTER OF NONVERBAL HUMOUR
As Victor Hugo once said,
'Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face', and
up to now nobody has been able to do this better than Charlie
Chaplin. He brightened the lives of Americans and British through
two world wars and the hard years in between. He made people laugh
at a time when they felt depressed, so they could feel more content
with their lives.
Not that Charlie's own life was
easy! He was born in a poor family in 1889. His parents were both
poor music hall performers. You may find it astonishing that
Charlie was taught to sing as soon as he could speak and dance as
soon as he could walk. Such training was common in acting families
at this time, especially when the family income was often
uncertain. Unfortunately his father died, leaving the family even
worse off, so Charlie spent his childhood looking after his sick
mother and his brother. By his teens, Charlie had, through his
humour, become one of the most popular child actors in England. He
could mime and act the fool doing ordinary everyday tasks. No one
was ever bored watching him -his subtle acting made everything
entertaining.
As time went by, he began making
films. He grew more and more popular as his charming character, the
little tramp, became known throughout the world. The tramp, a poor,
homeless man with a moustache, wore large trousers, worn-out shoes
and a small round black hat. He walked around stilly carrying a
walking stick. This character was a social failure but was loved
for his optimism and determination to overcome all difficulties. He
was the underdog who was kind even when others were unkind to
him.
How did the little tramp make a sad
situation entertaining? Here is an example from one of his most
famous films, The Gold Rush. It is the mid-nineteenth century and
gold has just been discovered in California. Like so many others,
the little tramp and his friend have rushed there in search of
gold, but without success. Instead they are hiding in a small hut
on the edge of a mountain during a snowstorm with nothing to eat.
They are so hungry that they try boiling a pair of leather shoes
for their dinner. Charlie first picks out the laces and eats them
as if they were spaghetti. Then he cuts off the leather top of the
shoe as if it were the finest steak. Finally he tries cutting and
chewing the bottom of the shoe. He eats each mouthful with great
enjoyment. The acting is so convincing that it makes you believe
that it is one of the best meals he has ever tasted!
Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed and
produced the films he starred in. In 1972 he was given a special
Oscar for his outstanding work in films. He lived in England and
the USA but spent his last years in Switzerland, where he was
buried in 1977. He is loved and remembered as a great actor who
could inspire people with great confidence.
ENGLISH JOKES
1 There are thousands of jokes which use 'play on words' to amuse
us. One person asks a question which expects a particular reply.
Instead, what he gets is another kind of answer which makes the
situation funny. Now read some of these customer and waiter jokes.
Can you match the joke with the explanation?
1
C: What's that fly doing in my
soup?
W: Swimming, I
think!
2
C: What's that?
W: It's bean
soup.
C: I don't want to know what it's been. I want
to know what
it is now.
3
C: Waiter, will the pancakes be
long?
W: No, sir.
Round.
2
Some jokes are longer and tell a short, funny story. The
following is one of those jokes about the famous detective Sherlock
Holmes and his friend Doctor Watson. Read it and decide which of
these two kinds of jokes you like better. Give your reasons.
Sherlock Holmes and
Doctor Watson went camping in a mountainous area. They were lying
in the open air under the stars. Sherlock Holmes looked up at the
stars and whispered, 'Watson, when you look at that beautiful sky,
what do you think of?' Watson replied, 'I think of how short life
is and how long the universe has lasted.' 'No, no, Watson!' Holmes
said. 'What do you really think of?.' Watson tried again. 'I think
of how small I am and how vast the sky is.' 'Try again, Watson!'
said Holmes. Watson tried a third time. 'I think of how cold the
universe is and how warm people can be in their beds.' Holmes said,
'Watson, you fool! You should be thinking that someone has stolen
our tent!'
必修4 Unit 4
COMMUNICATION: NO PROBLEM?
Yesterday, another
student and I, representing our university's student association,
went to the Capital International Airport to meet this year's
international students. They were coming to study at Beijing
University. We would take them first to their dormitories and then
to the student canteen. After half an hour of waiting for their
flight to arrive, I saw several young people enter the waiting area
looking around curiously. I stood for a minute watching them and
then went to greet them.
The first person to
arrive was Tony Garcia from Colombia, closely followed by Julia
Smith from Britain. After I met them and then introduced them to
each other, I was very surprised. Tony approached Julia, touched
her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek! She stepped back
appearing surprised and put up her hands, as if in defence. I
guessed that there was probably a major misunderstanding. Then
Akira Nagata from Japan came in smiling, together with George Cook
from Canada. As they were introduced, George reached his hand out
to the Japanese student. Just at that moment, however, Akira bowed
so his nose touched George's moving hand. They both apologized -
another cultural mistake!
Ahmed Aziz, another
international student, was from Jordan. When we met yesterday, he
moved very close to me as I introduced myself. I moved back a bit,
but he came closer to ask a question and then shook my hand. When
Darlene Coulon from France came dashing through the door, she
recognized Tony Garcia's smiling face. They shook hands and then
kissed each other twice on each cheek, since that is the French
custom when adults meet people they know. Ahmed Aziz., on the
contrary, simply nodded at the girls. Men from Middle Eastern and
other Muslim countries will often stand quite close to other men to
talk but will usually not touch women.
As I get to know more
international friends, I learn more about this cultural 'body
language'. Not all cultures greet each other the same way, nor are
they comfortable in the same way with touching or distance between
people. In the same way that people communicate with spoken
language, they also express their feelings using unspoken
'language' through physical distance, actions or posture. English
people, for example, do not usually stand very close to others or
touch strangers as soon as they meet. However, people from places
like Spain, Italy or South American countries approach others
closely and are more likely to touch them. Most people around the
world now greet each other by shaking hands, but some cultures use
other greetings as well, such as the Japanese, who prefer to
bow.
These actions are not good
or bad, but are simply ways in which cultures have developed. I
have seen, however, that cultural customs for body language are
very general - not all members of a culture behave in the same way.
In general, though, studying international customs can certainly
help avoid difficulties in today's world of cultural
crossroads!
SHOWING OUR FEELINGS
Body language is
one of the most powerful means of communication, often even more
powerful than spoken language. People around the world show all
kinds of feelings, wishes and attitudes that they might never speak
aloud. It is possible to 'read' others around us, even if they do
not intend for us to catch their unspoken communication. Of course,
body language can be misread, but many gestures and actions are
universal.
The most universal
facial expression is, of course, the smile – its function is to
show happiness and put people at ease. It does not always mean that
we are truly happy, however. Smiles around the world can be false,
hiding other feelings like anger, fear or worry. There are unhappy
smiles, such as when someone 'loses face' and smiles to hide it.
However, the general purpose of smiling is to show good
feelings.
From the time we
are babies, we show unhappiness or anger by frowning. In most
places around the world, frowning and turning one's back to someone
shows anger. Making a fist and shaking it almost always means that
someone is angry and threatening another person.
There are many ways
around the world to show agreement, but nodding the head up and
down is used for agreement, almost worldwide. Most people also
understand that shaking the head from side to side means
disagreement or refusal.
How about showing
that I am bored? Looking away from people or yawning will, in most
cases, make me appear to be uninterested. However, if I turn toward
and look at someone or something, people from almost every culture
will think that I am interested. If I roll my eyes and turn my head
away, I most likely do not believe what I am hearing or do not like
it.
Being respectful to
people is subjective, based on each culture, but in general it is
probably not a good idea to give a hug to a boss or teacher. In
almost every culture, it is not usually good to stand too close to
someone of a higher rank. Standing at a little distance with open
hands will show that I am willing to listen.
With so
many cultural differences between people, it is great to have some
similarities in body language. We can often be wrong about each
other, so it is an amazing thing that we understand each other as
well as we do!
必修4 Unit 5
THEME PARKS — FUN AND MORE THAN FUN
Which theme park would you like to
visit? There are various kinds of theme parks, with a different
park for almost everything: food, culture, science, cartoons,
movies or history. Some parks are famous for having the biggest or
longest roller coasters, others for showing the famous sights and
sounds of a culture. Whichever and whatever you like, there is a
theme park for you!
The theme park you are probably most
familiar with is Disneyland. It can be found in several parts of
the world. It will bring you into a magical world and make your
dreams come true, whether traveling through space, visiting a
pirate ship or meeting your favourite fairy tale or Disney cartoon
character. As you wander around the fantasy amusement park, you may
see Snow White or Mickey Mouse in a parade or on the street. Of
course Disneyland also has many exciting rides, from giant swinging
ships to terrifying free-fall drops. With all these attractions, no
wonder tourism is increasing wherever there is a Disneyland. If you
want to have fun and more than fun, come to Disneyland!
Dollywood, in the beautiful Smoky
Mountains in the southeastern
USA, is one of the most unique theme parks in the world. Dollywood
shows and celebrates America's traditional southeastern culture.
Although Dollywood has rides, the park's main attraction is its
culture. Famous country music groups perform there all year in
indoor and outdoor theatres. People come from all over America to
see carpenters and other craftsmen make wood, glass and iron
objects in the old-fashioned way. Visit the candy shop to try the
same kind of candy that American southerners made 150 years ago, or
take a ride on the only steam- engine train still working in the
southeast USA. You can even see beautiful bald eagles in the
world's largest bald eagle preserve. And for those who like rides,
Dollywood has one of the best old wooden roller coasters,
Thunderhead. It is world-famous for having the most length in the
smallest space. Come to Dollywood to have fun learning all about
America's historical southeastern culture!
If you want to experience the
ancient days and great deeds of English knights and ladies, princes
and queens, then England's Camelot Park is the place for you. Every
area of the park is modelled after life in the days of King Arthur
and the Knights of the Round Table. In one place, you can watch
magic shows with Merlin the Wizard. If you want to see fighting
with swords or on horseback, then the jousting area is a good place
to visit. If you do well there, King Arthur may choose you to fight
in the big jousting tournament. Do you like animals? Then visit the
farm area, and learn how people in ancient England ran their farms
and took care of their animals. To enter a world of fantasy about
ancient England, come to Camelot Park!
FUTUROSCOP —EXCITEMENT AND LEARNING
Last week I took a journey
deep into space, to the end of the solar system, and was pulled
into a black hole. Then I took a trip to Brazil and experienced
surviving an airplane crash in the jungle. After that, I joined
some divers and went to the bottom of the ocean to see strange
blind creatures that have never seen sunlight. For a break, I took
part in some car racing and then skied down some of
the
most difficult mountains in the world. I ended my travels by
meeting face to face with a dinosaur, the terrible T-Rex, and
survived the experience!
I did all this in one great
day at Futuroscope. Opened in 1987, Futuroscope is one of the
largest space-age parks in the world. This science and
technology-based theme park in France uses the most advanced
technology. Its 3-D cinemas and giant movie screens provide brand
new experiences of the earth and beyond. Visitors can get close to
parts of the world they have never experienced, going to the bottom
of the ocean, flying through the jungle or visiting the edges of
the solar system. The amazing, up-to-date information together with
many opportunities for hands-on learning makes the world come to
life in a completely new way for visitors. Learning centres
throughout the park let visitors try their own scientific
experiments, as well as learn more about space travel, the undersea
world and much mote.
I bought tickets for myself and my
friends at the park's entrance, but tickets are also available
online. Futuroscope is not only for individuals, but is also the
perfect mix of fun and learning for class outings. Classes or other
large groups that let Futuroscope know their plans in advance can
get the group admission rate. For anyone coming from out of town,
Futuroscope has many excellent hotels nearby, most of which provide
a shuttle service to the park. If driving, Futuroscope is within
easy reach of the freeway. Plan your trip well before starting,
since Futuroscope has so many shows, activities and great souvenir
shops that it is difficult to see them all. Come ready to walk a
lot - be sure to wear some comfortable sneakers or other walking
shoes!
必修5 Unit 1
JOHH SHOW DEFEATS “KING CHOLERA”
John Snow was a famous doctor in London - so expert, indeed, that
he attended Queen Victoria as her personal physician. But he became
inspired when he thought about helping ordinary people exposed to
cholera. This was the deadly disease of its day. Neither its cause
nor its cure was understood. So many thousands of terrified people
died every time there was an outbreak. John Snow wanted to face the
challenge and solve this problem. He knew that cholera would never
be controlled until its cause was found.
He
became interested in two theories that possibly explained how
cholera killed people. The first suggested that cholera multiplied
in the air. A cloud of dangerous gas floated around until it found
its victims. The second suggested that people absorbed this disease
into their bodies with their meals. From the stomach the disease
quickly attacked the body and soon the affected person died.
John Snow suspected that the second theory was correct but he
needed evidence. So when another outbreak hit London in 1854, he
was ready to begin his enquiry. As the disease spread quickly
through poor neighbourhoods, he began to gather information. In two
particular streets, the cholera outbreak was so severe that more
than 500 people died in ten days. He was determined to find out
why.
First he marked on a map the exact places where all the
dead people had lived. This gave him a valuable clue about the
cause of the disease. Many of the deaths were near the water pump
in Broad Street (especially numbers 16, 37, 38 and 40). He also
noticed that some houses (such as 20 and 21 Broad Street and 8 and
9 Cambridge Street) had had no deaths. He had not foreseen this, so
he made further investigations. He discovered that these people
worked in the pub at 7 Cambridge Street. They had been given free
beer and so had not drunk the water from the pump. It seemed that
the water was to blame.
Next, John Snow looked into the source of the water for these two
streets. He found that it came from the river polluted by the dirty
water from London. He immediately told the astonished people in
Broad Street to remove the handle from the pump so that it could
not be used. Soon afterwards the disease slowed down. He had shown
that cholera was spread by germs and not in a cloud of gas.
In another part of London, he found supporting evidence
from two other deaths that were linked to the Broad Street
outbreak. A woman, who had moved away from Broad Street, liked the
water from the pump so much that she had it delivered to her house
every day. Both she and her daughter died of cholera after drinking
the water. With this extra evidence John Snow was able to announce
with certainty that polluted water carried the virus.
To prevent this from happening again, John Snow suggested
that the source of all the water supplies be examined. The water
companies were instructed not to expose people to polluted water
any more. Finally 'King Cholera' was defeated.
COPERNICUS’ REVOLUTIONRRY THEORY
Nicolaus
Copernicus was frightened and his mind was confused. Although he
had tried to ignore them, all his mathematical calculations led to
the same conclusion: that the earth was not the centre of the solar
system. Only if you put the sun there did the movements of the
other planets in the sky make sense. Yet he could not tell anyone
about his theory as the powerful Christian Church would have
punished him for even suggesting such an idea. They believed God
had made the world and for that reason the earth was special and
must be the centre of the solar system.
The problem
arose because astronomers had noticed that some planets in the sky
seemed to stop, move backward and then go forward in a loop. Others
appeared brighter at times and less bright at others. This was very
strange if the earth was the centre of the solar system and all
planets went round it.
Copernicus
had thought long and hard about these problems and tried to find an
answer. He had collected observations of the stars and used all his
mathematical knowledge to explain them. But only his new theory
could do that. So between 1510 and 1514 he worked on it, gradually
improving his theory until he felt it was complete.
In
1514 he showed it privately to his friends. The changes he made to
the old theory were revolutionary. He placed a fixed sun at the
centre of the solar system with the planets going round it and only
the moon still going round the earth. He also suggested that the
earth was spinning as it went round the sun and this explained
changes in the movement of the planets and in the brightness of the
stars. His friends were enthusiastic and encouraged him to publish
his ideas, but Copernicus was cautious. He did not want to be
attacked by the Christian Church, so he only published it as he lay
dying in 1543.
Certainly he was right to be careful. The Christian Church rejected
his theory, saying it was against God's idea and people who
supported it would be attacked. Yet Copernicus' theory is now the
basis on which all our ideas of the universe are built. His theory
replaced the Christian idea of gravity, which said things fell to
earth because God created the earth as the centre of the universe.
Copernicus showed this was obviously wrong. Now people can see that
there is a direct link between his theory and the work of Isaac
Newton, Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
必修5 Unit 2
PUZZLES IN GEOGRAPHY
People may
wonder why different words are used to describe these four
countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. You can
clarify this question if you study British history.
First there
was England. Wales was linked to it in the thirteenth century. Now
when people refer to England you find Wales included as well. Next
England and Wales were joined to Scotland in the seventeenth
century and the name was changed to 'Great Britain'. Happily this
was accomplished without conflict when King James of Scotland
became King of England and Wales as well. Finally the English
government tried in the early twentieth century to form the United
Kingdom by getting Ireland connected in the same peaceful way.
However, the southern part of Ireland was unwilling and broke away
to form its own government. So only Northern Ireland joined with
England, Wales and Scotland to become the United Kingdom and this
was shown to the world in a new flag called the Union Jack.
To their
credit the four countries do work together in some areas (eg, the
currency and international relations), but they still have very
different institutions. For example, Northern Ireland, England and
Scotland have different educational and legal systems as well as
different football teams for competitions like the World Cup!
England is the largest of the four countries, and for
convenience it is divided roughly into three zones. The zone
nearest France is called the South of England, the middle zone is
called the Midlands and the one nearest to Scotland is known as the
North. You find most of the population settled in the south, but
most of the industrial cities in the Midlands and the North of
England. Although, nationwide, these cities are not as large as
those in China, they have world-famous football teams and some of
them even have two! It is a pity that the industrial cities built
in the nineteenth century do not attract visitors. For historical
architecture you have to go to older but smaller towns built by the
Romans. There you will find out more about British history and
culture.
The
greatest historical treasure of all is London with its museums, art
collections, theatres, parks and buildings. It is the centre of
national government and its administration. It has the oldest port
built by the Romans in the first century AD, the oldest building
begun by the Anglo-Saxons in the 1060s and the oldest castle
constructed by later Norman rulers in 1066. There has been four
sets of invaders of England. The first invaders, the Romans, left
their towns and roads. The second, the Anglo-Saxons, left their
language and their government. The third, the Vikings, influenced
the vocabulary and place-names of the North of England, and the
fourth, the Normans, left castles and introduced new words for
food.
If
you look around the British countryside you will find evidence of
all these invaders. You must keep your eyes open if you are going
to make your trip to the United Kingdom enjoyable and
worthwhile.
SIGHTSEEING IN LONDON
Worried about the time available, Zhang Pingyu had made a list of
the sites she wanted to see in London. Her first delight was going
to the Tower. It was built long ago by the Norman invaders of AD
1066. Fancy! This solid stone, square tower had remained standing
for one thousand years.Although the buildings had expanded around
it, it remained part of a royal palace and prison combined. To her
great surprise, Zhang Pingyu found the Queen's jewels guarded by
special royal soldiers who, on special occasions, still wore the
four-hundred-year-old uniform of the time of Queen Elizabeth
I.
There followed St Paul's Cathedral built after the terrible fire of
London in 1666. It looked splendid when first built! Westminster
Abbey, too, was very interesting. It contained statues in memory of
dead poets and writers, such as Shakespeare. Then just as she came
out of the abbey, Pingyu heard the famous sound of the clock, Big
Ben, ringing out the hour. She finished the day by looking at the
outside of Buckingham Palace, the Queen's house in London. Oh, she
had so much to tell her friends!
The second day the girl visited Greenwich
and saw its old ships and famous clock that sets the world time.
What interested her most was the longitude line. It is an imaginary
line dividing the eastern and western halves of the world and is
very useful for navigation. It passes through Greenwich, so Pingyu
had a photo taken standing on either side of the line.
The
last day she visited Karl Marx's statue in Highgate Cemetery. It
seemed strange that the man who had developed communism should have
lived and died in London. Not only that, but he had worked in the
famous reading room of the Library of the British Museum. Sadly the
library had moved from its original place into another building and
the old reading room was gone. But she was thrilled by so many
wonderful treasures from different cultures displayed in the
museum. When she saw many visitors enjoying looking at the
beautiful old Chinese pots and other objects on show, she felt very
proud of her country.
The
next day Pingyu was leaving London for Windsor Castle. 'Perhaps I
will see the Queen?' she wondered as she fell asleep.
必修5 Unit 3
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Spacemall:
liqiang299A@GreatAdventureSpaceStation.com
15/11/3008 (Earthtime)
Dear Mum and Dad, I still cannot believe that I am taking
up this prize that I won last year. I have to remind myself
constantly that I am really in AD 3008. Worried about the journey,
I was unsettled for the first few days. As a result, I suffered
from “Time lag”. This is similar to the “jet lag” you get from
flying, but it seems you keep getting flashbacks from your previous
time period. So I was very nervous and uncertain at first. However,
my friend and guide, Wang Ping, was very understanding and gave me
some green tablets which helped a lot. Well-known for their
expertise, his parents' company, called 'Future Tours', transported
me safely into the future in a time capsule.
I can still remember the moment when the space stewardess
called us all to the capsule and we climbed in through a small
opening. The seats were comfortable and after a calming drink, we
felt sleepy and closed our eyes. The capsule began swinging gently
sideways as we lay relaxed and dreaming. A few minutes later, the
journey was completed and we had arrived. I was still on the earth
but one thousand years in the future. What would I find?
At first my new surroundings were difficult to tolerate.
The air seemed thin, as though its combination of gases had little
oxygen left. Hit by a lack of fresh air, my head ached. Just as I
tried to make the necessary adjustment to this new situation, Wang
Ping appeared. 'Put on this mask,' he advised. 'It'll make you feel
much better.' He handed it to me and immediately hurried me through
to a small room nearby for a rest. I felt better in no time. Soon I
was back on my feet again and following him to collect a hovering
carriage driven by computer. These carriages float above the ground
and by bending or pressing down in your seat, you can move swiftly.
Wang Ping fastened my safety belt and showed me how to use it. Soon
I could fly as fast as him. However, I lost sight of Wang Ping when
we reached what looked like a large market because of too many
carriages flying by in all directions. He was swept up into the
centre of them. Just at that moment I had a 'time lag' flashback
and saw the area again as it had been in the year AD 2008. I
realized that I had been transported into the future of what was
still my hometown! Then I caught sight of Wang Ping again and flew
after him.
Arriving at a strange-looking house, he showed me into a
large, bright clean room. It had a green wall, a brown floor and
soft lighting. Suddenly the wall moved - it was made of trees! I
found later that their leaves provided the room with much-needed
oxygen. Then Wang Ping flashed a switch on a computer screen, and a
table and some chairs rose from under the floor as if by magic.
'Why not sit down and eat a little?' he said. 'You may find this
difficult as it is your first time travel trip. Just relax, since
there is nothing planned on the timetable today. Tomorrow you'll be
ready for some visits.' Having said this, he spread some food on
the table, and produced a bed from the floor. After he left, I had
a brief meal and a hot bath. Exhausted, I slid into bed and fell
fast asleep.
More news later from your loving son,
Li Qiang
I HAVE SEEN AMAZING THINGS
My first visit was
to a space station considered the most modem in space. Described as
an enormous round plate, it spins slowly in space to imitate the
pull of the earth's gravity. Inside was an exhibition of the most
up-to-date inventions of the 31 st century. A guide (G) showed us
around along a moveable path.
G:
Good morning to all our visitors from 2008. First we're
going to examine one of the latest forms of communication among our
space citizens. No more typists working on a typewriter or
computer! No more postage or postcodes! Messages can now be sent
using a 'thoughtpad'. You place the metal band over your head,
clear your mind, press the sending button, think your message and
the next instant it's sent. It's stored on the 'thoughtpad' of the
receiver. It's quick, efficient and environmentally friendly. The
only limitation is if the user does not think his or her message
clearly, an unclear message may be sent. But we cannot blame the
tools for the faults of the user, can we?
During the
explanation I looked at the pair of small objects called
'thoughtpads' on a table. They just looked like metal ribbons. So
ordinary but so powerful! While I was observing them, the path
moved us on.
G:
And now ladies and gentlemen, we are in the
'environment area'. People used to collect waste in dustbins. Then
the rubbish was sent to be buried or burned, am I fight? (We
nodded.) Well, now there's a system where the waste is disposed of
using the principles of ecology. A giant machine, always greedy for
more, swallows all the waste available. The rubbish is turned into
several grades of useful material, such as 'fertilizer' for the
fields and 'soil' for deserts. Nothing is wasted, and everything,
even plastic bags, is recycled. A great idea, isn't' it?
I stared at
the moving model of the waste machine, absorbed by its efficiency.
But again we moved on.
G:
Our third stop shows the changes that have
happened to work practices. Manufacturing no longer takes place on
the earth but on space stations like this one. A group of engineers
programme robots to perform tasks in space. The robots produce
goods such as drugs, clothes, furniture, hovering carriages, etc.
There is no waste, no pollution and no environmental damage!
However, the companies have to train their representatives to live
and work in space settlements. They have to monitor the robots and
the production. When the goods are ready they're transported by
industrial spaceship back to earth.
My
mind began to wander. What job would I do? My motivation increased
as I thought of the wonderful world of the future.
必修5 Unit 4 Making the news-Reading
MY FIRST WORK ASSIGNMENT
'Unforgettable',
says new journalist
Never will
Zhou Yang (ZY) forget his first assignment at the office of a
popular English newspaper. His discussion with his new boss, Hu Xin
(HX), was to strongly influence his life as a journalist.
HX: Welcome. We're delighted you're coming to work with us. Your
first job here will be an assistant journalist. Do you have any
questions?
ZY:
Can I go out on a story immediately?
HX:
(laughing) That' s admirable, but I' m afraid it would
be unusual ! Wait till you' re more experienced. First we'll put
you as an assistant
to
an experienced journalist.
Later you can cover a story and submit the article yourself.
ZY:
Wonderful. What do I need to take with me? I
already have a notebook and camera.
HX:
No need for a camera. You'll have a professional
photographer with you to take photographs. You'll find your
colleagues very eager to assist you, so you may be able to
concentrate on photography later if you' re interested.
ZY:
Thank you. Not only am I interested in
photography, but I took an amateur course at university to update
my skills.
HX:
Good.
ZY:
What do I need to remember when I go out to
cover a story?
HX:
You need to be curious. Only if you ask many different
questions will you acquire all the information you need to know. We
say a good journalist must have a good 'nose' for a story. That
means you must be able to assess when people are not telling the
whole troth and then try to discover it. They must use research to
inform themselves of the missing parts of the story.
ZY:
What should I keep in mind?
HX:
Here comes my list of dos and don'ts: don't
miss your deadline, don't be rode, don't talk too much, but make
sure you listen to the
interviewee carefully.
ZY:
Why is listening so important?
HX:
Well, you have to listen for detailed facts. Meanwhile
you have to prepare the next question depending on what the person
says.
ZY:
But how can I listen carefully while taking
notes?
HX:
This is a trick of the trade, If the interviewee
agrees, you can use a recorder to get the facts straight. It's also
useful if a person wants to challenge you. You have the evidence to
support your story.
ZY:
I see! Have you ever had a case where someone
accused your journalists of getting the wrong end of the
stick?
HX:
Yes, but it was a long time ago. This is how the story
goes. A footballer was accused of taking money for deliberately not
scoring goals so as to let the other team win. We went to interview
him. He denied taking money but we were sceptical. So we arranged
an interview between the footballer and the man supposed to bribe
him. When we saw them together we guessed from the footballer's
body language that he was not telling the truth. So we wrote an
article suggesting he was guilty. It was a dilemma because the
footballer could have demanded damages if we were wrong. He tried
to stop us publishing it but later we were proved right.
ZY:
Wow! That was a real 'scoop'. I'm looking
forward to my first assignment now. Perhaps I'll get a scoop
too!
HX:
Perhaps you will. You never know.
GETTING THE 'SCOOP'
'Quick,' said the editor. 'Get that story ready. We need it in this
edition to be ahead of the other newspapers. This is a scoop.' Zhou
Yang had just come back into the office after an interview with a
famous film star. 'Did he really do that?' asked someone from the
International News Department. 'Yes, I' m afraid he did,' Zhou Yang
answered. He set to work.
His first task was to write his story, but he had to do it
carefully. Although he realized the man had been lying, Zhou Yang
knew he must not accuse him directly. He would have to be accurate.
Concise too! He knew how to do that. Months of training had taught
him to write with no wasted words or phrases. He sat down at his
computer and began to work.
The first person who saw his article was a senior editor
from his department. He checked the evidence, read the article and
passed it on to the copy-editor. She began to edit the piece and
design the main headline and smaller heading. “This will look very
good on the page,” she said. 'Where is a good picture of this man?'
Then as the article was going to be written in English Zhou Yang
also took a copy to the native speaker employed by the newspaper to
polish the style. She was also very happy with Zhou Yang's story.
'You are really able to write a good front page article,' she said.
Zhou Yang smiled with happiness. Last of all, the chief editor read
it and approved it. 'Well done,' he said to Zhou Yang. 'But please
show me your evidence so we're sure we've got our facts straight.”
“I’ll bring it to you immediately,' said Zhou Yang excitedly.
The news desk editor took the story and began to work on
all the stories and photos until all the pages were set. All the
information was then ready to be processed into film negatives.
This was the first stage of the printing process. They needed four
negatives, as several colours were going to be used on the story.
Each of the main colours had one negative sheet and when they were
combined they made a coloured page for the newspaper. After one
last check the page was ready to be printed. Zhou Yang waited
excitedly for the first copies to be ready. 'Wait 611 tonight,' his
friend whispered. 'I expect there will be something about this on
the television news. A real scoop!'
必修5 Unit 5 First aid-Reading
FIRST AID FOR BURNS
The
skin is an essential part of your body and its largest organ. You
have three layers of skin which act as a barrier against disease,
poisons and the sun's harmful rays. The functions of your skin are
also very complex: it keeps you warm or cool; it prevents your body
from losing too much water; it is where you feel cold, heat or pain
and it gives you your sense of touch. So as you can imagine, if
your skin gets burned it can be very serious. First aid is a very
important first step in the treatment of bums.
Causes of burns
You
can get burned by a variety of things: hot liquids, steam, fire,
radiation (by being close to high heat or fire, etc), the sun,
electricity or chemicals.
Types of burns
There are three types of burns. Burns are called first, second or
third degree burns, depending on
which layers of the skin are burned.
◎ First degree burns
These affect only the
top layer of the skin. These burns are not serious and should feel
better within a day or two. Examples include mild sunburn and burns
caused by touching a hot pan, stove or iron for a mordent.
◎ Second degree burns
These affect both the top and the
second layer of the skin. These bums are serious and take a few
weeks to heal. Examples include severe sunburn and bums caused by
hot liquids.
◎ Third degree burns
These affect all three layers
of the skin and any tissue and organs under the skin. Examples
include burns caused by electric shocks, burning clothes, or severe
petrol fires. These burns cause very severe injuries and the victim
must go to hospital at once.
Characteristics of burns
First degree burns
◎ dry, red and mildly swollen
◎ mildly painful
◎ turn white when pressed
Second degree burns
◎ rough, red and swollen
◎ blisters
◎ watery surface
◎ extremely painful
Third degree burns
◎ black and white and charred
◎ swollen; often tissue under them
can be seen
◎ little or no pain if nerves are
damaged; may be pain around edge of injured area.
First aid treatment
1
Remove clothing using scissors if
necessary unless it is stuck to the burn. Take off other clothing
and jewellery near the burn.
2
Cool burns immediately with cool but not
icy water. It is best to place burns under gently running water for
about 10 minutes. (The cool water stops the burning process,
prevents the pain becoming unbearable and reduces swelling.) Do not
put cold water on third degree burns.
3
For first degree burns, place cool,
clean, wet cloths on them until the pain is not so bad. For second
degree burns, keep cloths cool by
putting them back in a
basin of cold water, squeezing them out and placing them on the
burned area over and over again for about an hour until the pain is
not so bad.
4
Dry the burned area gently. Do not rob, as this
may break any blisters and the wound may get infected.
5
Cover the burned area with a dry, clean bandage
that will not stick to the skin. Hold the bandage in place with
tape. Never put butter, oil or ointment on bums as they keep the
heat in the wounds and may cause infection.
6
If bums are on arms or legs, keep them higher
than the heart, if possible. If bums are on the face, the victim
should sit up.
7
If the injuries are second or third degree bums,
it is vital to get the victim to the doctor or hospital at
once.
HEROIC TEENAGER RECEIVES AWARD
Seventeen-year-old teenager, John Janson, was honoured at the
Lifesaver Awards last night in Rivertown for giving lifesaving
first aid on his neighbour after a shocking knife attack.
John was
presented with his award at a ceremony which recognized the bravery
of ten people who had saved the life of another.
John was
studying in his room when he heard screaming. When he and his
father rushed outside, a man ran from the scene. They discovered
that Anne Slade, mother of three, had been stabbed repeatedly with
a knife. She was lying in her front garden bleeding very heavily.
Her hands had almost been cut off.
It was
John's quick action and knowledge of first aid that saved Ms
Slade's life. He immediately asked a number of nearby people for
bandages, but when nobody could put their hands on any, his father
got some tea towels and tape from their house. John used these to
treat the most severe injuries to Ms Slade's hands. He slowed the
bleeding by applying pressure to the wounds until the police and
ambulance arrived.
'I'm proud of what
I did but I was just doing what I'd been taught,' John said.
John had taken part
in the Young Lifesaver Scheme at his high school. When
congratulating John, Mr Alan Southerton, Director of the Young
Lifesaver Scheme said, 'There is no doubt that John's quick
thinking and the first aid skills he learned at school saved Ms
Slade's life. It shows that a knowledge of first aid can make a
real difference.'
Before receiving
their awards last night, John and the nine other Life Savers
attended a special reception yesterday hosted by the Prime
Minister.
选修6 Unit 1 Art-Reading
A SHORT HISTORY OF WESTERN PAINTING
Art is influenced
by the customs and faith of a people. Styles in Western art have
changed many times. As there are so many different styles of
Western art, it would be impossible to describe all of them in such
a short text. Consequently, this text will describe only the most
important ones, starting from the sixth century AD.
The Middle Ages (5th to the 15th century AD)
During the Middle
Ages, the main aim of painters was to represent religious themes. A
conventional artist of this period was not interested in showing
nature and people as they really were. A typical picture at this
time was full of religious symbols, which created
feeling
of respect and love for God. But it was evident that ideas were
changing in the 13th century when painters like Giotto di Bondone
began to paint religious scenes in a more realistic way.
The Renaissance (15th to 16th century)
During the
Renaissance, new ideas and values graduallv replaced those held in
the Middle Ages.People began to concentrate less on religious
themes and adopt a more humanistic attitude to life. At the same
time painters returned to classical Roman and Greek ideas about
art. They tried to paint people and nature as they really were.
Rich people wanted to possess their own paintings, so they could
decorate their superb palaces and great houses. They paid famous
artists to paint pictures of themselves, their houses and
possessions as well as their activities and achievements.
One of the most important
discoveries during this period was how to draw things in
perspective. This technique was first used by Masaccio in 1428.
When people first saw his paintings, they were convinced that they
were looking through a hole in a wall at a real scene. If the roles
of perspective had not been discovered, no one would have been able
to paint such realistic pictures. By coincidence, oil paints were
also developed at this time, which made the colours used in
paintings look richer and deeper. Without the new paints and the
new technique, we would not be able to see the many great
masterpieces for which this period is famous.
Impressionism (late 19th to early 20th century)
In the late 19th
century, Europe changed a great deal. from a mostly agricultural
society to a mostly industrial one. Many people moved from the
countryside to the new cities. There were many new inventions and
social changes. Naturally, these changes also led to new painting
styles. Among the painters who broke away from the traditional
style of painting were the Impressionists, who lived and worked in
Paris.
The Impressionists were the
first painters to work outdoors. They were eager to show how light
and shadow fell on objects at different times of day. However,
because natural light changes so quickly, the Impressionists had to
paint quickly. Their paintings were not as detailed as those of
earlier painters. At first, many people disliked this style of
painting and became very angr about it. They said that the painters
were careless and their paintings were ridiculous.
Modern Art (20th century to today)
At the time they
were created, the Impressionist paintings were controversial, but
today they are accepted as the beginning of what we call 'modem
art'. This is because the Impressionists encouraged artists to look
at their environment in new ways. There are scores of modern art
styles, but without the Impressionists, many of these painting
styles might not exist. On the one hand, some modem art is
abstract; that is, the painter does not attempt to paint objects as
we see them with our eyes, but instead concentrates on certain
qualities of the object, using colour, line and shape to represent
them. On the other hand, some paintings of modern art are so
realistic that they look like photographs. These styles are so
different. Who can predict what painting styles there will be in
the future?
THE BEST OF MANHATTAN’S ART GALLERIES
The Frick Collection (5th Avenue and E.70th Street)
Many art
lovers would rather visit this small art gallery than any other in
New York. Henry Clay Frick, a rich New Yorker, died in 1919,
leaving his house, furniture and art collection to the American
people. Frick had a preference for pre-twentieth century Western
paintings, and these are well-represented in this excellent
collection. You can also explore Frick's beautiful home and garden
which are well worth a Visit.
Guggenheim Museum(5th Avenue and 88th Street)
This museum owns 5,000 superb modern paintings, sculptures and
drawings. These art works are not all displayed at the same time.
The exhibition is always changing. It will appeal to those who love
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings. The Guggenheim
Museum building is also world-famous. When you walk into gallery,
you feel as if you
were inside a fragile, white seashell. The best way to see the
paintings is to start from the top floor and walk down to the
bottom. There are no stairs just a circular path. The museum also
has an excellent restaurant.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (5th Avenue and 82nd Street)
The
reputation of this museum lies in the variety of its art
collection. This covers more than 5,000 years of civilization from
many parts of the world, including America, Europe, China, Egypt,
other African countries and South America. The museum displays more
than just the visual delights of art. It introduces you to ancient
ways of living. You can visit an Egyptian temple, a fragrant Ming
garden, a typical room in an 18th century French house and many
other special exhibitions.
Museum of Modern Art (53rd Street, between 5th and 6th
Avenues)
It is
amazing that so many great works of art from the late 19th century
to the 21st century are housed in the same museum. The collection
of Western art includes paintings by such famous artists as Monet,
Van Gogh, Picasso and Matisse. A few words of warning: the
admission price is not cheap and the museum is often very
crowded.
Whitney Museum of American Art (945 Madison Avenue, near 75th
Street)
The Whitney
holds an excellent collection of contemporary American painting and
sculpture. There are no permanent displays in this museum and
exhibitions change all the time. Every two years, the Whitney holds
a special exhibition of new art by living artists. The museum also
shows videos and films by contemporary video artists.
选修6 Unit 2 Poems-Reading
A FEW SIMPLE FORMS OF ENGLISH POEMS
There are
various reasons why people write poetry. Some poems tell a story or
describe something in a way that will give the reader a strong
impression. Others try to convey certain emotions. Poets use many
different forms of poetry to express themselves. In this text,
however, we will look at a few of the simpler forms.
Some of the
first poetry a young child learns in English is nursery rhymes.
These rhymes like the one on the right (A) are still a common type
of children's poetry. The language is concrete but imaginative, and
they delight small children because they rhyme, have strong rhythm
and a lot of repetition. The poems may not make sense and even seem
contradictory, but they are easy to learn and recite. By playing
with the words in nursery rhymes, children learn about
language.
A
Hush, little baby, don't say a
word, Papa's going to buy you a mockingbird. If that mockingbird
won't sing, Papa's going to buy you a diamond ring. If that diamond
ring turns to brass, Papa's going to buy you a looking-glass. If
that looking-glass gets broke, Papa's going to buy you a
billy-goat. If that billy-goat runs away, Papa's going to buy you
another today.
One of the
simplest kinds of poems are those like B and C that list things.
List poems have a flexible line length and repeated phrases which
give both a pattern and a rhythm to the poem. Some rhyme (like B)
while others do not (like C).
B
I saw a fish-portal all on
fire
I saw a fish-pond all on fire,
I saw a house bow to a
squire,
I saw a
person twelve-feet high,
I saw a
cottage in the sky,
I saw a
balloon made of lead,
I saw a
coffin drop down dead,
I saw two
sparrows run a race,
I saw two
horses making lace,
I saw g
girl just like a cat,
I saw a
kitten wear a hat,
I saw a man
who saw these too,
And said though
strange they all were true.
C
Our first football match
We would have won
...
if Jack had
scored that goal,
if we'd had
just a few more minutes,
if we had
trained harder,
if Ben had
passed the ball to Joe,
if we'd had
thousands of fans screaming,
if I hadn't
taken my eye off the ball,
if we
hadn't stayed up so late the night before,
if we
hadn't taken it easy,
if we
hadn't run out of energy.
We would have won
...
if we'd
been better!
Another simple form
of poem that students can easily write is the cinquain, a poem made
up of five lines. With these, students can convey a strong picture
in just a few words. Look at the examples (D and E) on the top of
the next page.
D
Brother Beautiful, athletic Teasing,
shouting, laughing Friend and enemy too Mine
E
Summer Sleepy, salty Drying,
drooping, dreading Week in, week out Endless
F
A fallen blossom Is coming back
to the branch. Look, a butterfly!
( by
Moritake)
G
Snow having melted, The whole village is
brimful Of happy children.
(by Issa)
Haiku is a Japanese
form of poetry that is made up of 17 syllables. It is not a
traditional form of English poetry, but is very popular with
English writers. It is easy to write and, like the cinquain , can
give a clear picture and create a special feeling using the minimum
of words. The two haiku poems (F and G) above are translations from
the Japanese.
H
Where she awaits her husband On
and on the river flows. Never looking back,Transformed into
stone.Day by day upon the mountain top,wind and rain revolve.Should
the traveller return,this stone would utter speech.,
(by Wang Jian)
Did you
know that English speakers also enjoy other forms of Asian poetry -
Tang poems from China in particular? A lot of Tang poetry has been
translated into English. This Tang poem (H) is a translation from
the Chinese.
With so
many different forms of poetry to choose from, students may
eventually want to write poems of their own. It is easier than you
might think and certainly worth a try!
I'VE SAVED THE SUMMER
I've saved the summer
And I give it all to you
To hold on winter mornings
When the snow is new.
I've saved some sunlight
If you should ever need
A place away from darkness
Where your mind can feed.
And for myself I've kept your smile
When you were but nineteen,
Till you're older you'll not know
What brave young smiles can mean.
I know no answers
To help you on your way
The answers lie somewhere
At the bottom of the day.
But if you've a need for love
I'll give you all l own
It might help you down the road
Till you've found your own.
(by Rod McKuen)
选修6 Unit 3 A healthy life-Reading
ADVICE FROM GRANDAD
Dear James,
It is a beautiful day here and I am sitting under the big tree at
the end of the garden. I have
just returned from a long
bike ride to an old castle. It seems amazing that at my age I am
still
fit enough to cycle 20 kilometres in an afternoon.
It's my birthday in two weeks time and I'll be
82 years
old! I think my long and active life must be due to the healthy
life I live.
This brings me to the real reason for my letter, my dear grandson.
Your mother tells me that
you started smoking some time ago
and now you are finding it difficult to give it up. Believe me, I
know how easy it is to begin smoking and how tough it is to stop.
You see, during adolescence I also smoked and became addicted to
cigarettes.
By the way, did you know that this is because you become addicted
in three different ways?
First, you can become physically
addicted to nicotine, which is one of the hundreds of chemicals in
cigarettes. This means that after a while your body becomes
accustomed to having nicotine in it. So when the drug leaves your
body, you get withdrawal symptoms. I remember feeling bad-tempered
and sometimes even in pain. Secondly, you become addicted through
habit. As you know, if you do the same thing over and over again,
you begin to do it automatically. Lastly, you can become mentally
addicted. I believed I was happier and more relaxed after having a
cigarette, so I began to think that I could only feel good when I
smoked. I was addicted in all three ways, so it was very difficult
to quit. But I did finally manage.
When I was young, I didn't know much about the harmful effects of
smoking. I didn't know, for example, that it could do terrible
damage to your heart and lungs or that it was more difficult for
smoking couples to become pregnant. I certainly didn't know their
babies may have a smaller birth weight or even be abnormal in some
way. Neither did I know that my cigarette smoke could affect the
health of non-smokers. However, what I did know was that my
girlfriend thought I smelt terrible. She said my breath and clothes
smelt, and that the ends of my fingers were turning yellow. She
told me that she wouldn't go out with me again unless I stopped! I
also noticed that I became breathless quickly, and that I wasn't
enjoying sport as much. When I was taken off the school football
team because I was unfit, I knew it was time to quit smoking.
I am sending you some advice I found on the Internet. It might help
you to stop and strengthen your resolve. I do hope so because I
want you to live as long and healthy a life as I have.
Love from
Grandad
Reading and discussing
Before you read the poster below, discuss what you know about
HIV/AIDS with your classmates. Make a list of words that you might
come across in this poster.
HIV/AIDS:ARE YOU AT RISK?
HIV is a virus. A virus is a very
small living thing that causes disease. There are many different
viruses, for example, the flu virus or the SARS virus. HIV weakens
a person's
immune system; that is, the part of the body
that fights disease. You can have HIV in your
blood for a
long time, but eventually HIV will damage your immune system so
much that you body can no longer fight disease. This stage of the
illness is called AIDS. If you develop AIDS, your chances of
survival are very small.
HIV is spread through blood or the
fluid that the body makes during sex. For a person
to
become infected, blood or sexual fluid that carries the virus, has
to get inside the body through broken skin or by injection. One day
scientists will find a cure for HIV/AIDS.
Until that happens, you need to protect yourself. Here are some
things you can do to make sure you stay safe.
If you inject drugs:
do not share your needle with anyone else. Blood from another
person can stay on or in the needle. If a person has HIV and you
use the same needle, you could inject the virus into your own
blood.
do not share anything else that a person has used while injecting
drugs.Blood could have spilt on it.
If you have sex with a male or a female:
use a condom. This will prevent sexual fluid passing from one
person to another.
The following statements are NOT true.
A person cannot get HIV the first time they have sex.WRONG. If one
sexual partner has HIV, the other partner could become
infected.
You can tell by looking at someone whether or not they have
HIV.WRONG. Many people carrying HIV look perfectly healthy. It is
only when the disease has progressed to AIDS that a person begins
to look sick.
Only homosexuals get AIDS.WRONG. Anyone who has sex with a person
infected with H1V/AIDS risks getting the virus. Women are slightly
more likely to become infected than men.
If you hug, touch or kiss someone with AIDS or visit them in their
home, you will get HIV/AIDS.WRONG.You can only get the disease from
blood or sexual fluid.Unfortunately, people with HIV sometimes lose
their friends because of prejudice.Many people are afraid that they
will get HIV/AIDS from those infected with HIV!AIDS. For the same
reason, some AIDS patients cannot find anyone to look after them
when they are sick.
You can get HIV/AIDS from
mosquitoes.WRONG. There is no evidence of this.
选修6 Unit 4 Global warming-Reading
THE EARTH IS BECOMING WARMER-BUT DOES IT MATTER?
During the 20th century the
temperature of the earth rose about one degree Fahrenheit. That
probably does not seem much to you or me, but it is a rapid
increase when compared to other natural changes. So how has this
come about and does it matter? Earth Care’s Sophie Armstrong
explores these questions.
There is no doubt that the
earth is becoming warmer (see Graph 1) and that it is human
activity
that has caused this global warming rather than a random but
natural phenomenon.
All scientists subscribe to the
view that the increase in the earth's temperature is due to the
burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil to produce
energy. Some byproducts of this process are called 'greenhouse'
gases, the most important one of which is carbon dioxide. Dr Janice
Foster explains: 'There is a natural phenomenon that scientists
call the 'greenhouse effect'. This is when small amounts of gases
in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour,
trap heat from the sun and therefore warm the earth. Without the
'greenhouse effect', the earth would be about thirty-three degrees
Celsius cooler than it is. So, we need those gases. The problem
begins when we add huge quantities of extra carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere. It means that more heat energy tends to be trapped in
the atmosphere causing the global temperature to go up.'
We know that the
levels of carbon dioxide have increased greatly over the last 100
to 150 years. It was a scientist called Charles Keeling, who made
accurate measurements of the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere from 1957 to 1997. He found that between these years the
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere went up from around 315 parts to
around 370 parts per million
(see Graph 2).
All scientists
accept this data. They also agree that it is the burning of more
and more fossil
fuels that has resulted in this increase in carbon dioxide. So how
high will the temperature increase go? Dr Janice Foster says that
over the next 100 years the amount of warming could be as low as 1
to 1.5 degrees Celsius, but it could be as high as 5 degrees.
However, the attitude of
scientists towards this rise is completely different. On the one
hand, Dr Foster thinks that the trend which increases the
temperature by 5 degrees would be a catastrophe. She says, 'We
can't predict the climate well enough to know what to expect, but
it could be very serious.' Others who agree with her think there
may be a rise of several metres in the sea level, or predict severe
storms, floods, droughts, famines, the spread of diseases and the
disappearance of species. On the other hand, there are those, like
George Hambley, who are opposed to this view, believe that we
should not worry about high levels of carbon dioxide in the air.
They predict that any warming will be mild with few bad
environmental consequences. In fact, Hambley states, 'More carbon
dioxide is actually a positive thing. It will make plants grow
quicker; crops will produce more; it will encourage a greater range
of animals - all of which will make life for human beings
better.'
Greenhouse gases
continue to build up in the atmosphere. Even if we start reducing
the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, the
climate is going to keep on warming for decades or centuries. No
one knows the effects of global warming. Does that mean we should
do nothing? Or, are the risks too great?
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING?
Dear Earth Care,
I am doing a project on behalf of my school about global warming.
Sometimes I feel that individuals can have little effect on such
huge environmental problems. However, 1 still think people should
advocate improvements in the way we use energy today. As I'm not
sure where to start with my project, I would appreciate any
suggestions you may have.
Thank you!
Ouyang
Guang
Dear Ouyang Guang,
There are many people who have a commitment like yours, but they do
not believe they have the power to do anything to improve our
environment. That is not true. Together, individuals can make a
difference. We do not have to put up with pollution.
The growth of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide in the air
actually comes as a result of many things we do every day. Here are
a few suggestions on how to reduce it. They should get you started
with your project.
1
We use a lot of energy in our houses. It is OK to leave
an electrical appliance on so long as you
are using it - if
not, turn it off! Do not be casual about this. So if you are not
using the lights, the TV, the computer, and so on, turn them off.
If you are cold, put on more clothes instead of turning up the
heat.
2
Motor vehicles use a lot of energy- so walk or ride a
bike if you can.
3
Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags and newspapers if
circumstances allow you to. It takes a lot of energy to make things
from new materials, so, if you can, buy things made from recycled
materials.
4 Get your parents to buy things that are economical with energy -
this includes cars as well as smaller things like fridges and
microwaves.
5 Plant trees in your garden or your school yard, as they absorb
carbon dioxide from the air and
refresh your spirit when
you look at them.
6 Finally and most importantly, be an educator. Talk with your
family and friends about global warming and tell them what you have
learned.
Remember - your contribution counts!
Earth Care
选修6 Unit 5 The power of nature-Reading
AN EXCITING JOB
I have the
greatest job in the world. I travel to unusual places and work
alongside people from all over the world. Sometimes working
outdoors, sometimes in an office, sometimes using scientific
equipment and sometimes meeting local people and tourists, I am
never bored.
Although my job is occasionally dangerous, I don't mind because
danger excites me and makes me feel alive. However, the most
important thing about my job is that I help protect
ordinary
people from one of the most powerful forces on
earth - the volcano.
I was appointed as
a volcanologist working for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)
twenty years ago. My job is collecting information for a database
about Mount Kilauea, which is one of the most active volcanoes in
Hawaii. Having collected and evaluated the information, I help
other scientists to predict where lava from the volcano will flow
next and how fast. Our work has saved many lives because people in
the path of the lava can be warned to leave their houses.
Unfortunately, we cannot move their homes out of the way, and many
houses have been covered with lava or burned to the ground.
When boiling rock erupts
from a volcano and crashes back to earth, it causes less damage
than you might imagine. This is because no one lives near the top
of Mount Kilauea, where the rocks fall. The lava that flows slowly
like a wave down the mountain causes far more damage because it
buries everything in its path under the molten rock. However, the
eruption itself is really exciting to watch and I shall never
forget my first sight of one. It was in the second week after I
arrived in Hawaii. Having worked hard all day, I went to bed early.
I was fast asleep when suddenly my bed began shaking and I heard a
strange sound, like a railway train passing my window. Having
experienced quite a few earthquakes in Hawaii already, I didn't
take much notice. I was about to go back to sleep when suddenly my
bedroom became as bright as day. I ran out of the house into the
back garden where I could see Mount Kilauea in the distance. There
had been an eruption from the side of the mountain and red hot lava
was fountaining hundreds of metres into the air. It was an
absolutely fantastic sight.
The day after this eruption
I was lucky enough to have a much closer look at it. Two other
scientists and I were driven up the mountain and dropped as close
as possible to the crater that had been formed during the eruption.
Having earlier collected special clothes from the observatory, we
put them on before we went any closer. All three of us looked like
spacemen.We had white protective suits that covered our whole body,
helmets, big boots and special gloves. It was not easy to walk in
these suits, but we slowly made our way to the edge of the crater
and looked down into the red, boiling centre. The other two climbed
down into the crater to collect some lava for later study, but this
being my first experience, I stayed at the top and watched
them.
Today, I am just as enthusiastic about my job as
the day I first started. Having studied volcanoes now for many
years, I am still amazed at their beauty as well as their potential
to cause great damage.
THE LRKE OF HERVEN
Changbaishan is in Jilin
Province, Northeast China.Much of this beautiful, mountainous area
is thick forest . Changbaishan is China's largest nature reserve
and it is kept in its natural state for the people of China and
visitors from all over the world to enjoy. The height of the land
varies from 700 metres above sea level to over 2,000 metres and is
home to a great diversity of rare plants and animals. Among the
rare animals are cranes, black bears, leopards and tigers. Many
people come to Changbaishan to study its unique plants and animals.
Others come to walk in the mountains, to see the spectacular
waterfalls or to bathe in the hot water pools. However, the
attraction that arouses the greatest appreciation in the reserve is
Tianchi or the Lake of Heaven.
Tianchi is a deep lake that has
formed in the crater of a dead volcano on top of the mountain. The
lake is 2,194 metres above sea level, and more than 200 metres
deep. In winter the surface freezes over. It takes about an hour to
climb from the end of the road to the top of the mountain. When you
arrive you are rewarded not only with the sight of its clear
waters, but also by the view of the other sixteen mountain peaks
that surround Tianchi.
There are many stories told about
Tianchi. The most well-known concerns three young women from
heaven. They were bathing in Tainchi when a bird flew above them
and dropped a small fruit onto the dress of the youngest girl. When
she picked up the fruit to smell it, it flew into her mouth.Having
swallowed the fruit, the girl became pregnant and later gave birth
to a handsome boy. It is said that this boy, who had a great gift
for languages and persuasion, is the father of the Manchu
people.
If you are lucky enough to
visit the Lake of Heaven with your loved one, don't forget to drop
a coin into the clear blue water to guarantee your love will be as
deep and lasting as the lake itself.