网络教育本科英语阅读

2021年1月18日发(作者：愚人节搞笑图片)
Why
强壮的伐木工砍倒的树木一天比一天少，究竟是怎么回事呢？
Once upon a time, a very strong wood-cutter asked for a job from a timber
merchant, and he got it. His pay was really good and so were the working conditions.
For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.
His boss gave him an axe (斧子) and showed him the area where he was
supposed to fell the trees.
The first day, the woodcutter brought fifteen trees.
“Congratulations,” the boss said, “carry on with your work!”
Greatly encouraged by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next
day, but he only could bring ten trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he was
only able to bring seven trees. Day after day he was bringing less and less trees.
“I must be losing my strength,” the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and
apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.
“When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked.
“Sharpen it? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut
trees.”
注释：
be supposed to do 应该 (be supposed to = should)
Seven ways to protect the environment
爱绿护绿，保护环境；勤俭节约，珍惜资源。你愿意为环境保护献一份力吗？
We all want to protect our planet, but we're mostly too busy or too lazy to put up
big change that would improve our lifestyle and save the environment. These are 7
simple habits to implement（执行） in your everyday life which will make a difference.
There is nothing new here but if you follow at least some of these tips, you can be
proud of yourself participating in the protection of the environment.
1. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs: （使用紧凑型荧光灯泡）
It is true that these bulbs are more expensive, but they can save energy and in
the long term your electricity bill would be reduced.
2. Donate:
You have tons of clothes or things you want to get rid of. If they are still
usable（可用的）, give them to someone who needs them. You may also
choose to give them to associations. These associations may sell them and
collect a little money. Not only will you protect the environment, but you will
also contribute to a good cause.
3. Turn off your devices（设备）:
When you do not use a house device, turn it off. For example, if you don't
watch TV, turn it off. Turn off the light when you leave a room (even if you
intend to return.) It's an easy habit to take up which will help you save a lot of
money.
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4. Walk or cycle:
Driving is one of the biggest causes of pollution. If you want to use your car,
ask yourself the following question: do I really need my car? Walk or use
your bike if the journey is a short one.
5. Detergent（洗涤剂）:
Follow the recommended dose of detergent to wash your clothes or dishes.
6. leaky faucets（漏水水龙头）:
Watch leaky faucets, which can cause a significant increase in the the water
bill. An average of 120 litres（升） of water can be wasted due to a dripping
faucet.
7. Rainwater:
Think of recovering rainwater. This water can be used for different purposes.
This list is far from being exhaustive but in addition to saving the environment, all
these tips will help you save money.

Question:
Do you have other ways to protect the environment
？
Share with us.
注释：
make a difference 有(重要)作用；有影响；有关系
participate in参加，参与









in the long term从长远来看
get rid of摆脱，除去
intend to打算做…，想要…
take up 拿起；开始从事；占据(时间,地方)
dose 剂量
significant重大的；有效的；有意义的；值得注意的；意味深长的
increase增加, 提高
due to因为，由于
far from远离；远非；完全不
reduce减少
contribute to是…的部分原因；促成，有助于，起作用
in addition to除…以外，除…之外还
重点句式：(注意not only ...but also... 的用法；连接两个句子时，not only 置于句首，要用倒装结构)：
Not only will you protect the environment, but you will also contribute to a good cause. （试着翻译为汉语）


Drinking water—— bottled or from the tap
瓶装饮料卫生、美观、携带方便，但是塑制瓶子却对我们的环境造成了很大的危害。从现在起，我们是不
是应该做些什么，为环保尽一份力呢？
Does your family buy the week’s groceries (杂货) including many bottled drinks
into your home? Because after having sports or hanging out under the sun, it’s so cool
to get a cold one right out of the fridge, right?
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But all those plastic bottles use a lot of oil and pollute the environment. Americans
buy more bottled water than any other nation in the world with 29 billion water bottles a
year. In order to make all these bottles, 17 million barrels (桶) of oil will be used up.
That’s enough oil to keep a million cars going for twelve months.
Most people choose to throw the bottles away after having the bottled drinks. In fact,
instead of going out with the trash（垃圾）, plastic bottles can be turned into carpeting or
clothing. Remember this: Recycling one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power
a 60-watt (瓦特) light bulb for six hours.
Unfortunately, for every six water bottles we use, only one is made recycling. The
rest are sent as garbage. Or, even worse, they end up as trash on the land or in rivers,
oceans. Plastic bottles take many hundreds of years to disintegrate (分解).
So why don’t more people drink water from the kitchen? Some people drink bottled
water because they think it is better for them, but that’s not true. The chemicals in the
bottles themselves may get into the water which can do harm to people.
So next time when you have drinks or water, please try to use a glass at home or
carry water in a steel bottle(
钢瓶
). And if you want to do something more, try to collect
plastic bottles and send them for recycling.

Question：
Protect the environment is very important
，
do you think so
？

注释：
hang out
闲逛

use up
用光，用完，耗尽





throw away扔掉，丢弃
instead of代替；而不是
turned ... into ... 使变成；把......变成
even worse更糟的是
end up as 最终成为

How to stay warm and safe in freezing
严寒的冬季往往会引发我们身体各方面的不适。那么，有哪些问题值得我们注意呢？
It’s really cold outside when winter comes. The cold weather can bring damage
to our bodies, such as frostbite
(冻疮)
and hypothermia
(低体温症)
.
Frostbite is the damage that happens when skin is exposed to extreme cold
weather for too long. It mainly happens on our hands, feet, nose and ears. People with
minor cases of frostbite that affect
(感染)
only the skin may not suffer any longlasting
damage. But if deeper tissue
(组织)
is affected, a person is likely to feel pain every time
the area gets cold.
Hypothermia is a condition that develops when the body cannot produce as much
heat as it releases. Signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable
（无法控制的）
shaking,
very slow breathing and difficulty in thinking clearly.
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To avoid cold- related injuries, here is a simple way to stay warm, dry and safe.
That is C.O.L.D.
The C stands for cover. Wear a hat and a scarf
（围巾）
to keep heat from escaping
through the head, neck and ears. And wear mittens
（连指手套）
instead of gloves. In
gloves, our fingers are separated, so the hands might not stay as warm as they would
in mittens.
The O stands for overexertion
(用力过度).
Avoid activities that will make you
sweaty. Wet clothes and cold weather are a dangerous combination.
L is for layers
(层次)
. Wearing loose, lightweight clothes, one layer on the top of
another, is better than wearing a single heavy layer of clothing. Make sure outerwear
is made of material that is water-resistant
（抗水的）
and tightly knit
（编织）
.
D is for dry. In other words, stay as dry as possible. Pay attention to the places
where snow can enter clothing. These include the tops of boots, the necks of coats and
the wrist areas of mittens or gloves.
From:
注释：
expose... to...暴露于
be likely to很有可能
every time the area gets cold. every time每次（后面可以接从句）
release释放
stand for代表
combination结合；组合
in other words换句话说
pay attention to注意；重视

Soap operas
肥皂剧通常是指以家庭问题为题材的广播或电视连续剧，在其诞生至今的半个多世纪中吸 引了众多的铁杆
粉丝。那么，这种成熟的艺术形式在新时代中是否也需要做出相应的变化呢？
The term “soap opera” came out in the US in the 1930s. A soap opera is a story
about the lives and problems of a group of people which is broadcast every day or
several times a week on television or the radio. It is often supported by the soap
companies, which accounts for the origin(起源)of its name.
The Attraction of Soaps
Many of us watch soaps because they give us great pleasure. We can know more
about the problems of other people’s, which may be the same as ours. These
characters（角色）in the soap opera are often fictional (虚构的). However, we always
like to guess what may happen next and the relationships between the characters as
the story goes.
Gradually we become “experts” on our favorite soaps, and nearly know
everything about them. Sometimes we like to watch other people’s lives, and imagine
ourselves becoming one of them. Interesting, isn’t it?
As for broadcasters (广播公司), soaps are good because they are very cheap to
produce. And companies will spend much money on advertising in soaps, because
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there is a large audience. Soap operas can often run for years without coming to an
end. Scenery is used again and again, and special costumes are not required.
The Taste of the Audience
Soap fans are very loyal (忠诚), but even loyal fans want to see more reality
mixed into their soaps. Some fans wrote letters to magazines to show their opinions in
a certain storyline (故事情节). Broadcasters then may change the storyline based
upon these letters. However, these letters are often just personal opinions. As a
storyline is changed, most of the audience may feel disappointed.
With some soaps having been on the air for more than 30 years, some viewers
wonder if they still have anything to tell. It is often very true that storylines are
repeated over and over, just with different characters. Soaps need to remain modern
like what’s happening in society. Then there will always be stories to tell.
From:
注释：
account for对…做出解释；说明……的原因
come to an end结束
mix ...into... 把…混〔搀〕入…




base ... upon根据；以……基础
on the air在广播(或电视)中；(被)播送
remain保持；依然；留下
A Good- looking woman can’t be an engineer or a prison
guard
美国一家商业学院最近开展的一项关于职场的研究发现，长得漂亮的女性在应聘需 要一点男性气质的工作
时会比较吃亏，比如公司经理、机械工程师、建筑监理和监狱看守等。
Good looks can kill a woman’s chances of hunting jobs that are considered
“male”, according to a study by the University of Colorado Denver Business School.
Attractive women may face discrimination (歧视) when they apply for jobs where
appearance is not very important.
These positions include job titles like manager of a company, director of finance,
mechanical engineer and construction inspector. They are also overlooked for some
professions such as director of security (安全), prison guard and truck driver. “In
these professions being attractive is highly disadvantageous to women,” researcher
Stefanie Johnson said. “However, in other kinds of jobs, attractive women are
preferred. This isn’t the case with men which shows that there is still a double
standard when it comes to sex,” he added.
The study published in the Journal of Social Psychology was based on giving
participants a list of jobs and photos of applicants and the researchers asked them to
sort them out according to their suitability (合适) for the role. They had a pile of 55
male and 55 female photos. While the researchers found good-looking women were
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