communicate是什么意思-fuckyou什么意思
Lesson1
READING SELECTION A
World English: A Blessing or a Curse? Universal language
By Tom McArthur
[1] In
the
year 2000, the language scholar Glanville Price, a Welshman,
made the following assertion as
editor of the book
Languages in Britain and Ireland
:
For English is a killer. It is English that has killed off
Cumbric, Cornish, Norn and Manx. There are still
parts of these islands where sizeable communities speak languages that were there before English. Yet English is
everywhere in everyday use and understood by all or virtually all, constituting such a threat to the three remaining
Celtic languages, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Welsh... that their long-term future must be considered... very greatly
at risk. (p 141)
Some
years
earlier,
in
1992,
Robert
Phillipson,
English
academic
who
currently
works
in
Denmark,
published with Oxford a book entitled
Linguistic Imperialism
. In
it, he argued that
the major English-speaking
countries, the worldwide English-language teaching industry, and notably the British Council pursue policies of
linguistic aggrandisement. He also associated such policies with a prejudice which he calls
linguicism
(a condition
parallel
to(equal
to/
similar
to)
racism
and
sexism).
As
Phillipson
sees
it,
leading
institutions
and
individuals
within
the
predominantly
English-speaking
world,
have
[by
design(=deliberate)
or
default(=mistake)]
encouraged
or
at
least
tolerated
—
and
certainly
have
not
opposed
—
the
hegemonic
spread
of
English,
a
spread
which began some three centuries ago as economic and colonial expansion.
[2] Phillipson himself worked for some years for the British Council, and he is not alone among Anglophone
academics who have sought to point up the dangers of English as a world language. The internationalization of
English has in the last few decades been widely discussed in terms of three groups: first, the ENL countries, where
English is a native language (this group also being known as the
English is a second language (the
(the
to take in the entire planet.
[3] For good or for ill, there has never been a language quite like English. There have been many
languages
benign, and often talk with admiration and appreciation about the cultures associated with them and what they
have given to the world. And it is fairly safe to do this, because none of them now poses much of a threat.
[4] English however is probably too close for us to be able to analyze and judge it as dispassionately, as we
may now discuss the influence of Classical Chinese on East Asia or of Classical Latin on Western Europe. The
jury is still out in the trial of the English language, and may take several centuries to produce its verdict, but even
so we can ask, in this European Year of Languages, whether Price and Phillipson are right to warn us all about the
language that I am using at this very moment.
[5]
It
certainly
isn't
hard
to
look
for
situations
where
people
might
call
English
a
curse.
An
example
is
Australia,
which
is
routinely
regarded
as
a
straightforward
English-speaking
country.
The
first
Europeans
who
went there often used Latin to describe and discuss the place. The word
Australia
itself is Latin; evidently no one
at
the
time
thought
of
simply
calling
it
(which
is
what
Australia
means).
In
addition,
in
South
Australia there is a wide stretch of land called the
Nullarbor Plains
, the first word of which sounds Aboriginal, but
nullarbor
is Latin and means
terra
nullius
. According to the
Encarta World English Dictionary
(1999) the Latin phrase terra
nullius
means:
... the idea and legal concept that when the first Europeans arrived in Australia the land was owned by no one and
therefore open to settlement. It has been judged not to be legally valid
.
But
that
judgment
was
made
only
recently.
When
the
Europeans
arrived,
Australia
was
thinly
populated
—
but
populated
nonetheless
—
from
coast
to
coast
in
every
direction.
There
were
hundreds
of
communities
and
languages. Many of these languages have died out, many more are in the process of dying out, and these dead and
dying
languages
have
been
largely
replaced
by
either
kinds
of
pidgin
English
or
general
Australian
English.
Depending on your point of view, this is either a tragic loss or the price of progress.
[6] At the same time, however, can the blame for the extinction of Aboriginal languages be laid specifically at
the door of English? The first Europeans to discover Australia were Dutch, and their language might have become
the language of colonization and settlement. Any settler language could have had the same effect. If for example
the Mongols had sustained their vast Eurasian empire, Mongolian might have become a world language and gone
to Australia. Again, if history had been somewhat different, today's world language might have been Arabic, a
powerful language in West Asia and North Africa that currently affects many smaller languages, including Coptic
and Berber. Spanish has adversely affected indigenous languages in so-called
spread from Europe to the Siberian Pacific. If English is a curse and a killer, it may only be so in the sense that
any large language is likely to influence and endanger smaller languages.
[7] Yet many people see English as a blessing. Let me leave aside here the obvious advantages possessed by
any world language, such as a large communicative network, a strong literary and media complex, and a powerful
cultural and educational apparatus. Let us instead look at something rather different: the issue of politics, justice,
and equality. My object lesson this time is South Africa. Ten years ago, South Africa ceased to be governed on
principles of racial separateness, a system known in Afrikaans (a language derived from Dutch) as apartheid. The
system arose because the Afrikaner community
—
European settlers of mainly Dutch descent
—
saw themselves as
superior to the indigenous people of the land they had colonized.
[8] English-speaking South Africans of British descent were not particularly strong in opposing the apartheid
regime,
and
the
black
opposition,
whose
members
had
many
languages,
was
at
first
weak
and
disorganized.
However,
the
language
through
which
this
opposition
gained
strength
and
organization
was
English,
which
became
for
them
the
key
language
of
freedom
and
unity,
not
of
oppression.
There
are
today
eleven
official
languages in South Africa
—
English, Afrikaans, and nine vernacular languages that include Zulu, Ndebele, and
Setswana. But which of these nine do black South Africans use (or plan to use) as their national lingua franca?
Which
do
they
wish
their
children
to
speak
and
write
successfully
(in
addition
to
their
mother
tongues)?
The
answer is none of the above. They want English, and in particular they want a suitably Africanized English.
[9] So, a curse for the indigenous peoples of Australia and something of a blessing for those in South Africa...
[10]
How
then
should
we
think
of
English
in
our
globalizing
world
with
its
endangered
diversities?
The
answer, it seems to me, is crystal clear. Like many things, English is at times a blessing and at times a curse
—
for
individuals, for communities, for nations, and even for unions of nations. The East Asian symbolism of yin and
yang might serve well here: There is something of yang in every
yin, of
yin in every
yang. Although they are
opposites, they belong together: in this instance within the circle of communication. Such symbolism suggests that
the users of the world's lingua franca should seek to benefit as fully as possible from the blessing and as far as
possible avoid invoking the curse. (1, 292 words)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr.
Tom
McArthur
is
founder
editor
of
the
Oxford
Companion
to
the
English
Language
(1992)
and
the
quarterly
English Today
:
The International Review of the English Language
(Cambridge, 1985
—
). His more than
20
published
works
include
the
Longman
Lexicon
of
Contemporary
English
(1981),
Worlds
of
Reference:
Language, Lexicography and Learning from the Clay Tablet to the Computer
(1986), and
The English Languages
(1998). He is currently Deputy Director of the Dictionary Research Center at the University of Exeter.
EXERCISES
I. Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions or complete the, following statements
.
1. It can be inferred from Glanville Price's statement that he is ______.
A. happy that English is everywhere in Britain and Ireland
B. worried about the future of the remaining Celtic languages
C. shocked by the diversity of languages in Britain and Ireland
D. amazed that many people in the UK still speak their Aboriginal languages
2. Cumbric is used as an example of ______.
A. a local dialect
B. a victim of the English language
C. a language that is on the verge of extinction
D. a language that is used by only a limited number of people
3. Which of the following is the major concern of the book
Linguistic Imperialism
?
A. English teaching overseas.
B. British government's language policies.
C. Dominance of English over other languages.
D. The role of English in technology advancement.
4. Both Price and Phillipson are ______.
A. government officials
B. advocates of linguistic imperialism
C. in support of language policies carried out by the British Council
D. concerned about the negative effect of English on smaller languages
5. According to the text, the EFL countries ______.
A. are large in number
B. is known as the
C. will be endangered by English
D. have made English their official language
6. According to McArthur, Chinese is different from English in that ______.
A. it has made a great contribution to the world
B. it has had positive influence on other languages
C. it may result in the disappearance of other languages
D. it probably will not endanger the existence of other languages
7. When he said the jury is out in the trial
A. punishment is due
B. the jury is waiting for a trial
C. no decision has been made yet
D. there is no one to make the decision
8. Australia might be used as an example to show that ______.
A. languages are changing all the time
B. some English words are derived from Latin
C. English has promoted the progress of some nations
D. English should be blamed for the extinction of smaller languages
9. Many people see English as a blessing for people in ______.
A. Australia
B. East Asia
C. South Africa
D. ESL countries
10. The main theme of this speech is that ______.
A. English should be taught worldwide
B. English as a world language does more harm than good
C. we should be objective to the internationalization of English
D. we should be aware of (realize) the danger of English as a world language
B. Questions on global understanding and logical structures
1.
Why
does
McArthur
introduce
Glanville
Price
and
Robert
Phillipson's
points
of
view
on
the
spread
of
English? What is his? Intention?
McArthur quotes Price’s assertion and cites Pillipson’s viewpoint on the spread of English as sort of cons to
initiate his argument. Cons are usually
popularly believed arguments or opinions that are against the author’s point
of view. Cons are commonly used writing techniques and are often employed in order to appeal the audience and
highlight the author’s
viewpoint.
2.
Does
McArthur
agree
with
what
Price
and
Phillipson
argued?
From
as
early
as
which
section
does
McArthur show his attitude? Toward the dominance of English as a world English?
No. McArthur’s opinion is different from Price and Pillipson’s arguments. He doesn’t believe that English is
a killer and should be blamed for the extinction of smaller languages. He sees English as both a blessing and a
curse, maybe as a blessing more than a curse. After introducing Price and Pillipson’s viewpoints, McArthur writes
about his own ideas on the iss
ue of English as a world language. From the sentence “For good or for ill, there has
never
been
a
language
quite
like
English”,
we
can
learn
that
McArthur
does
not
curse
English
like
Price
and
Pillipson and he has a different point of view.
3. By reading
conclude that McArthur believes English is a curse?
No.
This
sentence
is
a
kind
of
justification.
Although
McArthur
literally
justifies
the
fact
that
there
are
situations where people might call English a curse, he doesn’t believe that English is virtually a curse. By adding
the word “certainly” McArthur shows his intent
.
4. Could you pick up some words and expressions that signal change or continuation in McArthur's thought?
“For
good
or
for
ill”(paragraph
3)
/“however”
(paragraph
4)
/“But”(paragraph
5)
/
“At
the
same
time,
however”(paragraph 6) /“Yet”(paragraph 7)
5. How many parts can this speech be divided? How are the parts organized?
Part
One:
paragraphs
1
and
2.
These
two
paragraphs
introduce
the
situation
that
many
academics
argue
against English as a world language.
Part
Two:
paragraphs
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
and
9.
Paragraph
three
is
a
transitional
paragraph
that
initiates
McArthur’s own argument. In
these paragraphs McArthur argues that English is not only a curse as many people
have believed, but a blessing as well.
Part Three: paragraph 10. McArthur concludes in the last paragraph that English may be a curse or a blessing
depends on different situations and we should make advantages of world languages and avoid their disadvantages.
II. Vocabulary
A. Choose the best word from the four choices to complete each of the following sentences
.
1. There has been much opposition from some social groups, ______ from the farming community.
A. straightforwardly
B. notably
C. virtually
D. exceptionally
2.
The
______
view
in
Britain
and
other
Western
countries
associates
aging
with
decline,
dependency,
isolation, and often poverty.
A. predominant
B. credulous
C. inclusive
D. sustainable
3.
But
gifts
such
as
these
cannot
be
awarded
to
everybody,
either
by
judges
or
by
the
most
___
of
governments./ reward
?
rewarding
A. tough
B. demanding
C. diverse
D. benign
4. The foreman read the ______ of guilty fourteen times, one for each defendant.
A. prejudice
B. verification C. verdict
D
. punishment
5. They fear it could have a(n) ______ effect on global financial markets.
A. sizeable
B. adverse(negative)
C. beneficial
D. consequential
6. The UN threatened to ______ economic sanctions if the talks were broken off.
A. engage
B. pursue C. abandon/ abundant
D. invoke
7. There are at least four crucial differences between the new ______ and the old government.
A. regimeB. hegemony
C. complex
D. federation/ fedal<->federal, confederate)
8. These questions ______ a challenge to established attitude of superiority toward the outside world.
A. evolve
B. constitute
C. tolerate
D. aroused
9. Because of this, a strong administrative ______ was needed to plan the use of scarce resources, organize
production and regulate distribution.
A. apparatus
B. constitution
C. insistence
D. promotion
10. I learnt that there are no genuinely ______ animals in this area, all the animals were brought here from
other places.
A. endangered B. domesticated
C. indigenous
D. extinct
B. Choose the hest word or expression from the list given for each Honk Use each word or expression only once
and make proper changes where necessary
.
point up
by and large
take in
descent
for good or ill
leave aside
crystal clear
die out
endanger
lay... at the door of
1. The book concludes with a review of the possible impact (influence) of more intimate computers for good
or ill, in various areas of human life.
2. Moreover, it had become clear from the opinion polls that the unpopularity of the new tax was being laid at
the door of the government which had introduced it, rather than the local authorities who were responsible for
levying and collecting it.
3. This case gave the example of breaking someone's arm: that is a really serious injury, but one which is
unlikely to endanger the victim's life.
4.
Many
of
those
who
hold
it
live
in
poor
areas
and
some
are
Colored,
that
is
(i.e./
namely),
of
mixed
European and African descent.
5.
This
debate
is
important
because
it
points
up
(stress/
emphasize)
that
facts
are
not
necessarily
as
simple and straightforward as they might at first sight seem.
6.
In
the
beginning,
the
meaning
of
life
might
be
debated,
but
once
past
the
first
period,
many
of
the
conversations follow a well-worn route from one topic to the next and back again, taking in most of human life.
7. But since agriculture forms the basis (base) of our industry, it was, by and large (on the whole), also an
intensification of the crisis in the national economy in general.
8. Let us leave aside other relevant factors such as education, career structure, pay and conditions of service
and concentrate on (focus on) manpower management.(relate A to B)
9. It is
true that
the exact nature of this issue is uncertain. However, one thing is
crystal clear: it will not
endanger the planet and its inhabitants.
10. But if animal populations are too small, then they simply die out.
III. Cloze
There are ten blanks in the following passage. Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer from
the four choices given for each blank. [criteria: (1)semantic/ (2)grammatic]
A simplified form of the English language based on 850 key words was developed in the late 1920s by the
English
psychologist
Charles
Kay
Ogden
and
1
by
the
English
educator
I.
A.
Richards.
Known
as
Basic
English,
it
was
used
mainly
to
teach
English
to
non-English-speaking
persons
and
2
as
an
international
language. The complexities of English spelling and grammar, however, were major
3
to the adoption of Basic
English as a second language.
The fundamental principle of Basic English was that any idea,
4
complex, may be reduced to simple units
of thought and expressed clearly by a limited number of everyday words. The 850-word primary vocabulary was
5
600
nouns
(representing
things
or
events),
150
adjectives
(for
qualities
and
_
6
),
and
100
general
7
use in English-speaking
countries. More than 60 percent of them were one-syllable words. The basic vocabulary was created
8
by
eliminating
9
the use of 18
Numerous words which have the same or similar meanings and by verbs, such as make, get, do, have, and be.
These verbs were generally combined with prepositions, such as up, among, under, in, and forward. For example,
a Basic English student would use the expression
“
go up
”
10
1.
A. created
B. publicized
C. invented
D. operated
2.
A. proved
B. provided
C. projected
D. promoted
3.
A. advantages
B. objections
C. obstacles
D. facileties
4.
A. however
B. whatever
C. wherever
D. whenever
5.
A. comprised of
B. made of
C. composed of
D. constituted of
6.
A. personalities
B. properties
C. preferences
D. perceptions/ perceive)
7.
A. common
B. ordinary
C. average
D. nonprofessional
8.
A. in all
B. at times
C. for good
D. in part/ partially)
9.
A. experiencing
B. exchanging
C. excluding
D. extending
10. A. in spite of
=despite
B. in favor of
C. instead of
D. in case of
II. Translation
Put the following passages into Chinese
.
1. For English is a killer. It is English that has killed off Cumbric, Cornish, Norn and Manx. There are still
parts of these islands where sizeable communities speak languages that were there before English. Yet English is
everywhere in everyday use and understood by all or virtually all, constituting such a threat to the three remaining
Celtic languages, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Welsh... that their long-term future must be considered... very greatly
at risk.
因为英语是个杀手。正是英语造成了康瑞克、康尼施、诺 恩、曼科斯等语言的消亡。在其中一部分岛
上还有相当多的人使用在英语到来之前就已存在的语言。然而 ，英语在日常生活中无处不在。所有的人或
几乎所有的人都懂英语。英语对现存的凯尔特语
——
爱尔兰语、苏格兰盖尔语及威尔士语的威胁是如此之
大，它们的未来岌岌可危。
2.
He
also
associated
such
policies
with
a
prejudice
which
he
calls
linguisticism
(a
condition
parallel
to
racism and sexism). As Phillipson sees it, leading institutions and individuals within the predominantly
English-speaking
world,
have
(by
design
or
default)
encouraged
or
at
least
tolerated
—
and
certainly
have
not
opposed
—
the
hegemonic
spread
of
English,
a
spread
which
began
some
three
centuries
ago
as
economic
and
colonial expansion.
同时，他认为这些政策和他称之为语言歧视（和种 族歧视、性别歧视的情况类似）的偏见密切相关。
在菲利普森看来，在以白人英语为主导的世界，最重要 的机构和个人（有意或无意地）鼓励或者至少是容
忍了（肯定没有反对）英语霸权主义式的传播。这种传 播始于三个世纪之前的经济及殖民扩张。
3. By and large, we now view them as more or less benign, and often talk with admiration and appreciation
about the cultures associated with them and what they have given to the world. And it is fairly safe to do this,
because none of them now poses much of a threat.
总的来说，我们现在或多或少地把这些语言看作有利的语言。在谈到与之相 关的文化及其为世界所做
的贡献时，我们常怀有崇敬与赞赏，而且这样做也没有太大的风险，因为这些语 言现在已不会构成什么威
胁。
4. Yet many people see English as a blessing. Let me leave aside here the obvious advantages possessed by
any world language, such as a large communicative network, a strong literary and media complex, and a powerful
cultural and educational apparatus.
然而，许多人 把英语看成是一件幸事。在此，我暂且不谈任何世界语言所具有的明显优势，例如广泛
的通信网，强大的 文化传媒体系，及强有力的文化教育机构。
5. English- speaking South Africans of British descent were not particularly strong in opposing the apartheid
regime, and the black opposition, whose members had many languages, was at first weak and disorganized.
讲英语的南非英国后裔并不强烈反对种族隔离政权，而黑人反对力量，其 成员讲多种语言，在初期软
弱无力且缺乏组织。
6.
Such
symbolism
suggests
that
the
users
of
the
world's
lingua
franca
should
seek
to
benefit
as
fully
as
possible from the blessing and as far as possible avoid invoking the curse.
这一象征表明这种世界通用语的使用者应充分发掘这一幸事为我们带来的好处
,
同时尽能避免招来灾
难。
V
. Oral Practice and Discussion
1. Why did Glanville Price say that English is a killer?
Because it has caused extinction of lots of small languages, such as Cumbric, Cornish, Norn and Manx, and
it also threatens the existence of remaining Celtic languages.
2. According to McArthur, in what way is English different from other
Generally people view “world languages”, such as Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit as more or
less benign, and often talk with admiration and appreciation about the cultures associated with them and what they
have given to the world. And the author believes it is fairly safe to do this, because none of these languages now
poses much of a threat. English, however, is another case. It is probably too close for us to be able to analyze and
judge it as dispassionately as we may now discuss the influence of Classical Chinese on East Asia or of Classical
Latin on Western Europe. We may not have the last word on its influence until
centuries later.
3. Why does McArthur say that English is
a blessing for those in South Africa
When
the
first
Europeans
arrived
in
Australia,
there
were
hundreds
of
languages.
Now
many
of
these
languages have died out, many more are in the process of dying out, and these dead and dying languages have
been largely replaced by either kinds of pidgin English or general Australian English. However, in South Africa
the black opposition, whose members had many
languages,
was
at
first
weak
and
disorganized.
It
was
English
that
helped
opposition
gain
strength
and
organization. Instead of being a language of oppression, English became for them the key language of freedom
and unity.
4. What should we do to make the most of English while avoiding the curse it may bring?
5. Do you think that teaching English to speakers of other countries is an act of linguistic imperialism?
The influence of the US and Britain on the rest of the
world, past and present, cannot be denied, and the
teaching
of
English
can
never
be
entirely
neutral.
Language
is
never
a
neutral
vehicle
for
communication;
the
context comes with it, like it or not. English is a double-edged sword, so to speak. There is an element of cultural
imperialism, given that
—
even if on
e doesn’t teach culture, per se
（本质上）
—
culture is still nonetheless encoded
in language in a very real sense.
On
the
other
hand,
the
student
either
needs,
wants
or
is
required
to
learn
English,
and
therefore
learning
English has some perceived benefit for the student.
Furthermore
the
spread
of
English
has
brought
about
the
extinction
of
many
minority
languages.
The
question of whether teaching ESL or EFL can be considered linguistic imperialism is controversial.
VOCABULARY ITEMS
1.
sizable
: adj. fairly large
相当大的
2.
virtually
: adv. almost but not quite; nearly
几乎，差不多
; virture
3.
constitute
: v. to amount to; equal
形成，等同于
4.
aggrandis(z)ment
: n. increase in power or importance
扩张，增加
, expansion
5.
predominantly
: adv. mostly or mainly
卓越地，支配地，主要地
president, dominate(v)
6.
default
: n. failure to do sth.
疏忽
, default value.
7.
hegemonic
: adj. of the predominant influence of one nation over others
霸权的
8.
benign
: adj. tending to exert a beneficial influence; favorable
有利的
9.
dispassionately
: adv. calmly; reasonably
平心静气地，不带偏见地
10.
verdict
: n. decision or opinion given after testing or examining
判断，裁决
, verify
11.
straightforward
: adj. plain; clear
明确的，清清楚楚的
,
12.
aboriginal
: adj. of races of people belonging to a region from the earliest times
土著的
, a man of humble
origin
13.
adversely
: adv. unfavorably
不利地
14.
indigenous
: adj. native; originating in an area
本土的，土生土长
15.
endanger
: v. to cause to be in a dangerous situation
危害
endangered
: adj. in danger of being damaged or destroyed
濒于灭绝的
16.
apparatus
: n. structure or method of operation
组织，机构
17.
descent
: n. hereditary derivation
血统，遗传
, ascend<->descend (v)
18.
apartheid
: adj. racial separateness
种族隔离
19.
regime
: n. system of government or rule
政权
20.
vernacular
: adj. native; commonly spoken by the members of a country or region
本国语的，方言的
21.
invoke
: v. to make a particular idea, image, or feeling appear in people's minds
引起
,
造成
;
22.
point up to
: emphasize
强调
, stress; point out
23.
take in
: to include
包括
24.
for good or (for) ill
: whether the effect of a situation is good or harmful
无论好坏
25.
by and large
: on the whole, generally
总的来说，大体上
; (be) at large.
26.
die out
: to become extinct
死光，绝种
27.
lay(put) sth at the door of...
: to blame (sb. or sth.) for sth
归咎于
…
28.
leave aside
: put aside, to make no discussion of a subject
不谈论，把话题搁置一边
, put away
29.
crystal clear
: absolutely clear
非常清楚的，显而易见的
, obvious, apparent
NOTES
1.
Cumbric
: an ancient, long-extinct Celtic language of Northern England; Briton
2.
Cornish
: the Celtic language of Cornwall (a region of extreme southwest England), extinct since 1800,
Anglosaxon
3.
Norn
: an extinct Norse dialect, spoken until early modern times in the Shetland and Orkney Islands and in
parts of northern Scotland
4.
Manx
: the Gaelic language formerly spoken on the Isle of Man in England
5.
Celtic languages
: a subfamily of the Indo-European language family comprising the Brittonic (including
Welsh,
Breton,
Cumbrian,
and
Cornish)
and
the
Goidelic
(including
Irish
Gaelic,
Scots
Gaelic,
and
Manx)
branches.
6.
Anglophone
: English- speaking
7.
Sanskrit
: (from samskrta
Hindus of India
8.
Nullarbor Plains
: a region of south-central Australia south of the Great Victoria Desert and north of the
Great Australian Bight. It is the site of a major rocket research center.
9.
terra
nullius
:
Terra
nullius
is
a
Latin
expression
meaning
land
or
man's
land
The
term
refers to a 17th-century legal concept that permitted European colonial powers to assume control of land that was
unclaimed. England relied on this principle to claim possession of the Australian continent.
10.
pidgin English
: English that is mixed with the words or grammar of another language
11.
Coptic
:
an
Afro-Asiatic
language
descended
from
ancient
Egyptian,
extinct
as
an
everyday
form
of
speech but surviving in the literature of the Coptic Church, sino-
12.
Berber
: a group of closely related languages spoken in North Africa
13.
Zulu
: a language of considerable literary importance in southeastern Africa
14.
Ndebele
: a language sometimes considered a dialect of Zulu.
15.
Setswana
: a dialect spoken by the Tswana people in Botswana
16.
lingua franca
: a language used between people whose main languages are different
17.
yin and yang
: two basic contrary forces in ancient Chinese thought
阴
和
阳
READING SELECTION B
Jumble of Conflicting Language Taboos
By Timothy Kiefer
[1]
The
northwestern
U.S.
state
of
Washington
made
headlines
in
the
early
2002
when
it
passed
a
law
prohibiting the use of the word
new
law
only
bans
the
use
of
the
word
when
the
reference
is
to
human
beings.
Therefore,
one
law
which defines
refers
to
medicine
will
be
left
unchanged.
According
to
the
law's
sponsor,
Korean-American
state
senator Paul Shin, the law was passed because the term
[2]
Europe,
took
on the
meaning
of
the
East
and
are
all
noun
phrases
referring
to
the
eastern
section
of
the
Asian
continent.
Ironically,
the
eastern
part
of
Russia
is
usually
excluded from the definitions of the Orient and East Asia, even though Russia extends farther to the east than any
other country on the Eurasian landmass.
[3] According to Mr. Shin and other critics of the word Oriental, the word is offensive to Asians because it
implies
a
Europe-centered
view
of
the
world.
From
the
Pacific
coast
of
the
United
States,
where
the
state
of
Washington is located, the so-called
[4] The problem with this argument is that many commonly accepted geographic terms derive from outdated
worldviews
of
this
sort.
My
home
state
of
Wisconsin
is
part
of
a
region
known
as
the
West
or
the
settled from east to west. For the settlers starting out from the Atlantic coast in the late 18th and early 19th century,
everything west of the Appalachian Mountains was considered
[5] Not long ago the
Europeans and Americans; in recent decades it has been ousted by the
either term makes sense only if one takes Europe as the point of reference.
[6] And other languages are no better than English in this regard (aspect). The Arab world divides itself into
the Maghrib (the West) and the Mashriq (the East) with the Sinai Peninsula as the border. Ironically, the division
of
the
ancient
world
into
Asia
and
Europe
was
probably
borrowed
by
the
Greeks
from
the
Phoenicians,
the
ancestors of today's Lebanese; indeed, Europe and the Arabic Maghrib may well be derived from the same Semitic
root, referring to the setting of the sun. And what can we say about a civilization like China, which unabashedly
proclaims itself the
[7] Perhaps it is too much to expect precision in such language issues. Whether or not there are good grounds
(reasons) for considering
as a word to describe the people of Asia or Americans of Asian ancestry. In today's English, the word
when (it is) used to refer to a person, sounds old- fashioned at best and derogatory at worst.
[8]
Nevertheless,
while
it
may
no
longer
be
a
good
idea
to
refer
to
a
person
as
an
Oriental,
it
is
still
the
standard usage in many phrases referring to things.
For example, the term
carpet
typically
imported
from
Turkey
or
Central
Asia.
These
carpets
are
extremely
expensive
(often
costing
thousands of dollars) and are highly prized (valued).
[9] The English language is full of other apparently (obviously) contradictory tendencies for words relating to
ethnicity.
meaning
a
neighborhood
where
Chinese
immigrants
live,
is
proper
English.
But
even though it is a direct translation of Zhongguoren. And
neutral English.
[10]
The
care
Yankees
must
take
in
referring
to
Asians
is
as
nothing
(it
is)
compared
with
the
delicacy
required to get through the minefield of terms for Americans of sub-Saharan African ancestry.
now
offensive,
even
though
it
was
regarded
as
a
polite
term
for
much
of
the
century
after
the
U.S.
Civil
War
(1861-1865). On the other hand,
in
some
ideological
circles,
a
favored
phrase.
(the
Spanish
word
for
gave
way
to
or
American
[11] And while one can speak of
advised
to
speak
of
people
(American
Indians
—
the
Nations
of
Canada,
by
the
way)
or
people
(Asians).
is
reserved
for
politics.
The
term
is
used
occasionally
to
refer
to
Latin
Americans of Indian or mixed Indian/European ancestry.
[12] What to make of (understand) this jumble of conflicting language taboos! One can draw two lessons:
First, non-native speakers should use caution when (he or she is) speaking about ethnicity or race in English, as
the English language is rife with linguistic traps in this area. Second, the number of offensive terms relating to
other
ethnic
groups
is
a
signal
that
the
United
States
has
never
been
fully
comfortable
with
its
status
as
a
multiracial society. Culture is reflected in language, and the large number of pejorative ethnic terms in American
English shows that the United States still suffers from ethnic and racial tensions. (942 words)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Timothy Kiefer, who once taught in Beijing University, is an American lawyer.
Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions or complete the following statements
.
1. From the first sentence we learn that the law about the use of
A. northeastern U. S.
B. Washington D. C. only
C. all the states of the U. S.
D. the state of Washington
2. Which of the following expressions is in violation of the new Law passed in 2002?
A. Oriental religions.
B. Oriental restaurants.
C. Oriental newcomers.
D. Oriental influence.
3. According to the author, when making geological terms
A. African countries are discriminated against
B. English speakers are scornful to other countries
C. people tend to take their own point as reference
D. people tend to accept the names as they were used long time ago
4. Critics of the word Oriental consider the word offensive to Asians because it suggests _____.
A. the negligence of the Russians
B. the bias against people in East Asia
C. an ill-attitude toward Asian cultures
D. a Europe-centered view of the world
5. According to the author, the word
A. should not be used any more
B. reflects people's view of the past
C. shows self-centeredness of the Asian people
D. reflects people's prejudice against the minorities
6. It can be inferred from the passage that
A. in the east of the U.S.
B. in the south of the U. S.
C. in the Midwest of the U.S.
D. along the western coast of the U.S.
7. The phrase
A. productive land
B. enough support
C. sensible reasons D. scientific evidence
8. Which of the following is a pejorative expression in American English?
A. Frenchman.
B
. Chinaman.
C. black people.
D. African American.
9. Compared with the choosing of terms referring to Asians, Americans are _____.
A. more careful when they use terms referring to African-Americans
B. less careful when they use terms referring to African-Americans
C. more careful when they use terms referring to Europeans
D. less careful when they use terms referring to Europeans
10. This selection is mainly concerned with
_____.
A. racial problems in the U.S.
B. the difficulty in learning English
C. English expressions for ethnicity
D. the change of English language in the U.S.
VOCABULARY ITEMS
1.
jumble
：
n. a confused or disordered mass
杂乱
2.
taboo
：
n. a social custom that certain words, subjects, or actions must be avoided
禁忌
3.
Oriental
：
adj. of eastern countries
东方各国
4.
employ
：
v. to put to use or service
使用
5.
sponsor
：
n. one who takes responsibility for a person or a thing
赞助（者）
6.
pejorative
：
adj. depreciatory; belittling
轻蔑
7.
landmass
：
n. a large unbroken area of land
大陆
8.
offensive
：
adj. causing offense to the mind or senses; disagreeable
无礼，不敬的
9.
oust
：
v. to take the place of
取代
10.
unabashedly
：
adv. being not embarrassed
不脸红，满不在乎
11.
proclaim
：
v. to make known publicly
宣告
12.
ancestry
：
n. line of ancestors
祖先
13.
ethnicity
：
n. racial, national, or tribal traits, background, or association n.
种族特点
(
渊源
)
14.
delicacy
：
n. need of careful treatment
精细，微妙
15.
minefield
：
n. sth. that is full of hidden dangers
雷场
16.
ideological
：
adj. of or relating to manner of thinking, ideas of a person, group, etc.
意识形态
17.
rife (with)
：
adj. full (usually of bad things)
充满的
18.
multiracial
：
adj. including or involving several different races of people
多种族的
19.
take on
：
to begin to have
具有，呈现
20.
at best
(at most)
：
in the most favorable case
至多，充其量
21.
at worst
：
in the worst way
在最坏情况下
22.
give way
：
to yield
让路，让位
23.
ill advised
：
not sensible or not wise
没脑筋的，鲁莽的
NOTES
1.
Eurasian
: of or relating to the land mass comprising the continents of Europe and Asia
2.
Appalachian Mountains
: a long range of mountains in northeast America that go southwest from Quebec
in Canada to Alabama in the U. S.
3.
Maghrib
: a region of northwest Africa, considered to include Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia
4.
Mashriq
: the region extending from the western border of Egypt through to the western border of Iran
5.
Phoenician
: a member of Semitic people of Phoenicia, prominent in Mediterranean history from c. 1100
to c. 625 B. C. as merchants and colonizers
6.
Lebanese
: people in Lebanon, a country of southwest Asia
7.
Semitic
: a family of languages, a branch of the Afro-Asian family, comprising a number of ancient and
modern languages of southwest Asia and Africa
8.
Yankee
: a native or inhabitant of the U. S.
9.
sub- Saharan
: of the region of Africa south of the Sahara desert
Lesson 2
READING SELECTION A
The New School Choice/ option
By Mary Lord
[1] When a form letter from the school district arrived earlier this summer, Terri Wooten, PTA president at
Parklane Elementary School in East Point, Ga., did what any busy, single mother of four might do. She set it aside
after a quick glance. It wasn't until another parent asked about
another school that Wooten took a closer look. Not only was Parklane failing, she read; a new federal law gave her
children the right to transfer to a school with better test scores.
[2] Education reform is hitting home this summer. Early 2002, President Bush signed the mammoth
No Child
Left
Behind
Act,
vowing
to
free
trapped
in
schools
that
will
not
change
and
will
not
teach
Now,
students in 8, 652 chronically low-performing schools announced by the U. S. Department of Education on July 1,
2002
must
weigh
whether
to
jump
ship
in
the
next
few
days
—
while
school
districts
scramble
(compete)
to
accommodate thousands of students eligible to seize that option.
[3] School-choice advocates like Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform, a Washington,
D.
C.
-based
proponent
of
charter
schools,
call
the
reforms
a
call
that
will
prod
(urge)
schools
to
improve.
But
the
immediate
impact
for
many
principals,
teachers,
and
students
struggling
in
the
educational
trenches is bewilderment
—
and turmoil. The law, they contend (argue), sets lofty standards without telling school
districts how to reach them.
[4] In Chicago, the mandate
—
which Mayor Richard Daley recently called
—
would allow nearly
125, 000 of the city's pupils to transfer from 179 low- performing schools, swamping the 3, 000 available seats.
Last week, the school system didn't even know if it could muster enough buses, let alone pay the drivers. Other
cities
face
similar
squeezes:
New
York
City's
numbers
could
top
385,
000,
while
Baltimore's
30,
000
eligible
students will row for 194 seats in 11 schools. (Although few families typically choose to transfer, school districts
still need to be prepared.)
[5] The turmoil (confusion) is hardly limited to troubled urban cores. Lovejoy Elementary, the lone grammar
school in St. Clair, Illinois, landed on the list of low performers. So did La Costa Canyon High, a top-achieving
school in Carlsbad, Calif., that sends 98 percent of its grads to college and won a federal Blue Ribbon award for
excellence in May. It
two years. And Hawaii, with 50, 000 eligible transferees, is looking at busing costs of $$ 9, 000 per kid annually on
the sparsely populated big island.
all the measurements,
has called to say they want to leave.
[6] In many places, that may be because families don't know they can. Schools are deemed (seen) deficient if
they fail to show
But there's no federal
master list of poor performers that parents can consult. Instead, the government requires
states to identify individual laggards and break out scores by race and income. Few have stampeded to publish
user-friendly rosters, something the new law also mandates.
[7] Part of the confusion stems from the lack of federal guidance for interpreting the new statute. Tests vary
from
state
to
state.
So
does
the
definition
of
improvement.
Which
may
explain
why
Arkansas
and
Wyoming
wound up with no failing schools, but Michigan, with rigorous standards and demanding assessments (evaluation)
in science and writing, topped the charts with 1, 513
—
nearly a
third of the state's
schools.
going to be messy,
chief, adding that states shouldn't profess surprise. Education Secretary Rod Paige has briefed superintendents and
spoken
nationwide
about
the
reforms.
And
even
if
there's
not
whole
lot
of
room
(space)
for
a
whole
lot
of
choice
[8]
The
good
news.
In
the
meantime,
bad
publicity
is
giving
failing
schools
like
Orlando's
Mollie
Ray
Elementary, which is losing 175 of its 734 students, a jolt of support. After the school's
media,
businesses
called
to
donate
computers
—
and
the
technicians
to
wire
and
repair
them.
A
home-builders
association is organizing volunteers to help tutor kids and retrofit classrooms.
come out of it,
instead of the usual 20 or more, allowing more individualized instruction.
[9] Terri Wooten hopes Parklane Elementary will benefit from similar efforts, since she's keeping her kids
there.
She
says
test
scores
don't
reflect
the
school's
many
good
teachers,
its
strong
principal,
or
its
accelerated
reading program.
potential
to
be
great,
just
like
everyone
else
in
this
nation.
Why
don't
we
create
our
own
bandwagon?
(844
words)/ benefit sb./ benefit from sth.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Lord is a contemporary American freelance writer for newspapers and magazines such as
U.S. News
& World Report
, Associated Press. She has written many articles about American education.
EXERCISES
I. Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions or complete the following statements
.
1.
According to the new federal law of educational reform, the unqualified schools have to _____.
A. be closed in the next year
B. make room for the qualified schools
C. transfer their students to other schools
D. give their students freedom to go to other schools
2. According to author, the new federal law has _____.
A. guided the reforms of the low- performing schools
B. stimulated the low- performing schools to improve quickly
C. caused some trouble to many schools and students
D. set too high standards for schools to reach
3. In Chicago, with the new federal law coming into effect, the school system _____.
A. will have to add 122, 000 seats for the transferred students
B. must find enough money to buy new school buses
C. must find ways to improve its efficiency
D. will face some financial problems
4. The implementation of the new federal law mainly affects the schools _____.
A. in the countryside
B. in small towns
C. in large cities
D. in various districts
5. Which of the following is true about La Costa Canyon High?
A. It is a top-achieving grammar school.
B. It is on the list of the low-performing schools.
C. The majority of its students are low-income children.
D. Many poor students want to leave the school.
6. The failing schools are those which _____.
A. fail to improve in state proficiency tests for a successive two-year period
B. fail to improve enough in the national proficiency tests for two years
C. are listed as poor performers by the Education Department
D. are identified as individual laggards by the local districts
7. Confusion brought about by the new law partly comes from _____.
A. the local government's misinterpretation of the new law
B. inconsistent standards of test and improvement in different states
C. the fact that there are no failing schools in some states, but too many in others
D. the different assessment standards and requirements in science and writing
8. According to Education Secretary Rod Paige, _____.
A. schools shouldn't be surprised by the messy implementation of the new law
B. the new law has to be implemented in spite of the difficulties
C. school superintendents will be punished if they refuse to implement the new law
D. there are already enough vacant seats for the transferred students in many schools
9. The good news for failing schools is that _____.
A. the government and the public will join hands to help them
B. many people volunteer to teach at the school
C. the public take action to help them
D. their students will receive more individualized instruction
10. Terri Wooten will keep her children in the school because she believes _____.
A. her children still have the chance of success if they stay
B. the new law is not beneficial to her children
C. it is difficult for a single mother like her to have her children transferred
D. the federal government will change the new law and create new bandwagons
II. Vocabulary
Choose the best word from the four choices given to complete each of the following sentences.
1.
life.
A. ridiculous
B. rigorous
C. accountable
D. mammoth
2. About one-third of the adult homeless are _____ mentally ill, and about half are alcoholic or abuse drugs.
A. chronically
B. sparsely
C. adequately
D. individually
3. We spent a wonderful day at her home, and all the guests were well _____.
A. implemented
B. acknowledged
C. contended
D. accommodated
4. Compared to voter participation rates of citizens in other democracies, participation in American elections
is low; slightly more than 50 percent of those _____ participate in national presidential elections.
A. feasible/ practicable
B. available
C. eligible
D. accessible
5.
I
can
only
reduce
the
painful
uncertainty
and
_____
of
those
first
few
days
by
learning
relevant
information quickly.
A. swamp
B. bewilderment
C. chronicle
D. publicity
6. The _____ in the 1960s and early 1970s were marked by protest and violence on college campuses over
United States involvement in the war in Vietnam
A. exodus
B. option
C. turmoil
D. squeeze
7.
Non-nuclear
Weapons
Agreements
signed
in
1972
restricted
or
eliminated
the
production
and
use
of
biological and chemical weapons. It also _____ destruction of existing stocks of weapons by the year 2005.
A. mandated
/ ordered
B. advocated
C. seized
D. banned
8. Nor am I suggesting that black children are somehow linguistically _____,
or
unable
to
separate
standard English.
A. deficient
B. demanding
C. lagged
D. accelerated
9. When twelve women who
_____ to be virgins were found, only two would swear an oath to that effect,
but the executors decided to take the women's word for it.
A. deemed
B. tutored
C. professed
D. donated
10. Pessimism has prevailed for some time, and now the economic optimism is back on the road.
A. chart
B. core
C. statute
D. bandwagon
B. Choose the best word or expression from the list given for each blank. Use
each word or expression only once
and make proper changes where necessary
.
let alone
wind up
draw lots
vow
weigh
in a row
bail out
hop on
lofty
brief
1. Only I don't know how I should set about finding a home, let alone one that she would be happy in.
2. The players alternate between the white and black pieces and
draw
lots
to
determine
who
plays
white
in
today's first game.
3. Three negative reports
i
n a row would be a strong indication that the disease had been arrested.
4. But it was now three o'clock in the morning and the debate was quickly wound up with the money being
voted for the site and foundations.
5. It argues that even though the Italian authorities may no longer bail out(
舀出
,
跳伞
) any old bank that gets
into trouble, the likelihood of government support for big banks has not changed enough to affect its ratings.
6. A very lazy way to spend a day in the sun, is to buy a day ticket and hop on and off the boats and in and
out of the many cafes and restaurants dotted around the lake.
7. They won't quit. They vow to fight the system in court, if necessary.
8. You have to be careful and weigh
the
advantages
of
their
appearance
against
the
disadvantages
of
their
potential to distract from the message.
9. But while their leaders considered these lofty goals, the party's bureaucrats had more immediate problems
on their hands
—
the prospect of unemployment.
10. I'm well briefed on the subject, this isn't my own knowledge.
III. Cloze
There
are
ten
blanks
in
the
following
passage.
Read
the
passage
carefully
and
choose
the
right
word
or
phrase from the list given below for each of the blanks. Change the form if necessary
.
in response to
live with
reassure
matter
given (if consideration is given to sth.)
predictor
rank
by contrast/ compare with
all but (except)
generation
When our daughter went to public school, she came home talking about the subjects she was taught at school
and we learned to
1 live with
her courses. But then, one evening when she was in eighth grade, I saw her using
a calculator to compute ten percent of 470. I asked her,
child
2 reassured
me:
That
night
I
began
researching
math
education
and
the
educational
reform.
3
given
what
I
learned,
it
didn't
surprise
me
that
the
United
States
4
ranked
only
28th
among
41
nations
surveyed
in
the
Third
International Mathematics and Science Study. With new and untested theory of the educational reform, today's U.
S.
math
educators
have
5
all
but
eliminated
numbers.
They
are
creating
a
6
generation
of
mathematical
fools.
The problem is the textbooks. I thought my daughter's math book was her social-science text. It has color
photos, essays on African tribes and questions such as
7 By
contrast the Japanese, who ranked third in the international survey, have texts all about math.
My
daughter's
textbook
and
others
like
it
were
created
8
in
response
to
standards
developed
by
the
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The idea behind the standards is that a
of math, not problems and practice, is what
9 matters. These standards fail to recognize that the memorization of
basic math facts is an important skill and
10 predictor
of future success.
IV
. Translation
Put the following parts into Chinese
.
1.
Early
2002,
President
Bush
signed
the
mammoth
No
Child
Left
Behind
Act,
vowing
to
free
trapped in schools that will not change and will not teach
schools announced by the U. S. Department of Education July 1, 2002 must weigh whether to jump ship in the
next
few
days
—
while
school
districts
scramble
to
accommodate
thousands
of
students
eligible
to
seize
that
option.
2002
年初布什总统签署了一项《不让一个孩 子落后》的重大法案，誓言要把
“
困在那些教学质量不佳
又不进行改革的学校里的孩子
”
解救出来。
2002
年
7
月
1
日美国教 育部宣布有
8,652
所学校被列为
“
长期教
学质量低下
”
的学校，现在这些学校中的学生必须在今后的几天内考虑决定他们是否要转学
,
同时各 个学区
也在忙着为符合转学条件的学生提供帮助和服务以抓住选择的机会。
2.
But
the
immediate
impact
for
many
principals,
teachers,
and
students
struggling
in
the
educational
trenches is bewilderment
—
and turmoil. The law, they contend, sets lofty standards without telling school districts
how to reach them.
对于那些在教 学改革旋涡中挣扎的学校的校长、老师和学生来说，这一法案的直接后果则是迷惑与混
乱。他们认为该法 案制订的教学改革标准太高而又没有说明各学区如何达到这些标准。
3. We need to be accountable to our public, but we need to look at all the measurements.
“
我们要对公众负责，但是我们也需要看看该法案提 出的方法是否切实可行。
”
4. Schools are deemed deficient if they fail to show
for two years in a row. But there's no federal master list of poor performers that parents can consult. Instead, the
government
requires
states
to
identify
individual
laggards
and break
out
scores
by
race
and
income.
Few
have
stampeded to publish user-friendly rosters, something the new law also mandates.
一所学校连续两年在州水平考试中没有表现出
“
足够的年度改进
”
就会被认为 是不合格的学校，但是联
邦教育部并没有提供一个具有权威性的不合格学校的名单让学生家长作为参考， 而是要求各州各自确定不
合格学校的名单，并且要求他们把学生的考试成绩按照学生的种族和家庭收入进 行分类。新法案还规定各
州要公布便于学生和家长查找的不合格学校的名单，但是没有几个州能很快拿出 来。
5.
former Pennsylvania school chief, adding that states shouldn't profess surprise. Education Secretary Rod Paige has
briefed superintendents and spoken nationwide about the reforms. And even if there's not
a whole lot of choice
教育部次长，前宾夕法尼亚州学校总监
Eugene
Hickok
也承认
“
该法案的实施可能会引起一些混乱
”
，
但是他又说各州也不应为此而大惊小怪。教育部长
Rod
Paige
已经 向各学区主管人士就有关改革事宜做了
扼要指示并通报了全国。他说
,
即使在如纽约和 芝加哥这样的大城市
“
接收择校生比较困难
”
，但
“
法律就 是
法律
”
。
6.
be great, just like everyone else in this nation. Why don't we create our own bandwagon ?
Wooten
说：
“
人很容易放弃自我
,
而去赶别人的潮 流，
但正如其他的美国人一样，
我们都有成功的机会。
我们为什么不开创自己的潮流呢 ？
”
V
. Oral Practice and Discussion
1. What is the author's attitude towards the new federal law? What makes you think so?
The author is objective in reporting the new law but is pessimistic about the practical implementation of it.
The author reports in a small portion in the selection about the background, the mandate and the purpose of the
new law, but she reports in a large portion about the immediate impact and the problems brought about by the
implementation of the new law and the responses of some of the local sch
ool systems and students’ parents.
2. What is the purpose of the new federal law? And what is the immediate impact of the new law?
The purpose of the new federal law is to “wake
-
up” the schools that “will not change and will not teach” and
prod
them
to
improve.
But
the
immediate
impact
for
many
principals,
teachers,
and
students
struggling
in
the
educational trenches is bewilderment
—
and turmoil.
3. Why did the Mayor of Chicago think the new law ridiculous?
Mayor Richard Daley called the mandate ridiculous because there are far from enough seats available for the
overwhelming transferees and the school system has no idea how to handle the issue.
4. Why did the author say that the new law has brought good news to the failing schools?
After the media reported the failing schools, businesses and individuals came to offer them help. Businesses
donated computers, volunteers helped tutor kids and equip classroom. “A lot of good things are going to come out
of it,” predicts Principal Joy Taylor.
5. Why did Terri Wooten decide to keep her kids in their school?
Wooten says test scores don’t reflect the school’s many good teachers, its strong principal, or its accelerated
reading program. She believes the school and her kids will be doing well. Wooten says, “..
.we have the potential
to be great, just like everyone else in this nation.”
6. Do you think that it is a good idea to give elementary school children the right to choose schools?
7. Should students choose schools or should schools choose students?
VOCABULARY ITEMS
1.
mammoth
: adj. immense
巨大
, ->elephantine :a.
2.
vow (vowel)
: v. to promise or declare solemnly
发誓
, wow
3.
chronically
: adv. lasting for a long time
长期地
/
4.
weigh
: vt./ vi. to balance in the mind in order to make a choice
权衡，考虑
5.
scramble
: v. to struggle or compete with others eagerly to get sth.
匆忙争夺
6.
accommodate
: v. to do a favor or service for
提供帮助或服务
7.
eligible
: adj. suitable; having the right qualification
合格的，符合条件的
8.
advocate
: n./vt. one who argues for a cause
鼓吹，提倡
9.
proponent
: n. one who argues in support of sth.; supporter
支持者
10.
prod
: v. to urge to action
促使
11.
trench
: n. a long narrow channel cut into the ground
壕沟
/ ditch
12.
bewilderment
: n. state of being confused with lots of conflicting situations
迷惑
13.
turmoil
: n. (an instance of) disturbance; trouble
骚动，混乱
/ fish in troubled water
14.
lofty
: adj. unusually high
极高的
/ attic
15.
mandate
: n. an order from a superior/ go dating/ came running
v. to require or command
命令，规定
16.
swamp
: v. to cover with or as if in or with water
淹没
17.
muste
r: v. to call together; gather
召集，集合
18.
squeeze
: n. an act or instance of exerting pressure on
挤压，压力
19.
sag
: v. to decline
下降
20.
sparsely
: adv. thinly scattered
稀少的
21.
accountable
: adj. with the duty of having to give an explanation; responsible
有义务说明，有责任
, count on
sb.=rely on/ trust sb./ open an account->clear an account/ accounting, accountant
22.
deem
: v. to consider
认为，视为
23.
deficient
: adj. lacking an essential quality or element
不足，欠缺
->sufficient->sufficiency
24.
master
: adj. controlling all other parts
总的
. master key
25.
laggard
: n. a person who lags behind
落后者
; leg/ lag behind, jet lag.
26.
stampede
: v. to go an unreasonable rush
冲动行事，匆忙行事
. peddler
27.
roster
: n. a list of names
名单
28.
statute
: n. a written law passed by Parliament or other law-making body
法规
; statue
29.
rigorous
: adj. strict; severe
严格的，严肃的
; vigor->vigorous
30.
profess
: v. to openly express a feeling or opinion about sth.
表示，声明
; pro-: forward; fess=say
31.
brief
: v. to give concise preparatory instructions, information, or advice
布置简要任务，介绍基本情况
32.
superintendent
: n. a person who is in charge of a work or who has the authority to direct
监管者，指挥者
;
super-: from above
33.
jolt
: n. a brief strong portion
一份，一剂
34.
retrofit
: v. to improve a machine, building, etc. by putting new and better parts in it after it has been used for
some time
翻新改进
; renovate
35.
exodus
: n. going away of many people (
很多人的
)
离去
36.
accelerated
: adj. making it possible for students to finish an academic course faster than usual
加快的，快班
的
37.
bandwagon
: n. a current trend
流行
38.
jump ship
: to leave an organization in order to join another
跳槽
; shipping->transporting
39.
let alone
：
being unlikely or impossible (because sth. much less difficult or unusual has never happened) .
更不
用说
; lonely: a.
40.
draw lots
：
to take pieces of paper marked in some way from a box to make a selection or decision by methods
depending on chance .
抽签
41.
break out
：
to separate or be separable into categories, as data
把
…
资料分类
; take a break
42.
in a row
：
happening one after another
连续
; row a boat
43.
wind up (with)
：
to come or bring to an end
结束
; windy; window= the eye of the wind
44.
bail out
：
to abandon (a project)
放弃
(
—
项计划
)
45.
hop on
：
to move onto sth. quickly or easily
NOTES
1.
form letter
: a letter with blanks for the insertion of information; fill in a form; lazy letter
2.
PTA
: Parent-Teacher Association
3.
Ga
.: the state of Georgia
4.
No
Child
Left
Behind
Act
:
On
December
13,
2001,
the
U.
S.
House
of
Representatives
approved
President George W. Bush's education reform legislation,
the No Child Left Behind Act
. The new education law is
a
comprehensive
overhaul
of
the
1965
Elementary
and
Secondary
Education
Act
(ESEA)
recognizing
money
alone cannot guarantee every American child the chance to learn and succeed. High standards, accountability for
results, local control, and parental choice are essential.
5.
charter
school
:
a
public
school
created
or
organized
by
a
group
of
teachers,
parents
and
community
leaders or a community-based organization. It
is usually sponsored by an existing
local public school board or
county
board
of
education.
Specific
goals
and
operating
procedures
for
the
charter
school
are
detailed
in
an
agreement (or
6.
grammar school
: a school stressing on the study of classical languages
7.
grad
: a graduate of a school or college; undergraduate
?
graduate
?
postgraduate
8. Blue Ribbon (Schools Program): Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private K-12 schools
that are either academically superior in their states or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.
9.
double F
READING SELECTION B
We're Raising Children, Not Flowers
By Jack Canfield
[1] David, my next-door neighbor, has two young kids aged five and seven. One day he was teaching his
seven-year-old son Kelly how to push the lawn mower around the yard. As he was teaching him how to turn the
mower around at the end of the lawn, his wife, Jan, called to him to ask a question. As David turned to answer the
question, Kelly pushed the lawn mower right through the flower bed at the edge of the lawn
—
leaving a two-foot
wide path leveled to the ground!
[2] When David turned back around and saw what had happened, he began to lose control. David had put a
lot of time and effort into making those flower beds the envy of the neighborhood. As he began to raise his voice
to his son, Jan walked quickly over to him, put her hand on his shoulder and said,
raising children, not flowers!
[3] Jan reminded me how important it is as a parent to remember our priorities. Kids and their self-esteem are
more important than any physical object they might break or destroy. The window pane shattered by a baseball, a
lamp
knocked
over
by
a
careless
child,
or
a
plate
dropped
in
the
kitchen
are
already
broken.
The
flowers
are
already dead. We must remember not to add to the destruction by breaking a child's spirit and deadening his sense
of liveliness.
[4]
I
was
buying
a
sport
coat
a
few
weeks
ago
and
Mark
Michaels,
the
owner
of
the
store,
and
I
were
discussing parenting (parental education). He told me that while he and his wife and seven-year-old daughter were
out
for
dinner,
his
daughter
knocked
over
her
water
glass.
After
the
water
was
cleaned
up
without
any
recriminating remarks from her parents, she looked up and said,
not being like other parents. Most of my friends' parents would have yelled at them and given them a lecture about
paying more attention. Thanks for not doing that!
[5] Once, when I was having dinner with some friends, a similar incident happened. Their five-year-old son
knocked over a glass of milk at the dinner table. When they immediately started in on him, I intentionally knocked
my glass over, too. When I started to explain how I still knock things over even at the age of 48, the boy started to
beam
and
the
parents
seemingly
got
the
message
and
backed
off.
How
easy
it
is
to
forget
that
we
are
all
still
learning.
[6] I recently heard a story about a famous research scientist who had made several very important medical
breakthroughs. He was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter who asked him why he thought he was able to
be so much more creative than the average person.
[7] He responded that, in his opinion, it all came from an experience with his mother that occurred when he
was about two years old. He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his grip
on the slippery bottle and it fell, spilling its contents all over the kitchen floor
—
a veritable sea of milk!
[8] When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, giving him a lecture or punishing him,
she said,
Well,
the
damage
has
already
been
done.
Would
you
like
to
get
down
and
play
in
the
milk
for
a
few
minutes
before we clean it up?
[9] Indeed, he did. After a few minutes, his mother said,
this, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order. So, how would you like to do
that? We could use a sponge, a towel or a mop. Which do you prefer?
cleaned up the spilled milk.
[10] His mother then said,
big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let's go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with water and see if you can
discover a way to carry it without dropping it.
the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful lesson!
[11] This renowned (eminent) scientist then remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didn't need
to be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes were just opportunities for learning something new,
which is, after all, what scientific experiments are all about. Even if the experiment
learn something valuable from it.
[12] Wouldn't it be great if all parents would respond the way Robert's mother responded to him?
[13] One last story that illustrates the application of this attitude in an adult context was told on the radio
several years back. A young woman was driving home from work when she snagged her fender on the bumper of
another car. She was in tears as she explained that it was a new car, only a few days from the showroom. How was
she ever going to explain the damaged car to her husband?
[14]
The
driver
of
the
other
car
was
sympathetic,
but
explained
that
they
must
note
each
other's
license
numbers
and
registration
numbers.
As
the
young
woman
reached
into
a
large
brown
envelope
to
retrieve
the
documents,
a
piece
of
paper
fell
out.
In
a
heavy
masculine
scrawl
were
these
words:
case
of
accident ...
remember, honey, it's you I love, not the car!
[15]
Let's
remember
that
our
children's
spirits
are
more
important
than
any
material
things.
When
we
do,
self-esteem and love blossom will grow more beautifully than any bed of flowers ever could. (993 words)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jack Canfield is the founder and co-creator of the New York Times #1 best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul
book series, which currently has over 70 titles and 85 million copies in print in over 37 languages. He is also the
founder
of
Self-Esteem
Seminars,
located
in
Santa
Barbara,
California,
which
trains
entrepreneurs,
educators,
corporate leaders and employees how to accelerate the achievement of their personal and professional goals.
Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions or complete the following statements
.
1.
What did Kelly do when his father turned to answer his mother's question?
A. He turned the mower around at the end of the lawn.
B. He pushed the lawn mower to the edge of the flower bed.
C. He cut through the flower bed with the lawn mower.
D. He stepped on the flower bed and damaged the flowers.
2.
When Kelly's father saw what had happened, he began to _____.
A. raise his hand to beat Kelly
B. walk quickly over to Kelly
C. repair the flower bed immediately
D. scold Kelly loudly
3.
According to the author, one of the most important things for being a parent is _____.
A. to stop their children from being naughty
B. to prevent their children from making mistakes
C. not to destroy their children's sense of sell-esteem
D. not to give too much instruction to their children
4.
We can learn from Mark Michael's daughter that after a child has made a mistake, most parents _____.
A. don't give any recriminating remarks to the child
B. give the child a lecture on how to behave
C. don't criticize the child
D. don't know how to treat the child
5.
When
the
author
was
having
dinner
with
his
friends,
he
intentionally
knocked
his
glass
milk
in
order
to
_____.
A. show that he still knocks things over even at age 48
B. tell the parents that we can always learn from mistakes
C. make the parents know that it is a common mistake to knock a glass of milk
D. drop a hint that children shouldn't be yelled at when they make mistakes
6.
We
can
conclude
from
this
text
that
too
much
blame
and
instructions
on
children
may
confine
their
development in _____.
A. creativity
B. temperament
C. intelligence
D. personality
7.
Right
after
the
renowned
scientist
spilled
the
milk
all
over
the
kitchen
floor
at
the age
of
two
his
mother
_____.
A. encouraged him to do the same thing again
B. let him play in the milk for a while
C. taught him how to do thing correctly
D. helped him clean it up
8.
According to the renowned scientist, children's mistakes are _____.
A. scientific experiments
B. wonderful experiences
C. good lessons for them
D. invaluable treasures
9.
In the last story about the car accident, the lady was in tears because _____.
A. the accident was caused by her fault
B. she was seriously scared by the accident
C. she was afraid of being blamed by her husband
D. she had to pay a great sum for the accident
10. The title of the passage “We're Raising Children, Not Flowers
A. We can never raise children in the same way as we grow flowers
B. All the material things are not as beautiful as our children
C. Raising children is different from growing flowers
D. Children and their self- esteem are more important than any material things
VOCABULARY ITEMS
1.
mower
：
n. a machine that cuts grass
割草机
2.
sell-esteem
：
n. one's good opinion of one's worth
自重，自尊
3.
pane
：
n. a single sheet of glass in a window
窗玻璃
4.
shatter
：
v. to break suddenly and violently into small
piece
破成碎片
5.
recriminate
：
v. to accuse (sb.) in return
互相责备
6.
yell
：
v. to say with a strong loud sound
喊叫
7.
beam
：
v. (fig.) to smile happily and cheerfully (
喻
)
高兴地微笑
8.
grip
：
n. a firm hold
紧握，抓紧
9.
veritable
：
adj. real; rightly named
真正的，名副其实的
10.
puddle
：
n. a small pool of water
小水潭
11.
sponge
：
n.
light
framework
used
to
soak
water
in
bathing
海绵
12.
mop
：
n.
bundle
of
coarse
cloth,
rags
fastened at the end of a stick for cleaning floors
拖把
13.
snag
：
v. to catch on a branch or obstacle
阻碍；
使
（船）
触礁
14.
fender
：
n. anything that keeps sth. off
防护板
15.
bumper
：
n. a bar that keeps a car from bumps (
汽车
)
保险杆
16.
showroom
：
n.
room
used
for
the
display
of
goods
货品陈列室
17.
sympathetic
：
adj.
showing
sympathy
表同情
18.
retrieve
：
v. to bring back
取回
19.
masculine
：
adj. manly
男性的
20.
scrawl
：
n. writing or
drawing quickly or carelessly
潦草地写或画
21.
blossom
：
n. a flower
花
22.
start in on
：
to begin criticizing sb.
开始责骂
23.
back off
：
v. to abandon an argument or position
放弃原来的主张；打退堂鼓
, deal->deer/ library.
Lesson 3
READING SELECTION A
Whupping Fat Albert
By Rudolph Giuliani
[1] My father was an excellent boxer. His poor eyesight prevented him from becoming the prizefighter he
wanted
to be, but
at
6
feet and
a
lean
150
pounds,
he was
fast
and
tough. He
understood
the
sport
and
would
describe fights to me in great detail, explaining the strategies and techniques of the great fighters, men like Sugar
Ray Robinson, Joe Louis, Willie Pep, Rocky Marciano, and Jersey Joe Walcott.
[2] In boxing, he said, the most important skill was to stay calm. This was the best lesson my father ever
taught me
—
stay calm, especially when those around you are uneasy or troubled. The one who stays unruffled has
a great advantage in being able to help others, to control the situation, to fix it. The fighter who loses his cool the
first time he's hit will end up flat on his back on the canvas. If he remains calm, even while he's being hit, he can
look for opportunities to hit back.
[3] The lesson came in handy. My Uncle Willie was a New York City police officer. Long after he retired, he
always
wore
a
jacket
and,
usually,
a
tie.
He
was
a
shy
man
who
kept
to himself,
and
he'd
spend
his
off
hours
reading the paper under the tree in front of our house. Next door lived another family, and the father was also a
cop. For some reason, my uncle disliked him
—
perhaps he'd been nasty or unfair to Uncle Willie. Anyway, this
guy had a son named Albert, a big fat kid, two years older than me
—
I was about 5 and he was 7. Albert took
advantage of his size to intimidate the other kids. He'd knock them down and roll on them.
[4] My uncle used to read Spring 3100, the in-house police magazine. I loved looking at it
—
still do, in fact. I
would pore over Uncle Willie's copy, but only for so long
—
my uncle would always take the magazine back. One
day he was sitting alone under the tree and my mother was nowhere in sight. He called me over. A copy of Spring
3100 was by his side.
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11] Uncle Willie said,
man showed you and Albert will start crying
—
he's a fat slob and bullies are never as tough as they seem.
[12] I was reluctant, because Albert was much heavier than I was. But Uncle Willie showed me the magazine
and let me hold it, before taking it back and repeating that it would be mine as soon as I got Albert to cry uncle.
[13] A little while later, Uncle Willie was sitting in his usual chair, when I saw Albert up to his usual tricks,
pushing some kids around, all of them smaller than he. I don't remember exactly how it started. All I know is that I
found myself in a fight with him, just the two of us.
[14] I started jabbing at his face
—
boom, boom, boom, exactly as I'd been taught
—
and they were landing,
nearly all of them. Albert never laid a hand on me
—
or if he did, I didn't notice. His nose started bleeding, a shiner
was rising nicely, and finally he started to cry. Then he turned and ran home.
[15] I went home, too, and told my mother. She slapped me hard across the face.
I'm going to tell your father tonight. He's going to give you a real beating.
[16]
[17] Albert was still crying, and I begrudgingly said,
and ordered me to stay in for the rest of the day. I glanced at my uncle, and thought, at least he could give me the
darn magazine. But I didn't give him up. I just went slowly up to my room. About 20 minutes later, his daughter,
my cousin Evangeline, came up. She was carrying his copy of Spring 3100.
she said.
and he gave me a nod
—
as much for keeping my mouth shut, I knew, as for whipping Albert.
[18]
My
father
came
home
that
evening,
and
my
mother
told
him
what
had
happened.
I
could
hear
them
talking
in
the
room
next
door.
It
was
his
fault,
my
mother
said,
for
teaching
me
to
box.
He
should
give
me
a
licking I'd never forget. My father came up to me, but before he could adopt a suitable face of disapproval, he
blurted,
[19] Standing up to bullies might sound like a glib call to be macho, but the truth is it takes a toll on you. One
of the best reasons to let bullies know you won't back down from a fight is so that it doesn't get to that point often.
That's not just a theory
—
there were many times in my administration when an early confrontation led to far less
fighting down the road. Here's an example. At about 8:40 p. m. on Wednesday, July 17, 1996, TWA Flight 800
crashed into the Atlantic Ocean just off Long Island. All 230 on board the Paris-bound 747, which had taken off
from Kennedy International Airport, were killed. My community response team and I got to the scene within an
hour and set up an assistance center at the Ramada Plaza Hotel near the airport to provide aid and counseling to
family members.
[20] When we got there, the first thing we tried to do was obtain the manifest so we could be sure who had
been on the plane. Airlines are required by law to compile a complete list of passengers on international flights,
including full names, passport information, and emergency phone contact numbers. This information is supposed
to be made available within three hours of any crash. In this case, by 11:30 p. m., TWA said 229 people were
aboard. By noon the next day, they were saying the number was 228. Later in the afternoon, they put the number
at 230. I repeatedly demanded an accurate passenger list from TWA but was given every excuse why the airline
couldn't produce one. I sensed something was up when I received a call about 4 a. m. from the CEO of the airline,
Jeffrey Erickson, from a plane heading for Kennedy. I told him that I needed the manifest. He said we would talk
when he got to New York, that he wanted to
then I thought, well, maybe I shouldn't be so judgmental based on the use of one word.
[21] By the next day, I was exasperated. I felt we were getting the runaround. When Erickson finally showed
up, he addressed the families and the press at Kennedy Airport, and spoke for under a minute. He refused to take a
single question. He added nothing to what we already knew; there was certainly nothing to liaise about.
[22] On behalf of the families of the passengers
—
and with an eye toward future disasters
—
I decided to make
my anger known. On several national shows and on all the local channels, I criticized TWA for caring more about
covering itself than promptly notifying suffering family members. On Friday, I recorded my weekly WABC radio
show from the Ramada and said,
for the families. That continues to be exacerbated by their not telling the truth about what happened.
[23] Three months later, Erickson resigned. But that wasn't the point. In a city the size of New York, disasters
are inevitable. I wanted leaders of companies involved in any future disaster to understand just what was expected
of them
—
clear, honest, timely communication. By refusing to keep quiet about TWA's behavior, I made sure the
consequences of putting corporate needs ahead of human suffering were understood. (1, 388 words).
OUT THE AUTHOR
Rudolph William
Louis
January 1, 1994 through December 31, 2001.
SCOREBOARD
Reading Time(minutes and
seconds)
Reading Speed
(words per minute)
Correct in Reading
Comprehension Questions (% )
EXERCISES
I . Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions or complete the following statements
.
1. Rudolph Giuliani's father was _____.
A. a successful boxing prizefighter
B. able to win fights with techniques
C. very tall and strong
D. well informed of boxing
2. The strategies and techniques of a great fighter that Rudolph Giuliani learned from his father _____.
A. were soon practiced
B. were later used when he grew up
C. didn't work for Giuliani
D. were made into theory by Giuliani
3. Uncle Willie didn't like their neighboring policeman probably because _____.
A. he often abused children
B. he was unfair while executing the law
C. he had treated Uncle Willie unfairly
D. he was a crazy and unreasonable man
4. What made Giuliani decide to beat Albert?
A. Albert took advantage of his size to bully other kids.
B. Albert used to intimidate Giuliani.
C. Giuliani didn't like him.
D. Giuliani wanted to keep a police magazine.
5. In the fighting between Giuliani and Albert, Albert _____.
A. lost his control the first time he was hit
B. missed almost all his targets
C. ended up flat on his back
D. never had any chance to use his hands
6. After Giuliani's father was told about the fighting he _____.
A. was very excited
B. gave Giuliani a real beating
C. didn't believe it
D. kissed his son as an encouragement
7. The theory of standing up to bullies _____.
A. took a heavy toll in Giuliani's later life
B. became a very useful strategy in Giuliani's life
C. led to far less fighting in Giuliani's later life
D. helped him win in his running for the mayor
8. Giuliani criticized TWA company for _____.
A. being unable to provide an accurate passenger list
B. planning to liaise with Giuliani
C. its covering of itself
D. its CEO's be lated showing up
9. The most important reason for Erickson's resignation is that _____.
A. he lied to the public about the truth of his company
B. as a CEO he didn't live up to the expectations of the public
C. his company was involved in a disaster in which too many people were killed
D. as a CEO he was incompetent in dealing with their business partners
10. Giuliani disclosed the TWA's misconduct because he wanted to tell the companies that _____.
A. they must pay price if they care about their company' interests more than human injuries and loss
B. they will lose in the competition with their rivals if they put their needs ahead of human suffering
C. serious consequences will follow if they don't corporate with the city's government in a disaster
D. companies will suffer a lot if they don't communicate with the public honestly and timely
II. Vocabulary
Read the following sentences and decide which of the four choices below each sentence is closest in meaning
to the underlined word
.
1. Traditionally it is a peaceful event, without confrontation between police and what they describe as the
hippy convoy.
A. connection
B. exchange
C. fight
D. interaction
2. Tom Landry is one of the most successful football coaches in National Football League history, and he was
known for his unruffled manner and fierce competitiveness.
A. calm
B. brave
C. polite
D. mild
3. At the auction, he offered ridiculously low bids and intimidated other would-be buyers so that he could
buy back the farm at an extremely low price.
A. betrayed
B. frightened
C. gathered
D. cheated
4.
After
the
boss
announced
that
he
would
move
the
company
to
Los
Angeles,
all
the
employees
begrudgingly accepted the plan as they were afraid of losing the job.
A. presently
B. reasonably
C. willingly
D. reluctantly
5. People with ADHD have difficulty keeping their minds on one thing; they may run into the street without
looking blurt out inappropriate comments in class, and interrupt conversations.
A. utter
B. conduct
C. make
D. crush
6. An attendant Labor press officer mumbled:
A. claimed
B. acknowledged
C. proposed
D. muttered
7. During the congressional elections of 1866, Johnson campaigned for his Reconstruction Program, but his
efforts hurt his cause more than they helped. This exasperated him into heated and undignified arguments.
A. hit
B. beat
C. angered
D. stirred
8. One primary intervention therefore was for me to liaise regularly with the ward so that Mrs. Allen was
fully informed about the situation.
A. negotiate
B. contact
C. impose
D. stimulate
9. Difficult market conditions were exacerbated when Korean tanners entered the UK and New Zealand raw
material markets, driving up prices.
A. deteriorated
B. changed
C. relieved
D. solved
10. Thus all material to be shown will have been compiled in the knowledge that it would be made available.
A. verified
B. sorted
C. extracted
D. composed
B. Choose the best word or expression from the list given for each blank
each word or expression only once and
make proper changes where necessary
.
take a toll on
end up
pore over
slap
bully
lose one's cool
be up
come in handy
strategy
promptly
1. Human-made structures also take a toll on migrants. Skyscrapers and radio towers have caused the deaths
of hundreds of thousands of migrating birds.
2. Amanda stayed calm at the moment and didn't lose her cool.
3. We both like driving it so much that we end up using it all the time.
4. We should remember from Mayhew's account that the boots also come in handy for kicking policemen and
other traditional foes of the costers.
5. In his lunch breaks Doisneau pored over books on photography, and at weekends he set off alone with a
heavy wooden camera and tripod to capture the first of the
life's work.
6. Last night the woman, who did not wish to be named, said:
his nasty face.
7. I could tell by the look on his face that something
was up.
8. Essential information on the progress of the project is conveyed throughout its duration and any enforced
changes are notified promptly.
9. This use of a series of releasers, one after the other, is a strategy frequently employed in communication.
10. He wasn't, in fact, a very nice boy, a bully and rather stupid.
III. Cloze
There are ten blanks in the following passage. Read the passage candidly and choose the hest answer from
the four choices given .for each blank
.
New York City has a highly centralized municipal government. The mayor, chosen by a citywide electorate
for
a
four-year
term,
has
wide
1
powers.
The
mayor
has
a
leadership
role
in
budget- making,
authority
to
organize and reorganize administrative agencies and to
2
and remove their heads, a strong veto (
否决权
), and
all
powers
not
specifically
otherwise
granted.
The
comptroller
(
审计官
)
,
elected
on
a
citywide
basis
for
a
four-year term, recommends financial policies and advises the mayor and the city council in the preparation of the
3
.
There are nine major administrative agencies, called administrations. The police and fire departments are not
4
as
administrations,
but
are
also
principal
agencies.
Certain
important
city
agencies
include
the
board
of
education, the board of higher education, the health and hospitals corporation, and the housing authority.
5
two
major
agencies
are
bi-state
or
regional
in
character:
the
Port
Authority
of
New
York
and
New
Jersey,
which
controls airports and interstate buses, and the Transportation Authority, which controls subway and bus operations
in the city and railroad service in New York and Connecticut.
Legislative authority is
6
by the city council, made up of 51 members, who are elected from 7
districts
for four-year terms. The
8
officer is the public advocate, chosen for a four-year term by a citywide electorate.
The advocate can vote only to
9
. The most powerful member of the council is the speaker, who is chosen by a
10
of
the
members
and
appoints
the
heads
of
the
various
council
committees.
The
council
introduces
and
legislates
all
laws
and
approves
the
budget;
it
can
override
a
mayoral
veto
by
a
vote
of
two-thirds
of
all
the
members.
1. A. productive
B. manipulative
C. speculative
D. executive
2. A. appoint
B. fire
C. arrange
D. offer
3. A. economy
B. budget
C. revenue
D. expense
4. A. included
B. undertaken
C. classified
D. called
5. A. At last
B. As usual
C. In addition
D. After all
6. A. grabbed
B. guarded
C graded
D. granted
7. A. personal
B. individual
C. private
D. single
8. A. presidential
B. practicing
C. presiding
D. present
9. A. break a tie
B. make a decision
C. draw a conclusion D. give a summary
10. A. minimum
B. maximum
C. minority
D. majority
IV
. Translation
Put the following parts into Chinese
.
1. The one who stays unruffled has a great advantage in being able to help others, to control the situation, to
fix it. The fighter who loses his cool the first time he's hit will end up flat on his back on the canvas.
能够保持冷静的人占 据很大优势。他们能够帮助别人；能够控制局势，并能使情况转危为安。如果一
个拳击手挨了第一下就失 去了冷静的话，那他最终一定会被打倒在拳台上。
2. Standing up to bullies might sound like a glib call to be macho, but the truth is it takes a toll on you. One
of the best reasons to let bullies know you won't back down from a fight is so that it doesn't get to that point often.
勇敢地面对强者听上去像是很轻松地叫你去作个 男子汉大丈夫，但实际做起来是要付出代价的。在一
场拳击中要让恃强凌弱的对手知道你不会倒下的最佳 理由之一就是你不轻易倒下。
3.
The
upper
management
of
TW
A
incompetently
handled
the
notification
process
for
the
families.
That
continues to be exacerbated by their not telling the truth about what happened.
环球航空公司的上层管理人员没能及时、准确地向遇难者家属通报，更 严重的是他们隐瞒了事实的真
相。
4. Three months later, Erickson resigned. But that wasn't the point. In a city the size of New York, disasters
are inevitable. I wanted leaders of companies involved in any future disaster to understand just what was expected
of them
—
clear, honest, timely communication. By refusing to keep quiet about TWA's behavior, I made sure the
consequences of putting corporate needs ahead of human suffering were understood.
三个月后
Erickson
辞职了，
但这不是最 重要的。
在纽约这样的大城市中灾难在所难免，
我只是希望今
后任何公司遇到灾难时， 公司的领导应该明白在灾难发生时，公众希望他们能清楚、诚实并及时地告知事
实的真相。在环球航空公 司的事件中我没有保持沉默就是想要明确地告诉他们，如果他们把公司的需求放
在人民生命损失之上会有 什么样的结果。
V
. Oral Practice and Discussion
1.
If
we
divide
the
selection
into
two
parts,
where
is
the
beginning
of
the
second
part?
What
is
the
relationship between the two parts?
2. What was the most important skill in boxing that the author learned from his father? And what was the
advantage of it?
3. The author liked the Spring 3100 magazine very much, but why couldn't he buy one himself?
4. Why did the author lie to his mother that Albert started the fighting? Did his mother believe him?
5. TWA company was unwilling to provide an accurate and timely passenger list, what
did this show?
6. What made Giuliani exasperated in the TW
A case?
7. Try to find out what Giuliani did in handling the crisis when the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center
in New York City on September 11, 2001.
VOCABULARY ITEMS
1.
whup
：
v. (chiefly used in Southern U.S.) to defeat, e. g. by whipping, striking or beating (whip
的变体
)(
美俚
)
大胜
2.
unruffled
：
adj. calm; not upset or agitated
平静，镇定
3.
canvas
：
n. the floor of a boxing ring
拳击场的地板
4.
nasty
：
adj. dirty; unpleasant
肮脏的，令人不快的
5.
intimidate
：
v. to frighten esp. in order to force sb. into doing sth.
胁迫
6.
in-house
：
adj. originating within an organization, company, etc.
内部的
7.
jab
：
n. sudden rough blow or thrust
猛击，猛刺
8.
slob
：
n. unpleasantly dirty and rude person
肮脏粗鲁的人
9.
bully
：
a person who uses his strength or power to frighten or hurt those who are weaker
恃强凌弱者
10.
boom
：
n. deep hollow sound
低沉的声音
11.
shinner
：
n. black eye (
跌，打伤的
)
黑眼圈
12.
slap
：
v. to hit sb. with the flat part of one's hand
掴；拍
13.
mumble
：
v. to speak indistinctly
14.
begrudgingly
：
adv. showing unwillingness or dissatis
咕哝
15.
darn
：
adj. used to emphasize how bad, stupid, unfair, etc. sb. or sth. is; damn it
该死的
16.
licking
：
n. beating
打，鞭打
17.
blurt
：
v. to tell sth. e. g. a secret thoughtlessly
脱口说出某事
18.
glib
：
adj. ready and smooth but not sincere
圆滑的，口齿流利的
19.
macho
：
n. having the characteristics of man
男子汉，大丈夫
20.
confrontation
：
n. an argument, fight, or battle
冲突，对抗
21.
manifest
：
n. a detailed list
详细名单
22.
compile
：
v. to collect and put together many pieces of information
搜集，编制
23.
liaise
：
v. to establish link or connection
建立联系
contact
24.
exasperate
：
v. to irritate; make anger worse
激怒，加深愤怒
25.
runaround
：
n. an indecisive or evasive response
借口；躲闪；拖延
26.
exacerbate
：
v. to make pain, disease or situation worse
加重，使恶化
27.
come in handy
：
to prove to be useful
发现后来有用
28.
pore over
：
to study with close attention
仔细研究
29.
take a toll on sb.
：
to bring heavy losses to
使遭受损伤
30.
be up
：
to be going on
发生了什么事
NOTES
1.
Sugar:
famous
American
Ray
Robinson,
Willie
Pep,
Rocky
Marciano
and
Jersy
Joe
Walcott:
boxers:
famous American boxers
2.
TW
A
: Trans-World Airlines
3.
Long Island
: an island in southwest New York
4.
Paris- bound
: going to or heading for Paris
5.
W
ABC
:
a
news
talk
radio
in
New
York
City.
It
includes
news,
weather,
sports,
traffic,
lottery
results,
community.
6.
Ramada
: a chain hotel
READING SELECTION B
Paging Dr. Carson
By Ben Carson
[1] It was in 1961 and I was in fifth grade. My marks in school were miserable and, the thing was, I didn't
know enough to really care.
[2] Our father was long gone. My older brother, Curtis, and I lived with Mom in a dingy multi-family house
in the Delray section of Detroit, one of those neighborhoods that might politely be called gritty. Our home was
cramped
and
poorly
furnished,
but
it
was
clean
and
there
was
always
food
on
the
table.
In
that
self-insulating
ignorance
of
kids,
we
were
only
dimly
aware
of
the
difficulties
our
mother
had
keeping
things
together
while
working three different jobs as a 'domestic'.
[3] Our world was basically like this: Get school over with, then play football or basketball, do a little
raiding
watch TV
. We did not need TV Guide. My brother and I knew at any time what was on every channel.
[4]
But
one
day
Mom
changed
our
world
forever.
She
turned
off
the
TV.
My
failing
grades
in
school
triggered the whole thing. Our mother, Sonya Carson, had only been able to get through third grade. But she was
much brighter and smarter than we boys knew at the time. She had noticed something in the suburban houses she
cleaned
—
books. So she came home one day, snapped off the TV
, sat us down and explained that her sons were
going
to
make
something
of
themselves.
boys
are
going
to
read
two
books
every
week,
she
said.
you're going to write me a report on what you read.
[5] We moaned and complained about how unfair it was, and how all the other kids watched TV
. When that
didn't work we thought, well, maybe she'll forget about the idea in a few days. Besides, we didn't have any books
in the house other than Mom's Bible.
[6] But she explained that we would go where the books were:
there
were
these
two
peevish,
disconsolate
boys
sitting
in
her
white
1959
Oldsmobile
on
their
way
to
the
Waterman Street branch of the Detroit Public Library. I loved animals, so when I saw some books that seemed to
be about animals, I started leafing through them.
[7] The first book I read clear through was Chip the Dam Builder. It was about beavers and how they lived
and built their dams. For the first time in my life I was lost in another world. No television program had ever taken
me
so
far
away
from
my
surroundings
as
did
this
verbal
visit
to
a
cold
stream
in
a
forest
and
these
animals
building a home.
[8] It didn't dawn on me at the time, but the experience was quite different from watching TV. There were
images forming in my mind instead of before my eyes. And I could return to them again and again with the flip of
a page.
[9]
Soon
I
began
to
look
forward
to
visiting
this
hushed
sanctuary
from
my
other
world.
I
discovered
dinosaurs.
I
discovered
the difference
between
reptiles
and
mammals.
And
I
discovered
something
much
more
important: not only did I like to read, but I could absorb more information, more quickly, through the printed word
than I ever did from sounds or images.
[10] I moved on from animals to plants and then to other fields.
[11] Between the covers of all those books were whole worlds, and I was free to go anywhere in them. Along
the way a funny thing happened: I started to know things.
[12] Only years later would we realize that our mother was illiterate and could not read even those short book
reports we scrawled for her each week. Eventually, though, she not only learned to read but went on to earn her
general-education diploma.
[13] Now Curtis is an engineer and I am chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center
in Baltimore. Sometimes I still can't believe my life's journey, from a failing and indifferent student in a Detroit
public
school
to
a
Yale
University
scholarship,
the
University
of
Michigan
Medical
School
and
finally
this
position, which takes me to over the world to teach and perform critical surgery.
[14] But I know when the journey began
—
the day Mom snapped off the TV set and put us in her Oldsmobile
for that drive to the library. (742 words)
SCOREBOARD
Reading Time(inutes and seconds)
Reading Speed(words per minute)
Correct in Pending(words per
minute)
Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions or complete the following statements
.
1. Dr. Carson is from a(n) _____.
A. multi-children family
B. unhappy family
C. wealthy family
D. lower-class family
2. In his fifth grade, Dr. Carson's poor marks _____.
A. made him miserable
B. seemed nothing important to him
C. had him punished by his mother
D. made him aware of his problem
3. When they were young, Dr. Carson and his brother _____.
A. knew it was hard for their mother to make ends meet
B. didn't know their mother worked in other people's houses
C. knew their mother was bright and smart
D. didn't know their mother couldn't read and write
4. Dr. Carson and his brother didn't have TV Guide because _____.
A. they could remember what was shown on TV
B. they couldn't afford to buy a TV Guide
C. their mother would not allow them to watch TV
D. they only watched TV at a regular time
5. Dr. Carson's mother asked her sons to read books and write book reports because _____.
A. she saw there were many books in the houses of rich people
B. she wanted to know how well her sons could read and write
C. she wanted her sons to be successful in the future
D. she was very interested in reading herself
6. The boys thought their mother was not serious about asking them to write book reports because _____.
A. the requirement was unfair
B. other children didn't write book reports
C. their mother was always forgetful
D. they didn't have books at home except the Bible
7. When Dr. Carson became interested in reading _____.
A. he read a great number of picture books
B. he found reading could help build his imagination
C. he found reading could take the place of watching TV
D. he could get as much information through reading as through TV
8. While reading in Detroit library, Dr. Carson _____.
A. began to understand more
B. taught himself to be a doctor
C. became interested in medicine
D. finished his general education
9. While asking her sons to read and write reports, Dr. Carson's mother _____.
A. had to work harder to support them
B. finished her own general education
C. went to high schools to receive her basic education
D. became a scholar herself
10. The story tells us _____.
A. how the author became a successful doctor
B. reading has many advantages over watching TV
C. how an illiterate mother led her sons to the way to success
D. people from poor families could be successful by reading
VOCABULARY ITEMS
1.
page
：
v. to call aloud for sb. who is wanted for some reasons, e. g. doctors
广播呼叫某人
2.
dingy
：
n. darkened with smoke and dirt; dirty and faded
阴暗的；肮脏的或褪色的
3.
gritty
：
n. containing or covered with small pieces of a hard material, usu. Stone
含砂的，被砂覆盖的
4.
cramped
；
adj. limited in space
狭窄的
5.
selt- insulalting
：
adj. isolating oneself from other people
自我隔离的
6.
domestic
：
n. a household servant
佣人
7.
raid
：
v. to visit or attack a place
袭击
8.
trigger
：
v. to start; set off
引发，触发
9.
moan
：
v. to complain
抱怨
10.
peevish
：
adj. bad-tempered
坏脾气的
11.
disconsolate
：
adj. (typically of a person) hopelessly sad, esp. at the loss of sth. and unwilling to be comforted
郁闷的，忧伤的
12.
beaver
：
n. a kind of water and land animal of rat family
海狸
13.
verbal
：
adj. of, relating to, or associated with words
文字的
14.
flip
：
n. the movement to turn pages
翻页
15.
bushed
：
adj. silent; quiet
安静的
16.
sanctuary
：
n. a sacred place, such as a church, temple, or mosque
圣地，神圣的场所
17.
dinosaur
：
n. any of several types of very large long-tailed creatures that lived in prehistoric times and no
longer exist
恐龙
18.
reptile
：
n. a type of creature whose blood changes temperature according to the temperature around it, which
is covered in rough skin, and typically goes along the ground or near it
爬行动物
19.
mamal
：
n. an animal of the type which is fed when young on milk from the mother's body
20.
scrawl
：
v. to write in a careless way
潦草地写
21.
pediatric
：
adj. concerning with children and their diseases
儿科的
22.
neurosurgery
：
n. surgery on any part of the nervous system
神经外科
23.
keep things together
：
to make ends meet
维持生计
24.
snap off
：
to turn off
关掉
25.
make sth. of themselves
：
to be successful
取得成功
26.
dawn on
：
to become gradually known by sb.
渐渐为
…
所明白或理解
NOTES
1.
suburban house
: the house in an outer area of a town or city, where usu. wealthy people live
郊区住宅
2.
BB gun
: a kind of toy gun
一种玩具枪
3.
1959 Oldsmobile
: Oldsmobile is a car brand. It is made in the U.S. (It means very old in this text.) 1959
年产的
Oldsmobile
汽车
4.
dawn on
: to be realized
被认识到
5.
general-education
: usually given by a junior or community college with a 2-year program of education or
technical training that serves either as terminal schooling or as preparation for more specialized study in a 4-year
college or university
大专教育
Lesson 4
READING SELECTION A
The Transformation of Marriage
By Stephen Bertman
[1] To be sure, ours is not the first time in modern history when efforts have been made to redefine traditional
marriage. The communal
each
challenged
the
notion
of
a
nonnegotiable
contract
between
one
woman
and
one
man.
The
frequency
of
cohabitation, whether as a prelude to or as a substitute for a ceremony with legal force, has further undermined the
concept of wedlock as a discrete and distinctive state. All of these challenges, however, were or are predicated
upon a relationship that is heterosexual, fashioned upon the Adam-and-Eve template. The most recent and radical
challenge to traditional marriage, however, rejects this religious template.
Same-Sex Marriage: Action and Reaction
[2] Inspired by the activism in the 1960s that secured political and economic rights for blacks and women,
American
gays
and
lesbians
mobilized
to
end
what
they
viewed
as
the
discriminatory
practice
of
granting
marriage licenses only to heterosexual couples. As law professor William N. Eskridge Jr. has stated in his book,
The Case for Same-Sex Marriage
(Free Press, 1996):
in part because being married entails dozens of associated rights, benefits, and obligations under state and federal
law.
[3] Outside the United States, however, efforts to legitimize same-sex marriage have met with more success.
In 2001 the Netherlands became the first nation in the world to provide civil marriage ceremonies for homosexual
couples. In 2003, Belgium followed suit. And in 2002 and 2003, courts in three Canadian Provinces ruled that the
denial of marriage to same-sex couples constituted a violation of Canada's Charter of Rights.
Interspecies Marriage
[4] The exploration of outer space may result in the colonization of planets
—
and the potential for the sexual
union of human beings and aliens. While the reports of individual abductions here on Earth for the purpose of
reproductive experiments may rightly or wrongly be dismissed as delusional, the intent of the people of Earth to
explore the universe in search of extraterrestrial life is a practical reality. Whether such extraterrestrial life exists,
or
whether
explorers
from
Earth
will
ever
encounter
it
and
mate
with
it,
cannot
be
known
at
present,
but
the
possibility surely exists. Under what jurisdiction(s), if any, such marriages will occur, and with what biological
and social consequences, can also not be known.
[5]
Yet,
the
potential
for
interspecies
marriage
already
exists
on
our
own
planet
—
not
for
sexual
or
reproductive
purposes,
but
for
valid
emotional
ones
similar
to
those
that
have
motivated
human
couples
down
through history.
[6] It has been said that the dog is man's best friend. As evidence, pet cemeteries exist where the last remains
of loyal and loving pets have been interred with a measure of dignity and respect equal to that accorded to human
relatives and friends. The licensing of pet ownership has long been a function of government, and some pet shops
carefully screen the intentions and character of prospective human applicants before granting them rights to pet
adoption. Pets, moreover, have sometimes been named as beneficiaries in their masters' or mistresses' wills.
[7] Why then, one might ask, should not an individual choose to affirm the emotional attachment he or she
feels for a pet with the formality of a documented ceremony in which the human particular promises to love and
honor the animal companion? Though the devoted pet would be unable to verbally acknowledge its willingness to
enter into such a relationship, affidavits could be obtained from witnesses attesting to the caring and affectionate
bond between pet and owner.
[8] To propose the possibility of interspecies marriage is not to demean the desire of human couples, whether
heterosexual or homosexual, to marry. Rather, it is meant to suggest that the concept of marriage as a socially and
spiritually sanctioned partnership need not be restricted
to humans alone if the partners to the arrangement are
bound by a clear sense of loving and lifelong commitment.
Marriage of human Being and Inanimate Object
[9] If the element of sexuality is removed from the definition of marriage, then the marriage of human beings
to inanimate objects becomes theoretically possible.
[10]
Critics
of
American
society
have
frequently
observed
how
Americans
are
to
their
material
possessions. Why might not such a relationship be validated by ceremony?
[11] Many men are in love with their cars, especially classic models, and expend significant amounts of time
and money to maintain them. Why not license both the right to drive and the commitment of the driver to the car
that
faithfully
serves
him? The
relationship
would
terminate
in
the
event
of
irreparable
mechanical
breakdown
(equivalent to the death of a spouse) or the disposal of the car by sale (equivalent to divorce).
[12] Many an individual, moreover, has formed an intimate relationship with his or her computer, spending
long hours in its close company, often to the exclusion of human contact. Though the computer could not express
its desire for monogamous union, its acknowledgment of a secret password, its ability to keep secrets that it shares
only with its operator, and its instantaneous compliance would signal its faithfulness and obedience.
Is Marriage Necessary?
[13] Naturally, some would argue that a wedding ceremony between ourselves and our material possessions
is
unlikely
and
unnecessary.
Few
legal
benefits,
after
all,
would
accrue
to
inanimate
objects
from
such
an
arrangement. And whatever benefits would accrue to us, we already have.
[14]
Someday,
in
fact,
the
original
notion
of
marriage
may
seem
a
semantic
artifact
of
a
lost
world.
(983
words)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephen Bertman is Professor of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Canada's University of Windsor. He
is the author of
Hyperculture, The Human Cost of Speed
(Praeger, 1998), and many other books.
EXERCISES
I . Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions or complete the following statements
.
1. According to the passage, the traditional marriage refers to _____.
A. the religious template marriage
B. the individualistic open marriage
C. the wedlock of a discrete and distinctive state
D. the wedlock with a contract between a man and a woman
2. According to the passage, what was it like in the 1960s?
A. Group marriages were very popular.
B. American blacks were no longer discriminated against.
C. Feminist movement began to rise in American society.
D. The same-sex marriage was considered abnormal.
3. According to Professor William N. Eskridge Jr., _____.
A. same-sex marriage should be made legal by American government
B. without official marriage status, gays and lesbians may lose some rights and benefits
C. marriage licenses should only be granted to heterosexual couples
D. gays and lesbians have always been seriously discriminated against in the country
4. The author believes that _____.
A. some people have been abducted by aliens from outer space
B. it is delusional to meet extraterrestrial lives in outer space
C. it is quite possible that extraterrestrial lives exist in outer space
D. the exploration of outer space has a practical meaning for the colonization of planets
5. Down through history, the most important purpose of human marriage has been _____.
A. financial
B. sexual C. emotional
D. reproductive
6. The author implies in the article that
_____.
A. some pets have been buried as honorably as people
B. pets should not be interred into cemeteries
C. pets should not be beneficiaries in their masters' or mistresses' wills
D. interspecies marriage has demeaned the desire of human marriage
7. The author proposes the possibility of interspecies marriage based on the concept that marriage is a life
partnership _____.
A. sanctioned by the society
B. bound by love and lifelong commitment
C. providing spiritual and financial support
D. working as a basic unit of a society
8. The author proposes the possibility of marriage with inanimate objects because he thinks _____.
A. such a relationship should be validated by ceremony
B. many men are indulged in inanimate objects
C. many people have intimate relationship with inanimate objects
D. the definition of marriage can be extended to non-sexual relationship
9. According to the author, _____.
A. a wedding ceremony between human and inanimate objects is unnecessary
B. some people love inanimate objects more than they love people
C. marriage with inanimate objects would accrue a lot of material possessions to us
D. the computer has deprived many people of the opportunity to contact others
10. According to the author, the notion of marriage will
_____.
A. be changed dramatically in the future
B. only be found in the dictionaries in the future
C. remain the same as its original
D. disappear in people's life in the future
II. Vocabulary
A
Read
the
following
sentences
and
decide
which
of
the
four
choices
below
each
sentence
is
closest
in
meaning to the underlined word
.
1. As the year progressed, the war in Vietnam undermined national unity, compelling the president and his
advisers to spend much of their time explaining U. S. policy in Asia.
A. weakened
B. stressed
C. broke
D. split
2. The picture was different from all the others. It consisted of a lot of discrete spots of color.
A. mysterious
B. surprising
C. separate
D. bright
3.
The
preparation
for
the
great
military
overseas
operations
entailed
months
of
careful
planning
and
preparation.
A. entitled
B. required
C. provided
D. deprived
4. It was reported that a 19-year-old college student at Berkeley was taken from her apartment. And two days
after the abduction a tape recording was sent to a local radio station.
A. burglary
B. murder
C. hijack
D. kidnapping
5. Mott suffers financially and emotionally as his series of delusional get-rich-quick schemes goes bad.
A. expected
B. extravagant
C. dreamed
D. drained
6.
Then
for
a
number
of
African
Americans
the
strategy
of
the
Civil
Rights
Movement
was
beginning
to
appear demeaning and even irrelevant.
A. degrading
B. destining
C. deviating
D. descending
7. The member countries of the organization would act only with the sanction of United Nations.
A. punishment
B. sustenance
C. approval
D. authorization
8.
Miracles
are
instantaneous
they
cannot
be
summoned,
but
come
of
themselves,
usually
at
unlikely
moments and to those who least expect them.
A. evident
B. immediate
C. inevitable
D. hidden
9. The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that the cost to industry of compliance with the new rules
could be as high as $$ 1 billion a year.
A. following
B. execution
C. accomplishment
D. agreeableness
10. On the basis of the law, the woman's right is absolute and that she is entitled to terminate her pregnancy
at whatever time, in whatever way, and for whatever reason she alone chooses.
A. pause
B. complete
C. expire
D. stop
B. Choose the best word or expression from the list given for each blank. Ike each word
or expression only once and make proper changes where necessary
.
extraterrestrial
jurisdiction
to be sure
pertain to
follow suit
a measure of
be bound by
after all
acknowledgment
attest to
1. In the U. S. the FBI has the broadest
jurisdiction of all federal law enforcement agencies. It is authorized
to investigate all federal criminal violations that the United States Congress has not specifically assigned to other
federal agencies.
2. Many Scandinavian words were introduced into Old English by the Norsemen, or Vikings, who invaded
Britain periodically from the late 8th century on. Introduced first were words pertaining to
the sea and battle.
3. At a conference on space exploration, a Moscow astronomer proposed that two intense radio sources might
indicate attempts by extraterrestrial creatures to let their presence be known.
4. Little is known of the earliest inhabitants of England. A prehistoric temple found at Stanton Drew in 1997
attest to
the early presence of an able people.
5. To be sure
, some people may disagree, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong.
6. The first player to the left plays any card, and the rest of the players , follow suit
.
7. He has not become rich in business, but he has had a measure of
success.
8. The representative of the United Kingdom argued unsuccessfully that such interference would only make
negotiations more difficult; he declined to accept them or be bound by
them.
9. I know he hasn't finished the work, but, after all, he is a very busy man.
10. The Clinton administration, reversing the policy of the previous Bush administration, supported
acknowledgment of the growing North-South division of the world into rich and poor countries.
III. Cloze
There are ten blanks in the following passage. Read the passage
carefully
and
choose
the
right
word
or
phrase from the list given below for each of the blanks. Change the form if necessary.
involve
resource
spouse
unconventional
universally
at
the
same
time
complicate
furthermore
committed
illustrate
Marriage is commonly defined as a partnership between two members of opposite sex known as husband and
wife. However, scholars who study human culture and society disagree on whether marriage can be universally
defined. The usual roles and responsibilities of the husband and wife include living together, having sexual
relations only with one another, sharing economic
2 resources
and being recognized as the parents of their
children. However,
3 unconventional
forms of marriage that do not include these elements do exist. For example,
scholars have studied several cultural groups in Africa and India in which husbands and wives do not live together.
Instead, each
4 spouse
remains in his or her original home, and the husband is a
5 Committed
relationships between homosexuals (individuals with a sexual orientation toward people of the
same sex) also challenge conventional definitions of marriage.
Debates over the definition of marriage
6
illustrate
its dual nature as both a public institution and a private,
personal relationship. On the one hand, marriage
7
involves
an emotional and sexual relationship between
particular human beings.
8
At the same time
marriage is an institution that transcends the particular
individuals involved in it and unites two families. In some cultures, marriage connects two families in a
9
complicated
set of property exchanges involving land, labor, and other resources. The extended family and
society also share an interest in any children the couple may have.
10
Furthermore
, the legal and religious
definitions of marriage and the laws that surround it usually represent the symbolic expression of core cultural
norms (informal behavioral guidelines) and values.
IV
. Translation
Put the following parts into Chinese
.
1. The frequency of cohabitation, whether as a prelude to or as a substitute for a ceremony with legal force,
has further undermined the concept of wedlock as a discrete and distinctive state. All of these challenges, however,
were or are predicated upon a relationship that is heterosexual, fashioned upon the Adam-and-Eve template.
无论作为法定婚姻的前奏还是其替代品，同居现象的频繁出现都进一步弱化了婚姻 区别于其他结合形
式的独立特征。不管怎样，所有这些打破传统的结合方式一直以来都是建立在亚当一夏 娃模式的异性恋基
础之上的。
2 While the reports of individual abductions here on Earth for the purpose of reproductive experiments may
rightly or wrongly be dismissed as delusional, the intent of the people of Earth to explore the universe in search of
extraterrestrial life is a practical reality.
有报告说曾发生过外星人为了做繁衍后代实验而绑架地球 人的事件，但不论这些报道是否只是人们的
幻觉，地球人探索宇宙寻找外星人却是事实。
3. As evidence, pet cemeteries exist where the last remains of loyal and loving pets have been interred with a
measure of dignity and respect equal to that accorded to human relatives and friends.
证据是，有人为宠物修建墓地，埋藏他们忠实的、亲爱的宠物的遗骨，这些宠物就和 人的亲友们一样
获得尊严和敬意。
4. Why then, one might ask should not an individual choose to affirm the emotional attachment he or she
feels for a pet with the formality of a documented ceremony in which the human particular promises to love and
honor the animal companion?
尽管忠实于主人的宠物不能用言 语表达愿意结成这种关系，但它们的誓言可以从见证宠物与主人间关
爱和亲密联系的旁观者那里获得。< br>
5.
Though
the
devoted
pet
would
be
unable
to
verbally
acknowledge
its
willingness
to
enter
into
such
a
relationship, affidavits could be obtained from witnesses attesting to the caring and affectionate bond between pet
and owner.
提 出异种间婚姻的可能性实际上意味着只要双方因明确的关爱之情和一生不渝的忠诚而休戚相关，那
么婚姻 作为从社会角度和心理角度被认可的关系就不一定仅仅限于人与人之间。
6.
Rather,
it
is
meant
to
suggest
that
the
concept
of
marriage
as
a
socially
and
spiritually
sanctioned
partnership need not be restricted to humans alone if the partners to the arrangement are bound by a clear sense of
loving and lifelong commitment.
毕 竟，这种结合不会给无生命物体带来多少法律收益。无论它能给我们增加任何收益，我们都已经拥
有了这 些物质财产。
7. Few legal benefits, after all, would accrue to inanimate objects from such an arrangement. And whatever
benefits would accrue to us, we already have.
实际上，有朝一日，婚姻原本的概念也可能会成为失落的世界中语义学上的一个古董而己。
8. Someday, in fact, the original notion of marriage may seem a semantic artifact of a lost world.
V
. Oral Practice and Discussion
1. What is the concept of the traditional marriage in China? How do you define it?
2. What is the most recent and radical challenge to traditional marriage in China?
3. Do you think the same-sex marriage should be made legal? Why or why not?
4.
Do
you
think
there
is
any
extraterrestrial
life
in
outer
space?
If
yes,
do
you
think
the
sexual
union
of
human beings and aliens is possible?
5. Do you think the close relationship between a pet and its owner should be affirmed with the formality of a
documented ceremony?
6.
Do
you
know
anyone
who
has
formed
an
intimate
relationship
with
his
or
her
computer
often
to
the
exclusion of human contact? Do you think a wedding ceremony between people and their material possessions is
necessary?
7. What do you think the notion of marriage will be like in the future?
VOCABULARY ITEMS
1.
communal
: adj. of or relating to a commune
公社的，团体的
2.
cohabitation
: n. unmarried people living as married ones
同居
3.
prelude
: n. an introductory performance, event, or action preceding a more important one; a preliminary
or preface
前奏，序幕
4.
undermine
: v. to weaken by wearing away a base or foundation
削弱，破坏
5.
wedlock
: n. the state of being married; matrimony
结婚生活，婚姻
6.
discrete
: adj. constituting a separate thing; distinct his
不连续的，离散的，个别的
7.
heterosexual
: adj. sexually oriented to persons of the opposite sex
异性的
8.
homosexual
: adj. of, relating to, or having a sexual orientation to persons of the same sex
同性的
9.
template
: n. ( =templet) a pattern or gauge, such as a thin metal plate with a cut pattern, used as a guide in
making sth. accurately, as in woodworking
模板
10.
gay
: adj. of, relating to, or sharing the lifestyle and concerns of the homosexual community
同性恋
11.
lesbian
: adj. a gay or homosexual woman(
女
)
同性恋的
12.
entail
: vt. to have, impose, or require as a necessary accompaniment or consequence
使必需
13.
pertain
: v. to have reference; relate
有关联，关于，
适合
14.
guardianship
: n. in a state of guarding, watching over, or protecting
保护，守护，
15.
alien
: n. a creature from outer space
外侨，外星人
16.
abduction
: n. carrying off by force; kidnapping
诱拐，诱导
17.
delusional
: adj. of false belief or opinion
错觉，幻觉
18,
extraterrestrial
: adj. originating, located, or occurring outside Earth or its atmosphere
19.
inter
: vt. to place in a grave or tomb; bury
埋葬
20.
jurisdiction
: n. the right and power to interpret and apply the law
司法权，裁判权
21.
screen
:
vt.
a
system
for
preliminary
appraisal
and
selection
of
personnel
as
to
their
suitability
for
particular jobs
初选，筛选
22.
mistress
: n. a woman owner of an animal or a slave
女主人
23.
verbally
: adv. expressing with words
口头地
24.
affidavit
: n. a written declaration made under oath before a notary public or other authorized officer
宣
誓书
25.
attest
: vt. to affirm to be correct, true, or genuine
证明
26.
demean
: vt. to debase, as in dignity or social standing
贬低
27.
sanction
: n. authoritative permission or approval that makes a course of action valid
批准，认可
28.
inanimate
: adj. not having the qualities associated with active, living organisms; not animate
无活力
29.
sexuality
: n. the condition of being characterized and distinguished by sex
性
30.
validate
: vt. to declare or make legally valid [
律
]
使有效
31.
terminate
: vt. to bring to an end or a halt
停止
32.
monogamous
: adj. of the practice or condition of being married to only one person at a time
一夫一妻制
的
33.
acknowledgement
: n. the act of admitting or owning to sth.
承认
34.
instantaneous
: adj. occurring or completed without perceptible delay
瞬间的
35.
compliance
: the act of complying with a wish, request, or demand; acquiescence
顺从，默许
36.
accrue
: vi. to come to one as a gain, an addition, or an increment
自然增长（产生）
37.
semantic
: adj. of or relating to meaning, especially meaning in language
语义的
38.
artifact
: n. an object produced or shaped by human craft; a typical product or result
人工制品
39.
group marriages
:
群婚
40.
open marriages
:
开放式婚姻
41.
follow suit
:
跟着做
NOTES
1. Adam and Eve template
:
Adam
and
Eve,
in
the
Bible,
were
the
first
man
and
woman,
progenitors
of
the
human
race.
Before
the
beginning of the 19th century, it was commonly assumed that every species of life, human beings included, had
descended from a pair of aboriginal ancestors created directly by God. In this respect the biblical story of Adam
and Eve differs only in details from many other myths of the ancient Middle East and elsewhere. In some respects,
however, the story of Adam and Eve is unique. The early chapters of the Book of Genesis underwent considerable
editorial work, and what began as a straightforward narrative of the beginning of the human species in general
was converted into a more sophisticated exploration of the situation of men and women in relation to one another
and to their environment. It is the ethical concern pervading the biblical story of human origins that constitutes the
story's primary claim to consideration as a religious classic. Before the emergence of higher criticism in biblical
scholarship in the 19th century, it was taken for granted that the story was nothing less than sober history. Most
present- day
biblical
scholars,
however,
accept
the
story
of
Adam
and
Eve
for
what it
appears
to
be: a Hebrew
story of human origins having much in common with the myths of other ancient peoples as well as a good deal
that is distinctive.
2. Professor William N. Eskridge
:
He is a prolific legal scholar well known for his expertise in statutory and constitutional interpretation. He is
also one of the nation's leading experts on gay law and gay legal history. He is the John A. Garver Professor of
Jurisprudence at Yale Law School. His primary legal academic interest has been statutory interpretation.
3. The Case for Same-Sex Marriage
: <<
同性婚姻案例
>>
4. Canada's Charter of Rights
:
即
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
加拿大权利与自由宪章
Canadian Charoer of Rights and Freedoms
: It is a guarantee of rights and freedoms granted to Canadians,
incorporated
as
part
of
the
Constitution
of
Canada
in
1982.
The
charter
protects
rights
of
free
speech,
free
expression, and free assembly; guarantees the right to participate in democratic elections; acknowledges the rights
of minority groups; and limits the power of the state. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is similar in
some respects to the Bill of Rights of the United States.
READING SELECTION B
Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrast
By Bruce Catton
[1]
When
Ulysses
S.
Grant
and
Robert
E.
Lee
met
in
the
parlor
of
a
modest
house
at
Appomattox
Court
House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865, to work out the term for the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, a
great chapter in American life came to a close, and a great new chapter began.
[2] These men were bringing the Civil War to its virtual finish. To be sure, other armies had yet to surrender,
and
for
a
few
days
the
fugitive
Confederate
government
would
struggle
desperately
and
vainly,
trying
to
find
some way to go on living now that its chief support was gone. But in effect it was all over when Grant and Lee
signed
the
papers.
And
the
little
room
where
they
wrote
out
the
terms
was
the
scene
of
one
of
the
poignant,
dramatic contrasts in American history.
[3]
They
were
two
strong
men,
these
oddly
different
generals,
and
they
represented
the
strengths
of
two
conflicting currents that, through them, had come into final collision.
[4] Back of Robert E. Lee was the notion that the old aristocratic concept might somehow survive and be
dominant in American life.
[5]
Lee
was
tidewater
Virginian,
and
in
his
background
were
family,
culture
and
tradition ...
the
age
of
chivalry transplanted to a New World, which was making its own legends and its own myths. He embodied a way
of life that had come down through the age of knighthood and the English country squire. America was a land that
was beginning all over again, dedicated to nothing much more complicated than the rather hazy belief that all men
had equal rights and should have an equal chance in the world. In such a land Lee stood for the feeling that it was
somehow of advantage to human society to have a pronounced inequality in the social structure. There should be a
leisure class, backed by ownership of land; in turn, society itself should be keyed to the land as the chief source of
wealth and influence. It would bring forth (according to this idea) a class of men with a strong sense of obligation
to the community; men who lived not to gain advantage for themselves, but to meet the solemn obligations which
had been laid on them by the very fact that they were privileged. From them the country would get its leadership;
to them it would look for the higher values
—
of thought, of conduct, of personal deportment
—
to give it strength
and virtue.
[6] Lee embodied the noblest elements of this aristocratic ideal. Through him, the landed nobility justified
itself. For four years, the southern states had fought a desperate war to uphold the ideals for which Lee stood. In
the end, it almost seemed as if the Confederacy fought for Lee; as if he himself was the Confederacy... the best
thing that the way of life for which the Confederacy stood could ever have to offer. He had passed into legend
before Appomattox. Thousands of tired, underfed, poorly clothed Confederate soldiers, long since past the simple
enthusiasm of the early days of the struggle, somehow considered Lee the symbol of everything for which they
had been willing to die. But they could not quite put this feeling into words. If the Lost Cause, sanctified by so
much heroism and so many deaths, had a living justification, its justification was General Lee.
Grant, the son of a tanner on the Western frontier, was everything Lee was not. He had come up the hard way and
embodied nothing in particular except the eternal toughness and sinewy fiber of the men who owed reverence and
obeisance to no one, who were self-reliant to a fault, who cared hardly anything for the past but who had a sharp
eye for the future.
[8]
These
frontier
men
were
the
precise
opposites
of
the
tidewater
aristocrats.
Back
of
them,
in
the
great
surge
that
had
taken
people
over
the
Alleghenies
into
the
opening
Western
country,
there
was
a
deep,
implicit
dissatisfaction
with
a
past
that
had
settled
into
grooves.
They
stood
for
democracy,
not
from
any
reasoned
conclusion about the proper ordering of human society, but simply because they had grown up in the middle of
democracy and knew how it worked. Their society might have privileges, but they would be privileges each man
had won for himself. Forms and patterns meant nothing. No man was born to anything, except perhaps to a chance
to show how far they could rise. Life was competition.
[9] Yet along with this feeling had come a deep sense of belonging to a national community. The Westerner
who developed a farm, opened a shop, or set up in business as a trader, could hope to prosper only as his own
community prospered
—
and his community ran from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from Canada down to Mexico.
If the land was settled, with towns and highways and accessible markets, he could better himself. He saw his fate
in
terms
of
the
nation's
own
destiny.
As
its
horizons
expanded,
so
did
his.
He
had,
in
other
words,
an
acute
dollar-and-cents stake in the continued growth and development of his country.
[10] And that, perhaps, is where the contrast between Grant and Lee becomes most striking. The Virginia
aristocrat, inevitably, saw himself in relation to his own region. He lived in a static society, which could endure
almost anything except change. Instinctively, his first loyalty would go to the locality in which that society existed.
He would fight to the limit of endurance to defend it, because in defending it he was defending everything that
gave his own life the deepest meaning.
[11] The Westerner, on the other hand, would fight with an equal tenacity for the broader concept of society.
He fought so because everything he lived by was tied to growth, expansion, and a constantly widening horizon.
What he lived by would survive or fall with the nation itself. He could not possibly stand by unmoved in the face
of an attempt to destroy the Union. He would combat it with everything he had, because he could only see it as an
effort to cut the ground out from under his feet.
[12]
So
Grant
and
Lee
were
in
complete
contrast,
representing
two
diametrically
opposed
elements
in
American life. Grant was the modern man emerging; beyond him, ready to come on the stage, was the great age of
steel and machinery, of crowded cities and a restless burgeoning vitality. Lee might have ridden down from the old
age of chivalry, lance in hand, silken banner fluttering over his head. Each man was the perfect champion of his
cause, drawing both his strengths and his weaknesses from the people he led.
[13] Yet it was not all contrast, after all. Different as they were
—
in background, in personality, in underlying
aspiration
—
these two great soldiers had much in common. Under everything else, they were marvelous fighters.
Furthermore, their fighting qualities were really very much alike.
[14] Each man had, to begin with, the great virtue of utter tenacity and fidelity. Grant fought his way down
the Mississippi Valley in spite of acute personal discouragement and profound military handicaps. Lee hung on in
the
trenches
at
Petersburg
after
hope
itself
had
died.
In
each
man
there
was
an
indomitable
quality...
the
born
fighter's refusal to give up as long as he can still remain on his feet and lift his two fists.
[15] Daring
and
resourcefulness
they
had,
too;
the
ability
to
think
faster
and
move
faster
than
the
enemy.
These were the qualities, which gave Lee the dazzling campaigns of Second Manassas and Chancellorsville and
won Vicksburg from Grant.
[16] Lastly, and perhaps greatest of all, there was the ability, at the end, to turn quickly from war to peace
once the fighting was over. Out of the way these two men behaved at Appomattox came the possibility of a peace
of reconciliation. It was a possibility not wholly realized, in the years to come, but which did, in the end, help the
two sections to become one nation again... after a war whose bitterness might have seemed to make such a reunion
wholly impossible. No part of either man's life became him more than the part he played in their brief meeting in
the McLean house at Appomattox. Their behavior there put all succeeding generations of Americans in their debt.
Two great Americans, Grant and Lee
—
very different, yet under everything very much alike. Their encounter at
Appomattox was one of the great moments of American history. (1, 418 words)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bruce
Canon
(1899-1978)
was
born
in
Petoskey,
Michigan,
and
attended
Oberlin
College.
Early
in
his
career, Catton worked as a reporter for various newspapers, among them
the Cleveland Plain Dealer
. Having an
interest in history, Canon became a leading authority on the Civil War and published a number of books on this
subject. These include
Mr. Lincoln's Army
(1951), Glory Road,
A Stillness at Appomattox
(1953),
The Hallowed
Ground
(1956),
and
Gettysburg:
The
Final
Fury
(1974).
Catton
was
awarded
both
the
Pulitzer
Prize
and
the
National Book Award in 1954.
Reading Comprehension
1. In his essay, Catton compares and contrasts two American generals in the Civil War. How does he organize
the body of his essay (Paragraph 3 through 16)?
2. Fill out the chart as requested.
(1)
Decide
which
paragraph
concerns
Lee,
Grant,
or
both
and
fill
in
the
column
under
Person
in
the
following chart. ( Paragraphs 3 and 4 have been done for you. )
(2)
In
which
paragraphs does
the
writer
compare
the
similarities
and
in
which
does
he use
the
method
of
contrast? Write
(3) What words or phrases does Bruce Canon use to describe the important characteristics of the generals?
Circle them with a pencil in the text and then copy them in the column under
Paragraph
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Person
Both
Lee
Method
Comparison
Contrast
Contrast
Descriptions
strong, represented strength
different, conflicting
old, aristocratic
VOCABULARY ITEMS
1.
fugitive
: adj. running away or fleeing
2.
poignant
: adj. painful; moving; touching
3.
aristocratic
: adj. having a family with a high social rank or holds
special titles in some countries
4.
parlor
: n. a room in a private home set apart for the entertainment of
visitors
5.
tidewater
: n. low coastal land drained by tidal streams
6.
chivalry
: n. the system believed in and followed by medieval knights,
with strict religious, moral, and social ideals, for example courtesy, loyalty, and
service to women
7.
embody
: v. to give a bodily form to .)
8.
knighthood
: n. the rank, dignity, or vocation of a knight
9.
squire
: n. an English country gentleman, especially the chief landowner in a district
10.
hazy
: adj. of vague or confused state of mind
11.
key
: v. to lock with
12.
deportment
: n. a manner of personal conduct; behavior
13.
uphold
: v. to support
14.
underfed
: adj. unhealthy because one does not get enough food to eat
15.
sanctify
: v. to make holy; purify
16.
tanner
: n. sb. whose job is making leather from animal skins
17.
sinewy
: adj. lean and with strong muscles
18.
reverence
: n. a feeling of profound awe, admiration and respect for sb. or sth.
19.
obeisance
: n. respect or obedience for sb. or sth.
20.
surge
: n. a heavy, billowing, or swelling motion like that of great waves
21.
groove
: a. long, hollow channel in the surface of hard material; way of
living that has become a habit
22.
prosper
: v. to be fortunate or successful, especially in terms of one's finances; thrive
23.
tenacity
: n. the quality or state of being determined and not giving up easily
24.
diametrically
: adv. absolutely and completely (different from
each other)
25.
burgeon
: v. to develop or grow rapidly
26.
lance
:
a
thrusting
weapon
with
a
long
wooden
shaft
and
a
sharp
metal
head,
used
in
former
times,
especially by soldiers on horseback
27.
flutter
: v. to wave or flap rapidly
28.
fidelity
: n. faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances
29.
handicap
: a. a physical or mental disability
30.
indomitable
: adj. incapable of being overcome, subdued, or vanquished; unconquerable
31.
dazzling
: adj. very bright
32.
reconciliation
: n. reestablish a close relationship between
33.
pass into
: to change into (another state of things)
34.
the hard way
: with great difficulty or hardship
35. to a fault: excessively
36.
settle into grooves
: to be set in one's ways
37.
bang on
: to continue doing sth. in spite of difficulties
38.
put…in one’s debt
: to make feel obligated for what one has done for
39.
cut the ground (out) from one’s feet
: to anticipate one's plans, arguments,
defenses, etc. and in this way embarrass him
40.
dollars-and cents stake
:
NOTES
1.
Alleghenties: Allegheny Mountains
: a complex of ranges and uplands of the Appalachian system. The
name
is
usually
applied
to
the
ranges
west
of
the
Blue
Ridge
in
Pennsylvania,
Maryland,
Virginia,
and
West
Virginia.
2.
Second Manassas
: The greatest Confederate victories occurred in Virginia, including the First and Second
Battles of Bull Run (also called Manassas), July 1861 and August 1862.
3.
Battle of Chancellorsville
: important engagement of the American Civil War (1861-1865) in which the
Confederate Army used strategy to defeat a much larger Union force
4.
Vicksburg,
Campaign
of
:
major
siege
of
the American Civil
War,
consisting
of
military
campaigns
in
1862 and 1863 that ended with the capture of the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, by Union troops on July 4, 1863.
Lesson 5
Science and Technology (->technique)
By Judith Raughman (Editor)
[1]
(optimistic->)
Optimism
and
empowerment
.
As
the
century
drew
to
a
close
(end),
the
potential
for
human invention and understanding appeared (seemed) boundless (limitless). Scientific understanding expanded
daily,
from
the
fundamental
(basic)
building
blocks
of
matter
to
the
source
code
of
all
life
to
the
origins,
and
perhaps the eventual (finally) demise (end), of the universe. The technological advances (progresses) of the 1990s
ushered in (led to) what appeared to be a social and economic revolution that would rival (match / compete with)
the Industrial Revolution two centuries earlier (information revolution), creating a new society of technologically
connected citizens with a world of digitized information, commerce, and communication at its fingertips. The new
Age
represented by
the
Superhighway
was
not
all- inclusive,
threatened
to
leave
many
(people) behind, including older citizens and those (people) who could not afford (pay for) the new technology.
Still (Furthermore), by 1999 more than three-quarters of the U. S. population was
society (age), and most Americans felt that technological advances were improving their quality of life. Optimism
was the reigning tone [key-note speaker/ speech] of the decade. New advances in science and technology seemed
to
promise
eventual
(final)
solutions
to
problems
ranging
from
eliminating
toxic
(poisonous)
waste
to
grocery
shopping
—
genetic
engineers
developed
microbes
that
would
eat
industrial
sludge
and
researchers
at
the
Massachusetts
Institute
of
Technology's
(MIT)
Media
Lab
worked
to
devise
(design)
a
refrigerator
that
could
sense (feel) when it was out of milk and use the Internet to order more. The 1990s allayed (relieved/ reduced) the
fear that a technologically advanced society was necessarily heavily centralized, with Big Brother watching every
move (=movement).
Instead (On the contrary), with the creation of the Internet and the World Wide Web, and
their
emphasis
on
decentralization,
equality,
and
the
open
sharing
of
resources,
many
individuals
found
that
greater access (right) to information increased their sense (feeling) of personal freedom and power.
[2]
Ethics and the Natural
. With the explosion of knowledge came public concern (worry) over where all of
these
new
discoveries
and
technologies
might
be
taking
society.
The
cloning
of
an
animal
in
1997
suggested
(show)
that
human
cloning
had
become
viable
(feasible)
as
well
(too),
raising
concerns
—
no
longer
quite
theoretical
—
that
humanity
might
be
moving
toward
a
(adventurous)
new
world
of
genetically
engineered people. The Human Genome Project, launched in 1990 with a mission (missionary/ task) to decode the
entire
human
genetic
makeup,
held
(raise)
promises
(hope)
for
an
end
(terminate)
to
genetic
disorders,
but
threatened to open the way for
While many (people) argued that plant and animal breeders had been fooling around with genetics for centuries in
order
to
better
(improve)
the
lot
of
humankind,
others
pointed
out
that
new
advances
(progresses)
in
genetics
allowed researchers to cross boundaries set by nature, implanting human genes in animals in order to turn them
into medicine factories, creating plants that produced plastics and glowed in the dark, even attempting (trying) to
create
“terminator
seeds
that
stifled
(suppress)
their
own
reproductive
capa
city
(ability)
in
order
to
maintain
(keep) the seed manufacturer's cash flow. The question of what was
(discussion),
as
no
aspect
of
the
environment
and
the
organisms
in
it
seemed
safe
from
genetic
tinkering.
Yet,
while
experiments
with
human
cloning
or
customizing
a
child's
genetic
makeup
seemed
abhorrent
(horrible/
terrible) to most Americans, there was general support for genetic research that could help to identify (recognize)
and cure genetic diseases or make food sources healthier and more plentiful for a growing global population.
[3]
(private->)
Privacy
.
Privacy
was
an
overarching
(most
important)
concern
(worry)
with
many
of
the
technological and scientific advances of the 1990s. The Internet was an amazing (surprising) new tool for sharing
information,
yet
it
was
also
a
powerful
means
(tools)
for
finding
information
that
was
intended
to
be
private,
including
government
and
military
secrets,
the
source
codes
to
proprietary
(private)
software,
and
even
a
neighbor's
social
security
number.
Companies
and
individuals
alike
(ad.
similarly)
worried
that
their
private
information
would
be
compromised
when
(since)
sophisticated
computer
technologists
could
into
protected computer systems and erase or steal important data. Computer viruses, self-replicating codes (program)
written by malicious individuals, could steal into personal computer systems through e-mail or the Web and wreak
havoc with (make a mess of) the data stored there. Protecting privacy over the Internet was not easy, and many
people worried that government attempts (try) to intervene would only cripple (disable/ paralyze) the development
of the Internet. Similar fears were sparked (vt. sparkled) when concerned (relevant) groups lobbied (persuade) the
government
to
outlaw
pornography
and
other
disturbing
materials
on
the
Web
in
the
name
of
the
children
While
most
Americans
agreed
that
children
should
not
be
exposed
to
(touch/
watch)
such
material,
attempts (efforts) to regulate (control) the content of individual Web pages and newsgroups conflicted with the
idea of the Internet as an open, decentralized mass medium, where even the most absurd or repellant (disgusting)
ideas could receive a hearing (have some audience). Digital surveillance in the workplace also became an issue
(problem), as (when) some companies spied on (watch) their workers' use of the Internet and e-mail. [sur-: above;
from above]
[4]
Genetics
and
Privacy
.
Advances
(progresses)
in
genetics
also
threatened
personal
privacy.
With
the
Human
Genome
Project
scheduled
(planned)
to
be
finished
early
in
the
twenty- first
century,
and
private
companies competing to win patents on genetic discoveries, many individuals worried about what scientists might
do
with
a
complete
understanding
of
the
human
genetic
code.
While
genetic
diseases
could
be
discovered
and
perhaps
cured,
this
information
might
also
be
used
to
discriminate
against
people
predisposed
(inclined
to)
to
certain
genetic
malfunctions,
or
to
group
(vt./
classify)
individuals
based
on
their
genetic
data.
The
idea
that
scientists
would
own
patents
on
the
human
genetic
code
was
disturbing,
as
well,
as
(for/
since)
it
meant
that
human life could become a proprietary (private) resource (property).
[5]
Big Science And Little Science
. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) continued
to
wow
(surprise)
the
world,
sending
the
giant
Hubble
Telescope
into
orbit
to
gather
and
transmit
never-before- seen images (picture) of deep space that offered (gave) increasingly tantalizing (attractive) clues to
the origins of the universe. The search for extraterrestrial life continued during the decade, as NASA scientists
found possible evidence of bacterial life in a meteor from Mars, and distant planets were discovered that might
contain water. NASA sent space probes (n./vt.) to land on the surface of Mars, sent national hero John Herschel
Glenn Jr. back into space to study
aging, and made plans to build an International Space Station with research
teams from other countries. Still (Furthermore), some critics wondered if all of the money spent on space research
might not be better used to fund new discoveries here on Earth, almost as if the (divide->)diversion of space was
no longer as necessary when (since) there were so many new and interesting projects going on right here. One of
the most fascinating (attractive) new realms (world/ field) of study was nanotechnology, a field of research that
attempted to manipulate matter at the molecular level, building new devices (equipment) atom by atom that could
be used in miniaturized manufacturing, drug-delivery system, and tiny (small) minicomputers. With the discovery
of a new family of carbon molecules known as fullerenes, nanotechnology researchers had a new raw material to
work with (process). The science was still very experimental at the turn (beginning) of the century, but researchers
and government officials saw great potential for this science of the tiny (small). (1, 151 words)
deliver milk/ a baby
ABOUT THE TEXT
This
text
is
excerpted
from
the
book
American
Decades
1990-1999,
edited
by
Judith
Baughman
(Editor),
Victor
Bondi
(Editor),
Vincent
Tompkins
(Editor)
and
Gale
Group,
which
is
the
last
volume
of
the
American
Decades
1900-2000
Series.
The
series
is
the
latest
installment
of
the
Gale
series
documenting
the
history
and
social trends of the United States of America during the 20th century. The current text is the overview (summary)
of the book's one chapter on Science and Technology.
EXERCISES
I. Reading Comprehension
Answer the following questions or complete the following statements
.
1. This article is mainly about
_
____.
A. how to tackle the problems in the new
B. the direction of scientific and technological development
C. both the positive and negative effects of the technological advances
D. the great impact on our ethics and privacy brought by the technological advances
2. The
_____.
A. represents the digital age
B. emphasizes on humanity
C. is highly civilized
D. benefits everyone except older citizens
3. The phrase
A. interested in
B. accustomed to
C. fascinated by
D. connected to
4. Which of the following is NOT responsible for the increased sense of personal freedom and power?
A. A technologically advanced society is centralized.
B. There is much greater access to information than before.
C. People can have the open sharing of resources online.
D. The notion of equality is emphasized on the Internet.
5. Concerned about the potential effect of the Human Genome Project, most Americans would _____.
A. welcome human cloning to improve their standard of living
B. support the genetic research which could help to cure genetic diseases
C. welcome creating plants that produced plastics and glowed in the dark
D. support making genetically altered babies to suit their parents' wishes
6. How could the
A. They are so reproductive that they will outsell other kinds of seeds.
B. The patents on the
C.
The
farmers
have
to
buy
seeds
again
as
the
seeds
grow
into
plants
unable
to
produce
seeds
themselves.
D. Because the plants, into which the
seeds sell extremely well.
7. Many people who think government should not outlaw pornography on the Web believe that _____.
A. there were still a large number of people who have need for pornography
B. everyone could voice his ideas, no matter how weird or offensive they are
C. the government had no right to interfere with the development of the Internet
D. the government might be encouraged to spy on each suspicious computer
8. The development of genetic science might threaten personal privacy in that
_____.
A. the data of the people with genetic diseases will be published
B. people may be treated differently based on their genetic data
C. patents on the human genetic code will bring scientists enormous profits
D. scientists will use information about human life for personal gains
9.
_____.
A. the study of life in outer space
B. the study of the origin of life
C. the study of molecules
D. the study of nanotechnology
10. What is the critics' attitude towards the large scale of space research as mentioned in the last paragraph?
A. They believe that such a research would be a waste of resources.
B. They doubt its necessity because there are new and interesting projects on Earth.
C. They are concerned that space research would prove to be fruitless.
D. They believe that space research is not so important as nanotechnology.
II. Vocabulary
A.
Read
the
following
sentences
and
decide
which
of
the
me
choices
below
each
sentence
is
closest
in
meaning to the underlined word
.
1.
The
demise
(death)
of
the
industry
has
caused
untold
misery
to
thousands
of
hard-working
(diligent)
tradesmen.
A. size
B. expansion
C. development
D. termination
2. There were difficulties for her about making the whole surgery financially viable (feasible) and eventually
(finally) she left.
A. practicable
B. sufficient
C. deficient
D. impractical
3.
Learning
some
basic
information
about
preparing
and
delivering
(~
a
speech)
formal
presentations
can
help allay (relieve/ reduce) some of the fear involved in public speaking. [oral presentation]
A. ease [(1)n. feel at ~; (2)to relieve pain]
B. express
C. prevent
D. dispose (get rid of)
4. Whatever the cause (may be), the incident could easily cripple (damage/ paralyze) the peace talks.
A. influence
B. damage
C. end
D. complicate (a./ vt.)
5. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster (develop/ cultivate) productivity, not
stifle it.
A. retain
B. repress (suppress)
C. crash
D. abandon (abundant: a. enough)
6. He listened keenly to his guests, treated what he heard with complete discretion and never said a malicious
word. [malice: n.->malicious: a.] [be keen on sth.]
A.
disheartening (discouraging<->encourage)
B. sympathetic [sym-: same; pathy: feeling
C. harsh
(severe)
D. polite [be sympathetic with sb./ sympathize with sb.]
7. After the summit (peak) meeting, peace reigned throughout the region once more (again).
A. emerged (appeared)
B. continued
C. dominated
D. resumed (restore)
8. There are many people who still find the act of abortion abhorrent (disgusting/ horrible/ terrible).
A. shocking (=surprising)
B. (tolerate->)tolerable
C. uncontrollable
[high ~<->low ~]
D. distasteful (disgusting)
9. The police have got the evidence to sue him, which is shot with a miniature (hidden) camera.
A. small
B. digital
C. concealed
(hidden)
D. sophisticated [shoot, shot shot/ gun shot]
10. The chief [chef=cook] has assembled (collected) 300 tantalizing (attractive) recipes for all occasions and
lifestyles, plus down to earth (=practical) advice on matching food with wine.
A. disturbing
B. tempting
C. promising
D. offending (=offensive/ ~ talk)
B. Choose the best word or expression from the list given for each blank. Use each word or expression only once
and make proper changes where necessary
.
predisposed to
decode
wreak havoc
compromise
malfunction
at one's fingertips
usher in
discriminate
toxic
customize
1. You have to admit how wonderful the service center is
—
it just puts anything you may possibly need at
your fingertips!
2. He belonged to a generation that took it for granted that after the war a brave new world was to be ushered
in (be led to somewhere).
3. We must understand the double language used today and carefully decode its meaning.
4. The civil war has wrought havoc on the economy.
5.
The
government's
future
may
be
plunged
(dive)
into
jeopardy
(danger)
unless
the
coalition
()
partners
manage to (try to) reach a compromise. [win-win situation]
6. This heat can cause certain circuit-board components to malfunction or fail altogether.
7. Evidence showed the herbs were not toxic (poisonous) and did not contain poisons or common drugs.
8. It was alleged (claimed) that the restaurant discriminated against black customers. [Negro]
9. Some people are genetically predisposed (inclined to do sth.) to cancers.
10. You are in charge of your own schedule (plan/ timetable) and can
customize that schedule to fit your own
training
needs.
[(1)charge
sb
with
sth.=accuse
sb.
of
sth.;
(2)~a
battery;
(3)
be
in
charge
of
sth.(4)~
sb.
some
money]
III. Cloze
There are ten blanks in the following passage. Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer from
the four choices given for each blank
.
A
U.S.
company
says
[sez]
they
have
developed
pigs
with
organs
1
for
use
in
human
transplant
operations. They are the first pigs
2
engineered to keep their organs from being
3
by humans.
The researchers believe their work is the best hope for people
4
an organ transplant operation. More than
seventy-thousand
people
in
the
United
States
alone
need
5
an
operation
to
replace
organs
that
6
work.
Scientists consider (think) pigs to be the best animals to provide organs for people. This is because the organs are
7
.
The company has developed pigs of different
8
. The first four genetically engineered pigs were born in
September and October last year. The pigs are smaller than normal. The five other pigs are
9
normal size. They
were born in December. The company says it wants to use the pigs as part of its program (project) to 10
a cure for
patients with heart disease.
1.
A. detailed
B. denoted (imply)
C. desired
D. designed (=devised)
2.
A. genetically
B. generally
C. especially
D. essentially
3.
A. eliminated
B. discarded
C. rejected (repel)
D. abandoned
4.
A. serving on
B. contributing to
C. waiting for
D. associating with
5.
A. thus
B. this
C. so
D. such
6.
A. not
B. no longer
C. not more
D. no other
7.
A. similar
B. familiar
C. identical (=same)
D. unique
8.
A. shapes
B. types
C. sizes
D. sorts (=kind/ category)
9.
A. off
B. of
C. for
D. from
10. A. see
B. seem
C. size
D. seek
IV
. Translation
Put the following parts into Chinese
.
1. The technological advances of the 1990s ushered in what appeared to be a social and economic revolution
that
would
rival
the
Industrial
Revolution
two
centuries
earlier,
creating
a
new
society
of
technologically
connected citizens with a world of digitized information, commerce, and communication at its fingertips.
20
世纪
90
年代的技术进步似乎带来了一场其意义堪与
200
媲美 的社会与经济方面的革命，它创造
了一个崭新的社会年以前的工业革命相在这个社会里人们由技术相互连 接，数字化的信息、商业以及通讯
都在弹指一挥间。
2. New advances in science and technology seemed to promise eventual solutions to problems ranging from
eliminating
toxic
waste
to
grocery
shopping
—
genetic
engineers
developed
microbes
that
would
eat
industrial
sludge
and
researchers
at
the
Massachusetts
Institute
of
Technology's
(MIT)
Media
Lab
worked
to
devise
a
refrigerator that could sense when it was out of milk and use the Internet to order more.
科技的新发展似乎向人们承诺提供从消除有毒废料到食品采买一系列问题的最终解决方案―
< br>遗传科
技人员培养出了能够吞食工业残渣的微生物，麻省理工学院媒体实验室的研究人员设计出了 能够觉察箱内
牛奶告罄并可上网定购的电冰箱。
3.
The
cloning
of
an
animal
in
1997
suggested
that
human
cloning
had
become
viable
as
well,
raising
concerns
—
no
longer
quite
theoretical
—
that
humanity
might
be
moving
toward
a
new
world
of
genetically engineered people.
1997
年克 隆动物的成功表明了克隆人也已不成问题，人们担心人类可能会朝着一个由基因制造的人
组成的“美丽新 世界”方向发展（这己不再是单纯的理论问题了）
。
4. While most Americans agreed that children should not be exposed to such material, attempts to regulate
the
content
of
individual
Web
pages
and
newsgroups
conflicted
with
the
idea
of
the
Internet
as
an
open,
decentralized mass medium, where even the most absurd or repellant ideas could receive a hearing.
尽管大多数美国人赞成小孩不应接触这些内容，但试图规范个人网页和新闻组内容的努力还是同互联网应是公开、非集权的大众媒体的理念发生了冲突，在这种媒体中，即使最荒唐、最令人讨厌的东西也可以发表。
5. Still, some critics wondered if all of the money spent on space research might not be better used to fund
new discoveries here on Earth, almost as if the diversion of space was no longer as necessary when there were so
many new and interesting projects going on right here.
但是一些批评人士提出质疑说，把花在太空上的钱用来资助地球上的新发现是不是更好呢？似乎地球上正进行着这么多有趣的新项目，太空研究不再那么必要了。
V
. Oral Practice and Discussion
1. Why was the new
2. List the threats confronting Americans' privacy.
3. What positive effects is the Human Genome Project likely to bring to the American life?
4. Describe the efforts made by NASA scientists during the 1990s in exploring the space.
5. What effect has the
6.
Has
your
private
computer
been
hacked
into?
Or
have
you
ever
got
your
pin
for
your
box
or
messenger stolen? Describe the situation, and what you did to solve the problem.
7. What is your view on the possibility of genetically engineered people?
VOCABULARY ITEMS
1.
empowerment
:
(strength)
investing
with
power,
especially
legal
power
or
official
authority;
abuse
of
power/ drug; superpower [
en-: enable: ~sb to do sth. possible->impossible]
communicate是什么意思-fuckyou什么意思
communicate是什么意思-fuckyou什么意思
communicate是什么意思-fuckyou什么意思
communicate是什么意思-fuckyou什么意思
communicate是什么意思-fuckyou什么意思
communicate是什么意思-fuckyou什么意思
communicate是什么意思-fuckyou什么意思
communicate是什么意思-fuckyou什么意思
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