4大学英语精读 二.docx
- 文档编号:9319148
- 上传时间:2023-02-04
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:18
- 大小:30.11KB
4大学英语精读 二.docx
《4大学英语精读 二.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《4大学英语精读 二.docx(18页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
4大学英语精读二
Unit1IsThereLifeonEarth?
Itishumorousessay.Butafterreadingityouwillsurelyfindthattheauthorismostseriousinwritingit.
IsThereLifeonEarth?
TherewasgreatexcitementontheplanetofVenusthisweek.ForthefirsttimeVenusianscientistsmanagedtolandasatelliteontheplantEarth,andishasbeensendingbacksignalsaswellasphotographseversince.
ThesatellitewasdirectedintoanareaknowasManhattan(namedafterthegreatVenusianastronomerProf.Manhattan,whofirstdiscovereditwithhistelescope20,000lightyearsago).
Becauseofexcellentweatherconditionsandextremelystrongsignals,VenusianscientistswereabletogetvaluableinformationastothefeasibilityofamannedflyingsaucerlandingonEarth.ApressconferencewasheldattheVenusInstituteofTechnology.
"Wehavecometotheconclusion,basedonlastweek'ssatellitelanding,"Prof.Zogsaid,"thatthereisnolifeonEarth."
"Howdoyouknowthis?
"thesciencereporteroftheVenusEveningStarasked.
"Foronething,Earth'ssurfaceintheareaofManhattaniscomposedofsolidconcreteandnothingcangrowthere.Foranother,theatmosphereisfilledwithcarbonmonoxideandotherdeadlygasesandnobodycouldpossiblybreatherthisairandsurvive."
"Whatdoesthismeanasfarasourflyingsauceprogramisconcerned?
"
"Weshallhavetotakeourownoxygenwithus,whichmeansamuchheavierflyingsaucerthanweoriginallyplanned."
"Arethereanyotherhazardsthatyoudiscoveredinyourstudier?
"
"Takealookatthisphoto.YouseethisdarkblackcloudhoveringoverthesurfaceofEarth?
WecallthistheConsolidatedEdisonBelt.Wedon'tknowwhatitismadeof,butitcouldgiveusalotoftroubleandweshallhavetomakefurthertestsbeforewesendaVenusBeingthere."
"Overhereyouwillnoticewhatseemstobeariver,butthesatellitefindingsindicateitispollutedandthewaterisunfittodrink.Thismeansweshallhavetocarryourownwater,whichwilladdevengreaterweighttothesaucer."
"Sir,whatareallthosetinyblackspotsonthephotographs?
"
"We'renotcertain.Theyseemtobemetalparticlesthatmovealongcertainpaths.Theyemitgases,makenoiseandkeepcrashingintoeachother.Therearesomanyofthesepathsandsomanymetalparticlesthatitisimpossibletolandaflyingsaucerwithoutitsbeingsmashedbyone."
"Whatarethosestalagmiteprojectionsstickingup?
"
"They'resometypeofgraniteformationsthatgiveofflightatnight.Prof.Glomhasnamedthemskyscraperssincetheyseemtobescrapingtheskies."
"Ifallyousayistrue,won'tthissetbacktheflyingsaucerprogramseveralyears?
"
"Yes,butweshallproceedassoonastheGrubstartgivesustheaddedfunds."
"Prof.Zog,whyarewespendingbillionsandbillionsofzilchestolandaflyingsauceronEarthwhenthereisnolifethere?
"BecauseifweVenusianscanlearntobreatheinanEarthatmosphere,thenwecanliveanywhere."
Unit2TheDinnerParty
Aheateddiscussionaboutwhethermenarebraverthanwomenissettledinaratherunexpectedway.
TheDinnerParty
IfirstheardthistaleinIndia,whereistoldasiftrue--thoughanynaturalistwouldknowitcouldn'tbe.LatersomeonetoldmethatthestoryappearedinamagazineshortlybeforetheFirstWorldWar.Thatmagazinestory,andthepersonwhowroteit,Ihaveneverbeenabletotrackdown.
ThecountryisIndia.Acolonialofficialandhiswifearegivingalargedinnerparty.Theyareseatedwiththeirguests--officersandtheirwives,andavisitingAmericannaturalist--intheirspaciousdiningroom,whichhasabaremarblefloor,openraftersandwideglassdoorsopeningontoaveranda.
Aspiriteddiscussionspringsupbetweenayounggirlwhosaysthatwomenhaveoutgrownthejumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouseeraandamajorwhosaysthattheyhaven't.
"Awoman'sreactioninanycrisis,"themajorsays,"istoscream.Andwhileamanmayfeellikeit,hehasthatouncemoreofcontrolthanawomanhas.Andthatlastounceiswhatreallycounts."
TheAmericandoesnotjoinintheargumentbutwatchestheotherguests.Ashelooks,heseesastrangeexpressioncomeoverthefaceofthehostess.Sheisstaringstraightahead,hermusclescontractingslightly.Shemotionstothenativeboystandingbehindherchairandwhisperssomethingtohim.Theboy'seyeswiden:
hequicklyleavestheroom.
Oftheguests,noneexcepttheAmericannoticesthisorseestheboyplaceabowlofmilkontheverandajustoutsidetheopendoors.
TheAmericancomestowithastart.InIndia,milkinabowlmeansonlyonething--baitforasnake.Herealizestheremustbeacobraintheroom.Helooksupattherafters--thelikeliestplace--buttheyarebare.Threecornersoftheroomareempty,andinthefourththeservantsarewaitingtoservethenextcourse.Thereisonlyoneplaceleft--underthetable.
Hisfirstimpulseistojumpbackandwarntheothers,butheknowsthecommotionwouldfrightenthecobraintostriking.Hespeaksquickly,thetoneofhisvoicesocommandingthatitsilenceseveryone.
"Iwanttoknowjustwhatcontroleveryoneatthistablehas.Iwillcountthreehundred--that'sfiveminutes--andnotoneofyouistomoveamuscle.Thosewhomovewillforfeit50rupees.Ready?
"
The20peoplesitlikestoneimageswhilehecounts.Heissaying"...twohundredandeighty..."when,outofthecornerofhiseye,heseesthecobraemergeandmakeforthebowlofmilk.Screamsringoutashejumpstoslamtheverandadoorssafelyshut.
"Youwereright,Major!
"thehostexclaims."Amanhasjustshownusanexampleofperfectself-control."
"Justaminute,"theAmericansays,turningtohishostess."Mrs.Wynnes,howdidyouknowthatcobrawasintheroom?
"
Afaintsmilelightsupthewoman'sfaceasshereplies:
"Becauseitwascrawlingacrossmyfoot."
Unit3LessonsfromJefferson
Jeffersondiedlongago,butmayofhisideasstillofgreatinteresttous.
LessonsfromJefferson
ThomasJefferson,thethirdPresidentoftheUnitedStates,maybelessfamousthanGeorgeWashingtonandAbrahamLincoln,butmostpeoplerememberatlastonefactabouthim:
hewrotetheDeclarationofIndependence.
AlthoughJeffersonlivedmorethan200yearsago,thereismuchthatwelearnfromhimtoday.Manyofhisideasareespeciallyinterestingtomodernyouth.Herearesomeofthethingshesaidandwrote:
Goandsee.Jeffersonbelievedthatafreemanobtainsknowledgefrommanysourcesbesidesbooksandthatpersonalinvestigationisimportant.Whenstillayoungman,hewasappointedtoacommitteetofindoutwhethertheSouthBranchoftheJamesRiverwasdeepenoughtobeusedbylargeboats.Whiletheothermembersofthecommitteesatinthestatecapitolandstudiedpapersonthesubject,Jeffersongotintoacanoeandmadeon-the-spot-observations.
Youcanlearnfromeveryone.BybirthandbyeducationJeffersonbelongedtothehighestsocialclass.Yet,inadaywhenfewnoblepersonseverspoketothoseofhumbleoriginsexcepttogiveanorder,Jeffersonwentoutofhiswaytotalkwithgardeners,servants,andwaiters.JeffersononcesaidtotheFrenchnobleman,Lafayette,"Youmustgointothepeople'shomesasIhavedone,lookintotheircookingpotsandeattheirbread.Ifyouwillonlydothis,youmayfindoutwhypeoplearedissatisfiedandunderstandtherevolutionthatisthreateningFrance."
Judgeforyourself.Jeffersonrefusedtoacceptotherpeople'sopinionswithoutcarefulthought."Neitherbelievenorrejectanything,"hewrotetohisnephew,"becauseanyotherpersonhasrejectedorbelievedit.Heavedhasgivenyouamindforjudgingtruthanderror.Useit."
Jeffersonfeltthatthepeople"maysafelybetrustedtoheareverythingtrueandfalse,andtoformacorrectjudgment.Wereitlefttometodecidewhetherweshouldhaveagovernmentwithoutnewspapersornewspaperswithoutagovernment,Ishouldnothesitateamomenttopreferthelatter."
Dowhatyoubelieveisright.Inafreecountrytherewillalwaysbeconflictingideas,andthisisasourceofstrength.Itisconflictandnotunquestioningagreementthatkeepsfreedomalive.ThoughJeffersonwasformanyyearstheobjectofstrongcriticism,heneveransweredhiscritics.Heexpressedhisphilosophyinletterstoafriend,"Therearetwosidestoeveryquestion.Ifyoutakeonesidewithdecisionandonitwitheffect,thosewhotaketheothersidewillofcourseresentyouractions."
Trustthefuture;trusttheyoung.Jeffersonfeltthatthepresentshouldneverbechainedtocustomswhichhavelosttheirusefulness."Nosociety,"hesaid,"canmakeaperpetualconstitution,orevenaperpetuallaw.Theearthbelongstothelivinggeneration."Hedidnotfearnewideas,nordidhefearthefuture."Howmuchpain,"heremarked,"hasbeencausedbyevilswhichhaveneverhappened!
Iexpectthebest,nottheworst.Isteermyshipwithhope,leavingfearbehind."
Jefferson'scourageandidealismwerebasedonknowledge.Heprobablyknewmorethananyothermanofhisage.Hewasanexpertinagriculture,archeology,andmedicine.Hepracticedcroprotationandsoilconservationacenturybeforethesebecamestandardpractice,andheinventedaplowsuperiortoanyotherinexistence.HeinfluencedarchitecturethroughoutAmerica,andhewasconstantlyproducingdevicesformakingthetasksofordinarylifeeasiertoperform.
OfallJefferson'smanytalents,oneiscentral.Hewasaboveallagoodandtirelesswriter.Hiscompleteworks,nowbeingpublishedforthefirsttime,willfillmorethanfiftyvolumes.Histalentasanauthorwassoondiscovered,andwhenthetimecametowritetheDeclarationofIndependenceatPhiladelphiain1776,th
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- 4大学英语精读 大学 英语 精读
![提示](https://static.bdocx.com/images/bang_tan.gif)