全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解1 PartIPre-ReadingTask Listentotherecordingtwoorthreetimesandthenthinkoverthe下面是小编为大家整理的2023年全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3篇【优秀范文】,供大家参考。
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解1
Part I Pre-Reading Task
Listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:
1. Why can"t women be ignored?
2. What price have women had to pay for their wisdom?
3. What happens to them if you try to break their will?
4. Have women realized their dreams?
The following words in the recording may be new to you:
gonna
= (infml) going to
invincible
a. 战无不胜的
conviction
n. 信念
embryo
n. 胚胎;萌芽期
Part II
Text
How do some women manage to combine a full-time job with family responsibilities and still find time for doing other things? Adrienne Popper longs to be like them, but wonders whether it is an impossible dream.
I"M GOING TO BUY THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
Not long ago I received an alumni bulletin from my college. It included a brief item about a former classmate: "Kate L. teaches part-time at the University of Oklahoma and is assistant principal at County High School. In her spare time she is finishing her doctoral dissertation and the final drafts of two books, and she still has time for tennis and horse riding with her daughters." Four words in that description undid me: in her spare time. A friend said that if I believed everything in the report, she had a bridge in Brooklyn she"d like to sell me.
My friend"s joke hit home. What an idiot I"d been! I resolved to stop thinking about Kate"s incredible accomplishments and to be suitably skeptical of such stories in the future.
But like a dieter who devours a whole box of cookies in a moment of weakness, I found my resolve slipping occasionally. In weak moments I"d comb the pages of newspapers and magazines and consume success stories by the pound. My favorite superwomen included a politician"s daughter who cared for her two-year-old and a newborn while finishing law school and managing a company; a practicing pediatrician with ten children other own; and a television anchorwoman, mother of two preschoolers, who was studying for a master"s degree.
One day, however, I actually met a superwoman face to face. Just before Christmas last year, my work took me to the office of a woman executive of a national corporation. Like her supersisters, she has a husband, two small children and, according to reports, a spotless apartment. Her life runs as precisely as a Swiss watch. Since my own schedule rarely succeeds, her accomplishments fill me with equal amounts of wonder and guilt.
On a shelf behind her desk that day were at least a hundred jars of strawberry jam, gaily tied with red-checked ribbons. The executive and her children had made the jam and decorated the jars, which she planned to distribute to her staff and visiting clients.
When, I wondered aloud, had she found the time to complete such an impressive holiday project? I should have known better than to ask. The answer had a familiar ring: in her spare time.
On the train ride home I sat with a jar of strawberry jam in my lap. It reproached me the entire trip. Other women, it seemed to say, are movers and shakers — not only during office hours, but in their spare time as well. What, it asked, do you accomplish in your spare time?
I would like to report that I am using my extra moments to complete postdoctoral studies in physics, to develop new theories of tonal harmony for piano and horn, and to bake cakes and play baseball with my sons. The truth of the matter is, however, that I am by nature completely unable to get my act together. No matter how carefully I plan my time, the plan always goes wrong.
If I create schedules of military precision in which several afternoon hours are given over to the writing of the Great American Novel, the school nurse is sure to phone at exactly the moment I put pencil to paper. One of my children will have developed a strange illness that requires him to spend the remainder of the day in bed, calling me at frequent intervals to bring soup, juice, and tea.
Other days, every item on my schedule will take three times the number of minutes set aside. The cleaner will misplace my clothes. My order won"t be ready at the butcher shop as promised. The woman ahead of me in the supermarket line will pay for her groceries with a check drawn on a Martian bank, and only the manager (who has just left for lunch) can OK the matter. "They also serve who only stand and wait," wrote the poet John Milton, but he forgot to add that they don"t get to be superwomen that way.
Racing the clock every day is such an exhausting effort that when I actually have a few free moments, I tend to collapse. Mostly I sink into a chair and stare into space while I imagine how lovely life would be if only I possessed the organizational skills and the energy of my super*es. In fact, I waste a good deal of my spare time just worrying about what other women are accomplishing in theirs. Sometimes I think that these modern fairy tales create as many problems for women as the old stories that had us biding our time for the day our prince would come.
Yet superwomen tales continue to charm me. Despite my friend"s warning against being taken in, despite everything I"ve learned, I find that I"m not only willing, but positively eager to buy that bridge she mentioned. Why? I suppose it has something to do with the appeal of an optimistic approach to life — and the fact that extraordinary deeds have been accomplished by determined individuals who refused to believe that "you can"t" was the final word on their dreams.
Men have generally been assured that achieving their heart"s desires would be a piece of cake. Women, of course, have always believed that we can"t have our cake and eat it too — the old low-dream diet. Perhaps becoming a superwoman is an impossible dream for me, but life without that kind of fantasy is as unappealing as a diet with no treats.
I know the idea of admiring a *e is considered silly today; we working women are too sophisticated for that. Yet the superwomen I read about are my *es. When my faith in myself falters, it is they who urge me on, whispering, "Go for it, lady!"
One of these days I plan to phone my former classmate Kate and shout "Well done!" into the receiver. I hope she won"t be modest about her achievements. Perhaps she will have completed her dissertation and her two books and moved on to some new work that"s exciting or dangerous or both. I"d like to hear all about it. After that I"m going to phone the friend who laughed at me for believing all the stories I hear. Then I"ll tell her a story: the tale of a woman who bought her own version of that bridge in Brooklyn and found that it was a wise investment after all.
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解2
alumnus (pl alumni)
n. (esp. AmE) a (male) former student of a school, college or university (男)校友
bulletin▲
n. 简报,通讯;会刊;公告
item
n. a single piece of news; a single article or unit on a list or among a set 一则(消息);一条,一项,一件
doctoral
a. 博士的
dissertation
n. (博士)学位论文,专题论文
draft
n. a rough outline or version草稿
undo (undid, undone)
vt. disturb or upset greatly; untie, open 使烦恼,使不安;松开,解开
hit/strike home
(of remarks ,etc.) have the intended effect (言语等)击中要害
idiot▲
n. (colloq) a fool
incredible
a. that cannot be believed 难以置信的
skeptical▲
a. (in the habit of) doubting that sth. is true, right, etc. 持怀疑态度的,怀疑的
dieter
n. a person who eats less food or only certain kinds of food 节食者;忌食某些食物的人
devour
vt. eat (sth.) quickly and in large quantities 狼吞虎咽地吃
cookie
n. (AmE) biscuit 饼干
occasionally
ad. happening sometimes but not very often 偶尔地,间或
occasional a.
consume
v. eat or drink; use up 吃;喝;耗尽;消费
superwoman
n. a woman having more than ordinary human powers and abilities 具有非凡才能的女性,女强人
politician
n. 政治家;政客
care for
take care of; like or love 照料;喜欢,喜爱
pediatrician
n. 儿科医生
anchorwoman (pl anchorwomen)
n. (广播、电视节目的)女主持人
anchor
n. 锚
corporation
n. 公司
spotless
a. absolutely clean 十分清洁的
Swiss
a., n. 瑞士的,瑞士人(的)
rarely
ad. not happening often 很少,难得
guilt
n. the feelings produced by belief that one has done wrong; the fact of having broken the law 内疚;有罪
guilty
a. 感到内疚的,感到惭愧的;有罪的
strawberry
n. 草莓
gaily
a. in a cheerful manner 鲜艳地;快乐地
red-checked
a. 有红格子图案的
ribbon
n. 丝带,缎带,装饰带
decorate
vt. add (sth.) in order to make a thing more attractive to look at 装饰
client
n. a person who buys goods or service 顾客,客户
lap
n. (人坐着时)大腿的上方,膝上;(旅程的)一段
v. (波浪)拍打
reproach▲
vt. criticize (sb.) for failing to do sth. 责备
movers and shakers
people who have power and a lot of influence 有权有势的人们
theory
n. 理论
tonal
a. 音调的,声调的
harmony
n. 和谐;协调;一致
baseball
n. 棒球
by nature
生性
get one"s act together
(infml) organize oneself and one"s activities so that one does things in an effective way 将自己的各事安排得有条不紊
military
a. 军事的",军队的
novel
n. 小说
put pencil/pen to paper
start to write 开始动笔写
remainder▲
n. the remaining time, people or things 剩下的时间(人或物)
at intervals
每隔…时间(或距离);不时
aside
ad. on or to one side 在一边;向一边
set aside
put (time or money) away for a special purpose 留出
supermarket
n. 超级市场
Martian
a., n. (supposed inhabitant) of the planet Mars 火星的;(假想的)火星人
race the clock
do sth. quickly in order to finish it in the available time 争分夺秒地工作
possess
vt. (fml) have or own 拥有
organizational
a. of organizing and arranging things 有关组织方面的
fairy
n. 仙人,小精灵
fairy tale
神话故事
bide
vt. (old use, now used chiefly in the following phrase) wait for 等待
bide one"s time
wait patiently for a chance 等待良机
prince
n. 王子;亲王
charm
v. attract; give pleasure to 吸引;迷人
n. pleasing quality; attractiveness 魅力;吸引力
take in
cheat 欺骗
despite
prep. in spite of 尽管;不顾
positively
ad. (infml) extremely, absolutely 极其,非常
positive
a. certain, sure; helpful or constructive 确信的;有益的,建设性的
have sth./little/much to do with 与…有关(几乎无关,很有关系)
achieve/have one"s heart"s desire 得到心中渴望的东西
a piece of cake
sth. that is very easy to do 不费吹灰之力的事
*e
n. a woman whom people admire for her courage or achievements 女英雄
sophisticated
a. 世故的;老练的;复杂的;尖端的
falter
vi. become weak; hesitate 变弱;犹豫
move on to
stop doing one thing and begin dealing with the next 更换(工作,话题等)
investment
n. putting money in sth. 投资
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3
Brooklyn
布鲁克林(美国纽约市西南部的一区)
Adrienne Popper
艾德丽安·波珀
Oklahoma
(美国)俄克拉荷马州
John Milton
约翰·弥尔顿(1608 — 1674,英国著名诗人,主要作品有长诗《失乐园》、《复乐园》以及诗剧《力士参孙》等)
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3篇扩展阅读
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3篇(扩展1)
——全新版大学英语综合教程第二册第7单元课文详解3篇
全新版大学英语综合教程第二册第7单元课文详解1
Part I Pre-Reading Task
Listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:
1. What is the passage about?
2. What"s your impression of the English language?
3. Can you give one or two examples to illustrate(说明)the messiness of the English language?
4. Can you guess what the texts in this unit are going to be about?
The following words in the recording may be new to you:
eggplant
n. 茄子
pineapple
n. 菠萝
hamburger
n. 汉堡牛肉饼,汉堡包
Part II
Text
Some languages resist the introduction of new words. Others, like English, seem to welcome them. Robert MacNeil looks at the history of English and comes to the conclusion that its tolerance for change represents dee* rooted ideas of freedom.
THE GLORIOUS MESSINESS OF ENGLISH
Robert MacNeil
The story of our English language is typically one of massive stealing from other languages. That is why English today has an estimated vocabulary of over one million words, while other major languages have far fewer.
French, for example, has only about 75,000 words, and that includes English expressions like snack bar and hit parade. The French, however, do not like borrowing foreign words because they think it corrupts their language. The government tries to ban words from English and declares that walkman is not desirable; so they invent a word, balladeur, which French kids are supposed to say instead — but they don"t.
Walkman is fascinating because it isn"t even English. Strictly speaking, it was invented by the Japanese manufacturers who put two simple English words together to name their product. That doesn"t bother us, but it does bother the French. Such is the glorious messiness of English. That happy tolerance, that willingness to accept words from anywhere, explains the richness of English and why it has become, to a very real extent, the first truly globallanguage.
How did the language of a small island off the coast of Europe become the language of the planet — more widely spoken and written than any other has ever been? The history of English is present in the first words a child learns about identity (I, me, you); possession (mine, yours); the body (eye, nose, mouth); size (tall, short); and necessities (food, water). These words all come from Old English or Anglo-Saxon English, the core of our language. Usually short and direct, these are words we still use today for the things that really matter to us.
Great speakers often use Old English to arouse our emotions. For example, during World War II, Winston Churchill made this speech, stirring the courage of his people against Hitler"s armies positioned to cross the English Channel: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender."
Virtually every one of those words came from Old English, except the last — surrender, which came from Norman French. Churchill could have said, "We shall never give in," but it is one of the lovely — and powerful — opportunities of English that a writer can mix, for effect, different words from different backgrounds. Yet there is something direct to the heart that speaks to us from the earliest words in our language.
When Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C., English did not exist. The Celts, who inhabited the land, spoke languages that survive today mainly as Welsh. Where those languages came from is still a mystery, but there is a theory.
Two centuries ago an English judge in India noticed that several words in Sanskrit closely resembled some words in Greek and Latin. A systematic study revealed that many modern languages descended from a commonparent language, lost to us because nothing was written down.
Identifying similar words, linguists have come up with what they call an Indo-European parent language, spoken until 3500 to 2000 B.C. These people had common words for snow, bee and wolf but no word for sea. So some scholars assume they lived somewhere in north-central Europe, where it was cold. Traveling east, some established the languages of India and Pakistan, and others drifted west toward the gentler climates of Europe, Some who made the earliest move westward became known as the Celts, whom Caesar"s armies found in Britain.
New words came with the Germanic tribes — the Angles, the Saxons, etc. — that slipped across the North Sea to settle in Britain in the 5th century. Together they formed what we call Anglo-Saxon society.
The Anglo-Saxons passed on to us their farming vocabulary, including sheep, ox, earth, wood, field and work. They must have also enjoyed themselves because they gave us the word laughter.
The next big influence on English was Christianity. It enriched the Anglo-Saxon vocabulary with some 400 to 500 words from Greek and Latin, including angel, disciple and martyr.
Then into this relatively peaceful land came the Vikings from Scandinavia. They also brought to English many words that begin with sk, like sky and skirt. But Old Norse and English both survived, and so you can rear a child (English) or raise a child (Norse). Other such pairs survive: wish and want, craft and skill, hide and skin. Each such addition gave English more richness, more variety.
Another flood of new vocabulary occurred in 1066, when the Normans conquered England. The country now had three languages: French for the nobles, Latin for the churches and English for the common people. With three languages competing, there were sometimes different terms for the same thing. For example, Anglo-Saxons had the word kingly, but after the Normans, royal and sovereign entered the language as alternatives. The extraordinary thing was that French did not replace English. Over three centuries English gradually swallowed French, and by the end of the 15th century what had developed was a modified, greatly enriched language — Middle English — with about 10,000 "borrowed" French words.
Around 1476 William Caxton set up a printing press in England and started a communications revolution. Printing brought into English the wealth of new thinking that sprang from the European Renaissance. Translations of Greek and Roman classics were poured onto the printed page, and with them thousands of Latin words like capsule and habitual, and Greek words like catastrophe and thermometer. Today we still borrow from Latin and Greek to name new inventions, like video, television and cyberspace.
As settlers landed in North America and established the United States, English found itself with two sources — American and British. Scholars in Britain worried that the language was out of control, and some wanted to set up an academy to decide which words were proper and which were not. Fortunately their idea has never been put into practice.
That tolerance for change also represents dee* rooted ideas of freedom. Danish scholar Otto Jespersen wrote in 1905, "The English language would not have been what it is if the English had not been for centuries great respecters of the liberties of each individual and if everybody had not been free to strike out new paths for himself."
I like that idea. Consider that the same cultural soil producing the English language also nourished the great principles of freedom and rights of man in the modern world. The first shoots sprang up in England, and they grew stronger in America. The English-speaking peoples have defeated all efforts to build fences around their language.
Indeed, the English language is not the special preserve of grammarians, language police, teachers, writers or the intellectual elite. English is, and always has been, the tongue of the common man.
全新版大学英语综合教程第二册第7单元课文详解2
Part I Pre-Reading Task
Listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:
1. What is the passage about?
2. What"s your impression of the English language?
3. Can you give one or two examples to illustrate(说明)the messiness of the English language?
4. Can you guess what the texts in this unit are going to be about?
The following words in the recording may be new to you:
eggplant
n. 茄子
pineapple
n. 菠萝
hamburger
n. 汉堡牛肉饼,汉堡包
Part II
Text
Some languages resist the introduction of new words. Others, like English, seem to welcome them. Robert MacNeil looks at the history of English and comes to the conclusion that its tolerance for change represents dee* rooted ideas of freedom.
THE GLORIOUS MESSINESS OF ENGLISH
Robert MacNeil
The story of our English language is typically one of massive stealing from other languages. That is why English today has an estimated vocabulary of over one million words, while other major languages have far fewer.
French, for example, has only about 75,000 words, and that includes English expressions like snack bar and hit parade. The French, however, do not like borrowing foreign words because they think it corrupts their language. The government tries to ban words from English and declares that walkman is not desirable; so they invent a word, balladeur, which French kids are supposed to say instead — but they don"t.
Walkman is fascinating because it isn"t even English. Strictly speaking, it was invented by the Japanese manufacturers who put two simple English words together to name their product. That doesn"t bother us, but it does bother the French. Such is the glorious messiness of English. That happy tolerance, that willingness to accept words from anywhere, explains the richness of English and why it has become, to a very real extent, the first truly globallanguage.
How did the language of a small island off the coast of Europe become the language of the planet — more widely spoken and written than any other has ever been? The history of English is present in the first words a child learns about identity (I, me, you); possession (mine, yours); the body (eye, nose, mouth); size (tall, short); and necessities (food, water). These words all come from Old English or Anglo-Saxon English, the core of our language. Usually short and direct, these are words we still use today for the things that really matter to us.
Great speakers often use Old English to arouse our emotions. For example, during World War II, Winston Churchill made this speech, stirring the courage of his people against Hitler"s armies positioned to cross the English Channel: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender."
Virtually every one of those words came from Old English, except the last — surrender, which came from Norman French. Churchill could have said, "We shall never give in," but it is one of the lovely — and powerful — opportunities of English that a writer can mix, for effect, different words from different backgrounds. Yet there is something direct to the heart that speaks to us from the earliest words in our language.
When Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C., English did not exist. The Celts, who inhabited the land, spoke languages that survive today mainly as Welsh. Where those languages came from is still a mystery, but there is a theory.
Two centuries ago an English judge in India noticed that several words in Sanskrit closely resembled some words in Greek and Latin. A systematic study revealed that many modern languages descended from a commonparent language, lost to us because nothing was written down.
Identifying similar words, linguists have come up with what they call an Indo-European parent language, spoken until 3500 to 2000 B.C. These people had common words for snow, bee and wolf but no word for sea. So some scholars assume they lived somewhere in north-central Europe, where it was cold. Traveling east, some established the languages of India and Pakistan, and others drifted west toward the gentler climates of Europe, Some who made the earliest move westward became known as the Celts, whom Caesar"s armies found in Britain.
New words came with the Germanic tribes — the Angles, the Saxons, etc. — that slipped across the North Sea to settle in Britain in the 5th century. Together they formed what we call Anglo-Saxon society.
The Anglo-Saxons passed on to us their farming vocabulary, including sheep, ox, earth, wood, field and work. They must have also enjoyed themselves because they gave us the word laughter.
The next big influence on English was Christianity. It enriched the Anglo-Saxon vocabulary with some 400 to 500 words from Greek and Latin, including angel, disciple and martyr.
Then into this relatively peaceful land came the Vikings from Scandinavia. They also brought to English many words that begin with sk, like sky and skirt. But Old Norse and English both survived, and so you can rear a child (English) or raise a child (Norse). Other such pairs survive: wish and want, craft and skill, hide and skin. Each such addition gave English more richness, more variety.
Another flood of new vocabulary occurred in 1066, when the Normans conquered England. The country now had three languages: French for the nobles, Latin for the churches and English for the common people. With three languages competing, there were sometimes different terms for the same thing. For example, Anglo-Saxons had the word kingly, but after the Normans, royal and sovereign entered the language as alternatives. The extraordinary thing was that French did not replace English. Over three centuries English gradually swallowed French, and by the end of the 15th century what had developed was a modified, greatly enriched language — Middle English — with about 10,000 "borrowed" French words.
Around 1476 William Caxton set up a printing press in England and started a communications revolution. Printing brought into English the wealth of new thinking that sprang from the European Renaissance. Translations of Greek and Roman classics were poured onto the printed page, and with them thousands of Latin words like capsule and habitual, and Greek words like catastrophe and thermometer. Today we still borrow from Latin and Greek to name new inventions, like video, television and cyberspace.
As settlers landed in North America and established the United States, English found itself with two sources — American and British. Scholars in Britain worried that the language was out of control, and some wanted to set up an academy to decide which words were proper and which were not. Fortunately their idea has never been put into practice.
That tolerance for change also represents dee* rooted ideas of freedom. Danish scholar Otto Jespersen wrote in 1905, "The English language would not have been what it is if the English had not been for centuries great respecters of the liberties of each individual and if everybody had not been free to strike out new paths for himself."
I like that idea. Consider that the same cultural soil producing the English language also nourished the great principles of freedom and rights of man in the modern world. The first shoots sprang up in England, and they grew stronger in America. The English-speaking peoples have defeated all efforts to build fences around their language.
Indeed, the English language is not the special preserve of grammarians, language police, teachers, writers or the intellectual elite. English is, and always has been, the tongue of the common man.
全新版大学英语综合教程第二册第7单元课文详解3
Robert MacNeil
罗伯特·麦克尼尔
Winston Churchill
温斯顿·丘吉尔(1874 — 1965,英国政治家、首相)
Hitler
希特勒(1889 — 1945,纳粹德国元首)
Julius Caesar
尤利乌斯·凯撒(100 — 44BC,古罗马将军、政治家)
Britain
英国
India
印度
Pakistan
巴基斯坦
Viking
(8 — 10世纪时劫掠欧洲西北海岸的)北欧海盗
Scandinavia
斯堪的纳维亚
England
英格兰
William Caxton
威廉·卡克斯顿(英国印刷商、翻译家)
Otto Jespersen
奥托·叶斯柏森(1860 — 1943)
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3篇(扩展2)
——全新大学英语综合教程第二册课文The Generation Gap3篇
全新大学英语综合教程第二册课文The Generation Gap1
Part I Pre-Reading Task
Listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:
1. What sort of a song is it?
2. Who should be sitting up and taking notice? Why?
3. What does the singer think of his parent"s way of doing things?
4. Do you agree with what he says?
The following words in the recording may be new to you:
roam
vi. 漫游
drench
vt. 使湿透
prophesize
v. 作预言
senator
n. 参议员
heed
vt. 注意
stall
v. 拖延
rage
vi. 激烈地进行
Part II
Text
This comedy centers around a proud father"s attempts to help his children, attempts which somehow or other always end up embarrassing them. For the sake of fun it carries things to extremes, but nearly everyone can recognize something of themselves and their parents in it.
FATHER KNOWS BETTER
Marsh Cassady
CHARACTERS: FATHER; MOTHER; HEIDI, 14; DIANE, 17; SEAN, 16; RESTAURANT MANAGER, 20s; MRS. HIGGINS.
SETTING: Various locations including a fast-food restaurant, the Thompson family dining room, and an office at a high school.
ATRISE: As the lights come up, HEIDI enters and crosses Down Right to the edge of the stage. SEAN and DIANE enter and cross Down Left to the edge of the stage. They listen as HEIDI addresses the audience.
HEIDI: My dad"s a nice man. Nobody could possibly believe that he isn"t. Yet he"s... well, he"s always doing these stupid things that end up really embarrassing one or more of us kids. One time, see, my brother wanted to buy this guitar. Been saving money for it for a long time. Then he got a job at this fast-food place, OK? Waiting tables. It was Sean"s first actual job, and he was real happy about it. He figured in two or three months he"d have enough money to buy exactly the kind of guitar he wanted. Mom and Dad were proud of him, and well, OK, he"s my big brother, and he"s always pulling these dumb things on me. But, well, I was proud of him too. You know what happened? I hate to tell you because:
SEAN, DIANE and HEIDI: (In unison) Father knows better!
(The lights come Up Left on the fast-food restaurant where SEAN works. It consists of a counter and a couple of small tables. The MAN-AGER stands behind the counter. SEAN is busily cleaning the tables when FATHER walks in.)
MANAGER: Good evening, sir. May I help you?
FATHER: Good evening.
SEAN: (To himself) Oh, no!
(He squats behind one of the tables trying to hide from FATHER.)
FATHER: I"m looking for the manager.
MANAGER: That would be me, sir.
FATHER: I"m Sam Thompson. My son works here.
MANAGER: Oh, you"re Sean"s father.
FATHER: Yes. It"s his first job, you know. I just wanted to check that he"s doing OK.
MANAGER: Oh, fine. No problem.
SEAN: (Spreading his hands, palms up, speaking to himself) What did I do to deserve this? Tell me what?
FATHER: Hiring him was a good thing then?
MANAGER: Well, yeah, I suppose so.
SEAN: (Still to himself.) Go home, Dad. Go home. Go home.
FATHER: I"m sure he"s a good worker but a typical teenager, if you know what I mean.
MANAGER: (Losing interest) I wouldn"t know.
FATHER: He"s a good boy. And I assure you that if there are any subjects that need to be addressed, Sean and I will have a man-to-man talk.
MANAGER: I don"t think that will be necessary...
FATHER: Oh, no problem. I"m proud of my son. Very, very proud. And I just wanted you to know that I"ll do anything I can to help him through life"s dangerous sea.
SEAN: (Standing up and screaming) Aaaargh! Aaaargh! Aaaaaaargh!
FATHER: Son, I didn"t know you were here.
SEAN: It"s where I work, Dad.
FATHER: Of course. I mean, I didn"t see you.
SEAN: I can"t imagine why.
FATHER: Your manager and I were just having a nice chat.
(DIANE enters Down Left just as HEIDI enters Down Right. They look at SEAN and FATHER.)
SEAN, DIANE, HEIDI: (In unison) Father, you know better than that.
(The lights quickly fade to black and then come up a second or two later. SEAN stands alone at the Down Right edge of the stage. HEIDI and DIANE cross to Down Left edge of the stage.)
SEAN: If that sort of thing happened only once in a while, it wouldn"t be so bad. Overall, I wouldn"t want to trade my dad for anyone else"s. He loves us kids and Mom too. But I think that"s sometimes the problem. He wants to do things for us, things he thinks are good. But he needs to give them more thought because:
SEAN, HEIDI and DIANE: (In unison) Father knows better!
(The lights fade to black and come up on the Center Stage area where FATHER and the three children are seated around the dining room table. MOTHER enters carrying a dish, which she sets on the table. FATHER quickly rises and pulls out her chair. She sits. The family starts eating dinner.)
FATHER: I have a surprise for you, Diane.
DIANE: (Knows it can"t be good.) You have... a surprise?
MOTHER: Well, whatever it is, dear, don"t keep us in suspense.
FATHER: Well, you know, Dan Lucas and I work together?
DIANE: Kyle"s father?
MOTHER: Don"t interrupt, dear, your father is trying to tell you something.
HEIDI: (Stage whisper to SEAN) Something Diane won"t want to know, I"ll bet.
SEAN: (Whispering to HEIDI) Whatever would make you think that?
MOTHER: Sean, dear. Heidi, sweetheart, don"t distract your father.
SEAN and HEIDI: (Simultaneously) Sorry, Mom.
FATHER: Now then. As I was saying, I know how much you like young Kyle.
DIANE: Father!
FATHER: It"s true, isn"t it? Didn"t I hear you tell your mother that you wish Kyle would ask you to the senior prom?
SEAN: Uh-oh!
HEIDI: Oops!
MOTHER: Please, children, please. Your father is trying to speak.
DIANE: (Through clenched teeth, the words are in a monotone and evenly spaced.) Yes-I-said-that-why-are-you-asking?
FATHER: Well then.
DIANE: (Becoming hysterical) "Well then" what?!
FATHER: What did I say? Did I say something wrong?
HEIDI: (To SEAN) Not yet, he didn"t.
SEAN: (To HEIDI) But you know it"s coming.
MOTHER: Children, please. Do give your father the respect he deserves.
HEIDI and SEAN: (Rolling their eyes) Yes, Mother.
FATHER: Well, today I saw Dan and asked if he"d like to go to lunch at that French restaurant on Third Street. You know the one, Mother.
MOTHER: Well, yes, I believe I do.
FATHER: My treat, I told him. And, of course, he was glad to accept.
MOTHER: Why wouldn"t he be?
FATHER: (Somewhat surprised) Well, yes.
DIANE: What-has-this-to-do-with me?!
MOTHER: Diane, sometimes I just don"t understand your behavior. I try my best.
DIANE: (Very short with her) I"m sorry.
MOTHER: Thank you, Diane. (To FATHER) Please do go on, dear.
FATHER: As I said —
HEIDI: We know what you said, Daddy.
FATHER: Er... uh, what"s that?
SEAN: She said, "We know what you said, Daddy."
FATHER: Yes, yes, of course.
MOTHER: Do get on with it, dear. I"ve made the most glorious dessert. An old recipe handed down to me by my great Aunt Hilda —
DIANE: Mother, please!
MOTHER: Yes, dear?
(DIANE shakes her head and lets her body fall against the back of the chair.)
FATHER: At any rate, Dan"s a nice guy. Never knew him well. Found we have a lot of the same interests. Our families, our community, global peace, human welfare.
HEIDI: (Mumbling to herself) That narrows it down, all right.
SEAN: Father?
FATHER: Yes, son?
SEAN: I do believe Diane would like to know the surprise.
DIANE: (Breathing hard as if exhausted, she turns to SEAN, nodding her head up and down repeatedly.) Thank you, Sean. I owe you one.
FATHER: Well, yes. Here it is then. I told Dan of your interest in his son.
DIANE: You what?
MOTHER: Diane, what has come over you? I just don"t understand the younger generation. Why back in my day —
DIANE: Mother, please!
MOTHER: What, what? What?
HEIDI: Mother, I believe she wants Father to continue.
SEAN: (To himself) Get this over with, more likely.
DIANE: Daddy, please, tell me. Now. Right away. What did you say, Daddy? Please. Tell me, what did you tell Mr. Lucas? Tell me, please. Please, tell me.
FATHER: Well, now, isn"t this nice. It looks like my little scheme is a success. You"re so eager to find out... makes a man feel as if it"s all worthwhile.
HEIDI: (To SEAN) Can you believe this?
SEAN: (To HEIDI) Oh, sure. Can"t you?
FATHER: Yes, well, I told him how much you liked young Kyle, and how you"d been wishing he"d ask you to the prom.
DIANE: You didn"t! Tell me you didn"t!
FATHER: Oh, yes. Anything for my children.
DIANE: (Swallowing hard) And... and —
MOTHER: Diane, are you all right?
DIANE: (She juts out her chin at MOTHER and quickly jerks her head around to face FATHER.) Well... what did he say?!
FATHER: Well, of course, being the sort of man he is — frank, understanding, he said he"d speak to the young man, insist he give you a call.
DIANE: (Angry scream!) Whaaaaaat!
SEAN and HEIDI: (Together) Father, you know better than that.
FATHER: I do? Yes, yes, I guess I do. I"ve... done it again, haven"t I?
(The lights quickly fade to black and then come up a second or two later. DIANE stands alone at the Down Right edge of the stage. HEIDI and SEAN enter Down Left and cross to the edge of the stage.)
DIANE: Can you imagine how humiliated I was? An honor student, class president. And Father was out asking people to have their sons call and ask me to the prom! But that"s dear old dad. Actually, he is a dear. He just doesn"t stop to think. And it"s not just one of us who"ve felt the heavy hand of interference. Oh, no, all three of us live in constant dread knowing that at any time disaster can strike because:
DIANE, HEIDI and SEAN: (Shouting in unison) Father knows better.
(The lights fade to black and quickly come up again Stage Left where there is an executive-type desk and chair and two other chairs. Behind the desk sits MRS. HIGGINS, in charge of admitting new students to Benjamin Harrison High School. HEIDI and FATHER sit in the other chairs.)
MRS. HIGGINS: So this is our new student, is it?
FATHER: That"s right.
MRS. HIGGINS: What"s your name, young lady?
HEIDI: HEIDI Thompson.
MRS. HIGGINS: I"m sure you"ll find the students friendly. And the teachers more than willing to answer questions.
FATHER: She is an exceptional young woman, you know.
HEIDI: Daddy!
FATHER: Very, very bright.
MRS. HIGGINS: Yes, now if we can get you to fill out —
FATHER: Don"t know where she got her brains. Her mother, I suppose. Oh, I was bright enough. But nothing like HEIDI. All her teachers have told Mrs. Thompson — that"s her mother — and me that she was just about the brightest —
MRS. HIGGINS: (Interrupts as she loses her patience, though trying to be pleasant) As I said, if you have proof of vaccinations —
FATHER: (Interrupts, carrying on with his line of thought) Besides being bright, she"s very, very talented.
HEIDI: (Twists her hands over and over in front of her chest.) Please, Daddy, don"t do this.
FATHER: Well, of course I will, darling. I"m proud of you. Your mother and I are proud of you. (Turns back to MRS.HIGGINS.) Why just last year, in her last year of junior high school, before we moved, Heidi placed first in the county in the annual spelling bee! Isn"t that wonderful? And she plays the piano like an angel. An absolute angel.
HEIDI: Daddy, please. Please, please. Daddy, I have to go to class. I want to go to class. Please let me go to class.
FATHER: See what I mean? Such an eager learner. I can"t imagine anyone"s being more eager for knowledge than my Heidi. My little girl.
MRS. HIGGINS: Yes, well, be that as it may —
HEIDI: Aaargh! Aaaaargh! Aaaargh!
(DIANE and SEAN enter Down Right. They look at HEIDI, FATHER, and MRS. HIGGINS.)
HEIDI, DIANE and SEAN: (Shouting in unison) Daddy, you know better than that!
FATHER: Er, uh, I do?
(Curtain)
全新大学英语综合教程第二册课文The Generation Gap2
location
n. a place or position 场所;位置
fast-food
a. 供应快餐的
dining room
餐厅
dine▲
vi. (fml) eat dinner 进餐
embarrass
vt. make (sb.) feel awkward or ashamed 使窘迫;使不好意思
guitar
n. 吉他
dumb
a. foolish; unable to speak 愚蠢的;哑的
unison
n. 一致;齐唱;齐奏
in unison
acting in the same way at the same time 一致地;一起
consist
vi. 组成,构成
consist of
be made up of 由…组成
squat
vi. 蹲
palm
n. 手掌
yeah
ad. (infml) yes
fade
vi. lose color or brightness; disappear slowly 褪色;变黯淡;消失
awhile
ad. for a short time 片刻
overall
ad. in general 大体上
a. including everything; total 包括一切的;总计的
trade (sth.) for (sth. else) 用(一物)交换(另一物)
suspense
n. 悬念
keep (sb.) in suspense
delay telling (sb.) what they are eager to know 使产生悬念,故意迟迟不告诉
interrupt
vt. stop (sb.) from continuing what they are saying or doing 打断…的讲话,中断…的行动
bet
vt. be sure 敢说,确信
distract▲
vt. take (sb."s attention) away from sth. esp. for a short time 转移(注意力);使分心
simultaneously
ad. at exactly the same time 同时地
simultaneous▲ a.
prom
n. (AmE)(高中、或大学等的)班级舞会
oops
int. (infml) 哎哟
clench
vt. hold (one"s teeth, hands, etc.) together tightly 咬紧;握紧
monotone
n. (语调、色彩等的)单调
hysterical▲
a. 歇斯底里的
er
int.(用于表示迟疑、沉吟)哦,呃
uh
int. 嗯,唔
glorious
a. wonderful; splendid; having or deserving great fame and honor 极好的;辉煌的;光荣的
dessert
n. (餐后)甜点心
recipe▲
n. 烹饪法;秘诀
hand down
give or leave to people who are younger or come later 把…传下去
at any rate
whatever may happen, in any case 无论如何,不管怎样
community
n. the people living in one place, district, or country, considered as a whole 社区;社会
welfare
n. 福利;幸福
narrow down
make (a list of things) smaller 减少,缩小
mumble
v. say sth. in a way that others can not really hear the words 咕哝;含糊地说
exhaust
vt. tire out; use up completely 使筋疲力尽;用完,耗尽
repeatedly
ad. again and again 反复地
come over
(of a feeling) affect (指某种感觉)刺激或影响
swallow
v. 吞,咽
jut
v. (使)突出,伸出
jut out
(使)突出,伸出
jerk▲
vt. pull suddenly and quickly 猛地一扭(或一拉等)
frank
a. showing one"s thoughts and feelings openly 坦白的,直率的
know better than (that/to do sth)
be wise or well-trained enough not to do (sth.) 明事理而不至于(做某事)
humiliate
vt. make (sb.) feel ashamed or seem silly, esp. in public 羞辱,使丢脸
interference
n. 干涉;干扰
constant
a. without stopping; unchanging 持续的;不变的
dread▲
n. great fear 畏惧,恐怖
in charge (of)
having control (over) or responsibility (for) 主管,负责
exceptional▲
a. unusual 杰出的,特别的
fill out
complete 填写
patience
n. 耐心,忍耐
proof
n. 证据,证明
vaccination
n. 疫苗接种
talented
a. gifted 有才能的.;天才的
talent
n. 才能,天才
darling
n. (用作称呼)亲爱的;心爱的人
junior
a. younger, lower in rank than another 较年幼的;地位较低的
angel▲
n. 天使
全新大学英语综合教程第二册课文The Generation Gap3
Marsh Cassady
马什·卡萨迪
Heidi
海蒂(女子名,Adalheid的昵称)
Diane
黛安(女子名,Diana的异体)
Sean
肖恩(男子名)
Higgins
希金斯(姓氏)
Thompson
汤普森(姓氏)
Dan Lucas
丹·卢卡斯(Luke的异体)
Kyle
凯尔(男子名)
Hilda
希尔达(女子名)
Benjamin Harrison
本杰明·哈里森高级中学
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3篇(扩展3)
——全新版大学英语综合教程第二册第2单元课文讲解3篇
全新版大学英语综合教程第二册第2单元课文讲解1
Part I Pre-Reading Task
Listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:
1. Who is it about?
2. What happened to him one day?
3. Do you think it was worthwhile to walk two or three miles to pay back the six and a quarter cents?
4. Is the story related to the theme of the unit — values?
The following words in the recording may be new to you:
dismay
n. 沮丧,失望
disturb
vt. 使不安
conscientious
a. 认真的,尽职的
Part II
Text
Does being rich mean you live a completely different life from ordinary people? Not, it seems, if your name is Sam Walton.
THE RICHEST MAN IN AMERICA, DOWN HOME
Art Harris
He put on a dinner jacket to serve as a waiter at the birthday party of The Richest Man in America. He imagined what surely awaited: a mansion, a "Rolls-Royce for every day of the week," dogs with diamond collars, servants everywhere.
Then he was off to the house, wheeling past the sleepy town square in Bentonville, a remote Arkansas town of 9,920, where Sam Walton started with a little dime store that grew into a $6 billion discount chain called Wal-Mart. He drove down a country road, turned at a mailbox marked "Sam and Helen Walton," and jumped out at a house in the woods.
It was nice, but no palace. The furniture appeared a little worn. An old pickup truck sat in the garage and a muddy bird dog ran about the yard. He never spotted any servants.
"It was a real disappointment," sighs waiter Jamie Beaulieu.
Only in America can a billionaire carry on like plain folks and get away with it. And the 67-year-old discount king Sam Moore Walton still travels these windy back roads in his 1979 Ford pickup, red and white, bird dogs by his side, and, come shooting season, waits in line like everyone else to buy shells at the local Wal-Mart.
"He doesn"t want any special treatment," says night manager Johnny Baker, who struggles to call the boss by his first name as a recent corporate memo commands. Few here think of his billions; they call him "Mr. Sam" and accept his folksy ways. "He"s the same man who opened his dime store on the square and worked 18 hours a day for his dream," says Mayor Richard Hoback.
By all accounts, he"s friendly, cheerful, a fine neighbor who does his best to blend in, never flashy, never throwing his weight around.
No matter how big a time he had on Saturday night, you can find him in church on Sunday. Surely in a reserved seat, right? "We don"t have reserved seats," says Gordon Garlington III, pastor of the local church.
So where does The Richest Man in America sit? Wherever he finds a seat. "Look, he"s just not that way. He doesn"t have a set place. At a church supper the other night, he and his wife were in back washing dishes."
For 19 years, he"s used the same barber. John Mayhall finds him waiting when he opens up at 7 a.m. He chats about the national news, or reads in his chair, perhaps the Benton County Daily Democrat, another Walton property that keeps him off the front page. It buried the Forbes list at the bottom of page 2.
"He"s just not a front-page person," a newspaper employee explains.
But one recent morning, The Richest Man in America did something that would have made headlines any where in the world: He forgot his money. "I said, "Forget it, take care of it next time,"" says barber Mayhall. "But he said, "No, I"ll get it," and he went home for his wallet."
Wasn"t that, well, a little strange? "No sir," says Mayhall, "the only thing strange about Sam Walton is that he isn"t strange."
But just how long Walton can hold firm to his folksy habits with celebrity hunters keeping following him wherever he goes is anyone"s guess. Ever since Forbes magazine pronounced him America"s richest man, with $2.8 billion in Wal-Mart stock, he"s been a rich man on the run, steering clear of reporters, dreamers, and schemers.
"He may be the richest by Forbes rankings," says corporate affairs director Jim Von Gremp, "but he doesn"t know whether he is or not — and he doesn"t care. He doesn"t spend much. He owns stock, but he"s always left it in the company so it could grow. But the real story in his mind is the success achieved by the 100,000 people who make up the Wal-Mart team."
He"s usually back home for Friday sales meetings, or the executive pep rally Saturday morning at 7 a.m., when Walton, as he does at new store openings, is liable to jump up on a chair and lead everyone in the Wal-Mart cheer: "Give me a W! Give me an A! Give me an L! Louder!"
And louder they yell. No one admits to feeling the least bit silly. It"s all part of the Wal-Mart way of life as laid down by Sam: loyalty, hard work, long hours; get ideas into the system from the bottom up, Japanese-style; treat your people right; cut prices and margins to the bone and sleep well at night. Employees with one year on board qualify for stock options, and are urged to buy all they can.
After the pep rally, there"s bird hunting, or tennis on his backyard court. But his stores are always on his mind. One tennis guest managed to put him off his game by asking why a can of balls cost more in one Wal-Mart than another. It turned out to be untrue, but the move worked. Walton lost four straight games.
Walton set up a college scholarship fund for employees" children, a disaster relief fund to rebuild employee homes damaged by fires, floods, tornadoes, and the like. He believed in cultivating ideas and rewarding success.
"He"d say, "That fellow worked hard, let"s give him a little extra,"" recalls retired president Ferold F. Arend, who was stunned at such generosity after the stingy employer he left to join Wal-Mart. "I had to change my way of thinking when I came aboard."
"The reason for our success," says Walton, in a company handout, "is our people and the way they"re treated and the way they feel about their company. They believe things are different here, but they deserve the credit."
Adds company lawyer Jim Hendren: "I"ve never seen anyone yet who worked for him or was around him for any length of time who wasn"t better off. And I don"t mean just financially, although a lot of people are. It"s just something about him — coming into contact with Sam Walton just makes you a better person."
全新版大学英语综合教程第二册第2单元课文讲解2
mansion▲
n. a large house, usu. belonging to a rich person (豪华的)宅邸,大厦
remote
a. far away in space or time 遥远的
dime
n. (美国、加拿大的)10分硬币
billion
num.(美、法)十亿;(英、德)万亿
discount
n. amount of money which may be taken off the full price 折扣
pickup
n. a light van having an open body with low sides 小卡车,轻型货车
muddy▲
a. covered in mud 沾满泥的;泥泞的
sigh
vi. 叹气,叹息
billionaire
n. 亿万富翁;大富翁
carry on
behave in a wild or improper way; conduct; continue 举止随便;进行;继续做
folk
n. (usu.pl) people in general 人们;人民
get away with
do (sth.) without being caught or punished 做(某事)而未被发觉或未受惩罚
shell
n. (AmE) 枪弹;炮弹;壳
local
a. of a particular place 地方的,当地的
treatment
n. 对待;待遇
corporate▲
a. 公司的
memo▲
n. a note of sth. to be remembered 备忘录
folksy
a. simple and friendly 友好的",坦率的
mayor
n. *
by/from all accounts
according to what everyone says 人人都说
cheerful
a. (of a person) happy in a lively way; (of sth.) making one feel happy 愉快的;令人愉快的
blend
v. mix together thoroughly (将…)混合
blend in
mix harmoniously 融洽,十分协调
flashy
a. attracting attention by being too smart and decorated 浮华的,华而不实的
throw one"s weight around
(infml) 盛气凌人
reserve
vt. keep for a special use; book (a seat, room, table, etc.) 将…留作专用;预定
pastor
n. 牧师
barber
n. 理发师
open up
(infml) 开门;打开
democrat
n. 民主党人;民主主义者
employee
n. 雇员,受雇者
headline
n. (报纸上的)标题
wallet▲
n. 皮夹子
hold to
keep to 遵守,不改变
celebrity
n. famous person 名人
stock
n. 资本;股票,证券
on the run
in flight; continuously active 奔逃,逃避;忙个不停
steer
v. 驾驶
steer clear of
keep away from 避开,避免
reporter
n. 记者
schemer
n. 阴谋家
scheme
n. 阴谋;计划
ranking
n. 地位;等级
rank
v. (将…)列为(某等级)
make up
form, constitute 构成,组成
executive
n., a. 经营管理方面的(人员);行政方面的(人员)
pep
n. (infml) keen activity and energy 劲头,活力
rally
n., v. *
pep rally
a gathering intended to encourage the listeners 鼓舞士气的会议
opening
n. the act of becoming or making open, esp. officially (正式的)开张,开幕
liable
a. likely (to do sht.) 有可能做…的
yell▲
v. shout loudly 喊叫
lay down
establish 制定;设立
loyalty
n. being true and faithful (to) 忠诚
system
n. 系统
qualify
v. (使)具有资格
option
n. 期权,购买(或出售)权;选择自由
stock option
优先认股权
court
n. 球场
scholarship
n. 奖学金
tornado
n. 龙卷风
cultivate
vt. improve by care, training or study; develop 培养,陶冶
reward
v. give (sth.) to sb. in return for work or services 奖赏
retired
a. (of a person) having stopped working, usu. because of age 退休了的
retire
v. (使)退休
stun▲
vt. make (sb.) very surprised 使惊吓
generosity
n. the quality of being willing to give money, help, etc. 慷慨,大方
stingy
a. unwilling to spend money 吝啬的
employer
n. 雇佣者,雇主
aboard
adv., prep. on or into (a ship, train, aircraft, bus, etc.) 在(船、车、飞机等)上
come aboard
(fig) become a new member of an organization 入伙,加盟
handout
n. information given out in the form of a printed sheet, leaflet 印刷品,宣传品
deserve
vt. be worthy of 应受,值得
全新版大学英语综合教程第二册第2单元课文讲解3
Art Harris
阿特·哈里斯
Rolls-Royce
罗尔斯-罗伊斯汽车
Bentonville
本顿维尔(美国地名)
Arkansas
(美国)阿肯色州
Sam Moore Walton
萨姆·穆尔·沃尔顿
Wal-Mart
沃尔玛公司
Jamie Beaulieu
杰米·鲍尤
Ford
福特汽车
Johnny Baker
乔尼·贝克
Richard Hoback
理查德·霍巴克
Gordon Garlington III
戈登·加林顿第三
Mayhall
梅霍
Benton County
本顿县(美国地名)
Forbes
福布斯(杂志名)
Jim Von Gremp
吉姆·冯·格雷姆普
Ferold F·Arend
费罗尔德·F·阿伦德
Jim Hendren
吉姆·亨德伦
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3篇(扩展4)
——全新版大学英语综合教程第一册第8课内容介绍3篇
全新版大学英语综合教程第一册第8课内容介绍1
Part I Pre-reading Task
Listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:
1. What was the teacher"s purpose in asking his class the riddle?
2. What can you learn about Little Geoffrey from his answer to the riddle? Was he used to trying to think clearly? Had he formed the habit of making good use of his brain?
3. Is the story related to the theme of the unit — coping with an educational problem? In what way?
The following words and expressions in the recording may be new to you:
riddle
n. 谜语
scratch one"s head
挠头(表示迷惑等)
knit one"s brows
皱眉
Part II
Text
Benjamin Stein weaves a tale to bring home to young Americans the need to change the way they think about education. Read it and see whether you think it holds any lessons for us as well.
FABLE OF THE LAZY TEENAGER
Benjamin Stein
One day last fall, I ran out of file folders and went to the drugstore to buy more. I put a handful of folders on the counter and asked a teenage salesgirl how much they cost. "I don"t know," she answered. "But it"s 12 cents each."
I counted the folders. "Twenty-three at 12 cents each, that makes $2.76 before tax," I said.
"You did that in your head?" she asked in amazement. "How can you do that?"
"It"s magic," I said.
"Really?" she asked.
No modestly educated * can fail to be upset by such an experience. While our children seem better-natured than ever, they are so ignorant — and so ignorant of their ignorance — that they frighten me. In a class of 60 seniors at a private college where I recently taught, not one student could write a short paper without misspellings. Not one.
But this is just a tiny slice of the problem. The ability to perform even the simplest calculations is only a memory among many students I see, and their knowledge of world history or geography is nonexistent.
Moreover, there is a chilling indifference about all this ignorance. The attitude was summed up by a friend"s bright, lazy 16-year-old son, who explained why he preferred not to go to U.C.L.A. "I don"t want to have to compete with Asians," he said. "They work hard and know everything."
In fact, this young man will have to compete with Asians whether he wants to or not. He cannot live forever on the financial, material and human capital accumulated by his ancestors. At some point soon, his intellectual laziness will seriously affect his way of life. It will also affect the rest of us. A modern industrial state cannot function with an idle, ignorant labor force. Planes will crash. Com*rs will jam. Cars will break down.
To drive this message home to such young Americans, I have a humble suggestion: a movie, or TV series, dramatizing just how difficult it was for this country to get where it is — and how easily it could all be lost. I offer the following fable.
As the story opens, our hero, Kevin Hanley 1990, a 17-year-old high school senior, is sitting in his room, feeling bitter. His parents insist he study for his European history test. He wants to go shopping for headphones for his portable CD player. The book he is forced to read — The Wealth of Nations — puts him to sleep.
Kevin dreams it is 1835, and he is his own great-great-great-grandfather at 17, a peasant in County Kerry, Ireland. He lives in a small hut and sleeps next to a pig. He is always hungry and must search for food. His greatest wish is to learn to read and write so he might get a job as a clerk. With steady wages, he would be able to feed himself and help his family. But Hanley"s poverty allows no leisure for such luxuries as going to school. Without education and money, he is powerless. His only hope lies in his children. If they are educated, they will have a better life.
Our fable fast-forwards and Kevin Hanley 1990 is now his own great-grandfather, Kevin Hanley, 1928. He, too, is 17 years old, and he works in a steel mill in Pittsburgh. His father came to America from Ireland and helped build the New York City subway. Kevin Hanley 1928 is far better off than either his father or his grandfather. He can read and write. His wages are far better than anything his ancestors had in Ireland.
Next Kevin Hanley 1990 dreams that he is Kevin Hanley 1945, his own grandfather, fighting on Iwo Jima against a most determined foe, the Japanese army. He is always hot, always hungry, always scared. One night in a foxhole, he tells a friend why he is there: "So my son and his son can live in peace and security. When I get back, I"l1 work hard and send my boy to college so he can live by his brains instead of his back."
Then Kevin Hanley 1990 is his own father, Kevin Hanley 1966, who studies all the time so he can get into college and law school. He lives in a fine house. He has never seen anything but peace and plenty. He tells his girl friend that when he has a son, he won"t make him study all the time, as his father makes him.
At that point, Kevin Hanley 1990 wakes up, shaken by his dream. He is relieved to be away from Ireland and the steel mill and Iwo Jima. He goes back to sleep.
When he dreams again, he is his own son, Kevin Hanley 2020. There is gunfire all day and all night. His whole generation forgot why there even was law, so there is none. People pay no attention to politics, and government offers no services to the working class.
Kevin 2020"s father, who is of course Kevin 1990 himself, works as a cleaner in a factory owned by the Japanese. Kevin 2020 is a porter in a hotel for wealthy Europeans and Asians. Public education stops at the sixth grade. Americans have long since stopped demanding good education for their children.
The last person Kevin 1990 sees in his dream is his own grandson. Kevin 2050 has no useful skills. Machines built in Japan do all the complex work, and there is little manual work to be done. Without education, without discipline, he cannot earn an adequate living wage. He lives in a slum where there is no heat, no plumbing, no privacy and survives by searching through trash piles.
In a word, he lives much as Kevin Hanley 1835 did in Ireland. But one day, Kevin Hanley 2050 is befriended by a visiting Japanese anthropologist studying the decline of America. The man explains to Kevin that when a man has no money, education can sup* the human capital necessary to start to acquire financial capital. Hard work, education, saving and discipline can do anything. "This is how we rose from the ashes after you defeated us in a war about a hundred years ago."
"America beat Japan in war?" asks Kevin 2050. He is astonished. It seems as impossible as Brazil defeating the United States would sound in 1990. Kevin 2050 swears that if he ever has children, he will make sure they work and study and learn and discipline themselves. "To be able to make a living by one"s mind instead of by stealing," he says. "That would be a miracle."
When Kevin 1990 wakes up, next to him is his copy of The Wealth of Nations. He opens it and the first sentence to catch his eye is this: "A man without the proper use of the intellectual faculties of a man is, if possible, more contemptible than even a coward."
Kevin"s father walks in. "All right, son," he says. "Let"s go look at those headphones."
"Sorry, Pop," Kevin 1990 says. "I have to study."
全新版大学英语综合教程第一册第8课内容介绍2
fable
n. 寓言
teenager
n. a person who is between 13 and 19 years old 青少年
run out of
use up or finish a sup* of (sth.) 用完,耗尽
file
n. a collection of papers on one subject 档案,卷宗
folder
n. holder for loose papers 文件夹
drugstore
n. (AmE) (兼营杂货的)药房
handful
n. 一把;少量
counter
n. 柜台
tax
n. 税
in amazement
with a feeling of great surprise or disbelief 惊讶地
modestly
ad. not in very large quantity, size, etc. 不太多,不太大,适中
upset
vt. make (sb.) worry or feel unhappy 使苦恼,使心烦意乱
ignorant
a. knowing little or nothing 无知的;不知道的
ignorance
n. 无知;愚昧
senior
n. (AmE) student in the last year of college or high school (大学或中学)毕业班的学生
slice
n. a part of sth.; a thin flat piece cut from sth. 部分;(薄薄的)一片
ability
n. 能力
nonexistent
a. not existing 不存在的
chill
v. become or make (sth. or sb.) cold (使)变冷;(使)不寒而栗
indifference
n. a lack of interest or feeling 漠不关心
sum
vt. 合计;总结;概述
sum up
总结,概括
compete
vi. 竞争
compete with/against
try to be better than (sb. else) 与…竞争
Asian
n., a. 亚洲人;亚洲(人)的
financial
a. connected with money 财政的;金融的
accumulate
v. collect, or gather together, esp. over a period of time 积累,积聚
ancestor
n. 祖先,祖宗
intellectual
a. 智力的
affect
vt. have an influence on 影响
industrial
a. 工业的
function
vi. operate; act 运作;起作用
n. 作用,功能
idle
a. lazy; not doing anything 懒散的;空闲的
jam
v. get stuck 发生故障;卡住;堵塞
break down
stop working; fail, collapse 停止运转;失败,垮了
drive home
make (sth.) clear so that people understand it 使清楚无误地理解
humble
a. 谦卑的;卑微的`
suggestion
n. sth. suggested 建议
movie
n. film 电影
dramatize
vt. write (sth.) again in a form which can be performed 将…改编为剧本,将…戏剧化
European
a., n. 欧洲(人)的;欧洲人
portable
a. light and small enough to be easily carried or moved 便携(式)的,手提(式)的
CD = compact disc
激光唱片;(计算机用的)光盘
county
n. (英国的)郡;(美国的)县
hut
n. 小屋;棚屋
search for
look for 寻找
wage
n. 工资,工钱
poverty
n. the state of being poor 贫穷,贫困
leisure
n. spare time 空闲,闲暇
luxury
n. 奢侈品;奢华;奢侈
mill
n. a factory 工厂,制造厂
subway
n. (AmE) underground railway 地铁
better off
richer; more comfortable 更富有;更舒服
foe
n. (lit) an enemy 敌人
scare
v. frighten (使)惊慌,(使)恐惧
foxhole
n. 散兵坑(小型掩体)
security
n. the state of feeling safe and free from worry 安全
wake up
stop sleeping 醒了
porter
n. (旅馆、火车站等的)搬行李工人;搬运工人
wealthy
a. rich; having wealth 富的,富裕的
complex
a. not simple 复杂的
manual
a. 体力的;手工做的
adequate
a. enough 充分的,足够的
slum▲
n. 贫民窟
plumbing
n. (水、煤气等)管道设施
privacy▲
n. the state of being alone and undisturbed (不受干扰的)独处;隐私,隐秘
trash
n. (AmE) 垃圾;废物
befriend
vt. help; act as a friend to 帮助;以朋友态度对待
decline
vi., n. 衰败,衰退;下降
acquire
vt. get 取得,获得
ash
n. 废墟;灰,灰烬
astonish
vt. surprise very much 使惊讶
swear
vt. make a serious promise about 发誓,宣誓
make a living by
靠…维持生计
miracle
n. 奇迹
faculty
n. any of the powers of the body or mind 官能
contemptible
a. 令人鄙视的,可轻蔑的
coward▲
n. 懦夫
pop
n. (infml) father
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3篇(扩展5)
——大学英语精读第二册第2课内容讲解3篇
大学英语精读第二册第2课内容讲解1
A heated discussion about whether men are braver than women is settled in a rather unexpected way.
The Dinner Party
I first heard this tale in India, where is told as if true -- though any naturalist would know it couldn"t be. Later someone told me that the story appeared in a magazine shortly before the First World War. That magazine story, and the person who wrote it, I have never been able to track down.
The country is India. A colonial official and his wife are giving a large dinner party. They are seated with their guests -- officers and their wives, and a visiting American naturalist -- in their spacious dining room, which has a bare marble floor, open rafters and wide glass doors opening onto a veranda.
A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who says that women have outgrown the jumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouse era and a major who says that they haven"t.
"A woman"s reaction in any crisis," the major says, "is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of control than a woman has. And that last ounce is what really counts."
The American does not join in the argument but watches the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, her muscles contracting slightly. She motions to the native boy standing behind her chair and whispers something to him. The boy"s eyes widen: he quickly leaves the room.
Of the guests, none except the American notices this or sees the boy place a bowl of milk on the veranda just outside the open doors.
The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing -- bait for a snake. He realizes there must be a cobra in the room. He looks up at the rafters -- the likeliest place -- but they are bare. Three corners of the room are empty, and in the fourth the servants are waiting to serve the next course. There is only one place left -- under the table.
His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so commanding that it silences everyone.
"I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count three hundred -- that"s five minutes -- and not one of you is to move a muscle. Those who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Ready?"
The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying "...two hundred and eighty..." when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the veranda doors safely shut.
"You were right, Major!" the host exclaims. "A man has just shown us an example of perfect self-control."
"Just a minute," the American says, turning to his hostess. "Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that cobra was in the room?"
A faint smile lights up the woman"s face as she replies: "Because it was crawling across my foot."
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3篇(扩展6)
——21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解 (菁选3篇)
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解1
First Listening
Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following blanks to prepare yourself to listen for the figures.
1. As you listen to the passage the first time, fill these blanks with the words you hear:
Asians and Asian Americans make up only _____ of the US population, but they come up to ____ of the undergraduates at Harvard, _____ at MIT, ______ at Yale and _____ at Berkeley.
Second Listening
Read the following words first to prepare yourself to answer them to the best of your ability.
Talent effort money concentration ambition intelligence pressure sacrifice discrimination tradition
2. Why are these statistics "amazing"? And what do you think the explanation is?
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解2
Fox Butterfield
Kim-Chi Trinh was just nine when her father used his savings to buy a passage for her on a fishing boat that would carry her from Vietnam. It was a heartbreaking and costly sacrifice for the family, placing Kim-Chi on the small boat, among strangers, in hopes that she would eventually reach the United States, where she would get a good education and enjoy a better life.
It was a hard journey for the little girl, and full of risks. Long before the boat reached safety, the supplies of food and water ran out. When Kim-Chi finally made it to the US, she had to cope with a succession of three foster families. But when she graduated from San Diego"s Patrick Henry High School in 1988, she had straight A"s and scholarship offers from some of the most prestigious universities in the country.
"I have to do well," says the 19-year-old, now a second-year student at Cornell University. "I owe it to my parents in Vietnam."
Kim-Chi is part of a wave of bright, highly - motivated Asian - Americans who are suddenly surging into our best colleges. Although Asian - Americans make up only 2.4 percent of the nation"s population, they constitute 17.1 percent of the undergraduates at Harvard, 18 percent at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 27.3 percent at the University of California at Berkeley.
Why are Asian - Americans doing so well? Are they grinds, as some stereotypes suggest? Do they have higher IQs? Or can we learn a lesson from them about values we have long treasured but may have misplaced — like hard work, the family and education?
Not all Asians are doing equally well; poorly - educated Cambodian refugee children, for instance, often need special help. And many Asian - Americans resent being labeled a "model minority," feeling that this is reverse discrimination by white Americans — a contrast to the laws that excluded most Asian immigrants from the US until 1965, but prejudice nevertheless.
The young Asians" achievements have led to a series of fascinating studies. Perhaps the most disturbing results come from the research carried out by a University of Michigan psychologist, Harold W. Stevenson, who has compared more than 7,000 students in kindergarten, first grade, third grade and fifth grade in Chicago and Minneapolis with counterparts in Beijing, Taipei and Sendai. On a battery of math tests, the Americans did worst at all grade levels.
Stevenson found no differences in IQ. But if the differences in performance are showing up in kindergarten, it suggests something is happening in the family, even before the children get to school.
It is here that various researchers" different studies converge: Asian parents are motivating their children better. "The bottom line is, Asian kids work hard," Stevenson says.
The real question, then, is how Asian parents imbue their offspring with this kind of motivation. Stevenson"s study suggests a critical answer. When asked why they think their children do well, most Asian parents said "hard work." By contrast, American parents said "talent."
"From what I can see," criticizes Stevenson, "we"ve lost our faith in the idea that we can all get ahead in life through hard work. Instead, Americans now believe that some kids have what it takes and some don"t. So we start dividing up classes into‘fast learners’and‘slow learners’, whereas the Chinese and Japanese feel all children can succeed in the same curriculum."
This belief in hard work is the first of three main factors contributing to Asian students" outstanding performance. It springs from Asians" common heritage of Confucianism, the philosophy of the 5th-century-BC Chinese sage whose teachings have had a profound influence on Chinese society. One of Confucius"s primary teachings is that through effort, people can perfect themselves.
Confucianism provides another important ingredient in the Asians" success as well. In Confucian philosophy, the family plays a central role — an orientation that leads people to work for the honor of the family, not just for themselves. One can never repay one"s parents, and there"s a sense of obligation or even guilt that is as strong a force among Asians as Protestant philosophy is in the West.
There"s yet another major factor in this bond between Asian parents and their children. During the 15 years I lived in China, Japan, and Vietnam, I noticed that Asian parents establish a closer physical tie to their infants than most parents in the United States. When I let my baby daughter crawl on the floor, for example, my Chinese friends were horrified and rushed to pick her up. We think this constant attention is old-fashioned or even unhealthy, but for Asians, it"s highly effective.
Can we learn anything from the Asians? "I"m not naive enough to think everything in Asia can be transplanted," says Stevenson. But he offered three recommendations.
"To start with," he says, "we need to set higher standards for our kids. We wouldn"t expect them to become professional athletes without practicing hard."
Second, American parents need to become more committed to their children"s education, he declares. "Being understanding when a child doesn"t do well isn"t enough." Stevenson found that Asian parents spend more time helping their children with homework or writing to their teachers than American parents do.
And, third, our schools could be reorganized in simple but effective ways, says Stevenson. Nearly 90 percent of Chinese youngsters say they actually enjoy school, and 60 percent can"t wait for school vacations to end. This is a vastly more positive attitude than youngsters in The US express. One reason may be that students in China and Japan typically have a break after each class, helping them to relax and to increase their attention spans.
"I don"t think Asians are any smarter," says Don Lee, an Asian-American student at Berkeley. "There are brilliant Americans in my chemistry class. But the Asian students work harder. I see a lot of wasted potential among the Americans."
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解3
excel
v. (at) be the beat or better others (at sth.) 胜过他人
savings
n. money saved, esp. in a bank 积蓄;存款
heartbreaking
a. which causes great sorrow 令人悲痛的,令人心碎的
costly
a. expensive, costing a lot of money 代价高昂的;昂贵的
sacrifice
n. loss or giving up of sth. of value, esp. for what is believed to be a good purpose 牺牲
vt. 牺牲
risk
n. (of) a danger;sth. that might have undesirable results 危险;风险
vt. place in a dangerous situation 使遭受危险;冒…的风险
cope
vi. (with) deal successfully (with a difficult situation) (妥善地)应付或处理
succession
n. a series or the act of following one after the other (前后相接的)一系列,一连串;连续
successive
a. following each other closely 接连的,连续的,相继的
*foster
a. 收养孩子的;寄养的
vt. 收养;照料
scholarship
n. 1. 奖学金
2. 学识;学术成就
owe
vt. (to) 1. have sth. (usually sth. good) because of 把…归功于
2. have to pay, for sth. already done or given 欠
owing
a. (to) still to be paid 未付的,欠着的
motivate
vt. (often pass.) 1. provide (sb.) with a (strong) need, purpose or reason for doing sth. [常被动] 激发…的积极性
2. 使有动机
*surge
vi. move, esp. forward, in or like powerful waves (如浪潮般) 汹涌;奔腾
n. (感情等的)洋溢或奔放
constitute
vt. 1. form or make up 形成;构成
2. formally establish or appoint 组建;选派
constitution
n. 1. the act of establishing, making, or setting up;constituting 制定;设立;组成
2. (often cap.) [常大写] 宪法;法规;章程
*constitutional
a. allowed or limited by a political constitution 宪法规定的;合乎宪法的
grind
n. (AmE, often derog.) a student who is always working (美)[常贬义]用功的学生,书呆子
vt. 磨;磨碎
*stereotype
n. a fixed pattern which is believed to represent a type of person or event 固定形式,老套
misplace
vt. 1. lose (sth.),usu. for only a limited time (暂时)丢弃
2. put in an unsuitable or wrong place 把…放错地方
refugee
n. sb. who has been forced to leave their country for political reason or during a war 难民;流亡者
*resent
vt. feel anger and dislike about sth. 对…表示愤恨
label
vt. 1. describe as belonging to a particular kind or class 把…称为;把…列为
2. 加标签于;用标签标明
n. 标签
minority
n. 1. a small part of a population which is different from others in race, religion, etc. 少数民族;少数派
2. the small number or part;less than half 少数
minor
a. 较少的,较小的
*discrimination
n. 1. the practice of unfairly treating sb. or sth. 区别对待;歧视
2. the ability to recognize the difference between two things 识别力;辨别力
reverse discrimination
the making of distinctions in favour of groups considered disadvantaged or underprivileged 逆向歧视,反其道而行之的歧视
*discriminate
v. 1. (against, in favor of) unfairly treat one person or group worse or better than others 有差别地对待
2. see or make a difference between things or people 区别,辨别,区分
contrast
n. (to, with) a strong difference between two people, objects or situations 对比;对照
v. examine (two things) in order to find or show differences 对比;对照
exclude
vt. keep out from a place or an activity 阻止…进入;把…排斥在外
exclusion
n. the act of excluding or fact of being excluded 拒绝;排斥
exclusive
a. (of) not taking into account;without;excluding 不算;不包括;把…排斥在外
exclusively
ad. only;and nothing/no one else 排斥其他地;专有地;单独地
immigrant
n. a person who has come to live in a country from abroad 移民;侨民
prejudice
n. unfair and usually unfavorable feeling or opinion about a group—e.g.a nationality or race 歧视;偏见;成见
series
n. 1. (of) a set or group of things of the same kind or related in some way, coming one after another or in order 系列;连接
2. 丛书;广播(或电视)系列节目
fascinating
a. having great attraction or charm 吸引人的.;迷人的
*fascinate
vt. (with) charm powerfully;be very interesting to 强烈地吸引;迷住
disturbing
a. causing worry or fright 令人不安的;令人烦恼的
disturb
vt. 1. break the peace or order of 扰乱;打扰
2. cause to become anxious or upset 使心神不安;使烦恼
*disturbance
n. 1. an act of disturbing or the state of being disturbed 打扰;扰乱
2. sth. that disturbs 造成干扰的事物
kindergarten
n. a school or class for young children, usu. between the ages of four and six 幼儿园
*counterpart
n. a person or thing that has the same purpose or does the same job as another in a different system 对应的人(或物);对手(方)
battery
n. 1. (of) a set or number of things of the same kind occurring in rapid succession 一组;一系列
2. 电池(组)
*converge
vi. (of two or more things) come together towards the same point (在一点上)会合;集中
the bottom line
the basic point 基本要点
imbue
v. (with)(usu. pass.) to fill with (sth., often a strong feeling or opinion) [常被动]灌输(某种强烈的情感或意见)
*offspring
n. a child or children from particular parents 子女;后代
critical
a. 1. providing a careful judgment of the good and bad qualities of sth. 判断(或评价)审慎的
2. 批判的
3. 关键的
criticize (-cise)
v. 1. make judgments about the good or bad points of 评论
2. judge with disapproval;point out the faults of 批评;指责
criticism
n. unfavorable judgment or expression of disapproval 批评;指责
curriculum
n. the program of study offered in a school, college, etc. 课程,大纲
factor
n. any of the facts, conditions, influences, etc. that act with others to bring about a result 因素,要素
outstanding
a. 1. better than others, very good 杰出的;优秀的
2. easily seen, important 显要的;重要的
*heritage
n. a tradition, custom, or quality which is passed down over many years within a family, social group, or nation and which is thought of as belonging to all its members 继承物,遗产;传统
philosophy
n. 哲学
sage
n. sb., esp. an old man or historical person, known for his wisdom and long experience 圣贤;哲人
primary
a. 1. chief, main 主要的
2. earliest in time or order of development 最初的
ingredient
n. 1. one of the essential parts of a situation 因素;要素
2. 成分
central
a. 1. chief, main, of greatest importance 主要的,最重要的
2. being (at, in, or near) the center (位居)中心的
*orientation
n. a direction or position 取向;方位;定位
*repay
vt. reward;pay back 偿还;回报
obligation
n. sth. that one must do out of a duty or promise 义务;责任
guilt
n. 1. the feelings produced by knowledge or belief that one has done wrong 内疚
2. the fact of having broken a moral rule or official law 罪(行)
bond
n. 1. sth. that unites two or more people, or groups, such as a shared feeling or interest 联结;联系
2. 公债,债券
3. 合约
crawl
vi. & n. 爬(行)
horrify
vt. shock greatly;fill with horror 吓;使感惊骇
unhealthy
a. 1. likely to cause illness or poor health 有碍健康的
2. not very strong or well, often ill 体弱多病的,不结实的,不健康的
*naivea. 1. too willing to believe or trust 轻信的
2. without experience (as of social rules or behaviour), esp. because one is young 幼稚的;天真的
*transplant
vt. move sth. from one place and plant, settle or establish elsewhere 移植;移居
recommendation
n. 1. suggestion, piece of advice 建议
2. 推荐信
vacation
n. (esp. AmE) holiday 假期;休假
vastly
ad. 1. very greatly 非常大地
2. 广阔地
vast
a. 1. very large and wide 广阔的;广大的
2. great in amount 大量的
positive
a. 1. (of people) sure, having no doubt about sth. 无疑问的;确定的
2. certain, beyond any doubt 肯定的
3. (of a statement) direct 正面的
span
n. 1. the length of time over which a stated thing continues or works well 持续时间
2. 跨度;跨距
attention span
a length of time over which one can concentrate 注意力的持续时间
Phrases and Expressions
make it (to) (a place)
succeed in getting (to) (a place) 成功抵达某地
owe to
have (sth. good) because of 把…归功于…
imbue with
(use. pass.) fill (sb), with (sth.), esp. a strong feeling or opinion [常被动] 向…灌输…
by contrast
very differently (from sth. previously mentioned);on the other hand 对比之下
get ahead
be successful in one"s career 获得成功;出头
have what it takes
(infml.) have the qualifications necessary for success 具备取得成功的必要条件
spring from
be a product or result of;originate from 发源于;来自
can"t wait (for sth.)
be excited about and eager (for sth.) 迫不及待,等不及
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3篇(扩展7)
——21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册课文Unwritten Rules (菁选3篇)
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册课文Unwritten Rules1
First Listening
1. As you listen to the tape the first time, mark each word or phrase J or T, to indicate whether Jill (the woman) or Tim (the man) says them. (Some words might be spoken by both people!)
animal anywhere asleep car cold decent ignore law light no one police safety sleepy social contract who knows
Then briefly summarize each person"s attitude toward the social contract.
Second Listening
2. Whose point of view is closer to your own? Are there situations when it"s okay to break the rules? Are there rules it"s never okay to break, even when you"re alone?
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册课文Unwritten Rules2
Bob Greene
The restaurant was almost full. A steady hum of conversation hung over the room; people spoke with each other and worked on their meals.
Suddenly, from a table near the center of the room, came a screaming voice: "Damn it, Sylvia...."
The man was shouting at the top of his voice. His face was red, and he yelled at the woman sitting opposite him for about fifteen seconds. In the crowded restaurant, it seemed like an hour. All other conversations in the room stopped, and everyone looked at the man. He must have realized this, because just as suddenly as he had started, he lowered his voice and finished whatever it was he had to say in a tone the rest of us could not hear.
It was startling precisely because it almost never happens; there are no laws against such explosions, and with the pressures of our modern world you would almost expect to run into such things on a regular basis. But you don"t; as a matter of fact, when I thought it over I realized that it was the first time in my life I had witnessed such a demonstration. During all the meals I"ve had in restaurants, I had never seen a person start screaming at the top of his lungs.
When you"re eating among other people, you don"t raise your voice; it"s just one example of the unwritten rules we live by. When you consider it, you recognize that those rules probably govern our lives on a more absolute basis than the ones you could find if you looked in the law books. The customs that govern us are what make a civilization. There would be chaos without them, and yet it"s not at all clear why — even in our disintegrating society — we obey them.
How many times have you stopped at a red light late at night? You can see in all directions; there"s no one else around — no headlights, no police cruiser idling behind you. You"re tired and in a hurry. But you wait for the light to change. Is it for safety"s sake? No; you can see that there would be no accident if you drove on. Is it to avoid getting arrested? No; you are alone; there"s no one to catch you. Still, you sit and wait.
At major athletic events, it is not uncommon to find 90,000 or 100,000 people sitting in the stands. On the playing field are two dozen athletes —maybe fewer. There aren"t enough security guards on hand to keep all the spectators from getting out of their seats and walking onto the field. But it never happens. Regardless of the emotion of the contest, the spectators stay in their places, and the athletes are safe in their part of the arena. The invisible barrier always holds.
In restaurants and coffee shops, people pay their bills. It"s a simple enough concept. Yet it would be remarkably easy to wander away from a meal without paying at the end. Especially in these difficult economic times, wouldn"t you expect this to become a common form of cheating? Why doesn"t it happen more often? It"s just another unwritten rule of human conduct that people automatically make good on their debts. They would no sooner walk out on a bill than start screaming.
I know a man who, when he parks his car at a parking meter, always puts change in the meter even if there"s time left on it. He regards it as the right thing to do. He says he isn"t doing it just to extend the time remaining—even if there"s sufficient time on the meter to cover whatever task he has to perform at the location, he pays his own way. He believes that you"re supposed to purchase your own time; the fellow before you purchased only his.
There are so many rules like these—rules that we all obey—that we think about them only when that rare person violates them. In the restaurant, after the man had yelled "Damn it, Sylvia" there was a tentative atmosphere among the other diners for half an hour after it happened. They weren"t sure what disturbed them about what they had witnessed; they knew, though, that it had violated something very basic about the way we"re supposed to behave. And it bothered them—which in itself is a hopeful sign that, more often than not, all is well.
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册课文Unwritten Rules3
hum
n. a low steady continuous sound 连续低沉的声音
screaming
a. 尖声的,发出尖叫声的
scream
v. say (sth.) loudly and usually on a high note, esp. because of anger, fear, pain, etc. (因恐惧、痛苦等而)尖声喊叫,惊呼
damn
v. 1. declare to be very wrong or bad 指责,贬斥
2. (esp. of God) send (sb.) to punishment without end after death (尤指上帝)罚(某人)入地狱受罪
3. curse at 诅咒;咒骂
int. 该死,他妈的,讨厌(表示愤怒、厌烦、轻蔑、失望等)
yell
vi. (at) speak or say sth. in a very loud voice 叫喊,叫嚷
precisely
ad. 1. exactly; just 恰好;正好
2. in an exact manner; carefully 精确地;细致地
precision
n. exactness 精确,准确
a. made or done with exactness 精密的,确切的
explosion
n. 1. a sudden bursting out of strong emotion (感情等的)爆发,迸发
2. (a loud noise caused by) a sudden, violent burst of energy 爆炸(声),炸裂(声)
3. a large and rapid increase 大规模的扩大;激增
explode
vi. 1. blow up or burst 爆炸;爆破
2. (in, with) show sudden violent emotion 爆发,迸发
vt. 1. cause (a bomb, etc.) to blow up or burst 使爆炸;使突发
2. (often pass.) destroy (a belief) [常被动] 破除,戳穿
explosive
a. that can explode 会爆炸的
basis
n. 基础;根据;基本原则,准则
basically
ad. with regard to what is most important and basic; in reality 基本上;实际上;主要地
witness
vt. see (sth.) happen 目击
n. a person who sees an event take place and is therefore able to describe it to others 目击者,见证人
demonstration
n. 1. the expression of a feeling (情绪的)显示,表露
2. a public show of strong feeling or opinion, often with marching, big signs **
absolute
a. 1. not depending on or measured by comparison with other things 绝对的
2. complete: total 完全的;十足的
3. certain; definite; leaving no doubt 确实的;不容置疑的
custom
n. 1. (an) established socially accepted practice 习俗,风俗
2. the habitual practice of a person (个人)习惯
customary
a. established by custom; usual or habitual 习俗的;习惯的
*disintegrate
v. 1. fall apart 瓦解;解体
2. (cause to) break into small parts or pieces (使)碎裂;(使)粉碎
headlight
n. 车前灯
cruiser
n. (AmE) a police car (美)警察巡逻车
sake
n. 目的;理由;缘故;利益
arrest
vt. take and keep (sb.) prisoner with the authority of the law 依法逮捕,拘捕
athletic
a. of or concerning athletes or athletics 运动员的;运动的
security
n. safety; sth. that provides or assures safety 安全;保卫措施,安全措施
*spectator
n. a person who is watching an event or game (比赛等的.)观看者,观众
emotion
n. 1. any of the strong feelings of the human spirit 情感;激情;感情
2. strength of feelings; excited state of the feelings 激动
contest
n. an event in which people compete against each other; a competition 竞赛;比赛
arena
n. a level area for sports, public entertainment, etc. (供竞技、表演等用的)场地
remarkably
ad. unusually; noticeably 非凡地,异常地;值得注意地,引人注目地
parking meter
a device next to a parking space into which one has to put money for parking for a certain time 汽车停放计时器,汽车停放收费计
extend
vt. make (sth.) longer or larger 使延长,使延期;扩展,扩大
extension
n. 1. the act of extending or being extended 延伸;扩展
2. a part which is added to make sth. longer, wider, or larger 增加的部分
location
n. a place or position 地点;位置
*violate
vt. break or be contrary to (a rule, principle, treaty, etc.) 违反,违背;违犯
*tentative
a. 犹豫的,迟疑不决的
diner
n. a person eating dinner 就餐者
behave
v. 1. act; bear oneself 行为;举止
2. (of things) act in a particular way (事物)作出反应;起作用
3. (of machines, etc.) work or function (机器等)运转
hopeful
a. 1. (of things) causing hope; likely to be favourable or successful; promising (事物)有希望的,给人希望的;有前途的
2. having hope 抱有希望的;充满希望的
Phrases and Expressions
hang over
remain, esp. as sth. unpleasant or threatening 笼罩;威胁
damn it
(俚)该死
raise/lower one"s voice
speak more loudly/quietly 提高/压低嗓门
at the top of one"s voice/lungs
as loudly as possible 用尽量大的声音,放声(大叫)
on a regular /absolute basis
regularly /absolutely 定期地;绝对地
on a... basis
in a...way …地;在…基础上
as a matter of fact
actually, in fact 实际上
live by
live according to (sth. such as a principle) 遵循(…的原则)
for sth."s / sb."s sake / for the sake of sth. / sb.
for the purpose of sth. / for the benefit of sb. 为了,为了…的利益
on hand
available; present (not absent) 现有,在手头;在场
make good (on one"s debt[s])
pay what one owes 偿付,支付(债务)
no sooner... than
1. 同…一样不
2. 一…就…
walk out on sth. / sb.
1. stop doing sth. one has agreed to do or that one is responsible for 不管,不顾;不履行;不支付
2. leave suddenly, esp. in a time of trouble; desert 抛弃,离开
in itself
considering only the thing specified; in its true nature 本身;实质上
more often than not
quite frequently 往往,多半
all is well
the situation is very satisfactory 一切顺利
全新大学英语综合教程第二册单元6内容讲解3篇(扩展8)
——新版大学英语综合教程第二册Unit5内容介绍 (菁选3篇)
新版大学英语综合教程第二册Unit5内容介绍1
Part I Pre-Reading Task
Listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:
1. What happened to the singer?
2. What helped her pull through all the hardships she suffered?
3. What is the tone of the song?
4. Is the song related to the theme of the unit — overcoming obstacles?
Part II
Text
Look at the following two sayings and then see if the story of Michael Stone bears out the points they make.
The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.
—— Moliere
When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.
—— Charles A, Beard
TRUE HEIGHT
David Naster
His palms were sweating. He needed a towel to dry his grip. The sun was as hot as the competition he faced today at the National Junior Olympics. The pole was set at 17 feet. That was three inches higher than his personal best. Michael Stone confronted the most challenging day of his pole-vaulting career.
The stands were still filled with about 20,000 people, even though the final race had ended an hour earlier. The pole vault is truly the highlight of any track and field competition. It combines the grace of a gymnast with the strength of a body builder. It also has the element of flying, and the thought of flying as high as a two-story building is a mere fantasy to anyone watching such an event.
As long as Michael could remember he had always dreamed of flying. Michael"s mother read him numerous stories about flying when he was growing up. Her stories were always ones that described the land from a bird"seye view. Her excitement and passion for details made Michael"s dreams full of color and beauty. Michael had this one recurring dream. He would be running down a country road. As he raced between golden wheat fields, he would always outrun the locomotives passing by. It was at the exact moment he took a deep breath that he began to lift off the ground. He would begin soaring like an eagle.
Where he flew would always coincide with his mother"s stories. Wherever he flew was with a keen eye for detail and the free spirit of his mother"s love. His dad, on the other hand, was not a dreamer. Bert Stone was a hardcore realist. He believed in hard work and sweat. His motto: If you want something, work for it!
From the age of 14, Michael did just that. He began a very careful training program. He worked out every other day with weightlifting, with some kind of running work on alternate days. The program was carefully monitored by Michael"s coach, trainer and father. Michael"s dedication, determination and discipline was a coach"s dream. Besides being an honor student and only child, Michael Stone continued to help his parents with their farm chores. Mildred Stone, Michael"s mother, wished he could relax a bit more and be that "free dreaming" little boy. On one occasion she attempted to talk to him and his father about this, but his dad quickly interrupted, smiled and said, "You want something, work for it!"
All of Michael"s vaults today seemed to be the reward for his hard work. If Michael Stone was surprised, excited or vain about clearing the bar at 17 feet, you couldn"t tell. As soon as he landed on the inflated landing mat, and with the crowd on its feet, Michael immediately began preparing for his next attempt at flight. He seemed unaware of the fact that he had just beaten his personal best by three inches and that he was one of the final two compe*s in the pole-vaulting event at the National Junior Olympics.
When Michael cleared the bar at 17 feet 2 inches and 17 feet 4 inches, again he showed no emotion. As he lay on his back and heard the crowd groan, he knew the other vaulter had missed his final jump. He knew it was time for his final jump. Since the other vaulter had fewer misses, Michael needed to clear this vault to win. A miss would get him second place. Nothing to be ashamed of, but Michael would not allow himself the thought of not winning first place.
He rolled over and did his routine of three finger-tipped push-ups. He found his pole, stood and stepped on the runway that led to the most challenging event of his 17-year-old life.
The runway felt different this time. It startled him for a brief moment. Then it all hit him like a wet bale of hay. The bar was set at nine inches higher than his personal best. That"s only one inch off the National record, he thought. The intensity of the moment filled his mind with anxiety. He began shaking the tension. It wasn"t working. He became more tense. Why was this happening to him now, he thought. He began to get nervous. Afraid would be a more accurate description. What was he going to do? He had never experienced these feelings. Then out of nowhere, and from the deepest depths of his soul, he pictured his mother. Why now? What was his mother doing in his thoughts at a time like this? It was simple. His mother always used to tell him when you felt tense, anxious or even scared, take deep breaths.
So he did. Along with shaking the tension from his legs, he gently laid his pole at his feet. He began to stretch out his arms and upper body. The light breeze that was once there was now gone. He carefully picked up his pole. He felt his heart pounding. He was sure the crowd did, too. The silence was deafening. When he heard the singing of some distant birds in flight, he knew it was his time to fly.
As he began sprinting down the runway, something felt wonderfully different, yet familiar. The surface below him felt like the country road he used to dream about. Visions of the golden wheat fields seemed to fill his thoughts. When he took a deep breath, it happened. He began to fly. His take-off was effortless. Michael Stone was now flying, just like in his childhood dreams. Only this time he knew he wasn"t dreaming. This was real. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The air around him was the purest and freshest he had ever sensed. Michael was soaring like an eagle.
It was either the eruption of the people in the stands or the thump of his landing that brought Michael back to earth. On his back with that wonderful hot sun on his face, he knew he could only see in his mind"s eye the smile on his mother"s face. He knew his dad was probably smiling too, even laughing. What he didn"t know was that his dad was hugging his wife and crying. That"s right: Bert "If You Want It, Work For It" Stone was crying like a baby in his wife"s arms. He was crying harder than Mildred had ever seen before. She also knew he was crying the greatest tears of all: tears of pride. Michael was immediately surrounded by people hugging and congratulating him on the greatest accomplishment of his life. He later went on that day to clear 17 feet 6 1/2 inches: a National and International Junior Olympics record.
With all the media attention and sponsorship possibilities, Michael"s life would never be the same again. It wasn"t just because he won the National Junior Olympics and set a new world record. And it wasn"t because he had just increased his personal best by 9 l/2 inches. It was sim* because Michael Stone is blind.
新版大学英语综合教程第二册Unit5内容介绍2
bear out
prove that (sth.) is true 证实
sweat
vi. 出汗
n. 汗水
towel
n. 毛巾,手巾
pole-vault
vi., n. 撑竿跳高
vault
n. 撑竿跳高 (=pole vault);撑物跳跃
grace
n. quality of being smooth and elegant, esp. in movement or structure 优美,优雅;雅致
gymnast
n. 体操家,体操运动员
body builder
n. 健美运动员
mere
a. nothing more than 仅仅,只不过
fantasy
n. 幻想
numerous
a. very many 许多的,无数的
passion
n. strong feeling, esp. of love 热情
detail
n. small, particular fact or item 细节,琐碎的`事
recur▲
vi. come or happen again 再来;再发生
outrun (outran, outrun)
vt. run faster or better than; go beyond 跑得比…快;跑得比…好;超过
eagle
n. 鹰
coincide▲
vi. happen at the same time; be in agreement 同时发生;一致
coincide with
与…同时发生;与…一致
hard-core
a. 顽固不化的
core
n. the most important part 核心
realist
n. a person who deals in a practical way with situations as they actually are 现实主义者
motto
n. 格言,座右铭
work out
go through a physical exercise session 体育锻炼,训练
weightlifting
n. 举重(运动)
alteinate▲
a. every other or second; happening by turns 交替的;轮流的
coach
n. (体育运动的)教练
dedication
n. giving oneself, time, effort, etc. (to sth.) 奉献,献身
dedicate▲
vt. 献身于,致力于
chore
n. 家庭杂务
relax
v. make or become less tense, worried or nervous 放松,松弛
on one/two/several occasion(s)
有一(两,几)次
vain
a. too pleased with one"s own abilities or looks 虚荣的,自负的
bar
n. 横杆;条;块
inflate
v. fill (sth.) with air (使)充气,(使)膨胀
mat
n. 垫子;席子
compe*
n. 竞争者,对手
emotion
n. 情感,感情
preparation
n. the act or process of preparing 准备
be ashamed of
feeling foolish or uncomfortable because of (sth.) 因…感到难为情
finger-tipped
a. using or operated by the fingers 用手的
push-up
n. (AmE) 俯卧撑
runway
n. 跑道
startle▲
vt. give a sudden shock or surprise to 使大吃一惊
bale
n. (一)大捆,(一)大包
hay
n. 干草
intensity
n. the state of being intense 强烈、剧烈,紧张
anxiety
n. a feeling of worry or fear 忧虑,担心
tension
n. worry or nervousness 紧张,不安
tense
a. feeling worried or nervous; making people worried or nervous 紧张的;令人紧张的
along with
together with 连同
stretch out
伸展
breeze
n. 微风,轻风
deafen
vt. make (sb.) unable to hear, esp. for a short time 使聋
deaf
a. unable to hear at all or to hear well 耳聋的
sprint
vi. run at one"s fastest speed, esp. for a short distance 疾跑
take-off
n. 起跳;(飞机)起飞
effortless
a. needing little or no effort 容易的,不费力气的
eruption
n. 爆发
erupt▲ vi.
thump
n. (noise made by) a heavy blow 重击(声)
bring (sb.) back to earth
使回到现实中
in one"s mind"s eye
在想象中
congratulate
vt. 祝贺
media
n. 大众传播媒介
sponsorship
n. 资助;赞助
新版大学英语综合教程第二册Unit5内容介绍3
David Naster
大卫·纳史特
the Olympics = Olympic Games 奥林匹克运动会
Michael
迈克尔(男子名)
Bert
伯特(男子名,Albert, Herbert, Bertram 的昵称,亦作Burt)
Mildred
米尔德里德(女子名)
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