大学英语第一册

Unit One COLLEGE ENGLISH INTENSIVE READING BOOK 1 Unit One HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR STUDY HABITS Perhaps you are an average student with average intelligence.You do well enough in school,but you probably think you will never be a top student .This is not necessarily the case,however.You can receive better grades if you want to.Yes,even students of average intelligence can be top students without additional work.Here’s how: 1.Plan your time carefully,.Make a list of your weekly tasks.Then make a schedule or chart of your time. Fill in committed time such as eating,sleeping,meetings,classes,etc. Then decide on good, regular times for studying.Be sure to set aside enough time to complete your normal reading and work assignments.Of course,studying shouldn’t occupy all of the free time on the schedule.It’s important to set aside time for relaxation,hobbies,and entertainment as well.This weekly schedule may not solve all of your problems,but it will make you more aware of how you spend your time.Furthermore,it will enable you to plan your activities so that you have adequate time for both work and play. 2.Find a good place to study.Choose one place for your study area.It may be a desk or a chair at home or in the school library,but it should be comfortable,and it should not have distractions. When you begin to work, you should be able to concentrate on the subject. 3.Skim before you read.This means looking over a passage quickly before you begin to read it more carelly.As you preview the material,you get some idea of the content and how it is organized.Later when you begin to read you will recognize less important material and you may skip some of these portions.Skimming helps double your reading speed and improves your comprehension as well. 4.Make good use of your time in class.Listening to what the teacher says in class means less work later.Sit where you can see and hear well.Take notes to help you remember what the teacher says. 5.Study regularly.Go over your notes as soon as you can after class.Review important points mentioned in class as well as points you remain confused about.Read about these points in your textbook.If you know what the teacher will discuss the next day,skim and read that material too.This will help you understand the next class.If you review your notes and textbook regularly,the material will become more meaningful and you will remember it longer.Regular review leads to improved performance on tests. 6.Develop a good attitude about tests. The purpose of a test is to show what you have learned about a subject. The world won’t end if you don’t pass a test, so don’t worry excessively about a single test. Tests provide grades, but they also let you know what you need to spend more time studying, and they help make your knowledge permanent. There are other techniques that might help you with your studying.Only a few have been mentioned here.You will probably discover many others after you have tried these.Talk with your classmates about their study techniques.Share with them some of the techniques you have found to be helpful.Improving your study habits will improve your grades. Ⅰ.Answer the following questions: 1.Do you think an average student will never become a top student? 2.Why is it important to plan your time carefully? 3.Do you spend all your free time studying?If not,what other things do you do in your spare time? 4.Where do you usually study in the evening?In your bedroom,in your classroom or in the library?Why? 5.What does skimming mean?Why is it important? Can you say something about it from your own experience? 6.How can you make good use of your time in class? 7.Do you think it helpful to take notes while listening to your teacher?Why or why not? 8.Do you think it necessary to write down everything that the teacher says ?What kind of information do you write down? 9.What should you do after class?Why is it important to review your lessons regularly? 10.What is the purpose of a test? 11.Which of the six suggestion in the text do you find the most helpful for you?Give your reasons. 12.Have you any other suggestions to offer to your classmates? Ⅱ.Fill in the missing words: Many of you are studying English and you may be wondering why it is so difficult to learn.It is actually not ______ difficult to learn ______ you know some basic facts ______ the language and the culture that _______ reflects. Perhaps the first thing you need ______ know about English is that ______ is made up of several other languages ________ as French,German,Latin,Greek ______ Anglo-Saxon.In addition,there are words _______ Spanish in Ehglish and many American Indian words and names;even some Chinese and Japanese _______ have found their way ________ the English language.This borrowing of words _______ other languages is ________ of the key reasons ________ some of the difficulties that people meet with ________ they are learning English. Ⅲ.Translate the following sentences into English: 1．他这次考试的失败使他意识到定期复习功课的重要。（make） 2．请一定不要忘记离家前你父母对你说过的话。 3．不要为你的儿子过分担心，他已经大了，可以很好地照料自己了。 4．这篇文章的目的是告诉学生怎样培养良好的学习习惯。 5．如果你能充分利用时间，你一定会成为一个优等生。 6．略读不仅可以帮助你对将要阅读的东西有所了解，还可以帮助你读得快些，提高你的阅读理解力。 7．有些人以为男孩子比女孩子聪明。然而，事实未必如此。 8．即使我们失败一百次，天也不会塌下来。只要（as long as）我们不失云信心，我们终将成功。 READING COMPREHENSION Learning to Read—in College The Timkens sent their child off to college with a check for $7,000 in tuition and thought that was the end of it.But soon after they received a letter from the dean of studies(教务主任). “We are happy to announce that we have started a remedial class for college freshmen and strongly advice that your daughter Laura participate in it.If she doesn’t ,it is our opinion that Laura will not be able to keep up with her studies.The cost will be $250.” Timken read the letter. “I thought Laura could read,”he said to his wife. “So did I.I think the problem is she can read,but she does not understand what she reads.” “What did they teach her in public school and high school?” “I have no idea.but if the college says she needs remedial reading we’d better see that she get it or $7,000 will be thrown away.” A few days later they got another letter from the dean. “The English Department has informed us that your daughter Laura cannot write.They have suggested that she enroll in (报名参加)the remedial writing class.We started it two years ago when we discovered this was a common problem for most college students.If you agree that Laura should get this special help,please send a check for $250.” Timken was angry now. “How did she get in college if she can’t write?” Mrs.Timden was much more optimistic about it. “Laura can write.She just can’t write complete sentences.” “She went to school for 12 years and she can’t write a sentences?”Timken said. “They made an illiterate out of my daughter!” “Oh,I believe that’s a bit strong.I’m sure,anyway,the college can help her learn to write.After all,it is an institution of higher learning.” “So now we have to pay $250 for something they should have taught her in grammar school?” “Don’t you remember what the principal said years ago?It was the school’s responsibility to make good citizens out of the students,and the parents’ responsibility to teach the children to read and write.It seems that we’re the ones who failed.” Timken sent in the check,and was not surprised to find another letter waiting for him a week later. It read: “We have found that no one in the freshman class can add,multiply,subtract or divide simple sums.We feel it is urgent that this deficiency(缺陷)be corrected early in a student’s college career.Therefore,we are setting up a special remedial arithmetic course.The fee will be $250.If you do not want your daughter to take this course we cannot guarantee she will graduate.” Once again Timken flew into a rage. “I thought Laura got A’s in math in high school.” Mrs.Timken said, “That was conceptional math.She never could add or subtract.Don’t you remember when you complained once about it and Laura’s teacher told you, ‘she can always learn to add and subtract when she gets to college.’?” Ⅰ.Choose the best answer for each of the following questions.You may look at the text if you want to. 1.​ When the Timkens sent their daughter Laura off to college and paid the tuition,they thought a.​ they had done what the parents had to do and they could do nothing more about it. b.​ they had paid what they ought to pay and the college would take care of her studies. c.​ she had entered the college and would enjoy a successful college career. d.​ all of the above. 2. A remedial class is a. a class for college freshmen b. a class for those students who are interested in reading or writing. c. a class for elementary arithmetic study. d. a class for those students who need special help to keep up their studies. 3. From what the dean says in his second letter we know for sure that a.​ Laura is a student in the English Department,majoring in (主休)English writing. b.​ Laura is very poor in writing and has failed an important examination. c.​ Laura is very poor in writing but she is only one of the very many who fail to write well. d.​ No college student can write,so that is really a common problem. 4. What is an “illiterate”? a. A person who cannot add,multiply,subtract or divide simple sums b. A person who is unable to read and write. c. A person who has been to school for 12 years but cannot write a sentence d. A person who has not formed good study habits. 5.​ When Mrs.Timken said, “Oh,I believe that’s a bit strong”, a.​  she was blaming her husband for using strong language. b.​  she thought her husband was exaggerating the fact in a way c.​  she thought it unnecessary for her husband to get so angry d.​  she was not very happy to hear her husband describing her daughter as an illiterate. 6.”An institution of high learning”refers to a.a college or university in general b.a college or university of high reputation. c.a college which can produce good writers. d.a college which is able to correct the students’ deficiencies in time. 7.The statement “We’re the ones who failed”could be most suitably replaced by a.we failed to cooperate with the school and teachers. b.we did not keep in good contact with the school and teachers. c.we neglected our duty as parents to teach our child to read and write. d.we failed to keep in mind what the principal said. 8.What is Mr.Timken’s attitude toward his daughter’s need for remedial courses? a.​ Anger and confusion b.​ Happiness and joy c.​ Love and hate d.​ Disgust. 9.What is Mrs.Timken’s attitude toward her daughter’s need for remedial courses? a.Acceptance of the fact that she needs them b.A feeling that she’s failed Laura somehow. c.A willingness to pay the fees d.All of the above 10.The title “Learning to Read –in College”means a.​ students who are not good at reading are offered a good chance of learning to read in college. b.​ It is more effective to learn to read in college. c.​ It is ironical that a college student still needs to learn to read in college. d.​ All of the above. Unit Two SAILING ROUND THE WORLD Before he sailed round the world single-handed,Francis Chichester had already surprised his friends several times.He tried to fly round the world but failed.That was in 1931. The years passed.He gave up flying and began sailing.He enjoyed it greatly.Chichester was already 58 years old when he won the first solo transatlantic sailing race.His old dream of going round the world came back,but this time he would sail.His friends and doctors did not think he could do it,as he had lung cancer.But Chichester was determined to carry out his plan.In August,1966,at the age of nearly sixty-five,an age when many men retire,he began the greatest voyage of his life.Soon,he was away in his new 16-metre boat,Gipsy Moth. Chichester followed the route of the great nineteenth century clipper ships.But the clippers had had plenty of crew.Chichester did it all by himself,even after the main steering device had been damaged by gales.Chichester covered 14,100 miles before stopping in Sydney,Australla. This was more than twice the distance anyone had previously sailed alone. He arrived in Australia on 12 December,just 107 days out from England.He received a warm welcome from the Australians and from his family who had flown there to meet him.On shore,Chichester could not walk without help.Everyone said the same thing:he had done enough;he must not go any further.But he did not listen. After resting in Sydney for a few weeks,Chichester set off once more in spite of his friends’ attempts to dissuade him.The second half of his voyage was by far the more dangerous part,during which he sailed round the treacherous Cape Horn. On 29 January he left Austrlia.The next night,the blackest he had ever known,the sea became so rough that the boat almost turned over.Food,clothes,and broken glass were all mixed together.Fortunately,the damage to the boat was not too serious.Chichester calmly got into bed and went to sleep.When he woke up,the sea had become calm again.Still,he could not help thinking that if anything should happen,the nearest person he could contact by radio,unless there was a ship nearby,would be on an island 885 miles away. After succeeding in sailing round Cape Horn,Chichester sent the following radio message to London: “I feel as if I had wakened from a nightmare.Wild horses could not drag me down to Cape Horn and that sinister Southern Ocean again.” Just before 9 o’clock on Sunday evening 28 May,1967,he arrived back in England,where a quarter of a million people were waiting to welcome him.Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ knighted him with the very sword that Queen Elizabeth I had used almost 400 years earlier to knight Sir Francis Drake after he had sailed round the world for the first time.The whole voyage from England and back had covered 28,500 miles.It had taken him nine nonths,of which the sailing time was 226 days.He had done what he wanted to accomplish. Like many other adventures,Chichester had experienced fear and conquered it.In doing so,he had undoubtedly learnt something about himself.Moreover,in the modern age when human beings depend so much on machines,he had given men throughout the world new pride. Ⅰ.Answer the following questions: 1.​ What happened to Francis Chichester in 1931? 2.​ How old was he when he started his voyage round the world? 3.​ What was the name of his boat?What was the length of the boat? 4.​ What route did Chichester follow in sailing round the world? 5.​ How many miles did he cover on the first half of his voyage? 6.​ What did his friends in Sydney try to dissuade him from doing? 7.​ In what way was the second half of his voyage the more dangerous part? 8.​ What happened to Chichester on the night of January 30? 9.​ How did Chichester feel after sailing round Cape Horn? 10.​ How was he received when he arrived back in England? 11.​ What title is added to his name when a man becomes a knight? 12.​ How many miles did the second half of the voyage cover? Ⅱ.Tranlate the following sentences into English: 1.​ 我们英语老师告诉我们，泰山是她爬过的最高的一座山。 2.​ 胜利登上乔治岛（George Island）后，船长向指挥部（the headquarters）发了一份无线电报。 3.​ 他决心继续他的实验，不过这次他将用另一种办法来做。 4.​ 她读这部小说时，不禁想起了她在农村度过的那五年。 5.​ 八十年前他就诞生在这间屋子里。（very） 6.​ 没有良好的学习习惯，就不能在英语上取得很大的进步。 7.​ 甚至在他的医生告诉他患有肺癌之后，奇切斯特仍不肯放弃环球航行的宿愿。 8.​ 在当今时代，人们越来越多地依靠计算机来解决各种各样的难题。 Ⅲ.Fill in the missing words: The voyage began because I was terrified of Cape Horn.If anything terrifies me,I must _____ it. I had read terrible things _____about Cape Horn by people who had succeeced _____ making the passage.All the water ______ South America and the Antarctic is squeezed through this narrow,shallow gap.You get waves 50 feet ______ . I read a lot of books about the old clipper______ that used to sail ______ the Horn,and my plan took shape .I would ______ the route of these great sailing vessels ______ England to Auatralia ______ the Cape of Good Hope and then round Cape Horn back _____ English.Not only that,but I would try to equal their average ______ time for these voyages. As it turned out ,I did not _______ .I made mistakes .I did not go as fast as they did.But I _____ sail round the world _______ .No one ever done that ______ .It is always satisfying to do _______ that no one else has done. Reading Comprehension To Swim the English Channel at 58 A little over a year ago I began training to swim the English Channel this this September.I will be 58 years old then. My friends thought I had lost my mind;my wife didn’t think I was crazy but she was somewhat worried.The question I was asked over and over was this: Why? When a student reporter at Indiana recently asked me this question,I said, “First ,let me ask you a question.What are your plans for this summer?”He replied that he was going to work in a supermarket.I didn’t have to say more;he understood my point. A challenge and something of an adventure are welcome whether you are 20 or 58,and preparing to swim the Channel is far better than working in a supermarket,especially when you have a choice. But why did I decide to swim the Channel at 58?Perhaps I myself can hardly give a satisfactory answer. The Channel has always been the greatest challenge to swimmers;a test of ability,endurance,luck,and even bravery.It is this challenge that attracts about 100 swimmers a year,who are willing to spend time,effort,and money trying it. One fact that adds to my interest is that,if I succeed,I will be the oldest person ever to swim the Channel. I don’t think I’m a superman.I do think I have at least three things in my favor: First ,I am training hard—now swimming 7 and a half miles a day.Prior to that time I also kept physically fit by training moderately hard. Second,I am a resolute man.Once I set up a goal,I won’t give it up easily.And this swim has long been a goal.I have a feeling I will be mentally ready and won’t do as one Channel swimmer did a few years ago.He trained hard for a couple of years ,made the arrangements and even went to England weeks early to train in the Channel before his attempt.The great day came,and he started swimming toward France.After swimming only one hour,he got out of the water and climbed aboard the boat,saying that he suddenly had lost the desire to swim the channel and it no longer meant anything to him. On the other hand there was the young girl who was attempting to finish her swim when the ocean got rough.She was having a tough time with the rough and cold water,when her trainer shouted to her from the boat that he thought she should give up and get out of the water.She shouted back, “I’m doing the swimming,and I’ll decide when to get out .”She made it. Ⅰ.Choose the best answer for each of the following questions.Turn back to the text if you want to. 1.​ The statement “he understood my point”could be most suitably replaced by a.​ he understood it was difficult for me to give a proper answer. b.​ he understood I did not like his question and did not want to answer it. c.​ he understood what my question implied:setting up a challenging goal makes life more interesting. d.​ he understood I thought little of his plans for that summer. 2.​ The expression “prior to that time”means a.​ up to the day when I will really attempt the Channel. b.​ before I began to swim 7 and a half miles a day. c.​ before I began to swim d.​ up to now. 3.​ “She made it”means a.​ she succeeded b.​ she made a good show of her courage and bravery. c.​ she proved she was right d.​ she set a good example for others to follow. 4.​ Most likely, the author decided to swim the Channel because he a.​ does not fully realize the difficulties involved b.​ has made a bet that he could do so. c.​ wants very much to show off his superhuman ability. d.​ enjoys challenge. 5.​ The author would most readily agree with which of the following statements? a.​ Old people lose their sense of adventure b.​ Only an unrealistic person would attempt the channel c.​ Life’s challenges can be overcome at any age. d.​ People should recognize the dangers of