大学英语精读第二册

大学英语精读第二册 Unit One:Is There Life on Earth? TEXT It is humorous essay. But after reading it you will surely find that the author is most serious in writing it. Ts There Life on Earth? There was great excitement on the planet of Venus this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the plant Earth, and is has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since. The satellite was directed into an area know as Manhattan (named after the great Venusian astronomer Prof. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20,000 light years ago). Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to the feasibility of a manned flying saucer landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology. "We have come to the conclusion, based on last week's satellite landing," Prof. Zog said, "that there is no life on Earth." "How do you know this?" the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked. "For one thing, Earth's surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breather this air and survive." "What does this mean as far as our flying sauce program is concerned?" "We shall have to take our own oxygen with us, which means a much heavier flying saucer than we originally planned." "Are there any other hazards that you discovered in your studier?" "Take a look at this photo. You see this dark black cloud hovering over the surface of Earth? We call this the Consolidated Edison Belt. We don't know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there." "Over here you will notice what seems to be a river, but the satellite findings indicate it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink. This means we shall have to carry our own water, which will add even greater weight to the saucer." "Sir, what are all those tiny black spots on the photographs?" "We're not certain. They seem to be metal particles that move along certain paths. They emit gases, make noise and keep crashing into each other. There are so many of these paths and so many metal particles that it is impossible to land a flying saucer without its being smashed by one." "What are those stalagmite projections sticking up?" "They're some type of granite formations that give off light at night. Prof. Glom has named them skyscrapers since they seem to be scraping the skies." "If all you say is true, won't this set back the flying saucer program several years?" "Yes, but we shall proceed as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds." "Prof. Zog, why are we spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there? "Because if we Venusians can learn to breathe in an Earth atmosphere, then we can live anywhere." NEW WORDS humorous a. funny; that makers people laugh 幽默的 humor n. essay n. 散文，随笔 excitement n. the state or quality of being excited planet n. large body in space that moves round a star esp. round the sun 行星 Venusian a. of or having to do with the plant Venus 金星的 n. supposed Venus being 金星人 satellite n. spacecraft that goes round the planet earth and sends back radio and television signals; heavenly body that goes round a plant (人造)卫星 signal n. 信号;暗号 astronomer n. person who studies the science of the sun, moon, stars and planets 天文学家 telescope n. instrument with special glasses used for seeing distant things extremely ad. very 极端，非常 extreme a. feasibility ad. possibility of being carried or done 可行性 feasible a. manned a. occupied by one or more persons 载人的 saucer n. 浅碟;茶托 flying saucer n. 飞碟 conference n. meeting press conference n. meeting arranged by an important person to which news reporters are invited to listen to a statement or ask questions 记者招待会 technology n. 技术 conclusion n. decision of opinion reached by reasoning 结论 conclude v. reporter v. person who gathers news for a newspaper, magazine, or radio or TV station 记者 compose vt. make up, form 组成，构成 concrete n. building material made by mixing cement with sand, small stones and water 混凝土 atmosphere n. all the gasses round the earth; air in a place 大气;空气 carbon n. 碳 monoxide n. 一氧化物 deadly a. causing death; likely to cause death 致命的 gas n. 气体 survive vi. remain alive; continue to live or exist 活下来;幸存 vt. remain alive after; live longer than 经历...后还活着;比...活得长 survival n. program n. plan of what it to be done 计划 项目进度计划表范例计划下载计划下载计划下载课程教学计划下载 concern vt. be of importance or interest to; have an effect on 涉及，关系到 oxygen n. 氧，氧气 originally ad. formerly 起初，原来 original a. hazard n. danger hover vi. stay in or near one place in the air 盘旋 consolidated a. untied; combined 联合的 consolidate vt. belt n. area that has some special quality; zone (地)带 indicate vt. show indication n. pollute vt. make (air, water, soil, etc.) dirty with manmade waste 污染 pollution n. unfit a. not good enough; not suitable particle n. 粒子;微粒 emit vt. send out 散发，射出 emission n. crash v. (cause to) break into pieces violently 坠落;猛撞 smash v. (cause to) break into pieces violently (使)碎裂 stalagmite n. 石笋 projection n. sth. that stands out from a surface 凸出物 type n. a particular kind, class or group 类型，种类 granite n. hard grey stone used for building 花岗岩 formation n. sth. that is formed; way in which sth. is formed 形成(物) skyscraper n. very tall building 摩天大楼 scrape vt. rub with sth. rough or sharp 刮，擦 proceed vi. continue after having stopped (停顿后)继续进行 fund n. sum of money set apart or available for a special purpose 资金;基金 billion n. one thousand million zilch n. zero; nothing at all PHRASES & EXPRESSIONS (be) known as also publicly called; named 以...闻名，通常名叫 name after give the same name as 以...名字命名 as to about, concerning 关于 base on / upon use as a basis or foundation for 以...为基础，把...基于 for one thing ... (for another) in the first place... (in the second place) be composed of have as members or parts 由...组成 as far as ... be concerned to the degree that it matters to 就...而言 stick up stand upright; project 直立;突出 give off emit; send out 发出;散发出 set back delay the advance of development of 耽搁;阻碍 PEOPER NAMESArt Buchwald 阿特.布奇沃德 Venus 金星 Unit Two:The Dinner Party TEXT 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." NEW WORDS heated a. with strong, excited, and often angry feelings 热烈的;激烈的 unexpected a. not expected 意外的 naturalist n. one who makes a special study of plants or animals outdoors 博物学家(尤 指直接观察动植物者) shortly ad. Soon; (in) a little time 不久，马上 colonial] a. of or related to a colony or colonies 殖民地的 spacious a. big; having much space 广阔的;宽阔的 dining n. 餐厅 bare a. not covered (with a carpet); empty 不铺地毯的;赤裸的;光秃的 marble n. 大理石 rafter n. one of the sloping beams that support 椽 onto prep. to a position or point on 到...之上; 向...之上 veranda n. 阳台 spirited a. full of spirit; lively outgrow vt. leave behind, as one grows older or more mature 长大得使...不再适用; 成长 得不再要 mouse n. 鼠 era n. 时代，年代 major n. 少校 crisis n. time of difficulty, danger, etc. 危机 ounce n. 盎司;少量 argument n. discussion by persons who disagree; dispute 争论;辩论 hostess n. 女主人 muscle n. 肌肉 contract vi. become shorter or smaller 收缩 contraction n. slightly ad. a little 稍微地 slight a. motion vi. give a signal by moving the hand or head 打手势;点(或摇)头示意 widen v. make or become wider bait n. food used to attract fish, animals, or birds so that they may be caught 诱饵 cobra n. poisonous snake found in India and Africa 眼镜蛇 likely a. probable 可能的 impulse n. sudden wish to do sth. 冲动 commotion n. noisy confusion or excitement 混乱;骚动 tone n. quality of voice or music 语气;音调 commanding a. authoritative 威严的 forfeit vt. suffer the loss of (sth.) as a punishment (作为惩罚而)失去 rupee n. monetary unit of India, Pakistan, etc. 卢比 image n. statue 雕像 emerge vi. come or appear (from somewhere) emergence n. slam vt. shut loudly and with force 砰地关上 host n. man who receives guests 男主人 faint a. weak, indistinct 微弱的;不明显的 crawl vi move slowly by pulling the body along the ground 爬行 Unit Three:Lesson from Jefferson TEXT Jefferson died long ago, but may of his ideas still of great interest to us. Lessons from Jefferson Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, may be less famous than George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but most people remember at last one fact about him: he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Although Jefferson lived more than 200 years ago, there is much that we learn from him today. Many of his ideas are especially interesting to modern youth. Here are some of the things he said and wrote: Go and see. Jefferson believed that a free man obtains knowledge from many sources besides books and that personal investigation is important. When still a young man, he was appointed to a committee to find out whether the South Branch of the James River was deep enough to be used by large boats. While the other members of the committee sat in the state capitol and studied papers on the subject, Jefferson got into a canoe and made on-the-spot-observations. You can learn from everyone. By birth and by education Jefferson belonged to the highest social class. Yet, in a day when few noble persons ever spoke to those of humble origins except to give an order, Jefferson went out of his way to talk with gardeners, servants, and waiters. Jefferson once said to the French nobleman, Lafayette, "You must go into the people's homes as I have done, look into their cooking pots and eat their bread. If you will only do this, you may find out why people are dissatisfied and understand the revolution that is threatening France." Judge for yourself. Jefferson refused to accept other people's opinions without careful thought. "Neither believe nor reject anything," he wrote to his nephew, "because any other person has rejected or believed it. Heaved has given you a mind for judging truth and error. Use it." Jefferson felt that the people "may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false, and to form a correct judgment. Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." Do what you believe is right. In a free country there will always be conflicting ideas, and this is a source of strength. It is conflict and not unquestioning agreement that keeps freedom alive. Though Jefferson was for many years the object of strong criticism, he never answered his critics. He expressed his philosophy in letters to a friend, "There are two sides to every question. If you take one side with decision and on it with effect, those who take the other side will of course resent your actions." Trust the future; trust the young. Jefferson felt that the present should never be chained to customs which have lost their usefulness. "No society," he said, "can make a perpetual constitution, or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs to the living generation." He did not fear new ideas, nor did he fear the future. "How much pain," he remarked, "has been caused by evils which have never happened! I expect the best, not the worst. I steer my ship with hope, leaving fear behind." Jefferson's courage and idealism were based on knowledge. He probably knew more than any other man of his age. He was an expert in agriculture, archeology, and medicine. He practiced crop rotation and soil conservation a century before these became standard practice, and he invented a plow superior to any other in existence. He influenced architecture throughout America, and he was constantly producing devices for making the tasks of ordinary life easier to perform. Of all Jefferson's many talents, one is central. He was above all a good and tireless writer. His complete works, now being published for the first time, will fill more than fifty volumes. His talent as an author was soon discovered, and when the time came to write the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia in 1776, the task of writing it was his. Millions have thrilled to his words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…" When Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American independence, he left his countrymen a rich legacy of ideas and examples. American education owes a great debt to Thomas Jefferson, Who believed that only a nation of educated people could remain free. NEW WORDS declaration n. document containing an open public announcement 宣言 independence n. freedom from the control of others 独立 obtain vt. get through effort 获得 source n. place from which sth. comes; place where a river starts (来)源;源头 personal a. done in person; belonging to a person 亲自的;个人的 investigation n. detailed or careful examination 调查 investigate vt. appoint vt. put (sb.) in a position 任命 appointment n. committee n. a group of people chosen for special duties 委员会 capitol n. (美国)州议会大厦 canoe n. light boat moved by a paddle 独木舟 on-the-spot a. at the place of the action 现场的 humble a. low in position 地位低下的 origin n. parentage; birth; beginning 血统;出身;起源 gardener n. person who works in a garden either for pay or as a hobby 园丁 waiter n. person who serves food to the tables in a restaurant (男)侍者 nobleman n. 贵族 dissatisfy vt. hang over dangerously; utter a threat against 使不满 threaten vt. hang over dangerously; utter a threat against 威胁 threat n. reject vt. refuse to take, believe, use of consider 拒绝 rejection n. nephew n. the son of one's brother or sister error n. mistake; sth. done wrongly false a. not true or correct judgment n. opinion 判断， 看法 hesitate vi. feel doubtful; be undecided 犹豫，迟疑不决 hesitation n. prefer vt. like better; choose (one thing) rather than (another) 更喜欢;宁愿 preference n. latter a. nearer to the end 后面的;后半的 n. the second of two persons or things just spoken of 后者 conflict n. be opposed; clash 冲突 n. disagreement; clash; fight unquestioning a. given or done without question or doubt agreement n. having the same opinion(s); thinking in the same way 同意;一致的 criticism n. unfavourable remarks of judgments 批评 critic n. person who makes judgments about the good and bad qualities of sth.; person who points out mistakes 评论家;批评者 criticize vt. philosophy n. 哲学 resent vt. feel angry or bitter at 对...忿恨;对...不满 action n. the process of doing things; sth. done 行动过程;行动 custom n. 习惯,风俗 perpetual a. never-ending; going on for a long time or without stopping 永恒的;连续不断的 constitution n. 宪法;章程 living a. alive now 活(着)的 remark vt. say; comment 说;评论说 n. 话语;评论 evil n. sth. bad; sin 邪恶,罪恶 a. very bad 邪恶的,坏的 idealism n. 理想主义;唯心主义 arch(a)eology n. study of ancient things, esp. remains of prehistoric times 考古学 rotation n. 轮作;旋转 rotate v. conservation n. protecting from loss of from being used up 保护;保存 conserve vt. superior a. good or better in quality or value 较好的;优的 superiority n. existence n. the state of existing 存在 influence vt. have an effect on 影响 architecture n. art and science of building 建筑术;建筑学 constantly ad. continuously; frequently 不断地;经常地 constant a. perform vt. do, carry out 做,履行 talent n. special natural ability 才能,天资 central a. chief; main; most important 主要的 tireless a. never or rarely getting tired writer n. a person who writes esp. as a way of earning money 作家 publish vt. have (a book, etc.) printed and put on sale 出版 volume n. book, esp. one of a set of books 卷;册 thrill vi. have a very exciting feeling 非常激动 self-evident a. clear without proof 不言而喻的 create vt. make (sth. that has not been made before) 创造 creation n. anniversary n. the yearly return of a special date 周年纪念日 countryman n. a person from one's own country 周胞 legacy n. sth. that one person leaves to another when he dies 遗产 owe vt. 欠(债等);应把...归功于 debt n. something owed to someone else 债(务) educate vt. train; teach how to read, write, think, etc. PHRASES & EXPRESSIONS go out of one's way (to do sth.) take particular trouble; make a special effort 特地 leave...to leave sb. in charge of 交托,委托 act on act according to 按照...行事 leave behind abandon; fall to take or bring 丢弃;留下,忘带 in existence existing 存在 above all most important of all 首先,尤其是 PROPER NAMES Bruce Bilven 布鲁斯.布利文 Thomas Jefferson 托马斯.杰斐逊 George Washington 乔治.华盛顿 Unit Four:My First Job TEXT Trying to make some money before entering university, the author applies for a teaching job. But the interview goes from bad to worse... My First Job While I was waiting to enter university, I saw advertised in a local newspaper a teaching post at a school in a suburb of London about ten miles from where I lived. Being very short money and wanting to do something useful, I applied, fearing as I did so, that without a degree and with no experience in teaching my chances of getting the job were slim. However, three days later a letter arrived, asking me to go to Croydon for an interview. It proved an awkward journey: a train to Croydon station; a ten-minute bus ride and then a walk of at least a quarter to feel nervous. The school was a red brick house with big windows, The front garden was a gravel square; four evergreen shrubs stood at each corner, where they struggled to survive the dust and fumes from a busy main from a busy main road. It was clearly the headmaster himself that opened the door. He was short and fat. He had a sandy-coloured moustache, a wrinkled forehead and hardly any hair. He looked at me with an air of surprised disapproval, as a colonel might look at a private whose bootlaces were undone. 'Ah yes,' he grunted. 'You'd better come inside.' The narrow, sunless hall smelled unpleasantly of stale cabbage; the walls were dirty with ink marks; it was all silent. His study, judging by the crumbs on the carpet, was also his dining-room. 'You'd better sit down,' he said, and proceeded to ask me a number of questions: what subjects I had taken in my General School Certificate; how old I was; what games I played; then fixing me suddenly with his bloodshot eyes, he asked me whether I thought games were a vital part of a boy's education. I mumbled something about not attaching too much importance to them. He grunted. I had said the wrong thing. The headmaster and I obviously had very little in common. The school, he said, consisted of one class of twenty-four boys, ranging in age from seven to thirteen. I should have to teach all subjects except art, which he taught himself. Football and cricket were played in the Park, a mile away on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. The teaching set-up filled me with fear. I should have to divide the class into three groups and teach them in turn at three different levels; and I was dismayed at the thought of teaching algebra and geometry-two subjects at which I had been completely incompetent at school. Worse perhaps was the idea of Saturday afternoon cricket; most of my friends would be enjoying leisure at that time. I said shyly, 'What would my salary be?' 'Twelve pounds a week plus lunch.' Before I could protest, he got to his feet. 'Now', he said, 'you'd better meet my wife. She's the one who really runs this school.' This was the last straw. I was very young: the prospect of working under a woman constituted the ultimate indignity. NEW WORDS apply vi. write to ask for (a job, membership. etc.), esp. officially 申请 application n. interview n. 面试;接见;会见 advertise vt. make know to people by printing a notice in a newspaper, etc. or by broadcasting on television, ets. 为...做广告 advertisement n. local of, special to, a place or district 当地的;地方性的 post n. job or position 职位 suburb n. outer area of a town or city, where people live 郊区 slim a. small, slight; slender 微小的;苗条的 depress vt. make sad 使沮丧 depression n. brick n. 砖 gravel n. 砾石 evergreen a. with green leaves throughout the year 常绿的 shrub n. low bush with several woody stems 灌木 fume n. strong-smelling smoke, gas or vapour 浓烈难闻的烟,气,汽 headmaster n. (中, 小学 小学生如何制作手抄报课件柳垭小学关于三违自查自纠报告小学英语获奖优质说课课件小学足球课教案全集小学语文新课程标准测试题 的)校长 sandy-coloured a. yellowish-red 沙色的,黄中带红的 moustache n. hair growing on the upper lip 小胡子 disapproval n. unfavorable opinion or feeling; dislike 不赞成;不满 colonel n. 上校 private n. soldier of the lowest rank 列兵;士兵 bootlace n. shoelace for a high shoe or boot 靴带 undo vt. untie, unfasten 解开;松开 ah interj. (a cry of surprise, pity, pain, joy, dislike, etc.) 啊 grunt vt. 咕哝着说出 unpleasantly ad. 令人不愉快地 stale a. not fresh 不新鲜的 cabbage n. 卷心菜 crumb n. very small, broken piece of bread or cake 面包屑;糕饼屑 carpet n. heavy woven material fir covering floors or stairs 地毯 certificate n. 证(明)书 bloodshot a. (眼睛)充血的 vital a. very necessary; of the greatest importance 必不可少的,极其重要的 mumble vt. speak (words) unclearly 含糊地说 attach vt. give (to); fasten (to) 把...给予;系,贴 importance n. the quality of being important obviously ad. it can be easily seen; plainly 明显地，显然 obvious a. consist (of) vi. be made up (of) 组成，构成 range vi. vary between certain limits (在一定的范围内)变动 cricket n. 板球 set-up n. arrangement dismay vt. make discouraged or afraid 使灰心，使害怕 algebra n. 代数学 geometry n. 几何学 incompetent a. completely unskillful; not good enough at doing a job, etc. 无能力的;不胜任 的 competent a. opposite of incompetent leisure n. free time; time which one can spend as one likes 闲暇;悠闲 salary n. fixed (usually monthly) pay for regular work 薪水 plus prep. with the addition of 加(上) protest vi. express a strong objection 抗议;反对 straw n. 稻草;麦杆 prospect vi. sth. expected or considered probable; possibility 期望中的事;展望;前景 constitute vt. form; make up; be 组成，构成 ultimate a. greatest; utmost; last or final 最大的;终极的，最终的 indignity n. injury to one's dignity; insult 侮辱 PHRASES & EXPRESSIONS be short of not having enough of 缺少 smell of have, give out the smell of 有...的气味 judging by forming an opinion based on attach importance to consider important 重视 in common shared with someone else 共有的,共同的 consist of be made up of in turn one after another 轮流 Unit Five:The Professor and the Yo-Yo TEXT Seen through the eyes of a young friend Einstein was a simple, modest and ordinary man. The professor and the Yo-yo My father was a close friend of Albert Einstein. As a shy young visitor to Einstein's home, I was made to feel at ease when Einstein said, "I have something to show you." He went to his desk and returned with a Yo-Yo. He tried to show me how it worked but he couldn't make it roll back up the string. When my turn came, I displayed my few tricks and pointed out to him that the incorrectly looped string had thrown the toy off balance. Einstein nodded, properly impressed by my skill and knowledge. Later, I bought a new Yo-Yo and mailed it to the Professor as a Christmas present, and received a poem of thanks. As boy and then as an adult, I never lost my wonder at the personality that was Einstein. He was the only person I knew who had come to terms with himself and the world around him. He knew what he wanted and he wanted only this: to understand within his limits as a human being the nature of the universe and the logic and simplicity in its functioning. He knew there were answers beyond his intellectual reach. But this did not frustrate him. He was content to go as far as he could. In the 23 years of our friendship, I never saw him show jealousy, vanity, bitterness, anger, resentment, or personal ambition. He seemed immune to these emotions. He was beyond any pretension. Although he corresponded with many of the world's most important people, his stationery carried only a watermark - W - for Woolworth's. To do his work he needed only a pencil only a pencil and a pad of paper. Material things meant nothing to him. I never knew him to carry money because he never had any use for it. He believed in simplicity, so much so that he used only a safety razor and water to shave. When I suggested that he try shaving cream, he said, "The razor and water do the job." "But Professor, why don't you try the cream just once?" I argued. "It makes shaving smoother and less painful." He shrugged. Finally, I presented him with a tube of shaving cream. The next morning when he came down to breakfast, he was beaming with the pleasure of a new, great discovery. "You know, that cream really works," he announced. "It doesn't pull the beard. It feels wonderful." Thereafter, he used the shaving cream every morning until the tube was empty. Then he reverted to using plain water. Einstein was purely and exclusively a theorist. He didn't have the slightest interest in the practical application of his ideas and theories. His E=mc2 is probably the most famous equation in history - yet Einstein wouldn't walk down the street to see a reactor create atomic energy. He won the Nobel Prize for his Photoelectric Theory, a series of equations that he considered relatively minor in importance, but he didn't have any curiosity in observing how his theory made TV possible. My brother once gave the Professor a toy, a bird that balanced on the edge of a bowl of water and repeatedly dunked its head in the water. Einstein watched it in delight, trying to deduce the operating principle. But be couldn't. The next morning he announced, "I had thought about that bird for a long time before I went to bed and it must work this way…" He began a ling explanation. Then he stopped, realizing a flaw in his reasoning. "No, I guess that's not it," he said. He pursued various theories for several days until I suggested we take the toy apart to see how it did work. His quick expression of disapproval told me he did not agree with this practical approach. He never did work out the solution. Another puzzle that Einstein could never understand was his own fame. He had developed theories that were profound and capable of exciting relatively few scientists. Yet his name was a household word across the civilized world. "I've had good ideas, and so have other men," he once said. "But it's been my good fortune that my ideas have been accepted." He was bewildered by his fame: people wanted to meet him; strangers stared at him on the street; scientists, statesmen, students, and housewives wrote him letters. He never could understand why he received this attention, why he was singled out as something special. NEW WORDS modest a. having or expressing a not too high opinion of one's merits, abilities, etc. 谦 虚的 yo-yo n. 游游(一种用线扯动使用权忽上忽来的轮形玩具) ease n. freedom from work, discomfort, trouble, difficulty, worry, etc. 悠闲;舒适;自 在;安心 display n. show 展示 loop vt. 把(绳等)打成环 n. 圈;环 strong n. 细绳;线;弦 balance n. condition of being steady 平衡 v. keep in a state of balance properly ad. really; completely 非常;完全地 impress vt. have a strong effect on the mind or feelings of 给...深刻的印象 mail vt. send by post poem n. piece of writing in verse 诗 personality n. character 个性 logic n. the science or method of reasoning 逻辑(学);推理(法) simplicity n. the state of being simple; an absence of pretense 简单;简朴;单纯 function vi. work intellectual a. 智力的 frustrate n. cause to have feeling of annoyed disappointment; defeat 使沮丧;挫败 frustration n. jealousy n. envy 妒忌 jealous a. vanity n. state of being too proud of oneself or one's looks, abilities, etc. 虚荣心 bitterness n. the quality or state of being bitter 苦;痛苦 resentment n. feeling that one has when insulted, ignored, injured, etc. 怨恨 ambition n. strong desire for success, power, riches, etc. 野心,抱负 ambitious a. immune a. 有免疫力的;不受影响的 immunity n. emotion n. strong feeling pretension n. 矫饰,做作,不受影响 correspond vi. exchange letter regularly 通信 stationery n. paper for writing letters, usu. with matching envelopes; writing materials 信 笺;文具 watermark n. mark made on paper by the maker, seen when it is held against light 水印 pad n. a number of sheets of writing paper fixed along one edge 便笺簿 razor n. sharp instrument for taking hair off the body 剃刀 shave vt. cut off (hair or beard) with a razor cream n. any thick, soft liquid 膏状物 argue vt. give reasons for or against (sth.) 争辨 painful a. causing pain shrug vi. lift (the shoulders) slightly (to show in difference, doubt, etc.) 耸肩 finally ad. at last; lastly 最终;最后 present vt. give; offer 赠送;提供 tube n. 管;软管 beam vi. look or smile happily and cheerfully 面露喜色;高兴地微笑 beard n. hair of the lower part of the face (excluding the moustache) 胡须 thereafter ad. after that; afterwards revert vi return (to a former state, condition, etc.) 回复,回返 exclusively ad. only; completely exclusive a. person who forms theories 理论家 theorist n. 方程式 equation n. small in degree, not considerable or serious 微小的,轻微的 application n. using 应用 theory n. (explanation of the) general principles of an art or science 理论 theoretical a. reactor n. 反应堆 atomic a. of or concerning an atom or atoms 原子的 atom n. photoelectric a. 光电的 series n. group of things of the same kind that come one after another 系列;套,组 relatively ad. comparatively 相对地;比较地 relative a. relativity n. curiosity n. the desire to know or learn 好奇心 observe v. see and again repeatedly ad. again and again dunk vt. put under water for a limited time 把...浸一浸 deduce vt. reach a conclusion by reasoning 演绎,推断 deduction n. principle n. 原理;原则 flaw n. fault 缺点,瑕疵 reasoning n. process of reaching conclusions by using one's reason 推理 pursue vt. work at, be busy with, go on with 从事;忙于;继续 apart ad. separate(ly) 分离,分开 approach n. method of doing sth. 方式, 方法 快递客服问题件处理详细方法山木方法pdf计算方法pdf华与华方法下载八字理论方法下载 solution n. sth. that one cannot understand or explain 谜 fame n. (condition of) being famous profound a. needing much thought or study to understand; deep 深奥的;深刻的 capable a. able capability n. household n. all the people living in a house a. familiar and common household word n. word or name known and spoken of by almost everyone 家喻户晓的词或名字 civilized a. 文明的 civilize vt. civilization n. fortune n. luck bewilder vt. confuse; puzzle 把...弄糊涂;使迷惑 statesman n. political or government leader, esp. one who is wise and fair-minded 政治家 housewife n. married woman who manages a household PHRASES & EXPRESSIONS at ease free from worry or nervousness; comfortable off balance not in balance; unsteady 失去平衡的 come to terms with accept (sth. one does not want to accept) and deal with it in the best way one can 与...达成 协议 离婚协议模板下载合伙人协议 下载渠道分销协议免费下载敬业协议下载授课协议下载 ;与...妥协 as far as to the degree that 到...程度 mean nothing to be of no importance to believe in have confidence in the value of so much so that to such an extent that a series of a number of (thing or events) of the same kind that follow each other 一系列,一连串 take apart separate (a small machine, clock, etc.) into pieces 拆开 work out solve, find the answer to 解决;算出;想出 capable of having the ability, power or inclination (to do) single out choose from a group for special treatment 选出,挑出 Unit Six:The Making of a Surgeon A famous surgeon tells about the importance of self-confidence from his own experience. The Making of a Surgeon How does a doctor recognize the point in time when he is finally a "surgeon"? As my year as chief resident drew to a close I asked myself this question on more than one occasion. The answer, I concluded, was self-confidence. When you can say to yourself, "There is no surgical patient I cannot treat competently, treat just as well as or better than any other surgeon" - then, and not until then, you are indeed a surgeon. I was nearing that point. Take, for example, the emergency situations that we encountered almost every night. The first few months of the year I had dreaded the ringing of the telephone. I knew it meant another critical decision to be made. Often, after I had told Walt or Larry what to do in a particular situation, I'd have trouble getting back to sleep. I'd review all the facts of the case and, not infrequently, wonder if I hadn't made a poor decision. More than once at two or three in the morning, after lying awake for an hour, I'd get out of bed, dress and drive to the hospital to see the patient myself. It was the only way I could find the peace of mind I needed to relax. Now, in the last month of my residency, sleeping was no longer a problem. There were still situations in which I couldn't be certain my decision had been the right one, but I had learned to accept this as a constant problem for a surgeon, one that could never be completely resolved - and I could live with it. So, once I had made a considered decision, I no longer dwelt on it. Reviewing it wasn't going to help and I knew that with my knowledge and experience, any decision I'd made was bound to be a sound one. It was a nice feeling. In the operating room I was equally confident. I knew I had the knowledge, the skill, the experience to handle any surgical situation I'd ever encounter in practice. There were no more butterflies in my stomach when I opened up an abdomen or a chest. I knew that even if the case was one in which it was impossible to anticipate the problem in advance, I could handle whatever l found. I'd sweated through my share of stab wounds of the belly, of punctured lungs, of compound fractures. I had sweated over them for five years. I didn't need to sweat any more. Nor was I afraid of making mistakes. I knew that when I was out in practice I would inevitably err at one time or another and operate on someone who didn't need surgery or sit on someone who did. Five years earlier - even one year earlier - I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had had to take sole responsibility for a mistake in judgment. Now I could. I still dreaded errors - would do my best to avoid them -- but I knew they were part of a surgeon's life. I could accept this fact with calmness because I knew that if I wasn't able to avoid a mistake, chances were that no other surgeon could have, either. This all sounds conceited and I guess it is - but a surgeon needs conceit. He needs it to encourage him in trying moments when he's bothered by the doubts and uncertainties that are part of the practice of medicine. He has to feel that he's as good as and probably better than any other surgeon in the world. Call it conceit - call it self-confidence; whatever it was, I had it. NEW WORDS surgeon n. doctor who performs operations 外科医生 self-confidence n. 自信心 making n. means of gaining success 成功之道 resident n. 住院医生 conclude vt. arrive at a belief or opinion by reasoning 得出结论 surgical a. of, by, or for surgery 外科的;手术的 competently ad. with the necessary skill 称职地;胜任地 competent a. near vt. approach; come closer to emergency n. sudden and dangerous happening needing immediate action 紧急情况;急症 encounter vt. be faced with (difficulties, danger, etc.); meet unexpectedly 遭到;意外地遇 见 dread vt. fear greatly 畏惧 critical a. important at a time of danger and difficulty 紧要的;关键性的 particular a. belonging to some one person, thing, or occasion 特定的 case n. instance of disease or injury 病例 infrequently ad. seldom; not often relax vi. become less tense 放松 relaxation n. residency n. the last stage of a doctor's training at a hospital 高级专科住院实习(期) constant a. happening all the time; unchanging 不断的;始终如一的 resolve vt. solve 解决 resolution n. considered a. carefully thought out 经过深思熟虑的 dwell vi. live (in a place) 居住 bound a. very likely; certain 一定的，必然的 sound a. correct; based on good judgment 正确的，合理的 confident a. sure of oneself and one's abilities 自然的 confidence n. handle vt. manage, deal with 处理 butterfly n. 蝴蝶 abdomen n. belly 腹(部) anticipate vt. see beforehand 预期 anticipation n. sweat n. 汗 vi. 流汗 stab n. thrust made with a pointed weapon 刺;戳 belly n. 肚，腹部 puncture vt. make a small hole in (sth.) with sth. pointed 刺穿 compound a. having more than one part 复合的 fracture n. break in a bone 骨折 compound n. 复合性骨折 inevitably ad. unavoidably 不可避免地 inevitable a. err vi. make mistakes; do wrong operate vi. perform a surgical operation 动手术 surgery n. 外科;外科手术 sole a. unshared; one and only 唯一的 responsibility n. 责任;责任心 avoid vt. escape; keep or get away from 避免 conceited a. having too high an opinion of oneself 自负的 conceit n. too high an opinion of oneself trying a. hard to endure or bear; very difficult 难受的;恼人的 bother vt. annoy, trouble 烦扰，麻烦 uncertainty n. uncertain condition; doubt PHRASES & EXPRESSIONS draw to a close come to an end 结束 live with learn to accept (sth. unpleasant); tolerate 学会;适应;容忍 dwell on think, write, or speak a lot about 老是想着;详述;强调 (be) bound to (do) (be) certain to (do) 一定..., 必然... in practice (医师,律师等) 在开业中;在实践中 butterflies in the stomach feelings of nervousness 忐忑不安 open up cut open 切开,给...开刀 in advance ahead of time 预先,事前 at one time or another sometime or other 早晚 sit on delay taking action on; do nothing about 拖延;搁置 Unit Seven;There's Only Luck TEXT In this article the author describes what happened to her one night and what happened to her one night and her feelings about it. There's Only Luck My mind went numb when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage: This can't be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying, "What do you want? Take my wallet," but at the time I thought of nothing. I remember being vaguely annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house - Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen's voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he waas being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the shrubbery. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy's head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy, and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn't crouch behind it but screamed instead. I remember thinking there was something absurdly melodramatic about screaming "Help, help!" at eight o'clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea to the more specific "Help, let me in, please let me in!" But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy's screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled. The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the cops to come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely, "Please go and eat. We're O.K." I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stiffer sentences for criminals, of bringing back the death penalty and how the President is going to clean up the country. I was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer sentences wouldn't change a thing. In a rush all the rage I should have felt for my attackers was directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, cozy homes talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy and me? People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out in force twenty minutes later. They were ill-tempered about what was, to them, much ado about nothing. After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to identification. "Typical," said one cop when we couldn't even agree on how tall the men were. Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two policemen who stayed to make the report didn't think that would be much help. The cops were matter-of-fact about the whole thing. The thin one said, "That was a stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do what you're told." Jeremy looked properly sheepish. Then the fat cop same up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the house. "That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys," he said. "If you had gone into the house with them…" His voice trailed off. "They would have hurt her" - he jerked his head toward me - "and killed you both." Jeremy looked happier. "Look," said the fat cop kindly, "there's no right of wrong in the situation. There's just luck." All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time - no intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right: There's only luck. The next time I might end up dead. And I'm sure there will be a next time. It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. Security is an illusion; there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they're fooling themselves. NEW WORDS numb n. having lost the power of feeling or moving 失去感觉的，麻木的 garage n. building in which a car is kept 汽车库 wallet n. leather pocket-case for paper money, cards, etc. 皮夹 vaguely ad. not clearly 模糊地 vague a. annoy vt. make rather angry 使恼怒 gunman n. a man armed with a gun, esp. a criminal or terrorist 持枪歹徒 shrubbery n. low bushes forming a mass or group 灌木丛 release vt. set free 松开;释放 split vt. divide into parts 劈开 split second very brief moment of time; instant 瞬间，一刹那 trigger n. 扳机 crouch vi. lower the body to the ground 蹲伏 absurdly ad. foolishly; ridiculously 愚蠢地，荒唐可笑地 absurd a. melodramatic a. exciting in effect, often too much so to be thought real 感情夸张;闹剧式的 plea n. asking for sth. with strong feelings 恳求 specific a. definite; not general 明确的;具体的 flee v. run away (from) 逃走;逃离 baseball n. 棒球(运动) bat n. 球棒，球拍 cop n. (informal) policeman noodle n. (usu. pl.) 面条 stiff a. severe 严厉 criminal n. someone who has broken the law 罪犯 penalty n. punishment 惩罚 rage n. great anger 狂怒 contented a. satisfied; happy 满足的 cozy a. warm and comfortable 暖和舒适的 ill-tempered a. (often) angry or annoyed 脾气坏的;易怒的 ado n. trouble and excitement 忙乱 hopeless a. giving no cause for hope; very bad or unskilled 没有希望的;无能的 identification n. 鉴别 identify vt. horrify vt. frighten; shock very much 使恐怖;使震惊 detail n. small, particular fact 细节 matter-of-fact a. concerned with the facts; practical 注重事实的;讲究实际的 sheepish a. foolish or embarrassed by awareness of a fault 局促不安的 trail vi. grow gradually weaker, dimmer, etc. jerk vt. pull or lift suddenly 猛拉;猛抬 replay vt. play (match, recording, etc.) over again 重放 glove n. 手套 last vi. go on relive vt. experience again, esp. in the imagination intelligent a. clever; rational 聪明的;明智的 response n. action done in answer; answer 反应;回答 respond vi. security n. safety, freedom from danger or fear 安全，平安 secure a. illusion n. false perception; (the seeing of) sth. that does not really exist 错觉;幻觉 PHRASES & EXPRESSIONS pull out (of) move out (of) (车，船等)驶出 have (get, catch) hold of 抓住 bring back restore, reintroduce 恢复 clean up clean thoroughly and remove anything unwanted 彻底打扫;整肃 turn out appear; come or go out to see or do sth. 出来，出动 in force in large numbers 大批地，人数众多地 much ado about nothing a lot of unnecessary explaining, of excitement about things not serious or unimportant 无事生非;小题大作 come to reach (a particular point) in explaining, etc. 谈到(某一点) agree on have the same opinion on in detail giving a lot of facts 详细地 Unit Eight:Honesty:Is It Going out of St TEXT Ever thought about cheating on a test? Of course not. But some students are not quite so honest … Honesty: Is It Going Out of Style? Stacia Robbins According to a recent poll, 61 percent of American high school students have admitted to cheating on exams at least once. It can be argued such a response my not mean much. After all, most students have been faced with the temptation to peek at a neighbor's test paper. And students can be hard on themselves in judging such behavior. However, there are other indications that high school cheating may be on the rise. More and more states are requiring students to pass competency tests in order to receive their high school diplomas. And many educators fear that an increase in the use of state exams will lead to a corresponding rise in cheating. A case in point is students in New York State who faced criminal misdemeanor charges for possessing and selling advance copies of state Regents examinations. Cheating is considered to be a major problem in colleges and universities. Several professors say they've dropped the traditional term paper requirement because many students buy prewritten term papers, and they can't track down all the cheaters anymore. Colleges and universities across the nation have decided to do more than talk about the rise in student cheating. For instance, the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland launched a campaign to stop one form of cheating. As 409 students filed out of their exam, they found all but one exit blocked. Proctors asked each student to produce an ID card with an attached photo. Students who said they'd left theirs in the dorm or at home had a mug shot taken. The purpose of the campaign was to catch "ringers," students who take tests for other students. The majority of students at the University of Maryland applauded the campaign. The campus newspaper editorial said, "Like police arresting speeders, the intent is not to catch everyone but rather to catch enough to spread the word." We frequently hear about "the good old days", when Americans were better, happier, and more honest. But were they more honest? Maybe yes, a long time ago when life was very different from what it is today. School children used to know the story of how Abraham Lincoln walked five miles to return a penny he'd overcharged a customer. It's the kind of story we think of as myth. But in the case of Lincoln, the story is true … unlike the story of George Washington and the cherry tree. Washington's first biographer invented the tale of little George saying to his father, "I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my ax." What is important in both stories, however, is that honesty was seen as an important part of the American character. And these are just two stories out of many. Students in the last century usually didn't read "fun" stories. They read stories that taught moral values. Such stories pointed out quite clearly that children who lied, cheated, or stole came to bad ends. Parents may have further reinforced those values. It's difficult to know. We do know that children didn't hear their parents talk of cheating the government on income taxes - there weren't any. A clue as to why Americans may have been more honest in the past lies in the Abe Lincoln story. Lincoln knew his customer. They both lived in a small town. Would a check-out person at a large supermarket return money a customer? It's less likely. On the other hand, would overnight guests at an inn run by a husband and wife, steal towels? It's less likely. Perhaps this tells us that people need to know one another to be at their honest best. The vast majority of Americans still believe that honesty as an important part of the American Character. For that reason, there are numerous watch-dog committees at all levels of society. Although signs of dishonesty in school, business, and government seem much more numerous in recent years than in the past, could it be that we are getting better at revealing such dishonesty? There is some evidence that dishonesty may ebb and flow. When times are hard, incidents of theft and cheating usually go up. And when times get better such incidents tend to go down. Cheating in school also tends to ebb and flow. But it doesn't seem linked to the economy. Many educators feel that as students gain confidence in themselves and their abilities, they are less likely to cheat. Surprisingly, some efforts to prevent cheating may actually encourage cheating - a person may feel "they don't trust me anyway," and be tempted to "beat the system." Distrust can be contagious. But, so can trust! NEW WORDS honesty n. freedom from deceit, cheating, etc. 诚实 style n. fashion 时髦 poll n. survey of public opinion by putting questions to a representative selection of persons 民意测验 admit v. state or agree to the truth of; confess 承认，供认 admission n. temptation n. the act of tempting or being tempted 引诱;诱惑 peek vi. look (at sth.) quickly, esp. when one should not 偷看 behavio(u)r n. way of behaving 行为 behave v. indication n. sign or suggestion 迹象 competency n. ability; being competent 能力;胜任 diploma n. official paper showing that a person has successfully finished a course of study or passed an examination 文凭 corresponding a. matching 相应的 criminal a. of crime misdemeano(u)r n. crime that is less serious than, for example, stealing of murder 轻罪 charge n. accusation 指控 possess n. have, own 占有，拥有 advance a. made available before the date of general publication or release 预先的 regent n. member of a governing board (学校董事会的)董事 drop vt. give up; discontinue 放弃;革除 traditional a. of or according to tradition 传统的 tradition n. requirement n. sth. required; sth. demanded as a condition 要求;必要条件 prewritten a. written beforehand; written in advance psychology n. science of the mind 心理学 psychological a. launch vt. start, set going 发起;发动 campaign n. series of planned activities for some special purpose 运动 file vi. march or move in a line 排成纵队行进 exit n. way out of a place 出口(处) proctor n. 临考人 ID card n. identity card 身份证 dorm n. (short for) dormitory 宿舍 mug n. the face or mouth shot n. a single photograph mug shot n. (sl.) photograph of a person's face, used for purposes of identification 面部 照片 ringer n. any person who pretends to be another 冒名顶替者 applaud vt. praise esp. by striking one's hands to gether 拍手称赞 campus n. university; the grounds of a university, college, or school 大学;校园 editorial n. leading article 社论 arrest vt. seize (sb.) in the name of the law 逮捕 speeder n. person who drives an automobile at a higher speed than is lawful 违法超速驾 驶者 intent n. purpose; intention frequently ad. at short intervals, often 频繁地 overcharge vt. charge too much 对...要价太高 customer n. person who buys goods from a shop, esp. regularly 顾客 myth n. 神话 unlike prep. not like, different from cherry n. 樱桃 biographer n. person who writes about another person's life 传记作家 ax(e) n. 斧子 character n. mental or moral qualities that make one person, race, etc. different from others 性格，品质 moral a. concerning principles of right of wrong 道德的 reinforce vt. encourage of strengthen 加强 tax n. 税，税款 clue n. sth. that helps to find an answer to a question 线索 check-out n. desk where one pays the bill of the goods one has chosen 结帐处 supermarket n. large shop where one serves oneself with food and goods 超级市场 overnight a. for or during the night 住一夜的;一整夜的 inn n. small hotel 小旅馆，客栈 towel n. 毛巾 vast a. very big numerous a. many watch-dog a. organized or acting as a watchful guardian, esp. against unlawful practice 起 监督作用的 dishonesty n. the quality of being dishonest reveal vt. make known 揭露 evidence n. sign or proof 证据 ebb vi. (of the tide) flow back from the land to the sea; grow less; become weak or faint 落潮;低落，衰退 flow vi. (of the tide) come in; rise; run or spread smoothly (潮)涨;上升;流 incident n. event; happening 事件 theft n. (the act of, an instance of) stealing tend vi. have a tendency 易于，往往会 link vt. join or connect 连接;联系 economy n. 经济 anyway ad. at all; in any case 究竟;无论如何 tempt vt. attract (sb.) to do sth. wrong or foolish 引诱 system n. 体制;制度 systematic a. distrust n. lack of trust; mistrust 不信任，怀疑 contagious a. tending to spread easily from person to person 传染的 PHEASES & EXPRESSIONS out of style no longer fashionable 过时的，不再流行 according to as stated or shown by; in a way that agrees with 按照，根据 (be) faced with 面对 be hard on 对...过分严厉 on the rise increasing steadily 在增长;在加剧 a case in point a very good example 恰当的例子 all but all except 除了...都 (be) different from unlike, not the same as 与...不同 think of ... as regard as in the case of 就...来说,至于 come to arrive at a particular state or position 变成(某种状态) lie in exist in 在于 on the other hand from the opposed point of view 另一方面,反过来说 at one's best in as good a state as possible 处于最佳状态 go up rise; increase 上升;增加 go down fall; decrease 下降;减少 Unit Nine:What Is Intelligence，Anyway? TEXT Asimov explains why there is much more in intelligence than just being able to score high on intelligence tests. What Is Intelligence, Anyway? Isaac Asimor What is intelligence, anyway? When I was in the army I received a kind of aptitude test that all soldiers took and, against a normal of 100, scored 160. No one at the base had ever seen a figure like that and for two hours they made a nig fuss over me. (It didn't mean anything. The next day I was still a buck private with KP as my highest duty.) All my life I've been registering scores like that, so that I have the complacent feeling that I'm highly intelligent, and I expect other people to think so, too. Actually, though, don't such scores simply mean that I am very good at answering the type of academic questions that are considered worthy of answers by the people who make up the intelligence tests - people with intellectual bents similar to mine? For instance, I had an auto-repair man once, who, on these intelligence tests, could not possibly have scored more than 80, by my estimate. I always took it for granted that I was far more intelligent than he was. Yet, when anything went wrong with my car I hastened to him with it, watched him anxiously as he explored its vitals, and listened to his pronouncements as though they were divine oracles - and he always fixed my car. Well, then, suppose my auto-repair man devised questions for an intelligence test. Or suppose a carpenter did, or a farmer, or, indeed, almost anyone but an academician. By every one of those tests, I'd prove myself a moron. And I'd be a moron, too. In a world where I could not use my academic training and my verbal talents but had to do something intricate or hard, working with my hands, I would do poorly. My intelligence, then, is not absolute. Its worth is determined by the society I live in. Its numerical evaluation is determined by a small subsection of that society which has managed to foist itself on the rest of us as an arbiter of such matters. Consider my auto-repair man, again. He had a habit of telling me jokes whenever he saw me. One time he raised his head from under the automobile hood to say: "Doc, a deaf-and-dumb guy went into a hardware store to ask for some nails. He put two fingers together on the counter and made hammering motions with the other hand. The clerk brought him a hammer. He shook his head and pointed to the two fingers he was hammering. The clerk brought him nails. He picked out the sizes he wanted, and left. Well, doc, the next guy who came in was a blind man. He wanted scissors. How do you suppose he asked for them?" I lifted my right hand and made scissoring motions with my first two fingers. Whereupon my auto-repair man laughed heartily and said, "Why, you dumb fool, he used his voice and asked for them." Then he said, smugly, "I've been trying that on all my customers today." "Did you catch many?" I asked. "Quite a few," he said, "but I knew for sure I'd catch you." "Why is that?" I asked. "Because you're so goddamned educated, doc, I know you couldn't be very smart." And I have an uneasy feeling he had something there. NEW WORDS aptitude n. natural ability or skill 能力，才能 normal n. the usual state or level 正常的状态或水平 figure n. 数字 fuss n. unnecessary expression of excitement, anger, impatience, etc. 大惊小怪 buck private n. (sl.) common soldier of the lowest rank 列兵 KP (abbr) kitchen police (a military duty of helping the cooks prepare and serve the food, wash the dishes, and clean up the kitchen) 炊事值勤(员) register vt. achieve; write in a list or record 取得;登记 complacent a. self-satisfactory; pleased with oneself 自满的;自鸣得意的 highly ad. to a great degree; very simply ad. just; only 仅仅;只不过 academic a. scholarly, theoretical, not practical; of a college or university 学术的，学究的; 学院的 worthy (of) a. deserving 值得的 bent n. natural tendency or inclination 嗜好，倾向 similar a. alike; of the same sort 类似的 auto n. (short for) automobile 汽车 estimate n. judgment or opinion about how much, how many, how good, etc. 估计 grant vt. give or allow (what is asked for) 授予;准予 hasten vi. go fast; be quick 赶快;急忙 explore vt. search or examine thoroughly 探索;探究 vitals n. essential parts of anything; the main bodily organs 主要部件;(人体的)重要 器官 pronouncement n. formal or authoritative statement; opinion 声明;见解 divine a. coming from God; sacred 神的;神圣的 oracle n. 圣言;神谕 devise vt. think out; plan 想出;设计 carpenter n. 木匠 academician n. member of an art, literary or scientific academy or society院士，学会会员 morron n. stupid person 低能者;蠢人 verbal a. complicated with words and their use; spoken, not written 词语的;口头的 intricate a. complicated 错综复杂 absolute a. not measured by comparison with other things 绝对的 determine vt. fix or find out exactly 确定 numerical n. of a number; shown by numbers 数字的;用数字 表 关于同志近三年现实表现材料材料类招标技术评分表图表与交易pdf视力表打印pdf用图表说话 pdf 示的 evaluation vt. 估价，评价 evaluate vt. subsection n. part of a section 小组，分部 foist vt. force (sth.) on another person by fraud or trickery 把...强加于 arbiter n. judge 仲裁人,公断人 joke n. sth. said or done to cause laughter or amusement automobile n. 汽车 hood n. (汽车)引擎罩 doc (short for) doctor deaf a. unable to hear 聋的 dumb a. unable to speak; stupid 哑的;愚笨的 deaf-and-dumb a. unable to hear and speak hardware n. metal goods such as utensils, tools, nails, etc. 金属器具 hammer n. 锤子;榔头 v. strike repeatedly (with a hammer) clerk n. salesclerk; person who works in a shop selling things 店员 scissors n. 剪刀 scissor v. cut with scissors whereupon ad. upon, at, or after which 于是，因此;然后 heartily ad. 尽情地 smugly ad. complacently 沾沾自喜地 goddamned ad. (sl.) very, extremely uneasy a. awkward; not easy in mind or body 局促的;不安的;不安适的 PHRAESE & EXPRESSIONS make a fuss of / over 为...大惊小怪 worthy of deserving 值得 make up prepare ready for use 编制;配制 by one's estimate 据某人估计 take sth. for granted regard it as true or as certain to happen 认为某事当然 go wrong stop working as true or as certain to happen 出毛病 pick out select 挑选 try...on 在...身上试验 for sure for certain; certainly 确切地;肯定 Unit Ten:Profits of Praise TEXT Are we too quick to blame and slow to praise? It seems we are. Profits of Praise It was the end of my exhausting first day as waitress in a busy New York restaurant. My cap had gone awry, my apron was stained, my feet ached. The loaded trays I carried felt heavier and heavier. Weary and discouraged, I didn't seem able to do anything right. As I made out a complicated check for a family with several children who had changed their ice-cream order a dozen times, I was ready to quit. Then the father smiled at me as he handed me my tip. "Well done," he said. "You've looked after us really well." Suddenly my tiredness vanished. I smiled back, and later, when the manager asked me how I'd liked my first day, I said, "Fine!" Those few words of praise had changed everything. Praise is like sunlight to the human spirit; we cannot flower and grow without it. And yet, while most of us are only too ready to apply to others the cold wind of criticism, we are somehow reluctant to give our fellows the warm sunshine of praise. Why - when one word can bring such pleasure? A friend of mine who travels widely always tries to learn a little of the language of any place she visits. She's not much of a linguist, but she does know how to say one word - "beautiful" - in several languages. She can use it to a mother holding her baby, or to lonely salesman fishing out pictures of his family. The ability has earned her friends all over the world. It's strange how chary we are about praising. Perhaps it's because few of us know how to accept compliments gracefully. Instead, we are embarrassed and shrug off the words we are really so glad to hear. Because of this defensive reaction, direct compliments are surprisingly difficult to give. That is why some of the most valued pats on the back are those which come to us indirectly, in a letter or passed on by a friend. When one thinks of the speed with which spiteful remarks are conveyed, it seems a pity that there isn't more effort to relay pleasing and flattering comments. It's especially rewarding to give praise in areas in which effort generally goes unnoticed or unmentioned. An artist gets complimented for a glorious picture, a cook for a perfect meal. But do you ever tell you laundry manager how pleased you are when the shirts are done just right? Do you ever praise your paper boy for getting the paper to you on time 365 days a year? Praise is particularly appreciated by those doing routine jobs: gas-station attendants, waitresses - even housewives. Do you ever go into a house and say, "What a tidy room"? Hardly anybody does. That's why housework is considered such a dreary grind. Comment is often made about activities which are relatively easy and satisfying, like arranging flowers; but not about jobs which are hard and dirty, like scrubbing floors. Shakespeare said, "Our praises are our wages." Since so often praise is the only wage a housewife receives, surely she of all people should get her measure. Mothers know instinctively that for children an ounce of praise is worth a pound of scolding. Still, we're not always as perceptive as we might be about applying the rule. One day I was criticizing my children for squabbling. "Can you never play peacefully?" I shouted. Susanna looked at me quizzically. "Of course we can," she said. "But you don't notice us when we do." Teachers agree about the value of praise. One teacher writes that instead of drowning students' compositions in critical red ink, the teacher will get far more constructive results by finding one or two things which have been done better than last time, and commenting favorably on them. "I believe that a student knows when he has handed in something above his usual standard," writes the teacher, "and that he waits hungrily for a brief comment in the margin to show him that the teacher is aware of it, too." Behavioral scientists have done countless experiments to prove that any human being tends to repeat an act which has been immediately followed by a pleasant result. In one such experiment, a number of schoolchildren were divided into three groups and given arithmetic tests daily for five days. One group was consistently praised for its previous performance; another group was criticized; the third was ignored. Not surprisingly, those who were praised improved dramatically. Those who were criticized improved also, bus not so much. And the scores of the children who were ignored hardly improved at all. Interestingly the brightest children were helped just as much by criticism as by praise, but the less able children reacted badly to criticism, needed praise the most. Yet the latter are the very youngsters who, in most schools, fail to get the pat on the back. To give praise costs the giver nothing but a moment's thought and a moment's effort - perhaps a quick phone call to pass on a compliment, or five minutes spent writing an appreciative letter. It is such a small investment - and yet consider the results it may produce. "I can live for two months on a good compliment," said Mark Twain. So, let's be alert to the small excellences around us - and comment on them. We will not only bring joy into other people's lives, but also, very often, added happiness into out own. NEW WORDS profit n. advantage or good obtained from sth... money gained in business 益处;利 润 exhaust vt. tire out 使筋疲力尽 waitress n. woman waiter awry a. with a turn to one side 歪;斜 apron n. 围裙 stain vt. make dirty marks on 玷污 load vt. put a full amount of things on or in (sth.) 装满 tray n. 托盘 weary a. very tired 厌倦的，厌烦的 discourage vt. cause to lose courage or confidence 使泄气，使灰心 ice-cream n. 冰淇淋 dozen n. twelve (一)打 quit v. stop (doing sth.) and leave 离(职)，不干 sunlight n. light of the sun; sunshine human a. of or concerning people apply vt. 运用，实施 application n. somehow ad. for some reacon or other; in some way or other 不知怎么地，以某种方式 reluctant a. unwilling 不情愿的;勉强的 sunshine n. light of the sun linguist n. person who is good at foreign languages; person who studies the science of language 通晓数国语言的人;语言学家 salesman n. man whose work is selling a company's goods to businesses, homes, etc. 推 销员 earn vt. get in return for work or as a reward for one's qualities, etc. 挣得，赢得 chary a. careful; cautious 谨慎小心的 compliment n. praise 赞美(话) vt. praise 赞美 gracefully ad. 大大方方地;优美地 graceful a. embarrass vt. make awkward or ashamed 使尴尬 defensive a. 防御 surprisingly as. in a surprising manner or degree pat n. tap made with the open hand 轻拍 v. tap gently with the open hand indirectly ad. in an indirect way 间接地 indirect a. spiteful a. having or showing ill will 恶意的 convey vt. make (ideas, views, feelings, etc.) know to another person 转达，传达 relay vt. 传送;传达 flatter vt. praise too much; praise insincerely (in order to please) 过奖;谄媚，奉承 comment n. opinion, explanation or judgment written or spoken about an event, book, person, state of affairs, etc. 评论 vi. make comments (on); give opinions rewarding a. worthwhile; worth doing; giving a reward to 值得(做)的;报答的 reward vt. generally ad. usually 通常，一般地 artist n. person who practises or works in one of the fine arts, esp. painting 画家，艺术家 glorious a. splendid 辉煌的 laundry n. 洗衣店 appreciate vt. understand and enjoy; be thankful for 欣赏，鉴赏;感谢，感激 routine a. not unusual or exciting; regular 常规的，例行的 gas-station n. 加油站 attendant n. 服务人员 tidy a. neatly arranged 整洁的，整齐的 housework n. work done on taking care of a house 家务劳动 dreary a. dull and uninteresting 沉闷乏味的 grind n. hard uninteresting work 苦差使 scrub vt. clean by rubbing hard, esp. with a stiff brush 擦洗 wage n. (pl.) 工资，报酬 measure n. am adequate or due portion 份儿 instinctively ad. 本能地 scold vt. blame with angry words 申诉，怒骂 perceptive a. 感觉灵敏的 criticize vt. 批评 squabble vi. quarrel, esp. noisily and unreasonably 争吵，口角 peacefully ad. in a peaceful manner; quietly 安静地 peaceful a. quizzically ad. 嘲弄地;疑惑地 drown vt. cover completely with water; cause (sb.) to die by keeping under water 淹 没;使(某人)淹死 critical a. fault-finding 挑剔的，苛求的 constructive a. helping 建设性的 favo(u)rably ad. helping 赞成地，称赞地 favo(u)rable a. brief a. using a few words; short margin n. blank space round the printed or written matter on a page 页边的空白 behavioral a. of or relating to behavior 行为的 countless a. too many to be counted arithmetic n. science of numbers 算术 consistently ad. 始终如一地;一贯地 consistent a. previous a. coming earlier in time or order 以前的 lgnore vt. not to take notice of, pay no attention to 不理,忽视 dramatically ad. strikingly 显著地 dramatic a. react vi. respond 反应 youngster n. young person, esp. a boy appreciative a. thankful; grateful investment n. 投资 invest v. alert a. watchful and keen 警觉的 excellence n. an excellent or valuable quality; virtue PHRASRS & EXPRESSIONS make out write out; complete or fill in 开出;填写 only too very 极,非常 not much of a not a very good 不十分好的 fish out bring out after searching 掏出 shrug off dismiss as not deserving attention or as sth. unimportant 耸肩表示对...不屑理睬 pat on the back word or gesture of praise or encouragement 赞扬;鼓励 pass on convey (to another) 传递 live on depend upon for support 靠...生活