外研英语选修课文原文每个模块篇文章齐全

外研版英语选修六课文Module 1 Module 1 Small TalkIntroductionRead the dictionary definitions of small talk and answer the questions.1.Which definitions make small talk sound like a positive thing?2.Which definitions refer to places where small talk might take place?3.Why is it a problem if someone has no small talk?4.What do you think is the Chinese for "small talk"?small talk informal conversation about things that arenot importantMacmillan English Dictionary small talk light conversation that people make at social occasions about unimportant things: We stood around making small talk.Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary small talk polite friendly conversation about unimportant subjectsLongman Dictionary of Contemporary English small talk conversation about ordinary or unimportant matters, usually at a social event: He has no small talk (i.e. he is not good at talking to people about ordinary or unimportant things).Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryLook at the conversation topics below and answer the questions.careers; cars; examinations; film stars; music; politics; sport; travel; weather; food1.If you talk about these topics, is theconversation serious or small talk?2.Which of the topics do you like talking aboutwith your friends?3.Which of them do you talk about with your parents?4.Which of them do you talk about with your teacher?5.Which of them do you never talk about?Vocabulary and ReadingComplete the sentences with the correct forms of the words in the box. damage; encourage; impress; prepare; recognise1.The singer was really good! She me a lot!2.He had an accident and his bicycle.3.Don't shout at the children. You should them to do better.4.Make sure you for your English examination. Do morehomework!5.Read the passage and decide what kind of book it is from. Choose from this list.The text is from ____.a book to help you prepare for a speaking examinationa business coursean English teaching booka book which tells you what to do at social eventsHow Good Are Your Social Skills?Have you ever crossed the road to avoid talking to someone you recognise? Would you love to go to a party and talk confidently to every guest? Do you want to make more friends but lack the confidence to talk to people you don't know? And are you nervous about the idea of being at a social event in another country? Don't worry—we can help you!You needn't worry about situations like these if you have good social skills. And they are easy to learn. People with good social skills communicate well and know how to have a conversation. It helps if you do a little advance planning.Here are a few ideas to help you.Learn how to do small talkSmall talk is very important and prepares you for more serious conversations. Be prepared! Have some low-risk conversation openers ready. For example:•think of a recent news story—not too serious, e.g. a story about a filmstar or sports star•think of things to tell people about your studies•think of"safe" things you can ask people's opinions about—music, sport, films, etc.•think of topics that you would avoid if you were talking to strangers—and avoid talking about them! That way, you don't damage yourconfidence!Develop your listening skillsListening is a skill which most people lack, but communication is a two-way process—it involves speaking AND listening. Always remember—you won't impress people if you talk too much. Here are some ideas to make you a better listener:Do ...•show that you are listening by using encouraging noises and gestures—smiling, nodding, saying "uh-huh" and "OK", etc.•keep good eye contact•use positive body language•ask for more information to show your interestDon't ...•look at your watch•yawn•sigh•look away from the person who's talking to you•change the subject•finish other people's sentences for themAlways remember the words of Benjamin Disraeli, British Prime Minister in the nineteenth century: "Talk to a man about himself, and he will speak to you for hours!"Learn the rulesIf you go to a social occasion in another country, remember that social rules can be different. In some countries, for example, you have to arrive on time at a party; in other countries, you don't need to. In addition, you need to know how long you should stay, and when you have to leave. Some hosts expect flowers or a small gift, but in other places, you can take things, but you needn't if you don't want to. Remember also that in some countries, you mustn't take flowers of a certain colour, because they're unlucky. In most places, you don't have to take a gift to a party—but find out first!Answer the questions.1.According to the article, should people plan what they're going to say at parties?2.What do people think about those who talk too much?3.Describe two things you shouldn't do in a conversation.4.Why is it a good idea to nod and smile when the other person is talking?5.What does the quotation from Benjamin Disraeli tell you about people?Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the words in the box.sigh; yawn; nod; avoid; lack; smile1.personal questions.2.meet people from other countries.3.head in agreement.4.I think the man I spoke to was tired—5.answered me.6.shook my hand.Look at the phrases from the passage and answer the questions.1.If you can talk confidently, does this mean that you are worried about talking topeople?2.What kind of advance planning could you do before going to a party in a foreigncountry?3.Can you give an example of a low-risk conversation opener if you were talking toa friend of your parents', for example?4.What encouraging noises and gestures can you make when you're having aconversation in Chinese?5.What is an example of positive body language?6.Are social rules the same in every country?Discuss your answers to the questions.1.Which of the ideas in the reading passage do you think are useful in your society?2.Are there any conversation techniques that you think you will use in the future?3.Which of the listening skills are you good at?4.Which of the social skills do you need to improve?5.What are some of the usual small talk topics in China?FunctionRead the pairs of sentences and answer the questions.1.You must arrive on time at a party.You have to arrive on time at a party.2.You mustn't take yellow flowers for the host.You don't have to take yellow flowers for the host.3.You don't have to take a gift.You don't need to take a gift.1. Which of the following is true about the first pair of sentences?The first one is an obligation, the second one is a suggestion.They both indicate an obligation.They are only suggestions about what to do.2. Which of the following is true about the second pair of sentences?The first one indicates that something is against the law.They mean the same thing.The first one is an obligation, the second one indicates a lack ofobligation.3. Which of the following is true about the third pair of sentences?The second one is an obligation, the first one isn't.They mean the same thing.The first one is an obligation, the second one isn't.Write three rules for a social event in your country.If you go to a social event in my country,1.you have to ____.2.you don't have to ____.3.you mustn't ____.4.Look at the two sentences and decide which explanation is correct.1. We all know each other. We don't need to worry about small talk. Thismeans ____.it isn't necessary to worry about itunfortunately we worry about it2. The party is informal. You needn't wear a tie. This means ____.we must not wear a tiewe can wear a tie if we chooseComplete the sentences with verbs to express obligation or lack of obligation.1.2.3.been given.4.5.you do.Reading and ListeningRead and match the conversations with the places. There is one extra place.at a summer school; during a job interview; in a business meeting; on a boatA: Wonderful, aren't they?B: Er ... I'm sorry?A: The cliffs.B: Oh, yes, they are.A: Been here before?B: Pardon?A: So ... you wrote in your application form that you're interested in mountains. B: Yes.A: Have you ever climbed a mountain?B: No.A: Have you ever read any books about mountain-climbing?B: No.A: When did you arrive?B: Yesterday.A: Nice journey?B: Very nice.A: Did the immigration people ask to see your visa?B: I didn't need to get a visa.A: Really? Why not?B: Because I was born here.A: Oh yes, of course!Answer the questions about the conversations.1.Do you think the conversations are between people who know eachother? Give reasons for your answers.2.Which of the conversations would you call small talk?3.What do you think about the answers in the interview?a.The answers show that the interviewee is interestedin the job.b.The answers are too short.c.The answers are impolite.Listen to the whole of the first conversation and answer the questions.1.Do the people both speak English as a first language?2.Why did the woman have problems understanding what the manwas saying?3.How did the man help her to understand him better?4.Listen and check. Choose the correct endings to the lines from theconversation.1. Sorry, I couldn't ____.hear what you saidunderstand what you said2. I didn't ____.like what you saidcatch what you said3. Could you ____?repeat what you saidexplain what you said4. You needn't have ____.spoken to mespoken so slowly5. I just needed a few seconds ____.to get used to your voiceto understand your voiceGrammarRead the sentence from the listening passage and answer the questions.You needn't have spoken so slowly.1. Who said this?the touristthe English person2. Why did she say it? Choose one of these possible reasons.The other person was speaking too quickly.The other person was speaking too slowly.The other person was speaking slowly and it wasn't necessary.Rewrite these sentences using needn't have done.1.It wasn't necessary for you to bring some flowers!You needn't have brought some flowers.2.Thank you for tidying the room—but it wasn't necessary.3.There was no need for you to buy the box of chocolates.4.Why did you go to school? It's Sunday!5.Thank you for bringing the book to show me, but I already have it.Read the sentence and decide which endings are possible.I didn't need to buy a gift for my host family ____.so I didn't get onebecause I already had oneso I bought oneso I took it back and got a refundComplete the sentences using didn't need to or needn't have done. Example: It was an informal party so I didn't need to wear (wear) a suit.1.We brought some food to the party but there was too much, so we2.speech for him.3.(wait) outside in the street.4.I got to the party at 6 p.m. but there was no one there, so I5.I told the host all about my home town and then he told me he'dReading and WritingRead the email.Hi! How are you? I hope you and your family are well.I have a favour to ask. Next week, I'm going to a reception at the Chinese Embassy here in London and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm going to meet some senior high school students and their teachers. The only problem is that I'm not very good at small talk with people I don't know—I'm always worried about saying the wrong thing or making people feel bored.I need to know what I can talk about with the Chinese people that I meet. I wonder if you would be kind enough to answer these questions.Here in England, there are certain questions that you shouldn't really ask people that you don't know—"How old are you?" for example, and "How much do you earn?" Are there any questions that you shouldn't ask people in China?What sort of things do Chinese teenagers like talking about? Sport? Music? Films? And what sort of things do they find boring? Politics? The weather?Looking forward to your reply.AlexWrite a reply. Answer the main questions and offer other advice. Use some of the following sentences to start and finish your email.•Very nice to hear from you.•Thank you for your interesting email.•How are you? It's a long time since I heard from you.•I hope this information has been useful.•Best of luck at the Chinese Embassy.•Looking forward to hearing from you again soon.Reading and VocabularyYou're going to read a story about a saleswoman. Discuss what kind of small talk you need as a salesperson.The Wrong Kind of Small TalkEsther Greenbaum was a saleswoman for a firm of fax machines and business supplies. But she was also the most outspoken human being in the world—well, Westchester County, at least. Her motto was "Every time I open my mouth, I put my foot in it."Esther Greenbaum's major shortcoming was that she had a complete absence of small talk. No, that's not quite true. She had small talk, but it was the wrong kind. In fact, she had never learnt the basic rules of social communication, and as a consequence, she made systematic mistakes every time she opened her mouth. It was no coincidence either that she wasn't a very good saleswoman.One day during a meeting, Esther was introduced to an important customer, a mature woman."Nice to meet you," she said. "How old are you?" The customer looked awkward."Forty? Forty-five?" said Esther. "You look much older. And your friend ... she's older than you, but she looks much younger!"On another occasion, Esther teased a typist, "Hey! When's your baby due?"The typist went red and contradicted Esther. "Actually, I'm not pregnant," she said."Oh, sorry," said Esther without any apology. "Just putting on a little weight, huh?"Esther was never cautious about other people's feelings. One of her acquaintances, a salesman in the firm, was going through a very messy divorce and was very depressed. She tried to cheer him up."Forget her! She was a complete fool. No one liked her anyway."Much of the time, Esther said the first thing to come into her head. One day at work, a clerk came into the office with a new hairstyle."Nice haircut," said Esther. "How much did it cost?"The woman replied, "I'd rather not say."Esther replied, "Well, anyhow, either you paid too much or you paid too little."She met a very famous writer once. "Hey, what a coincidence!" she said. "You're writing a book and I'm reading one!"The trouble with Esther was she said what she thought, and didn't think about what she said. A young man was trying to be modest about his new job many miles away."I guess the company chose me so they'd get some peace in the office," he smiled."No, I guess they chose you to discourage you from spending your whole career with us," Esther replied sweetly.Once, Esther went to a brunch party to meet some old school friends on the anniversary of their graduation. She greeted the hostess."Do you remember that guy you were dating? What happened to him?" she asked. "You know, the ugly one."At that moment, a man came up and stood by her friend. "Esther, I'd like you to meet my husband," she said. "Charles, this is ..."Esther interrupted her, "Hey, so you married him!"Read the passage and answer the questions.1.What did Esther often do when she spoke to others?2.What do you think are "the basic rules of social communication"?3.Why did the customer look awkward when she was asked how oldshe was?4.How did the typist contradict Esther?5.What was wrong about Esther's advice to the salesman?6.What did Esther think of the clerk's haircut?7.Why did the young man think the company gave him a new jobmiles away?8.What did Esther think of her old school friend's husband?Read the passage and find:1.three things you can say when you make small talk2.two things you should not say3.one way of replying to questions which you don't wish to answer4.The style of this passage is meant to be humourous and exaggerated.Example:You look much older. And your friend, she's older than you, but she looks much younger!5.Look for more examples of humour and exaggeration in the passage.Look at the new words in the box.absence; acquaintance; anniversary; apology; awkward; brunch; cautious; clerk; customer; fax; firm; fool; haircut; hostess; human being; interrupt; mature; messy; motto; outspoken; pregnant; saleswoman; shortcoming; tease; typistFind words for:1.2.3.4.5.6.Note: Not all the words fit these categories.Answer the questions about the words in the box.absence; acquaintance; anniversary; apology; awkward; brunch; cautious; clerk; customer; fax; firm; fool; haircut; hostess; human being; interrupt; mature; messy; motto; outspoken; pregnant; saleswoman; shortcoming; tease; typist1.When is the next important anniversary in your life?2.Do people ever tease you?3.Can you think of a personal motto?4.When was the last apology you have given or received?5.What are you cautious about?6.Do you know anyone who is outspoken?Discuss the questions and give reasons for your answers.1.Is small talk important in your society?2.Is it as important as "real" conversation?3.Do you think small talk is more or less important in English than inyour language?Reading PracticeLook at the title of the passage and the words in the box. Choose five words and guess what the writer uses them to say.argument; compliment; conversation; curious; disagreement; dull; embarrassment; factual; genuine; hospitable; lively; relationship; sensitive; secretive; silence; spy; topic; violate; wealthMaking Friends in the USAIn the USA, conversation is less lively than in many other cultures, where everyone talks at the same time. When someone talks, everyone is expected to listen, no matter how dull the person's speaking may be.If you're not sure what to talk about, you can ask what people do. We're defined by our jobs and we're usually happy to talk about them, unless you're a spy!Some people say that Americans talk about their feelings more than Asians, but are more secretive about factual matters. You can safely ask questions about families, where you come from, leisure interests, as well as the latest movies. We're interested in people's ethnic background too. But it's best to avoid politics, religion and other sensitive topics.A highly personal conversation can take place after a very short period of knowing someone, but this doesn't mean that you're close friends, or the relationship is very deep. But a lot of people are very friendly and hospitable, and the famous invitation "If you're ever in Minneapolis / San Diego / Poughkeepsie, do call by and see us!" is never made without a genuine desire to meet again.But while few Americans will worry about the questions you may ask, particularly if you clearly show you're aware of cultural differences, they may hesitate before they ask you similar questions. In fact, it's a sign that they don't wish to violate your private life. So, many Americans will talk about safe topics because they don't dare to be too curious or personal, but will happily talk about more private matters if you take the lead.Generally we dislike arguments, and we avoid topics which lead to disagreement. It's easy to return to discussing the weather: "Do you like the USA? How do you like the weather?" or making compliments: "What lovely flowers and what a beautiful vase!" "That's a fabulous dress you're wearing." You should accept compliments graciously and say "Thank you!"There are a couple of dangerous topics of conversation: age and money. Age is not treated as something very special, unless someone is very old: "Isn't she wonderful for her age!" and there are no special rules or signs of extra respect for elderly people. Anyway, Americans always want to look younger than they really are, so don't expect an accurate reply!Income is a very private matter, and you'd do well to avoid asking how much people earn, although some people may not only be open about it, but show off their wealth. We don't ask how much things cost, either.But what we don't like is silence, and almost anything is better than the embarrassment of a quiet party and silent guests.Read the advice on small talk. Is it true for you?1.You can ask about families, what people do and like, etc.2.It's OK to talk about religion and politics.3.You shouldn't talk about your feelings.4.Don't ask personal questions.5.Make sure you don't talk about the weather or give compliments.6.You can talk about people's age and their income.7.Choose the correct answers.1. When a dull person talks, you should ____.not ask personal questionsask questionschange the topic of conversationlisten2. It's always OK to talk to Americans about ____.age and moneytheir workreligion and politicstheir private life3. When Americans make an invitation to visit, ____.they genuinely want to see you againthey don't really mean itThey want to find out more about youyou should accept it4. The best way to talk about personal things is to ____.discuss the weathertalk about your own private life firsttalk about your jobask them how old they are5. It's best to avoid ____.spiespersonal questionssilencedull peopleComplete the sentences in your own words.1.Conversation is less lively in the USA because everyone ____.2.Americans are happy to talk about family and personal interests,but ____.3.If you show you're aware of cultural differences, ____.4.You shouldn't ask how old people are because ____.5.Although some people like to show off their wealth, ____. Cultural CornerRead the passage and answer the questions.1.How does the AAA model work?2.Is the AAA model a good idea while making small talk withsomeone you don't know in China?The AAAIt is estimated that 80% of all conversation in English is small talk. A very important function of small talk is to establish a relationship between people who don't know each other very well, or don't know each other at all.Psychologists say that the most successful formula for small talk between people like this is the AAA model. AAA = answer, add and ask. This is how it works.Imagine a situation where two strangers are talking to each other after someone they both know has left the room, or the café or party, etc. The first person asks a question: A: Do you live near here?The second person replies by answering the question, adding some extra information and then asking another question: B: (Answer) Yes, I do. (Add) In an apartment on Brown Street.(Ask) Do you live nearby too?The first person does the same, answer, add and ask: A: (Answer) No, I live in Bristol.(Add) I'm just visiting London.(Ask) Have you lived here long? B: (Answer) Not so long.(Add) I moved here three years ago.(Ask) What's the purpose of your visit to London?The speakers may have difficulty at first, but they soon realise that the important thing is that they are saying something. By continuing with the AAAmodel, the conversation continues. Because the thing they both want to avoid is an embarrassing silence.The conversation can continue in this way for a long time. However, something can happen that completely changes the atmosphere. B: Why do you live in Bristol? A: I'm studying there. History. Are you a student? B: Yes. And I know some people who are studying at Bristol. Do you know a girl called Helen Brown? A: Helen Brown!! Yes! She's one of my best friends! How do you know her? B: She's my cousin.At this point, the AAA model stops. Because they used this very useful social technique, they found something they have in common at last.。

选修7Module 1 BasketballMichael Jordan - Head and Shoulders Above the Rest!During the 1990s, Michael Jordan was probably the best-known athlete in the world. He was the top scorer in the NBA, and played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1993. He was named their most valued player five times. Wearing his famous number 23 shirt, Michael Jordan became the most successful basketball player in the history of the game.Jordan was born in New York and grew up in North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina for a year before leaving to join the Chicago Bulls. He finished his first season (1984-1985) as one of the top scorers in the league, with an average of 28.2 points per game.In 1987, Jordan became only the second player to score more than3,000 points in a season. He was the top scorer in the NBA for seven consecutive seasons (1987-1993). During this time, the average number of points he scored was more than 30 points per game. With him, the Bulls won their first NBA championship in1991. During this successful period they won the title again in 1992 and 1993. Jordan was also in the United States Olympic Basketball Team, known as "the Dream Team", which won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.Jordan surprised everyone when he retired before the 1993-1994 season, but he rejoined the Chicago Bulls and won three more championships with them from 1996 to 1998. he played again for the Washington Wizards before finally retiring from sport in 2003 at the age of 40. Millions of fans admire his athletic ability, motivation and confidence. They have fantastic stories to tell about Michael Jordan, such as the time when he rescued the Bulls from ending a game on a tie. He stepped to the line and made two free throws. Each time he threw the ball straight through the basket - and each time he had his eyes closed.Off the basketball court, Michael Jordan opened his own steak restaurant because he loves steak so much. He also found success as an actor in the film Space Jam alongside the famous cartoon character Bugs Bunny!There is only one word to describe the best player in the world - awesome!Wilt the Stilt - the Tower of Power!Michael Jordan was the second player to score more than 3,000 points in a season - but the first was Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia on 21st August 1936. He was one of the 11 children, the only one who was very tall. His father William worked in a shipyard and his mother Olivia was a cleaner. As a child, Chamberlain had various health problems. He had pneumonia and almost died when he was ten.Chamberlain is the only NBA player who averaged over 50 points per game for an entire season. At one point, Chamberlain was so much better than all the other players that they changed the rules of the game totry to stop him!The giant player joined the NBA's Philadelphia Warriors in the 1959-1960 season and was an immediate success. During 14 seasons with four different teams, Chamberlain was named the most valued player in the league four times. On 2nd March 1962, he scored 100 points in a single game - no one has ever done that since! The final score was Warriors 169 New York Knicks 147!He ended his career after five amazing seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. By the time he retired, Wilt held many NBA records: he scored 50 or more points 118 times and 60 or more points 32 times.Was Wilt Chamberlain better than Michael Jordan? Who knows? But there is no doubt that he deserves the title "outstanding player of his generation".Is Yao Ming Too Nice to Be a Star?Jeff Van Gundy, the head coach of the Houston Rockets, has a dream. He wants Yao Ming to be like other players. Star players, says Gundy, are "selfish" and want the ball all the time. "Let's put it this way," he said. "When they ask for the ball, they don't say 'please'!"Yao, however, is a selfless and kind person. He has been brought up and trained in this way. It is not in his nature to be "selfish" and "rude".When he first arrived in the US, Yao was an instant hit among basketball fans nationwide. They all loved this kind, gentle but powerful giant. Van Gundy wanted to build his team around the talented Chinese player. To do this, he told Yao to be more aggressive and, if necessary, to be rude to his teammates."He's a wonderful guy, he has every physical basketball skill and he puts the team first," Van Gundy said. "But I want him to be a star, not just a great team player. He's got to think that he's the best player out there. That way, he can dominate the game.""At first, I didn't really understand what the coach wanted," Yao said. "But now I do. In China, everyone gave me the ball, I didn't have to ask! Here, I have to be a little 'impolite'! I'm not quite used to it yet. If you give me a little time, I can get more used to it. I have to learn to be l little more 'selfish'."Dizzy Heights of School BasketballBasketball is one of the safest sports. Unlike wrestling or boxing, it's not usually dangerous. One reason for this is that the players' energy is partly directed upwards, at a 90-degree angle to the ground, and over the heads of the others. So there's less risk of a collision between two players.In other sports, such as baseball and American football, theplayer' energy moves parallel to the ground and towards their opponents, so they wear helmets which give adequate protection to their heads.But although basketball players wear socks and sneakers which are specially designed to absorb energy when they bound into the air, they war no other protection, just a vest and shorts. If there is an abrupt change of direction in their energy, from vertical to horizontal, such as when they accelerate across the court, bouncing the ball, there is a real danger of personal injury.For example, in the Kent State High School Basketball tournament, Chandler High was playing St Mary Central and at the interval the score was 50-52. but St Mary had appointed a captain who was not a typical basketball player. Whereas everyone else was tall and slim with short haircuts, Joe Johannsen was short and stout, with long hair and a large belly. But he was really fast, and when he obtained control of the ball, he could make a circuit of the court and reach the opposing team's boundary within seconds.Anyhow, twelve minutes into the second half, Frank Sackler, the Chandler star player, made a controversial pass over Joe's head. Joe stepped aside and dipped his head down. Sackler bounced off him and committed a foul. The referee interrupted the match ,and there was a suspension of play. But Joe was unhurt, short the penalty, and the score was 88-90. there were three minutes to go.Joe immediately took possession of the ball and ran, ... and suddenly 80 kilos hit the Chandler star, who howled loudly in pain and fell, with his nose bleeding and a cut on his left cheek. For a moment, he lay very still ,and the referee even checked his pulse, but soon confirmed he was OK. But when Sackler stood up he was dizzy, so they put a bandage round his head, a blanket round his shoulders, and called anambulance to take him to the hospital. Joe was a considerate guy, and apologized as Sackler left, sniffing and weeping, either in pain or in frustration.Chandler scored with the penalty, and their teamwork had won the match. But Frank Sackler still has the scar on his face as a souvenir of the tournament.How Did They Start?How did American football start?Football - or soccer - started in England 800 years ago. The game was played with a round ball that players kicked but could not carry. There were two teams, but there were often a hundred players on each team!However, in 1823, William Webb Ellis, a pupil at Rugby School in England, picked up the ball during a soccer game and ran with it. Teachers at the school were shocked and angry but Webb Ellis's schoolmates enjoyed this new game, which they named after the school. Eventually, rugby was played with an oval ball that could be bothcarried and thrown.Rugby was exported to the United States, changed a lot and became the sport that Americans now call football. During a game of American football, the ball can be kicked, thrown or carried.How did basketball start?Basketball was invented in 1891 in a gymnasium in Springfield, Massachusetts by Dr James Naismith, a physical education teacher. Naismith wanted to create a game that would provide exercise for a noisy class through the clod winter months. Naismith attached two baskets to two tall poles at each end of the gymnasium and gave the players a soccer ball and told them to try to throw the ball into the baskets. Naismith later wrote 13 rules which are the basis of modern basketball rules.How did baseball start?The exact origin of baseball is unknown, but it is probably based on an old English game called rounders. In the USA, a version of the game became popular in the early 19th century and eventually, a man called Alexander Cartwright wrote the rules or baseball in 1845. Cartwright I called "the father of baseball" because the modern rules of the game are very similar to his original rules.Module 2 Highlights of My Senior YearHighlights of My Senior YearI can hardly believe it, but my school life is almost over. Prom night has come and gone, and I've received my high school diploma at last.It's a good thing that the exams are finished. I feel too excited tothink clearly. It seems strange to think that in a few days' time I'llbe walking out of the school gates forever. The first thing I'm going to do is to take a long vacation!Meanwhile, I find myself looking back at my senior year, andthinking about all the wonderful things that have happened. I've decided to write them down so that one day, years from now, when I rereadthem ,the memories will come back.There's so much to remember. One of the best things about this year has been working as an arts editor for this newspaper. I've so enjoyedit I love writing, and working on this paper is my first step towards becoming a journalist, so this has been a real success for me.Something else I've greatly enjoyed is working as a peer mediator, someone who helps students to settle problems that they have with other students. At the start of the school year, we were given training in how to do this, and it's clear that this kind of work can really help people.I think I'll continue to work as a mediator when I go to college.During the Easter vacation, I went on a short school skiing trip to the Rocky Mountains. I've been skiing quite a few times, but never with the school, and since two good friends came on the trip, we had greatfun racing each other down the ski slopes. It's well-known that Americans are competitive, and I did enjoy it whenever I won our races! Other things I'm pleased about - getting good grades on my final exams, and receiving the senior prize for English Literature. I wasgiven a car by my parents so I've been able to drive to school, which is brilliant. And of course, I'll never forget being elected to the student council. I really enjoyed meeting the teachers and telling them how we, the students, feel about thing, and what we think should happen in the school!All these things have been wonderful. But I have to say, the highlight of the year was the senior prom. For an American girl, it's so important that you have a good time at the prom. Well, I did Daniel, a boy in my English class, asked me to go to the prom with him, and I was so pleased - I'd been hoping he would ask me. I found a dress thatsuited me perfectly, and had my hair specially done on the day of the prom. It took two hours but it was worth it, as everyone told me Ilooked very elegant! A group of us rented a nice car to take us to the prom. The food was delicious and I ate so much that I had to stopdancing for a while! We shared a table with some good friends, andlaughed and told jokes all evening. It's a great pity that it's probably the last time this will happen.Daniel and I danced most of the dances together. But the big surprise of the evening was when I was elected prom queen! This was so unexpected, and I can't tell you how good this made me feel! After the prom, a group of us drove down to the coast, and sat on the beach in our long dresses and dinner jackets. I shall never forget watching the sunrise over the sea - it was unforgettable! Afterwards, we went and had an enormous breakfast in a nearby hotel - it was a perfect ending to a perfect school year.After-school ActivitiesIn America, the development of social skills is considered as important as the development of intellectual skills. To help students developthese social skills, schools offers a large number of after-school activities, in other words, activities that take place outside classroom lessons. When deciding which students to accept, employers and colleges look for students who have skills in several areas. Exam grades are very important, but so are the after-school activities. By taking part in these activities, students show their special talents, their ability to lead, and their ability to get on with others.Competitive sports, for example, baseball, are probably the most popular of all the after-school activities. This is because, for many American parents, it is important that their children, particularly boys, learn how to compete successfully. Young people are encouraged to take part in team sports such as football and basketball, since these games teach to have the "winning spirit". For some students and their parents, high school sport is considered more important than academic achievements.During the long summer holidays, it is a custom for Americanchildren to spend several weeks at summer camps. There are thousands of camps, and they can be found all over the country. What these campsoffer is an opportunity to take part in many different kinds of outdoor activities, for example, horse riding and water skiing. Older teenagers are more likely to get summer jobs or go camping with a group of friends. Many go backpacking in the mountains of the west.My SchooldaysThey say that schooldays are the happiest days of your life, but not for me! My father worked abroad, so I was sent to a boarding school when I was seven. Like most schoolchildren, I had already been to nurseryschool. I could recite the alphabet, and read some simple books, butthis was my first experience of the institution my parents called "big school'. In fact, the only preparation I had for this adventure was watching as my mother sewed my name tag into my shirts, trousers and woolen sweaters.I arrived with one suitcase, my only luggage for a term. I was shown to the dormitory where I would sleep with five other innocent boys. The bedding was a pillow, a sheet and a thin quilt. There were two worn armchairs, a few shabby cushions, an electric kettle to heat water for tea, some posters for decoration but no curtains. The washroom had a basin and a bathtub, but no heating. I'm ashamed to admit that I sobbed as I fell asleep that night.I remember that my first lesson was arithmetic. My first task wasto multiply seven by three. No one explained why. It took me years to understand the greater mystery of algebra, geometry, and concepts suchas cubic metres, acres and grams.We had a dynamic English teacher, a bachelor who had plenty of time for us boys and inspired my life-long love of literature. There was also a teacher of botanical science, who introduced me to my passion for flowers and plants. We spent hours studying the structure of leavesunder the microscope.School regulations were strict. Being punctual for classes was essential, no one was allowed to be late. Sport was compulsory, andevery week we had to go for a five-kilometre run, wearing just a T-shirt and a pair of shorts even on freezing cold November days. We all had to attend morning assembly, every weekday, except for boys of other faiths, who were allowed to stay in their classrooms. I wanted to become a Catholic simply so I could stay with my books!But there were also so many silly rules to follow, which irritated or even upset me. For example, everyone had to polish their shoes every day, and no one was allowed trousers with zippers, only buttons! On Sundays, it was compulsory to write home. Every day I would check my mailbox, looking forward to my mummy's airmail letter. But my parents lived in Asia and to my great disappointment, I only got a reply once a fortnight.I left eleven years later, with my school leaving certificate, anda scholarship to study at Oxford University. Many people talk abouttheir happiness at school, but for me, at eighteen, all I felt was a sense of liberation.The American Art of CheerleadingWhat is a cheerleader?A cheerleader is a member of a team that dances and does gymnastics before and during competitive games such as baseball. They do this in order to encourage crowds to cheer their sports teams. The team iscalled cheerleading squad. Cheerleading only exists in America, andtoday it is mostly girl that do it.What is the history of cheerleading?Cheerleading began in all men colleges in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As time passed, more and more colleges started cheerleading, and more women started doing it than men. It was not until the 1920s that pompoms began to play an important part in cheerleading. At about the same time, cheerleaders began to include gymnastics intheir routines. By the 1950s, most American high schools hadcheerleading squads. In 1978, the National Cheerleading Championships were shown on television, and universities began offering courses in cheerleading. Today, cheerleading competitions are an important part of school and college life and for many squads, cheerleading is a very serious activity. Cheerleading squads, can be fund at most athletic events.How do Americans feel about cheerleading?For cheerleaders, their sport is just as serious as baseball or football. However, many Americans are amused by cheerleading and see it as rather a stupid activity. Cheerleaders reply that a lot of training is neededto do the dance and gym routines. Many girls try to become cheerleaders but very few are accepted. To be a cheerleader is to play a very important part in your school. In fact, cheerleading is considered so important in American that several movies have been made about it!Module 3 LiteratureOliver Asks for MoreThe room in which the boys were fed was a large stone hall, with a large pot at one end. The warden, helped by two women, served the soup fromthis pot at meal times. Each boy was allowed one bowl of soup and no more, except on special holidays when he was given another 60 grams of bread. The bowls never needed washing, as the boys cleaned them withtheir spoons, trying to eat every bit of soup. This never took very long, as the spoons were almost as large as the bowls. When they had cleaned their bowls in this way, they would sit staring at the pot with eager eyes, as if they wanted to eat it. Boys usually have excellent appetites.Oliver Twist and his companions slowly starved for three months until finally, they became quite wild with hunger.There was one boy who was tall for his age, and was not used to being hungry all the time, as his father had kept a small cook shop. This boy told his friends that he had to have another bowl of soup each day. If he did not, he was afraid that one night he might eat the small young boy who slept next to him. The tall boy had a wild, hungry look in his eye and everyone believed him. The boys had a meeting. They decided that one of them should walk up to the warden after supper that evening and ask for more food. They wrote their names on pieces of paper and picked one out. It was Oliver Twist who was chosen.The evening arrived and the boys went to their places. The warden stood by the pot with his assistants in a line behind him. The soup was served and disappeared down the boy's throats. The boys whispered to each other, and those next to Oliver nudged him. Oliver, who was desperate with hunger and misery, rose from the table and walked toward the master with his bowl and spoon in his hand. Frightened by his own courage, he said, "please sir, i want some more."The warden was a fat, healthy man, but his face became very pale. He stared in complete astonishment at the child and held on to the pot for support. Not until at least thirty seconds had passed, was the man able to speak. "What?" he said finally, in a weak voice."Please, sir," replied Oliver, "i want some more." no sooner had the boy spoken these words than the warden hit him on the head with the soup spoon. Then he seized Oliver arms and held him, while he shoutedfor Mr. Bumble.The managers of the workhouse were having a meeting when Mr Bumble rushed into the room in great excitement. Speaking to the leader of the meeting, he said, "Mr. Limbkins, i am sorry, sir! Oliver Twist has asked for more!"The faces of everyone in the room showed complete astonishment. "For more!" said Mr Limbkins. "Think carefully, Mr Bumble, and answer me clearly. Do I understand that he asked for more, after he had eaten his bowl of soup?""He did, sir," replied Bumble."Never have I heard anything like it!" said Mr Limbkins."They will hang that boy," said a gentleman in a white jacket. "i know that they will hang him."Nobody disagreed with the gentleman's opinion. A lively discussion took place. Oliver was immediately locked in a room. The next morning anotice was put up on the door of the workhouse, offering a reward to anybody who would employ Oliver Twist."I never was more sure of anything in my life," said the gentleman in the white jacket, as he knocked at the door and read the notice the next morning. "I never was more sure of anything in my life -- that boy will be hanged."Great ExpectationsPhilip Pirrip, known as Pip, is an orphan who lives with his sister and her husband. The family is poor and Pip's sister does not treat him very well. One day the boy helps a starving convict called Abel Magwitch. Magwitch has escaped from prison but is soon caught again and sent to Australia in a prison ship.Some months later, Pip is invited to visit a lonely but wealthy old lady called Miss Havisham. At her house, Pip meets and becomes very fond of a beautiful girl called Estella, who live there. However,Estella is cold and cruel to him, always telling him that she is "better" than him. She is encouraged in this by Miss Havisham, whose fiancé left her on her wedding day, and who, as a result, hates all men. Some years later, Pip learns that an unknown person intends to give him money every month. Pip believes that it is Miss Havisham who has done this for him. With this money, he goes to London, becomes educated and is able to live very comfortably.Magwitch returns to England illegally, having made a lot of moneyin Australia. He finds Pip and tells him that it is he, Magwitch, who has been giving Pip the money. He has been doing this in order to repay the boy's kindness. Sadly, Magwitch is caught by the police and dies. We learn that Estella is in fact Magwitch's daughter. She marries Bentley Drummle, a wealthy man who treats her very badly, but dies when he is quite young.Meanwhile, Pip leaves England and has a successful career. He returns and meets Estella, who has at last learnt the meaning of love. The two marry.Dickens' LondonDickens' cast of characters lived in London, the largest and richestcity in the world. But its wealth was distributed unfairly among the population. Every chapter of his novels describes the sights, sounds, and smells of the city, and provides a social commentary of London life. In the middle of the 19th century, London was a filthy city forrich and poor people alike. Although on clear days, the air was filledwith sparrows and seagulls flying high above, more often the smoking chimney pipes created smog which was so strong that it choked the inhabitants. The River Thames was polluted, causing disease and death everywhere, and if you fell in, it was dangerous to swallow the water. The East End was London's poorest district, where children wore rags for clothes and the women searched in dustbins for food. Few people could ever hope to attain an acceptable standard of living. Many people suffered from the effects of poor nutrition and even starvation because of a lack of food, yet their welfare was of no concern to the taxpayers of London. Ships from all points of the compass would drop anchor here at the main port of London. South of the river lies Southwark, another poor district. The George Inn was a busy coaching stop with food and accommodation for travelers leaving London, and for carriers taking goods into the city.But some Londoners had accumulated enormous wealth through trade. In the old City of London are housed the many banks and corporations which Dickens mentions. Further west and opposite Southwark stands Somerset House, where Dickens' father worked for the navy. Close by are the law courts, where lawyers and their clerks, carrying piles of paperwork, would hurry to the trials. There were many squares and gardens with water pumps and fountains, as well as smart restaurants and pubs.Servants would buy fruit and vegetables at Covent Garden market for their rich families, and maids would buy bunches of flowers to decorate their mistresses' rooms.The West End is the theatre district where Dickens felt at home because, surprisingly ,he thought he would accomplish more with his drama than with his novels. It is also the London of government, where politicians, ministers, ambassadors as well as more humble pedestrians walked home at night through streets lit with gas lanterns.London is very different today, and few people mourn the passing of the old city. But you can still see many of the sights which Dickens saw and wrote about in his novels.Charles DickensCharles Dickens (1812-1870) was born in London. His father was put in prison because he could not pay his bills, and two days after his 13th birthday, Dickens started work in a factory, experiencing real poverty. He was very unhappy, but later in life, he was able to write very well about poverty because he had actually experienced it himself.Dickens always had a huge amount of energy. As a young man, he worked for newspapers; and as a political journalist, he met all kindsof people. He used all these experiences in his writing. Dickens started writing novels in his early thirties and became successful almost immediately. Oliver Twist, his second novel, was published in 1838 and was hugely successful. It told the story of a young orphan alone in the dangerous streets of London. The story ends happily - the young boy discovers who his real parents are and finds a loving home. However, it brought child poverty to the attention of the public, and for thisreason alone it is a very important novel.Over the next 25 years, Dickens wrote a large number of popular novels that are still read today. Among the most famous are David Copperfield(1849-1850), A Tale of Two Cities (1859) and Great Expectations (1860-1861). Dickens often wrote about the problems of poor people, and as a result of his work, the lives of the poor were improved. Dickens' books were popular in both American and England, and the novelist traveled round both countries, reading from his novels. Heoften became very excited during these readings. Some people believethat he had a heart attack as a result of his excitement during the reading of the final part of Oliver Twist.Module 4 Music Born in AmericaAll You Need to Know About Hip HOPPART1What is hip hop and how did it start?Hip hop is an American cultural movement which started in the 1970s and block parties in New York, especially in a district called the Bronx. There are four main aspects of hip hop: breakdance and graffiti art plus two types of hip hop music - DJ-ing and rapping. Rapping is also knownas MC- ing (coming from the term master of ceremonies). The DJs at block parties in the 1970s played a lot of soul music and they noticed that people preferred the percussion breaks in the songs because they werethe best parts to dance to. So they started repeating the percussion breaks. This is a technique used by DJs in Jamaica. There were a lot of Jamaicans in New York who brought the idea with them. At first, they played a lot of reggae.PART2What was the big breakthrough?DJ Herc, one of the most popular Jamaican DJs at the time, noticed that New York audiences didn't really like reggae music, so he started。

The Story of J.K. Rowling and Harry PotterThe elder stateswoman of British fantasy literature is J.K. Rowling, the gifted creator of Harry Potter. Joanne Rowling’s roots are in the southwest of England, where she grew up. But the idea for Harry Potter came to her while she was on a delayed train between Manchester and London. She wrote down her ideas on the back of an envelope. She then went to teach English in Portugal, where she continued to add flesh to the bones of the first Harry Potter story. But her name is forever associated with Edinburgh in Scotland, where she lived and developed the format for the whole series of seven books.There are many anecdotes about how, in 1990, J.K. Rowling began the first draft of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. She had the extra burden of looking after her baby daughter while she worked, and because she was too poor to own a typewriter, she wrote by hand. She spent many hours over a single cup of coffee in a warm cafeteria in Edinburgh because she had no money to pay for the heating at home.Success was not swift and Rowling might have given up. But she was stubborn and overcame all the difficulties. It was only in 1997 that she completed the first Harry Potter story, which, because the publishers in the USA requested an adjustment to thetitle, was also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.Rowling always intended that her output would be a book every year until she had finished the series. In fact, it took her about ten years to complete. But after the first book, the success of each of the following titles was automatic. The fifth book, The Order of the Phoenix sold about seven million copies the day it was published.Rowling’s style has been a target for some criticism, but what makes the books so important is that, because they appeal to readers of all ages, they create a special literary bond between parents and children. In an age of computer games and television programmes , it is also claimed they are responsible for a renewed interest in reading. Harry Potter has even become part of the school curriculum, much to the pleasure of the schoolchildren.And the Harry Potter effect is not just restricted to the English-speaking world. Rowling’s books have been translated into more than 55 languages, and it has been estimated that more than 250 million copies have been distributed around the world. In 2005 it was estimated that Rowling had accumulated more than one billion dollars on deposit in her bank. She has thus attained the status of being the first writer to become a billionaire.。

Module 1Antarctica:the last continent1______________________________Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. It’s also the driest. With annual rainfall close to zero, Antarctica is technically a desert. Covering about 14 million square kilometres around the South Pole, it is the fifth largest continent in the world. A high mountain range, the Trans-Antarctic range, runs from east to west, cutting the continent in two. There are volcanoes too, but they are not very active. Antarctica holds 90% of the world’s ice, and most of its fresh water (70%) is in a frozen state, of course. 98% of the surface is covered permanently in the ice cap. On average it is two kilometres thick, but in some places it reaches a depth of five kilometres.Strong winds driven by gravity blow from the pole to the coastline, while other winds blow round the coast. It is difficult to imagine a more inhospitable place.2______________________________Yet Antarctica is full of wildlife, which has adapted to its extreme conditions.There are different types of penguins, flying birds, seals, and whales. But the long Antarctic winter night, which lasts for 182 days (the longest period of continuous darkness on earth), as well as the extreme cold and lack of rainfall, means that few types of plants can survive there. Only two types of flowering plants are found, while there are no trees on the large continent. The rest of the plants are made up of mosses, algae and lichen. Some forms of algae have adapted to grow on ice.3______________________________Most of the ice has been there for thousands of years. As a result, it has become a window on the past, and can give researchers lots of useful information. Gases and minerals, in the form of volcanic dust trapped in the ice, can tell us a lot about what the worlds climate was like in past ages. Antarctic rocks are also very important for research. Most of them are meteorites from outer space. One rock, known us the “Alien” rock, may contain evidence of extra-terrestrial life. Since most Antarctic rocks arc dark in colour, they stand out against the while background and are easy to identify and collect.4______________________________Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered. But more than two thousand years ago Greek geographers believed that there was a large land mass in the south which balanced the land in the north. They called it Anti-Arktikos, or Antarctica:the opposite of Arctic. When Europeans discovered the continent of America in the 15th century, the great age of exploration began. However, progress to the South Pole was slow. Not until the late 18th century did the British explorer James Cook cross the Antarctic Circle, but he never saw land. Then in 1895, a Norwegian called Carstens Borchgrevink became the first man to set foot on the Antarctic mainland. The race to the pole had begun. It was finally reached on 11th December, 1911 by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen.5______________________________Today scientists from many countries travel to Antarctica to study its resources. A spirit of international friendship has replaced the rivalry that existed between many of the earlier explorers. In 1961, a treaty signed by 12 countries, including Britain, France, and the USA, made Antarctica the world's biggest nature reserve. The aim of the treaty is to prevent the commercial and military use of the continent. In particular, it aims to keep Antarctica free from nuclear tests and radioactive waste; to promote international scientific projects; and to end arguments about who owns the land. Today countries representing 80% of the world’s population have signed the treaty. Antarctica has become perhaps the most successful symbol of man’s efforts to work together for progress and peace.H ow Failure Became SuccessOn 8th August, 1914,27 men who had replied to an advertisement in The Times boarded a ship leaving for the Antarctic. The name of the ship was the Endurance and the captain was an Irishman called Ernest Shackleton.The aim of the journey was to cross the frozen continent via the South Pole－a journey of 1,800 miles. Shackleton thought the journey would last six months. But when land came into sight, the Endurance became trapped in the ice and began to break up. Shackleton and his men watched the Endurance sink into the icy sea. They then headed north, pulling three lifeboats behind them.After six days, bad weather forced them to give up and the men set up camp on a sheet of ice which began slowly moving across the Antarctic Circle.They survived on the ice for five months. Then, on 16th April, 1915,Shackleton saw land. It was Elephant Island－a large rock with nothing growing on it, but much better than a floating piece of ice. When they reached the island, Shackleton came up with an idea－it was a risk but he would have to take it. He and five men would take one of the lifeboats, and sail 800 miles to South Georgia, where there was a permanent camp. They could then return to rescue the rest of the men.It took Shackleton 17 days to reach South Georgia. Unfortunately he landed on the wrong side of the island, and had to walk 36 hours over mountains to reach the camp. The whale hunters at the camp couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the six men walking down from the mountains.Shackleton kept his promise. More than three months later, he returned to ElephantIsland to rescue the crew he had been forced to abandon. He had failed to reach the pole－but he had saved the lives of all his men.Welcome to the South Poles!South Poles? How many are there?In fact, there are three South Poles: a ceremonial Pole ,which is on the moving glacier, a geographical or true Pole, and a magnetic Pole.which changes its position according to the movement of the Earth.Is it safe?Because the South Pole is a high altitude site, the glare of the sunlight here is very intense. It’s also reflected by the sn ow, so if you go outside, remember to wear sunglasses and use suncream. If you don’t, there’s a severe risk that you’ll damage your eyesight or get badly sunburnt.Is it cold?Yes! Be very careful out in the open air! The temperature is between minus 21℃ in the summer and minus 78℃in the winter, and you can become numb with cold without realising. There’s heavy frost even on the warmest summer days, and if it’s quiet you can hear your breath freeze. So if you leave the station, dress warmly and carry dry clothing and a portable radio.Is there anything good about the weather?The air is very pure, and it doesn’t snow very much－only about four millimetres a year. There’s very little wind and the sky is usually clear. It’s possibly the calmest place on Earth.What’s it like to live here?Life is quite abnormal. Sunrise and sunset come once every six months, and in the winter the total absence of daylight can be tiresome, and for some, depressing. We’re totally isolated except for radio and electronic communications, as no aircraft can fly here for about eight months.Where do we live?The South Pole scientific station is situated on a platform of ice, 3,000－4,000 metres high, but under only a few millimetres of snow. We have a minimum of 28 peopleliving here in the winter and a maximum of 125 in the summer. The living quarters are modest with few luxuries,but cosy.There’s a comfortable dormitory for sleeping ,the canteen serves great food, and there's a well-stocked library of DVDs and videos. But showers and laundry are limited, because water is very valuable. We discourage you from smoking except in specific areas. Medical assistance is available in case of an emergency.Any other advice?Remember that conventional equipment doesn’t always work as it should do. If you use an electric drill, the power cord will snap. Photography is tricky too, as film is fragile and the camera battery doesn’t work in the cold.Don’t leave any rubbish, and don’t forget that the ecology of Antarctica is very delicate, so don’t take any souvenirs home with you, and be careful to leave nothing but footprints.Finally, remember that we’re all visitors to the South Pole. It’s a privilege, not a right to come to this extraordinary place.The Travels of Marco PoloThe year is 1271 AD. Imagine a 17- year-old boy from Venice, Italy, well- educated and trained for life as a rich trader. He sets off with his father and uncle on a 25-year journey to mysterious, distant lands that most people in Europe have never heard of. While on their journey buying and selling spices, silks and jewels, they befriend one of the most powerful men on Earth, Kubla Khan.The boy’s name was Marco Polo and many years later a book about his travels was published which made him famous. Marco Polo told his fantastic stories to a writer named Rustichello who wrote them down for him. This man was well- known for his stories and romantic tales of the legendary English King Arthur, but so many people doubted the reliability of his book The Travels of Marco Polo.However, Chinese historians have found obscure names and facts in the book that could only have been known to someone intimate with the country.Many of Marco’s stories were about China and its people. He told stories about the towns, cities and populations in great detail. He described the amazing things he saw in China such as paper money and black stone that burned (coal). With very littlecontact between China and the West, it is not surprising that people in a rich powerful place like Venice could not believe his stories, nor in the idea of huge, rich city states inhabited by millions of people. There could surely be no comparison with Venice?A general myth has grown up around Marco Polo that he introduced such things as spaghetti and ice cream from China to the West. There is no truth to any of these claims and actually they are not mentioned in Marco Polo’s book.However, Marc o Polo’s book is still a unique insight for its age. Most importantly it was a great influence for many future travellers.Christopher Columbus left behind a well- worn copy that he read as inspiration on his own voyages to America.Last Part of Journey for First Women to Cross Antarctica1___________________The first two women to cross the Antarctic continent on foot have begun the last part of their long journey. Liv Arnesen, who is 47 and comes from Norway, and Ann Bancroft, who is a 45-year-old from the USA, have been skiing across the ice since 13th November. They have been using sails to help them pull their equipment, which weighs 110 kilos, behind them.2__________________On Sunday they reached the Ross Ice Shelf, 90 days after they first left home. The Ross Ice Shelf is a flat piece of floating ice which is bigger than France. There are 750 kilometres of dangerous ice left to cross before they reach McMurdo Station. They must arrive there by 22nd February in order to board the ship which will be waiting for them. If they are late, the ship risks being trapped in the ice.3_________________The temperature is,on average, minus 34℃, but this is not extreme in polar exploration. When the wind blows it can be much colder. But it is summer in the Antarctic at the moment, so the sun never goes down － it slays light 24 hours a day. There is no sound apart from the wind and sometimes a loud noise like a thunderstorm when a giant piece of ice breaks away from the shelf and falls into the sea. The main risk to polar explorers is not the cold; it is sunburn. There are no clouds or pollution to hide the sun, so the air is very dear; you can see for 70 kilometres.4_________________Both the explorers used to be teachers. They have a satellite phone, so that they can talk around the world. As they cross the ice, heading towards the South Pole, schoolchildren from all over the world are following them on the Internet. Miss Bancroft said that they did not feel alone knowing that so many people had made friends with them using the Internet.5_________________The two women have had to eat dried food, which they mix with snow and then cook. The food is enough for the body’s needs, but do es not taste very good. “We are feeling very tired because of spending 91 days fighting the ice and wind. We are both a little thinner than when we started”，said Miss Bancroft, “it’s a dream come true for us － but it will be good to get home, see our families and have a hot bath!”Module 2The RenaissanceFor many people, the Renaissance means 14th to 16th century Italy, and the developments in art and architecture, music and literature which took place there at that time. But there is one work which, perhaps more than any other, expresses the spirit of the Renaissance: the Mona Lisa. It is believed to be the best example of a new lifelike style of painting that amazed people when it was first used. Painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the years 1503－1506, the Mona Lisa is a mysterious masterpiece. People want to know who Mona Lisa is, and why she is smiling. Even if people do not know much about the Renaissance, they have heard of this painting. But the Renaissance is, of course, more than just Mona Lisa. Renaissance is a French word which means “rebirth” and it firs t appeared in English in the 19th century. The word was used to describe a period in European history which began with the arrival of the first Europeans in America, an age of exploration, and the beginning of the modern world. It was as if Europe was waking up after the long sleep of the Middle Ages. From Italy, the ideas of the Renaissance rapidly spread northwards to France, Germany, England, and the rest of Europe.Trade with other parts of the world meant that Europe was getting richer, too. Thismeant that people had money to spend on the arts; and it became easier for artists to find people who could afford to buy their works or employ them. Leonardo worked for important people such the Duke of Milan, and, towards the end of his life, the King of France.Renaissance artists found new ideas for their work in classical Greece and Rome. But they looked forward, too, by opening new frontiers in the arts. Painters discovered how to perspective and the effects of light; composers put different voices together and create polyphony (“many voic es"); architects preferred designing buildings with more light which contrasted with the heaviness of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages.The sense of exploration which motivated the artists went hand in hand with a new type of philosophy. After centuries of accepting a medieval world view in which human life was considered of little value compared with the greatness of God, philosophers began asking questions like “What is a person?” or “Why am I here?”For the first time, they put people, not religion, at the centre of the universe.The Renaissance was a time of scientific invention, too. Leonardo, as well as being one of the greatest painters the world has ever known, was also a skilled inventor. Wherever he went, he carried a notebook around with him, in which he wrote down his ideas. They included detailed drawings of the human body, plans for engineers to build canals and bridges, and astonishing drawings of machines which were not to be built until hundreds of years later, such as aeroplanes, parachutes, submarines and tanks. Towards the end of his life he was employed by the King of 65 France to do scientific research, and he did not have a lot of time for painting.In short, Leonardo was an extraordinary genius, an example of what has been described as “Renaissance man”: someone interested in everything and with many different talents. But even if his only contribution to history had been the Mona Lisa, it would have been genius enough for all time.READING AND WRITING (2)ThursdayWe arrived on the overnight ferry to the Hook of Holland and took a train toAmst erdam Central Station. It was only a short ride. It’s not easy to find your way aro und the town. A lot of the roads follow the canals, which aren’t straight but are shaped like horseshoes. So you can walk along a street for half an hour or so and end up five minutes from where you started. However, most people don’t walk－ there are three million bikes in town and a good bus and tram system. There are boats, too. About half of them are for tourists, the others are houseboats with people living on them. We spent the whole day walking. Tomorrow we’re going to rent bikes.FridayWe spent today looking at houses. The architecture is astonishing, quite different from other European countries we’ve been to. The houses are tall and thin, and many of them have a fantastically ornate Renaissance appearance. In the Middle Ages the houses were made of wood. Then, at the end of the 15th century there was a huge fire and about three quarters of the town was destroyed. After that, houses were made of brick. Unlike other places in Europe, where house owners were taxed on the size of －their windows, here the taxes depended on the width of the house －so they kept them narrow, but built them tall. Well, that's what Claire says, and she read it in the guidebook.SaturdayWe visited the Van Gogh Museum, instead of the more famous Rijksmuseum. It was astonishing. 1 hadn’t really looked at any of Van Gogh’s paintings before. He seems to have re-invented the art. It doesn’t matter whether he is doing a portrait or a landscape — he’s a genius. In the last 70 days of his life before he shot himself he produced 70 paintings, and I reckon they’re almost all masterpieces. Yet in all his life Van Gogh only ever sold one painting! We must have spent three hours in that museum. When we came out I told Claire I thought Van Gogh was the greatest painter in history. She reminded me that we were leaving for Paris tomorrow, where we were going to see the most famous painting in the world ...The Puzzle of the Mona LisaThe Mona Lisa is the subject of many stories, but there is one anecdote which remains a puzzle. Is the painting in the Louvre the authentic work by Leonardo da Vinci... or just a copy?The story began one day in 1911 when someone noticed the Mona Lisa was missing.A spokesman said, “The burglar left the antique frame and the glass behind. He m ust have gone through the basement to the main courtyard. A passerby saw a man with a moustache, carrying a parcel under his arm, dash over the street crossing, along to the crossroads. He then fled down a sideroad. We’re appealing to anyone who saw the suspect to contact us.”So who stole the Mona Lisa? And why? News about the loss of the Mona Lisa was circulated in all the French newspapers, and there was a widespread search for the burglar all over the country. The police said, “We don’t think the burg lar was working alone. We’re seeking a gang of criminals.”Two years later, a man with a moustache went to an dealer in Florence in Italy and made a tentative attempt to sell the Mona Lisa. The art dealer checked it, agreed it was authentic ... and then called the police.Why did the burglar, Vincenzo Perugia, wait so long? Perugia had stolen the Mona Lisa on behalf of the chief organiser of the crime, Eduardo de Valfierno. But Perugia made a fundamental mistake. He trusted de Valfierno to pay him for the painting. The drawback for Perugia was that de Valfierno didn’t in fact need the painting, only the news of the theft. De Valfierno made six superb copies and sold them, claiming that each one was the authentic stolen painting. Of course, the fact that there were six substitutes was confidential. The six buyers didn't know about the other paintings. What's more, de Valfierno didn’t need to pay his debt to Perugia.After two years, Perugia got tired of waiting to be paid, and tried to sell the painting. When the real Mona Lisa turned up in Florence, De Valfierno simply told his buyers that it was merely a copy.The outcome of the story is that Perugia got the blame for the crime and went to prison. De Valfierno remained at liberty for the rest of his life.But there is still a puzzle. There were a number of precise copies of the Mona Lisa painted by gifted students of Leonardo da Vinci. Part of the painting’s fascination is whether the one in the Louvre was authentic... even before it was stolen. And if Perugia stole a copy ... who has the authentic Mona Lisa?PrintingPrinting is the process of making many copies of a single document using movable characters or letters. In China, printing was known as early as in the 7th century, during the Tang Dynasty; in Europe, it was an important part of the Renaissance. Printing answered a need because people were thirsty for Knowledge.Before printing was invented, copies of a manuscript had to be made by hand, usually on animal skins. This was a difficult task that could take many years, and which made books very expensive. Printing made it possible to produce more copies in a few weeks than could have been produced in a lifetime written out by hand.It is believed that a German, Johann Gutenberg, made the first printing press in Europe. He adapted it from the machines farmers used to squeeze oil from olives. It used paper, which was more suitable for printing (and cheaper) than animal skins. Paper, like printing,had been invented much earlier in China and it had found its way to Europe, via southeast Asia and then India. By the 10th century AD, paper was being produced in Baghdad. The first paper mill in Europe was built at the end of the 12th century.The first book that Gutenberg produced was a Bible. But as the ideas of the Renaissance developed, so did the demand for the Greek and Latin classics, which had been largely ignored for up to 2,000 years. People also wanted books in their own languages. The invention of printing meant that this desire could be satisfied.Soon there were printing presses all over northern Europe. In 1476 William Caxton set up his own press in London, and England became one of the most important centres of the printing industry. This spread of printed books led to a renewed passion for artistic expression. Without the development of the printing press, the Renaissance may never have happened. Without inexpensive printing to make books available to a large section of society, the son of John Shakespeare, a government official in rural England in the mid-1500s, may never have been inspired to take up writing as a profession.What western civilization gained from Gutenberg’s contribution is impossible to calculate.Venice , Endangered CityThere can be few more beautiful cities in the world than Venice; but as the world’s sea levels rise due to the warming of the atmosphere, there is also a danger that itsastonishing architecture and precious works of art may one day end up at the bottom of the Mediterranean.One of the most famous parts of Venice, visited by millions of tourists, is St Mark’s Square. 150 years ago it used to flood once or twice a year. Now it floods every week. The effect on people’s lives, and on the wonderful Renaissance buildings, is terrible. One Venetian s aid: “I don’t know anyone who sleeps on the ground floor of their house any more. It’s always t oo wet and sometimes the water comes in.”The city’s battle with water dates back over 1,500 years. Its wealth has always depended on its position in the middle of the sea, which meant that it was easy for ships to stop there and trade. By the time of the Renaissance in the 15th century, it was one of the world’s richest cities, trading with both the East and the West. But the city’s leaders always depended on skilled engineers to keep Venice from sinking under the waves. The wonderful architecture is supported by huge sections of trees pushed deep into the earth under the water. Wood is destroyed by a combination of air and water; but under the earth there is no air, so the wood has survived one and a half thousand years. For centuries the Venetians made careful calculations about how to keep the water level from getting too high. But in the 20th century the knowledge was basically forgotten. People did not realise the effect that taking water out of the ground would have on the city. During the 1950s factories took water out of the earth, making it drier; then the weight of the buildings squeezed the earth and the entire city started to sink. By the time the government found out what was happening, Venice had sunk 20 centimetres.That problem has now gone away－but the news about Venice is still very disturbing. Across the world, the height of the sea is going up all the time; and the whole of the northeast of Italy is moving downwards, and taking Venice with it. Unless the government comes up with an answer soon, this Renaissance jewel could be lost for ever.Module 3Passage 1Chinese people think a lot about food. In fact, I think that they are sometimes obsessed with it. My first experience of this aspect of Chinese culture came at abanquet during a trip to Beijing in 1998. I had eaten Chinese food often, but I could not have imagined how fabulous a real Chinese banquet could be. The first six or seven dishes seemed to fill the table, with plates dangerously balanced one on top of another. I thought this vast wave of food was the total number of dishes to be served, and I started eating greedily. Everyone else just tasted a bit of each dish and then put their cho psticks down, continuing to chat. “They can’t have very big appetites,”I thought.To my surprise, more dishes arrived, plus soups, side dishes, and desserts. There was enough to feed a whole army. No wonder my fellow guests had had only a few bites of each dish; they knew what was still to come. But I was already so full that I could only watch as the banquet continued.Another aspect of “food culture” is that the Chinese seem to eat almost every part of every animal－much to the horror of many westerners. Stomach, intestines, ears, tongue, tail, hoof, and lungs are all likely to end up on the dinner table in front of you. The first time I saw a three-year-old kid cheerfully chewing a chicken’s head I had bad dreams for weeks.These days I enjoy that sort of food myself, a recent trip to the United States I suddenly felt like some Chinese delicacies, and asked the guy at the meat counter of a supermarket, “Do yo u have pigs’ ears?” “No,” he said, pulling at the own ear, “just these ordinary ones.” He must have thought I was joking.However, there are other kinds of foods that have taken longer for me to accept. The infamous choudoufu is an example. (The name says it all “stinky tofu”.)Just when I got used to it, I found another variety on a trip to Hunan: deep-fried choudoufu,a horrible black substance that looked and smelled about as appetising as a burnt tennis shoe. Maybe I’ll get used to that, too-someday.Passage 2The first time I ate British food I was in the canteen of a London publisher. Some people just sat down on the sofa to eat. I was amazed at their easy and graceful manner while I stood there feeling somewhat confused by the food. At the counter there were colourful mixtures in eight or nine big boxes. It was quite hard to make out what they contained. The waiter put these foods inside bread or potatoes according to people’s requirements. I still remember what I ate: a tuna fish and cheese sandwich. Itdidn’t actually taste bad, but to me the cold fish, cold cheese, and even the bread from the fridge, was a meal that would make you feel cold inside. Later, I found out that British people like cold food. Their salad, for example, is made from vegetables which are only washed before serving, while Chinese food is prepared more carefully. The Chinese have a fixed phrase “cold leftovers”. Cold food means poverty－you don’t give it to a guest! No wonder westerners like Chinese food.I also learned that the English like to mix food before serving it at the table. I once ordered mushroom soup in a restaurant and was astonished when it was brought to the table. It seemed to be just a bowl of grey liquid and it was only after I had lasted it that I knew it was actually cooked with mushrooms. The things sandwiches and baked potatoes are also various kinds of mashed food, like the fillings of jiaozi in Beijing. The food here goes against the Chinese sense of beauty and style at the dinner table. Chinese dishes can be photographed and have a nice appearance. We would never mash food into an unrecognizable shape.What’s more, the names of many kinds of English food are hard to remember. In fact, they often use French or Italian words. But one thing I do admire is the polite manner in which British people eat, even if it is just a potato.An Embarrassing MomentThe perfect host is the one who saves his guest from embarrassment whatever the cost. When Edward VII became King of England in 1901, he was already nearly 60 years old. He liked travelling, meeting people, and eating well. In short he liked having a good time.Once evening he was entertaining the ruler of a small island in the Pacific. The menu included asparagus, which his guest had never eaten before, Asparagus is by nature tender and tasty at one end, but gets tougher and difficult to eat at the other end. Usually people leave the part which is difficult to eat on their plates.As soon as the Polynesian guest tasted the asparagus he remarked how delicious it was. However, when he realised that he could not eat the tough part, he simply threw it over his shoulder onto the floor behind him. The guests were astonished, but went on eating .The King said nothing. However, when he had finished his asparagus, he too threw the piece that was left over his shoulder.。

外研社选修7课文原文（每个模块4篇）Module 1BasketballMichael Jordan – Head and Shoulders Above the Rest! During the 1990s, Michael Jordan was probably the best-known athlete in the world. He was the top scorer in the NBA, and played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1993. He was named their most valued player five times. Wearing his famous number 23 shirt, Michael Jordan became the most successful basketball player in the history of the game.Jordan was born in New York and grew up in North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina for a year before leaving to join the Chicago Bulls. He finished his first season (1984-1985) as one of the top scorers in the league, with an average of 28.2 points per game.In 1987, Jordan became only the second player to score more than 3,000 points in a season. He was the top scorer in the NBA for seven consecutive seasons (1987-1993). During this time, the average number of points he scored was more than 30 points per game. With him, the Bulls won their first NBA championship in1991. During this successful period they won the title again in 1992 and1993. Jordan was also in the United States Olympic Basketball Team, known as “the Dream Team”, which won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.Jordan surprised everyone when he retired before the 1993-1994 season, but he rejoined the Chicago Bulls and won three more championships with them from 1996 to 1998. he played again for the Washington Wizards before finally retiring from sport in 2003 at the age of 40. Millions of fans admire his athletic ability, motivation and confidence. They have fantastic stories to tell about Michael Jordan, such as the time when he rescued the Bulls from ending a game on a tie. He stepped to the line and made two free throws. Each time he threw the ball straight through the basket – and each time he had his eyes closed.Off the basketball court, Michael Jordan opened his own steak restaurant because he loves steak so much. He also found success as an actor in the film Space Jam alongside the famous cartoon character Bugs Bunny!There is only one word to describe the best player in the world –awesome!Wilt the Stilt – the Tower of Power!Michael Jordan was the second player to score more than 3,000points in a season – but the first was Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia on 21st August 1936. He was one of the 11 children, the only one who was very tall. His father William worked in a shipyard and his mother Olivia was a cleaner. As a child, Chamberlain had various health problems. He had pneumonia and almost died when he was ten.Chamberlain is the only NBA player who averaged over 50 points per game for an entire season. At one point, Chamberlain was so much better than all the other players that they changed the rules of the game to try to stop him!The giant player joined the NBA’s Philadelphia Warriors in the 1959-1960 season and was an immediate success. During 14 seasons with four different teams, Chamberlain was named the most valued player in the league four times. On 2nd March 1962, he scored 100 points in a single game – no one has ever done that since! The final score was Warriors 169 New York Knicks 147!He ended his career after five amazing seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. By the time he retired, Wilt held many NBA records: he scored 50 or more points 118 times and 60 or more points 32 times.Was Wilt Chamberlain better than Michael Jordan? Who knows? But there is no doubt that he deserves the title “outstandin gplayer of his generation”.Is Yao Ming Too Nice to Be a Star?Jeff Van Gundy, the head coach of the Houston Rockets, has a dream. He wants Yao Ming to be like other players. Star players, says Gundy, are “selfish” and want the ball all the time. “Let’s put it this way,” he said. “When they ask for the ball, they don’t say ‘please’!”Yao, however, is a selfless and kind person. He has been brought up and trained in this way. It is not in his nature to be “selfish” and “rude”.When he first arrived in the US, Yao was an instant hit among basketball fans nationwide. They all loved this kind, gentle but powerful giant. Van Gundy wanted to build his team around the talented Chinese player. To do this, he told Yao to be more aggressive and, if necessary, to be rude to his teammates.“He’s a wonderful guy, he has every physical basketball skill and he puts the team first,” Van Gundy said. “But I want him to be a star, not just a great team player. He’s got to think that he’s the best player out the re. That way, he can dominate the game.”“At first, I didn’t really understand what the coach wanted,” Yao said. “But now I do. In China, everyone gave me the ball, I didn’t have to ask! Here, I have to be a little ‘impolite’! I’m not quiteused to it yet. If you give me a little time, I can get more used to it. I have to learn to be l little more ‘selfish’.”Dizzy Heights of School BasketballBasketball is one of the safest sports. Unlike wrestling or boxing, it’s not usually dangerous. One reason fo r this is that the players’ energy is partly directed upwards, at a 90-degree angle to the ground, and over the heads of the others. So there’s less risk of a collision between two players.In other sports, such as baseball and American football, the player’ energy moves parallel to the ground and towards their opponents, so they wear helmets which give adequate protection to their heads.But although basketball players wear socks and sneakers which are specially designed to absorb energy when they bound into the air, they war no other protection, just a vest and shorts. If there is an abrupt change of direction in their energy, from vertical to horizontal, such as when they accelerate across the court, bouncing the ball, there is a real danger of personal injury.For example, in the Kent State High School Basketball tournament, Chandler High was playing St Mary Central and at the interval the score was 50-52. but St Mary had appointed a captainwho was not a typical basketball player. Whereas everyone else was tall and slim with short haircuts, Joe Johannsen was short and stout, with long hair and a large belly. But he was really fast, and when he obtained control of the ball, he could make a circuit of the court and reach the opposing team’s b oundary within seconds.Anyhow, twelve minutes into the second half, Frank Sackler, the Chandler star player, made a controversial pass over Joe’s head. Joe stepped aside and dipped his head down. Sackler bounced off him and committed a foul. The referee interrupted the match ,and there was a suspension of play. But Joe was unhurt, short the penalty, and the score was 88-90. there were three minutes to go.Joe immediately took possession of the ball and ran, … and suddenly 80 kilos hit the Chandler star, who howled loudly in pain and fell, with his nose bleeding and a cut on his left cheek. For a moment, he lay very still ,and the referee even checked his pulse, but soon confirmed he was OK. But when Sackler stood up he was dizzy, so they put a bandage round his head, a blanket round his shoulders, and called an ambulance to take him to the hospital. Joe was a considerate guy, and apologized as Sackler left, sniffing and weeping, either in pain or in frustration.Chandler scored with the penalty, and their teamwork had won the match. But Frank Sackler still has the scar on his face as asouvenir of the tournament.How Did They Start?How did American football start?Football – or soccer – started in England 800 years ago. The game was played with a round ball that players kicked but could not carry. There were two teams, but there were often a hundred players on each team!However, in 1823, William Webb Ellis, a pupil at Rugby School in England, picked up the ball during a soccer game and ran with it. Teachers at the school were shocked and angry but Webb Ellis’s schoolmates enjoyed this new game, which they named after the school. Eventually, rugby was played with an oval ball that could be both carried and thrown.Rugby was exported to the United States, changed a lot and became the sport that Americans now call football. During a game of American football, the ball can be kicked, thrown or carried.How did basketball start?Basketball was invented in 1891 in a gymnasium in Springfield, Massachusetts by Dr James Naismith, a physical education teacher. Naismith wanted to create a game that would provide exercise for a noisy class through the clod winter months. Naismith attached twobaskets to two tall poles at each end of the gymnasium and gave the players a soccer ball and told them to try to throw the ball into the baskets. Naismith later wrote 13 rules which are the basis of modern basketball rules.How did baseball start?The exact origin of baseball is unknown, but it is probably based on an old English game called rounders. In the USA, a version of the game became popular in the early 19th century and eventually, a man called Alexander Cartwright wrote the rules or baseball in 1845. Cartwright I called “the father of baseball” becau se the modern rules of the game are very similar to his original rules.Module 2Highlights of My Senior YearHighlights of My Senior YearI can hardly believe it, but my school life is almost over. Prom night has come and gone, and I’ve received my hi gh school diploma at last. It’s a good thing that the exams are finished. I feel too excited to think clearly. It seems strange to think that in a few days’ time I’ll be walking out of the school gates forever. The first thing I’m going to do is to take a long vacation!Meanwhile, I find myself looking back at my senior year, andthinking about all the wonderful things that have happened. I’ve decided to write them down so that one day, years from now, when I reread them ,the memories will come back.There’s so much to remember. One of the best things about this year has been working as an arts editor for this newspaper. I’ve so enjoyed it I love writing, and working on this paper is my first step towards becoming a journalist, so this has been a real success for me.Something else I’ve greatly enjoyed is working as a peer mediator, someone who helps students to settle problems that they have with other students. At the start of the school year, we were given training in how to do this, and it’s clear that this kind of work can really help people. I think I’ll continue to work as a mediator when I go to college.During the Easter vacation, I went on a short school skiing trip to the Rocky Mountains. I’ve been skiing quite a few times, but never with the school, and since two good friends came on the trip, we had great fun racing each other down the ski slopes. It’s well-known that Americans are competitive, and I did enjoy it whenever I won our races!Other things I’m pleased about – getting good grades on my final exams, and receiving the senior prize for English Literature. Iwas given a car by my parents so I’ve been able to drive to school, which is brilliant. And of course, I’ll never forget being elected to the student council. I really enjoyed meeting the teachers and telling them how we, the students, feel about thing, and what we think should happen in the school!All these things have been wonderful. But I have to say, the highlight of the year was the senior prom. For an A merican girl, it’s so important that you have a good time at the prom. Well, I did Daniel, a boy in my English class, asked me to go to the prom with him, and I was so pleased –I’d been hoping he would ask me. I found a dress that suited me perfectly, and had my hair specially done on the day of the prom. It took two hours but it was worth it, as everyone told me I looked very elegant! A group of us rented a nice car to take us to the prom. The food was delicious and I ate so much that I had to stop dancing for a while! We shared a table with some good friends, and laughed and told jokes all evening. It’s a great pity that it’s probably the last time this will happen.Daniel and I danced most of the dances together. But the big surprise of the evening was when I was elected prom queen! This was so unexpected, and I can’t tell you how good this made me feel! After the prom, a group of us drove down to the coast, and sat on the beach in our long dresses and dinner jackets. I shall never forgetwatching the sunrise over the sea – it was unforgettable! Afterwards, we went and had an enormous breakfast in a nearby hotel – it was a perfect ending to a perfect school year.After-school ActivitiesIn America, the development of social skills is considered as important as the development of intellectual skills. To help students develop these social skills, schools offers a large number of after-school activities, in other words, activities that take place outside classroom lessons. When deciding which students to accept, employers and colleges look for students who have skills in several areas. Exam grades are very important, but so are the after-school activities. By taking part in these activities, students show their special talents, their ability to lead, and their ability to get on with others.Competitive sports, for example, baseball, are probably the most popular of all the after-school activities. This is because, for many American parents, it is important that their children, particularly boys, learn how to compete successfully. Young people are encouraged to take part in team sports such as football and basketball, since these games teach to have the “winning spirit”. For some students and their parents, high school sport is consideredmore important than academic achievements.During the long summer holidays, it is a custom for American children to spend several weeks at summer camps. There are thousands of camps, and they can be found all over the country. What these camps offer is an opportunity to take part in many different kinds of outdoor activities, for example, horse riding and water skiing. Older teenagers are more likely to get summer jobs or go camping with a group of friends. Many go backpacking in the mountains of the west.My SchooldaysThey say that schooldays are the happiest days of your life, but not for me! My father worked abroad, so I was sent to a boarding school when I was seven. Like most schoolchildren, I had already been to nursery school. I could recite the alphabet, and read some simple books, but this was my first experience of the institution my parents called “big school’. In fact, the only preparation I had for this adventure was watching as my mother sewed my name tag into my shirts, trousers and woolen sweaters.I arrived with one suitcase, my only luggage for a term. I was shown to the dormitory where I would sleep with five other innocent boys. The bedding was a pillow, a sheet and a thin quilt. There weretwo worn armchairs, a few shabby cushions, an electric kettle to heat water for tea, some posters for decoration but no curtains. The washroom had a basin and a bathtub, but no heating. I’m ashamed to admit that I sobbed as I fell asleep that night.I remember that my first lesson was arithmetic. My first task was to multiply seven by three. No one explained why. It took me years to understand the greater mystery of algebra, geometry, and concepts such as cubic metres, acres and grams.We had a dynamic English teacher, a bachelor who had plenty of time for us boys and inspired my life-long love of literature. There was also a teacher of botanical science, who introduced me to my passion for flowers and plants. We spent hours studying the structure of leaves under the microscope.School regulations were strict. Being punctual for classes was essential, no one was allowed to be late. Sport was compulsory, and every week we had to go for a five-kilometre run, wearing just a T-shirt and a pair of shorts even on freezing cold November days. We all had to attend morning assembly, every weekday, except for boys of other faiths, who were allowed to stay in their classrooms. I wanted to become a Catholic simply so I could stay with my books!But there were also so many silly rules to follow, which irritated or even upset me. For example, everyone had to polish theirshoes every day, and no one was allowed trousers with zippers, only buttons! On Sundays, it was compulsory to write home. Every day I would check my mailbox, looking forward to my mummy’s airmail letter. But my parents lived in Asia and to my great disappointment, I only got a reply once a fortnight.I left eleven years later, with my school leaving certificate, anda scholarship to study at Oxford University. Many people talk about their happiness at school, but for me, at eighteen, all I felt was a sense of liberation.The American Art of CheerleadingWhat is a cheerleader?A cheerleader is a member of a team that dances and does gymnastics before and during competitive games such as baseball. They do this in order to encourage crowds to cheer their sports teams. The team is called cheerleading squad. Cheerleading only exists in America, and today it is mostly girl that do it.What is the history of cheerleading?Cheerleading began in all men colleges in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As time passed, more and more colleges started cheerleading, and more women started doing it than men. It was not until the 1920s that pompoms began to play an importantpart in cheerleading. At about the same time, cheerleaders began to include gymnastics in their routines. By the 1950s, most American high schools had cheerleading squads. In 1978, the National Cheerleading Championships were shown on television, and universities began offering courses in cheerleading. Today, cheerleading competitions are an important part of school and college life and for many squads, cheerleading is a very serious activity. Cheerleading squads, can be fund at most athletic events. How do Americans feel about cheerleading?For cheerleaders, their sport is just as serious as baseball or football. However, many Americans are amused by cheerleading and see it as rather a stupid activity. Cheerleaders reply that a lot of training is needed to do the dance and gym routines. Many girls try to become cheerleaders but very few are accepted. To be a cheerleader is to play a very important part in your school. In fact, cheerleading is considered so important in American that several movies have been made about it!Module 3LiteratureOliver Asks for MoreThe room in which the boys were fed was a large stone hall, with a large pot at one end. The warden, helped by two women, served the soup from this pot at meal times. Each boy was allowed one bowl of soup and no more, except on special holidays when he was given another 60 grams of bread. The bowls never needed washing, as the boys cleaned them with their spoons, trying to eat every bit of soup. This never took very long, as the spoons were almost as large as the bowls. When they had cleaned their bowls in this way, they would sit staring at the pot with eager eyes, as if they wanted to eat it. Boys usually have excellent appetites. Oliver Twist and his companions slowly starved for three months until finally, they became quite wild with hunger.There was one boy who was tall for his age, and was not used to being hungry all the time, as his father had kept a small cook shop. This boy told his friends that he had to have another bowl of soup each day. If he did not, he was afraid that one night he might eat the small young boy who slept next to him. The tall boy had a wild, hungry look in his eye and everyone believed him. The boys had a meeting. They decided that one of them should walk up to the warden after supper that evening and ask for more food. They wrote their names on pieces of paper and picked one out. It was Oliver Twist who was chosen.The evening arrived and the boys went to their places. The warden stood by the pot with his assistants in a line behind him. The soup was served and disappeared down the boy's throats. The boys whispered to each other, and those next to Oliver nudged him. Oliver, who was desperate with hunger and misery, rose from the table and walked toward the master with his bowl and spoon in his hand. Frightened by his own courage, he said, "please sir, i want some more."The warden was a fat, healthy man, but his face became very pale. He stared in complete astonishment at the child and held on to the pot for support. Not until at least thirty seconds had passed, was the man able to speak. "What?" he said finally, in a weak voice."Please, sir," replied Oliver, "i want some more." no sooner had the boy spoken these words than the warden hit him on the head with the soup spoon. Then he seized Oliver arms and held him, while he shouted for Mr. Bumble.The managers of the workhouse were having a meeting when Mr Bumble rushed into the room in great excitement. Speaking to the leader of the meeting, he said, "Mr. Limbkins, i am sorry, sir! Oliver Twist has asked for more!"The faces of everyone in the room showed complete astonishment. "For more!" said Mr Limbkins. "Think carefully, MrBumble, and answer me clearly. Do I understand that he asked for more, after he had eaten his bowl of soup?""He did, sir," replied Bumble."Never have I heard anything like it!" said Mr Limbkins."They will hang that boy," said a gentleman in a white jacket. "i know that they will hang him."Nobody disagreed with the gentleman's opinion. A lively discussion took place. Oliver was immediately locked in a room. The next morning a notice was put up on the door of the workhouse, offering a reward to anybody who would employ Oliver Twist."I never was more sure of anything in my life," said the gentleman in the white jacket, as he knocked at the door and read the notice the next morning. "I never was more sure of anything in my life —— that boy will be hanged."Great ExpectationsPhilip Pirrip, known as Pip, is an orphan who lives with his sister and h er husband. The family is poor and Pip’s sister does not treat him very well. One day the boy helps a starving convict called Abel Magwitch. Magwitch has escaped from prison but is soon caught again and sent to Australia in a prison ship.Some months later, Pip is invited to visit a lonely but wealthyold lady called Miss Havisham. At her house, Pip meets and becomes very fond of a beautiful girl called Estella, who live there. However, Estella is cold and cruel to him, always telling him that she is “better” than him. She is encouraged in this by Miss Havisham, whose fiancé left her on her wedding day, and who, as a result, hates all men.Some years later, Pip learns that an unknown person intends to give him money every month. Pip believes that it is Miss Havisham who has done this for him. With this money, he goes to London, becomes educated and is able to live very comfortably.Magwitch returns to England illegally, having made a lot of money in Australia. He finds Pip and tells him that it is he, Magwitch, who has been giving Pip the money. He has been doing this in order to repay the boy’s kindness. Sadly, Magwitch is caught by the police and dies. We learn that Estella is in fact Magwitch’s daughter. She marries Bentley Drummle, a wealthy man who treats her very badly, but dies when he is quite young.Meanwhile, Pip leaves England and has a successful career. He returns and meets Estella, who has at last learnt the meaning of love. The two marry.Dickens’ LondonDickens’ cast of cha racters lived in London, the largest and richest city in the world. But its wealth was distributed unfairly among the population. Every chapter of his novels describes the sights, sounds, and smells of the city, and provides a social commentary of London life.In the middle of the 19th century, London was a filthy city for rich and poor people alike. Although on clear days, the air was filled with sparrows and seagulls flying high above, more often the smoking chimney pipes created smog which was so strong that it choked the inhabitants. The River Thames was polluted, causing disease and death everywhere, and if you fell in, it was dangerous to swallow the water.The East End was London’s poorest district, where children wore rags for clothes and the women searched in dustbins for food. Few people could ever hope to attain an acceptable standard of living. Many people suffered from the effects of poor nutrition and even starvation because of a lack of food, yet their welfare was of no concern to the taxpayers of London. Ships from all points of the compass would drop anchor here at the main port of London. South of the river lies Southwark, another poor district. The George Inn was a busy coaching stop with food and accommodation for travelers leaving London, and for carriers taking goods into the city.But some Londoners had accumulated enormous wealth through trade. In the old City of London are housed the many banks and corporations which Dickens mentions. Further west and opposite Southwark s tands Somerset House, where Dickens’ father worked for the navy. Close by are the law courts, where lawyers and their clerks, carrying piles of paperwork, would hurry to the trials. There were many squares and gardens with water pumps and fountains, as well as smart restaurants and pubs.Servants would buy fruit and vegetables at Covent Garden market for their rich families, and maids would buy bunches of flowers to decorate their mistresses’ rooms.The West End is the theatre district where Dickens felt at home because, surprisingly ,he thought he would accomplish more with his drama than with his novels. It is also the London of government, where politicians, ministers, ambassadors as well as more humble pedestrians walked home at night through streets lit with gas lanterns.London is very different today, and few people mourn the passing of the old city. But you can still see many of the sights which Dickens saw and wrote about in his novels.Charles DickensCharles Dickens (1812-1870) was born in London. His father was put in prison because he could not pay his bills, and two days after his 13th birthday, Dickens started work in a factory, experiencing real poverty. He was very unhappy, but later in life, he was able to write very well about poverty because he had actually experienced it himself.Dickens always had a huge amount of energy. As a young man, he worked for newspapers; and as a political journalist, he met all kinds of people. He used all these experiences in his writing. Dickens started writing novels in his early thirties and became successful almost immediately. Oliver Twist, his second novel, was published in 1838 and was hugely successful. It told the story of a young orphan alone in the dangerous streets of London. The story ends happily – the young boy discovers who his real parents are and finds a loving home. However, it brought child poverty to the attention of the public, and for this reason alone it is a very important novel.Over the next 25 years, Dickens wrote a large number of popular novels that are still read today. Among the most famous are David Copperfield(1849-1850), A Tale of Two Cities (1859) and Great Expectations (1860-1861). Dickens often wrote about the problems of poor people, and as a result of his work, the lives of thepoor were improved.Dickens’ books were popular in both American and England, and the novelist traveled round both countries, reading from his novels. He often became very excited during these readings. Some people believe that he had a heart attack as a result of his excitement during the reading of the final part of Oliver Twist.Module 4Music Born in AmericaAll You Need to Know About Hip HOPPART1What is hip hop and how did it start?Hip hop is an American cultural movement which started in the 1970s and block parties in New York, especially in a district called the Bronx. There are four main aspects of hip hop: breakdance and graffiti art plus two types of hip hop music –DJ-ing and rapping. Rapping is also known as MC- ing (coming from the term master of ceremonies). The DJs at block parties in the 1970s played a lot of soul music and they noticed that people preferred the percussion breaks in the songs because they were the best parts to dance to. So they started repeating the percussion breaks. This is a technique used by DJs in Jamaica. There were a lot of Jamaicans in New York who。

Module 1 Book 6How Good Are Your Social Skills?你的社交技能有多高？你是否看的人以后，故意路以避免与其？你愿意参加聚会并自信的和每位来交？你想交更多的朋友，但是又缺乏与陌生人交的信心？你是否一想到要在的国家参加社交活就得忐忑不安？担心——我能帮助你！如果你具了良好的社交技能，你就不用担心的情景。

而些技能是很容易学的。

具有良好社交技能的人能很好的和人交流并且知道怎么。

要是先做点准，将会你有所帮助。

下面你出些主意。

Learn how to small talk学会怎聊天聊天很重要的，并能帮助你一些更的做准。

准好！准一些不太会出的开白。

例如：·想出一个最近的新故事——不要太，譬如，一个有关于影明星或体育明星的故事·想出一些有关于你的学的事情告人·想出一些“不会出”的事情人的意——音，体育，影等·想出一些和陌生人要回避的——并且要避免些！那，你的信心就不会被害了！Develop you listening skills提高听的技能听是大多数人所缺乏的技巧，而交流双向的程——它涉及和听两个方面。

永住——太多并不会人留下怎的印象。

下面是一些使你成更好的听者的建：Do ⋯做下面的事情⋯⋯·用一些鼓励的声音或姿表示你正在听——微笑，点，一些“ ”或“ 啊”之的等等·保持得体的目光接触·使用极肯定的肢体言· 更多的信息表示你的趣Don’t⋯不要做下面的事情⋯⋯·看自己的手表·打哈欠· 气·把目光从正跟你的人身上移开·改·替人把完要牢 19 世英国首相本杰明· 迪斯累里的：“和一个人他自己，他会和你上几个小！”Learn the rules学如果你在另一个国家去参加一个社交合，要住会有不同的社交。

例如，在一些国家，你得准参加聚会；而在另一些国家就不需要。

【MODULE 5】The Conquest of the Universe【READING AND VOCABULARY】Space: the Final Frontier[Part 1]Ever since Neil Armstrong first set foot on the Moon back on 21st July, 1969, people have become accustomed to the idea of space travel. Millions of people watched that first moon landing on television, their hearts in their mouths, aware of how difficult and dangerous an adventure it was, and what risks had to be taken. With Armstrong`s now famous words:“That`s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, a dream was achieved. All three astronauts made it safely back to Earth, using a spaceship computer that was much less powerful than the ones used by the average school students today.There were several more journeys into space over the next few years but the single spaceships were very expensive as they could not take off more than once. People were no longer so enthusiastic about a peace travel programme that was costing the United States $10 million a day. That was until the arrival of the space shuttle——a spacecraft that could be used for several journeys. The first shuttle fight into space was the Columbia——launched from the Kennedy Space Centre on 12th April, 1981,. The aim of this flight was to test the new shuttle system, to go safely up into orbit and to return to the Earth for a safe landing. It was a success and a little more than a decade after Apollo 11`s historic voyage, the Columbia made a safe, controlled, aeroplane-style landing in California. This was the start of a new age of space travel.By the time the Challenger took off in 1986, the world seemed to have lost its fear and wonder at the amazing achievement of people going to be a special flight and so millions of people turned in to witness the take-off on TV. An ordinary teacher, Christa McAuliffe, 37, who was married with two children, was to be the first civilian in space. She was going to give two fifteen-minute lessons from space. The first was to show the controls of the spacecraft and explain how gravity worked. The second was to describe theaim of the Challenger space programme. Christa hoped to communicate a sense of excitement and create new interest in the space programme. Sadly, she never came back to her classroom again, as the shuttle exploded just over a minute after taking off in Florida and all seven astronauts were killed.The world was in shock——maybe they assumed this space flight would be no more dangerous than getting on an aeroplane. But how wrong they were——in one moment excitement and success turned into fear and disaster. It was the worst space accident ever. As one Russian said at the time,“When something like this happens we are neither Russians nor Americans. We are just human being who have the same feelings.”[Part 2]I can remember that day so clearly, watching the take-off on TV at school. There was an ordinary teacher on the Challenger, and we were all very excited. We didn`t have much patience waiting for the launch. We had seen the smiling faces of the astronauts waving to the world as they stepped into the shuttle. Then, little more than a minute after take-off, we saw a strange red and orange light in the sky, followed by a cloud of white smoke. The Challenger had exploded in mid-air and we all started screaming.It happened so quickly and everyone was schoolboy I had thought that going into space as an astronaut must be the best job in the world. When I heard, a few weeks later, that the bodies of the astronaut and even the teacher`s lesson plans had been found at the bottom of the ocean, I was not so sure it was worth it at all. In spite of all our advanced technology, the world is still only at the very beginning of its voyage into space.【READINH AND VOCABULARY】Secrets of the Gas GiantThe Cassini-Huygens space probe, which reached Saturn last week, has sent bank amazing photographs of the planet`s famous rings viewed in ultraviolet light. The pictures show them in shades of blue, green and red. The different colours shoe exactly what the rings are made of: the red means the ring contains tiny pieces of rock and the blue and green is likely to be a mixture of water and frozen gases. Saturn itself is made of gases. It is so light and it could float on water——if a big enough ocean could be found!The probe is an international project to explore the planet and its rings and moons. It was launched in 1997 and its mission was to explore the “gas giant” planet which is the furthest planet to be seen from the Earth without a telescope.Scientist says the spacecraft`s four-year tour of Saturn may tell them how the rings are formed. It will also study the planet`s atmosphere and magnetic field.The porbe has sent back pictures of some of Saturn`s moon, including tiny Phoebe, which has a strange shape——unlike other planets and their moons, it is not perfectly round——and Saturn`s biggest moon, Titan, which is believed to be the only body in the solar system other than the Earth with liquid on the surface.The images of Titan and Phoebe look strangely like photos of Earth and our own Moon, taken decades ago by the earliest space missions. They are so clear that it is easy to forget they ear coming from a distance fone-and-a-half-billion kilometers.【READING PRACTICE】May the Force Be with YouStar Wars is a series of science fantasy films. The six-film series began in 1977, and has a world-wide audience, with films, books, video games, television series and toys. It is now acknowledged by the movie industry as the most successful film series ever.The films were made in random order, and move backwards and forwards through two hundred years. They describe the deeds of Anakin Skywalker, a noble Jedi knight, while Darth Vader, under orders from Lord Sith, creates tension then conflict between various autonomous republics and movements. This results in the defeat of the Jedi.Then Anakin`s son, Luke Skywalker, joins the Rebel Alliance to attack the authority of the new evil Empire. He accuses Darth Vader of killing his father, so he trains to become a Jedi knight and swears to avenge his loss. But to his sorrow, he learns that his father is actually Darth Vader himself. Luke escapes the latter`s grasp, as well as the Emperor`s attempt to turn him to the Dark Side. Instead, to his great relief, he achieves glory by turning his father back to the light side, while the divisions of the Rebel Alliance fleet flights the battle for the airspace over the motherland, and wins the war. Star Wars reflects many abstract concepts in Greek, Roman and Chinesefolk stories, such as an ability to foresee the future and the impossibility of controlling one`s destiny. For example, Anakin Skywalker cause the deathof his wife coming to her aid. Luke is like the hero lf a wuxia film, with his intention of avenging the death of his father, to become the most powerful Master of his art.The broad theme of Star Wars` philosophy is the Force, and in every movie someone says “May the Force be with you.” Star Wars stresses the dangers of fear, anger, and hate, as well as putting aside one`s sympathy for certain people. For example, Luke Skywalker is ever told that his training rather than rescue his friends.This is consistent with many religious faiths, which stress rational thought, personal dignity and a devotion to praying for holy understanding, as opposed to the “Dark Side”, of violent passion and acute emotion.However, the strongest influence is Taoist philosophy. The Force is similar to Qi, a stable balance of the Yin and Yang forces to human beings and the environment. Many true Taoist masters eventually become supreme beings, similar to Obi-Wan and Yoda who Luke, as their scholar, consults for their teaching and advice.Even the language and clothing convey the philosophy of the Force——the Dark Force soldiers speak with British accents and wear black uniforms whilst most of the Rebels speaker American English and wear light colours.【CULTURAL CORNER】The War of the WorldsIn 1898, the English writer H.G. Wells wrote what is arguably the most important novel in the history of science fiction The War of the Worlds. It is a dramatic story about an invasion of the Earth by aliens from Mars, a subject that has fascinated science fiction writers and film-makers ever since. But when, in 1938, the American actor and director, Orson Welles set a radio drama of The War of the Worlds in real life New Jersey town of Grover`s Mill, little did he know what people turned on their radios and heard the Mercury Theatre Company broadcast, it was so realistic that they believed every word:Ladies and gentlemen, I have a grave announcement to make. Incredible as it may seen, both the observations of science and the evidence of our eyes lead to the inescapable assumption that those strange beings who landed in the New Jersey farmlands tonight are the vanguard of an invading army from the planet Mars.Orson Welles had managed to set in motion a panic across America. When people heard that an invasion by aliens from Mars was underway, there was a wave of mass hysteria. Hundreds of people left their homes in panic, there were traffic jams all over the state and the police received thousands of telephone calls from terrified listeners who believed that Martians were attacking.The sleepy town of Grover`s Mill for an hour became the centre of the universe.One 13-year-old boy was doing his homework when he hears the first newsflash of the invasion. Taking the radio into the cafédownstairs where his mother worked, he and a dozen or so customers listened with mounting fear to the broadcast, until the men jumped up and announced they were going to get their guns and join in the defence at Grover`s Mill.Did Orson Welles deliberately set out to terrify the nation? Or was it simply a masterpiece of realistic theatre? Either way, The War of the Worlds will be remembered as a piece of broadcasting history.。

外研版高中选修6英语课文翻译模块一到四大全第一篇：外研版高中选修6英语课文翻译模块一到四大全Module 1 Book 6 How Good Are Your Social Skills? 你的社交技能有多高？你是否看见认识的人以后，故意过马路以避免与其说话？你愿意参加聚会并自信的和每位来宾交谈吗？你想结交更多的朋友，但是又缺乏与陌生人交谈的信心吗？你是否一想到要在别的国家参加社交活动就觉得忐忑不安？别担心——我们能帮助你！如果你具备了良好的社交技能，你就不用担心这样的情景。

而这些技能是很容易学习的。

具有良好社交技能的人能很好的和别人交流并且知道该怎么样说话。

要是预先做点准备，将会对你有所帮助。

下面为你出些主意。

Learn how to small talk 学会怎样聊天聊天时很重要的，并能帮助你为一些更严肃的谈话做准备。

准备好！准备一些不太会出错的开场白。

例如：·想出一个最近的新闻故事——不要太严肃，譬如，一个有关于电影明星或体育明星的故事·想出一些有关于你的学习的事情告诉人们·想出一些“不会出错”的事情询问别人的意见——音乐，体育，电影等·想出一些和陌生人谈话时要回避的话题——并且要避免谈论这些话题！那样，你的信心就不会被伤害了！Develop you listening skills 提高倾听的技能倾听是大多数人所缺乏的技巧，而交流时双向的过程——它涉及说和听两个方面。

永远记住——话太多并不会给人留下怎样的印象。

下面是一些使你成为更好的倾听者的建议：Do…做下面的事情……·用一些鼓励的声音或姿势表示你正在倾听——微笑，点头，说一些“嗯”或“对啊”之类的话等等·保持得体的目光接触·使用积极肯定的肢体语言·询问更多的信息表示你的兴趣Don’t…不要做下面的事情…… ·看自己的手表·打哈欠·叹气·把目光从正跟你说话的人身上移开·改变话题·替别人把话说完要牢记19世纪英国首相本杰明·迪斯累里的话：“和一个人谈论他自己，他会和你说上几个小时！”Learn the rules 学习规则如果你在另一个国家去参加一个社交场合，要记住会有不同的社交规则。