河海大学研究生英语unit 14 summary

Unit 1Ghosts for Tea1 “Ten pence for a view over the bay”, said the old man with the telescope.“Lovely clear morning. Have a look at the old lighthouse and the remains of the great shipwreck of 1935. ”“十便士看一次海湾风光，”那个带着一架望远镜的老头说道。

“多么晴朗美丽的早晨。

请来看看那古老的灯塔和1935年失事的大轮船残骸吧。

”2 Ten pence was sheer robbery, but the view was certainly magnificent.要十便士简直是敲诈勒索，可是海湾的景色确实壮丽。

3 Cliffs stretched into the distance, sparkling waves whipped by the wind were unrolling on to the beach, and a few yachts, with creamy-white sails, were curving and dodging gracefully on the sea. Just below, a flock of seagulls were screaming at one another as they twisted and glided over the water. A mile out to sea, the old lighthouse stood on a stone platform on the rocks, which were being greedily licked by the waves. In no way indeed did I grudge my money. As I directed the telescope towards the lighthouse, the man beside me tapped my wrist. 峭壁向远方伸展，海风激起的阵阵波浪泛着白花，冲上海滩。

Unit 14 To Err Is Human*Questions:1.What's the meaning of the title?2.What's the proper attitude toward a mistake we make?3.What's the right attitude toward computer?4.What's the theme of the article?*Structure*Language points1.to err is human ( to forgive divine )---- (saying ) it is human nature to sin and make mistakes (and therefore one should be as forgiving as possible)2.balance --- difference between two columns of an account, ie money received or owing and money spent or owedeg. I must check my bank balance. ( ie. find out how much money I have in my account .3.tamper --- meddle or interfere with sth, alter sth without authorityeg. Someone has been tampering with the lock.The records of the meeting had been tampered with.4.improve on/upon sth ---- achieve or produce sth of a better standard or quality than sth elseeg. The German girl improved on her previous best performance in the 100 meters.This achievement has never been improved on.5.beat sb (at sth)---- defeat sb, win against sb, do better than sb eg. He beats me at chess.6.choke with sth---- block or fill (a passage, space,etc)eg. The garden is choked with weeds.The drains are choked with dead leaves.7.rich in sth---producing or having a large supply of stheg. Oranges are rich in vitamin.The baroque style is rich in ornament.8.embed ---fix sth deeply and firmly (in a surrounding mass) eg. The arrow embedded itself in the wall.The idea became embedded in his mind.9.knack --- skill at performing some special task, abilityeg. Making an omelette is easy once you've got the knack (of it).There's a knack in locking this door which takes a while to master/I used to be able to skate quite well, but I've lost the knack.Knack of doing sth ( often annoying)---- habit of doing sthEg.My car has a knack of breaking down just when I need it most.10.g et along --- go forwardeg. The car could hardly get along on the icy surface.A hot drink will help to get you along on this cold night.11.g o by ---(of time) pass, elapseeg. As time goes by my memory seems to get worse.The weeks went slowly by.go by sth---(1) be guided or directed by stheg. I shall go entirely by what my solicitor says.(ie, I shall follow his advice).That's a good rule to go by.(2) form an opinion or judgement from stheg. It's not always wise to go by appearances.12.s crew up --- spoil , ruin stheg. When I'd finished the exam, I thought I'd screwed up, but I found out later that I'd passed.That last operation on the famous player's knee has screwed up his chances of staying in team.13.s tipulate ---- v. state sth clearly and firmly as a requirement eg. It was stipulated that the goods should be delivered within three days.14.c on --- v. swindle or persuade sb after gaining his trusteg. You can't con me---you're not really ill.I was conned into buying a useless car.She conned me out of $100.Con---n. instance of cheating sb, confidence trickEg. This so-called bargain is just a con.He's a real con merchant. ( ie, swindler)15.s tick fast --- be or become solidly fixed in one position and unable or unwilling to moveeg. His head was stuck fast in the railings.He stuck fast to his theory. (ie, maintained it firmly) The stone stuck fast in the cement.16.m al adroit ---- a. not clever or skilful, clumsy,bunglingeg. His handling of the negotiations was maladroit. adroit --- a. Skilful, cleverEg. He soon became adroit at steering the boat.17.m imic --- v. (pt, pp mimicked) copy the appearance or manner of sb/sth in a mocking oramusing wayeg. Tom mimicked his uncle's voice and gestures perfectly.18.t hink sth up ---- produce sth by thought, invent ordevise stheg. Can you think up a better excuse than that?How did you think up such a clever wayout of our difficulty?She thought up a funny game for the children to play.The prisoner tried to think up a plan for escape.19.a t random --- without method or conscious choice eg. The terrorists fired into the crowd at random.She opened a book at random.His clothes were scattered about the room at random.20.i n the clear --- no longer in danger or suspected of sth eg. She was very ill for a few days but doctors sayshe's now in the clear.。

研究生英语阅读中文翻译十四单元十四单元40.音乐盛宴美国任何一个大城市都能提供符合各种品味的音乐选择。

爵士、舞曲、摇滚乐队、交响管弦乐、歌剧、房间音乐、蓝调、民族音乐、乡村音乐、蓝草音乐、音乐剧的各种表演已经成为全国各地音乐厅的日常表演的一部分。

正如美国绘画艺术的情况一样，丰富的音乐传统也是许多流行的制造者。

最显著的已经是在欧洲经典传统与具有生命力的地区及少数民族风格之间的交融和冲突。

事实上，美国大部分有天赋的创作人都活跃在流行形式的领域。

二十世纪之交的国内最好的创作人，Edward MacDowell写道：在美国形成“音乐创作者要能和天赋共鸣”的理念之前，需要“首先在公众方面和创作者方面都完全的从几乎无限制的服从于欧洲思想和那些强加在我们身上的先入之间中解放出来”。

美国最早的移民带来了他们的音乐—民族歌曲和舞蹈、圣歌、赞美诗及一些礼仪音乐—带着它们来到了他们的新祖国。

所有这些都统一于宗教音乐。

圣歌的旋律大部分是靠口头传承，且作为殖民音乐的基石。

历史给了费城的Francis Hopkinson（1737-1791）美国第一个土著创作者的荣誉，他是美国独立战争的领导者之一，也是乔治·华盛顿，第一位美国总统的密友。

尽管如此，音乐家还是把早期美国歌曲的变革力量归功于William Billings（1746-1800）。

一个自学成才的作曲家从来没有停止过对音乐规则的评判，Billings就说自己的音乐是“fuging（沉闷）”音乐。

这种音乐已经被认为是笨拙的和粗鲁的，但是充满了趣味，有感染力的节奏，并且容易让人学习。

41.美国之声Ella Fitzgerald （1918-1996）说：“我跟着我的感觉唱歌。

”按照这个随意的标准，这是个美好的生活。

她唱了很多在美国编写的最好的歌，她通过自己的感觉唱得非常好。

对很多人来说，确实她唱得很好。

Ira Gershwin曾经评论道“我从来不知道我们的歌有这么好听，直到我听了Ella 的歌。

河海大学研究生英语（下）阅读理解答案11、不包括16单元和17单元各两篇长文The blues originated in US slavery.GriefThe prisoners worker for wages.The prisoners’ songs differed from those sung art concerts. Middle-class blackPeople are still not aware of the important role that custom plays in forming our world outlook.An individual can exercise very little influence on the cultural tradition into which he is born.The patterns and standards of behavior of community.is predominated by traditional customto stress the strong influence of customs on an individualwas not aware he had discovered AmericaA short period of fairly good weather.The importance of Weather for the Progress of Events in History.man’s chief enemyA powerful destroyers of human life and propertyboth benefits and disadvantages to man12Producing carbon dioxideto help carbon dioxide enter plantA plant needs more water than is found at any one time Only part of the carbon dioxide in the plant is synthesized. the role of water in a growing plantit helps understand the nation’s past and presentNear eastern music had an influence on the development of the instruments in the symphony orchestra.it has a great effect on music-culture as more and more people are able to read ithas given rise to new forms of music cultureThe development of music culture is highly dependent on its material aspect.few people could read for themselvesa change in the nature of readingthe effects of reading on intelligencereaders’ interests had diversifiedexplain how present-day reading habits developed13its ability to provide goods and services The Standard of Living.most importantlynatural resources are an important factor in the wealth or poverty of a countryBritain manufactures more than it needs for home consumption.the inclusion of cultural contentit views the world purely from the standpoint of the english-speaking countriesit is mainly designed to meet the needs of radio listenersthe various cultural backgrounds of its usersDifferent ways of treating social-culture elements in the three new english dictionaries.Rules for Working with Concretemixing concrete properly will make it very hard and strong use too much waterinventivenessnot dried out14level of intensity in anger reactions registered by normals versus abnormalsnormal persons react more intensely to anger-provoking situations than do abnormal individualstreat it as a normal reactionlack of feelinga suggestion from the author about what you should do about the generalizationHe disapproved of ladies preaching.drivers and feelingsin the long process of evolution the slow pace of life didn’t require such ability of human brainhuman beings have lost control of computersFuture intelligent life may not necessarily be made of organic matter.to inform the reader about the homing pigeons and their trainingthey begin a training programthe size of the brainair sacsbird16、stressing the importance of nonverbal thinking in engineering designthe assumption that the knowledge incorporated in technological developments must be derived from science ignores the many nonscientific decisions made by technologists.engineering students were not trained to make the type of drawings needed to record the development of their own disciplinethe failures are characteristic of systems designed bu engineers relying too heavily on concepts in mathematic illustrate the idea that courses in design are the most effective means for reducing the cost of designing engineering systems18、ExplorerA cold climateTropical zonesAre naturally timidOnly symbolic of the unique cultureYou start reading one of the booksNobody takes any notice of youOnly when you have finished browsingA book that unexpectedly interests youThe need for book-sellers to be patient and kindTo prevent anyone from buying itHe had expecter the owner to be angry with him19、There aren’t many people who are even fairly good.A consequence of not grasping the problem correctly Undertaking systematic workThe teaching of pronunciation in the classroomBy not give students a cleat mental picture of the difference between soundsThey would not know what was beneficial and what was harmful to themEnjoy being rewarded for doing the right thingThe capacity to enjoy incentivesThey are the basis for the social feeling of agreement by which society is maintainedHelp us adapt pur behavior to the world surrounding usJobs available must be distributed among more people.be prepared to admit that being employed is not the only kind of workpatterns of work were fundamentally changedpeople were forced to look elsewhere for means of supporting themselvesthe creation of jobs for all s an impossible20、Changing Iron into steelStronger,and more durableIt directed air at melted iron in a furnace,removing all impurities.BoatsA revolution in the industrial worldThe fact that people of different nationalities or ethical groups reside in different placesNot an ideal why to identify his or her disciplinary origins Appeals to non-urban dwellersTake advantage of others to achieve their own purposes 24、It can be useful in planning future research.The researchers did not adequately establish the relationships involved.Some students do not understand the meaning of the researchers’ questionsTheir original questions are too broadIt is more difficult than the student researcher may realize.To explain the history of Harvard collegeefforts of interested individuals to redefine the educational systemMoneyAdmission standards were lower.Students were limited in their choice of courses.The balance of environment and economic development is vital for the societythat we must reduce the environmental cost of economic developmentRemind people of the drawbacks of their overexploitation of the natureRecovery of nature after pollution costs more money than prevention of pollutionEnvironment Protection and Economic Developmentthe competition from private sectorshighlight the importance in the findings of the projectthey took the profit motive in the project for grantedthey face competition from the privately financed scientistsA Race on Human Genome Project。

Unit 11 The IksIks 小部落从前是游牧的猎人，聚居在乌干达北部的山谷中，现在这个部落变得很有名，整体上是灰心沮丧的，残忍冷酷的人类的终极命运的文学象征。

两件确实是灾难的事发生在他们身上：政府决定拥有一个国家公园，所以他们被法律迫使放弃山谷中的打猎生活，在贫瘠的山坡的土壤上变成农民，然后一个讨厌他们，研究他们两年的人类学家写了一本关于他们的书。

这本书的主题是：由于传统文化的废除，IKs变成一群彼此毫无关系，残酷无情，而又绝对令人讨厌的人，他们完全的自私和冷酷。

此外，这些特征正像我们内心的自己，当我们的社会结构完全错乱时，我们也将全部变成Iks。

这篇论文依据某种关于人类本质的设想，这种设想必然是推测而来的。

你不得不预先同意人类从本质上讲是坏的，完全为了他自己，展现出来的例如爱和同情这样的美德仅仅是后天学到的习惯。

如果你采纳这个观点，Iks人的故事便可以证实它。

这些人似乎是一直生活在一起，聚居在拥挤的小村庄，但是他们都是一群真正的独居的无关联的个体，彼此间没有明显的好处。

他们说话，但是只是做一些坏脾气的要求和冷漠的拒绝。

他们不分享。

他们从不唱歌。

他们的孩子一能走路就被打发出去寻找食物，只要有可能他们便抛弃那些老人，使他们饿死，那些寻找食物的孩子从无助的老人口中抢夺食物。

它是一个不友好的社会。

他们养育子女，但是不是出于爱，甚至也不是出于偶尔的关心。

他们在彼此的台阶上随地大小便。

他们观察他们的邻居，以等待不幸的降临，而且只有那时他们才大笑。

在书中，他们经常笑，因为有太多厄运。

好几次，他们甚至嘲笑人类学家，使人类学家发现这种嘲笑尤其令人反感（读者在字里行间发现，学者本身不是这世界上最幸运的人）。

更糟糕的是，他们把他带到家中，抢夺他的食物，在他的台阶上大小便，并且呵斥人类学家。

他们给他糟糕的两年。

它是一本令人沮丧的书。

如果，正像他建议的那样，在我们每个人的心中只有IK人的特性，我们唯一的维系人性的希望，将是不断地修补我们社会的结构，然而我们的社会结构变得如此之快，如此之完全，以至于我们不能及时找到修补社会的方法。

A man or woman makes direct contact with society in two ways: as a member of some familial, pr ofessional or religious group, or as a member of a crowd. Groups are capable of being as moral a nd intelligent as the individuals who form them; a crowd is chaotic, has no purpose of its own an d is capable of anything except intelligent action and realistic thinking. Assembled in a crowd, peo ple lose their powers of reasoning and their capacity for moral choice. Their suggestibility is incre ased to the point where they cease to have any judgement or will of their own. They become ver y excitable, they lose all sense of individual or collective responsibility, they are subject to sudden excesses of rage, enthusiasm and panic. In a word, a man in a crowd behaves as though he had s wallowed a large dose of some powerful intoxicant. He is a victim of what I have called' herd-pois oning'. Like alcohol, herd- poison is an active, extravagant drug. The crowd-intoxicated individual escapes from responsibility, intelligence and morality into a kind of frantic, animal mindlessness. 一个人通过以下两种方式与社会直接接触：作为某个家庭、职业或宗教组织的成员，或者仅仅是隶属于某个群体。

Most large-scale, objective measures of men's roles show little change over the past decade, but men do feel now and then that their position is in question, their security is somewhat fragile. 在过去的十年中，男性角色的最为大的、客观的衡量指标没有什么变化，但男性现在觉得自己的地位存在问题，他们的安全也有点脆弱。

I believe they are right, for they sense a set of forces that lie deeper and more powerful than the day-to-day negotiation and recognition of advantage among husbands and wives, fathers and children, or bosses and those who work for them. Men are troubled by this new situation.我相信他们是对的，比起在丈夫与妻子、父亲与孩子之间日常谈判优势和在老板和为他们工作的人之间的认可优势，男性感觉到一种更深更有力的谎言的力量。

这样的新形势正困扰着男性。

The conditions we live in are different from those of any prior civilization, and they give less support to men's claims of superiority than perhaps any other historical era. 我们生活的条件与以前任何文明都不同，他们给男性要求的特权的支持可能比其他历史时期的更少。

Unit 11Passage OneNow custom has not been commonly regarded as a subject of any great importance. The inner workings of our own brains we feel to, be uniquely worthy of investigation, but custom, we have a way of thinking, is behavior at its most commonplace. As a matter of fact, it is the other way around. Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behavior more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions. Yet that is a rather trivial aspect of the matter. The fact of first-rate importance is the predominant role that custom plays in experience and in belief and the very great varieties it may manifest.No man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking. Even in his philosophical probings he cannot go behind these stereotypes; his very concepts of the true and the false will still have reference to his particular traditional customs. John Dewey has said in all seriousness that the part played by custom in shaping the behavior of the individual as over against any way in which he can affect traditional custom, is as the proportion of the total vocabulary of his mothertongue over against those words of his own baby talk that are taken up into the language of his family. When one seriously studies social orders that have had the opportunity to develop independently, the figure becomes no more than an exact and matter-of-fact observation. The life history of the individual is first and formost an adjustment to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his community. From the moment of his birth the customs into which he is born shape his experience and behavior. By the time he can talk, he is the little creature of his culture, and by the time he is grown and able to take part in its activities, its habits are his habits, its beliefs his beliefs, its impossibilities his impossibilities.Comprehension Questions1. The author thinks the reason why custom has been ignored in the academic world is that.A.custom reveals only the superficial nature of human behaviorB.the study of social orders can replace the study of customC.people are still not aware of the important role that custom plays in forming our worldoutlookD.custom has little to do with our ways of thinking2. Which of the following is true according to John Dewey?A.An individual can exercise very little influence on the cultural tradition into which he isborn.B.Custom is the direct result of the philosophical probings of a group of people.C.An individual is strongly influenced by the cultural tradition even before he is born.D.Custom represents the collective wisdom which benefits the individual.3. The word "custom" in this passage most probably means .A.the concept of the true and the false of a societyB.the independently developed social ordersC.the adjustment of the individual to the new social environmentD.the patterns and standards of behavior of community4. According to the passage, a person's life, from his birth to his death, .A.is constantly shaping the cultural traditions of his peopleB.is predominated by traditional customC.is continually influenced by the habits of other communitiesD.is continually influenced by the people around him5. The author's purpose in writing this passage is .A.to urge individuals to follow traditional customsB.to stress the strong influence of customs on an individualC.to examine the interaction of man and social customsD.to show man's adjustment to traditional customsPassage TwoThrough human history, weather has altered the march of events and caused some mighty catastrophes. Since Columbus did not know where he was going or where he had arrived when he got there, the winds truly deserved nearly as much credit as he for the discovery of America. Ugly westerlies helped turn the 1588 Spanish Armada away from England in a limping panic. Napoleon was done in twice by weather: once by the snow and cold that forced his fearful retreat from Moscow, later by the rain that bedeviled him at Waterloo and caused Victor Hugo to write: " A few drops of water--- an unseasonable cloud crossing the sky, sufficed for the overthrow of a world. " In 1944 the Allied invasion of Normandy was made possible by a narrow interval of reasonably good weather between the bad. It was so narrow, in fact that Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower later expressed gratitude to " the gods of war".Every year brings fresh reminders of the weather's power over human life and events in the form of horrifying tornadoes, hurricanes and floods. These leave behind forgettable statistics and unforgettable images of devastated towns and battered humanity that can only humble people in the face of such wrath. Farmers often suffer the most , from the drought and plagues of biblical times to the hailstorms or quick freezes that even today can wipe out whole crops in minutes, Icy assaults serve as reminders of the inescapable vulnerability of life and social well-being to the whims of the weather. And history is packed with reminders of far worse. The weather, ample, provoked a major social dislocation in the United States in the 1930's when it turned much of the Southwest into the Dust Bowl.Comprehension Questions1.According to the author, Columbus .A.did not discover AmericaB.stole the credit for the discovery 0f America from someone elseC.dose not deserve to be known as the man who discovered AmericaD.was not aware he had discovered America2. According to the passage, what helped the Allies succeed in the Normandy Invations in 1944?A. A spell of bad weatherB. A short period of fairly good weather.C.Good weather followed by bad weather.D.The excellent weather conditions.3. The best title for the first paragraph would be .A.The Development of History up to Modern TimesB.The Importance of Weather for the Progress of Events in HistoryC.The Way Fate Influences the Outcome of Events in HistoryD.Success in All Past Undertakings Depended on the Weather4. In the second paragraph, weather is seen as .A.an impulsive and unpredictable forceB.man's benefactorC.man's chief enemyD. a powerful destroyers of human life and property5. It can be inferred from the passage that weather brings .A.only benefits to manB.only disadvantages to manC.both benefits and disadvantages to manD.nothing but incovenience to manUnit 12Passage OneMaterial culture refers to the touchable, material "things" —physical objects that can be seen, held, felt, used—that a culture produces. Examining a culture's tools and technology can tell us about the group's history and ways of life. Similarly, research into the material culture of music can help us to understand the music-culture. The most vivid body of "things" in it, of course, are musical instruments. We cannot hear for ourselves the actual sound of any musical performance before the 1870s when the phonograph was invented, so we rely on instruments for important information about music-cultures in the remote past and their development. Here we have two kinds of evidence instruments well preserved and instruments pictured in art. Through the study of instruments, as well as paintings, written documents, and so on, we can explore the movement of music from the Near East to China over a thousand years ago, or we can outline the spread of Near Eastern influence to Europe that resulted in the development of most of the instruments on the symphony orchestra.Sheet music or printed music, too is material culture. Scholars once defined folk music-cultures as those in which people learn and sing music by ear rather than from print, but research shows mutual influence among oral and written sources during the past few centuries in Europe, Britain, and America, printed versions limit variety because they tend to standardize any song, yet they stimulate people to create new and different song. Besides, the ability to read music notation has a far-reaching effect on musicians and, when it becomes widespread, on the music-culture as whole.One more important part for music's material culture should be singled out: the influence of the electronic media—radio, record player, tape recorder, television and videocassette, with the future promising talking and singing computers and other developments. This is all part of the"information revolution," a twentieth-century phenomenon as important as the industrial revolution was in the nineteenth. These electronic media are not just limited to modern nations; they have affected music-cultures all over the globe.Comprehension Questions1.Research into the material culture of a nation is of great importance because .A.it helps produce new cultural tools and technologyB.it can reflect the development of the nationC.it helps understand the nation's past and presentD.it can demonstrate the nation's civilization2. It can be learned from this passage that .A.the existence of the symphony was attributed to the spread of Near Eastern andChinese music.B.Near Eastern music had an influence on the development of the instruments inthe symphony orchestraC.the development of the symphony shows the mutual influence of Eastern andWestern musicD.the musical instruments in the symphony orchestra were developed on the basisof Near Eastern music3. According to the author, music notation is important because .A.it has a great effect on the music-culture as more and more people are able toread itB.it tends to standardize folk songs when it is used by folk musiciansC.it is the printed version of standardized versions of songsD.it encourages people to popularize printed versions of songs4. It can be concluded from the passage that the introduction of electronic media into the world of music .A.has brought about an information revolutionB.has speeded up the arrival of a new generation of computesC.has given rise to new forms of music cultureD.has led to the transformation of traditional musical instruments5.which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage?A.Musical instruments developed through the years will sooner or later be replacedby computers.B.Music cannot be passed on to future generation unless it is recorded.C.Folk songs cannot be spread far unless they are printed on music sheets.D.The development of music culture is highly dependent on its material aspect.Passage TwoReading to oneself is a modern activity which was almost unknown to the scholars of the classical and medieval worlds, while during the 15th century the term "reading" undoubtedly meant reading aloud. Only during the 19th century did silent reading become commonplace.One should be wary, however, of assuming that silent reading came about simply becausereading aloud is a distraction to others. Examination of factors related to the historical development of silent reading reveals that it became the usual mode of reading for most adult reading tasks mainly because the taks themselves changed in character.The last century saw a steady gradual increase in literacy, and thus in the number of readers. As readers increased, so the number of potential listeners declined, and there was some reduction in the need to read aloud. As reading for the benefit of listeners grew less common, so came the flourishing of reading as a private activity in public places as libraries, railway carriages and offices, where reading aloud would cause distraction to other readers.Towards the end of the century there was still considerable argument over whether books should be used for information or treated respectfully, and over whether the reading of material such as newspapers was in some way mentally weakening. Indeed this argument remains with us still in education. However, whatever its virtues, the old shared literacy culture had gone and was replaced by the printed mass media on the one hand and by books and periodicals for a specialised readership on the otherBy the end of the century students were being recommended to adopt attitudes to books and use skills in reading them which were inappropriate, if not impossible, for the oral reader. The social, cultural, and technological changes in the century had greatly altered what term "reading" implied.Comprehension Questions1. Reading aloud was common before 19th century because .a. silent reading had not been discovered.b. there were few places available for private readingc. few people could read for themselvesd. people relied on reading for entertainment2. The development of silent reading during the 19th century indicated .a. a change in the status of literate peopleb. a change in the nature of readingc. an incerase iri the number of booksd. an increase in the average age of readers3. Educationalists are still arguing about .a. the importance of silent readingb. the amount of information yielded by books and newspapers.c. the effects of reading on intelligenced. the value of different types of reading material4. The emergence of the mass media and specialised periodicals showed that .a. standards of literacy had declinedb.readers' interests had diversifiedc.printing techniques had improvedcationalists' attitudes had changed5.It can be inferred from the passage that the writer is attempting to .a. explain how present-day reading habits developedb. change people's attitudes to readingc. show how reading methods have improvedd. encourage the growth of readingUnit 13Passage OneThree English dictionaries published recently all lay claim to possessing a "new" feature, the BBC English Dictionary contains background information on 1000 people and places prominent in the news since 1988; the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary: Encyclopedic Edition is the OALD plus encyclopedic entries; the Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture is the LDOCE plus cultural information.The key fact is that all three dictionaries can be seen to have a distinctly "cultural" as well as language learning content. That being said, the way in which they approach the cultural element is not identical | making direct comparisons between the three difficulties.While there is some common ground between the encyclopedic/cultural entries for the Oxford and Longman dictionaries, there is a clear difference. Oxford lays claim to being encyclopedic on content whereas Longman distinctly concentrates on the language and culture of the English-speaking world. The Oxford dictionary can therefore stand more vigorous scrutiny for cultural bias than the Longman publication because the latter does not hesitate about viewing the rest of the world from the cultural perspectives of the English-speaking world. The cultural objectives of the BBC dictionary are in turn more distinct still. Based on an analysis of over 70 million words recorded from the BBC World Service and National Public Radio of Washington over a period of four years, their 1000 brief encyclopedic entries are based on people and places that have featured in the news recently. The intended user they have in mind is a regular listener to the World Service who will have a reasonable standard of English and a developed skill in listening comprehension.In reality, though, the BBC dictionary will be purchased by a far wider range of language learners, as will the other two dictionaries. We will be faced with a situation where many of the users of these dictionaries will at the very least socio-cultural perspectives and may have world views which are totally opposed and even hostile to those of the West. Advanced learners from this kind background will not only evaluate a dictionary on how user-friendly it is but will also have definite views about the scope and appropriateness of the various socio-cultural entries.Comprehension Questions1. What feature sets apart the three dictionaries discussed in the passage from traditional ones?A.the combination of two dictionaries into oneB.the new approach to defining wordsC.The inculusion of cultural contentD.The increase in the number of entries2. The Longman dictionary is more likely to be criticized for cultural prejudice because .A.its scope of cultural entries goes beyond the culture of the English-speaking worldB.it pays little attention to the cultural content of the non-English-speaking countriesC.it views the world purely from the standpoint of the English-speaking peopleD.it fails to distinguish language from culture in its encyclopedic entries3.The BBC dictionary differs from Oxford and Longman in that .A.it has a wider selection of encyclopedic entriesB.it is mainly designed to meet the needs of radio listenersC.it lays more emphasis on language than on cultureD.it is intended to help listeners develop their listening comprehension skills4. It is implied in the last paragraph that, in approaching socio-cultural content in a .A.dictionary, special thought should be given toB.the language levels of its usersC.the number of its prospective purchasersD.the different tastes of its usersE.the various cultural backgrouds of its users5. What is the passage mainly about?A.Different ways of treating socio-cultural elements in the three new English dictionaries.B. A comparison of people's opinions on the cultural content in the three new Englishdictionaries.C.The advatages of the BBC dictionary over Oxford and Longman.D.The user-friendliess of the three new English dictionaries.Passage TwoAnother thing to remember in connection with concrete is that you are not allowed very much freedom for errors in either measurements or location. Once you have a solid mass of concrete set in place, it is going to stay there. You have a difficult job ahead of you if you try to remedy a mistake. Make very sure, before you fill the form that everything is where and how you want it.There are numerous rules regarding the proper mixing, handling, and finishing of concrete, but the essential one concerns the amount of water to use. The less water in the mix, the less the finished job will shrink. The less water used, the harder and more enduring the job after it has set.The amateur concrete worker is plagued with two desires. One is to use enough water to have the concrete nice and soft and easy to push around. You have been warned against that. The second is to take off the wooden forms too early, to see what the job looks like. That is really fatal. If the forms are stripped off too soon, while the concrete is still "green" , two things are likely to happen—you are almost sure to break off corners or edges, and you are likely to cause a major crack or defect in the body of the work. An excellent rule is to wait until you are sure the concrete is properly hardened, and then wait another day before removing the forms.Comprehension Questions1.The best title for this selection would be .A.Rules for Working with ConcreteB.Concrete and Its UsesC.Concrete, the Homeowner's JoyD.Concrete, a Test of Character2. Two of the main thoughts in this passage are ( 1 ) preparation of forms for the con-crete must be thorough, and (2) forms must be allowed to remain on long enough. The third main idea is .A.taking off forms beforehand will probably cause a crack in the body of the workB.trying to make changes after concrete has been poured is not recommendedC.mixing concrete properly will make it very hard and stronging as little water as possible is recommended3. In mixing concrete, one of the desires the amateur must resist is to .A.break off a corner to see if the "green" has goneB.leave the form on too longe too much waterD.strip off the forms a day after the concrete has properly hardened4. A human quality apparently not essential in someone who works with concrete is .A.carefulnessB.inventivenessC.patienceD.self-control5. By the concrete being too " green" , the author means that the concrete has .A.become discolouredB.become crackedC.not yet curedD.not dried outUnit 14Passage OneAs Dr. Samuel Johnson said in a different era about ladies preaching, the surprising thing about computers in not that they think less well than a man, but that they think at all. The early electronic computer did not have much going for it except a marvelous memory and some good math skills. But today the best models can be wired up to learn by experience, follow an argument, ask proper questions and write poetry and music. They can also carry on somewhat puzzling conversations.Computers imitate life. As computers get more complex, the imitation gets better. Finally, the line between the original and the copy becomes unclear. In another 15 years or so, we will see the computer as a new form of life.The opinion seems ridiculous because, for one thing, computers lack the drives and emotions of living creatures. But drives can be programmed into the computer's brain just as nature programmed them into our human brains as a part of the equipment for survival.Computers match people in some roles, and when fast decisions are needed in a crisis, they often surpass them. Having evolved when the pace of life was slower, the human brain has an inherent defect that prevents it from absorbing several streams of information simultaneouslyand acting on them quickly. Throw too many things at the brain at one time and it freezes up.We are still in control, but the capabilities of computers are increasing at a fantastic rate, while raw human intelligence is changing slowly, if as all. Computer power has increased ten times every eight years since 1946. In the 1990s, when the sixth generation appears, the reasoning power of an intelligence built out of silicon will begin to match that of the human brain.That does not mean the evolution of intelligence has ended on the earth. Judging by the past, we can expect that a new species will arise out of man, surpassing his achievements as he has surpassed those of his predecessor. Only a carbon chemistry enthusiast would assume that the new species must be man's flesh-and-blood descendants. The new kind of intelligent life is more likely to be made of silicon.Comprehension Questions1. What do you suppose was the attitude of Dr. Samuel Johnson towards ladies preaching?A.He believed that ladies were born worse preachers than men.B.He was pleased that ladies could preach, though not as well as men.C.He disapproved of ladies preaching.D.He encouraged ladies to preach.2. Today , computers are still inferior to man in terms of .A.decision makingB.drives and feelingsC.growth of reasoning powerrmation absorption3. In terms of making quick decisions, the human brain cannot be compared with the computer because .A.in the long process of evolution the slow pace of life didn't require such ability of thehuman brain.B.the human brain is influenced by other factors such as motivation and emotionC.the human brain may sometimes freeze up in a dangerous situationputers imitate life while the human brain does not imitate computers4. Though he thinks highly of the development of computer science, the author doesn't mean that .puters are likely to become a new form of intelligent life.B.human beings have lost control of computersC.the intelligence of computers will eventually surpass that of human beingsD.the evolution of intelligence will probably depend on that of electronic brains5. Accordig to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?A.Future man will be made of silicon instead of flesh and blood.B.Some day it will be difficult to tell a computer from a man.C.The reasoning power of computers has already surpassed that of man.D.Future intelligent life may not necessarily be made of organic matter.Passage TwoHoming pigeons are placed in a training program from about the time they are 28 days of age. They are taught to enter the loft through a trap and to exercise above and around the loft and gradually they are taken away for short distances in wicker basket and released. They are then expected to find their way home in the shortest possible time.In their training flights or in actual races, the birds are taken to prearranged distant points and released to find their way back to their own lofts. Once the birds are liberated, their owners, who are standing by at the home lofts, anxiously watch the sky for the return of their entries. Since time is of the essence, the speed with which the birds can be induced to enter the loft trap may make the difference between gaining a win or a second place.The head of a homing pigeon is comparatively small but its brain is one quarter larger than that of the ordinary pigeon. The homing pigeon is very intelligent and will I persevere to the point of stubbornness E some have been known to fly a hundred miles off course to avoid a storm.Some homing pigeon experts claim that this bird is gifted with a form of built-in radar that helps it find its own loft after hours of flight, for hidden under the head feathers are two very sensitive ears, while the sharp prominent eyes can see great distances in daytime.Why do homing pigeons fly home? They are not Unique in this inherent skill; it is found in most migratory birds, in bees, ants, toads, and even turtles, which have been known to travel hundreds of miles to return to their homes. But in the animal world, the homing pigeon alone can be trusted with its freedom and trained to carry out the missions that people demand.Comprehension Questions1. The main purpose of the passage is .A.to convince the reader to buy a homing pigeonB.to inform the reader about the homing pigeons and their trainingC.to protect homing pigeons against the threat of extinctionD.to encourage the owners of homing pigeons to set the birds free2. According to the passage, when homing pigeons are about a month old .A.they are kept in a trapB.they enter their first raceC.they begin a training programD.they get their wings clipped and marked3. According to the passage, the difference between a homing pigeon and an ordinary one is .A.the span of the wingsB.the shape of the eyesC.the texture of the feathersD.the size of the brain4. The author mentions all of the following attributes that enable a homing pigeon to return home EXCEPT .A.instinctB.air sacsC.sensitive earsD.good eyes5. In Paragraph 4, line 2, the word "it" most probably refers to .A.radarB.birdC.loftD.formUnit 16Passage OneExtraordinary creative activity has been characterized as revolutionary, flying in the face of what is acceptable and producing not what is acceptable but what will become accepted. According to this formulation, highly creative activity transcends the limits of an existing form and establishes a new principle of organization. However, the idea that extraordinary creativity transcends established limits is misleading when it is applied to arts, even though it may be valid for the sciences. Differences between highly creative art and highly creative science arise in part from a difference in their goals. For the sciences, a new theory is the goal and end result of the creative act. Innovative science produces new propositions in terms of which diverse phenomena can be related to one another in more coherent ways. Such phenomena as a brilliant diamond or a nesting bird are relegated to the role of data, serving as the means for formulating or testing a new theory. The goal of highly creative art is very different: the phenomenon itself becomes the direct product of the creative act. Shakespeare's Hamlet is not a tract about the behavior of indecisive princes or the uses of political power; nor is Picasso's painting Guernica primarily a propositional statement about the Spanish Civil War or the evils of fascism. What highly creative artistic activity produces is not a new generalization that transcends established limits, but rather an aesthetic particular. Aesthetic particulars produced by the highly creative artist extend or exploit, in an innovative way, the limits of an existing form, rather than transcend that form.This is not to deny that a highly creative artist sometimes establishes a new principle of organization in the history of an artistic field; the composer Monteverdi, who created music of the highest aesthetic value, comes to mind. More generally, however, whether or not a composition establishes a new principle in the history of music has little bearing on its aesthetic worth. Because they embody a new principle of organization , some musical works, such as the operas of the Florentine Camerata, are of signal historical importance , but few listeners or musicologists would include these among the great works of music. On the other hand, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro is surely among the masterpieces of music even though its modest innovations are confined to extending existing means.' It has been said of Beethoven that he toppled the rules and freed music from the stifling confines of convention. But a close study of his compositions reveals that Beethoven overturned no fundamental rules. Rather, he was an incomparable strategist who exploited limits—the rules, forms, and conventions that he inherited from predecessors such as Haydn and Mozart, Handel and Bach—in strikingly original ways.Comprehension Questions1. The author considers a new theory that coherently relates diverse phenomena to one another to be the .。

unit 14ScienceWord Bankastronomy: the branch of science that deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole天文学bewildering: confusing, especially because there are too many choices or things happening at the same time让人困惑的，令人费解的comedown: n. a feeling of disappointment or depression失望，沮丧complicated: consisting of many interconnecting parts or elements复杂的，混乱的configuration: an arrangement of parts or elements in a particular form, figure, or combination 构造，配置confine: to keep or restrict someone or something within certain limits of限制，使局限determinism: the doctrine that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes regarded as external to the will【哲】宿命论，决定论discount: to regard (a possibility, fact, or person) as being unworthy of consideration because it lacks credibility对(可能性、事实、人)不全信，对……不予考虑fertility: producing or capability of producing abundant vegetation or crops丰产，多产infinite: limitless or endless in space, extent无限的，无边无际的initial: existing or occurring at the beginning最初的，开始的inquiry: an act of asking for information询问，打听investigate: to carry out a systematic or formal inquiry to discover and examine the facts调查，研究observational: being closely and constantly watched or monitored观察的，观测的placate: to make sb. less angry or hostile安抚，抚慰postulate: to suggest or assume the existence, fact, or truth of sth. as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief假定，假设precise: marked by exactness and accuracy of expression or detail精确的，准确的rotation: the action of rotating around an axis or center循环，交替sacrifice: an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to god or to a divine or supernatural figure献祭，供奉scope: the extent of the area or subject matter that something deals with or to which it is relevant范围，领域self-consistent: not having parts or aspects which are in conflict or contradiction with each other自相一致的，一贯的string: a length of catgut or wire on a musical instrument, producing a note by vibration(乐器的)弦triumph: a great victory or achievement胜利，成功ultimate: being or happening at the end of a process最后的，最终的unified: become united, uniform, or whole统一的，一元化的Phrases and Expressionsa set of: a group of similar things that belong together or are related in some way一套，一伙in advance: ahead in time预先，事先in effect: in fact, in practice实质上，实际上make sense of: to find meaning or coherence in理解，弄懂Reading Comprehension°I. Choose the best for each of the following.1. According to the author, which theory has been well accepted by all? ( D )A. The tortoise theory.B. The theory of superstrings.C. Laplace's determinism.D. Not mentioned.2. Based on the earliest theoretical attempts, what is the nature of the universe? ( B )A. There is a world picture.B. The whole world was controlled by spirits with human emotions who acted in a very humanlike and unpredictable manner.C. An infinite tower of tortoises supported the flat earth.D. Gods obeyed strict laws, apparently without any exceptions.3. Who did people believe control the world in the early time? ( A )A. Spirits with human emotions.B. The sun god.C. The river and mountain.D. Celestial bodies.4. The author's aim by quoting Einstein's question is to show that ___C__.A. God can create the world by different choicesB. the world is always controlled by spirits with human emotions who acted in a very humanlike and unpredictable mannerC. Even the God has no power to create the initial lawsD. Human can can investigate the laws of the universe and ask about the nature of God5. "What a comedown from the great tradition of philosophy from Aristotle to Kant!" in Para. 8. Here the word "comedown" means __D___.A. in effect, God was confined to the areas that nineteenth-century science did not understandB. the sole remaining task for philosophy is the analysis of languageC. philosophers have not been able to keep up with the advance of scientific theoriesD. most scientists have been too occupied with the development of new theories that describe what the universe is to ask the question whyII. Complete the following summary of the text by filling in the blanks with words. The initial letter of each word has been given to you."Space and Time" is just one part of the book, A Brief History of Time. In it, the author has (1) displayed some well-known theories of universe to stir our imagination to think about the answers to the (2) permanent questions about how the world comes into being. They are the (3) infinite tower of tortoises, the (4) superstring theory and Laplace' s (5) determinism. Although the first one is obviously ridiculous, the latter two are also (6) incomplete. They all lack (7) observational evidences. Einstein even once asked the question: "How much (8) choice did God have in constructing the universe?" because even his theory of universe is just a hypothesis.On the one hand, the author has criticized the present scientists for paying too much attention to finding what the universe is and ignoring the reason why it is like that. On the otherhand, he has also indicated that philosophers have not been able to keep up with the advance of scientific theories. They have reduced the scope of their inquiries so much that Wittgenstein has pointed out that the sole remaining task for philosophy is the analysis of language. This is a truly (9) comedown in philosophy. But this doesn't mean that the author (10) discounts our humans can't find the nature of the universe and truly know the mind of God.VocabularyI. Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.1. In ___B__ we're earning less than last year because of inflation.A. blossomB. effectC. practiceD. between2. Currently there is a __C___ variety of software available and my first task will be to suggesta simple classification.A. confusedB. obviousC. bewilderingD. understandable3. It's difficult to be __D___ about the number of deaths caused by smoking.A. vagueB. accurateC. absoluteD. precise4. The noise control law could __A___ airport neighbors, who oppose growth because of the noise.A. placateB. comfortedC. angerD. stimulate5. Scientists ___B__ his method of predicting earthquakes.A. discountingB. discountedC. has discountedD. discount6. All the illegal immigrants were __C___ to a small island in the harbour.A. confectedB. confidedC. confinedD. confederated7. The brain is like a very powerful, very ___A__ computer.A. complicatedB. simpleC. carefulD. trouble-free8. Teaching eighth-grade English must be a big __C___ for a man with two PhDs.A. satisfactionB. disappointingC. comedownD. success9. An __A___ will be held to discover why the school's educational record is so bad.A. inquiryB. suspicionC. enquireD. question10. Darwin ___D__ the modern theory of evolution.A. hypothesizedB. inventedC. createdD. postulatedII. Fill in the blanks with the words or phrases given below. Change the form where necessary.rotationally finite fertile configurational confinementpreciseness count bewilder unify postulation determine observation self-consistency complication initially1. Changes in society are happening so fast, and they sometimes seem bewildering.2. Eggs are a symbol of fertility and people traditionally decorated eggs with paint then gave them as presents.3. He had been confined to a wheelchair for some time.4. A natural language contains a(n) infinite number of grammatical sentences.5. It takes 243 Earth days for Venus to complete one rotation.6. Not all the members of European Union support the idea to construct a unified EU import market.7. Contrary to popular belief, there is a great deal of observational evidence for the existence oftwo types of black holes, those with masses of a typical star, and those with masses of a typical galaxy.8. After the initial shock, people adjusted to the new circumstances.9. Experts discounted the accuracy of the polls.10. To begin with, it postulates that the hero of your story is in danger.TranslationPut the following paragraph into English.亚里士多德和牛顿都相信绝对时间。