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The Business as a Hunting GroundEsther Vilar There are many women who take their place in the working world of today. Secretaries and shop assistants,factory workers and stewardesses —not to mention those countless hearty young women who populate the colleges and universities in ever-increasing numbers. One might even get the impression that woman’s nature had undergonea radical change in the last twenty years. Today’s young women appear to be less unfair than their mothers. They seem to have decided — perhaps out of pity for their victims — not to exploit men any more, but to become, in truth, their partners.The impression is deceptive. The only truly important act in any woman’s life is the selection of the right partner. In any other choice she can afford to make a mistake. Consequently, she will look for a man where he works or studies and where she can best observe and judge the necessary masculine qualities she values. Offices, factories, colleges, and universities are, to her, nothing but gigantic marriage markets.The particular field chosen by any young woman as a hunting ground will depend to a large extent on the level of income of the man who has previously been her slave, in other words, her father. The daughters of men in the upper income brackets will choose colleges or universities. These offer the best chances of capturing a man who will earn enough to maintain the standards she has already acquired. Besides, a period of study for form’s sake is much more convenient than a temporary employm ent. Girls from less-well-off homes will have to go into factories, shops, offices, or hospitals for a time — but again with the same purpose in mind. None of them intend to stay in these jobs for long. They will continue only until marriage — or, incases of hardship, till pregnancy. This offers woman one important advantage, any woman who marries nowadays has given up her studies or her job “for the sake of the man of her choice” —and “sacrifices” of this nature create obligations.Therefore, when women work and study, it merely serves to falsify statistics and furthermore to enslave men more hopelessly than ever, because education and the professions mean something very different when applied to women as opposed to men.When a man works it is a matter of life and death, and, as a rule, the first years of his life are decisive. Any man of twenty-five who is not well on his way up the ladder can beconsidered, to all intents and purposes, a hopeless case. At this stage, all his faculties are being developed, and the fight with his competitors is a fight to the death. Behind a mask of business friendship, he is constantly on the watch for anysign of superiority in one of his associates, and he will note its appearance with anxiety. If this same associate shows signs of weakness or indecision, it must be taken advantage of at once. Yet man is only a tiny cog in a gigantic business machine, he himself being in effect exploited at every turn.When he drives others, he drives himself most of all. His orders are really orders from above, passed on by him. If the men at the top occasionally take time to praise him, it is not in order tomake him happy; it is only to spur him on, to stimulate him to greater effort. For man, who was brought up to be proud and honorable, every working day is merely an endless series of humiliations. He shows enthusiasm for products he finds useless, he laughs at jokes he finds tasteless, he expresses opinions which are not his own.Not for a moment is he allowed to forget that the merest oversight may meandemotion, that one slip of the tongue may spell the end of his career.Yet woman, who is the prime cause of all these struggles, and under whose very eyes these fights take place, just stands aside and watches. Going to work means to her flirting and dates, teasing and banter, with the odd bit of “labor” done for the sake of appearances — work for which, as a rule, she has no responsibility. She knows that she is only marking time, and even if she does have to go on working for one reason or another, at least she has had years of pleasant dreams. She watches men's battles from a safe distance, occasionally applauding one of the contestants, encouraging or scolding, and while she makes their coffee, opens their mail, or listens to their telephone conversations, she is cold-bloodedly taking her pick. The moment she has found “Mr. Right,” she retires gracefully, leaving the field open to her successor.The same applies to university education. American colleges admit more and more women, but the percentage who actually complete their courses is less than before the SecondW orld War. They sit happily in lectures designing their spring wardrobe and between classes flirt with the boys. With their scarlet nails carefully protected by transparent rubber gloves, they play around with corpses in the dissecting rooms, while their male colleagues realize their whole future is at stake. If a woman leaves the university with an engagement ring on her finger, she has earned her degree; man has hardly begun when he obtains his diploma. Degrees are, after all, easy to come by —you have only to memorize. How many examiners can tell the difference between real knowledge and bluff? Man, however, has to understand his subject as well. His later success will depend on whether his knowledge is well-founded; his later prestige will be built on this, and often other people’s lives are dependent on it.None of these battles exists for woman.If she breaks off her studies and marries a university lecturer, she has achieved the same level as he has without exerting herself. As the wife of a factory owner she is treated with greater respect than he is (and not as somebody who at best would be employable on the assembly line in the same factory). As a wife she always has the same standard of living and social prestige and has to do nothing to maintain them — as he does. For this reason the quickest way to succeed is always to marry a successful man. She does not win him by her industry, ambition, or perseverance —but simply through an attractive appearance.We have already seen what demands the well-trained man makes on a woman’s appearance. The best women trainers — without the least effort — catch the most successful fighters among men. The so-called “beautiful” women are usually those who have had an easy life from their childhood days and therefore have less reason than others to develop their intellectual gifts (intelligence is developed only through competition); it follows as a logical consequence that very successful men usually have abysmally stupid wives ( unless, of course, one considers woman’s skill at transforming herself into bait for man a feat of intelligence). It has almost become a commonplace that a really successful man, be he a company director, financier, shipping magnate, or orchestra conductor, will, when he reaches the zenith of his career, marry a beautiful model usually his second or third wife. Men who have inherited money often take such a supergirl as their first wife although she will be exchanged over the years for another. Yet, as a rule, models are women of little education who have not even finished school and who have nothing to do until they marry but look beautiful and pose becomingly in front of a camera. But they are “beautiful” —and that makes them potentiallyrich.A small percentage (ten to twenty percent) of women students in industrial countries of the West do, in fact, obtain their degrees before they get married. Despite occasionalexceptions, they are, as a rule, less attractive and have failed to catch a suitable provider while still in school. But then, this degree will automatically raise their market value, for there are certain types of men who feel bolstered if their wife has a degree —providing they have one themselves. It is clear evidence of his own cleverness if such a highly educated woman is interested in him. If by chance this female mastermind happens to be sexy, he will be beside himself with joy.But not for long. Even women doctors, women sociologists, and women lawyers “sacrifice” their careers for their men, or at least set them aside. They withdraw into suburban ranch houses, have children, plant flower beds and fill their homes with the usual trash. Within a few years these new entertainments obliterate the small amount of “expert knowledge,” learned by rote, of course, and they become exactly like their female neighbors.。
新世纪研究生综合英语u n i t8Unit8Power to the peopleAlmost a century has gone by since humans began exploiting a compelling new way to power the global economy. The switch to fossil fuels prompted促使 an explosion innovation either side of the 1900s.including creations such as the internal combustion engine. Such technologies have since provided the means to drive our thirsty, energy-intensive modern societies.Today we stand at a similar turning point. Solar power, wind turbines and other sources of clean power--- the preserve of visionaries 有预见的人and enthusiasts little more than a decade ago--- are now poised on the brink of the mainstream, helped in no small part by the environmental deficiencies of fossil fuels. The need to create clean energy has become a pressing concern for policy makers and big business--- not to mention the consumer.Such thinking is fuelled by the growing realization that all along nature has provided ready-made means to power modern civilizations, namely through the elements. Crucial advances in new technology have these inexhaustible sources cheaper to use with, for example, the cost of solar energy plunging by up to 98 percent over the past 20 years.In theory, these renewable energy resources are incongruous large. The sun alone provides the means to deliver 7,000times our own energy consumption; blanking just 2.6 percent of the Sahara desert with solar cells could supply our entire needs. Yet for all this impressive potential, renewable energy currently produces just two percent of our total energy output.However, as the computer industry discovered in the 1980s, rapid growth can swiftly transform a minority sector into a giant capable of dominating our lives. Already companies across the globe are scrambling征服争夺 to become the next Intel or Microsoft of the new energy revolution. Our homes, cities, and workplaces--- our lives--- may be reshaped in ways we can only begin to guess at the solar cell, the wind farm and the electric car enter larger sectors of the marketplace.Blazing a trailThe sun’s capability to power the planet is phenomenal杰出的. Already a billion-pound business, projections indicate an annual growth rate for the next decade of 14 percent. But the price of solar technology has always been its biggest sticking point, and the cost of solar cells will need to fall by up to 50 percent in order to fully competitive with coal-fired electricity.Several companies are currently developing a new generation of wafer-thin photovoltaic光电的 solar panels that will slash大量削减 costs still further. Photovoltaics(pv) convert the sun’s heat into electricity, silently and without pollution. They use semi-conductors that send out electrons the instant sunlight reaches them, triggering使触发引起 the flow of electricity. The greater the volume of sunlight, the more electrons are emitted发射或发射出.Solar power could provide thousands of times more energy than we world currently uses, the earth receiving an unimaginably huge amount of energy way beyond the capabilities of fossil fuels or nuclear fission. In figures, the sun’s continuous power input stands数据 at 200 watts followed by 15 zeros.Its uses are impressively varied. Solar cells now power satellites, mobilephones, television sets, highway signals and water pumps. Last year the Dutch solar car Nuna broke the world record--- with an average speed of 91 km/h--- in the world Solar challenge, a 3,010-kilometer race across Australia for cars powered by the sun.A look at the planet’s most conspicuous明显的 consumers reveals that solar energy is finally beginning to make real inroads as an alternative energy. The USA’s Million Solar Roofs Initiative aims to put a million solar systems on the roofs of commercial and residential building by 2010. In addition, 30 states now have official policies encouraging the development of solar energy with financial incentives for investment in the use of PV modules and cells.Advocates believe that PV could claim to be the simplest and most elegant technology to harness the power of the sun, being easy to install and requiring minimal maintenance. Given this advantages, the future of solar photovoltaics appears bright.Tapping into waterHarnessing the power of moving water, whether through the natural rhythems of the tide and ocean waves or by means of massive artificial dams, offers another renewable energy source with a major future. Wave power alone has the potential to provide enough power to supply an estimated 1.4 million households in an industrial society.However, the intrinsic difficulties in harnessing开发 the strength of rough seas have created major headaches for engineers; two wave-power stations in Scotland and Norway have already fallen victim to the sea. Once again though, the biggest hurdle is financial, with construction of turbines at sea expensive, despite the actual energy being plentiful and free.Further difficulties are caused by the fact that waves refuse to flow in one direction. One solution to this problem has been to fit turbines in a chimney-type seabed structure that can be oriented to face the direction of energy-giving waves.By contrast, hydroelectric power is well established, producing almost a quarter of the world’s electricity and supplying more than one billion people with power. Hydropower produces energy equivalent to 3.6 billion barrels of oil a year. Electricity is produced by falling water passing through a turbine; dams are often used to ensure water supply can be controlled depending on the demand for power.However the construction of mighty dams often has huge environmental impacts caused by having to flood large areas, triggering acute damage existing habitats--- the three gorges dam currently under construction in china will see 632 square kilometers inundated洪水泛滥 and1.1 million people facing resettlement. Such obvious deficiencies 缺点aside, hydropower offers a clean, renewable source of energy that offers cheap electricity.Blowing hot and coldWonderfully simple in concept, perfectly practical in reality, wind power has been on the drawing board of energy providers for centuries. Yet its potential has long been hamstrung 不起作用by opponents claiming wind farms spoil the beauty of the landscape. This is compounded加重 by year of under-investment and a lack of political support.Power is generated by the wind turning massive blades that in turn drive turbines, with the ensuing energy piped to the national grid. Simple. And there are absolutely no destructive by-products. What’s more, vast swathes 长条形地带of the globe provide idol conditions to harness开发 wind power, though of course most coastal and mountainous regions experience enough of the resource to make it visible, at least locally.In China, estimates place its wind resource at 350,000 megawatts, sufficient to provide the world’s largest national population with electricity today. Britain, the windiest country in Europe, itself endures sufficient brisk breezes to serve its electricity generation three times over. Offshore plants are favoured where the wind is stronger and no one can complain at the intrusion into their environment.However, as well as the visual impact of wind-farms, some local residents have complained about levels of noise from the turbine gearing systems and blades. Some people are particularly sensitive to low level noise and there is evidence that in certain sites, like Landdinam in Wales, the sound is amplified by some sort of resonance within the valley. Other objects include interference with television and radio reception, negative impacts on local tourism and property values, and the potential disruption扰乱 to wildlife, especially birds.Hydrogen time-bombHigh hopes are pinned or the fuel cell, a technology forecast to reshape the world energy economy, and adds-on to power transport-systems of tomorrow by replacingpetro. Again, its green credentials证书 are indisputable: fuel cells release nothing more damaging into the atmosphere than water vapour. Onlike oil, gas and coal it does not produce carbon dioxide, and has the advantage of being twice as efficient as conventional engines in converting chemical fuels into power.Fuel cells also hold potential for developing nations because they are almost as economical on a small-scale as a large one, require little maintenance and no recharging. In simple terms, fuel cells work using a chemical reaction to produce electricity from hydrogen, which can be derived from such sources as natural gas and methanol甲醇. Governments are understandably keen on a technology that offers the possibility of true”zero emission” energy.With the cost of power failures to it economies greater than ever, off-grid sources such as stationary fuel cells could soon become commercial necessities.Be oriented to调整适应Be pinned on 信赖，附属于Blaze a trail 开路先锋，带头Blow hot and cold犹豫不决Convert into 变换转变Make inroads 涉足另一个新领域On the drawing board在设计阶段Solar panel 太阳能电池板Tap into开发着手Zero emission 零排放选择题1、At the press conference, they were scrambling攀登 to give the impressionthat the situation was in control.A/searching B/struggling C/crowding D/exiting2、Written off again and again, he has proved phenomenon in resilience andpolitical craftiness.A/notable B/tangible C/extraordinary D/sensible3、This news has sent a wave of panic through the world which to me seemsway out of proportion.A/ far B/mean C/simply D/away4、Downtown business owners say that they want the city’s homeless sheltermoved to a conspicuous location.A/confronted B/ fantastic C/confident D/noticeable5、Over the past year, Linux has significant inroads into embedded designsrequiring rich, high performance networking.A/ Made money B/made achievement C/ made advances D/ madeprogress6、The important thing is to harness growth to self-knowledge, a readyacceptance of change, swift-moving business practice and sound judgment.A/ make use control produce escape7、We are the ones willing and able to run an obstacle course filled with hurdlesthat we must complete before anyone else.Barriers bless reports handouts8、I haven’t been able to orient my ideas to the new conditions since I workedabroad three months.Change adjust direct organize9、The company office was inundated with telegrams of congratulations on thetenth anniversary of its foundation.Overjoyed flooded crowded satisfied10、He had draw a contradictory conclusion in his thesis because he pinned hisfaith on an absurdity.Decided practiced depended placed。
Unit 8Literary WorksWord Bankbodega: n. a small Spanish [grocer杂货店老板->grocer’s (shop)] grocery (日杂用品) store, sometimes combined with a wineshop酒店，酒窖; spirit 精神/灵魂/烈性酒brandy: n. an alcoholic liquor distilled (分馏) from wine or fermented (发酵的) fruit juice白兰地; brand new崭新的(coffee<->) cafe (=cafeteria): n. (US) a place to buy drinks, simple meals, and snacks (快餐) in 咖啡馆，小餐馆client: n. a customer or patron顾客->patriot-> patrioticcommit: v. to do or perform sth. illegal做，实行或犯（罪）(confident: adj. ->) confidence: n. trust or faith in sb. or sth.信心，信赖despair (n./ vi. ->desperate: adj.): n. complete loss of hope绝望dew: n. water droplets (小水滴) condensed (凝结) from the air, usually at night露珠; -let: adj. small/ tinydignity (n. ->dignify: vt.): n. poise (n. / vt. 平衡) and self-respect尊严(drink->drank->) drunk: adj. intoxicated with alcoholic liquor喝醉的; drunk driving酒后驾车; drunkard醉鬼(dust->) dusty: adj. covered or filled with dust布满尘埃的employ (->employer<-> employee): v. to make use of使用hombre: n. (slang俚语/ 方言) a man from Spain男人，西班牙系的人insomnia: n. c hronic (慢性的/长期的) inability to fall asleep or remain asleep for an adequate (=enough) length of time失眠(症)insult: v. to treat with rudeness侮辱nasty: adj. dirty and smelly emission (散发): n. the act or an instance of emitting肮脏，邋遢的(omit->) omission省略, 删除rap: (1)n. 说唱文学作品; (2)vt. to hit sharply and swiftly敲击regard: (1) n. careful thought or attention留意，关心; (2)vt. consider认为reluctant(->reluctance): adj. be unwilling (to do sth.); (be) disinclined不愿意的<->be inclined to do sth.想做某事(sauce调味汁->) saucer: n. a small shallow dish having a slight circular (圆形的/ 环形的) depression (凹槽) in the center for holding a cup茶托shutter: n. a hinged cover or screen for a window, usually fitted with louvers (天窗,) 百叶窗spill: v. to cause or allow to run or fall out of a container (容器) 溢出，溅出square广场; ~ meter平方米/ cubic meter立方米自杀; pesticide杀虫剂syntax: n. the pattern of formation of sentences or phrases in a language句式，句型, 句法terrace: n. a platform extending outdoors (adv.户外) from a floor of a house or an apartment building平台, balcony阳台/ 楼厅unjust: (1) adj. unfair不公平的; (2)adv. What did you say just now?unpolished: adj. lacking in good manners, culture, or refinement粗鲁的；polish (=flatter)：vt. 阿谀奉承Phrases and Expressionsclose up: to cause to cease operation or being used打烊in a hurry (vi./ n.): hurriedly匆忙地; Hurry up, or we’ll be late!keep watch: to keep an careful observation盯梢; night watch守夜人; watch TV; see a film; listen to the news over the radio.put up (=lift): to construct or erect (竖立) sth.举起，抬起stay up (late) (=sit up late): not go to bed熬夜(turn on<->) turn off: to stop the operation or flow of sth. by means of a tap (水龙头), switch [(1)n.开关; (2)vi.转换] or button关掉(<->bottom)；code switch转码Reading ComprehensionChoose the best for each of the following.1. Why did the two waiters of the café keep a close watch on the old man? ( B )A. Because the old man never showed up before.B. Because the old man tended to forget to pay the bill.C. Because the old man once committed suicide in the cafeD. Because the old man was getting drunk.2. In Para. 27, "... speaking with that omission of syntax stupid people employ when talking to drunken people or foreigners." Here the "omission of syntax" implies that ( D )A. the younger waiter had a poor knowledge of grammar and sentence structureB. the younger waiter in a hurry forgot to employ a right sentence structureC. the younger waiter saved some unnecessary sentence structureD. the younger waiter was too hurried and impatient to justify himself3. In what way were the younger waiter and the older waiter of two different kinds? ( D )A. The older waiter was sympathetic toward the old man, while the younger waiter was indifferent.B. The older waiter was seeking a clean and well lighted place, while the younger waiter enjoyed darkness because he was satisfied with the current life.C. The older waiter wanted to escape from nothingness, while the younger waiter hadn't yet lost passion for life.D. All of the above.4. What's the real purpose of the repeated employment of nada in this story? ( A )A. To indicate that life is unending emptiness without companionship of man or God.B. To suggest that life would yield no fruit at all if we don't try hard.C. To imply that we should not believe in any religion.D. To show that the life with nothing at all is not worth living.5. According to the story, what is a clean, well-lighted place? ( B )A. It is a spacious room with clean environment and good lights.B. It is an escape from the darkness and nothingness of the life.C. It is the paradise where people can get the bliss from the Lord.D. It is a bar or café, where people can seek the realization of their own values.II. Complete the following summary of the text by filling in the blanks with words. The initial letterof each word has been given to you.It is late at night in a café. Two waiters of the cafe are keeping a close (1) watch on an old man. The old deaf man frequents (vt.平凡光顾) the café regularly and tends to leave without paying his (2) bill when drunk.As they watch, the two waiters gossip (n./ vi.) about the old man's recent (3) suicide attempt. The younger one comments (评论) that the man's (4) despair could not have been over money, since he seemed to have plenty. Then he refuses in vain (徒劳) to provide the old man another drink, so he complains to the older waiter that he is tired and wishes to go home. He also complains that he would already be on his way (5) home (n./ adv.) if the old man had succeeded (in) killing himself.(Note->) Noting that the old man must be nearly 80 years of age, the younger waiter says to live that long is (6) nasty (bad). However, the older waiter points out that the old man maintains hismotions (waves) for another brandy but is firmly (absolutely) turned down (refused), so he pays for his drinks and leaves. Then the two waiters go their separate ways (went home respectively). Rather than returning home, the older waiter goes to a bar to look for a clean and well (8) 1ighted place, where he is taken (=regarded/ considered) as a crazy person by the barman. On the way back home, he decides (thinks) that it will be (9) insomnia that accompanies (~ sb. to somewhere) him all night. For him, life is just full of (10) nothingness (uselessness/ insignificance).VocabularyI. Choose the answer that best completes each sentence.1. He was (silhouette) silhouetted (侧面影象, 轮廓) ___D__ the light of the stair window.A. betweenB. amongC. fromD. against2. They listened to the soft ticking and creaking as the house ___A__.A. settledB. trembledC. shookD. quivered3.[manual labo(u)r->manufacture->) Manufacturers (厂商) will have to __A___ (substance->) substantial funds [(1)n.资金; (2)vt. 资助] to developing (开发) new engines.A. investB. commitC. anticipate (预料)D. cut4. Driven to __A___ due to the (lose) loss (n. 赔钱/ 亏损) in financial crisis, he threw himself under a train.A. despairB. madnessC. disappointmentD. excitement5. There are dark ___C__ beneath your eyes.A. cloudsB. bagsC. shadowsD. reflections (反射)6. Members of the Royal British Legion (军团) ___B__ past the Cenotaph (纪念碑).A. movedB. (vi.) marched (->March三月份)C. motionedD. mashed (vt.捣碎; smash)7. Plastic (n./ adj.) bags burn with a __D___, acrid (酸) smell.A. pleasantB. (noise->) noisy (adj.)C. penetrating (穿刺)D. nasty (=terrible)8. Years of (frustrate->) frustration __A___ over into (violent->) violence.A. spilledB. splashedC. spanked (打...的屁股)D. spread (散播开来)9. He (modesty: n.) modestly (谦虚) ___C__ to mention that he was British pole-vault champion (撑杆跳冠军).A. pretends (假装)B. offers (give)C. omitsD. presents [(1)n.礼物; (2)adj.在场的; (3)vt.再现历史事实]10. Questionnaire (调查问卷) and (ethnics种族/ 论理道德->ethnic: adj.) ethnographic (民族, 人种学的) study are the two basic instruments (仪器仪表手段) they ___C__ to collect data.A. edit 编辑B. exhibit展览C. employ利用D. enhance加强II. Fill in the blanks with the words or phrases given below. Change the form where necessary. dread dignity confidence reluctantunpolished sleep steady hurryemploy regard pleasant rapcommit drink square1. There are now (stiff: adj. 僵硬的/ 严厉的->) stiffer penalties (刑罚) for (drink->drank->drunk/ drink->drank->drunken) drunken drivers.2. We can find that the employment rate (概率) of university graduates (毕业/毕业生) has declined gradually.3. She sensed (felt) his (reluctant->) reluctance to continue the relationship with her.4. He turned off (偏离) the road into a sleepy (quiet/ out of the way/ remote) little town.5. Please give your parents my warmest regards. [give sb. my regards替我向某人问好]6. Peter is confident of winning the post (job) as the assistant (助手) to the managing director (行政经理).7. Behind the bar the (stew: vt. 炖) steward (服务员<-> stewardess空姐) are polishing (擦拭) the glasses busily.8. I've had a dreadful (terrible) day--everything seems to have gone wrong (出错go bad变质).9. Everyone sensed (felt) that something was wrong. The plane was moving unsteadily through the air.10. I tried (努力) to remember all the articles I had hurriedly packed (打包) and wrote them down (recorded) as (when) they came to me.TranslationPut the following paragraphs into Chinese.1. They sat together at a table that was close against the wall near the door of the caféand looked at the terrace where the tables were all empty except where the old man sat in the shadow of the leaves of the tree that moved slightly in the wind.2. "No, thank you," said the waiter and went out. He disliked bars and bodegas. A clean, well-lighted café was a very different thing. Now, without thinking further, he would go home to hisroom. He would lie in the bed and finally, with daylight, he would go to sleep. After all, he said to himself, it was probably only insomnia. Many must have it.参考译文：1．他们一起坐在紧靠着餐馆大门墙边的桌旁，眼睛望着平台，那儿的桌子全都空无一人，只有那个老人坐在随风轻轻飘拂的树叶的阴影里。
Unit Eight It's almost a common sense that wearing a seat belt can keep passengers from being injured or being killed in a car accident. But recent research done by John Adams shows more complicated statistics. More car accidents are caused by the reckless drivers who wear seat belts.THE HIDDEN DANGER OF SEAT BELTS David Bjerklie1 Seat belts still decrease our risk of dying in an accident, but the statistics are not all black and white. In fact, according to one researcher, seat belts may actually cause people to drive more recklessly.2 If there's one thing we know about our risky world, it's that seat belts save lives. And they do, of course. But reality, as usual, is messier and more complicated than that. John Adams, risk expert and emeritus professor of geography at University College London, was an early skeptic of the seat belt safety mantra. Adams first began to look at the numbers more than 25 years ago. What he found was that contrary to conventional wisdom, mandating the use of seat belts in 18 countries resulted in either no change or actually a net increase in road accident deaths.3 How can that be? Adams' interpretation of the data rests on the notion of risk compensation, the idea that individuals tend to adjust their behavior in response to what they perceive; as changes in the level of risk. Imagine, explains Adams, a driver negotiating a curve in the road. Let's make him a young male. He is going to be influenced by his perceptions of both the risks and rewards of driving a car. The considerations could include getting to work or meeting a mend for dinner on time, impressing a companion with his driving skills, bolstering his image of himself as an accomplished driver. They could also include his concern for his own safety and desire to live to a ripe old age, his feelings of responsibility for a toddler with him in a car seat, the cost of banging up his shiny new car or losing his license.Nor will these possible concerns exist in a vacuum. He will be taking into account the weather and the condition of the road, the amount of traffic and the capabilities of the car he is driving. But crucially, says Adams, this driver will also be adjusting his behavior in response to what he perceives are changes in risks. If he is wearing a seat belt and his car has front and side air bags and anti-skid brakes to boot, he may in turn drive a bit more daringly.4 The point, stresses Adams, is that drivers who feel safe may actually increase the risk that they pose to other drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians and their own passengers (while an average of 80% of drivers buckle up, only 68% of their rear-seat passengers do). And risk compensation is hardly confined to the act of driving a car. Think of a trapeze artist, suggests Adams, or a rock climber or motorcyclist. Add some safety equipment to the equation- a net, rope or helmet respectively- and the person may try maneuvers that he or she would otherwise consider foolish. In the case of seat belts, instead of a simple, straightforward reduction in deaths, the end result is actually a more complicated redistribution of risk and fatalities. For the sake of argument, offers Adams, imagine how it might affect the behavior of drivers if a sharp stake were mounted in the middle of the steering wheel? Or if the bumper were packed with explosives. Perverse, yes, but it certainly provides a vivid example of how a perception of risk could modify behavior.5 In everyday life, risk is a moving target, not a set number as statistics might suggest. In addition to external factors, each individual has his or her own internal comfort level with risk- taking. Some are daring while others are cautious by nature. And still others are fatalists who may believe that a higher power devises mortality schedules that fix a predetermined time when ournumber is up. Consequently, any single measurement assigned to the risk of driving a car is bound to be only the roughest sort of benchmark. Adams cites, as an example the statistical fact that a young man is 100 times more likely to be involved in a severe crash than is a middle-aged woman. Similarly, someone driving at 3:00 a.m. Sunday is more than 100 times more likely to die than someone driving at 10:00 a.m. Sunday. Someone with a personality disorder is 10 times more likely to die. And let's say he's also drunk. Tally up All these factors and consider them independently says Adams, and you could arrive at. a statistical prediction that a disturbed, drunken young man driving in the middle of the night is 2.7 million times more likely to be involved in a serious accident than would a sober, middle-aged woman driving to church seven hours later.6 The bottom line is that risk doesn't exist in a vacuum and that there are a host of factors that come into play, including the rewards of risk, whether they are financial, physical or emotional. It is this very human context which risk exists. That is key, says Adams, who titled one of his recent blogs: What Kills You Matters- Not Numbers. Our reaction to risk very much depends on the degree to which it is voluntary (scuba diving), unavoidable (public transit) or imposed (air quality), the degree to which we feel we are in control (driving) or at the mercy of others (plane travel), and the degree to which the source of possible danger is benign ("doctor's orders), indifferent (nature) or malign, (murder and terrorism). We make dozens of risk calculations daily, but you can book odds- that most of them are so automatic or visceral- that we barely notice them.。
第八单元Part AFill in the blanks with the words or phrases given below. Change the form where necessary.notorietyperishreckoningfrivolousbeholdmeagercoop upgregariousoutstriphermitmellowsquander1. He could not support his__meager_____ family on his salary; therefore he had to work part-t ime as a waiter in a local restaurant.他的工资不足以维持他那一贫如洗的家庭，因此他不得不在当地一家餐馆做兼职服务员。
2. You are not a(n) ___ hermit____ but you have the capacity to withdraw and this is a good and healthy quality that helps give you balance, perspective, a peaceful disposition, and wisdom. 你不是一个隐士，但你有能力隐退，这是一种良好和健康的品质，帮助你平衡、透视、平和的性格和智慧。
3.After ___cooping up____ in the stuffy little office all day, Sharon decided to walk home rathe r than take the crowded bus.在闷热的小办公室呆了一整天后，沙伦决定步行回家，而不愿乘拥挤的公共汽车。
4. The ensuring investigation achieved nationwide___notoriety____ as the Summerdale Police S candal" and blew the lid off the Chicago Police Department.随着萨默代尔警察丑闻的曝光，这一确定无疑的调查在全国范围内获得了广泛的关注。
Unit 8Text AIII. Key to the exercises1. Reading comprehension(1) People’s frequent use of automobiles lead to the use of non-renewable fuels, a dramaticincrease in the rate of accidental death, social isolation and the disconnection of community, rise in obesity, the generation of air and noise pollution, the facilitation of urban sprawl and urban decay.(2) First, increased road-building exerts negative effects on the habitat for wildlife, primarilythrough habitat fragmentation and surface runoff alteration. Second, new roads built through sensitive habitats can cause the loss or degradation of ecosystems, and the materials required for roads come from large-scale rock quarrying and gravel extraction, which sometimes occurs in sensitive ecological areas. What’s more, road construction also alters the water table, increases surface runoff, and increases the risk of flooding. All these threaten the existence of wildlife.(3) Automobiles are a major source of air pollution and noise pollution. They contributegreatly to the global climate warming by emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.What’s more, the increased road-building exerts negative effects on wildlife habitat. (4) Automobiles brought about changes to urban society. First, streetcars, cable cars, and otherforms of light rail in the urban areas are replaced by coaches or buses. Second, it’s more dangerous for pedestrians to walk. Third, people have less contact with their neighbors and become more disconnected.(5) Until the advent of the automobile, factory workers lived either close to the factory or inhigh density communities farther away, connected to the factory by streetcar or rail. The automobile and the federal subsidies for roads and suburban development that supported car culture allowed people to live in low density communities far from the city center and integrated city neighborhoods. The outward growth of cities accelerated. The suburban society came.2. VocabularySection A(1) favorable (2) sprawl (3) proliferation (4) fragmentation (5) manure72(6) sanitation (7) diesel (8) integrate (9) ideology (10) solidifySection B(1) A (2) D (3) B (4) C (5) D (6) B (7) A (8) C (9) B (10) D3. Cloze(1) emphasizing (2) particularly (3) brought (4) alternative (5) moves(6) reliance (7) least (8) sure (9) intact (10) as(11) shadow (12) prospect (13) cigarettes (14) doubt (15) vast(16) suburban (17) mean (18) abandoned (19) right (20) purchasing4. TranslationA. Chinese to English1) Translate the following sentences into English.(1) The two countries should initiate bilateral dialogues and cooperation on the basis of mutualrespect and equality, which will be beneficial to the economic development of both sides.(2) Unless we take all factors into account, we shall be faced for a long time with the socialproblem of insufficient employment, which is one element that causes social instability. (3) In this century, our country will continue to accelerate the strategic adjustment of theeconomic structure in an attempt to seize every opportunity to develop.(4) With the advent of biological economic era, many countries put a high value on developingbiotechnology industry.(5) The rampant deforestation has broken the panda habitat into isolated areas, which isespecially da ngerous for pandas’ existence.(6) Action, gesture, eye, and voice contribute to the greater effectiveness of drama ascompared with the novel.(7) Aside from wealth, potential moon travelers will need time to train for the mission andmust meet health requirements.(8) In response to an epidemic reported in the area, the government authorities immediatelydecided to fly in doctors and medical supplies to ease difficulties of the affected areas.2) Translate the following paragraph into English.At a time when most carmakers are struggling to cope with the worst crisis the industry has experienced in living memory, the ambitions of Geely, China’s biggest privately owned car firm, are breathtaking. The company is simultaneously developing six modern platforms—an astonishing number even for a global giant such as Toyota—and is committed to launching nine new cars in the next 18 months and up to 42 new models by 2015. Its technical director, Frank Zhao, claims that Geely will have the capacity to make 2m cars a year by then.B. English to ChineseUnit 8 731) Translate the following paragraph into Chinese.汽车对于中产阶级的文化有着重要的影响，汽车融入到了从音乐到书籍到电影的各个生活层面。
