牛津高二下Unit 1 What is beautyReading: Suffering to be beautifulRead the transcript below from a radio programme called Head to Head.Host: Good morning. Today's topic is beauty. What is beauty And, to what lengths can or should we go to make ourselves more beautiful In the studio today are two beautiful women to help answer these questions! Sue Leslie,a former model who is now a successful businesswoman, and Elizabeth Cade, a writer and lecturer. Sue, perhapswe could start with you. Is beauty importantSL: Well, first, thanks for the compliment, Mary. Now, I think that in today's world, it is important to look your best.You should watch what you eat and keep yourself fit. And if that's not enough, then cosmetic surgery can change people's lives.Host: Elizabeth, what's your viewpointEC: I think it's up to everyone to decide what is right for them, but I do feel that people should be happy with themselves, regardless of how they look. There is too much emphasis on appearance these days. Seldom do people think about the real dangers of this obsession with looks, both from eating disorders and from havingcosmetic surgery. Also, many people feel unhappy because they just don't happen to fit society's current ideas of what is beautiful.Host: Since you're a historian, perhaps you could give us a brief historical perspective on this.EC: Well, there are lots of examples of societies in which people have done some horrendous things to try to make themselves look more beautiful. For instance, some European women used to have their bottom ribs removed so that they would have thin waists. Neck stretching was fashionable in some parts of South-East Asia. In Africa,there were tribes which stretched their ear lobes or lips. I think it is ridiculous that people --- usually women --- have been forced by society to endure such considerable pain and suffering.SL: So do I. But times have changed. No one forces people to come to 'Sue's Salon', my health studio. They're free to come, and they enjoy coming because after a course there, they look as if they were ten years younger. So I don't see any real point in discussing all these quaint old customs.EC: But there really is no difference between then and now! That is why today, millions of women alter their bodies.They have eye operations, facelifts and many other operations just to make other people think they are morebeautiful.SL: Yes, but it's their own choice.EC: I don't agree. Society still judges people on how they look, and so forces them to worry about their appearance.Judging people by their appearance is silly. We should judge the whole person.Host: Well, I think that sets out some of the issues very well, so now, let's take our first call…More reading: For health and beautyRead the article below from a website on exercise.Aerobics is one of the most beneficial and also one of the most beautiful forms of exercise. Any physical activity that makes your pulse get quicker and your breathing get deeper is a kind of aerobic exercise. The word 'aerobic' means 'with oxygen' or 'having oxygen.' Aerobic exercise therefore aims at making the heart and lungs work at a higher rate so as to supply more oxygen to the muscles. The benefits of aerobic exercise include having a stronger heart, lower blood pressure, stronger bones, better sleep, less body fat, more energy and less stress.It is suggested that you do aerobic exercise for twenty to forty minutes, three to four times a week. Only then will you begin to reach your optimal level of general fitness. When you exercise, the speed at which your heart beats, or your pulse rate, tells you how intense your workout is. People who are not fit but want to lose weight should keep their pulse rates low and do moderate exercise for a longer time. People who are quite fit can do exercises that require large amounts of energy. They can even compete in marathons.There are many forms of aerobic exercise, including running, swimming, cycling and skiing. Walking is the most common form of aerobic exercise. Most people do it every day! It is low intensity and is recommended for beginners. Running is suitable for almost everyone, but it is important to remember not to overdo it. You must pace yourself and always wear good quality shoes. By doing this type of balanced, relaxing exercise, our responses get quicker, our mind sharper, and we become more efficient and productive.To sum up, aerobic exercise is good for everyone. It can lead to a better quality of life!Unit 2 Laughter healsReading: A practical jokeRead this article on a humour website to see an example of a practical joke.We can define a joke as something you say that causes laughter, and a practical joke as something you do that causes laughter. A practical joke is a trick that is played on an unsuspecting victim to make him or her look silly or embarrassed.In Richard Boston's Book of Practical Jokes, the writer tells the story of a practical joke played on a Mr Potts who worked in a newspaper office. The impression that Mr Potts regarded his colleagues as inferiors made him unpopular. His co-workers decided to play a joke on him that might make him feel more humble.Now it so happened that Mr Potts always wore the same hat to work. It was a rather unpleasant-looking green colour. When he arrived at the office every morning at precisely ten o'clock, he would hang his hat on a peg near the door and proceed to his desk. When he left in the afternoon, he reversed the process. He took his hat from the peg, placed it on his head, said 'Good afternoon,' and departed for home.One day, when he was out of the room, his colleagues examined the hat very carefully. Then they went to a nearby shop and bought another hat exactly like it, but quite a bit larger. When they returned to the office, Mr Potts was still out, so they exchanged the new hat for the old one.At the end of the afternoon, Mr Potts got up to leave. When he put his hat on his head, however, it dropped down over his eyes. After he left the office, everyone roared with laughter.The next day, to everyone's surprise, Mr Potts turned up with his hat in its normal position. His colleagues were puzzled by this, and while Mr Potts was out they studied the hat carefully. They found that Mr Potts had fixed some pieces of newspaper round the inside of the hat to reduce its diameter and make it smaller.The next day they decided to take Mr Potts's old hat from the cupboard where they had concealed it. They made it smaller in the same way, and replaced the new hat with the old one. At the end of the day, Mr Potts got up to leave as usual. When he put his hat on this time, however, it stuck right on top of his head. Again, everyone roared with laughter when he left the office.Mr Potts's colleagues changed the hats every day. The result was that on alternate days he wore the big hat and then the small one. In the end, the belief that an illness was making his head change size from day to day led Mr Potts to go to a doctor. 'Nonsense,' said the doctor. 'There is no such disease.'More reading: A smile a day keeps the doctor awayRead the following leaflet about the benefits of laughter in our lives.Have you ever heard the proverb 'laughter is the best medicine' Everyone knows that it is fun to laugh and that laughing makes you feel good. Now doctors and researchers are telling us that laughter is good for our health and may even prevent illnesses such as heart disease. Laughter helps reduce stress and lower blood pressure and pulse rates. It strengthens the immune system and helps us deal with pain just like real medicine does. In fact, laughter is so good for our health that laughing 100 times a day is equivalent to exercising for ten minutes on a rowing machine!Laughter is also good for our minds. When people are stressed, they watch funny films to laugh away emotions such as anger, sadness and fear. This is why laughter is increasingly being used in hospitals as a form of therapy. More and more hospitals are encouraging patients to laugh. They have started showing comedies on hospital TVs and, on the advice of doctors, clowns visit some hospitals to bring laughter to the patients.One group who arranges such visits is the Humour Foundation, an Australian charity. Set up in 1997, it runs the Clown Doctor programme. This programme uses clown doctors to help children who are ill or who have undergone surgery feel better. They cheer these children up with jokes, magic shows, songs and balloons.You cannot deny the truth that laughter is good for you. The city's hospitals are now starting their own clown doctor programme and are looking for your help. Anyone with a sense of humour and a desire to help others can apply. If you would like to volunteer, please contact the Public Health Bureau for more details. Remember --- a smile a day keeps the doctor away!Unit 3 ColoursReading: The many meanings of colourWhat do colours tell us about ourselves and the world around us Read this magazine article to find out.The study of colour and personality is a fascinating mixture of scientific fact and emotional guesswork. Swiss psychologist Max Luscher has spent most of his life studying colour, and has developed a colour test which helps explain your personality.According to Luscher, people who choose red on the test are energetic and adventurous, looking for excitement. Those who prefer blue are calm and in control, and prefer a peaceful life. Green means firmness, a dislike of change and a fear of failure. Yellow means you are open and free, ambitious and optimistic.Each colour affects us in a different way. Blue and green often remind people of peace and quiet. Blue is the colour of the sky and the sea, and green is the colour of plants and trees. People's pulse rates decrease and they feel more relaxed when they see safe and familiar colours such as blue or green. Red, however, is rare in nature. It is the colour of blood and meat, of hunting and injuries. It is also the colour of fire. It is only natural that red should make people tense. When people see the colour red, their pulse rates increase. The darkest nights are black --- a colour often associated with fear.In our daily life, colours are often used by the food industry. Next time you are in a supermarket, think about the colours around you and on the products. That food companies often use red, green, orange and yellow is not surprising. All of these are regarded as the main 'appetite' colours that help persuade people to buy more food. Fast-food restaurants often use red for two reasons. Not only does it stimulate the appetite, but it also makes people feel energetic, so that after they have eaten they will leave more quickly, thus making space for more customers.It is no secret why banks like to use more serious, restful colours such as blue, brown and green. These persuade people to think of the bank as a safe and reliable place. Yellow makes us think of sunshine and holidays, which is the reason why travel agents use it.Colours are used in flags, as well. Over 80% of countries have red --- the colour of action --- in their national flags. Light blue, which symbolizes peace, is the colour of the United Nations. Many environmental groups have chosen green, which reminds people of nature, as their colour.Colour is a powerful tool. It can be used to help us, to warn us, to relax us, to control us and to make us buy things. More reading: Different cultures, different coloursFind out how people in different cultures think about colour by reading this leaflet for business travellers published by an international business magazine.Different cultures do not always agree on their colour associations. Depending on the country, it can make a big difference whether you wear red or white to a wedding, or what colour you wrap presents in. Therefore, it is essential that you should remember which colours are used in different circumstances in different places. In this way, you will not offend anyone or embarrass yourself.Want to impress your host on that business trip to China Red is the perfect colour for wrapping gifts. It is used on red packets and red lanterns during the Spring Festival, and is even the colour of wedding dresses, symbolizing happiness and prosperity.Avoid using black for gifts in the USA! Black is the colour worn to funerals in the USA and Europe, as it is the colour of darkness and night.You could ruin a party in many Asian countries by dressing completely in white. Since it is the colour of winter, the time when plants shed their leaves and die, it is considered to be a colour of death and mourning in some countries.Don't wear white to a wedding in Europe! Only the bride should wear white, as it is a colour of virtue and purity. Stick to a formal suit and tie for men, and a smart dress for women.Travelling to Spain, Italy or Brazil Then forget about wearing purple clothes, as purple is the colour of mourning in these countries.Unpack that white coat if you're going to the USA, unless you want to be mistaken for a doctor or a nurse. They wear white in many countries because it is a calming and relaxing colour.Unit 4 Painting the worldReading: The Vincent Van Gogh exhibitionAn exhibition of some of the paintings of Vincent Fan Gogh will open at the Cultural Centre next week. Read an art critic's review of Fan Gogh's life and work.Vincent Van Gogh is probably the world's most famous painter. Many people wonder if he deserves such a reputation. Certainly, he was not a success in his lifetime. Although he produced more than 800 paintings, he sold only one, for about US $80. No gallery showed his work during his life.Few people may have even heard of him. His fame developed slowly after his death in 1890, but it has never stopped growing. One hundred years later, in 1990, a Japanese businessman paid US $82 million for one of his works --- a world record.He was born in the Netherlands in 1853. As a young man, he tried many different jobs. He worked in an art dealer's company, but he must have disliked it, because he left. He went to England and became a language teacher. Then, looking for a deeper purpose in life, he worked as a missionary among the poor in Belgium, but he quarrelled with his superiors and abandoned that career as well. Finally, he decided to become a painter.For the rest of his life, he depended on the financial support of his brother Theo, the only person who believed in his ability. For ten years, from 1880 to 1890, Van Gogh produced his best paintings, until, sadly, he took his own life.It would be easy to say that he was mad. He had difficulty getting along with people, often arguing with them. After one quarrel, in late 1888, he was so upset that he cut off part of his own ear and gave it to a young girl. Later, from 1889 to 1890, he spent a year in a mental hospital. Yet, for most of his life he was completely sane. We know this because he wrote hundreds of letters to Theo expressing his ideas and his work, and these letters show the clarity of his thinking.Does he deserve the fame he now possesses Certainly, I admire his work tremendously. His paintings are realistic, not abstract. At the same time, they are not like photographs. The bright colours and thick strokes of his paintings make the strong feelings inside him visible. Even when his subjects are flowers, trees or the sky, his paintings are full of powerful, honest emotions, emotions which finally killed him.We are undoubtedly lucky to have the chance to view these masterpieces. Van Goqh exhibitions are very rare. This is the cultural event of the decade. You may have to spend hours in the queue, but do not miss this chance --- his paintings might not come this way again for many years.More reading: The origins of artRead about the origins of art from an article in a journal on archaeologySome of the oldest artwork yet discovered was found in 1879 in Altamira, Spain. Amateur archaeologist Mareelino de Satuola and his nine-year-old daughter were investigating a cave on his property. As the father dug in the cave floor looking for ancient artefacts, his daughter Maria explored another room in the cave. Suddenly, she shouted. 'Look. Father! Bulls!' The father hurried to take a peek. On the low ceiling of the cave he found colourful paintings of a kind of bison that Satuola knew to be extinct, along with images of horses, deer and wild boar.Based on his knowledge as an archaeologist, Satuola maintained that the paintings dated from the Stone Age. However, his claims were greeted with ridicule by the scientific community. Other archaeologists thought the colours seemed too bright and the images too lifelike to have been created by ancient man. Even though other discoveries of cave paintings soon followed, it was not until 1902 that any of these finds were accepted as genuine. Researchers now believe that these cave paintings are between 10,000 and 20,000 years old.We may now know the age of the paintings, but the reason why they were created is yet a mystery. The painters may have wanted to record past hunts or tell a story, or they could have used the paintings for some kind of magical or religious purpose. We simply do not know. However, we do know that, at least in one way, Stone Age people were not so different from ourselves --- they found inspiration and pleasure in art.Unit 5 Living in harmonyReading: Green OrchidsRead this story from a book on environmental issues.Life is a series of choices, and we cannot always foresee the consequences. Harry Saleem, an obese man with too much money and power, faced a choice. Outside his office waited his personal doctor, bringing him vital news about the only medicine that could save his life. On the other side of the world, one of his engineers waited for his decision on an important matter of business.His secretary asked whether she could bring the doctor in. The billionaire businessman made his decision.'No, let the fool wait,' growled Saleem. 'Business comes first.' Despite the health problems caused by his huge weight, he was still obsessed with making money. He raised a fat finger, and one of his staff hurried to switch on a large television set.The screen flashed to life, and Saleem's engineer appeared. The man talked by satellite directly to his master although they were thousands of miles apart. 'It's all ready to blow, Mr Saleem,' he said. 'Just say the word.'His engineer was standing above Pakan Valley in South America. A few months ago, it had been a rainforest. Then Saleem's men had come, cutting down all the valuable trees and forcing the villagers to move out. Across the bottom of the valley, a dam had been built. This would provide power for the factories which Saleem planned to build in the area. The factories would bring him vast profits.He saw no reason to delay. He ordered the engineer to press the button. The camera panned away into the distance, and then a cloud of dust rose up, followed shortly by a dull explosion. A mighty river changed its course, and water flooded into the doomed Pakan Valley.'Good, that's that. Turn it off. Now get that doctor in here,' he commanded.The doctor came in with a worried look and started to examine his wealthy patient. 'You're doing very well Mr Saleem,' he said finally. 'The new medicine is saving your life. The only difficulty is getting more of it.''Can you get more Money is no problem,' Saleem said. 'Tell me what you need, and we'll get it.''The main ingredient of this medicine came from a newly-discovered plant --- a small, green orchid,' the doctor explained. 'We'll need many of them to make enough medicine. They are very rare. There's only one place in the world where they grow.' 'Where' demanded the businessman, impatiently.The doctor smiled. 'Well, luckily the orchids come from some land which you own, sir, so there won't be any difficulty finding them. They're from a place in South America known as Pakan Valley.' .More reading: Helping the environmentRead this leaflet describing one way in which you can help the environment.We are all aware of the many threats to the environment and the need to act in a responsible manner to protect the world which we all share. Many people say that they are in favour of the 'green movement.' However, it is often difficult to find anything practical which you can do to help, and you may feel that you cannot take any action to support the cause. One thing you can do is to try to buy 'green' products.For example, let us consider the problem of the ozone layer. Around the Earth, there is a thin layer of ozone, a kind of gas protecting us from many of the harmful rays of the Sun. A few years ago, scientists in the Antarctic became aware of holes growing in the ozone layer. As these holes get bigger, harmful rays from the Sun are increasingly reaching us, causing crop damage and cancer. This is a big problem in countries near the polar regions, like Australia, where skin cancer caused in part by ozone depletion is now considered a national epidemic.Further research into the problem showed that the ozone layer is being destroyed by gases called CFCs. These gases are released into the atmosphere by the chemicals used in aerosol cans, refrigerators and air conditioners. To help save the ozone layer, many manufacturers have stopped producing aerosol cans that use CFCs. They have switched to other less harmful chemicals, and labelled their cans 'ozone-friendly' or 'no CFCs.'The problem of refrigerators and air conditioners has been more difficult to solve. However, more and more manufacturers are now producing refrigerators and air conditioners that do not use CFCs. Therefore, when you go shopping you should choose ozone-friendly products. Then you will be doing something to help the environment.Unit 6 Problems and solutionsReading: Unique and unconventionalRead this brochure to see how one company engages in a new way of doing business.Like all industries, the cosmetics industry wants to make money. It promises to make you younger and more beautiful. It promises that all your dreams will come true if you use a certain type of shampoo or face cream. These dreams are sold to customers with persuasive and expensive advertising campaigns. Pictures of youthful girls are used to sell anti-ageing creams to fifty-year-old women. The products are presented in expensive packaging, often doubling their cost.The cosmetics industry also wants to be sure that the products are not harmful. It does not want a customer to be poisoned by a lipstick, or blinded by a new type of eye make-up. Its products proven unsafe, a company is likely to be sued for millions of dollars. To avoid this, many cosmetic products are tested on animals to ensure that they are harmless. These painful tests include force-feeding, injections, applying the product to the skin or dripping it into the eyes of the helpless animals.Then came The Body Shop. In 1976 an amazing, unconventional woman called Anita Roddick decided to open a small shop in England. She ignored all the accepted principles of the cosmetics industry. Yet, The Body Shop now has over 2,100 shops worldwide. Her company prospering, Anita revolutionized the industry.Anita wanted to sell simple, natural products for the skin and hair. She thought it was immoral to make false promises about the qualities of her cosmetics. Therefore, she explained the qualities (and limitations) of each product in simple, truthful language. Banning images of beautiful women in her shops, she promoted health, not beauty.She thought that packaging was unimportant, so she started a refilling and recycling service which is unique in the cosmetics industry. In every shop, there is a 'Refill Bar'. This allows customers to refill their old bottles, thus saving waste. Last, she thought that cosmetics should not be tested on animals. She refused to sell such products. The Body Shop has campaigned against animal testing. It has also funded research into alternative ways of testing product safety.Remarkably, The Body Shop has become a global business without spending any money on advertising. At first Anita attracted wide publicity by explaining her views and later by holding pro-environment campaigns. These helped the causes which she supported, and also publicized The Body Shop. She encouraged all her staff to take part in local campaigns. She also taught them to believe that profits, although important, are not the only aim of a business.More reading: The problem of packagingRead this magazine article to find out how even small things can make a difference when it comes to the environment.A large source of rubbish is packaging material. It often makes up more than 30 per cent of the total. To understand why this is true, think of the packaging commonly used for a simple product, such as toothpaste. The packaging includes not only the tube for the toothpaste, but also the box for the tube. This box is put into a plastic wrapper. Then, the boxes are transported in a cardboard container.Most packaging material ends up in a landfill after it is thrown away. Though necessary, landfills take up valuable space, often stink, and can leak harmful substances into the soil. Landfills not included, the production of packaging material itself is a major source of air and water pollution.People are now trying to solve the problems caused by packaging materials. In 1991, Germany took the lead by requiring companies to recycle the packaging used for their goods. To do this, the companies set up recycling bins in every neighbourhood. Consumers now separate their rubbish into three categories --- metal, plastic and paper cartons. They then put it into the appropriate bin. The rubbish sorted, it is transported to a recycling company for processing.The programme worked well at first. However, the amount of rubbish has begun to increase again. One reason for this is that many consumers no longer reduce waste because they think the problem is solved. It seems that to properly deal with the problem of rubbish, everyone must remain vigilant and do their part.。
