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新视野三版读写B2U2Text AThe humanities:Out of date?1When the going gets tough,the tough take accounting.When the job market worsens,many students calculate they can't major in English or history.They have to study something that boosts their prospects of landing a job.2The data show that as students have increasingly shouldered the ever-rising cost of tuition,they have defected from the study of the humanities and toward applied science and"hard"skills that they bet will lead to employment.In other words,a college education is more and more seen as a means for economic betterment rather than a means for human betterment.This is a trend that is likely to persist and even accelerate.3Over the next few years,as labor markets struggle,the humanities will probably continue their long slide in succession.There already has been a nearly50percent decline in the portion of liberal arts majors over the past generation,and it is logical to think that the trend is bound to continue or even accelerate.Once the dominant pillars of university life,the humanities now play little roles when students take their college tours.These days,labs are more vivid and compelling than libraries.4Here,please allow me to stand up for and promote the true value that the humanities add to people's lives.Since ancient times,people have speculated about the mystery of those inner forces that drive some people to greatness and others to self-destruction.This inner drive has been called many things over the centuries.The famous psychologist,Sigmund Freud,called it the"unconscious mind"or,more familiarly,"instinct".5From the beginning of time,this inner aspect of our being,this drive that can be constructive or destructive,has captured our imagination.The stories of this amazing struggle have formed the basis of cultures the world over.Historians,architects,authors,philosophers and artists have captured the words,images and meanings of this inner struggle in the form of story, music,myth,painting,architecture,sculpture,landscape and traditions.These men and women developed artistic"languages"that help us understand these aspirations and also educate generations.This fertile body of work from ancient times,the very foundation of civilization,forms the basis of study of the humanities.6Studying the humanities improves our ability to read and write.No matter what we do in life,we will have a huge advantage if we can read complex ideas and understand their meaning.We will have a bright career if we are the person in the office who can write a clear and elegant analysis of those ideas! 7Studying the humanities makes us familiar with the language of emotion and the creative process.In an information economy,many people have the ability to produce a useful product such as a new MP3player.Yet,very few people have the ability to create a spectacular brand:the iPod.Most importantly, studying the humanities invests us with great insight and self-awareness,thereby releasing our creative energy and talent in a positive and constructive manner.8Perhaps the best argument in favor of the humanities is the scope of possibilities that are widely open to us.Did you know that James Cameron, world-famous director of the movie,Titanic,graduated with a degree in the humanities?So did Sally Ride,the first woman in space.So did actors Bruce Lee,Gwyneth Paltrow,Renee Zellweger and Matt Damon.Dr.Harold Varmus, who won a Nobel Prize for Medicine,studied the humanities.Even Michael Eisner,Chairman of the Disney Company,majored in the humanities.Famous people who studied the humanities make a long list indeed.It's easy to see that the humanities can prepare us for many different careers and jobs we can undertake,whether medicine,business,science or entertainment.If we study only mathematics,it's likely we will be a candidate only for jobs as a mathematician.If we include studying the humanities,we can make breakthroughs on many barriers and are limited only by our effort and imagination.9Of course,nowadays,if we study the humanities alone,we are liable to miss many opportunities.Each one of us needs to become as technically and professionally skilled as possible to help meet the needs of modern life.In fact, increasingly a pairing of technical knowledge and inner insight is seen as the ideal in the establishment of a career.If I were the Dean of Admissions at a medical school and two people applied to our school,both having the required basic scientific courses,one a philosophy major and the other solely a pre-med student,the philosophy applicant would be chosen.10In summary,the humanities help to create well-rounded human beings with insight and understanding of the passions,hopes and dreams common to all humanity.The humanities,the ancient timeless reservoir of knowledge,teach us to see things differently and broaden our horizons.They are as useful andrelevant in our modern age as they have always been.Doesn't it make sense to spend some time in the company of the humanities,our outstanding and remarkable treasure of knowledge?Who knows how famous YOU might become!Language Points:1When the going gets tough,the tough take accounting.(Para.1)Meaning:When conditions or situations become difficult,determined people choose to study the subject of accounting,hoping they can more easily find a job in the future. when the going gets tough:when the situation becomes difficult当形式变得严峻时When the going gets tough,women can get as tough as men.当形势变得严峻时，女人可以变得跟男人一样坚强。
Unit 2Sectio n ALearni ng the Olympic Standa rd for LoveNikola i Petrov i ch Anikin was not half as intimi datin g as I had imagin ed he wouldbe. No, this surely was not the ex-Soviet coachmy father had shippe d me out to meet.But Nikola i he was, Petrovi ch and all. He invite d me inside and sat down on the couch, patting the blanke t next to him to get me to sit next to him. I was so nervou s in his presen ce."Y ou are young,"he begani n his Russia n-styleEnglis h. "If you like to try for Olympi c Games, I guessyou will be able to do this. Nagano Olympi c s too soon for you, but for 2002 in Salt Lake City, you couldbe ready.""Y es, why not?" he replie d to the shocke d look on my face. I was a promisi ng amateu r ski er, but by no meansthe top skieri n the country. "Of course, there will be many hard traini ng sessions, and you will cry, but you will improv e."To be sure, there were countl ess traini ng sessio ns full of pain and more than a few tears, but in the five yearsthat followed I couldal ways count on beingencouragedby Nikola i's amusin g storie s and senseof humor."My friend s, they go in the movies, they go in the dance, they go out with girls," he woul dstart. "But I," he wouldcontin ue, loweri ng his voice, "I am practi c e, practi c e, practi c e in the stadium. And by the next year, I had cut 1-1/2 minute s off my time in the 15-kilome ter race!"My friend s askedme, 'Nikola i, how did you do it?' And I replie d, 'Y ou go in the movi es, you go in the dance, you go out with girls, but I am practi c e, practi c e, practi ce.'"Here the storyusuall y ended, but on one occasi on, which we laterl earne d was his 25th weddin g annive rsary, he stoodproudl y in a worn woolen sweate r and smiled and whispe red, "And I tell you, I am 26 yearsold before I ever kiss a girl! She was the womanI later marry."Romanti c and otherwi s e, Nikola i knew love. His consis tent good humor, quiet g ratit ude, percep tivit y, and sinceri ty set an Olympi c standa rd for love that I contin ue to reachfor, even though my skiing days are over.Still, he never babied me. One Februa ry day I had a massiv e headache and felt quitefatigued. I came upon him in a cleari ng, and after approxi mate l y 15 minute s of stridi ng into the cold breeze over the whitepowder to catchhim, I fussed, "Oh, Nikola i, I feel like I am goingto die.""When you are a hundre d yearsold, everyb ody dies," he said, indifferent to my pain. "But now," he contin ued firmly. "Now must be ski, ski, ski."And, on skis, I did what he said. On other matter s, though, I was rebell ious. Once, he packed 10 of us into a Finnis h bachel or's tiny home for a low-budget ski camp. We awokethe first morning to find Nikola i making breakfast and then made quick work with our spoons whilesittin g on makeshi ft chairs around a tiny card table. When we were finish ed, Nikola i stacke d the sti cky bowlsi n front of my sole female teamma te and me, asserti ng, "Now, girlsdo dishes!"I threwmy napkin on the floorand sworeat him, "Ask the damn boys! This is unfair." He neveraskedthi s of me again, nor did he take much notice of my outburst. He savedhis passio n for skiing.When coachi ng, he wouldsing out his instru ction s keepin g rhythm with our stride: "Y es, yes,one-two-three, one-two-three."A dear lady friend of my grandfather, after viewin g a copy of a videoof me traini ng with Nikola i, asked, "Does he also teachdance?"In traini ng, I worked wi thou t rest to correct mistak es that Nikola i pointe d out and I askedaftereach pass if it was better."Y es, it's OK. But the faster knee down, the better.""But is it fast enough?" I'd persis t.Finall y he wouldfrownand say, "Billio n timesyou make motion—then be perfect," reminding me in an I've-told-you-a-billio n-timestone, "Y ou must be patien t."Nikola i's patien ce and my hard work earned me a fourth-placenation al rankin g headin g into the pre-Olympi c season, but then I missed the cut for the 2002 Olympi c s.Last summer, I return ed to visit Nikola i. He made me tea... and did the dishes! We tal ked whilesi ttin g on his couch. Missin g the Olympi c Team the previo us year had made me pauseand reflect on what I had gained—not the least o f which was a quiet, indissolubl e bond with a shortman in a tropical shirt.Nikola i taught me to have the courag e, heart, and discip l ineto persis t, even if it takes a billion tries. He taught me to be thankful in advance for a century of life on earth, and to remind myself everyday that despit e the challe ngesat hand, "Now must be love, love, love."(Words:822)。
游越恐惧I was on a tour of France with my friends when our car pulled to a stop at the beach and we saw the Mediterranean Sea. Massive waves surged against large rocks that formed a waterproof jetty. People said this beach was known for its notorious rip currents. I shivered with fear. Nothing scared me as much as water.当时我和朋友正在法国旅行，我们把汽车停在海滩，眼前就是地中海。
巨浪翻滚击打着构筑起防波堤的偌大岩石。
人们说这里的海滩以其可怕的裂流而着称。
恐惧让我不寒而栗。
没有什么比水让我更害怕了。
Just the sight of the sea made me sick to my stomach.只是看到了海就已经让我觉得反胃。
I'd always loved water and been a good swimmer until last summer, when I'd decided to climb up to the highest diving board at the pool. I'd hopped from that height and hit the water with an incredible impact. The air was ousted from my lungs and I blacked out. The next thing I knew, my brother was pulling my feeble body out of the pool. From then on, my fear wouldn't recede;I was absolutely terrified of water.我曾经一直都是喜欢水的，并且直到去年夏天我都还是一名游泳好手。
