高级英语视听说

第３ ４卷第 ４期 ２１ 年 ｌ ０１ ２月
高等 教育研 究学 报
Ｊ ｒａ ｆＨｉ ｅ ｄｕ ａ ｉｎ Ｒｅ ｅ ｒ ｈ ｏｕｎ ｌ ｇｈ ｒＥ ｃ ｔ ｓ ａ ｃ ｏ ｏ
Ｖ０． ４ ． Ｎｏ ４ １ ６／．ｓ ．６ ２８ ７ ．０ １０ ． １ Ｏ ：１， ９９ ｊｉ ｎ １７ － ４ ２ １．４ ０ ８ ｓ ８
Ｗ Ａ ａ ｇ—ｂｎ ， Ｌ Ｕ Ｊｎ ＮＧ Ｘｉｎ ｉｇ Ｉ ｉｇ
（ ｏｌ ｅｆＨ ｍａ ｉｅ ａ ｄＳｃ ｌ ｃ ｎｅ， ａｉ ａ ｎ ｅ ｉ Ｃ ｌｇ ｕ ｎｔｓ ｎ ｏｉ ｉ ｃｓ Ｎ ｔ ｎｌＵ ｉ ｒｔ ｏ ｅ ｏ ｉ ａＳｅ ｏ ｖ ｓｙ ｆ
ＤｆｎｅＴｃｎｌ ｙ ｈｎ ｓａ４ ０７ ，Ｃ ｉ ） ｅ ｓ ｅｈ ｏ ｇ ，Ｃ ａｇｈ １０ ４ ｈｎ ｅ ｏ ａ
ｄ ｓ ｕ ｓｏ ｉ ｓｉｎ，ｄ ｂ ｔ ｃ ｅ ａｅ，ｐ ｅ ｅ ｔ ｔ ｎ ａ ｄ ｗ ｉ ｎ ． ｒ ｓ ｎ ａｉ ｎ ｒｔ ｇ ｏ ｉ
Ｋｅ ｒｓ ｔａｈｎ ｄａｃｄＥ ｇｉ ｒｇａ — ａ ｈｎ ｏｒ ；ｈｎｉｇｐｗ ｒ ｓｃａ ｂ ｃｇｏ ｎ ｙｗｏｄ ： ｅｃｉ ａｖｎｅ ｎ ｓ ｐｏ ｍ ｗ ｔ ｉｇｃｕ ｅ ｔ ｋ ｏ ｅ； ｏｉ ａｋ ｕ ｄ ｇ ｌ ｈ ｒ ｃ ｓ ｉ ｎ ｌ ｒ
进 行 解 答 ，以 此提 高 学 生 的 思辩 能 力 。
［ 关键词 ］ 高级英语视 听说教 学；思辩能力 ；社会 背景 ［ 中图分 类号 ］Ｇ ４ ． ６２０ ［ 文献标识码］Ａ ［ 文章编号］１７ ８ ７ ２ １ ）０ —０５ ０ ６ ２— ８４（０ １ ４ ０ ８— ４
Ｈｏ ｔ ｍ ｐｒ ｖ ｈ ｔ ｅ ｔ ｗ ｏ Ｉ ｏ ｅ ｔ ｅ Ｓ ｕｄ ｎ ｓ’Ｔｈ ｎ ｉ ｇ ａ ｉ ｋ ｎ ｎｄ Ａｎａ ｙ ｉ ｐａ ｉｙ Ａｄｖ ｎｃ ｄ ｌ ｚｎｇ Ｃａ ｃｔ ａ ｅ Ｅｎｇ ｉｈ Ｐｒ ｇ ａ — Ｗ ａ ｃ ｉ ｇ Ｃｏ ｓ ｌ ｏｒｍ — ｓ ｔ ｈ ｎ ｕｒ ｅ

Unit 5 Big BusinessListeningAudio Track 4-5-1Talk 1Our company employs 100 people from the local area. It develops and produces wooden artware which it sells in one of its five city stores. Even without advertisement, the products are very popular and the stores are always busy. Customers often come directly to the stores to make purchases.*Talk 2I’m the Product Marketing Manager of our company. We are working on a marketing plan at the moment. Before any contracts are signed, there are a lot of things we have to take into careful consideration. We should know, for instance, the needs and preferences of consumers, the best distribution channel, the governing rules and regulations concerning the distribution of products, and the price at which products can be sold.**Talk 3My employer is a world-leading information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. The company supplies networking and telecommunications equipment to 45 of the world’s 50 largest telecom operators. In such a compet itive market, the company has to innovate to stay ahead. That’s why it invests heavily in research and development, the department I work in. I’m a senior analyst in the R&D division.Audio Track 4-5-2/Audio Track 4-5-3He may have been your typical teenager in most ways. But he was different in one particular way: he started his own magazine. At the age of 15 he managed the magazine called Student. It was written for and about young people in school. He was very busy, but it was a satisfying job.His next business venture was completely different. He and some friends started a mail order record company. It was also the same year, 1970, when his music discount store was opened in England. It made a lot of money.In the early 1990s, he sold his successful music business and used the money for another business idea: an airline company. And so, Virgin Airways Ltd. was born. To compete with other airlines, his company offered good prices to customers. Today Virgin is known for its excellent service. Richard Branson now runs the Virgin Group, Ltd. He employs 50,000 people and in many different fields, such as book publishing, financial services, modeling, and even bridal services! Not bad for a teenager from the UK who dreamed of editing his own magazine!Audio Track 4-5-4/Audio Track 4-5-5Host: Welcome back to “You Snooze, You Lose!” the best game show on television! This is our final round. Let me remind you of the rules. We will show an object for a couple of seconds. It’s your job to guess what it is. Michael? Linda? Are you ready to play?Michael & Linda: Yes!!Host: OK, then, let’s play ”You Snooze, You Lose!” Show us item number one.Host: Yes, Michael?Michael: I know what they are. They’re called “cams” and they’re used in mountain climbing. Host: That’s right for one point! They’re used to hold climbing ropes. All right then, here’s our second object. Yes, Linda?Linda: Is it some kind of tool?Host: Can you be more specific?Linda: I don’t know ... a tool used to fix some kind of machine?Host: No, I’m sorry. It’s a nose and ear hair trimmer. Next … item number three. Do you have any idea? Time is up. Since no one guessed, I’ll tell you the answer. Those are called Hopi ear candles. Linda: You stick them in your ears?Host: That’s right. They are used to clean out your ears. They also help to relax you. Let’s move on to item number four. Here it is.Michael: That’s obvious. It’s a corkscrew. You use it to open bottles.Host: Yes, that’s correct! It’s a mini-travel corkscrew. You can pack it in your suitcase. Oh, no! You know what that means! We’re out of time. Michael, with two correct answers, you are today’s winner! Congratulations! And before we leave, let me show the remaining objects. Item number five is an egg slicer. Item number six is a tongue scraper —make sure to use it so that you don’t have bad breath! That’s all the time we have for today. See you next time on “You Snooze, You Lose!” Goodbye everybody!Audio Track 4-5-6/Audio Track 4-5-7Microsoft CorporationMicrosoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, its best selling flagship products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite. Microsoft ships products to Europe, Asia, and Latin America.Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975. In the mid-1980s, it rose to dominate the home computer operating system market with MS-DOS. Since 1985, Microsoft has released an upgrading line of Windows operating systems featuring a friendly user interface. The latest one, Windows 7, was released in October 2009 and has sold 600 million copies to date. A more powerful one, Windows 8, is to be released in late 2012. It is reported that this product can deliver a fast and fluid experience, along with a new user interface that responds equally well to touch as it does to keyboard and mouse.As one commentator notes, Microsoft’s original mission was “a computer on every desk and in every home, running Microsoft software,” and now it is a goal near fulfillment. Microsoft alsomakes profits in other markets such as computer hardware products and home entertainment products.Audio Track 4-5-8/Audio Track 4-5-9A different kind of holiday: Shop less, live more!Advertising is everywhere. It’s on race cars and subway trains, on T-shirts and billboards. Every day, you see hundreds of ads, and each advertiser wants you to buy their product. But do we really need all these products? A group in Canada says “No.” In 1991, they started an event called Buy Nothing Day, to protest against consumerism and waste. Every year, on the last Friday in November, no one should spend any money for 24 hours. The event has spread to over 15 countries around the world, including Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.In the United States, Buy Nothing Day takes place on the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday. This is usually the busiest day of the year in department stores and shopping malls. Traditionally, it’s the first day of the Christmas shopping season, when Americans buy gifts for family and close friends.However, this “season” has grown longer every year. Now some stores put up their Christmas window displays in the middle of October, and Americans are pressured to buy gifts for every one of their relatives, for all of their coworkers, and for everyone they do business with. Many people feel that they are forgetting the real significance of the holidays, because companies just want them to spend more money.Of course, Buy Nothing Day supporters don’t want to change just one day. They want the change to continue all year. But if we take a break from shopping on one day, we can start thinking about wh at we really need in life. Michael Smith, British organizer of Buy Nothing Day, says: “Our message is clear: Shop less, live more!”Audio Track 4-5-10/Audio Track 4-5-11Ad or no ad?Is advertising really necessary? Billions of dollars are spent on it every year, so it must be important. After all, it’s a busy world. You have to advertise, sell products, and make money!Not every company thinks that way. The NO-AD company (“no-ad” stands for “not advertised”) avoids big advertising campaigns. The company was started in 1960 and is successful today. Their products are still affordable because the company saves money on advertising. They also use their savings to support a drug and alcohol awareness program to educate high school students.NO-AD sells by wor d of mouth. “Word-of-mouth advertising” happens when a person tells another person about a good experience with a product or service. That second person then tells another friend, family member, or colleague. And so a chain of information is created.Typic ally, advertisers talk about how good their product is. Although they say things like, “Studies show that our product is the best,” or “Everyone loves this product,” it can sound insincere or unconvincing. It’s much more believable to hear about a product from someone who did not make it. Our friends’ opinions are very important to us, so we often listen to their advice about aproduct.Word-of-mouth advertising has other advantages, too. It’s cost-effective (after all, it’s free) and a company doesn’t have to create a complex business plan to do it. Here is some advice for small business about word-of-mouth advertising:• Be prepared to talk about your company at any time. You never know who you will meet. Always carry business cards.• Only say positive things about your company. Don’t say negative things about your company.• Help other companies by referring people to them. The more you help others, the more good fortune will come back to you.Speaking & CommunicationAudio Track 4-5-12Noun: He gave me a beautiful present.Verb: Tomorrow I will present my ideas to the board of directors.Audio Track 4-5-131. a. I buy my produce at the market.b. We produce stereos and CD players.2. a. No one buys records anymore.b. I like to record my voice and listen to it.3. a. I can’t deliver it without an address.b. You need to address the envelope.Audio Track 4-5-14Host: So, welcome to our show. Why don’t you tell our listeners who you are and what you do. Woman: My name is Beverly Smith. I’m the CEO for TalkBack Communications.Host: Can you tell us about your company?Woman: Certainly. Our company was founded in 1995. We’re based in New York City. We have about 10,000 employees worldwide.Host: What does your company do?Woman: We do business in a large number of fields, such as telecommunications and computers. Our main area of business is new cell phone technology.Host: I hear your company is doing quite well.Woman: Well, we made over five million dollars profit last year. Experts say our company willgrow by up to 10% next year.Audio Track 4-5-15Conversation 1A: What’s the name of your company?B: It’s called Moonlights.A: Can you tell us about your company?B: Certainly. Our company was founded in 1999. We’re based in Seattle. We have over 5,000 employees.A: What does your company do?B: Moonlights produces and sells bottled coffee drinks. We also purchase coffee from farmers and sell it in our stores. Moonlights has over 3,000 stores worldwide.A: I hear your company is growing.B: Well, we made approximately 100 million dollars in profit last year. Experts say our company will grow by up to 10 percent next year.Conversation 2A: What’s the name of your company?B: It’s called Wasedosoft.A: Can you tell us about your company?B: Certainly. O ur company was founded in 2001. We’re based in Tokyo. We have over 12,000 employees.A: What does your company do?B: Wasedosoft produces millions of computer games and ships them to many countries. We also purchase computer games from freelancers and sell them in our stores. Wasedosoft has over 4,000 stores worldwide.A: I hear your company is growing.B: Well, we made approximately 1.5 billion dollars in profit last year. Experts say our company will grow by up to 15 percent next year.Audio Track 4-5-16History of Yahoo!This company was originally started as a hobby by two students in 1994. In the beginning it was called “Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web.” Their product was placed on two computers. The computers were named after two sumo wrestlers. The company grew quickly. Many stories were broadcast about it in the 1990s.Yahoo! TodayThis company’s Internet destination is visited by millions of people worldwide. It is used to find information. Free e-mail services are offered, too. Most of its profit is provided by advertising. Its main offices are found in California.Video CourseVideo Track 4-5-1Catherine: I’m a lawyer and the company I work for, we help people in the city … um … get assistance in a lot of different ways. We help them get housing, food, shelter …Gian: My company is a management consulting firm. We do education for executives. I make brochures that I send out to many executives throughout the United States. We invite those people to come to our trainings.Kevin: My friends and I founded a smoothie business back in college. We advertise by word of mouth and we also hand out flyers to students on campus.Malinda: The company that I work for employs about thirty people. We do a lot of things so that other people will know the kinds of work that we do. We talk to reporters to try to get articles in the newspaper, and we take lots of photographs.Calum: For my … um … classes I had to study a company. And I chose a company that produces advertisements. The adverts are usually quite complex, but they also have to be easy to remember. David: My friend’s dad’s business is a janitorial service. And businesses call him and he has people come in and clean the building, after hours. The business is successful because he’s a very hard worker.Video Track 4-5-2Gian: My company is a management consulting firm. We do education for executives. I make brochures that I send out to many executives throughout the United States. We invite those people to come to our trainings.Kevin: My friends and I founded a smoothie business back in college. We advertise by word of mouth and we also hand out flyers to students on campus.David: My friend’s dad’s business is a janitorial service. And businesses call him and he has people come in and clea n the building, after hours. The business is successful because he’s a very hard worker.Video Track 4-5-3Takeshi: By the way Mike, thanks a lot for helping me out with this. I can’t believe Tara got sick! And on the day of my first real commercial shoot. Can you believe it?Mike: Don’t worry about it. It’s going to be great … especially since you have a “lovely assistant” like me.Takeshi: Right … there, that should do it. Got your signs?Mike: Check!Takeshi: Ready Mr. Howard? (Mr. Howard nods ) And ro lling … OK … “Furniture Showroom” commercial — take one.Mr. Howard: Hello there! My name is John Howard, president of Furniture Showroom, and I’m here to tell you why we’re one of the most successful furniture stores around. The keys to our success are excellent quality, great design, and affordable prices. And who are these keys for? Why for you —our customers! And that’s why I’m here today to show you some of our premier pieces. Like this sleek and stylish lounge chair. All our loungers are covered in 100% genuine leather, and built with solid steel-frame construction. Take a look at that — talk about well-made. Or take a look at this Super Sleeper Sofa… why it’s one of the most comfortable sofas you’ll ever lay your head on! It’s true! See for yourself! (Mike lies down on sofa ) You know, folks, Furniture Showroom is not one of those flyby- night operations —“here today, gone tomorrow.” Our company was founded in 1982 with only three hard-working employees: my wife, my son, and me. Here at Furniture Showroom, we really pride ourselves in giving you the best product at the right price! So come on down to Furniture Showroom and take a look at our … (interrupted by Mike’s snore)Tara: Hey, what happened to that TV commercial? The one I couldn’t do because I was sick? Takeshi: You mean the one where Mike fell asleep on my first paying client? I just sent in the tape last week. Who … who knows what’ll happen.Mike: Look, I said I was sorry. Plus that couch was really comfortable …Takeshi: (phone rings) Hello? This is. Oh, hello, Mr. Howard! Yeah … uh-huh … OK … great! Thank you!Tara: Well?Takeshi: They loved it. They just booked me for another five commercials! Mr. Howard said that the big guy who fell asleep on the couch was the best part!Mike: Well, you k now what this calls for, don’t you?Takeshi: Yeah … an apology.Mike: No, an encore! (jumps on sofa )Video Track 4-5-4Takeshi: By the way Mike, thanks a lot for helping me out with this. I can’t believe Tara got sick! And on the day of my first real commercial shoot. Can you believe it?Mike: Don’t worry about it. It’s going to be great … especially since you have a “lovely assistant” like me.Takeshi: Right … there, that should do it. Got your signs?Mike: Check!Takeshi: Ready Mr. Howard? (Mr. Howard nods ) And rolling … OK … “Furniture Showroom” commercial — take one.Mr. Howard: Hello there! My name is John Howard, president of Furniture Showroom, and I’m here to tell you why we’re one of the most successful furniture stores around. The keys to our success are excellent quality, great design, and affordable prices. And who are these keys for? Why for you —our customers! And that’s why I’m here today to show you some of our premier pieces. Like this sleek and stylish lounge chair. All our loungers are covered in 100% genuineleather, and built with solid steel-frame construction. Take a look at that — talk about well-made. Or take a look at this Super Sleeper Sofa… why it’s one of the most comfortable sofas you’ll ever lay your head on! It’s true! See for yourself! (Mike lies down on sofa ) You know, folks, Furniture Showroom is not one of those flyby- night operations —“here today, gone tomorrow.” Our company was founded in 1982 with only three hard-working employees: my wife, my son, and me. Here at Furniture Showroom, we really pride ourselves in giving you the best product at the right price! So come on down to Furniture Showroom and take a look at our … (interrupted by Mike’s snore)Video Track 4-5-5Tara: Hey, what happened to that TV commercial? The one I couldn’t do because I was sick? Takeshi: You mean the one where Mike fell asleep on my first paying client? I just sent in the tape last week. Who … who knows what’ll happen.Mike: Look, I said I was sorry. Plus that couch was really comfortabl e …Takeshi: (phone rings ) Hello? This is. Oh, hello, Mr. Howard! Yeah … uh-huh … OK … great! Thank you!Tara: Well?Takeshi: They loved it. They just booked me for another five commercials! Mr. Howard said that the big guy who fell asleep on the couch was the best part!Mike: Well, you know what this calls for, don’t you?Takeshi: Yeah … an apology.Mike: No, an encore! (jumps on sofa )Audio Track 4-5-17Mike was helping Takeshi shoot a TV commercial for a store called Furniture Showroom. The president of Furniture Showroom, Mr. Howard, was starring in the commercial. First Mr. Howard talked about the company, which was founded in 1982. Then Mike helped show off the furniture while Mr. Howard described it and elaborated on how well each piece was made. However, while Mr. Howard was describing one of the sofas, Mike lay down on it and fell asleep!Later, Tara asked Takeshi about the TV commercial that she had failed to help him with. While Takeshi was telling Tara about the commercial, the phone rang and it was Mr. Howard! Mr. Howard said that his company loved the commercial, so they had decided to hire Takeshi to make five more commercials!。

Unit 4
Why People Lie
Part 1: Topic preview
Individual work: what are the students doing in the picture? What kind of spirit does the game intend to foster?
Joshua: Mama! This is the sacrifice my father made. Mom: Joshua! Joshua: This was his gift to me. We won! Mom: Yes, we won! Joshua: A thousand points! We came in first! We’re taking the tank and listening： Is that ok to tell white lies？
Video 1: White lies Is that OK to tell white lies? Some men and women say yes, but only if the truth could hurt another person’s feelings. NBC’s Janet Shamlian reports. NBC: National Broadcasting Company.
Pair work: make a list of things that can not be said directly under certain circumstances. And work out the solutions.
Situations 1. When a husband is asked by his wife whether her new dress is smart and he doesn’t really think so… How would you handle it

UNIT 4 COMPARISON/CONTRASTChapter 10 Asian and African Elephants: Similarities and DifferencesThe African and the Asian elephants are the largest land animals in the world. They are really enormous animals. The African and the Asian elephants are alike, or similar, in many ways, but there are differences between the 2 types of elephants, too.What are some of the similarities between the African and the Asian elephant? Well, for one thing, both animals have long noses, called trunks. An elephant sometimes uses its trunk like a third hand. Both kinds of elephants use their trunks to pick up very small objects and very large, heavy objects. They can even pick up trees with their trunks. For another thing, both the African and the Asian elephants have very large ears, although the African elephant’s ears are considerably larger.In addition, both animals are intelligent. They can be trained to do heavy work. They can also be trained to do tricks to entertain people. In other words, they both work for people, and they entertain people also.As I said before, the African and Asian elephants are alike in many ways, but they are also quite different, too. Let me explain what I mean. The African elephant is larger and heavier than the Asian elephant. The African male elephant weighs between 12,000 and 14,000 pounds. In contrast, the average Asian male elephant weighs between 7,000 and 12,000 pounds.Another major difference between the 2 kinds of elephants is the size of the ears. Asian elephants have smaller ears than African elephants do. The teeth are different, too. The African elephant has 2 very large teeth. These teeth are called tusks. The Asian elephant sometimes does not have any tusks at all. The elephants differ in color, too. The African elephant is dark gray in color while the Asian elephant is light gray. Occasionally an Asian elephant is even white in color! The last big difference between the 2 elephants is their temperament. The Asian elephant is tamer than the African elephant. In other words, the African elephant is much wilder than the Asian elephant. As a result, it’s more difficult to train the African elephant to perform tricks to entertain people. That’s why the elephants you see in the circus are probably Asian elephants … not African elephants.Yes, there certainly are differences between the African and the Asian elephants, but there is one big similarity between the 2 animals: they are both fascinating and enormous animals.Chapter 11 Lincoln林肯and Kennedy肯尼迪: Similar Destinies命运John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln lived in different times and had very different family and educational backgrounds. Kennedy lived in the 20th century; Lincoln lived in the 19th century. Kennedy was born in 1917, whereas Lincoln was born more than a hundred years earlier, in 1809. As for their family backgrounds, Kennedy came from a rich family, but Lincoln’s family was not wealthy. Because Kennedy came from a wealthy family, he was able to attend expensive private schools. He graduated from Harvard University. Lincoln, on the other hand, had only one year offormal schooling. In spite of his lack of formal schooling, he became a well-known lawyer. He taught himself law by reading law books. Lincoln was, in other words, a self-educated man.In spite of these differences in Kennedy and Lincoln’s backgrounds, some interesting similarities between the 2 men are evident. In fact, books have been written about the strange coincidences in the lives of these 2 men. For example, take their political careers. Lincoln began his political career as a congressman. Similarly, Kennedy also began his political career as a congressman. Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1847, and Kennedy was elected to the House in 1947. They went to Congress just 100 years apart. Another interesting coincidence is that each man was elected president of the United States in a year ending with the number 60. Lincoln was elected president in 1860, and Kennedy was elected in 1960; furthermore, both men were president during years of civil unrest in the country. Lincoln was president during the American Civil War. During Kennedy’s term of office, civil unrest took the form of civil rights demonstrations.Another striking similarity between the 2 men was that, as you probably know, neither president lived to complete his tern in office. Lincoln and Kennedy were both assassinated while in office. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, after only 1,000 days in office. Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 a few days after the end of the American Civil War. It’s rather curious to note that both presidents were shot while they were sitting next to their wives.These are only a few examples of the uncanny神秘的可怕的, or unusual similarities in the destinies of these 2 Americans – men who had a tremendous impact on the social and political life in the United States and the imagination of the American people.Chapter 12 The Titanic and the Andrea Doria: Tragedies悲剧at Sea On the morning of April 10, 1912, the luxury liner the Titanic left England on a voyage to New York. Four days later, she lay at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. On Wednesday, July 18, 1956, the ocean liner the Andrea Doria left Italy. The Andrea Doria was also traveling to New York. Eight days later this great ship also lay at the bottom of the Atlantic.The sinking of these two huge ships, these two very, very large ships shocked the world. Reports of these two tragedies filled the newspapers for days. When the Andrea Doria went down, people compared her sinking with the sinking of the Titanic. There were similarities between the two events; however there were also important differences.What were some of these similarities? First of all, both ships were transatlantic ocean liners. In addition, they were also both luxury liners. They carried many of the world’s rich and famous people. In fact, ten American millionaires lost their lives when the Titanic went down. Today millions of dollars worth of gold, silver and cash may still remain locked inside these two sunken ships.Another similarity was that, as each ship was sinking, there were acts of heroismand acts of villainy. Some people acted very bravely, even heroically. Some people even gave up their lives so that others could live. There were also some people who acted like cowards. For example, one man on the Titanic dressed up as a woman so that he could get into a lifeboat and save his own life. One last similarity was that both of these ships were considered ―unsinkable.‖ People believed that they would never sink.I’d like to shift my attention now to the differences between these great ship disasters. To begin with, the Titanic was on her maiden voyage; that is, she was on her very first voyage across the Atlantic. The Andrea Doria on the other hand, was on her 101st transatlantic crossing. Another difference was that the ships sank for different reasons. The Titanic struck an iceberg whereas the Andrea Doria collided with another ship. Another contrast was that the Andre Doria had radar to warn of the approach of another ship, but the Titanic was not equipped with radar. The Titanic only had a lookout. The lookout was able to see the iceberg only moments before the ship struck it. But, of course, the greatest difference between these two terrible accidents was the number of lives lost. When the Titanic sank, more than 1,500 people died. They drowned or froze to death in the icy north Atlantic water. Over 700 people survived the sinking of the Titanic. In the Andrea Doria accident 60 people lost their lives, and about 1, 650 lives were saved. One of the reasons that so many people died on the Titanic was that the ship was considered to be unsinkable, and so there were about half the number of life boats needed to rescue all the people aboard the ship. The Andrea Doria had more than enough lifeboats to rescue every person on the ship; however, they were able to use only about half of the lifeboats they had because of a mechanical problem. The passengers and crew of the Andrea Doria were very lucky that another ship was able to rescue most of them. The passengers on the Titanic were not so fortunate. It is interesting that the wreck of the titanic was only found in September of 1985.Whenever there are large numbers of people traveling together on a boat, ship, or plane, the possibility of disaster is always present. Most people arrive safely at their destination, but accidents like shipwrecks and plane crashes do happen, and these accidents remind us that no matter how safe we feel, accidents can happen suddenly and un expectedly.Chapter 13 Dinosaurs; Why They DisappearedSeveral theories have been proposed about why the dinosaurs disappeared from the face of the earth. In recent years one popular theory proposes that climatic changes caused the dinosaurs to become extinct. This climatic change theory says that millions of years ago the climate of the world gradually became colder. As the earth slowly became colder, fewer plants were able to grow. The cold weather finally resulted in a severe shortage of food for the dinosaurs. As you probably know, most of the dinosaurs were vegetarians, and they depended on plants for their food supply. In summary, them, the disappearance of the dinosaurs was caused directly by a shortage of plants to eat, and indirectly by a change in the climate. Many scientists still believe that the climatic change theory best explains why the dinosaurs disappeared. This theory argues that the dinosaurs disappeared gradually—slowly—as the earth became colder and ass their food supply dwindled.Today there is new evidence for the theory that the dinosaurs did not disappear gradually, but that they disappeared quickly and suddenly. This theory is known as the asteroid theory. It states that a huge asteroid, or perhaps a comet, hit the earth about 65 million years ago. When this comet or asteroid hit the earth, it caused a huge dust cloud. The huge dust cloud covered the whole earth and blocked out the sun for months. Since there was no sun for many, many months, most of the plants on earth died the dinosaur’s food supply was destroyed in a period of months.While this asteroid theory is not new, what is new is the evidence for the theory. Until recently there was no evidence that an asteroid or a comet had hit the earth 65 million years ago. What happened recently was that scientists found large amounts of a rare earth element called iridium all over the world. This iridium was found in layers of the earth that are 65 million years old. The iridium was found in the same layers where the bones of the last dinosaurs were found.The element iridium is very uncommon, in fact, rare, on the earth. It is an element, however, that is more often found in space. Scientists speculate that this iridium was brought to earth 65 million years ago when a comet or asteroid hit the earth.The comet or asteroid theory explains two things: (1) It explains the larger amounts of the rare element iridium found in the 65-million-year-old layers of earth, and (2) it explains why the dinosaurs disappeared from the earth.Today scientists continue to debate the two theories: the climatic change theory and the asteroid theory. In the future evidence may be found that supports a new theory of why the terrible lizards died out.Chapter 14 The American Civil War: Why It HappenedThe American Civil War was fought over 100 years ago. It began in 1861 and lasted until 1865. The battles of the American Civil War resulted in the death of 620,000 Americans. What caused this terrible civil war between the North and the South?Well, historians believe that there were many causes of the war. One of the important causes of the war was the friction between the North and the South over the issues of slavery. The southern way of life and the southern economy were based on the use of slave labor. For almost 250 years before the Civil War, the economy of the South depended on the use of black slaves. The slaves were used to plant and pick cotton and tobacco. Cotton and tobacco were the main crops grown in the South. Most southerners did not think it was wrong to own, buy, or sell slaves like farm animals. Slavery was, in fact, the foundation of the entire economy and way of life in the South. This was not the situation in the North. The northern economy did not depend on the use of slave labor. Why not?Well, in the South there were many large cotton plantations that used hundreds of slaves. In the North, however, there were smaller farms. The northern farmers planted many different kinds of crops, nor just cotton or tobacco. The Northerners did not need slaves, since their farms were smaller than most of the southern plantations. In fact, many Northerners were so opposed to slavery that thy wanted to end slavery completely. The northern attitude against slavery made the Southerners angry. So, for many years before the war, there was constant friction between the North and the South over this issue. This friction eventually led to war.There was other friction, too, as I said before, between the North and the South. There were, in other words, other causes of conflict between the North and the South. One involved the growth of industry in the North. While the South remained an agricultural area, the North became more and more industrialized. As industry increased in the North, it brought more people and greater wealth to the northern states. As a result, many Southerners began to fear northern political and economic domination. Because of this fear, many Southerners believed that the South should leave the Union and that they should form their own country.In 1860, the Southerners decided it was time to leave the Union when Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States. Lincoln, as you may know, was against slavery. The people of the South were afraid that their way of life and their economic system were in danger with Lincoln in the presidency. Consequently, the southern states decided to secede from the Union. In other words, they wanted to break away from the North and form a separate country. In 1861, South Carolina seceded, and by June of 1861 eleven states had seceded and established a new country. They called the new country the Confederate States of America. The war between the North and the South began when the southern states seceded from the Union.The main reason that the North went to war against the South was to bring the southern states back into the Union. In other words, the North went to war to keep the United States one country.After 4 years of terrible fighting, the North won the war against the South, and the US remained one country. The North won the war mainly because of its economic and industrial strength and power.The Civil War had 2 important results for the US: (1) the Civil War preserved the US as onecountry; and (2) it ended slavery in the US.Many Americans wonder what the US would be like today if the South had won the Civil War. The history of the US would have been very different if the South had won the war between the states.Chapter 14 The American Civil War: Why It HappenedThe American Civil War was fought over 100 years ago. It began in 1861 and lasted until 1865. The battles of the American Civil War resulted in the death of 620,000 Americans. What caused this terrible civil war between the North and the South?Well, historians believe that there were many causes of the war. One of the important causes of the war was the friction between the North and the South over the issues of slavery. The southern way of life and the southern economy were based on the use of slave labor. For almost 250 years before the Civil War, the economy of the South depended on the use of black slaves. The slaves were used to plant and pick cotton and tobacco. Cotton and tobacco were the main crops grown in the South. Most southerners did not think it was wrong to own, buy, or sell slaves like farm animals. Slavery was, in fact, the foundation of the entire economy and way of life in the South. This was not the situation in the North. The northern economy did not depend on the use of slave labor. Why not?Well, in the South there were many large cotton plantations that used hundreds of slaves. In the North, however, there were smaller farms. The northern farmers planted many different kinds of crops, nor just cotton or tobacco. The Northerners did not need slaves, since their farms were smaller than most of the southern plantations. In fact, many Northerners were so opposed to slavery that thy wanted to end slavery completely. The northern attitude against slavery made the Southerners angry. So, for many years before the war, there was constant friction between the North and the South over this issue. This friction eventually led to war.There was other friction, too, as I said before, between the North and the South. There were, in other words, other causes of conflict between the North and the South. One involved the growth of industry in the North. While the South remained an agricultural area, the North became more and more industrialized. As industry increased in the North, it brought more people and greater wealth to the northern states. As a result, many Southerners began to fear northern political and economic domination. Because of this fear, many Southerners believed that the South should leave the Union and that they should form their own country.In 1860, the Southerners decided it was time to leave the Union when Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States. Lincoln, as you may know, was against slavery. The people of the South were afraid that their way of life and their economic system were in danger with Lincoln in the presidency. Consequently, the southern states decided to secede from the Union. In other words, they wanted to break away from the North and form a separate country. In 1861, SouthCarolina seceded, and by June of 1861 eleven states had seceded and established a new country. They called the new country the Confederate States of America. The war between the North and the South began when the southern states seceded from the Union.The main reason that the North went to war against the South was to bring the southern states back into the Union. In other words, the North went to war to keep the United States one country.After 4 years of terrible fighting, the North won the war against the South, and the US remained one country. The North won the war mainly because of its economic and industrial strength and power.The Civil War had 2 important results for the US: (1) the Civil War preserved the US as one country; and (2) it ended slavery in the US.Many Americans wonder what the US would be like today if the South had won the Civil War. The history of the US would have been very different if the South had won the war between the states.Chapter 15 Endangered Species: What Are the CausesOver the history of the earth, millions of animals and plant species have disappeared. Most of these species disappeared, or became extinct, because of natural causes such as climatic changes or a catastrophic event, like an asteroid hitting earth. What is different today is that most species that are in danger of becoming extinct are not endangered because of natural causes but because of human activity. Today, we will be looking at the reasons that many plants and animals are endangered and how these reasons, or causes, are related to human activity.The single most important cause of endangered species today is the destruction and/or degradation of habitat. Most animals and plants are adapted to live and reproduce in a specific environment, or habitat. They cannot survive if they lose the specific habitat that they are adapted to live and reproduce in.There are many ways that human activity destroys habitat. For example, forests, grasslands, and deserts, which provide habitat to many plants and animals, are cleared in order to develop residential areas for people to live in and industrial areas for people to work in. Land is also cleared to prepare it for farmers to grow crops on. Swamps and marshes, which provide habitat to many animal and plant species, are often drained and filled in, also to provide land for development or agriculture. In addition, rivers are sometimes dammed in order to provide people with electrical power. All of these human activities, such as clearing forests, grasslands, and deserts, draining swamps and marshes, and damming rivers result in the destruction of habitats that many plants and animals need to live and reproduce in.Closely related to the destruction of habitat is the degradation of habitat, which also endangeredmany species. Some examples of manmade causes that degrade habitat are oil spills, water pollution, and acid rain. You probably have seen pictures in newspapers or on TV of dead or dying marine animals and birds covered with oil after an oil tanker accident. Human beings also cause water pollution, which endangers the survival of many fish and marine animals. Acid rain, which results from people burning fossil fuels, also harms many species of fish and many species of trees. To sum up, some of the things related to human activity that result in the degradation of the environment are oil spills, water pollution, and acid rain.Illegal wildlife trade is the next major cause of endangered species. Although many governments have passed laws protecting endangered species, many animals are still illegally hunted. Sometimes people hunt these animals for food, but more often they hunt them only for specific parts of their bodies. For example, some species of animals such as tigers are illegally hunted for their furs. Elephants, which are the biggest land animals in the world and an endangered species, are often killed for their hides and tusks. These elephant hides and tusks are used to make souvenirs and works of art to sell to tourists and art collectors. Other animals such as chimpanzees are trapped to the sold to zoos for people to look at or for medical experiments. Some beautiful birds, such as some species of parrots, are in danger of extinction because so many are captured to be sold as pets to people all over the world.The third major cause that many species are endangered is over exploitation. People have always exploited, or used, plants and animals, and will, no doubt, continue to do so. It is only when people exploit animals and plants in an excessive manner that they become endangered. Some animals have already been hunted to extinction for food and sometimes for sport. Let me give you one well-known example---the passenger pigeon in the United States. Passenger pigeons were once so plentiful that people said they darkened the sky for hours, even days, when they flew over the land. Many people thought that the passenger pigeons could never disappear, but, in reality, they became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century. They became extinct as a result of over hunting, partly for food but mostly for sport. Today, some fish, like the cod, which is an important source of food for people in many parts of the world, have been over fished. As a result, cod are in danger of becoming extinct. At one time cod, like passenger pigeons, were very plentiful, and it seemed they could never be gone. And it’s not just animal species like the codfish that are in danger of becoming extinct. According to a recent article in the New Scientist, the Brazil nut tree, a very important source of nuts for both animals and people, is endangered due to over harvesting of the nuts.The fourth and final reason that some species today are endangered has to do with competition that is directly related to human activity. As you know, most animal and plant species have to compete with other species in their habitat for food, water, and any other resources they both need. This is usually natural, that is, not related to human activity. However, some animal and plant species today also face competition that is directly related to human activity. There are two kinds of competition that animal and plant species can face that is related to human activity. One has to do with domestic animals and the other has to do with what is called ―introduced‖ species. Let’s discuss competition with domestic animals first.I’m sure you are all familiar with most domestic animals such as cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and so forth. But did you know that these domestic animals can be a threat to wild, that is, non-domestic animals? The first reason is because these domestic animals compete for habitat with wild animals. And, in addition, the people who own these domestic animals often hunt, trap, and poison wild animals in order to protect their livestock. The wolf is an example of an animal that is widely hunted to near extinction to protect domestic animals.Another serious threat to some species is competition with introduced species, that is, plants or animals that are introduced, or brought, by humans into a new habitat, either on purpose or by accident. Take, for example, the introduction of a species of rabbit into Australia. In the 19th century, Europeans purposely introduced a species of European rabbit into Australia so they could hunt them for sport. Unfortunately, this animal has caused great damage to the habitat of many native animals and plants of Australia. Another introduced species, the brown tree snake, was accidentally introduced into the island Guam in the late 1940s. These snakes accidentally rode along on military cargo planes that landed there. Since that time, the brown tree snake has destroyed a large part of the bird population of Guam.Before I close, let me repeat the four major causes of endangered species today: 1) the destruction and/or degradation of habitat, 2) the illegal wildlife trade, 3) over exploitation, and 4) competition with domestic and ―introduced‖ species.Let me conclude by saying that the relationship of all living plants and animals is complex and interdependent. The destruction of one animal or plant species can threaten the survival of other species of animals and plants. Human beings are part of the natural world and they might also, one day, become an endangered species themselves. Because the four major causes of endangered species today are largely the result of human activity, only human beings can change the situation. Time is running out for many endangered plant and animal species.。