大学英语精读第一册.docx
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大学英语精读第一册
HOWTOIMPROVEYOURSTUDYHABITS
Perhapsyouareanaveragestudentwithaverageintelligence.Youdowellenoughinschool,butyouprobablythinkyouwillneverbeatopstudent.Thisisnotnecessarilythecase,however.Youcanreceivebettergradesifyouwantto.Yes,evenstudentsofaverageintelligencecanbetopstudentswithoutadditionalwork.Here’show:
1.Planyourtimecarefully,.Makealistofyourweeklytasks.Thenmakeascheduleorchartofyourtime.Fillincommittedtimesuchaseating,sleeping,meetings,classes,etc.Thendecideongood,regulartimesforstudying.Besuretosetasideenoughtimetocompleteyournormalreadingandworkassignments.Ofcourse,studyingshouldn’toccupyallofthefreetimeontheschedule.It’simportanttosetasidetimeforrelaxation,hobbies,andentertainmentaswell.Thisweeklyschedulemaynotsolveallofyourproblems,butitwillmakeyoumoreawareofhowyouspendyourtime.Furthermore,itwillenableyoutoplanyouractivitiessothatyouhaveadequatetimeforbothworkandplay.
2.Findagoodplacetostudy.Chooseoneplaceforyourstudyarea.Itmaybeadeskorachairathomeorintheschoollibrary,butitshouldbecomfortable,anditshouldnothavedistractions.Whenyoubegintowork,youshouldbeabletoconcentrateonthesubject.
3.Skimbeforeyouread.Thismeanslookingoverapassagequicklybeforeyoubegintoreaditmorecarelly.Asyoupreviewthematerial,yougetsomeideaofthecontentandhowitisorganized.Laterwhenyoubegintoreadyouwillrecognizelessimportantmaterialandyoumayskipsomeoftheseportions.Skimminghelpsdoubleyourreadingspeedandimprovesyourcomprehensionaswell.
4.Makegooduseofyourtimeinclass.Listeningtowhattheteachersaysinclassmeanslessworklater.Sitwhereyoucanseeandhearwell.Takenotestohelpyourememberwhattheteachersays.
5.Studyregularly.Gooveryournotesassoonasyoucanafterclass.Reviewimportantpointsmentionedinclassaswellaspointsyouremainconfusedabout.Readaboutthesepointsinyourtextbook.Ifyouknowwhattheteacherwilldiscussthenextday,skimandreadthatmaterialtoo.Thiswillhelpyouunderstandthenextclass.Ifyoureviewyournotesandtextbookregularly,thematerialwillbecomemoremeaningfulandyouwillrememberitlonger.Regularreviewleadstoimprovedperformanceontests.
6.Developagoodattitudeabouttests.Thepurposeofatestistoshowwhatyouhavelearnedaboutasubject.Theworldwon’tendifyoudon’tpassatest,sodon’tworryexcessivelyaboutasingletest.Testsprovidegrades,buttheyalsoletyouknowwhatyouneedtospendmoretimestudying,andtheyhelpmakeyourknowledgepermanent.
Thereareothertechniquesthatmighthelpyouwithyourstudying.Onlyafewhavebeenmentionedhere.Youwillprobablydiscovermanyothersafteryouhavetriedthese.Talkwithyourclassmatesabouttheirstudytechniques.Sharewiththemsomeofthetechniquesyouhavefoundtobehelpful.Improvingyourstudyhabitswillimproveyourgrades.
UnitTwo
SAILINGROUNDTHEWORLD
Beforehesailedroundtheworldsingle-handed,FrancisChichesterhadalreadysurprisedhisfriendsseveraltimes.Hetriedtoflyroundtheworldbutfailed.Thatwasin1931.
Theyearspassed.Hegaveupflyingandbegansailing.Heenjoyeditgreatly.Chichesterwasalready58yearsoldwhenhewonthefirstsolotransatlanticsailingrace.Hisolddreamofgoingroundtheworldcameback,butthistimehewouldsail.Hisfriendsanddoctorsdidnotthinkhecoulddoit,ashehadlungcancer.ButChichesterwasdeterminedtocarryouthisplan.InAugust,1966,attheageofnearlysixty-five,anagewhenmanymenretire,hebeganthegreatestvoyageofhislife.Soon,hewasawayinhisnew16-metreboat,GipsyMoth.
Chichesterfollowedtherouteofthegreatnineteenthcenturyclipperships.Buttheclippershadhadplentyofcrew.Chichesterdiditallbyhimself,evenafterthemainsteeringdevicehadbeendamagedbygales.Chichestercovered14,100milesbeforestoppinginSydney,Australla.
Thiswasmorethantwicethedistanceanyonehadpreviouslysailedalone.
HearrivedinAustraliaon12December,just107daysoutfromEngland.HereceivedawarmwelcomefromtheAustraliansandfromhisfamilywhohadflowntheretomeethim.Onshore,Chichestercouldnotwalkwithouthelp.Everyonesaidthesamething:
hehaddoneenough;hemustnotgoanyfurther.Buthedidnotlisten.
AfterrestinginSydneyforafewweeks,Chichestersetoffoncemoreinspiteofhisfriends’attemptstodissuadehim.Thesecondhalfofhisvoyagewasbyfarthemoredangerouspart,duringwhichhesailedroundthetreacherousCapeHorn.
On29JanuaryheleftAustrlia.Thenextnight,theblackesthehadeverknown,theseabecamesoroughthattheboatalmostturnedover.Food,clothes,andbrokenglasswereallmixedtogether.Fortunately,thedamagetotheboatwasnottooserious.Chichestercalmlygotintobedandwenttosleep.Whenhewokeup,theseahadbecomecalmagain.Still,hecouldnothelpthinkingthatifanythingshouldhappen,thenearestpersonhecouldcontactbyradio,unlesstherewasashipnearby,wouldbeonanisland885milesaway.
AftersucceedinginsailingroundCapeHorn,ChichestersentthefollowingradiomessagetoLondon:
“IfeelasifIhadwakenedfromanightmare.WildhorsescouldnotdragmedowntoCapeHornandthatsinisterSouthernOceanagain.”
Justbefore9o’clockonSundayevening28May,1967,hearrivedbackinEngland,whereaquarterofamillionpeoplewerewaitingtowelcomehim.QueenElizabethⅡknightedhimwiththeveryswordthatQueenElizabethIhadusedalmost400yearsearliertoknightSirFrancisDrakeafterhehadsailedroundtheworldforthefirsttime.ThewholevoyagefromEnglandandbackhadcovered28,500miles.Ithadtakenhimninenonths,ofwhichthesailingtimewas226days.Hehaddonewhathewantedtoaccomplish.
Likemanyotheradventures,Chichesterhadexperiencedfearandconqueredit.Indoingso,hehadundoubtedlylearntsomethingabouthimself.Moreover,inthemodernagewhenhumanbeingsdependsomuchonmachines,hehadgivenmenthroughouttheworldnewpride.
UnitThree
THEPRESENT
Itwastheoldlady’sbirthday.
Shegotupearlytobereadyforthepost.fromthesecondfloorflatshecouldseethepostmanwhenhecamedownthestreet,andthelittleboyfromthegroundfloorbroughtupherlettersontherareoccasionswhenanythingcame.
Todayshewastherewouldbesomething.Myrawouldn’tforgethermother’sbirthday,evenifsheseldomwroteatothertimes.OfcourseMyrawasbusy.HerhusbandhadbeenmadeMayor,andMyraherselfhadgotamedalforherworkfortheaged.
TheoldladywasproudofMyra,butEnidwasthedaughtersheloved.Enidhadnevermarried,buthadseemedcontenttolivewithhermother,andteachinaprimaryschoolroundthecorner.
Oneevening,however,Enidsaid,“I’vearrangedforMrs.Morrisontolookafteryouforafewdays,Mother.TomorrowI’vetogointohospital—justaminoroperation.I’llsoonbehome.”
Inthemorningshewent,butnevercameback—shediedontheoperatingtable.Myracametothefuneral,andinherefficientwayarrangedforMrs.Morrisontocomeinandlightthefireandgivetheoldladyherbreakfast.
Twoyearsagothatwas,andsincethenMyrahadbeentoseehermotherthreetimes,butherhusbandnever.
Theoldladywaseightytoday.Shehadputonherbestdress.Perhaps—perhapsMyramightcome.Afterall,eightywasaspecialbirthday,anotherdecadelivedorenduredjustasyouchosetolookatit.
EvenifMyradidnotcome,shewouldsendapresent.Theoldladywassureofthat.Twospotsofcolourbrightenedhercheeks.Shewasexcited—likeachild.Shewouldenjoyherday.
YesterdayMrs.Morrisonhadgiventheflatanextraclean,andtodayshehadbroughtacardandabunchofmarigoldswhenshecametodothebreakfast.Mrs.Grantdownstairshadmadeacake,andintheafternoonshewasgoingdowntheretotea.Thelittleboy,Johnnie,hadbeenupwithapacketofmints,andsaidhewouldn’tgoouttoplayuntiltheposthadcome.
“Iguessyou’llgetlotsofpresents,”hesaid,“IdidlastweekwhenIwassix.”
Whatwouldshelike?
Apairofslippersperhaps.Oranewcardigan.Acardiganwouldbelovely.Blue’ssuchaprettycolour.Jimhadalwayslikedherinblue.Oratablelamp.Orabook,atravelbook,withpictures,oralittleclock,withclearblacknumbers.Somanylovelythings.
Shestoodbythewindow,watching.Thepostmanturnedroundthecorneronhisbicycle.Herheartbeatfast.Johnniehadseenhimtooandrantothegate.
Thenclatter,clatterupthestairs.Johnnieknockedatherdoor.
“Granny,granny,”heshouted,“I’vegotyourpost.”
Hegaveherfourenvelopes.Threewereunsealedcardsfromoldfriends.Thefourthwassealed,inMyra’swriting.Theoldladyfeltapangofdisappointment.
“Noparcel,Johnnie?
”
“No,granny.”
Maybetheparcelwastoolargetocomebyletterpost.Thatwasit.Itwouldcomelaterbyparcelpost.Shemustbepatient.
Almostreluctantlyshetoretheenvelopeopen.Foldedinthecardwasapieceofpaper.WrittenonthecardwasamessageundertheprintedHappyBirthday—Buyyourselfsomethingnicewiththecheque,MyraandHarold.
Thechequeflutteredtothefloorlikeabirdwithabrokenwing.Slowlytheoldladystoopedtopickitup.Herpresent,herlovelypresent.Withtremblingfingersshetoreitintolittlebits.
UnitFour
TURNINGOFFTV:
AQUIETHOUR
Iwouldliketoproposethatforsixtytoninetyminuteseachevening,rightaftertheearlyeveningnews,alltelevisionbroadcastingintheUnitedStatesbeprohibitedbylaw.
Letustakeaserious,reasonablelookatwhattheresultsmightbeifsuchaproposalwereaccepted.Familiesmightusethetimeforarealfamilyhour.Withoutt