大学英语精读第二册16单元课文原文教程文件.docx
《大学英语精读第二册16单元课文原文教程文件.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《大学英语精读第二册16单元课文原文教程文件.docx(11页珍藏版)》请在冰点文库上搜索。
大学英语精读第二册16单元课文原文教程文件
大学英语精读第二册1-6单元课文原文
第一单元
TheDinnerParty
MonaGardner
IfirstheardthistaleinIndia,whereitistoldasiftrue—thoughanynaturalistwouldknowitcouldn’tbe.LatersomeonetoldmethatthestoryappearedinamagazineshortlybeforetheFirstWorldWar.Thatmagazinestory,andthepersonwhowroteit,Ihaveneverbeenabletotrackdown.
ThecountryisIndia.Acolonialofficialandhiswifearegivingalargedinnerparty.Theyareseatedwiththeirguests—officersandtheirwives,andavisitingAmericannaturalist—intheirspaciousdiningroom,whichhasabaremarblefloor,openraftersandwideglassdoorsopeningontoaveranda.
Aspiriteddiscussionspringsupbetweenayounggirlwhosaysthatwomenhaveoutgrownthejumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouseeraandamajorwhosaysthattheyhaven’t.
“Awoman’sreactioninanycrisis,”themajorsays,“istoscream.Andwhileamanmayfeellikeit,hehasthatouncemoreofcontrolthanawomanhas.Andthatlastounceiswhatreallycounts.”
TheAmericandoesnotjoinintheargumentbutwatchestheotherguests.Ashelooks,heseesastrangeexpressioncomeoverthefaceofthehostess.Sheisstaringstraightahead,hermusclescontractingslightly.Shemotionstothenativeboystandingbehindherchairandwhisperssomethingtohim.Theboy’seyeswiden:
hequicklyleavestheroom.
Oftheguests,noneexcepttheAmericannoticesthisorseestheboyplaceabowlofmilkontheverandajustoutsidetheopendoors.
TheAmericancomestowithastart.InIndia,milkinabowlmeansonlyonething—baitforasnake.Herealizestheremustbeacobraintheroom.Helooksupattherafters—thelikeliestplace—buttheyarebare.Threecornersoftheroomareempty,andinthefourththeservantsarewaitingtoservethenextcourse.Thereisonlyoneplaceleft—underthetable.
Hisfirstimpulseistojumpbackandwarntheothers,butheknowsthecommotionwouldfrightenthecobraintostriking.Hespeaksquickly,thetoneofhisvoicesocommandingthatitsilenceseveryone.
“Iwanttoknowjustwhatcontroleveryoneatthistablehas.Iwillcountthreehundred—that’sfiveminutes—andnotoneofyouistomoveamuscle.Thosewhomovewillforfeit50rupees.Ready!
”
The20peoplesitlikestoneimageswhilehecounts.Heissaying“...twohundredandeighty…”when,outofthecornerofhiseye,heseesthecobraemergeandmakeforthebowlofmilk.Screamsringoutashejumpstoslamtheverandadoorssafelyshut.
“Youwereright,Major!
”thehostexclaims.“Amanhasjustshownusanexampleofperfectself-control.”
“Justaminute,”theAmericansays,turningtohishostess.“Mrs.Wynnes,howdidyouknowthatcobrawasintheroom?
”
Afaintsmilelightsupthewoman’sfaceasshereplies:
“Becauseitwascrawlingacrossmyfoot.”
第二单元
LessonsfromJefferson
BruceBliven
1ThomasJefferson,thethirdPresidentoftheUnitedStates,maybelessfamousthanGeorgeWashingtonandAbrahamLincoln,butmostpeoplerememberatleastonefactabouthim:
hewrotetheDeclarationofIndependence.
2AlthoughJeffersonlivedmorethan200yearsago,thereismuchthatwecanlearnfromhimtoday.Manyofhisideasareespeciallyinterestingtomodernyouth.Herearesomeofthethingshesaidandwrote:
3Goandsee.Jeffersonbelievedthatafreemanobtainsknowledgefrommanysourcesbesidesbooksandthatpersonalinvestigationisimportant.Whenstillayoungman,hewasappointedtoacommitteetofindoutwhethertheSouthBranchoftheJamesRiverwasdeepenoughtobeusedbylargeboats.Whiletheothermembersofthecommitteesatinthestatecapitolandstudiedpapersonthesubject,Jeffersongotintoacanoeandmadeon-the-spotobservations.
4Youcanlearnfromeveryone.BybirthandbyeducationJeffersonbelongedtothehighestsocialclass.Yet,inadaywhenfewnoblepersonseverspoketothoseofhumbleoriginsexcepttogiveanorder,Jeffersonwentoutofhiswaytotalkwithgardeners,servants,andwaiters.JeffersononcesaidtotheFrenchnobleman,Lafayette,“Youmustgointothepeople’shomesasIhavedone,lookintotheircookingpotsandeattheirbread.Ifyouwillonlydothis,youmayfindoutwhypeoplearedissatisfiedandunderstandtherevolutionthatisthreateningFrance.”
5Judgeforyourself.Jeffersonrefusedtoacceptotherpeople’sopinionswithoutcarefulthought.“Neitherbelievenorrejectanything,”hewrotetohisnephew,“becauseanyotherpersonhasrejectedorbelievedit.Heavenhasgivenyouamindforjudgingtruthanderror.Useit.”
6Jeffersonfeltthatthepeople“maysafelybetrustedtoheareverythingtrueandfalse,andtoformacorrectjudgment.Wereitlefttometodecidewhetherweshouldhaveagovernmentwithoutnewspapersornewspaperswithoutagovernment,Ishouldnothesitateamomenttopreferthelatter.”
7Dowhatyoubelieveisright.Inafreecountrytherewillalwaysbeconflictingideas,andthisisasourceofstrength.Itisconflictandnotunquestioningagreementthatkeepsfreedomalive.ThoughJeffersonwasformanyyearstheobjectofstrongcriticism,heneveransweredhiscritics.Heexpressedhisphilosophyinletterstoafriend,“Therearetwosidestoeveryquestion.Ifyoutakeonesidewithdecisionandactonitwitheffect,thosewhotaketheothersidewillofcourseresentyouractions.”
8Trustthefuture;trusttheyoung.Jeffersonfeltthatthepresentshouldneverbechainedtocustomswhichhavelosttheirusefulness.“Nosociety,”hesaid,“canmakeaperpetualconstitution,orevenaperpetuallaw.Theearthbelongstothelivinggeneration.”Hedidnotfearnewideas,nordidhefearthefuture.”Howmuchpain,”heremarked,“hasbeencausedbyevilswhichhaveneverhappened!
Iexpectthebest,nottheworst.Isteermyshipwithhope,leavingfearbehind.”
9Jefferson’scourageandidealismwerebasedonknowledge.Heprobablyknewmorethananyothermanofhisage.Hewasanexpertinagriculture,archeology,andmedicine.Hepracticedcroprotationandsoilconservationacenturybeforethesebecamestandardpractice,andheinventedaplowsuperiortoanyotherinexistence.HeinfluencedarchitecturethroughoutAmerica,andhewasconstantlyproducingdevicesformakingthetasksofordinarylifeeasiertoperform.
10OfallJefferson’smanytalents,oneiscentral.Hewasaboveallagoodandtirelesswriter.Hiscompleteworks,nowbeingpublishedforthefirsttime,willfillmorethanfiftyvolumes.Histalentasanauthorwassoondiscovered,andwhenthetimecametowritetheDeclarationofIndependenceatPhiladelphiain1776,thetaskofwritingitwashis.Millionshavethrilledtohiswords:
“Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal...”
11WhenJeffersondiedonJuly4,1826,the50thanniversaryofAmericanindependence,helefthiscountrymenarichlegacyofideasandexamples.AmericaneducationowesagreatdebttoThomasJefferson,whobelievedthatonlyanationofeducatedpeoplecouldremainfree.
第三单元
MyFirstJob
RobertBest
WhileIwaswaitingtoenteruniversity,IsawadvertisedinalocalnewspaperateachingpostataschoolinasuburbofLondonabouttenmilesfromwhereIlived.Beingveryshortofmoneyandwantingtodosomethinguseful,Iapplied,fearingasIdidso,thatwithoutadegreeandwithnoexperienceinteachingmychancesofgettingthejobwereslim.
However,threedayslateraletterarrived,askingmetogotoCroydonforaninterview.Itprovedanawkwardjourney:
atraintoCroydonstation;aten-minutebusrideandthenawalkofatleastaquarterofamile.AsaresultIarrivedonahotJunemorningtoodepressedtofeelnervous.
Theschoolwasaredbrickhousewithbigwindows.Thefrontgardenwasagravelsquare;fourevergreenshrubsstoodateachcorner,wheretheystruggledtosurvivethedustandfumesfromabusymainroad.
Itwasclearlytheheadmasterhimselfthatopenedthedoor.Hewasshortandfat.Hehadasandy-colouredmoustache,awrinkledforeheadandhardlyanyhair.
Helookedatmewithanairofsurpriseddisapproval,asacolonelmightlookataprivatewhosebootlaceswereundone.‘Ahyes,’hegrunted.‘You’dbettercomeinside.’Thenarrow,sunlesshallsmelledunpleasantlyofstalecabbage;thewallsweredirtywithinkmarks;itwasallsilent.Hisstudy,judgingbythecrumbsonthecarpet,wasalsohisdining-room.‘You’dbettersitdown,’hesaid,andproceededtoaskmeanumberofquestions:
whatsubjectsIhadtakeninmyGeneralSchoolCertificate;howoldIwas;whatgamesIplayed;thenfixingmesuddenlywithhisbloodshoteyes,heaskedmewhetherIthoughtgameswereavitalpartofaboy’seducation.Imumbledsomethingaboutnotattachingtoomuchimportancetothem.Hegrunted.Ihadsaidthewrongthing.TheheadmasterandIobviouslyhadverylittleincommon.
Theschool,hesaid,consistedofoneclassoftwenty-fourboys,ranginginagefromseventothirteen.Ishouldhavetoteachallsubjectsexceptart,whichhetaughthimself.FootballandcricketwereplayedinthePark,amileawayonWednesdayandSaturdayafternoons.
Theteachingset-upfilledmewithfear.Ishouldhavetodividetheclassintothreegroupsandteachtheminturnatthreedifferentlevels;andIwasdismayedatthethoughtofteachingalgebraandgeometry—twosubjectsatwhichIhadbeencompletelyincompetentatschool.WorseperhapswastheideaofSaturdayafternooncricket;mostofmyfriendswouldbeenjoyingleisureatthattime.
Isaidshyly,‘Whatwouldmysalarybe?
’‘Twelvepoundsaweekpluslunch.’BeforeIcouldprotest,hegottohisfeet.‘Now’,hesaid,‘you’dbettermeetmywife.She’stheonewho