大学英语精读.docx

大学英语精读.docx

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大学英语精读

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UNTH1

TEXT

Itishumorousessay.Butafterreadingityouwillsurelyfindthattheauthorismostseriousinwritingit.

TsThereLifeonEarth?

TherewasgreatexcitementontheplanetofVenusthisweek.ForthefirsttimeVenusianscientistsmanagedtolandasatelliteontheplantEarth,andishasbeensendingbacksignalsaswellasphotographseversince.

ThesatellitewasdirectedintoanareaknowasManhattan（namedafterthegreatVenusianastronomerProf.Manhattan,whofirstdiscovereditwithhistelescope20,000lightyearsago）.

Becauseofexcellentweatherconditionsandextremelystrongsignals,VenusianscientistswereabletogetvaluableinformationastothefeasibilityofamannedflyingsaucerlandingonEarth.ApressconferencewasheldattheVenusInstituteofTechnology.

"Wehavecometotheconclusion,basedonlastweek'ssatellitelanding,"Prof.Zogsaid,"thatthereisnolifeonEarth."

"Howdoyouknowthis?

"thesciencereporteroftheVenusEveningStarasked.

"Foronething,Earth'ssurfaceintheareaofManhattaniscomposedofsolidconcreteandnothingcangrowthere.Foranother,theatmosphereisfilledwithcarbonmonoxideandotherdeadlygasesandnobodycouldpossiblybreatherthisairandsurvive."

"Whatdoesthismeanasfarasourflyingsauceprogramisconcerned?

"

"Weshallhavetotakeourownoxygenwithus,whichmeansamuchheavierflyingsaucerthanweoriginallyplanned."

"Arethereanyotherhazardsthatyoudiscoveredinyourstudier?

"

"Takealookatthisphoto.YouseethisdarkblackcloudhoveringoverthesurfaceofEarth?

WecallthistheConsolidatedEdisonBelt.Wedon'tknowwhatitismadeof,butitcouldgiveusalotoftroubleandweshallhavetomakefurthertestsbeforewesendaVenusBeingthere."

"Overhereyouwillnoticewhatseemstobeariver,butthesatellitefindingsindicateitispollutedandthewaterisunfittodrink.Thismeansweshallhavetocarryourownwater,whichwilladdevengreaterweighttothesaucer."

"Sir,whatareallthosetinyblackspotsonthephotographs?

"

"We'renotcertain.Theyseemtobemetalparticlesthatmovealongcertainpaths.Theyemitgases,makenoiseandkeepcrashingintoeachother.Therearesomanyofthesepathsandsomanymetalparticlesthatitisimpossibletolandaflyingsaucerwithoutitsbeingsmashedbyone."

"Whatarethosestalagmiteprojectionsstickingup?

"

"They'resometypeofgraniteformationsthatgiveofflightatnight.Prof.Glomhasnamedthemskyscraperssincetheyseemtobescrapingtheskies."

"Ifallyousayistrue,won'tthissetbacktheflyingsaucerprogramseveralyears?

"

"Yes,butweshallproceedassoonastheGrubstartgivesustheaddedfunds."

"Prof.Zog,whyarewespendingbillionsandbillionsofzilchestolandaflyingsauceronEarthwhenthereisnolifethere?

"BecauseifweVenusianscanlearntobreatheinanEarthatmosphere,thenwecanliveanywhere."

NEWWORDS:

humorous

a.funny;thatmakerspeoplelaugh幽默的

humor

n.

essay

n.散文，随笔

excitement

n.thestateorqualityofbeingexcited

planet

n.largebodyinspacethatmovesroundastaresp.roundthesun行星

Venusian

a.oforhavingtodowiththeplantVenus金星的

n.supposedVenusbeing金星人

satellite

n.spacecraftthatgoesroundtheplanetearthandsendsbackradioandtelevisionsignals;heavenlybodythatgoesroundaplant（人造）卫星

signal

n.信号；暗号

astronomer

n.personwhostudiesthescienceofthesun,moon,starsandplanets

天文学家

telescope

n.instrumentwithspecialglassesusedforseeingdistantthings

extremely

ad.very极端，非常

extreme

a.feasibility

ad.possibilityofbeingcarriedordone可行性

feasible

a.manned

a.occupiedbyoneormorepersons载人的

saucer

n.浅碟；茶托

flyingsaucer

n.飞碟

conference

n.meeting

pressconference

n.meetingarrangedbyanimportantpersontowhichnewsreportersareinvitedtolistentoastatementoraskquestions记者招待会

technology

n.技术

conclusion

n.decisionofopinionreachedbyreasoning结论

conclude

v.

reporter

v.personwhogathersnewsforanewspaper,magazine,orradioorTVstation记者

compose

vt.makeup,form组成，构成

concrete

n.buildingmaterialmadebymixingcementwithsand,smallstonesandwater混凝土

atmosphere

n.allthegassesroundtheearth;airinaplace大气；空气

carbon

n.碳

monoxide

n.一氧化物

deadly

a.causingdeath;likelytocausedeath致命的

gas

n.气体

survive

vi.remainalive;continuetoliveorexist活下来；幸存

vt.remainaliveafter;livelongerthan经历...后还活着；比...活得长

survival

n.program

n.planofwhatittobedone计划

concern

vt.beofimportanceorinterestto;haveaneffecton涉及，关系到

oxygen

n.氧，氧气

originally

ad.formerly起初，原来

original

a.hazard

n.danger

hover

vi.stayinornearoneplaceintheair盘旋

consolidated

a.untied;combined联合的

consolidate

vt.belt

n.areathathassomespecialquality;zone（地）带

indicate

vt.show

indication

n.pollute

vt.make（air,water,soil,etc.）dirtywithmanmadewaste污染

pollution

n.unfit

a.notgoodenough;notsuitable

particle

n.粒子；微粒

emit

vt.sendout散发，射出

emission

n.crash

v.（causeto）breakintopiecesviolently坠落；猛撞

smash

v.（causeto）breakintopiecesviolently（使）碎裂

stalagmite

n.石笋

projection

n.sth.thatstandsoutfromasurface凸出物

type

n.aparticularkind,classorgroup类型，种类

granite

n.hardgreystoneusedforbuilding花岗岩

formation

n.sth.thatisformed;wayinwhichsth.isformed形成（物）

skyscraper

n.verytallbuilding摩天大楼

scrape

vt.rubwithsth.roughorsharp刮，擦

proceed

vi.continueafterhavingstopped（停顿后）继续进行

fund

n.sumofmoneysetapartoravailableforaspecialpurpose资金；基金

billion

n.onethousandmillion

zilch

n.zero;nothingatall

PHRASES&EXPRESSIONS

（be）knownas

alsopubliclycalled;named以...闻名，通常名叫

nameafter

givethesamenameas以...名字命名

asto

about,concerning关于

baseon/upon

useasabasisorfoundationfor以...为基础，把...基于

foronething...（foranother）

inthefirstplace...（inthesecondplace）

becomposedof

haveasmembersorparts由...组成

asfaras...beconcerned

tothedegreethatitmattersto就...而言

stickup

standupright;project直立；突出

giveoff

emit;sendout发出；散发出

setback

delaytheadvanceofdevelopmentof耽搁；阻碍

PEOPERNAMES

ArtBuchwald

阿特.布奇沃德

Venus

金星

Manhattan

曼哈顿（纽约市中心）

Zog

佐格（姓氏）

Edison

爱迪生（姓氏）

Glom

格洛姆（姓氏）

UNIT2

TEXT

Aheateddiscussionaboutwhethermenarebraverthanwomenissettledinaratherunexpectedway.

TheDinnerParty

IfirstheardthistaleinIndia,whereistoldasiftrue--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."

NEWWORDS

heated

a.withstrong,excited,andoftenangryfeelings热烈的；激烈的

unexpected

a.notexpected意外的

naturalist

n.onewhomakesaspecialstudyofplantsoranimalsoutdoors博物学家（尤指直接观察动植物者）

shortly

ad.Soon;（in）alittletime不久，马上

colonial]

a.oforrelatedtoacolonyorcolonies殖民