新概念第四册课文打印版Word文档下载推荐.docx

新概念第四册课文打印版Word文档下载推荐.docx

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modernmen'

camefrom.

Fortunately,however,ancientmenmadetoolsofstone,especiallyflint,becausethisiseasiertoshapethanotherkinds.Theymayalsohaveusedwoodandskins,butthesehaverottedaway.Stonedoesnotdecay,andsothetoolsoflongagohaveremainedwheneventhebonesofthemenwhomadethemhavedisappearedwithouttrace.

Lesson2Sparethatspider

Why,youmaywonder,shouldspidersbeourfriends?

Becausetheydestroysomanyinsects,andinsectsincludesomeofthegreatestenemiesofthehumanrace.Insectswouldmakeitimpossibleforustoliveintheworld;

theywoulddevourallourcropsandkillourflocksandherds,ifitwerenotfortheprotectionwegetfrominsect-eatinganimals.Weowealottothebirdsandbeastswhoeatinsectsbutallofthemputtogetherkillonlyafractionofthenumberdestroyedbyspiders.Moreover,unlikesomeoftheotherinsecteaters,spidersneverdotheharmtousorourbelongings.

Spidersarenotinsects,asmanypeoplethink,norevennearlyrelatedtothem.Onecantellthedifferencealmostataglance,foraspideralwayshaseightlegsandinsectnevermorethansix.

Howmanyspidersareengagedinthisworknoourbehalf?

OneauthorityonspidersmadeacensusofthespidersingrassfieldinthesouthofEngland,andheestimatedthatthereweremorethan2,250,000inoneacre;

thatissomethinglike6,000,000spidersofdifferentkindsonafootballpitch.Spidersarebusyforatleasthalftheyearinkillinginsects.Itisimpossibletomakemorethanthewildestguessathowmanytheykill,buttheyarehungrycreatures,notcontentwithonlythreemealsaday.IthasbeenestimatedthattheweightofalltheinsectsdestroyedbyspidersinBritaininoneyearwouldbegreaterthanthetotalweightofallthehumanbeingsinthecountry.

Lesson3Matterhornman

Modernalpiniststrytoclimbmountainsbyaroutewhichwillgivethemgoodsport,andthemoredifficultitis,themorehighlyitisregarded.Inthepioneeringdays,however,thiswasnotthecaseatall.Theearlyclimberswerelookingfortheeasiestwaytothetop,becausethesummitwastheprizetheysought,especiallyifitandneverbeenattainedbefore.Itistruethatduringtheirexplorationstheyoftenfaceddifficultiesanddangersofthemostperilousnature,equippedinamannerwithwouldmakeamodernclimbershudderatthethought,buttheydidnotgooutoftheirwaytocourtsuchexcitement.Theyhadasingleaim,asolitarygoal--thetop!

Itishardforustorealizenowadayshowdifficultitwasforthepioneers.ExceptforoneortwoplacessuchasZermattandChamonix,whichhadrapidlybecomepopular,Alpinevillagetendedtobeimpoverishedsettlementscutofffromcivilizationbythehighmountains.Suchinnsasthereweregenerallydirtyandflea-ridden;

thefoodsimplylocalcheeseaccompaniedbybreadoftentwelvemonthsold,allwasheddownwithcoarsewine.Oftenavalleyboastednoinnatall,andclimbersfoundshelterwherevertheycould--sometimeswiththelocalpriest（whowasusuallyaspoorashisparishioners）,sometimeswithshepherdsorcheese-makers.Invariablythebackgroundwasthesame:

dirtandpoverty,andveryuncomfortable.Formenaccustomedtoeatingseven-coursedinnersandsleepingbetweenfinelinensheetsathome,thechangetotheAlpsmusthaveveryhardindeed.

Lesson4Seeinghands

SeveralcaseshavebeenreportedinRussiarecentlyofpeoplewhocandetectcolourswiththeirfingers,andevenseethroughsolidandwalls.Onecaseconcernsandeleven-year-oldschoolgirl,VeraPetrova,whohasnormalvisionbutwhocanalsoperceivethingswithdifferentpartsofherskin,andthroughsolidwalls.Thisabilitywasfirstnoticedbyherfather.Onedayshecameintohisofficeandhappenedtoputherhandsonthedoorofalockedsafe.Suddenlysheaskedherfatherwhyhekeptsomanyoldnewspaperslockedawaythere,andevendescribedthewaytheyweredoneupinbundles.

Vera'

scurioustalentwasbroughttothenoticeofascientificresearchinstituteinthetownofUlyanovsk,nearwhereshelives,andinAprilshewasgivenaseriesoftestsbyaspecialcommissionoftheMinistryofHealthoftheRussianFederalRepublic.Duringthesetestsshewasabletoreadanewspaperthroughanopaquescreenand,strangerstill,bymovingherelbowoverachild'

sgameofLottoshewasabletodescribethefiguresandcoloursprintedonit;

and,inanotherinstance,wearingstockingsandslippers,tomakeoutwithherfoottheoutlinesandcoloursofapicturehiddenunderacarpet.Otherexperimentsshowedthatherkneesandshouldershadasimilarsensitivity.DuringallthesetestsVerawasblindfold;

and,indeed,exceptwhenblindfoldshelackedtheabilitytoperceivethingswithherskin.Itwasalsofoundthatalthoughshecouldperceivethingswithherfingersthisabilityceasedthemomentherhandswerewet.

Lesson5Youth

Peoplearealwaystalkingabout'

theproblemofyouth'

.Ifthereisone--whichItakeleavetodoubt--thenitisolderpeoplewhocreateit,nottheyoungthemselves.Letusgetdowntofundamentalsandagreethattheyoungareafterallhumanbeings--peoplejustliketheirelders.Thereisonlyonedifferencebetweenanoldmanandayoungone:

theyoungmanhasagloriousfuturebeforehimandtheoldonehasasplendidfuturebehindhim:

andmaybethatiswheretherubis.

WhenIwasateenager,IfeltthatIwasjustyounganduncertain--thatIwasanewboyinahugeschool,andIwouldhavebeenverypleasedtoberegardedassomethingsointerestingasaproblem.Foronething,beingaproblemgivesyouacertainidentity,andthatisoneofthethingstheyoungarebusilyengagedinseeking.

Ifindyoungpeopleexciting.Theyhaveanairoffreedom,andtheynotadrearycommitmenttomeanambitionsorloveofcomfort.Theyarenotanxioussocialclimbers,andtheyhavenodevotiontomaterialthings.Allthisseemstometolinkthemwithlife,andtheoriginsofthings.It'

sasiftheywere,insomesense,cosmicbeingsinviolentandlovelycontrastwithussuburbancreatures.AllthatisinmymindwhenImeetayoungperson.Hemaybeconceited,ill-mannered,presumptuousorfatuous,butIdonotturnforprotectiontodrearyclichesaboutrespectofelders--asifmereagewereareasonforrespect.Iacceptthatweareequals,andIwillarguewithhim,asanequal,ifIthinkheiswrong.

Lesson6Thesportingspirit

IamalwaysamazedwhenIhearpeoplesayingthatsportcreatesgoodwillbetweenthenations,andthatifonlythecommonpeoplesofthewouldcouldmeetoneanotheratfootballorcricket,theywouldhavenoinclinationtomeetonthehattlefield.Evenifonedidn'

tknowfromconcreteexamples（the1936OlympicGames,forinstance）thatinternationalsportingcontestsleadtoorgiesofhatred,onecoulddeduceiffromgeneralprinciples.

Nearlyallthesportspractisednowadaysarecompetitive.Youplaytowin,andthegamehaslittlemeaningunlessyoudoyourutmosttowin.Onthevillagegreen,whereyoupickupsidesandnofeelingoflocalpatriotismisinvolved,itispossibletoplaysimplyforthefunandexercise:

butassoonasathequestionofprestigearises,assoonasyoufeelthatyouandsomelargerunitwillbedisgracedifyoulose,themostsavagecombativeinstinctsarearoused.Anyonewhohasplayedeveninaschoolfootballmatchknowsthis.Attheinternationallevel,sportisfranklymimicwarfare.Butthesignificantthingisnotthebehaviouroftheplayersbuttheattitudeofthespectators:

and,behindthespectators,ofthenationswhoworkthemselvesintofuriesovertheseabsurdcontests,andseriouslybelieve--atanyrateforshortperiods--thatrunning,jumpingandkickingaballaretestsofnationalvirtue.

Lesson7Bats

Notallsoundsmadebyanimalsserveaslanguage,andwehaveonlytoturntothatextraordinarydiscoveryofecho-locationinbatstoseeacaseinwhichthevoiceplaysastrictlyutilitarianrole.

Togetafullappreciationofwhatthismeanswemustturnfirsttosomerecenthumaninventions.Everyoneknowsthatifheshoutsinthevicinityofawalloramountainside,anechowillcomeback.Thefurtheroffthissolidobstruction,thelongertimewillelapseforthereturnoftheecho.Asoundmadebytappingonthehullofashipwillbereflectedfromtheseabottom,andbymeasuringthetimeintervalbetweenthetapsandthereceiptoftheechoes,thedepthoftheseaatthatpointcanbecalculated.Sowasborntheecho-soundingapparatus,nowingeneraluseinships.Everysolidobjectwillreflectasound,varyingaccordingtothesizeandnatureoftheobject.Ashoaloffishwilldothis.Soitisacomparativelysimplestepfromlocatingtheseabottomtolocatingashoaloffish.Withexperience,andwithimprovedap