英语必修二课文.docx

英语必修二课文.docx

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英语必修二课文

必修2

Unit1Culturalrelics

Insearchoftheamberroom

FrederickWilliamI,thekingofPrussia,couldneverhaveimaginedthatthisgreatestgifttotheRussiapeoplewouldhavesuchanamazinghistory.ThisgiftwastheAmberRoom,whichwasgiventhisnamebecauseseveraltonsofamberwereusedtomakeit.Theamberwhichwasselectedhadabeautifulyellow-browncolourlikehoney.Thedesignoftheroomwasinthefancystylepopularinthosedays.Itwasalsoatreasuredecoratedwithgoldandjewels,whichtookthecountry’sbestartistsabouttenyearstomake.

Infact,theroomwasnotmadetobeagift.ItwasdesignedforthepalaceofFrederickI.However,thenextkingofPrussia,FrederickWilliamI,towhomtheamberbelonged,decidednottokeepit.In1716hegaveittoPetertheGreat.Inreturn,theCzarsenthimatroopofhisbestsoldiers.SotheAmberRoombecamepartoftheCzar’swinterpalaceinStPetersburg.Aboutfourmeterslong,theroomservedasasmallreceptionhallforimportantvisitors.

Later,CatherineIIhadtheAmberRoommovedtoapalaceoutsideStPetersburgwhereshespenthersummers.Shetoldherartiststoaddmoredetailstoit.In1770theroomwascompletedthewayshewanted.Almostsixhundredcandleslittheroom,anditsmirrorsandpicturesshonelikegold.Sadly,althoughtheAmberRoomwasconsideredoneofthewondersoftheworld,itisnowmissing.

InSeptember1941,theNaziarmywasnearStPetersburg.Thiswasatimewhenthetwocountrieswereatwar.BeforetheNazicoldgettothesummerpalace,theRussianswereabletoremovesomefurnitureandsmallartobjectsfromtheAmberRoom.However,someoftheNazisecretlystoletheroomitself.Inlessthantwodays100,000pieceswereputinsidetwenty-sevenwoodenboxes.ThereisnodoubtthattheboxeswerethenputonatrainforKonigsberg,whichwasatthattimeaGermancityontheBalticSea.Afterthat,whathappenedtotheAmberRoomremainsamystery.

Recently,theRussiansandGermanshavebuiltanewAmberRoomatthesummerpalace.BystudyingoldphotosoftheformerAmberRoom,theyhavemadethenewonelookliketheoldone.In2003itwasreadyforthepeopleofStPetersburgwhentheycelebratedthe300thbirthdayoftheircity.

Factoranopinion?

Whatisafact?

Isitsomethingthatpeoplebelieve?

No.Afactisanythingthatcanbeproved.Forexample,itcanbeprovedthatChinahasmorepeoplethananyothercountryintheworld.Thisisafact.

Then,whatisanopinion?

Anopinioniswhatsomeonebelieveistruebuthasnotbeenproved.Soanopinionisnotgoodevidenceinatrial.Forexample,itisanopinionifyousay“Catsarebetterpetsthandogs”.Itmaybetrue,butitisdifficulttoprove.Somepeoplemaynotagreewiththisopinionbuttheyalsocannotprovethattheyareright.

Inatrail,ajudgemustdecidewhicheyewitnesstobelieveandwhichnottobelieve.Thejudgedoesnotconsidereacheyewitnesslookslikeorwherethatpersonlivesorworks.

He/Sheonlycaresaboutwhethertheeyewitnesshasgiventhetrueinformation,whichmustbefactsratherthanopinions.Thiskindofinformationiscalledevidence.

Unit2TheOlympicGames

Aninterview

Pausanias,whowasaGreekwriterabout2000yearsago,hascomeonamagicaljourneyonMarch18th,2007tofindoutaboutthepresent-dayOlympicGames.HeisnowinterviewingLiYan,avolunteerforthe2008OlympicGames.

P:

MynameisPausanias.Ilivedinwhatyoucall“AncientGreece”andIusedtowriteabouttheOlympicGamesalongtimeago.I’vecometoyourtimetofindoutaboutthepresent-dayOlympicGamesbecauseIknowthatin2004theywereheldinmyhometown.MayIaskyousomequestionsaboutthemodernOlympics?

L:

Goodheavens!

Haveyoureallycomefromsolongago?

Butofcourseyoucanaskanyquestionsyoulike.Whatwouldyouliketoknow?

P:

HowoftendoyouholdyourGames?

L:

Everyfouryears.TherearetwomainsetsofGames-theWinterandtheSummerOlympics,andbothareheldeveryfouryearsonaregularbasis.TheWinterOlympicsareusuallyheldtwoyearsbeforetheSummerGames.Onlyathleteswhohavereachedtheagreedstandardfortheireventwillbeadmittedascompetitors.Theymaycomefromanywhereintheworld.

P:

WinterGames?

Howcantherunnersenjoycompetinginwinter?

Andwhataboutthehorses?

L:

Oh,no!

Therearenorunningracesorhorseridingevents.Insteadtherearecompetitionslikeskiingandiceskatingwhichneedsnowandice.That’swhytheyarecalledtheWinterOlympics.ItisintheSummerOlympicsthatyouhavetherunningraces,togetherwithswimming,sailingandalltheteamsports.

P:

Isee.Earlieryousaidthattheathletesareinvitedfromallovertheworld.DoyoumeantheGreekworld?

OurGreekcitiesusedtocompeteagainsteachotherjustforthehonourofwinning.Noothercountriescouldjoinin,norcouldsalvesorwomen!

L:

Nowadaysanycountriescantakepartiftheirathletesaregoodenough.Thereareover250sportsandeachonehasitsownstandard.Womenarenotonlyallowed,butplayaveryimportantroleingymnastics,athletics,teamsportsand…

P:

Pleasewaitaminute!

Allthoseevents,allthosecountriesandevenwomentakingpart!

Wherearealltheathleteshoused?

L:

ForeachOlympics,aspecialvillageisbuiltforthemtolivein,amainreceptionbuilding,severalstadiumsforcompetitions,andagymnasiumaswell.

P:

Thatsoundsveryexpensive.DoesanyonewanttohosttheOlympicGames?

L:

Asamatteroffact,everycountrywantstheopportunity.It’sagreatresponsibilitybutalsoagreathonourtobechosen.There’sasmuchcompetitionamongcountriestohosttheOlympicsastowinOlympicmedals.The2008OlympicswillbeheldinBeijing,China.Didyouknowthat?

P:

Ohyes!

Youmustbeveryproud.

L:

Certainly.Andafterthatthe2012OlympicswillbeheldinLondon.Theyhavealreadystartedplanningforit.AnewvillagefortheathletesandallthestadiumswillbebuilttotheeastofLondon.Newmedalswillbedesignedofcourseand…

P:

Didyousaymedals?

Soeventheolivewreathhasbeenreplaced!

Ohdear!

Doyoucompeteforprizemoneytoo?

L:

No,wedon’t.It’sstillallaboutbeingabletorunfaster,jumphigherandthrowfurther.That’sthemottooftheOlympics,youknow-“Swifter,HigherandStronger.”

P:

Well,that’sgoodnews.Howinteresting!

Thankyousomuchforyourtime.

ThestoryofAtlanta

AtlantawasaGreekprincess.ShewasverybeautifulandcouldrunfasterthananymaninGreece.ButshewasnotallowedtorunandwingloryforherselfintheOlympicGames.Shewassoangrythatshesaidtoherfatherthatshewouldnotmarryanyonewhocouldnotrunfasterthanher.Herfathersaidthatshemustmarry,soAtlantamadabargainwithhim.Shesaidtohim,“Thesearemyrules.Whenamansayshewantstomarryme,Iwillrunagainsthim.Ifhecannotrunasfastasme,hewillbekilled.Noonewillbepardoned.”

ManykingsandprinceswantedtomarryAtlanta,butwhentheyheardofherrulestheyknewitwashopeless.Somanyofthemsadlywenthome,butothersstayedtoruntherace.TherewasamancalledHippomeneswhoamazedwhenheheardofAtlanta’srules,“Whyarethesemensofoolish?

”hethought.“Whywilltheyletthemselvesbekilledbecausethey

cannotrunasfastasthisprincess?

”However,whenhesawAtlantacomeoutofherhousetorun,Hippomeneschangedhismind.“IwillmarryAtlanta—ordie!

”hesaid.

Theracestartedandalthoughthemenranveryfast,Atlantaranfaster.AsHippomeneswatchedhethought,“HowcanIrunasfastasAtlanta?

”HewenttoasktheGreekGoddessofLoveforhelp.Shepromisedtohelphimandgavehimthreegoldenapples.Shesaid,“ThrowanappleinfrontofAtlantawhensheisrunningpast.Whenshestopstopickitup,youwillbeabletorunpastherandwin.”HippomenestooktheapplesandwenttotheKing.Hesaid,“IwanttomarryAtlanta.”TheKingwassadtoseeanothermandie,butHippomenessaid,“Iwillmarryher—ordie!

”Sotheracebegan.

Unit3Computers

WhoamI

OvertimeIhavebeenchangedquitealot.IbeganasacalculatingmachineinFrancein1642.AlthoughIwasyoungIcouldsimplifydifficultsums.IdevelopedveryslowlyandittooknearlytwohundredyearsbeforeIwasbuiltasananalyticalmachinebyCharlesBabbage.AfterIwasprogrammedbyanoperatorwhousedcardswithholes,Icould“think”logicallyandproduceananswerquickerthananyperson.Atthattimeitwasconsideredatechnologicalrevolutionandthestartofmy“artificialintelligence”.In1936myrealfather,AlanTuring,wroteabookabouthowIcouldbemadetoworkasa“universalmachine”tosolveanydifficultmathematicalproblem.Fromthenon,Igrewrapidlybothinsizeandinbrainpower.Bythe1940sIhadgrownaslargeasaroom,andIwonderedifIwouldgrowanylarger.However,thisrealityalsoworriedmydesigners.Astimewentby,Iwasmadesmaller.FirstasaPC（personalcomputer）andthenasalaptop,Ihavebeenusedinofficesandhomessincethe1970s.

Thesechangesonlybecamepossibleasmymemoryimproved.Firstitwasstoredintubes,thenontransistorsandlateronverysmallchips.AsaresultItotallychangedmyshape.AsIhavegrownolderIhavealsogrownsmaller.Overtimemymemoryhasdevelopedsomuchthat,likeanelephant,IneverforgetanythingIhavebeentold!

AndmymemorybecamesolargethatevenIcouldn’tbelieveit!

ButIwasalwayssolonelystandingtherebymyself,untilintheearly1960stheygavemeafamilyconnectedbyanetwork.IwasabletosharemyknowledgewithothersthroughtheWorldWideWeb.

Sincethe1970smanynewapplicationshavebeenfoundforme.Ihavebecome