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Unit 1
Text
Two college-age boys, unaware that making money usually involves hard work, are tempted by an advertisement that promises them an easy way to earn a lot of money. The boys soon learn that if something seems to good to be true, it probably is.
BIG BUCKS THE EASY WAY
John G. Hubbell
"You ought to look into this," I suggested to our two college-age sons. "It might be a way to avoid the indignity of having to ask for money all the time." I handed them some magazines in a plastic bag someone bad hung on our doorknob. A message printed on the bag offered leisurely, lucrative work ("Big Bucks the Easy Way!") of delivering more such bags.
"I don't mind the indignity," the older one answered.
"I can live with it," his brother agreed.
"But it pains me," I said，"to find that you both have been panhandling so long that it no longer embarrasses you."
The boys said they would look into the magazine-delivery thing. Pleased, I left town on a business trip. By midnight I was comfortably settled in a hotel room far from home. The phone rang. It was my wife. She wanted to know how my day had gone.
"Great!" I enthused. "How was your day?" I inquired.
"Super!" She snapped. "Just super! And it's only getting started. Another truck just pulled up out front."
"Another truck?"
"The third one this evening. The first delivered four thousand Montgomery Wards. The second brought four thousand Sears, Roebucks. I don't know what this one has, but I'm sure it will be four thousand of something. Since you are responsible, I thought you might like to know what's happening.
What I was being blamed for, it turned out, was a newspaper strike which made it necessary to hand-deliver the advertising inserts that normally are included with the Sunday paper. The company had promised our boys $600 for delivering these inserts to 4,000 houses by Sunday morning.
"Piece of cake!" our older college son had shouted.
" Six hundred bucks!" His brother had echoed, "And we can do the job in two hours!"
"Both the Sears and Ward ads are four newspaper-size pages," my wife informed me. "There are thirty-two thousand pages of advertising on our porch. Even as we speak, two big guys are carrying armloads of paper up the walk. What do we do about all this?"
"Just tell the boys to get busy," I instructed. "They're college men. They'll do what they have to do."
At noon the following day I returned to the hotel and found an urgent message to telephone my wife. Her voice was unnaturally high and quavering. There had been several more truckloads of ad inserts. "They're for department stores, dime stores, drugstores, grocery stores, auto stores and so on. Some are whole magazine sections. We have hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of pages of advertising here! They are crammed wall-to-wall all through the house in stacks taller than your oldest son. There's only enough room for people to walk in, take one each of the eleven inserts, roll them together, slip a rubber band around them and slide them into a plastic bag. We have enough plastic bags to supply every takeout restaurant in America!" Her voice kept rising, as if working its way out of the range of the human ear. "All this must be delivered by seven o'clock Sunday morning."
"Well, you had better get those guys banding and sliding as fast as they can, and I'll talk to you later. Got a lunch date.
When I returned, there was another urgent call from my wife.
"Did you have a nice lunch?" she asked sweetly. I had had a marvelous steak, but knew better by now than to say so.
"Awful," I reported. "Some sort of sour fish. Eel, I think."
"Good. Your college sons have hired their younger brothers and sisters and a couple of neighborhood children to help for five dollars each. Assembly lines have been set up. In the language of diplomacy, there is 'movement.'"
"That's encouraging."
"No, it's not," she corrected. "It's very discouraging. They're been as it for hours. Plastic bags have been filled and piled to the ceiling, but all this hasn't made a dent, not a dent, in the situation! It's almost as if the inserts keep reproducing themselves!"
"Another thing," she continued. "Your college sons must learn that one does not get the best out of employees by threatening them with bodily harm.
Obtaining an audience with son NO. 1, I snarled, "I'll kill you if threaten one of those kids again! Idiot! You should be offering a bonus of a dollar every hour to the worker who fills the most bags.
"But that would cut into our profit," he suggested.
"There won't be any profit unless those kids enable you to make all the deliveries on time. If they don't, you two will have to remove all that paper by yourselves. And there will be no eating or sleeping until it is removed."
There was a short, thoughtful silence. Then he said, "Dad, you have just worked a profound change in my personality."
"Do it!"
"Yes, sir!"
By the following evening, there was much for my wife to report. The bonus program had worked until someone demanded to see the color of cash. Then some activist on the work force claimed that the workers had no business settling for $5 and a few competitive bonuses while the bossed collected hundreds of dollars each. The organizer had declared that all the workers were entitled to $5 per hour! They would not work another minute until the bosses agreed.
The strike lasted less than two hours. In mediation, the parties agreed on $2 per hour. Gradually, the huge stacks began to shrink.
As it turned out, the job was completed three hours before Sunday's 7 a.m. deadline. By the time I arrived home, the boys had already settled their accounts: $150 in labor costs, $40 for gasoline, and a like amount
for gifts―boxes of candy for saintly neighbors who had volunteered station wagons and help in delivery and dozen roses for their mother. This left them with $185 each ― about two-thirds the minimum wage for the 91 hours they worked. Still, it was "enough", as one of them put it, to enable them to "avoid indignity" for quite a while.
All went well for some weeks. Then one Saturday morning my attention was drawn to the odd goings-on of our two youngest sons. They kept carrying carton after carton from various corners of the house out the front door to curbside. I assumed their mother had enlisted them to remove junk for a trash pickup. Then I overheard them discussing finances.
"Geez, we're going to make a lot of money!"
"We're going to be rich!"
Investigation revealed that they were offering " for sale or rent" our entire library.
"No! No!" I cried. "You can't sell our books!"
"Geez, Dad, we thought you were done with them!"
"You're never 'done' with books," I tried to explain.
"Sure you are. You read them, and you're done with them. That's it. Then you might as well make a little money from them. We wanted to avoid the indignity of having to ask you for……"
New Words
buck
n. (sl.) U.S. dollar
plastic
a. 塑料的
n. (pl) 塑料
doorknob
n. 门把手
leisurely
a. unhurried 从容的，慢慢的
leisure
n. free time 空闲时间，闲暇
lucrative
a. profitable 有利的；赚钱的
pain
vt. cause pain to
panhandle
vi. (AmE) beg. esp. on the streets
delivery
n. delivering (of letters, goods, etc.)投递；送交
enthuse
vi. show enthusiasm
inquire
vt. ask
super
a. (colloq.) wonderful, splendid; excellent
snap
vt. say(sth.) sharply 厉声说
insert
n. 插页
normally
ad. in the usual conditions; ordinarily 通常
company
n. 公司
echo
vt. say or do what another person says or does; repeat 附和；重复
ad
n. (short for) advertisement
inform
vt. tell; give information 告知
porch
n. (AmE) veranda 门廊
armload
n. as much as one arm or both arms can hold; armful
walk
n. a path specially arranged or paved for walking 人行道
unnaturally
ad. in an unnatural way 不自然地
quaver
vi. (of the voice or sound) shake; tremble 颤抖
truckload
n. as much or as many as a truck can carry
department store
n. store selling many different kinds of goods in separate departments 百货公司
dime
n. coin of U.S. and Canada worth ten cents
dime store
n. (AmE) a store selling a large variety of low-priced articles; variety store 廉价商品店；小商口店
drugstore
n. (AmE) a store that sells not only medicine, but also beauty products, film, magazines, and food 药店，杂货店
grocery
n. a store that sells food and household supplies 食品杂货店
section
n. part of subdivision of a piece of writing, book, newspaper, etc.; portion （文章等的）段落；节；部分
cram
vt. fill too full; force or press into a small space 把……塞满；把……塞进
stack
n. an orderly; heap or group of things 一叠（堆、垛等）
band
n. flat, thin piece of material 带；带状物
vt. tie up with a band 捆扎
rubber band
n. 橡皮筋
takeout
a. （餐馆）出售外卖菜的
range
n. the distance at which one can see or hear （听觉、视觉等）的范围
marvel(l)ous
a. wonderful; astonishing
steak
n. 牛排；大块肉（或鱼）片
sour
a. 酸的
eel
n. 鳗鲡
diplomacy
n. 外交
encouraging
a. 鼓舞人心的
dent
n. a hollow in a hard surface made by a blow or pressure; initial progress凹痕，凹坑，初步进展
reproduce
vt. produce the young of (oneself or one's own kind) 生殖，繁殖
bodily
a. of the human body; physical
harm
n. damage or wrong 伤害
audience
n. the people gathered in a place to hear or see; a chance to be heard 观众；听众；陈述意见的机会
snarl
vt. speak in a harsh voice 咆哮着说
bonus
n. an extra payment to workers 奖金
thoughtful
a. give to or indicating thought 沉思的，思考的
cash
n. money in coins or notes 现金
activist
n. a person taking an active part esp. in a political movement 激进分子
work force
n. total number of workers employed in a particular factory, industry or area 工人总数；劳动人口
competitive
a. 竞争的
organizer
n. person who organizes things 组织者
mediation
n. 调解
party
n. one of the people or sides in an agreement or argument 一方；当事人
gradually
ad. slowly and by degrees.
gradual
a.
shrink (shrank, shrunk)
vi. become less or smaller 减少；变小
deadline
n. fixed limit of finishing a piece of work 最后期限
station wagon
n. 小型客车，客货两用车
minimum (pl. minima or minimums)
n. the smallest possible amount, number, etc. 最低限度的量、数等
minimum wage
n. the lowest wage permitted by law or by agreement for certain work 法定最工资
odd
a. strange; unusual
goings-on
n. activities, usu. of an undesirable kind
carton
n. a cardboard box for holding goods 纸板箱（或盒）
curbside
n. the area of sidewalk at or near curb （curb: 人行道的镶边石）
enlist
vt. obtain the support and help of; cause to join the armed forces 取得……的支持和帮助；征募
trash
n. waste material to be thrown away; rubbish 垃圾
pickup
n. a small light truck with an open back used for light deliveries 小卡车；轻型货车
overhear
vt. hear by chance; hear without the knowledge of the speaker(s)无意中听到；偷听到
finance
n. money matters; (used in pl.) money; (science of ) the management of funds 财政；钱财；金融
geez
int.哎呀，呀
sale
n. the act of selling sth.
Phrases & Expressions
pull up
bring or come to a stop （使）停下
a piece of cake
(informal) sth. very easy to do
even as
just at the same moment as
know better than
be wise or experienced enough not (to do sth.) 明事理而不至于
be at
be occupied with, be doing
make a dent (in)
make less by a very small amount; reduce slightly; make a first step towards success(in)减少一点；取得初步进展
cut into
reduce; decrease 减少
have no business
have no right or reason 无权，没有理由
settle for
accept, although not altogether satisfactory （无可奈何地）满足于
settle one's account
pay what one owes 结帐
quite a while
a fairly long time
draw(sb.'s) attention to
make sb. notice, or be aware of
for sale
intended to be sold
for rent
available to be rented
be done with
stop doing or using; finish 做完，不再使用
may/might/could as well
with equal or better effect 不妨，还不如，最好
Proper Names
Montgomery Ward
蒙哥马利―沃德百货公司
Sears, Roebuck
西尔斯―罗百克百货公司
Unit 2
Text
Is there anything we can learn from deer? During the "energy crisis" of 1973-1974 the writer of this essay was living in northern Minnesota and was able to observe how deer survive when winter arrives. The lessons he learns about he way deer conserve energy turn out applicable to our everyday life.
DEER AND THE ENERGY CYCLE
Some persons say that love makes the world go round. Others of a less romantic and more practical turn of mind say that it isn't love; it's money. But the truth is that it is energy that makes the world go round. Energy is the currency of the ecological system and life becomes possible only when food is converted into energy, which in turn is used to seek more food to grow, to reproduce and to survive. On this cycle all life depends.
It is fairly well known that wild animals survive from year to year by eating as much as they can during times of plenty, the summer and fall, storing the excess, usually in the form of fat, and then using these reserves of fat to survive during the hard times in winter when food is scarce. But it is probably less well known that even with their stored fat, wild animals spend less energy to live in winter than in summer.
A good case in point is the whiter-tailed deer. Like most wildlife, deer reproduce, grow, and store fat in the summer and fall when there is plenty of nutritious food available. A physically mature female deer in good condition who has conceived in November and given birth to two fawns during the end of May or first part of June, must search for food for the necessary energy not only to meet her body's needs but also to produce milk for her fawns. The best milk production occurs at the same time that new plant growth is available. This is good timing, because milk production is an energy consuming process ― it requires a lot of food. The cost can not be met unless the region has ample food resources.
As the summer progresses and the fawns grow, they become less dependent on their mother's milk and more dependent on growing plants as food sources. The adult males spend the summer growing antlers and getting fat. Both males and females continue to eat high quality food in the fall in order to deposit body fat for the winter. In the case of does and fawns, a great deal of energy is expended either in milk production or in growing, and fat is not accumulated as quickly as it is in full grown males. Fat reserves are like bank accounts to be drawn on in the winter when food supplies are limited and sometimes difficult to reach because of deep snow.
As fall turns into winter, other changes take place. Fawns lose their spotted coat. Hair on all the deer becomes darker and thicker. The change in the hair coats is usually complete by September and maximum hair depths are reached by November or December when the weather becomes cold.
But in addition, nature provides a further safeguard to help deer survive the winter―an internal physiological response which lowers their metabolism, or rate of bodily functioning, and hence slows down their expenditure of energy. The deer become somewhat slow and drowsy. The heart rate drops. Animals that hibernate practice energy conservation to a greater extreme than deer do. Although deer don't hibernate, they do the same thing with their seasonal rhythms in metabolism. Deer spend more energy and store fat in the summer and fall when food is abundant, and spend less energy and use stored fat in the winter when food is less available.
When the "energy crisis" first came in 1973-1974, I was living with my family in a cabin on the edge of an area where deer spend the winter in northern Minnesota, observing the deer as their behavior changed from more activity in summer and fall to less as winter progressed, followed by an increase again in the spring as the snow melted. It was interesting and rather amusing to listen to the advice given on the radio: " Drive only when necessary," we were told. "Put on more clothes to stay warm, and turn the thermostat on your furnace down." Meanwhile we watched the deer reduce their activity, grow a winter coat of hair, and reduce their metabolism as they have for thousands of years. It is biologically reasonable for deer to reduce their cost of living to increase their chance of surviving in winter.
Not every winter is critical for deer of course. If the winter has light snow, survival and productivity next spring will be high. But if deep snows come and the weather remains cold for several weeks, then the deer must spend more energy to move about, food will be harder to find, and they must then depend more on their fat reserves to pull them through. If such conditions go on for too long some will die, and only the largest and strongest are likely to survive. That is a fundamental rule of life for wild, free wandering animal such as deer.
Yes, life―and death, too -- is a cycle that goes round and round, and when animals die their bodies become food for other life forms to use by converting them into energy.
And the cycle continues.
New Words
Deer
n. (sing. or pl.)鹿
romantic
a. belonging to or suggesting romance; fanciful not practical 浪漫的；幻想的
turn
n. a natural tendency; inclination(天生）倾向
currency
n. money that is actually in use in a country 通货，货币
ecological
a. of or concerning interrelationship of organisms and their environment 生态的
ecology
n. 生态学
convert
vt. change (from one form, use, etc. into another); cause (a person) to change his beliefs, etc. 使转变；使改变信仰（等）
excess
n. the part that is more than enough; the condition of exceeding what is usual or necessary 过量；过度
reserve
n. sth. that is being or has been stored for later use 储备（物）
scarce a. not available in sufficient quantity 缺乏的
wildlife
n. animals and plants which live and grow wild
nutritious
a. full grown and developed 成熟的；成年的
female
a. of the sex that gives birth to young 女（性）的；雌的
n. a female person, animal or plant
conceive
vt. become pregnant with (young); form (an idea, plan, etc.) in the mind 怀（胎）；构思
fawn
n. a young deer less than a year old
timing
n. selection for maximum effect of the precise moment for beginning or doing sth. 时机的选择
consume
vt. eat or drink; use; use up 消耗；消费
region
n. a place, space or area; a part of the body 地区；（身体的）部位
ample
a. plentiful 充裕的
resource
n. (pl.) possessions (esp. of a country). in the form of wealth and goods, that help one to do what one wants 资源
dependent
a. relying (on another) for support
male
a. of the sex that does not give birth to young 男（性）的；雄的
n. a male person, animal or plant
antler
n. the solid, bony horn of a male deer 鹿角，茸角
deposit
vt. put or store for safe keeping; (esp. of a liquid, a river) leave lying (a layer of matter)存放；使沉积
doe
n. a fully-grown female deer
expend
vt. spend or use up 花费；耗尽
accumulate
v. make or become greater in number or quantity; collect or gather 积累；积聚
account
n. a sum of money kept in a bank which may be added to or taken from 帐户；存款
spotted
a. marked with spots
depth
n. the state or degree of being deep 深；深度，厚度
safeguard
n. a means of protection against sth. unwanted 预防措施
internal
a. of or in the inside, esp. of the body 内部的；体内的
physiological
a. 生理的；生理学的
metabolism
n. 新陈代谢
hence
ad. therefore 因此，所以
expenditure
n. expending or using up; the amount of money, time, etc. expended 花费；用光；支出额，费用
somewhat
ad. by some degree or amount; a little 有点，稍微
drowsy
a. sleepy or half sleepy; making one sleepy 困倦的；催眠的
hibernate
vi. (of some animals) pass the whole of the winter in a state like sleep 冬眠
extreme
n. either end of anything; highest degree 极端
seasonal
a. depending on the season; changing with the seasons 季节性的
rhythm
n. 节奏
abundant
a. more than enough 充足的；丰富的
cabin
n. a small roughly built, usu. wooden house 小木屋；茅舍
melt
v. cause (a solid) to become liquid; (of a solid ) become liquid （使）融化；（使）熔化
amusing
a. funny 逗人笑的；引起乐趣的
amuse
vt. cause to laugh or smile
thermostat
n. an automatic device for regulating temperature 恒温器
biologically
ad. 生物学上
biological a.
survival
n. the fact or likelihood of surviving 幸存
productivity
n. the ability or capacity to produce, productiveness 生产力；生产率；多产
fundamental
a. basic; most important
Phrases & Expressions
go round
function smoothly
in the form of
以…形式
in point
appropriate; pertinent 适用的；相关的
in (good) condition
in good health, physically fit
give birth (to)
bear; (fig.) produce 生（孩）子，产（仔）；产生，引起
draw on
take or use as a source 利用；动用
slow down
(cause to ) go more slowly than usual; (cause to ) live, work, etc. in a less active and intense way （使）慢下来；（使）放松
turn down
reduce the force, speed, loudness, etc. of (sth.) by using controls 减弱；关小，调低
move about
travel around; go from one place to another
pull through
help (sb.) to survive a period of danger or crisis 使渡过危险或危机
Proper Name
Minnesota
明尼苏达（美国州名）
Unit 3
Text
Can you prove that the earth is round? Go ahead and try! Will you rely on your senses or will you have to draw on the opinions of experts?
WHY DO WE BELIEVE
THAT THE EARTH IS ROUND?
George Orwell
Somewhere or other ― I think it is in the preface to saint Joan ― Bernard Shaw remarks that we are more gullible and superstitious today than we were in the Middle Ages, and as an example of modern credulity he cites the widespread belief that the earth is round. The average man, says Shaw, can advance not a single reason for thinking that the earth is round. He merely swallows this theory because there is something about it that appeals to the twentieth-century mentality.
Now, Shaw is exaggerating, but there is something in what he says, and the question is worth following up, for the sake of the light it throws on modern knowledge. Just why do we believe that the earth is round? I am not speaking of the few thousand astronomers, geographers and so forth who could give ocular proof, or have a theoretical knowledge of the proof, but of the ordinary newspaper-reading citizen, such as you or me.
As for the Flat Earth theory, I believe I could refute it. If you stand by the seashore on a clear day, you can see the masts and funnels of invisible ships passing along the horizon. This phenomenon can only be explained by assuming that the earth's surface is curved. But it does not follow that the earth is spherical. Imagine another theory called the Oval Earth theory, which claims that the earth is shaped like an egg. What can I say against it?
Against the Oval Earth man, the first card I can play is the analogy of the sun and moon. The Oval Earth man promptly answers that I don't know, by my own observation, that those bodies are spherical. I only know that they are round, and they may perfectly well be flat discs. I have no answer to that one. Besides, he goes on, what reason have I for thinking that the earth must be the same shape as the sun and moon? I can't answer that one either.
My second card is the earth's shadow: When cast on the moon during eclipses, it appears to be the shadow of a round object. But how do I know, demands the Oval Earth man, that eclipses of the moon are caused by the shadow of the earth? The answer is that I don't know, but have taken this piece of information blindly from newspaper articles and science booklets.
Defeated in the minor exchanges, I now play my queen of trumps: the opinion of the experts. The Astronomer Royal, who ought to know, tells me that the earth is round. The Oval Earth man covers the queen with his king. Have I tested the Astronomer Royal's statement, and would I even know a way of testing it? Here I bring out my ace. Yes, I do know one test. The astronomers can foretell eclipses, and this suggests that their opinions about the solar system are pretty sound. I am, to my delight, justified in accepting their say-so about the shape of the earth.
If the Oval Earth man answers ― what I believe is true ― that the ancient Egyptians, who thought the sun goes round the earth, could also predict eclipses, then bang goes my ace. I have only one card left: navigation. People can sail ship round the world, and reach the places they aim at, by calculations which assume that the earth is spherical. I believe that finishes the Oval Earth man, though even then he may possibly have some kind of counter.
It will be seen that my reasons for thinking that the earth is round are rather precarious ones. Yet this is an exceptionally elementary piece of information. On most other questions I should have to fall back on the expert much earlier, and would be less able to test his pronouncements. And much the greater part of our knowledge is at this level. It does not rest on reasoning or on experiment, but on authority. And how can it be otherwise, when the range of knowledge is so vast that the expert himself is an ignoramus as soon as he strays away from his own specialty? Most people, if asked to prove that the earth is round, would not even bother to produce the rather weak arguments I have outlined above. They would start off by saying that "everyone knows" the earth to be round, and if pressed further, would become angry. In a way Shaw is right. This is a credulous age, and the burden of knowledge which we now have to carry is partly responsible.
New Words
preface
n. an introduction to a book or speech 前言,序
gullible
a. easily deceived or cheated esp. into a false belief; credulous 易受骗的;轻信的
superstitious
a. full of superstition; believing in superstitions 迷信的
credulity
n. a tendency to believe to readily 轻信
cite
vt. mention as an example; quote (a passage, book, etc.) 举出;引出
widespread
a. found or distributed over a large area 分布广的;普遍的
advance
vt. put or bring forward; offer 提出
appeal
vi. please, attract or interest 投合所好;有感染力;有吸引力
mentality
n. way of thinking, outlook; mental power or capacity 心理,思想;脑力
exaggerate
vt. think, speak or write of as greater than is really so; overstate 夸张;夸大
sake
n. end, purpose 缘故
geographer
n. a specialist in geography
ocular
a. of, for, by the eyes; based on what has been seen 眼睛的;凭视觉的
theoretical
a. of or based on theory
citizen
n. 公民;市民
refute
vt. prove (a statement) to be untrue; prove (a person) to be mistaken 驳斥
mast
n. a long upright pole of wood or metal for carrying flags or sails on a ship 桅杆
funnel
n. a metal chimney for letting out smoke from a steam engine or steamship (蒸汽机,轮船等的)烟囱
invisible
a. that can not be seen
horizon
n. the line where the sky seems to meet the earth or sea 地平线
phenomenon (pl. phenomena)
n. 现象
curve
vt. bend so as to form a line that has no straight part 使成曲线
n. a continuously bending line without angles 曲线
follow
vi. result or occur as a consequence, effect, or inference 结果产生;得出
spherical
a. shaped like a ball 球形的
oval
n.& a. (anything which is) egg-shaped 卵形的(东西), 椭圆的(东西)
card
n. 纸牌
analogy
n. comparison of things that have a certain likeness; similarity 类比; 相似
promptly
ad. quickly and willingly 敏捷地;迅速地
prompt a.
body
n. =celestial body 天体
disc
n. 圆盘
cast
vt. throw or drop; cause (light or shadow) to appear (on) 扔,投; 投射
eclipse
n. the total or partial hiding of one celestial body by another (天文学)食
booklet
n. a small book, usu. with a paper cover 小册子
exchange
vt. give and receive (one thing in return for another) 交换
trump
n. 王牌
royal
a. for, belonging to, or connected with a king or queen 皇家的; 王室的
statement
n. expression in words; a written or spoken declaration, esp. of a formal kind 陈述;声明
ace
n. (纸牌中的)"A"牌,爱司
foretell
vt. tell beforehand; predict 预言
solar
a. of the sun
the solar system
the sun and the planets which revolve round it
justify
vt. give a good reason for; show to be just, right or reasonable 证明……是正当的；为…辩护
say-so
n. an authoritative pronouncement; one's unsupported assertion 权威性声明；无证据的断言
Egyptian
n.,a. (native) of Egypt 埃及人；埃及的
predict
vt. announce or tell beforehand; forecast 预言
bang
ad. with a sudden loud noise; with a sudden impact 砰地
navigation
n. the act or process of navigating 航海
calculation
n. the act of adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing to find a result 计算
calculate vt.
calculator n. 计算器
counter
n. sth. of value in bargaining; a return attack, such as a blow in boxing 讨价还价的本钱；回击，反击
precarious
a. insecure; depending upon mere assumption 不安全的；根据不足的，靠不住的
exceptionally
ad. unusually
authority
n. power to influence; power to give orders and make others obey 权威；权力
ignoramus
n. an ignorant person 无知的人
stray
vi. wander away; (of thoughts or conversation) move away from the subject 走离；离题
specialty
n. a special field of work or study 专业
outline
vt. indicate the main ideas or facts of
n. a systematic listing of the important points of a subject 提纲
press
vt. demand or ask for continuously 催促，逼迫
credulous
a. tending to believe sth. on little evidence, arising from credulity 轻信的
burden
n. sth. difficult to bear; load 重负；负荷
Phrases & Expressions
follow up
pursue or investigate closely; take further action after (sth.) 深入研究或调查；采取进一步行动
for the sake of
for the good or advantage of; for the purpose of 为了…的利益；为了
throw/shed light on
make clear; explain 使明白，使明朗；解释
and so forth
and so on
as for
with regard to, concerning 至于
may well (not)
be very likely (not) to 完全（不）可能
bring out
show; offer to the public 拿出；使显出；推出（新产品等）
aim at
have as one's target, objective, etc.
fall back on
turn to for support 求助于
rest on
depend on, rely on
stray away from
wander from; move from 偏离
start off
begin; depart
in a way
to a certain extent; a little; somewhat 在某种程度上
Proper Names
Saint Joan
圣女贞德
Bernard Shaw
萧伯纳
Unit 4
Text
Jim Thorpe, an American Indian, is generally accepted as the greatest all-round athlete of the first half of the 20th century. Yet the man, who brought glory to his nation, had a heartbreaking life. What caused his sadness and poverty?
JIM THORPE
Steve Gelman
The railroad station was jammed. Students from Lafayette College were crowding onto the train platform eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Carlisle Indian school's track and field squad. No one would have believed it a few months earlier. A school that nobody had heard of was suddenly beating big, famous colleges in track meets. Surely these Carlisle athletes would come charging off the train, one after another, like a Marine battalion.
The train finally arrived and two young men ― one big and broad, the other small and slight ― stepped onto the platform.
"Where's the track team?" a Lafayette student asked.
"This is the team," replied the big fellow.
"Just the two of you?"
"Nope, just me," said the big fellow. "This little guy is the manager."
The Lafayette students shook their heads in wonder. Somebody must be playing a joke on them. If this big fellow was the whole Carlisle track team, he would be competing against an entire Lafayette squad.
He did. He ran sprints, he ran hurdles, he ran distance races. He high-jumped, he broad-jumped. He threw the javelin and the shot. Finishing first in eight events, the big fellow beat the whole Lafayette team.
The big fellow was Jim Thorpe, the greatest American athlete of modern times. He was born on May 28,1888, in a two-room farmhouse near Prague, Oklahoma. His parents were members of the Sac and Fox Indian tribe and he was a direct descendant of the famous warrior chief, Black Hawk.
As a Sac and Fox, Jim had the colorful Indian name Wa-Tho-Huck. Which, translated, means Bright Path. But being born an Indian, his path was not so bright. Although he had the opportunity to hunt and fish with great Indian outdoorsmen, he was denied opportunity in other ways. The United States government controlled the lives of American Indians and, unlike other people, Indians did not automatically become citizens. It was almost impossible for an Indian to gain even a fair education and extremely difficult, as a result, for an Indian to rise high in life.
Young Bright Path seemed destined to spend his life in the Oklahoma farmland. But when he was in his teens, the government gave him the chance to attend the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. Soon Carlisle was racing along its own bright path to athletic prominence. In whatever sport Jim Thorpe played, he excelled, He was a star in baseball, track and field, wrestling, lacrosse, basketball and football. He was so good in football, in fact, that most other small schools refused to play Carlisle. The Indian school's football schedule soon listed such major powers of the early twentieth century as Pittsburgh, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Penn State and Army.
Thorpe was a halfback. He was six feet one inch tall, weighed 185 pounds and had incredible speed and power. He built upon these natural gifts daily. He would watch a coach or player demonstrate a difficult maneuver, then he would try it himself. Inevitably, he would master the maneuver within minutes.
During every game, opponents piled on Thorpe, trampled him, kicked him and punched him, trying to put him out of action. They were never successful. Years later someone asked him if he had ever been hurt on the field. "Hurt?" Thorpe said. "How could anyone get hurt playing football?"
But Jim never played his best when he felt he would have to no fun playing. "What's the fun of playing in the rain?" he once said. And his Carlisle coach, Pop Warner, once said, "There's no doubt that Jim had more talent than anybody who ever played football, but you could never tell when he felt like giving his best."
Football, though, did not provide Thorpe with his finest hour. He was selected for the United States Olympic track team in 1912, and went to Sweden with the team for the Games. On the ship, while the other athletes limbered up, Thorpe slept in his bunk. In Sweden, while other athletes trained, Thorpe relaxed in a hammock. He never strained when he didn't feel it necessary.
Thorpe came out of his hammock when the Games began, to take part in the two most demanding Olympic events. He entered the pentathlon competition, a test of skill in five events: 200-meter run, 1500-meter run, broad jump, discus and javelin; and the decathlon competition, a series of ten events: 100-meter run, 400-meter run, 1500-meter run, high hurdles, broad jump, high jump, pole vault, discus, javelin and shot put. Though most athletes were utterly exhausted by the decathlon alone, Thorpe breezed through both events, his dark hair flopping, his smile flashing, his muscled body gliding along the track. He finished first in both the pentathlon and decathlon, one of the great feats in Olympic history.
"You sir," King Gustav V of Sweden told Thorpe as he presented him with two gold medals, "are the greatest athlete in the world." And William Howard Taft, the President of the United States, said, "Jim Thorpe is the highest type of citizen."
King Gustav V was correct, but President Taft was not. Though Jim Thorpe had brought great glory to his nation, though thousands of people cheered him upon his return to the United States and attended banquets and a New York parade in his honor, he was not a citizen. He did not become one until 1916. Even then, it took a special government ruling because he was an Indian.
Jim Thorpe was a hero after the Olympics and a sad, bewildered man not too much later. Someone discovered that two years before the Olympics he had been paid a few dollars to play semiprofessional baseball. Though many amateur athletes had played for pay under false names, Thorpe had used his own name. As a result, he was not technically an amateur when he competed at Stockholm as all Olympic athletes must be. His Olympic medals and trophies were taken away from him and given to the runners-up.
After this heartbreaking experience, Thorpe turned to professional sports. He played major league baseball for six years and did fairly well. Then he played professional football for six years with spectacular success. His last professional football season was in 1926. After that, his youthful indifference to studies and his unwillingness to think of a nonsports career caught up with him. He had trouble finding a job, and his friends deserted him. He periodically asked for, but never was given back, his Olympic prizes. From 1926 until his death in 1953, he lived a poor, lonely, unhappy life.
But in 1950 the Associated Press held a poll to determine the outstanding athlete of the half-century. Despite his loss of the Olympic gold medals and a sad decline in fortune during his later years, Thorpe was almost unanimously chosen the greatest athlete of modern times.
New Words
jam
v. fill or block up (the way) by crowding; (cause to ) be packed, pressed, or crushed tightly into a small space 堵塞；（使）塞满
platform
n. a raised flat surface built along the side of the track at a railway station for travellers getting on or off a train 月台
await
vt. wait for; look forward to
track
n. a course for running or racing; track-and-field sports, esp. those performed on a running track 跑道；径赛运动；田径运动
field
n. an area, esp. circled by a track where contests such as in jumping or throwing are held; the sports contested in this area 田赛场地；田赛运动
squad
n. a small group of persons working, training, or acting together; the smallest military unit, usually made up of eleven men and a squad leader 小队；班
charge
vi rush in or as if in an attack 向前冲；冲锋
Marine
n. a member of the U.S. Marine Corps （美国）海军陆战队士兵或军官
battalion
n. military unit made up of several companies 营
broad
a. wide, large across 宽的，广阔的
nope
ad. (AmE sl.) no
compete
vi. take part in a race, contest, etc.' try to win sth. in competition with sb. else 比赛；竞争
sprint
n. short race; dash 短跑
vi. run at one's fastest speed, esp. for a short distance
hurdle
n. a light frame for people or horses to jump over in a race 栏；跳栏
broad(-) jump
n.& vi. (AmE) (do) a long jump 跳远
javelin
n. light spear for throwing (usu. in sport) 标枪
shot
n. the heavy metal ball used in the shot put 铅球
tribe
n. 部落
descendant
n. a person descended from another or from a common stock 子孙；后裔
warrior
n. a man who fights for his tribe; a soldier or experienced fighter 斗士，勇士；（老）战士
colorful
a. full of color; exciting the senses or imagination 艳丽的；丰富多彩的
hunt
v. go after (wild animals) for food or sport; search (for) 追猎，打猎；搜寻
outdoorsman
n. a man, such as a hunter, fisherman, or camper, who spends much time outdoors for pleasure
deny
vt. say that (sth.) is not true; refuse to give 否认；拒绝给予
destine
vt. (usu. passive) intend or decide by fate; intend for some special purpose 命中注定；预定
farmland
n. land used or suitable for farming 农田
teens
n. the period of one's life between and including the ages of 13 and 19
prominence
n. the quality or fact of being prominent or distinguished 凹出；杰出
prominent a.
excel
vi. be very good (in or at sth) 突出，超常
wrestling
n. a sport or contest in which each of two opponents tries to throw or force the other to the ground 摔跤（运动）
wrestle v.
lacrosse
n. 长曲棍球（运动）
football
n. 橄榄球（运动）
power
n. a person, group or nation that has authority or influence 握有大权的人物；有影响的机构；强国
halfback
n. (橄榄球、足球等）前卫
incredible
a. too extraordinary to be believed, unbelievable 难以置信的
coach
n. a person who trains sportsmen for games, competitions, etc. 教练
demonstrate
vt. explain by carrying out experiments or by showing examples 用实验或实例说明；演示
maneuver
n. a skillful move or trick, intended to deceive, to gain sth., to escape, or to do sth. 机动动作；策略；花招
opponent
n. a person who is on the other side in a fight, game, or discussion 对手；反对者
trample
vt. step heavily with the feet on; crush under the feet 踩；践踏
punch
vt. strike (sb. or sth.) hard with the fist 用拳猛击
Olympic
a. of or connected with the Olympic Games
limber
v. make or become flexible （使）变得柔软灵活
bunk
n. a narrow bed fixed on the wall, e.g. of a cabin in a ship or in a train 床铺，铺位
hammock
n. a hanging bed of canvas or rope network, e.g. as used by sailors, or in gardens （帆布或网状）吊床
strain
vi. make violent efforts; strive hard 尽力，使劲
demanding
a. making severe demands 要求高的；苛求的
pentathlon
n. an athletic contest in which each contestant takes part in five events 五项运动
competition
n. competing; contest; match
discus
n. a heavy, circular plate of rubber, plastic or wood with a metal rim 铁饼
decathlon
n. an athletic contest consisting of ten events 十项运动
shot put
n. a competition to throw a heavy metal ball the furthest distance 推铅球
utterly
ad. completely; totally
utter a.
breeze
vi. move or go quickly and in a carelessly confident way 轻快地行动
flop
vi. move or bounce loosely 扑动
flash
vi. give out sudden, brief light or flame; shine or gleam 闪光；闪烁
glide
vi. move in a smooth continuous manner which seems easy and without effort 滑动，滑行
feat
n. an act showing great skill, strength, or daring; a remarkable deed, notable esp. for courage 武功；技艺；功绩
glory
n. high fame and honour won by great achievements; sth. deserving respect and honour 光荣，荣誉；荣誉的事
banquet
n. a dinner for many people, at which speeches are made, in honour of a special person or occasion 宴会
ruling
n. an official decision 裁决
Olympic
n. Olympic Games 奥林匹克运动会
professional
a. done by, played by, or made up of people who are paid 职业的
n. a person who lives on the money he earns by practising a particular skill or sport 以特定职业谋生的人
amateur
n. a person playing a game, taking part in sports, etc. without receiving payment 业余爱好者
a. of, by, or with amateurs; not paid lacking skill 业余的
technically
ad. in technical terms; in a technical sense; according to fixed rules 技术上；按规则
trophy
n. a prize given for winning a race, competition, or test of skill 奖品
runner-up
n. a player or team that comes second in a contest 亚军
heartbreaking
a. causing great sorrow or grief; extremely distressing 令人心碎的
league
n. a group of sports clubs or teams that play matches among themselves 联赛协会
spectacular
a. strikingly grand or unusual 壮观的；惊人的
season
n. the period of time during which a sport is played 赛季
youthful
a. young; having the qualities of young people
indifference
n. absence of interest or feeling 不关心，冷漠
indifferent a.
periodically
ad. at regular intervals, every now and then
outstanding
a. much better than most others; very good 杰出的
despite
prep. in spite of
decline
n. losing of power, strength, wealth, or beauty; falling to a lower level 衰落；下降
unanimously
a. with complete agreement; without a single opposing vote 一致地；无异议地区性
Phrase & Expressions
track and field
the sport or athletic events, such as running, jumping and weight throwing performed on a running track and on the adjacent field 田径运动
play a joke on sb.
do sth. to make other people laugh at someone 同某人开玩笑
put……out of action
stop……working, make……unfit for a typical activity 使停止工作；使不再起作用；使失去战斗力
limber up
make the muscles stretch easily by exercise, esp. before violent exercise （比赛等前）做准备活动
take part in
have a share or part in; join in 参加
breeze through
proceed with effortlessly in a carefree manner 轻而易举地完成
in one's hono(u)r/in
向……表示敬意；为庆祝……；为纪念……
hono(u)r of
catch up with
have the expected ill effect or result on 对……产生预期恶果
Proper Names
Thorpe
索普
Lafayette College
拉斐德学院
Carlisle Indian School
卡尔印第安人学校
Prague
布拉格（文中指美国地名）
Oklaboma
俄国拉何马（美国州名）
Sac and Fox
印第安人部落之一
Black Hawk
黑隼（印第安人首领名）
pennsylvania
宾夕法尼亚（美国州名）
Pittsburgh
匹兹堡（美国城市）
Penn
(short for) Pennsylvania
Pop Warner
波伯.沃纳
Sweden
瑞典
Gustav V
古斯塔夫五世
William Howard Taft
威谦.霍华德.塔夫脱
Stockholm
斯德哥尔摩（瑞典首都）
the Associated Press
联合通讯(简称美联社)(美国通讯社名)
Unit 5
Text
Is it ever proper for a medical doctor to lie to his patient? Should he tell a patient he is dying? These questions seem simple enough, but it is not so simple to give a satisfactory answer to them. Now a new light is shed on them.
TO LIE OR NOT TOLIE―
THE DOCTOR'S DILEMMA
Sissela Bok
Should doctors ever lie to benefit their patients -- to speed recovery or to conceal the approach of death? In medicine as in law, government, and other lines of work, the requirements of honesty often seem dwarfed by greater needs: the need to shelter from brutal news or to uphold a promise of secrecy; to expose corruption or to promote the public interest.
What should doctors say, for example, to a 46-year-old man coming in for a routine physical checkup just before going on vacation with his family who, though he feels in perfect health, is found to have a form of cancer that will cause him to die within six months? Is it best to tell him the truth? If he asks, should the doctors deny that he is ill, or minimize the gravity of the illness? Should they at least conceal the truth until after the family vacation?
Doctors confront such choices often and urgently. At times, they see important reasons to lie for the patient's own sake; in their eyes, such lies differ sharply from self-serving ones.
Studies show that most doctors sincerely believe that the seriously ill do not want to know the truth about their condition, and that informing them risks destroying their hope, so that they may recover more slowly, or deteriorate faster, perhaps even commit suicide. As one physician wrote: "Ours is a profession which traditionally has been guided by a precept that transcends the virtue of uttering the truth for truth's sake, and that is 'as far as possible do no harm.'"
Armed with such a precept, a number of doctors may slip into deceptive practices that they assume will "do no harm" and may well help their patients. They may prescribe innumerable placebos, sound more encouraging than the facts warrant, and distort grave news, especially to the incurably ill and the dying.
But the illusory nature of the benefits such deception is meant to produce is now coming to be documented. Studies show that, contrary to the belief of many physicians, an overwhelming majority of patients do want to be told the truth, even about grave illness, and feel betrayed when they learn that they have been misled. We are also learning that truthful information, humanely conveyed, helps patients cope with illness: helps them tolerate pain better, need less medicine, and even recover faster after surgery.
Not only do lies not provide the "help" hoped for by advocates of benevolent deception; they invade the autonomy of patients and render them unable to make informed choices concerning their own health, including the choice of whether to be patient in the first place. We are becoming increasingly aware of all that can befall patients in the course of their illness when information is denied or distorted.
Dying patients especially -- who are easies to mislead and most often kept in the dark -- can then not make decisions about the end of life: about whether or not they should enter a hospital, or have surgery; about where and with whom they should spend their remaining time; about how they should bring their affairs to a close and take leave.
Lies also do harm to those who tell them: harm to their integrity and, in the long run, to their credibility. Lies hurt their colleagues as well. The suspicion of deceit undercuts the work of the many doctors who are scrupulously hones with their patients; it contributes to the spiral of lawsuits and of "defensive medicine," and thus it injures, in turn, the entire medical profession.
Sharp conflicts are now arising. Patients are learning to press for answers. Patients' bills of rights require that they be informed about their condition and about alternatives for treatment. Many doctors go to great lengths to provide such information. Yet even in hospitals with the most eloquent bill of rights, believers in benevolent deception continue their age-old practices. Colleagues may disapprove but refrain from objecting. Nurses may bitterly resent having to take part, day after day, in deceiving patients, but feel powerless to take a stand.
There is urgent need to debate this issue openly. Not only in medicine, but in other professions as well, practitioners may find themselves repeatedly in difficulty where serious consequences seem avoidable only through deception. Yet the public has every reason to be wary of professional deception, for such practices are peculiarly likely to become deeply rooted, to spread, and to erode trust. Neither in medicine, nor in law, government, or the social sciences can there be comfort in the old saying, "What you don't know can't hurt you."
New Words
dilemma
n. a situation in which one has to make a choice between two equally unsatisfactory things; a difficult choice 窘境，进退两难
benefit
vt. do good to 有益于
recovery
n. the process or fact of getting back to a former state of good health; the state of recovering or being recoverd 痊愈；复得
conceal
vt. hide, keep from being seen or known 隐瞒
line
n. a business, profession, trade, etc. 行业
dwarf
vt. cause to appear small by comparison 使矮小，使相形见绌
n. a person, animal, or plant of much less than the usual size 矮小；矮小的动（植）物
shelter
vi. take shelter; find protection 躲避
vt. provide shelter for; protect 掩蔽；庇护
brutal
a. cruel, severe
uphold
vt. support 支撑；维护
secrecy
n. the practice of keeping secrets; the state of being secret
expose
vt. disclose; leave uncovered or unprotected 揭露；暴露
corruption
n. dishonesty; immoral behaviour 腐化，道德败坏
promote
vt. help to grow or develop; raise in rank, condition, or importance 促进，推进；提升
checkup
n. a general medical examination
minimize
vt. reduce to the smallest possible amount or degree
gravity
n. the quality of being serious critical 严重性
confront
vt. meet face to face; oppose （勇敢地）面对；对抗
urgently
ad. in an urgent manner 紧急地，急迫地
urgent a.
self-serving
a. serving one's own interests; seeking advantage for oneself 利已的
recover
vi. get well; get back to a normal condition
deteriorate
v. (cause to ) become worse （使）恶化
suicide
n. the act of killing oneself
physician
n. a doctor of medicine 内科医生
traditionally
ad. by tradition; in a traditional manner
precept
n. a rule of moral conduct; maxim 戒律；格言
precept
vt. rise above or go beyond the limits of; surpass 超越
virtue
n. goodness or moral excellence; a good quality 美德；优点
utter
vt. speak; give out
deceptive
a. deceiving or misleading; meant to deceive
innumerable
a. too many to be counted
placebo
n. substance given instead of real medicine to a patient for psychological effect 安慰剂
warrant
vt. justify; authorize; guarantee 使有（正当）理由；授权（给）；担保
distort
vt. give a false account of; twist out of the usual shape 歪曲；弄歪
grave
a. serious; requiring careful consideration 严重的；严肃的
incurably
ad. beyond cure
illusory
a. deceptive and unreal; based on an illusion 虚幻的
deception
n. deceiving or being deceived; a trick intended ot deceive 欺骗；诡计
document
vt. prove or support with documents 用文件证明
contrary
a. completely different or wholly opposed 相反的；对抗的
overwhelming
a. too many, too great, or too much to be resisted 势不可挡的；压倒之势的
betray
vt. be unfaithful to; deceive 背叛
truthful
a. true
humanely
ad. tenderly, kind-heartedly 仁爱地；人道地
tolerate
vt. allow or endure with protest 容忍
advocate
n. person who speaks for an idea, way of life, etc. 拥护者，倡导者
benevolent
a. intending or showing good will, kindly, friendly 仁慈的
invade
vt. enter (a country) with armed forces in order to attack; violate, interfere with 侵犯
autonomy
n. (the right of) self-government; freedom to determine one's own actions, behavior, etc. 自治（权）；自主
render
vt. cause to be
informed
a. having knowledge or information; having and using suitable knowledge 了解情况的；有见识的
concerning
prep. about, with regard to
increasingly
ad. more and more all time
befall( befell, befallen)
vt. (use. sth. bad ) happen to (sb.) 降临到……头上
integrity
n. honesty or sincerity; wholeness 诚实，正直；完整
credibility
n. the quality of being believable; trustworthiness 可靠性；可信
colleague
n. an associate; fellow worker or member of a profession or organization 同事
suspicion
n. doubt; mistrust 怀疑
deceit
n. deception; a dishonest trick 欺骗
undercut
vt. undermine; weaken 暗中破坏；削弱
scrupulously
ad. carefully; conscientiously 一丝不苟地
spiral
n. a curved shape which winds round; a continuous and expanding increase or decrease 螺旋（形）；盘旋上升（或下降）
lawsuit
n. a noncriminal case in a court of law 诉讼（案件）
injure
vt. cause physical harm to; damage
arise (arose)
vi. move or go upward; come into existence 上升；出现
bill
n. 法案；议案；账单
alternative
n. a choice between two or more things; any of the things to be chosen 抉择；可供选择的东西
treatment
n. a substance or method used in treating someone medically 治疗；疗法
eloquent
a. having the power of expressing one's feeling or thoughts with grace and force 雄辩的
disapprove
vt. consider not good or not suitable; have or express an opinion against 不赞成
refrain
vi. hold oneself back; keep oneself (from doing sth.) 忍住；戒除
object
vi. be against sth. or sb. 反对
objection n.
bitterly
ad. sharply severely
deceive
vt. cause (sb.) to believe sth. that is false 欺骗
debate
vt. argue about (sth.) in an effort to persuade other people 辨论
issue
n. a question that arises for discussion 问题；争端
practitioner
n. a professional man, esp. in medicine or in law 开业者（尤指医生、律师等）
consequence
n. result; importance 后果；重要性
avoidable
a. that can be prevented from happening
wary
a. cautious; in the habit of looking out for possible danger or trouble 谨慎的；谨防的
erode
vt. wear away; eat into 腐蚀
saying
n. a well-known wise statement; proverb 格言；谚语
Phrases & Expressions
go on (a trip, vacation)
depart for the purpose of
at times
occasionally; now and then 间或；有时
in one's eyes
in one's opinion
for one's (own) sake
for one's own benefit 为了某人自己的利益
slip into
fall into; enter (esp. through carelessness) 陷入
contrary to
opposite to; despite
in the first place
firstly
in the course of during
during
in the dark
uninformed; ignorant 不知情，蒙在鼓里
bring to a close
end 结束，终止
take leave (of)
say goodbye (to)
in the long run
in the end; ultimately 从长远的观点看；最终
go to great lengths
do anything possible, however dangerous, unpleasant, wicked, etc. 不遗余力
refrain from
not do , stop
day after day
each day
take a/ one's stand
declare one's position, loyalty, opinions, etc., and be prepared to fight (for these opinions, etc.)表明立场、意见等
Unit 6
Text
"Don't ever mark in a book!" Thousands of teachers, librarians and parents have so advised. But Mortimer Adler disagrees. He thinks so long as you own the book and needn't preserve its physical appearance, marking it properly will grant you the ownership of the book in the true sense of the word and make it a part of yourself.
HOW TO MARK A BOOK
Mortimer J. Adler
You know you have to read "between the lines" to get the most out of anything. I want to persuade you to do something equally important in the course of your reading. I want to persuade you to "write between the lines." Unless you do, you are not likely to do the most efficient kind of reading.
You shouldn't mark up a book which isn't yours. Librarians (or your friends) who lend you books expect you to keep them clean, and you should. If you decide that I am right about the usefulness of marking books, you will have to buy them.
There are two ways in which one can own a book. The first is the property right you establish by paying for it, just as you pay for clothes and furniture. But this act of purchase is only the prelude to possession. Full ownership comes only when you have made it a part of yourself, and the best way to make yourself a part of it is by writing in it. An illustration may make the point clear. You buy a beefsteak and transfer it from the butcher's icebox to your own. But you do not own the beefsteak in the most important sense until you consume it and get it into your bloodstream. I am arguing that books, too, must be absorbed in your bloodstream to do you any good.
There are three kinds of book owners. The first has all the standard sets and best-sellers -- unread, untouched. (This individual owns wood-pulp and ink, not books.) The second has a great many books -- a few of them read through, most of them dipped into, but all of them as clean and shiny as the day they were bought. (This person would probably like to make books his own, but is restrained by a false respect for their physical appearance.) The third has a few books or many -- every one of them dog-eared and dilapidated, shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scribbled in from front to back. (This man owns books.)
Is it false respect, you may ask, to preserve intact a beautifully printed book, an elegantly bound edition? Of course not. I'd no more scribble all over a first edition of "Paradise Lost" than I'd give my baby a set of crayons and an original Rembrandt! I wouldn't mark up a painting or a statue. Its soul, so to speak, is inseparable from its body. And the beauty of a rare edition or of a richly manufactured volume is like that of painting or a statue. If your respect for magnificent binding or printing gets in the way, buy yourself a cheap edition and pay your respects to the author.
Why is marking up a book indispensable to reading? First, it keeps you awake. (And I don't mean merely conscious; I mean wide awake.) In the second place, reading, if it is active, is thinking, and thinking tends to express itself in words, spoken or written. The marked book is usually the thought-through book. Finally, writing helps you remember the thoughts you had, or the thoughts the author expressed. Let me develop these three points.
If reading is to accomplish anything more than passing time, it must be active. you can't let your eyes glide across the lines of a book and come up with an understanding of what you have read. Now an ordinary piece of light fiction, like, say, "Gone with the Wind," doesn't require the most active kind of reading. The books you read for pleasure can be read in a state of relaxation, and nothing is lost. But a great book, rich in ideas and beauty, a book that raises and tries to answer great fundamental questions, demands the most active reading of which you are capable. You don't absorb the ideas of John Dewey the way you absorb the crooning of Mr. Vallee. You have to reach for them. That you cannot do while you're asleep.
If, when you've finished reading a book, the pages are filled with your notes, you know that you read actively. The most famous active reader of great books I know is President Hutchins, of the University of Chicago. He also has the hardest schedule of business activities of any man I know. He invariably read with pencil, and sometimes, when he picks up a book and pencil in the evening, he finds himself, instead of making intelligent notes, drawing what he calls " caviar factories" on the margins. When that happens, he puts the book down. He knows he's too tired to read, and he's just wasting time.
But, you may ask, why is writing necessary? Well, the physical act of writing, with your own hand, brings words and sentences more sharply before your mind and preserves them better in your memory. To set down your reaction to important words and sentences you have read, and the questions they have raised in your mind, is to preserve those reactions and sharpen those questions. You can pick up the book the following week or year, and there are all your points of agreement, disagreement, doubt and inquiry. It's like resuming an interrupted conversation with the advantage of being able to pick up where you left off.
And that is exactly what reading a book should be: a conversation between you and the author. Presumably he knows more about the subject than you do; naturally you'll have the proper humility as you approach him. But don't let anybody tell you that a reader is supposed to be solely on the receiving end. Understanding is a two-way operation; learning doesn't consist in being an empty receptacle. The learner has to question himself and question the teacher. He even has to argue with the teacher, once he understands what the teacher is saying. And marking a book is literally an expression of your differences, or agreements of opinion, with the author.
There are all kinds of devices for marking a book intelligently and fruitfully. Here's the way I do it:
1. Underlining: of major points, of important or forceful statements.
2. Vertical lines at the margin: to emphasize a statement already underlined.
3. Star, asterisk, or other doo-dad at the margin: to be used sparingly, to emphasize the ten or twenty most important statements in the book.
4. Numbers in the margin: to indicate the sequence of points the author makes in developing a single argument.
5. Number of other pages in the margin: to indicate where else in the book the author made points relevant to the point marked; to tie up the ideas in a book, which, though they may be separated by many pages, belong together.
6. Circling of key words or phrases.
7. Writing in the margin, or at the top or bottom of the page, for the sake of: recording questions (and perhaps answers) which a passage raise in your mind; reducing a complicated discussion to a simple statement; recording the sequence of major points right through the book. I use the end-papers at the back of the book to make a personal index of the author's points in the order of their appearance.
The front end-papers are, to me, the most important. Some people reserve them for a fancy bookplate, I reserve them for fancy thinking. After I have finished reading the book and making my personal index on the back end-papers, I turn to the front and try to outline the book, not page by page, or point by point (I've already done that at the back), but as an integrated structure, with a basic unity and an order of parts. This outline is, to me, the measure of my understanding of the work.
New Words
persuade
vt. cause (sb.) to do sth. by reasoning, arguing, etc. 说服，劝服
librarian
n. 图书馆管理员
property
n. (collectively) things owned; possessions 财产
prelude
n. action, event, etc. that serves as an introduction 序幕；前奏曲
possession
n. possessing; ownership; (pl.) property 拥有；所有权；财产
ownership
n. the possessing (of sth.); right of possessing 所有（权）
illustration
n. an example which explains the meaning of sth.; adn explanatory picture, diagram, etc. 例；图例；插图
beefsteak
n. 牛排
transfer
vt. had over the possession of (property, etc.); change officially from one position, etc. to another 转移；调动
butcher
n. a person who kills, cuts up and sells animals for food 屠夫
icebox
n. a box where food is kept cool with blocks of ice; (AmE) refrigerator
bloodstream
n. the blood as it flows through the blood vessels of the body 血流
absorb
vt. take or such in (liquids); take in (knowledge, ideas, etc.)吸收
best-seller
n. book that is sold in very large numbers 畅销书
individual
n. any one human being ( contrasted with society ) 个人
woodpulp
n. 木（纸）浆
dip
v. plunge or be plunged quickly or briefly into a liquid, esp. to wet or coat 浸；蘸
shiny
a. giving off light as if polished; bright 发亮的
restrain
vt. prevent; control; hold back 抑制；控制，约束
dogeared
a. (of a book) having he corners of the pages bent down with use, like a dog's ears （书页）卷角的
dilapidated
a. (of things) broken and old; falling to pieces 破旧的；倾坍的
loosen
v. make or become loose or looser （使）松开
continual
a. repeated; frequent 不断的；频繁的
scribble
v. write hastily or carelessly; write meaningless marks on paper, etc. 潦草书写；乱涂
preserve
vi. keep safe from harm of danger 保护；保存
intact
a. untouched; undamaged 完整无损的
elegantly
ad. beautifully; gracefully 优美地；雅致地
elegant a.
bind (bound)
vt. tie or fasten with a rope, etc.; fasten together sheets of (a book) and enclose within a cover 捆，绑；装订（书）
edition
n. form in which a book is published; total number of copies (of a book, newspaper, etc.) issued from the same types （书等的）版本；版
paradise
n. the Garden of Eden; Heaven 伊甸园；天堂
crayon
n. 蜡笔； 颜色笔
original
a. of or relating to an origin or beginning; being the first instance or source from which a cop can be made 最初的；原著的；原创作者的
painting
n. a painted picture; picture
statue
n. an image of a person or animal in wood, stone, bronze, etc. 雕像
inseparable
a. impossible to separate from one another
manufacture
vt. make, produce on a large scale by machinery 制造；（大量）生产
magnificent
a. splendid; remarkable 华丽的；宏伟的
indispensable
a. absolutely essential or necessary 必不可少的
conscious
a. aware; able to feel and think 有意识的；神志清醒
understanding
n. knowledge of the nature of sth., based esp. on learning or experience 理解
fiction
n. (branch of literature concerned with) stories, novels and romances 小说
croon
vi. sing gently in a low soft voice, usu. with much feeling 低声吟唱
reader
n. person who reads
invariably
ad. unchangeable; constantly 不变地；始终如一地
intelligent
a. having or showing a high degree of powers of reasoning or understanding 聪明的
caviar(e)
n. 鱼子酱
sharpen
v. become or make sharp(er)
disagreement
n. the fact or a case of disagreeing; lack of similarity 分歧；不一致
disagree vi
inquiry
n. question; asking 询问
resume
vt. go on after stopping for a time （中断后）重新开始
naturally
ad. of course; as one could have expected
humility
n. humble condition or state of mind 谦卑
solely
ad. not including anything else or any others; only
sole a.
receptacle
n. a container for keeping things in 容器
literally
ad. actually; virtually 确实地；简直
fruitfully
ad. productively; with good results 富有成果地
fruitful a.
underline
vt. draw a line under (a word, etc.) esp. to show importance 在……下划线（表示强调）
forceful
a. strong; powerful
vertical
a. 垂直的
emphasize
vt. call attention to; stress 强调
asterisk
n. a starlike mark used to call attention to sth. 星号（即*）
doo-dad
n. (informal) a fancy, trifling ornament 小装饰物
sparingly
ad. economically; frugally 节约地
sequence
n. succession; connected line of events, ideas, etc. 顺序；连续；一连串
relevant
a. connected with what is being discussed; appropriate 有关的；适宜的
phrase
n. 短语
end-paper
n. (often pl.) a piece of blank paper stuck inside the cover at the beginning or end of a book 衬页
index
n. 索引
fancy
a. not ordinary; brightly coloured 别致的；花哨的
bookplate
n. a piece of paper with the owner's name, usu. pasted to the inside front cover of a book 藏书票
integrate
vt. put or bring together (parts) into a whole 使成一整体
structure
n. way in which sth. is put together, organized, etc.; framework or essential parts of a building 结构
basic
a. essential; fundamental 主要的；基本的
unity
m. an arrangement of parts to form a complete whole; the state of being united 总体布局；统一
Phrases & Expressions
read between the lines
(fig.) find more meaning than the words appear to express 体会字里行间的言外之意
do(sb.) good
help or benefit (sb.) 帮助（某人）；对（某人）有益
dip into
read or study for a short time or without much attention 浏览；稍加探究
no more……than……
in no greater degree……than……
a set of
a number of (thing that belong together) 一套
so to speak/ say
(used as an apology for an unusual use of a word or phrase) as one might say; if I may use this expression, etc. 可以说；容许我打个譬喻
get in the way
become a nuisance or hindrance 挡道；碍事
in the second place
as the second thing in order or importance 第二，其次
think through
think about until one reaches an understanding or conclusion 彻底全面考虑
reach for
stretch out one's hand to grasp; make an effort to grasp 伸手去抓；努力争取
set down
write down on paper
pick up
start again after interruption 中断后重新开始
leave off
stop
consist in
lie in; be equivalent to 在于；存在于
tie up
connect closely; fasten with rope, etc. 系紧；捆牢
reduce……to
state in a more concise form; summarize as 把……归纳为
Proper Names
Rembrandt
伦勃朗（姓氏）
Dewey
杜威（姓氏）
Vallee
瓦利（姓氏）
Hutchins
哈钦斯
Chicago
芝加哥（美国城市）
Unit 7
Text
A young man finds it very difficult to say no to a woman as a result he gets into trouble. The restaurant to which he has agreed to take his luncheon date is far too expensive for his small pocketbook. How, then, will he be able to avoid the embarrassing situation?
THE LUNCHEON
W.Somerset Maugham
I caught sight of her at the play, and in answer to her beckoning I went over during the interval and sat down beside her. It was long since I had last seen her, and if someone had not mentioned her name I hardly think I would have recognised her. She addressed me brightly.
"Well, it's many years since we first met. How time does fly! We're none of us getting any younger. Do you remember the first time I saw you? You asked me to luncheon."
Did I remember?
It was twenty years ago and I was living in Paris. I had a tiny apartment in the Latin Quarter overlooking a cemetery, and I was earning barely enough money to keep body and soul together. She had read a book of mine and had written to me about it. I answered, thanking her, and presently I received from her another letter saying that she was passing through Paris and would like to have a chat with me; but her time was limited, and the only free moment she had was on the following Thursday; she was spending the morning at the Luxembourg and would I give her a little luncheon at Foyot's afterwards? Foyot's is a restaurant at which the French senators eat, and it was so far beyond my means that I had never even thought of going there. But I was flattered, and I was too young to have learned to say no to a woman. (Few men, I may add, learn this until they are too old to make it of any consequence to a woman what they say.) I had eight francs (gold francs) to last me the rest of the month, and a modest luncheon should not cost more than fifteen. If I cut out coffee for the next two weeks I could manage well enough.
I answered that I would meet my friend -- by correspondence -- at Foyot's on Thursday at half past twelve. She was not so young as I expected and in appearance imposing rather than attractive, she was, in fact, a woman of forty (a charming age, but not one that excites a sudden and devastating passion at first sight), and she gave me the impression of having more teeth, white and large and even, than were necessary for any practical purpose. She was talkative, but since she seemed inclined to talk about me I was prepared to be an attentive listener.
I was startled when the bill of fare was brought, for the prices were a great deal higher than I had anticipated. But she reassured me.
"I never eat anything for luncheon," She said.
"Oh, don't say that!" I answered generously.
"I never eat more than one thing. I think people eat far too much nowadays. A little fish, perhaps. I wonder if they have any salmon.
Well, it was early in the year for salmon and it was not on the bill of fare, but I asked the waiter if there was any. Yes, a beautiful salmon had just come in, it was the first they had had. I ordered it for my guest. The waiter asked her if she would have something while it was being cooked.
"No," she answered, "I never eat more than one thing. Unless you have a little caviare. I never mind caviare."
My heart sank a little. I knew I could not afford caviare, but I could not very well tell her that. I told the waiter by all means to bring caviare. For myself I chose the cheapest dish on the menu and that was a mutton chop.
" I think you are unwise to eat meat," she said. " I don't know how you can expect to work after eating heavy things like chops. I don't believe in overloading my stomach."
Then came the question of drink.
"I never drink anything for luncheon," she said.
"Neither do I," I answered promptly.
"Except whiter wine," she proceeded as though I had not spoken. "These French white wines are so light. They're wonderful for the digestion."
"What would you like?" I asked, hospitable still, but not exactly effusive.
She gave me a bright and amicable flash of her white teeth.
"My doctor won't let me drink anything but champagne."
I fancy I turned a trifle pale. I ordered half a bottle. I mentioned casually that my doctor had absolutely forbidden me to drink champagne.
"What are you going to drink, then?"
"Water."
She ate the caviare and she ate the salmon. She talked gaily of art and literature and music. But I wondered what the bill would come to. When my mutton chop arrived she took me quite seriously to task.
"I see that you're in the habit of eating a heavy luncheon. I'm sure it's a mistake. Why don't you follow my example and just eat one thing? I'm sure you'd feel ever so much better for it."
"I am only going to eat one thing." I said, as the waiter came again with the bill of fare.
She waved him aside with an airy gesture.
"No, no, I never eat anything for luncheon. Just a bite, I never want more than that, and I eat that more as an excuse for conversation than anything else. I couldn't possibly eat anything more unless they had some of those giant asparagus. I should be sorry to leave Paris without having some of them."
My heart sank. I had seen them in the shops, and I knew that they were horribly expensive. My mouth had often watered at the sight of them.
"Madame wants to know if you have any of those giant asparagus," I asked the waiter.
I tried with all my might too will him to say no. A happy smile spread over his broad, pries-like face, and he assured me that they had some so large, so splendid, so tender, that it was a marvel.
"I'm not in the least hungry," my guest sighed, "but if you insist I don't mind having some asparagus."
I ordered them.
"Aren't you going to have any?"
"No, I never eat asparagus."
"I know there are people who don't like them. The fact is, you ruin your taste by all the meat you eat."
We waited for the asparagus to be cooked. Panic seized me. It was not a question now how much money I should have left over for the rest of the month, but whether I had enough to pay the bill. It would be embarrassing to find myself ten francs short and be obliged to borrow from my guest. I could not bring myself to do that. I knew exactly how much I had, and if the bill came to more I made up my mind that I would put my hand in my pocket and with a dramatic cry start up and say it had been picked. Of course, it would be awkward if she had not money enough either to pay the bill. Then the only thing would be to leave my watch and say I would come back and pay later.
The asparagus appeared. They were enormous, juicy, and appetising. I watched the wicked woman thrust them down her throat in large mouthfuls, and in my polite way I spoke about the condition of the drama in the Balkans. At last the finished.
"Coffee?" I said.
"Yes, just an ice-cream and coffee," she answered.
I was past caring now, so I ordered coffee for myself and an ice-cream and coffee for her.
"You know, there's one thing I thoroughly believe in," she said, as she ate the ice-cream. "One should always get up from a meal feeling one could eat a little more."
"Are you still hungry?" I asked faintly.
"Oh, no, I'm not hungry; you see, I don't eat luncheon. I have a cup of coffee in the morning and then dinner, but I never eat more than one thing for luncheon. I was speaking for you."
"Oh, I see!"
Then a terrible thing happened. While we were waiting for the coffee the head waiter, with an ingratiating smile on his false face, came up to us bearing a large basket full of huge peaches. They had the blush of an innocent girl; they had the rich tone of an Italian landscape. But surely peaches were not in season then? Lord knew what they cost. I knew too -- a little later, for my guest, going on with her conversation, absentmindedly took one.
"You see, you've filled your stomach with a lot of meat" -- my one miserable little chop -- "and you can't eat any more. But I've just had a snack and I shall enjoy a peach."
The bill came, and when I paid it I found that I had only enough for a quite inadequate tip. Her eyes rested for an instant on the three francs I left for the waiter, and I knew that she thought me mean. But when I walked out of the restaurant I had the whole month before me and not a penny in my pocket.
"Follow my example," she said as we shook hands, "and never eat more than one thing for luncheon."
"I'll do better than that," I retorted. "I'll eat nothing for dinner tonight."
"Humorist!" she cried gaily, jumping into a cab. "You're quite a humorist!"
But I have had my revenge at last. I do not believe that I am a vindictive man, but when the immortal gods take a hand in matter it is pardonable to observe the result with complacency. Today she weighs twenty-one stone.
New Words
luncheon
n.& vi. (formal word for) lunch
beckon
vt. signal to (sb.) by a motion of the hand or head 向……招手或点头示意
apartment
n. a single room; (AmE) flat or a set of rooms 房间；（美）一套公寓住房
Latin
a. 拉丁的
n. 拉丁文
quarter
n. division of a town, esp. one of a special class of people （都市的）区，街
overlook
vt. have a view of from above; fail to see or notice 俯视；忽略
presently
ad. soon; (AmE) at the present time 不久；（美）目前
chat
n., vi. (have) a friendly informal conversation 闲谈，聊天
senator
n. a member of a senate 参议员，上议员
means
n. money, income, or wealth, esp. large enough to afford all one needs 财富，资产
franc
n. the unit of money in France, Belgium. Switzerland, and some other countries 法郎
modest
a. not large in quantity, size, value, etc. 不太大的；适度的
imposing
a. impressive because of size, appearance, or dignity 仪表堂堂的；宏伟的
attractive
a. having the power to attract; pleasing 吸引人的；有魅力的
charming
a. very pleasing; fascinating 有魅力的
devastating
a. destructive; causing ruin; sweeping everything before it 毁灭性的；压倒一切的
passion
n. strong feeling or enthusiasm, esp. of love or anger 激情
impression
n. 印象
talkative
a. having the habit of talking a great deal; fond of talking 好说话的；健谈的
inclined
a. likely; tending(to); encouraged 有……倾向的
attentive
a. listening carefully; doing acts to satisfy the needs of another 专注的；体贴的，殷勤的
startle
vt. give a shock of surprise to; cause to move of jump 使吃惊，使惊跳
fare
n. food, esp. as provided at a meal 食物
bill of fare
a list of dishes; menu 菜单
reassure
vt. set a person's mind at rest 使安心
generously
ad. with readiness to give money, help, kindness, etc. 慷慨地，大方地
generous a.
nowadays
ad. at the present time, now
salmon
n. 鲑鱼
menu
n. a list of courses at a meal or of dishes that can be served in a restaurant 菜单
mutton
n. meat from a fully grown sheep 羊肉
chop
n. a small piece of meat with bone in it （连骨的）块肉
overload
vt. put too large a load on or in; overburden 使过载消化
digestion
n. 消化
hospitable
a. generous in the treatment of a guest 好客的
effusive
a. (of feelings, signs of pleasure, gratitude, etc.) pouring out too freely; too demonstrative or emotional 热情洋溢的；感情（过多)流露的
amicable
a. friendly; peaceful
flash
n. a sudden, quick bright light; a sudden display 闪烁；闪现
champagne
n. 香槟洒
fancy
vt. suppose, imagine
trifle
n. a thing, event, etc. of little value or importance 琐事
forbid (forbade or forbad, forbidden)
vt. command(sb.) not to do sth.; refuse to allow (sb.) to have, use, enter etc.禁止
gaily
ad. in a happy and joyous manner
literature
n. 文学（作品）
airy
a. light-hearted; affected 轻盈的；做作的
bite
n. piece cut off by biting
asparagus
n. (sing. or pl.) 芦笋
water
vi. (of the eyes or mouth) fill with watery liquid, esp. tears or saliva
Madame
n. use as a title of respect for a woman (esp. a foreign married woman)夫人
might
n. power, strength, force
will
vt. influence or compel, by exercising the power of the mind 以意志力使
assure
vt. tell firmly and with confidence esp. with the aim of removing doubt 保证；使确信
tender
a. delicate; not hard or difficult to bit through 柔弱的；柔嫩的
marvel
n. a wonderful thing. sth. causing great surprise
sigh
vi. let out a deep breath slowly and with a sound (indicating sadness, tiredness, relief, etc.)叹气
ruin
vt. destroy or spoil (completely) 毁灭
n. a condition of destruction and decay
panic
n. sudden, uncontrollable terror or anxiety 恐慌
oblige
vt. compel; require, bind (sb.) by a promise, oath, etc. 强迫，使不得不
dramatic
a. of drama; sudden or exciting, like an event in a stage play
pick
vt. steal
juicy
a. having a lot of juice 多液汁的
appetising
a. arousing or exciting the desire for food 引起食欲的，美味可口的
wicked
a. very bad, evil 邪恶的
thrust
vt. push suddenly or violently; make a forward stoke with a sword, knife, etc. 猛推；刺，戳
throat
n. 咽喉
mouthful
n. as much (food or drink) as fills the mouth
drama
n. a play for the theatre, radio or TV; composition, presentation and performance of such plays 戏剧
head waiter
n. a man in charge of the waiters in a restaurant hotel, or dining car
ingratiating
a. making oneself very pleasant to sb. in order to gain favour 讨好的，奉承的
peach
n. 桃子
blush
n. reddening of the face, from shame or confusion
innocent
a. (of people) simple, not able to recognize evil; not guilty 天真的；无罪的
landscape
n. a wide view of natural scenery; a picture of such a scene 风景；风景画
Lord
n. God 上帝，主
snack
n. a small, usu. hurriedly eaten meal 小吃
instant
n. a moment of time
mean
a. ungenerous; unkind 吝啬的；刻薄的
retort
vt. make a quick, angry and often amusing answer 反驳
humorist
n. a person who makes jokes in speech or writing
humor
n. 幽默
cab
n. a carriage for public hire; taxi
revenge
n. 报仇，报复
vt. 替……报仇
vindictive
a. unforgiving; having or showing a desire for revenge
immortal
a. living for ever 不朽的
pardonable
a. that can be forgiven
complacency
n. self-satisfaction 自鸣得意
stone
n. the British unit of weight equal to 14 pounds (6.35 kilos)
Phrase & Expressions
catch sight of
see suddenly or unexpectedly
in answer to
in response to
keep body and soul together
remain alive, esp. by earning enough money to feed oneself 勉强维持生活
pass through
go through; experience 穿过；经历
be beyond one's means
be more than one can afford 付不起
cut out
leave out 停止使用，戒除
at first sight
when seen for the first time 乍看之下；第一眼就
be inclined to
be likely to; tend to 易于……的；倾向于，想
come in
become seasonable or available 上市；有供应
can/could not very well
can/could not reasonably 不好
by all means
certainly; at all costs 一定；务必
a trifle
somewhat, a little
come to
amount to 总计
take(sb.) to task
criticize (sb.)申斥（某）人
be in the habit of
have the habit of 习惯于
(not) in the least
leave as remainder (the best part having being consumed )留下，剩下
bring oneself to
make oneself (do); force oneself to 强迫自己
make up one's mind
choose what to do; decide 决定
start up
make a sudden movement due to surprise, alarm, pain, etc. 惊动，惊起
speak for
make a request for; speak on behalf of 要求得到；为……说话，为……辩护
in season
available, fresh for use as food 正在当令之时
go on with
continue doing
take/have a hand in
be partly responsible for; share (an activity) 参加，介入
Proper Names
Paris
巴黎（法国首都）
the Luxemb(o)urg
卢森堡宫（巴黎）
Foyot
福伊约（巴黎一餐馆）
the Balkans
巴尔干半岛各国；巴尔干山脉
Lord
God; Jesus Christ
Unit 8
Text
Would you choose to live underground if you could gain many advantages from doing so? Weather would no longer trouble you. Temperature would remain the same all the year round. Artificial lighting could make the rhythm of our life uniform everywhere. And the ecology of the natural world above ground would be greatly improved. Still, the prospect of moving underground may not be appealing to many people.
THE NEW CAVES
Isaac Asimov
During the ice ages, human beings exposed to the colder temperatures of the time would often make their homes in caves. There they found greater comfort and security than they would have in the open.
We still live in caves called houses, again for comfort and security. Virtually no one would willingly sleep on the ground under the stars. Is it possible that someday we may seek to add further to our comfort and security by building our houses underground -- in new, manmade caves?
It may not seem a palatable suggestion, at first though. We have so many evil associations with the underground. In our myths and legends, the underground is the realm of evil spirits and of the dead, and is often the location of an afterlife of torment. (This may be because dead bodies are buried underground, and because volcanic eruptions make the underground appear to be a hellish place of fire and noxious gases.)
Yet there are advantages to underground life, too, and something to be said for imagining whole cities, even mankind generally, moving downward; of having the outermost mile of the Earth's crust honeycombed with passages and structures, like a gigantic ant hill.
First, weather would no longer be important, since, it is primarily a phenomenon of the atmosphere. Rain, snow, sleet, fog would not trouble the underground world. Even temperature variations are limited to the open surface and would not exist underground. Whether day or night, summer or winter, temperatures in the underground world remain equable and nearly constant. The vast amounts of energy now expended in warming our surface surroundings when they are too cold, and cooling them when they are too warm, could be saved. The damage done to manmade structures and to human beings by weather would be gone. Transportation over local distances would be simplified. (Earthquakes would remain a danger, of course.)
Second, local time would no longer be important. On the surface, the tyranny of day and night cannot be avoided, and when it is morning in one place, it is noon in another, evening in still another and midnight in yet another. The rhythm of human life therefore varies from place to place. Underground, where there is no externally produced day, but only perpetual darkness, it would be arificial lighting that produces the day and this could be adjusted to suit man's convenience.
The whole world could be on eight-hour shifts, starting and ending on the stroke everywhere, at least as far as business and community endeavors were concerned. This could be important in a freely mobile world. Air transportation over long distances would no longer have entail "jet lag." Individuals landing on another coast or another continent would find the society they reached geared to the same time of day as at home.
Third, the ecological structure could be stabilized. To a certain extent, mankind encumbers the Earth. It is not only his enormous numbers that take up room; more so, it is all the structures he builds to house himself and his machines, to make possible his transportation and communication, to offer him rest and recreation. All these things distort the wild, depriving many species of plants and animals of their natural habitat -- and sometimes, involuntarily, favoring a few, such as rats and roaches.
If the works of man were removed below ground -- and, mind you, below the level of the natural world of the burrowing animals ―― man would still occupy the surface with his farms, his forestry, his observation towers, his air terminals and so on, but the extent of that occupation would be enormously decreased. Indeed, as one imagines the underground world to become increasingly elaborate, one can visualize much of the food supply eventually deriving from hydroponic growth in artificially illuminated areas underground. The Earth's surface might be increasingly turned over to park and to wilderness, maintained at ecological stability.
Fourth, nature would be closer. It might seem that to withdraw underground is to withdraw from the natural world, but would that be so? Would the withdrawal be more complete than it is now, when so many people work in city buildings that are often windowless and artificially conditioned? Even where there are windows, what is the prospect one views (if one bothers to) but sun, sky, and buildings to the horizon -- plus some limited greenery?
And to get away from the city now? To reach the real countryside? One must travel horizontally for miles, first across city pavements and then across suburban sprawls.
In an underworld culture, the countryside would be right there, a few hundred yards above the upper level of the cities -- wherever you are. The surface would have to be protected from too frequent, or too intense, or too careless visiting, but however carefully restricted the upward trips might be, the chances are that the dwellers of the new caves would see more greenery, under ecologically healthier conditions, than dwellers of surface cities to today.
However odd and repulsive underground living may seem at first thought, there are tings to be said for it -- and I haven't even said them all.
New Words
virtually
ad. almost
someday
ad. at some uncertain future time 有朝一日
underground
a. below the surface of the earth; secret 地下的；秘密的
ad. under the earth's surface; secretly
manmade
a. produced by people; not existing in nature
palatable
a. agreeable to the taster or (fig.) to the mind; acceptable 可口的；受欢迎的
association
n. an idea or object connected with another idea in thought 联想
legend
n. an old story handed down from the past, esp. one of doubtful truth 传说；传奇
spirit
jn. 神灵；鬼怪
location
n. a place or position 场所，位置
afterlife
n. the life after death as is believed by some people 来世
torment
n. sever pain or suffering in mind or body 痛苦；折磨
volcanic
a. of, like, produced or caused by a volcano
eruption
n. outbreak of a volcano; (an example of) the action of erupting （火山）爆发
hellish
a. like hell, horrible, devilish
noxious
harmful to people, plants, or animals 有害的，有毒的
mankind
n. the human race 人类
downward
ad. towards a lower level or position
outermost
a. farthest from the inside or center
crust
n. 地壳
honeycomb
vt. fill with holes, tunnels, etc. 使成蜂窝状
gigantic
a. huge, enormous; of or like a giant 巨大的，庞大的
ant
n. 蚂蚁
fog
n. very thick mist
variation
n. the action of varying; an example or degree of varying 变化
equable
a. steady; not changing much 稳定的
constant
a. unchanging; fixed 永桓的
simplify
vt. make simple; make easy to do or understand
earthquake
n. sudden and violent movements of the earth's surface 地震
tyranny
n. the cruel or unjust use of power to rule a person or country 专制
vary
v. (cause to) the different 变化
variable
a. likely to vary; not steady 易变的
n. sth. which can vary in quantity or size 变量
externally
ad. outside
external a.
artifical
a. not natural or real; manmade
adjust
vt. set right; change slightly, esp. in order to make suitable for a particular job or new conditions 调整；调节
convenience
n. personal comfort or advantage; the quality of being convenient 便利，方便
convenient a.
stoke
n. sound made by a bell striking the hours 钟鸣声
community
n. the people living in a particular area considered as a whole; the area itself 社区（居民）
endeavo(u)r
n. effort, attempt 努力
vt. 试图
mobile
a. movable; able to move, or be moved, quickly and easily 活动的
entail
vt. make (an event or action) necessary 使成为必需
jet
n. a narrow stream or streams of liquid, gas, etc. coming forcefully out of a small hole; any aircraft that is pushed through the air by a jet engine 喷射；喷气式飞机
lag
n. falling behind; interval between two related events, processes, etc. 滞后；（事件等的）间隔
jet lag
（长时间乘飞机旅行后产生的）时差反应
coast
n. the land on or close to the edge of the sea 海岸；海滨
gear
vt. adjust, adapt,; connect by gears
n. 齿轮；（汽车等的）排档
stabilize
v. (cause to) become firm, steady, or unchanging; (cause to) keep in balance 使稳定；使平衡
extent
n. degree; length; area; range 程度，范围
encumber
vt. crowd, fill up; hinder, hamper the function of 塞满，妨碍
recreation
n. play or amusement 娱乐
deprive
vt. take away from; prevent from using or enjoying 剥夺
species
n. 物种
habitat
n. natural home of a plant or an animal 产地；栖息
involuntarily
ad. carried out without one's conscious wishes, unintentionally 不自觉地；无意识地
rat
n. 鼠
roach
n. 蟑螂
burrow
v. dig a hole in the ground 打（地洞）
n. a hole made in the ground (by foxes, rabbits, etc.)
forestry
n. forest land; science of planting and caring for forests 林地；林学
terminal
n. a place or set of buildings for the use of passengers 终点站
air terminal
n. a building at an airport for boarding and discharging passengers from aircraft; a bus station in center of a town for passengers going to or arriving from an airport 航空终点站；航空集散站
occupation
n. the act of occupying or the state or period of being occupied
elaborate
a. worked out with great care; complicated 精心制作的；复杂的
visualize
vt. form a picture of (sb. or sth.) in the mind; imagine 想像
visual
a. of or gained by seeing 视觉的
derive
vi. come (from); originate 来（自），起源（于）
vt. get
hydroponic
a. 溶液培养（学）的；水栽法的
illuminate
vt. give light to; throw light on 照亮，照明
wilderness
n. wild uncultivated waste land 荒野
stability
n. the quality or state of being stable 稳定（性）
withdraw (withdrew, withdrawn)
v. move back or away; take out or away 撤退，撤回
withdrawal
n. withdrawing or being withdrawn
condition
vt. bring into a desired state or condition 使处于良好状态
greenery
n. green leaves or plants 草木
countryside
n. land outside the cities and towns; country area 农村
horizontally
ad. 水平地
horizontal a.
pavement
n. (BrE) a paved surface or path a street for people to walk on, (AmE) the paved surface of a street （英）人行道， （美）铺过的道路
suburban
a. of or in a suburb 郊区的
sprawl
n. a widespread untidy area, esp. of buildings 散乱的街区
underworld
n. a region underground
culture
n. ideas, customs and art shared by a particular society; a particular society or civilization 文化；文明
intense
a. (of qualities) high in degree 强烈的
restrict
vt. keep within limits 限制
dweller
n. a person or animal that lives (in the stated place); inhabitant 居住者
repulsive
a. very unpleasant; causing strong dislike and fear 令人厌恶的
Phrases & Expressions
expose to
leave no longer covered or protected 使暴露在
in the open
在户外，在野外
add to
increase 增加
on the stoke
at exactly the time stated or agree upon 准点地
at first thought
when considered for the first 乍一想
to a certain extent
partly, to a certain degree 在一定程度上
take up
occupy (space, time, etc.) 占据
deprive of
take away from; prevent from using or having 剥夺
mind you
(used as an interj.) please note, take this fact into account 听着；请注意
derive from
come from; obtain from 来自，起源于；从……得到
turn over
give (to sb.) for use or care 移交；交给
get away from
succeed in leaving; escape 离开；逃脱
Unit 9
Text
In 1976, during America's bicetennial celebration, a family decided to travel to the American West instead of joining the majority of people that were celebrating on the East Coast. They wanted to follow the trails that the pioneers had made when they began to settle the West. The family was looking forward to making their own discoveries.
JOURNEY WEST
Jim Doherty
We began our trip out West on June 19, 1976, a time when millions of other American families were preparing to crowd into the Bicentennial shrines of the East. We sized up America's 200th birthday celebration a bit differently. Although the Republic may have been born in the East, it had spent most of its time and energies since then moving west. So we resolved to head in the same direction in 1976, following the old pioneer trails and the famous rivers. Concentrating primarily on Wyoming and Montana, we would explore such legendary mountain ranges as the Big Horns, the Bitterroots and the Swan.
There was one problem though, I was sure our four kids -- educated about the West through the movies -- would be disappointed. As an environmental editor, I knew that strip mining was tearing up many scenic areas and that clear-cutting was causing widespread damage in the mountains. I was well aware that draining and damming were making a mess of many rivers and wetlands. The grasslands were overgrazed and coal-burning power were befouling the air. Wildlife was on the run everywhere and tourists were burning the national parks into slums.
I was prepared for the worst. But how to prepare the kids?
The answer, we decided, was to undertake our journey not just as tourists on a holiday, but as reporters on the trail of "the real West." So all of us, from my kids to my wife, pledged to do our homework before we left and to record on the way everything we did, saw, hear, felt or thought.
Predictably, we did not uncover any new truths about the West in three short weeks. But there were plenty of surprises on that 5,200-mile journey and the biggest one was this: I had been wrong. Some of the troubles we saw were every bit as bad as I had dreaded. But by and large, the country was as glorious, as vast and as overwhelmingly spectacular as those know-nothing kids had expected!
Half the fun of going west is discovering, along the way, how much the past is still with us. Old wives'tales. Little old farm towns shaded from the summer heat by enormous maple trees on streets. White-haired folks reading the paper on their farmhouse porches at sunset. Worn-out windmills standing alone in pasture… All in all, we did not see much evidence that small-town America is vanishing as we traveled through rural Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota. It's true that many new homes are rising in many old cornfields. But for the most part, life in vast areas of the American heartland remains pretty much the same as it was 30 and 40 years ago.
In the hilly farmlands of southern Wisconsin and Minnesota, we found the fields and forests green and the creeks still flowing. The farms, with their "eggs for sale" signs and enormous "grandma's gardens" in the front yards, looked prosperous and secure. Not much further north, though, a drought was threatening the land.
In South Dakota, the situation was far worse. "Haven't seen anything like this since the dirty thirties," one farmer told us. Even in normal times, most of South Dakota is dry. Now it was being burned to a crisp. The water holes were dried up and we saw dead cattle lying here and there on the treeless, rolling range. Some farmers were hauling water out to their thirsty stock daily; others were trying to drill deep wells.
We saw two distinctly different Wyomings. We crossed the first Wyoming between the Black Hills and the Big Horns. Wide-open grassland, fenced and colorless, with red rocks and sweet-smelling shrubs scattered about, it was typical of a hard-used land. Cattle grazed on it. Oil rigs pumped on it and power lines zigzagged all over it. Freight trains labored across it, hauling coal from strip mine to power plant, hauling uranium and other minerals to refineries. This Wyoming, clearly, was booming.
The other Wyoming started some miles east of Buffalo, an unexpectedly graceful community in the foothills of the Big Horns. On one side of town, antelope abounded by fours and fives in the hills, and yellow wild flowers lined the roads. On the other side rose the Big Horns and nearly 10,000 feet up, Powder River Pass cut through them.
The Big Horn canons were incredible, with four and five distinct layers of pine trees somehow clinging to the steep, rocky walls. Far, far below, Ten Sleep Creek was a thin, white torrent on the rampage. In some of the less wild terrain, we saw deer on the high green hillsides and, as we climbed up toward our picnic spot, we flushed two does and two fawns. That night, we fell asleep with the roar of Ten Sleep in our ears.
We had picked by chance for our stopping place an area rich in western lore. At one time, Ten Sleep -- a small village at the western base of the Big Horns -- lay midway between two great Indian camps. In those days, the Indians measured distances by the number of sleeps and the halfway mark between those two camps was exactly ten sleeps.
We crossed the Continental Divide for the first time on a cool morning, cutting through the Rockies in northwestern Wyoming at a place called Togwatee Pass (at a height of 9,656 feet). Our van had just leveled off and we were rounding a downhill bend when, all at once, there they were, stretched out before us in a spectacular procession of massive white peaks: the Tetons. My wife gasped and, behind us, the kids began to yell. In truth, it was a startling sight―― a sight none of us will ever forget.
We had seen mountains before, but we had never experienced anything even remotely like that initial impact of the Tetons. It was exactly what we had in mind when we decided to take our first trip "out West."
New Words
bicentennial
a. happening once in 200 years; of a 200th anniversary
n. 200th anniversary
shrine
n. a building or place associated with sth. or sb. deeply respected 神殿，圣地
resolve
vt. make up one's mind (to do sth); decide 决心；决定
trail
n. a path across rough country made by the passing of people or animals 小径，小道
legendary
a. of, like or told in a legend 传奇（似）的
mountain range
a row of connected mountains 山脉
disappointed
a. sad at not getting what was hoped for 失望的
environmental
a. having to do with environment 环境的
environment n.
editor
n. 编辑
strip mine
n. a mine which is operated from the surface by removing the overlying layers of earth 露天矿
vt. take (a mineral or ore) from a strip mine 露天开采（矿物）
scenic
a. of or having to do with natural scenery 天然风景的
clear-cut
vt. cut all the trees in (a given area or forest) 将……的树木砍伐光
drain
vt. carry away the surface water of 排（水等）
dam
n. a wall or bank built to keep back water 坝，水闸
vt. build a dam across
mess
n. staate of confusion, dirt or disorder 混乱、肮脏
wetland
n. land or areas containing much soil moisture; swamp 沼泽地
grassland
n. land covered with grass, esp. wild open land for cattle to feed on 草地；牧场
overgraze
vt. allow animals to graze to the point of damaging the grass cover 在……上过度放牧
power plant
发电厂
befoul
vt. make dirty 弄脏
wildlife
n. animals and plants which live ad grow in natural conditions 野生动植物
tourist
n. a person making a tour for pleasure 游客
slum
n. (often pl.) street, alley, or building in a crowded, run-down, dirty part of a city or town, where the poorest people live 贫民窟
undertake
vt. take up (a duty, etc.); start on (work) 承担；从事
pledge
vt. make a solemn promise or agreement 发誓，保证
predictably
ad. as one may predict
uncover
vt. remove a cover from; find out, discover 揭开……盖子；发现
know-nothing
a. ignorant
n. ignoramus
shade
vt. shelter from direct light or heat 荫蔽
maple
n. 槭树，枫树
folk (AmE folks)
n. people
worn-out
a. used until no longer fit for use; very tired 破旧的；精疲力尽的
windmill
n. a mill operated by the action of the wind on sails which revolve 风车
pasture
n. grassland for cattle; grass on such land 牧场；牧草
rural
a. of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture 农村的
cornfield
n. (AmE) 玉米田；(BrE)小麦田，谷物田
heartland
n. any area or region that is the center of, or vital to , a country 心脏地带，中心地带
hilly
a. full of hills
grandma
n. (informal) grandmother
secure
a. safe; having no doubt, fear, or anxiety 安全的
drought
n. a long period of dry weather, when there is not enough water干旱
crisp
a. dry; hard; easily broken 脆的；易碎的
n. something crisp
rolling
a. rising and falling in long gentle slopes 绵延起伏的
haul
vt. pull or drag with force 拖曳
stock
vt. farm animals, usu. cattle 牲畜
distinctly
ad. clearly
graze
v. feed on growing grass (in) 吃（……的）草
rig
n. 钻塔
pump
vt. force (water, etc.) out by using a pump 泵
zigzag
vi. go in a zigzag 弯弯曲曲地行走，蜿蜒曲折
n. a line shaped like a row of z's
freight
n. the goods carried from place by water or by land 货物
fright train
n. (AmE) goods train
uranium
n. 铀
refinery
n. a building and apparatus for refining sth. (metals, oil, or sugar) 精炼厂，提炼厂
boom
vi. grow rapidly; develop rapidly in population and importance 迅速发展，兴盛
graceful
a. (of shape or movement) pleasing to the eye 优雅的
grace n.
foothill
n. a low hill at the foot of a mountain 山麓小丘
antelope
n. a deer-like, fast-running animal with thin legs 羚羊
abound
vi. have or exist in great numbers or quantities （物产）丰富
canyon
n. a deep narrow steep-sided valley (usu. with a river flowing through) 峡谷
distinct
a. easily seen, heard, understood; plain; clearly different or separate 明显的；不同的
pine
n. 松树；松木
cling
vi hold tightly; remain close 紧握着；粘着
steep
a. rising or falling sharply or at a large angle 陡峭的
torrent
n. a violently rushing stream of water 激流
rampage
n. excited and violent behavior 横冲直撞，狂暴行径
terrain
n. a stretch of land, esp. when considered in relation to its nature 地带，地形
hillside
n. the sloping side of a hill 山腰
picnic
n. 野餐
roar
n. a deep loud sound as of a lion, or thunder, etc. 吼叫，轰鸣
western
a. of, in, from, characteristic of the west.
lore
n. tradition and knowlege, esp. handed down from past times （口头）传说
midway
a.& ad. in a middle position
continental
a. (typical) of a very large mass of land; (AmE) of or in the North American continent 大陆（性）的；北美大陆的
van
n. a covered motor-vehicle for carrying goods and sometimes people 客货两用车
level
v. bring or come into a horizontal plane
downhill
a. (sloping or going) towards the bottom of a hill
stretch
v. (cause to) become wider or longer; spread out 伸延
procession
n. a line of people, vehicles, etc. moving forward in an orderly way 行列，队伍
massive
a. large, heavy and solid; huge 粗大的，巨大的
gasp
v. struggle for breath with open mouth, esp. because of surprise, chock, etc. 喘息
n. catching of the breath through surprise, pain, etc.
yell
v. make a loud sharp cry or shout, as of pain, excitement, etc.; say or shout loudly
remotely
ad. to a very small degree; far away 很少地，极小地；遥远地
remote a.
initial
a. occurring at the beginning; first 最初的，开始的
impact
n. a strong effect; the striking of one thing against another 影响；冲击
Phrases & Expressions
size up
form an opinion or judgment about 估计；品评
a bit
to some degree; rather 有点儿，相当
tear up
destroy completely by tearing 撕毁，毁掉
make a mess of
disorder, spoil or ruin 把……弄脏；把……弄糟
on the run
running or hurrying from place to place; in flight 奔跑着；奔逃着
do one's homework
make necessary preparations before taking part in an important activity 作必要的准备
by and large
on the whole; in general
all in all
(informal) on the whole
here and there
scattered about; in various places 零星分散，在各处
burn to a crisp
burn black or dry 烤焦
cut through
穿过，穿透
cling to
keep a firm hold on 紧紧抓住
be/go on the / a rampage
go about in an excited, mad and violent manner 横冲直撞
by chance
unintentionally; by accident 偶然地；意外地
at one time
formerly 从前，曾经
level off/out
move horizontally (after climbing); remain steady (after a rise) （爬高后）水平移动；（上升后）达到平稳
stretch out
extend prolong 延伸，延续
in truth
truly; really 的确
have in mind
be considering, intend 考虑，打算
Proper Names
Wyoming
怀俄明（美国州名）
Montana
蒙大拿（美国州名）
the Big Horns
大霍恩山脉（美国山名）
the Bitterroots
比特鲁特山脉（美国山名）
the Swan
斯旺山（美国山名）
Wisconsin
威斯康星（美国州名）
South Dakota
南达科地（美国州名）
the Black Hills
布莱克山（美国山名）
Buffalo
布法罗（美国城市名）
Powder River
波德河（美国河流名）
Ten Sleep Creek
十眠河（美国河流名）
the Rockies
洛矶山脉（美国山名）
Togwatee Pass
托格瓦堤关（美国地名）
the Tetons
提腾山脉（美国山名）
Unit 10
Text
Do you view work as a burden or an opportunity? Are you the kind of person who looks for ways to save your energy or the kind that finds spending your energy satisfying? Why do people like to complain about work? Find the answers to question like these in the following essay.
WHY PEOPLE WORK
Leonard R. Sayles
Jobs and work do much more than most of us realize to provide happiness sand contentment. We're all used to thinking that work provides the material things of life -- the goods and services that make possible our modern civilization. But we are much less conscious of the extent to which work provides the more intangible, but more crucial, psychological well-being that can make the difference between a full and an empty life.
Historically, work has been associated with slavery and sin and punishment. And in our own day we are used to hearing the traditional complaints: "I can't wait for my vacation," "I wish I could stay home today," "My boss treats me poorly," "I've got too much work to do and not enough time to do it." Against this background, it may well come as a surprise to learn that not only psychologists but other behavioral scientists have come to accept the positive contribution of work to the individual's happiness and sense of personal achievement. Work is more than a necessity for most human beings; it is the focus of their lives, the source of their identity and creativity.
Rather than a punishment or a burden, work is the opportunity to realize one's potential. Many psychiatrists heading mental health clinics have observed its healing effect. A good many patients who feel depressed in clinics gain renewed self-confidence when gainfully employed and lose some, if not all, of their most acute symptoms. Increasingly, institutions dealing with mental health problems are establishing workshops wherein those too sick to get a job in "outside" industry can work, while every effort is exerted to arrange "real" jobs for those well enough to work outside.
And the reverse is true, too. For large numbers of people, the absence of work is harmful to their health. Retirement often brings many problems surrounding the "What do I do with myself?" question, even though there may be no financial cares. Large numbers of people regularly get headaches and other illnesses on weekends when they don't have their jobs to go to, and must fend for themselves. It has been observed that unemployment, quite aside from exerting financial pressures, brings enormous psychological troubles and that many individuals deteriorate rapidly when jobless.
But why? Why should work be such a significant source of human satisfaction? A good share of the answer rests in the kind of pride that is stimulated by the job, by the activity of accomplishing.
Pride in Accomplishment
The human being longs for a sense of being accomplished, of being able to do things, with his hand, with his mind, with his will. Each of us wants to feel he or she has the ability to do something that is meaningful and that serves as a tribute to our inherent abilities.
It is easiest to see this in the craftsman who lovingly shapes some cheap material into an object that may be either useful or beautiful or both. You can see the carpenter or bricklayer stand aside and admire the product of his personal skill.
But even where there is no obvious end product that is solely attributable to one person's skill, researchers have found that employees find pride in accomplishment. Our own research in hospitals suggests that even the houskeeping and laundry staffs take pride in the fact that in their own ways they are helping to cure sick people -- and thus accomplishing good deal.
We're often misled by the complaints surrounding difficult work; deep down most people regard their won capacity to conquer the tough job as the mark of their own unique personality. Complaining is just part of working After all, how else do you know who you are, except as you can demonstrate the ability of your mind to control you limbs ad hands and words? You are, in significant measure, what you can do.
Some are deceived into thinking that people like to store up energy, to rest and save themselves as much as possible. Just the opposite. It is energy expenditure that is satisfying.
Just watch an employee who must deal with countless other people because his or her job is at some central point in a communications network: a salesman at a busy counter, a stock broker on the phone, a customer representative. They will tell you how much skill and experience it takes to answer countless questions and handle various kinds of personalities every hour of the day. Not everyone can interact with such persistence and over long hours, but those who do, pride themselves on a distinctive ability that contributes mightily to the running of the organization.
But work is more than accomplishment and pride in being able to command the job, because except for a few craftsmen and artists most work takes place "out in the world," with an through other people.
Esprit de corps
Perhasps an example will make the point:
I remember viewing a half dozen me in a chair factory whose job it was to bend several pieces of steel and attach them so that a folding chair would result. While there were ten or twelve of these "teams" that worked together, one in particular was known for its perfect coordination and lightning-like efforts. The men knew they were good. They would work spurts for twenty or thirty minutes before taking a break -- to show themselves, bystanders and other groups what it was to be superbly skilled and self-controlled, to be the best in the factory.
When I talked with them, each expressed enormous pride in being a part of the fastest, best team. And this sense of belonging to an accomplished work group is one of the distinctive satisfactions of the world of work.
One further word about work group satisfactions. Unlike may other aspects of life, relationships among people at work tend to be simpler, less complicated, somewhat less emotional. This is not to say there aren't arguments and jealousies, but, on the whole, behavioral research discloses that human relations at work are just easier, perhaps because they are more regular and predictable and thus simpler to adjust to than the sporadic, the more intense and less regular relationships in the community. And the work group also gently pressures its members to learn how to adjust to one another so that the "rough edges" are worked off because people know they must do certain things with and through one another each day.
Beyond the team and the work group, there is the organization, whether it be company or hospital or university. The same pride in being part of a well-coordinated, successful unit is derived from being part of a larger collectivity. Working for a company that is though of as being part of the best in the community can provide employees with both status and self-confidence. They assume, usually with good reason, that others regard them more highly, even envy them, and that they are more competent than the average because of this association with a "winner," a prestigious institution. We in truth bask in the reflected glory of the institution, and we seek ways of asserting our membership so that others will know and can recognize our good fortune.
New Words
contentment
n. happiness; satisfaction 满足
civilization
n. 文明
intangible
a. that can not be touched or grasped 触摸不到的
crucial
a. decisive; critical 决定性的，关键的
pschological
a. of the soul or mind 心理的
historically
ad. in the course of history, in accordance with or in respect to history
associate
vt. connect or bring together in one's mind 联想
slavery
n. the system of having slaves; the condition of being a slave 奴隶制度；奴隶身份
sin
n. behavior that is against the principles of morality; an immoral act 罪孽
punishment
n. punishing or being punished 惩罚
complaint
n. complaining; a statement expressing unhappiness, pain, dissatisfaction 抱怨
behavioral
a. of or having to do with behavior 行为的
contribution
n. act of contributing; sth. contributed
necessity
n. sth. that is necessary; the condition of being necessary, needed or unavoidable 必需品；必要性
focus
n. the central point; centre of interest 焦点
creativity
n. the ability to produce new and orignal ideas and things; inventiveness创造性
clinic
n. building or part of a hospital where doctors give specialized medical treatment and advice; a medical institution for special purposes 诊所
heal
v. (cause to) become healthy 治愈，愈合，痊愈
depressed
a. sad; low in spirits 精神抑郁的，情绪沮丧的
depress
vt. make sad, low in spirits
renew
vt. reestablish; give new life and freshness to 使更新
gainfully
ad. profitably
acute
a. severe; strong 严重的，急性的
symptom
a. a change in the body's condition that indicates illness 症状
institution
n. a society, club, college or any organization established for some public or social purpose 公共机构
workshop
n. a room of building which contains tools or machinery for making or repairing things 车间，工场
wherein
conj. in which
exert
vt. use(strength, skill, etc.) 尽力
reverse
n. the opposite; the other way round, the back 相反，背面
absence
n. non-existence; lack
retirement
n. instance of retiring or being retired; condition of being retired 退休
financial
a. relating to money 财政的；金融的
weekend
n. Saturday and Sunday, esp. when considered as a holiday from work
fend
vi. provide(for) 供养；照料
unemployment
n. the state of being unemployed
significant
a. of noticeable importance or effect 重大的
significance n.
satisfaction
n. be state of being satisfied 满足
satisfactory a.
accomplished
a. skilled, expert 有才艺的；有造诣的
tribute
n. material evidence of one's worth, virtue, etc.
inherent
a. existing as a natural and permanent part or quality of 内在的，生来的
craftsman
n. a highly skilled workman 手艺人，（名）工匠
bicklayer
n. a workman who builds with bricks
attributable
a. that can be attributed 可归因于……的
attribute
vt. 把……归因为
housekeeping
n. management of a home and its affairs 家政
staff
n. the group of workers who carry on a job （全体）员工
capacity
n. ability, power; the amount that sth. can hold or produce 能力；容量
tough
a. difficult to do or deal with 艰巨的
unique
n. being the only one of its type 独特的
limb
n. the leg, arm. or wing of an animal 肢，翼
opposite
n. a person or thing that is entirely different from another 对立面，对立物
countless
a. very many; too many to be counted
broker
n. person who buys and sells for others 经纪人，掮客
stock broker
n. a person who buys and sells stocks and bonds for other for a commission 证券经纪人
representative
n. a person acting in place of one or more others 代表
interact
vi. act on each other 相互作用
persistence
n. the act or fact of keeping on doing sth in spite of difficulty or opposition 坚持
persist vi.
distinctive
a. clearly marking a person or thing as different from other 特殊的；与众不同的
mightily
ad. with power and strength; greatly
esprit de corps
n. (French) spirit of loyalty and devotion which unites the members of a group or society 团体精神，集体荣誉感
coordination
n. harmonious adjustment or working together 协调
coordinate vt.
lightning
闪电
bystander
n. a person standing near but not taking part in an event or activity; onlooker 旁观者
superbly
ad. magnificently; first class
aspect
n. one side or view of a subject 方面
relationship
n. a friendship between people; connection 关系
disclose
make known; show by uncovering 揭示
sporadic
a. occurring now and then; occasional 零星发生的,偶尔的
collectivity
n. people collectively, especially as forming a community or state 集体
collective a.
status
n. (high) social or professional position 地位,身份
envy
vt. feel admiration or ill-will toward (sb.) because he has the good fortune one wishes to have 羡慕;妒忌
winner
n. one that wins or seems destined to win or be successful
prestigious
a. having respect that results from the good reputation (of a person, nation, etc.)有声望的
bask
vi. sit or lie in enjoyable warmth and light (舒适地) 取暖,享受
reflect
vt. throw back (light, heat, sound or image) 反射;反映
assert
vt. demonstrate the existence of; declare forcefully 宣称,断言
membership
n. the state of being a member, of a club, society, etc. all the members of a club, society, etc.
Phrases & Expressions
associate with
connect with (often mentally) 把…与…联系在一起
rather than
instead of
fend for oneself
look after oneself 照料自己，自行谋生
aside from
besides, apart from 除…以外
long for
desire (to have )sth. strongly 渴望
take pride in
fell please and happy because of 为…而感到得意
store up
put away for future use 储存，储备
pride oneself on
regard as a special reason for pride or satisfaction 以……自豪
make the/one's point
prove that sth. is true 证明一个论点
in particular
especially
at work
busy at a job; doing work
one the whole
considering everything; in general
work off
get rid of, dispose 除去，清除 |
| 2008/12/04 |
posted by The Author @ 22:49   |
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