第一单元

Listen and Respond

Task One Focusing on the Main Ideas

1 Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences according to the information contained in the listening passage.

1 Before graduating from college, the speaker was asked to ________. A) make a piece of cake for the class

B) write down people’s response to her smile C) observe how people smile at each other D) act kindly to someone

2 While waiting for her turn to get her breakfast at the local McDonalds, the speaker ________.

A) was ready to serve the two poor homeless men who smelled B) saw a terrible dirty man standing in the line

C) found that a short gentleman was waiting for his meal D) noticed that a homeless man was smiling at her

3 The two poor homeless men went to the local McDonalds to ________. A) warm themselves B) have their breakfast

C) wait for someone D) search for a friendly smile

4 At the sight of the two homeless men, the speaker ________. A) turned away from them to join her family B) ordered for them two cups of hot coffee C) bought them two breakfast meals D) asked them what they wanted to eat

5 After the speaker turned in her ―project,‖ the speaker‘s professor and her classmates ________.

A) had a heated discussion about smile B) exchanged their unusual experiences C) were deeply touched by her smile D) were greatly moved by her story

Task Two Zooming In on the Details

Listen to the recording carefully and fill in each of the blanks according to what you have heard.

1 The speaker is a mother of threeand has recently completed her college degree. The last project the professor assigned her to do was to go out andsmile at three peopleand then write down their reaction.

2 Soon after she was assigned the project, she went with her family to the local McDonalds on a cold March morning. Just when they were standing in line, waiting to be served, she smelled a horrible ―dirty body‖ smell . Two poor homeless men were also standing in line. They just wanted to sitin the restaurant and warm up, so they only asked forcoffee. Obviously, it was all they could afford.

3 Then she was suddenly filled withsympathy. All eyes in the restaurant were set on her, judging her every action. She smiled and bought the two homeless men two breakfast meals.

4 She returned to college, with this storyin hand. She turned in her ― project.‖ Her professor read it to the whole class. The whole class was touched. She graduated with one of the biggest lessons she would ever learn — UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Read and Explore

Task One Discovering the Main Ideas

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text A. 1) Why didn‘t the author stop for the hitchhiker?

He thought that someone else would stop for him. And he was afraid of a possible robbery.

2) Did he feel guilty for not helping the young man?

No. He didn’t. But he was bothered by his easy and quick decision of leaving the young man stranded alone in the desert.

3) Why did the author decide to start his journey across America pennilessly?

He wanted to test if a person could still rely solely on the kindness of strangers or the good will of his fellow Americans these days.

4) What did he discover as he travelled?

He found out that others shared his fear. Yet they still stubbornly helped strangers like him.

5) What had happened to the trucker the author met on a rainy day? He was once robbed at knifepoint by a hitchhiker.

6) What conclusion did the author draw from his experiences mentioned in Paras. 15–18?

He found that people were generally compassionate. And those who had the least to give often gave the most.

7) Why did Carol invite the author to talk to her class about his trip?

She thought the children should be exposed to what else was out there — the good and the bad.

8) What conclusion did the author make about his trip when he talked to the students? He concluded that his faith in America had been renewed and that people could still depend on the kindness of strangers.

2 Text A can be divided into three parts with the paragraph number(s) of each part provided as follows. Write down the main idea of each part.

Part: One; Paragraph(s): 1–7; Main Idea: Because of a past experience of neglecting a hitchhiker in need of help, the author decided to travel across America without any money to find out if one could still rely on the kindness of strangers these days.

Part: Two; Paragraph(s): 8–28; Main Idea: During his trip, he found out that people were generally compassionate and willing to help although they might have fears.

Part: Three; Paragraph(s):29-31; Main Idea: He talked to school children and concluded in a patriotic manner that in America people could still depend on the kindness of strangers.

Task Two Reading Between the Lines

Read the following sentences carefully and discuss in pairs what the author intends to say by the italicized parts.

1) In the middle of the desert, I came upon a young man standing by the roadside. He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his other hand. (Para. 1)

By doing so, the young man was telling the passing drivers that he wanted to hitchhike as his car had run out of gas.

2) The week I turned 37, I realized I’d never taken a gamble in my life. (Para. 7)

This week I would be 37 years old, yet I realized that I had always been very careful in my life and I had never taken a risk, for example, trusting on the kindness of others.

3) It would be a cashless journey through the land of the almighty dollar. (Para. 7) The author is being a bit sarcastic here. He would take no money with him and travel across the US, where it is believed that money can do everything and anything. The phrase \

4) Yet I was treated with kindness in every state I traveled. I was amazed by the stubborn capacity of Americans to help a stranger, even when it seemed to run contrary to their own best interests. (Para. 11)

I was amazed by the continual show of kindness of my fellow Americans, even though helping a stranger would mean taking a risk.

5) I didn’t know whether to kiss them or scold them for stopping. (Para. 13)

The author had mixed feelings: whether to kiss the two women for their kindness, or give them a lesson by cautioning them not to trust any stranger, for they could have run into a bad person instead of himself.

Checking Your Vocabulary Word Detective

1 Choose the definition in Column B that best matches each italicized word in Column A. 1) c 2) d 3)a 4) j 5)h 6)b 7) e 8) i 9) g 10) f

2 A synonym is a word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. Write S before each pair of synonyms and A before each pair of antonyms. The first word in each pair is taken from Text B and the corresponding paragraph number has been indicated for you. Example: S virtually, almost (Para. 1) 1) S govern, control (Para. 3) 2) S signal, sign (Para. 4) 3) S participate, join (Para. 5) 4) A heave, lower (Para. 6) 5) S collapse, fall (Para. 7) 6) S establish, found (Para. 10) 7) S locate, situate (Para. 10)

8) A occasional, frequent (Para. 15)

Checking Your Comprehension

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text B.

1) What is the author and his wife‘s opinion about becoming a true friend to someone whose name they don‘t know?

The author and his wife used to think that it was virtually impossible to be a true friend to someone whose name they didn’t know. But now they realize they were wrong. Years of Sunday-morning bus trip through the city with the same ―nameless‖ people have completely changed their thinking.

2) Why does the author say that taking the Sunday-morning bus trip requires teamwork though they don‘t know each other‘s names?

There is always the same group of regular passengers. The bus driver and the passengers acted routinely with due care and attention, as if they were cooperating in a team. The driver should perform his duties well and the passengers should obey the written and unwritten rules. There should be no smoking, no littering, and everyone should behave in a polite and decent manner. Under such circumstances, names are no longer important.

3) What can we learn about the silent woman from Para. 5?

The silent woman always sits up front and never responds to others’ greetings. Her worn clothing suggests that she is not rich. However, she is considerate enough to bring the bus driver a cup of coffee each time she takes the bus ride.

4) Why does the factory security guard always slump down in his seat with his eyes closed?

He has just come off a long night shift and he feels sleepy and tired.

5) Why was the bus very late one Sunday morning?

On that morning a regular passenger collapsed on the sidewalk as he was moving forward to board the bus. The other passengers tried to help him and waited with him for an ambulance to arrive.

6) What do you know about the Mexican couple?

The Mexican couple love each other very much. They always board the bus hand in hand and are still holding hands when they get off the bus. The woman was pregnant

late last year and now they have a new baby. All the regular passengers feel happy for the young Mexican couple.

7) Why do the passengers enjoy the company of a group of Haitians?

The Haitians have a great sense of fun. The passengers are all delighted to have their company. They always chuckle and nod when the Haitians are all aboard.

8) Why is the woman who sits up front always silent? She has a speech impediment. Talking is hard for her.

9) What do you know about the silent woman‘s family life?

She is a single mother with a disabled son who is receiving special care away from home. She lives alone and feels lonely and misses her son very much. The Sunday-morning bus ride is the best thing she does all week, and an occasional visit to the fish restaurant is almost as good as the second best thing. She rides the Sunday-morning bus simply for the companionship of the driver whose name she doesn't know, but who appreciates the hot coffee she brings.

10) How did the author and his wife feel about the dinner with the silent woman?

They all had a wonderful time. For the silent woman, an occasional visit to the fish restaurant was a pleasant experience and this time it was even better with the companionship of the author and his wife. The author and his wife also enjoyed the dinner and they felt that the fish had never tasted better. When they left the restaurant, they were already friends with each other. And they shared their names.

2 Read the following statements and then decide whether each of them is true or false based on the information contained in Text B. Write T for True and F for False in the space provided before each statement.

1) T On Sundays the author and his wife take the bus to go to church regularly for years.

2) F The bus driver is required to remember the stop of every regular passenger.

(He is not required to do so. But he makes it his business to remember where every regular passenger should get off the bus.)

3) F The silent woman always gets the driver a cup of coffee because she is well-off. (The worn clothing of the silent woman suggests she doesn’t have much money to spare, but she always clutches an extra cup of coffee for the driver.)

4) F The driver has to wake up the factory security guard every time and reminds him of getting off the bus.

(The security guard closes his eyes until the precise moment that the bus approaches his stop. Then, he opens his eyes and gets off the bus.)

5) T The rotund fellow is very grateful because other people have helped him.

6) T The passengers enjoy their ride together and words or names are not necessary to them.

7) F The author and his wife developed a good relationship with the silent woman after taking the same bus for some months.

(For many months, the only sadness for the author and his wife is that they can’t establish the same rapport with the silent woman.)

8) F They found their fish tasted better because they shared a good dinner with the silent woman.

(They found their fish tasted better because they had finally learned the story of the silent woman and made friends with her.)

Enhance Your Language Awareness Words in Action

Working with Words and Expressions

1 In the box below are some of the words you have learned in this unit. Complete the following sentences with the words given. Change the form where necessary. 1) My neighbours are a friendly bunch of people.

2) Dave amazed his friends by leaving a well-paid job to travel around the world.

3) The employees in this company work an eight-hour shift .

4) The professor came to the classroom with a bundle of newspapers under his arm.

5) A passenger asked the driver: ―Could you drop me off near the post office? I‘d like to post a letter.‖

6) The little girl‘s capacity for learning languages astonished me.

7) How many countries will be participating in the Olympic Games?

8) I like the typically French style of living. It is so romantic.

9) They have made their fortunes from industry and commerce .

10) They threatened to shoot him and rob him of all his possessions.

11) In many cultures, the lion is the symbol of courage.

12) Your help was greatly appreciated . We are very grateful to you for it.

13) It‘s the first time the painting has been displayed to the public.

14) During the exam, the naughty boy tried to slip a note to his classmate while the teacher wasn‘t looking.

15) As the saying goes, conquer the desires, or they will conquer you.

16) Before the dinner party, Mother has ordered a roast from the butcher.

17) I didn‘t wait for you at home because I figured that you wouldn‘t come.

2 In the boxes below are some of the expressions you have learned in this unit. Do you understand their meanings? Do you know how to use them in the proper context? Now check for yourself by doing the blank-filling exercise. Change the form where necessary.

1) In this painting, a single red rose stands in rich contrast to the grassland.

2) The factory workers are exposed to poisonous gases and many of them suffer from lung diseases.

3) During the war, the soldier risked his life helping others to escape.

4) Do trust me. You can rely on me to keep your secret.

5) If you are attacked or robbed at knifepoint , how would you react then?

6) She is such an extraordinary girl that she always stands out in a crowd.

7) Obviously, this foolish idea runs contrary to common sense(常识).

8) I was very tired and had to flag down a taxi in order to get home early.

9) The mother picks/picked up her children from the kindergarten at 5:00 p.m. every day.

10) The publishers took a gamble on an unknown author, and the books have sold well.

11) The driver waved to us as he pulled away .

12) The driver pulled over to the side of the road to see what was wrong with his truck.

Increasing Your Word Power 1 Collocations

Look at the adverbs listed in the box below, and decide which adverb is needed to collocate with the verb in each sentence. Fill the correct adverb into the blank in the sentence. The same word may be used in more than one sentence. Consult a dictionary if necessary.

1) No need to thank me — I was just glad to help out a friend.

2) Yesterday a drunken man was run over and killed by a bus.

3) When I look back on my college days, I can‘t believe the crazy things we did as students.

4) He looks down on his colleagues because he has a PhD degree but they don‘t have.

5) A policeman was standing by the side of the road, signaling to me to pull over .

6) Peter didn‘t have anywhere to stay so Sarah put him up for a few days.

7) Don‘t worry. Everything will turn out well.

8) You promised you would do it. Why did you go back on your word?

9) Their business was losing money so they had to close down .

10) You can‘t miss him. That haircut makes him stand out in a crowd.

11) I gave up smoking when I got pregnant.

12) The doctor checked her over yesterday. All the tests were OK and she seemed to be fine.

13) She tends to hang back in a crowd because she is so shy.

14) What problems should I watch out for when buying an old house? I don‘t want to be cheated.

15) They offered her the job but she didn‘t like it and turned it down .

16) It‘s hard to comfort Sandra. She doesn‘t seem able to get over her mother‘s death.

2 Study the different meanings of the word than in the following sentences.

Task: Now put the following sentences into English, using than in your translation.

1) 行动比言语更响亮。

Action speaks louder than words.

2) 这儿的生产需要低于摄氏25度的温度。

Production here needs temperatures lower than 25 degrees Celsius.

3) 我喜欢保存东西而不是把它们扔掉。

I like to keep things rather than throw them away.

4) 这里除了我之外没有别人。 There is nobody here other than me.

5) 她宁愿辞职也不愿为那位老板干活。

She’d rather leave her job than (be forced to) work for that boss.

3 Word Building Prefixes of Numbers

In English there are some prefixes that quantify(量化) over their base words’ meaning.

Now match each of the English words in Column A with its Chinese meaning in Column B. You may consult a dictionary if necessary. 1)d 2) k 3) n 4) j 5) a 6) g 7) f 8) b 9)o 10) m 11) p 12) e 13) c 14) h 15) i 16) l

Grammar in Context

Task 1: Choose either the infinitive form or the -ing form of the verb in brackets to complete each of the following sentences.

1) When I saw John in his room, he was busy preparing (prepare) his lessons.

2) I‘d like to take this opportunity to thank (thank) all of you for coming to join us tonight.

3) My transistor radio isn‘t working. It needs repairing / to be repaired (repair).

4) They found it impossible to get (get) everything ready in time.

5) I am used to studying (study) with Mr. Jones and therefore prefer not to change to another teacher.

6) All the women in the office objected to being treated (treat) like this.

7) I must go now. I can‘t risk missing (miss) the last train.

8) The President‘s attempts to reduce (reduce) inflation were quite successful.

9) He is always the last one to leave (leave) the office.

10) It‘s no use worrying (worry) about your child. He‘s grown up.

Task 2: Complete the following sentences by translating the Chinese in brackets into English, paying attention to the use of the -ing form and the –ed form of verbs.

1) When the old man was telling the story, some children kept nodding(不住地点头) while some others looked rather confused (很迷惑).

2) Fallen leaves (落叶) will eventually turn into fertilizer serving other plants.

3) The three boys were so surprised (吃惊) to find the escaped prisoner hiding (正躲在) behind the door.

4) Deeply moved (被深深地感动了) by the poor but hard-working boy, the couple decided to pay for his secondary education.

5) Anyone following (听从) this advice would find himself in trouble.

6) Being (作为) university students, we should be interested (对…感兴趣) in what is going on in the world.

7) The bulk of the world‘s rainforests, 97 percent, are located (位于) in 27 developing countries.

8) If she catches you reading (在读) her diary, she‘ll be angry.

Cloze

Complete the following passage with words chosen from Text A. The initial letter of each is given.

Could anyone rely on the kindness of strangers these days? One way to test this would be for a person to journey from coast to coast without any money, relying (1) solely on the good will of his fellow Americans. The idea intrigued (2) me. So I decided to make a trip from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast without a penny (3). I rose early on September 6, 1994, and headed for (4) the Golden Gate Bridge. During the six weeks‘ journey, I hitched 82 rides and covered (5) 4,223 miles across 14 states. I was treated (6) with kindness in every state I travelled across. I was amazed (7) by the stubborn capacity of Americans to help a stranger, even when it seemed to run contrary (8) to their own best interests. I found that people were generally (9) compassionate. Hearing I had no money and would take none, people in every state bought me food or shared whatever (10) they happened to have with me. In Jamestown, Tennessee, a science teacher invited (11) me to talk to her class about my trip. All the kids were well-mannered and attentive (12). Their questions kept coming. I told the students how proud I was to live in a country where (13) people were still willing to help out a stranger. I told them, ―No matter who you are, you can still depend on the kindness of strangers.‖

Translation

Translate the following sentences into English, using the words and expressions given in brackets.

1) 离婚的传言不过是为他的新电影炒作的手段而已。(a ploy to do sth.) The rumor about his divorce is just a ploy to gain publicity for his new film.

2) 他孤注一掷，用父母留给他的所有钱来开一家工厂。(take a gamble on sth.) He took a gamble on starting a factory with all the money his parents had left him.

3) 赢得那场重要的比赛之后，他们把队长抬到肩膀上，欢呼着胜利。(hoist ... to ...) After winning the important game they hoisted their captain to their shoulders in shouting triumph.

4) 在全球化热潮中，我们要提防不同文化的冲突。(watch out for sth.)

In the rush to go for globalization, we should watch out for collision of cultures.

5) 在这种情况下，出现麻烦是不足为奇的。(in the circumstances) In the circumstances it was not surprising that there was trouble.

6) 这婴儿非常健康。(the picture of) The baby is the very picture of health.

7) 人们已经意识到儿童接触有关暴力和色情电视节目的危害。(expose sb. to sth. )

People have realized the dangers of exposing children to violence and sex on TV.

8) 我们始终考虑到我们是在为谁制作这部影片。(have in mind) We always had in mind for whom we were making the film.

翻译

一年夏天，我从家乡加利福尼亚州的塔霍城开车前往新奥尔良。在沙漠深处，我碰到一个年轻人站在路旁。他一只手打出拇指向外的手势，另一只手里拿着一个汽油罐。我直接从他身边开过去了。别人会停下来的，我想。再说，那汽油罐只是个让车停下、好抢劫司机的幌子而已。在这个国家，曾有那么一段时间，你要是对需要帮助的人置之不理，大家会认为你是混蛋，而如今你要是帮了你就是笨蛋。到处潜伏着犯罪团伙、吸毒上瘾者、杀人犯、强奸犯、盗窃犯还有劫车犯，为什么要冒险呢？―我不想卷进去‖已经成为全国性的信条。

2 开过了几个州以后，我还在想着那个想搭便车的人。把他一个人留在沙漠中倒并没有让我有多么不安。让我不安的是，我多么轻易地就做出了这个决定。我甚至根本没把脚从油门上抬起来。我很想知道，现在还有人会停车吗？

3 我想到我此行的目的地——新奥尔良。那里是田纳西?威廉姆斯的剧作《欲望号街车》的背景地。我回想起布兰奇?杜波依斯的名句：―我总是依赖陌生人的善意。‖ 4 陌生人的善意。听起来好怪。如今这年头还有谁能指望陌生人的善意吗？

5 要验证这一点，一个办法是一个人从东海岸旅行到西海岸，不带一分钱，完全依靠美国同胞的善意。他会发现一个什么样的美国？谁会给他饭吃、让他歇脚、捎他一程呢？ 6 这个念头激起了我的好奇心。但谁会这么不切实际、愿意去尝试这样一次旅行呢？好吧，我想，那不如我来试试？

7 满37岁那个星期，我意识到我这辈子还从没冒过什么险呢。所以我决定来个观念的跨越，美洲大陆那么宽——从太平洋去大西洋，不带一分钱。要是有人给我钱，我会拒绝。我只接受搭顺风车、提供食物和让我歇脚的帮助。这将是在这片金钱至上的土地上的一次身无分文的旅行。我的最终目的地是北卡罗来纳州的―恐惧角‖（即开普菲尔），它象征着我沿途必须克服的所有恐惧。

8 1994年9月6日，我早早起床，背起一个50磅重的包，朝金门桥走去。我从背包里拿出一个牌子，向过路的车辆展示我的目的地：―美利坚‖。

9 司机们隔着挡风玻璃念出这个词，然后笑了。两个女人骑自行车经过。―有点含混，‖其中一个说。一名带有德国口音的年轻男士走上前来问，―你这个?美利坚'‖在哪儿？‖ 10 实际上，整整六个星期的时间里我试图找出答案。我搭了82次便车，行程4223英里，穿越了14个州。在旅途中，我发现其他人跟我一样有担心。人们总是在警告我当心别的某个地方。在蒙大拿州，他们叫我留神怀俄明州的牛仔，而在内布拉斯加州，人们提醒我说艾奥瓦州的人可不如他们友好。

11 然而，在我所去的每个州，我都受到了友善的对待。我诧异于美国人执意帮助陌生人的能力，甚至于在看来与自己的最大利益相冲突时他们也绝不袖手旁观。有一天，在内布拉斯加，一辆四门小轿车在路肩停下。我走到车窗边，看到两位穿着节日盛装的瘦小老妇人。

12 ―我知道这年头不该带搭便车的，但这里前不着村后不着店的，不停车感觉真不好。‖自称―维‖的司机说。她和姐姐海伦是去内布拉斯加的安斯沃思看眼科医生的。 13 她们为我停了车，我都不知道是该亲吻她们呢还是该责备她们。这个女人是在告诉我，她宁肯冒生命危险也不愿意因为没为一个站在路边的陌生人停车而感到内疚。她们在一个高速路口把我放下时，我望着维。我们俩异口同声地说，―小心。‖

14 有一次我在雨中没能搭上便车。一名长途卡车司机停了车，他把刹车踩得那么重，车子都在草地路肩上滑行了一段。司机告诉我他有一次被搭便车的人持刀抢劫了。―但我不愿意看到有人在雨里站着。‖他补充说，―现在大家都没有良心了。‖

15 然而，我发现，总体而言，人们还是挺有同情心的。艾奥瓦州一对中年夫妇为了帮我找宿营地领着我走了一个小时。在南达科他州，一个女人让我在她家住了一晚之后递给我两张贴了邮票的明信片：一张是让她知道我这趟旅行结果如何；另一张是要第二天寄出的，告诉她我在哪里，免得她为我担心。

16 听说我没钱，又不愿意接受钱，每个州的人们都会给我买食物或者和我分享他们手头有的东西。在加州的尤凯亚，一位国家公园管理员给了我一些胡萝卜，一名大学生给了我几大袋有机西红柿和瓜类。艾奥瓦州的一名妇女给了我两大包全麦饼干，两罐果汁汽水、两个金枪鱼罐头、两个苹果和两块鸡肉。

17 拥有最少的人往往给予的最多。在俄勒冈一个叫迈克的房屋油漆工注意到天气十分寒冷，就问我有没有外套。我回答说―有件薄的‖，他开车带我去他家，翻遍了车库，递给我一件肥大的绿色军大衣。

18 在俄勒冈的另一个地方，一个叫蒂姆的锯木厂工人邀请我去他们破旧的家里和他家人一起吃了顿简单的晚餐。他给了我一本《圣经》，然后又要把家里的帐篷给我。我拒绝了，因为我知道那极有可能是这家人最值钱的一样东西了。然而蒂姆执意让我接受，所以最后我只好同意。

19 我感激我所遇到的所有人，感谢他们让我搭车，给我食物，给我提供住处，送我礼物。但最友善的举动是，他们是那么自然真诚。

20 有一天，我走进了田纳西州的詹姆斯敦一家当地商会。在这座古老建筑里一个男人从他凌乱的桌子旁站起身。―请进，‖59岁的巴克斯特?威尔逊说。他是那儿的执行会长。 21 我向他打听在当地露营的事。他递给我一本当地露营地的小册子。―需要我帮你打电话吗？‖他问。

22 我一看露营得花12美元，就回答，―不用了，没事。我也不知道我该怎么做。‖ 23 这时他看见了我的背包。―这里差不多每个人都会让你在他们的地里支帐篷的，如果那是你所想要的话。‖他说。

24 这话就对了，我想。―有没具体的方位？‖我问。

25 ―跟你说吧，我有个大农场，在从这儿往南大概10英里。要是你五点半能在这儿，我可以开车带你去。‖

26 我接受了，于是我们开车去了一幢华丽的乡村住宅。突然，我意识到他是邀请了我到他家过夜。

27 我们走进厨房时，他的妻子卡萝尔正在炖牛肉块。她是一名七年级的科学老师，简直就是南方魅力的化身。

28 巴克斯特解释说，当地人是―不爱外出的山里人‖，他觉得自己也是这么一个人。―我们很少在家里招待客人，‖他说，―招待的话，一般是亲戚。‖他的这番透露让我那一夜变得更加不同寻常。

29 第二天我下楼时，卡萝尔问我愿不愿意去学校跟她班上的孩子们谈谈我的旅行。我告诉她我可不想怂恿一帮七年级的孩子去搭便车游遍美国，但卡萝尔说孩子们应该接触到外面的世界是什么样子——包括好的一面和坏的一面。―他们需要了解真相，‖她说。 30 我同意了。没过多久，我就被安排给学校每个班讲话。所有的孩子都彬彬有礼而且聚精会神。他们的问题不断冒出来：哪儿的人们最友善？我穿坏过多少双鞋？有没有人试图轧死我？别的地方的猪脚也有这么好吗？我有没有爱上过谁？我最害怕的是什么？

31 尽管我并没有打算这么做，我发现爱国主义的语调贯穿了那天下午的讲话。我告诉学生们，我对美利坚的信念如何重新燃起了。我告诉他们，生活在一个人们仍然愿意帮助陌生人的国度里，我有多么自豪。我告诉他们，我当初计划这次旅行时脑子里的问题已经得到明确的解答。的确，不管你是谁，你仍然可以依赖陌生人的善意。

第二单元

选择乐观 里奇?德沃斯

1 假如你预料某事结局不妙，结果可能真会如此。悲观的想法很少落空。不过这个法则反过来也成立。假如你觉得会有好事发生，通常就会交上好运！乐观与成功之间似乎有一种天然的因果关系。

2 乐观和悲观都具有强大的力量，我们每个人必须选择其一，来塑造自己的前途和理想。每个人的生命中都有足够的幸运与不幸——丰富的哀伤和喜悦、充足的欢欣与痛苦——令我们找到或乐观或悲观的理由。我们可以选择哭或是笑、祝福或是诅咒。这完全取决于我们自己：用什么样的眼光去看待生活？是积极向上，还是垂头丧气？

3 我信守积极向上的态度。对积极的东西我浓墨重彩，对消极的东西则一笔带过。我是乐天派，既是天生如此，也因后天选择所致。诚然，我知道生命中会有伤痛。我已经七十多岁了，经历过不止一次的危机。但是，当一切尘埃落定，我发现生命中的美好远比丑恶多。

4 乐观的态度不是奢侈品，它是我们生活的必需品。你看待生活的方式将决定你的感受、你的表现，以及你与他人相处得怎样。反过来，悲观的想法、态度和期待也会自成因果：它们是能自我实现的预言。悲观会制造出无人愿往的黑暗之地。

5 多年前，我驱车去一个加油站加油。那天天气很好，我的心情也不错。当我走进加油站付油钱时，服务员问我：―你感觉怎样？‖这问题有点古怪，不过，我感觉很好，于是便照实回答了他。―你脸色不好，‖他回答。这话让我大吃一惊。我告诉他我的感觉从未像现在这么好，但已不像开始那么底气十足了，而他则毫无顾忌地继续大讲我的气色如何差，还说我肤色发黄。

6 在离开加油站的时候，我觉得有点心神不宁。驶出一个街区之后，我把车停在路旁，对着镜子看着自己的脸。我感觉如何？我的脸色那么差吗？一切都正常吗？等我回到家里，我已经开始觉得有点想吐。我的肝脏出了毛病吗？是不是染上了什么怪病？ 7 再次光顾那个加油站时，我还是感觉很好，我弄明白了个中蹊跷。这个地方不久前把墙漆上了一种抢眼但又难看的黄色，墙面反射的光线使里面的每一个人看起来都像得了肝炎。不知道有多少人有过与我类似的反应。和一个根本不认识的人的一次短短对话竟然改变了我整整一天的心情。他说我面带病容，没过多久，我就真的觉得不舒服。那一句消极的话就大大影响了我的感觉和行为。

8 唯一比否定态度更有力量的是积极的肯定，充满乐观与希望的话语。最让我心存感激的一件事情，就是我生长的这个国度有着伟大的乐观主义传统。如果一种文化从整体上采取积极向上的态度，不可思议的事情也能变成现实。人们若把世界看作光明与希望之地，他们将被赋予努力进取和成就功业的力量。

9 乐观不意味着幼稚。在保持乐观的同时，你仍然能意识到问题的存在，意识到有些问题非常棘手。乐观带来的改变在于面对问题的态度。比方说，这些年我总是听到有人抱怨用于太空计划的钱是被白白浪费了。他们会说：―与其花4亿5千5百万美元把一个人送上月球，为什么不把这些钱用来解决地球上的贫穷问题呢？‖但当你追问他们打算如何用这些钱来消除贫困时，大多数人又会无言以对。我对他们说：―告诉我一个解决办法，我会为你们筹到钱。‖以积极的方式思考如何解决问题，而不是对花在别的项

目上的金钱妄加挑剔。实际上，美国的太空计划带来了许多有价值的发现，全人类都从中受益。

10 乐观精神使我们的注意力从消极的否定态度转向积极的、建设性的思考。乐观主义者更关心如何解决问题，而不是毫无意义地怨天尤人。事实上，如果没有乐观精神，像贫穷这样严重而且现正存在的问题是无望解决的。解决这样的问题需要一个梦想家——一个拥有九死不悔的乐观、矢志不移的坚韧和无限信心的人。何去何从，由你决定。

Listen and Respond

Task One Focusing on the Main Ideas

Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences according to the information contained in the listening passage. 1 According to the passage Michael was ________. A) a curious person

B) always an optimist in his life C) always a victim in his company D) an employee who liked complaining

2 If something bad happened or someone came to him complaining Michael would ________.

A) choose to be a victim

B) be more likely to be in a bad mood

C) choose to accept the bad thing or the complaining D) choose the positive side of life

3 In Michael‘s opinion ________.

A) those people who like to complain will often affect our mood B) we should do some morning exercises to cheer us up C) how we live our life is decided by our attitude to life D) optimists have more chances of success than pessimists

4 From Michael the speaker has learned that ________. A) each morning he must say something to himself B) everyone may have a chance of success C) every day we have a choice to live fully D) it‘s not easy to be an optimist

Task Two Zooming In on the Details

Listen to the recording again and fill in each of the blanks according to what you have heard.

1 If an employee was having a bad day , Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positiveside of the situation.

2 Each morning when Michael woke up he would remind himself to be in a good moodand choose the positive side of life; if something bad happened, he would choose to learn fromit and not to be a victim of it.

3 In Michael‘s opinion, life is all about choices. Every situation in life is a choice. You choose how you react to situations; you choose how people will affect your mood; you choose how you feel. The bottom lineis: It‘s your choice how you live your life.

4 The author decided to follow Michael‘s example and believed that if he chose to be an optimist he might feel better , enjoy life moreand might have more chances of success.

Read and Explore

Task One Discovering the Main Ideas

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text A.

1) According to Rich DeVos, what is the relationship between optimism and success? According to Rich DeVos, there seems to be a natural cause-and-effect relationship between optimism and success.

2) Why should each of us choose between optimism and pessimism to shape our outlook and our expectations?

Because there is enough good and bad in everyone’s life and this serves as a rational basis for us to choose either optimism or pessimism.

3) What is the author‘s choice? Why does he make such a choice?

Rich DeVos chooses to highlight the positive and slip right over the negative, because he is an optimist by choice as much as by nature. And he found that the good in life is far greater and more important than the bad.

4) What does the author‘s experience in the service station tell us?

It tells us that a negative attitude may have a profound effect on the way we feel and act.

5) What‘s the meaning of the sentence ―Optimism doesn‘t need to be naive‖(Para. 9)? We can be optimists and still recognize that problems exist and that some of them are not dealt with easily.

2 Text A can be divided into three parts with the paragraph number(s) of each part provided as follows. Write down the main idea of each part.

Part: One; Paragraph(s): 1-3; Main Idea: It is necessary to choose optimism to shape our outlook and expectations.

Part: Two; Paragraph(s): 4–7; Main Idea: The author illustrates the effect of negativism through his own experience.

Part: Three; Paragraph(s): 8-10; Main Idea: The author suggests that we direct our attention to positive and constructive thinking rather than to negativism.

Task Two Reading Between the Lines

Read the following sentences carefully and discuss in pairs what the author intends to say.

1) An optimistic attitude is not a luxury; it‘s a necessity. (Para. 4)

An optimistic attitude is not something that is enjoyable but unnecessary. It is essential for our life.

2) Pessimism creates a sad and hopeless place where no one wants to live in. (Para. 4)

If you are a pessimist, you will find that the environment you live in is always dull, uninteresting and hopeless.

3) That seemed like an odd question, but I felt fine and told him so. (Para. 5)

The author was feeling great on that beautiful day. He was a bit surprised to hear the attendant’s question.

4) Optimism doesn‘t need to be naive. (Para. 9)

To be optimistic, we do not need to be simple-minded or be happy blindly.

5) Optimism draws our attention away from negativism and channels it into positive, constructive thinking. (Para. 10)

If we take an optimistic attitude towards life, we will look on the positive side of the situation and gradually cultivate a positive and constructive way of thinking.

Checking Your Vocabulary Word Detective

1 Choose the definition in Column B that best matches each italicized word in Column A. 1)c 2)f 3) d

4) h 5) j 6) a 7) i 8)b

2 The table below contains approximate synonyms and / or antonyms for some words from Text B. Work out what the missing words are and write them down in the correct space of the puzzle that follows. The number of the paragraph in which each missing word appears as well as its initial and final letters has been given. If you have written down the correct words, you will discover a hidden vertical word that means ―a person who thinks that whatever happens will be good‖. What is the hidden word? 1) RESPONSE 2) PERPETUAL 3) COUNTLESS 4) PRIOR

5) ENORMOUS 6) HISTORICAL 7) OBSERVATION 8) STARTLE

The hidden word is OPTIMIST .

Checking Your Comprehension

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text B. 1) How did the author start his classes for 30 years?

He started his classes by asking the question ―what are we celebrating today‖. Sometimes he asked it a little differently.

2) What was the author teaching at the high school level?

He often taught courses in United States history and in American government.

3) Why did a boy say that reading the actual news section of a newspaper was a negative assignment?

Because the boy thought that most of the news in the newspaper was bad news which was depressing.

4) What did the students learn by celebrating the good in their everyday lives?

They learned to look for the good in everyday life and then to share it with others. And each day they increased their awareness of all the good news going on around them all the time.

5) What were the three more choices that the author added to celebrate the day?

The students could share something or someone they were thankful for. Or they could say something complimentary about a classmate. Or they could share something funny as long as it was clean.

6) Did the adult students of the author enjoy his way of starting his classes?

Yes. They loved it and had even more good news than the kids did. And some adult students in management positions started opening their regular meetings in much the same way.

7) Why was the author astounded when he read the take-home exam papers?

Because almost every student wrote about the way they started class every day. They felt that sharing good news at the beginning of every class taught them something even more valuable: to look for the good and to celebrate it with others.

8) What lasting impact did the author‘s way of starting his classes have on his students?

The lasting impact was that his students gradually learned how to focus on the positive in life instead of the negative.

2 Read the following statements and then decide whether each of them is true or false based on the information in the text. Write T for True and F for False in the space provided before each statement.

1) F The author began asking his students to share good news from the very

beginning of his teaching career.

(The ritual started by accident in the 1970–71 school year.)

2) T The average high school student was well informed about music, sports and

other forms of entertainment.

3) T The author was surprised when one student said the homework was a negative

assignment.

4)F After a few years, his students learned to find the good news in the newspaper

and then to share it with others.

(After a few years, his students learned to find the good news in everyday life and then to share it with others.)

5) T The students could share many kinds of good news related to their school,

workplace, families and friends.

6)F His adult students showed less response to the ritual of celebration because they

were hardened by life.

(His adult students loved the ritual of celebration and had even more good news than the kids did though formerly the author worried about their being hardened by life.)

7) T The celebration practice was considered of great value by many students.

8)F The author realized the enormous influence of his celebration ritual when he ran

into a former student he‘d taught many years before.

(Over the years he has heard and read countless similar comments about the influence of his celebration ritual from his former students.)

Enhance Your Language Awareness Words in Action

Working with Words and Expressions

1 In the box below are some of the words you have learned in this unit. Complete the following sentences with them. Change the form where necessary.

1) Don‘t just make a negative complaint about our service; give us some positive advice.

2) The noise of the car startled the birds and the whole flock flew up into the air.

3) Viewed from an international perspective , it appears absolutely essential to emphasize the importance of potential customers‘ needs in the developing countries.

4) In this terrible job you have to harden your heart to pain and suffering.

5) We can have many choices in life and the choices that we make will shape our life.

6) Efforts should be made to address the communication problem existing between teenagers and their parents.

7) That couple has endured so many emotional and financial crises . It is amazing that their marriage has lasted for so many years.

8) Just before the speech contest (演讲比赛), he fell ill and was not able to participate in it; he could only curse his luck.

9) It is incredible that her four-year-old boy can write some 600 Chinese characters (汉字).

10) You can add the liquid to the powder, or conversely, the powder to the liquid.

11) The next big issue confronting the workers is the question of social security (社会保险).

12) I wrote to them a month ago but haven‘t gotten a response yet.

13) I shall have to refuse your invitation because of a prior engagement.

14) There used to be various kinds of birds here, but now they are rare due to lack of food resources.

15) Is it true that visualizing a task by positive thinking helps to accomplish the task better?

2 In the boxes below are some of the expressions you have learned in this unit. Do you understand their meanings? Do you know how to use them in the proper context? Now check for yourself by doing the blank-filling exercise. Change the form where necessary.

1) You may feel awkward when you start learning how to drive, but it‘s easy once you getthehangof it.

2) As one of those who havelivedthrough two world wars, Uncle Sam understands the value of life far better than his grandchildren.

3) When you are learning driving a car, it makesadifference whether you have a good teacher or not.

4) He is so stubborn. We havenoidea how to persuade him to accept our proposal.

5) Be more concernedwith your character than your reputation(名声), because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is just what others think you are.

6) To our surprise, Mr. Thompson slippedover an important point in his analysis — the cause and effect of the problem.

7) To my pleasant surprise, I raninto my best friend Helen in Paris last week.

8) I hit the tree behind me when I put the car inreverse without looking back first.

9) I‘ll leave you alone here so you can mull over the problem and make a decision on your own.

Increasing Your Word Power

1 Decide whether do, make or take is needed to complete each of the following sentences. Change the verb form where necessary.

1) Criticizing people‘s work often does more harm than good.

2) If you are not happy with the situation here, you should make a complaint to the manager.

3) I take your point; we should consider the offer more seriously.

4) Would you do me a favour by turning off the radio? It‘s too noisy here.

5) You will make a profit by selling the equipment now; if you wait, the price may fall.

6) Take your time, there is no rush. We still have an hour before the train leaves.

7) Now then, Mrs. Miller, how would you like your hair done today?

8) They had been in India for three weeks when he was suddenly taken ill.

9) Who is making that noise there? I cannot hear the TV program.

10) He was in the second place but on the last bend(弯道) he suddenly passed his rival(对手) and took the lead.

2 In each of the following sentences you are given two confusable words or expressions in brackets. Choose the appropriate one to fill in the blank. You may consult a dictionary if necessary.

1) We will invite the parties concerned (concerning, concerned) to participate in the discussion.

2) Concerning (concerning, concerned) your letter, I am pleased to inform you that you are to receive the order by the end of this week.

3) We‘ll have to reject (reject, decline) these products, because they have some little cracks in them.

4) We sent him an invitation to the party, but he declined (rejected, declined).

5) After she hit her head on the wall, she was unconscious (subconscious, unconscious) for several minutes.

6) She had a(n) subconscious (subconscious, unconscious) fear whenever she saw a snake.

7) Bill and Jack are twins. The former (preceding, former) is taller than the latter.

8) In the preceding (preceding, former) chapter we discussed the civil rights movement in the US in the 1960‘s.

9) Every morning we raise (raise, rise) our national flag at the school gate.

10) The plane was then able to rise (raise, rise) and it cleared the mountains by 400 feet.

3 Word Building

Now match each of the English words in Column A with its Chinese meaning in Column B. You may consult a dictionary if necessary. 1)d 2) j 3) k 4) a 5) b 6) h 7) c 8) f 9)l 10) e 11) g 12) i

Grammar in Context

Task 1: When it is used as a conjunction, as can mean ―when / while‖, ―though /although‖, ―since / because‖, ―in the way / manner that‖, etc., and it can also be used in a comparative structure. Study the following sentences and explain the meaning of as in each sentence.

1) As the saying goes, you cannot eat your cake and have it too. Meaning: in the way /manner that

2) Terrible as was the storm, we continued on our way to our destination. Meaning: though / although

3) I saw her standing under a tree as I was getting off the bus. Meaning: when

4) As he is a dull boy, we can’t expect him to make much progress in a short time.

Meaning: since

5) I was as surprised as anyone else when they offered me the job. Meaning: used in a comparison

6) Try as she might, Sue couldn’t get the door open. Meaning: though

7) Alison’s face beamed with joy as he was reading the message. Meaning: while

8) I want you to tell her your experience exactly as you have told it to me. Meaning: in the way that

Task 2: Complete the following sentences after the example by translating the Chinese into English, using as as a relative pronoun.

1) Such conservative people as you describe / have described / described (如你所描述的) are rare nowadays.

2) At the meeting we will discuss such questions as concern every one of us (对我们每人都有关的).

3) As is well known (众所周知), China is famous for her four great inventions in history.

4) As we all can see (正如我们有目共睹), great changes have taken place in China since 1978.

5) You must show him the same respect as you show / as you have shown for your teacher (就像你尊重你的老师那样).

6) As is reported / announced in today’s papers (据今天的报纸报道), they have succeeded in solving the problem in accordance with the new theory.

Cloze

Complete the following passage with words and phrases chosen from Text A. The initial letter of each is given.

Optimism and pessimism are powerful forces, and each of us must choose which we want, so as to shape our outlook and our expectations. From which perspective (1) do we want to view life? Will we look up in hope or down in despair (2)? An optimistic attitude is not a luxury; it‘s a necessity (3). The way you look at life will determine how you feel, perform (4), and how well you will get along with others. Conversely (5), negative thoughts, attitudes, and expectations feed on themselves; they become a self-fulfilling prophecy (6). Pessimism creates a sad and hopeless place where (7) no one wants to live. When the world is seen as (8) a hopeful, positive place, people are more likely to achieve (9). Optimism doesn‘t need to be naive. You can be an optimist and still recognize (10) that problems exist and that some of them are not dealt with (11) easily. Yet optimism makes a difference in the attitude (12) of the problem solver! Optimism draws our attention away from negativism and channels (13) it into positive, constructive thinking. When you‘re an optimist, you‘re more concerned (14) with problem-solving than with useless fault-finding. To tackle a big problem, one needs both optimism and persistence.

Translation

Translate the following sentences into English, using the words and expressions given in brackets.

1) 只有那些有过类似经历的人，才能够完全理解这一点。(live through)

Only those who have lived through a similar experience can fully appreciate this. / The only people who can fully appreciate this are those who have lived through a similar experience.

2) 科学家们一直没弄明白这些粒子是怎么形成、又是如何相互作用的。(figure out)

Scientists have been hard pressed to figure out how these particles form / are formed and interact (with one another).

3) 那些掌握了魔方(Rubik‘s Cube)窍门的人能在很短时间内把每一面都恢复成单一颜色。(get the hang of sth.)

Those who have got the hang of Rubik’s Cube (Magic Cube) can return each face to consisting of one colour in no time.

4) 团队环境中员工个人的成功能带来公司的成功。(result in)

The individual success of the employees in a team environment results in success for the company.

5) 这场战争，虽说从军事角度而言是成功的，却令经济几乎崩溃。(in… terms) The war, although successful in military terms, left the economy almost in ruins.

6) 他决定把自己的精力用到有益的事上，而不是整天守在电视机前。(channel sth. into…)

He decided to channel his energies into something useful, instead of being glued to /sitting in front of the TV set all day long.

7) 力量与勇气是有区别的。生存需要力量，生活需要勇气。(it takes sth. to do sth.) There’s a difference between strength and courage. It takes strength to survive. It takes courage to live.

8) 她天生就是个非常温柔亲切的人，总是乐于向别人伸出援手。(by nature)

She was by nature a very affectionate person, always ready to give a helping hand to others.

第三单元

追梦 亚历克斯?哈利

1 很多年轻人告诉我，他们想当作家。我总是鼓励这些人，但我也会解释，―当作家‖和写作是有区别的。在多数情况下，这些人是在梦想名利，而不是在打字机前独自度过漫长的时间。我对他们说，―你得渴望写作，而不是渴望当作家。‖

2 孤独、冷清、低薪，这就是写作的现实写照。幸运之神会眷顾一些作家，但数以千计的人心中的渴望永远无法满足。就算是成功者，大多也曾长期无人问津、穷困潦倒，包括我。

3 我离开工作了20年的美国海岸警备队成为一名自由作家时，前途一片渺茫。唯一拥有的是一个儿时的朋友乔治，他跟我在田纳西州的亨宁一起长大。乔治在格林尼治村公寓看门，他在那里帮我找了间腾出来的储藏室。那儿很冷，又没有卫生间，可是我不在乎。我马上买了一部二手的打字机，感觉就像一个真正的作家了。

4 然而，过了一年左右还没有时来运转，我开始怀疑自己。作品很难卖出去，我只能勉强维持生计，但我知道，我渴望写作，多少年来我一直梦想着写作。我不要像有些人一样，临死时还想，―假如……‖我要坚持不懈地试验着我的梦，哪怕衣食无着，害怕失败，也决不放弃。这是希望的阴影地带，每个有梦的人都必须学会在那里安居。 5 一天，我接到一个电话，我的一生从此改变。不是经纪人或编辑打来要和我签一份大额合同。刚好相反，这个电话像海妖的歌声，诱使我放弃梦想。打电话的是海岸警备队的一个老熟人，警备队现在设在旧金山。他借过一些钱给我，不时提起这件事。―我什么时候才能拿回那15块钱啊，亚历克斯？‖他揶揄道。 6 ―等我下次卖了稿子吧。‖

7 他说，―我有个更好的主意。我们这里要新招一个公共信息助理，年薪六千。想要的话，这位子就是你的了。‖

8 一年六千！在1960年，那可是一大笔钱了。我可以买套不错的房子，一辆二手车，还清所有的债，甚至还可以有点积蓄，而且我还可以在业余时间写作。

9 钞票在我脑海中舞动，但我的头脑蓦地清醒了。从内心深处，一个固执的决定涌上心头。我的梦想是要当作家，全职作家。我一定要实现梦想。―谢谢，我不去，‖我听到自己在这样说，―我要坚持写作。‖

10 放下电话，我在小小的房间里踱着步，开始觉得自己像个傻瓜。我把手伸进壁橱（一个钉在墙上的装桔子的板条箱），拿出里面所有的东西：两个沙丁鱼罐头。我把手伸进口袋，找到了18分钱。我把罐头和硬币塞进一个皱巴巴的纸袋。我对自己说，看吧，亚历克斯，这就是你的全部家当了。我觉得前所未有的沮丧。

11 我希望我可以说，情况马上有了好转，可是没有。幸亏还有乔治帮我渡过难关。 12 通过他，我认识了一些正在苦苦奋斗的艺术家，比如乔?德莱尼，绘画多年，来自田纳西的诺克斯维尔。乔经常穷得连食物都买不起，所以他会去附近的一家肉店，那屠夫会给些沾着肉末的大骨头；他还去杂货店，店主会给他一些蔫了的蔬菜。用这些，乔就可以做他喜爱的汤了。

13 村里还有一位邻居，是个英俊的年轻歌手，开一家生意清淡的餐馆。据说，要是顾客点了牛扒，这歌手就会冲到街对面的超市里买一份回来。他的名字叫哈里?贝拉方特。 14 德莱尼和贝拉方特等人成了我的楷模。我懂得了，要追求梦想，就得做出牺牲，有创意地生活。在梦想的阴影里生活就是这样的。

15 我品味着这个教训，这时我文章的销路也慢慢好起来。我写的是当时街头巷尾大众谈论的话题：公民权利，美国黑人，非洲。很快，就像南归的鸟儿一样，我的思绪回到了童年。在寂静的房间里，我仿佛可以听见亲人的声音，祖母、乔治亚表姐、普卢思阿姨、利兹阿姨、蒂尔阿姨，在向我讲述我们的家族历史和奴隶制度。

16 以前，美国黑人对这些故事避而不谈，所以我也很少向别人说起。但有一天，我与《读者文摘》的编辑们共进午餐时，我讲了祖母、阿姨和表姐她们的故事。我说，我有一个梦想，就是要追溯我的家族史，找到那戴着枷锁来到美国海岸的第一个非洲人。午餐结束时，我已经得到一份合同，资助我的调查与写作，为期九年。

17 爬出阴影所在，是一个漫长而艰难的过程。不过，到了1970年，我离开海岸警备队十七年之后，《根》发表了。一夜之间，我拥有了大多数作家都不曾拥有的名望和成功。阴影已经变成了令人目眩的聚光灯。

18 平生第一次，我有钱了，机会之门处处为我敞开。电话响个不停，总是有新的朋友，还有新的合约。我收拾好，搬到洛杉矶，协助拍摄《根》的电视系列短篇。这段时间，我应接不暇，令我精神振奋。在某种意义上，我被成功的光环蒙蔽了双眼。

19 有一天，整理行装时，我看到一个箱子，装的是多年前我在格林尼治村时的家当。里面有一只棕色的纸袋。

20 我打开来，看到两个锈迹斑斑的沙丁鱼罐头，一枚五分硬币，一枚十分硬币，三枚一分硬币。突然，往事潮涌而来。我仿佛看到自己又蜷缩在打字机前，在那个凄冷的单间里。我对自己说，这袋子里的东西也是我的一部分根。我可不能忘了。

21 我请人把这些东西镶起来。我把这个透明塑料盒放在每天都能看到的地方。我现在就可以看到它，就放在诺克斯维尔的办公桌上方，放在一起的还有普利策奖杯，一张有电视版《根》所获九个艾美奖的照片，还有斯宾甘奖牌——―全国有色人种协进会‖（NAACP）的最高荣誉。要是问我，哪一个对我意义最大，我会感到很难回答。但这中间，只有一样东西会提醒我，在梦想的阴影里坚持自己的方向需要怎样的勇气和毅力。 22 这个教训，每一个有梦的人都应该汲取。

Listen and Respond

Task One Focusing on the Main Ideas

Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences according to the information contained in the listening passage.

1 One day in school Monty Roberts was asked to ________. A) write a term paper about the courses he learned B) write about his dream of the future C) describe a horse ranch

D) draw a picture of a horse ranch

2 Monty Roberts‘ goal was to become ________. A) a horse trainer like his father

B) a painter who draws horses and horse ranches C) an owner of a large horse ranch D) an owner of a large farm

3 When Monty Roberts turned in the paper, his teacher ________. A) was not satisfied with it B) helped to improve it

C) gave a good comment about it

D) asked him to discuss the topic with his father

4 The teacher asked the boy to rewrite the paper because ________. A) his father had helped him write the paper B) his paper was full of empty words

C) his dream was not properly described in the paper

D) his goal of life described in the paper was not realistic

5 A week later, the boy finally decided ________. A) to follow his father‘s profession B) to keep his dream

C) to make some changes in his paper D) to follow his teacher‘s advice

Task Two Zooming In on the Details

Listen to the recording carefully and fill in each of the blanks according to what you have heard.

1 Monty Roberts was the son ofa horse trainer . His dream was to own a large horse ranch. That night he wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a picture of a 200-acre ranch .

2 He put a great deal of his heart into the dream ranch and the next day he handed the paper in to his teacher .

3 When Monty Roberts asked his teacher why he got a large red F for his paper, his teacher explained to him that his dream was impossiblefor him. He had no money. But he needed a lot of money to buy the land, the houseand the machinesfor his dream ranch.

4 When Monty Roberts asked his father for advice, his father just asked him to make up his own mind on his dream because it is a very important decisionfor him to make.

5 When Monty Roberts turned in the same paper, he said to his teacher, ―You can keep the F and I‘ll keep my dream . I will follow my heart , no matter what happens.‖

Read and Explore

Task One Discovering the Main Ideas

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text A. 1) According to Alex Haley, why does many a young man want to be a writer? Because they think that being a writer can bring them wealth and fame.

2) Does writing mean glory and wealth in the author‘s opinion?

No. The author thinks that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. Only a few can succeed after long periods of neglect and poverty.

3) What was the author‘s life in Greenwich Village like?

His life in Greenwich Village was very poor. He barely made enough to eat.

4) Did he ever doubt his ability to write? Why or why not?

Yes. Because he didn’t receive a break after writing for a year or so.

5) Why did the call from his old acquaintance change his life?

Because his doubt of his resolution to write was cleared. He was determined to keep on writing.

6) In what way did people like Delaney and Belafonte become role models for the author?

From them he learned that one had to make sacrifices and live creatively to keep working hard to realize one’s dreams.

7) How many years did the author keep on writing before his great success? He kept on writing for 17 years before his great success.

8) What did the two sardine cans and 18 cents in the brown paper bag symbolize? They symbolized his courage and persistence to stick to his dream of writing.

9) What is the meaning of the Shadowland of dreams?

The Shadowland of dreams means all the difficulties (e.g. neglect, poverty, doubt, uncertainty, and fear of failure) people meet with in pursuing their dreams.

2 Text A can be divided into three parts with the paragraph number(s) of each part provided as follows. Write down the main idea of each part.

Part: One; Paragraph(s): 1-2; Main Idea: Alex Haley explains the difference between ―being a writer‖ and ―writing‖.

Part: Two; Paragraph(s): 3–18; Main Idea: The author tells about his struggle to stick to his dream of writing and his final success.

Part: Three; Paragraph(s): 19-22; Main Idea: The author tells about his struggle to stick to his dream of writing and his final success.

Task Two Reading Between the Lines

Read the following sentences carefully and discuss in pairs what the author intends to say by the italicized parts.

1) For every writer kissed by fortune, there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. (Para. 2)

Compared with those lucky writers who have become famous, thousands of people who devote themselves to writing are never given recognition as successful writers.

2) Next time I make a sale. (Para. 6)

Considering the rather difficult circumstances the author was in, it is easy to see that there was a degree of irony and self-sarcasm when he promised his friend that he would pay back the money next time he made a sale, for it was something that had not happened before and would not be very likely to happen in the near future, thus pushing the repayment of the debt into the remote future.

3) What’s more, I could write on the side. (Para. 8)

More importantly, I could take writing as a part-time job.

4) There’s everything you’ve made of yourself so far. (Para. 10) The two cans of sardines and 18 cents are all you have.

5) Another Village neighbor was a handsome young singer who ran a struggling restaurant. (Para. 13)

… a restaurant that has few customers and is about to close down.

6) As I absorbed the lesson, I gradually began to sell my articles. (Para. 15)

As I became aware of what it meant to live in the Shadowland, …

7) For the first time I had money and open doors everywhere. (Para. 18) … I had a lot of opportunities.

Checking Your Vocabulary Word Detective

1 Choose the definition in Column B that best matches each italicized word in Column A. 1)d 2)g 3) f 4) e 5) b 6) h 7) a 8)c

2 Spell out the words from Text B with the help of the given definitions, the initial letters and paragraph numbers.

Example: establish : set up; begin; create (Para. 1)

1) worthy : deserving respect or serious consideration (Para. 1)

2) creep : move slowly, quietly, and carefully, esp. so as not to attract attention (Para. 1)

3) resolve : make a determined decision; decide firmly (Para. 2)

4) refresh : make less hot or tired; bring back strength and freshness to (Para. 5)

5) occurrence : an event or happening (Para. 6)

6) surplus : an amount additional to what is needed or used (Para. 6)

7) favourable : winning favour and approval (Para. 7)

8) remark : say esp. sth. that one has just noticed; give as an opinion (Para. 9)

3 Some phrases or expressions from Text B are hidden in the following picture. Find the phrases or expressions and then use them to complete the sentences with the help of the clues.

1) He sweeps the floor for the hotel to work out (以工作抵偿) the cost of board. (Para. 1)

2) She was unused to (不习惯) talking about herself. (Para. 4)

3) After waiting for a long time，the little boy is out of patience(不耐烦). (Para. 4)

4) The bad weather has added to (增加) the difficulties in our work. (Para. 4)

5) The homeless people in the city have to walk the streets (走街串巷), begging for food and money. (Para. 5)

6) We were terrified when we came on / upon (发现) a snake behind the little cottage on the edge of the wood. (Para. 5)

7) Eva was cutting the grass, and in the meantime (与此同时) Adam was planting roses. (Para. 7)

8) From this book written by a movie star we get / have got the idea (领悟到) that those people in the limelight are just ordinary people — even famous faces have flaws! (Para. 7)

Checking Your Comprehension

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text B. 1) How did the author get to know about the school for coloured people in Virginia? He overheard two miners talking about it while working in the coal-mine.

2) Why did the author resolve to go to the school?

Because he heard that the school was established for coloured people and opportunitieswere provided to poor but worthy students to work out all or a part of the cost of board and learnsome trade or industry at the same time.

3) What kind of situation was he in when he reached the city of Richmond late one night?

He was tired, hungry and dirty. And he was completely out of money. He had not a singleacquaintance in the city, and, being unused to city ways, he didn’t know where to go.

4) How did he spend his first night in Richmond?

He walked the streets till he became too exhausted to walk any longer. Then he found anelevated sidewalk and lay under it for the night upon the ground.

5) How did he earn some money for his breakfast the next morning? He helped unloading a cargo of pig iron from a large ship.

6) Why didn‘t the head teacher admit the author to the institution at first?

Because of being so long without proper food, a bath and change of cloth, he didn’t make avery favourable impression upon her.

7) How did the author get a chance to prove his worthiness to the head teacher?

The head teacher asked him to sweep the adjoining classroom and he did an excellent job,which proved his worthiness as a student in the institute.

2 Read the following statements and then decide whether each of them is true or false based on the information in the text. Write T for True and F for False in the space provided before each statement.

1) F At Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute poor but worthy students had

opportunities to pay just a part of the cost of board.

(Poor but worthy students were provided opportunities to earn money to pay all or a part of the cost of food in the school and at the same time learn some trade or industry.)

2) T On the first day of his journey, he realized that he didn‘t have enough money to

go to Hampton.

3) F He reached the city of Richmond by walking and begging for a number of days. (He reached the city of Richmond by walking and begging rides for a number of

days.)

4) T Though he was tired and hungry, he still believed that he would reach Hampton.

5) F By helping unload a big ship, he earned enough money to buy a chicken leg and

an apple pie for his breakfast.

(By helping unload a big ship, he earned enough money for his breakfast.)

6) F He felt that a new kind of existence had begun because he arrived at the school

with a surplus of 50 cents.

(He felt that a new kind of existence had begun because he could begin his education in the school.)

7) T He worked hard to clean the classroom because his future depended upon the

impression he made upon the head teacher.

8) F The head teacher admitted the author on condition that he should clean the

classroom thoroughly after class.

(The head teacher admitted the author because he proved his worthiness by cleaning the classroom thoroughly.)

Enhance Your Language Awareness Words in Action

Working with Words and Expressions

1 In the box below are some of the words you have learned in this unit. Complete the following sentences with them. Change the form where necessary.

1) A smart appearance tends to make a(n) favourable impression at an interview.

2) The scientist failed in his experiments many a time, but he was never discouraged ; instead, he stuck it out and finally made a great scientific discovery.

3) When I asked my mother if I could marry George, she consented but rather unwillingly.

4) The garden has fallen into a state of neglect since its owner died two years ago.

5) Coming home late, the boy crept quietly into the house to avoid waking his parents.

6) If you want to learn a language well, sufficient time is necessary.

7) The origin of Chinese writing can be traced back to ancient China although we are not certain of the date of its invention.

8) The price was somewhat higher than I had expected. However, it was still acceptable.

9) When you feel tired, a rest and a cool drink will refresh you.

10) As I sit here today, I couldn‘t be more grateful for the opportunity, not only to be alive, but also to apply my life to such a(n) worthy effort.

11) More and more people in big companies are enrolling in English courses to improve their promotion(晋升) prospects .

12) I made full preparations for my journey to London on foot and I resolved to get there in five days.

13) At the end of the interview, she remarked , ―You‘ve proved your worthiness more than well enough.‖

14) I hope that I shall never again have to undergo such a terrible experience.

15) Susan started singing to her baby and was rewarded with a smile.

2 In the boxes below are some of the expressions you have learned in this unit. Do you understand their meanings? Do you know how to use them in the proper context? Now check for yourself by doing the blank-filling exercise. Change the form where necessary.

1) Since the summer vacation has started, let‘s pack up and spend a week in the country with my grandparents.

2) The boy is so interested in the popular novel entitled Harry Porter and the Deathly Hallows(圣徒) that he has read it for many a time.

3) I admire Steve very much, for in his pursuit of a successful life, he always stays the course and never gives up in spite of the many difficulties and risks he has encountered.

4) The couple‘s love was put to the test when the husband was crippled in a car accident.

5) I mailed out 250 letters to complete strangers for help and within 6 weeks the stream of money came flooding in from all over the country.

6) When searching for some news online(在线的) last night, I came across an interesting website(网址) devoted to computer games.

7) He is so clever that he can always come up with solutions at the last moment.

8) At the sight of the big fish, the fisherman plunged his hands into the water and caught it with graceful ease.

Increasing Your Word Power

1 Listed in the box below are some unit nouns. Discuss their meanings and then complete the following table by filling in the appropriate unit noun. The same unit noun may be used for more than once. Consult a dictionary if necessary. a(n) slice of bread a(n) particle of rock a(n) bunch of keys a(n) bar of soap

a(n) can of orange juice a(n) sheet of glass a(n) item of business a(n) article of furniture a(n) slice of meat a(n) particle of dust a(n) can of beer a(n) bar of chocolate

a(n) article of luggage a(n) bunch of flowers a(n) sheet of paper a(n) item of expense

2 Words such as respectful, respectable and respective may cause confusion because they are similar either in meaning or in spelling. To communicate effectively, we need to pay special attention to such confusable words. In each of the following sentences you are given two or three words in brackets. Choose the appropriate one to fill in the blank. You may consult a dictionary if necessary. 1) Now your father has retired, you should go and see him now and then. This should not be neglected (neglectful, neglected).

2) Some boy students are neglectful (neglectful, neglected) of their appearance in school.

3) In this book the writer describes his colourful (coloured, colourful) experiences in Africa.

4) To celebrate the Spring Festival, they tie many coloured (coloured, colourful) lamps on the trees.

5) The coat is made of a kind of cloth that is rough (rough, tough) to touch.

6) The meat was tough (rough, tough) and hard and I did not like it at all.

7) The article is all nonsense. It‘s not worth (worth, worthy) the paper it‘s printed on.

8) These young men will prove worthy (worth, worthy) of our trust.

9) The situation will develop in a direction favourable (favourite, favourable) to China.

10) I like oranges very much; they are my favourite (favourite, favourable) fruit.

11) The boys here are well mannered and respectful (respective, respectable, respectful) toward grown-ups.

12) My uncle is a respectable (respective, respectable, respectful) doctor in our town.

13) After the meeting we will take our respective (respective, respectable, respectful) ways home.

14) It was very considerate (considerate, considerable) of you to send me a birthday card yesterday.

15) There has been a considerable (considerate, considerable) growth of light industry in the city in the last five years.

3 Word Building

Now match each of the English words in Column A with its Chinese meaning in Column B. You may consult a dictionary if necessary. 1)d 2) i 3) l 4) a 5)k 6) o 7) p 8) b 9)m 10) n

11) e 12) c 13) f 14) g 15) h 16) j

Grammar in Context

Task 1: Fill in the blanks in the following sentences by choosing proper connectives from the box below.

1) He gave us a vivid description of what he had seen in Africa.

2) The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not.

3) I looked around and was not certain whose house I was in.

4) The students here will give their used books to whoever need them in the countryside schools.

5) The situation today is obviously different from what it was only 50 years ago.

6) Persistent people begin their success where others end in failure.

7) I didn‘t realize how difficult it was to get the tickets for the performance.

8) You say you are brave. Now let‘s see which of us is the more timid(胆小的).

9) I know nothing about her except that she is an English teacher in our school.

10) We all thought it a pity that the sports meet should have been put off.

Task 2: Complete the following sentences using a preposition and a relative pronoun.

1) He took out a square green bottle, the content of which he poured into a dish.

2) The goals for which he has fought all his life are all achieved now.

3) An investigation was made into the accident, in which fifty people were killed.

4) We need a chairman in whom everyone has confidence.

5) A survey was carried out on the death rate of the new-born babies in the region, the results of which were shocking.

6) I am grateful to him for his advice, to which I owe all my success.

7) This depends on the purpose for which nuclear energy is used.

8) The time at which each control signal is sent is carefully controlled by a digital(数码的) clock.

Cloze

Complete the following passage with words and phrases chosen from Text A. The initial letter of each is given.

There‘s a difference between ―being a writer‖ and writing. As a matter of fact, many who wish to be writers are longing for (1) wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at the type-writer. They are not aware (2) of the fact that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair (3). I remember when I became a freelance writer, I had no prospects (4) at all. What I did have was a friend and a small storage (5) room in an apartment building. It didn‘t even matter (6) that it was cold and had no bathroom. Immediately I bought a used manual typewriter and plunged (7) myself into writing. After a year or so, however, I still hadn‘t received a break (8) and began to doubt myself. Then one day I was offered (9) a job earning $ 6,000 a year. As the dollars were dancing (10) in my head, something cleared (11) my senses. From deep inside a bull-headed resolution welled up (12). I heard myself saying, ―I‘m going to stick (13) it out and write.‖ I realized that you had to make sacrifices (14) and live creatively to keep working at your dreams. Then, in 1970, 17 years after I left the Coast Guard, Roots was published (15). The shadows had turned into dazzling limelight.

Translation

Translate the following sentences into English, using the words and expressions given in brackets.

1) 听说他的新书是根据发生在田纳西州一个小镇上一家人的真事写的。(rumor has it that)

Rumour has it that his new book is based on a true story about a family in a small Tennessee town.

2) 他在中学教书，但也兼职做些翻译来赚取外快。 (on the side)

He teaches in a middle school, but he does some translation work on the side to bring in extra cash / money.

3) 自信是件好事，但自信与自负(conceit)是有区别的。 (there‘s a difference between … and …)

It’s good to be confident (about yourself), but there’s a difference between (self-)confidence and conceit.

4) 只有坚持到底的人才会成功。半途而废的人永远也无法实现梦想。 (stick it out)

Only those who stick it out can achieve success. Those who give up halfway will never realize their dreams.

5) 一个真正的英雄有勇气，有高尚的目标，而且乐于奉献。 (make sacrifices) A true hero possesses / has courage, a noble purpose and a willingness to make sacrifices.

6) 任何人只要拿起这本小说读了第一段，就会发现很难把它放下。 (be hard pressed to do sth.)

Anyone who picks up this novel and reads the first paragraph will be hard pressed to put it down.

7) 从某种意义上说，生活就像游泳。如果你总是扶住池边，就永远也学不会。 (in a sense)

In a sense, life is like swimming; if you keep holding on to the sides of the pool, you (will) never learn.

8) 一个民族的前途在很大程度上取决于其教育与培训的质量。 (in a large measure)

The future of a nation depends in a large measure upon the quality of education and training.

第四单元

求知若饥，虚怀若愚

——史蒂夫?乔布斯2005年6月12日在斯坦福大学毕业典礼上的致辞（节本） 1 我今天很荣幸能和你们一起参加世界上最好的大学之一的毕业典礼。说实话，我从来没有从大学毕业。这算是我最接近大学毕业典礼的时候了。今天我想跟你们讲述我人生中的三个故事。

2 第一个故事是关于连点成线。

3 我在大学只读了六个月就退学了，但作为旁听生在学校继续呆了十八个月以后才真正退学。那么我为什么要退学呢？

4 这要追溯到我出生以前了。我的亲生母亲是一个年轻的、没有结婚的大学毕业生。她决定让别人收养我，她强烈地认为我应该被大学毕业生收养，所以当她发现我养母从来没有读完大学、养父甚至连高中也没读完时，她拒绝在收养文件上签字。我父母向她保证我一定会上大学，她的心才软了下来。我的人生就从这里开始了。

5 十七年后，我真的上了大学。六个月后，我看不到其中的价值所在。我不知道自己真正想要做什么，也不知道大学能怎样帮助我找到答案，而我却在这里，花着我父母一辈子的全部积蓄。所以我决定退学，坚信一切最终会好起来。现在回头看看，那的确是我这一生中最棒的一个决定。从退学的那一刻开始，我就可以不必去上那些让我不感兴趣的课，而可以开始去选修那些看起来有意思得多的课程。

6 我跟着我的直觉和好奇心走，遇到了很多东西，这些东西后来被证明是无价之宝。我给你们举一个例子吧。

7 里德大学在那时开设了也许是全美最好的美术字课程。校园里的每张海报、每个抽屉的标签都用漂亮的美术字做成。因为退学了，不必去上常规的课程，所以我决定去上美术字课，学习怎样写出漂亮的美术字。我学到了关于serif和san serif字体的知识，还有改变不同的字母组合的间距，以及好的印刷式样之所以好的原因。它很美，有历史感，还有一种科学无法解释的艺术精妙。我发现那实在是太迷人了。

8 当时这些东西在我的生活中全都没有任何实际应用的可能。但是十年后，我们设计第一台Macintosh电脑时，这一切又回到我的脑海。我把那些东西全都放进了Mac的设计之中。那是第一台拥有漂亮印刷字体的电脑。在大学，要是我没去旁听这门课，Mac今天就不会有这么丰富的字体以及赏心悦目的字体间距。又因为Windows只是照抄了Mac，所以任何个人电脑可能都不会有这些东西。要是我没有退学，我就不会去旁听那门美术字课程，个人电脑也就可能不会拥有现在这么漂亮的字体。当然，我在大学的时候，还不可能在展望未来的时候把这些点串连起来，但是十年后再回顾这一切，就再清楚不过了。

9 况且，你在向前展望的时候不可能将这些点串连起来；你只能在回顾过去的时候将一个一个的点串连起来，所以你必须相信这些点会在你未来的某一天连接起来。相信这一点将会给你以信心去追随自己内心的感受，就算是偏离常道也不会彷徨，那会让一切变得完全不同。

10 我的第二个故事是关于爱和失去。

11 我非常幸运——因为我在很早的时候就找到了我所热爱的东西。我二十岁，和沃兹在父母的车库里面开创了苹果公司。我们工作很努力，十年的时间里苹果由车库里的两个人发展到拥有四千多名员工、价值超过二十亿的大公司。前一年我们刚刚推出了最好的产品，Macintosh，我也刚满三十，这时我被炒了鱿鱼。你怎么可能被自己创立的公司炒了鱿鱼呢?嗯，在苹果快速成长的时候，我们雇用了一个人和我一起管理公司，我们对未来的看法发生了分歧，最终吵了起来。我们吵架时，董事会站在了他那边。所以在三十岁的时候，我出局了。我全部成年生活的焦点离自己远去，这真是毁灭性的打击。但我渐渐明白，我仍然喜爱我从事的这些东西。苹果公司发生的这些事情丝毫没有改变这些。所以我决定从头再来。

12 我当时没有觉察，但是事后证明，从苹果公司被炒是这辈子发生在我身上的最棒的事情。成功的负重感被重作新手的轻快感所取代，我又一次对任何事情不那么肯定。这让我得到解放，进入了我生命中最有创造力的一个阶段。

13 在接下来的五年里，我创立了一个名叫Pixar的公司，与一个后来成为我妻子的好女人坠入爱河。Pixar接着制作了世界上第一部用电脑制作的动画电影——―玩具总动员‖，它现在也是世界上最成功的电脑制作工作室。

14 我可以非常肯定，如果我不被苹果公司开除，这些事情一件也不会发生。有时候， 生活会拿起一块砖头往你的脑袋上猛拍一下。不要失去信心。我很清楚，惟一使我一直走下去的，就是我做的事情令我无比热爱。你需要去找到你所热爱的东西。对于工作是如此，对于爱人也是如此。你只有相信自己所做的是伟大的工作，你才能怡然自得。而只有热爱自己所做的事才能做出伟大的工作。如果现在还没有找到，那就继续找，不要停顿。

15 我的第三个故事是关于死亡的。

16 大概一年前，我被诊断出患有癌症。我在早晨七点半做了一个扫描，扫描清楚地显示在我的胰腺有一个肿瘤。医生告诉我那很可能是一种无法治愈的癌症，我最多也就能指望活三到六个月的时间。

17 整整一天，我忍受着这个诊断结果。当天晚上我作了一个活体切片检查，他们将一根针插进我的胰腺，从肿瘤上取了几个细胞。医生在显微镜下观察这些细胞时尖叫起来，因为这竟然是一种非常罕见的可以用手术治愈的胰腺癌。我做了这个手术，现在我没事了。

18 那是我最接近死亡的时候，我希望这也是以后的几十年里最接近的一次。没有人愿意死，即使想上天堂的人，也不想死了再去，但死亡是所有人共同的终点，从来没有人能够逃脱。你们的时间很有限，所以不要将它浪费在过别人的生活上。不要被教条束缚，那意味着你的生活是他人思考的结果。不要让他人喋喋不休的意见湮没你自己内心的声音。最重要的是，你要有勇气去听从直觉和心灵的指示。它们在某种程度上已经知道你真正想要成为什么。

19 我年轻时，有一本叫做《全球目录》的精彩出版物，它是我们那一代人的圣经之一。它是由图尔特?布兰德创作的，他用诗意的笔触使这本刊物充满活力。这是理想主义的刊物，伟大的想法充溢其间。斯图尔特和他的团队出版了几期，当它完成了自己使命的时候，他们发行了最后一期。那是七十年代中期，我正是你们现在的年纪。在最后一期的封底上是一张清晨乡村公路的照片(如果你有冒险精神的话，可能曾在这种路上搭过顺风车)，在照片底下有这样一句话：―求知若饥，虚怀若愚。‖这是他们停刊前的告别语。

―求知若饥，虚怀若愚。‖我总是希望自己能够如此。现在，在你们即将毕业、开始新的旅程之际，我也希望你们能这样：求知若饥，虚怀若愚。 20 非常感谢各位！

Listen and Respond

Task One Focusing on the Main Ideas

Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences according to the information contained in the listening passage.

1 The speaker wants us human beings to think about why ________. A) some people sometimes appear to be so creative B) we sometimes seem to be so dull and stupid

C) some of us appear to be so imaginative sometimes D) creativity is the essence of life and nature

2 According to the speaker, ________.

A) a young child can walk and talk without being creative B) a baby can sing and play without being creative

C) a scientist can play with his ideas for hours and hours D) a young child can create a world of its own imagination

3 In the passage the speaker intends to convince us that ________. A) we can make ourselves creative in some ways B) children are born to be creative C) some children are not so creative

D) we can stop creativity in a young child very easily

4 The speaker points out that the first step to make our children more creative is ________.

A) to allow ourselves to be creative

B) to give our children a free and safe surrounding C) to allow our children to make mistakes

D) to prevent our children from making mistakes

Task Two Zooming In on the Details

Listen to the recording again and fill in each of the blanks according to what you have heard.

1 Creativity is the essence of life and nature. The world is in a constant act of creation so we should ask ourselves — Why do some of us sometimes appear to be stupid, dull , and uncreative ?

2 The whole essenceof a baby is creative — it is creative in learning to walk, talk, singand play. Since children simply are creative, we can guide our children in a free and unconditionedway and let this creativity happen.

3 If we know a better way to do things, we should guide or ― help‖ the children.

Read and Explore

Task One Discovering the Main Ideas

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text A. 1) Did Steve Jobs ever go to college?

Yes, he did. But he dropped out of college after the first six months and then stayed around for another 18 months going to the classes he was interested in.

2) Did he graduate? No, he didn’t.

3) What did Steve Jobs mean by talking about connecting the dots?

He meant that one should follow his curiosity and intuition. The seemingly―meaningless‖ unconnected experiences might contribute to one’s later success.

4) Why was Steve Jobs fired from Apple, a company he started with Woz?

The man hired to run Apple and Steve Jobs had different opinions about the future of the company. The Board of Directors didn’t side with Steve. So, he was fired.

5) Why did he say that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to him?

He found that he still loved what he did and decided to start over. He was freed from the heaviness of being successful to enter one of the most creative periods of his life.

6) Why did the doctors start crying when they saw the tumor cells of Steve Jobs under a microscope?

Originally, the doctors believed that his cancer was incurable. After viewing the tumor cells under a microscope, they found that this form of cancer was curable with surgery. They cried because they were happy for Steve Jobs.

7) Why did Steve Jobs talk about his cancer?

He wanted to say that one’s time was limited. So, don’t waste time. Don’t be trapped by dogma. One should have the courage to follow heart and intuition.

8) What was Steve Jobs‘ wish for the graduates?

He quoted a sentence from The Whole Earth Catalogue and wished them ―Stay hungry, stay foolish‖.

9) What is meant by the phrase ―stay hungry, stay foolish‖ according to your interpretation?

Answers may vary, and the following points are for your reference: a) Be eager to learn and remain intellectually curious all your life.

b) Be open to new ideas and thoughts and never be trapped by dogma or conventions. c) Never feel satisfied with what you have learned or achieved.

d) Always feel hungry for knowledge and success and never rest on your laurels. e) Remain humble and modest no matter how successful you may be.

f) Always be wise enough to know what you really are and have the courage to follow your curiosity and intuition.

g) Never assume that you’re the smartest guy in the world and be always ready to learn from others.

2 Text A can be divided into three parts with the paragraph number(s) of each part provided as follows. Write down the main idea of each part.

Part: One; Paragraph(s): 1; Main Idea: Steve Jobs starts the commencement address by talking about his educational background.

Part: Two; Paragraph(s): 2–18; Main Idea: He tells three stories from his life. The first story, which is about connecting the dots, tells the graduates to follow their curiosity and intuition. The second story, which is about love and loss, encourages the graduates to find out what they love and keep loving what they do. The third story, which is about death, tells the graduates not to waste their time but to have the courage to follow heart and intuition instead of worrying about others’ opinion.

Part: Three; Paragraph(s): 19-20; Main Idea: Steve Jobs ends his speech by quoting the sentence ―Stay hungry, stay foolish‖ from The Whole Earth Catalogue.

Task Two Reading Between the Lines

Read the following sentences carefully and discuss in pairs what the author intends to say by the italicized parts.

1) I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and no idea of how college was going to help me figure it out, … (Para. 5)

… and I had no idea of how college education was going to help me find out what I wanted to do with my life, …

2) So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. (Para. 5)

So I decided to leave college and keep believing that my decision would turn out to be a wise one.

3) And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. (Para. 6)

And I started taking courses by following my curiosity and intuition and much of what I had learned turned out to be very useful later on.

4) Believing that will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference. (Para. 9)

… even when your choice means living a life different from those of the majority of people, and that choice will determine whether you lead a successful, fulfilling or mediocre life.

5) Sometimes life’s going to hit you in the head with a brick. (Para. 14)

The hardships you encounter at times in your life give you hard but meaningful lessons.

Checking Your Vocabulary Word Detective

1 Choose the definition in Column B that best matches each italicized word in Column A. 1)c

2)d 3)e 4) a 5) b 6)i 7) f 8)j 9)g

2 Find in Text B the words or expressions which would complete the following sentences according to the clues given in brackets.

Example: Many people now rely on (依赖) the Internet for news. (Para. 6)

1) It is widely believed that the abuse of power and corruption always go hand in hand (密切相关). (Para. 4)

2) There‘s no instant way of finding a cure — it‘s just a process of trial and error (反复试验). (Para. 3)

3) It was hard to distinguish (区分) one twin from the other. (Para. 8)

4) All of us may face crossroads in our lives; take a chance / take chances (冒险，碰运气) and you may make out all right. (Para. 10)

5) In deciding who will be admitted to the job, we will take the applicant‘s major qualifications into account without regard to (不管) race, color, age or sex. (Para. 10)

6) Education differs from experience in this regard (在这个方面): in school the test comes after the lesson; in life the order is just in reverse. (Para. 10)

7) She gave up smoking for the sake of (为了) her health. (Para. 15)

Checking Your Comprehension

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text B.

1) According to the author, which word can generalize the different personalities of creative people? Complexity.

2) Why can creative people work long hours with great concentration while remaining fresh and enthusiastic all the time?

Because they know how to control their energy.

3) What does the author mean by saying that ―creative people tend to be smart yet naive at the same time‖?

The author means that creative people are wise and childish at the same time.

4) How can creative people be humble and proud at the same time?

Although they are aware of their past accomplishments, they always focus on future projects and current challenges.

5) Why shouldn‘t creative people take chances without regard to tradition? Because taking chances without regard to tradition rarely leads to novelty.

6) Why are creative people always very passionate about their work? Because without passion, they would soon lose interest in a difficult task.

7) How would a creative person feel when he or she cannot work? He or she would feel a sense of loss and emptiness.

8) What is the most important quality in creative individuals? It is the ability to enjoy the process of creation for its own sake.

2 Read the following statements and then decide whether each of them is true or false based on the information contained in Text B. Write T for True and F for False in the space provided before each statement.

1) F The author can‘t find a word to summarize the personalities of creative people because they are too complex.

(The author uses the word ―complexity‖ to summarize the personalities of creative people.)

2) T Creative people can manage their work and rest well to achieve their goals.

3) F Creative people wish only to make use of divergent thinking.

(Creative people seem able to use well both convergent thinking and divergent thinking.)

4) T Creative people have a deeply-rooted sense of reality while imagining a world that is different from the present.

5) F The phrase ―on the shoulders of giants‖ implies that creative people look down upon previous contributions because they can accomplish more.

(The phrase ―on the shoulders of giants‖ means that creative people are aware of the long line of previous contributions and achievements.)

6) F In innovation, one must throw away all tradition and take chances. (Taking chances without regard to tradition rarely leads to novelty.)

7) T Creative people feel most painful when they cannot work, especially when they feel their creativity drying out.

8) T The most constant quality present in all creative individuals is the ability to enjoy the process of creation itself.

Enhance Your Language Awareness

Words in Action

Working with Words and Expressions

1 In the box below are some of the words you have learned in this unit. Complete the following sentences with the words given. Change the form where necessary. 1) Sometimes when a person is so close to something, it is difficult to form a(n) objective opinion.

2) The official home of Time Magazine online presents the top news stories of the day and current events from around the world.

3) The couple are unable to have children of their own, but hope to adopt a little girl.

4) One‘s success in life depends a great deal on the ability to relate oneself to others, to understand one‘s self, and to exhibit character traits such as responsibility, honesty and integrity.

5) These photographs capture the essence of working-class life at the turn of the century.

6) One of the attractive features of the course lies in the fact that practice is integrated with theory.

7) The rugby player‘s outstanding running ability earned him a place on the team.

8) Good test-taking strategies can make a big difference to your grade.

9) The officials were eager to convince us of the safety of the nuclear reactors.

10) Teaching students how to learn and watching them striving/strive for academic excellence is an incredible teaching experience.

11) The doctor diagnosed the illness as influenza(流感).

12) I‘m sorry that even my own brother didn‘t side with me in the quarrel.

13) Telephone boxes are spaced at regular intervals along the motorway.

14) Loneliness has nothing to do with the number of people standing around. You can be in the thick of crowds and still feel lonely.

15) As Albert Einstein once put it, \孤独) is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature.‖

16) Don‘t worry too much. It might take him ages but he‘ll do it eventually .

17) Your trip to Alaska sounds absolutely fascinating . How I wish I could go there one day!

18) While girls lack confidence in themselves, boys often overestimate(高估) their abilities.

19) In the supermarket, I read the information on the label of each bottle before deciding which jam(果酱) to buy.

20) The chef had produced one of his most spectacular creations , a whole roasted turkey.

2 In the boxes below are some of the expressions you have learned in this unit. Do you understand their meanings? Do you know how to use them in the proper context? Now check for yourself by doing the blank-filling exercise. Change the form where necessary.

1) He wrote me a brief note, saying that he had forgiven me, which finally set my mind at rest .

2) It is a pity that Bill dropped out of college after his first year.

3) I didn‘t know what to do when I found my wisdom was drying out .

4) To help themselves find good jobs, many unemployed young people have decided to drop in on vocational(职业的) training courses organized by the local government.

5) I didn‘t notice my own mistake, but at last it dawned on me that Joanna had been right all along.

6) If something such as a sound or feeling falls away , it becomes weaker and disappears.

7) The loud noise drowned out our conversation so we sat and said nothing.

8) We all felt very sorry that her injury put her on the sidelines for the rest of the football season.

9) Carrie has a bad temper and she‘s always falling out with people.

10) If you should make a mistake, just erase it and start over .

11) Never lose courage and never lose faith . Nothing in this world is impossible when you are determined to succeed.

12) It‘s getting late so I‘ll sign off and go home now.

Increasing Your Word Power

1 Fill in each blank in the following sentences with a proper preposition given in the box.

1) Frank was a naughty boy and he often sided with David against their mother.

2) The doctor has devoted all his life to helping blind people.

3) After the earthquake hospitals were reported to be overflowing with the injured and the dead.

4) At the same instant it dawned on her that she‘d left her briefcase behind.

5) Please don‘t bother her. She is now at rest after the operation.

6) Transport planning should be integrated with energy-saving strategies when we develop a city.

7) Yet this way of thinking is not much use without the ability to tell a good idea from a bad one.

8) Happiness is like a butterfly(蝴蝶) which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight(落下) upon you.

9) A baby soon learns to distinguish its mother‘s face from other adults‘ faces.

10) Now you have grown up. You must try to focus your mind on work and study.

11) I am doing it for your sake; it has nothing to do with me.

12) His strange behaviour exposed him to a lot of ridicule at the office.

2 Study the use of but in different contexts and then do the task that follows.

Task: Now make sentences of your own, using but and the given words. Make additions or changes where necessary.

1) what, can, we, do, sit and wait for a passing car, bring us, to a city nearby What can we do but sit and wait for a passing car to bring us to a city nearby?

2) he, lie to the court, not just once, on several occasions He lied to the court not just once, but on several occasions.

3) ―Gone with the Wind‖, be, a great movie, a little long

―Gone with the Wind‖ was / is a great movie, but it was / is a little long.

4) I, have no choice, to accept the challenge

I had / have no choice but to accept the challenge.

5) the situation, look desperate, they, not give up

The situation looked / looks desperate, but they didn’t / don’t want to give up.

6) these interruptions, the meeting, finish, earlier

But for these interruptions, the meeting would have finished earlier.

7) who else, John, play a trick, like that

Who else but John would have played a trick like that?

8) she, the best singer in China, at that time, I, can, admire her

She was the best singer in China at that time. I could not but admire her.

9) the machines we bought, were cheap, they, went quite well The machines we bought were cheap, but they went quite well.

10) because, he, have a sore throat, he, unable to swallow, anything, liquids

Because he had / has a sore throat he was / is unable to swallow anything but liquids.

3 Word Building

In English the prefixes anti-, contra-, counter-, pro- can mean orientation or attitude, as is shown in the following table.

Match each of the English words in Column A with its Chinese meaning in Column B. You may consult a dictionary if necessary. 1)j 2) k 3) g 4) h 5) i 6) b 7) n 8) l 9)f 10) c 11) m 12) d 13) a 14) e

Grammar in Context

Task 1: Fill in each blank in the following sentences with the proper form of the verb given in brackets, paying special attention to the use of the active voice and the passive voice.

1) This out-of-date teaching method must be done away with (do away with).

2) It is upsetting when a person is / gets punished (punish) for a crime he didn‘t commit.

3) Yesterday afternoon the children went out to watch the iron tower being erected (erect) in the nearby park.

4) Having been ignored (ignore) for many years, the writer became famous overnight with his new novel.

5) In those days, believing (believe) the earth to be flat, many feared that Columbus would fall off the edge of the earth.

6) The ancient Egyptians are supposed to have sent (send) rockets to the moon a long time ago.

7) As the lesson is very difficult, lots of new words have to be looked up (look up) in the dictionary.

8) I have heard both teachers and students speak / speaking (speak) well of him.

9) After being interviewed (interview) for the job, you will be required to take an English test.

10) Everything taken (take) into consideration, the plan Xiao Wang put forward seems to be more workable.

Task 2: Translate the following sentences into Chinese, paying special attention to the differences in the choice of the verb voice. 1) Jack, you‘re wanted on the phone. 杰克，有你的电话。

2) A message was written on the card below the printed ―Happy New Year‖. 贺卡上印有―新年快乐‖的字样，在下面还有一条附言。

3) Two days were allowed them for making the necessary preparations for the meeting.

给了他们两天的时间来为会议做必要的准备。

4) When matter is heated, it expands. 物体受热时膨胀。

5) Your pen writes quite smoothly. 你的笔写起来很流畅。

Cloze

Complete the following passage with words chosen from Text A. The initial letter of each is given.

In his commencement address, Jobs tells us three stories from his life. The first story is about connecting (1) the dots. Here ―dots‖ refers to the many, varied experiences in your life. Jobs wants to stress that you can never know in advance (2) what life will become. You can only know the significance (3) of your various experiences by

looking backwards (4). Therefore, you must bravely trust your intuition, believing that the path (5) you have chosen will lead you to the life you truly want even when it leads you off the well-worn (6) path.

The second story Jobs tells is about love and loss. You‘ve got to find what you love, and that is as true (7) for work as it is for your lovers. The only way to be truly satisfied (8) with life is to do what you believe (9) is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what (10) you do. If you haven‘t found it yet, keep looking, and don‘t settle (11). Sometimes the turn of events may be devastating (12), but don‘t lose faith. All the losses you have stumbled (13) into may bring about huge benefits later on.

The third story Jobs tells is about death. Needless to say, no one wants to die, yet death is the destination (14) we all share. Your time is limited, so don‘t waste it living someone else‘s life. Don‘t be trapped (15) by dogma. Don‘t let the noise of others‘ opinions drown (16) out your own inner voice, and always have the courage to follow heart and intuition.

Translation

Translate the following sentences into English, using the words and expressions given in brackets.

1) 我简直摸不透她，她对我是个谜。(figure out) I just can’t figure her out, she’s a mystery to me.

2) 他从一个村子来到另一个村子，走家串户，听他们诉苦。(drop in on)

He travelled from one village to another, dropping in on families and listening to their complaints and problems.

3) 在辩论中吉姆总是站在约翰一边。(side with) Jim always sides with John in an argument.

4) 这时我忽然明白过来，他们说的是西班牙语。(dawn on) Then it dawned on me that they were speaking Spanish.

5) 他们不得不承受他们的错误决定所带来的后果。(live with) They have to live with the consequences of their wrong decision.

6) 他的话被群众的大声欢呼所淹没。(drown out)

His words were drowned out by loud cheers from the crowd.

7) 我看着那印满字的书页，但不知上面写些什么。(make sense) I looked at the printed page but the words made no sense.

8) 我们必须使人们意识到保护环境的必要性。(awaken sb. to sth.) We must awaken people to the need to protect our environment.

第五单元

假如拥有三天光明

海伦?凯勒

1 我们都读过一些扣人心弦的故事，主人公将不久于人世，长则1年，短则24小时。而我们总是很感兴趣，这个即将辞世的人会如何度过他最后的时日。当然，我指的是拥有选择权利的自由人，不是那些活动范围受到严格限制的死囚。

2 这一类故事会促使我们思考，在类似的处境下，我们自己会做些什么？身为生命有限的人类，我们会把什么样的事件、经历、联想，塞进这最后的时光里？回首往事，我们又会有哪些快乐和遗憾呢？

3 有时我想，把每天都当作生命的最后一天来度过，会是一个很好的原则。这样的态度将更能凸显人生的价值。每一天我们都会怀着柔情、充满活力、心存感激，而这些，在来日方长时却常被我们所忽视。当然，也有一些人会奉行享乐主义——吃喝玩乐，但是绝大多数人在得知死期将至时都会更加珍惜生命。

4 我们大多数人都将生命看作是理所当然的。我们知道有一天自己定会死去，但是总觉得这一天很遥远。我们身体健康时，死亡是完全无法想象的，我们很少会加以考虑。日复一日，没有尽头。所以我们忙于琐事，几乎不曾意识到自己对生活的态度有多么冷漠。

5 在运用所有的感官时我们的态度恐怕同样冷漠。只有聋人才珍惜听力，只有盲者才知道能见光明的幸运。对于那些成年后才失明失聪的人来说尤其如此。但是那些听力或视力从未遭受损失的人却很少充分利用这些幸运的能力。他们眼睛看见的、耳朵听到的，都是模糊的，不专心，也不带感激。这个道理，就是常说的失去才懂得珍惜，生病才知健康可贵。

6 我常想，如果每一个人在刚成年时，有几天突然既盲又聋，也不失为一件幸事。黑暗会令他更感激光明；寂静会教他领会声音的乐趣。

7 有时我会试探视力正常的朋友，问他们看见了什么。最近，一位非常要好的朋友来看我，她刚刚在树林里走了很长时间，我问她看见了什么。―没什么，‖她回答说。我本应觉得难以置信，不过我早已习惯类似回答，因为很久以前我就知道视力正常的人看到的东西很少。

8 我问自己，在树林里散步一个小时，看不到任何值得注意的东西，这怎么可能呢？我看不见东西，只凭触摸，却也能发现数以百计的有趣的东西。我感觉到树叶的精巧对称。我的手爱抚着白桦树光滑的树皮，或是松树粗糙的树干。春天里，我怀着希望触摸

着树枝寻找新芽，那是大自然从冬眠中苏醒后的第一个征象。我感受花朵的悦人纹理，发现它的可爱褶皱，大自然的神奇一角展现在我的面前。偶尔，如果幸运的话，当我把手轻轻地放在一棵小树上，会感到放声歌唱的小鸟欢快的颤动。张开手指，让清凉的溪水从指间冲过，我会很开心。对我来说，厚厚的松针或松软的草坪比奢华的波斯地毯更惹人喜爱。对我来说，多彩的季节如同一场动人心魄的不会完结的戏剧，剧中情节从我的指尖流过。

9 我的心不时地在呐喊，渴望能亲眼看到这一切。仅仅通过触摸，我就能获得如此多的喜悦，那光明又将展示多少美啊。然而，有眼睛的人看到的却分明不多。整个世界色彩缤纷、生机勃勃，人们却都漫不经心。也许，已经拥有的不加珍惜，还没得到的却想拥有，这是人之常情，但是在光明的世界里只把视物的天赋作为使生活方便的工具，而不是丰富生活的工具，这实在是太令人遗憾了。 10 啊，假如拥有三天光明，我将能看见多少事物啊！

Listen and Respond

Task One Focusing on the Main Ideas

Choose the best answer to complete each of the following sentences according to the information contained in the listening passage. 1 The philosophy professor began his lesson by ________. A) asking the students to be well seated B) playing a game with the students

C) asking the students to do a test on philosophy D) filling a large and empty glass bottle with rocks

2 The professor put the items into the jar in the order of ________. A) rocks, beer, sand and pebbles B) rocks, pebbles, sand and beer C) sand, rocks, beer and pebbles D) pebbles, rocks, beer and sand

3 According to the professor the rocks represent ________. A) different kinds of things in our life

B) the things that matter in our life, like our job or our house

C) the most important things in our life, like our family or our health D) the small stuff in our life

4 The professor poured some beer into the jar because he wanted to ________. A) mix the beer and the sand together

B) arouse his students‘ curiosity about nature

C) draw his students‘ attention to the small things in their life

D) prove that even if our life may seem very full, there is always room for some enjoyment

5 The message the professor tried to put across in his lecture is that ________. A) we should try our best to keep balance between our work and health

B) we should set priorities in our life and take care of the most important things first C) we should pay attention to both the big things and the small stuff in our life D) no matter how full our life may seem, we can always enjoy a couple of beers

Task Two Zooming In on the Details

Listen to the recording again and fill in each of the blanks according to what you have heard.

1 A philosophy professor stood before his class with some itemson the desk in front of him. When the final student was seated he picked up a large and empty glass bottle and filled it with rocks. He then asked the students if the jar was full . They agreed that it was.

2 He then picked up a box of pebbles and added them to the jar, shaking it lightly. The pebbles, of course rolled intothe open areas between the rocks. After that he poured some sand into bottle. The sand filled ineverything else. Finally he took 2 cans of beer and poured it into the jar.

3 Through this the professor wanted his students to recognize that this jar representsour life. The rocks are the important things in our life, like our family, our health … things that would still remaineven if everything else were lost, and our life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter— like our job or our house. The sand is the small stuff in our life. If we put the sand into the jar first there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. So he told his students to set their priorities and pay attention to things that are critical to their happiness: their family, their health … The else is just sand.

Read and Explore

Task One Discovering the Main Ideas

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text A.

1) Why does Helen Keller think that it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow?

Because she believes that such an attitude would emphasize sharply the value of life.

2) According to Helen Keller, what is the right way to live each day?

According to Helen Keller, we should live each day with a gentleness, a vigour, and a keenness of appreciation.

3) What does Helen Keller mean by saying that most of us take life for granted?

Although we all know that we will die sooner or later, we tend to picture that day as far in the future. So, we go about our petty tasks, hardly aware of our listless attitude towards life. In other words, we take life for granted.

4) What does Helen Keller think of the attitude that most of us adopt towards our faculties and senses?

She thinks that we tend to take our abilities to see and hear for granted and seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties. That is why we often fail to make our life fuller and richer.

5) Why does Helen Keller think that it would be a blessing if each of us were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during our early adult life?

Because darkness would make us more appreciative of sight and silence would teach us the joys of sound.

2 Text A can be divided into two parts with the paragraph number(s) of each part provided as follows. Write down the main idea of each part.

Part: One; Paragraph(s): 1- 4; Main Idea: Most of us take life for granted. The author suggests that we live each day with a gentleness, a vigor, and a keenness of appreciation as if we should die tomorrow.

Part: Two; Paragraph(s): 5–10; Main Idea: We should also make full use of our faculties and senses so as to live a fuller and richer life.

Task Two Reading Between the Lines

Read the following sentences carefully and discuss in pairs what the author intends to say by the italicized parts.

1) What events, what experiences, what associations, should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings? (Para. 2)

Suppose we know we are to die in just a few hours’ time. What should we think about doing during our last hours?

2) We know that one day we must die, but usually we picture that day as far in the future. (Para. 4)

… but often we think of our death as something that will only happen many years later.

3) Particularly does this observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life. (Para. 5)

This is especially true of the people who have become blind and deaf after they have grown up.

4) To me the colorful seasons are a thrilling and unending drama, the action of which streams through my finger tips. (Para. 8)

It seems to me that the change of seasons is like an exciting drama and I can fully appreciate what is going on there just by my sense of touch.

5) It is human, perhaps, to appreciate little that which we have and to long for that which we have not. (Para. 9)

Perhaps, it is human nature that we do not truly cherish the things we already have but are always eager to get what we do not have.

Checking Your Vocabulary Word Detective

1 Choose the definition in Column B that best matches each italicized word in Column A.

1)b 2)f 3)d 4) h 5) j 6) a 7) i 8)c

2 The table below contains approximate synonyms and antonyms for some words from Text B. Complete the crossword puzzle that follows. If you have put in the correct words, you will discover a hidden vertical word that means \deserving great fame, honour, and admiration\ 1) STRAIGHTEN 2) RELAXED 3) LOWER 4) INDIRECT 5) RESPECTIVE 6) OWE

7) HOPEFUL 8) CEASE

The hidden word is GLORIOUS.

3 The italicized part in each of the following sentences can be paraphrased by a phrase or idiomatic expression from Text B. Play detective andfind it with the help of the clues.

1) The waiting room is full of people travelling to the Maldives(马尔代夫). (Para. 1) bound for

2) He left without even thanking me for returning his lost wallet. (Para. 5) without so much as

3) Laughter is fairly likely to be the best medicine. (Para. 9) may well

4) It is much easier to owe money than to repay the debt. (Para. 11 / Para. 12) fall / get into debt

5) We couldn‘t help laughing every time he behaved in a playful or comical manner in public. (Para. 13) played the fool

6) All the troubles of life in the world will seem like a drop of salt water in a fresh water river when compared to life in Paradise. (Para. 14) on earth

7) Harry wants to recommend me as a member of the tennis club. (Para. 27) put my name up for

8) An award for poetry was given to Philip Levine for his collection(作品集) ―What Work Is‖. (Para. 27) was bestowed on

Checking Your Comprehension

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text B. 1) What was the author going to Stockholm for?

She was to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature in Stockholm.

2) How did she feel about being awarded the Prize?

She was very happy and anxious. And she felt a deep sorrow that her father, to whom she owed her success so much, had passed away and couldn’t share her happiness.

3) Did the author really have a conversation with her father?

No. Her father was no longer alive. She was talking with her father in her imagination.

4) According to the author, how would her father respond when she told him that she was in debt?

He would say he couldn’t help her because there was no money in Paradise.

5) What did the author mean when she said that she was in debt?

She meant that she owed her success to a) her father who taught her to love reading and the country and human life; b) other people who told her wonderful stories and gave her deeds to write about; c) nature, from which she learned so many secrets; d) those who had formed and molded the language into a good instrument and taught her to use it; e) the great writers in the past who turned writing into art; f) her readers; and g) those who singled her out for the Prize.

2 Read the following sentences carefully and discuss in pairs what the author intends tosay by the italicized parts.

1) I seem to have heard of such things happening to other people — why, then, not to myself ? (Para. 5)

I have heard of other people meeting their dead family members in Paradise, so why should I not do the same?

2) The train went gliding on but it had a long way to go yet, and my thoughts raced ahead of it. (Para. 5)

The train moved smoothly forward. There was still a long way to go. So, I began to daydream and my thoughts sped even faster than the train.

3) …, just as I am about to break my news to him, I will decide to keep it back just a while longer and try the indirect approach. (Para. 8)

…, just before I am to tell him the news, I will decide to wait for a while and tell him indirectly.

4) One may well say of this place that it has everything except money. (Para. 9) One is likely to think that Paradise has everything except money.

5) It is not too much to ask that you should help. (Para. 11) I have proper reasons to ask you for help.

6) I will not rack my brains about problems that no one in Heaven or on earth can solve. (Para. 28)

I will not try so hard to solve problems that can’t be solved.

Enhance Your Language Awareness Words in Action

Working with Words and Expressions

1 In the box below are some of the words you have learned in this unit. Complete the following sentences with the words given. Change the form where necessary. 1) Their experiment stretched over a period of ten years. At last, their efforts paid off.

2) Communication is the only remedy against conflict within the family.

3) You‘d better confine your summary to the main idea; don‘t try to talk about the trivial things.

4) Truly remarkable progress has been made in a short period of time, which is the result of the hard work of everyone involved.

5) Thank you for your kind help — I think I owe you a favour.

6) When he sleeps by the window on hot summer afternoons, he tends to lower the curtain to keep out the sun.

7) Joseph did give me a quick reply this time, but I wonder why he made no response to my last question.

8) History will reveal the truth in the future and they will realize what a wrong thing they did.

9) The camel is characterized by an ability to go without water for days.

10) It is hard to picture him as a government official because he looks so funny, but I bet he makes a good one.

11) Men should open up their minds and adopt a correct attitude towards women.

12) Since all of us were tired, Martin proposed that we take a short rest before continuing our work.

13) Seeing a big snake under the table, Sophia could not help trembling from head to foot.

2 In the boxes below are some of the expressions you have learned in this unit. Do you understand their meanings? Do you know how to use them in the proper context? Now check for yourself by doing the blank-filling exercise. Change the form where necessary.

1) Rosa was singled out for praise by the teacher because her art project was so creative.

2) Rebecca told us most of the story but kept back the bit about herself because she didn‘t want to make her good deed known.

3) The local people tell me it is all but impossible to climb up to the top of the snowy mountain.

4) Marilyn Monroe went to Hollywood in search of fame(名气) and fortune.

5) In Heaven let us be two birds flying ever together, and on earth two trees with branches interlocked(连结) forever.

6) Last but not least, I would like to thank all of you, and in particular the Chairman, Dr. Rogers, for his full support over the last threeyears.

7) Oliver is a respected engineer, manager and teacher, but first and foremost he is a kind father and loving husband, which is something hetakes great pride in.

8) When he took in what was happening and realized something was wrong, he decided to get away quickly.

Increasing Your Word Power

1 In English some adjectives cannot be used as pre-nominal modifiers. Instead, they can only follow link verbs and function as the predicative, e.g. alone,afraid, asleep, awake, alive, alike, unable, ill, glad, sorry, fond. Hence, we can say a frightened girl or a sick boy, but it is wrong to say *an afraid girl or *an illboy. In each of the following sentences you are given two words in brackets. Choose the appropriate one to fill in the blank. Please note that for some sentences,both words are acceptable.

1) I know how you feel, because I have a similar problem. (similar, alike)

2) I think my mother and I are very much alike / similar in many ways. (similar, alike)

3) She looked lovingly at the sleeping child. (asleep, sleeping)

4) The little boy was so tired that he was sound asleep within seconds. (asleep, sleeping)

5) She greeted us with a cheerful smile. (glad, cheerful)

6) She was glad that the birthday party was a success. (glad, cheerful)

7) Don‘t be afraid / frightened . We‘re not going to hurt you. (afraid, frightened)

8) Two frightened children were hiding in a corner of the room. (afraid, frightened)

9) A brother in Australia is Mary‘s only living relative. (alive, living)

10) Not knowing whether he‘s dead or alive is a terrible feeling. (alive, living)

2 Fill in each blank in the following sentences with a proper word or phrase in the table.

1) If the angry workers are determined to strike, they will do so regardless of what the law says.

2) While / Though / Although she is a likable girl, she can be extremely difficult to work with.

3) Try as she might, Mary couldn‘t get the door open.

4) In spite of / Despite the slight improvement in sales, the company is still in financial difficulty.

5) Though / Although / While there was no conclusive(结论性的) evidence, most people thought he was guilty.

6) The young man has shown a total disregard for the law and for public safety.

7) The rate of contribution to the pension(养老金) plan is the same for all employees, regardless of age.

8) We all went to see the film in spite of / despite the heavy rain.

9) If you disregard the policeman‘s instruction, you may get arrested.

10) Brave as she was, she trembled at the sight of the huge snake.

3 Word Building

In English, there are some locative(表示位置的) prefixes, such as cross-, fore-, inter-, extra-, intra-, intro-. They are used to form new words, as is shown in the following table.

Now match each of the English words in Column A with its Chinese meaning in Column B. You may consult a dictionary if necessary. 1)o 2) g 3) i 4) n 5) b 6) k 7) h 8) c 9)d 10) a 11) l 12) m 13) e 14) j 15)f

Grammar in Context

Task 1: Study the following paragraphs from the texts in this unit, paying special attention to the sequence of tenses. Reflect on its grammatical function in each sentence.

And then fill in each blank of the following passage with the proper form of the verb given in brackets, paying special attention to the sequence of tenses.

One day my wife reminded me that I needed to spend time with the people I love. So I started dating another woman.

The \was encouraging / encouraged (encourage) me to date is my mother, a 72-year-old widow who 2) has lived (live) alone since my father died 20 years ago. Right after his death,I moved 2,500 miles away to California. There I 3) had worked (work)for 14 years before I moved back near my hometown. When I was back Ipromised myself that I 4) would spend (spend) more time with Mom. Butwith the demands of my job and three kids, I never got around to seeing hermuch beyond family get-togethers and holidays.

She was surprised and suspicious when I called and suggested the two of us 5) should go / go (go) out to dinner and a movie.

―What‘s wrong?‖ she asked.

―I thought it 6) would be (be) nice to spend some time with you,‖ I said. ―Just the two of us.‖

―I‘d like that a lot.‖ she replied.

When I pulled into her driveway, she 7) was waiting (wait) by the door with her coat on. Her hair was curled, and she 8) was smiling (smile). ―I told my lady friends I 9) was going (go) out with my son, and they were all impressed,‖ she said as she 10) got (get) into my car. ―They can‘t wait to hear about our evening.‖

We didn‘t go anywhere fancy(昂贵的), just a neighbourhood place where we could talk. We had a nice talk over dinner, just catching up with each other‘s lives. We talked for so long that we 11) missed (miss) the movie.

Now Mom and I 12) go (go) out for dinner a couple of times a month.

Sometimes we take in a movie, but mostly we talk. I tell her about my work, the kids and Peggy. Mom tells me about her past. We also talk about the future.

Dating with my mom 13) has helped (help) my marriage. After 22 years of marriage, I 14) have discovered (discover) the secret to keeping love and intimacy alive in my relationship with my wife, Peggy.

Task 2: Complete the following sentences with proper tenses of the verbs given in brackets.

1) By the end of April, Peter will have stayed (stay) here for three months.

2) After searching for half an hour, she realized that her glasses had been lying (lie) on the table all the time.

3) Ever since the family moved to the suburbs(郊区) last year, they have been enjoying (enjoy) better health.

4) There has been (be) marked progress in building the social security system in the past few years.

5) Bob‘s leg got hurt while we were climbing (climb) the Purple Mountains.

6) If you smoke in the non-smoking section, people will object (object).

7) If she doesn‘t tell him the truth now, he‘ll simply keep on asking her until she does (do).

8) We will let you use the room on condition that you keep (keep) it clean and tidy.

9) They had intended (intend) to visit you, but their car broke down.

10) I don‘t like his personality because he is always complaining (complain) about life.

Cloze

Complete the following passage with words chosen from Text A. The initial letter of each is given.

Many of us have read interesting and exciting stories in which the main character has only a limited time to live. Such stories set (1) us thinking, wondering what we should do under similar circumstances (2). Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if (3) we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the value (4) of life. We should live each day with a gentleness, a vigor, and a keenness of appreciation which (5) are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant (6) panorama of more days to come. Most of us

take life for granted (7). We seldom think of it. We go about our petty tasks, hardly aware (8) of our listless attitude towards life. The same listlessness characterizes (9) the use of our faculties and senses. Only the deaf appreciate (10) hearing, only the blind realize the blessings that lie in sight. But those who (11) have never suffered loss of sight or hearing damage (12) seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties. I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken (13) blind and deaf for a few days at some time during (14) his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.

Translation

Translate the following sentences into English, using the words and expressions given in brackets.

1) 这种情景总是令我感动，让我深思。 (set sb. doing sth.)

Such a sight always moves me and sets me thinking. / This is a sight that never fails to move meand set me thinking.

2) 别怪她了，在类似情况下，你自己也会这么做的。 (under … circumstances) Stop scolding / blaming her — you’d have done the same thing under / in similarcircumstances.

3) 我们应当为自己所拥有的一切而心存感激，而不是对任何事情都漫不经心。 (be appreciative of / grateful for, take … for granted)

We should be appreciative of / grateful for what we have instead of taking everything forgranted.

4) 他也许会答应改变，但无非又是说一套做一套罢了。 (It's the same old story of) He may promise to change, but it’s the same old story of saying one thing and doing another.

5) 我苦苦思索该怎样把这可怕的消息告诉他。 (rack one's brains about sth., break the news to sb.)

I racked my brains about how to break the terrible news to him.

6) 我将永远无法报答父母为我所做的一切。 (repay sb. for sth.)

It will be impossible for me to repay my parents for everything they have done for me.

7) 且让我再次感谢大家的参与，祝你们工作顺利。 (it remains to sb. to do sth.) For now, it remains to me to thank you once more for joining us and wish you good luck in yourwork.

8) 我一开始就说过，他会给我们惹麻烦的。 (right from the beginning) I said right from the beginning that he would cause us trouble.