新标准大学英语综合教程3课文翻译及课后翻译

Unit 1

Active reading 1

抓螃蟹 大学最后一年的秋天，我们的心情变了。 刚刚过去的夏季学期 的轻松氛围、即兴球赛、查尔斯河上的泛舟以及深夜晚会都不见了踪 影， 我们开始埋头学习， 苦读到深夜， 课堂出勤率再次急剧上升。 我 们都觉得在校时间不多了，以后再也不会有这样的学习机会了，所以 都下定决心不再虚度光阴。 当然，下一年四五月份的期末考试最为 重要。 我们谁都不想考全班倒数第一，那也太丢人了，因此同学们 之间的竞争压力特别大。 以前每天下午五点以后，图书馆就空无一 人了， 现在却要等到天快亮时才会有空座， 小伙子们熬夜熬出了眼袋， 他们脸色苍白，睡眼惺忪，却很自豪，好像这些都是表彰他们勤奋好 学的奖章。 还有别的事情让大家心情焦虑。 每个人都在心里盘算着过几个 月毕业离校之后该找份什么样的工作。 并不总是那些心怀抱负、成 绩拔尖的高材生才清楚自己将来要做什么， 常常是那些平日里默默无 闻的同学早早为自己下几个阶段的人生做好了规划。 有位同学在位 于麦迪逊大道他哥哥的广告公司得到了一份工作， 另一位同学写的电 影脚本已经与好莱坞草签了合约。 我们当中野心最大的一位同学准

备到地方上当一个政党活动家， 我们都预料他最终会当上参议员或国 会议员。 但大多数同学不是准备继续深造，就是想在银行、地方政 府或其他单位当个白领， 希望在 20 出头的时候能挣到足够多的薪水， 过上舒适的生活，然后就娶妻生子，贷款买房，期望升职，过安稳日 子。 感恩节的时候我回了一趟家， 兄弟姐妹们免不了不停地问我毕业 后有什么打算，我不知道该说什么。 实际上，我知道该说什么，但 我怕他们批评我，所以只对他们说了别人都准备干什么。 父亲看着我，什么也没说。 夜深时，他叫我去他的

书房。 我们 坐了下来，他给我们俩各倒了杯饮料。 “怎么样？”他问。 “啊，什么怎么样？” “你毕业后到底想做什么？”他问道。 父亲是一名律师，我一直都认为他想让我去法学院深造，追随他 的人生足迹，所以我有点儿犹豫。 过了会儿我回答说： “我想旅行，我想当个作家。 ” 我想这不是他所期待的答案。 旅行？去哪儿旅行？当作家？写 什么呀？我做好了遭到他反对的心理准备。 接着是一段长长的沉默。 “这想法有点意思， ”他最后说。 接着又是一段长长的沉默。 “我真有点希望自己在你这个年纪时能做这些事儿。 ”

我在等他把话说完。 “你还有很多时间，不必急于进入一个暂时报酬高的行业。 你 现在要搞清楚自己真正喜欢什么，如果你弄不清楚，以后就不可能成 功。 ” “那我该怎么办？” 他想了一会儿。 然后他说道： “瞧，现在太晚了。 我们明天早 晨乘船出海去，就我们两个。 也许我们能抓点螃蟹当晚餐，我们还 可以再谈谈。 ” 那是一艘小小的机动船，停泊在离我们家约十分钟路程的地方， 是好些年前父亲买的。 次日清晨，我们沿着港湾出发，一路上没说 多少话，只是默默地欣赏着海鸥的叫声，还有港湾沿岸和远处大海的 景色。 在这个时候沿海水域没什么风浪， 船平稳地航行了半个小时之后 父亲把船停了下来。 他说： “咱们在这儿试试运气吧， ”然后抓起一 个系上绳子的生了锈的网状篓子抛到海里。 我们等了一会儿，父亲站起来对我说， “来帮我一把。 于是我 ” 们一起将蟹篓子拽上了甲板。 螃蟹让我着迷，它们太容易抓了。 不仅仅是因为它们顺着篓盖 上的小孔爬进一个再明显不过的陷阱，更因为即便盖子打开了，它们 似乎也懒得从里面爬出来，只会趴在那儿冲你挥动着蟹钳。 篓子里挤满了几十只软壳螃蟹， 一只压着一只， 堆得老高。 “它 们为什么不逃走啊？”我满腹狐疑地问父亲。

“你先观察一下，看那只螃蟹，那儿！它想爬出去，但每次都被 同伴拽了回去， ”父亲说。 我们接着观察。 那只螃蟹顺着网眼向顶盖攀援，每当它爬到顶 盖时，果然就会有另一只螃蟹举起蟹钳夹住它的腿把它拽下来。 这 只螃蟹尝试了好几次想挣脱它的狱中

同伴，但都没能成功。 “快看！ ”父亲说。 “它开始对这种游戏感到不耐烦了。 ” 那只螃蟹不仅放弃了漫长的逃亡之战， 而且还帮着把其他想逃跑 的螃蟹拽下来。 它最终选择了一种轻松的活法。 我忽然明白了父亲为什么提议早上来抓螃蟹。 他看着我说： “你 可别被别人拽下来哦。 花点时间想想你是哪一类人，你这一生希望 得到什么，回顾一下你在大学修的课程，想想有哪些课对你个人来说 最有益。 然后再想想什么对你最重要，什么最使你感兴趣，你有什 么技能。 琢磨一下你想在哪里生活，你想去哪里，想挣多少钱，想 做什么样的工作。 如果你现在不能回答这些问题，你就得花点时间 去找出答案。 你不这样做的话，永远都不会幸福的。 ” 他停顿了一下。 “你想去旅行？”他接着问我。 “对， ”我回答说。 “那就去申请护照吧。你想当作家？” “对。 ” “有趣的选择，我们家还没出过作家呢， ”他说。 我父亲发动了马达，我们返航回家。

Active reading 2

我们都在走向死亡 我给你带来一条好消息， 还有一条坏消息 （正如笑话所说的） 坏 。 消息是：我们都在走向死亡——很抱歉是我带来了这条坏消息。 这 可是真的， 我已经核实过了， 事实上我已经三番五次地核实过了。 我 也找到了证据，可是要说出这个事实实在是不容易，不过我们的确都 在走向死亡。 这件事我过去多少知道一点， 但不愿过多地去想它。 但 事实是，再过 70 年或 80 年——这要取决于你现在年龄有多大，寿命 有多长——我们都会躺到棺材里， 或者变成某个地方公墓玫瑰园里的 灰尘，被人践踏。 我们甚至活不到这么老。 毕竟，我们从来就不清 楚那位戴着头巾、手持长柄镰刀、命人吐出最后一口气的死神什么时 候会来召唤我们，有可能会比我们希望的要早。 其实我最近就曾经 从局外人的角度观察过死亡， 没有什么比朋友的早逝更能表明人生的 无常和生命的脆弱了。 真可怕。 我已经让你够沮丧的了，现在告诉你那条好消息吧：知道了我们 都在走向坟墓，我们就不再有人生无常的感觉了。 我们已经知道故 事的结局，开场白和尾声也都确定了，剩下的就是介于两者之间的那 些事儿了，这些事是我们作得了主的。

我们必须挑选故事情节。 所以，那些被你搁置在一边的计划，即那些“当时机成熟时”你 会用生命来完成的伟大事业怎么办呢？可我发现时机永远不会有成

熟的时候。 时间必须提前，必须马上行动，就在这一刻，不能拖延， 必须赶紧，而且越快越好。 不管是你想写的小说，还是你一直在筹 划的去大峡谷的旅行，你心仪的工作，你想导演的伦敦西区话剧，你 都必须现在就去做。 知道吗？我们都在走向死亡。 这是已经定了的。 因此， 把自己的梦想搁置起来， 等到时机成熟之后才开始实现它， 这就意味着梦想可能永远都不会实现。 人生的遗憾莫过于还有事情 没有做，我们有必要现在就去做这些事，不然就晚了。 明天行吗？ 明天只是个谎言；根本就没有什么明天，只有一张我们常常无法兑现 的期票。 明天甚至压根儿就不存在。 你早上醒来时又是另一个今天 了，同样的规则又可以全部套用。 明天只是现在的另一种说法，是 一块空地，除非我们开始在那里播种，否则它永远都是空地。 你的 时间会流逝（时间就在我们说话的当下嘀嗒嘀嗒地走着，每分钟顺时 针走 60 秒，如果你不能很好地利用它，它会走得更快些） ，而你没有 取得任何成就来证明它的存在，唯独留下遗憾，留下一面后视镜，上 面写满了“本可以做”“本应该做”“本来会做”的事情。 、 、 你是否注意过，自助餐馆里服务员会给你一个茶杯碟大小的碗， 并告诉你： “你想盛多少沙拉都可以，但只能盛一次”？生活就像那 只盛沙拉的碗， 我们可以和那些饥肠辘辘等着主菜的人一样在那只小 碗里装上尽可能多的沙拉。 我喜欢看人们巧妙地把黄瓜片插在沙拉 碗的四周——就像往废料桶里堆东西那样——把沙拉堆得老高老高， 最后不得不雇个叉车把沙拉拉回餐桌。 他们不是贪婪，而是明白自 己只有一次机会。

把你的碗盛满吧，我们在这个世上只走一遭，既然来了就好好利 用这短暂的一生， 就像我们牢牢抓住一年一度去佛罗里达或西班牙度 假的机会那样。 在短暂的人生中填入尽可能多的内容吧。 确保每天 回家后你都会因为干了很多事而感到精疲力尽。 如果你不想当邮递员就别当邮递员，放弃这份工作去当个画家、 作家、滑雪运动员，干什么都行。

千万不要干自己明明就不喜欢的 事情。 现在就开始行动吧，不要等到明天。 没有比现在更好的时间了。 如果在这一刻你不能得到你想得到的东西， 你至少可以趁灵感还在的 时候马上开始你的旅程，即刻起程。 我们有同样多的时间，我们和 布兰森以及盖茨一样，每天都有 24 个小时。 决定我们这一生成败的 是我们把时间花在什么事情上，是我们如何来分配时间。 因此，我正在琢磨的是（这可不是分子科学） ：如果我们正在走 向死亡，而且分配给我们的时间是有限的，那么我们到底有什么理由 不现在就去做所有想做的事情呢？ 这些被暂时搁置的事情到底又是 什么呢？ 为什么明明知道成熟的时机永远不会到来，而我们却都还 在等待呢？ 成熟的时机是一张支票，它永远都在邮寄的路上，永远 都不会到来。 它就是那位让我们在合作社旁边像桥墩那样站着傻等 的女孩，我们再怎么看表也无济于事，她失约了。 我们傻等着，而成熟的时机却永远不会到来。 所以我要说，别再等待了，走到路上去迎接天意。 开始给你的 生活增添所有你能得到的财富，这样当死神到来时，你已经完成了那

么多事，你的一生是那么的充实。 当生命在你眼前回放时，死神等 着等着就睡着了。 现在就行动吧，不然你的时间会流逝的，而你最终将成为尘封的 相册里的一位谁都叫不上名字的灰头土脸的穷亲戚。 还是给人间留下一本像大煎蛋饼那么厚的传记吧， 那可比仅仅留 下一块碑铭强。 “乔 • 史密斯…… 嘿嘿，他没干过什么，对吧？”

Reading across cultures

通过仪式 生活是否如同对生活持宿命论看法的美国作家阿尔伯特 • 哈伯 德在一百年前所描述的那样，是“该死的事情一桩接着一桩”？抑或 是一场障碍赛跑，其间每个参赛者，即世界各地的人们，不得不在生 命的各个重要阶段展现自己的价值？ 莎士比亚的戏剧《皆大欢喜》中那个悲伤的小丑雅克认为，人的 一生要经历“七个年龄段” ，几乎每个社会都有的通过仪式也证明， 我们往往是把生命分为这几个阶段来看待的， 比如童

年、 中年和老年。 通过仪式是社会对个人从一个阶段走向另一阶段的正式的认可， 其中被广泛认同的是由少年步入成年时举行的成年礼。 成年礼有多 种形式。 例如，在犹太传统中，人生最重要的时刻之一就是“犹太 男孩成人仪式” ，人们为年满 13 岁的孩子举办宗教仪式和家宴，这标 志着从此以后这个孩子要对自己的行为负责了。 13 岁也恰恰是许多

国家规定开始承担法律责任的年龄。 美国中学生活结束前的毕业舞会是另一种截然不同的通过仪式。 这次舞会非同寻常，学生们不仅穿着正式（许多学生平生第一次这么 穿） ，他们通常还乘坐着一辆租来的豪华轿车到达舞会现场。 就在那 一天晚上，他们似乎要表现得和年龄是他们两倍的成年人一样，至少 是看上去要比自己的实际年龄老。 世界上最有趣的通过仪式之一或许就是澳洲原住民的“徒步旅 行”了，还处于青春期的少年必须在野外独自行走六个月，沿着划定 国土疆域的“歌之版图”追寻祖先的足迹。 通过这样的仪式，他们 深入到土著文化这一世界上最古老而持久的文化的精髓之中， 并在这 一过程中发现自我。

Unit2

Active reading 1

超 人 战争爆发的那一年，我在温斯罗普的安妮 • F. 沃伦文法学校读 五年级，那年冬天我获得了民防图标设计赛的冠军。 也就是在那个 冬天，波拉 • 布朗买了新的防雪服，即便是 13 年后的今天，我仍然 能清晰地记起那些精彩纷呈的日子，它们历历在目，犹如万花筒里看 到的图案那样色彩斑斓。 我的家位于城里靠海湾的一侧，在洛根机场对面的约翰逊大道

上。 每天晚上睡觉前，我都会跪在卧室朝西的窗户旁，眺望黑幽幽 的海水那边波士顿城明亮闪烁的灯光。 夕阳将粉色的余晖洒在机场上 空，浪涛的声音永远淹没在一架架飞机永无休止的嗡嗡声中。 我惊 奇地望着跑道上的移动信标，看着那些闪烁的红灯、绿灯像流星般升 起、降落，直到机场变得一片漆黑为止。 机场就是我的麦加，我的 耶路撒冷。 我整夜都在做梦，梦见自己在空中飞行。 那正是我梦想斑斓的岁月。 妈妈认为我需要大量的睡眠，所以 我每天上床睡觉时一点儿都不觉得累。 那是一天中最美好的时光， 我可以躺下，在昏暗的暮色中慢慢进入梦乡，脑子里制造出许多奇异 的梦来。 我的飞行梦像达利的风景画那么真实可信，以致于自己常 常会在一阵惊吓中醒来，好像伊卡罗斯那样从天空中摔下来，虽然发 现自己刚好掉到软软的床上，但也被吓得喘不过气来。 当超人开始 侵入我的梦乡，并教给我飞行的技巧之后，我每夜的太空冒险便开始 了。 超人身着耀眼的蓝色衣服，肩披随风飕飕作响的斗篷，经常从 我身边呼啸而过。他长得太像我的舅舅弗兰克了，舅舅那会儿正跟妈 妈和我住在一起。 当超人的斗篷神奇地旋转时，我好像能听见上百 只海鸥的振翅声，上千架飞机的马达轰鸣声。 我不是这个街区里唯一的超人崇拜者，在街的另一头，那个脸色 苍白、有点书呆子气的男孩儿戴维 • 斯特令和我一样，热爱飞行的 纯粹的诗意。 每天晚饭前，我们一起收听电台的超人故事，白天在 上学的路上，我们自己设计出各种各样的冒险活动。 安妮 • F. 沃伦文法学校是一座红砖楼，座落在远离主干道的一

条黑色柏油街道上，学校四周是光秃秃的铺着碎石的操场。 戴维和 我发现学校外面停车场附近有一个角落， 那里是我们玩超人游戏的绝 佳场所。 那条长长的过道通向学校又黑又脏的后门，非常适合玩意 外抓捕和快速解救的游戏。 课间休息时，我和戴维可以大展身手了。 我们对在碎石操场上 打棒球的男孩儿们视而不见， 也不搭理那些在小山谷里一边玩躲球游 戏一边咯咯傻笑的女孩儿们。 超人游戏让我们变得像两个逃犯似的， 但也给了我们一种虚幻的优越感，我们甚至找谢尔登 • 费恩来充当 恶棍。他是街区里一个脸色苍白、胆小怕事的孩子，没有男孩儿愿意 和他玩，因为一有人追他他就哭，而且老

是自己摔倒在地，擦伤他那 胖胖的膝盖。 一开始我们还得教谢尔登怎么扮演他的角色， 可没过多久他就变 成了一位发明虐刑的专家，甚至私下里悄悄实施他的刑罚。 他常常 扯下苍蝇的翅膀，揪掉蚱蜢的腿，并把这些残废了的昆虫囚禁在瓶子 里，藏到床底下，这样他就可以偷偷把它们拿出来，看着它们痛苦挣 扎的样子。 戴维和我只在课间休息的时候和谢尔登玩，放学后我们 就让他回家跟他的妈妈、棒棒糖以及那些无助的昆虫为伴。 那时候，弗兰克舅舅住在我们家，等着参军。我肯定他和隐姓埋 名的超人长得特别像。 戴维却看不出我舅舅和超人有多么相像，但 他承认弗兰克舅舅是他这辈子所见过的最强壮的人， 而且他会变很多 戏法，比如用餐巾一盖上糖果，糖就没了，他还能倒立行走。

Active reading 2

不同文化的童年 当我回顾 20 世纪七八十年代我的童年时光，并将它与现在孩子 的童年相比较时，就会想起一句名言： “往昔是异国他乡，那里有不 同的习俗” （见 L. P.哈特利的小说《传信人》。 甚至在相对短暂的一 ） 段时间内， 我也能够察觉到儿童的生活以及人们对待儿童的方式上所 经历的巨大变化。 回顾更久远的岁月，我可以看到现在和古代童年生活的巨大差 别。 如今的儿童责任很少，他们生活的主要内容是玩耍而非工作， 上学而非劳动，在家里呆着而不是和外界交往，消费而非生产。 这 种变化也是最近才显现出来的。 一百年前，12 岁的孩子在工厂打工 是完全可以接受的事情，而现在，这会招来社会服务机构的介入，其 父母和工厂主会被起诉。 有两位美国作家，芭芭拉 • 埃伦里奇和迪尔德丽 • 英格利希， 她们简要地概括了过去和现在人们对儿童的期待的差异。 在比较美 国现在的儿童和殖民地时期（1600-1776）的儿童时，她们写道： “今 天，如果一个四岁的孩子能自己系鞋带就很了不起了。 而在殖民地 时期，四岁的女孩会织长筒袜和连指手套，能做复杂的刺绣，六岁就 能纺毛线了。 一个善良勤快的女孩被称为‘夫人’而不是‘小姐’ ， 这是为了表彰她对家庭经济的贡献，严格说来她不是一个孩子了。 ” 对儿童的看法不断变化着， 这使得许多社会科学家宣称童年是一 种“社会

建构” 他们用这个术语来说明不同的地区对童年的理解是 。

不一样的，虽然所有社会都承认儿童与成年人有区别，至于他们之间 有何不同， 人们对儿童又有何期待， 不同的社会给出了不一样的答案。 社会人类学家在研究那些跟西方国家持有不同世界观的民族时 也表明了这个观点。 琼 • 布里格斯研究过加拿大北极地区的伊努

伊特人， 她描述了在这些社会群落中成长是怎样大体上被看成是一个 获得思想、理性和理解力（伊努伊特人称之为 ihuma）的过程。 小 孩子不具备这些素质，所有才容易生气，常常会哭，无法理解群落所 面临的诸如食物短缺之类的外在困难。 由于无法跟他们讲理，即便 讲了他们也不明白，父母对他们很宽容、很温和。 一直要等到他们 年龄大一点，并开始有自己的思想时，父母才会尝试着去管教他们， 约束他们。 相反，根据海伦 • 莫顿的研究，太平洋岛国汤加的儿童经常挨 父母和哥哥姐姐的打。 人们认为儿童和成年人相比更像疯子，因为 他们缺乏被大家看重的社会能力 （汤加人称之为 poto） 小孩子经常 。 因为笨手笨脚而挨骂， 他们连摔跤都会被嘲笑、 呵斥， 甚至被打。 人 们认为儿童很顽皮，都是因为淘气他们才哭闹，或者要东西吃。在大 人看来，三至五岁的儿童尤其任性，因此他们打这个年龄段的孩子也 打得最狠。 父母们相信，只有靠训导和体罚才能使孩子获得社会能 力，所以他们用一种在外人看来非常严厉的方式对待孩子。 在其他的例子中，有关儿童的观念则截然不同。 例如，西非的 一个叫孟加拉的很小的族群认为，不管说什么、用什么语言说，小孩 子都能听明白，并且能理解。 另一位人类学家阿尔玛 • 戈特利布对

孟加拉族进行了广泛的研究， 孟加拉族人认为小孩子出生前居住在灵 界，在那里他们通晓人类所有的语言，能理解所有的文化。 灵界的 生活很惬意， 小孩子在那里有很多朋友， 他们通常极不愿意离开那儿， 来到地球上的家庭中（本 • 奥克雷的小说《饥饿之

路》就描述了一 个小孩在灵界和人世之间往返的故事） 他们出生后仍然与那个世界 。 保持长达数年的联系，如果没有得到良好的照顾，他们就可能要返回 灵界。 因此，父母们悉心照料孩子，以免他们受到诱惑，回归灵界， 而且对他们也有几分敬畏，因为他们具备大人所不具备的通灵的本 领。 在英国及其他西方国家，越来越多的人认为儿童缺乏能力，依赖 性强。 但也不是全世界的人都持这种看法。 在很多社会里孩子从小 就开始工作，寻找各种机会为家里挣钱。 以看管孩子为例，在英国， 14 岁以下的儿童在没有成人监督的情况下照看其他孩子是非法的， 因为人们认为他们缺少看孩子的能力和责任心。 而在其他文化里， 情况并非如此。 米歇尔 • 约翰逊曾写过西非的富拉尼族女孩四岁就 得照看年幼的弟弟妹妹，要打水、拾柴，六岁就得舂米、挤奶、做黄 油，并和妈妈一起到市场上去贩卖这些东西。 另一位人类学家拿破仑 • 沙尼翁证实了在世界的另一端，地处 亚马孙雨林的亚那马莫族孩子的童年与西方孩子的童年有什么不同， 以及那里的男孩儿女孩儿们跟世界其他地方的男孩儿女孩儿的成长 方式的差异。 他写道，亚那马莫族女孩儿很小就得帮妈妈做家务， 到十岁就开始管家。 到十二、三岁时可能就结婚生子了。 男孩儿的

责任则要少得多，他们比女孩儿晚结婚，可以玩到十八九岁。 西方 的童年观在这里根本不适用， 因为这里的人们对儿童的能力和责任有 着完全不同的理解。 社会人类学家探寻的是在他们所研究的族群里人们是如何看待 童年，以及儿童扮演的角色问题，而不是研究那些地区的童年观是否 符合西方的观念。 他们这么做是为了避免把外界的观念强加给那些 持不同世界观的人身上， 或者是为了避免对其他民族养育孩子的方式 作价值观方面的判断。 西方人可能会反对八岁的女孩儿打工，反对 12 岁的女孩儿结婚，但在他们自己的族群里，这些事情被视为童年 生活的一个积极的常态。 的确，在非西方人看来，许多“正常的” 西方育儿方式极其怪异，可能对孩子是有害的。 让孩子在自己的屋 里呆着，想吃东西的时候不给他们吃，或者任由他们哭闹而不赶快去 安抚他们，这些在很多社会里都是不对的事情，会让人觉得西方人根 本不懂得如何照看孩子。 童年是一种处于变

化之中的社会现象，具有持续的吸引力，并且 不断受到关注。 从跨文化角度来看待这个问题能展示出世界上各种 各样的童年生活， 并警示我们不要随意干涉或指责那些生活方式及世 界观跟我们不一样的人。 所有的社会都承认儿童和成年人是不同的， 他们有自己独特的品性和需求； 人类学家和社会科学家感兴趣的是每 个社会对儿童的天性都有什么样的看法， 以及这些看法又如何影响儿 童的生活。

Reading across culture

世界各地的童年 以前，我的犹太奶奶和我住得很近。 她做得一手好菜，厨房里 从来没有消停的时候。 每逢宗教节日临近，她都要忙上一整天，为 家人准备丰盛的晚宴。 小时候我一直和爷爷奶奶在一起，也就成了 奶奶的帮厨。 那时我对自己能到储藏室把鸡蛋完好无损地取回来感 到非常自豪。 储藏室里五味俱全，里面有面粉、香料、蜂蜜、食用 油、柴禾。 我总在观察奶奶的动作，她会把手头的每一样活都细细 地给我解释，教我怎么做。 她经常会说“把那东西递给我” ，手指着 一个炒菜锅或是一颗洋葱。 每件事都很重要。 黛博拉 英国 我的童年是跟奶奶过的， 说起她就让我想起一段有趣的往事。 她 经常用报纸卷烟抽。 有一天她不在家，我想学她的样，就用报纸卷 了一个烟卷，但里面没放烟丝。 我点燃报纸卷，放到嘴里吸，报纸 很快就烧到了我的鼻头上。 我觉得很丢脸，至今家里人还时常提起 这件糗事。 李明宇 韩国 我小时候常和附近的流浪猫、流浪狗玩。 我训练它们，我们一起玩“老师和学生”“医生和病人”“售货 、 、 员和顾客”“抢劫犯和他们的头儿”等游戏。 、 一天，我回家时后面跟了一帮“朋友” ，妈妈吓坏了。 她冲我直 嚷嚷，我只好答应她以后再也不带它们回家了。 可是后来有一次， 她又发现我在自己屋里和好几只狗一起玩“合唱队与乐团”的游戏。 奥尔加 俄罗斯

小时候，我们没钱买玩具。 有一天，我们没花一分钱就得到了 一个大玩具。 一架俄罗斯飞机因为燃油耗尽迫降在操场的沙地上， 这对我们这个只有几百号人的寂静的小村庄

来说可是个激动人心的 消息。 因为以前没见过飞机，全村的人都到操场围观。 我父亲和镇 公所的几个官员逮捕了飞行员，那架飞机则永远地留在了沙地里，成 了我们最喜爱的玩具。 我们常坐在驾驶座上，好像自己与那位糟糕 的俄罗斯飞行员不同，是世界上最棒的飞行员。 意德兹 土耳其

Unit3

Active reading 1

我们是怎样听音乐的 我们都按照各自不同的能力来听音乐。 但为了便于分析，如果 把听的整个过程分成几个组成部分， 那么这个过程会更清晰一些。 从 某种意义上来说，我们听音乐有三个不同的层次。 由于缺乏更好的 术语，我们姑且把它们命名为： （1）感官层次； （2）表现层次； （3） 纯音乐层次。 把听的过程机械地分割为以上三个假想的层次，唯一 的好处是让我们更清楚地了解自己是怎样听音乐的。 听音乐最简单的方式是为了去获取乐声带来的纯粹的愉悦感， 这 是音乐的感官层次。 在这个层次上，我们只是听音乐，不做任何思 考。 我们打开收音机，一边做着其他的事情，一边心不在焉地沉浸 在音乐中。 乐声本身的魅力带我们进入一种无需思考的美妙心境。

令人意外的是， 许多自认为是合格的音乐爱好者在听音乐时过多 地使用了这一层次。 他们去听音乐会是为了忘却自我。 他们把音乐 当成一种慰藉，一种逃避，由此他们进入了一个可以忘却日常生活的 理想世界。 当然， 他们也没有在思考音乐。 音乐允许他们离开现实， 到另一个地方去做梦，因为音乐而做梦，做有关音乐的梦，却从没有 真正欣赏过音乐。 的确，乐声的魅力是一种强大而原始的力量，但是你不该让它占 据你过多的兴趣空间。 感官层次是音乐的一个重要层次，非常重要， 但并不是音乐的全部。 音乐存在的第二个层次就是我所说的表现层次。 一提到这个问 题，我们马上就进入到一个颇具

争议的领域。 作曲家总是设法避开 有关音乐表现方面的讨论。 斯特拉温斯基不是曾经声称他的音乐是 一个“物体” ，是一件有自我生命的“东西” ，除了纯音乐性的存在之 外没有任何别的含意吗？斯特拉温斯基这种不妥协的态度可能源于 这样的一个事实： 有那么多的人尝试着从众多的音乐作品中读出完全 不同的含意。 确实，要准确地说出一部音乐作品的含意已经很难了， 要肯定并确定地说出来，还要使每个人对你的解释都感到满意，是难 上加难。 但我们不该因此走到另一个极端，不能去剥夺音乐“表现” 的权利。 可能的话，你不妨听听巴赫的《平均律钢琴曲集》中的 48 个赋 格主题。 依次地、一个个地听听其中的每一个主题，你很快就会意 识到每个主题都反映了一个不同的情感世界， 你很快也会意识到你越

觉得某个主题美妙，就越难找到令你完全满意的字眼来描述它。 是 的，你当然知道那个主题是欢快的还是悲伤的。 换句话说，你能够 在脑海中勾勒出那个主题的情感框架。 那么就更仔细地听一下这个 悲伤的主题吧，要明确悲伤的性质。 是悲观厌世的悲伤，还是无可 奈何的悲伤？是时运不济的悲伤，还是强颜欢笑的悲伤？ 假设你很幸运，能用许多词句充分表达你对选中主题的确切理 解。 但这仍然无法保证其他人对你的理解都感到满意，他们也完全 没有必要感到满意。 重要的是，每个人能亲自感受某个主题的表现 力，或以同样的方式去感受一部完整的音乐作品独特的表现力。 如 果是一部伟大的音乐作品， 就别指望每次去听它都能给你带来相同的 感受。 音乐存在的第三个层次是纯音乐层次。 除了令人愉悦的乐声及 其所表现的情感之外，音乐也因其音符本身以及对音符的处理而存 在。 多数听众都没有充分认识到音乐的这第三个层次。 对我们所有人来说，更加充分地认识这个纯音乐层次非常重要。 毕竟乐曲使用的是实实在在的音乐材料。 聪明的听众一定要做好准 备，随时提升自己对音乐材料以及这些材料的使用的理解。 他必须 要更加有意识地倾听音乐的旋律、节奏、和弦及音色。 但最重要的 是，为了能够跟上作曲家的思路，他还必须了解一些音乐形式方面的 知识。 去听所有这些成分就是在纯音乐层次上欣赏音乐。 让我重复一遍， 我仅仅是为了讲解得更清楚才把听音乐的三个层 次机

械地分割开来的。 事实上，我们从来都不会只在其中的一个层

次上听音乐。 我们其实是把它们联系起来，同时在三个层次上听音 乐。 这并不需要付出多少脑力，因为我们是凭本能这么做的。 也许，用去剧院看戏来作类比，能使这种本能的联系更加明白易 懂。 在剧院里， 你能注意到男女演员、 服装和布景、 声音和动作。 这 些东西组合在一起，会让我们觉得剧院是一个令人愉悦的地方，它们 构成了我们欣赏戏剧的感官层次。 戏剧的表现层次来自于你看舞台表演时获得的感受。 它激起你 的怜悯、兴奋或是愉悦。 正是这种笼统的感觉，除了听台词所感受 到的，主要是存在于舞台上的某种情感的东西，与音乐的表现性相类 似。 剧情以及剧情的发展相当于我们所说的纯音乐层次。 剧作家塑 造和发展戏剧人物的方式，和作曲家创造和发展主题的方式是一样 的。 你能否成为一个聪明的听众，取决于你对剧作家或音乐家处理 艺术材料的手段的了解有多深。 显然，看戏的人从来就不会单独注意到这其中的一个元素。 他 是同时注意到了一切。 听音乐的道理也是一样的，我们同时地、不 假思索地在三个层次上倾听音乐。

Active reading 2

《戴珍珠耳环的少女》之谜 戴珍珠耳环的少女》 《戴珍珠耳环的少女》是荷兰画家约翰尼斯 • 维梅尔最伟大的 作品之一，也是世界上最受欢迎的画作之一。 画里有一位引人注目

的年轻女子，身穿异国服饰，戴着头巾，她侧身回眸，望着欣赏画作 的观众。 画面的背景一片漆黑，我们的视线被吸引到女子所佩戴的 珍珠耳环上，那耳环也是整幅画的焦点。 这幅画在被世人研究了一 个多世纪后，仍然留存着一些饶有趣味的问题待人们解答。 那位年 轻女子是谁？这幅画到底是一幅真人肖像画， 还是一幅表现女人普遍 特征的模特画？她有多大年纪？那颗珍珠是真的吗？她戴的头巾有 什么特殊含义吗？她回眸看着

我们的时候到底在想些什么？ 总的来说， 有关维梅尔的记载很少。 我们知道他出生于 1632 年， 一辈子都住在代尔夫特，于 1675 年逝世。 我们知道他的画作包括宗 教及神话题材的画，室内家居画以及风景画。 他好像从来没富有过， 可能是因为作品相对较少的缘故。 他的其他名画包括《在窗前读信 的女孩》和《拿着水罐的女人》 。 我们还知道，虽然他来自于一个新教家庭，却娶了一位信仰天主 教的女孩凯瑟琳娜，凯瑟琳娜坚持要他改信天主教，然后才肯跟他结 婚，婚后他们育有 14 个孩子。 《戴珍珠耳环的少女》这幅画似乎不是被当作肖像画来画的，而 是一幅表现人物表情、面部特征，以及其他一些特点的习作。 的确， 少女的那张脸在传统意义上或许算不上漂亮。 如果是一幅肖像画， 画家会花更多的力气来表现被画者的美貌， 即便那么做会有些背离事 实！这种肖像画当时在荷兰很流行，而且可能也更容易出售。 然而， 我们并不知道这幅画在维梅尔生前是否卖出去过。 我们甚至不清楚 它是不是维梅尔的资助人范 • 鲁文的委托之作。 如果是的话，画中

的模特有可能是维梅尔的一个年龄相仿的女儿。 我们对《戴珍珠耳 环的少女》的了解比对维梅尔的其他作品都少。 实际上，这种无法 解释的背景资料的缺失甚至会使得该画更受欢迎。 正因为如此神秘，这幅画先是成了一部小说的主题，而后又被一 部电影所采纳。 它们都试图揭开有关这幅画的一些谜题， 其中一个是： 女孩那双睁得大大的眼睛，以及那一丝神秘的微笑，到底是天真还是 诱惑？像小说或电影这类媒介更适合作出回答。 崔西 • 雪佛兰于 1999 年出版的小说向我们讲述了一位 16 岁的 荷兰女孩格里特的故事。 她必须去工作来养活家人，于是成了维梅 尔家的一名女仆，和维梅尔的五个孩子、一位老佣人以及他喜怒无常 的妻子凯瑟琳娜生活在一起。 在他家干活的时候，格里特不仅被一 个屠夫的儿子彼得看上了，也引起了画家本人的注意。 尽管他们有 着不同的背景，隶属于不同的阶级，但维梅尔还是邀她进画室，并让 她走入自己的世界。 起初，格里特只是帮维梅尔跑跑腿，干些杂活。 可渐渐地，他 们的关系发生了变化。 维梅尔发现了格里特的视觉才能和艺术潜质， 开始让她做画室助手。 格里特清楚自己在维梅尔家的地位，

一直谨 小慎微，但她还是对画家鼓励她学习绘画技巧而感到高兴。 她的工 作是帮维梅尔磨颜料、 调颜色， 有模特生病的时候， 她担当模特之职。 凯瑟琳娜很久之前就被禁止进入画室了， 所以格里特的学徒生涯是在 秘密中进行的。 格里特和维梅尔的关系日见亲密，虽然他们之间的 感情从未被挑明过。

可是，维梅尔的那位有钱的资助人范 • 鲁文喜欢上了格里特， 他坚持要维梅尔在他定的下一幅画里为他和格里特画张双人像。 格 里特和维梅尔都不情愿， 因为格里特本人很矜持庄重， 还因为范 • 鲁 文最近和一位年轻女子一起画像时传出了绯闻。 最终，维梅尔作了 一点妥协，他答应为格里特画一幅单人像，并让她戴上凯瑟琳娜的珍 珠耳环。 作画的时候，维梅尔看着格里特的头发，那一头秀发让她 少了几分矜持庄重，格里特为此感到十分难堪，跑到彼得那里寻求安 慰。 一天，维梅尔的女儿发现格里特在给他父亲当模特，就把这事告 诉了她妈妈。 凯瑟琳娜顿生醋意，冲进画室，要求看那幅画。 维梅 尔则指责凯瑟琳娜不懂艺术，此时的格里特处境很尴尬，她决定离开 维梅尔家。 我们知道，十年后格里特嫁给了彼得，还为他生了孩子。 同时， 维梅尔也去世了。他在遗嘱里把珍珠耳环留给了格里特。 在与彼得 结婚时，格里特把珍珠耳环卖了，用来偿还彼得家的肉铺欠维梅尔的 债。 崔西 • 雪佛兰的才华在于她把几个世纪前一位生活在小城市的 年轻女子的故事栩栩如生地展现在了现代读者的眼前；最重要的是， 她对于那幅画所引发的某些问题给出了自己的思考。 这本小说很畅销，所以在 2003 年被改编成了同名电影。 维梅尔 由科林 • 弗思扮演，格里特由斯嘉丽 • 约翰松扮演。 电影在描述 维梅尔为格里特穿耳洞，为了让她戴上他妻子的珍珠耳环，然后来画

那位资助人要的画时，非常到位地表现出他俩之间的紧张状态。 电 影的结尾是小说里没有的， 那副珍珠耳环被神秘地送到了格里特的手 中，至于她是否会嫁给彼得，电影留下了悬念。 这幅画现在收藏于荷兰海牙的莫瑞泰斯皇家美术馆。 正是因为 它像现馆藏于巴黎的列奥纳多 • 达 • 芬奇的画作一样， 画了一位面 带神秘微笑的女人，那微笑蕴

藏着多层意义和疑问，它被誉为北方的 《蒙娜丽莎》 仅仅一幅画就催生了一部备受推崇的小说，以及一部 。 制作精良的影片，这说明了《戴珍珠耳环的少女》之谜的巨大魅力。

Reading across culture

西方艺术史上最好的五幅画作 史上最伟大的画作有哪些？每个人都有他自己最喜爱的作品， 但 要从数不胜数的西方艺术精品中选出几幅最好的， 可能是一件费力不 讨好的事情。 不过，下面这五幅画可能在任何人的选单上都会高居 榜首。 其中最有名的、一眼就能认出来的可能就会是列奥纳多的《蒙娜 丽莎》 现藏于巴黎的卢浮宫。 你看着这幅画越久， ， 它就变得越神秘。 这位目光始终追随着我们的画中人到底是谁？正如一位著名评论家 所说的，她看上去比她坐着的石头还要古老。 《宫女》是迪戈 • 贝拉斯克斯 1656 年绘制的作品，它悬挂在马 德里普拉多美术馆中。它是西方绘画史上被分析得最多的画作之一。 这幅画像一张快照，展示了西班牙腓力四世皇宫里的一间大屋子，还

有屋里的许多宫廷人物：有国王的女儿玛格丽塔，簇拥着她的一群宫 女，一名护卫，两个侏儒和一条狗。 后面是贝拉斯克斯本人，他正 在画另一个作品，他把目光投向了观众。 这幅画好像在告诉我们， 艺术和生活不过是一种幻觉。 《星夜》无疑是文森特 • 凡 • 高最著名的画作之一。 它展现 了从法国南 部圣雷米普罗旺斯的一家精神病院的房间里看到的夜空 景象，凡 • 高在一次严重的精神崩溃后住在了那里。 这幅画也反映 了他当时所经历的精神混乱。 目前在纽约的大都会艺术博物馆里可 以看到这幅画。 另一幅著名的现代杰作是挪威艺术家爱华德 • 蒙克所画的《呐 喊》 它展示了血红色的天空下一位痛苦异常的人。 有人认为他并 。 不是在呐喊，而是捂着耳朵，保护自己不受到喊声的伤害，他极力把 自然界令人痛苦的声音挡在耳外。 这幅画名声远扬，部分是缘自它 从奥斯陆国家艺术馆被盗的次数。 最后一幅重要画作是毕加索的《阿维农少女》 ，该画完成于 1907 年，描绘了妓院里的五个妓女。 该画被誉为现代艺术史上最有影响 力的作品，

也是立体主义画派的先锋之作。立体主义画派的特点是运 用许多几何图形和多重视点，使画里的人物处于多个平面之中，展现 出在单一平面中无法看见的特征。 该画现藏于纽约现代艺术博物馆

Unit 4

Active reading 1

在美国大公司工作 现在的孩子要是有人跟他们说长大后要“去工作来谋生” ，往往 会表现出一脸的茫然和沮丧，这并不奇怪。 问题在于，他们想象不 出美国的大公司里都有哪些工作。 不久以前， 当家长说他要去工作了， 孩子很清楚他去做什么。 他 不是去做东西就是去修理东西。 父亲可能会带着孩子去他干活的地 方，让他看着自己修马车，或是打桌子。 要是孩子问“爸爸，您是干什么的？” ，爸爸会用孩子能理解的 语言回答他，比如： “我是修蒸汽机的” ，或者“我是做马项圈的” 。 可是，现在修蒸汽机或是打桌子的父亲很少了，绝大多数人都不 干这个了。 现在，大多数的父亲坐在有玻璃外墙的大楼里，做着孩 子们根本理解不了的工作。 当被问道“爸爸，您做什么工作？”时， 他们的回答往往让孩子大惑不解。 “我是楼盘顾问。 “我做市场研究的。 “我是数据处理员。 ” ” ” “我在公关部工作。 “我是系统分析师。 这些解释对小孩子来说 ” ” 肯定是毫无意义的。 他怎么可能想象得出一个人是怎么去分析系统 和研究市场的呢？ 即使是那些从事市场研究工作的成年人也很难想象公关部的人 每天都在做些什么， 一名普通的系统分析师肯定不知道楼盘顾问在店 里都干些什么，就好像楼盘顾问对分析系统的工具也一窍不通一样。 在普通的日常工作中，没有什么东西是手工制作出来的了。 现

在什么东西都是机器生产的。 也极少有东西需要修理。 机器生产出 来的东西很容易散架，而这样的东西要拿去修理的话费用非常高，不 值得。 于是消费者被怂勇着把那东

西扔了，再买个新的。 事实上， 机器是在生产垃圾。 少数跟这些机器能搭上点关系的人当然可以对好追根究底的孩 子说： “爸爸是制造垃圾的” 但是，大多数劳动者离生产垃圾的现 。 场很远，根本感受不到自己对垃圾制造业的贡献。 那这些人到底在 做些什么呢？ 想想美国城市里一栋典型的 12 层玻璃外墙的楼房吧。 在这栋楼 里，没有什么被生产出来，也没有什么在被修理着，连楼房本身也用 不着修。 这栋楼本来就是被当成一件垃圾建造起来的，所以当大楼 变得破旧了，就会被当作垃圾扔掉，在原地盖一栋新的垃圾楼。 即便如此，大楼里仍然挤满了自以为是在工作的人。 一天中任 何一个时间里，大概会有三分之一的人在打电话。 电话里说的大都 与文件有关，因为整栋楼里几乎每一个人都在为文件而忙前忙后。 大楼里的有些工作需要有人在文件上写字。 有些人要把字工整 地打成文件，有些人要看文件，并在空白处作批注。 有的人要复印 文件，有的则在递送文件。 有的人把文件存档，有的则往外取文件。 有些人寄文件，有些则打电话让别人把文件送过来。 有的人打 电话打听文件在哪儿，有的则在商讨文件。 在最豪华的办公室里， 有的文件被审议通过了，有的则被驳回。 电梯里从早到晚都挤满了把文件从一层楼送到另一层楼的年轻

人，以及拿着文件的重要人士，他们正要和其他重要人士商讨文件。 一个孩子怎么能理解这一切呢？ 也许他父亲身居要职，午餐时 都要和别人讨论文件。 试想他带着儿子来上班，让孩子对他的工作 有一些概念。 孩子能看到些什么呢？ 他父亲打电话让别人送文件过来，他读文件。 可能他会冲着文 件发火，或是在文件上用红笔愤怒地打个记号。 他打电话告诉另一 个人，说中午要一起吃饭讨论有关文件的问题。 午饭时，他们讨论文件。 回到办公室，父亲让人把文件一式五 份重新打印好给另一个人， 那个人要把这份文件和去年一式三份的那 份文件作比较。 可以想象，在这之后如果有小朋友问他“你爸爸是做什么的？” ， 这个可怜的孩子和他的小伙伴都会对这种神秘的工作百思不得其解。 他会怎么回答呢？如果他的观察力不够敏锐，他也许会说， “我说不 清。 如果他非常善于观察，他会回答说， ” “我想，是做跟制造垃圾 相关的工作吧。 跟每个人都一样。 ”

Active reading 2

我们所谓的激动人心的时代其实很乏味 “我们对新奇事物的过度迷恋其实并不新奇” 多米尼克 • 桑德 ， 布鲁克如是说。 我们生活在一个变化的世界里，这种变化前所未有，让人眼花缭 乱。 正是因为全球化，国之界限正逐渐瓦解，同时，技术革新正以

我们几乎理解不了的方式从根本上重塑着我们的生活。 在 21 世纪初 期，历史的变迁日益加速；这种变迁史无前例，一切都和从前不一样 了。 不管怎么说，这就是我们耳熟能详的套话。 可是，我们有这种 论调正是缘自我们对新奇事物的过度迷恋，对深层次历史模式的无 知，以及我们的狂妄自大。 为了证明相比于先辈们的优越性，我们 夸耀说自己生活在一个前所未有的变革期。 但是，有一个很好的例 子可以用来证明，实际上我们并没有生活在多么有趣的时代。 就以全球化为例。其拥护者美国人托马斯 • 弗里德曼认为，全 球化是一个全新的“国际体系” ，它影响着“全世界几乎每一个国家 的政治、环境、地缘政治以及经济” 但是，如果把它置于历史的环 。 境中，这个词几乎毫无意义可言。 有哪个社会不曾或多或少地被全 球化过呢？ 例如， 罗马帝国完完全全是一个多民族、 多文化、 跨国界的实体， 仅在它的首都就有几十种不同的语言和宗教相互竞存。 古罗马人不 但从埃及进口谷物，还向中国和印度购买香料以及器皿，同时，他们 出口陶器到其他的国家，甚至卖到了遥远的本地治里。 我们可能会 为班加罗尔的呼叫服务中心而兴奋不已， 殊不知最先到达那里的还是 古罗马人，他们可是常为天下先的。 尽管过去的几十年间生活中方方面面的变化随处可见——比如 西方妇女的地位的变化——但我们更应该指出现代生活稳定的一面。 1945 年以来西方世界没有发生过大规模的战争，多数国家的国界线

半个多世纪以来都保持着原样。 虽然我们总喜欢吹嘘自己的现代性， 但是，今天的英国，虽然有美丽的郊野景色和高耸的摩天大楼，对于 20 世纪四五十年代的人来说，一

点都不新奇。 尽管我们对互联网，还有 iPod 十分热衷，但我们并非生活在一 个伟大的技术革新的时代。 大多数日常生活中用到的技术——比如 烤面包机、水壶、中央供暖系统、电视、飞机、火车、汽车——都是 几十年前就问世了。 虽然推介互联网的广告铺天盖地，可一个残酷 的事实是：我们大多数人都用互联网来做一些非常传统的事情，无论 是购书还是给朋友写信。 总是有人跟我们说互联网“打开”了一个 新的世界，然而，令人吃惊的是，90％的网络流量都发生在本地网。 和几十年前人们对变化的普遍期待相比， 如今变化的速度还是要 慢一些。 例如，当斯坦利 • 库布里克的电影《2001：星际漫游》于 1968 年上映时，人们似乎有理由想象有一天将乘着泛美航空的航班 飞往空间站，和有知觉的电脑聊天，并且住在月球上。 但是 1968 年 去看过这部电影的那些观众们要是知道直至现在他们还住在米尔顿 • 凯恩斯，看着《杀机四伏》时，肯定会大失所望的。 我们追求新奇事物也不是什么新奇的事。 1944 年，乔治 • 奥 威尔就忿忿不平地抱怨说： “我不知道听过多少遍‘飞机和收音机消 除了距离’ 还有 ， ‘世界各地如今都是互相依存着的’ 这样的话” 假 。 如他还活着，毫无疑问，他也同样会为现在相类似的观点而气恼不已 的。 虽然婴儿潮那代人喜欢吹嘘说他们经历的变化比其他时代的人

都要多，但我们用不着向前追溯太远就能找到更为巨大的变化。 试 想一个英国人，他于 1865 年出生在一个乡村里，那儿人们还骑着马， 驾着马车，冬日里冰天雪地的，视野很有限。 假设他能活到 80 多岁 或是 90 多岁 （这完全有可能） 他就能亲眼目睹汽车、 ， 飞机、 收音机、 电话、电影、家庭电器、大众普及教育及妇女选举权这些事物的诞生 ——这样的世界与当今社会差距并不大。 换句话说，到他去世前， 他所看到的变化之大，是我们难以想象的。 我猜想，在他看来，我 们自认为激动人心的时代也许真的很乏味。 中国有句咒语： “但愿你生活在有趣的时代， ”意思是紧随有趣时 代而来的是混乱和焦虑。 果真如此的话，我们算是很幸运了，因为 我们没有生活在有趣的时代。

Reading across cultures

英国正在消失的职业 一株繁茂的栗树下面 乡村铁匠铺兀立； 铁匠是个健壮的汉子， 双手硕大而有力； 他那两臂的鼓鼓肌肉 有如铁条般坚实。 他的头发硬、黑而长， 他的脸色像黑炭；

他额上是诚实的汗水， 他卖力挣钱吃饭， 且坦然直面整个世界， 因为他谁也不欠。 ——亨利 • 沃滋沃斯 • 朗费罗 （傅浩译） 自朗费罗写下这首关于乡村铁匠的诗以来，时代变了，人们营生 的手段也变了。 在过去的一百年间，成百上千的传统职业几乎销声 匿迹了。 乡村铁匠即是个明显的例子。 铁匠曾是乡村生活的中心， 他用铁来打制东西，修理东西，还时常干点零活，比如给马上马蹄铁 等；而今，在英国，铁匠不到一千人了。 同时，乡村农业机械化的兴起使农夫的数量急剧减少，尤其是饲 养牲口的人。 比如，现在仍在英格兰北部山区放牧的人也就剩下寥 寥几个了。 城里的工作也发生了变化。 没人会去否认有些是变得更好了： 卫生条件的改善使抓耗子的工作大量减少， 关于最低工作年龄的立法 使得擦鞋的童工从大街上迅速消失，但个体经营者，如补鞋的皮匠或 修理手表的表匠如今也很难看到了。 许多小商贩也因难敌超市的竞争 不得不关门大吉。 大约 20 年前，每天清晨还能见到送奶工熟悉的身影，他们骑着 小电瓶车挨家挨户送奶。 从那时到现在，需求已经下降了 60%。 如 今订奶的人可以在网上下单， 当地超市会把牛奶连同其他商品一起送

到家门口。 有时某些职业几乎在一夜之间就消失了。 一百年前，英国是世 界上最大的产煤国，60 万名矿工每年生产两亿吨煤。 到了 20 世纪 80 年代，几乎所有的煤矿都关闭了，大多数矿工失去了工作。 可是 因为取代煤炭的“清洁燃料”太贵了，近年来有很多人重新启用尘封 多年的壁炉，并回归到传统的燃料上来。 这使得大多数人认为已经消失的一个职业——烟囱清扫工—— 又有活干了。 清扫烟囱在那个逝去的年代里曾是传统的危险工作的 代名词，现在又有了需求。根据网络广告公布的服务项目，这个工种 的技术含量还挺高。

Unit 5

Active reading 1

乔安妮餐厅的晚餐 雪下得很大，虽然每个真正的纽约人都盼着过一个白色的圣诞， 可还在第五大道购物的人们却行色匆匆， 他们不但要在最后一刻前挑 选到心仪的圣诞礼物，还要避开严寒，回家和亲人们共度圣诞夜。 乔希 • 莱斯特拐进了第四十六街。 他还没来得及享受圣诞的气 氛，因为他仍在工作着，虽说是要在乔安妮餐厅吃一顿工作餐。 乔 希是黑人，三十出头，长得平易近人，穿着时髦得体，却不华贵。 他 来自弗吉尼亚州北部，父母都是辛勤工作的人，或许只有回到父母家

里才最让他感到幸福。 单从他的行为举止，别人看不出他拥有一个 哈佛法学院的学位，一段在华盛顿特区跟从国会议员实习的经历，还 有纽约一家律师事务所初级合伙人的身份。他才华横溢，思维敏捷， 聪明过人。 这次会面意味着乔希要过了圣诞夜才能回家了。 他并没有因此 而不高兴， 因为他要见的人是康涅狄格州的资深参议员乔 • 罗杰斯， 此人是全美曝光率最高的名人之一。 参议员罗杰斯是民主党人，现 在是她的第三个任期，对于国会山的一切她了如指掌，尽管如此，她 还是尽力维持住了在她的支持者心中作为一位华盛顿局外人的信誉。 她支持堕胎，反对腐败，支持减少二氧化碳排量，反对死刑，可以说 是大西洋的这一边能找到的最完美的进步自由派人士。 脱口秀主持 人们称呼她“诚实的参议员乔” ，几年前《时代周刊》提名她参加年 度女性的角逐。 明年就是选举年了，有消息称她将参加民主党内总 统提名的竞选。 罗杰斯在华盛顿见过乔希，她觉得乔希很有才干， 于是就邀他共进晚餐。 乔希打了个冷战，他打开手里的纸条核对了一下地址。 之前他 没来过乔安妮餐厅，但对于它的鼎鼎大名却早有耳闻，倒不是因为这 里的饭菜有多美味，其实这里的菜品屡遭恶评，也不是因为这里的爵 士管弦乐队有一位知名电影导演客串吹小号， 而是因为这里汇集了有 头有脸的宾客，可以说是星光璀璨，他们中有政客、

外交家、电影明 星、载入名人堂的体育明星、记者、作家、摇滚明星、诺贝尔奖得主 等等——总之，这里的每一位客人都是这座权力之城里的一个人物。

餐厅里面人头攒动。 乔希走进来时前台的领班一直盯着他看。 “您需要帮忙吗？” 乔希回答说： “是的，我有一个……” “对不起，先生……”看见有两位客人走了进来，领班打断了他 的话。 “晚上好，巴考尔小姐，晚上好，汉克斯先生。 ”接着他打了 个响指招呼服务生带他们入座。 “好吧，先生，请问您预定座位了吗？”领班耸了耸肩，说道， “您也看见了，我们没有空余的座位。 ” “我今天晚上要在这儿和一位名叫罗杰斯的女士会面。 ” 领班把乔希从头到脚打量了一番，然后说“请问您怎么称呼？” 乔希向他报了姓名，虽然领班好不容易才忍住没撇嘴，但他还是 鼓了鼓鼻翼，显示出了他的不屑以及自然而然的优越感。 “让我想想。 ”领班说道。 “哦，对了，我们的确为一位罗杰斯 女士预留了一张桌子，可是她马上就到吗？” 乔希过去也有过被人怀疑的经历，但他没有被吓到。 “我肯定她很快就到。 能烦请你带我去她的座位吗？”乔希说。 “那这边走，先生。 领班把乔希领到餐厅靠里处，指了指一张 ” 桌子。 “谢谢，请给我来一杯马丁尼， ”乔希说。 可那位领班还没等他 说完就迫不及待地要回到纽约上层社会那令人陶醉的纷乱中去， 至少 在他看来，那里的每一个人都在召唤着他，希望得到他的注意。 这张桌子离卫生间很近，还紧挨着一扇半开的窗户，好像从五大

湖刮来的刺骨寒风正好沿着哈得孙峡谷吹进来， 在这儿结束了它的旅 程。 突然间， 餐厅安静了片刻， 紧接着又响起了一阵热烈的窃窃语声。 “罗杰斯参议员！ ”领班喊道， “能在乔安妮再次见到您真是太荣 幸了！ ” “晚上好，阿尔贝托。 我要和一位年青人吃饭，他叫莱斯特。 ” 领班慌得直眨眼，还咽了咽口水。 “好的，参议员，您这边走。 当罗杰斯参议员穿过拥挤的餐厅 ” 时，不断有人回过头来，他们认出了她，并默默地跟她打招呼。 在 一个不分阶级的社会里， 罗杰斯可以说是离美国的统治阶级最近的人 了。 阿尔贝托在周围转了一阵子，然后走过去和一位同事说了几句 话。 “很高兴又见

到你，乔希， ”罗杰斯说。 “我们先吃点东西，然 后我要跟你谈谈一份商业提案的事。 ” 阿尔贝托回到餐桌旁，深深地弯下腰，那谦卑的样子简直有点可 笑。 “参议员，这张桌子太冷了，坐着不舒服，不知道……” 罗杰斯参议员等着他把话说完，她轻声地说道， “请接着说。 ” “不知道您愿不愿意换张好点儿的桌子，到餐厅中央去，这样您 就能看到餐厅里的每一个人了。 这样餐厅里的每一个人都可以看见 ” 您啦，他本是想这么说的。 “那样您会觉得舒服得多，而且……” 阿尔贝托停了下来。 罗杰斯参议员看了看四周。

“我同意，这儿不是屋子里最好的座位，但既然你把我的朋友带 到了这儿，我想我们就呆在这里好了，上我平时点的菜吧。 ” 两个小时后，罗杰斯和乔希起身准备离开，这又引起店员们的一 阵骚动，个个都主动来献殷勤，其中就包括阿尔贝托，他提出来要给 他俩免单，但被罗杰斯拒绝了。 他俩披上外套，罗杰斯说， “阿尔贝 托，谢谢你。 噢，我给你介绍我的同事乔希 • 莱斯特了吗？” 阿尔贝托的脸上先是一阵惊恐，然后又闪过绝望中的一丝企盼。 “啊，还没有，不，……还没正式介绍过。 ”他低声下气地说。 “乔希 • 莱斯特。 他是我刚刚招收的竞选班子成员。 他马上 就要成为我竞选团队的副经理了，将负责募集捐款。 如果明年我们 把那位共和党人赶出白宫的话， 你现在看到的就是我的白宫办公厅主 任。 ” “非常高兴见到您，莱斯特先生，非常荣幸，真的。 我衷心希 望很快能在乔安妮餐厅再次见到二位。 ” 参议员看了看阿尔贝托。 “不会了，我觉得没有这种可能了。 ”罗杰斯参议员回答道。 罗杰斯和乔希一起走进寒风凛冽的夜色中。 雪已经停了。

Active reading 2

我、我们、他们 我们、 有一位瑞典商人和本国的一家中等规模的高科技公司进行了接 洽，这位商人在沙特阿拉伯有许多关系良好的客户。 于是，该公司

派了一名工程师——就叫他约翰尼森吧——去利雅得， 经这位商人引 见，和一家小型的沙特工程公司合作，这家公司由一对兄弟经营着， 他俩三十五岁左右，都拥有英国大学的学位。 约翰尼森要做的是代 表沙特政府协助一项建设工程。 但是，双方在两年间进行了六次接 触均无结果。 每次约翰尼森和沙特兄弟商谈时，那位最初帮他们建 立关系的瑞典商人都在场。 这令约翰尼森和他的上司感到非常不快， 因为他们不敢肯定这位商人是否跟他们的竞争对手也有来往， 但沙特 人却执意要介绍人在场。 他们经常讨论一些与生意毫无关系的话题， 比如莎士比亚，哥俩都是莎士比亚迷。 正当约翰尼森的上司开始怀疑公司花大笔旅费派人去洽谈是否 明智时，利雅得那边来了电报，邀请约翰尼森迅速赶赴利雅得，因为 一份价值几百万美元的合同已准备好，等着他来签。 一夜之间，沙 特人的态度也发生了变化：那位中间商再也不用出场了，约翰尼森还 第一次看见沙特人笑了，他们甚至还相互开起了玩笑。 到现在为止，一切都进行得不错；但故事还没有结束。 由于得 到了这份大订单，约翰尼森被提拔为另一个部门的经理，他也因此不 用再管沙特那单生意了。 另一位国际交流经验丰富的工程师被提名 接替他的工作，约翰尼森还亲自把他介绍给了那两位沙特兄弟。 几 星期后，从利雅得发来一份电报，两位沙特兄弟威胁说要取消合同， 仅仅是因为一个有关交货条件的细节问题。 他们请约翰尼森去协助 解决。 约翰尼森到利雅得后才发现，双方的矛盾源于一个很容易解 决的无关紧要的小问题， 但沙特人觉得一定要约翰尼森代表公司出面

才能解决。 因此，瑞典公司不得不打破惯例，允许约翰尼森处理沙 特那边的生意，虽然他现在的职责是管理另外一个完全不同的领域。 在这个真实的故事里， 瑞典人和沙特人对人际关系在商业中的作 用有着不同的理解。 对瑞典人来说，他们是在和一个公司做生意； 但对沙特人来说， 他们是在和一个他们了解并且信任的人做生意。 只 要他们对某个人还不够了解， 就会让一位双方都认识并信任的中间人 或介绍人在场，这样做会比较方便。 这两种文化的差异源于人类社 会的一个根本问题：即个人角色与集体角色的问题。 世界上大多数人都生活在团体利益大于个人利益的社会里, 我 把这类社会称作集

体主义社会， 集体主义这个词在某些读者看来具有 政治意义，但我在使用这个词时不带任何政治色彩。 它并不是指国 家权力对个人的压制，而是特指团体的力量。 我们生命中的第一个 团体向来都是我们出生的那个家庭。 但不同社会有着不同的家庭结 构。 在大多数集体主义社会里，小孩子成长的“家庭”有许多人生 活在一起；有父母，有别的孩子，还有比如爷爷、奶奶、叔伯、姑姑、 佣人及其他的家庭成员。 这种家庭在文化人类学上被称为扩展型家 庭。 小孩在成长的过程中就学着把自己看作是“我们”团体中的一 员，这种关系并不是出于个人的选择，而是与生俱来的。 “我们” 团体不同于社会上众多隶属“他们”团体里的他者。 “我们”团体 （或内部团体）是个人认同感的主要来源，是个人应对生活艰辛所能 依赖的唯一的安全保障。 所以每个人一生都忠于自己的内部团体， 而背叛这个团体是个人所能犯下的最严重的错误。 个人和内部团体

之间会逐渐建立起一种相互依存的关系，这种关系既有实用价值，又 能给人心理上的依靠。 世界上还有少数人生活在个人利益大于团体利益的社会里，我把 这类社会称为个人主义社会。 在这类社会中，多数小孩出生在由父 母和孩子组成的家庭里， 当然， 可能还会有别的孩子； 在某些社会中， 单亲家庭的数量呈逐渐上升的趋势。 其他的亲戚住在别处，彼此很 少见面。 这类家庭被称为核心家庭（源于拉丁词 nucleus，意为“核 心”。 核心家庭里的孩子在成长过程中，很快就学会把自己看成是 ） “我” 这个 。 “我” ——即他们的个人身份——区别于其他人的 “我” ， 而且这所谓的其他人并不是以不同团体的成员身份来区别的， 而是以 个人特点来分类的。 例如玩伴是根据个人的喜好来选择的。 教育的 目标是使孩子最终能自立。 孩子一旦有了自立的能力，父母就会鼓 励他们离开家。 孩子离开父母家后，与父母的往来频率通常会降至 最低点，或者完全断绝往来。 在这类社会里，一个健全的人无论在 实际生活中还是在心理上都不会依赖一个团体。

Reading across cultures

目的地——欧洲 目的地——欧洲 —— 对许多非洲人来说，这里是他们第一眼看到的欧洲：一个位于地 中海的突尼斯和西西里岛之间的岛屿。 从技术层面上说，蓝佩杜萨 岛是意大利的领土，因而属于欧盟。 但是该岛离北非海岸更近些， 因而也成了成千上万的非洲人第一个计划外的停靠站。他们不顾一

切，去欧洲寻求更好的生活。 他们向从事此项非法生意的黑帮支付 高达两千欧元的费用，可是旅途极不舒服，卫生条件极其恶劣，而且 还要遭受烈日的暴晒。这还算好的了，有时候，那些严重超载的船只 到不了对岸，几天之后海水会把他们的尸体冲到欧洲南部的海滩上。 那些到达蓝佩杜萨岛的人则被迅速集中起来，押送到拘留中心， 由那里的官员决定是否允许他们“避难” ，允许避难就是给移民居住 权。 许多人会被遣送回家，有些人则偷偷地登陆，躲开了移民官— —但他们往往没有意识到他们是在一个小岛上， 当他们去向当地人打 听火车站的位置时，当地人会感到很吃惊。 然而， 即便有诸多的问题——旅途的危险、 政府模棱两可的态度、 许多当地岛民的敌意——有些人还是开始了新的生活。 事实上，如 果没有移民，欧洲的经济就会停滞不前。 移民从事的工作都是欧洲 日益老龄化的人口不愿意干的。有些移民很快就融入了当地文化，学 会了当地的语言，积极投身社会活动，并最终获得了公民权。 意大利是来自发展中国家的新移民的目的地；那里四百万的移民 大概占了全国总人口的 7%。 而在整个欧洲，这个数字接近 12%；一 些北部的国家，例如德国、法国和英国，接纳大规模移民已经有 50 年之久。 虽然各国的历届政府都试图控制移民的流入，但收效甚微。 简而言之，移民是无法改变的现实， “旧大陆” （欧洲人有时候这样称 呼它）不仅历来都是多元文化的社会，如今也是个多种族、多民族的 社区。

Unit 6

Active reading 1

最后撤出的人： 最后撤出的人：消防员的故事 2001 年 9 月 11 日上午 9 时 59 分 它似乎是从天而降。 在世贸中心北塔 35 层的一组电梯旁， 当时大约有 20 多个人。 我 们中绝大多数是消防员，个个都差不多精疲力竭了。 有的人大汗淋 漓，有的脱掉了他们的消防战斗服，或是把它们扎在腰间。 有好几 个人大口地喘着粗气。 其他人迫不及待地想要离开这儿。 我们所有 的人都停了下来， 想喘口气， 清醒一下头脑， 搞明白到底出了什么事。 我们已经在这儿拼命战斗了差不多一个小时了， 有些人时间稍微短一 点儿，可我们根本看不见哪里是尽头。 当然，我们也不知道自己还 能干点儿什么，没有一点儿进展。 接着传来一阵巨大的响声，整个大楼开始颤动起来，我们都愣住 了。 站在那儿一动不动。 不管本来要做什么， 现在都只能等一下了。 可要等什么呢？我们不知道，但是还得等。 或许我们不用等，可是 问题不在这儿。 问题是大家都站在那儿一动不动。 所有的人中间没 有一个人动，只是有人抬头看了看天花板，想搞清楚这巨大的声响到 底是从哪儿传来的。 好像我们都能透过天花板，很容易就找到答案 似的。 没有人开口说话。 即便是有时间思考，我们也没有时间把思 维转变成语言。 不管怎么说，我还有时间思考，有太多时间去想了，

我思绪万千。 我想到了每一个可能发生的最糟糕的情况，还有一些 别的事情。 大楼在剧烈摇晃着，像地震了似的，也像是游乐园里惊 耸狂奔的过山车，可真正让我胆颤心惊的是这巨大的轰隆声。 这声 音实在是太大了。 好像直接从我的身体中飞快地穿了过去。 我真想 不出来是什么东西会发出如此大的响声。 好像一千辆失控了的火车 朝我疾速驶来。 好像一群狂奔着的野兽。 又好像是山崩时发出的巨 大轰鸣声。 太难用语言来形容了，但不管这该死的声音是什么，此 刻它传得越来越快，声音越来越大，离我们越来越近，而我被困在其 中，没有办法逃脱。 真是奇怪，这种时候你应该是没有时间思考的，可是你满脑子都 在想着那些事。 我想到了老婆和孩子，只是在脑海里一闪而过，并 不是把自己的人生都回顾了一番那样。 我想到了工作，我离当上副 队长只有一步之遥了。 我想到了放在消防队厨柜上的面包圈。 我想 起我们消防员平常总互相打趣说： “在大火中见吧。

或者是“我们 ” 肯定会在大火中碰面的。 我不知道这种说法是怎么来的，或者我自 ” 己是从什么时候开始说起这种话来的，但这就是我们的暗语。 意思 是不管这场火有多大，以后在别处还会有比这更大的。 我们能安然 无恙地度过这场火，也会安然无恙地度过下一场火。 遇到一场大火 时，我总是这么说，也总听别人这么说，可现在，我呆在这儿，想着 自己再也不会说这样的话了，也不会再听到别人这么说了，因为再也 不会有比这更大的火了。 这会是我们大家一辈子都在说的那场大火， 如果以前——就在这一个个令人胆战心惊的瞬间之前——我没有认

识到这一点的话，现在这浑厚的、不祥的响声印证了这一点。 我琢磨着有什么办法能改变我们的处境。 我想如果搞明白了现在 发生了什么事，也许就能应对了。 所有这些思绪在我脑子里一个连 着一个地闪现，想完一个又是另一个，一时间都堆积在我的脑子里。 每个想法都是那么完整，好像我有足够的时间一个个地付诸行动似 的，而事实上我根本没有时间。 后 评 2001 年 9 月 11 日，在世贸中心遭到恐怖分子袭击而倒塌时，理 查德 • 皮乔托（也被称作“皮奇” ）正在世贸中心的北塔里。 作为 纽约消防局的一名中队长， 他在袭击发生后的几分钟之内就赶到了现 场，带领七名消防队员进入北塔，解救受困人员，扑灭四处蔓延的大 火。 北塔是世贸双塔中最先受到攻击的。 17 分钟后南塔也遭到了袭 击。 而南塔第一个倒塌，时间是 9 点 59 分。 当时皮乔托正在北塔 里，沿着楼梯往上跑，因为电梯根本工作不了了。 这时他下达了撤 退的命令。 到达 12 层时，他看到了 50 个人被压在废墟底下，他们 有的受了重伤动弹不了，有的惊慌失措。 皮乔托和他的部下扶着他 们往下走。 到第七层时， 北塔塌了， 他被埋在几千吨的瓦砾之下。 过 了四个小时，他终于醒了过来，领着他的部下到达安全的地方。 皮乔托是袭击中幸存下来的最高级别的消防员。 纽约消防局局 长、第一副局长以及救援队队长全部都以身殉职了。 整个事件中共 有 343 名消防队员献出了生命，超过 3,000 名平民丧生。

皮乔托在他的《最后撤出的人》一书中讲述了他的经历。 他用 一种扣人心弦的第一

人称的方式向读者描述了被认为是美国历史上 最黑暗的日子、也是世人皆知的 9/11 那天，人们所经历的恶梦般的 恐惧和混乱， 当然这也是人道主义精神和英雄主义精神展现得最淋漓 尽致的一天。 此书于 2002 年一出版就立即成为一本畅销书，作者抱 着一颗感恩的心写了这本书， 并欲以此书向那些品德高尚、 值得信赖， 并献出了生命的战友们致敬。 当然，这本书也展示了他的领导才能。 正如他所说的， “人们都称我们为英雄，其实我们只是在干我们的本 职工作。 ”

Active reading 2

埃莉诺 • 罗斯福 ——世界的第一夫人 ——世界的第一夫人

亲爱的读者们： 你们好！ 就在 1948 年这个星期的某一天， 正当埃莉诺 • 罗斯福从位于纽 约华盛顿广场的公寓步行前往第八大道时，她停下了脚步。 “突然 间， ”她在自己的联合专栏中写道,“我在人行道上看到一个男人的身 影。 他是个无家可归的人， ” “瘦骨嶙峋，看起来十分穷困” ，这种景 象对城里人来说并不少见, 但很少有人会像她那样为了这样的一件

事情向全国民众写了一封公开信，在信中她问道： “这个穷人到底享 有多少人权呢?” 年轻的时候， 罗斯福夫人就为红十字会和纽约青少年联盟等组织 做志愿者——她出身上流社会，心地善良。 但是在当时那个以男性 为主导的时代和国家里，她也仅仅是一个女人。 1911 年，当被问到 她是否支持给予妇女选举权时，她回答说： “如果我丈夫（当时还是 纽约州的一名参议员）是妇女选举权的支持者，那我也许必须支持给 予妇女选举权。 但是随着富兰克林 • 德拉诺 • 罗斯福的仕途越来 ” 越顺利，她也越来越关注妇女问题、劳工问题、青年人问题和人权问 题。 而 1932 年，她和罗斯福入主白宫后，埃莉诺开始大显身手了。 在接下来的 12 年中，罗斯福夫人重新定义了“第一夫人”这个 角

色。 “刚开始时， 连我自己都吃了一惊， 罗斯福政府的劳工部长、 ” 罗斯福夫人的长期挚友弗朗西斯 • 珀金斯 1952 年对《时代》周刊的 一名记者这样说道。 “她刚开始发表演讲时，我十分惊讶。 罗斯 ” 福夫人是第一位召开新闻发布会的第一夫人 （她只允许女记者参加） ； 而且，因为罗斯福离不开轮椅，他把埃莉诺当成了自己的双腿、双眼 和耳朵，因此她十分积极地参与罗斯福新政，以至于让很多人都感到 震惊。 “我那时候觉得总有一天她会受挫的， ”珀金斯说，因为在华 盛顿，你的一举一动都在别人的注视之下。 但是她的确没出什么岔 “ 子。 我不知道她是怎么做到的。 这应该归功于什么呢？我想这是因 为她用意真诚，心地单纯，从未想要去伤害别人。 一开始有人把这 ” 些品质归结于她的天真，但是随着时间的推移，罗斯福夫人仁慈而无

私的性情使她争取到了众多反对者的支持。 在白宫，她是妇女权利 和黑人权利的头号倡导者；从 1935 年到 1962 年她去世，她创立的报 纸联合专栏《我的一天》一直都是她活动的平台。 与此同时，埃莉 诺还是六个孩子的母亲。 她的女儿安娜说： “我们觉得如果你有这么 浓厚的兴趣， 又精力充沛， 还有她那样聪明的头脑， 你一定不要气馁。 我希望她能像现在这样一直不停地做下去。 另外， ” 她还是一位贤妻， 要照顾一个无法站立的丈夫。 温斯顿 • 丘吉尔在 1948 年曾说过： “一个双腿残疾、恶疾缠身的人能够领导美国十多年，经受住战争年 代和和平时期的风雨磨难。 这个奇迹我们同时也要归功于罗斯福夫 人，罗斯福总统的伟大功勋中有她的一半。 ” 第一夫人的角色，无论多么英勇，对她来说只能算是小试身手。 虽然她曾经凭借她在白宫的地位去四处游说， 但是掌握大权的毕竟还 是总统。 此外， 正如珀金斯说过的那样， 她也说了一些得罪人的话。 “ ” 1945 年，她丈夫去世之后，罗斯福夫人似乎已经准备要退隐，离开 公众的视野。 她对媒体说： “一切都结束了。 但那年的晚些时候， ” 杜鲁门总统邀请埃莉诺出任美国驻联合国代表。 她接受了使命，继 续努力工作，并且永远改变了女性在美国和全世界所扮演的角色。 “绝大多数一辈子当副手的人从来没有机会当一把手， ”珀金斯说， “罗斯福夫人有机会当一把手，而且表现得极为出色。 ” 第一届联合国大会的

17 位女性代表和顾问都把罗斯福夫人视为 领袖，而她也不负众望，很快就成为全世界最卓越的人权领袖。 作 为联合国人权委员会的首任主席，罗斯福监督了《世界人权宣言》历

时两年的起草和通过的全过程。 此外，她和苏联代表的交锋让一位 共和党人从椅子上朝前探过身来， 说出了下面一番话——因为怕被当 成是民主党的支持者，他不愿意透露自己的姓名——“如果你想知道 我对罗斯福夫人的看法，那我会说她真是了不起！罗斯福夫人有一种 独特的能力，能让其他国家的代表清楚地了解我们的立场。 要用平 常的语言来评价她高超的外交手腕，一时间还真不知道该怎么说。 ” 1952 年，当她从联合国代表的位置上卸任时，罗斯福夫人已经 是“世界的第一夫人”了。 同年去印度访问时，她受到了大批崇拜 者的欢迎，潘迪特 • 尼赫鲁向议会介绍她时，说她是“重获新生的 人性的杰出代表” 她去了印度的各大城市，造访了贫民窟，期间她 。 经常和年轻妇女们探讨女性所面临的挑战。 她说： “如果一个男人失 败了，人们只会说： ‘某某失败了，真是令人遗憾。 但是如果一个 ’ 女人失败了，他们会说： ‘你看，女人就是干不成什么事。 女人不 ’ 应该比男人逊色。 安娜 • 埃莉诺 • 罗斯福从来不满足于同男人并 ” 驾齐驱，她要当那个领跑的人。 即使到了 77 岁的高龄，她的风头依然不减当年。 1961 年，她 受肯尼迪总统的任命，再次出任联合国代表，同时她还主持着自己的 一档电视节目《人类的前途》 在一期节目中，她对肯尼迪总统说： 。 “很多女性都对一个问题感兴趣， 那就是为什么在我们这个国家女性 没有能够在政府中担任更高级别的职务呢？” 《生活》杂志已经把安娜 • 埃莉诺 • 罗斯福列入英雄殿堂，愿 您同我们一起来缅怀她非凡的才智和人性的光辉。

Reading across cultures

西方文学中的英雄 每个文化都有自己的英雄。最早的英雄梦龙出现在神话中，本领

介于人类和具备超人类力量与认识的神灵之剑。 那个时候的英雄既飞 凡人，也非神灵，而“英雄”这个词来自古希腊语，在希腊语中的意 思是“半神” ，指的是那些父母中一方是神灵，另一方是凡人的人。 在那些最古老的神话中，英雄常常是通过自己的发现、创造或者是谋 略——比如发现了火，或者是诱骗神把火种给了人类， 从而改变了 世界的面貌。 但是在西方文化中，尤其是西方文学中，英雄之所以成为英雄， 传统意义上是因为他们勇敢、 无私， 能够在绝境或是险境中应付自如。 但是他们毕竟是凡人，不是超人，也正因为这一点，我们才会对他们 产生认同感；两千多年前，希腊哲学家阿亚里士多德在定义“悲剧英 雄”时就已经做出了这样的阐释。 此后，英雄历险的故事就成为无数戏剧和小说的题材；事实上， 如今“英雄”这个词其中的一个含义就是“书中的主要人物” 。在较 近的时间里，尤其是浪漫主义时期以来，许多英雄都有一些非传统的 特征，这些特征使得他们成了“反英雄” ，比如《呼啸山庄》中脾气 暴躁的希斯克利夫， 《第 22 条军规》中的那个不愿意执行飞行任务的 飞行员尤索林。我们当然能够理解这些角色背后的动机，但是我们心 目中真正的英雄还是那些与邪恶作斗争的替天行道的人。

英雄不分高矮胖瘦。 哈利· 波特是个有点书呆子气的学童， 《指 而 环王》中的两位主要英雄体型上更是相差更远。阿拉贡高大、强壮、 英勇无畏，而弗罗多体型矮小、胆小怕事。但对绝大多数人来说，更 能让我们产生认同感，让我们倾注更多的同情的却是弗罗多这个矮 人，而不是阿拉贡。 当然， 《指环王》描述的是远古的神话，让我们回忆起有记载以 来最古老的故事。我们可能都会认为，现实生活是不一样的，现实生 活中有些无名英雄，没有人传颂他们的故事，他们也没做出拯救世界 的行动，但是他们却是最值得我们钦佩和尊敬的人。但是在似乎没有 一点胜算的情况下，与邪恶作斗争并且胜利的，具有传奇色彩的英雄 们，他们在电影、漫画、游戏中，仍然继续吸引着我们

Unit

7

生活中的倒霉事能解释吗？ 生活中的倒霉事能解释吗？

Active reading 1

每次吐司掉到地上总是抹了黄油的那一面贴地。 每逢公假日必 定下雨。 你买彩票从来没中过大奖， 但是你认识的人里似乎有人…… 你有没有觉得自己生来就是个倒霉蛋？ 即使是最理智的人有时候也 会对此深信不疑， 认为冥冥之中有一种力量让他们在最糟糕的时期里 灾祸连连。 我们都愿意相信墨菲定律是对的（ “该出错的，终将出 错”。 ）

人之所以走背运， 部分是概率的问题， 部分是心理上的问题。 的 确，人们对背运的感知和一些有意思的巧合之间有着紧密的联系。 就拿“坏事成三”这种想法来说吧（就像等公交车一样，要么不 来，要么一下来三辆！。 这种流传甚广的观念可能根本经不起科学 ） 的检验，但是它必定有一些现实的依据，不然的话也不会有这么个说 法了。 那么，什么样的解释才是合理的呢？ 我们要考虑的第一个问题是“什么是坏事？” 有些事情只是稍稍有点不好，比如火车要晚点五分钟。 有些事 情则是糟糕透顶，比如考试不及格，或是被炒鱿鱼了。 所以我们更 应该把事情的好坏看成是一个程度的问题，而不是非好即坏。 某件事情有可能因为相关的一些因素而变成了不幸的事。 火车 要晚点五分钟，如果你边读着报纸上一篇有趣的文章边等车，并不赶 时间，那么这就是一件无关紧要的事。 但是如果你要去参加一个重 要会议，而且马上要迟到了，那火车晚点就变成坏事了。 谈到坏事成三的问题， 其中最关键的因素是第一件倒霉事持续的 时间有多长以及给人的印象深不深。 比如说，你外出度假期间家里 的水管爆裂了。 也许不到一个小时你的家就变成了一片汪洋，而在 接下来的几个月中你的脑子会不停地想起这桩倒霉事， 因为你要把房 子清理干净，还要和保险公司就赔偿问题讨价还价，这些都会让你不 断地想起这件事。

第一件倒霉事困扰你的时间越长， 你再遇到两件倒霉事的机率就 越大。 说不定一个月之后，有人开车追尾撞了你的车。又过了一个

星期，你的结婚戒指不见了。 出了第一件倒霉事，你的情绪本来就 很低落，这时你会很快地把后来发生的事情联系到一起，把它们看作 是有关联的一连串事件。 即使这几件事情的时间跨度可能长达两个 月之久，那也不会改变你的看法。 等你从浸水事件中平复过来的时 候，你已经在积极地等待下一个灾难的发生了。 这个时间跨度已经 被拉长了，直至能够证明你之前的预言是对的。 人们碰上倒霉事的时候会像遇到巧合的时候一样， 去寻找一些事 例来验证他们先入为主的想法，而忽略掉与这种想法有出入的事情 （因为那些事情不是那么有趣） 孤立的倒霉事每时每刻都在发生。 。 光凭这一点就可以推翻“坏事成三”的理论了。 坏事也可以是成双 的。 但是你的朋友很可能会对你说： “我一连碰到了三件倒霉事，可 真是应了那句俗话！，而不是说： ” “我只碰上了两件倒霉事，这不正 好证明了‘坏事成三’这个说法不成立吗？”毕竟，说后一种话是要 冒风险的！ 但是，至少有一个合理的解释可以说明为什么坏事会扎堆。 这 涉及到概率和独立性的问题。 并不是所有的倒霉事都互无关联。 任 何一个人在被解雇之后都会心情抑郁，这会降低他们身体的抵抗力， 使他们更容易得病，而身体反应也不像以前那么警觉敏感（所以他们 就更有可能遇上打碎贵重的花瓶这样的事） 因此，虽然人们在某一 。 天被裁员和在某一天生病的概率都很小， 但是这两件事同时发生的概 率肯定要高于它们分别发生的概率。 看地图时碰到的倒霉事

关于日常生活中突发的普通倒霉事我们就说到这里。 下面让我 们来看一个每个人都会碰到的事情。 你要去拜访一个朋友，他住在城市的另一头。 你在街道地图册 上寻找去他家的路线， 结果发现这条路恰恰就在这页地图的边上。 这 意味着要找到一条精确的路线，你就必须从这一页翻到下一页，不停 地翻来翻去，很是麻烦。 这条路线不是一半在这一页一半在下一页， 就是被地图中间的书脊夹着。 如果你手里拿的是全国地形测量局

的 地图，那么你的目的地可能正好就在地图册的折合处。 这似乎很不公平。 毕竟一个地图的“边缘”只有那么一点儿， 而“中间”的地方那么大，你要去的地方完全可以在中间啊！事实果 真如此吗？实际上，你随便挑一个地方，它出现在靠近地图边缘的机 率比你想象的要大得多。 看一看下面的地图。

如果你的目的地在地图上标出的那个阴影区域里，你就遇到麻烦了。 这个阴影区域离地图四周的边缘处只有一厘米的距离， 这似乎微不足 道。 但是这些阴影区域的面积加起来有 56 平方厘米。 差不多占了 整页地图面积的 28%，这意味着任何一个你要找的地方都有 28%（差 不多是三分之一） 的机率出现在离页边不到一厘米的尴尬的地方。 假 如你设定离页边两厘米为阅读不便的话， 那你遇上坏运气的机率就攀 升到了 52%。 换句话说，差不多每隔一次你就会碰到这样的倒霉事。 在大多数有关倒霉事的故事中，你会忘掉路线好找的次数，只记

得路线不好找的次数，在这种情况下，你倒霉的机率肯定会很高，以 致于过不了多久你就又会诅咒自己的运气，诅咒地图的出版商，或者 两个一起诅咒。 顺便说一下，这正是现在许多地图允许相邻的两页 有很大重合部分的原因。 一份制作精良的地图册，每页至少有 30% 的部分会在其他页上重复出现。 我赶时间的时候总是碰上红灯 关于选择性记忆，即人们对好运气和坏运气所做的不公正的比 较，最好的一个例子就是路上红绿灯的相对频率的问题。 有那么一 次， “我赶时间的时候，总是碰上红灯”这种说法是真实可靠的。 为 了便于理解，我们可以把红绿灯看作是投掷一枚硬币，出现红灯和绿 灯的机率各为 50%。（事实上大多数红绿灯， 红灯的时间更长一点。 ） 如果在路上碰上六个红绿灯， 全部是绿灯就和扔硬币连续六次都是人 头朝上的概率是一样的，为六十四分之一。 司机不赶时间的时候碰到的红灯其实和赶时间的时候一样多； 只 是如果时间不紧急，红灯带来的不便要小得多。 认为红灯出现的次 数比绿灯多其实是一种错觉。 产生这种错觉的原因很简单，因为司 机有更多的时间去想红灯，而绿灯的时候，车子几秒钟之内就疾驰

而 过了——这其实和在畅通的公路上开车没有任何区别——而红灯却 迫使司机改变行为，一小会儿的时间里要强迫自己努力一下，承受点 压力，还要失去一两分钟的自由。 所以红灯会深深地印在司机的脑 海里，而绿灯转瞬间就被抛到脑后了。

Active reading 2

人人都是歌唱家 考古学家史蒂文 • 米森在学习唱歌的时候发现， 音乐确实可以改变 人的思维方式。 人人都能学会唱歌吗？在撰写我最新出版的 《唱着歌的尼安德特 人》一书时，这个问题就一直萦绕在我的心头。 我做的研究让我相 信音乐才能是深深植根于人类基因中的，从进化史的角度来说，它比 人类的口头语言都要古老得多。 可是我本人一唱起歌来不是跑调， 就是跟不上节奏。 朋友们和学术同僚们都说，那都是因为我小时候 对音乐失去了兴趣，只要上几节音乐课，我一定能放声歌唱。 也许 他们是对的。 记得小时候， 音乐老师们让我在全班同学面前独 “唱” ， 让我觉得很丢脸。所以后来一有机会，我就躲开音乐，35 年来从来 没有参加过任何音乐活动。 说不定学一学我也能唱得不错。 我越想就越觉得这是个不容错过的好机会。 除了看看能不能改 善我的音调、音高和节奏感之外，或许我还能发现学习唱歌的时候大 脑会有什么样的变化。 最近读了英国谢菲尔德大学研究员拉里 • 帕森斯的一篇文章，题目是“人类大脑中的歌唱系统” ，后来又在一 次会上见到了他。 那时候他已经开始用功能磁共振成像来确定人在 从事音乐活动时大脑中被调动起来的区域。 这些区域中有一些显然 既在音乐活动，又在其他活动中起作用，而另一些，比如颞叶中颞上 回的前部，似乎是专门用于处理音乐的。 我很想知道学唱歌是否真 的能改变大脑的活动方式。

2005 年圣诞节前，我给拉里发了一封电子邮件，提议跟他合作 一个实验：我要先做一个脑部扫描，边唱歌边扫描，然后上一年的音 乐课，之后再做一次扫描，看看大脑是否会发生一些变化。 拉里同 意合作， 于是我就给自己找了一名声乐老师， 她叫帕姆 •

切尔弗斯， 2006 年年初，我们三个人聚在一起，设计了研究方案。 方案决定让 我接受八个有关音乐技巧训练的测试，涵盖各种音乐活动，比如高音 音准练习、 音阶和节奏练习。 我还要学唱两首歌， 一首是约翰 • 拉 特的《盖尔人的祝祷文》 ，另一首是亨德尔的《请让我哭泣吧》 听 。 帕姆唱这两首歌，让我想起了写这本书的动力：为什么进化会创造出 这样的一个物种，拥有如此美妙的歌喉？ 接受第一次扫描前，我上了几次课，逐渐适应了唱歌，掌握了一 些读乐谱的基本知识。 我想当帕姆看到我一点儿音乐能力都没有的 时候， 肯定是吓了一大跳——她一直都是给那些经验丰富的音乐人以 及很早就显露出音乐才华的孩子授课的，当我告诉她我一唱歌就跑 调，还跟不上节奏时她还不相信。 不过，她马上就发现我并不是故 作谦虚。 第一次脑部扫描于 2006 年 6 月进行， 整个过程很辛苦。 我 仰面躺了几个小时, 看着投射在头上方屏幕上的谱子，唱着关于音乐 技巧的曲子，还有一些歌曲片段。 每个谱子要唱三遍，拉里会敲我 的脚趾，告诉我什么时候开始，什么时候停下来。 随后，他要处理 那些扫描图像，把我唱歌时的图像和休息时的分开来，以对唱歌时的 脑部活动有一个粗略的了解。 接着，我上了一年的音乐课。 帕姆教我唱歌时的站姿和呼吸方

法；让我做一些有助于找准音调、扩展音域的练习。 我音高上去了 之后，开始做节奏感、音色和力度方面的练习。 她不停地鼓励我， 对我充满信心， 而我却是个差劲的学生： 缺乏自信心， 常常感到沮丧， 还不够用功。 在《唱着歌的尼安德特人》一书中，我指出唱歌是通 过社会交往增加幸福感的一种方式。 可令人遗憾的是，我自己的经 历却并不能证明这一点——唱歌让我变得脾气暴躁，压力重重，还心 怀不满。 学唱歌对我的家庭生活也没有什么好处，孩子们不喜欢我 大晚上练歌。 尽管如此，我还是坚持了下来，虽然提高有限，但这 项实验的某些方面还是让我很享受，尤其是《请让我哭泣吧》这首曲 子。 有几次我和妻子一起合唱，当我们的歌声合二为一时，刹那间 我们感受到了情感的交融——可不一会儿我就跑调了， 那美好的时刻 也随即消逝了。 再来一首 第二次脑部扫描于 2007 年 7 月进行，这次和上次一样，极具挑 战性。 我们以相同的方式进行了

技巧和歌曲选段的练习。 这次我也 是一动不动地躺在那里，但感觉比上次还难受，因为我知道要把歌唱 好，身体的动作和声带的屈伸同样重要。 从扫描仪上下来的时候我 已经精疲力尽了，但这一次我非常高兴，因为在这个实验中我要做的 事情已经完成了。 剩下的就要交给拉里了，他要把我前后两次扫描 的结果进行比较，看看这一年的声乐学习是否改变了我的大脑活动。 对此我是持怀疑态度的，因为我感觉自己的唱歌技能几乎没有提高。 因此当拉里告诉我大脑活动不仅发生了明显改变， 而且这种变化完全

符合他对大脑在音乐活动中所起作用的理解时，我很吃惊。 那么是不是人人都能学会唱歌呢？我还不能肯定，但通过这一年 的学习，我学到了很多关于唱歌的知识，比之前那么多年通过阅读书 籍学到的要多。 知道了唱歌是多么不容易——要举重若轻地把音高、 节奏、音色、音调、力度都掌握好——我现在更加感到疑惑，人类为 什么会进化出这样一种神奇的能力呢？

Reading across cultures

数字中有何奥秘？ 数字中有何奥秘？ 我们生活在一个被数字主宰的世界里。 的确如此，文艺复兴时 期伟大的天文学家和数学家伽利略 • 伽利雷就指出， “整个宇宙是

用数学语言写就的。 不管我们转向哪个领域，数学都提供了解开自 ” 然界和人类社会奥秘的钥匙。 建筑业、银行业、计算技术、医药业， 可以列举的领域无穷无尽。 其中， 音乐占据了很重要的一个位置。 音 高、音调以及节奏共同创造出动人的音乐，这背后隐藏着坚实而必然 的数学规律。 实际上，我们可以说音乐即数学。 这些规律放之四海而皆准， 但是不同的国家对数字的理解各不相 同。 在一份 2006 年发表的研究报告中，日本的经济学教授西山丰指 出， 东方文化更喜欢奇数， 而在西方， 自牛顿以来， 人们更喜欢偶数， 因为它理性，看起来比奇数更完整。 他引用了一句英国谚语“两人 的智慧胜

过一人”来证明他的理论，而日本也有同样的一句谚语“人 多智广” 还有一句英语谚语也说“两人为朋，三人为众” 。 。

不同文化对于“吉利数字”和“不吉利数字”的归类在一定程度 上证明了奇偶数的这种差别。 比如，在大多数西方国家，13 是个不 吉利的数字，而在中国，9 是个幸运数字。 所以，在美国你会发现 有些旅馆没有 13 号房间，而中国的一些古代宫殿门上会有 9 个一组 的门钉。 但是事情并不像这位科学家的研究所得出的结论那样简单。 比 如，在中国文化中，6 和 8 被认为是吉利的数字，中国有句俗语“好 事成双” ，这和那句英国谚语有异曲同工之处。 我们游历欧洲就会发 现并不是在每个国家 13 都是不吉利的数字。 在意大利，17 才是不 吉利的数字，因为在罗马数字中，17（XVII）能被重新组合成罗马墓 碑铭文上经常出现的一个词（VIXI） 所以说，数字中到底有什么奥 。 秘呢？这似乎是仁者见仁、智者见智的事情。

Unit

8

国际妇女节

Active reading 1

国际妇女节那天，我在车站外面碰见了雅科夫和他的新女朋友， 他们正在挑选放在玻璃箱里待售的玫瑰花。 他的女朋友叫卡佳，沃 罗涅什人， 是个天真可爱的姑娘， 她接受雅科夫是听了他的一面之词。 花贩们的生意非常红火；一群男士站在那儿等着买花，点出手里的卢 布。 三月八号这一天，你一定要给你生命中的那个女人买束花。 不 然的话

她就会抱怨个不停。

这些都是 99 号房的那几个姑娘告诉我的。在国际妇女节那一天, 苏联的妇女们沐浴在男性所给予的爱意和感激之中。 因为这一天是 假日，早上她们不用去上班，可以懒洋洋地躺在床上。 而她们的丈 夫们则要为全家人做早饭，虽然嘴里骂骂咧咧的，还弄得锅碗瓢盆叮 当乱响；到了十点，丈夫颇为自豪地把煎得焦糊糊、皱巴巴的鸡蛋端 到妻子跟前。 盘子边上还放着一束鲜花，一份小礼物，可能是一瓶 香水或者一双裤袜，妻子会高兴得大叫起来，激动好一会儿，直到孩 子们怒气冲冲地跑过来，小脸涨得通红，闹着要妈妈给他们做一顿像 样的早餐。 然后，真正的庆祝开始了。 苏联妇女的一天通常是这么度过的： 帮孩子们穿衣起床，送他们上学，准时到办公室上班，午餐时间偷偷 溜出去买晚餐要吃的东西，下午的时候再溜出去——如果能偷偷地， 不会受到上司责骂的话——设法给最小的那个孩子买一些咳嗽药。 她们会在六点整准时下班，这样她们就可以再去逛几家商店，看看有 什么打折的东西，然后去市场，在那儿买到一些便宜的鸡蛋。 她们 还会顺便去邮局交电费，然后正好路过干洗店，取回洗好的衣服，回 到家里她们就把买回来的东西随处一放， 拿个篮子把从市场上买来的 便宜鸡蛋装起来。 等她们的丈夫回来的时候，她们已经用吸尘器把 家里吸了一遍，擦了一遍灰尘，把两堆脏衣服用洗衣粉泡了起来（如 果都是手洗的话，最好能先泡一下） 而在国际妇女节这一天，她们 。 吃完早饭后会回去接着睡，睡得像松鼠那么沉。 在她们酣睡的同时，她们的丈夫们遇上了几个朋友，大家用最简

单而又最诚挚的方式来表达对自己妻子的情感：在“为我们亲爱的女 士们干杯， 没有她们我们的日子就一团糟” 的敬酒声中喝得酩酊大醉。 深夜他们回到家里，对自己的妻子说爱她。 总之，对前苏联的广大 妇女们来说，这一天过得不错。 雅科夫挑到了他要的花， “我要 14 枝红色康乃馨。 ” “14 枝！ ”卡佳叫了起来， “可难道不应该 13 枝或者 15 枝吗？” 因为在俄罗斯，只有葬礼上才送偶数数量的花。 “我得给 99

号房的姑娘们几枝， ”他解释说。 “给， ”他一边说 着，一边把花束分开，递给卡佳五枝，脸上挂着最热情、最甜蜜的笑 容。 “节日快乐，亲爱的！ ” 卡佳的脸沉了下来，在我们去青年旅社的路上，她一声都没吭。 到了 99 号房，我们看到那几个姑娘们正一边涂着指甲，涂成了深黄 色，一边天南海北地闲聊着。 “节日快乐！ ”我们互相问候。 雅科夫把康乃馨递给她们，每人 三枝。 “尼娜在做薄煎饼” 坦尼娅说， ， 她把给她俩的花都拿了过去， 放在桌上，脸上没有露出多少感激之情。 “马上就做好了，你们再 多待会儿吧。 ” “那是肯定的啦” 雅科夫说， ， 他挤到丽莎 • 米内利和卡佳中间， 把手臂分别搭在她们俩的肩上。 他显得兴致很高。 这时，尼娜一脚踢开了门，手里端着一只装满煎饼的煎锅走了进 来，回过头来对我们说： “拿着！尝尝这些薄煎饼，庆祝一下我们女 人的节日。 ”

“你也来吃，雅科夫， ”丽莎加了一句，透过长长的睫毛看了他 一眼，那眼神火热得都可以煎薄饼了。 卡佳听了，很不自然地咯咯 笑起来。 尤里和埃米莉到了，于是就像所有沃罗涅什的家庭那样，我们给 薄煎饼抹上厚厚的酸奶油和红色的鱼子酱，就着香槟大快朵颐。

Active reading 2

不管是中国的节日还是西方的节日， 不管是中国的节日还是西方的节日，节日是我们放松的时候 每年的这个时候， 整个世界仿佛都陷入了一种迷狂——人们狂热 地进行着岁末的庆祝活动。 我说的是岁末。 问题就出在这儿。 为什么我们中国人要把 12 月 24 日到 31 日这 一周作为岁末来庆祝，而我们自己的岁末（按照阴历）至少还有一个 月才到呢？ 我们这么做，显然是因为圣诞节和元旦已经成了全球性的节日， 并不是因为它们（尤其是圣诞节）在本质上和精神上主要代表了西方 文化，而是因为在这几天里我们能好好放松一下。 但是，圣诞节对于东方文化，尤其是中国文化的影响与日俱增， 对此，一

些学者和学生们表示担忧。 从某种程度上讲，他们的忧虑 是有道理的。 的确，与几十年前相比，现在中国人花在圣诞节上的 时间和精力似乎要多很多。 不管是好是坏， 世界在过去二十多年间所经历的变化可能比过去 两百年间所经历的还要多。 为了让彼此间联系得更紧密，营造出一

个真正的地球村，我们消耗了更多的资源，烧掉了更多的能源，造成 了更多的污染，灭杀了更多的动植物。 过去，我们一直把电视看作 是连接全世界的终极手段，直到我们了解了互联网，才发现事实并非 如此。 所有这些变化都让我们用另外一种眼光来看待外面的世界以及 我们自己的家园。 在这个全球市场中，得到任何东西都是要付出代 价的。 如果我们想拥有西方世界那著名的眩目而舒适的生活，我们 也必须接受西方文化中的一些异常事物。 当然，这并不是说节日对 于西方人来说有着不同的意义。 不管是在中国大陆，还是在高度发达的西方国家，抑或是世界上 最贫穷的社会，节日承载着相同的意义。 世界各地的人们和家人、 朋友一起庆祝节日。 节日的基本概念是一样的，就是大家分享一顿 盛宴或是一餐便饭（在西方或是我们的国家里，人们会小酌几杯） 。 我们庆祝节日，是为了释放情感，放松身心，是为了从现代生活 的尔虞我诈中摆脱出来，得到片刻的安宁。 显然，这和我们的祖先 从日常俗事中寻求解脱是一回事儿。 世界上多数国家在日常生活中采用格列高利历，中国也是如此。 所以这个历法中的节日和特殊事件注定会影响到我们。 而我们，和 许多南亚、东南亚、中东，或许还有一些美国土著居民一样，根据阴 历来过节，而这又完全是另外一回事儿了。 对于西方的节日气氛无动于衷，这我们做不到，但这也并不意味 着我们要盲目跟风。 西方文化不全都是好的，但同时，颓废的东西

也不是西方文化所独有的。 世界上没有一种文化能免于颓废，中国 文化也不例外。 所以，问题并不在于西方文化，也不在于那些我们通常和西方文 化联系在一起的东西。 问题出在那些唯西方马首是瞻的人身上。 为 什么越来越多的中国人，尤其是中国的年轻人，对于西方节日和中国 节日一样怡然自得，我们应该找出其中的原因。 好在我们自己

的节 日并没有失去它们的风采。 而正是在这一刻，我们的学者和学生们 敲响了警钟。 我能够理解这些人的热情。 他们想保护我们的文化，就这点而 言，他们绝对不是我们通常所说的保守派。 他们的观点有一定的道 理。 但是在这件事情上，他们和其他人一样，无法使任何社会免受 日益变小的世界的影响。 所以，我们不应该对西方的节日视而不见、充耳不闻，相反，我 们应该取其精华，去实践这些节日所倡导的德行。 我们不要忘了， 耶稣诞生于东方（确切地说，是中东） ，而不是在西方，我们也应该 记住他要我们热爱全人类，扶贫助弱。

Reading across cultures

亡灵节 想象一下这个世界上有一个“节日”是庆祝“死亡”的，这似乎 有点儿怪。 但是在墨西哥，这正是每年的亡灵节里发生的事情。 每年的 11 月 1 号和 2 号这两天，墨西哥家庭会以一种独特的方

式来庆祝他们与死去的亲人团聚。 从 10 月中旬开始，商店里就摆满 了骷髅形状的糖果，以及在外人看来有点病态的象征死亡的东西：用 纸板制做的骷髅，还有一种叫 pan de muerto（ “亡灵面包” ）的甜点， 这是一种表面装饰着骷髅状糖果的蛋糕， 所有这些都是节日庆祝的重 要组成部分。 节日期间， 人们会举家前往墓园祭拜亲人， 打扫并装饰坟墓。 人 们带来特殊的祭用食品和金盏花， 大家认为金盏花能指引亡灵来和他 们相见。 夜里，人们点蜡烛，焚香，敲铃铛。 一家人守在墓旁，一 边为亡灵祈祷，一边像聚会一样吃吃喝喝。 这个节日的起源可以追溯到墨西哥古代的土著人，如普尔皮洽 人、马雅人，以及阿兹特克人。 他们认为亡灵每年都会回来探访在 世的亲人们——就像他们活着的时候一样，来世间吃喝玩乐。 15 世 纪西班牙人到来之前，人们在家里放几个头骨是很平常的事情，因为 他们把骷髅当作生命的象征，而不是死亡的象征。 墨西哥各地亡灵节的风俗不尽相同。 一些地方的人们在家里搭 祭坛，坛上摆放着去世亲人的照

片，还有像十字架、耶稣雕像这样天 主教的标志，周围再点上一圈蜡烛。 在其他地方，城市的广场上人 头攒动，人们身着色彩艳丽的服装， 戴着骷髅面具，载歌载舞。 亡 灵节在墨西哥以外的国家， 比如美国这样的墨西哥移民数量众多的国 家，也是个一年一度的盛事。 尽管死亡是件令人悲伤的事情，亡灵节的气氛却欢快而不忧伤， 人们庆祝着生命的延续，相信死亡不过是生命另一个阶段的开始，而

并非所有一切的终结。

Unit

9

名字说明了什么？ 名字说明了什么？

Active reading 1

现在，只有知名度极高的人才会仅仅凭一个名字就闻名于世，但 即便是斯汀、雪儿、麦当娜这样的超级明星也是生来就有个姓氏的。 现在仅在英国就有 45,000 个不同的姓氏。 而在公元 1000 年以前， 那里所有的人只有名，没有姓，或者是只有个绰号。 世界上不同的地区开始采用姓氏的时间各不相同。 中国人是最 早采用姓氏的民族之一，大约在公元前 2800 年，他们就开始用姓氏 来表示对父母的尊敬。 在欧洲，罗马人从公元前 300 年起就用拉丁 文的姓和名来称呼别人，但是一直到公元 10 或者 11 世纪，这种做法 才在整个欧洲流行起来，最先是在贵族阶层中间，然后是城市的中产 阶级，到最后所有人都开始使用姓氏。 因为随着人口的增长，姓氏 就显得越来越有必要了。 忽然间，在一个村子里出现了两个同名的 人，所以人们就开始用姓氏来区分他们。 一般来说，这

些姓氏不会 传给下一代，但在罗马帝国灭亡后，爱尔兰成了最早使用世袭姓氏的 欧洲国家之一，而且爱尔兰姓氏早在公元 10 世纪就出现了。 随着社会人口的增长， 用一个更加具体的姓氏来辨别居民的身份 变得越来越有必要，这些名字通常能体现一个人的主要特征，比如身

体特征、职业或是祖籍。 于是就出现了像屠夫约翰、矮子威廉、来 自萨顿的亨利、树林里的玛丽、理查德的儿子罗杰这样的名字。 诺曼人征服英格兰之后， 新的统治阶级 （来自法国北部的诺曼底） 出于管理上的需要，强制人们使用固定的姓氏，以备人口普查以及征 税时登记之用。 渐渐地，大多数撒克逊和凯尔特姓氏消失了（奥斯 拉夫、奥斯瓦尔德、 奥斯温——奥斯是“神”的意思） ，取而代之的 是像卡朋特（木匠） 、撒切尔（盖茅草屋顶的人） 、库克（厨师） 、贝 克（面包师） 希尔（山） 福利斯特（森林）这类姓氏。 对于离 、 、 乡背井， 搬到另外一个地方居住的人， 人们会以他的出生地来称呼他， 比如约克郡的约翰，而其他从爱尔兰、苏格兰高地和威尔士来的移民 （1536 年威尔士成为英国的一部分）也采用了英格兰的姓氏体系。 以地名做姓氏是最为常见的现象。 事实上，当今英国超过半数 的姓氏来源于地理学上的描述：如贝德福德、伯克利、汉普希尔这些 姓氏可能是用来称呼从这些地方到别处去生活和谋生的人的， 也可能 是住在当地的地主的名字。 以 man 或 er 结尾的姓氏通常体现一个人从事的行业或职业，因 为英语拼写到了 19 世纪才最终固定下来，所以它们看起来和原词已 经很不一样了， 比如拉蒂默 （Latimer） 是翻译的意思， 而詹纳 （Jenner） 则表示工程师。 表示个人特点或道德品质的词也被用作姓氏：比如 古德（好） 、古德察尔德（好孩子） 、萨鲁古德（大好人） 、布莱克（黑） 等等。 许多姓氏源于人与人之间的关系， 比如威廉姆森（即威廉的儿

子） 这种基于父亲和子嗣关系的姓氏模式在瑞典尤为明显，每一代 。 人都按这种模式如法炮制：所谓汉斯 • 彼得森应该是彼得的儿子， 而汉斯 • 彼得森的儿子会取名叫扬

• 汉森。 （而在女性那一支， 汉斯的女儿会叫作汉斯多特。 法国的诺曼人则会在姓氏前加一个菲 ） 茨（Fitz）来表示是某人的子女，比如菲茨帕特里克就是帕特里克的 孩子。 而爱尔兰人用“奥”来表示这种关系，比如奥布莱恩，荷兰 人用“凡”字（比如凡 • 布伦） ，法国人用“德”字（比如戴［德］ 高乐） ，阿拉伯人用“伊本” （比如伊本 • 沙特） ，苏格兰人用“麦克” （比如麦克唐纳德）来表示。 下次你想吃汉堡的时候，可以对服务 员说请给我来个“大号的唐纳德的儿子” ，即巨无霸汉堡。 一些重大的历史事件，如外国势力入侵，也通常会对姓氏产生一 定的影响， 尤其是当这个刚刚沦为殖民地的国家的官方语言也被更换 掉的时候。 这种情况在中欧和东欧地区尤为明显，位于这些区域的 国家其边界地区和当地所使用的语言在近年来都多次发生改变。 17 世纪 60 年代，当英格兰人入侵爱尔兰时，英语成了爱尔兰的官方语 言，原来盖尔语的人名都被英语化了，或是被译成了英语。 对西方人来说，通过名字识别国籍或是种族并非难事，但对于亚 洲人来说就要困难得多。 这其中涉及到的规则和名字一样数量繁多， 但是我们可以总结出一些关于名字的基本原则。 基本上，如果名字 是以 e 或者 a 结尾，那很可能是个女性的名字。 如果是以辅音结尾， 那很可能是男性的名字。 如果某个名字是以 e、tte 或者 elle 结尾， 那她很可能是位法国女性 （比如玛丽、 伊薇特， 或者是伊莎贝拉） 还 。

有一点要注意， 不少法国女性的名字就是在男性的名字后面加上一个 e。 如果一个名字是以 a 结尾，那么这很有可能是个意大利人，当然 也可能是西班牙人或者俄罗斯人（比如玛利亚、亚历桑德拉；安娜、 朱丽安娜；奥尔加、娜塔莉亚） 当然男性名字中也有一些例外，比 。 如像皮埃尔、克劳德这样的（法国）名字也都是以 e 结尾的。 以 os 或者 is 结尾的通常是希腊男性的名字，比如斯派洛斯、伊 奥尼斯。 如果名字是以 ch 或者 fried 结尾，那他通常是一个德国男 性，比如弗里德里希、格特弗里德。 以 o 结尾的名字表明这可能是 位意大利或是西班牙的男性（亚历桑德罗、安东尼奥，卡洛和迭戈， 弗朗西斯科和冈萨洛） 。 是不是很复杂？可是，在英国和美国，人口中很大一部分几代

都 是移民，他们和其他族裔的人通婚，于是不同的姓氏和名字结合在了 一起。 因此移民和通婚使得情况更为复杂化，要百分之百地确定某 个人的民族十分困难，只能是大致了解他们的家族是从哪里移民来 的。

Active reading 2

给孩子取名诺亚或者可乐——多有“湿意” 给孩子取名诺亚或者可乐——多有“湿意”啊！ ——多有 我很多四十多岁的朋友看了布莱尔夫妇的回忆录后， 似乎都准备 效仿他们，在最后关头生下一个孩子。 （注：1999 年布莱尔夫妇到皇 家城堡度假时没有带避孕工具，结果布莱尔夫人 45 岁又得一子。 ） 如果有谁打电话来告诉你他们刚刚有了下一代， 有两件事你一定

要牢记在心。 首先，你一定要问一下孩子有多重，这不需要有什么 特殊的理由，第二，当对方告诉你他们给孩子取了什么名字的时候， 千万不要吓得把电话都掉到地上。 你应该从容不迫地回答说： “夏敦 埃？” （注：一种葡萄酒名，一位英国足球运动员给女儿取了这个名 字） “还真特别，嗯，挺好！ ” 从每年的最流行人名榜中我们可以看到， 对于大多数人而言， 圣 《 经》还是他们取名的灵感源泉，位列男女人名榜第一位的分别是杰克 和埃米莉，这两个都是极其传统的名字。 但是从第 10 名往下看，那 简直是千奇百怪、无所不有，工薪阶层还用澳大利亚流行歌手或者足 球运动员老婆的名字来给自己的孩子取名。 中产阶级也没好到哪儿 去，他们取的名字也越来越荒谬可笑。 我是说，阿拉明塔算是什么 好名字呢？ 小时候我们就嘲笑弗兰克 • 扎帕，因为他叫自己的女儿“月球 车” 。而现在，我们用遥远的喜马拉雅山的村庄或是异国风味的奶酪 的名字来给自己的孩子取名。 一直以来， 人们会给孩子取一个能表达自己抱负的名字——所以 鲁比和奥帕尔（注：19 世纪比较受欢迎的两种宝石，即红宝石和猫 眼石）这两个名字在 19 世纪非常流行，这也是为什么我那可怜的老 妈妈会叫秀兰 • 邓波儿。 我想，20 世

纪 50 年代，很多来自加勒比 地区的移民给儿子取名叫温斯顿（注：温斯顿 • 丘吉尔）也是出于 同样的道理。 如果你的父母崇拜一位总理或是一名女演员， 并用他们的名字给

你命名，这并不是什么坏事。 可是在美国，人们对于消费品和商业 服务非常热衷，这就导致了像阿玛尼、天伯伦、欧莱雅、赛利卡（丰 田下属的一个品牌）这样的名字大行其道。 去年还有个可怜的家伙 被叫作德尔蒙（注：一种果蔬汁牌子） 。 说到这儿， 我本想好好地嘲讽一下那些从拼字游戏袋中随便抓出 几个字母给小孩取名的美国民众。 可突然间我想到哈维 • 史密斯给 自己的马取名叫“三洋音乐中心” ，于是就打消了这个念头，我们还 是接着说别的吧。 在你给孩子取名叫“健怡可乐”或者“线香”之前，有一点你应 该牢记在心：你给孩子取的名字将会影响到这个可怜的小家伙的一 生。 当冈特里特夫妇给自己孩子取名维克多的时候， 他就注定要成为 阿斯顿 • 马丁公司的董事长，最后果不其然。 如果阿克赖特夫妇叫 自己的儿子斯坦，他以后一定会是个水管工。 另外，麦克 • 潘伯顿 会成为一名飞行员，而布鲁克林绝对只会是一座大桥。 我的一个好友为给孩子取名的事情而烦恼着。 他本想给刚出生 的儿子取名杰克，因为他觉得杰克 • 威尔曼听起来很像那种性情乖 戾的中情局探员的名字， 他喜欢想象着自己的儿子一次又一次地从直 升飞机上跳下去， 到一艘核潜艇里执行任务。 “是啊， 听起来不错， ” 我对他说， “我也见过一辆小货车的车身上写着‘杰克 • 威尔曼’这 几个字。 ” 当然这也不一定是坏事。 如果那几个字是用花体字写的，如果

这部货车装满了家庭自制的用脆皮面包夹着罐装肉的三明治， 那这个 名字没问题。 但是杰克 • 威尔曼？印有这个名字的货车肯定是车顶 上还带着梯子的。 于是他转而选择了诺亚，这就意味着这孩子长大 了肯定是个同性恋。 让问题变得更复杂的是上周进行的一个调查， 其结果表明现在的 青少年比我们想象中的要保守得多。 他们支持君主制，赞成长期监 禁，充满了爱国主义情愫，这就让我们相信他们肯定会抵制像“罗威 套管”这样的傻名字。 但是我的大女儿可不这么认为。 记得有一天晚上，我和老婆喝 得酩酊大醉，

我们郑重其事地想给她取名博阿迪西亚，但是第二天吃 了片布洛芬（注：一种止疼药） ，头脑清醒之后，我们选择了埃米莉 这个名字。 现在她正大发雷霆，对这个名字非常不满，她给自行车 轮绑上刀子，骑着它在花园里转悠，说我们无趣，毫无想象力。 我是很无趣，很没有想象力，但那是有原因的。小时候，我养了 四只乌龟，其中沙利文和泡泡死了。 剩下了吉尔伯特和吱吱，它俩 让我成了笑柄，也让我深深感到有一个合理的取名规则是多么重要。 所以我特别推崇冰岛的取名方式。 在那里，你的姓就是在你父 亲的教名后面加上“森”字（意思是“儿子”，或是“道蒂尔” ） （女 儿） 所以，如果查尔斯王子在冰岛就应该被叫作查尔斯 • 菲利普 。 森， 奈加那 • 劳森 （注： 英国的一位美女厨师） 就应该是奈加那 • 尼 格尔斯道蒂尔。 女权主义者不喜欢这种取名方式， 但是这种方式已经存在了几百

年，效果不错，她们不想看到有人滥用这种取名方式，突发奇想给自 己的儿子取名叫雪上摩托。 因为那样的话，如果这个儿子也有取怪 名的癖好， 说不定会给他的女儿取名叫菲菲 • 特里克西贝尔 • 桃花 • 雪上摩托道蒂尔。 （注：一位知名的爱尔兰音乐家和社会活动家给 两个女儿分别取名叫菲菲 • 特里克西贝尔[Fifi Trixibelle] 和桃花 [Peaches]，作者这里有点讽刺的意思。 ） 那就太可笑了，所以政府划定了取名的范围，你必须从某些名字 中做选择。 如果我们这儿也有类似的制度，那我们就可以保存英国传统姓名 之美了。 不再会有老虎 • 莉莉或者阿纳斯塔西娅之类的怪名。 人 们就会告诉贝克汉姆夫妇不要给孩子取那么傻的名字（注：贝克汉姆 的一个孩子叫罗密欧） 我的三个孩子或许会叫罗伊、布伦达和艾尼 。 德。

Reading across cultures

绰号 许多英国人和美国人好像嫌两个，甚至三个名字不够，他们还都 有绰号。 这些绰号大多很有创意，或是很风趣，它们无一例外地想 以一种独特的方式尽力捕捉这个人的

“本质特征” ，而这恰恰是真名 所做不到的。 最令人难忘的是公众人物的外号，有时这些外号被记 录到历史课本中， 成为这些历史人物的一种 “生平简介” 比如像 ， “忏 悔者爱德华” （英格兰的一位撒克逊君王）“血腥玛丽” 、 （16 世纪的

一位英格兰女王，处死了很多反对者）“铁腕公爵” 、 （19 世纪的一位 军事统帅） 。 这些令人难忘的外号和孩子们经常在学校里得到的绰号相差很 远。 在学校里给谁取什么样的外号通常取决于当事人的体貌特征， 这个外号经常会伤害当事人的感情。 但是，仔细想一想我们就会发 现，大约一千年前英语中如肖特、布朗、斯特朗这样较为普通的名字 正是从外号演变而来的。 还有，那些形容技能和个性的比喻后来也 变成了人名，比如用“基思” （琴键）来称呼钢琴师，用“艾斯” （冰） 来称呼一个不轻易流露感情的人。 成年人的外号能让我们更好地了解这个人。 像美国总统尼克松 （1972 年因水门事件被迫辞职）被叫作“狡猾的迪克” ，英国首相玛 格丽特 • 撒切尔夫人的绰号是 “铁娘子” 这是苏联领导人给她取的。 ， 他们的本意是要对她表示批判， 但后来撒切尔夫人却喜欢上了这个外 号。 绰号有的时候也很有趣， 它们会玩点语音游戏， 比如押尾韵 “扭 （ 臀大王猫王” 、 “布鲁塞尔的硬汉”， ） 或是押头韵 “快枪手彼得” （ 、 “威 尔士奇才”。 ） 好的绰号会被人一直叫下去， 得到这个绰号的人也只能认命—— 即使首先想出这个绰号的人早已被人遗忘。 人们并不总是喜欢这些 绰号，这也不足为奇， 所以 19 世纪的著名作家威廉 • 黑兹利特发 出这样的感叹： “外号是魔鬼扔在人身上的最重的一块石头。 但实 ” 际上，我们挺喜欢绰号，因为我们也会给自己取绰号。 你可以去博 客上看一眼，看看那些博客作者在发帖时候所署的那些名字就知道

了。 那些都是自己给自己取的绰号，从中我们可以了解到 21 世纪人 们奇妙的心理。

Unit

10

都市神话还是都市传奇？ 都市神话还是都市传奇？

Active reading 1

伦敦有着世界上最为庞大的地下隧道网络。 但是对某些伦敦居 民来说，隧道不仅仅给他们的生活提供了便利——他们还以此为家。 伦敦地下人是生活在街道下面的一族。 他们属于人类，却不会说英 语，他们有自己的风俗习惯。 他们中的个别人偶尔也会到地面上来。 他们只有在晚上才会从一条黑魆魆的偏僻街道的下水道里钻出来， 到 地面上活动， 而且一听到脚步声， 他们就会躲到黑暗的小巷子里藏身， 直到没有了动静才出来。 日出之前，他们又会回到地下。 没有几个 伦敦人真正见过他们，但是某人的朋友的朋友曾经见过他们好几次。 这是真事吗？很可能不是。 这是在很多语言中被称为都市神话 的一个典型例子。 都市神话是你通过口口相传听来的故事，讲述的 是一些可能发生过的事情，一个杜撰的，从别处听来的故事，却被当 作真事来讲，听起来像真的似的。 不论是真是假，都市神话依赖的 是讲故事的技巧以及来源的可靠性，比如“这件事发生在我弟弟的朋 友的母亲的身上。 ” 但是，有一些学者认为都市神话并非真正的神话。 在他们看来，

神话故事对于讲故事和过去听故事的人来说都有某种宗教或精神层 面的意义，而且神话帮助人们表达共同的信仰和价值观。 不管一个 神话看上去是多么匪夷所思，对于那些从属于这些文化的人来说，它 们永远是真实可信的。 那么我们该不该用“都市神话”这个术语呢？让我们来看一下经 久不衰的都市神话之一： “消失的搭车客” 故事的大概是：一个司 。 机独自开车行驶在漆黑的乡村公路上， 他看到一位年轻女子在路边要 搭车。 司机停下来，让她上了车。 很快司机就把她送到了目的地， 他们相互道别。 可直到后来

停车时司机才发现，这个年轻女子落了 一件外套在车上，兜里还装着一个钱包，有的故事是兜里装着个旧信 封。 于是他按照钱包里或信封上的地址把外套送回去。 一位老妇人 开了门，司机向她讲述了事情的经过。 原来，这件外套是老妇人女 儿的，而她的女儿已经在几年前的车祸中去世了，车祸的地点正是司 机让她上车的那个地方。 那一天也正是车祸的周年纪念日。 事实上，和许多别的神话一样，这个故事可以追溯到 20 世纪或 是 21 世纪的汽车和公路出现之前的其他国家和地区，比如瑞典和东 非。 这个故事还具有传统神话所共有的其他一些特征。 正如我们所 看到的， 这个故事是讲给那些愿意相信它并持有相同的文化价值观的 人听的。 多年以来，这个故事被人们讲了又讲，在不同的地方还被 添加了专属于各地文化的一些元素。 最后，这个故事变得好玩、刺 激，引人入胜。 另外一个很出名的都市神话是关于佛罗里达小短吻鳄鱼的故事，

大人们去佛罗里达度假， 回纽约的时候会给孩子们带几条小鳄鱼。 后 来短吻鳄越长越大，不像小时候那么可爱了。大人们只好把它们扔进 抽水马桶里冲掉。 但是其中一些短吻鳄活了下来，所以现在有一些 成年短吻鳄在纽约曼哈顿街区下面游荡。 这也是一个神话，因为它描绘了一个城市或地区的地理状况，提 醒人们注意某些潜在的危险。 在希腊神话中，奥德修斯在意大利大 陆和西西里岛之间狭窄而危险的海峡里航行，前有女海妖斯库拉，后 有海妖卡律布狄斯。 短吻鳄的故事也同样是要提醒纽约人，坐地铁 的时候要注意安全。 都市神话也可以是道德故事或是“警示”故事。 这其中最有名 的是， 一个男子坐在旅馆的酒吧间喝酒， 有一个人请他喝了一杯。 等 他醒来的时候，发现自己躺在房间的浴缸里，身子被埋在冰块下面。 墙上贴了一张纸条告诉他不要乱动，立刻打 911。 接线员遇到过很 多这样的情况，让他去摸一下后背下部，动作一定要缓慢。 如果脊 部插着一根管子， 那就说明他的肾被人摘走了， 卖掉供人移植了。 这 个故事的寓意是：如果有人请你喝酒，你一定要提高警惕。 同样， 传统神话也告诉人们在各自的社会中应该如何恰当地为人 处事。 在神话中，神之所以如此行事，是要为人类树立一个好榜样。 神话中人的行为高尚且勇敢。 有时候神话中的人类英雄在历史上可 能确有其人，可能正

因为他们的高尚行为而变成了神。 近年来， 越来越多的都市神话不是通过口口相传，而是通过电 子邮件的形式广为流传的， 这些邮件通常是告诉大家要小心某一种病

毒，它会删除你硬盘里的文件。 通常只要看到那种“如果不把这封 信转发给别人，就会有灾难性的后果”的警告，而且用了很多大写字 母和惊叹号，你就知道这是一个都市神话。 还有很多网络传言，它 们对一些微不足道的小细节添油加醋，或者是捕风捉影，在流传过程 中加入了越来越多的虚假证据，以证明它们的真实性。 但这是神话吗？不是，不是传统意义上的神话。 事实上，有一 个更为准确的词“骗局” ，就是一些看上去是真的，而最终发现是假 的，并且是用来故意误导人的东西。 真正的神话其动机总是善意的。 都市神话具有所有神话所共有的一些特征： 它们通常记录了一些 事件，人们相信它们的真实性，它们以口头形式代代相传，并且被逐 渐夸大，它们通常包含一个道德寓意，或是警示某种特定情形或情况 下可能存在的危险，它们告诉人们应该做什么、怎么做。 从形式上 看，对于 21 世纪的听众来说，它们和希腊、罗马、凯尔特、维京、 美索不达米亚以及中国的神话一样真实可信。 但不同的是，真正的神话里总是有神或者接近神的英雄人物，有 的神话讲述了创造世界和世界上的一些自然现象，如雷电、圣山之类 的。 与之相反，都市神话更为世俗化。 伦敦的地下人和神灵没有半 点关系，那个搭车客和司机也不是什么英雄，纽约的短吻鳄不代表什 么自然现象，那个倒霉的商人的故事虽然是警示性的，但也绝对说不 上是为英雄行为树立了榜样。 总之，都市神话根本就不是神话，它是一种传奇，讲述一些新近

发生的事情，故事是依据历史事件和人类英雄，或者仙女、女巫及其 他的虚构人物来编排的。 都市神话中的神话这个词我们只能从它的 次要意项去理解：一些并非真实的东西。

Active reading 2

厄科和那喀索斯 厄科是一位美丽的仙女，她喜欢流连于森林和山峦之中，在那儿 尽情地游戏。 她最得狄安娜的宠爱，在追猎时一直侍奉其左右。 但 是厄科有一个缺点，她喜欢说个不停，不管是闲聊还是争论，她总要 说最后一个字（得由她说了算）才肯罢休。 有一天，朱诺正四处寻 找她的丈夫， 怕他又在仙女中寻花问柳， 她的担忧并非没有道理。 厄 科上去和朱诺搭话，设法拖住这位女神，让仙女们得以脱身。 后来 朱诺得知了事情的真相，她对厄科施加了惩罚，她说： “你用你的舌 头欺骗了我，以后你再也不能用它说话了，除了一种情况——回答— —这也是你最喜欢的。 你可以说出最后一个字，但是你永远没有办 法先开口。 ” 这位仙子看见了那喀索斯，一位英俊的青年，当时他正在山上打 猎。 厄科深深地爱上了他，并一直跟着他。 哦，她多么渴望用最温 柔的话语对他倾诉衷肠， 让他和自己交谈。 但是她没有这个能力。 她 急不可耐地等着他先开口，并且想好了该如何回答。 有一天，这位 青年和他的伙伴们走散了，他高声呼喊： “是谁在这里？” “这里， ” 厄科回答说。 那喀索斯环顾四周，没见到半个人影。于是又喊道：

“出来吧。 厄科回答： ” “出来吧。 看没人出来，那喀索斯又大声 ” 喊： “你为什么躲着我？”厄科也问了同样的问题。 “让我们见个面 吧， ”青年说。 厄科全心全意地用相同的话回答，然后飞速奔向那喀 索斯，准备紧紧地搂住他的脖子。 他惊得连忙后退，大叫： “放手！ 我宁死也不想让你抱我。 “抱我， ” ”她说，但是没有用。 那喀索斯 走了，而厄科羞愧难当，跑进树林深处躲了起来。 从那时起，她就 生活在洞穴里和山崖间。 因为悲伤她日渐消瘦，到最后所有的血肉 都萎缩了。 她的骨头变成了岩石，整个人只剩下了声音。 任何人叫 她，她都回答，而且就和以前一样，只说最后那句话。 那喀索斯不是只对厄科一个人无情。 他像躲着厄科一样，对所 有的仙女避之不及。 有一天，一位少女竭力想吸引他，但没有成功， 一气之下，她祈祷说：总有一天那喀索斯会尝到付出了爱却得不到回 应的滋味。 复仇女神听到了这个祷告，应允了她的祈求。 林中有一口清泉， 泉水清亮如银， 牧羊人从来不把羊群赶到这里， 山羊从不在此驻足，

林中的百兽也不在这儿逗留，泉水上没有落叶残 枝，但水边芳草萋萋，还有岩石替它遮蔽烈日。 有一天，那喀索斯 打猎之后筋疲力尽，汗流浃背，口干舌燥，于是他来到泉边。 正当 他俯身饮泉水时，他看见了水中自己的倒影，却以为那是一个住在水 中的美丽水精灵。 他满怀爱意地注视着水中那双明亮的眼眸，那像 巴克斯和阿波罗一样卷曲的秀发，圆润的面颊，象牙般的雪白脖颈， 微启的双唇，还有全身散发出的健康与活力。 他爱上了自己，俯身 去吻水中的影子；他把双手伸入水中去拥抱这个心爱之物。 那影子

一碰就立刻消失得无影无踪，但过一会又出现了，再一次让他心驰神 迷。 他不舍得离开，茶饭不思，徘徊在泉边凝视着自己的倒影。 他 对着那所谓的水精灵说： “为什么，美丽的精灵，你要避开我？ 你不 会讨厌我的容貌，仙女们都喜欢我，而你注视我的眼神也并非冷漠无 情。 我伸出双臂，你也伸出双臂；我向你微笑招手，你也向我微笑 招手。 他的泪水落入泉水中，打散了水中的影子。 看到水精灵离 ” 他而去，他呼喊道： “留下来吧！我求你了，如果我不能触摸你的话， 至少让我注视着你。 他还说了好多类似的甜言蜜语，如痴如醉，情 ” 深意浓。渐渐地，他那曾经让厄科心醉神迷的气色、活力以及美貌都 逝去了。 厄科一直陪伴在他的身边，当他呼喊： “天哪！天哪！ ”的 时候，她也以同样的话语回应。 他日渐憔悴，最终死去了；当他的 幽灵经过冥河时，他斜倚着探出身子，要再看一眼水中自己的影子。 仙女们为他伤心垂泪，尤其是水中的那些仙女；她们捶胸，厄科也捶 胸。 她们为他准备了火葬的柴堆，准备火化他的遗体，但是哪里也 找不着他的尸体；在他的遗体躺过的地方，仙女找到了一枝花，紫色 的花朵外面裹着白色的叶子。这种花就叫那喀索斯，它让人们永远记 住了那喀索斯。

Reading across cultures

乌鸦带来日光： 乌鸦带来日光：来自遥远北方的传说 在很久以前的史前时代，伊努伊特人生活在黑暗笼罩的北方，远 离其他人类。 他们从来没有见过白昼的亮光。 但是有

一天，乌鸦飞

到了他们居住的地方。 它从南方飞来，告诉他们那儿有日光。 一开始人们并不相信它的话。 但是人们都被它所讲述的光的故 事迷住了。他们开始想，如果有光的话，那生活就大不一样了。 他 们可以打到更多的猎物，在北极熊发动袭击之前就看见它们。 所以 他们请乌鸦飞到南方，把光带回来给他们。 一开始，乌鸦悲叹说自己年事已高，飞不动了。 但最后它还是 答应了这个请求，踏上南飞的漫漫旅途。 飞了很长一段路后，乌鸦 看到地平线上有一丝苍白的亮光。 飞着飞着，突然整个世界一片光 明，乌鸦落到一棵树上休息。 它的身下是一个冰雪覆盖的村庄。 它 看到一个年轻女子，拎着一个四周发光的盒子，那个女子从盒子里拿 出一个光球，光球拴在一根线上，她拿着光球让她弟弟玩。 乌鸦决 定采取行动。 它猛扑下去，一口叼住那根线，接着又飞向高空。它 拍着翅膀向北飞去，那个光球一直拖在它的身后。 在他们的冰雪家园里， 伊努伊特人看到一丝微弱的亮光正逐渐靠 近。 慢慢地，它变得越来越大，他们看到乌鸦在前面拖着它。 乌鸦 把光球扔了下来， 它落到地上就碎了， 发出万丈光芒， 光点亮了黑暗， 驱走了阴暗，所有的人都高兴得说不出话来。 山峦披上了美丽的色 彩，冰雪开始闪闪发亮。 人们喜出望外，感谢乌鸦为他们所做的一切。 但是乌鸦告诉他 们，这光亮不会永远都留在这儿，六个月之后它会消失，再过六个月 又会回来。 可伊努伊特人并不在意，他们说： “我们一辈子都生活在 黑暗中，现在我们一年中有一半的时间能看到光明。 半年的光明总

比一年的黑暗要好。 所以直到今日，他们一直对乌鸦非常友好。 ”

新标准大学英语综合教程3课后答案

Unit 1 Active reading (1)

Catching crabs Language points

1 … and we all started to get our heads down … (Para 1) To get one’s head down means to concentrate and focus on studying. In other British informal contexts, it can mean to sleep. Note also, to keep one’s head down means to continue to do something quietly, especially when there is trouble happening around you.

Unit 1 Discovering yourself

2 Most important of course were the final exams in April and May in the following year. (Para 1) This is a conversational elliptical sentence. A standard way of saying this is: The most important things, of course, were the final exams in April and May in the following year. 3 No one wanted the humiliation of finishing last in class, so the peer group pressure to work hard was strong. (Para 1) Peer group pressure is the pressure to conform that people, especially children and young people, often feel from the immediate group of those around them who are of the same age or status. 4 Libraries ... were standing room only until the early hours of the morning, and guys wore the bags under their eyes and their pale, sleepy faces with pride, like medals proving their diligence. (Para 1) The expression standing room only means there are no more seats available because the place is crowded. This expression is often used in public performances, for sports events and on public transport to mean that you have to stand because the place is packed with people. Bags under their eyes refer to loose dark areas of skin that you get when y

ou have not had enough sleep. The expression guys wore the bags under their eyes with pride means that the students were proud that their tired appearance showed how hard they had been studying, and the bags under their eyes were like medals. 5 It wasn’t always the high flyers with the top grades who knew what they were going to do. (Para 2)

A high flyer refers to someone who has achieved a lot and has the ability and determination to continue to be successful in their studies or job. In university, a high flyer is a top student. 6 Quite often it was the quieter, less impressive students who had the next stages of their life mapped out. (Para 2) To have something mapped out means to have something that will happen planned in detail. 7 One had landed a job in his brother’s advertising firm in Madison Avenue, another had got a script under provisional acceptance in Hollywood. (Para 2) To land a job means to get a job that you wanted. Provisional acceptance refers to an acceptance which is arranged (in principle), but is not yet definite. It is temporary and could be changed. 8 The most ambitious student among us was going to work as a party activist at a local level. (Para 2) A party activist is someone who takes part in activities that are intended to achieve political change, someone who is a member of a political organization. 9 We all saw him ending up in the Senate or in Congress one day. (Para 2) To end up somewhere means to be in a particular place or state after doing something or because of it. Here, a party activist might end up in Congress, as a result of making career progress. 10 But most people were either looking to continue their studies … and then settle down with a family, a mortgage and some hope of promotion. (Para 2) To look to co

ntinue their studies here means to hope or expect to continue their studies – whether they can do so would probably depend on their exam results and grades. You can also look to someone for help, advice or support.

Discovering yourself Unit 1

A mortgage is a legal agreement in which you borrow money from a bank or financial organization in order to buy a house. You pay back your mortgage by making monthly payments, plus interest. Thus, getting a mortgage for many young people means getting a flat or house of their own. 11 I braced myself for some resistance to the idea. (Para 10) A brace is a piece of wood or metal which supports an object so that it does not fall down. So to brace oneself means to hold oneself together in readiness for something difficult or unpleasant. 12 You don’t need to go into a career which pays well just at the moment. (Para 16) To go into a career means to start working in a particular job, business or career. 13 Several times the crab tried to defy his fellow captives, without luck. (Para 25)

The crab tried to defy the others as it resisted others or refused to obey them when it tried to escape. The expression without luck means without success, being unable to do what you want.

Reading and understanding

3 Choose the best summary of what happened in the crab cage. 3 The

cage was full of crabs. One of them was trying to escape, but each time it reached the top the other crabs pulled it back. In the end it gave up trying and started to prevent other crabs from escaping. 4 Choose the best answer to the questions. 1 What happened to the students in the fall of the final year? (a) They became more relaxed. (b) They became more serious. (c) They spent more time outside. (d) They stopped going to lessons. 2 Why did some people have bags under their eyes in the morning? (a) They’d been to an all-night party. (b) They’d started worrying about their future. (c) They’d spent all night in the library. (d) They wanted to impress their teachers. 3 Which students had already planned their future? (a) The ones who had the best grades. (b) The ones who came from wealthy families. (c) The quieter ones who didn’t have the best grades. (d) The ones who wanted to get married and start a family. 4 Why did the writer go home? (a) He wanted to speak to his father. (b) He could study better at home than at college. (c) He had to attend a job interview. (d) It was a national holiday.

Unit 1 Discovering yourself

5 Why did his father take him out to catch crabs? (a) They needed to get something to eat for dinner. (b) He wanted to show him how to catch crabs. (c) He wanted to tell him something about life. (d) They both wanted to enjoy the coastline and the sea. 6 What advice did his father give him? (a) Get to know yourself better. (b) Watch what others do carefully. (c) Always listen to your father. (d) You can’t always do what you want.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

5 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 achieving good results (productive) 2 the fact of being present at an event, or of going regularly to school, church etc (attendance) 3 the refusal to accept something new, such as a plan, idea, or change (resistance) 4 determined to be successful, rich, famous etc (ambitious) 5 agreement to a plan, offer, or suggestion (acceptance) 6 the written words of a play, film, television programme, speech etc (script) 7 very good, large, or showing great skill (impressive) 6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 5. To be a successful film scriptwriter takes more than training although (1) attendance on a screenwriting course will definitely help you learn the skills. You also need to be very (2) ambitious – the film business is very competitive. You have to be prepared to work hard and be very (3) productive because it takes more than just one good idea to make it big. No matter how (4) impressive your idea is, there will always be (5) resistance from producers because it’s too expensive. So make sure you have plenty of others to show them. What are you waiting for? Get on with writing that brilliant (6) script and plan your (7) acceptance speech for when you win your first Oscar! 7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. 1 We’ve seen a place we like and we’re applying for a loan to buy a house. (mortgage) 2 We stood on the top floor of the boat and watched the coast disappear into the horizon. (deck) 3 I love to walk along the beach and watch the waves breaking, and the white water hitting the shore. (surf) 4 In seaside areas in the north-east of the country, life is hard and fishermen have to go against the

forces of nature every time they go to work. (coastal; defy) 5 Agreement was finally reached after a long and heated discussion. (lengthy) 8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 If you watch an impromptu performance of something, has it (a) been prepared, or (b) not been prepared? 2 When you map out your future, do you (a) plan it carefully, or (b) draw a sketch of it on paper?

Discovering yourself Unit 1

3 If you brace yourself for something unpleasant, do you (a) try not to think about it, or (b) prepare yourself for it mentally and physically? 4 Do you moor a boat by (a) turning the steering wheel, or (b) tying it to a post with a rope? 5 Is a rusty piece of metal something that (a) is bright and shiny, or (b) might have been left

out in the rain and is covered with brown substance? 6 If a bowl is brimming with soup, is it (a) very full, or (b) half empty? 7 If someone is being held captive, are they (a) free to do as they please, or (b) being kept as a prisoner? 8 If you have figured out something, have you (a) added numbers together, or (b) understood it?

Active reading (2)

2 Work in pairs. Look at the title of the passage and choose the best way to complete the sentences. 1 The passage will be (c) . (a) a newspaper ar

ticle about life expectancy (b) a sad story about death (c) advice about how to make the most of your life (d) a warning that modern lifestyles are bad for health

Unit 1 Discovering yourself 12

2 The passage is likely to be (d) . (a) serious (b) funny (c) depressing (d) a mixture of all three 3 The passage is likely to say (b) . (a) young people don’t think enough about death (b) life is short (c) people are dying unnecessarily (d) people don’t enjoy life enough

We are all dying Background information

The passage is taken from Everything That Happens to Me Is Good, a book of thoughts, experiences and insights from the life of Geoff Thompson. The writer worked in many different jobs, including nine years as a “bouncer” in a nightclub in London (a bouncer has the tough job of making sure that no one causes trouble, eg if they are rude, drunk or violent). He then trained full-time in karate, judo and other martial arts and became well-known as a martial arts instructor. He lived out his dream to become a writer, authoring over 30 books on self-defence and self-improvement and has recently been making films and writing for the

screen. Asked what he had learnt from his years in martial arts, he said, “The main thing I’ve learned is that wherever there is discomfort there is g

rowth, but what people do is to look for growth in areas of comfort – and there’s no growth in comfort. So look for areas of growth that are uncomfortable but allow you to grow, and learn to become comfortable in those areas.”

Language points

1 I have some good news and some bad news for you (as the joke goes). The bad news – and I’m very sorry to be the bearer – is that we are all dying. It’s true. I’ve checked it out. (Para 1) Good news and bad news are often paired together in jokes and in comments on new information or recent events where there is a mixture of positive and negative aspects, eg The good news is … But the bad news is … To check something out means to examine something or someone in order to be certain that everything is correct, true, satisfactory or acceptable. Check this out! is an attention-getting exclamation which means here’s something interesting to have a look at. 2 … we are all going to be either coffin dwellers or trampled ash in the rose garden of some local cemetery. (Para 1) Coffin is a long box in which a dead person is buried. The expression coffin dweller is a humorous way to refer to dead people. The expression trampled ash in the rose garden of some local cemetery refers jokingly to the ashes of a dead person placed in a cemetery garden where people walk on the buried ashes.

Discovering yourself Unit 1 13

3 After all, we never quite know when the hooded, scythe-carrying, bringer-of-the-last-breath might come-a-calling. (Para 1) The expression the hooded, scythe-carrying, bringer-of-the-last breath refers to the reaper, a person who reaps or cuts corn for the harvest and is a symbol of death from medieval times of the West. A reaper is personified as a tall figure dressed in a black cloak with a hood covering his face and carrying a scythe, a cutting tool with a long curved metal blade used for cutting, or reaping long grass or corn. The reaper

brings death or brings your last breath. The expression when the reaper arrives means when death comes to you. 4 … and nothing underlines the uncertainty and absolute frailty of humanity like the untimely exit of a friend. (Para 1) The word exit here means leaving this world or death. The word untimely means happening at a time that is not suitable because it causes problems. An untimely death is too soon or when a person is young. 5 Knowing that we are all budding crypt-kickers takes away all the uncertainty of life. (Para 3) That we are all budding crypt-kickers is a humorous way of saying that we are all potentially soon to be buried, ie dead. 6 The prologue and epilogue are already typed in. All that’s left is the middle bit ... choose the meat of the story. (Para 3) A prologue is a piece of writing at the start of a book, or the beginning of a play, film or TV programme that introduces a story. An epilogue is at the end of a novel, play or piece of writing, which carries an extra comment or extra information about what happens after the main story. Here, the writer’s point is that the prologue (birth) and epilogue (end, death) of your life are already written, but we all choose to write the mid

dle bit – the meat of the story. 7 So, all those plans that you have on the back burner, you know, the great things you’re going to do with your life “when the time is right”? (Para 4) A back burner is literally one of the back parts of a cooker which is used for heating or cooking food. Metaphorically, if you put something on the back burner, it means you have decided not to do it until later. It is at the back of the cooker, just simmering or cooking slowly, so you don’t give it priority because it doesn’t need your full attention. The expression this back-burner stuff (Para 10) thus refers to things which have low priority and get little attention. 8 There’s only a promissory note that we are often not in a position to cash. (Para 5) A promissory note is a document giving details of your promise to pay someone a particular amount of money by a particular date. The writer means that tomorrow, or the future, is like a promissory note for

which you never get the cash, because the future never comes unless you act now and use time wisely, as if tomorrow is today. 9 … but regret and a rear-view mirror full of “could haves”, “should haves” and “would haves”. (Para 5) A rear-view mirror is a mirror fixed to the front window of a car that lets the driver see what is happening behind. Here, the mirror refers to the past, which is behind us. We don’t want such a mirror full of regrets about things we could / should / would have done, but did not do.

Unit 1 Discovering yourself 14

10 I love watching people ingeniously stack the cucumber around the si

de of the bowl – like they’re filling a skip – and then cramming it so high that they have to hire a forklift truck to get it back to the table … They just know that they only have one shot at it. (Para 6) A skip is a large metal container used in the building industry for waste; it is carried away by a truck when it is full. A forklift truck is a vehicle that uses two long metal bars at the front for lifting and moving heavy objects. The writer is using the images of a skip and a truck to emphasize how people use the opportunity to serve themselves, because they only have one shot – they only have one chance or attempt, they can’t return for more salad in this type of buffet, so they make the most of this opportunity. 11 So what I’m thinking is (and this is not molecular science) … (Para 10) It means this is not specialized knowledge. It’s not rocket science; it’s simple and straightforward. 12 The right time is the cheque that’s permanently in the post, it never arrives. (Para 10) That the cheque is in the post means money has been sent, its on its way. This is often said as an excuse for late payment, so if the cheque’s permanently in the post, it means the money never comes. 13 It’s the girl who keeps us standing at the corner of the Co-op looking like a spanner … She’s stood us up. (Para 10) The expression looking like a spanner on the street corner means he looks awkward and out of place, waiting for a girl who is late and never arrives. To stand someone up means not to come to meet them when you have arranged to meet them, especially someone with whom you are having or starting a romantic relationship. The word us is an informal and

personal way to include others who will recognize that this is a typical experience. 14 Act now or your time will elapse and you’ll end up as a sepi

a-coloured relative that no one can put a name to in a dusty photo album. (Para 13) The expression you’ll end up as a sepia-coloured relative means that in the end you will be only an old half-forgotten photograph in a photo album. I can’t put a name to someone is said when you halfrecognize a person but you can’t quite remember his name. 15 Better to leave a biography as thick as a whale omelette than an epitaph. (Para 14) An omelette is flat round food made by mixing eggs together and cooking them. The expression as thick as a whale means extremely thick. The writer means it is better to leave a very large biography than an epitaph, or, in other words, live a full life which is worth writing about.

Reading and understanding

3 Choose the best summary of the passage. 3 Life is short. So there’s no point in planning for a future which may never come. Now is the time to do what we want to do. There’s no time to lose.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

4 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 involving three things of the same kind (triple) 2 an area of ground where dead people are buried (cemetery)

Discovering yourself Unit 1 15

3 the part of a place or thing that is at the back (rear) 4 a book that someone writes about someone else’s life (biography) 5 to put people or things into a space that is too small (cram) 6 at the very beginning of a career and likely to be successful at it (budding) 7 continuing only for a limited time or distance (finite) 8 to pass (elapse) 5 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in Activity 4. 1 About two hours elapsed before we reached the cemetery where the war dead were buried. 2 I sat in the rear seat behind the driver. My three sisters were all crammed in the front. 3 The entrance to the car park was blocked, so the road was full of cars which had been triple-parked one against another, making it almost impossible to get past. 4 We have a number of budding authors in our class this year, one of whom has written a fascinating biography of his grandmother. 5 The time we have on this earth may be finite, but there are no limits to the human

imagination. 6 Answer the questions about the words. 1 If you substantiate a claim, do you (a) prove it is true, or (b) persuade someone that it is true? 2 If someone tramples over something, do they (a) pour water over it, or (b) walk all over it? 3 If someone’s arrival is untimely, is it (a) at the wrong moment, or (b) late? 4 If events are described chronologically, do they occur (a) in the order in which they happened, or (b) in no particular order? 5 Is ingeniously likely to mean (a) artistically, or (b) cleverly? 6 Is knackered an informal British word meaning (a) very relaxed, or (b) extremely tired? 7 Is patently likely to mean (a) obviously, or (b) usually? 8 When something is allotted to you, is it (a) given to you, or (b) taken from you? 7 Answer the questions about the phrases. 1 If you check something out, do you (a) find out,

or (b) not think about it? 2 If you see something from the sidelines, do you (a) take part in the action, or (b) stay away from it? 3 If something is down to you, is it your (a) bad luck, or (b) responsibility? 4 If you have something on the back burner, (a) will you look at it later, or (b) are you interested in it now? 5 If you are in a position to do something, are you (a) able, or (b) unable to do it? 6 If time is ticking away, does it seem (a) as if it will last forever, or (b) to be passing quickly? 7 If you can have one shot at something, (a) are you allowed to shoot it, or (b) do you have only one chance to do it? 8 If you make the best of something, do you (a) enjoy it while you can, or (b) work hard to make it a success? 9 If a girl stands you up, does she (a) fail to turn up for a date, or (b) refuse to sit down when you ask her to?

Language in use

word formation: compound words

1 Find more examples of each use of hyphens in the passage We are all dying . • I’ve double- and triple-checked it. (compound verb) • budding crypt-kickers (compound noun) • a rear-view mirror (compound adjective) • the once-a-year holiday to Florida or Spain (compound adjective) • back-burner stuff (compound adjective) • standing at the corner of the Co-op (compound noun) • a sepia-coloured relative that no one can put a name to (compound adjective)

2 Rewrite the phrases using compound adjectives. 1 a party which is held late at night (a late-night party) 2 a library which is well stocked (a well-stocked library) 3 a professor who is world famous (a world-famous professor) 4 some advice which is well timed (some well-timed advice) 5 a population which is growing rapidly (a rapidly-growing population) 6 an economy which is based on free market (a free-market economy) 7 a boat trip which lasts for half an hour (a half-hour boat trip)

It’s what / how … that …

3 Rewrite the sentences using It’s what / how … that … 1 What other people think of us is determined by how we behave. It’s how we behave that determines what other people think of us.

Unit 1 Discovering yourself 20

2 What sort of job we are going to end up doing is usually determined by our character. It’s what our character is that usually determines what sort of job we are going to end up doing. 3 What we do as a career isn’t always determined by the marks we get at university. It isn’t always what marks we get at university that determine what we do as a career. 4 How we react to life’s problems is often determined by our childhood experiences. It is often what we experienced in our childhood that determines how we react to life’s problems. 5 When we die is determined by our genetic clock, and the changes we make to it. It’s what our genetic clock is and what changes

we make to it that determine when we die.

It is / was not just that … but …

4 Rewrite the sentences using It is / was not just that … but … 1 Not only were the shops all closed for Thanksgiving, there was also no one in the streets. It wasn’t just that the shops were all closed for Thanksgiving, but there was no one in the streets. 2 Not only did she spend all her time at college going to parties, she also took the time to gain a first-class degree. It wasn’t just that she spent all her time at college going to parties, but she took the time to gain a firstclass degree. 3 Not only were they not listening to what he said, it also seemed as if they weren’t at all interested. It wasn’t just that they weren’t listening to what he said, but it seemed as if they weren’t at all interested. 4 Not only was I upset, I also felt as if I was going to burst out crying. It wasn’t just that I was upset, but I felt as if I was going to burst out crying. 5 Not only was the Grim Reaper intended to frighten people, it was also a figure of fun.

It wasn’t just that the Grim Reaper was intended to frighten people, but it was also a figure of fun.

collocations

5 Read the explanations of the words. Answer the questions. 1 settle When you settle somewhere you go there to stay. (a) Where is dust likely to se

ttle in a room? On the surfaces that aren’t used very often or aren’t cleaned. (b) If you settle an argument, is the conclusion satisfactory? Yes, it is, because the disagreement is solved and each party is satisfied with the outcome. (c) If you settle the bill, what is there left to pay? Nothing, because you have paid everything that is owed. (d) What do you do when you settle back to watch a film? We relax in a comfortable chair and enjoy it. 2 smooth This word can mean flat or soft, comfortable, easy or confident. (a) If the sea is smooth, are you likely to feel seasick? No, because the sea is calm. We will feel seasick if it is rough.

Discovering yourself Unit 1 21

(b) If a changeover from one government to the next is smooth, are there lots of problems? No, because the changeover has gone well, without difficulties. (c) Is it a good idea to trust a smooth talker? Not necessarily, because some people who talk confidently like that do so to trick you, like a confidence trickster or conman. 3 offer This word can refer to something you would like someone to take, something someone gives, or something that is for sale. (a) If you decline an offer, do you say “yes” or “no”? We say “no”, because we are refusing it. (b) If you offer an apology to someone for something you have done, what do you say? We should say, “I apologize” or “I’m sorry”. (c) Where are you likely to see special offer? In a shop, because the shop is offering a special price or reduction for something. (d) If someone has a lot to offer, what kind of person are they? They are intelligent, talented, gifted or creative and they will bring these kinds of qualities to thei

r work. 4 bear If you bear something you carry or bring it. If you cannot bear something, you dislike it or cannot accept it. (a) If you bear something in mind, do you forget it? No, we will remember it and consider it for a particular occasion in future. (b) If you bear a resemblance to someone, in what way are you like them? We look similar in certain physical features. (c) Is there anything you can’t bear to think about?

I can’t bear to think too much about some of the problems in the world, famine, war, poverty etc. In the modern world, why don’t we just solve them? 5 resistance This word can refer to the refusal to accept something new, the ability not to be harmed by something, or opposition to someone or something. (a) If there is resistance to an idea, do people accept it? No, not easily. They refuse to accept the idea maybe because it’s just a bad idea, or they may change their mind if they understand it better. (b) If the soldiers met with resistance, what happened? The soldiers met opposition from those they were fighting against. (c) Is there a way to build up your resistance to cold? Yes, we can keep ourselves as healthy as possible with a good diet and getting enough exercise so that we are less likely to catch a cold, or if we do get one, we won’t suffer so badly. 6 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese. 1 We all sensed we were coming to the end of our stay here, that we would never get a chance like this again, and we became determined not to waste it. Most important of course were the final exams in April and May in the following year. No one wanted the humiliation of finishing last in class, so the peer group pressure to work hard was strong. Libraries which were once empty after five o’clock in the afternoon were standing room only u

ntil the early hours of the morning, and guys wore the bags under their eyes and their pale, sleepy faces with pride, like medals proving their diligence. (☞ and guys wore the bags under their eyes and their pale, sleepy faces with pride … 这句的动词wear 后面带两个 宾语，中

Unit 1 Discovering yourself 22

文找不到能带这两个宾语的动词，故处理成四个中文短句；翻译 like medals proving their diligence 时，采用“增词法”增加“这些”来概括前面所描写的“眼袋”，“脸色苍白”，“睡眼惺忪” 等，使译文含义更加清晰流畅。) 我们都觉得在校时间不多了， 以后再也不会有这样的学习机会了， 所以都下定决心不再虚度 光阴。 当然， 下一年四五月份的期末考试最为重要。 我们谁都不想考全班倒数第一， 那也太丢人了， 因此 同学们之间的竞争压力特别大。以前每天下午五点以后，图书馆就空无一人了，现在却要等 到天快 亮时才会有空座，小伙子们熬夜熬出了眼袋，他们脸色苍白，睡眼惺忪，却很自豪，好像这

些都是 表彰他们勤奋好学的奖章。 2 Tomorrow? It’s all a lie; there isn’t a tomorrow. There’s only a promissory note that we are often not in a position to cash. It doesn’t even exist. When you wake up in the morning it’ll be today again and all the same rules will apply. Tomorrow is just another version of now, an empty field that will remain so unless we start planting some seeds. Your time, which is ticking away as we speak (at about 60 seconds a minute chronologically; a bit faster if you don’t invest your time wisely), will be gone and you’ll have nothing to show for it but regret and a rear-view mirror full of “could haves”, “should haves” and “would haves”. (☞

本段的难点在于对一些词的理解与翻译，如 an empty field that will remain so, chronologically, invest your time wisely, have nothing to show for it but 等等。“could haves”, “should haves”,“would haves” 是表达与事实相反的条件句，指自己没有做，但有可能或应该做的事 情。) 明天行吗？明天只是个谎言；根本就没有什么明天，只有一张我们常常无法兑现的期票。明 天甚至 压根儿就不存在。你早上醒来时又是另一个今天了，同样的规则又可以全部套用。明天只是 现在的 另一种说法，是一块空地，除非我们开始在那里播种，否则它永远都是空地。你的时间会流 逝（时 间就在我们说话的当下嘀嗒嘀塔地走着， 每分钟顺时针走60 秒， 如果你不能很好地利用它， 它会走 得更快些），而你没有取得任何成就来证明它的存在，唯独留下遗憾，留下一面后视镜，上 面写满 了“本可以做”、“本应该做”、“本来会做”的事情。

7 Translate the paragraphs into English. 1 对于是否应该在大学期间详细规划自己的未来， 学生们意见不一。 有的人认为对未来应该 有一个明 确的目标和详细的计划， 为日后可能遇到的挑战做好充分的准备； 有的人则认为不用过多考 虑未 来，因为未来难以预料。(map out; brace oneself for; uncertainty) Students differ about whether they should have their future mapped out when they are still at university. Some think they should have a definite goal and detailed plan, so as to brace themselves for any challenges, whereas some others think they don’t have to think much about the future, because future is full of uncertainties.

2 经过仔细检查，这位科学家得知自己患了绝症。虽然知道自己将不久于人世，他并没有抱 怨命运的 不公， 而是准备好好利用剩下的日子， 争取加速推进由他和同事们共同发起的那个研究项目， 以提 前结项。(tick away; make the best of; have a shot at) After a very careful check-up, the scientist was told he had got a fatal di

sease. Although he knew that his life was ticking away, instead of complaining about the fate, the scientist decided to make the best of the remaining days, and speed up the research project he and his colleagues initiated, and have a shot at completing it ahead of schedule.

Unit 2 Active reading (1)

Language points

1 ... I can recall the changing colors of those days, clear and definite as a pattern seen through a kaleidoscope. (Para 1) A kaleidoscope is a toy that shows changing patterns. It is made of a tube with mirrors and colored pieces of glass inside. The glass pieces move as you turn the kaleidoscope. As a metaphor, kaleidoscope means a view, situation or experience that keeps changing and has many different aspects. 2 … and look over the lights of Boston that blazed and blinked far off across the darkening water. (Para 2) To blaze means to burn strongly and brightly. The lights ... that blazed and blinked means the lights were bright and went on and off continuously, like the blinking of eyes. 3 The sunset flaunted its pink flag above the airport, and the sound of waves was lost in the perpetual droning of the planes. (Para 2) To flaunt means to deliberately try to make people notice something, eg your possessions, beauty, abilities etc, because you want them to admire you. The sunset flaunted its pink flag means the pink color of the setting sun was like a flag which the sun was using to try to make everyone notice and admire it. To drone means to make a continuous low sound. Because Logan is

an international airport, the noise of the planes continued all the time. So it was perpetual.

4 I marveled at the moving beacons on the runway and watched, until it grew completely dark, the flashing red and green lights that rose and set in the sky like shooting stars. (Para 2) A beacon is a bright light that shines in the dark and is used as a signal to warn people of danger or to show them the way to somewhere. Beacons are used in airports to show approaching and departing planes the position of the runways to help them land and take off safely. A shooting star is a meteor, a large piece of rock in space that falls through the earth’s atmosphere and makes a bright line of light in the sky. When you see a shooting star, it is said to be lucky, and some people make a wish. 5 Out by the parking lot David and I found the perfect alcove for our Superman dramas. (Para 5) A parking lot is the American equivalent of a car park, British English. A lot in American English refers to a small area of land used for a particular purpose. 6 During recess, David and I came into our own. (Para 6) To come into one’s own means to have the opportunity to show how good or useful someone is. Here the two children are good at imaginative play with Superman games.

Childhood memories Unit 2 45

7 We ignored the boys playing baseball on the gravel court and the girls giggling at dodge-ball in the dell. (Para 6) Dodge-ball is a game played by children standing in a circle or on opposite sides of an area. A rubber ball i

s thrown by those outside, who try to hit those in the circle. The children in the circle try to dodge the ball to avoid being hit. 8 Our Superman games made us outlaws … (Para 6) An outlaw is a criminal, especially one who moves from place to place to avoid being caught. There are many famous stories of outlaws in Western culture, eg Robin Hood, Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Ned Kelly etc. Here, the two children are outlaws because they play their imaginative games against the custom of other games like dodge-ball. 9 … the sallow mamma’s boy on our block who was left out of the boys’ games ... and skin his fat knees. (Para 6) Mamma, mama, momma, mummy are children’s names for mother (mum). A mamma’s boy is

one who depends too much on his mother and is not independent when he should be. To skin one’s knees means to hurt one’s knees by falling on a rough surface in a way that causes some skin to be removed. 10 At the time my Uncle Frank was living with us while waiting to be drafted … (Para 8) The draft means conscription into the armed forces for military service. People who are drafted are made to join the army, navy etc; they are conscripts or draftees not volunteers.

Reading and understanding

3 Answer the questions. 1 What were Sylvia Plath’s most important memories? She remembered winning a prize, Paula Brown’s new suit and the view from her window. 2 Where did she live and what could she see from her bedroom window? She lived on the bay side of town, on Johnson Avenue,

and she could see the lights of Boston and Logan Airport from her bedroom window. 3 What did the view make her want to do? It made her want to fly in her dreams. 4 Why did she have such vivid dreams? Because she was rarely tired when she went to bed. 5 Who appeared in her dreams? Superman appeared and taught her to fly. 6 Why did she enjoy the radio adventures of Superman? Because she loved the sheer poetry of flight. 7 Where did her friend and she play Superman? At the dingy back entrance to the school, an alcove in a long passageway.

Unit 2 Childhood memories 46

8 Why do you think they chose Sheldon to be the villain? Because he was a mamma’s boy and was left out of the other boys’ games. 9 How did she feel about her Uncle Frank? She admired him as she thought he bore an extraodinary resemblance to Superman incognito. 4 Choose the best summary of the passage. 3 Sylvia Plath wrote about her real and imaginary life as a child.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

5 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 accurate and true (definite) 2 continuing all the time (perpetual) 3 to spin quickly in circles (whirl) 4 to shine very brightly (blaze) 5 to laugh in a nervous, excited or silly way that is difficult to control (giggle)

6 to encourage someone to speak or continue speaking (prompt) 7 to fall to the ground (tumble) 6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 5. Plath never needed to be (1) prompted to talk about her childhood memories. They were very (2) definite and still real to her as an adult. She imagined she could fly and (3) whirl through the air like Superman. Coming from the highways around Boston was the (4) perpetual sound of traffic. In the distance a plane was taking off, its lights (5) blazing into the night sky. She remembered the sound of (6) giggling which came from the group of girls. Sadly in her later life it seemed as if Superman had (7) tumbled to earth. 7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. 1 The lights at the airport went on and off all day and night. (blinked) 2 The playground was like a desert. It was without any interesting or positive features and unfriendly. (barren) 3 The boys were playing a children’s game in which the players chase and try to touch each other and the girls were gossiping and giggling. (tag) 4 Pulling the legs off insects is a form of action causing extreme physical pain by someone as a punishment, and is extremely cruel. (torture) 5 The similarity in appearance between the twins was striking. (resemblance) 6 He would cover candy with a piece of cloth used for cleaning lips and hands, and make it disappear. (napkin) 8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 If you look through a kaleidoscope, are you likely to see (a) changing coloured patterns, or (b) a single coloured pattern? 2 If you flaunt something, do you (a) deliberately try to make people notice, or (b) try to hide it? 3 If you marvel at something, do you find it (a) boring, or (b) surprising and fascinating?

Childhood memories Unit 2 47

4 Are shooting stars likely to (a) move brightly through the night sky, or (b) stand still? 5 Is the twilight likely to be (a) at the end of, or (b) in the middle of the day? 6 If you drift off to sleep, are you likely to fall asleep (a) quickly, or (b) slowly? 7 If someone is bookish, are they likely to be (a) more, or (b) less interested in reading books than doing other activities? 8 If you make up something, do you (a) invent it, or (b) borrow it from someone else?

9 If you come into your own, are you likely to show (a) how effective and useful, or (b) ineffective and useless you can be? 10 Is a villain likely to be a (a) good, or (b) bad person? 11 If you are left out of something, are you likely to be (a) included, or (b) excluded?

Active reading (2)

Language points

1 These changing ideas about children have led many social scientists to claim that childhood is a “social construction” . (Para 4) A social construction refers to the process or result of creating an idea or system of behaviour in social contexts, ie it is created and developed between people and is not something natural or genetic.

Childhood memories Unit 2 53

2 Social anthropologists have shown this in their studies of peoples ... (Para 5) Social anthropologists are scholars and researchers who study human societies, customs and beliefs from a social perspective, which may be distinct from the focus of physical anthropologists or linguistic anthropologists. 3 Because they can’t be reasoned with, and don’t understand, parents treat them with a great deal of tolerance and leniency. (Para 5) Tolerance is the attitude of someone who is willing to accept other people’s beliefs or way of life without criticizing them even if they disagree with them. The word leniency means giving a punishment or acting in a way that is not as severe or harsh as it could be. 4 They are seen as being closer to mad people than adults because they lack the highly prized quality of social competence … (Para 6) Something is prized if it is considered to be very important or valuable. The examples in the passage emphasize how different cultural communities may give importance to quite different qualities which they expect from children, so the children are brought up very differently. 5 They are regularly told off for being clumsy and a child who falls over may be laughed at, shouted at, or beaten. (Para 6) To tell someone off means to criticize someone angrily for doing something wrong. If you are

told off for doing something in a serious or official way, you are reprimanded. 6 Looking at it from a cross-cultural perspective shows the wide variety of childhoods that exist across the world … (Para 11) A cross-cultural perspective is a view which considers different cultures separately or independentl

y and then makes comparisons. An intercultural perspective would look at the relations and interactions between different cultures or communities, taking inside views of each culture into account. A transcultural perspective would look at different cultures using knowledge, skills and insights which are thought to apply to a wide range of cultural contexts and which would help people in intercultural contexts.

Reading and understanding

3 Read the passage again and complete the table. Teaching tips • When Ss have completed the table on their own, divide the class into seven groups, each group being responsible for one row in the table. They have to summarize the characteristics of childhood of this ethnic group, and also include an example. Then they report to the class. Each group should also add related information they learned from the passage, and the language and culture notes. The presentation of each group could be given from that exact roles of parents from that exact cultural or ethnic group. If this is difficult, T may give each group a copy of the example below, and ask them to practise and present it to the class. • As a way to follow this up, T can ask each group, one by one, to compare their result with that of another group, without looking at their books. An alternative follow-up is for the T, together with one or two Ss, to take the roles of TV reporters who meet each group and ask them “on camera” to compare themselves with another group, and talk about how they understand the other group from a cross-cultural perspective.

Unit

54

2 Childhood memories

1 We are American colonial people. We lived in the 17th and 18th centuries on the east coast of America and our families settled here from Europe. In our time, children were expected to be good and industrious. That was the main characteristic of childhood. For example, when our girls were four they knitted stockings and mittens; when they were six they spun wool. We called them “Mrs” to show the girls our appreciation. 2 We are Inuit people from the Arctic regions. Some of us are from Canada and Greenland, Denmark, others from Russia and Alaska of US. For us, children need to get ihuma – you would call this the process of acquiring thought, reason and understanding. That’s the main characteristic of childhood. For example, as parents we are tolerant and lenient with children until they are old enough to develop ihuma, then we can teach them and discipline them. 3 We are from Tonga, a kingdom of about 170 islands in the south-west Pacific Ocean. As parents, we may regularly beat our children if they haven’t yet developed poto. You would think of poto as social competence. For us, it’s the main quality that our children need to develop. So we treat them with discipline and physical punishment when they are mischievous or wilful. 4 We are the Beng people. We live in different parts of West Africa. The main characteristic of childhood is that young children are thought to be in contact with the spirit world.

They come to the world reluctantly because life in the spirit world is so pleasant. As parents, we have to look after our children properly, or they may return to the spirit world. We have to treat them with care and reverence. They can know and understand everything we tell them, whatever languages we use. 5 We are parents from the Western world today. Some of us are from Europe, others from North America, Australia and other places. The main characteristic of childhood in our countries is that children are incompetent and dependent, so they should play, be part of the family and go to school. Children should not work. For example, a child under 14 can’t look after a younger child unsupervised because they aren’t competent or responsible yet. If we found a child of 12 working in a factory or in a market, the social services could intervene and the family could be prosecuted.

6 We are Fulani people. Most of us live in West Africa. For us, the main characteristic of childhood is that children are competent and responsible. So by the age of four our girls can care for their younger siblings; by six they can pound grain or produce milk and butter which they can sell in the market alongside us. 7 We are the Yanamamö people from the Amazonian rainforest. We live among the hills where you probably call the border between Brazil and Venezuela. The main characteristic of childhood is that children are responsible and competent. Our girls help their mothers from a young age and by the age of ten they will be running the house. This is important because they will probably be married at 12 or 13. Our boys have fewer responsibilities. They can play because they don’t get married until later. Culture / Ethnic group Characteristics of childhood American colonial expected to be g

ood and industrious Inuit develop a process of acquiring thought, reason and understanding Tonga regularly beaten and told off by parents and older siblings, seen as being very naughty, until they develop social competence Beng treated with great care and reverence, believed that they are in contact with the spirit world

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Culture / Ethnic group Characteristics of childhood Western world today seen as incompetent and irresponsible; playing not working, going to school not labouring, consumption instead of production Fulani competent and responsible; expected to work Yanamamö competent and responsible; girls expected to work from a young age, be married and have children at 12 or 13; boys having fewer responsibilities and getting married later 4 Choose the best way to complete the sentences. 1 The characteristics of childhood a hundred years ago (d) . (a) would have interfered in their education (b) are similar to those of today (c) would be illegal today (d) meant that children were treated more like adults 2 The idea that childhood is a social construction suggests that (a) .

(a) children experience childhood in different ways according to the society in which they live (b) enormous transformations have taken place within a relatively short time (c) children in the past worked harder (d) all children are different from adults 3 Both Inuit and Tongan parents understand that (b) . (a) their children need to be treated in a way which would be considered

harsh by outsiders (b) their children don’t yet possess certain prized qualities, such as reasoning and social competence (c) growing up is a process of acquiring thought, not social skills (d) bringing up their children requires tolerance and discipline 4 Parents of Beng children treat them with great care because they (d) . (a) think children know all human languages and understand all cultures (b) think life in the earthly world is unpleasant (c) believe the children still live in a spirit world (d) fear the children may choose to return to the spirit world where they lived before they were born 5 Western childcare practices (c) . (a) include allowing eight-year-old girls to work and 12-year-old girls to marry (b) treat the child in a bizarre and possibly harmful way (c) see the child as being incompetent, dependent on the parents, and incapable of looking after other children (d) are only similar to Yanamamö childcare practices in that girls help out at home, and boys are allowed to play well into their teens 6 The main idea of the passage is that (c) . (a) history shows us how our perception of childhood has changed (b) childhood is viewed in different ways according to the child’s cultural and social upbringing (c) both history and society can affect our perception of childhood (d) Western notions of childhood are outdated and not informed (continued)

Unit 2 Childhood memories 56

Dealing with unfamiliar words

5 Read the passage again and find the words in the box. Choose the best definition in the context of the passage. 1 consumption (a) the process of

buying or using goods (b) the process of eating, drinking, or smoking something 2 colonial (a) relating to a system or period in which one country rules another (b) made in a style that was common in North America in the 18th century

3 knit (a) to make something such as a piece of clothing using wool and sticks called knitting needles (b) to join together or work together as one group or unit 4 harsh (a) unpleasant and difficult to live in (b) strict, unkind, and often unfair 5 contact (a) communication between people, countries, or organizations either by talking or writing (b) a situation in which people or things touch each other 6 impose (a) to force someone to have the same opinion, belief as you (b) to cause extra work for someone by asking them to do something that may not be convenient for them 7 perspective (a) a way of thinking about something (b) a sensible way of judging how good, bad, important etc something is in comparison with other things 6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in the box. Our (1) knowledge and understanding of childhood is undergoing a process of (2) nonstop change. In the West we see children as being (3) in need of adult control. However, among other (4) socio-cultural groups with similar traditions children are (5) mainly considered to be capable of assuming greater responsibilities. So there is a (6) strong desire for (7) someone who does not belong to this group to think that such practices might be odd or even harmful. But while most ethnic groups may at first show (8) hesitation about integrating other traditions and customs with their own, (9) outside pressures usually make them change their traditional view of childhood. Key: (1) no

tion (2) continual (3) dependent on (4) ethnic (5) largely (6) temptation (7) an outsider (8) reluctance (9) external 7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 Is prosecution likely to be (a) the act of accusing someone of a crime, or (b) the process of supervision by the social services?

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2 Is intricate likely to be (a) very basic, or (b) very detailed in design? 3 Is leniency likely to involve (a) kindness and understanding, or (b) strict discipline? 4 If someone tells you off, are they (a) criticizing, or (b) praising you?

5 Is a mischievous child likely to (a) be well behaved, or (b) enjoy having fun by causing trouble? 6 If a child is wilful, are they likely to cause damage or harm (a) deliberately, or (b) by mistake? 7 When a child is unsupervised, are they likely to be (a) looked after by adults, or (b) without an adult looking after them? 8 Is something bizarre likely to be (a) strange and difficult to explain, or (b) very usual?

Language in use

unpacking complex sentences

1 Look at the sentences from the passage Superman and answer the questions. 1 My flying dreams were believable as a landscape by Dali, so real that I would awake with a sudden shock, a breathless sense of having tumble

d like Icarus from the sky and caught myself on the soft bed just in time. (a) What were believable? Her dreams about flying were believable. (b) How real were they? They were very real.

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(c) Who had the sense of having tumbled like Icarus? The writer, Sylvia Plath. (d) Why would she wake up with a breathless sense? Because she felt she was really flying. (e) What did the breathless sense feel like? It felt like a sudden shock. (f) Why did she catch herself on the soft bed just in time? Because she felt she was falling. 2 We even found a stand-in for a villain in Sheldon Fein, the sallow mamma’s boy on our block who was left out of the boys’ games because he cried whenever anybody tagged him and always managed to fall down and skin his fat knees. (a) What did we find? We found someone who could be a villain. (b) Who was the stand-in for a villain? Sheldon Fein. (c) What was he like? He was sallow and a mamma’s boy. (d) Where did he come from?

He came from their block. (e) Why was he left out of the boys’ games? Because he always cried and fell over. (f) What happened when he always managed to fall down? He skinned his knees. 2 Rewrite the sentence from the passage Cultural childhoods in a diagram below. He has written how a Yanamamö girl is expected to help her mother from a young age and by the age of ten will be running a house. 3 Complete the sentences with the correct form of suitable expressions from the collocation box. Sometimes more th

an one collocation is possible. 1 The Australian bush fires blazed for several days before they were brought under control. 2 As a child Ruth’s long dark hair tumbled down her back. 3 He comes from a very close-knit / tight-knit family with three brothers and two sisters. 4 I remember my father used to knit his brows / eyebrows together when he was thinking hard about something. 5 It was extremely hot and the sun was blazing. He has written how a Yanomamö girl from a young age and will be running a house is expected to help her mother by the age of ten

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6 Did you knit that jumper / hat yourself? It’s really beautiful! 7 I’m watching the financial markets – I think the prices of stocks will tumble quite soon. 4 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese. 1 My flying dreams were believable as a landscape by Dali, so real that I would awake with a sudden shock, a breathless sense of having tumbled like Icarus from the sky and caught myself on the soft bed just in time. These nightly adventures in space began when Superman started invading my dreams and teaching me how to fly. He used to come roaring by in his shining blue suit with his cape

whistling in the wind, looking remarkably like my Uncle Frank who was living with mother and me. In the magic whirling of his cape I could hear the wings of a hundred seagulls, the motors of a thousand planes. 我的飞行梦像达利的风景画那么真实可信， 以致于自己常常会在一阵惊吓中醒来， 好像伊卡 罗斯那 样从空中摔下来，虽然发现自己刚好掉到软软的床上，但也被吓得喘不过气来。当超人开

始 侵入我 的梦乡， 并教给我飞行的技巧之后， 我每夜的太空冒险便开始了。 超人身着耀眼的蓝色衣服， 肩披 随风飕飕作响的斗篷，经常从我身边呼啸而过。他长得太像我的舅舅弗兰克了，舅舅那会儿 正跟 妈妈和我住在一起。当超人的斗篷神奇地旋转时，我好像能听见上百只海鸥的振翅声，上千 架飞 机的马达轰鸣声。 2 In contrast, children on the Pacific island of Tonga, studied by Helen Morton, are regularly beaten by their parents and older siblings. They are seen as being closer to mad people than adults because they lack the highly prized quality of social competence (or poto as the Tongans call it). They are regularly told off for being clumsy and a child who falls over may be laughed at, shouted at, or beaten. Children are thought of as mischievous; they cry or want to feed simply because they are naughty, and beatings are at their most severe between the ages of three and five when children are seen as particularly wilful. Parents believe that social competence can only be achieved through discipline and physical punishment, and treat their children in ways that have seemed very harsh to outsiders. (☞ 这段话里有多处被动用法，有些译成中文时仍保留被动态，有些则应该变成主动，否则 译文就 不通顺。) 相反，根据海伦·莫顿的研究，太平洋岛国汤加的儿童经常挨父母和哥哥姐姐的打。人们认 为儿童 和成年人相比更像疯子，因为他们缺乏被大家看重的社会能力（汤加人称之为poto）。小孩 子经常 因为笨手笨脚而挨骂，他们连摔跤都会被嘲笑、呵斥，甚至被打。人们认为儿童很顽皮，都 是因为 淘气他们才哭闹，或者要东西吃。在大人看来，三至五岁的儿童尤其任性，因此他们打这个 年龄段 的孩子也打得最狠。父母们相信，只有靠训导和体罚才能使孩子获得社会能力，所以他们用 一种在

外人看来非常严厉的方式对待孩子。 5 Translate the paragraphs into English. 1 在火车站上， 有一位老人给我讲述了他参加解放战争的经历， 那些战斗故事对我有着极

大 的吸引力。 后来他上了车，列车从我身边隆隆地开走了。可那些故事仍然是那么清晰可见，对于英雄们 的壮举， 我钦佩不已。(fascination; roar; marvel at) At the railway station, an old man told me his experience in the Liberation War, the fighting stories of which were of great fascination to me. Then he got up on the train and it roared past me. But the stories were so real and definite that I greatly marvelled at the courageous deeds of those war heroes.

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2 行之有效的环保政策不仅能创造良好的生态环境， 还能大大降低能源消耗。 回顾这个地区 近年来的 发展情况， 我们惊喜地发现地区政府强制实行的环保政策不但没有受到任何批评， 还促使居 民增强 了环保意识，尽其所能节约能源。(consumption; impose; take exception to; prompt) Effective environmental policy might bring about a good environment, as well as reducing energy consumption. Looking back on the recent development of this region, we find, to our pleasant surprise, that little exception has been taken to the environmental policy of the local government, and the policy has also raised the environmental awareness of the local residents and prompted them to save energy as possible as they could.__ Handout and Key to Unit 3& unit 4

Unit 3

Language points

1 For lack of a better terminology, one might name these: (1) the sensu

ous plane, (2) the expressive plane, (3) the sheerly musical plane. (Para 1) The expression for lack of a better terminology is used to introduce rather inexact terms. It means since we don’t have any exact terms, I’m going to use these rather rough terms. The word sensuous suggests physical pleasure which relates to your physical senses rather than to your emotions and thoughts. A plane is a level of thought, development or existence.

The word sheer is used to emphasize the amount or degree of something. The sheerly musical plane refers to the level of the musical material, melodies, rhythms, harmonies etc. The sheer pleasure (Para 2, Line 2) means great or pure pleasure. 2 The only advantage to be gained from mechanically splitting up the listening process into these hypothetical planes is … (Para 1) The word hypothetical means to be based on situations or events that seem possible rather than on actual ones. Here, the planes are not real, they are just part of a model for analysis and discussion. 3 One turns on the radio while doing something else and absent-mindedly bathes in the sound. A kind of brainless but attractive state of mind is engendered by the mere sound appeal of the music. (Para 2) To bathe means to swim or wash yourself in a bath, river or lake. To bathe in the sound means to immerse yourself in the sound, like in water. To engender means to cause a feeling or attitude to exist. The expression engendered by the mere sound appeal means to be created only by the appeal or attraction of the sound. 4 Music allows them to leave it ... dreaming because of and apropos of the music yet never quite listening to it. (Para 3) The expression apropos of means relating to; it is used to introduce something else about the subject you are talking about. The expressi

on is derived from French, and the final -s is silent in pronunciation.

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5 ... but you must not allow it to usurp a disproportionate share of your interest. The sensuous plane is an important one in music ... but it does not constitute the whole story. (Para 4) To usurp means to take a job or position that belongs to someone else without having the right to do this. The sentence you must not allow it to usurp a disproportionate share of your interest means don’t let it take up a wrong amount of your interest. The expression it does not constitute the whole story means there is more to it than this. 6 Here, immediately, we tread on controversial ground. (Para 5) The expression we tread on controversial ground contains a metaphor: These are ideas that some people will probably disagree about or not approve of. 7 Composers have a way of shying away from any discussion of music’s expressive side.

(Para 5) To shy away from something means to avoid someone or be unwilling to do something because you are nervous, afraid or not confident. 8 Is it pessimistically sad or resignedly sad; is it fatefully sad or smilingly sad? (Para 6) The word resignedly means with resignation, accepting that something unpleasant must happen or that you cannot change it. The whole sentence gives nuances – shades of meaning – of different kinds of sadness: sadness which has a feeling of pessimism (things are bad and we can’t change them easily), sadness to which we may feel resigned – we accept it, sadness

that we feel is part of our fate – we can’t avoid it and it is part of our life, and sadness that also has humour, so we smile even though we feel sad. 9 It is very important for all of us to become more alive to music on its sheerly musical plane. (Para 9) To become / be alive to something means to know that something is happening and realize how important it is. 10 After all, an actual musical material is being used ... He must hear the melodies, the rhythms, the harmonies, the tone colors in a more conscious fashion. (Para 9) The musical materials refer to the elements of music, usually discussed under the headings of melody (the tune), rhythm (the effects of time or duration of the beats of music, the pulse), harmony (how the notes of music combine with each other in chords or sequences of notes), tone color (how the precise sound of notes can vary), and form (how the music is organized with all the elements and patterns of repetition and variation). 11 Perhaps an analogy with what happens to us when we visit the theater will make this instinctive correlation clearer. (Para 11) An analogy is a comparison between two situations, processes etc, that is intended to show that the two are similar. That the two things are analogous means the same things are true of or relevant to both of them.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

4 Match the words in the box with their definitions. Teaching tips To go through the answers, T assigns Numbers 1–7 to seven Ss, and ask each student to read one definition. T then assigns Numbers 8–14 to another seven Ss, and ask them to give corresponding answers orally. For example, “You co

uld use the word constitute,” or “That means the same as constitute.” 1 to make up or form something (constitute) 2 happening or done at the same time (simultaneously) 3 able to do something because you have the knowledge, skill, or experience that is needed (qualified) 4 a regular pattern of sounds in music that you can show by moving, hitting your hands together, or hitting a drum or other surface (rhythm) 5 to receive or obtain something from something else (derive) 6 someone who writes music, especially classical music (composer) 7 as much as is needed (sufficiently) 5 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 4. Johann Sebastian Bach is possibly the greatest (1) composer the world has ever known. His WellTempered Clavichord (2) constitutes one of the most complete works for keyboard ever written. It is (3) simultaneously both a series of technical exercises which explore the possibilities of the keyboard, and

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a masterpiece of expressive feeling. Although he was a highly (4) qualified musician (as an organist and a choirmaster), he was not considered to be (5) sufficiently “modern” by the generation which followed him, and he was soon forgotten. But his music was rediscovered in the 19th century, for its perfect sense of (6) rhythm and harmony. Indeed, many of the great composers of the 20th century, such as Stravinsky, (7) derived a lot of their musical ideas from him. 6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in the box. You may need to make other changes. 1 Shh! They’re about to announce the winner of this year’s International Pi

ano Competition. (proclaim) 2 It’s quite easy to make a comparison between poetry and music. (analogy) It’s quite easy to make an analogy between poetry and music.

3 We are amazed by her ability to express herself with great clearness and simplicity. (clarity) 4 How many artists have given up everything for the cause of their art? (for the sake of) 5 Internet emerges as a powerful and effective force in advertising new products. (potent) 6 I enjoyed the performance, but I thought the clothes the actors were wearing were a bit silly. (costumes) 7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 If you split something up, do you (a) divide it into parts, or (b) put the parts together? 2 If you do something absent-mindedly, are you (a) thinking about what you are doing, or (b) thinking about something else? 3 Do you look for consolation (a) after a piece of bad news, or (b) after a piece of good news? 4 If you are treading on controversial ground, are you (a) taking a risk, or (b) making everybody happy? 5 If you shy away from something, do you (a) keep close to it, or (b) keep your distance from it? 6 If you pin something down, are you (a) able to examine it carefully, or (b) unable to examine it carefully?

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7 If you know the melody of a piece of music, are you familiar with (a) the tune, or (b) the meaning of the music? 8 Is an instinctive reaction to something (a) automatic, or (b) one which follows a lot of thought?

Reading and interpreting

8 Work in pairs and choose the best answer to the questions. 1 Which is the writer’s main purpose? (a) To show how complex listening to music is. (b) To get people to listen to music more. (c) To discourage some people from listening to music. (d) To get people to think about how they listen to music. 2 Who does the writer address as you? (a) Musicians. (b) Theatregoers. (c) Composers. (d) Intelligent music lovers. 9 Check (¸) the statements you agree with. √ 1 The analysis the writer makes is a fair and accurate one. Yes, I think this is a reasonable analysis of listening to music. 2 He describes the sensuous listener in negative terms. He does mention some negative aspects of sensuous listening but he says several times that we

listen in all three ways, so I don’t think he is actually negative about this way. √ 3 He thinks all great music is expressive. He doesn’t actually say this, but this seems to be his point of view. 4 He thinks most listeners are not intelligent enough. No, he doesn’t say this. He says most listeners are not conscious enough of the third plane, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t intelligent. √ 5 He is probably a professional musician. I guess this is true because of his knowledge of Stravinsky and Bach, and his insights into the effective way of listening to music. √ 6 He is probably a good teacher. I think so because of his way of explaining the three planes and because of the way he uses the analogy of the theatre, which non-musician might appreciate.

Active reading (2)

Language points

1 We know his work includes paintings of religious and mythological themes, domestic interiors and landscapes. (Para 2) Domestic interiors are the inside of households with the rooms, furniture and decorations. Landscapes are paintings of an area of land, showing the scenery sometimes with people but the focus mostly on nature. 2 While Griet goes about her duties, she attracts the attention not only of a butcher’s boy, Pieter, but also of the painter himself. (Para 6) To go about her duties means to do the work that she is supposed to do. Being on duty means to be working at the moment; being off duty means to be not working at the moment. 3 Despite their different backgrounds and class, he invites her into his studio and engages her in his world. (Para 6) To engage her in his world means to help her to take an interest, understand or take part in what he does. 4 Vermeer recognizes Griet as having visual talent and artistic promise, and takes her on as his studio assistant. (Para 7) The expression she has artistic promise means she shows the sign that she is likely to be successful as an artist in the future.

5 Her role is to grind paints and develop the colours which Vermeer will use for his paintings ... (Para 7) To grind paints means to break something into very small pieces or powder by crushing it between two surfaces or using a machine. In Vermeer’s time, artists made their own paints by grinding up different colours and mixing the powder with water or other substances. This task was often done by an apprentice or assistant. 6 Catharina has long been forbidden to enter the studio, so the apprenticeship takes place in secr

et. (Para 7) The apprenticeship refers to employment as an apprentice to work for someone, or a company, usually for low pay, in order to learn the type of work they do. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was normal for people to learn how to be an artist by serving as an apprenticeship. 7 The film shows very effectively the tension ... for the portrait commissioned by his patron. (Para 12) To commission means to ask someone officially to do some work for you. Commissioning a work of art means asking the artist to produce a particular work of art in exchange for paymentDealing

with unfamiliar words

5 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 someone who looks at a picture, photograph, or piece of art (viewer) 2 a painting, drawing or photograph of someone, especially of their face only (portrait) 3 relating to people’s homes and family life (domestic) 4 the inside part of something, especially a building or vehicle (interior) 5 as a result (consequently) 6 to start to employ someone or use their services (engage) 7 to officially ask for a piece of work to be done for you (commission) 6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 5. In the beginning it was only the rich and famous who had their (1) portraits painted. But from the Renaissance onwards things changed. Firstly, the growing importance of the middle classes led many ordinary people to (2) commission paintings, often of members of their family. Secondly, artists became interested in showing scenes of (3) domestic life, set in the (4) interiors of ordinary houses, and (5) consequently they began to (6) engage ordinary people, such as servant girls,

as models.

Part of the mystery for (7) viewers today concerns the identity of these models, in masterpieces such as Leonardo’s Mona Lisa and Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. Additional activity 7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in the box. 1 He changed his religion from Protestantism and became a Catholic. (converted) 2 One of the assistant’s jobs was to break into a powder the paints. (grind) 3 The newspaper started to change the fact so that it was no longer true ever since it existed, and the local government was definitely one of the victims. (distort) 4 You don’t have to make a hole in your ears to be able to wear these earrings. (pierce) 5 The lives of artists have often been linked to shocking events and situations. (scandals) 6 One of the most striking aspects of the painting is the turban she is wearing on her head. (features) 7 I’ll finish the painting this evening, so from now until then you can have a break. (in the meantime) 8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 Are exotic clothes likely to be (a) ordinary, or (b) unusual? 2 Is a sitter someone who (a) is being painted, or (b) spends a lot of time sitting down? 3 Is a conventional sense of beauty one which is (a) shared and understood by most people, or (b) different from what is shared and understood by most people? 4 Is an enigmatic expression one which is full of (a) good humour, or (b) mystery? 5 If you have a volatile personality, do you get angry (a) quickly, or (b) only when you can’t tolerate? 6 If you are wary of something, are you (a) excited about it, or (b) careful and nervous about it? 7 If you show something explicitly, do you (a) make its meaning very clear so there is no doubt abo

ut it, or (b) leave its meaning unclear? 8 If a woman tries to keep her modesty, does she (a) cover her hair and body to avoid any sexual feeling in men, or (b) talk and act with good grace? 9 Is jealousy the feeling you get when you think someone you love (a) is attracted to somebody else, or (b) doesn’t love you any more?

Language in use

word formation: compound nouns

1 Form compound nouns to indicate: 1 a writer of songs (songwriter) 2 a director of films (film director)

3 a scarf you wear around your head (headscarf) 4 a pack you carry on your back (backpack) 5 a stick you use to make your lips red (lipstick) 6 a lace you use to tie up your shoe (shoelace) 7 polish that you put on your nails (nail polish)

might have been / done

2 Rewrite the sentences using might have been / done . 1 It’s possible that the artist and the model became lovers. The artist and the model might have been lovers. 2 It’s possible that Catharina was never jealous of the model. Catharina might never have been jealous of the model. 3 It’s possible that the model became Vermeer’s assistant. The model might have become

Vermeer’s assistant. 4 It’s possible that Vermeer painted other masterpieces which have since been lost. Vermeer might have painted other masterpieces which have since been lost. 5 It’s possible that Vermeer died in poverty. Vermeer might have died in poverty.

may be due to the fact that …

3 Complete the sentences with your own ideas using may be due to the fact that … 1 The young pianist’s musical genius may be due to the fact that his mother played the piano a lot while she was pregnant, so he has always heard music from day one. 2 The late arrival of the train may be due to the fact that there were severe storms last night. 3 The misunderstanding may be due to the fact that she speaks very little Chinese and I don’t speak much Spanish.

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4 The book’s enormous popularity may be due to the fact that it has been aggressively marketed on TV and it was discussed in several prime time TV shows. 5 His dislike of music may be due to the fact that he was exposed to loud rock music for many hours a day when he was quite small.

insist that …

4 Rewrite the sentences using insist that … 1 I met an old friend who re

fused to let me go before I had a drink with him. I met an old friend, who insisted that I have a drink with him before he let me go. 2 The customs people refused to let me through unless I signed a document they gave me. The customs people insisted that I sign a document they gave me before they let me through. 3 We refused to let him start the concert before having an hour’s rest.

We insisted that he have an hour’s rest before he started the concert. 4 They refused to publish the book until he changed some of the things he had written. They insisted that he change some of the things he’d written before they published the book. 5 She refused to let me see the painting until I apologized for what I had done. She insisted that I apologize for what I had done before she let me see the painting.

collocations

5 Read the explanations of the words. Answer the questions. 1 appeal This word means the quality that something has that makes people like it or want it. (a) If a radio station wants to widen its appeal, what does it need to do? It needs to appeal to a wider audience by having more popular programmes. (b) Are games and sports that have a popular appeal liked by many people or a few people? They are liked by many people. (c) When an organization makes an appeal for money, what does it do? It asks people to give money, probably for a charity. (d) How would the police launch an appeal to the public for information? They would have a special event like a TV broa

dcast in which they ask the public to come forward with any relevant information. 2 qualified This word can mean thoroughly trained for a particular job. (a) If you are a highly qualified doctor, what do you have? You have lots of medical qualifications. (b) If a job advertisement asks for fully qualified engineers, what does it expect? It expects people with degrees in engineering and work experiences to apply. (c) If someone is well qualified to give an opinion, who are they? They are expert on the topic for which they are asked to give an opinion.

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3 engage This word can mean to start to employ someone or use their services. (a) If you get engaged to someone, what are you planning to do? You are planning to get married with the person. (b) If government forces have engaged with rebels, what is happening? The government forces are fighting the rebels. (c) If you engage someone in conversation, what do you do? You talk to them and try to interest them in a conversation. 4 convert This word can mean to change from one system, use, or method to another. (a) Where can you convert pounds into dollars? You can exchange the money in banks, at the airport, according to the current exchange rate. You should be sure to check the exchange rate because it can change from day to day. (b) What useful piece of furniture do some sofas convert into? They convert into beds so that people can use them for overnight guests. (c) What would a farmer have to do to convert to organic food production methods? They would have to stop using artificial methods of food production and start to us

e more

natural ones. 5 grind When you grind something, you break it into small pieces or powder, by using a machine or by crushing it between two hard surfaces. (a) What happens to coffee, spices or pepper when you grind it? The beans or seeds become powder. (b) Did you know that 20 per cent of people grind their teeth at night? No, the number of the proportion sounds horrible. (c) If the traffic grinds to a halt, does it stop suddenly or slowly? It stops slowly and will probably become a traffic jam unless it gets moving again quickly. 6 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese. 1 Listen, if you can, to the 48 fugue themes of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavichord. Listen to each theme, one after another. You will soon realize that each theme mirrors a different world of feeling. You will also soon realize that the more beautiful a theme seems to you the harder it is to find any word that will describe it to your complete satisfaction. Yes, you will certainly know whether it is a gay theme or a sad one. You will be able, in other words, in your own mind, to draw a frame of emotional feeling around your theme. Now study the sad one a little closer. Try to pin down the exact quality of its sadness. Is it pessimistically sad or resignedly sad; is it fatefully sad or smilingly sad? 可能的话，你不妨听听巴赫的《平均律钢琴曲集》中的48个赋格主题。依次地、一个个地听 听其中 的每一个主题， 你很快就会意识到每个主题都反映了一个不同的情感世界， 你很快也会意识 到你越 觉得某个主题美妙，就越难找到令你完全满意的字眼来描述它。是的，你当然知道那个主题 是欢快 的还是悲伤的。换句话说，你能够在脑海中勾勒出那个主题的情感框架。那么就更仔细地听 一下这 个悲伤的主题吧，要明确悲伤的性质。是悲观厌世的悲伤，还是无可奈何的悲伤？是时运不 济的悲 伤，还是强颜欢笑的悲伤？

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2 We know less about the Girl with the Pearl Earring than any of Vermeer’s works. Indeed, the unexplainable lack of background information may even contribute to the worldwide popularity the painting enjoys. With so much mystery, the painting has been the theme of first, a novel and later, a film, both

of which attempt to answer some of the questions about the painting, as well as one, which is immediately more appropriate to the medium of the novel or the film: Are her wide eyes and enigmatic half-smile innocent or seductive? 我们对《戴珍珠耳环的少女》的了解比对维梅尔的其他作品都少。实际上，这种无法解释的 背景资 料的缺失甚至会使得该画更受欢迎。 正因为如此神秘，这幅画先是成了一部小说的主题，而后又被一部电影所采纳。它们都试图 揭开有 关这幅画的一些谜题，其中一个是：女孩那双睁得大大的眼睛，以及那一丝神秘的微笑，到 底是天 真还是诱惑？像小说或电影这类媒介更适合作出回答。 7 Translate the paragraphs into English. 1 随着婚礼的临近，苏珊变得非常焦虑。她说不清楚是什么让自己如此烦恼。在同好友凯特 长谈了一 次后，她才意识到，尽管自己已经28岁了，但在情感方面还不够成熟，还没有为婚姻做好准 备，也 不知道这桩婚姻是否会给自己带来美满的家庭生活。(pin down; guarantee) As the wedding ceremony was approaching, Susan had become quite anxious. She could not pin down what exactly was troubling her. After a long talk with her close friend Kate, she realized that, although she was 28 years old, she was not emotionally mature enough to be ready for marriage and she was not sure whether the marriage would guarantee her a happy family life. 这不仅仅因为他们对自己的英语口语 2 她知道中国学生总是不愿意表达自己

的情感和想法， 不够自 信，还因为他们相信稳重是一种美德。因此她特意设计了一些简单的话题，鼓励学生参与讨 论，让 他们增强自信心，拉近彼此间的距离。(shy away; engage sb in) She knew that Chinese students had a way of shying away from revealing their feelings or opinions, due not merely to their lack of confidence in spoken English, but to their belief in the virtue of modesty. So she specially conceived a couple of simple topics and encouraged them in the discussion, in order that they might become more confident and closer with each other.

Unit 4

Reading 1

Language points

1 Work in corporate America (Title) Corporate America is a general term given to a large non-government-owned organization or company in the United States, eg a bank, a marketing research company etc. It has both positive and negative connotations. Positively, it means that a company or an organization produces wealth and improves people’s living standards in a free market and competitive society by people working together to achieve the goals. This mainly refers to financial gains and success. Negatively, it seems to indicate the promotion of self-interest, financial gains, greed and irresponsibility in the workplace. 2 It is not surprising that modern children tend to look blank and dispirited when ... (Para 1) To look blank means that modern child

ren show no sign of understanding or emotion about the corporate workplace, they seem unresponsive and have blank looks. Someone who is dispirited does not have the hope, enthusiasm or interest that they had earlier; they are in low spirits or downhearted. 3 The parent could take his offspring to his place of business and let him watch while he repaired a buggy or built a table. (Para 2) A buggy is a vehicle used for babies and toddlers by carers (parents, grandparents and adults in caring professions), to push them around. It is also called a pushchair. In the US, it is called a stroller. 4 When a child asked … his father could answer in terms that a child could come to grips with, such as “I fix steam engines” or “I make horse collars”. (Para 3) The expression come to grips with normally means to face up to a problem, situation or difficult job and deal with it. Here, it means that someone gets to understand something that is difficult or unpleasant. It has the similar meaning as to come to terms with, tackle, handle, manage etc. Horse collars are made of leather and fit around animals’ necks to allow them to pull heavy things. When horses are used to pull carts or carriages they wear horse collars. Here, in corporate America,

this is a deliberate image of something very old-fashioned, just like steam engines. 5 How can he possibly envision anyone analyzing a system or researching a market? (Para 5) The word envision is a verb which means to show a visual scene in your mind, to imagine something that is outside your experience, which has not happened or does not exist. 6 Even grown men … and it is a safe bet that the average systems analyst is as baffled about what a space salesman does at the shop as the average space salesman is abou

t the tools needed to analyze a system. (Para 6) The expression it is a safe bet means that the speaker or writer is sure about something (they would be willing to risk money to confirm it).

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A space salesman deals with the arrangements for the use of space in offices and other places: How many rooms might be needed for what purposes, what sorts of work people do in particular offices and how the office furniture and equipment can best be arranged for the maximum effectiveness, how much it costs to rent or use office accommodation in different parts of a city ... But probably, a space salesman mainly deals with people who want to rent office space. In this sentence the writer is saying he is quite sure that neither the systems analyst nor the space salesman knows about each other’s work and what they actually do. 7 The machines that make things make them in such a fashion that they will quickly fall apart in such a way that repairs will be prohibitively expensive. (Para 7) The expression in such a fashion means in a particular way or manner. The cost is prohibitively expensive when it prevents you from buying something, as it is beyond the limits of what you can afford. Or, we may say the cost is prohibitive. The sentence means that the machines make things in such a way that they will break or fall into pieces so that they can’t be cheaply repaired. It is implied that the things are made to be short-lasting so that the manufacturers can sell more later. 8 The handful of people remotely associated with these machines can, of course, tell their inquisitive children “Daddy makes junk”. (Para 8)

Inquisitive children are those who like to ask lots of questions, especially things that adults do not want to talk about. 9 Most of the workforce, however, is too remote from junk production to sense any contribution to the industry. (Para8) The sentence means most workers are distant from the process of junk production so they do not feel that their work has any part in it. 10 Others telephone to ascertain the whereabouts of paper. (Para 12) The expression ascertain the whereabouts of something means to find out where something is. 11 Back at the office, the father orders the paper retyped and reproduced in quintuplicate, and then sent to another man for comparison with paper that was reproduced in triplicate last year. (Para 16) The word quintuplicate means that something is made into five copies. To quadruplicate means to make into four copies; triplicate three copies; and duplicate two copies.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

4 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 old, broken or useless things (junk) 2 relating to large companies, or a particular large company (corporate) 3 to not approve of someone or something (disapprove) 4 to form a picture of someone or something in your mind (visualize) 5 an agreement in which you risk an amount of money by saying what you think will happen (bet) 6 to find out something (ascertain) 7 the space at the left or right side of a page where words are not usually printed or written (margin) 8 to discuss something with other people in order to reach a decision (confer) 9 important, respected, and admired (eminent) 10 to twist your face into a

n expression that shows you are angry (scowl) 5 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in Activity 4. 1 It’s not easy to visualize what life was like in the age of the steam engine. 2 If you disapprove of these plans, you should let me know exactly what you find wrong with them. 3 Thomas’ room is full of junk like broken electrical equipment and old computer parts he doesn’t need. 4 My bet is that this type of job won’t give you much satisfaction. 5 We’re going to need some time to confer with our lawyers before we make a decision. 6 The margins of the pages in this document have all been written on. 7 We can’t accept your application, without ascertaining the authenticity of your

qualifications. 8 It was a corporate decision to close the bank, not the choice of any individual. 9 She’s a very nice person, and a very eminent professor. 10 Why is he scowling at me? What have I done? 6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the following words. You may need to make other changes. 1 A curious child is often eager to inquire about the jobs their parents do. (inquisitive) An inquisitive child is often eager to inquire about the jobs their parents do. 2 Most people think the decision they took is impossible to understand. (incomprehensible) 3 Could you write down any ideas you have during the meeting on this piece of paper? (jot) 4 You are very careful about noticing details if you can remember exactly what the manager was wearing. (observant) 5 I’m afraid we don’t know the place where Helen is right now. (whereabouts) I’m afraid we don’t know the whereabouts of Helen.

Changing times Unit 4 119

6 Don’t be unhappy and lacking in enthusiasm. I’m sure one of the applications will be successful. (dispirited) 7 I’d like to buy an open top car, but they’re all so terribly expensive. (prohibitively) 7 Answer the questions about the expressions. 1 If you look blank about something, do you (a) understand, or (b) not understand it? 2 If you come to grips with a problem, do you (a) start to deal with it, or (b) stop thinking about it? 3 When something falls apart, is it (a) in the wrong place, or (b) broken? 4 When something wears out, does it (a) not look very nice, or (b) become old and unusable? 5 If you mull over a problem, do you (a) think carefully about it for a long time, or (b) quickly solve it? 6 Do people sometimes say “It beats me” because they (a) understand, or (b) don’t understand something?

Active reading (2)

Language points

1 There’s nothing new about our obsession with the new, says Dominic Sandbrook. (Introduction) Obsession is an emotional state in which someone or something is so important that you are always thinking about them, in a way that seems extreme to other people. 2 We live in a world of unprecedented, dazzling change. (Para 1) The word unprecedented means never having happened or existed before, eg an

unprecedented situation, an unprecedented change. 3 Thanks to globalization, national frontiers are collapsing around us, while technological innovations are fundamentally reshaping our lives in ways we can barely comprehend. (Para 1) Because of the situation of globalization – that the whole world is developing a single complex economy, communication system and culture – it seems that there are no national borders and new technologies are influencing our lives in basic ways which we cannot really understand. 4 So run the clichés, anyway. (Para 2) A cliché refers to a phrase or idea that is boring because people use it a lot, and it is no longer original and sounds empty. The expression so run the clichés means these are the clichés you often hear. 5 But it is only our obsession with novelty, ignorance of deeper historical patterns and arrogant insistence on our own importance that leads us into this kind of talk. (Para 2) Historical patterns refer to major events in history which make patterns because they are related to each other or similar.

Changing times Unit 4 125

6 Yet there is a good case that we do not, in fact, live in very interesting times at all. (Para 2) A case here is a set of facts or arguments that you can state for or against something. A case for something is positive support or a good case; a case against something is a counter-argument or reasons why the case is not valid; a poor case is weak and does not have solid facts or reasons behind it. You can state, make or argue a case. 7 Take the example of globalization, which, according to its American champion, Thomas Friedman ... influencing “the politics, environment, geopolitics and economics of

virtually every country in the world”. (Para 3) The word champion here refers to someone who publicly supports or defends a set of beliefs or political aims, ie a strong supporter. Geopolitics means the study of how a country’s position, economy or population can influence its politics, especially in relation to other countries. 8 The Roman Empire, for example, is nothing if not a multi-ethnic, multicultural, transnational

entity … (Para 4) The word transnational means affecting or involving several countries. The prefix transmeans across. 9 And for all the hype about the Internet, the brutal truth is that most of us use it to do remarkably old-fashioned things ... (Para 6) Hype refers to the use of a lot of advertisements or other publicity to influence or interest people. To hype up means to make something sound more interesting or impressive than it is. The brutal truth refers to the truth that is extremely honest, given in a way that seems unkind. 10 We are always being told that the Internet has “opened up” the world, yet a staggering 90 per cent of all web traffic is local. (Para 6) The word staggering means extremely surprising. Many people would think that much or most use, or traffic, of the World Wide Web would be global or international, but the writer says that, surprisingly, 90 per cent is local. 11 When Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey … talking to sentient computers and living on the Moon. (Para 7) Sentient computers are computers which are capable of feeling things through the physical senses. 12 But the cinema-goers of 1968 would have been deeply disappointed to realize that in fact they would be living in Milton Keynes and watching Midsomer Murders. (Para 7) This sentence presents a contrast with the previous sentence which gave a

picture that people had in 1968 of possibly going into space. Instead, their future turned out to be living in a very ordinary town of many new streets which all seem identical (like Milton Keynes) and watching detective stories about rural villages on TV (like Midsomer Murders, a TV series based in rural southern England). 13 Even our neophilia is nothing new. (Para 8) The prefix neo- means modern or new. The suffix -phile describes someone who loves or likes something; thus an anglophile likes English things, a francophile likes French things, a sinophile likes Chinese things. The word neophilia means the love of new things or novelties. 14 If so, then we are lucky, because we don’t. (Para 10) We are lucky because we don’t live in interesting times, which means we should avoid the chaos and anxiety of interesting times.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

5 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 an emotional state in which someone or something is so important to you that you are always thinking about them (obsession) 2 the study of the way that goods and services are produced and sold and the way money is managed (economics) 3 to proudly tell other people about what you have done or can do, or about something you own (boast) 4 a car (automobile) 5 an area or town near a large city but away from its centre, where there are many houses, especially for middle-class people (suburb) 6 a new idea, method, piece of equipment etc (innovation) 7 something that you suggest is true, although you do not say it directly (implication) 8 the limits of your experience (horizons) 6 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in Activity 5. 1 The

middle-class dream used to be to live in a peaceful suburb and own a new automobile. 2 Today we have an obsession with healthy lifestyles and the latest technological innovations. 3 He has good reason to boast about the progress he has made in his career. 4 The implication is obvious: We are beginning to understand the impact of globalization. 5 Most of us need a professor of economics to explain how our horizons have been pushed back by the opening up of new world markets. 7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. You may need to make other changes. Teaching tips Ss need to realize that some adjectives, eg unprecedented and plausible, that you are going to insert should go before the nouns. 1 The water has risen to levels which we have never seen before. (unprecedented) The water has risen to unprecedented levels. 2 Can you give me any reason which I can believe to explain what has happened? (plausible) Can you give me any plausible reason to explain what has happened? 3 I think that the decision was based on the fact that he doesn’t know anything. (ignorance) I think that the decision was based on his ignorance. 4 The news you’ve just given me is absolutely incredible. (staggering) 5 I hope this crisis will be followed by a period in which there is no change. (stability) 6 Are computers the best thing that ever happened to us, or a piece of bad luck caused by someone who wants to hurt us? (curse) 8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. Teaching tips

To go over the answers, T gives ten Ss a number, each between one and ten. T calls “One”, then S1 reads Question 1 to the class. He / She should choose the correct answer and make it a complete sentence. T calls “Two”

and S2 reads Question 2 etc. T doesn’t need to say anything unless a student gives a wrong answer. In that case, T should ask other Ss to help them.

Changing times Unit 4 129

1 If a change is dazzling, is it (a) very impressive, or (b) not impressive at all? 2 If you use clichés in your writing, does your writing (a) contain some boring words or ideas that people have used a lot, or (b) contain lots of fresh thoughts? 3 If someone is arrogant, do they think that they (a) never, or (b) always know better than everyone else? 4 Is an entity something that (a) has, or (b) doesn’t have internal unity? 5 If you behave in a brutal way, are you (a) very gentle, or (b) very violent? 6 Do people who always grumble never seem (a) happy, or (b) unhappy about anything? 7 If you brag about something, do you talk (a) in a proud way that annoys people, or (b) patiently because it is hard to understand? 8 Is the advent of something another way of talking about (a) the appearance, or (b) the disappearance of something? 9 If you refer to the magnitude of a problem, do you think that it might be (a) big, or (b) small? 10 If something happens in the wake of something else, does it (a) come before it, or (b) follow it?

Language in use

in such a way / fashion that …

1 Rewrite the sentences using in such a way / fashion that … 1 Because

of the way this office is built, it is difficult to avoid wasting energy on heating. This office is built in such a way that it is difficult to avoid wasting energy on heating. 2 Due to the way in which the instructions were written, I couldn’t understand how to assemble the product. The instructions were written in such a fashion that I couldn’t understand how to assemble the product. 3 Because of the way in which they welcomed me, I immediately felt at home in the new office. They welcomed me in such a way that I immediately felt at home in the new office.

4 Due to the way in which problems are dealt with, it is unlikely that the top managers ever get to know about them. The problems are dealt with in such a fashion that it is unlikely that the top managers ever get to know about them. 5 Because of the way in which I was taught English, I will probably never forget it. I was taught English in such a way that I will probably never forget it.

word formation: in-, un-, dis2 Look at the sentences from the passage Work in corporate America and answer the question. What do the prefixes in-, un- and dis- have in common? They are all negative prefixes meaning not. 3 Replace the underlined words with the word in brackets and the appropriate prefix. You may need to make other changes. 1 I’m afraid Matthew has turned out to be no good at his job. (competent) I’m afraid Matthew has turned out to be incompetent at his job. 2 I don’t have the same opinion as you. I think he’s doing fine. (agree) I disagree with you. I think he’s doing fine. 3 If you click here, you can cancel the last change you made to the do

cument. (do) If you click here, you can undo the last change you made to the document. 4 How many people are without a job in this town? (employed) How many people are unemployed in this town? 5 I didn’t know that you had introduced all these new rules. (aware) I was unaware that you had introduced all these new rules. 6 Obviously, it wasn’t our intention not to obey the orders. (obey) Obviously, it wasn’t our intention to disobey the orders.

Unit 4 Changing times 134

7 I’ve had a look at the report and I think it is not complete. (complete) I’ve had a look at the report and I think it is incomplete. 8 I don’t know my colleagues very well, but I don’t have any bad feelings towards them. (like) I don’t know my colleagues very well, but I don’t dislike them. 9 I’m afraid that software is not compatible with our system. (compatible) I’m afraid that software is incompatible with our system.

for all + noun phrase

4 Rewrite the sentences using for all + noun phrase. 1 Although we are concerned about the environment, there is little that we can do to protect it. For all our concern about the environment, there is little that we can do to protect it. 2 He has a lot of knowledge about the world of finance, but he doesn’t seem to know how to

invest money wisely. For all his knowledge about the world of finance, h

e doesn’t seem to know how to invest money wisely. 3 Although she said a lot of kind words, I don’t think she really appreciated just how much time we had spent on this project. For all her kind words, I don’t think she really appreciated just how much time we had spent on this project. 4 He has hundreds of bright ideas about developing new products, but he never seems able to put them down on paper. For all his bright ideas about developing new products, he never seems able to put them down on paper. 5 I do have a lot of doubts about this new software, but I recognize that it is quite innovative. For all my doubts about this new software, I recognize that it is quite innovative.

as + adj. … as

5 Rewrite the sentences using as + adj. … as. 1 I am confused about how to apply for the job. Similarly, they are confused about who can apply. I am as confused about how to apply for the job as they are about who can apply. 2 My wife and I were worried about staying longer than we were supposed to. Similarly, our hosts were worried that we might not have enjoyed the meal. My wife and I were as worried about staying longer as our hosts were that we might not have enjoyed the meal. 3 Our generation knows little about cassette recorders and record players. Similarly our parents know little about iPods and MP3 players. Our generation knows as little about cassette recorders and record players as our parents know about iPods and MP3 players. 4 We are curious about what he does for a living. Similarly, he is curious about what our company does. We are as curious about what he does fo

r a living as he is about what our company does.

Changing times Unit 4 135

5 I have very little idea about how to shoe a horse. Similarly, he doesn’t have much idea about how to repair a motorbike. I have as little idea about how to shoe a horse as he has about how to repair a motorbike.

collocations

6 Read the explanations of the words. Answer the questions. 1 margin This word usually means the space at the side of a page where you don’t write anything. (a) Do you have a habit of jotting notes in the margin when reading books? Yes, I do. But other people just take notes on a separate piece of paper because they don’t want to spoil the book. (b) If you win an election by a narrow margin, how big is the victory? The victory is not big; it is just a narrow or close victory. (c) What sort of problems are faced by people who live on the margins of society? They may face social and economic problems because they have fewer opportunities and may find it difficult to join the mainstream society. (d) If the margin of error in a calculation is very small, what are the chances that the calculation is wrong? The chances are small and any errors are likely to be very small. 2 ignorance This word usually means lack of knowledge or facts about something. (a) If an answer that you give betrays your ignorance, how do you feel? You feel embarrassed because your answer has shown people your ignorance and most people do not li

ke to show this in public. (b) Do you think that ignorance of the law can ever be an excuse for breaking it? It’s a human excuse because it means that you didn’t know the law on that point, but it is not a legal excuse. (c) Do you know of any decisions that have been taken but which were based on ignorance? Yes. In the early days of the stock market in China, some people bought shares in the belief that all shares would make money quickly, but later they lost money when the shares lost value. They bought the shares in ignorance about how the market works and they had little idea of the risks. 3 sheer This word is usually used for emphasizing the amount or degree of something. (a) If somebody tells you that your company is sheer delight, how would you feel? I would feel complimented because that’s a nice thing to say to anyone. (b) If you were overcome by sheer weight of numbers, was it the quality or quantity of the opposition that defeated you? It would have been the quantity of the opposition, eg the large number of opponents. (c) Do you think it is easy to climb a sheer cliff face? Not at all, because that kind of cliff is nearly vertical and it is very difficult to climb without training.

Unit 4 Changing times 136

7 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese. 1 Even grown men who do market research have trouble visualizing what a public relations man does with his day, and it is a safe bet that the average systems analyst is as baffled about what a space salesman does at the shop as the average space salesman is about the tools needed to analyze a system. 即使是那些从事市场研究工作的成年人也难很想象公关部的人每天都在做些什么。 一名普通 的系统 分析师肯定不知道空

间推销员在店里都干些什么， 就好像空间推销员对分析系统的工具也一 窍不通 一样。 2 So run the clichés, anyway. But it is only our obsession with novelty, ignorance of deeper historical patterns and arrogant insistence on our own importance that leads us into this kind of talk. Hoping to prove our superiority over the generations that preceded us, we boast that we live in a period of unprecedented change. Yet there is a good case that we do not, in fact, live in very interesting times at all. 不管怎么说，这就是那耳熟能详的套话。可是，让我们有这种论调的正是缘自我们对新奇事 物的过 度迷恋， 对深层次历史模式的无知， 以及我们的狂妄自大。 为了证明相比于先辈们的优越性， 我们 夸耀说自己生活在一个前所未有的变革期。但是，有一个很好的例子可以用来证明，实际上 我们并 没有生活在多么有趣的时代。 8 Translate the paragraphs into English. 1 我们根本就看不懂他们的计划书， 因为他们的观点不太容易把握。 这很可能是因为我们双 方对于 另一方的思维方式都感到同样的困惑。我认为应该安排一次面谈，让大家消除误会，扫除沟 通的 障碍。(make of; come to grips with; it’s a safe bet that; as baffled … as) We couldn’t make of their proposal at all, because it was no easy job for us to come to grips with their perspective. It was a safe bet that we were as much baffled about their way of thinking as they were about ours. I think we need to arrange a meeting to clear up misunderstandings and to remove communication barriers. 2 从与他共事二十多年的一位同事所写的传记中不难得出这样的结论： 他所代表的绝对是该 国二战之 后的精英阶层，他们在宗教和政治方面的观念较为保守。(nothing if not; in the wake of; in

terms of) From a biography written by one of his former colleagues who had worked with him for more than two decades, it is not difficult to conclude that what he represented was nothing if not the elite class of the count

ry in the wake of World War II, who were rather conservative in terms of religious and political views.

Unit5

Active reading (1)

Language points

1 It was snowing heavily … not just to track down the last-minute presents, but to escape the bitter cold … (Para 1) To track down means to find something or someone after a long search. At Christmas many people give a lot of thought to find the right gift and buy presents well in advance, others wait and buy something at the last opportunity on Dec 24th to buy the last-minute presents.

A place in society Unit 5 157

2 He was not yet enjoying the Christmas spirit ... albeit a working dinner at Joanne’s. (Para 2) The word albeit is used for introducing a comment that slightly changes or reduces the effect of a previous remark, like even if it is / although … 3 He was from a hard-working family in upstate Virginia … (Para 2) The word upstate means the place is in the northern part of a particular state in the US. 4 But his demeanor concealed a Harvard law degree and an internship in DC with a congressman, a junior partnership in a New Y

ork law firm, along with a razor-sharp intellect and an ability to think on his feet. (Para 2) Partnership refers to the position of being one of two or more people who own a company as partners. A junior partner is a newer or younger partner who has less responsibility or fewer shares than a senior partner. A razor-sharp intellect is a very intelligent mind, which is quick to think and react; it is as sharp as a razor.

The ability to think on one’s feet means being able to think quickly in unexpected situations. 5 Senator Rogers was a Democrat … who knew Capitol Hill inside out but who had nevertheless managed to keep her credibility with her voters as a Washington outsider. (Para 3) To know something inside out means to know something very well. A Washington outsider refers to someone who is outside the central groups or members of political circles in Washington and is therefore possibly independent. Senator Rogers was in her third term of office (ie she had been a senator for at least eight years) and she knew the Senate and the government institutions in Washington thoroughly. Still, she had kept an image with voters that she was an outsider (ie she had not been affected negatively by knowing Washington too well or by becoming too much like other politicians). 6 She was pro-abortion, anti-corruption, pro-low carbon emissions and anti-capital punishment, as fine a progressive liberal as you could find this side of the Atlantic. (Para 3) The prefix pro- means in favour of something or someone. The prefix anti- means against. Pro-abortion, anti-corruption, pro-low carbon emissions and anti-capital punishment, all of these examples have been seen as important political issues in the US, which are debated in political campaigns and therefore politician

s are generally expected to take a position on them. For example, Senator Rogers was in favour of reducing carbon emissions – the output of CO2 into the atmosphere, because she was aware of the negative effect of high emissions on climate change. A progressive liberal is someone who believes in social or political change if most people want it, especially change that makes a system fairer. The expression this side of the Atlantic refers to North America. The other side of the Atlantic would be in Europe, and vice versa for speakers in Europe. 7 It was election time in the following year, and the word was she was going to run for the Democratic nomination. (Para 3) The expression the word was means there was some talk that …, or people were saying that …

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The Democratic nomination here refers to the official approval of a candidate for the president by

the Democratic party. The nomination takes place officially during the Democratic convention before a presidential election campaign. Up to that point, there are candidates who run or compete for the nomination, later the Presidential candidates run for President. There are parallel processes in the Republican party. 8 He’d never been to Joanne’s … which had often been maligned, or its jazz orchestra, which had a guest slot for a well-known movie director who played trumpet, but because of the stellar quality of its sophisticated guests: politicians, diplomats, movie actors, hall-of-fame athletes, journali

sts, writers, rock stars and Nobel Prize winners – in short, anyone who was anyone in this city of power brokers. (Para 4) To malign means to say unpleasant things about something or someone, usually unfairly. A guest slot refers to a guest appearance as a particular occasion in a series of performances or programmes. The expression anyone who is anyone means any really important person or someone with a well-known name. Power brokers are the people who control or influence which people get political power in an area. The sentence means he knew the reputation of the restaurant for its famous guests; its reputation was not for its food or live music (which included a jazz orchestra in which a famous film director sometimes played). The guests included politicians, diplomats, actors, journalists, writers, musicians and scientists – anyone who is well-known in Washington, a city in which many people are powerful or influential in the government. 9 Inside, the restaurant was heaving with people. (Para 5) The expression heaving with people means crowds of people are pushing and pulling, moving up and down. 10 “Good evening Miss Bacall, good evening Mr Hanks,” and clicked his fingers to summon another waiter to show them to their table. (Para 8) Miss Bacall and Mr Hanks may be oblique references to film stars Lauren Bacall and Tom Hanks. To click one’s fingers means to make a noise with one’s fingers as a signal to summon or call

someone. 11 The head waiter blinked, and swallowed hard. (Para 22) To blink means to close and open one’s eyes quickly. Here, this shows surprise. To swallow hard means to make a movement in the throat as if swallowing food. Here this shows embarrassment – Alberto realized he has made a mis

take. 12 In a classless society, Rogers was the closest thing to aristocracy that America had. (Para 23) America has a reputation for being classless, ie it doesn’t have such social classes as European countries are supposed to have. This means that there are no people like aristocrats, but Senator Rogers was so distinguished that she seemed like an aristocrat, or very nearly an aristocrat. 13 Alberto hovered for a moment, then went to speak to a colleague. (Para 23) To hover means to wait or stay for a moment while somebody decides what to do. This shows that he or she is unsure for the moment.

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Reading and understanding

2 Answer the questions. 1 Where and when is the story set? The story is set in Joanne’s, a famous restaurant in New York on Christmas Eve. 2 Who is Josh? Josh is a smart, hard-working lawyer in his early thirties. He is an African-American. 3 Why does he go to Joanne’s? He has an appointment at Joanne’s. 4 Who is Jo Rogers? Jo Rogers is a senior Senator in Washington and a well-known person in America. 5 How does the head waiter greet Josh? He greets Josh very badly. He has a disdainful, superior attitude towards Josh and behaves rudely. 6 Where does he eventually seat him? At the back of the restaurant, close to the bathroom, near a half-opened window through which an icy breeze is blowing. 7 What does everyone do when Jo arrives? Everybody becomes silent and turns to look at her and greets her with silent applause. 8 What suggestion does the head waiter make? He suggests th

at they should sit at a better table in the middle of the restaurant, from which she can see everybody, or everybody can see her. 9 Does Jo accept the invitation?

No, she says the waiter brought her friend to that table, so they will stay there. 3 Choose the best summary of the passage. Teaching tips Ask Ss to give reasons why the other two summaries are not the best ones. Please see comments below. 1 It’s Christmas time, and a young man comes into a very busy restaurant. The head waiter shows him to a table by an open window. A little later a well-known politician comes in and says she is dining with the young man. The head waiter suggests moving them both to a more comfortable table, but the politician declines the offer, saying that she’s happy to stay there if her friend is happy there too. Comment: It summarizes some of the points. But the final sentence is wrong: The Senator doesn’t give any conditions about staying at the table, she just says they will stay where the waiter seated her friend. 2 A well-known politician arranges a meeting with a young man. She wants him to help her in her election campaign to become US President. They arrange to meet in a crowded restaurant, where they can speak informally. The waiter doesn’t recognize the young man, and seats him at the worst table in the room, but when the politician arrives he realizes his mistake, as he knows the two need to be comfortable to discuss politics. Comment: This is partially wrong and fails to capture the main idea, they arrange to meet at Joanne’s because it is a famous restaurant.

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3 When a young black man arrives in a crowded and expensive restaurant, the head waiter makes him sit in the least comfortable place, even though a table has been booked for him and a “Ms Rogers”. When Ms Rogers arrives, the waiter realizes that she is a well-known politician; and Ms Rogers realizes that her friend has been treated badly because of the colour of his skin. The waiter realizes his mistake too, and tries to make up for it, but it is too late. Comments: This is the best summary because it captures the main point about the treatment of Josh. The passage does not actually state that he was treated badly because of the colour of his skin, but it is implied and in the context it is likely to be the point of the story.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

4 Match the words in the box with their definitions. Teaching tips • To vary the way of doing the activity, ask Ss to work in pairs. Student A randomly picks a word in the box and asks Student B about the meaning. Student B listens and finds the appropriate answer among the definitions. The point is that Ss should interact with each other. For example: A: Can you tell me the meaning of “sophisticated”? B: Yes, just a moment … it means knowing and understanding a lot about a complicated subject. That’s No 3. A: OK, thanks. (writes 3 beside the word) • In order to give the class an example, T may ask one pair to repeat the dialogue to the class. They should try to speak fluently. 1 money or goods that you give to an organization, especially one that helps people (donation) 2 involving or done with a lot of energy, effort, attention etc (intense) 3 knowing and understanding a lot about a comp

licated subject (sophisticated) 4 supporting social and political change that aims to make a system fairer (progressive) 5 capable of doing something in a satisfactory or effective way (competent) 6 a new member of a company or an organization, especially someone who has recently joined (recruit) 7 to deliberately make someone feel frightened, especially so that they will do what you want (intimidate) 8 to experience or deal with something, especially a problem (encounter) 5 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 4. There are two big political parties in the United States: the Republican party, which is traditionally the more conservative of the two, and the Democratic party, which is said to be more (1) progressive. One of the most interesting and (2) intense moments in American political life is the election campaign which comes before the presidential elections. Both parties need a lot of money to pay for the campaign, for which they rely on (3) donations made by individuals and organizations. They also need a lot of new (4) recruits to work on the campaign. These people are usually young, intelligent and hard-working, (5) competent in their jobs and not easily (6) intimidated, since they are likely to (7) encounter a lot of problems which have to be resolved quickly. But they also need to be highly (8) sophisticated,

to be able to understand what the American people want, and to communicate with them through the style and organization of the election campaign.

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Additional activity When Ss have completed Activity 5, ask them to work in pairs and prepare a brief presentation for Cultural Encounters, a slot in a Chinese TV show which gives insights into other cultures around the world. Each pair should discuss and think of an interesting way to present the information in Activity 5, eg to make it an interview, a conversation, or a monologue to the camera. Ss will need to introduce the information and make conclusions using their own words. Choose one or two pairs to make presentations. For example: A: And now it’s time for Cultural Encounters, a brief look at cultures around the world. Today we share some insights into election campaigns in the US … I am with Miss Xie who is from Washington DC, the city at the heart of American politics. So, Miss Xie, can you tell us about the two main political parties? B: Yes. There are two big political parties ... A: And what about the election campaigns? B: The election campaigns are certainly one of the most interesting and intense moments in American political life ... A: And I gather the parties use volunteer recruits? ... A: Well, that’s all for now. Thank you very much, Miss Xie. Please join us again next time for Cultural Encounters when we will be taking a look at the Brazilian carnival in Rio de Janeiro … 6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. You may need to make other changes. 1 She’s a pleasant young woman, who is always very good company. (agreeable) She’s an agreeable young woman, who is always very good company. 2 I’m afraid the reasons he gave me for not coming to the meeting were silly and unreasonabe. (laughable) 3 It is important to fight dishonest and illegal behaviour by officials. (corruption) 4 It’s freezing out here, I’m shaking with cold. (shivering) 5 You might find someone to help you in the office, but I’m not sure.

(doubtful)

6 The attendant moved his shoulders up to suggest that he didn’t know the answer. (shrugged) 7 Don’t be so annoyed because the service is slow, you won’t miss your flight. (impatient) 8 The sound of people clapping at the end of the Senator’s speech lasted for five minutes. (applause) 7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. Teaching tips As an efficient way to go over the answer, choose nine Ss and assign each one a number. Each student then gives the answer in the form of a complete sentence. T just calls out the numbers and say nothing unless there is a problem. 1 If you track down something, do you (a) find it, or (b) lose it after a long search? 2 Does someone who thinks on their feet make decisions (a) quickly, or (b) slowly? 3 If you know something inside out, do you know it (a) only in part, or (b) very well? 4 If you are in the running for a job, do you have (a) some chance, or (b) no chance of being chosen? 5 Is a hall-of-fame athlete someone who will be (a) quickly forgotten, or (b) remembered for a long time? 6 If the market is heaving with people, (a) is there a crowd of people there, or (b) are there not many people there?

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7 If you summon someone, do you want them to (a) come to see you immediately, or (b) go away? 8 If you refrain from doing something, do you (a) do it, or (b) not do it? 9 If there is a flurry of activity, do a lot of things happen (a) all at once, or (b) over a long period of time?

Active reading (2) Language points

1 The company sent one of their engineers … where he was introduced to a small Saudi engineering firm … (Para 1) The word Saudi is the adjective about the country of Saudi Arabia, used to describe the people and related matters, but not the language. Its language is Arabic, spoken as the major language in the Middle East and North Africa. 2 This annoyed Johannesson and his superiors … but the Saudis wanted the intermediary to be there. (Para 1) An intermediary is a go-between (Para 4, Line 6), someone who talks to each of the people or groups involved in business or other matters, usually passing information from one to the other or

trying to persuade them to agree with each other. So this person mediates between them. 3 Just when Johannesson’s superiors started to doubt the wisdom of the corporation’s investment in these expensive trips, a telex arrived from Riyadh ... (Para 2) To doubt the wisdom means people are not at all sure about the judgment or decision. 4 When he came to Riyadh it appeared that the conflict was over a minor issue and could easily be resolved … (Para 3) A conflict could be resolved. Apart from resolving a conflict, other collocations worth noting are that conflicts can be solved, settled or handled. Problems can lead to, create or provoke conflicts or become a source of conflict, and conflicts might be avoided, averted or prevented.

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5 This is known in cultural anthropology as the extended family. (Para 5) The extended family is usually the wider family members of a married couple and children, with grandparents and perhaps uncles, aunts and in-laws who live together or are in regular contact. The nuclear family (Para 6, Line 9) is a married couple and their children only, in the classical definition in sociology. 6 The “we” group is distinct from other people in society who belong to “they” groups, of which there are many. The “we” group (or in-group) is the major source of one’s identity … (Para 5) The in-group is the “we” group to which people feel they belong to first for their identity. The complementary group is the out-group or the “they” group to which the in-group may sometimes be opposed, or at other times the in-group is just a tighter group within many larger out-groups.

Reading and understanding

3 Choose the best answer to the questions. 1 Who was Johannesson? (a) A businessman with good contacts in Saudi Arabia. (b) An engineer who lived in Saudi Arabia. (c) An engineer working for a Swedish company. (d) A 30-year-old Swede with a British university degree. 2 Why was he sent to Saudi Arabia? (a) To work for a Saudi engineering firm. (b) To work on a project funded by the Saudi government. (c) To take the place of a Swedish engineer who was already there. (d) To learn about Saudi customs and traditions.

3 Why wasn’t he happy about the meetings with the Saudis? (a) The Saudis spent too much time laughing and joking. (b) The trips to Saudi Arabia

were long and tiring. (c) The Saudi brothers didn’t speak good English. (d) Another Swedish man was always present. 4 What happened after the contract was signed? (a) Johannesson lost his job with the Swedish corporation. (b) The Swedish businessman returned to Sweden. (c) The attitude of the Saudis towards Johannesson changed. (d) The Swedish corporation stopped doing business in Saudi Arabia. 5 Why was Johannesson sent to work in a different division? (a) As a reward for getting the contract with the Saudis. (b) Because he wasn’t suited to work with the Saudis. (c) Because he had become too friendly with the Saudis. (d) Because he had got too frustrated by the experience in Saudi Arabia. 6 Why was he asked to return to Saudi Arabia? (a) The corporation wanted him to start a new project. (b) There was a lot of new work to do so two people were needed. (c) The engineer who replaced Johannesson fell ill and had to go home. (d) The Saudis trusted only Johannesson to sort out a small problem.

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4 Work in pairs and answer the questions. 1 Why don’t Saudis like doing business with a company? They want to work with an individual that they know and trust. 2 Which type of group is a company: a “we” group or a “they” group? A company is a “they” group unless it is a small company. 3 What type of family is there in a collectivist society? Families in collectivist societies are usually “extended”, ie they consist of a larger number of people living closely together. 4 How does an in-group give people protection from the hardships of life? By being a focus of loyalty and through the help

that members give to each other. 5 In what type of society is there nuclear family? In individualist societies. 6 Why aren’t people supposed to be dependent on a group in an individualist society? They are supposed to be able to stand on their own feet.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

5 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 support that you always give to someone or something because of your feelings of duty and love towards them (loyalty) 2 to give someone the ability or opportunity to do something (enable)

3 a company that sells the same goods or services as another company (competitor) 4 a written legal agreement between two people or businesses that says what each must do for the other or give to the other (contract) 5 the control and operation of a business or organization (management) 6 money used in a way that may earn you more money (investment) 6 Complete the conversation with the correct form of the words in Activity 5. A Does your company do a lot of business abroad? B Yes, it does. We’ve recently signed a number of (1) contracts in the Middle East. A So you’re making a major (2) investment in that area? B Yes, we are. We also have a lot of (3) competitors in our line of business, so it won’t be easy. A Have you ever thought of working for one of them? B Not really, I’ve got a certain amount of (4) loyalty to my own company. I think that I’ve been treated rather well by the (5) management. And if things go well, the new project I’m working on

should (6) enable me to get promotion quite quickly. Additional activity Acting on the radio When Ss have completed the activity, tell them it is time to perform as radio broadcasters. Ask them to read the whole conversation in pairs with as much fluency as they can, like reading a radio script. Later,

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after Ss have practised for a short time, ask one pair to perform to the class. T has to introduce their performance as an extract from a radio script. Finally, ask the class for any comments: Did it sound like a radio broadcast? How could the actors improve their reading? 7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in the box. You may need to make other changes. 1 These 2,000 words form the most basic part of the English language. (core) 2 Some British people think belonging to the European Union is vital to the UK’s national interests. (membership) Some British people think membership of the European Union is vital to the UK’s national interests. 3 The process of sending the books may take up to two weeks. (delivery) The delivery of the books may take up to two weeks. 4 They said they would cancel the contract if they weren’t paid by next Thursday. (threatened)

They threatened to cancel the contract if they weren’t paid by next Thursday. 5 Can’t you see the positive side? You always spend time talking about the bad things. (dwell on) 6 Your inner strength will enable you to overcome life’s obstacles. (prevail over) Additional activity Vocabulary challenge Thi

s activity aims to encourage Ss to use the words in Activity 5 and Activity 7 productively. Ask Ss to work in pairs and think about the words in the box. Ask them to make one sentence that includes all the words in the box. After a brief period of time, ask a few pairs to tell the class their examples. The class listen to each example carefully and check whether all the six words are used. Finally, the class decide which is the best sentence and might be said in the appropriate context – this means Ss have to imagine a possible context. And ask some Ss to repeat the best sentence. Example 1 (Activity 5): Several competitors all wanted the contract, but the management felt particular loyalty to just one investment company so they enabled that company to win the contract. Example 2 (Activity 5): Personally, I don’t think you should enable your friend to make an investment just because of loyalty to a company with bad management; rather she should make the investment with a competitor and have a proper contract. Example 3 (Activity 7): I really don’t wish to dwell on the way the manager threatened to change the delivery date of the core materials, because your arguments about membership of the trade organization prevailed over what he was suggesting. Example 4 (Activity 7): We prevailed over our competitors who belong to the core membership of the European Union when they threatened to dwell on endless discussion about the delivery of new services. 8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 Does an intermediary try to get two people or groups to (a) agree, or (b) disagree with each other?

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2 Is your successor in a job the person who comes (a) after, or (b) before you? 3 If you have been nominated for a job, have you been (a) formally, or (b) only informally

appointed? 4 Is a go-between someone who (a) takes messages between two people, or (b) prevents them from communicating? 5 Is an individualist someone who (a) is, or (b) isn’t dependent on other people? 6 If you can stand on your own feet, can you (a) look after yourself, or (b) see further than most people? 7 Does parental advice come from (a) the government, or (b) your mother and / or father?

Reading and interpreting

9 Choose the best way to complete the sentences. 1 The story in the passage is an example of (b) . (a) a clash between two people with very different personalities (b) the difference between an “individualist” and a “collectivist” approach to business (c) the problem which occurs when people do business in a foreign language (d) a failure to do business 2 The fact that most people in the world live in collectivist societies means (c) . (a) people don’t like to be alone (b) people need a lot of help to bring up their children (c) putting the needs of a group first helps protect the individual (d) people are taught not to stand on their own feet 3 An “in-group”, or “we” group is (c) . (a) people who work for the same company (b) other people of your own age in society (c) the group which gives you your identity (d) a group you choose to belong to 4 Children in collectivist societies (b) . (a) gro

w up in small families (b) are likely to be very loyal to their family (c) prefer having a lot of people to help look after them (d) are controlled by their family 5 Children in individualist societies (b) . (a) are unlikely to have many playmates (b) are likely to leave home when they become adults (c) find it difficult to have relationships with other people (d) think of themselves as members of a group

Language in use

word formation: pro- and anti1 Look at the sentence from the passage Dinner at Joanne’s and answer the questions. She was pro-abortion, anti-corruption, pro-low carbon emissions and anti-capital punishment,

as fine a progressive liberal as you could find this side of the Atlantic. 1 If she was pro-abortion, was she in favour of or against the possibility of having an abortion? She was in favour of the possibility of having an abortion. 2 If she was anti-capital punishment, was she in favour of or against the death penalty? She was against the death penalty. 3 How are the words formed? These words are formed using the prefixes pro- and anti-. 4 What information do they give about people’s characters? They indicate a person’s political ideas.

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Now form new words to describe someone who is: Teaching tips Ss nee

d to be reminded that the suffix -ist which is used to describe a person is necessary in forming these new words. For example, anti-racist describes a person, anti-racism the idea or belief. T should check that Ss understand the meanings of the new words. Teaching steps Choose two Ss. For each item, Student A reads the answer to the class, and Student B explains the meaning of the new word. Please see examples given below. (a) against racism An anti-racist: a person who is against racism, ie against the belief that people of their own race are better than those of other races, and against the unfair and violent treatment to people from other races. (b) in favour of devolution A pro-devolutionist: a person who is in favour of devolution of power, finance, decision-making on education, health etc to regional or local administrative bodies, rather than keeping such power and control centrally with the government. (c) against intervention An anti-interventionist: a person who is against intervention by the central government in business, education, health etc especially for regional or local matters. (d) against protecting the environment An anti-environmentalist: a person who is against environmentalism, ie who is against those who think we need special action to protect the environment.

(e) in favour of a market economy A pro-market economist: a person who is in favour of letting market forces have their own process with minimal government intervention or control. (f) in favour of the government A pro-governmentalist: a person who is in favour of the government policies and actions.

not just to … but to …

2 Rewrite the sentences using not just to … but to … 1 I needed to see him for two reasons. I wanted to tell him about the new contract, and I also wanted to check whether he was still interested in working with us. I needed to see him not just to tell him about the new contract, but to check whether he was still interested in working with us. 2 People went to Joanne’s for two reasons. They went because they were curious to see who their fellow diners were, but also to be seen themselves. People went to Joanne’s not just to see who their fellow diners were, but to be seen themselves.

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3 Matthew decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for two reasons. Firstly, it was a personal challenge, and secondly, he wanted to raise money for a children’s charity. Matthew decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro not just to face this personal challenge, but to raise money for a children’s charity. 4 I agreed to go to Egypt for two reasons. I wanted to see an old friend, and I also needed a break from the northern winter. I agreed to go to Egypt not just to see an old friend, but to take a needed break from the northern winter. 5 Florence left home for two reasons. She couldn’t find a job in the area where she lived, and she was beginning to find family life oppressive. Florence left home not just to find a job in this area, but to escape from her family life which she found oppressive.

prep. + which / whom

3 Complete the sentences with an appropriate prep. + which / whom. 1 It’s not always easy to identify the group to which someone belongs. 2 The global community, of which we are all part, is changing very rapidly.

3 The friends with whom I grew up all left home years ago. 4 The standards by which we are judged today seem to have little to do with traditional values. 5 The society in which I grew up was rather different in those days. 6 My parents, to whom I owe so much, came from a very poor background.

unpacking complex sentences

4 Look at the sentences from the passage Dinner at Joanne’s and answer the questions. Teaching tips When Ss have finished the activity, choose one or two pairs to go over the answers in the form of a dialogue: Student A reads the questions, and Student B gives the answers. 1 Did Joanne’s have a reputation for good food? No, in fact, the food was often maligned. 2 How did Josh know it? He knew it by reputation, ie he had heard or read good comments about it. 3 What was special for its orchestra? The orchestra had a guest slot for a well-known movie director who played trumpet. 4 Who were the sort of guests it had a reputation for? They were celebrities, eg politicians, diplomats, movie actors, hall-of-fame athletes, journalists, writers, rock stars, Nobel Prize winners etc. 5 Who does anyone who was anyone refer

to? It refers to anyone who is famous or who has star quality.

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collocations

5 Read the explanations of the words. Answer the questions. 1 intense When a feeling or action is intense, it is usually very strong or extreme, or it exists in large amounts. (a) If the pain is intense, what do you feel like doing? You feel like screaming or crying with pain. (b) What sort of work requires intense concentration? Difficult or hard work on which you need to focus all your attention. (c) What kind of weather is intense heat? Very hot and dry weather. 2 delivery This word usually means carrying goods somewhere and giving them to someone who is waiting to receive them. (a) How many of the online bookstores offer free delivery? A few offer free delivery. (b) What do you do if you are asked for cash on delivery?

You pay when what you have ordered is delivered. (c) If a mother has had an easy delivery, what has she just brought into the world? A baby; she has just given birth in a comfortable manner. 3 core This word usually means the centre of something, or the most important and necessary part of something. (a) What do you do with the apple core when you’ve finished eating? You throw it away because it is not the part to eat, but it has the most important part for the apple tree – the pips or apple seeds. (b) How many words do you think should be included in a core vocabulary of English? A lim

ited number of basic and frequent words. (c) How devoted are a hard core of fans who stay up all night to greet their heroes? They are very devoted and loyal. 6 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese. 1 Josh shivered as he checked the address on the slip of paper in his hand. He’d never been to Joanne’s, but knew it by reputation, not because of its food, which had often been maligned, or its jazz orchestra, which had a guest slot for a well-known movie director who played trumpet, but because of the stellar quality of its sophisticated guests: politicians, diplomats, movie actors, hall-of-fame athletes, journalists, writers, rock stars and Nobel Prize winners – in short, anyone who was anyone in this city of power brokers. 乔希打了个冷战，他打开手里的纸条核对了一下地址。之前他没来过乔安妮餐厅，但对于它 的鼎鼎 大名却早有耳闻，倒不是因为这里的饭菜有多美味，其实这里的菜品屡遭恶评，也不是因为 这里的 爵士管弦乐队有一位知名电影导演客串吹小号， 而是因为这里汇集了有头有脸的宾客， 可以 说是星 光璀璨，他们中有政客、外交家、电影明星、载入名人堂的体育明星、记者、作家、摇滚明 星、诺 贝尔奖得主等等——总之，这里的每一位客人都是这座权力之城里的一个人物。

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2 The Swedes and the Saudis in this true story have different concepts of the role of personal relationships in business. For the Swedes, business is done with a company; for the Saudis, with a person whom one has learned to know and trust. As long as one does not know another person well enough it is convenient to have present an intermediary or go-between, someone who knows and is trusted by both

parties. At the root of the difference between these cultures is a fundamental issue in human societies: the role of the individual versus the role of the group. 在这个真实的故事里， 瑞典人和沙特人对人际关系在商业中的作用有着不同的理解。 对瑞典 人来 说，他们是在和一个公司做生意；但对沙特人来说，他们是在和一个他们了解并且信任的人 做生 意。只要他们对某个人还不够了解，就会让一位双方都认识并信任的中间人或介绍人在场， 这样做 会比较方便。 这两种文化的差异源于人类社会的一个根本问题： 即个人角色与集体角色的问 题。 7 Translate the paragraphs into English. 1 这位年轻人是个侦探小说迷， 在看了福尔摩斯探案故事之后， 他自以为完全掌握了侦探技 巧，于是 就开始调查一起抢劫案。经过几个星期的周密调查，他倒是追查到了三名疑犯，只可惜案发 时这三 个人都身在国外。(know sth inside out; track down) This young man liked reading detective stories. After finished reading Holmes’ stories, he thought he had known the detective’s skills inside out and started to investigate a case of robbery. After a few weeks of close investigation, he tracked down three suspects, who turned out to be abroad when the robbery took place. 2 在本书中我们确实体会到了两种文化之间的差异。 不过作者没有详细叙述这些差异， 而是 仔细讨论 了两种文化的相同点，其中说得最多的是为什么这两种文化都如此强调工作的热忱。(dwell on; of which; loyalty) In this book, we do find some differences between the two cultures. But instead of dwelling on the differences, the author presents lengthy discussions on things they have in common, of which their loyalty to work are most thoroughly touched upon.

Unit6

Active reading (1)

Last man down: the fireman’s story Language points

1 Last man down: the fireman’s story (Title) The expression last man down, similar to last man standing, refers to the survivor or winner. The last man down from the tower before it collapsed would be one of the bravest. 2 There were about two dozen of us by the bank of elevators ... (Para 2) A bank of elevators means a set of lifts. 3 Some had their turnout coats off, or tied around their waists. (Para 2) Turnout coats are the uniform firefighters wear when they turn out for a fire. 4 Others were raring to go. (Para 2) The expression raring to go is an old form of rearing up, and means being eager to go like a horse. 5 All of us were taking a beat to catch our breaths, and our bearings, figure out what the hell was going on. (Para 2) To take a beat means to rest for a moment. A bearing is an exact compass reading measured in degrees. To take your bearings is to find where you are. Here it means both physically and mentally. 6 We’d been at this thing, hard, for almost an hour, some a little bit less, and we were nowhere close to done. (Para 2) To be at this thing is a slang expression which means to work on this mission. The expression nowhere close to done means someone is far from completing their work. 7 Of course, we had no idea what there was left to do, but we hadn’t made a dent. (Para 2) A dent is a mark on a piece of metal as when you bump your car. To make a dent in something is to have an effect on it (imagine beating a piece of hard steel and not making any mark on it). To make a dent here means to achieve something. The firefighters had hardly begun their work. 8 As if we could see clear through the ceiling tiles for an easy answer. (Para 3) Looking up for the source of the noise was only

useful if you could see through the floors above, but it still remained an instinctive reaction. 9 The building was shaking like in an earthquake, like an amusement park thrill ride gone berserk … (Para 3) The word berserk was originally about ancient Viking warriors who worshipped a bear god (ber). They would go into a terrible rage or madness when fighting. It now means utterly and dangerously crazy. 10 The way it coursed right through me. (Para 3) To course means to run or flow somewhere quickly. The noise and vibration have a strong physical effect

on the writer. 11 I thought about my wife and my kids, but only fleetingly and not in any kind of life-flashing-beforemyeyes sort of way. (Para 4) Life flashing before my eyes is a claim made by someone who has near-death experiences, as in an accident, of seeing a slow motion version of the most important events in their lives. Researchers say it may be the reaction of the brain to trauma.

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12 Or, “We’ll all meet at the big one.” (Para 4) After any fire, the fighters use the expression the big one to minimize that fire and suggest there will always be a bigger one coming. It is a brave act of understatement. 13 I never knew how it started, or when I’d picked up on it myself, but it was part of our shorthand. (Para 4) To pick up on it means to learn it and start

using it. It is a slang expression. Shorthand is a system of writing used for taking down fast speech. It uses symbols for common words and can only be understood by people who learn it. Firemen have their own spoken shorthand (as do most professions). To an outsider, the big one would not mean much, but as the writer explains it was rich in meaning to him and his colleagues. 14 I fumbled for some fix on the situation, thinking maybe if I understood what was happening I could steel myself against it. (Para 5) Some fix is a slang term which means a way of understanding. To steel oneself against something means to prepare oneself to do something unpleasant. 15 A battalion commander for the New York Fire Department, he was on the scene of the disaster … (Para 6) The Fire Department is divided up into battalions of up to 200 consisting of a number of companies of about 30 firefighters.

Reading and understanding

3 Choose the best summary of the extract. 2 In this dramatic personal account, firefighter Richard Picciotto recalls what he was doing and thinking, just before the north tower of the World Trade Center collapsed on 11 September 2001. 4 Answer the questions. 1 Where was Richard Picciotto at 9:59 am on 11 September 2001?

He was on the 35th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center. 2 Who was with him? About two dozen firefighters. 3 What was everybody trying to do? They were resting and trying to work out what was going on. 4 How long had they been in the building? Nearly an hour. 5 What did they

do when the noise started? They stood still. 6 What was happening to the building? It was falling down. 7 What did Picciotto start thinking about when he heard the noise? He started thinking about his family, job and the bagels in the kitchen.

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Unit 6 Streets full of heroes 200

8 Did Picciotto have the impression things were happening quickly or slowly? To him, it seems things were happening slowly while in truth they weren’t. 9 How did Picciotto get out of the tower? He climbed through the rubble and led his men to safety. 10 How many firefighters lost their lives? Altogether 343 firefighters. 11 Why did Picciotto write Last Man Down? He wrote it as a tribute to his colleagues.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

5 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 to make a fire stop burning (extinguish) 2 the total number of people who have been killed or hurt (toll) 3 an extremely difficult or frightening situation (nightmare) 4 a very sad event that causes people to suffer or die (tragedy) 5 as much as possible (utmost) 6 impressive actions that prove someone is very brave (heroism) 7 happening in a confused way and without any order or organization (chaotic) 6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Acti

vity 5. For a firefighter arriving on the scene of a fire the first few minutes are usually the most (1) chaotic. He has to (2) extinguish the fire, he also needs to find out if human lives are in danger. When people are trapped inside a building he must act swiftly to prevent (3) tragedy, or, – in the (4) nightmare scenario – to keep the death (5) toll to a minimum. Actions like these require the (6) utmost degree of (7) heroism. 7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box.

1 He’s a very honest, fair and well-behaved sort of person. (decent) 2 I’d like to express my thanks for everything you’ve done for me. (gratitude) 3 There was a group of cows standing in the corner of the field. (herd) 4 There have been very big increases in food prices over the last few months. (massive) 5 All the people should leave the building immediately when the alarm sounds. (evacuate) 6 She has displayed all the qualities needed for being a leader in her job. (leadership) 8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 If you are raring to go, are you eager to (a) leave, or (b) start an activity? 2 If you get your bearings, do you (a) lose your way, or (b) find out where you are? 3 If you are nowhere close to done, do you (a) still have a lot more work to do to finish the job, or (b) still feel strong and ready to work? 4 If you haven’t made a dent in something, have you (a) made good progress, or (b) hardly begun the job? 5 Is a racket (a) a loud and unpleasant noise, or (b) a low musical sound?

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6 If something goes berserk, is it (a) quiet and well-behaved, or (b) out of control? 7 Does whatever the hell it was suggest that the writer (a) knew exactly what the noise was, or (b) didn’t know what the noise was? 8 If something is part of the shorthand, can you (a) easily understand it, or (b) not understand it? 9 If you are fumbling for a fix, are you (a) trying to understand something, or (b) trying to stay where you are?

Active reading (2)

Language points

1 “Suddenly,” she wrote in her syndicated column, “I saw on the sidewalk a figure of a man.” (Para 1) A syndicated column is a regular newspaper article sold to newspapers all around the country. 2 “I felt certain that somewhere along the line she would stub her toe,” said Perkins, thinking of Washington’s fishbowl atmosphere. (Para 3) To stub her toe means to do damage to herself or get hurt. In a fishbowl atmosphere, everyone can see what is happening in the fishbowl. The sentence means Perkins was sure sooner or later she would get into trouble and be criticized. 3 I don’t know how she did it. What to lay it to? (Para 3) The expression what to lay it to means “how can one explain it?”. 4 … “that a crippled man, victim of a cruel affliction, was able for more than ten years to ride the

storms of peace and war at the summit of the US …” (Para 3) A man in a wheelchair with a terrible disease could lead his country well both during the Great Depression and World War. 5 “Most people who have played second violin all their lives never have an opportunity to play first violin,” remarked Perkins. (Para 4) People who play second violin are those who do not lead or give solos and who are always of lesser importance. To play first violin means to be the leader and take the initiative. 6 “Now, if you want to know what I think about Mrs Roosevelt, she is tuh-riffic! …” (Para 5) The word tuh-riffic means terrific. It is pronounced with a strong regional accent. 7 On a trip to India ... introduced to the Indian Parliament by Pandit Nehru as “a representative of resurgent humanity”. (Para 6) The expression resurgent humanity refers to recovering from the horrors of the first half of the 20th century. A representative of resurgent humanity refers to an example of the most admirable and progressive type of person.

Reading and understanding

2 Choose the best way to complete the sentences. 1 Eleanor Roosevelt became a volunteer (c) . (a) when she met her husband (b) when her husband became President of the US (c) as a young woman (d) when she saw a homeless man in the street 2 When she became the wife of the president (c) . (a) she gave up her job (b) she began to write for a newspaper (c) she reinvented the role of First Lady (d) she found it difficult to reconcile family life and public affairs

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3 When she held her first press conference (a) . (a) she didn’t allow men to attend (b) she pushed her husband in on a wheelchair (c) she made speeches (d) her involvement in politics shocked people 4 While Roosevelt was president, Eleanor (c) . (a) stayed a full-time wife and mother

(b) made a lot of people angry (c) defended the rights of women and Afro-Americans (d) became the host of a television programme 5 After her husband died she (c) . (a) retired from public life (b) became the only female delegate to the United Nations (c) helped implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (d) started writing for a newspaper 6 In the last years of her life she (b) . (a) went to live in India (b) continued to promote the rights of women (c) was given a new task by President Kennedy (d) gave up her interest in politics

Dealing with unfamiliar words

3 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 someone who is chosen to represent a group of other people at a meeting (delegate) 2 to believe that something is the cause of someone or something else (ascribe) 3 a newspaper or television reporter, especially one who deals with a particular subject or area (correspondent) 4 a very high level of skill or ability (genius)

5 to control someone or something, often in a negative way, because you have more power or influence (dominate) 6 used about a feeling or thought you do not realize you have (unconscious) 7 to watch something in order to check that it works in the way that it should (oversee) 4 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 3. Eleanor Roosevelt showed her (1) genius for getting the support of other (2) delegates in the UN Assembly. She was a great speaker who knew how to (3) oversee important meetings without being seen to (4) dominate them. She was also a talented (5) correspondent and she wrote a daily column for many years. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s success as president was (6) ascribed by many to her support and wonderful character. She became involved in politics because of her sense of right and wrong and an (7) unconscious need to help people.

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Unit 6 Streets full of heroes 208

5 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. 1 He has been unable to use his legs since birth. (crippled) 2 We need to call a meeting for world leaders about this issue. (summit)

3 The first thing I read in the newspaper is the regular section about the arts. (column) 4 Our class visit to the United Nations was a wonderful experience. (marvelous) 5 It’s important to try to influence politicians about the need to improve transport facilities in our area. (lobby) 6 How many million

s of people live in the very poor areas of Mumbai? (slums) 6 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 In a fishbowl atmosphere, are you (a) likely, or (b) unlikely to see what everyone is doing? 2 Is a mishap a (a) positive, or (b) negative experience? 3 If you have a humane attitude, are you (a) kind and caring, or (b) cruel and uncaring? 4 If you win over someone to your cause, do you (a) defeat them, or (b) persuade them to join you? 5 Does an affliction make your life (a) easy, or (b) difficult? 6 If you ride the storm, do you (a) survive it, or (b) fall victim to it? 7 Is a superlative performance (a) very good, or (b) just good? 8 If a politician has a throng of admirers, are there (a) many people, or (b) a few who like them? 9 If you are on a par with someone, are you in (a) the same position, or (b) different positions?

Language in use

word formation: gender-inclusive language

1 Look at the sentences from the passages and answer the questions. Last man down: The fireman’s story We were firefighters, mostly, and we were in various stages of exhaustion.

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Please join Life magazine as we honor the power and humanity of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt by inducting her into the Hall of Heroes. 1 What meaning do fireman and firefighter share? Someone whose job is to fight fires. 2 What extra meaning is included in the word fireman? The person is male. 3 Does the word heroes refer to men, women, or both? Both. 2 Replace the underlined words with gender-inclusive language. 1 Miss Read was the headmistress at school, and I was very fond of her. (headteacher) 2 Mother Teresa and Eleanor Roosevelt are two great heroines of our time. (heroes) 3 There were a lot of policemen standing at the entrance to the factory. (police officers) 4 More than three hundred firemen died in the fire. (firefighters) 5 We’ll ask one of our salesgirls to come and help you. (salespersons)

Why is it that …?

3 Rewrite the sentences using Why is it that ...? 1 I don’t know why we haven’t been able to solve the problem of slums in this town. Why is it that we haven’t been able to solve the problem of slums in this town? 2 I don’t know why we are not able to organize fair elections in this part of the world. Why is it that in this part of the world we are not able to organize fair elections? 3 I don’t know why they never employ qualified people in this hotel. Why is it that in this hotel they never employ qualified people? 4 I don’t know why the system of welfare is still not working properly in this country. Why is it that in this country the system of welfare is still not working properly? 5 I don’t know why you always find such an easy answer to all the questions I ask. Why is it that you always find such an easy answer to a

ll the questions I ask?

adj. + though it + be

4 Rewrite the sentences using adj. + though it + be. 1 My time in the United States was short, but it was interesting. My time in the United States, short though it was, was interesting. 2 The scenes of destruction were terrible, but not surprising. The scenes of destruction, terrible though they were, were not surprising. 3 The rescue operation cost a lot of money, but it was successful. The rescue operation, costly though it was, was successful.

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4 The lesson he gave was extremely interesting, but it was soon forgotten. The lesson he gave, interesting though it was, was soon forgotten. 5 Mother Teresa may have been old, but she was extremely active. Mother Teresa, old though she may have been, was extremely active. 6 His actions may have been unconscious, but they have had very serious consequences. His actions, unconscious though they may have been, have had very serious consequences.

collocations

5 Complete the sentences with the correct form of suitable expressions from the collocation box. Sometimes more than one collocation is possible. 1 My grandfather died suddenly after a massive heart attack. 2 There was a column of smoke in the sky for days after 9/11. 3 Eleanor Roosevelt wrote a daily / newspaper column for nearly 30 years. 4 The stress began to take a toll on their marriage. 5 The final death toll might be much higher than the police at first thought. 6 How many newspaper columns have been written about the heroes of the last century? 7 Do you have to pay a toll to drive on the motorway? 8 Your idea was brilliant – a stroke of genius!

9 My hero is my English teacher. He has a genius for helping us understand Shakespeare. 10 When she died she left a massive amount of money to charity. 6 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese. 1 I thought how we firemen were always saying to each other, “I’ll see you at the big one.” Or, “We’ll all meet at the big one.” I never knew how it started, or when I’d picked up on it myself, but it was part of our shorthand. Meaning, no matter how big this fire is, there’ll be another one bigger, somewhere down the road. We’ll make it through this one, and we’ll make it through that one, too. I always said it, at big fires, and I always heard it back, and here I was, thinking I would never say or hear these words again, because there would never be another fire as big as this. This was the big one we had all talked about, all our lives, and if I hadn’t known this before – just before these chilling moments – this sick, black noise now confirmed it. (☞ 这段话由许多短句构成，要注意短句间语气的连接。像at big fires，all our lives等词语应该调整语序。) 我想起我们消防员平常总互相打趣说：“在大火中见吧。”或者是“我们肯定会在大火中碰

面 的。”我 不知道这种说法是怎么来的， 或者我自己是从什么时候开始说起这种话来的， 但这就是我们 的暗语。 意思是不管这场火有多大，以后在别处还会有比这更大的。我们能安然无恙地度过这场火， 也会安 然无恙地度过下一场火。遇到一场大火时，我总是这么说，也总听别人这么说，可现在，我 呆在这 儿，想着自己再也不会说这样的话了，也不会再听到别人这么说了，因为再也不会有比这更 大的火了。 这会是我们大家一辈子都在说的那场大火， 如果以前——就在这一个个令人胆战心惊的瞬间 之前—— 我没有认识到这一点的话，现在这浑厚的、不祥的响声印证了这一点。 2 Named as the first chairman of the UN Human Rights Commission, Roosevelt oversaw the two-year process of drafting and securing passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Additionally, her clashes with representatives of the Soviet Union led one Republican to lean forward in his chair and state – he wouldn’t allow his name to be used for fear of being labeled as a Democratic supporter – “Now, if you want to know what I think about Mrs Roosevelt, she is tuh-riffic! Mrs Roosevelt is unique in her

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capacity to create an understanding of our position in the minds of the delegates of other countries. Her performance is so superlative that it is rather unexpected to be asked to evaluate her in ordinary terms.” 作为联合国人权委员会的首任主席，罗斯福监督了《世界人权宣言》历时两年的起草和通过 的全过程。 此外, 她和苏联代表的交锋让一位共和党人从椅子上朝前探过身来， 说出了下面一番话—— 因为怕 被当成是民主党的支持者，他不愿意透露自己的姓名——“如果你想知道我对

罗斯福夫人的 看法， 那我会说她真是了不起! 罗斯福夫人有一种独特的能力， 能让其他国家的代表清楚地了解我 们的立 场。要用平常的语言来评价她高超的外交手腕，一时间还真不知道该怎么说。” 7 Translate the paragraphs into English. 1 人们很不理解为什么他一份工作干了30年， 大多数人到了他这个年纪至少已经换了四五份 工作了。也 许对他来说， 为了获得更高的薪水或是寻求体验新事物的刺激而换工作毫无意义。 在他看来， 唯一 重要的事是稳定。(stick with; point; thrill) People are quite puzzled about the fact that he has stuck with the same job for 30 years when most people of his age have changed at least four or five jobs. Maybe for him there is no point in changing jobs for a higher pay or for the thrill of experiencing something new. The only thing that matters, in his point of view, is stability. 2 协会中的大多数会员认为应该竭力游说政府， 确保这项计划获得批准。 至关重要的是要把 决策者中 的一些反对者争取过来。虽然这会很难，但是他们下定决心要作最大的努力。 (lobby; win over; adj. + though it + be; utmost) Most members of the association believe that they need to lobby as hard as possible to make sure that the plan will be approved by the government. It’s essential to win over some of the naysayers among the policy makers. Tough though it will be, they have made up their mind to make utmost efforts.__

Unit 7

Active reading (1)

Can bad luck be explained?

Language points

1 Part of the explanation for bad luck is mathematical, but part is psychological. (Para 2) The sentence means bad luck is not only a matter of the odds for or against something happening, but of our memories and attitudes. 2 This popular notion would be unlikely to stand the scrutiny of any scientific study … otherwise the phrase would never have arisen in the first place. (Para 3) To stand the scrutiny of any scientific study means to survive any scientific examination. The expression in the first place is used to mean what someone did or should have done at the start of a situation, eg I wish I’d never got involved in the first place. 3 So badness is much better represented as being on a spectrum rather than something which is there or not there. (Para 5) The sentence means that badness is not an either / or quality, but a matter of degree, and it exists on a continuum. 4 When it comes to bad things happening in threes, what may be most important of all is the duration and memorability of the first event. (Para 7) The sentence means that the impact of the first unpleasant event and the length of time we remember it is the critical factor in the origin of the common idea that three bad events often occur together.

Unit 7 The secret life of science 230

5 The timescale has been extended as long as is necessary to confirm the original prophecy. (Para 8) The idea behind the sentence is that after one bad event, people predict two more and will wait a long time if necessary for them to happen and so to prove the prediction. 6 But it is more likely that a friend will tell you “three bad things have happened to me, isn’t that

typical” than “only two bad things have happened to me, which just proves that the theory doesn’t work”. (Para 9) Some times after the second bad event, nothing happens for a long time. We could tell people that our experience shows that the idea that bad luck comes in threes is wrong. But we do not. That seems to be asking for a third piece of bad luck to come along. Instead we wait for the third event and then say the old

theory has been proved yet again. 7 It is related to probability and independence. (Para 10) Probability means how events are connected to one another, how probable it is something will happen. Independence refers to how much interdependence there is between events. 8 One of the best examples of selective memory … (Para 16) A selective memory means remembering only some facts or only what we want to. We select some memories and reject others.

Reading and understanding

2 Choose the best way to complete the sentences. 1 Murphy’s Law is (a) . (a) a popular belief (b) a scientific law (c) a classical theory (d) a statistical calculation 2 Bad luck (b) . (a) can be explained by science (b) can be partly blamed on strange coincidences (c) only really exists in people’s minds (d) is impossible to explain 3 “Bad luck” is a problematic concept because (a) . (a) it is relative; some things are more “bad” than others (b) it suggests a connection between science and morality (c) luck is never good or bad by definition (d) it encourages people not to take responsibility for their own acti

ons 4 Unlucky events seem to come in threes because (b) . (a) three is an unlucky number in most cultures (b) the mind wants to make connections between events (c) we don’t notice single unlucky events (d) we can’t remember more than three connected events

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5 For some people, unlucky events are connected because (d) . (a) they are psychologically weaker than other people (b) they have better memories than other people (c) they define bad luck differently from other people (d) the first unlucky event has an effect on them which makes the second event more likely 6 The writer says map reading is a frustrating experience because (a) . (a) the destination will often be marked very near the edge of the map (b) it is difficult to consult a street atlas while you’re in a car (c) the destination is unlikely to be marked in the middle of the map (d) modern road maps have not been well designed

7 The writer says we believe that traffic lights are always red when we’re in a hurry because (b) . (a) traffic lights spend more time on red than green (b) we hardly notice when the lights are green (c) red lights are a source of stress (d) red lights appear more often when a driver is in a hurry 8 The examples of map reading and traffic lights both show that (a) . (a) we are often too ready to interpret a neutral event as “bad” (b) if we are in a hurry, something bad will usually happen (c) journeys need to be carefully planned to avoid things going wrong (d) bad luck is a direct result of stress and

anxiety

Dealing with unfamiliar words

3 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 something harmful or unpleasant that happens to someone (misfortune) 2 neither positive nor negative (neutral) 3 relating to or involving mathematics (mathematical) 4 weak or easy to hurt physically or mentally (vulnerable) 5 happening or coming after something else (subsequent) 6 the number of times that something happens during a period of time (frequency) 4 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in Activity 3. 1 Some people seem to blame all their misfortunes on bad luck. 2 Many people would argue that there is no such thing as bad luck; all events are neutral. 3 The frequency with which things seem to go wrong may depend on things like health factors. 4 Is it a mathematical certainty that toast will always fall butter side down? 5 We need to help the most vulnerable people in our society. 6 If you’re depressed, and one thing goes wrong, all subsequent events are likely to seem negative too. 5 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. You may need to make other changes. 1 Which is the quickest way to the town centre? (route)

Unit 7 The secret life of science 232

2 Our math teacher’s lesson included part of yesterday’s lecture. (overlapped) Our math teacher’s lessen overlapped with yesterday’s lecture. 3 Yo

u’ll find the statistics department in the building next to this one. (adjacent) 4 Unfortunately, two hundred people lost their jobs last month. (sacked) Unfortunately, two hundred people were sacked last month. 5 Why do certain groups of letters stay close together in this language? (cluster) 6 The office will be closed for the whole period of the Christmas holidays. (duration) 6 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 If you subject something to scrutiny, do you look at it (a) carefully, or (b) superficially?

2 If something is marginally interesting, is it of (a) great interest, or (b) limited interest? 3 If a problem is alive and kicking, (a) can you ignore it, or (b) must you do something about it? 4 Is a reminder intended to (a) keep you awake, or (b) stop you forgetting? 5 If you are made redundant, have you (a) been given a job, or (b) lost your job? 6 If something crops up, were you (a) expecting it, or (b) not really expecting it to happen? 7 If you duplicate a document, do you (a) send it to someone, or (b) make a copy of it? 8 Do two consecutive events happen (a) at the same time, or (b) one after the other? 9 After physical exertion, do most people feel (a) tired, or (b) full of energy?

Active reading (2)

Language points

1 My research had persuaded me that musicality is deeply embedded in the human genome … (Para 1) Genome is a complete set of genes of an o

rganism. Musicality refers to a natural interest in and ability for music. 2 … if only I took a few lessons I would find my voice. (Para 1) The sentence means if I would have some music lessons, I would soon learn to sing nicely. 3 As well as testing whether I could improve my tone, pitch and rhythm … (Para 2) The pitch refers to the quality of sound we speak of in terms of high and low. The tone is the fixed vibration of the vocal cords producing a pleasing sound. The dynamics (Para 5, Line 5) are volume and style of a sound. 4 With the help of functional MRI he had begun to identify … (Para 2) A functional MRI, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, is a scanner which detects amounts and whereabouts of brain activity. 5 We agreed that … covering various musical tasks such as sustaining a pitch, singing scales and in rhythm. (Para 3) To sustain a pitch means to keep to a musical key; to sing scales means to move up and down a musical scale; to sing in rhythm means to maintain a beat. 6 Later, he would process the images … to give snapshots of the mental activity involved. (Para 4) To give snapshots of something means to give a series of images of something. 7 On a few occasions when singing with my wife we both experienced fleeting feelings of emotional intimacy as our voices blended into one … (Para 5) The sentence means all of a sudden we both had moments when we felt closer to one another

as we sang the same notes at the same time. 8 Encore! (Subtitle) Encore is the French word for again, shouted at the end of good performances asking for a little more. Here, the writer is happy with the outcome though not with his singing.

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Reading and understanding

2 Number the events in the order they occurred. 2 He drew up a plan with a researcher and a teacher. 3 He had a couple of lessons and learnt how to read music. 9 He discovered changes in the way his brain worked. 5 He learnt how to breathe properly. 1 The writer decided he wanted to learn to sing. 8 He had a second brain scan. 4 He had a brain scan. 7 He became depressed with his slow progress. 6 He did exercises to develop a sense of rhythm. 3 Choose the best answer to the questions. 1 Why did the writer take part in the experiment? (a) To sing with his wife. (b) To find out more about his brain. (c) To do research for a book about Neanderthal humans. (d) To investigate the relationship between singing and brain activity. 2 How did the experiment affect his family life? (a) He spent a lot of time singing with his wife and children. (b) He made his children practise late at night. (c) He disturbed his children by singing late at night. (d) His marriage nearly came to an end. 3 What results did the experiment show? (a) There is no connection between singing ability and brain activity. (b) It is not possible to sing lying down. (c) Regular brain scans can improve singing ability. (d) There is a connection between singing ability and brain activity. 4 What conclusion did the writer reach? (a) He will never be able to sing well. (b) Some people will never be able to sing. (c) Learning to sing is a complex and mysterious process. (d) Everyone can learn to sing, but it takes time.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

4 Match the words in the box with their definitions.

1 to continue trying to achieve something difficult (persevere) 2 used for showing that something you say is really true (literally) 3 a new business or activity (venture) 4 the belief that you are able to do things well (confidence) 5 to provide the conditions in which something can happen or exist (sustain) 6 feeling annoyed and impatient (frustrated)

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5 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 4. I never thought I would become a musician. I’ve always liked music, but didn’t study it at school and I found it a bit (1) frustrating not to be able to read music or to sing in tune. That is, until the day I decided to learn to play the piano. It was quite a difficult (2) venture at first. The hardest thing was to (3) persevere with practice. But little by little I began to make progress, and, with it, to grow in (4) confidence. In fact, I managed to (5) sustain the enthusiasm to such an extent that, at the age of 35, I gave up my job as a data analyst to become a professional musician. In my case, music (6) literally changed my life. 6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box. 1 When I play the piano I usually mix different styles such as jazz and classical. (blend) 2 One of my favourite pieces of music is called The Planets. (entitled) 3 I thought I would learn quickly, but I was c

learly mistaken. (evidently) 4 How much is left if we take off 80 euros from your fee? (subtract) 5 The photocopier is broken, but you can use the machine which copies images and stored them on a computer. (scanner) 6 To have such wonderful children has been a great source of happiness for us both. (blessing) 7 The new hospital is open now, but it isn’t working as it should. (functional) 7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 If you are haunted by something, do you think about it (a) often, or (b) hardly ever? 2 If you are turned off from something, do you (a) show interest in it, or (b) lose interest in it? 3 When someone collaborates with you, do they (a) help you, or (b) prevent you from doing what you want to do? 4 Are the rudiments of musical knowledge (a) the basic facts, or (b) the most recent discoveries? 5 Does a precocious child show skills and intelligence (a) above, or (b) below the average? 6 Are excerpts from a film or a piece of music (a) short extracts, or (b) critical reviews? 7 If you do something in the intimacy of your own home, do you expect (a) strangers, or (b) only your own family to see you do it?

8 If you stumble, do you (a) fall and then keep going, or (b) fall and stop completely? 9 If you feel elated about something, do you feel (a) very happy, or (b) very sad?

Reading and interpreting

8 Choose the best way to complete the sentences. 1 The title “The diva within” suggests that (b) . (a) artists have very private lives (b) anyone can

be a good singer (c) great musicians are born, not made (d) to become a good singer, you have to think a lot 2 The word encore is used because (d) . (a) it refers to a second performance of something (b) it is usually used in a musical context (c) it suggests that people are happy with a performance (d) all three of the above reasons

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9 Decide if the writer’s experiences are motivating (M) or frustrating (F). 1 writing a book called The Singing Neanderthals (M) It inspires him to do all sorts of interesting research. 2 his childhood experience with a music teacher (F) He felt humiliated. 3 meeting Larry Parsons at the University of Sheffield (M) He offered new ways he could pursue his research. 4 listening to Pam sing (M) He found it beautiful and wanted to learn more about the human relationship with music. 5 monitoring his own progress as a student of singing (F) He says he got frustrated in Paragraph 5. 6 the effect on family life as he practised (F) His singing wasn’t good for his family life. 7 lying still during the second brain scan (F) In Paragraph 6, it says “Lying still was even more frustrating than the last time because I had learned that moving my body was as important to singing as was flexing my vocal cords.” 8 leaving the scanner after the second brain scan (M) The writer was elated that his work for the experiment was done. 9 seeing the results of the second scan (M) The results of the research confirmed his ideas. Now decide whether the writer was pleased with the results of the experiment and give reasons. I think he was pleased. A negative result would have been rather depressing, but

now he had some new information he could work on. Also he had learned something about singing. Note that the frustrating

experiences tend to come earlier than some of the motivating ones. Finally he was elated it was all over!

Language in use

word formation: -ity and -ility

1 Look at the sentences from the passage Can bad luck be explained? When it comes to bad things happening in threes, what may be most important of all is the duration and memorability of the first event. There is … rational reason why bad events might cluster together. It is related to probability and independence. Now find three more nouns ending in -ity or -ility in the passage The diva within . Ability, musicality, activity.

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2 Rewrite the sentences changing the underlined adjectives into nouns. 1 It is possible that the insurance won’t pay you for this accident. There is a possibility that the insurance won’t pay you for this accident. 2 I am not responsible for anything that happens to you. It’s not my responsibility what happens to you. 3 I’m not sure how suitable this programme is for you. I’m not sure of this programme’s suitability for you. 4 The fact that the calcu

lation was complex slowed me down. The calculation’s complexity slowed me down. 5 Being naturally curious is a characteristic of many great thinkers. Natural curiosity is a characteristic of many great thinkers. 6 I was surprised that her behaviour was stupid. I was surprised at the stupidity of her behaviour.

when it comes to …

3 Rewrite the sentences using when it comes to … 1 If we consider evaluating students’ work, there are always some very difficult choices to be made. When it comes to evaluating students’ work, there are always some very difficult choices to be made. 2 If we consider the examples of bad luck you spoke about, many of these seem to be rather unimportant. When it comes to the examples of bad luck you spoke about, many of these seem to be rather unimportant. 3 If we turn our attention to human psychology, we see that this is very closely related to physical health and well-being.

When it comes to human psychology, we see that this is very closely related to physical health and wellbeing. 4 In the case of learning an instrument like the piano or violin, a lot of patience and the ability to persevere are essential. When it comes to learning an instrument like the piano or violin, a lot of patience and the ability to persevere are essential. 5 If we turn our attention to non-scientific studies of good and bad luck, there are all sorts of fantastic theories. When it comes to non-scientific studies of good and bad luck, there are all sorts of fantastic theories.

if only

4 Rewrite the sentences using if only . 1 I won’t be able to work out this mathematical problem unless you are quiet for a few minutes. If only you were quiet for a few minutes, I would be able to work out this mathematical problem.

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2 You won’t be able to find your way in life unless you start to understand the difference between good and bad advice. If only you understood the difference between good and bad advice, you would be able to find your way in life. 3 I won’t be able to sleep well tonight unless I stop worrying about what happened this morning. If only I stopped worrying about what happened this morning, I would be able to sleep well tonight. 4 The number of accidents at work won’t decrease unless people are more careful and follow the safety instructions. If only people were more careful and followed the safety instructions, the number of accidents at work would decrease. 5 You won’t become a great singer unless you are prepared to practise at least six hours every day. If only you practised six hours every day, you would become a great singer.

collocations

5 Read the explanations of the words. Answer the questions.

1 route A route is usually a way that buses, trains, ships or planes travel regularly. (a) Do you know the most direct route to the centre of town? Yes, you go along North Road and turn left at the park corner. (b) When is it a good idea to seek an alternative route? When there are road works or traffic jams. (c) What do you know about the ancient trade routes between Europe and China? The road was called the Silk Road linking China with the Roman Empire. 2 confidence This word usually means the belief in yourself or the trust you have in someone else. (a) Are you the kind of person who gains or loses confidence when keeping failing? I tend to see the negative aspects of things, so I’m the kind of person who loses confidence when keeping failing. (b) What did a company do if they have to win back the confidence of the customers? Probably they sold some stuffs of a low quality which then ruined their reputation. (c) How will you prepare yourself in order to go into the business world with confidence? Maybe I have to get a business degree or gain relating work experiences. 3 blend This word usually means to combine different tastes, styles or qualities in a way that is attractive or effective. (a) If you blend the ingredients for a soup, what have you done with them? I have mixed them together. (b) If you blend butter with sugar, then add eggs and flour, what kind of food are you making? A cake. (c) What would you expect to do on a course which uses blended learning approach? A mixture of learning methods, usually classroom sessions and computer-based learning.

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4 sustain This word usually means to provide the conditions in which something can happen or exist. (a) By which means can a country sustain economic growth? For example, to expand domestic demand, or manage to maintain its competitive edge in new technology development and international trade etc. (b) Which other planet in our solar system do scientists believe can sustain life? Mars. (c) What did you do to sustain your interest in English? I reminded myself how useful English could be. 6 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese. 1 Red lights come up just as often when the driver is not in a hurry; it’s just that the disadvantage of the red light is considerably less if time is not critical. The false part of the perception is that red lights happen more than green lights. The reason for this is simply that a driver has more time to think about a

red light than a green light, because while the latter is gone in seconds – and indeed is an experience no different from just driving along the open road – the red light forces a change of behaviour, a moment of exertion and stress, and then a deprivation of freedom for a minute or so. Red lights stick in the mind, while green lights are instantly forgotten. (☞ The false part of the perception 直译为“认知中 错误的 部分”不妥，应译成“错觉”。第三句是一个复杂的长句，应按原文的顺序拆分成若干短句。 整个 段落的译文要注意对比与因果的关系。) 司机不赶时间的时候碰到的红灯其实和赶时间的时候一样多； 只是如果时间不紧急， 红灯带 来的不 便要小得多。认为红灯出现的次数比绿灯多其实是一种错觉。产生这种错觉的原因很简单， 因为司 机有更多的时间去想红灯， 而绿灯的时候， 车子几秒钟之内就疾驰而过了——这其实和在畅 通的公 路上开车没有任何区别——而红灯却迫使司机改变行为， 一小会儿的时间里要强迫自己努力 一下, 承受点压力，还要失去一两分

钟的自由。所以红灯会深深地印在司机的脑海里，而绿灯转瞬 间就被 抛到脑后了。 2 Can anyone learn to sing? It’s a question that haunted me as I was writing my most recent book The Singing Neanderthals. My research had persuaded me that musicality is deeply embedded in the human genome, with far more ancient evolutionary roots than spoken language. Yet here I was, unable to carry a tune or match a rhythm. Friends and academic colleagues claimed this was simply because I had been “turned off” from music as a child and if only I took a few lessons I would find my voice. Maybe they were right. So humiliated was I by music teachers who made me “sing” alone in front of the class that I dropped music at the first opportunity and haven’t participated in anything musical for over 35 years. Perhaps I could learn to sing. (☞ 被动说法 I had been turned off from music 译成主动态更 好一些。倒 数第二句原文是倒装句，译文不必按原文的顺序译，但需把长句拆分成短句。) 人人都能学会唱歌吗？在撰写我最新出版的《唱着歌的尼安德特人》一书时，这个问题就一 直萦 绕在我的心头。 我做的研究让我相信音乐才能是深深植根于人类基因中的， 从进化史的角度 来说， 它比人类的口头语言都要古老得多。可是我本人一唱起歌来不是跑调，就是跟不上节奏。朋

友们 和学术同僚们都说，那都是因为我小时候对音乐失去了兴趣，只要上几节音乐课，我一定能 放声 歌唱。也许他们是对的。记得小时候，音乐老师们让我在全班同学面前独“唱”，让我觉得很 丢脸。 所以后来一有机会，我就躲开音乐，35 年来从来没有参加过任何音乐活动。说不定学一学 我也能 唱得不错。

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7 Translate the paragraphs into English. 1 媒体对于接连发生的两件惨剧之间没有任何关系的说法表示怀疑， 总统没有迅速作出反应 也让大家很 不满。谈到总统的执政能力，媒体早已失去信心，除非他能在随后的任期中有所作为。 (consecutive; independent of; responsive; when it comes to; if only) The media doubt the claim that the two consecutive tragedies were independent of each other, and are dissatisfied with the fact that the President was not responsive immediately. When it comes to his competence in running the government, the media have long lost their trust, if only he could do well in his subsequent term. 因为这种被羞辱的痛苦记忆可能会困扰 2 时刻牢记不要因为你的孩子成绩不好而羞辱他们， 孩子很长时 间，使他们从小就厌学，并且会妨碍他们形成积极的生活态度。只有当父母发现孩子身上的 优点，并 且不断鼓励他们，孩子的发展才能得以长久。(turn off from; humiliate; haunt; identify) Keep remembering that do not humiliate your child because they don’t gain good grades, as their memory of the humiliation will haunt them for a long time, turn them off from learning at an early age and prevent them from gaining positive attitudes towards life. The development of children can be sustained only when parents identify the strengths in their children and encourage them from time to time.

Unit8

Active reading (1)

Language points

1 She was called Katya, a dewy-eyed, sweet girl from Voronezh, who acc

epted Yakov on

his own reckoning. (Para 1) As dew falls in the early morning and symbolizes innocence and newness, the word dewy-eyed means innocent and lacking in experience about life. Reckoning means one’s own view and account. The sentence means that an innocent-looking girl from a less sophisticated city than Moscow was willing to believe Yakov’s own high opinion of himself. 2 On International Women’s Day, Soviet women bask in their menfolk’s love and gratitude. (Para 2) To bask means to relax in the sun. Here it depicts how comfortable and pleasant Soviet women feel on this day. 3 Their husbands, with much cursing and clattering of pans, cook breakfast for the family … (Para 2) The expression with much cursing and clattering of pans means with a lot of swearing and banging about – as they were not used to doing it, they made many mistakes. 4 A Soviet woman’s days are usually taken up with … nipping out of work at lunchtime to buy something for dinner … (Para 3) To nip out means to go out for a very short time probably unofficially. It is a slang and is similar to the expressions pop out and sneak out. 5 Their husbands … by drinking themselves into a stupor with toasts “to our beloved ladies …” (Para 4) Stupor is a state in which you cannot think, speak, see, or hear clearly, usually because you have drunk too much alcohol. Sadly, Russia does have a serious alcoholism problem and early death from overconsumption of vodka is far too common. 6 “I certainly will,” said Yakov, squeezing in between Liza Minelli and Katya and draping an arm around each of them. (Para 10) Yakov fit in between Liza Minelli and Katya although they were sitting close together, and put an arm around each girl. 7 Yuri and Emil

y arrived and we covered blinis with thick sour cream and red caviar and drank champagne, as families did all over Voronezh. (Para 13) Sour cream is fermented cream, which is smoother and thicker. Eastern European food is noted for its sour

flavours. Caviar usually refers to the roe or eggs of the sturgeon, a large fish, and is a very expensive special food. It can also refer to other commoner fish roes.

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Reading and understanding

4 Answer the questions. 1 How well does the writer know the Soviet Union? Not very well. The others have to explain the tradition of International Women’s Day to the writer. 2 What was Yakov doing when the writer met him? He was buying roses. 3 Where does the writer live? Room 99 of a hostel. 4 What do the Russian men do on International Women’s Day? They buy flowers for the women in their life and do some house chores for them. 5 What kind of daily life do Russian women usually have? They have a very busy life with lots of chores to do. 6 What do the Russian men do after they’ve prepared breakfast for their wives? They meet up with friends and drink themselves into a stupor. 7 What is the usual number of flowers to buy in Russia? An odd number. 8 Why did Yakov buy 14 flowers? He planned to give Katya five flowers and the girls in Room 99 three for each.

Dealing with unfamiliar words

5 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 to put something somewhere in a careless way, especially something that is heavy (dump) 2 to lie, sit, or lean in a relaxed or lazy way (lounge) 3 loved very much by someone (beloved) 4 to move somewhere quietly and secretly so that no one can see you or hear you (sneak) 5 a feeling of very strong anger that usually does not last very long (fury) 6 to talk about other people or about things that are not important (gossip) 6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in the box. 1 I unexpectedly met an old friend in the shopping mall yesterday. (bumped into) 2 The men demonstrate how true and honest their love for their wives is by drinking a lot. (sincere) 3 While the men are doing the shopping, the women will clean the carpets, and dust the room. (vacuum) 4 Please remain here and wait for a while – she will come back soon. (stick around) 5 I think it is a good idea to soak clothes before washing them. (advisable)

6 After hearing what he had been through, her eyes were full of tears. (filled up with)

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7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 If someone is dewy-eyed, are they likely to (a) lack experience about life, or (b) be in love? 2 If someone accepts you on your own reckoning, do they (a) accept you

without considering if you are what you claim to be, or (b) have a clear idea of your real character? 3 If you bask in your fame, do you (a) feel bothered, or (b) enjoy being famous? 4 Does charred mean (a) black and burnt, or (b) cooked perfectly? 5 If something shrivels in the summer heat, does it (a) grow rapidly, or (b) become smaller and not fresh? 6 If someone’s face turns scarlet, is it because they feel (a) embarrassed or angry, or (b) tired and hungry? 7 If you go to bed on the dot of 11 pm, do you sleep (a) at exactly 11 pm, or (b) around 11 pm? 8 If you pop into somewhere, do you (a) go there only for a short time, or (b) stay there for a long time? 9 If someone is in a stupor, are they unable to think or act normally because they’re (a) too sleepy, orunable to think or act normally because they’re (a) too sleepy, or (b) not completely conscious?

Active reading (2)

Chinese or Western, it’s a time to relax Language points

1 Their fears may be justified to a certain extent. (Para 4) The word justified means having an acceptable explanation or reason. The writer then gives the explanation in the following sentence. 2 For good or bad, the world has possibly undergone more changes … (Para 5) The writer does not want to get into the question of whether what has happened has been good or bad. The point is to agree that there has been change and it has consequences. 3 Television, we thought, was the last uniting factor till we got a feel for the Internet. (Para 5) The expression get a feel for something means to be ac

customed to something or to have or develop an understanding of something and skill in doing it. 4 Nothing comes without a rider in this global market. (Para 6) A rider is an American expression for a clause added to a law or legal document, often setting an extra condition.

The sentence means nothing in the modern world comes without some unexpected or unwanted consequences. 5 Be it on the mainland or in the highly developed West or in the poorest of societies, a festival carries the same meaning. (Para 7) The sentence means festivals have the same meaning whether in China, the advanced economies of the West or the least developed nations.

Reading and understanding

3 Choose the best way to complete the sentences. 1 The writer thinks the Chinese celebrate Christmas because (d) . (a) it’s a Western festival (b) the world has undergone a great deal of change (c) it’s a festival which carries the same meaning in both the East and the West (d) it has become a festival which is celebrated around the world, and everyone can relax during that time

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2 Some scholars fear that celebrating Christmas in China (a) . (a) may threaten Chinese culture (b) means that the Chinese blindly follow the West in

every way (c) causes Chinese festivals to lose their charm (d) is a good example of Western decadence 3 The Chinese attach more importance to Christmas than a couple of decades ago because (b) . (a) television and the Internet have become uniting factors (b) changes throughout the world make them look differently at the world and at China’s place in it (c) we belong to a global village (d) most of the world follows the Gregorian calendar 4 Enjoying a Western festival doesn’t mean that (c) . (a) the Chinese approve of Western decadence (b) the Chinese are left untouched by the festive season (c) the Chinese follow the West without thinking (d) the Chinese culture is free of decadence 5 The writer believes that the scholars and students (b) . (a) can save society from the influence of a world which is getting smaller (b) have a point of view which should not be rejected (c) are what are referred to as conservatives (d) are right in thinking Chinese festivals have lost their charm 6 The basic message of Christmas (d) .

(a) is similar to Eastern principles of helping others (b) has the same charm as Chinese festivals (c) is one of Western culture, which attracts youngsters more than other Chinese (d) is one of goodness, love of mankind and help for the poor which is relevant to everyone

Dealing with unfamiliar words

4 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 simple (humble) 2 to show that there is a good reason for something, especially something that other people think is wrong (justify) 3 to experience something, especially

something that is unpleasant but necessary (undergo) 4 a large meal for a lot of people, usually in order to celebrate something (feast) 5 a system for measuring the length of a year and dividing it into periods such as weeks and months (calendar) 6 a child, or a young person (youngster) 7 pleasant or attractive qualities or features (charm) 8 the quality of being morally good (goodness) 9 to express a strong opinion and try to persuade other people to accept it (preach)

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5 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 4. There is some (1) justification to scholars’ fears that a lot of Chinese (2) youngsters have recently become more interested in festivals from the Western (3) calendar, such as Christmas which I must admit does have some (4) charm. The world is (5) undergoing many changes, and even though we come from a genuinely modest and (6) humble culture, we’re more and more attracted by the bright lights and comforts of the West. But Christmas is actually a winter (7) feast and is similar to our own festivals because it (8) preaches the importance of being morally (9) good and showing love for mankind. 6 Answer the questions about the words and expressions in the box. 1 Is oriental likely to mean (a) Eastern, or (b) Western? 2 If you vent your feelings, do you (a) express them strongly, or (b) hide them? 3 Is an indigenous American likely to be (a) someone who has arrived from another country, or (b) someone who has lived in America before others arrived? 4 If you feel at one with something, are you likely to feel (a) unhappy and uncomfortable, or

(b) happy and relaxed with it? 5 Is zeal likely to be (a) great energy and enthusiasm, or (b) a lack of interest?

6 If you want to conserve something, do you want to (a) keep it as it is, or (b) change it? 7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 If you’re caught in a trance, are you likely to be (a) aware, or (b) unaware of your state? 2 If something happens for good or bad, do you (a) know, or (b) not know whether it will have good or bad results? 3 Is a rider likely to be (a) a condition to what has been said, in order to limit it, or (b) an addition to what has been said, adding extra information? 4 Is an anomaly likely to be (a) a contradiction, or (b) a usual feature? 5 Is skulduggery likely to be (a) secret activities that are intended to trick or cheat people, or (b) normal events in everyday life? 6 Are mundane affairs likely to be (a) interesting and exciting, or (b) not interesting and exciting? 7 Is decadence likely to be (a) highly moral behaviour, or (b) immoral behaviour? 8 If you shut your eyes and ears to something, do you (a) pay attention to it, or (b) refuse to pay attention to it?

Language in use

Be it / they ...

1 Rewrite the sentences using Be it / they … 1 Whether it’s Christmas or any other occasion, people like to spend some quality time with their families. Be it at Christmas or on any other occasion, people like to spend some

quality time with their families. 2 Whether it’s in good ways or bad, the world has changed in recent years. Be it in good ways or bad, the world has changed in recent years. 3 Whether it’s with a feast or a humble meal, people celebrate festivals in the same way around the world. Be it with a feast or a humble meal, people celebrate festivals in the same way around the world. 4 Whether children are good or naughty, they are blessings. Be they good or naughty, children are blessings. 5 Whether they are scholars or ordinary people, they cannot stop the world from getting smaller. Be they scholars or ordinary people, they cannot stop the world from getting smaller.

fronting

2 Rewrite the sentences using fronting. 1 It is not surprising that Christmas has become a global festival. That Christmas has become a global festival is not surprising.

2 It may be justified that scholars have expressed concern about the influence of Christmas. That scholars have expressed concern about the influence of Christmas may be justified. 3 It’s no different from our ancestors’ enjoying breaks that we enjoy an occasion to relax today. That we enjoy an occasion to relax today is no different from our ancestors’ enjoying breaks.

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4 It is the reason we celebrate Christmas that most of the world follows

the Gregorian calendar. That most of the world follows the Gregorian calendar is the reason we celebrate Christmas. 5 It is something we need to remember that decadence is not the sole preserve of the West. That decadence is not the sole preserve of the West is something we need to remember. 6 It is something we should not forget that Jesus was born in the East. That Jesus was born in the East is something we should not forget.

as

3 Rewrite the sentences using as . 1 The men, because they want to please their wives, leave them to sleep and go out to meet friends. The men, as they want to please their wives, leave them to sleep and go out to meet friends. 2 In the same way as people did all over Russia, they enjoyed blinis and champagne. They enjoyed blinis and champagne as people did all over Russia. 3 On International Women’s Day, because it’s important to buy flowers for the women in your life, the flower sellers were doing a busy trade. On International Women’s Day, as it’s important to buy flowers for the women in your life, the flower sellers were doing a busy trade. 4 In the same way as women do all over the world, a Soviet woman starts her day by getting the children ready for school. A Soviet woman starts her day by getting the children ready for school as women do all over the world.

collocations

4 Complete the sentences with the correct form of suitable expressions f

rom the collocation box. Sometimes more than one collocation is possible. 1 You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that. You scared me! 2 A festival can be a really difficult time if you are feeling down in the dumps because everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves when you’re not. 3 Notting Hill Carnival had very humble beginnings but it is now one of Britain’s biggest festivals.

4 You can sneak a preview of his new movie on the Internet. 5 It was really mean of him to dump his girlfriend in a Christmas card. 6 Festivals have their charm, even if you are not religious. 7 The party was a bit boring so we sneaked away when no one was looking. 8 After a while living in a big city began to lose its charm. 9 We ate a very humble meal of bread and cheese sitting in the park and watching the May Day parade. 10 I wish you could sneak me into your suitcase so that I could come with you! 5 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese. 1 On International Women’s Day, Soviet women bask in their menfolk’s love and gratitude. In the morning, as it is a holiday, they lounge in bed instead of going out to work. Their husbands, with much cursing and clattering of pans, cook breakfast for the family; by ten o’clock they proudly serve their

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wives a charred and shrivelled egg. Beside the woman’s plate will be a bunch of flowers and a little gift, a bottle of scent perhaps, or a pair of tights, which she will exclaim over until the children, scarlet with fury, insist that

their mother makes them their proper breakfast. (☞ pans 在原文中其实泛指 厨房里的 物件，译成汉语时应为“锅碗瓢盆”。) 在国际妇女节那一天, 苏联的妇女们沐浴在男性所给予的爱意和感激之中。 因为这一天是假 日，早 上她们不用去上班，可以懒洋洋地躺在床上。而她们的丈夫们则要为全家人做早饭，虽然嘴 里骂骂 咧咧的，还弄得锅碗瓢盆叮当乱响；到了十点，丈夫颇为自豪地把煎得焦糊糊、皱巴巴的鸡 蛋端到 妻子跟前。盘子边上还放着一束鲜花，一份小礼物，可能是一瓶香水或者一双裤袜，妻子会 高兴得 大叫起来，激动好一会儿，直到孩子们怒气冲冲地跑过来，小脸涨得通红，闹着要妈妈给他 们做一 顿像样的早餐。 2 For good or bad, the world has possibly undergone more changes in the past two decades than it did in the past two centuries. We have used more resources, burnt more fuel, caused more pollution and killed off more animals and plants as we have come closer to each other to form a truly global village. Television, we thought, was the last uniting factor till we got a feel for the Internet. All these changes have made us take a different look at the world beyond and our home within. Nothing

comes without a rider in this global market. If we want to be part of the dazzle and comfort that the West is known for, we had better accept some of its anomalies, too. This is not to say that festivals mean something else to the West. 不管是好是坏, 世界在过去二十多年间所经历的变化可能比过去两百年间所经历的还要多。 为了让 彼此间联系得更紧密，营造出一个真正的地球村，我们消耗了更多的资源，烧掉了更多的能 源，造 成了更多的污染，灭杀了更多的动植物。过去，我们一直把电视看作是连接全世界的终极手 段，直 到我们了解了互联网，才发现事实并非如此。 所有这些变化都让我们用另外一种眼光来看待外面的世界以及我们自己的家园。 在这个全球 市场中， 得到任何东西都是要付出代价的。 如果我们想拥有西方世界那著名的眩目而舒适的生活， 我 们也必 须接受西方文化中的一些异常事物。 当然， 这并不是

说节日对于西方人来说有着不同的意义。 6 Translate the paragraphs into English. 1 和妻子离婚之后，他知道自己将受到朋友们无穷无尽的指责，因为他们都听信流言，认为 他为了一个 更年轻的女人而抛弃了妻子。 每次在街上碰到朋友， 他们都会严厉地责备他不该背叛自己的 妻子。他 终于明白， 如果谣言一直不散的话， 人们会逐渐地信以为真。 (never hear the end of it; dump; bump into; stick around) When he divorced his wife, he knew that he would never hear the end of it from his friends, because they all believed the rumour that he had dumped her for a younger woman. Whenever he bumped into a friend in the street, they would reprimand him severely for betraying his wife. He realized with his own experience that if a rumour stuck around long enough, people would gradually take it as true. 2 在经历了这么多磨难后，他把所有的愤怒、不满和绝望都发泄在周围人身上了，不管他们 是家人还是 同事。对于他这些反常的行为我们不能视而不见，而要多给他一些关心和爱。我们相信，他 一定会重 拾信心， 挺过这段艰难时期。 (undergo; vent; be they …; shut one’s eyes and ears to; be bound to) After undergoing so many misfortunes, he vents all his anger, discontent and despair on people around him, be they families or colleagues. Instead of shutting our eyes and ears to his anomalies, we should offer him more cares and love. We believe he is bound to recollect himself and go through the tough

time.__