英文五十篇美文赏析

第一篇：英文五十篇美文赏析

五十篇美文赏析

Passage 1

Internet May Cause Depression Internet use appears to cause a decline in psychological well-being, according to research at Carnegie Mellon University.Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet experienced more depression and loneliness than those who logged on less frequently, the two-year study showed.And it wasn’t that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet, but that using the Net actually appeared to cause the bad feelings.Researchers are puzzling over the results, which were completely contrary to their expectations.They expected that the Net would prove socially healthier than television, since the Net allows users to choose their information and to communicate with others.The fact that Internet use reduces time available for family and friends may account for the drop in well-being, researchers hypothesized.Faceless, bodiless ―virtual‖ relationships formed through it may be shallower.Another possibility is that exposure to the wider world via the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives.―But it’s important to remember this is not about the technology;it’s about how it is used‖, says psychologist Christine Riley of Intel, one of the study’s sponsors.―It really points to the need for considering social factors in terms of how you design applications and services for technology.‖

Passage 2

Message from the Sea In 1956 a young sailor at sea was feeling very far from his family and friends.He wrote a note and put it into a bottle.Then he closed the bottle and threw it into the ocean.The note in the bottle asked any pretty girl who found it to write to him.Two years later a man was fishing on a shore in Sicily.The fisherman saw the sailor’s bottle and picked it up.As a joke, he gave it to his pretty daughter.Still as a joke, the girl wrote the lonely sailor a letter.More letters went back and forth.Soon the sailor visited Sicily.He and the girl were married in 1958.This is just one of the many stories about drifting bottles that have changed people’s lives.Strange as it may seem, a sealed bottle is a good traveler at sea.It can travel safely through storms that destroy ships.And glass well last almost forever.The speed of a drifting bottle changes with the wind and the ocean current.A bottle drifting in a quiet place may not move a mile in a month.Another bottle may move 100 miles in a day.But no one can be sure just where a bottle will go.For example, two bottles of the same size, shape and weight were dropped at the same time into the ocean near Brazil.The first bottle drifted east for 130 days.It was found on a shore in Africa.The second bottle went northwest for 196 days, and was found in Nicaragua.Two other bottles, which were thrown into middle of the Atlantic Ocean, landed 350 days later in France, only a few yards from each other.Passage 3

Identifying Supporting Details As we have noted, the main idea is usually strengthened by such details as examples, reasons, facts, and other specific details.All of these specific details are called supporting details.Without them, it would be difficult to fully understand the more general main idea.To illustrate, imagine a friend saying to you, ―My English teacher is terrible.‖ You would understand the general idea that your friend dose not like his English teacher, but you wouldn’t understand exactly why.Your friend might then go on to clarify with some supporting details: ―He is always late for class and he never corrects our homework.What’s more, he is very important with us and tends to get angry for no reason at all.‖ Those supporting details clarify your friend’s general comment, his English teacher is really terrible.These are two kinds of supporting details — major and minor.The main idea and its major supporting details form the basic framework of paragraphs.The major details are the primary points that support the main idea.Paragraphs often contain minor details as well.While the major details explain and develop the main idea, they, in turn, are expanded upon by the minor supporting details.An important reading skill is the ability to find these major details and to distinguish them from the minor ones.Clearly, both the major and minor details are needed for the reader to really understand the main idea.Passage 4

Caring for a Dog Dog owners are responsible for feeding and cleaning their pets.They should also oversee the health of their dogs.It’s best to consult a veterinarian at the first sign of a dog ailment.A dog can be fed the dry meal, biscuit, semi-moist and cellophane-wrapped, or canned type of dog food.Whichever type is selected must contain the carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins essential for the animal’s well-being.As a rule, the cost of feeding a large dog can be kept low by giving it the inexpensive dry meal type.A puppy should be housebroken as soon as possible.When the puppy takes its first water or food, note how long it takes for the puppy to urinate or defecate.When you discover the schedule, take the pup outside when the prescribed time has elapsed after feeding or drinking.Soon, the puppy will associate the outdoors with toilet function and will no longer soil the house or the newspapers that have been spread around its living area.Young puppies should not be excessively groomed.A daily brushing with a soft brush is sufficient to remove surface dust and dirt.Some authorities believe that to conserve its natural skin oils a pup should not be completely bathed until its first birthday.Mud and deep dirt in its coat, however, can be removed with a damp, warm washrag.Afterward, the puppy should be completely dried with a rough towel.A dog can then have a complete bath when it is old enough, but it must be kept in the house until thoroughly dry, especially during winter.Passage 5

Waterways Despite the road improvements of the turnpike era(1790-1830), Americans continued as in colonial times to depend wherever possible on water routes for travel and transportation.The larger rivers, especially the Mississippi and the Ohio, became increasingly useful as steamboats grew in number and improved in design.River boats carried to New Orleans the corn and other crops of northwestern farmers, the cotton and tobacco of southwestern planters.From New Orleans, ships took the cargoes on to eastern seaports.Neither the farmers of the west nor the merchant of the east were completely satisfied with this pattern of trade.Farmers could get better prices for their crops if the alternative existed of sending them directly eastward to market, and merchants could sell larger quantities of their manufactured goods if these could be transported more directly and more economically to the west.New waterways were needed.Sectional jealousies and constitutional scruples stood in the way of action by the federal government, and necessary expenditures were too great for private enterprise.If extensive canals were to be dug, the job would be up to the various states.New York was the first to act.It had the natural advantage of a comparatively level route between the Hudson River and Lake Erie, through the only break in the entire Appalachian Mountain chain.Yet the engineering tasks were imposing.The distance was more than 350 miles, and there were ridges to cross and a wilderness of woods and swamps to penetrate.The Erie Canal, begun in 1817 and completed in 1825, was by far the greatest construction job that Americans had ever undertaken.It quickly proved a financial success as well.The prosperity of the Erie encouraged the state to enlarge its canal system by building several branches.Passage 6

Cartoons Millions of people struggle out of bed each morning, fumble into some clothes, and make their way to a cup of coffee and the morning newspaper.They need something cheerful to remind them that the rest of the day will be less difficult than getting up.This need may be the reason that many of them turn their half-opened eyes to the comics section of the newspaper as they sip their first cups of coffee of the day.Cartoons reflect the times and the troubles and worries of people.They give people an opportunity to laugh at themselves and at familiar situations.In times of prosperity, for example, cartoons show people enjoying the good economic situation.They also make fun of the problems that people make for themselves — like making a problem out of which type of car to buy.In hard times — times of economic troubles — people want someone or something to blame their troubles on.Cartoons provide scapegoats.They also help people to see the humor in a not-so-funny situation.For example, a cartoon might say that government of a country is responsible for the bad economy and also show the government leaders as a group of ridiculous people.Being able to use the leaders as scapegoats and to laugh at the leaders somehow makes people feel better about their situation.Cartoons also make people laugh at their own personal worries.Young people who are not always sure of how to act can smile at their awkwardness.Old people whose grown children pay little attention to them can chuckle at their neglect and loneliness.Students who have studied too little before examination can laugh at their anxiety.Everyone’s problems are made bigger-than-life in the comics.Perhaps the problems seem funny because there is humor in something that is real being made unreal.Passage 7

A Society of Employees Ours has become a society of employees.A hundred years or so ago only one out of every five Americans at work was employed, i.e., worked for somebody else.Today only one out of five is not employed but working for himself.And when fifty years ago ―being employed‖ meant working as a factory laborer or as a farmhand, the employee of today is increasingly a middle-class person with a substantial formal education, holding a professional or management job requiring intellectual and technical skills.Indeed, two things have characterized American society during these last fifty years: middle-class and upper-class employees have been the fastest-growing groups in our working population — growing so fast that the industrial worker, that oldest child of the Industrial Revolution, has been losing in numerical importance despite the expansion of industrial production.Yet you will find little if anything written on what it is to be an employee.You can find a great deal of very dubious advice on how to get a job or how to get a promotion.You can also find a good deal of work in a chosen field, whether it be the mechanist’s trade or bookkeeping.Every one of these trades requires different skills, sets different standards, and requires a different preparation.Yet they all have employeeship in common.And increasingly, especially in the large business or in government, employeeship is more important to success than the special professional knowledge or skill.Certainly more people fail because they do not know the requirements of being an employee than because they do not adequately possess the skills of their trade;the higher you climb the ladder, the more you get into administrative or executive work, the greater the emphasis on ability to work within the organization rather than on technical abilities or professional knowledge.Passage 8

Snoring Kids Do Worse in School Children who snore perform worse at school, according to a new study by German scientists.―Our study clearly showed that snoring has a detrimental effect on children’s performance in school,‖ said Christian Poets, head of a joint study by the University of Tuebingen and the Hanover Medical School.Scientists monitored the sleeping behavior of 1,144 school children aged between eight to ten in the western city of Hanover, measuring pulse rates and blood oxygen levels.The study showed that children who snored continually were three to four times as likely as non-snorers to get poor marks in math, spelling and elementary sciences.Snorers had more variable pulse rates, and Poets suggested this led snorers to wake up more tired than other children, making it harder to concentrate.―We believe the interruptions to sleep caused by snoring affect school performance, not an occasional reduction in the(blood)oxygen content snoring can produce,‖ Poets told reporters.The study matched the findings of scientists at the University of Louisville in the United States, who presented research recently showing that children who snore are more likely to have problems with learning and behavior than those who do not.Passage 9

Matching Products and Markets Marketing has been defined as the process of matching an organization’s resources with customer needs.The result of this process is a product.The need, therefore, for the organization to remain dynamic is obvious because the product is the only key to the organization’s solvency and profitability.No matter how else the organization runs itself cost-effectively and sensibly, if the product is not selling well then the money simply will not be coming in, company and consumer are interdependent.Successful product management depends on the organization knowing how and if the current product range meets consumer and organizational objectives.One way of doing this, as previously described, is to conduct detailed benefit analysis segmentation.The most important attitude towards product management is to view the product as only one part of the marketing mix which also includes price, place and promotion.In this way, the product is viewed as a variable which can be adapted or even changed radically to meet a changing market.How it can be changed will depend on several factors within and outside the organization, including the organization’s resources, market conditions and opportunities and competitive threats.Passage 10

Work, Play and Rest Hard work over a long period of time brings genuine tiredness, to which body and mind eventually make the natural response of sleep.But long before this point is reached we are often afflicted with lassitude.After a day’s work, for instance, we settle down in an easy chair to watch television.Before long we feel drowsy and nod off to sleep;perhaps we stay in front of the screen all evening, intermittently dozing, until finally we decide that our day’s work was exhausting and we retire to bed early.On another occasion, after a similar day’s work, we may spend the evening playing tennis, or building a needed bookcase, or mapping out a planned addition to the house, or in delightful conversation with charming friends, without any feeling of exhaustion or weariness.Now, on the television evening were we genuinely tired or not? And is such an evening refreshing or debilitating? There is a need for much more careful study of the nature of play, rest, and fatigue, and the relationship between them.Cyril Burt carried out an experiment with two matched groups of children who were very backward in arithmetic.One group was given an extra arithmetic lesson every afternoon while the other group slept.At the end of the term the ―sleepers‖ had improved in arithmetic more than those specially coached.Of course, there are many variables that might be causally involved here, but the results should make us question the assumption that ―work‖ is the productive sphere and ―play‖ the unproductive sphere.We all need to rest.But in order to understand the kind of rest an organism needs, we must study the nature of the organism.The way in which they rest, however, is by gradually reverting to the normal rhythm of breathing, not by stopping.This is because they are built for action.Similarly, everything intended to act, from muscles to minds, can find rest in natural action as well as in inertia.Passage 11 A Glimpse at the Life of Senior Viennese Like many other metropolises in the world, Vienna has entered an old-age society.I must say, in a country with high social welfare benefits like Austria, aged people needn’t worry about their primary needs of livelihood.The all-embracing social welfare system facilitates people in their advanced age.In addition to the subsidies and insurances of every description, there are other favours such as traveling by train, visiting museums and attending operas at cut prices all on account of your old age.Yet, we all know that supply of provisions and clothing is only one aspect of life;man’s demand on life is many-sided.Higher the civilization, higher is man’s psychological aspiration.This is especially true of old folks.Like young people, they have the need of cultural life, the need of recreation and amusement, the need of dignity and the need of accomplishment.Besides, having traversed greater part of their lives and unwilling to leave behind too many regrets, they want to, in their remaining years, make their lives easier and more substantial.During my stay in Vienna, I found that all the elderly people I met with seemed to enjoy their lives enormously.Contagiously, I couldn’t help admiring them for their positive attitude toward life, especially their optimism.Passage 12

Scanning Scanning is a search for information which is of some special interest.A student has first to know the arrangement for information before he or she can start his or her search efficiently.Much of the reference material is arranged alphabetically.A dictionary, an encyclopedia, and index of a book, or a telephone directory is usually arranged alphabetically for easy and quick location of information.But not all material is arranged this way.TV programs, for instance, are listed by day and time.Historical data and tables may be listed by month and year.And sports pages of the newspaper are arranged by category: football, tennis, basketball, and so on.At times if you are trying to locate specific information, you usually need not read the whole material carefully.What you have to do is try to find in which part that information is likely to be, then read this part with more attention.This is called ―scanning‖.Scanning, in itself, is not a completely new thing to you though it is perhaps the first time that you heard of the term.It is a technique often used when you look up a word in a dictionary.The purpose in scanning, as you know, is to search for specific information quickly.Thus, a high rate of speed is essential.Once you have located the appropriate part of the material, you should try to learn the information in the least amount of time.You are supposed not to be distracted by words or ideas unrelated to the purpose of scanning.Meanwhile, accuracy is just as essential as speed in scanning.Since you are looking for specific information, it is important that it be accurate.100 percent accuracy, along with the first-rate speed, should be your goal in scanning practice.Passage 13

Sea Lion’s Long Memories Shake up Biologists A California sea lion called Rio has astounded her trainers and may shake up the world of animal science after remembering a complicated trick for 10 years without ever practicing, researchers say.Shown cards with designs on them, Rio—at 16 a good age for a sea lion in captivity—picked out matching pairs without hesitation, in return for a reward of a fish.She first learnt to recognize pairs when she was six, but spent the next ten years learning new tasks, without a single reminder of this older one.Scientists have done little research into the long-term memory of animals, and many assumed it is relatively limited.But researchers said Rio’s astonishing response may force a rethink of how animal minds function.―It was mind-boggling.We thought she would lose something because she was not exposed to any of this material for ten years,‖ Ron Schusterman, one of the two scientists who trained Rio, told reporters in an interview.As well as shaking up what biologists think about long-term animal memory, Schusterman said their results are also important because they help prove animals can think even though they cannot express their thoughts in language and may give clues to how language developed in human beings.Passage 14

Make Writing Clear and Complete In writing, nothing can be more irritating and sometimes frustrating than the omission of essential detail.Suppose, for example, the shirts you manufacture come in several styles, colors, and sizes, but the order you have received in the mail gives no specifications.Or someone writes down a telephone message from your out-of-town friends, telling you they’re going to be in the city and will drop in to see you;but the message contains no date, no time, and nothing to indicate whether they are coming alone or with their children.And there are the instructions for setting up your hi-fi phonograph and tape recorder which take for granted that you know what a ―patch cord‖ is.Unquestionably there is virtue in brevity, but as these examples show, you must never assume that your reader is as expert or as knowledgeable as you are about whatever you are writing.Brevity is not an excuse for lack of clarity.And clarity, above all, is essential to what you have to say on paper.Clarity, precision, conciseness — each is of utmost importance to effective writing.But what of style, the way in which you pen your correspondence, business or social? Certainly you want to avoid stiffness and rigidity in any kind of writing you do.At the same time, you wouldn’t write a report on the market conditions in Hong Kong in the ―chummy‖ manner of a letter to a cousin in Duluth or to that college roommate who has just become president of some giant, and competitive, organization.The simplest and best approach toward developing your own particular style in writing is to write as you speak.This would seem to be just about as easy a task as you could set yourself — but in reality it isn’t.That old mystique which hovers over the written word seems to get into the way;even when we use a dictaphone to bridge the gap between what we wish to say and what we put to paper, the subliminal discomfort still lingers.Passage 15

Is TV a Plus or a Minus? TV is not only a convenient and cheap service of entertainment, but also a splendid mass medium of communication.People only have to pay once to buy the TV set, then they can sit at home enjoying the items on TV.All they have to do is to push a button or turn a knob, and they can see plays, films, operas and shows of every kind.TV keeps us well informed about the current events at home and abroad and the latest development in science and technology.The most distant countries and the strangest customs are brought right into our room.On TV everything is much more living and much more real.As a matter of fact, it has become so much a part of human life that a modern world without television is unimaginable.Some people even say that life without television is not worth living.Some people argue against TV.They think the TV viewers need do nothing.The viewer does not even have to use his legs if he has a remote control.Many people are glued to seats to look at the movements on TV.They become so dependent on its pictures that it begins to control their lives.As a result, TV is taking up too much of a person’s life and making him lazy, not to mention its harmful influence upon him, such as the items of violence and pornography on television in some countries.On the whole, there are more advantages than disadvantages in the use of TV.Yet different people may have different attitude toward TV.But we must realize that television in itself is neither good nor bad.Its value to people and society depends on how we look at it.Passage 16

Male and Female Roles Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labor.Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children.These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunities for men or women to exchange their roles.But by the middle of this century, men’s and women’s roles were becoming less firmly fixed.In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American.But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture.The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class American goals.The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices.Taking more interest in child care, men began to share child-rising tasks with their wives.In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where economic and child care responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes.In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier.Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women’s liberation, produced additional economic and social changes.Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers.Most of them still took traditional women’s jobs such as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work.But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work.Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women.Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these changes.Passage 17

Packaging a Person A person, like a commodity, needs packaging.But going too far is absolutely undesirable.A little exaggeration, however, does no harm when it shows the person's unique qualities to their advantage.To display personal charm in a casual and natural way, it is important for one to have a clear knowledge of oneself.A master packager knows how to integrate art and nature without any traces of embellishment, so that the person so packaged is no commodity but a human being, lively and lovely.A young person, especially a female, radiant with beauty and full of life, has all the favor granted by God.Any attempt to make up would be self-defeating.Youth, however, comes and goes in a moment of doze.Packaging for the middle-aged is primarily to conceal the furrows ploughed by time.If you still enjoy life's exuberance enough to retain self-confidence and pursue pioneering work, you are unique in your natural qualities, and your charm and grace will remain.Elderly people are beautiful if their river of life has been, through plains, mountains and jungles, running its course as it should.You have really lived your life which now arrives at a complacent stage of serenity indifferent to fame or wealth.There is no need to resort to hair-dyeing—the snow-capped mountain is itself a beautiful scene of fairyland.Let your looks change from young to old synchronizing with the natural ageing process so as to keep in harmony with nature, for harmony itself is beauty, while the other way round will only end in unpleasantness.To be in the elder's company is like reading a thick book of deluxe edition that fascinates one so much as to be reluctant to part with.As long as one finds where one stands, one knows how to package oneself, just as a commodity establishes its brand by the right packaging.Passage 18

Advantages of Travel Nowadays, more and more people are interested in traveling.Travel is beneficial to us in at least three ways.First, by traveling we can enjoy the beautiful scenery in different places.We will see with our own eyes many places read of in books, and visit some famous cities and scenic spots.Second, we will meet people with different interests and see strange and different things when we travel.We can get ideas of the conditions and customs of other people, taste various foods and local flavours if we like.In this way, we can understand how differently other people live.Third, travel will not only help us to gain knowledge of geography and history and other knowledge, which will arouse our deep love for our motherland, but also will help us keep healthy and make us less narrow-minded.Travel does benefit us both mentally and physically.With all these advantages of travel, it is no wonder that travel has now become more popular than ever in China.Passage 19

Problems with Automobiles America is the land of the automobile.This country has only 6 percent of the world’s population but 46 percent of the world’s cars.Right now, there are 97 million privately owned cars consuming 75 billion gallons of gasoline and traveling an estimated 1,000 billion miles a year.The figures also affirm something we know every time we refill our gasoline tank.The automobile is a very thirsty piece of technology.Of the total petroleum supply in the United States, 30 percent goes to quench that thirst.Every year for each passenger car, about 800 gallons of gasoline are consumed.Other aspects of our commitment to the automobile also bear mentioning here.It takes a great deal of energy to manufacture one automobile — about 150 million BTU’s of technology.This is equivalent to 1,200 gallons of gasoline, enough to run a car for about 16,000 miles.We expend energy in the process of shipping cars from factories to showrooms, displaying them for sale and making replacement parts for repairs.One out of six jobs in the nation is associated with the automobile business.About two gallons of gasoline are consumed in the process of making every ten gallons that are pumped into an automobile’s gas tank.Building highways and parking lots has used up much of our land.It has been estimated that we have paved over 21,000 square miles of this country’s surface, most of it to accommodate the automobile.The automobile is also the largest contributor to our nation’s air pollution problem and a very serious one because most of its pollutants are emitted in our large metropolitan areas.Passage 20

Punctuality Punctuality means observing regular or appointed time.A man who gets up at seven o’clock every morning is punctual.A man who has promised to call on a friend at five o’clock in the afternoon and actually does so at that hour is also punctual.Punctuality is a good habit, and unpunctuality is a bad one.A few minutes’ delay may not be a serious matter, but it may have bad results, getting up five minutes later than usual may upset the plan of the day.Calling on a friend five minutes later than the appointed time may cause him some unexpected trouble.Moreover, habitual unpunctuality leads to indolence and even failure in life.One delay after another makes a man unable to exert himself.It also proves him to be untrustworthy.Those who are unpunctual should try their best to get rid of their bad habit.In doing this, they should avoid making any kind of exception.They should never say to themselves: ―A few minutes’ delay does not matter this time.I shall never be unpunctual again.‖ Those who think in this way will find excuses for delay from time to time, and will at last give up the attempt to cultivate the good habit.Like all other good habits, punctuality becomes second nature with those who have duly cultivated it.Passage 21

Country The crisis in rural England has come to a head with several long-term problems erupting simultaneously, but how it’s to be resolved is far from clear.Crime in the country is still lower than in the towns but it is rising at a faster rate, a result of increased mobility and the perception of relatively easy pickings.It is more straightforward to police cities than the countryside and the village bobby will remain a memory.Instead, the solutions will be high-tech: electronic alarm systems, fences armed with sensors, automatic gates.The social divide between the rich and the poor in rural areas will become more marked, but—as with crime—dealing with poverty in the countryside is going to be more problematic than in the towns because it is so dispersed.Transport is a big issue: while it’s desirable to reduce dependency on cars, there is still no real alternative in the countryside—the railways are at capacity and the network is truncated anyway.I see daily commuting diminishing, though, because of the cost in both time and money.The next 50 years could see many urban problems being solved, and that could mean the countryside benefits as people rediscover the convenience of cities.Passage 22

Setting the Price How are prices set? Through most of history, prices were set by buyers and sellers negotiation with each other.Sellers would ask for a higher price than they expected to receive, and buyers would offer less than they expected to pay.Through bargaining, they would arrive at an acceptable price.Setting one price for all buyers is a relative modern idea.It was given impetus by the development of large-scale retailing at the end of the nineteenth century.F.W.Woolworth, Tiffany and Co., John Wanamaker, J.L.Hudson, and others advertised a ―strictly one price policy‖ because they carried so many items and supervised so many employees.Through most of history, price has operated as the major determinant of buyer choice.This is still true in poorer nations, among poorer groups and with commodity-type product.However, nonprice factors have become relatively more important in buyer-choice behavior in recent decades.Yet price still remains one of the most important elements determining company market share and profitability.Passage 23 Why Do I Want to Attend Graduate School? Upon graduating from the university, every student is facing a big, practical problem, that is, to make a choice for his/her future career.However, the choice varies from person to person.Some students want to find jobs in joint ventures, desiring to earn more money.Some dream of furthering their studies in the U.S., so they work hard to pass TOEFL and GMAT.Also, there are unambitious ones who are indifferent to the choice of career and think that any kind of job will satisfy their desire.Only a small number of students are at a loss what to choose.As to me, I am determined to enter graduate school and I am fully supported by my parents.I have many reasons for choosing to attend graduate school.The fundamental one is that in graduate school I can enrich my mind with the most advanced professional knowledge in my specialty.I believe that the more I learn, the better equipped I will be with modern knowledge, and the more probable I will succeed in my pursuit.Some people suggest that I study while working.Well, it’s not unreasonable to think that way.However, I would like to concentrate on my study while I am young, and I think three years of graduate study will undoubtedly benefit my whole life.In addition, I am sure that I will certainly have more opportunities to get a satisfactory job in the future with the profound knowledge I get in graduate school.I believe in myself.Passage 24

The True Meaning of Education With the rapid development of society, almost everyone wants to be educated.However, many people hold an erroneous view towards education.They think, probably most parents do, that through education, they will, or their children will, turn out to be either prominent scholars or rich merchants.To them, education suggests merely fame or wealth.The aim of education, in my understanding, is set upon a deeper and more important target-mental culture and moral training.When we study at school or at the university, we are certainly aiming at a profound learning of various subjects, for that is one of the essential things and a fundamental indispensable for building up our future career.Equally important is the moral education which we must receive either at school or at the university, for building our character.On the other hand, education does not simply mean ―going to school‖.We cannot consider ourselves well-educated and superior just because we are the fortunate ones who can go somewhere to study, thus looking down upon those who cannot get such golden chances as ours.It is a truth universally known that a doctor is different from a blacksmith is not because the former has received high education and the latter has not.To conclude my essay, I would like to quote an old saying ―Learn whatever it may be, wherever you can, and whenever you will‖, and this I think, is the true meaning of education.Passage 25 A Good Teacher, a Good Luck A teacher, it is said, is compared to God who blew a breath into nostrils of clay and the clay began to breathe.A good teacher is good luck of a student.I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists.It might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.I shall speak only of my first teacher because in addition to the other things, she brought discovery.She aroused us to shouting, bookwaving discussions.She had the noisiest class in school and she didn’t even seem to know it.We could never stick to the subject.She breathed curiosity into us so that we brought in facts or truths shielded in our hands like captured fireflies.She was fired and perhaps rightly so, for falling to teach fundamentals.Such things must be learned.But she left a passion in us for the pure knowable world and she inflamed me with a curiosity, which has never left.I could not do simple arthmetic but through her I sensed that abstract mathematics was very much like music.When she was relieved, sadness came over us but the light did not go out.She left her sigature on us, the literature of the teacher who writes on minds.I have had many teachers who told me soon —forgotten backs but only one who created in me a new thing, a new attitude and a new hunger.Passage 26

Youth Youth is not a time of life;it is a state of mind;it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees;it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions;it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.This often exists in a man of 60 more than a boy of 20.Nobody grows old merely by a number of years.We grow old by deserting our ideals.Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spring back to dust.Whether 60 or 16, there is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing childlike appetite of what’s next and the joy of the game of living.In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station: so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young.When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at 20, but as long as your aerials are up, to catch waves of optimism, there is hope you may die young at 80.Passage 27

Three Passions I Have Lived For Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy—ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of my life for a few hours for this joy.I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness—that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss.I have sought it, finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined.This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what—at last—I have found.With equal passion I have sought knowledge.I have wished to understand the hearts of men.I have wished to know why the stars shine….A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens.But always pity brought me back to earth.Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart.Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people as hated burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be.I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.This has been my life.I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.Passage 28

Love Your Life However mean your life is, meet it and live it;do not shun it and call it hard names.It is not so bad as you are.It looks poorest when you are richest.The fault-finder will find faults in paradise.Love your life, poor as it is.You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours even in a poor-house.The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man's abode;the snow melts before its door as early in the spring.I do not see but a quiet mind may live as contentedly there, and have as cheering thoughts, as in a palace.The town's poor seem to me often to live the most independent lives of all.Maybe they are simply great enough to receive without misgiving.Most think that they are above being supported by the town;but it often happens that they are not above supporting themselves by dishonest means which should be more disreputable.Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage.Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends, Turn the old, return to them.Things do not change;we change.Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.Passage 29

Smile I was sure that I was to be killed.I became terribly nervous.I fumbled in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which had escaped their search.I found one and because of my shaking hands, I could barely get it to my lips.But I had no matches, they had taken those.I looked through the bars at my jailer.He did not make eye contact with me.I called out to him ―Have you got a light?‖ He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette.As he came close and lit the match, his eyes inadvertently locked with mine.At that moment, I smiled.I don't know why I did that.Perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile.In any case, I smiled.In that instant, it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls.I know he didn't want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips, too.He lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.I kept smiling at him, now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer.And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension too.―Do you have kids?‖ he asked.―Yes.Here, here.‖ I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family.He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them.My eyes filled with tears.I said that I feared that I'd never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up.Tears came to his eyes, too.Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently led me out, out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town.There, at the edge of town, he released me.And without another word, he turned back toward the town.My life was saved by a smile.Yes, the smile ― the unaffected, unplanned, natural connection between people.I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could recognize each other, we wouldn't be enemies.We couldn't have hate or envy or fear.Passage 30 Living up to Your New Year’s Resolution

Midnight on New Year's Eve is the traditional time to make great resolutions: ―I really mustn't drink as much as I did last year,‖ or ―This year I am going to start exercising.‖ But in the cold hard light of New Year's Day, it is easy to decide that the promises we made to ourselves are just too hard to keep.When we fail to live up to these goals, we walk away a bit damaged.The experience of not carrying through a personal goal chips away at our self-esteem and makes us feel less successful.But the difference between good intentions and failed intentions comes down to one thing: knowing that self-change is one of the hardest things we will ever do.If you're making a resolution, then it pays to do a bit of planning and give yourself a better chance of succeeding.If your resolution is to start running every morning then give yourself a hand: the night before your run, lay out those running clothes beside your bed.It will be easier to get yourself into the routine of getting ready and getting yourself out the door.Strategies like these are called ―implementation intentions‖ and they help you get the good habits started.It's also a good idea to get used to new habits at a gentle pace.If you want to stop smoking and you're a ―pack-a-day‖ person, then don't go the whole hog and give up entirely overnight.Part of you will still want that cigarette, so wean yourself off them gradually.Start by cutting down and give yourself realistic goals to achieve every week.One more thing to remember is that everybody slips up sometimes.There will come a day when your resolution slips and you find yourself sliding back into those old bad habits.Don't take this as an opportunity to give up completely, tell yourself that tomorrow will be better.It always is.Passage 31

Public Houses in Britain Visiting a pub is one of Britain’s oldest forms of entertainment.The idea for the first public houses was brought to Britain thousands of years ago by the conquering Roman army.The first pubs served only wine, but after the discovery of hops in the fourteenth century, pubs began to serve mainly beer and ale, as they do today.Today, there are 61,000 pubs in the United Kingdom.One of the oldest, Fighting Cocks in St.Albans, Herts, is located in a building that dates back to the 11th century.Modern pubs are often owned by English breweries and serve only their owner’s products.British pubs are required to have a license, which is difficult to obtain, and operate between 11 a.m.and 11 a.m.every day except Sunday, when they must close at 10:30 p.m.The drinking age in Britain is eighteen, but fourteen-year-olds may enter a pub unaccompanied if they order a meal.Children may enter a pub with their parents until 9 p.m., which lets families enjoy reasonably priced pub meals together, and allows pubs to continue in their traditional roles as community centers.Passage 32

Opportunity The air we breathe is so freely available that we take it for granted.Yet without it we could not survive more than a few minutes.For the most part, the same air is available to everyone, and everyone needs it.Some people use the air to sustain them while they sit around and feel sorry for themselves.Others breathe in the air and use the energy it provides to make a magnificent life for themselves.Opportunity is the same way, it is everywhere.Opportunity is so freely available that we take it for granted.Yet opportunity alone is not enough to create success.Opportunity must be seized and acted upon in order to have value.So many people are so anxious to ―get in‖ on a ―ground floor opportunity,‖ as if the opportunity will do all the work.That’s impossible.Just as you need air to breathe, you need opportunity to succeed.It takes more than just breathing in the fresh air of opportunity, however.You must make use of that opportunity.That’s not up to the opportunity.That’s up to you.It dosen’t matter what ―floor‖ the opportunity is on.What matters is what you do with it.Passage 33 The place of Science and Technology in Modern Life

Human life can not continue without science and technology.For many years, human society has developed with the advance of science and technology while the development of science and technology has in turn brought the process to mankind.So the life we are living now is more civilized than that of our fore fathers.The development of science and technology has brought about many changes in people's life.For example, the invention of television and space rocket has opened a new era for mankind.Through the use of TV people can hear the sound and learn the events happening thousands of miles away.Owing to the invention of spaceship and rocket, the dream of man's landing on the moon has now come true.Science and technology also play an important role in our socialist construction.We may say, our socialist construction is just like a skyscraper, while science and technology is its base.Without the base, the skyscraper can't be built.Therefore, we should try our best to contribute to the development of science and technology so as to provide a more solid base to build our country.Passage 34

Spring Festival Spring Festival, the most important holiday for the Chinese, marking the start of the lunar new year, is built on tradition and an array of centuries old customs.The celebrations begin on new year's eve, which falls on February 17 this year, and continues for two weeks until the Lantern Festival, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, or March 4.Just as people spend weeks, and sometimes months, preparing for Christmas, the Chinese prepare for this family reunion festival a long time in advance.They hit the shops, clean their homes and stock up on everything from oil and rice to fruit, candies, nuts, new clothes and shoes for the children and gifts for the elderly, friends and relatives.People decorate their homes to create a festival atmosphere.Two things that should never be forgotten are spring couplets(chunlian)and firecrackers.In a typical Chinese home, you will see all the door panels pasted with spring couplets, Chinese calligraphy on red paper, as well as fireworks in bunches resting in the corner of the room.These are two basic tools required to expel evil, especially the Nian monster.Chinese use the term guonian(pass the year)to describe their happiness at celebrating the year, as guo means ―passing‖ and ―survival‖.While Nian was originally the name of a beast who came to the village to prey on humans on new year's eve.Legend had it that the Nian had an enormous mouth that can swallow hundreds of people with just one bite.Although a powerful monster, it was afraid of two things the ―magic‖ peach-wood charms hung on the gate of each home and fireworks.When the firecrackers were lit, the monster fled.At new year, people continue to celebrate this auspicious event.Passage 35

Skyscrapers and Environment In the late 1960's, many people in North America turned their attention to environmental problems, and new steel-and-glass skyscrapers were widely criticized.Ecologists pointed out that a cluster of tall buildings in a city often overburdens public transportation and parking lot capacities.Skyscrapers are also lavish consumers, and wasters, of electric power.In one recent year, the addition of 17 million square feet of skyscraper office space in New York City raised the peak daily demand for electricity by 120, 000 kilowatts—enough to supply the entire city of Albany, New York, for a day.Glass-walled skyscrapers can be especially wasteful.The heat loss(or gain)through a wall of half-inch plate glass is more than ten times that through a typical masonry wall filled with insulation board.To lessen the strain on heating and air-conditioning equipment, builders of skyscrapers have begun to use double-glazed panels of glass, and reflective glasses coated with silver or gold mirror films that reduce glare as well as heat gain.However, mirror-walled skyscrapers raise the temperature of the surrounding air and affect neighboring buildings.Skyscrapers put a severe strain on a city's sanitation facilities, too.If fully occupied, the two World Trade Center towers in New York City would alone generate 2.25 million gallons of raw sewage each year—as much as a city the size of Stanford, Connecticut, which has a population of more than 109, 000.Passage 36

Snacks Snacks are I suppose defined as things that we eat between regular meals.In fact, if you are eating something and it is not breakfast, lunch or dinner-time then it is a snack.So, if you are having an apple sometime in the afternoon then that apple is a snack.However, on the whole when we talk about snacks we are not really talking about fruit and healthy things.The category of snacks is usually filled with things that are not so good for us.What are these traditional snacks? Chips, or as they are called in Britain, crisps, are a favourite snack and as with most popular snacks they are not a healthy option.Laden with grease because of their origin in the fat fryer they are the dieters curse.Another great favourite is chocolate and again it is a food option that is well capable of converting a sleek physique into something a little more wobbly!Regarding the healthiness of snacks a big problem of so many of the regular popular options out there is generally their low quality.What you might buy in the stores on the high streets has been mass produced with all sorts of rubbish added to boost the flavour at minimum cost.If you were to actually get many of these snack types made at home then they would probably be a lot better for you.For instance, chocolate comes from South America.The original examples of chocolate are very different to what we are now used to.Our chocolate has so much sugar and fat added to it that it would be quite unpalatable to someone used to the traditional version.However, because we have all been brought up on food and snacks with no subtlety of flavour then we cannot appreciate the more traditional examples of snacks.So because of this way our snacks are made we have developed a love-hate relationship with them.Our taste buds demand the satisfaction only snacks can give but the diet industry condemns them as the road to obesity.So there is a conflict between the advertising of snacks and promotion of the lifestyle associated with them of having a good time and the attack on them as dangerous to our health from the just as aggressive diet industry.My advice is to ignore the propaganda of both sides and enjoy snacks for what they are, which means bearing in mind that too much is too bad.Passage 37

The Immigration to America A look at the history of the United States indicates that this country has often been called ―a melting pot‖, where various immigrant and ethnic groups have learned to work together to build a unique nation.Even those ―original‖ Americans, the Indians, probably walked a land bridge from Asia to North America some thousands of years ago.So, who are the real Americans? The answer is that any and all of them are!And you, no matter where you come from, could also become an American should you want to.Then you would become another addition to America's wonderfully rich ―nation of immigrants‖.The United States is currently shifting from being a nation of immigrants of mainly European descent to one of immigrants from other parts of the world, such as Asia and Latin America.The number of recent immigrants has skyrocketed.They desire to escape economic hardship and political oppression in their native countries as well as the desire to seek a better education and a more prosperous life in America, ―the land of opportunity‖.Although there are frequent conflicts between the cultures they have brought with them from the ―old country‖ and those found in America, most immigrants learn to adjust to and love their adopted land.Americans have also learned much from the customs and ideas of the immigrants and are often influenced by them in subtle and interesting ways.Immigrants bring their native cultural, political, and social patterns and attitudes, varied academic and religious backgrounds, as well as their ethnic arts, sports, holidays, festivals, and foods.They have greatly enriched American life.Passage 38

Chinatown in New York On the surface, Chinatown is prosperous—a ―model slum,‖ some have called it—with the lowest crime rate, highest employment and least juvenile delinquency of any city district.Walk through its crowded streets at any time of day, and every shop is doing a brisk and businesslike trade: restaurant after restaurant is booming;there are storefront displays of shiny squids, clawing crabs and clambering lobster;and street markets offer overflowing piles of exotic green vegetables, garlic and ginger root.Chinatown has the feel of a land of plenty, and the reason why lies with the Chinese themselves: even here, in the very core of downtown Manhattan, they have been careful to preserve their own way of dealing with things, preferring to keep affairs close to the bond of the family and allowing few intrusions into a still-insular culture.There have been several concessions to Westerners—storefront signs now offer English translations, and Haagen Dazs and Baskin Robbins ice-cream stores have opened on lower Mott Street—but they can't help but seem incongruous.The one time of the year when Chinatown bursts open is during the Chinese New Year festival, held each year on the first full moon after January 19, when a giant dragon runs down Mott Street to the accompaniment of firecrackers, and the gutters run with ceremonial dyes.Beneath the neighborhood's blithely prosperous facade, however, there is a darker underbelly.Sharp practices continue to flourish, with traditional extortion and protection rackets still in business.Non-union sweatshops – their assembly lines grinding from early morning to late into the evening—are still visited by the US Department of Labor, who come to investigate workers' testimonies of being paid below minimum wage for seventy-plus-hour work weeks.Living conditions are abysmal for the poorer Chinese—mostly recent immigrants and the elderly—who reside in small rooms in overcrowded tenements ill-kept by landlords.Yet, because the community has been cloistered for so long and has only just begun to seek help from city officials for its internal problems, you won't detect any hint of difficulties unless you reside in Chinatown for a considerable length of time.Passage 39

New York The Big Apple has plenty of them！!Landmarks in New York go with Broadway and Times Square.New York City is a town that has grown with America, and possesses a rich group of landmarks and great attractions.Landmarks define a city, and New York is no exception.The Big Apple is host to so many world-renowned sights and structures that its residents almost take them for granted sometimes.From the obvious, such as Ellis Island and the World Trade Center, to fixtures such as Rockefeller Center and Lincoln Center, to extraordinary places like the Bronx Zoo and Saint Patrick's Cathedral, New York is full of landmarks worthy of visiting.From the shopping and theaters in Times Square to the maritime environment of South Street Seaport, New York City offers a huge selection from which to base your travel or weekend plans around.When you first encounter New York, whether for the first time or after a time away, it can be overwhelming.It can look fierce, inhuman and hard, intimidating in its enormity and complexity.The sheer magnitude of the built environment gives the impression that the city is a vast machine that has been growing, evolving, adapting over centuries.And it is.But all those buildings and asphalt, they're the work of people.It's all made of people—everyone who lives here, and everyone past who's left a mark, great or small, right on the city itself.Many of New York's streets and corners are named for someone who has contributed to the legend of the city.Edgar Allan Poe Way, part of West 84th Street, marks one of the many places the impoverished poet and author lived in New York.Frank Torre Place, on East Second Street in the Kensington section of Brooklyn, was named for the older brother of Yankees manager Joe Torre.Frank's battle for life in the fall of 1996 after a heart transplant provided great inspiration for the pinstriped Bronx Bombers, who would go on to win the World Series for New York that year.The buildings, statues, streets and neighborhoods are the people that make New York—some ―ordinary,‖ and some whom history canonizes.But all have, in deed or in spirit, left their mark on the city.Passage 40

Friday and the Thirteenth Friday-the Thirteenth has long been considered extremely unlucky because it has some bad associations which came from mythology, tale of the Bible, and the customs and habits.According to the Bible, the Lord God created the first man, Adam.Then he took a rib from Adam's body and out of it created the first woman, Eve.It was said that Adam was created on a Friday and it was on Friday that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and on a Friday they died.Friday was also the common day in England for executing criminals, for which it was sometimes known as Hanging Day.From the old Norse myth people got the idea that 13 people sitting at a table to have a dinner was unlucky.And this superstition was confirmed by the last supper of Christ and his disciples.Bible tells us that Christ sat down with his 12 disciples, which made up the number 13, at the last supper when Judas, one of the 12 disciples, sold his master for thirty pieces of silver.Christ was killed by nailing on the cross the following day on a Friday.Passage 41

Pop Culture When you think of American culture, what first comes to your mind? McDonald's? Coca Cola? Levi's? Disneyland? Michael Jordan? Julia Roberts? Many people imagine American culture is a collection of popular symbols like these.Actually, these symbols are only one small part of American culture—―pop culture.‖

What is pop culture? Well, pop is short for popular.The origins of pop culture can often be traced to popular movies, television shows, music stars and sports figures.Pop culture is also promoted by business and advertising.The most common examples of American pop culture appear among high school and college students.Trends set by famous personalities quickly become part of young people's lifestyles.American pop culture has spread around the world.One major reason for its popularity is that English is a universal language.English is the language of diplomacy, international business and transportation.Since language and culture go together, learning English means becoming aware of English-speaking cultures.Also, America is a world leader in movies, music and magazines.The kind of American culture communicated in those media is pop culture.Finally, pop culture is easy to package and to export.For that reason, it is easy to ―sell‖ to the world.Passage 42 23

Languages Spoken in America What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Trilingual.What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual.What do you call someone who speaks one language? An American.To people in many countries, being bilingual or even trilingual is a way of life.But since the mother tongue of most Americans is English—a language widely spoken around the world—they often don't feel the need to learn a foreign language.Moreover, people who live in the heartland of America have little contact with other linguistic groups, making foreign language skills irrelevant.Actually, though, this ―land of immigrants‖ has always had people of many different nationalities-and languages.The 1990 census indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home.Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English ―not well‖ or ―not at all.‖ That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual.Besides that, many high school and college students—and even some elementary school students—are required to take a foreign language as a part of their curriculum.In addition to old standbys like Spanish, German and French, more and more students are opting for Eastern European and Asian languages.Of course, not all students keep up their foreign language abilities.As the old saying goes, ―If you don't use it, you lose it.‖ But still, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of being multilingual.Ethnic enclaves, found particularly in major metropolitan centers, have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants.Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English.Regions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods.In fact, Spanish speakers—numbering over 17 million—compose the largest non-English linguistic group in America.But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Polish and many other ethnic groups add to the linguistic flavor of America.Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!

Passage 43

The American Style of Education On the first day of school, Johnny had a hard time getting out of bed.―Johnny, get up!You're going to be late for school!‖ warned his mother.―Aw, Mom, do I have to go to school?‖ Johnny complained.―Yes, son, summer is over, and the new school year is starting.You must go to school.And besides,‖ reasoned Johnny's mother, ―you're the teacher!‖

This old American joke does have a ring of truth to it.American teachers and students alike enjoy their summer vacation.But don't let the humor fool you: Education is a major part of American culture.Schools do more than just fill students' heads with knowledge.They pass on culture, traditions and values.The American style of education, compared to that of other countries, is quite informal.In fact, the casual class atmosphere often amazes international students.American teachers encourage students to think for themselves.Instead of grading students only on test scores, teachers evaluate papers, group projects and class participation, as well.Students often have to think creatively to solve problems—not just memorize facts.Students also learn how to do research by using resource materials to find their own answers.In this way, classrooms illustrate the American emphasis on individual responsibility.Passage 44

Food and Culture

―You are what you eat.‖ Nutrition experts often use this saying to promote better eating habits.What we put in our mouths does become a part of us.But we can look at this statement another way.What we eat reflects who we are—as people and as a culture.Do you want to understand another culture? Then you ought to find out about its food.Learning about American food can give us a real taste of American culture.What is ―American food‖? At first you might think the answer is easy as pie.To many people, American food means hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken and pizza.If you have a ―sweet tooth,‖ you might even think of apple pie or chocolate chip cookies.It's true that Americans do eat those things.But are those the only kind of foods you can find in America? Except for Thanksgiving turkey, it's hard to find a typically ―American‖ food.The United States is a land of immigrants.So Americans eat food from many different countries.When people move to America, they bring their cooking styles with them.That's why you can find almost every kind of ethnic food in America.In some cases, Americans have adopted foods from other countries as favorites.Americans love Italian pizza, Mexican tacos and Chinese egg rolls.But the American version doesn't taste quite like the original!

Americans living at a fast pace often just ―grab a quick bite.‖ Fast food restaurants offer people on the run everything from fried chicken to fried rice.Microwave dinners and instant foods make cooking at home a snap.Of course, one of the most common quick American meals is a sandwich.If it can fit between two slices of bread, Americans probably make a sandwich out of it.Peanut butter and jelly is an all-time American favorite.American culture is a good illustration of the saying ―you are what you eat.‖ Americans represent a wide range of backgrounds and ways of thinking.The variety of foods enjoyed in the U.S.reflects the diversity of personal tastes.The food may be international or regional.Sometimes it's fast, and sometimes it's not so fast.It might be junk food, or maybe it's natural food.In any case, the style is all-American.Passage 45

Racial Issues Once a man had a dream.He dreamed of a land of peace and harmony.He dreamed of a place where people were not judged by their skin color.He dreamed of a country where children of different races could play together.He dreamed of a nation where all people were equal.Some people didn't like his dream.They said it would never happen.Some people applauded his dream.They wanted to make it happen.This noble vision has come true for some.For others, it's still just a fantasy.In 1963, this man, Dr.Martin Luther King Jr., expressed his vision in the famous speech, ―I Have a Dream.‖ But the dream—rooted in the American Dream—wasn't really new.From the beginning, this nation of immigrants welcomed people desiring freedom and a new start.However, the coming together of different races and ethnic groups created some tensions.The early Americans(except for the native ―Indians‖)were almost all white Europeans.As more immigrants arrived, European groups fit into society easily.Others found it more difficult.Black people were the only ―immigrants‖ who didn't choose to come to America.For hundreds of years, Africans were taken from their homes to be slaves in the New World.Even George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had slaves.The phrase ―all men are created equal‖ didn't apply to blacks in their day.The end of the Civil War finally brought freedom to the slaves in 1865, but blacks still had a lower position in society.Many Southern states practiced segregation to ―keep blacks in their place.‖ Blacks and whites went to different schools, ate at different restaurants, even drank from different water fountains.The Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s helped black people secure many of the rights promised in the Constitution.A 1954 Supreme Court decision ruled that segregation had no place in public schools.Gradually, American education became more fair.In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white man.Her courage sparked a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, that ended segregation on city buses.Martin Luther King Jr.encouraged black people to use nonviolent means to achieve their goals of equal treatment.Finally, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to stop discrimination in all public places.Even so, in the past 40 years, race relations in America have greatly improved.Minority groups now have equal opportunities in many areas of education, employment and housing.Interracial marriages are becoming more accepted.Children of different races—and their parents—are learning to play together and work together.Maybe Dr.King's dream will come true after all.Passage 46

The Legend of Rose People have been passionate about roses since the beginning of time.In fact, it is said that the floors of Cleopatra's palace were carpeted with delicate rose petals, and that the wise and knowing Confucius had a 600-book library specifically on how to care for roses.The rose is a legend on its own.The story goes that during the Roman Empire, there was an incredibly beautiful maiden named Rhodanthe.Her beauty drew many zealous suitors who pursued her relentlessly.Exhausted by their pursuit, Rhodanthe was forced to take refuge from her suitors in the temple of her friend Diana.Unfortunately, Diana became jealous.And when the suitors broke down her temple gates to get near their beloved Rhodanthe, she became angry turning Rhodanthe into a rose and her suitors into thorns.In Greek legend, the rose was created by Chloris, the Greek goddess of flowers.It was just a lifeless seed of a nymph that Chloris found one day in a clearing in the woods.She asked the help of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who gave her beauty Dionysus, the god of wine, added nectar to give her a sweet scent, and the three Graces gave her charm, brightness and joy.Then Zephyr, the West Wind, blew away the clouds so that Apollo, the sun god, could shine and made this flower bloom.And so the Rose was born and was immediately crowned the Queen of Flowers.The first true primary red rose seen in Europe was ―Slater's Crimson China‖ introduced in 1792 from China, where it had been growing wild in the mountains.Immediately, rose breeders began using it to hybridize red roses for cultivation.There is a special rose language invented as a secret means of communication between lovers who were not allowed to express their love for one another openly.In the mid 18th century the wife of the British ambassador in Constantinople described this in her letters, which were published after her death.These letters inspired many books on the language of flowers, each describing the secret message hidden in each flower.A red rose bud stands for budding desire.An open white rose asks “Will you love me?” An open red rose means ―I'm full of love and desire,‖ while an open yellow rose asks ―Don't you love me any more?‖

Passage 47

A Full-Time School Called Life You are enrolled in a full-time school called ―life‖.Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons.You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your curriculum.Why are you here? What is your purpose? Humans have sought to discover the meaning of life for a very long time.What we and our ancestors have overlooked, however, is there is no one answer.The meaning of life is different for every individual.Each person has his or her own purpose and distinct path, unique and separate from anyone else's.As you travel your life path, you will be presented with numerous lessons that you will need to learn in order to fulfill that purpose.The lessons you are presented with are specific to you;learning these lessons is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life.As you travel through your lifetime, you may encounter challenging lessons that others don't have to face, while others spend years struggling with challenges that you don't need to deal with.You may never know why you are blessed with a wonderful marriage, while your friends suffer through bitter arguments and painful divorces, just as you cannot be sure why you struggle financially while your peers enjoy abundance.The only thing you can count on for certain is that you will be presented with all the lessons that you specifically need to learn;whether you choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you.The challenge here, therefore, is to align yourself with your own unique path by learning individual lessons.This is one of the most difficult challenges you will be faced with in your lifetime, as sometimes your path will be radically different from others.But, remember, don't compare your path to the people around you and focus on the disparity between their lessons and yours.You need to remember that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth.This process may not be easy, but the rewards are well worth the struggle.Passage 48

Sportsmen's Values A veteran springboard driver, defeated by his compatriot in the finals of a world championship, offering congratulations to the victor in a warm embrace and waving a tearful farewell to the audience.An outstanding female fencer falling in a decisive set not under the attack of her rival's sword but as a result of a muscular spasm of her own.Those are common occurrences in the athletic world but they are scenes of tragic heroism bringing tears to the eyes of the outgoing heroes as well as the audience.Sportsmen spend the best part of their lives in tough training and fierce competitions fighting for ever better records.When it becomes evident they are on the decline they still make strenuous efforts to give their best so as to bring a satisfactory end to their brilliant career.Chances to compete for championship are few and far between.Life is short.Still shorter is the time for an athlete trying to win games.None other than an athletic contestant feels so keenly about the rarity of opportunity and the fleeting of time.He cherishes every minute, makes full use of it and tries to grasp any chance coming his way.He gets as much as he gives, winning honours not only for himself but also for his country.To participate and to win—that is the Olympic spirit.It finds expression in the weak daring to defy the strong, and the strong striving for ever better performance.Ever better is the ideal always luring a sportsman forward.He will do everything he can for it, never relax, never give up.It is said that none of the competitors can avoid being defeated—even the best is bound to be surpassed by someone still stronger.This is the rule of sports—thousands of losers to set off one victor who in turn will eventually be replaced by someone on the honour list.However, undaunted by the inevitable failure, he is always striving to do the best he can.When the time comes and he knows he can't, he will step down happily to give place to the younger winner, aware contentedly of the fact that he has done his bit for the ―ever better‖ records of the Olympic Games.He will say proudly that he has not lived his youth in vain.Passage 49

Wealth, Success and Love A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard.She did not recognize them.She said, ―I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry.Please come in and have something to eat.‖

―Is the man of the house home?‖ they asked.―No‖, she replied, ―He's out.‖ ―Then we cannot come in.‖ they replied.In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.―Go tell them I am home and invite them in!‖ The woman went out and invited the men in.―We do not go into a house together.‖ they replied.―Why is that?‖ she asked.One of the old men explained: ―His name is Wealth,‖ he said pointing to one of his friends, ―and he is Success, and I am Love.‖ Then he added, ―Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.‖

The woman went in and told her husband what was said.Her husband was overjoyed.―How nice!‖ he said.―Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth.Let him come and fill our home with wealth!‖ His wife disagreed.―My dear, why don't we invite Success?‖ Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house.She jumped in with her own suggestion: ―Wouldn't it be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love.‖ ―Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice,‖ said the husband to his wife.―Go out and invite Love to be our guest.‖

The woman went out and asked the three old men, ―Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.‖

Love got up and started walking toward the house.The other two also got up and followed him.Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: ―I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?‖

The old men replied together: ―If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would have stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him.Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!‖

Passage 50

Every Mountain Has a Peak What is the secret ingredient of tough people that enables them to succeed? Why do they survive the tough times when others are overcome by them? Why do they win when others lose? Why do they soar when others sink?

The answer is very simple.It's all in how they perceive their problems.Yes, every living person has problems.A problem-free life is an illusion—a mirage in the desert.Accept that fact.Every mountain has a peak.Every valley has its low point.Life has its ups and downs, its peaks and its valleys.No one is up all the time, nor are they down all the time.Problems do end.They are all resolved in time.You may not be able to control the times, but you can compose your response.You can turn your pain into profanity—or into poetry.The choice is up to you.You may not have chosen your tough time, but you can choose how you will react to it.For instance, what is the positive reaction to a terrible financial setback? In this situation would it be the positive reaction to pout and runaway? Escape through alcohol, drug, or suicide? No!Such negative reactions only produce greater problems by promising a temporary solution to the pressing problem.The positive solution to a problem may require courage to initiate it.When you control your reaction to the seemingly uncontrollable problem of life, then in fact you do control the problem's effect on you.Your reaction to the problem is the last word!That's the bottom line.What will you let this problem do to you? It can make you tender or tough.It can make you better or bitter.It all depends on you.In the final analysis, the tough people who survive the tough times do so because they've chosen to react positively to their predicament.Tough times never last, but tough people do.Tough people stick it out.History teaches us that every problem has a lifespan.No problem is permanent.Storms always give way to the sun.Winter always thaws into springtime.Your storm will pass.Your winter will thaw.Your problem will be solved.How Important Is Money No one would argue, I think, that money is unimportant.There are certain things that human beings need — food, shelter, medical care — and these things cost money.But if one has enough money to live on, to pay for the basic essentials of life, is it important to have a lot more money than that? Will your life improve in proportion to the amount of money that you have? Well, there is no denying that money can buy a lot.Maybe you do not need much money to pay for a simple shelter, but how about if you want a nice, big apartment in a nice neighbourhood, or if you want to buy a house? In fact, people do get on each other’s nerves if they are crowded together in a small kitchen, if a married couple cannot but share a room with their parents, if children are not allowed to have a little privacy of their own.Moreover, it is nice to get a little pleasure out of life, a little fun from time to time.Unfortunately, many of the fun things that you can do today cost money.In modern cities, for example, on any night, outstanding performances appear in night clubs and on concert stages.Furthermore, you can dine on foods from every corner of the world in the restaurants.So how can it be that many people in modern cities do not have fun? Simple.They do not have the money to take advantage of all these attractions.So, is money the road to happiness? Not really.Large number of people work every day, work overtime, work weekends and make a lot of money.Are they happy? No.they have no time to form or maintain friendship, no time to enjoy themselves.Surely everyone has thought at times, ―If only I had a lot of money, I would be the happiest person in the world.‖ But it is important to remember that money is only a means to an end, not the end itself.

第二篇：美文赏析

从乡愁中找寻心灵依归

一个夏夜，我打出租车回家。开车的是一位清瘦的年轻人。车上放着音乐，他默默开车，我俩静静地听歌。行驶在北京宽阔的大街上，明亮的路灯，舒缓的旋律，没有了白天的燠热与喧嚣，心里一片宁静。

听完后我来了兴致，对小伙子说我这也有歌儿，要不要听？他表示同意。于是我打开手机里的音乐，选了一首《川流不息》，这是美空云雀的名曲。美空是日本工业化时代的歌手，她唱出了工业化时代人们的情绪与心声。

当柔美深沉略带苍凉的歌声在小小的出租车里响起时，年轻的司机被吸引住了，他静静听着，车速似乎也慢了一些。我问他这歌怎么样，他说好听。我问怎么好，他说让人想家。我简直吃惊了！《川流不息》正是一首怀乡和感慨人生的歌。歌中唱道：“不知不觉走过了人生漫漫长路，回首望去是遥远的故乡……”我忙问司机，你以前听过这首歌吗？懂日语吗？回答都是否定的。我说想必你也是从外地来北京的吧，年轻司机说，是呀，听听这样的歌心里安静，让人想起过去，想起家乡。他接着说，人是不能往前看只能往后想的，出门在外打拼，真是不敢想明天啊。

回到家里，我久久地回味着年轻司机的话。我忽然意识到，自己其实是一个没有故乡的人。我从小生长在北京，除出国进修一年外没长时间离开过北京，住在家乡的人没有故乡。而我们这个时代，至少在我居住的城市里有多少是离开故乡的人？中国的改革开放和工业化、城市化，带来了史上最大规模的人口迁徙和社会流动。今天的北京人恐怕很多都是离开故乡迁徙到这来的。

离开故乡到大都市的人们，按时下流行说法是来寻求梦想的。既然是寻梦就有不确定性，既然是奋斗就要有付出乃至牺牲。就像那位年轻司机感受到的，离开家乡，离开父母与亲人，来到一个陌生城市打拼，有机遇有风险，面对不确定的未来，压力、不安乃至焦虑总是难免的。

如何纾解压力？如何舒缓焦虑？故乡，对故乡的思念，是一剂良药，那里有无忧无虑的童年，那里有父母的呵护，那里有幸福的时光。故乡是旅人的底气，是心灵的依托。我猜想故乡在旅人的梦里一定是辽远清静的。而在大城市的茫茫人海里，人们更多感受到的不是亲密，而是陌生与孤独。

故乡是熟人的社会，城市是陌生人的地方。工业化、城市化给我们带来财富和成功，但也有对未来的焦虑、有独处的惆怅，需要抚慰，需要纾解。故乡、童年是最好的安慰剂，乡愁其实也是一种励志。

有感于竹子的故事近读三则与竹有关的故事，其中蕴含的成才之理，引人深思。

第一则：有一种毛竹，在最初的几年，它几乎没有变化。但几年之后，它会在短短几个月内疯狂生长，很快超过其他竹木。之所以如此，是因为在前几年的时间里，毛竹都在深深地扎根，在不断积蓄迸发的力量。

根往下扎，枝往上长，是植物生长的规律，也是人才成长的规律。大凡成功者，无不是把根深扎实践的土壤中，汲取大地的营养，积蓄向上的力量。习近平同志曾在《我是黄土地的儿子》一文中写道：15岁来到黄土地时，我迷惘、彷徨；22岁离开黄土地时，我已经有着坚定的人生目标，充满自信。他将郑板桥咏《竹石》诗改了几个字，作为自己上山下乡的深刻体会：“深入基层不放松，立根原在群众中。千磨万击还坚劲，任尔东西南北风。”可见深入实际、深入群众，进行磨炼和积累，对于一个人的成长有多么重要！有厚积，才有薄发；有沉潜，才有飞跃。恰如古人所言，“大木百寻，根积深也；沧海万仞，众流成也；渊智达洞，累学之功也”。

第二则：师傅让三个徒弟到竹林中各选一根能做笛子的竹子。徒弟甲选了一根圆润的竹子，认为做成的笛子声音会圆润；徒弟乙选了一根光洁的竹子，认为做成的笛子声音会清脆；徒弟丙选了一根有瘢痕的老竹，认为做成的笛子经久耐吹。结果徒弟丙选对了，深得师傅的赞许。

为什么徒弟丙选对了呢？因为老竹经过寒冬里“冰刀霜剑”的打磨，质地绵密厚实，做出的笛子不仅声音清亮悦耳，而且不变形、不走调。相比之下，圆润的竹子和光洁的竹子因为未经寒冬，虽然看着圆润光洁，但做成笛子后，不但音色差，而且容易变形开裂。有道是“宝剑锋从磨砺出，梅花香自苦寒来。”干部的成长与选竹做笛子的道理有许多相似之处。不吃一番苦，不在严酷的环境中近乎残酷地磨炼，热血就无法沸腾，筋骨就无法舒展，青春就无法淬火。凡有作为者，不依赖于机巧，也不寄望于侥幸，吃苦耐劳是他们人生的财富，埋头苦干是他们成功的秘诀。

第三则：晾衣竿问笛子：同为竹子，为什么我一文不值，而你却备受欢迎？笛子答：“因为你只挨了几刀，我却经历了千雕万凿。”

这则寓言是第二则故事的延伸，它所蕴含的道理进一步启示我们，成才的过程，不只是吃苦磨砺的过程，也是“千雕万凿”的过程。孟子在论述“天将降大任于是人”时说：“人恒过，然后能改。困于心，衡于虑，而后作。”一个人在成长过程中，不仅要战胜各种困难，经历挫折和失败的考验；而且要不断战胜自我，勇于给自己“修枝打杈”，这样人生之树才能长得挺拔而健壮。雕塑家用一块普通的石头雕了一只栩栩如生的鹰，旁观者问其技，曰：石头里本来就有一只鹰，我只不过将多余的部分去掉，它就飞起来了。只要我们不断雕琢自我，去掉那些多余东西的羁绊，也会如鹰那样飞得很高。

郑板桥诗曰：“画根竹枝插块石，石比竹枝高一尺。虽然一尺让他高，来年看我掀天力！”只要我们如竹那样扎根沃土、根上发力，在艰苦环境、关键岗位上锻炼，就能积蓄足够的成长力量，展示“来年看我掀天力”的精彩，收获“吹尽狂沙始到金”的出彩。

读经典可以培养高尚心灵

林语堂曾说，“读书，开茅塞，除鄙见，得新知，增学问，广识见，养性灵。”读书可以使人增长学问见识，领悟为人处世的道理，即“开茅塞，除鄙见”，这是阅读大多数书籍都可以带来的好处。读书还可以“养性灵”，这种好处，则非品读经典而不可得。通过品读经典培养高尚的心灵，养成知识丰富、道德高尚、情趣健康的性灵，可以让人生从浮躁走向宁静、从浅陋走向优雅。

何谓经典？唐代史学家刘知几说：“自圣贤述作，是曰经典。”他认为，古代圣贤所述所作的就是经典。这个解释有些道理。圣贤的思想往往能够洞穿古今，必然是经典。但问题又来了，圣贤何以成为圣贤？实际上，还是靠其著述留存后世，为后人所接受、认可、推崇。有学者曾总结过经典的特性：传世性、权威性、耐读性、累积性。可以说，经典之所以成为经典，关键在于其蕴含的思想精髓能触及人们的心灵。它们代表着时代精神，能够穿越时空、启迪后人。因而，经典是历史选择出来的最具价值的书籍。

品读经典，人们可以沐浴思想的光华，感受圣贤哲人的思考。例如，孔子所强调的“仁者爱人”，一直是中华民族宝贵的精神财富，在今天依然具有不可替代的价值。又如，马克思、恩格斯的著作历来为共产党人所推崇，百读不厌，回味无穷。品读马克思、恩格斯的经典著作，不仅有助于我们用辩证唯物主义和历史唯物主义的立场、观点、方法来研究人类社会的各种现象和问题，而且可以引发我们对世界观、人生观、价值观的深入思考，启迪智慧，荡涤心灵。

品读经典，人们可以穿越到遥远的古代，仿佛身临历史现场，感受古人的风采。《史记》中荆轲刺秦王，一番悲壮，一幕惊险。从《史记》中可以看出，作者司马迁的追求是“究天人之际，通古今之变，成一家之言”。他将失败的英雄项羽列入“本纪”，为匈奴作列传，还专辟《货殖列传》记录那些在当时为世人所不屑的商人。品读这部历史经典，我们可以读出并且学习司马迁的大气魄、大胸怀。

品读经典，可以给人以美的享受。“所谓伊人，在水一方”，人美景也美；“七八个星天外，两三点雨山前”，让人感到清新、舒旷，意境悠长。阅读叙事文学作品，就如同步入历史人物长廊：刘兰芝、焦仲卿的悲剧让人感叹，巾帼英雄花木兰的形象令人叹奇，梁山泊一百单八好汉的忠义令人回肠荡气，等等。文学经典往往也是历史经典。例如，杜甫的“三吏”“三别”，书写了安史之乱的历史场景。又如，一部《红楼梦》通过对贾家的细致描写，揭示了封建社会大厦将倾的历史趋势。

品读经典未必能让人学会一项生存技能，但可以培养高尚的心灵。经典蕴含的深刻哲思、美妙文辞，给人带来的并非单一的启迪，而是多元的文化熏陶，使我们在潜移默化中气质得到提升、心灵得到洗礼、心胸变得开阔、见识更加高远。

娱乐需要场合，尊重却是永恒

“慰安妇”，是许多二战参与国都绕不过去的一个敏感称谓，也是千万受害者一生被囚禁其中的枷锁。日军侵华期间，20万余的中国妇女被强掳，成为了日军的“慰安妇”。恶劣的生存环境、残忍的迫害手段、屈辱的精神折磨，成为了她们终生挥之不去的可怖梦魇。

她们都在等道歉，可只等到时间将她们带入尘土。2013年，中国仅存的”慰安妇“为32人；2015年，22人；2017年，8人......真害怕，这段历史会随着时间车轮而被歪曲淡忘。但还好，总有人尝试去替我们扶正记忆的脊梁。2013年，导演郭柯独立制作拍摄纪录片《三十二》，讲述了“慰安妇”制度受害者韦绍兰老人和她的中日混血儿子罗善学的故事；2017年8月14日，正值世界“慰安妇”纪念日，影片《二十二》公映，而中国在世的“慰安妇”受害者也仅剩下8人。

道歉太难，或许还缺乏更多宏观的力量来促成，但起码我们应该做到尊重。可总有些人或事，用戏谑去亵渎国人对于历史的敬畏。8月22日，上海一男子在影院观看纪录片《二十二》时却不时发出嗤笑声，当身旁观众对他的不尊重表现给予指责时，该男子却反驳“我笑关你什么事？”而在线上，QQ空间近日也开始流传一系列配有影片《二十二》中受害老人影像的表情包，并配有“我真的委屈啊”、“无语凝噎”等文字；21日，QQ空间发表致歉声明，称该系列表情包由第三方公司提供，QQ空间方面已将所有配图下线，并将全面自查。

尼尔·波兹曼曾说，“有两种方法可以让文化精神枯萎，一种是奥威尔式的——文化成为一个监狱，另一种是赫胥黎式的——文化成为一场滑稽戏。”也许，成为滑稽戏要比成为监狱更让人胆寒，因为监狱会让我们排斥、抗拒，而滑稽戏却如此悄无声息地将我们吞噬，套牢其中，却不自省。诚然，在这个科技创新、信息海量、媒体接入便利的环境，时代给了我们许多便利，也带来了更加多元多彩的行为、思考、创作方式，但进步带来的应该是方式内容的革新，对于底线和原则的坚守，这是永远都不可越界、或者是模糊的雷池。我们需要娱乐，但若一切都日渐以娱乐的方式出现，甚至连国家、民族、历史、政治、宗教等，都能无比自然地衔接为戏谑的原材料，我们的良知也许正在被一场场大众狂欢所麻木腐蚀。

有人曾把当代学生沉迷网游，比作清末民初人们的贪食鸦片，那今天，当有人看到这些受害同胞会嗤笑，还会将同胞所曾遭受的苦难当做制作表情包的原材料，如果放在战争年代，我们会将他们做何比喻？

爱国，不一定体现在血染征场；制敌，也不一定要经历枪林弹雨；文明，不只在于思维灵活衣冠楚楚；尊重，也不仅仅是单薄客套的干瘪空膛。这世界没有任何一处港口能抵达尊重，因为尊重，本就是通往一切的码头。

人生立志须趁早

近来读书，历览前人事状，深刻体会到少时立志的重要性。有人说“成名要趁早”，其实，莫如说立志须趁早。

“夫志，气之帅也”。对个人而言，不患才不及，而患志不立。“宰相之杰”张居正写下“愿以深心奉尘刹，不予自身求利益”，躬身改革、不计毁誉，将个人得失置之度外；民族英雄林则徐树立救国为民的高远志向，在虎门销烟、抗击英军、安抚叛乱等历史事件中，始终做到了“苟利国家生死以，岂因祸福避趋之”。注重立志，善养“浩然之气”，就能涵养从容内敛的气质，蓄积坚定自信的精气神。

立志非常必要，趁早立志尤为重要。晚清名臣左宗棠青年时代就志向笃定，于23岁时自题对联以明志：“身无半亩心忧天下，读破万卷神交古人。”他也十分注重家风家教，告诫自己的孩子“志患不立，尤患不坚”“小时志趣要远大，高谈阔论固自不妨”。纵观左宗棠的一生，从办理洋务、主持船政到收复新疆、抗击法军，他一以贯之地践行自己的志向；他的孩子长大后能够报效国家、不辱使命，也与其早立志、立长志的教导密不可分。尽早确立志向，明确人生奋斗的方向，可以助人避免随波逐流、亦步亦趋，不被诱惑所误导。

当然，美好的愿景不会自动实现，早立志仅仅是成长的起点。人生路途漫漫，如何坚守信念、矢志不渝，是生命历程各个阶段都需要作答的命题。特别是在屡遭挫折或逆境时，更加考验一个人意志和勇气。历史上，司马迁狱中遭受苦难不曾移志，坚韧中写就巨著；苏武异邦牧羊数十载不折其志，最终梦圆归乡。事实证明，一个人的志向如何，直接影响着成就的取得，也只有为志向执着付出，才能不断抵近心中的理想抱负。志向引领行动、行动考验志向，两者相辅相成，演绎着立志与逐梦的交响。

“取乎其上，得乎其中；取乎其中，得乎其下；取乎其下，则无所得矣”。立志当胸怀宽广、眼界开阔，大胆追求远大的志向。而这背后，离不开理想信念的支撑。人生如寄，何以才能不枉此生？每个人都会有自己的答案，但如果没有坚定的理想信念，人生就容易迷航。春秋战国时期，一些人感喟人生苦短，主张及时行乐者自成一派；魏晋时期，竹林七贤纵情山水、盛行清谈，逃避现实一时成风；当代西方社会也曾醉生梦死，“垮掉的一代”发人深省。

今天，为了“能被知识的亮光照到”，四川凉山州“悬崖村”的孩子曾在峭壁上留下瘦削的身影；为了触碰大山之外的世界，重庆双坪村村民用双手凿出一条“悬崖天路”……那些看不见的理想信念与志向追求，正迸发着强大的能量。哲人有言，“没有崇高的生活理想的人，像大海里的一片小舟一样，它时刻都会被狂风巨浪袭击而沉没海底。”扬起理想的风帆、握紧志向的罗盘，不为风雨所阻、不被颠簸所拦，人生这一叶轻舟才能自信驶过万重山。

“一生一世”中的语文问题

“说要爱你一生一世的男人，最后和你离婚了，算不算说谎？”这是浙江大学竺可桢学院新生选拔考试的一道语文试题，被一些学生称为“奇葩试题”，引起激烈的讨论。

《钱江晚报》昨天报道此事后，在读者中也引起讨论。从转载这一报道的公众号上网友的留言可以看到，争议集中于两点：一是该题的正确答案应该是什么？二是拿这样的题目来考试是否合适？应该说，这两个问题是有内在联系的：如果该题的正确答案不被人们所认可，那就是说人们认为该题确实过于奇葩，就不适合拿来用作考题。

这是一道语文试题，它的“语文性”在哪里？首先在“说谎”二字。要判断“一生一世”是否说谎，先要确定“说谎”的定义，然后用这个定义去衡量那个“男人”的行为——不但要掌握词义，还要会运用词义。该题假设的情景对考生造成了很大的干扰，基础知识薄弱的，或者掌握了基础知识而思维能力较弱的，都容易被“一生一世”带到沟里。

所谓“一生一世”，婚恋行为是人生现象或者说是社会现象，在这道试题里，它是考生的思考对象；它要求学生了解人的复杂性，社会的复杂性，又能清晰、恰当地表达自己的看法。这道试题包括了语文课的核心内容：语言文字知识和运用语文表达自己的思想观点的能力。这里要强调的是，语文能力不仅仅是掌握了词语、词组等语言材料，也不仅仅是组合材料的原则即语法；语言能力更是运用语汇、语法进行思考、思辨、表达的能力。因此，从语文的专业角度来看，这是一道成功的语文试题。

从考生角度来考量，这也是一道好试题。浙大是一所研究性大学，竺可桢学院则从已经被浙大录取的新生中选拔学生，进行重点培养。尖端的研究人才，既要有扎实的基础知识，又要有很强的研究能力；研究能力的核心，不就是思考能力吗？如何从纷繁复杂的表象中发现实质性问题，如何排除各种干扰找到研究方向、确定思路，这是研究型人才的核心能力。

具体到这道试题，就是看谁能够从婚恋问题的表象中把握语文试题的核心问题。《钱江晚报》的报道提到浙大中文专业女生蒋同学——她说：“离婚有很多种因素，不一定代表着夫妻双方不爱了。”这个回答，清楚地表明，蒋同学思路清晰概念清楚，表达周密——她能够分辨“爱”与“婚姻”是两个不同的概念，并依据她对生活的观察、理解，表达自己的看法。这样的能力，是研究型人才所必备的。

蒋同学这一事例说明，生活现象既是表达的前提，也是表达的内容；把这个观察的结果表达出来，则是语文的任务。但是，即便是在语文圈子里，语文课的核心问题也往往被忽视，一些非专业或专业性很弱的问题常常成为热点问题，很多专业人士也未能坚持专业立场，自觉不自觉地被牵着走。

就在大约十天前，有文章质疑课文“存在贬中崇洋倾向”，语文教师和语文研究人员的时间和精力，有很大一部分被消耗在这类非语文的问题上，对语文教学的专业性研究探讨就无法深入。从这个角度考量，竺可桢学院的这道语文试题，是一个非常有价值的提醒：守住专业立场，才有专业价值。

“海归”的失落或是一个提醒

近日有媒体披露，国内的“海归”在就业市场上正经受着“冷遇”。据全球化智库（CCG）与智联招聘联合发布《2017中国海归就业创业调查报告》显示，在被调查的80后、90后留学回国人员中，44.8%的人税后月收入在6000元以下，近七成海归认为月工资远低于自身期望；另外，专业不对口现象在海归群体中同样明显。（8月22日 《时代周报》）

曾几何时，拥有洋文凭的“海归”，身上罩有一道令人敬慕的“光环”，那“光环”就像是通行证，能让他们找到理想的工作。可随着近年来大规模“海归潮”的出现，海归的待遇与预期也与此前形成明显落差。尤其是近些年，更多的留学生回国就业面临着与国内大学毕业生几乎同等的待遇，在部分岗位上，海归的竞争力甚至不如国内毕业的大学生。原因不外乎两个，一是社会和用人单位不再迷恋“海归”的标签；二是有些人根本就没有取得“真经”回来。

其实，不管是国内文凭还是洋文凭，说白了不过是一张纸，用人单位更看重个人适应岗位的能力。就此而言，“海归”的失落更像是对广大留学生以及有去海外留学意愿，特别是抱有“镀金”心理的学生的一个提醒：留学可以为我们提供更广阔的发展空间，拥有更光明的前途，但也有可能遭遇失败，得不偿失。

其实，无论在国内读大学还是在国外深造，大部分人都是为了今后能得到一个自己喜欢并愿意为之付出的工作。留学生在海外求学往往花费颇高，回国就业势必希望获得一份高收入的工作，实现所谓的“高投入高回报”，但随着出国留学已经从“精英化”逐步走向了“大众化”，这往往会事与愿违，甚至海归变“海带”。

因此，家长在决定是否该让孩子出国留学时，一定要同时考虑正反两方面的因素量力而行，这个“力”包括家庭的财力、子女的才力及适应异国学习生活方式的能力等等。此外，孩子在开始留学生活后，家长也应予以必要的关注，了解其生活、学习和心理动态，及时处理问题甚至调整发展思路。毕竟，学业有成且学以致用才是留学成功的标志。

“现实版阿甘”是最珍贵的人生历练

廖兴，四川大学锦城学院团委学生副书记，校内某营销团队发起人。1997年生于四川泸州，2017年因从成都到深圳连续长跑1800公里走红网络，被网友称为“现实版阿甘”。（8月21日《南方都市报》）

从成都跑回深圳，全程1800公里，他为什么选择跑步回家？连续长跑30天是什么感觉？四川大学锦城学院学生廖兴近日扛着校旗长跑千里的事情引发了不少人的好奇和关注。据了解，长跑的初衷是“爱跑步，想在20岁做点不一样的、疯狂的事”，整个过程对他来说充满着考验和疼痛，“我也是苦苦挣扎的普通人”。至于扛着校旗跑，除了宣传母校外，还有一个原因是：“旗帜鲜明”之下不能偷懒放弃了。

对于现在的大学生来说，如此的“现实版阿甘”虽然不必效仿，但对于意志的磨炼，这样主动“吃苦”的人生历练实在是太需要了。而今的城市孩子，尤其是独生子女，家长只重视孩子的读书，学校更忙于应付应试教育，大多只重学习成绩，放松素质教育，以至于现在一些学生衣来伸手饭来张口，娇生惯养，备受宠爱甚至溺爱。再加上社会负面影响的作用，不少孩子从小骄横自私，意志薄弱，经不起挫折，这样的孩子，虽然考上大学，但显然难以成为栋梁之材。因此相比于学业的深造，更急迫的是意志的锤炼。

连续长跑30天，全程1800公里，可以说是受益终生。旅途的艰辛，比如“阵痛和孤独”，是平时难以体验到的，这样的经历无疑有助于克服娇气和惰性。而一路风土人情和人文传统的熏陶，尤其是活生生的社会生活的现实教育，不仅能磨炼人的意志，而且还能让廖兴感受到人与人之间的温暖，而这都是课堂教育不可替代的。

其实，如此“现实版阿甘”，最根本的意义在于践行陶行知先生“生活即教育”“社会即学校”的教育思想，让自己更有勇气去面对未知的恐惧和困难，更有信心去迎接挑战。这种来自生活的洗礼，正是近年来我们的教育中所不足的。现在的学生，基本上是从家门到校门的两点一线，事实上也缺少磨炼的机会。因此，有意识地为自己创造条件，更多地融入社会、融入生活，从而让自己学会做一个人格健全的人，应成为每个大学生最重要的课程。

第三篇：美文赏析

美文赏析—《小草》

又到草黄时节。遍野的绿色斑驳着消失，只有那干枯的浅黄布满了人的视线，是生命终结时最柔韧的余唱。

我喜欢看草绿江南岸的亮丽，萧索的冬季在它们的浅笑声中逃遁，是怎样柔嫩的一茎茎新绿，在石缝里、泥土上，勇敢地挺直它们的细腰，在乍暖还寒的冷风凄雨里，一寸寸地成长，一点点把堤坡、大地湮染，在蓝天轻风下编织出让人振奋的春衣。

喜欢看盛夏里的草长莺飞，小草在炽热的阳光爱抚下，将生命里所有的美丽一起释放，无边无际的绿色原野，把各色怒放的花朵衬托得鲜艳欲滴，蓝天在视野里也变低了，似乎弯腰来与小草亲近。

“闭了双目，阳光下喧腾的青草芳香就包围了我们的嗅觉。是怎么样温馨而又好闻的一种清香啊，没有各色花香的浓烈，没有名牌香水的清雅，就是稻子成熟时的那种香味，是牛羊奶里的那个香气，是大自然的原香，是大地的味道，是自家母亲怀抱的味道。”是啊，小草，你原是牛马羊们的主要食物，通过它们，你变身为洁白的乳汁，鲜美的肉食，温暖的毛皮„„

离离原上草，一岁一枯荣。野火烧不尽，春风吹又生。柔韧的小草，你究竟是什么呢？是我们无数卑微弱小的生命吧？我们是平凡的草民，却也可以描绘春天，为大地梳妆，弱小的生命联合起来，还可以改变环境，创造世界。

第四篇：双城记 赏析 英文

Full of romantic elements in the suspense novel---a Tale of Two Cities

1.1 Strong romantic elements in Dickens’ novel It is generally regarded Dickens as a realist, but not a romantic writer.However, French historian Kazha thinks that Dickens is essentially a romantic, he classified Dickens and the Bronte sisters as a romantic writer,to Thackeray called realists.His argument on the later research on Dickens is very enlightening.British novelist, George Gissing and Jester Dayton found the romanticism in Dickens’ creations, Gisssing think that Dickens and Shakespeare, are the supreme idealist, he even directly called Dickens a “romantic realism ” [1 ];Jester Dayton that shaped the characters of Dickens is not a person like“ God ”, he called England Dickens,“ the last myth of writers, perhaps the greatest myth of writers ” [2].Modern British poet T.S.Eliot said that “Dickens's characters and the characters Dante and Shakespeare, like, all belong to the scope of poetry” [2].Indeed, the spirit of idealism to the romantic way Dickens can never exclude.In his work, romantic love is often described;the struggle of good over evil is romantic;figure of joys and sorrows of life and death is often romantic parting.Specific to the “Tale of Two Cities,” the novel, Carlton and Pross complete of their noble acts are on the very romantic, even when Cruncher from bad to good are also very impassioned, romantic and exciting atmosphere.A Tale of Two Cities is a true reflection of the times that all kinds of conflict and discord, quirks, depression, vitality and their unusual wealth.Although the details of Charles Dickens described unique, the characters sharp and detailed observation of the external characteristics, he may be described as a “realist” is not appropriate.1.2A suspense novel with wonderful story Dickens is good at creating suspense..A Tale of Two Cities is particularly successful in dramatized the plight of individuals with personality conflicts by a good structure and the tense atmosphere in the social historical background.At the beginning , the writer didn’t tell us the reason why Dt.Manette as a prison for 18 years.When Charles Darnay ask to Dr.Manette that he want to marry Lucie, Manette seemed to be aware of what cause for alarm, again and again to stop Darnay, asked him to repeat the morning of the marriage;the same evening, Manette again fall ill, the spirit of it Lost in the days of the Bastille.Even wondered for a moment the reader, however, not be explained Dickens.Readers can not help asking: what is the link of Darnay's life experience and Manette? Until the end of the book, people knows the link of Damay and Manette.By use of suspense, Dickens make the Manette as a person who see the bright side of human nature, and bring a wonderful story and the beauty of works of art for readers.The benevolence spirit and in the novel.2.1The justification of the revolutionA Tale of Two Cities“ was written in the 19th century 50's, a period of rapid economic development of capitalism.The capitalist development brings evils and impoverishment of working people's lives lead the British society to the edge of the outbreak of a social revolution.As early as 30~40years in 19c , the working class to fight for political rights, on a grand scale across the country launched a ”charter movement.“ Which Lenin called asthe world's first broad, truly mass, political, proletarian revolutionary movement[3] And this makes Dickens clearly aware of the 50's Britain and 18th century French society is very similar.For this reason,he decided to create a novel set in the French Revolution to Criticize the British social reality, provide a reference for the contemporary English, it is the background that the novel ”Tale of Two Cities“ in 1859 come out.”Tale of Two Cities“ is a historical theme of the novel, but Dickens's focus is firmly targeted at the real life.Works of the late 19th century French and British social life, extensive descriptions of the French Revolution broke out to explore the root causes are to the French Revolution's various social crisis and the reality of British society together, in an ancient metaphor for the modern use of way, warned the British rulers of the bourgeoisie: the cruel exploitation and oppression, the people's extreme poverty is the root of the revolution, if not alleviate the suffering of the civilian population, then the current outbreak of revolution in Britain is inevitable.Novels to social conflicts before the French Revolution shows very detailed and real, whether in cities or in rural areas ”, hunger rampant everywhere“, the majority of the people to ”mulberry grass“ for the food, while the upper class is extravagant, bully Pa women, among the country do not see ”a face with any respect,“ unbearable oppression, the people are ready to ”hang with a rope and pulley to the enemy.“ In

1859, Charles Dickens On the ”Tale of Two Cities“ creative experience, said: ”I spent a lot of time and effort to create“ Tale of Two Cities ”, after numerous changes, finally satisfied.Able to repay my creation your effort in any way any money and other things, but the novel's theme of the meaning and the joy of creation is complete.“[4] Indeed, the deep thinking of this for Dickens, regardless of their historical significance revealed and social significance, or possess its own aesthetic values are worthy descendants mining and exploration.2.2 Forgiveness Thought and the benevolence spirit ”Tale of Two Cities“ is a controversial novel, the lower revolutionary image Madame Defarge of the novel impact assessment is an important factor.Liang Shiqiu said: ”Dickens read the card depends on which of the“ French Revolution ”, was deeply moved and determined to try to write a history of the Romans.Karay and sent two cars for his reference book, but most are not Charles Dickens Canada used because he did not want to write the history of the revolution have been Carey and the best structure in the former, not to write the necessary, as long as he captures the atmosphere of that era, with a story to illustrate the bloodshed will only lead to more bloodshed, only love can save the hearts of catastrophe.“[5] This is insightful.Dickens is the French Revolution as the only carrier to reflect the sharp class antagonisms and intense class struggle, as reflected in this class antagonism and class struggle has shown a wide range of people and human nature, the expression of specific events that goes beyond and have a more general sense of things.Dickens in the novel shaped the way Lucie, Manette ,Darnay and Carlton the ideal of humanitarian character, in that they embodied a kind of humanity as the core of the Christmas spirit.Best embodies the spirit of this love to be part of the British lawyer Carlton, purely for love, his unconditional practice the ”I want for you and your loved ones and make all the sacrifices“ of the promise, help Lucie's husband escape the prison to arrange a road away from the danger , while he replace Darnay on the guillotine.The Lord said: I am the resurrection, life is in me;believes in me, though dead, yet he will live;whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”intended to emphasize the spirit of Carlton's benevolence and altruism world forever.Conclusion

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens shows effectively the novelist’s aim to point out the injustice of oppression and the justification of the revolution.However, Dickens shows his strong criticism on the excess of bloodshed during the French Revolution, especially in his consideration of the innocent(like Charles Darnay)being punished along with the guilty.He feels that the old ways of oppression must be changed, and that much oppression and much misery inevitably lead to revolution, but when the revolution actually comes, he thinks that it is too violent and that the less bloodshed the better.The chief and the best portrayed figure is the benevolence spirit the leader of the revolution.

第五篇：英文定影赏析

建筑工程学院

建筑工程技术二班

姓名：朱卫红

学号:201217010242

作业:<<费城故事>>影评

《The Philadelphia Story》

Andrew and Joe are two young lawyer in Philadelphia, they work hard and have a bright future.However, Andrew did not dare to tell the boss that he is a homosexual, and infected with AIDS.As he had been promoted soon, because the boss found a secret document on the grounds of his lost fired him, Andrew found Joe wanted him to accept the case.Joe was originally rejected, but his wife Louise and Andrew scolding the request agreed.Andrew's family went to court to support him.Trial, a number of demonstrators gathered outside the court, a request to the legitimate interests of homosexuals are not allowed to discriminate against people with AIDS.However, the defendant insisted that for this reason does not recognize Andrew's dismissal.Andrew debilitating body has been unable to withstand the intense anti-AIDS drugs intravenously, he had a premonition that I was going to die.But he is still strong enough to survive the fierce court defense.To the day of judgment, the jury verdict was finally subjected to unfair dismissal Andrew plaintiff, the defendant shall be responsible for damages.Andrew finally won.Joe went to the hospital to the news told Andrew and his family, but Andrew is not longer supported anymore, he is slowly dying.Hollywood has always been a vast world of entertainment films, because of lack of seriousness of the Films business benefits without being optimistic, the major film companies are reluctant to

spend money Toupai.However, 94 years, this situation has been turning suddenly, a group of historical reflection on the theme of social concern serious film appearance, in which the “Philadelphia,” the most attention, response was tremendous.“The Philadelphia Story” tells the story of an AIDS patient with a legal right to protect their interests in the story, it is called “Hollywood face of AIDS,” the movie.It marks the Hollywood no longer evade social reality, while flooding the United States formally declared war on AIDS.Video calls on people to care about helping people with AIDS, people with AIDS, also praised the fighting spirit of self-improvement, caused widespread concern in the community.In order to play AIDS emaciated body, his approach to weight loss with diet 30 pounds, and personally with homosexuals, AIDS, human contact, direct experience of life;to show the desperation of people with AIDS unique mind, he trained every day for modeling But back home and then that restore self, suffering inner torment.More valuable is that he is not only performed a patient, it is a strong struggle with the love of his family and friends, his career and a great role in society as a whole.For this reason, Tom Hanks won the 66th Oscar for Best Actor and the 44th Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear for Best Actor.Probably because Tom Hanks played the protagonist Andrew, and speech is a gradual dying man, so viewers can easily generate sympathy for him.Hanks of this role is his twice Oscar-winner for the first time.Look out, it has paid no small effort, a lot of meticulous touching performances.Movie “Andrew” is a shrewd, articulate characters, and the following year in “Forrest Gump” image contrast and performance style but also with “Forrest Gump” very different, it is “Andrew” and “A Gan ”two shaping the character, so that Hanks' acting school" image popular.So look at this his first Oscar-winner film is still worthwhile.