新世纪版英语高一课文(上海地区)

第一篇：新世纪版英语高一课文(上海地区)

上海新世纪英语高一全部课文

高一 doctor.In some countries parents often decide what careers their children will follow---especially their sons.Tchaikovsky(柴可夫斯基，1840-1893，俄国作曲家), the composer of Swan Lake(芭蕾舞剧《天鹅湖》), was asked to study law.He, however, didn‟t take an interest in it.Tchaikovsky made a great decision on his own.He gave up his government service later and started to study music.Some people think the young are probably going to be successful because they are doing the things they most want to do in life.Many people, however, disagree with them.3.Michelangelo Michelangelo(米开朗琪罗，1475-1564，意大利文艺复兴时期成就卓著的科学家、艺术家)was an Italian artist about 500 years ago.Today he is still remembered as a great sculptor, painter, and architect.Michelangelo came from a poor family.He was trained at an early age like any other craftsman in Italy.At thirteen, he started to work and learn in a workshop.The workshop belonged to one of the leading masters at that time.In the workshop Michelangelo was able to learn all the skills of sculpture.However, he wasn‟t satisfied, and went on to study the work of the great masters of the past.Michelangelo worked hard and he mastered one problem after another.By the time he was 30, he was generally regarded as one of the outstanding sculptors of the age.In 1508, Michelangelo was given a task---to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel(位于罗马梵蒂冈的西斯廷教堂).At first, he tried to turn down this job, saying that he was not really a painter, but a sculptor.Finally, he agreed to do it.He then shut himself up in the chapel, let no one come near him, and got ready to work alone.It took him four years to complete the paintings on the ceiling.Any ordinary person would find it hard to imagine what Michelangelo had gone through in those four years of hard and lonely work.Michelangelo, while working, had to lie on his back and paint.As a result, he became so used to looking upward that when he received a letter during that period, he had to hold it over his head to read it.Finally, the paintings were completed.The great and huge paintings on the ceiling and walls of the chapel have ever since become a fascination to people in Italy and all over the world.Michelangelo left us with a great number of sculptures and paintings.Today his works are still examples for art students to study and follow.Home and overseas visitors can‟t help but admire these masterpieces.4.Jim Corrigan Jim Corrigan, a well-built man in his late 20‟s, works in a large hospital.Jim is an X-ray technician.It is his job to develop the many X-ray films that are taken of people‟s lungs, stomachs and other body parts.Jim works in a darkroom, a room that is specially equipped for developing film.First he removes the film from the lead plates(金属片)that are used to hold it.Then he feeds the film into a developing machine.It takes about 90 seconds for it to develop.The film is then ready to be examined by a doctor.Jim‟s work is important, and both doctors and patients eagerly, often worriedly, wait for the results of his work.Jim doesn‟t keep them waiting too long.He is quick and orderly at his job.This would not be unusual except for the fact that Jim Corrigan is blind.“In the beginning it was tricky,” Jim explains, “The film comes in five different sizes.And

sometimes I would get them mixed up.But I have never let a mistake get out of the darkroom.” After some time, Jim learned to measure the film by running his fingers over the edges.“I have a system,” explains Jim, “so that I can find things easily in the darkroom.It‟s a simple system.I just keep my materials in order and put them back in the same place after I use them.I don‟t have to search for anything.”

“Jim is quite capable and can be trusted,” says his boss, “I wouldn‟t have him working here if he weren‟t.And that brings me to the question of handicapped people.You can‟t let yourself get upset about them.They want to be treated just like anybody else---and they should be.They don‟t want you to fell sorry for them.”

No one has to feel sorry for Jim Corrigan.5.Starting a conversation with a foreigner in English As you rode on the bus one day, a foreigner sat down beside you.Finally, here was a perfect opportunity for you to practice speaking English with a foreigner, you thought to yourself.But no words came into your head.You were tongue-tied!After 15 minutes, the foreigner got off the bus and you didn‟t utter a word!“What a shame!” you said to yourself.If you have had such an experience, don‟t feel bad.You‟re not alone.What you need is a lesson in small talk.Here are some tips that will show you how to get started.“HELLO”---A STARTER First, exchange a “Hello” or “Hi” with the foreigner, but at the same time, pay close attention and see if he feels like chatting.Watch his facial expression and body language for cues.Having said his “Hello” or “Hi” in return, does he just stare out of the window or keep reading the book in his hand? That‟s the cue for you to stop moving on.Don‟t force a conversation on someone who wants to be left alone.But what if the person stops whatever he is doing and looks back or smiles at you? These are positive cues, indicating you can keep talking and start a conversation!SMALL TALK---THE MAIN COURSE To start a conversation, you should choose a suitable topic.Then, what are the rules for choosing a suitable topic? Perhaps the most universal topic of any conversation is the weather.Everyone has an opinion to share about the weather!Don‟t immediately launch into serious topics like politics or religion.And don‟t talk about personal matters, either.Stick to familiar subjects of a casual nature such as movies, music, sports, favourite things, or one‟s likes and dislikes.Small talk flows naturally.Raise open-ended questions rather than yes-no questions to keep the conversation going.Try to find points of connection between you and the person you are chatting with.Offer short comments on what the other person says, and listen attentively when what you say is being commented on.If you get such comments as “That‟s interesting.”, “I agree.”, or “Me too.” then you know you‟re on the right track.You can have a lot of fun chatting in English with foreigners.They will, too.Try it!Making small talk can be one of life‟s pleasures.6.Never too busy for social manners So you forgot to answer that party invitation you received.Now, the day has come and gone, and you‟re feeling guilty because you never told the host you couldn‟t attend.“Don‟t allow this oversight(疏忽)to ruin your relationship,” says R.Thomas Boone, a US social psychologist.“I would show up with a bottle of wine and say, „I owe(感激，亏欠)you one.I‟m really sorry‟,” Boone says.Send an e-mail, make a phone call or reach out to the host another way.Whatever the method，do it as soon as possible.If guests don‟t answer the invitations on time, the host cannot possibly plan for the correct amount of food and drink.This may lead to hundreds or even thousands of dollars of waste.“Everybody has a busy schedule now,” Boone says.If you know you are forgetful when it comes to making phone calls, try emailing your RSVPs as soon as the invitation arrives.RSVP is the short form of the French phrase “répondez s‟il vous plaît”, meaning “Reply, if you please”.The following are some commonly used terms in invitation letters and their meanings.Be sure to know these and answer invitations properly.RSVP, REGRETS ONLY Only guests who can‟t attend need reply.You need to give a proper reason why you can‟t attend.RSVP BY… Guests should respond with yes or no by the date indicated on the invitation.Setting a date gives guests a deadline.It is also a deadline for the host to connect guests who haven‟t reply.RSVP BY E-MAIL Guests can respond by e-mail.Unlike phone calls, e-mails can be sent without regard to time of day or location.7.Holidays and festivals in the United Kingdom There are many national holidays in the United Kingdom.Among them, Easter, and Christmas are two of the most famous.EASTER The date of Easter varies each year.It usually falls in March or April.During the Easter holiday, people give each other chocolate Easter eggs.The eggs are opened and eaten on Easter Sunday.On Good Friday(the day before Easter, when Christians observe the day on which Christ died), hot cross buns(复活节前一个星期五吃的十字面包)are sold.They are toasted and eaten with butter.Easter Monday(the day after Easter)is a Bank Holiday.On that day, banks and other major businesses are closed;people may enjoy a trip to the seaside or watch an exciting sports game, such as football, or horse-racing.CHRISTMAS For most British families, Christmas is certainly the most important holiday of the year.Families decorate their houses in bright colours.Usually a Christmas tree is placed in the front room, shining with coloured lights and interesting decorations.On the morning of Christmas Day(December 25), many people go to church to celebrate the birth of Christ(耶稣基督).In the afternoon, they stay at home and open the gifts that were gathered around the tree.Later, they may watch the Queen appear on television to deliver her traditional Christmas message to the whole country.In the evening, the families sit down to a big goose(sometimes turkey)dinner.They round off the meal with pudding, a Christmas specialty.Many traditions are connected with Christmas.For children, the most important one is that of receiving gifts.On Christmas Eve(December 24), they usually leave a long stocking hanging by the bed or by the fireplace.They hope that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents.They are usually not disappointed!December 26, Boxing Day, is also a public holiday.This is the time to visit friends or watch football.Students have several weeks off school for Christmas.8.How do different cultures around the world celebrate the New Year? Get ready to say good-bye to the old, hello to the new!What‟s the occasion? The coming of the New Year.Many Western cultures measure their days with the solar calendar.Therefore, they observe the coming of New Year on January 1.Cultures in Asia and Middle East use other calendars, such

as the more ancient lunar calendar.They celebrate the New Year at other times.Events and ceremonies vary from country to country.But in each places, New Year celebrations are a big meal.Most world cultures have been celebrating the New Year for centuries.The earliest New Year celebrations took place during spring or harvest time.With better weather ahead, or plenty of food to eat in winter, people naturally felt like having a party!As the days became longer and as nature renewed itself, people also felt like they could have a new start.Past disappointments could be forgotten.The New Year could bring better fortune, more opportunities and new challenges.Such universal themes remain the same today.Some cultures have unusual New Year traditions.Italians throw old things out of their windows at midnight, symbolizing the departure of the old.Mexicans fire guns into the air to keep away misfortunes.New Year celebrations also involve having fun.Some cultures view the New Year as an opportunity to let off fireworks.In New York City‟s Times Square, thousands gather on December 31 to count down the last seconds of the year.A giant silver ball is lowered at the stroke of midnight.London, England, hosts an annual New Year‟s Day parade that draws nearly a million spectators.The largest parade in Europe, it features bands and enormous balloons.These balloons are so huge that they tower over nearby buildings!How will you celebrate the New Year? Think about the themes you find meaningful during this season.Do you hope for a new start or a chance to turn over a new leaf? whatever the case, we wish you well.Happy New Year!9.Man’s four-legged friend The sun was shining and it was warm.Robin, a shepherd, was lying on the grass, enjoying the beautiful sunshine.His guard, a sheepdog, was standing next to him, looking at the flock of sheep.This is only a scene in a movie, but it does give us a real picture showing man‟s relationship with dogs.For a long time in history, dogs were not only being raised to work as man‟s guards, but they were also being trained to do many other jobs.Some were made to pull carts;others were bred to smell out enemies or track the scent of big animals.In addition to these hunting and working dogs, other breeds came to be used in sports, police work and as pets as well.In a way dogs have become man‟s friends and working partners.If you have a dog you love as a pet, you share some of your life with it.The dog lives in your home, keeps you company and goes on trips with you.Dogs rely on their excellent sense of smell to tell things apart.This sharp sense helps man and dogs themselves get over a lot of difficulties.A detective once trained a dog---Sauer.In 1925 while he was thinking hard about how to catch a thief.Sauer worked alone and tracked the thief after covering a distance of 160 kilometres.Sauer did this by scent alone.In 1923 a couple lost their dog Bobbie while they were travelling.Six months later Bobbie turned up at the family house.He had covered a distance of some 3,200 kilometres.The dog had travelled back through the Rocky Mountains in the depths of winter.Dogs are indeed man‟s best friends.Yet sometimes even the friendliest dog can bring death with its bite!This is not because it has changed in character, but because it has been infected with a terrible disease---rabies(狂犬病).The disease is passed on by a bite from an infected dog at any stage.When an infected person shows symptoms, death is certain to follow shortly after.So, in

order to prevent the disease, a person should go to a doctor at once if he has been bitten by a dog.Dogs remain man‟s best friends, but we should also try our best to guard against the horrible disease that can be carried by these friends.10.Well done, Spotty!We were walking alone when we saw the Wilkins‟ children playing in their yard.The three girls were taking turns pushing a cart.Their one-year-old twin brothers and a big doll were in it.Just as we walked by them, a wheel came off.Freckles, my friend, fixed it for them.Then they all went upstairs to play some games.After a while Mrs Wilkins went out, and left the twins with the girls.Well, it wasn‟t much fun for me, and soon I went to sleep.I must have slept pretty hard and pretty long.All of a sudden I woke up and could hardly breathe.Everybody was gone.The room was full of smoke!The house was on fire!I started down the stairs and stumbled over a gray bunch.“That belongs to Freckles,” I thought.“It‟s the gray sweater that he likes so much.I might as well take it down to him.”

I took the sweater in my mouth and started down again.It weighed so much.So I dropped it on one of the stairs.Then I went back up to look out of a window.I wanted to see why there was so much noise.The whole town was in the front yard and in the street!In the middle of the crowd was Mrs Wilkins, who was carrying on like a mad woman.Mr.Wilkins was jumping up and down and shouting loudly, “I‟ve got the babies!I‟ve got the babies!” He had a real baby in one arm and the big doll in the other.He was so excited that ha thought he had both babies.Later I heard what had happened.The kids had thought they were escaping with both twins.But one of them had saved the doll and left a twin behind.“Well,” I decided, “I‟d better get out of here fast.This place is really beginning to burn!” As I ran down the stairs, I knocked into the gray bunch again.So I picked it up.I got out the back way with that package swinging from my mouth.I walked round to the front yard and set it down very quickly.It let out a cry!“My baby!” shouted Mrs Wilkins.And she started to kiss me and the babies.“Three cheers for Spotty!” everyone shouted at the top of their voices.The butcher made his way through the crowd and gave me a large piece of hamburger and said, “It‟s got chicken livers mixed in it.”

I liked the way things were, so I wagged my tail.11.Cartoons and comic strips People often find it hard to put their feelings into words.So they keep hunting for new means of expressing their feelings other than words.Cartoons, as such a means, were thus born.Old cartoons, however, did not attract many people until cartoonists had expanded their topics by the end of the 19th century.At around the same time, comic strips came into being.A cartoon is an amusing drawing that deals with something of interest in the news.Comic strips are a set of humorous drawings that tell a funny story.They make a story appear as a picture in the reader‟s mind by showing one or two aspects of an event.There is a cartoon that shows a father and his son.The boy is showing his father his school report, which, unfortunately, gives a very poor grade---2 out of 5.So he does it in a quite unusual way: the report is fastened to one end of a pole while the boy is holding the other and.With the long pole between them, any punishment from the father is out of the question.For the moment, at

least, the son is safe.Readers can‟t help laughing at the cartoon.But they may also find some food for thought in addition to being amused.Reading cartoons and comic strips had long been a favourite pastime for adults until the beginning of the 20th century.Then some business-minded people found that there might be a good market for children, too.With the improvement of printing and drawing techniques, modern cartoons and comic strips had become children‟s favourites by the early 20th(around the 1920s).Since then they have become popular reading materials for people of all ages.Today the characters in cartoons and comic strips range from children to adults, pets to fancy animals, and ordinary people to superheroes.Micky Mouse and Garfield the Cat make children think and imagine actively.Superman and Batman bring villains of all sorts to justice.Father and Son expresses human love and sympathy in lively comic strips.Their names have become household words.They are only a few outstanding products in the field.Today the digital revolution has brought new life to the making of cartoons and comic strips.Therefore many people think that computer-made comics will in the end replace hand-drawn ones.However, just as the human mind will never give way completely to the computer, hand-drawn comics will never die, but will remain a special means of expressing human feelings.12.Rockwell and his works Norman Rockwell was a famous American illustrator and cover artist.Many of his works had become well-known by the middle of the 20th century.Critics spoke highly of his works.For example, according to one critic, “Most artists affect us by surprising us.Rockwell affects us by giving us exactly what we expect.” The following are just a few examples of his magazine covers.Cover one One of the best-known of all Rockwell‟s covers!This painting is made up of two parts: the upper and the lower.Each detail in the lower picture is carefully matched with something in the upper part, so the result is kind of humorous.In this way, the painting presents the children‟s moods in a sharp contrast: very happy when setting out and very tired and bored when coming back.Cover two This painting shows Rockwell‟s skills as a story teller.It tells an ordinary story about a school boy.The boy is busy with his studies.Outside the window a fishing pole is ready, and the boy‟s dog is waiting impatiently.To the boy, these last days of schoolwork before the summer vacation seem the longest.They appear more so as the final examination is drawing near.This is an old story of school children, but Rockwell tells it vividly in a simple way.Cover three In this painting, a young mother is trying hard to make up her mind: to spank or to spare her naughty child.The broken clock on the floor suggests that the child has behaved in an entirely natural manner.When a hammer is within his reach, he breaks something with the hammer!At the time the painting was completed, the Rockwells were already parents.So the cover story perhaps describes the artist‟s own life experience.With this experience, Rockwell could make every detail come alive in this painting.13.A brief look at two metropolises NEW YORK In the 19th century, a businessman predicated that New York was going to become the centre of the world.His prediction has partly come true.Today, New York is often regarded as one of the financial and cultural capitals of the Western World.The United Nations has its headquarters in the city as well.New York, where the world-famous twin towers of the World Trade Center were once located，is known as a city of skyscrapers.There are parks, great museums, art galleries, grand theatres and cinemas for visitors as well.However, like many other cities in the world, New York also has its own problems---noise, air pollution, crimes, traffic jams, and slums.Still, the fast, exciting pace of life in New York City is fascinating and this may be a reason why the city continues to fascinate more and more people.LONDON London was once known as a city of fog.At that time, many Londoners did not expect that their city would change for the better.However, heavy fog is now rarely seen in London.As a city with a long history, London has also gone through many changes.The days are gone when horse-drawn carriages were a common sight in the street.Now London is famous for its excellent underground service and the red double-deckers have become a symbol of the city.The second half of the 20th century saw great changes in the city.Skyscrapers have sprung up;business centres for the 21st century are also growing fast.However, London has kept its heart.People can still enjoy themselves with a cup of tea in Convent Garden(科文特加登广场).Some of the narrow roads that lead to churches are still there, taking people back to London‟s old days.Although there are such concerns as heavy traffic, crowded shops and dirty streets in some areas, to many people, London remains the most interesting and wonderful city in the world.14.The time capsule of Colorado Springs In 1901, the citizens of Colorado Springs(科罗拉多泉市)in the USA decided to collect everyday items and to seal them in a steel box.The box was marked “To be opened after midnight, December 31st, AD 2000”, and was stored in the Colorado College Library.One hundred years later, on the appointed day, 300 people gathered to watch the opening of the box.Many in the crowd were in very good condition.There were newspapers, photographs, diaries, name cards, family trees, books and dozens of letters, including one written by Theodore Roosevelt(西奥多·罗斯福，美国 the proposal was discussed and revised, which resulted in the programme called the World Wide Web.In 1992, its browser software was introduced to the public.The early browsers functioned well but were not “user-friendly”.In 1993, a group of graduated students in the USA created Mosaic---a “browser” programme.Mosaic was pleasing to the eye and easy to use---just point and click.Netscape(美国网景公司)and then Microsoft followed with browsers that greatly simplified the process of surfing the Internet in search of information.Today, the Internet is changing our life style, cultural patterns, business practices, and ways of learning and doing research.It helps people keep up to date on world events, find a cheap flight, play games, and discuss everything from apples to space technology.An increasing number of people shop and bank on the Internet;many do business online.It enables people to browse online hundreds of thousands of magazines and books in libraries worldwide.The Internet is not owned or controlled by any company or nation.People can use the Net at home, in offices, at schools and universities, in public libraries or “cyber cafes”.It connects people in different countries instantly through computers, satellites, and phone lines.It is making our life easier and more efficient.“The Global Village” was coined to describe how radio and television had changed the world in the 20th century.In the 21st century, it seems the Internet is sure to have an even greater influence.16.Hacking By the end of 1946, technology had advanced so greatly as to make the electronic computer a part of life.The year 1976 saw the appearance of a more advanced type of computer, which was performing 100 million calculations a second.This record, however, was quickly rewritten.The fast development of computer speed brings endless benefits to human life.There are always two sides to a thing, though.There are problems with using computers and storing useful data in them.In 1988, a US official said that a German student had been regularly reading their top secret papers.That student had been able to carry out his break-ins without leaving home.That was a typical example of “hacking”.A “hacker” is a highly skilled computer user who spends his free time reading the secret files of others.A hacker needs only to discover the password that gives entry to a network.With clever guesswork, this can be done simply by trying again and again.A lot of hackers are only in it for fun---like Robert Schifreen and Steve Gold, who had read all the data in Prince Philip‟s electronic mailbox before the police discovered the hacking.The possibility for hackers to commit crimes is great.In the 1980s some experts pointed out that American banks were losing up to $5,000 million a year to computer crimes.Once a hacker gained entry to a bank‟s system, he could order it to move large sums of money to another bank in a foreign country---just what a traditional robber would do.Today computers are making life easier and far more comfortable.The evils, however, are also growing with the development of computer knowledge and techniques.It seems that the struggle against computer crimes will continue into the future.高一 Travelling around China can be tiring but fun as well.However, how you travel often determines whether your travel will be a success or a failure.Here is some information about how it can be done.BY TRAIN Most parts of China can now be reached by rail.Generally speaking, the train service is efficient.However, the trains are sometimes overcrowded, especially on national holidays.The kind of ticket you need depends on the distance of your journey.A hard or soft seat is fine for a short journey.For long journeys, a sleeper ticket is a better choice.BY SHIP A number of sea routes exist that can take you from one seaport to another along the coast of China.There are also a few inland waterways.The most attractive one is that from Chongqing to Shanghai.Along this route ships pass through the famous Three Gorges(长江三峡)and stop at many beautiful towns and historic sites.BY AIR This is often the first choice for those who have limited time to spend on a journey.But, of course, this time-saving advantage has to be paid for---tickets are more expensive.While CAAC(中国民用航空总局)used to be the only airline service in the country, there are now a number of regional airlines.The safety record has also improved much over the past decades.Air tickets are available through CITS(中国国际旅行社), at hotel travel desks or in air ticket offices.Most large cities and many popular tourist destinations have their own airports.BY BUS Highway networks in China are developing very fast.There are both inner-and inter-city bus services, they are well managed and cheap.State-owned long-distance bus services operate on schedule and are inexpensive.There are also private buses.They run mainly on local routes, and often will not depart until they are completely filled up.BY BICYCLE Besides what is mentioned above, cycling is also one of the best ways for traveling around town, unless you are in Chongqing---the only city with very few bicycles because of its steep streets.If you plan to stay in China for sometime, buy one as the natives do.Hope you will find this information helpful during your stay in China.18.The Ocean Park---A page from a travel brochure of Hong Kong, China Duration: Approx.(approximately的缩写形式)4 hours or 7 hours(daily morning departure)Not only is it the largest in Asia, but it is also rated as one of the most spectacular oceanariums(海洋水族馆)in the world.It offers the best family outing place to observe marine life as well as to experience a fun ride on a roller coaster(过山车).PANDA HABITAT Loved by many for their unusually cute look, the two darling pandas, An An and Jia Jia, can now be sighted at their permanent habitat in Ocean Park.SHARK AQUARIUM Through the underwater viewing tunnel, you seem to enter the mysterious deep ocean, surrounded by countless sharks and rays(鳐鱼)of over 30 species, all swimming within arm‟s reach.OCEAN THEATRE With a panoramic(全景的)background and hosted by a marvelous master of ceremonies(节目主持人), the Ocean Theatre stages entertaining performances by its great and small marine stars.When time permits, visit a jewelry factory workshop to observe the art of handicraft(手工艺).NOTE This is a half day guided tour.However, passengers may stay behind to explore more features in the Ocean Park.Return trips on our afternoon coach can be arranged with your tour guide.19.The Sydney Harbour Bridge There‟s no feeling quite like seeing Sydney from the top of the Harbour Bridge.There I stood, looking up at Sydney‟s Harbour Bridge---one of the most famous bridges in the world.Located near the magnificent Sydney Opera House, the 40-storey bridge towers over Australia‟s largest city.The bridge was certainly beautiful to look at.But who in their right mind would want to climb it? Me, of course!Climbing the bridge is not such a crazy thing to do, in fact.Tourists started climbing the bridge in 1998.Now it‟s one of Sydney‟s most popular attractions.To prepare for the climb, our group of 12 climbers had to take a special class.First, we stored all our personal belongings and changed into special bridge climbing clothes.Then, the climb organizers showed us how to use the safety belts and climb the steep ladders.We were even given little personal radios to receive instructions from our guide during the climb!Our expectations began to build and our group became excited.One hour later, we were ready to go!We first crossed some catwalks below the road part of the bridge.I was glad I wasn‟t afraid of heights.Looking down through the catwalk I could see the ground 50 meters(164 feet)below!Next we climbed the ladders leading up, up, up to the bridge‟s arch.Cars sped by on the road below.The wind blew more fiercely the higher we climbed.More and more of the city slowly came into view.Soon we were approaching the very top of the bridge!What a scene it was at the top!Clear, bird‟s eye views of the city extended in all directions.Looking south we saw the city skyline, the famous Opera House and the ocean.It was just like looking at a postcard, except that we were really part of the picture!Everyone felt proud of having reached this spot in the city.No one was ready to leave when it was time to go down.The two hours we had spent on the bridge seemed to pass in an instant.But the memory of having seen such a unique scene will stay with us for a lifetime.20.Travelling in the land of smiles Thailand uses the phrase “Land of Smiles” to describe itself in tourist brochures and advertising campaigns---and rightly so.Visitors to Thailand can expect to be greeted with a smile when they leave the airport, get into a taxi or rental car and again when they enter a hotel.What makes it so easy for the Thai people to smile at their visitors? The head of Thailand‟s tourist bureau says that it is “in the nature of the people.” The Thais are naturally happy, he says with a smile, and they are glad to share that happiness with others.This attitude seems to be very much appreciated by the more than five million tourists who visit Thailand each year.The country ranks high on the list of places to which visitors want to return.The reason most often stated is that the people are friendly and polite.Some other Asian destinations are not as well received.Bali in Indonesia ranks high on the list, with Japan somewhere in the middle.These reports raise the question of whether certain nationalities are naturally more courteous than others.People may experience more friendliness in Thailand than in other countries.This may have more to do with the place than the people.Travel writers point out that cities are always stressful, hurried places, with little to offer in the way of smiles and welcome.Bangkok is not as friendly as other places in the surrounding Thai countryside.Remote towns and villages in China, for example, offer visitors a warm welcome, with smiles(and giggles)from children.Perhaps it should also be pointed out that polite, patient, smiling visitors will most often be greeted similarly，no matter which country they are in.21.Using English properly If you don‟t want to offend someone, you‟d better know which English words to use---and which to avoid.Imagine that you‟re in a restaurant in America.You want some water, so you called out “Waitress!” A waitress comes to your table, but she‟s clearly unhappy.What did you do wrong? You may have offended her by calling her a “waitress.” Today, many people prefer the word “server” to “waitress.”

Why? As society changes, so does our language.Today the word “server” is more appropriate.It gives the person a sense of being respected.Using English properly is an attempt to make language more respectful to all people.Words that put too much emphasis on gender are carefully avoided.These include words that end in “-ess” or “-man.” For example, people who serve passengers on airlines are now called “flight attendants,” not “stewardesses.” In the past, only women could be flight attendants;today, many men have entered the profession.“Flight attendant” is a better expression because it includes both men and women.Many women are entering jobs that were once only occupied by men, so words like “policeman” and “chairman” are being replaced.Now “police officer” and “chairperson” are the preferred terms.Unfortunately, English has no singular pronoun that can be used to replace either “he” or “she.” This creates some problems.How do we treat both genders fairly without such a pronoun? One way is to use the plural structure.So instead of saying “If a person wants to learn English, he should study every day,” many people would prefer “If people want to learn English, they should study every day.”

Using English properly extends further than gender.It also includes issues of race and disability.For example, some people prefer the term “people with a disability” to “handicapped.” The word “handicapped” can be considered disrespectful because it implies that a person is helpless.However, there are people who don‟t like being told what words they have to use.And they insist on not changing their way of talking---they don‟t think they are obliged to make others feel better.But most people agree that making language respectful to all is fair.So people do change with the times.22.Tips for English learning Language letter-boxes in quite a few English newspapers are often filled with letters complaining about such problems as “I don‟t know to improve my pronunciation and intonation.The English vocabulary is too large to handle.” Or “I find my spoken English most worrying.Please tell me how to improve my communication skills!”

At the same time, in some newspapers, there are ads for “Shortcuts in Mastering English,” “A 24-hour Programme of Success in Spoken English” or “Recipe for English Fluency,” and so on.A lot of teachers of English try to help fight learners‟ worries by saying that the road to successful communication is clearly signposted---practise, practice and practice.If there are few such opportunities in your day-to-day life, make them up: form clubs or learning groups, and practise talking to each other.Expose yourselves to an English radio broadcast, a tape recording, a film or a video: let it be a topic or a context for discussion.Even when you are alone, try to have some practice.You can

never lay too much emphasis on the importance of “input” for language learning, so reading newspapers and listening to the radio are good habits to cultivate.One thing, however, is very important: the “input” must be appropriate for your level.Something too difficult is useless, while spending time on something too easy will be pointless.And remember this: there isn‟t a cure-all for all of you.One shortcut may work for some of you, and another probably has a positive effect on others.Only one method works for everybody---and that is, to use English!23.Eye contact Lunch was now over, and I offered to drive James back to his hotel.He said he had walked over to my place but politely accepted the lift.We drove the few blocks back to his hotel and pulled into the driveway.I got out, went quickly to his side of the car, opened the door, and started to lean forward with one hand reaching out.Then my eyes met his.Not a word was spoken, but the message I got was clear, “Don‟t you dare try to help me out of this car!”

I backed off.James got out and then gave me a big smile---his way of saying, “No harm done.All is well.”

If we pay enough attention, we‟ll see our audience is often communicating with us without words.It is important to read these silent signals in one‟s eyes.If you introduce a subject that causes much movement in the audience, you know that you have aroused their attention.They are shifting in their seats or exchanging looks with their neighbours.The reaction from your audience should be your guide.When you continue your talk, you know that to drop, what to revise and what to add, all based on your reading of the eyes of the audience.If you‟ve told a joke or story that hasn‟t gone down well, the audience may be telling you that they want to hear or what they don‟t want to hear.Such information can and should lead to some change in the content, humour and style of what you still have to say.The most obvious display of an audience‟s silent communication is their lack of attention.Yawning, programme studying, chatting in very low voices or dozing, to mention the worst, are warnings.Through eye contact you will be the first to know if you have lost them.An immediate change of attitude is called for.No speaker is ever honoured for going down with the ship.Silent clues, however, may also communicate good news.Smiling, leaning forward, watching attentively---all tell you that the track is clear of obstacles;the signals are green---so go ahead.24.Understanding body language Have you ever met someone and found that you instantly liked them? You just couldn‟t put your finger on it as to why.Deep down inside yourself they gave you a strange feeling.I‟m not going to call myself a body language expert, but I think I can hive you my advice on how to read the most complicated language of all: body language.YOUR MOVES SELL YOU OUT.So for starters, think about yourself.Have you ever stopped for a moment to watch the way that you move your body? Well, believe it or not, the people you are talking to are watching your every move.They watch your eyes, your facial expressions, the way you hold your posture.In fact, the way you move can tell a lot about what kind of person you are … or what kind of person you appear to be.WHAT CAN BODY LANGUAGE TELL? In most Western countries, making eye contact with anyone you talk to is very important.If you don‟t make eye contact, you might be judged as dishonest or even rude.Then there‟s posture.If your actions are very confident, you will appear to be confident to others.And, the rate that you speak can also tell others something.If you talk too

fast, you‟re nervous, while too slow probably indicates that you are unsure of yourself, and that maybe you are shy.I‟M CONFUSED WITH “SPACE” IN CHINA.As a traveler, I have been confused time and time again with every place I visit.This is mainly because I misunderstood the body language of the people.In China, I have had many issues with the concept of “space.” As an American I need “personal space.” So, the first time I came to Shanghai I was constantly apologizing to strangers who I bumped into on the streets or even on the bus, but they just looked at me as if I were strange.Understanding body language is difficult, but it‟s important to become aware of it, and I make an effort to understand it.So my advice, watch your own actions, for they can send a message to someone that you may not even know!And when in doubt, smile!25.Arturo Toscanini

Arturo Toscanini, who conducted the first public performance of many world-famous operas(such as Othello and La Boheme), is regarded as the greatest conductor of the first part of the twentieth century.Toscanini was born in Italy on March 25, 1867.He entered a music school when he was nine and graduated in 1885 with the highest honours in cello and composition.At the age of nineteen, he joined an Italian orchestra on a tour in Brazil.During that tour, the conductor of the orchestra suddenly quit his job.Toscanini was thus called in to fill in as conductor at very short notice.It was not surprising that the audience laughed at him as he leapt onto the stage.His passionate interpretation of Aida was, however, greeted with loud cheers.What was most special about Toscanini was that he did his job without the help of a score.Having read through a score, he could recall every note many years later.However, the fact that he had a marvelous memory alone did not make him a great conductor.It was his energy, strict attitude towards performance, and loyalty to the composer‟s intention that made him outstanding.During rehearsals, to get what he wanted from his orchestra, he would sometimes stamp his feet, snap his baton and tear his store to pieces.He tried to make use of every means to interpret music.Once he found himself at a loss when trying to describe to an American orchestra a very light effect in a passage(his English was poor).After thinking hard for a while, he drew a white silk handkerchief from his pocket and threw it into the air, watching with the orchestra as it floated to the floor.“There!” he said.“Play like that!”

Toscanini drove himself as hard as he did his orchestra.If the orchestra met his demands, he would weep for joy.Otherwise, he would not spare them from punishment.If he himself made a rare mistake, he would slap his own face in front of the orchestra.He would not spare even himself from punishment.Toscanini would shout at anyone who dared talk during the performance or, even worse, arrived late.All through his life, Toscanini was anti-fascist.In1931, he was physically attacked for refusing to play the fascist anthem and for protesting against Hitler‟s ban on Jewish musicians.He dropped his baton in 1954, and died in 1957 at the age of 90.26.An interview with a pop pianist Robin Gordon(RG), a journalist, interviews a very rich and famous pianist, James Newman(JN), who has a way of playing classical music in a wildly romantic manner.He is well known for his strange clothes as well.RG: Actually, you don‟t let the chance slip through your fingers when you chose music as your

career.JN: No, the entertainment world is full of opportunities.When any of them turns up and comes to you, you must be prepared.RG: You started playing the piano as a child, didn‟t you?

JN: Yes.I‟m very competitive---that‟s the way I was brought up.I was raised in a strict traditional family.I was the oldest of us kids.In a family that size, you had to be hardworking to get noticed.My father wanted us to be aggressive, competitive and career-oriented.So, it became very important for me to be number one all the time and I did get straight A‟s at school.RG: Well, when you began as a pianist, you wore traditional clothes, didn‟t you?

JN: I did wear a black suit and a bow tie that made me look like a headwaiter, and I looked serious and miserable when I played!But not for long, I soon developed my own style.RG: Just where…and how did you begin your own style?

JN: Well…I learned the piano at an early age, and after I left music school, I started giving piano performances.Well, anyway, one evening when I was in Wisconsin(威斯康星州), something happened.My audience that evening consisted mostly of rich farmers.They were all sitting like sleeping dummies(模型)…it was really a very hot evening…I was all sweaty.They just weren‟t enjoying Bach(巴赫，1685-1750，德国作曲家)or Chopin(肖邦，1810-1849，波兰作曲家、钢琴家).They were ready to fall off their chairs with boredom.So I stopped playing and stood up.RG: You mean, you stopped in the middle of a performance? JN: Exactly.And I shouted, “Come on, folks.What would you really like to hear?” At first they looked at me as if I had gone mad, then they became all wide awake.They agreed that they wanted a change.So I played something in a kind of wild Bach style.RG: And soon after that you started your new style.JN: Yes.I decided to play Bach and Chopin in a very unusual style.Meanwhile I started wearing fancy clothes.RG: I guess your father didn‟t approve of all this.JN: Right.Dad‟s a bit old.He wanted to make a classical musician of me!He didn‟t understand me.RG: Even though you are so successful? JN: No.Many people don‟t.RG: Perhaps it takes time.Thank you, Mr.Newman.27.Stunts in movies On the screen, the US actor Tom Cruise is throwing himself through a glass window as a large car explodes behind him;the actress Helen Hunt is running from hurricanes as homes and cows are swept up.And, of course, there is Stallone doing…everything.It seems to be popular these days for actors and actresses to do their own stunts in action movies, and the fact is that the big names are indeed doing more stunts.According to a director, some actors do as much as ninety per cent of their own stunts, while the last ten per sent are generally left to stunt professionals.These are the men and women who make a living risking their lives on behalf of the big names in action movies.However, there is an exception.The only actor who does any allow anyone else to do his stunts is Jackie Chan, the Hong Kong phenomenon.He takes pride in doing all the stunts in his action movies.Jackie Chan has been doing his individual brand of dramatic martial arts for fifteen

years.He is no doubt a walking miracle of physical endurance.Of course, along with that heroism are numerous broken bones and a hole the size of a coin in his head.US action filmmakers do not want their movie stars to be injured, so stunt experts are always called in to do dangerous parts that require talent.At the same time, they also try hard to make the audience believe that the famous faces are performing every stunt.Actors and actresses would also like the fans to believe that there are no professionals doing the stunts for them.Many of them insist on doing their own stunts in the movies.Then accidents are inevitable.For instance, Helen Hunt was knocked unconscious when filming one scene---she opened the door of a vehicle and jumped off while it was speeding through a cornfield.Helen later admitted, “I have all the courage of a stunt person, but I don‟t have all the talent.”

As for the audience, there is absolutely no need for you to worry about your favourite stars, who are bragging about performing the stunts on TV talk shows.It‟s entirely possible that someone else took the fall.As Helen said, there is still a lot of work out there for stunt professionals.28.Digital actors Is it real, or is it digital? In many Hollywood movies these days it‟s sometimes impossible to tell what‟s real and what‟s not.Moviemakers create landscapes, cities and even creatures from nothing but pixels.These computer images look just as real as the world we live in.Now moviemakers are developing the final computer creation---digital humans.Developing computer images that look and act just like real humans has long been the dream of many moviemakers.Pixel by pixel that dream is gradually becoming a reality.The first attempts to create prefect digital humans began several years ago.Final fantasy(《最终幻想》), released in 2004, showed the potential and limitations of digital actors.The movie‟s digital characters looked and acted surprisingly lifelike.But somehow they still reminded audiences of cartoons, and their “acting” was less than inspiring.Final Fantasy‟s digital magic also cost moviemakers a fortune.Just creating human-looking hair cost about $20 million.And despite people‟s initial excited reaction, it performed poorly at the box office.The film, which cost $137 million to make, lost about $80 million.Moviemakers have been much more successful at creating non-human characters.The Lord of the Rings(《指环王》)trilogy features a digital creature named Gollum.Though not human, Gollum gives a very moving performance.Surprisingly, this collection of pixels manages to effectively show a wide range of human emotions.The Matrix: Reloaded(《黑客帝国Ⅱ》)features the most perfect digital humans so far.These lifelike digital creations appear widely throughout the movie.In fact, audiences can never be sure which actors are real and which are digital.So should Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and all their Hollywood friends start looking for another line of work? Not necessarily.Many popular movie directors say digital actors will never “act” as well as humans.Digital actors must also rely on gifted human actors for their voices.29.Front page news Millions of newspapers are sold every day throughout the world.What section of the newspapers on a newsstand catches your eye? Without doubt, it is the front page.Its contents are usually about the most important happenings of the day.Besides that, it is common practice that the front page carries an index to help the reader quickly locate certain sections of the paper.A front page carries a brief weather forecast for the day as well.Much thought goes into the actual headlines themselves.A headline is like a title.People think it important that headlines should aim at being both informative and eye-catching.They should attract the reader‟s attention.The main front-page headline is, of course, the most important one.After all, it can even determine whether or not a person will be tempted to buy a particular newspaper.While the importance of the front page is obvious, there are two schools of thought over the emphasis placed on its contents.There is the school that describes the front page as a paper‟s “shop window” and therefore emphasizes the need for “window-dressing”.The trouble with this approach is that too much concentration on the “shop window” tends to reduce the value of the goods displayed inside.Others take the view that a newspaper is like a store with many windows, each of which should be dressed to the same high standard.It should have a sense of unity.Once the paper has decided the type---the style it will use for headlines---composing the front page is a fairly simple matter.The main story, called the lead, takes the prime position, usually the top left-hand corner of the page.A strong picture occupies the top center of the page;then follows the second-lead, third-lead and other stories in size-graded headings.When there is a big event, the paper uses a headline which runs the full width of the page and which is usually set in a bold type.However, a newspaper has to draw a line between being eye-catching and being sensational.A newspaper which overuses shock methods may lose its reputation.30.Two pieces of news GREAT VICTORY ENDS YEARS OF WAITING Moscow: It was Beijing‟s night yesterday in Moscow.As Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee(IOC), announced that Beijing would be the host for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, cheering, applauding and waving of flags broke out to celebrate the victory.“Now the results of the voting---the Games of the 29th Olympiad in 2008 is awarded to the city of…Beijing,” declared Samaranch, the most famous sports figure in the world.Beijing won in the second round ballot with 56 votes from the 105 voting IOC members, while Toronto got a distant 22, Paris 18 and Istanbul 9.Osaka, which received 6 votes, was eliminated in the first round.A contract to host the Games followed after the vote.BEIJING WAS SLEEPLESS LAST NIGHT Thousands upon thousands of people gathered in squares, shopping malls, streets and millions of homes to applaud the city‟s success in its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games.Buildings and streets were brightly lit, and heartfelt cheers and laughter filled the air.Fireworks lit up the night sky, and flags formed a sea of flowing colour.As International Olympic Committee(IOC)President Juan Antonio Samaranch announced that Beijing had won the IOC vote at 10:15 last night, the ancient capital burst into cheers and tears.The China Millennium Monument(中华世纪坛)in western Beijing, the centre of the celebration, was alive with cheerful crowds.Senior Chinese leaders joined university students and local citizens in celebrating the success in the bid with the whole nation.Tian‟anmen Square was also filled with people who poured into the city centre on learning about the news.Chanting “Beijing!Olympics!” at the top of one‟s voice seemed the commonest

means of expressing one‟s feelings.Thousands of cars waited in endless queues along Chang‟an Boulevard(长安街)and other major avenues.Wild with joy, the drivers kept blowing their horns.Messages were sent by cell phones, telephones, e-mails, etc., and popular websites were crammed with visitors.31.An added bonus Anne and Joe King sat back in their easy chairs, watching television in their cozy living-room.Anne used the remote control to find a programme of interest.“Why don‟t we watch The Family Friction(摩擦)?” said Anne.“I hate watching soap dramas,” said Joe.“Especially this one where couples argue over money.”

“Okay,” said Anne, as she switched to Channel 12.“And now,” said a good-looking announcer on the TV screen, “Round-the-World(《环球》), the magazine of the world, is proud to announce its limited offer.For the bargain price of $10, half the newsstand price, you can subscribe to one year, twelve issues, of Round-the-World.Imagine reading unusual stories with colour photos that will surprise you.And as an added bonus, if you subscribe before midnight, June 1st, we will offer, without extra cost, our World Atlas(地图).Remember, this is a limited offer.This atlas cannot be bought in stores.There are maps of every chief tourist attraction in the world, in addition to the metropolises and capitals of the countries.Won‟t it be great to have the world at your fingertips!To get this amazing offer, write to Round-the-World Bonus, Box 666, Reno, Nevada(内华达州)87870.Be sure to enclose your cheque or money order for $10.if not completely satisfied, you may keep the atlas and cancel your subscription.In that case, you can get your money back.”

“That sounds amusing,” said Anne.“In fact, it would be really handy to have an atlas, particularly when I need to locate places I plan to visit or read about in the news.”

They sent a letter of subscription and two weeks later a small package arrived in the mail.They got the atlas.“Is this our atlas?” said Joe in disbelief.“It looks like a big postage stamp.” “It looked tremendous on television,” said Anne.“It‟ll be impossible to find anything in such an atlas,” said Joe.“To find anything, we‟ll need a microscope.”

32.The history of magazines It was during the mid-nineteenth century that the magazine developed into the main source of popular entertainment for the general public.Instead of speaking mainly to the well-educated upper classes as in the past, the illustrated magazine addressed the general public.The first magazine that was born in 1665 in France was a dry and dull publication.Most publishers did not realize the significance of visuals as tools to educate, shape opinions and entertain.Nor did they know the importance of selling as many copies of their magazines as possible.It was not until the early decades of the 20th century that the magazine industry started to flourish.The main centres of the magazine industry were in America, France, Germany, and Great Britain.Many fancy and unique publications were produced there.Some publishers, such as William R.Hearst, built empires: he employed no fewer than 31,000 people by 1935.Hearst published more than nine magazines and two dozen newspapers in the first half of the century.The atmosphere of the 20th century was good for the growth of fashion and women‟s

magazines.Among them, Ladies‟ Home Journal(《妇女家庭》)and Vogue(《时尚》)in America were the most popular.In America, the biggest impact on the magazine industry in the 1930s was the publication of Life(《生活》)magazine.Its concept of instant news through pictures meant that magazines could compete with the popular electronic media.After World War Ⅱ, the magazine industry changed dramatically.Magazines were forced to become more profit-oriented and generally less attractive.The 1950s witnessed the appearance of magazine for sports, sailing, fishing, cooking, dog breeding, and stamp collecting, to name just a few.Magazines have experienced social pressures, financial and technical hardships.However, they have worked hard to meet the needs of people with a variety of interests.Magazines have indeed become a truly effective and expressive medium for the general public.

第二篇：新世纪英语高一课文

上海外语教育出版社——新世纪英语高一课文

高一第一学期

1.People from all walks of life When a person grows up, he will take up different occupations in various work places.A society is thus made up of all walks of life.What kind of person do you want to be in the future? The following introductions may give you some idea.TEACHER Teachers are professionals.They work in schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions.They try their best to help students gain new knowledge and become useful people in society.Teachers are involved in many tasks, such as explaining lessons, giving homework and correcting papers.At the end of every term, they mark test papers and give grades to their students.Actually teachers do more.Often their impact on students stays all through their lives.SURGEON Surgeons, like teachers, are also professionals.As a special group of doctors, surgeons operate on sick people and repair the organs that no longer work properly.Hospitals are their work places.After an operation, a surgeon takes care of the patient’s medical treatment until he gets well.The skills of a surgeon sometimes mean the differences between life and death.SECRETARY A secretary works in an office.The job of a secretary often involves writing letters, answering telephone calls, and receiving people.A secretary stores information on a computer and puts papers in good order in file cabinets.As a link between the boss and the visitors, a secretary also helps the boss work out plans and timetables.Traditionally, more girls than boys work as secretaries.In some countries parents often decide what careers their children will follow---especially their sons.Tchaikovsky, the composer of Swan Lake, was asked to study law.He, however, didn’t take an interest in it.Tchaikovsky made a great decision on his own.He gave up his government service later and started to study music.Some people think the young are probably going to be successful because they are doing the things they most want to do in life.Many people, however, disagree with them.3.Michelangelo Michelangelo was an Italian artist about 500 years ago.Today he is still remembered as a great sculptor, painter, and architect.Michelangelo came from a poor family.He was trained at an early age like any other craftsman in Italy.At thirteen, he started to work and learn in a workshop.The workshop belonged to one of the leading masters at that time.In the workshop Michelangelo was able to learn all the skills of sculpture.However, he wasn’t satisfied, and went on to study the work of the great masters of the past.Michelangelo worked hard and he mastered one problem after another.By the time he was 30, he was generally regarded as one of the outstanding sculptors of the age.In 1508, Michelangelo was given a task---to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.At first, he tried to turn down this job, saying that he was not really a painter, but a sculptor.Finally, he agreed to do it.He then shut himself up in the chapel, let no one come near him, and got ready to work alone.It took him four years to complete the paintings on the ceiling.Any ordinary person would find it hard to imagine what Michelangelo had gone through in those four years of hard and

edges.“I have a system,” explains Jim, “so that I can find things easily in the darkroom.It’s a simple system.I just keep my materials in order and put them back in the same place after I use them.I don’t have to search for anything.”

“Jim is quite capable and can be trusted,” says his boss, “I wouldn’t have him working here if he weren’t.And that brings me to the question of handicapped people.You can’t let yourself get upset about them.They want to be treated just like anybody else---and they should be.They don’t want you to fell sorry for them.”

No one has to feel sorry for Jim Corrigan.5.Starting a conversation with a foreigner in English As you rode on the bus one day, a foreigner sat down beside you.Finally, here was a perfect opportunity for you to practice speaking English with a foreigner, you thought to yourself.But no words came into your head.You were tongue-tied!After 15 minutes, the foreigner got off the bus and you didn’t utter a word!“What a shame!” you said to yourself.If you have had such an experience, don’t feel bad.You’re not alone.What you need is a lesson in small talk.Here are some tips that will show you how to get started.“HELLO”---A STARTER First, exchange a “Hello” or “Hi” with the foreigner, but at the same time, pay close attention and see if he feels like chatting.Watch his facial expression and body language for cues.Having said his “Hello” or “Hi” in return, does he just stare out of the window or keep reading the book in his hand? That’s the cue for you to stop moving on.Don’t force a conversation on someone who wants to be left alone.But what if the person stops whatever he is doing and looks back or smiles at you?

If guests don’t answer the invitations on time, the host cannot possibly plan for the correct amount of food and drink.This may lead to hundreds or even thousands of dollars of waste.“Everybody has a busy schedule now,” Boone says.If you know you are forgetful when it comes to making phone calls, try emailing your RSVPs as soon as the invitation arrives.RSVP is the short form of the French phrase “répondez s’il vous plaît”, meaning “Reply, if you please”.The following are some commonly used terms in invitation letters and their meanings.Be sure to know these and answer invitations properly.RSVP, REGRETS ONLY Only guests who can’t attend need reply.You need to give a proper reason why you can’t attend.RSVP BY… Guests should respond with yes or no by the date indicated on the invitation.Setting a date gives guests a deadline.It is also a deadline for the host to connect guests who haven’t reply.RSVP BY E-MAIL Guests can respond by e-mail.Unlike phone calls, e-mails can be sent without regard to time of day or location.7.Holidays and festivals in the United Kingdom There are many national holidays in the United Kingdom.Among them, Easter, and Christmas are two of the most famous.EASTER The date of Easter varies each year.It usually falls in March or April.During the Easter holiday, people give each other chocolate Easter eggs.The eggs are opened and eaten on Easter Sunday.On Good Friday(the day before Easter, when Christians observe

observe the coming of New Year on January 1.Cultures in Asia and Middle East use other calendars, such as the more ancient lunar calendar.They celebrate the New Year at other times.Events and ceremonies vary from country to country.But in each places, New Year celebrations are a big meal.Most world cultures have been celebrating the New Year for centuries.The earliest New Year celebrations took place during spring or harvest time.With better weather ahead, or plenty of food to eat in winter, people naturally felt like having a party!As the days became longer and as nature renewed itself, people also felt like they could have a new start.Past disappointments could be forgotten.The New Year could bring better fortune, more opportunities and new challenges.Such universal themes remain the same today.Some cultures have unusual New Year traditions.Italians throw old things out of their windows at midnight, symbolizing the departure of the old.Mexicans fire guns into the air to keep away misfortunes.New Year celebrations also involve having fun.Some cultures view the New Year as an opportunity to let off fireworks.In New York City’s Times Square, thousands gather on December 31 to count down the last seconds of the year.A giant silver ball is lowered at the stroke of midnight.London, England, hosts an annual New Year’s Day parade that draws nearly a million spectators.The largest parade in Europe, it features bands and enormous balloons.These balloons are so huge that they tower over nearby buildings!

in the depths of winter.Dogs are indeed man’s best friends.Yet sometimes even the friendliest dog can bring death with its bite!This is not because it has changed in character, but because it has been infected with a terrible disease---rabies.The disease is passed on by a bite from an infected dog at any stage.When an infected person shows symptoms, death is certain to follow shortly after.So, in order to prevent the disease, a person should go to a doctor at once if he has been bitten by a dog.Dogs remain man’s best friends, but we should also try our best to guard against the horrible disease that can be carried by these friends.10.Well done, Spotty!We were walking alone when we saw the Wilkins’ children playing in their yard.The three girls were taking turns pushing a cart.Their one-year-old twin brothers and a big doll were in it.Just as we walked by them, a wheel came off.Freckles, my friend, fixed it for them.Then they all went upstairs to play some games.After a while Mrs Wilkins went out, and left the twins with the girls.Well, it wasn’t much fun for me, and soon I went to sleep.I must have slept pretty hard and pretty long.All of a sudden I woke up and could hardly breathe.Everybody was gone.The room was full of smoke!The house was on fire!I started down the stairs and stumbled over a gray bunch.“That belongs to Freckles,” I thought.“It’s the gray sweater that he likes so much.I might as well take it down to him.”

I took the sweater in my mouth and started down again.It weighed so much.So I dropped it on one of the stairs.Then I went back up to look out of a window.I wanted to see why there was so much noise.1picture in the reader’s mind by showing one or two aspects of an event.There is a cartoon that shows a father and his son.The boy is showing his father his school report, which, unfortunately, gives a very poor grade---2 out of 5.So he does it in a quite unusual way: the report is fastened to one end of a pole while the boy is holding the other and.With the long pole between them, any punishment from the father is out of the question.For the moment, at least, the son is safe.Readers can’t help laughing at the cartoon.But they may also find some food for thought in addition to being amused.Reading cartoons and comic strips had long been a favourite pastime for adults until the beginning of the 20th century.Then some business-minded people found that there might be a good market for children, too.With the improvement of printing and drawing techniques, modern cartoons and comic strips had become children’s favourites by the early 20th(around the 1920s).Since then they have become popular reading materials for people of all ages.Today the characters in cartoons and comic strips range from children to adults, pets to fancy animals, and ordinary people to superheroes.Micky Mouse and Garfield the Cat make children think and imagine actively.Superman and Batman bring villains of all sorts to justice.Father and Son expresses human love and sympathy in lively comic strips.Their names have become household words.They are only a few outstanding products in the field.Today the digital revolution has brought new life to the making of cartoons and comic strips.Therefore many people think that computer-made comics will in the end replace hand-drawn ones.However, just as the human mind will never give way completely to the computer, hand-drawn comics will never die, but will remain a special means of expressing human

3cover story perhaps describes the artist’s own life experience.With this experience, Rockwell could make every detail come alive in this painting.13.A brief look at two metropolises NEW YORK In the 19th century, a businessman predicated that New York was going to become the centre of the world.His prediction has partly come true.Today, New York is often regarded as one of the financial and cultural capitals of the Western World.The United Nations has its headquarters in the city as well.New York, where the world-famous twin towers of the World Trade Center were once located, is known as a city of skyscrapers.There are parks, great museums, art galleries, grand theatres and cinemas for visitors as well.However, like many other cities in the world, New York also has its own problems---noise, air pollution, crimes, traffic jams, and slums.Still, the fast, exciting pace of life in New York City is fascinating and this may be a reason why the city continues to fascinate more and more people.LONDON London was once known as a city of fog.At that time, many Londoners did not expect that their city would change for the better.However, heavy fog is now rarely seen in London.As a city with a long history, London has also gone through many changes.The days are gone when horse-drawn carriages were a common sight in the street.Now London is famous for its excellent underground service and the red double-deckers have become a symbol of the city.The second half of the 20th century saw great changes in the city.Skyscrapers have sprung up;business centres for the 21st century are also growing fast.However, London has kept its heart.People can still enjoy themselves with a cup of tea

515.The growth of the Internet The Internet began as a tool to connect universities and government research centres through a nationwide network.It would allow a large number of computers to exchange information and share resources.Its development was pushed forward by ARPA---the Advanced Research Projects Agency, which was established in the United States in 1958.In 1969 ARPA began to focus on communications technology.Then in the early 1970s, the ARPA net came into being.This network laid the foundation for the Internet.In 1972, electronic mail was introduced.At the same time in Europe, researchers were struggling with their own computer networking problems.In 1989, a scientist proposed the World Wide Web project.Over the next year or two, the proposal was discussed and revised, which resulted in the programme called the World Wide Web.In 1992, its browser software was introduced to the public.The early browsers functioned well but were not “user-friendly”.In 1993, a group of graduated students in the USA created Mosaic---a “browser” programme.Mosaic was pleasing to the eye and easy to use---just point and click.Netscape and then Microsoft followed with browsers that greatly simplified the process of surfing the Internet in search of information.Today, the Internet is changing our life style, cultural patterns, business practices, and ways of learning and doing research.It helps people keep up to date on world events, find a cheap flight, play games, and discuss everything from apples to space technology.An increasing number of people shop and bank on the Internet;many do business online.It enables people to browse online hundreds of thousands of magazines and books in libraries

7read all the data in Prince Philip’s electronic mailbox before the police discovered the hacking.The possibility for hackers to commit crimes is great.In the 1980s some experts pointed out that American banks were losing up to $5,000 million a year to computer crimes.Once a hacker gained entry to a bank’s system, he could order it to move large sums of money to another bank in a foreign country---just what a traditional robber would do.Today computers are making life easier and far more comfortable.The evils, however, are also growing with the development of computer knowledge and techniques.It seems that the struggle against computer crimes will continue into the future.高一第二学期

17.Travelling around China Travelling around China can be tiring but fun as well.However, how you travel often determines whether your travel will be a success or a failure.Here is some information about how it can be done.Most parts of China can now be reached by rail.Generally speaking, the train service is efficient.However, the trains are sometimes overcrowded, especially on national holidays.The kind of ticket you need depends on the distance of your journey.A hard or soft seat is fine for a short journey.For long journeys, a sleeper ticket is a better choice.number of sea routes exist that can take you from one seaport to another along the coast of China.There are also a few inland waterways.The most attractive one is that from Chongqing to Shanghai.Along this route ships pass through the famous Three Gorges and

9and Jia Jia, can now be sighted at their permanent habitat in Ocean Park.SHARK AQUARIUM Through the underwater viewing tunnel, you seem to enter the mysterious deep ocean, surrounded by countless sharks and rays of over 30 species, all swimming within arm’s reach.OCEAN THEATRE With a panoramic background and hosted by a marvelous master of ceremonies, the Ocean Theatre stages entertaining performances by its great and small marine stars.When time permits, visit a jewelry factory workshop to observe the art of handicraft.NOTE This is a half day guided tour.However, passengers may stay behind to explore more features in the Ocean Park.Return trips on our afternoon coach can be arranged with your tour guide.19.The Sydney Harbour Bridge There’s no feeling quite like seeing Sydney from the top of the Harbour Bridge.There I stood, looking up at Sydney’s Harbour Bridge---one of the most famous bridges in the world.Located near the magnificent Sydney Opera House, the 40-storey bridge towers over Australia’s largest city.The bridge was certainly beautiful to look at.But who in their right mind would want to climb it? Me, of course!Climbing the bridge is not such a crazy thing to do, in fact.Tourists started climbing the bridge in 1998.Now it’s one of Sydney’s most popular attractions.To prepare for the climb, our group of 12 climbers had to take a special class.First, we stored all our personal belongings and changed into special bridge climbing clothes.Then, the climb organizers showed us how to use the safety belts and climb the steep ladders.1Thailand’s tourist bureau says that it is “in the nature of the people.” The Thais are naturally happy, he says with a smile, and they are glad to share that happiness with others.This attitude seems to be very much appreciated by the more than five million tourists who visit Thailand each year.The country ranks high on the list of places to which visitors want to return.The reason most often stated is that the people are friendly and polite.Some other Asian destinations are not as well received.Bali in Indonesia ranks high on the list, with Japan somewhere in the middle.These reports raise the question of whether certain nationalities are naturally more courteous than others.People may experience more friendliness in Thailand than in other countries.This may have more to do with the place than the people.Travel writers point out that cities are always stressful, hurried places, with little to offer in the way of smiles and welcome.Bangkok is not as friendly as other places in the surrounding Thai countryside.Remote towns and villages in China, for example, offer visitors a warm welcome, with smiles(and giggles)from children.Perhaps it should also be pointed out that polite, patient, smiling visitors will most often be greeted similarly, no matter which country they are in.21.Using English properly If you don’t want to offend someone, you’d better know which English words to use---and which to avoid.Imagine that you’re in a restaurant in America.You want some water, so you called out “Waitress!” A waitress comes to your table, but she’s clearly unhappy.What did you do wrong? You may have offended her by calling her a “waitress.” Today, many people prefer the word “server” to “waitress.”

3people do change with the times.22.Tips for English learning Language letter-boxes in quite a few English newspapers are often filled with letters complaining about such problems as “I don’t know to improve my pronunciation and intonation.The English vocabulary is too large to handle.” Or “I find my spoken English most worrying.Please tell me how to improve my communication skills!”

At the same time, in some newspapers, there are ads for “Shortcuts in Mastering English,” “A 24-hour Programme of Success in Spoken English” or “Recipe for English Fluency,” and so on.A lot of teachers of English try to help fight learners’ worries by saying that the road to successful communication is clearly signposted---practise, practice and practice.If there are few such opportunities in your day-to-day life, make them up: form clubs or learning groups, and practise talking to each other.Expose yourselves to an English radio broadcast, a tape recording, a film or a video: let it be a topic or a context for discussion.Even when you are alone, try to have some practice.You can never lay too much emphasis on the importance of “input” for language learning, so reading newspapers and listening to the radio are good habits to cultivate.One thing, however, is very important: the “input” must be appropriate for your level.Something too difficult is useless, while spending time on something too easy will be pointless.And remember this: there isn’t a cure-all for all of you.One shortcut may work for some of you, and another probably has a positive effect on others.Only one method works for everybody---and that is, to use English!

5the ship.Silent clues, however, may also communicate good news.Smiling, leaning forward, watching attentively---all tell you that the track is clear of obstacles;the signals are green---so go ahead.24.Understanding body language Have you ever met someone and found that you instantly liked them? You just couldn’t put your finger on it as to why.Deep down inside yourself they gave you a strange feeling.I’m not going to call myself a body language expert, but I think I can hive you my advice on how to read the most complicated language of all: body language.YOUR MOVES SELL YOU OUT.So for starters, think about yourself.Have you ever stopped for a moment to watch the way that you move your body? Well, believe it or not, the people you are talking to are watching your every move.They watch your eyes, your facial expressions, the way you hold your posture.In fact, the way you move can tell a lot about what kind of person you are … or what kind of person you appear to be.WHAT CAN BODY LANGUAGE TELL? In most Western countries, making eye contact with anyone you talk to is very important.If you don’t make eye contact, you might be judged as dishonest or even rude.Then there’s posture.If your actions are very confident, you will appear to be confident to others.And, the rate that you speak can also tell others something.If you talk too fast, you’re nervous, while too slow probably indicates that you are unsure of yourself, and that maybe you are shy.I’M CONFUSED WITH “SPACE” IN CHINA.As a traveler, I have been confused time and time again with every place I visit.This is mainly because I misunderstood the body language

7During rehearsals, to get what he wanted from his orchestra, he would sometimes stamp his feet, snap his baton and tear his store to pieces.He tried to make use of every means to interpret music.Once he found himself at a loss when trying to describe to an American orchestra a very light effect in a passage(his English was poor).After thinking hard for a while, he drew a white silk handkerchief from his pocket and threw it into the air, watching with the orchestra as it floated to the floor.“There!” he said.“Play like that!”

Toscanini drove himself as hard as he did his orchestra.If the orchestra met his demands, he would weep for joy.Otherwise, he would not spare them from punishment.If he himself made a rare mistake, he would slap his own face in front of the orchestra.He would not spare even himself from punishment.Toscanini would shout at anyone who dared talk during the performance or, even worse, arrived late.All through his life, Toscanini was anti-fascist.In1931, he was physically attacked for refusing to play the fascist anthem and for protesting against Hitler’s ban on Jewish musicians.He dropped his baton in 1954, and died in 1957 at the age of 90.26.An interview with a pop pianist Robin Gordon(RG), a journalist, interviews a very rich and famous pianist, James Newman(JN), who has a way of playing classical music in a wildly romantic manner.He is well known for his strange clothes as well.RG: Actually, you don’t let the chance slip through your fingers when you chose music as your career.JN: No, the entertainment world is full of opportunities.When any of them turns up and comes

9JN: Yes.I decided to play Bach and Chopin in a very unusual style.Meanwhile I started wearing fancy clothes.RG: I guess your father didn’t approve of all this.JN: Right.Dad’s a bit old.He wanted to make a classical musician of me!He didn’t understand me.RG: Even though you are so successful? JN: No.Many people don’t.RG: Perhaps it takes time.Thank you, Mr.Newman.27.Stunts in movies On the screen, the US actor Tom Cruise is throwing himself through a glass window as a large car explodes behind him;the actress Helen Hunt is running from hurricanes as homes and cows are swept up.And, of course, there is Stallone doing…everything.It seems to be popular these days for actors and actresses to do their own stunts in action movies, and the fact is that the big names are indeed doing more stunts.According to a director, some actors do as much as ninety per cent of their own stunts, while the last ten per sent are generally left to stunt professionals.These are the men and women who make a living risking their lives on behalf of the big names in action movies.However, there is an exception.The only actor who does any allow anyone else to do his stunts is Jackie Chan, the Hong Kong phenomenon.He takes pride in doing all the stunts in his action movies.Jackie Chan has been doing his individual brand of dramatic martial arts for fifteen years.He is no doubt a walking miracle of physical endurance.Of course, along

1released in 2004, showed the potential and limitations of digital actors.The movie’s digital characters looked and acted surprisingly lifelike.But somehow they still reminded audiences of cartoons, and their “acting” was less than inspiring.Final Fantasy’s digital magic also cost moviemakers a fortune.Just creating human-looking hair cost about $20 million.And despite people’s initial excited reaction, it performed poorly at the box office.The film, which cost $137 million to make, lost about $80 million.Moviemakers have been much more successful at creating non-human characters.The Lord of the Rings trilogy features a digital creature named Gollum.Though not human, Gollum gives a very moving performance.Surprisingly, this collection of pixels manages to effectively show a wide range of human emotions.The Matrix: Reloaded features the most perfect digital humans so far.These lifelike digital creations appear widely throughout the movie.In fact, audiences can never be sure which actors are real and which are digital.So should Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and all their Hollywood friends start looking for another line of work? Not necessarily.Many popular movie directors say digital actors will never “act” as well as humans.Digital actors must also rely on gifted human actors for their voices.29.Front page news Millions of newspapers are sold every day throughout the world.What section of the newspapers on a newsstand catches your eye? Without doubt, it is the front page.Its contents are usually about the most important happenings of the day.Besides that, it is common practice that the front page carries an index to help the reader quickly locate certain sections of the paper.A front page carries a

3GREAT VICTORY ENDS YEARS OF WAITING Moscow: It was Beijing’s night yesterday in Moscow.As Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee(IOC), announced that Beijing would be the host for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, cheering, applauding and waving of flags broke out to celebrate the victory.“Now the results of the voting---the Games of the 29th Olympiad in 2008 is awarded to the city of…Beijing,” declared Samaranch, the most famous sports figure in the world.Beijing won in the second round ballot with 56 votes from the 105 voting IOC members, while Toronto got a distant 22, Paris 18 and Istanbul 9.Osaka, which received 6 votes, was eliminated in the first round.A contract to host the Games followed after the vote.BEIJING WAS SLEEPLESS LAST NIGHT Thousands upon thousands of people gathered in squares, shopping malls, streets and millions of homes to applaud the city’s success in its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games.Buildings and streets were brightly lit, and heartfelt cheers and laughter filled the air.Fireworks lit up the night sky, and flags formed a sea of flowing colour.As International Olympic Committee(IOC)President Juan Antonio Samaranch announced that Beijing had won the IOC vote at 10:15 last night, the ancient capital burst into cheers and tears.The China Millennium Monument in western Beijing, the centre of the celebration, was alive with cheerful crowds.Senior Chinese leaders joined university students and local citizens in celebrating the success in the bid with the whole nation.5your cheque or money order for $10.if not completely satisfied, you may keep the atlas and cancel your subscription.In that case, you can get your money back.”

“That sounds amusing,” said Anne.“In fact, it would be really handy to have an atlas, particularly when I need to locate places I plan to visit or read about in the news.”

They sent a letter of subscription and two weeks later a small package arrived in the mail.They got the atlas.“Is this our atlas?” said Joe in disbelief.“It looks like a big postage stamp.” “It looked tremendous on television,” said Anne.“It’ll be impossible to find anything in such an atlas,” said Joe.“To find anything, we’ll need a microscope.” 32.The history of magazines It was during the mid-nineteenth century that the magazine developed into the main source of popular entertainment for the general public.Instead of speaking mainly to the well-educated upper classes as in the past, the illustrated magazine addressed the general public.The first magazine that was born in 1665 in France was a dry and dull publication.Most publishers did not realize the significance of visuals as tools to educate, shape opinions and entertain.Nor did they know the importance of selling as many copies of their magazines as possible.It was not until the early decades of the 20th century that the magazine industry started to flourish.The main centres of the magazine industry were in America, France, Germany, and Great Britain.Many fancy and unique publications were produced there.Some publishers, such as William R.Hearst, built empires: he employed no fewer than 31,000 people by 1935.7

第三篇：新世纪高一英语下 课文参考译文

Unit 1

在中国旅行

在中国旅行可能很累，但也很有趣。然而，选择什么样的旅行方式却常常意味着行程的成功与否。这里有一些关于如何在中国旅游的信息。

乘火车

乘火车可以去中国的大部分地方。一般来说，铁路服务效率高。但有时候火车上过分拥挤，尤其是在节假日期间更是如此。买什么样的火车票取决于行程的远近。短途旅行，硬座、软座都可以；但要长途旅行的话，最好买一张卧铺票。

乘船

有许多海上航线可以把您从中国沿海的一个港口城市带往另一个城市。也有一些内河航线，其中最迷人的一条是重庆至上海的航线。轮船沿途经由著名的三峡风景区，游客们可以驻足于许多的风景名城和历史古迹。

乘飞机

对于那些旅行时间有限的旅客而言，飞机通常是他们的首选。当然，您也要为这一便利付出代价——那就是机票会更贵。中国民航以前曾是中国唯一的一家航空公司，现在则有若干地方航空公司。在过去的几十年里，飞机的安全记录也有了很大的提高。人们通过中国国际旅行社、宾馆的旅游服务台或者航空售票处都可以买到机票。许多大城市和有名的旅游胜地都有飞机场。

乘公共汽车

中国的高速公路发展得很快。现在市内和城市之间都有汽车运营线路。它们的管理很完善，价钱也很便宜。国营公共汽车按时刻表准点发车，票价便宜。另外还有私营公共汽车。它们主要在地方线路上运营，经常要等位子全部坐满之后才出发。

骑自行车

除了以上提到的旅游方式外，骑自行车也是环城游的最好方式之一，只要您不是去重庆（那里的街道很陡，是中国唯一自行车特别少的城市）。如果您打算在中国待上一段时间，不妨学学本地人，自己买一辆自行车。

希望这些信息对您在中国逗留期间会有所帮助。

Unit 2

悉尼海港大桥

从悉尼海港大桥顶部鸟瞰悉尼市，感觉奇妙无比。

我站在悉尼海港大桥底下，仰望这座世界上最著名的大桥之一。这座高达40层的海港大桥矗立在壮观的悉尼歌剧院附近，鸟瞰澳大利亚最大的城市。这座大桥看上去自是壮观，但谁会心想去攀爬它呢？

当然是我了！攀爬大桥实际是并不是很疯狂的事。游客于1998年开始攀爬大桥，现在这已经成为悉尼最受欢迎的一个景点了。为了攀爬大桥，我们一行12人必须先上一堂特殊的课。首先我们把所有的个人财物都存放好，再换好专用攀爬服，接着组织者向我们演示如何使用安全带和如何攀爬陡峭的阶梯。

我们甚至还带着小的个人无线电接收设备，以便在攀爬时接收到导游的提示。

我们心中的期望越来越高，整个攀爬小组都激动了起来。一小时以后，我们准备完毕。我们首先经过路桥下面的狭窄通道。值得庆幸的是我不恐高。从通道上往下望，可以看到下面50米（164英尺）处的地面。

接下来，我们沿着一直通往桥拱的阶梯往上爬。汽车在下面的马路上飞驰而过。我们爬得越高，风越大，城市也越来越多地映入我们的眼帘。一会儿，我们渐渐地靠近大桥的顶部。从顶上看，真是别有一番风光！在这里可以清楚地从各个方向鸟瞰悉尼市。向南看，可以看到城市的天际线、著名的悉尼歌剧院和大海。那简直是在欣赏一幅明信片，不同的是我们都在画中。每个人都为来到悉尼这个景点而自豪。

到了下桥的时候，大家谁都不愿离开。桥上的两小时似是瞬间即逝，但曾经见到过如此独特画面的记忆将永远留在我们心中。

Unit 3

恰当地使用英语

如果你不想冒犯别人，你最好要知道哪些英文词可以用，哪些不能用。设想你现在在美国的一家饭店里，你想要点水，你就叫“女服务员”。一个女服务员来到你桌旁，但明显地很不高兴。你做错什么了吗？你实际上可能是因为叫她“女服务员”而冒犯了她。现在，很多人愿意使用“服务员”一词，而不是“女服务员”。

为什么会出现这种情况呢？随着社会的变化，我们的语言也在变化。现在使用“服务员”一词更合适，因为这个词使人感到受尊重。恰当地使用英语是人们所做出的一种尝试，目的是为了让语言听上去对所有人都表示尊重。

对于性别色彩太强的词要慎重，避免使用。这包括以-ess和-man结尾的一些词。例如：飞机上的服务员现在被称作“航空服务员”而不是“女服务员”。在过去，只有女性才能做航空服务员，现在许多男性也进入了这一服务业。“航空服务员”一词更合适是因为它既可指男性，也可指女性。很多女性现在也进入了以前只有男性从事的职业，因此，像“policeman（警察）”和“chairman（主席）”等词现在已经被替代了。现在人们更愿使用“police officer（警察）”和“chairperson（主席）”。

遗憾的是英语中没有（中性）单数代词可以用来代替“he（他）”或“she（她）”。这就产生了一些问题。没有这样一个代词，我们如何才能公正地称呼男女两性呢？一种办法就是使用复数形式。因此，人们不说“如果一个人想学习英语，他必须每天学”，取而代之的是，很多人或说“如果人们想学习英语，他们必须每天学。”

恰当地使用英语的范围不仅仅限于性别方面，还包括种族和残疾方面。例如，有人喜欢使用“某方面能力缺陷的人”，而不是说“残疾人”。“残疾”一词可能被认为是对人不尊重，因为它暗指一个人是不能自立的。

但是，有些人在用词方面不喜欢听别人的。他们坚持不改变自己说法用词的方式，认为自己没有义务在用词方面使别人感觉更好。但大部分人都认为使用尊重所有人的语言是公平的。因此，人们确实是在与时俱进。

Unit 4

目光交流

午餐结束后，我主动提出送詹姆斯回宾馆。他说他是步行来我这里的，但还是很礼貌地接受了我的提议。我们驶过几个街区，来到他的宾馆，把车停在车道上。我下车赶快来到他的那一侧，打开车门，身体前倾，伸出一只手。这时，我的目光和他的目光相触。虽然他没说话，但我得到的信息却很明确，“你难道还敢想扶我下车吗？”

我向后推开，詹姆斯走下车，对我笑了笑，以这种方式表示，“没问题，一切正常。” 如果我们注意观察我们的观众的话，我们就会发现他们常常和我们进行非言语的交流。读懂这些人们眼中无声的信号是很重要的。如果你引入一个话题，它能使观众们活跃起来，你知道你已经引起了他们的注意，他们在位子上移动或与相邻观众进行目光交流。你下一步的行动应该以他们的反应为指导。当你继续进行你的演讲时，你根据自己对观众目光的理解，就知道应该放弃什么、修正什么和补充什么了。如果你讲的笑话或故事效果不佳，观众可能会告诉你他们想听什么，不想听什么。这些信息应该能够使你对将要说的内容、使用的幽默和演讲的风格做一些调整。

观众最明显的非言语反应就是对你所讲的内容不加以注意。打哈欠、看节目单、小声聊天，或是最糟糕的反应——打盹等，都是对你所讲的内容不感兴趣的警告。通过目光交流，你会第一个知道你是否仍吸引着观众的注意力。如果不是，你就要及时调整你的态度。不能及时改变态度并控制住局面的演讲者是不会受到尊重的。

但有些无声的信息也能传递好消息，例如观众们微笑、向前倾斜身体和聚精会神地观看等，都在告诉你道路畅通无阻，一路绿灯，所以你接着往下讲就可以了。

Unit 5

阿尔图罗·托斯卡尼尼

阿尔图罗·托斯卡尼尼被誉为20世纪上半叶最伟大的指挥家。他指挥了许多世界著名歌剧（如《奥赛罗》和《波西米亚人》）的首次公开演出。

1867年3月25日托斯卡尼尼出生在意大利。他9岁时进入一家音乐学校学习，1885年毕业，并在大提琴和作曲两门课中获得了优异成绩。

19岁时，托斯卡尼尼加入一个意大利乐队去巴西做巡回演出。在那次巡回演出期间，乐队指挥突然辞职。于是托斯卡尼尼被临时召来担任指挥。因此，当托斯卡尼尼跳上指挥台时，观众们嘲笑他也就不足为奇了。然而他对《阿依达》充满激情的指挥，激起了观众潮水般的欢呼声。

托斯卡尼尼最与众不同的地方就是指挥时不看乐谱。他读过一篇乐谱后，即使过了许多年，仍还能回忆起其中的每一个音符。但仅仅有出色的记忆力还不足以使他成为一位伟大的指挥家。使他成为杰出指挥家的，是他所表现出的活力、对演出的严格态度以及他对作曲家本意的忠实。

在排练中，为了让乐队达到他所要的效果，托斯卡尼尼有时会跺脚，折断指挥棒，或把乐谱撕得粉碎。他试图用各种方式来阐释音乐。有一次，在试图给一个美国乐队描述乐章中的一种轻柔的效果时，他感到自己手足无措，因为他的英语很差。苦苦思索一会儿后，他从口袋里拿出一条丝质手帕抛向空中，和乐队一起看着它飘落到地板上，然后他说，“瞧，就那样演奏！”

托斯卡尼尼要求自己就像要求乐队一样严格。若是乐队符合了他的要求，他会高兴得流泪。否则，乐队就免不了要受他惩罚。若是他自己很难得犯了一个错误，他会在乐队面前扇自己耳光。他甚至连自己也不宽恕。

在演出过程中，如果有人敢讲话，或迟到——这更糟糕，托斯卡尼尼会对他们大声斥责。

托斯卡尼尼一生都是反法西斯主义的。由于他拒绝指挥演奏法西斯颂歌和反对希特勒对犹太音乐家的禁令，他于1931年受到了身体上的伤害。

托斯卡尼尼1954年结束了指挥生涯，1957年去世，享年90岁。

Unit 6

电影特技

在银幕上，美国演员汤姆·克鲁斯穿过一块窗玻璃扑出去，一辆汽车在他身后爆炸；当飓风把房子和牛群席地卷走时，女演员海伦·亨特在飞奔着以躲开飓风。

当然，还有史泰龙正在做各种动作„„

近来在动作片里男女演员自己表演特技好像是很时髦的了，而大牌明星们的确是在亲自表演更多的特技。据一位导演说，有些男演员表演90%的特技，而最难以胜任的10%的惊险动作，一般都留给专业特技演员了。这些男女特技演员冒着生命危险来为动作片里的大牌明星们做替身，以此来谋生。

不过，也有一位例外。这位唯一不愿他人来完成其特技动作的男演员就是香港巨星成龙。他以自己完成动作电影里全部的特技而自豪。成龙表演他个人品牌的惊人武术已长达15年之久。就体力上的承受能力而言，他无疑是个活生生的奇迹。当然，这种英雄行为同时也造成他身上的许多骨折，而且脑袋上还有硬币大的一个洞。

美国动作片制片商并不想让明星们受到伤害，所以特技专家常常被召来完成一些需要特殊的才能方可完成的危险特技部分。与此同时，他们又尽力让观众相信每一个特技动作都是由那些著名演员在完成。

男女演员也想让观众相信并非特技演员在替他们演特技，所以他们中有许多人坚持要亲自表演自己戏里的特技。于是事故不可避免。例如海伦·亨特在表演一个场景时被撞昏了——她打开一扇车门，在车子驰过一块玉米田时跳车。后来海伦承认说，“我有特技表演者的勇气，可是我并不具备他们的全部才能。”

对观众来说，当那些自己所喜爱的演员在电视谈话节目里吹嘘特技表演时，完全没有必要为他们担心。完全有可能是由他人代为受罪。正如海伦所说，特技演员要做的特技表演仍然还很多。

Unit 7

头版新闻

全世界每天有数以百万计的报纸售出。那么报摊上报纸的哪一部分最吸引你的眼球呢？

毫无疑问，那就是头版，其内容通常是关于当天发生的最重要的事件。另外，头版通常还包括索引，帮助读者快速找到某一特定的部分。头版还简要刊登当天的天气预报。

人们更多考虑是人头版的标题，它就像是文章的题目。人们认为标题应该信息量大而且能吸引人，应该能抓住读者的注意力。头版头条新闻的标题当然应该是最重要的。毕竟，它决定着人们能否被吸引而去买某一份报纸。

尽管头版的重要性是显而易见的，但对于头版内容的侧重面还是有两种看法。一种看法认为头版是报纸的“橱窗”，因此强调“橱窗布置”的重要性。这种看法的问题在于它过分强调“橱窗”的重要性，从而降低室内陈列商品的价值。另一种看法认为报纸就像有很多橱窗的商店，每个橱窗都应该按同样高的标准来布置。报纸应该有一种整体感。

一旦一份报纸确定了其头版的标题应该采取什么样的风格，编排内容就相当容易了。主要内容通常被称作头条新闻，它占据主要位置，即头版的左上角。一幅能真正体现头条内容的大照片占据中间正上方的位置。接下来就是按重要性排列的一些次要新闻，它们标题字体的大小以其重要性而定。

每当有重大新闻时，报纸标题通常使用黑体字，从左至右占据整版的宽度。但是，报纸必须要注意引人注目和耸人听闻的区别。过分使用耸人听闻的手段来吸引人的报纸可能会失去自己的声誉。

Unit 8

一份额外酬宾礼物？

在舒适的起居室，安妮和乔·金坐靠在安乐椅中看着电视。安妮按动遥控器搜索他们感兴趣的节目。

“我们为什么不看《家庭纠纷》？”安妮问道。“我讨厌看肥皂剧，”乔说，“尤其是这部夫妻俩为了钱而争吵的肥皂剧。” “好吧，”安妮说着，将节目调到12频道。电视屏幕上出现的一个长相不错的播音员说道：“现在，全球性杂志《环球》自豪地公告它数量有限的礼品。你只要付比报摊价低一半的价钱，即低廉的10美元，就可以订阅全年12期的《环球》。请想象一下，你可以阅读让你惊奇的配着彩色插图的奇特故事。而且，如果你在6月1日午夜前订阅的话，我们会提供我们的《世界地图册》作为额外礼品，不增加任何费用。记住，这是限额礼品。这份地图册店里是买不到的。它里面除了有各国大城市和首都外，还有世界各大旅游景点。大千世界一手掌握，这是多么奇妙啊！要获得这份精美的礼品，请写信到‘内华达州雷诺市666信箱，《环球杂志》礼品处，邮编87870’。务必在信中附上10美元的支票或汇票。如果不尽满意，你仍可留下地图册，取消订阅。我们会很乐意退款。”

安妮说：“听起来挺有趣，实际上有本地图册很方便，尤其是当我想要去某个地方，或在报上看到某个地方，想要找一找它的具体位置时，尤其方便。”

于是他们寄出一封订阅信，两周后邮件便到，有一个小包裹。那是地图册。乔简直不能相信地问道：“这是送给我们的地图册吗？它看上去像是一张大邮票。” “在电视上看它似乎特别大。”安妮说道。乔说：“这地图册什么也不能查找——得有个显微镜才行。”

第四篇：新世纪 高一英语 unit 2课文文本

UNIT 2 TEXT

Michelangelo Michelangelo(米开朗琪罗，1475-1564，意大利文艺复兴时期成就卓著的科学家、艺术家)was an Italian artist about 500 years ago.Today he is still remembered as a great sculptor, painter, and architect.Michelangelo came from a poor family.He was trained at an early age like any other craftsman in Italy.At thirteen, he started to work and learn in a workshop.The workshop belonged to one of the leading masters at that time.In the workshop Michelangelo was able to learn all the skills of sculpture.However, he wasn’t satisfied, and went on to study the work of the great masters of the past.Michelangelo worked hard and he mastered one problem after another.By the time he was 30, he was generally regarded as one of the outstanding sculptors of the age.In 1508, Michelangelo was given a task---to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel(位于罗马梵蒂冈的西斯廷教堂).At first, he tried to turn down this job, saying that he was not really a painter, but a sculptor.Finally, he agreed to do it.He then shut himself up in the chapel, let no one come near him, and got ready to work alone.It took him four years to complete the paintings on the ceiling.Any ordinary person would find it hard to imagine what Michelangelo had gone through in those four years of hard and lonely work.Michelangelo, while working, had to lie on his back and paint.As a result, he became so used to looking upward that when he received a letter during that period, he had to hold it over his head to read it.Finally, the paintings were completed.The great and huge paintings on the ceiling and walls of the chapel have ever since become a fascination to people in Italy and all over the world.Michelangelo left us with a great number of sculptures and paintings.Today his works are still examples for art students to study and follow.Home and overseas visitors can’t help but admire these masterpieces.

第五篇：高一英语课文

My first Day at Senior High

My name is Li Kang.I live in Shijia zhuang, a city not far from Beijing.it is the capital city of Hebei Province.Today is my first day at Senior High school

and I'm writing down my thoughts about it.My new school is very good and I can see why.The teachers are very enthusiastic and friendly

and the classrooms are amazing.Every room has a computer with a special screen,almost as big as a cinema screen.The teachers write on the computer,and their words appear on the screen behind them.The screens also show photographs, text and information from websites.They're brilliant!The English class is really interesting.The teacher is a very enthusiastic 20 woman called Ms Shen.We're using a new textbook

and Ms Shen's method of teaching is nothing like

that of the teachers at my Junior High school.She thinks that READING 25 com-prehension is important,but we speak a lot in class, too.And we have fun.I don't think I will be bored in Ms Shen's class!

Today we introduced ourselves to each other.We did this in groups.Some students were embarrassed at first

but everyone was very friendly and it was really nice.Ms Shen gave us instructions and then we worked by ourselves.Ms Shen wants to help us improve our spelling and handwriting.We do this in a fun way, with spelling games and other activities.I like her attitude very much,and the behaviour of the 40 other students shows that they like her,too.There are sixty-five students in my class—more than my previous class in Junior High.Forty-nine of them are girls.in other words, there are three times as many girls as boys.They say that girls are usually more hardworking than boys,but in this class, everyone is hard-working.For our homework tonight,we have to write a description of the street where we live.I'm looking forward to doing it!