公共英语课件1 1.docx

公共英语课件1 1.docx

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公共英语课件11

READING

PassageA

Today'speoplehavemoretimeandmoneytopursuevariousrecreationalactivities.DoyouknowwhatBritishpeoplearedoingintheirleisuretime?

LeisureActivitiesintheUK

L

eisureactivitiesinearliercenturieswerelargelyconditionedbytheruralandagriculturalnatureofBritishlife.Villagecommunitieswereisolatedandtransportwaseitherpoorornonexistent.Peoplewereconsequentlyrestrictedtotheirvillagesandobligedtocreatetheirownentertainments.Someoftheactivitieswerehome-based,whileotherswereenjoyedbythewholevillage.Thesemightbeaddedtobyitinerantplayers,whotravelledthecountrysideandprovidedarangeofalternativespectatorentertainments.

Improvedtransportationandroadconditionsfromtheeighteenthcenturyonwardsenabledtheruralpopulationtotraveltoneighbouringtownswheretheytookadvantageofavarietyofamusements.Spectatoractivitiesincreasedwiththeindustrializationofthenineteenthcentury,astheatre,themusichallsandsportsdevelopedandbecameavailabletomorepeople.Theestablishmentsofrailwaysystemsandtheformationofbuscompaniesinitiatedthepatternofcheapone-daytripsaroundthecountryandtotheseaside,whichweretogrowintothemasscharterandpackagetoursofcontemporaryBritain.Thearrivalofradio,filmsandtelevisioninthetwentiethcenturyresultedinafurtherhugeprofessionalentertainmentsindustry.Inallthesechanges,themixtureofparticipatory,spectatorandhome-basedleisureactivitieshascontinued.

Manycontemporarypursuitshavetheirrootsintheculturalandsocialbehaviourofthepast,suchasboxing,wrestling,cricket,football,andawiderangeofathleticsports.Dancing,amateurtheatreandmusicaleventswereessentialpartsofrurallife,andwereoftenassociatedwiththechangingagriculturalseasons.Thetraditionsofhunting,shootingandfishinghavelongbeenpracticedinBritishcountrylife,inadditiontoanumberofbloodsports,suchasdogandcockfightingandbearbaiting,whicharenowillegal.

ThereisawidevarietyofsportsinBritaintoday,whichcaterforlargenumbersofspectatorsandparticipators.Someoftheseareminoritysports,whileothersappealtomajoritytastes.Amateurandprofessionalfootball（soccer）isplayedthroughoutmostoftheyear,andalsoatinternationallevel.Theprofessionalgamehasdevelopedintoalarge,family-orientedspectatorsport,buthassufferedinrecentyearsfromhooliganism,decliningattendancesandfinancialcrises.Rugbyfootballisapopularwinterpastime,andisdividedintotwocodes.RugbyUnionisconfinedtoamateurclubs,whileRugbyLeagueisplayedbyprofessionalteams,mainlyinthenorthofEngland.Bothtypesofrugbyarealsoplayedinternationally.CricketisasummersportinBritain,buttheEnglandteamalsoplaysinthewintermonthsincommonwealthcountries.Itisbothanamateurandprofessionalsport.TheseniorgameisnowmainlyprofessionalandislargelyconfinedtotheEnglishandWelshcountrysideswhichplayinthecountrychampionships.

TherearemanyothersportswhichreflectthediversityofinterestsinBritishlife.Amongthesearegolf,horseracing,hunting,riding,fishing,shooting,tennis,hockey,bowls,darts,snooker,athletics,swimming,sailing,mountaineering,walking,icesports,motor-carandmotor-cycleracing,andrallydriving.Americanfootballandbasketballareincreasinglypopularduetotelevisionexposure.

Thesportingnotionof"ahealthymindinahealthybody"haslongbeenaprincipleofBritisheducation.Allschoolsaresupposedtoprovidephysicalrecreation,andareasonablerangeofsportsisusuallyavailableforschoolchildren.Schoolsmayplaysoccer,rugby,hockeyornetballduringthesummer.Someschoolsmaybebetterprovidedwithsportingfacilitiesthanothers,andofferawiderrangeofsports.However,therehavebeenrecentcomplaintsfromparentsthatteamgamesandcompetitivesportsaredeclininginstateschools.Schoolreorganizationandthecreationoflargecomprehensivehavereducedtheamountofinter-schoolcompetition,whichusedtobeafeatureofeducation;someleft-wingcouncilsareapparentlyopposedtocompetitiveexpression;thereisashortageofplayingfields;andalackofadequateequipment.Thepositionisparticularlyacuteintheinnercityareas,andisofconcerntothoseparentswhofeelthattheirchildrenarebeingpreventedfromexpressingtheirnormalphysicalnatures.Theymaintainthatthestateschoolsystemisfailingtoprovidesportingprovisionforchildren,andsomeparentsturntotheindependentsector,whichisusuallywell-providedwithsportsfacilities.

The"arts"oncehadasomewhatpreciousandexclusiveimageassociatedwithnotionsofhighculture,whichwereusuallytheprovinceofthemiddleandupperclasses.Thegrowthofmassandpopularculturehasincreasedthepotentialaudienceforawiderrangeofculturalactivities,andtheavailabilityandscopeoftheartshasspreadtogreaternumbersofpeople.Popconcerts,folkandethnicmusic,andyouthculturepastimesoccupyaconsiderableamountofyoungpeople'sleisuretime,aswellascontributingtotrade,exportsandtheBritishimagenationallyandinternationally.Theseactivitiesmaybeamateurorprofessionalandcontinuethemixtureofparticipatory,spectatorandhome-basedentertainment.

ThereisawiderangeofmuseumsandartgalleriesinBritain,whichprovideforavarietyoftastes.Inthepast,entrytomostofthepublicmuseumswasfreeofcharge,butinrecentyearsentrancefeeshavebeenchargedforsomeinstitutions.Thisdevelopmenthasledtonationaleducationalandculturalheritage,whichshouldbeavailabletoallwithoutcharge.Butmuseumsandartgalleriesarealsofindingitdifficulttooperateonlimitedfunds,andaredependentonlocalgovernmentgrantsandArtsCouncilsubsidies.

Inadditiontotheseculturalandsportingpastimes,theBritishenjoyavarietyofotherleisureactivities.Morepeoplehavemorefreetime,whichresultsfroma35-40-hourworkingweek,andmorediversifiedopportunitiesarenowavailable.

Do-it-yourselfhobbies,suchashousepainting,decoratingandgardening,areverypopular,asaregoingoutformealsandvisitingthepub.Thepub,asaninstitution,haschangedgroupsandtastes.Thelicensinghours,whichapplytoopentimesforthesaleofalcohol,havebeenliberalizedbythegovernmenttobringEnglandandWalesintolinewithScotland.Butinrecentyears,theestablishmentofwinebars,variousformsofclubs,discothequesanddancehallshasmeantaconsiderableamountofcompetitionforthetraditionalpub.

HolidaysandwheretospendthemhavebecomeanimportantpartofBritishlife,accompaniedbymoreleisuretimeandmoneyforthemajorityofthepeople.ManypeopleprefertoorganizetheirownholidaysandmakeuseofthegoodairandseacommunicationsbetweenBritainandthecontinent.InBritainitself,differentformsofholidayexist,fromthetraditional"Bed&Breakfast"ataseasideboardinghouse,tohotels,caravansitesandcamping.Increasedcarownershiphasallowedgreatertravelpossibilities.Today,morethanthree-fifthsofhouseholdshavetheuseofatleastonecar,and16percenthavetwoormore.

Apublicopinionpollin1990showedthatBritain'sculturallifewasthriving,andthatalargenumberofpeopleparticipatedinavarietyofavailablepastimes.Wecanreportthatthenationisinnotelly-inducedtrance.Itstastesmixwatchinganddoing,"high"and"low"cultures,witharichnessthatcontradictsthestereotypesoftheBritishasdividedbetweenmindlesslagerloutsandequallymoney-grubbingconsumers.Themixwehavefoundwillnotpleaseeverybody.Notenoughfootballforsome,notenoughoperaforothers.Butthatiswhatweshouldexpectinthecultureofawholenation.

（adaptedfromReadingCourseforCollegeEnglish）

PassageB

Sometakeitforgrantedthatloveisblindandloveiswithoutreasons.Dr.JoyceBrothersgivesaninsightfulanalysisofwhywelovewhowelove.

WhyWeLoveWhoWeLove

Dr.JoyceBrothers

H

aveyoueverknownamarriedcouplethatjustdidn'tseemasthoughtheyshouldfittogether--yettheyarebothhappyinthemarriage,andyoucan'tfigureoutwhy?

Iknowofonecouple:

Heisaburlyex-athletewho,inadditiontobeingasuccessfulsalesman,coachesLittleLeague,isactiveinhisRotaryClubandplaysgolfeverySaturdaywithfriends.Meanwhile,hiswifeispetite,quietandacompletehomebody.Shedoesn'tevenliketogoouttodinner.

Whatmysteriousforcedrivesusintothearmsofoneperson,whilepushingusawayfromanotherwhomightappearequallydesirabletoanyunbiasedobserver?

Ofthemanyfactorsinfluencingourideaoftheperfectmate,oneofthemosttelling,accordingtoJohnMoney,professoremeritusofmedicalpsychologyandpediatricsatJohnsHopkinsUniversity,iswhathecallsour"lovemap"--agroupofmessagesencodedinourbrainsthatdescribesourlikesanddislikes.Itshowsourpreferencesinhairandeyecolor,invoice,smell,bodybuild.Italsorecordsthekindofpersonalitythatappealstous,whetherit'sthewarmandfriendlytypeorthestrong,silenttype.Inshort,wefallforandpursuethosepeoplewhomostclearlyfitourlovemap.Andthislovemapislargelydeterminedinchildhood.Byageeight,thepatternforouridealmatehasalreadybeguntofloataroundinourbrains.

WhenIlecture,Ioftenaskcouplesintheaudiencewhatdrewthemtotheirdatesormates.Answersrangefrom"She'sstrongandindependent"and"Igoforredheads"to"Ilovehissenseofhumor"and"Thatcrookedsmile,that'swhatdidit."Ibelievewh