大学英语精读2全部课文.docx

大学英语精读2全部课文.docx

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大学英语精读2全部课文

1.Thedinnerparty

IfirstheardthistaleinIndia,whereistoldasiftrue--thoughanynaturalistwouldknowitcouldn'tbe.LatersomeonetoldmethatthestoryappearedinamagazineshortlybeforetheFirstWorldWar.Thatmagazinestory,andthepersonwhowroteit,Ihaveneverbeenabletotrackdown.

ThecountryisIndia.Acolonialofficialandhiswifearegivingalargedinnerparty.Theyareseatedwiththeirguests--officersandtheirwives,andavisitingAmericannaturalist--intheirspaciousdiningroom,whichhasabaremarblefloor,openraftersandwideglassdoorsopeningontoaveranda.

Aspiriteddiscussionspringsupbetweenayounggirlwhosaysthatwomenhaveoutgrownthejumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouseeraandamajorwhosaysthattheyhaven't.

"Awoman'sreactioninanycrisis,"themajorsays,"istoscream.Andwhileamanmayfeellikeit,hehasthatouncemoreofcontrolthanawomanhas.Andthatlastounceiswhatreallycounts."

TheAmericandoesnotjoinintheargumentbutwatchestheotherguests.Ashelooks,heseesastrangeexpressioncomeoverthefaceofthehostess.Sheisstaringstraightahead,hermusclescontractingslightly.Shemotionstothenativeboystandingbehindherchairandwhisperssomethingtohim.Theboy'seyeswiden:

hequicklyleavestheroom.

Oftheguests,noneexcepttheAmericannoticesthisorseestheboyplaceabowlofmilkontheverandajustoutsidetheopendoors.

TheAmericancomestowithastart.InIndia,milkinabowlmeansonlyonething--baitforasnake.Herealizestheremustbeacobraintheroom.Helooksupattherafters--thelikeliestplace--buttheyarebare.Threecornersoftheroomareempty,andinthefourththeservantsarewaitingtoservethenextcourse.Thereisonlyoneplaceleft--underthetable.

Hisfirstimpulseistojumpbackandwarntheothers,butheknowsthecommotionwouldfrightenthecobraintostriking.Hespeaksquickly,thetoneofhisvoicesocommandingthatitsilenceseveryone.

"Iwanttoknowjustwhatcontroleveryoneatthistablehas.Iwillcountthreehundred--that'sfiveminutes--andnotoneofyouistomoveamuscle.Thosewhomovewillforfeit50rupees.Ready?

"

The20peoplesitlikestoneimageswhilehecounts.Heissaying"...twohundredandeighty..."when,outofthecornerofhiseye,heseesthecobraemergeandmakeforthebowlofmilk.Screamsringoutashejumpstoslamtheverandadoorssafelyshut.

"Youwereright,Major!

"thehostexclaims."Amanhasjustshownusanexampleofperfectself-control."

"Justaminute,"theAmericansays,turningtohishostess."Mrs.Wynnes,howdidyouknowthatcobrawasintheroom?

"

Afaintsmilelightsupthewoman'sfaceasshereplies:

"Becauseitwascrawlingacrossmyfoot."

提问者：

纯美素然-三级最佳答案检举晚宴

我最初听到这个故事是在印度，那儿的人们今天讲起它来仍好像确有其事似的——尽管任何一位博物学家都知道这不可能是真的。

后来有人告诉我，在第一次世界大战之前不久，一家杂志曾刊登过这个故事。

但登在杂志上的那篇故事以及写那篇故事的人，我却一直未能找到。

故事发生在印度。

某殖民地官员和他的夫人正举行盛大的晚宴。

筵席设在他们家宽敞的餐室里，室内大理石地板上没有铺地毯；屋顶明椽裸露，宽大的玻璃门外便是走廊。

跟他们一起就做的客人有军官和他们的夫人，另外还有一位来访的美国博物学家。

席间，一位年轻的女士同一位少校展开了热烈的讨论。

年轻的女士认为妇女已经有所进步，不再像过去那样一见到老鼠就吓得跳到椅子上，少校则不以为然。

他说：

“一遇到危急情况，女人的反应便是尖叫。

而男人虽然也可能想叫，但比起女人来，自制力却略胜一筹。

这多出来的一点自制力正是真正起作用的东西。

”

那个美国人没有参加这场争论，他只是注视着在座的其他客人。

在他这样观察时，他发现女主人的脸上显出一种奇异的表情。

她两眼盯着正前方，脸部肌肉在微微抽搐。

她向站在座椅后面的印度男仆做了个手势，对他耳语了几句。

男仆两眼睁得大大的，迅速地离开了餐室。

在座的客人中除了那位美国人以外谁也没注意到这一幕，也没有看到那个男仆把一碗牛奶放在紧靠门边的走廊上。

那个美国人突然醒悟过来。

在印度，碗中的牛奶只有一个意思——引蛇的诱饵。

他意识到餐室里一定有条眼镜蛇。

他抬头看了看屋顶上的椽子——那是最可能有蛇藏身的地方——但那上面空荡荡的。

室内的三个角落里也是空的，而在第四个角落里，仆人们正在等着上下一道菜。

这样，剩下的就只有一个地方了——餐桌下面。

他首先想到的是往后一跳，并向其他人发出警告。

但他知道这样会引起骚乱，致使眼镜蛇受惊咬人。

于是他很快讲了一道话，其语气非常威严，竟使得所有的人都安静了下来。

“我想了解一下在座的诸位到底有多大的克制能力，我数三百下——也就是五分钟——你们谁都不许动一动。

动者将罚款五十卢比。

准备好！

”

在他数数的过程中，那二十个人都像一尊尊雕塑一样端坐在那儿。

当他数到“……二百八十……”时，突然从眼角处看到那条眼镜蛇钻了出来，向那碗牛奶爬去。

在他跳起来把通往走廊的门全都砰砰地牢牢关上时，室内响起了一片尖叫声。

“你刚才说的很对，少校！

”男主人大声说。

“一个男子刚刚为我们显示了从容不迫、镇定自若的范例。

”

“且慢，”那位美国人一边说着一边转向女主人。

“温兹太太，你怎么知道那条眼镜蛇是在屋子里呢？

”

女主人脸上闪出一丝淡淡的微笑，回答说：

“因为它当时正从我的脚背上爬过去。

”

2.lessonsfromjefferson

Jeffersondiedlongago,butmayofhisideasstillofgreatinteresttous.

　　LessonsfromJefferson

　　ThomasJefferson,thethirdPresidentoftheUnitedStates,maybelessfamousthanGeorgeWashingtonandAbrahamLincoln,butmostpeoplerememberatlastonefactabouthim:

hewrotetheDeclarationofIndependence.

　　AlthoughJeffersonlivedmorethan200yearsago,thereismuchthatwelearnfromhimtoday.Manyofhisideasareespeciallyinterestingtomodernyouth.Herearesomeofthethingshesaidandwrote:

　　Goandsee.Jeffersonbelievedthatafreemanobtainsknowledgefrommanysourcesbesidesbooksandthatpersonalinvestigationisimportant.Whenstillayoungman,hewasappointedtoacommitteetofindoutwhethertheSouthBranchoftheJamesRiverwasdeepenoughtobeusedbylargeboats.Whiletheothermembersofthecommitteesatinthestatecapitolandstudiedpapersonthesubject,Jeffersongotintoacanoeandmadeon-the-spot-observations.

　　Youcanlearnfromeveryone.BybirthandbyeducationJeffersonbelongedtothehighestsocialclass.Yet,inadaywhenfewnoblepersonseverspoketothoseofhumbleoriginsexcepttogiveanorder,Jeffersonwentoutofhiswaytotalkwithgardeners,servants,andwaiters.JeffersononcesaidtotheFrenchnobleman,Lafayette,"Youmustgointothepeople'shomesasIhavedone,lookintotheircookingpotsandeattheirbread.Ifyouwillonlydothis,youmayfindoutwhypeoplearedissatisfiedandunderstandtherevolutionthatisthreateningFrance."

　　Judgeforyourself.Jeffersonrefusedtoacceptotherpeople'sopinionswithoutcarefulthought."Neitherbelievenorrejectanything,"hewrotetohisnephew,"becauseanyotherpersonhasrejectedorbelievedit.Heavedhasgivenyouamindforjudgingtruthanderror.Useit."

　　Jeffersonfeltthatthepeople"maysafelybetrustedtoheareverythingtrueandfalse,andtoformacorrectjudgment.Wereitlefttometodecidewhetherweshouldhaveagovernmentwithoutnewspapersornewspaperswithoutagovernment,Ishouldnothesitateamomenttopreferthelatter."

　　Dowhatyoubelieveisright.Inafreecountrytherewillalwaysbeconflictingideas,andthisisasourceofstrength.Itisconflictandnotunquestioningagreementthatkeepsfreedomalive.ThoughJeffersonwasformanyyearstheobjectofstrongcriticism,heneveransweredhiscritics.Heexpressedhisphilosophyinletterstoafriend,"Therearetwosidestoeveryquestion.Ifyoutakeonesidewithdecisionandonitwitheffect,thosewhotaketheothersidewillofcourseresentyouractions."

　　Trustthefuture;trusttheyoung.Jeffersonfeltthatthepresentshouldneverbechainedtocustomswhichhavelosttheirusefulness."Nosociety,"hesaid,"canmakeaperpetualconstitution,orevenaperpetuallaw.Theearthbelongstothelivinggeneration."Hedidnotfearnewideas,nordidhefearthefuture."Howmuchpain,"heremarked,"hasbeencausedbyevilswhichhaveneverhappened!

Iexpectthebest,nottheworst.Isteermyshipwithhope,leavingfearbehind."

　　Jefferson'scourageandidealismwerebasedonknowledge.Heprobablyknewmorethananyothermanofhisage.Hewasanexpertinagriculture,archeology,andmedicine.Hepracticedcroprotationandsoilconservationacenturybeforethesebecamestandardpractice,andheinventedaplowsuperiortoanyotherinexistence.HeinfluencedarchitecturethroughoutAmerica,andhewasconstantlyproducingdevicesformakingthetasksofordinarylifeeasiertoperform.

　　OfallJefferson'smanytalents,oneiscentral.Hewasaboveallagoodandtirelesswriter.Hiscompleteworks,nowbeingpublishedforthefirsttime,willfillmorethanfiftyvolumes.Histalentasanauthorwassoondiscovered,andwhenthetimecametowritetheDeclarationofIndependenceatPhiladelphiain1776,thetaskofwritingitwashis.Millionshavethrilledtohiswords:

"Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal…"

　　WhenJeffersondiedonJuly4,1826,the50thanniversaryofAmericanindependence,helefthiscountrymenarichlegacyofideasandexamples.AmericaneducationowesagreatdebttoThomasJefferson,Whobelievedthatonlyanationofeducatedpeoplecouldremainfree.

3.myfirstjob

Tryingtomakesomemoneybeforeenteringuniversity,theauthorappliesforateachingjob.Buttheinterviewgoesfrombadtoworse...

MyFirstJob

WhileIwaswaitingtoenteruniversity,IsawadvertisedinalocalnewspaperateachingpostataschoolinasuburbofLondonabouttenmilesfromwhereIlived.Beingveryshortmoneyandwantingtodosomethinguseful,Iapplied,fearingasIdidso,thatwithoutadegreeandwithnoexperienceinteachingmychancesofgettingthejobwereslim.

However,threedayslateraletterarrived,askingmetogotoCroydonforaninterview.Itprovedanawkwardjourney:

atraintoCroydonstation;aten-minutebusrideandthenawalkofatleastaquartertofeelnervous.

Theschoolwasaredbrickhousewithbigwindows,Thefrontgardenwasagravelsquare;fourevergreenshrubsstoodateachcorner,wheretheystruggledtosurvivethedustandfumesfromabusymainfromabusymainroad.

Itwasclearlytheheadmasterhimselfthatopenedthedoor.Hewasshortandfat.Hehadasandy-colouredmoustache,awrinkledforeheadandhardlyanyhair.

Helookedatmewithanairofsurpriseddisapproval,asacolonelmightlookataprivatewhosebootlaceswereundone.'Ahyes,'hegrunted.'You'dbettercomeinside.'Thenarrow,sunlesshallsmelledunpleasantlyofstalecabbage;thewallsweredirtywithinkmarks;itwasallsilent.Hisstudy,judgingbythecrumbsonthecarpet,wasalsohisdining-room.'You'dbettersitdown,'hesaid,andproceededtoaskmeanumberofquestions:

wh