新概念4必背16篇打印版.docx

新概念4必背16篇打印版.docx

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新概念4必背16篇打印版

Lesson1FindingFossilman

Wecanreadofthingsthathappened5,000yearsagointheNearEast,wherepeoplefirstlearnedtowrite.Buttherearesomepartsoftheworldwhereevennowpeoplecannotwrite.Theonlywaythattheycanpreservetheirhistoryistorecountitassagas--legendshandeddownfromonegenerationofstory-tellerstoanother.Theselegendsareusefulbecausetheycantellussomethingaboutmigrationsofpeoplewholivedlongago,butnonecouldwritedownwhattheydid.AnthropologistswonderedwheretheremoteancestorsofthePolynesianpeoplesnowlivinginthePacificIslandscamefrom.ThesagasofthesepeopleexplainthatsomeofthemcamefromIndonesiaabout2,000yearsago.

Butthefirstpeoplewhowerelikeourselveslivedsolongagothateventheirsagas,iftheyhadany,areforgotten.Soarchaeologistshaveneitherhistorynorlegendstohelpthemtofindoutwherethefirst'modernmen'camefrom.

Fortunately,however,ancientmenmadetoolsofstone,especiallyflint,becausethisiseasiertoshapethanotherkinds.Theymayalsohaveusedwoodandskins,butthesehaverottedaway.Stonedoesnotdecay,andsothetoolsoflongagohaveremainedwheneventhebonesofthemenwhomadethemhavedisappearedwithouttrace.

Lesson2Sparethatspider

Why,youmaywonder,shouldspidersbeourfriendsBecausetheydestroysomanyinsects,andinsectsincludesomeofthegreatestenemiesofthehumanrace.Insectswouldmakeitimpossibleforustoliveintheworld;theywoulddevourallourcropsandkillourflocksandherds,ifitwerenotfortheprotectionwegetfrominsect-eatinganimals.Weowealottothebirdsandbeastswhoeatinsectsbutallofthemputtogetherkillonlyafractionofthenumberdestroyedbyspiders.Moreover,unlikesomeoftheotherinsecteaters,spidersneverdotheleastharmtousorourbelongings.

Spidersarenotinsects,asmanypeoplethink,norevennearlyrelatedtothem.Onecantellthedifferencealmostataglanceforaspideralwayshaseightlegsandaninsectnevermorethansix.

HowmanyspidersareengagedinthisworkonourbehalfOneauthorityonspidersmadeacensusofthespidersinagrassfieldinthesouthofEngland,andheestimatedthatthereweremorethan2,250,000inoneacre,thatissomethinglike6,000,000spidersofdifferentkindsonafootballpitch.Spidersarebusyforatleasthalftheyearinkillinginsects.Itisimpossibletomakemorethanthewildestguessathowmanytheykill,buttheyarehungrycreatures,notcontentwithonlythreemealsaday.IthasbeenestimatedthattheweightofalltheinsectsdestroyedbyspidersinBritaininoneyearwouldbegreaterthanthetotalweightofallthehumanbeingsinthecountry.

T.H.GILLESPIESparethatSpiderfromTheListener

Lesson5Youth

Peoplearealwaystalkingabout'theproblemofyouth'.Ifthereisone—whichItakeleavetodoubt--thenitisolderpeoplewhocreateit,nottheyoungthemselves.

Letusgetdowntofundamentalsandagreethattheyoungareafterallhumanbeings--peoplejustliketheirelders.Thereisonlyonedifferencebetweenanoldmanandayoungone:

theyoungmanhasagloriousfuturebeforehimandtheoldonehasasplendidfuturebehindhim:

andmaybethatiswheretherubis.

WhenIwasateenager,IfeltthatIwasjustyounganduncertain--thatIwasanewboyinahugeschool,andIwouldhavebeenverypleasedtoberegardedassomethingsointerestingasaproblem.Foronething,beingaproblemgivesyouacertainidentity,andthatisoneofthethingstheyoungarebusilyengagedinseeking.

Ifindyoungpeopleexciting.Theyhaveanairoffreedom,andtheyhavenotadrearycommitmenttomeanambitionsorloveofcomfort.Theyarenotanxioussocialclimbers,andtheyhavenodevotiontomaterialthings.Allthisseemstometolinkthemwithlife,andtheoriginsofthings.It'sasiftheywereinsomesensecosmicbeingsinviolentandlovelycontrastwithussuburbancreatures.

AllthatisinmymindwhenImeetayoungperson.Hemaybeconceited,ill-mannered,presumptuousoffatuous,butIdonotturnforprotectiontodrearyclichésaboutrespectforelders--asifmereagewereareasonforrespect.Iacceptthatweareequals,andIwillarguewithhim,asanequal,ifIthinkheiswrong.

Lesson6Thesportingspirit

IamalwaysamazedwhenIhearpeoplesayingthatsportcreatesgoodwillbetweenthenations,andthatifonlythecommonpeoplesoftheworldcouldmeetoneanotheratfootballorcricket,theywouldhavenoinclinationtomeetonthebattlefield.Evenifonedidn'tknowfromconcreteexamples（the1936OlympicGames,forinstance）thatinternationalsportingcontestsleadtoorgiesofhatred,onecoulddeduceitfromgeneralprinciples.

Nearlyallthesportspracticednowadaysarecompetitive.Youplaytowin,andthegamehaslittlemeaningunlessyoudoyourutmosttowin.Onthevillagegreen,whereyoupickupsidesandnofeelingoflocalpatriotismisinvolved,itispossibletoplaysimplyforthefunandexercise:

butassoonasthequestionofprestigearises,assoonasyoufeelthatyouandsomelargerunitwillbedisgracedifyoulose,themostsavagecombativeinstinctsarearoused.Anyonewhohasplayedeveninaschoolfootballmatchknowsthis.Attheinternationallevelsportisfranklymimicwarfare.Butthesignificantthingisnotthebehaviouroftheplayersbuttheattitudeofthespectators:

and,behindthespectators,ofthenations.whoworkthemselvesintofuriesovertheseabsurdcontests,andseriouslybelieve--atanyrateforshortperiods--thatrunning,jumpingandkickingaballaretestsofnationalvirtue.

Lesson9Royalespionage

AlfredtheGreatactedashisownspy,visitingDanishcampsdisguisedasaminstrel.Inthosedayswanderingminstrelswerewelcomeeverywhere.Theywerenotfightingmen,andtheirharpwastheirpassport.Alfredhadlearnedmanyoftheirballadsinhisyouth,andcouldvaryhisprogrammewithacrobatictricksandsimpleconjuring.

WhileAlfred'slittlearmyslowlybegantogatheratAthelney,thekinghimselfsetouttopenetratethecampofGuthrum,thecommanderoftheDanishinvaders.

ThesehadsettleddownforthewinteratChippenham:

thitherAlfredwent.Henoticedatoncethatdisciplinewasslack:

theDaneshadtheself-confidenceofconquerors,andtheirsecurityprecautionswerecasual.Theylivedwell,ontheproceedsofraidsonneighbouringregions.Theretheycollectedwomenaswellasfoodanddrink,andalifeofeasehadmadethemsoft.

AlfredstayedinthecampaweekbeforehereturnedtoAthelney.TheforcethereassembledwastrivialcomparedwiththeDanishhorde.ButAlfredhaddeducedthattheDaneswerenolongerfitforprolongedbattle:

andthattheircommissariathadnoorganization,butdependedonirregularraids.

So,facedwiththeDanishadvance,Alfreddidnotriskopenbattlebutharriedtheenemy.Hewasconstantlyonthemove,drawingtheDanesafterhim.Hispatrolshaltedtheraidingparties:

hungerassailedtheDanisharmy.NowAlfredbeganalongseriesofskirmishes--andwithinamonththeDaneshadsurrendered.

Theepisodecouldreasonablyserveasauniqueepicofroyalespionage!

Lesson11Howtogrowold

Someoldpeopleareoppressedbythefearofdeath.Intheyoungthereisajustificationforthismenwhohavereasontofearthattheywillbekilledinbattlemayjustifiablyfeelbitterinthethoughtthattheyhavebeencheatedofthebestthingsthatlifehastooffer.Butinanoldmanwhohasknownhumanjoysandsorrows,andhasachievedwhateverworkitwasinhimtodo,thefearofdeathissomewhatabjectandignoble.Thebestwaytoovercomeit-soatleastitseemstome----istomakeyourinterestsgraduallywiderandmoreimpersonal,untilbitbybitthewallsoftheegorecede,andyourlifebecomesincreasinglymergedintheuniversallife.Anindividualhumanexistenceshouldbelikeariver--smallatfirst,narrowlycontainedwithinitsbanks,andrushingpassionatelypastbouldersandoverwaterfalls.Graduallytherivergrowswider,thebanksrecede,thewatersflowmorequietly,andintheend,withoutanyvisiblebreak,theybecomemergedinthesea,andpainlesslylosetheirindividualbeing.Themanwho,inoldage,canseehislifeinthisway,willnotsufferfromthefearofdeath,sincethethingshecaresforwillcontinue.Andit,withthedecayofvitality,wearinessincreases,thethoughtofrestwillbenotunwelcome.Ishouldwishtodiewhilestillatwork,knowingthatotherswillcarryonwhatIcannolongerdo,andcontentinthethoughtthatwhatwaspossiblehasbeendone.

Lesson16Themoderncity

Intheorganizationofindustriallifetheinfluenceofthefactoryuponthephysiologicalandmentalstateoftheworkershasbeencompletelyneglected.Modernindustryisbasedontheconceptionofthemaximumproductionatlowestcost,inorderthatanindividualoragroupofindividualsmayearnasmuchmoneyaspossible.Ithasexpandedwithoutanyideaofthetruenatureofthehumanbeingswhorunthemachines,andwithoutgivinganyconsiderationtotheeffectsproducedontheindividualsandontheirdescendantsbytheartificialmodeofexistenceimposedbythefactory.Thegreatcitieshavebeenbuiltwithnoregardforus.Theshapeanddimensionsoftheskyscrapersdependentirelyonthenecessityofobtainingthemaximumincomepersquarefootofground,andofofferingtothetenantsofficesandapartmentsthatpleasethem.Thiscausedtheconstructionofgiganticbuildingswheretoolargemassesofhumanbeingsarecrowdedtogether.Civilizedmenlikesuchawayofliving.Whiletheyenjoythecomfortandbanalluxuryoftheirdwelling,theydonotrealizethatth