大学英语必背优秀文章.docx

大学英语必背优秀文章.docx

《大学英语必背优秀文章.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《大学英语必背优秀文章.docx（9页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

大学英语必背优秀文章

大学英语必背优秀文章

01TheLanguageofMusic02SchoolingandEducation03TheDefinitionof“Price”04Electricity05TheBeginningofDrama06Television07AndrewCarnegie08AmericanRevolution09Suburbanization10TypesofSpeech

01TheLanguageofMusic

Apainterhangshisorherfinishedpicturesonawall,andeveryonecanseeit.Aposerwritesawork,butnoonecanhearituntilitisperformed.Professionalsingersandplayershavegreatresponsibilities,fortheposerisutterlydependentonthem.Astudentofmusicneedsaslongandasarduousatrainingtoeaperformerasamedicalstudentneedstoeadoctor.Mosttrainingisconcernedwithtechnique,formusicianshavetohavethemuscularproficiencyofanathleteoraballetdancer.Singerspracticebreathingeveryday,astheirvocalchordswouldbeinadequatewithoutcontrolledmuscularsupport.Stringplayerspracticemovingthefingersofthelefthandupanddown,whiledrawingthebowtoandfrowiththerightarm―twoentirelydifferentmovements.

Singersandinstrumentshavetobeabletogeteverynoteperfectlyintune.Pianistsaresparedthisparticularanxiety,forthenotesarealreadythere,waitingforthem,anditisthepianotuner’sresponsibilitytotunetheinstrumentforthem.Buttheyhavetheirowndifficulties;thehammersthathitthestringhavetobecoaxednottosoundlikepercussion,andeachoverlappingtonehastosoundclear.

Thisproblemofgettingcleartextureisonethatconfrontsstudentconductors:

theyhavetolearntoknoweverynoteofthemusicandhowitshouldsound,andtheyhavetoaimatcontrollingthesesoundwithfanaticalbutselflessauthority.

Techniqueisofnouseunlessitisbinedwithmusicalknowledgeandunderstanding.Greatartistsarethosewhoaresothoroughlyathomeinthelanguageofmusicthattheycanenjoyperformingworkswritteninanycentury.

02SchoolingandEducation

ItismonlybelievedinUnitedStatesthatschooliswherepeoplegotogetaneducation.Nevertheless,ithasbeensaidthattodaychildreninterrupttheireducationtogotoschool.Thedistinctionbetweenschoolingandeducationimpliedbythisremarkisimportant.

Educationismuchmoreopen-endedandall-inclusivethanschooling.Educationknowsnobounds.Itcantakeplaceanywhere,whetherintheshowerorinthejob,whetherinakitchenoronatractor.Itincludesboththeformallearningthattakesplaceinschoolsandthewholeuniverseofinformallearning.Theagentsofeducationcanrangefromareveredgrandparenttothepeopledebatingpoliticsontheradio,fromachildtoadistinguishedscientist.Whereasschoolinghasacertainpredictability,educationquiteoftenproducessurprises.Achanceconversationwithastrangermayleadapersontodiscoverhowlittleisknownofotherreligions.Peopleareengagedineducationfrominfancyon.Education,then,isaverybroad,inclusiveterm.Itisalifelongprocess,aprocessthatstartslongbeforethestartofschool,andonethatshouldbeanintegralpartofone’sentirelife.

Schooling,ontheotherhand,isaspecific,formalizedprocess,whosegeneralpattern

01TheLanguageofMusic02SchoolingandEducation03TheDefinitionof“Price”04Electricity05TheBeginningofDrama06Television07AndrewCarnegie08AmericanRevolution09Suburbanization10TypesofSpeech

varieslittlefromonesettingtothenext.Throughoutacountry,childrenarriveatschoolatapproximatelythesametime,takeassignedseats,aretaughtbyanadult,usesimilartextbooks,dohomework,takeexams,andsoon.Theslicesofrealitythataretobelearned,whethertheyarethealphabetoranunderstandingoftheworkingofgovernment,haveusuallybeenlimitedbytheboundariesofthesubjectbeingtaught.Forexample,highschoolstudentsknowthattherenotlikelytofindoutintheirclassesthetruthaboutpoliticalproblemsintheirmunitiesorwhatthenewestfilmmakersareexperimentingwith.Therearedefiniteconditionssurroundingtheformalizedprocessofschooling.

03TheDefinitionof“Price”

Pricesdeterminehowresourcesaretobeused.Theyarealsothemeansbywhichproductsandservicesthatareinlimitedsupplyarerationedamongbuyers.ThepricesystemoftheUnitedStatesisaplexnetworkposedofthepricesofalltheproductsboughtandsoldintheeconomyaswellasthoseofamyriadofservices,includinglabor,professional,transportation,andpublic-utilityservices.TheinterrelationshipsofallthesepricesmakeuptheDsystem‖ofprices.Thepriceofanyparticularproductorserviceislinkedtoabroad,plicatedsystemofpricesinwhicheverythingseemstodependmoreorlessuponeverythingelse.

IfoneweretoaskagroupofrandomlyselectedindividualstodefineDprice‖,manywouldreplythatpriceisanamountofmoneypaidbythebuyertothesellerofaproductorserviceor,inotherwordsthatpriceisthemoneyvaluesofaproductorserviceasagreeduponinamarkettransaction.Thisdefinitionis,ofcourse,validasfarasitgoes.Forapleteunderstandingofapriceinanyparticulartransaction,muchmorethantheamountofmoneyinvolvedmustbeknown.Boththebuyerandthesellershouldbefamiliarwithnotonlythemoneyamount,butwiththeamountandqualityoftheproductorservicetobeexchanged,thetimeandplaceatwhichtheexchangewilltakeplaceandpaymentwillbemade,theformofmoneytobeused,thecredittermsanddiscountsthatapplytothetransaction,guaranteesontheproductorservice,deliveryterms,returnprivileges,andotherfactors.Inotherwords,bothbuyerandsellershouldbefullyawareofallthefactorsthatprisethetotalDpackage‖beingexchangedfortheasked-foramountofmoneyinorderthattheymayevaluateagivenprice.

04Electricity

Themodernageisanageofelectricity.Peoplearesousedtoelectriclights,radio,televisions,andtelephonesthatitishardtoimaginewhatlifewouldbelikewithoutthem.Whenthereisapowerfailure,peoplegropeaboutinflickeringcandlelight,carshesitateinthestreetsbecausetherearenotrafficlightstoguidethem,andfoodspoilsinsilentrefrigerators.

Yet,peoplebegantounderstandhowelectricityworksonlyalittlemorethantwocenturies

01TheLanguageofMusic02SchoolingandEducation03TheDefinitionof“Price”04Electricity05TheBeginningofDrama06Television07AndrewCarnegie08AmericanRevolution09Suburbanization10TypesofSpeech

ago.Naturehasapparentlybeenexperimentinginthisfieldformillionofyears.Scientistsarediscoveringmoreandmorethatthelivingworldmayholdmanyinterestingsecretsofelectricitythatcouldbenefithumanity.

Alllivingcellsendouttinypulsesofelectricity.Astheheartbeats,itsendsoutpulsesofrecord;theyformanelectrocardiogram,whichadoctorcanstudytodeterminehowwelltheheartisworking.Thebrain,too,sendsoutbrainwavesofelectricity,whichcanberecordedinanelectroencephalogram.TheelectriccurrentsgeneratedbymostlivingcellsareextremelysmallCoftensosmallthatsensitiveinstrumentsareneededtorecordthem.Butinsomeanimals,certainmusclecellshaveesospecializedaselectricalgeneratorsthattheydonotworkasmusclecellsatall.Whenlargenumbersofthesecellarelinkedtogether,theeffectscanbeastonishing.

Theelectriceelisanamazingstoragebattery.Itcanseedajoltofasmuchaseighthundredvoltsofelectricitythroughthewaterinwhichitlive.（Anelectrichousecurrentisonlyonehundredtwentyvolts.）Asmanyasfour-fifthsofallthecellsintheelectriceel’sbodyarespecializedforgeneratingelectricity,andthestrengthoftheshockitcandelivercorrespondsroughlytolengthofitsbody.

05TheBeginningofDrama

TherearemanytheoriesaboutthebeginningofdramainancientGreece.Theonmostwidelyacceptedtodayisbasedontheassumptionthatdramaevolvedfromritual.Theargumentforthisviewgoesasfollows.Inthebeginning,humanbeingsviewedthenaturalforcesoftheworld-eventheseasonalchanges-asunpredictable,andtheysoughtthroughvariousmeanstocontroltheseunknownandfearedpowers.Thosemeasureswhichappearedtobringthedesiredresultswerethenretainedandrepeateduntiltheyhardenedintofixedrituals.Eventuallystoriesarosewhichexplainedorveiledthemysteriesoftherites.Astimepassedsomeritualswereabandoned,butthestories,latercalledmyths,persistedandprovidedmaterialforartanddrama.

Thosewhobelievethatdramaevolvedoutofritualalsoarguethatthoseritescontainedtheseedoftheaterbecausemusic,dance,masks,andcostumeswerealmostalwaysused,Furthermore,asuitablesitehadtobeprovidedforperformancesandwhentheentiremunitydidnotparticipate,acleardivisionwasusuallymadebetweenthe“actingarea"andthe"auditorium."Inaddition,therewereperformers,and,sinceconsiderableimportancewasattachedtoavoidingmistakesintheenactmentofrites,religiousleadersusuallyassumedthattask.Wearingmasksandcostumes,theyoftenimpersonatedotherpeople,animals,orsupernaturalbeings,andmimedthedesiredeffect-successinhuntorbattle,theingrain,therevivaloftheSun-asanactormight.Eventuallysuchdramaticrepresentationswereseparatedfromreligiousactivities.

Anothertheorytracesthetheater'soriginfromthehumaninterestinstorytelling.Accordingtothisviestales（aboutthehunt,war,orotherfeats）aregraduallyelaborated,

01TheLanguageofMusic02SchoolingandEducation03TheDefinitionof“Price”04Electricity05TheBeginningofDrama06Television07AndrewCarnegie08AmericanRevolution09Suburbanization10TypesofSpeech

atfirstthroughtheuseofimpersonat