英语听力现代大学英语精读第1册Unit01.docx

英语听力现代大学英语精读第1册Unit01.docx

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英语听力现代大学英语精读第1册Unit01

英语听力：

现代大学英语精读第1册Unit01

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LessonOne

TEXTA

HalfaDayNaguibMahfous

Pre-classWorkI

Readthetextonceforthemainidea.Donotrefertothenotes,dictionariesortheglossaryyet.

Iwalkedalongsidemyfather,clutchinghisrighthand.Allmyclotheswerenew:

theblackshoes,thegreenschooluniform,andtheredcap.Theydidnotmakemehappy,however,asthiswasthedayIwastobethrownintoschoolforthefirsttime.

Mymotherstoodatthewindowwatchingourprogress,andIturnedtowardsherfromtimetotime,hopingshewouldhelp.Wewalkedalongastreetlinedwithgardens,andfieldsplantedwithcrops:

pears,anddatepalms.

“Whyschool?

”Iaskedmyfather.“WhathaveIdone?

”

“I’mnotpunishingyou,“hesaid,laughing.“School’snotapunishment.It’saplacethatmakesusefulmenoutofboys.Don’tyouwanttobeusefullikeyourbrothers?

”

Iwasnotconvinced.Ididnotbelievetherewasreallyanygoodtobehadintearingmeawayfrommyhomeandthrowingmeintothehuge,high-walledbuilding.

Whenwearrivedatthegatewecouldseethecourtyard,vastandfullofboysandgirls.“Goinbyyourself,“saidmyfather,“andjointhem.Putasmileonyourfaceandbeagoodexampletoothers.“

Ihesitatedandclungtohishand,buthegentlypushedmefromhim.“Beaman,“hesaid.“Todayyoutrulybeginlife.Youwillfindmewaitingforyouwhenit’stimetoleave.“

Itookafewsteps.Thenthefacesoftheboysandgirlscameintoview.Ididnotknowasingleoneofthem,andnoneofthemknewme.IfeltIwasastrangerwhohadlosthisway.Butthensomeboysbegantoglanceatmeincuriosity,andoneofthemcameoverandasked,“Whobroughtyou?

”

“Myfather,“Iwhispered.

“Myfather’sdead,“hesaidsimply.

Ididnotknowwhattosay.Thegatewasnowclosed.Someofthechildrenburstintotears.Thebellrang.Aladycamealong,followedbyagroupofmen.Themenbegansortingusintoranks.Wewereformedintoanintricatepatterninthegreatcourtyardsurroundedbyhighbuildings;fromeachfloorwewereoverlookedbyalongbalconyroofedinwood.

“Thisisyournewhome,“saidthewoman.“Therearemothersandfathershere,too.Everythingthatisenjoyableandbeneficialishere.Sodryyourtearsandfacelifejoyfully.“

Well,itseemedthatmymisgivingshadhadnobasis.FromthefirstmomentsImademanyfriendsandfellinlovewithmanygirls.Ihadneverimaginedschoolwouldhavethisrichvarietyofexperiences.

Weplayedallsortsofgames.Inthemusicroomwesangourfirstsongs.Wealsohadourfirstintroductiontolanguage.WesawaglobeoftheEarth,whichrevolvedandshowedthevariouscontinentsandcountries.Westartedlearningnumbers,andweweretoldthestoryoftheCreatoroftheuniverse.Weatedeliciousfood,tookalittlenap,andwokeuptogoonwithfriendshipandlove,playingandlearning.

Ourpath,however,wasnottotallysweetandunclouded.Wehadtobeobservantandpatient.Itwasnotallamatterofplayingandfoolingaround.Rivalriescouldbringaboutpainandhatredorgiverisetofighting.Andwhiletheladywouldsometimessmile,shewouldoftenyellandscold.Evenmorefrequentlyshewouldresorttophysicalpunishment.

Inaddition,thetimeforchangingone’smindwasoverandgoneandtherewasnoquestionofeverreturningtotheparadiseofhome.Nothinglayaheadofusbutexertion,struggle,andperseverance.Thosewhowereabletookadvantageoftheopportunitiesforsuccessandhappinessthatpresentedthemselves.

Thebellrang,announcingthepassingofthedayandtheendofwork.Thechildrenrushedtowardthegate,whichwasopenedagain.Isaidgoodbyetofriendsandsweetheartsandpassedthroughthegate.Ilookedaroundbutfoundnotraceofmyfather,whohadpromisedtobethere.Isteppedasidetowait.WhenIhadwaitedforalongtimeinvain,Idecidedtoreturnhomeonmyown.Iwalkedafewsteps,thencametoastartledhalt.GoodLord!

Wherewasthestreetlinedwithgardens?

Wherehaditdisappearedto?

Whendidallthesecarsinvadeit?

Andwhendidallthesepeoplecometorestonitssurface?

Howdidthesehillsofrubbishfindtheirwaytocoveritssides?

Andwherewerethefieldsthatborderedit?

Highbuildingshadtakenover,thestreetwasfullofchildren,anddisturbingnoisesshooktheair.Hereandtherestoodconjurersshowingofftheirtricksormakingsnakesappearfrombaskets.Thentherewasabandannouncingtheopeningofacircus,withclownsandweightlifterswalkinginfront.

GoodGod!

Iwasinadaze.Myheadspun.Ialmostwentcrazy.Howcouldallthishavehappenedinhalfaday,betweenearlymorningandsunset?

Iwouldfindtheanswerathomewithmyfather.Butwherewasmyhome?

Ihurriedtowardsthecrossroads,becauseIrememberedthatIhadtocrossthestreettoreachourhouse,butthestreamofcarswouldnotletup.Extremelyirritated,IwonderedwhenIwouldbeabletocross.

Istoodtherealongtime,untiltheyoungboyemployedattheironingshoponthecornercameuptome.

Hestretchedouthisarmandsaid,“Grandpa,letmetakeyouacross.”

Readthetextasecondtime.Learnthenewwordsandexpressionslistedbelow.

Glossary

across

adv.takesb.～:

takesb.totheotherside

alongside

adv.sidebyside;nextto

balcony

n.阳台

band

n.agroupofmusicians,especiallyagroupthatplayspopularmusic乐队

beneficial

adj.useful

border

v.与……接界；与……相邻

circus

n.马戏团

clingto

v.toholdclosely;rdfusetoletgo

clown

n.apersonwhodressesfunnilyandtriestomakepeoplelaughbyhisjokesoractions小丑

conjurer

n.amagician魔术师

convince

v.tomakesb.believe;topersuade说服

creator

n.onewhomakessth.forthefirsttime创造者；theCreator（宗教）造物主

crossroads

n.aplacewheretwoormoreroadscross交叉路口

curiosity

n.thedesiretolearnandknow好奇心

daze

n.aconditionofbegingunabletothinkorfeelclearly晕眩

exertion

n.effort努力；尽力

glance

n.aquicklookatsth.

globe

n.地球；地球仪

halt

n.astoporpause

hatred

n.strongfeelingsofdislike

hesitate

v.topause犹豫不决

intricate

adj.verycomplicated

introduction

n.presentforthefirsttime介绍

irritated

adj.annoyed

joyfully

adv.veryhappily

lift

v.抬；举；weightlifters:

thosewhocompeteincontestsofstrengthbyliftingheavyobjects

misgiving

n.（常用复数）feelingsofdoubtandfear顾虑

nap

n.ashortsleepduringtheday

observant

adj.carefultoobserve（rules）遵守规则的

opportunity

n.achance

overlook

v.toseeaplacefromabuildingorwindow俯视

palm

n.棕榈树；date～:

椰枣树

paradise

n.heaven天堂

perseverance

n.tokeeptryingtodosth.inspiteofthedifficulties顽强拼搏

physical

adj.ofmaterialsubstance;oftenreferstohumanbody肉体的；身体的

rank

n.aline（ofpeople）

revolve

v.tomoveorturninacirclearoundacentralpoint

rivalry

n.竞争

scold

v.toangrilycriticizesb.,especiallyachild

single

adj.onlyone

sort

n.,v.Thenounmeansakindoratype;theverbmeanstoputthingsinaparticularorder

spin

v.toturnroundandround

startled

adj.surprisedandoftenslightlyfrightened

stream

n.anaturalflowofwater;anythingthatmovesoncontinuously;a～of:

一连串的

stretch

v.伸展；～out:

伸出

sunset

n.thetimewhenthesunisseentodisappearasnightbegins日落

surface

n.表面

sweetheart

n.apersononeloves

trace

n.asignthatsth.isthere迹象；痕迹

trick

n.（魔术）戏法

unclouded

adj.withoutanycloud,clear,untroubled

uniform

n.aspecialsetofclotheswhichallmembersofagroupwear,especiallyinaschool,thearmyorthepolice

universe

n.宇宙

vain

n.in～:

withoutresult

variety

n.differentkindsofthesamething丰富多彩；品种多样

various

adj.severalofavariety

vast

adj.verylarge

whisper

v.tosaysomethingveryquietlysothatotherpeoplecannothearwhatyouaresaying

yell

v.toshoutloudlybecauseyouareveryexcited,angry,orinpain

TEXTB

TheEdgeKathleenLouiseSmiley

ThenightbeforeIleftforIsraelwasspentinthesamekindofconversationsthathadfilledthepreviousweek.“ButwhyIsrael?

”myfatherwouldask,inthesametoneheusedwhenheasked“WhyChina?

”or“WhyRussia?

”or“why”anyothercountryIhadannouncedIwantedtovisit.“There’swaroverthere,youknow,”hewouldadd.“Yes,Dad,Iknow.Therearewarseverywhere,”Iwouldanswer.HewouldaskwhyIinsistedongoingtosuchdangerousplaces.Finally,IwouldhearthewordsI’veheardallmylife:

“Well,you’veneverlistenedtomebefore.WhyshouldIthinkyou’dlistennow?

”Intypicalfashion,hewouldclosehiseyes,heavealongsighandshakehishead.

Whenthese“discussions”tookplace,mysister,Kristy,wouldalwaystrytodiffusethetension.Althoughsherealizedlongagothatitwouldneverwork,she’dtryjustthesame.“Kath,“she’dsuggest,“whydon’tyougotoEnglandforsummerschool.It’snotdangerousthere.“Butasalways,shedidn’tunderstand.

Noneofmyfamilyhaseverreallyunderstoodme.I’veneverfitmyfamily’sideaofthewayIshouldlivemylife.Englandwasnotexcitingenough.Iwantedtogosomewhereandexperiencesomethingdifferent.Mysoulhasalwaysbeenrestlesstoventureintounknownplaces.MymotherhasalwayssaidthatIhave“gypsy”inmyblood.

MysisterandIarethreeandahalfyearsapartinage,butaworldapartinthewayweliveourlives.Sheisconservativeandquiet.Itaketoomanyrisks,andtheonlytimeI’mreallyquietiswhenI’masleep.I’ve