高二英语必修5课文.docx

高二英语必修5课文.docx

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高二英语必修5课文

高二英语必修5课文

Module1BritishandAmericanEnglishWords,words,wordsBritishandAmericanEnglisharedifferentinmanyways.Thefirstandmostobviouswayisinthevocabulary.TherearehundredsofdifferentwordswhicharenotusedontheothersideoftheAtlantic,orwhichareusedwithadifferentmeaning.SomeofthesewordsarewellknownAmericansdriveautomobilesdownfreewaysandfillupwithgas;theBritishdrivecarsalongmotorwaysandfillupwithpetrol.Asatourist,youwillneedtousetheundergroundinLondonorthesubwayinNewYork,ormaybeyouwillprefertogetaroundthetownbytaxi（British）orcab（American）.ChipsorFrenchfries?

Butotherwordsandexpressionsarenotsowellknown.Americansuseaflashlight,whilefortheBritish,it’satorch.TheBritishqueueup;Americansstandinline.Sometimesthesamewordhasaslightlydifferentmeaning,whichcanbeconfusing.Chips,forexample,arepiecesofhotfriedpotatoinBritain;intheStateschipsareverythinandaresoldinpackets.TheBritishcallthesecrisps.ThechipstheBritishknowandloveareFrenchfriesontheothersideoftheAtlantic.Haveorhavegot?

Thereareafewdifferencesingrammar,too.TheBritishsayHaveyougot...?

whileAmericanspreferDoyouhave...?

AnAmericanmightsayMyfriendjustarrived,butaBritishpersonwouldsayMyfriendhasjustarrived.Prepositions,（介词）too,canbedifferent:

compareontheteam,ontheweekend（American）withintheteam,attheweekend（British）.TheBritishuseprepositionswhereAmericanssometimesomitthem（I’llseeyouMonday;Writemesoon!

）.Colourorcolor?

Theothertwoareasinwhichthetwovarietiesdifferarespellingandpronunciation.Americanspellingseemssimpler:

center,colorandprograminsteadofcentre,colourandprogramme.ManyfactorshaveinfluencedAmericanpronunciationsincethefirstsettlersarrivedfourhundredyearsago.Theaccent,whichismostsimilartoBritishEnglish,canbeheardontheEastCoastoftheUS.WhentheIrishwriterGeorgeBernardShawmadethefamousremarkthattheBritishandtheAmericansaretwonationsdividedbyacommonlanguage,hewasobviouslythinkingaboutthedifferences.Butaretheyreallysoimportant?

Afterall,thereisprobablyasmuchvariationofpronunciationwithinthetwocountriesasbetweenthem.ALondonerhasmoredifficultyunderstandingaScotsman（苏格兰人）fromGlasgow格拉斯哥thanunderstandingaNewYorker.TurnontheTVSomeexpertsbelievethatthetwovarietiesaremovingclosertogether.FormorethanacenturycommunicationsacrosstheAtlantichavedevelopedsteadily.Sincethe1980s,withsatelliteTVandtheInternet,ithasbeenpossibletolistentoBritishandAmericanEnglishattheflickofaswitch.Thisnon-stopcommunication,theexpertsthink,hasmadeiteasierforBritishpeopleandAmericanstounderstandeachother.ButithasalsoledtolotsofAmericanwordsandstructurespassingintoBritishEnglish,sothatsomepeoplenowbelievethatBritishEnglishwilldisappear.However,ifyouturnonCNN,theAmericanTVnetwork,youfindnewsreadersandweatherforecastersallspeakingwithdifferentaccentsAmerican,British,Australian,andevenSpanish.Oneofthebest-knownfaces,MonitaRajpal,wasborninHongKong,China,andgrewupspeakingChineseandPunjabi旁遮普与,aswellasEnglish.Thisinternationaldimension次元,维suggeststhatinthefuture,therearegoingtobemanyEnglishes,notjusttwomainvarieties.ButthemessageisDon’tworry.UsersofEnglishwillallbeabletounderstandeachotherwherevertheyare.Module2TheHumanTrafficSignalTheroadAt3,500metres,LaPaz,inBolivia,isthehighestcapitalintheworld.Lifeishardathighaltitude,andthemountainsmakecommunicationsdifficult.Manyroadsareinbadconditionandaccidentsarefrequent.Oneroadinparticular,whichgoesnorthfromLaPaz,isconsideredthemostdangerousroadintheworld.Ononesidethemountainsrisesteeply;ontheothersidethereisasheerdrop,whichinplacesishundredsofmetresdeep.Althoughthereisnotalotoftraffic,onaverage,onevehiclecomesofftheroadeverytwoweeks.Thedropissogreatthatanyoneinsidethevehicleisluckytosurvive.Intheory,theroadcanonlybeusedbytrafficgoinguphillfrom8inthemorning,andbytrafficcomingdownhillfrom3intheafternoon.Butinpractice,fewdriversrespecttherules.ThemanButthankstooneman,thedeathtollhasfallen.TimoteoApazaisagentle46-year-oldmanwholivesinavillagenearthemostdangerouspartoftheroad,knownlocallyaslacurvadeldiablo（theDevil’sBend）.Timoteohasanunusualjobheisahumantrafficsignal.Everymorningheclimbsuptothebendwithalargecircularboardinhishand.Theboardisredononesideandgreenontheother.Timoteostandsonthebendanddirectsthetraffic.Whentwovehiclesapproachfromoppositedirectionstheycan’tseeeachother,buttheycanseeTimoteo.Timoteoisavolunteer.Nooneaskedhimtodothejob,andnoonepayshimforit.Sometimesdriversgivehimatip,sothathehasjustenoughmoneytoliveon.Butoftentheyjustpassby,takingthehumantrafficsignalforgranted.ThereasonwhyhedoesitSowhydoeshedoit?

Beforehevolunteeredtodirectthetraffic,Timoteohadhadlotsofjobs.Hehadbeenaminerandasoldier.Thenonedaywhilehewasworkingasalorrydriverhehadacloseencounterwithdeath.Hewasdrivingalorryloadofbananaswhenhecameofftheroadatabendandfellthreehundredmetresdownthemountain.Somehowhesurvived.Hewasinhospitalformonths.Then,afewyearslater,hewascalledoutinthenighttohelppullpeopleoutofabuswhichhadcrashedatlacurvadeldiablo.ThislastexperiencehadaprofoundeffectonTimoteo.Herealisedthathewasluckytobealivehimself,andfeltthatitwashismissioninlifetohelpothers.Andsoeverymorning,weekin,weekout,fromdawntodusk,Timoteotakesuphisplaceonthebendanddirectsthetraffic.Module3TheSteamboatTherewasabigstormaftermidnightandtherainpoureddown.Westayedinsidetheshelterwehadbuiltandlettheraftsaildowntheriver.Suddenly,bythelightofthelightning,wesawsomethinginthemiddleoftheriver.Itlookedlikeahouseatfirst,butthenwerealizeditwasasteamboat.Ithadhitarockandwashalfinandhalfoutofthewater.Weweresailingstraighttowardsit.Itlooksasifit’llgoundersoon,Jimsaid,afteracoupleofminutes.Let’sgoandtakealook,Isaid.Idon’twanttoboardasinkingship,saidJim,butwhenIsuggestedthatwemightfindsomethingusefulontheboat,heagreedtogo.Sowepaddledoverandclimbedontothesteamboat,keepingasquietasmice.Toourastonishment,therewasalightinoneofthecabins.Thenweheardsomeoneshout,Ohpleaseboys,don’tkillme!

Iwon’ttellanybody!

Aman’sangryvoiceanswered,You’relying.Yousaidthatlasttime.We’regoingtokillyou.Whenheheardthesewords,Jimpanickedandrantotheraft.ButalthoughIwasfrightened,Ialsofeltverycurious,soIputmyheadroundthedoor.Itwasquitedark,butIcouldseeamanlyingonthefloor,tiedupwithrope.Thereweretwomenstandingoverhim.Onewasshort,withabeard.Theotherwastallandhadsomethinginhishandthatlookedlikeagun.I’vehadenoughofyou.I’mgoingtoshootyounow,thismansaid.Hewasobviouslytheonewhohadthreatenedthemanonthefloor.Anditwasagunhehadinhishand.No,don’tdothat,saidtheshortman.Let’sleavehimhere.Thesteamboatwillsinkinacoupleofhoursandhe’llgodownwithit.Whenheheardthat,thefrightenedmanonthefloorstartedcrying.Hesoundsasifhe’sgoingtodieoffright!

Ithought.Ihavetofindawaytosavehim!

Icrawledalongthedeck,foundJim,andtoldhimwhatIhadheard.Wemustfindtheirboatandtakeitaway,thenthey’llhavetostayhere,Isaid.Jimlookedterrified.I’mnotstayinghere,hesaid.ButIpersuadedhimtohelpme,andwefoundthemen’sboattiedtotheothersideofthesteamboat.Weclimbedquietlyinandaswepaddledawayweheardthetwomenshouting.Bythenwewereasafedistanceaway.ButnowIbegantofeelbadaboutwhatwehaddone.Ididn’twantallthreementodie.Module4TheMagicoftheMaskThinkofcarnival,andyouthinkofcrowds,costumes,andconfusion.Thesoundsandsightschangefromonecountrytoanotherbuttheexcitementisthesameeverywhere.CarnivalcomesfromtwoLatinwords,meaningnomoremeat.InEurope,whereitbegan,carnivalwasfollowedbyfortydayswithoutmeat,aspeoplepreparedfortheChristianfestivalofEaster.PeoplesawCarnivalasalastchancetohavefunattheendofthewinterseason.Havingfunmeanteating,drinking,anddressingup.ThemostfamouscarnivalinEuropewasinVenice.Atthebeginning,itlastedforjustoneday.Peopleate,drank,andworemasks.Astimepassed,however,thecarnivalperiodwasextended,sothatitbeganjustafterChristmas.Forweeksonendpeoplewalkedroundthestreetswearingmasks,doingwhattheywantedwithoutbeingrecognised.Ordinarypeoplecouldpretendtoberichandimportant,whilefamouspeoplecouldhaveromanticadventuresinsecret.Manycrimeswentunpunished.Thegovernmentrealisedthatwearingmaskshadbecomeaproblem.Theirusewaslimitedbylaws,thefirstofwhichdatesbacktothefourteenthcentury.Menwerenotallowedtowearmasksatnight;andtheywerenotallowedtodressupaswomen.Inlatertimesmorelawswerepassed.Peoplewhoworemaskscouldnotcarryfirearms;andnoonecouldenterachurchwearingamask.Iftheybrokethelaws,theywereputintoprisonforuptotwoyears.Finally,whenVenicebecamepartoftheAu