新视野大学英语读写教程2课文原文.docx

新视野大学英语读写教程2课文原文.docx

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新视野大学英语读写教程2课文原文

新视野大学英语

读写教程2

课文原文

Unit1

PassageATime-ConsciousAmericans

Americansbelievenoonestandsstill.Ifyouarenotmovingahead,youarefallingbehind.Thisattituderesultsinanationofpeoplecommittedtoresearching,experimentingandexploring.TimeisoneofthetwoelementsthatAmericanssavecarefully,theotherbeinglabor.

  "Weareslavestonothingbuttheclock,"ithasbeensaid.Timeistreatedasifitweresomethingalmostreal.

Webudgetit,saveit,wasteit,stealit,killit,cutit,accountforit;wealsochargeforit.Itisapreciousresource.

Manypeoplehavearatheracutesenseoftheshortnessofeachlifetime.

Oncethesandshaverunoutofaperson'shourglass,theycannotbereplaced.

Wewanteveryminutetocount.

  Aforeigner'sfirstimpressionoftheUSislikelytobethat

everyoneisinarush—oftenunderpressure.Citypeoplealwaysappeartobehurryingtogetwheretheyaregoing,

restlesslyseekingattentioninastore,orelbowingothersastheytrytocompletetheirshopping.

Racingthroughdaytimemealsispartofthepaceoflifeinthiscountry.Workingtimeisconsideredprecious.Othersinpubliceating-placesarewaitingforyoutofinishsothey,too,canbeservedandgetbacktoworkwithinthetimeallowed.Youalsofinddriverswillbeabruptandpeoplewillpushpastyou.Youwillmisssmiles,briefconversations,andsmallexchangeswithstrangers.

Don'ttakeitpersonally.Thisisbecausepeoplevaluetimehighly,andtheyresentsomeoneelse"wasting"itbeyondacertainappropriatepoint.

ManynewarrivalsintheStateswillmisstheopeningexchangesofabusinesscall,forexample.

Theywillmisstheritualinteractionthatgoeswithawelcomingcupofteaorcoffeethatmaybeaconventionintheirowncountry.Theymaymissleisurelybusinesschatsinarestaurantorcoffeehouse.

Normally,Americansdonotassesstheirvisitorsinsuchrelaxedsurroundingsoverextendedsmalltalk;

muchlessdotheytakethemoutfordinner,oraroundonthegolfcoursewhiletheydevelopasenseoftrust.

Sincewegenerallyassessandprobeprofessionallyratherthansocially,westarttalkingbusinessveryquickly.

Timeis,therefore,alwaystickinginourinnerear.

Consequently,weworkhardatthetaskofsavingtime.Weproduceasteadyflowoflabor-savingdevices;wecommunicaterapidlythroughfaxes,phonecallsoremailsratherthanthroughpersonalcontacts,whichthoughpleasant,takelonger—

especiallygivenourtraffic-filledstreets.

We,therefore,savemostpersonalvisitingforafter-workhoursorforsocialweekendgatherings.

Toustheimpersonalityofelectroniccommunicationhaslittleornorelationtothesignificanceofthematterathand.

Insomecountriesnomajorbusinessisconductedwithouteyecontact,requiringface-to-faceconversation.InAmerica,too,afinalagreementwillnormallybesignedinperson.

However,peoplearemeetingincreasinglyontelevisionscreens,conducting"teleconferences"tosettleproblemsnotonlyinthiscountrybutalso—bysatellite—internationally.

  TheUSisdefinitelyatelephonecountry.Almosteveryoneusesthetelephonetoconductbusiness,tochatwithfriends,tomakeorbreaksocialappointments,tosay"Thankyou",toshopandtoobtainallkindsofinformation.Telephonessavethefeetandendlessamountsoftime.

Thisisduepartlytothefactthatthetelephoneserviceissuperbhere,whereasthepostalserviceislessefficient.

  Somenewarrivalswillcomefromcultureswhereitisconsideredimpolitetoworktooquickly.

Unlessacertainamountoftimeisallowedtoelapse,itseemsintheireyesasifthetaskbeingconsideredwereinsignificant,notworthyofproperrespect.

Assignmentsare,consequently,givenaddedweightbythepassageoftime.

IntheUS,however,itistakenasasignofskillfulnessorbeingcompetenttosolveaproblem,orfulfillajobsuccessfully,withspeed.

Usually,themoreimportantataskis,themorecapital,energy,andattentionwillbepouredintoitinorderto"getitmoving".

PassageBCultureShock

Doyouthinkstudyinginadifferentcountryissomethingthatsoundsveryexciting?

Areyoulikemanyyoungpeoplewholeavehometostudyinanothercountrythinkingyouwillhavelotsoffun?

Certainly,itisanewexperience,whichbringstheopportunitytodiscoverfascinatingthingsandafeelingoffreedom.

Inspiteoftheseadvantages,however,therearealsosomechallengesyouwillencounter.

Becauseyourviewsmayclashwiththedifferentbeliefs,norms,valuesandtraditionsthatexistindifferentcountries,

youmayhavedifficultyadjustingtoanewcultureandtothosepartsoftheculturenotfamiliartoyou.Thisiscalled"cultureshock".

Atleastfouressentialstagesofadjustmentoccurduringcultureshock.

  Thefirststageiscalled"thehoneymoon".Inthisstage,youareexcitedaboutlivinginadifferentplace,andeverythingseemstobemarvelous.Youlikeeverything,andeverybodyseemstobesonicetoyou.

Also,theamusementoflifeinanewcultureseemstohavenoending.

  Eventually,however,thesecondstageofcultureshockappears.

Thisis"thehostilitystage".Youbegintonoticethatnoteverythingisasgoodasyouhadoriginallythoughtitwas.

Youbecometiredofmanythingsaboutthenewculture.Moreover,peopledon'ttreatyoulikeaguestanymore.Everythingthatseemedtobesowonderfulatfirstisnowawful,

andeverythingmakesyoufeeldistressedandtired.

  Usuallyatthispointinyouradjustmenttoanewculture,

youdevisesomedefensemechanismstohelpyoucopeandtoprotectyourselfagainsttheeffectsofcultureshock.Onetypeofcopingmechanismiscalled"repression".

Thishappenswhenyoupretendthateverythingisacceptableandthatnothingbothersyou.Anothertypeofdefensemechanismiscalled"regression".Thisoccurswhenyoustarttoactasifyouareyoungerthanyouactuallyare;youactlikeachild.Youforgeteverything,andsometimesyoubecomecarelessandirresponsible.Thethirdkindofdefensemechanismiscalled"isolation".

Youwouldratherbehomealone,andyoudon'twanttocommunicatewithanybody.

Withisolation,youtrytoavoidtheeffectsofcultureshock,oratleastthat'swhatyouthink.

Isolationisoneoftheworstcopingmechanismsyoucanusebecauseitseparatesyoufromthosethingsthatcouldreallyhelpyou.Thelasttypeofdefensemechanismiscalled"rejection".Withthiscopingmechanism,youthinkyoudon'tneedanybody.Youfeelyouarecopingfinealone,soyoudon'ttrytoaskforhelp.

  Thedefensemechanismsyouutilizeinthehostilitystagearenothelpful.Ifyouonlyoccasionallyuseoneofthesecopingmechanismstohelpyourselfsurvive,thatisacceptable.Youmustbecautious,however.Thesemechanismscanreallyhurtyoubecause

theypreventyoufrommakingnecessaryadjustmentstothenewculture.

Afteryoudealwithyourhostilefeelings,recognitionofthetemporarynatureofcultureshockbegins.Thenyoucometothethirdstagecalled"recovery".Inthisstage,youstartfeelingmorepositive,and

youtrytodevelopcomprehensionofeverythingyoudon'tunderstand.Thewholesituationstartstobecomemorefavorable;

yourecoverfromthesymptomsofthefirsttwostages,andyouadjustyourselftothenewnorms,values,andevenbeliefsandtraditionsofthenewcountry.

Youbegintoseethateventhoughthedistinctionofthecultureisdifferentfromyourown,ithaselementsthatyoucanlearntoappreciate.

  Thelaststageofcultureshockiscalled"adjustment".Inthisstage,

youhavereachedapointwhereyouactuallyfeelgoodbecauseyouhavelearnedenoughtounderstandthenewculture.Thethingsthatinitiallymadeyoufeeluncomfortableorstrangearenowthingsthatyouunderstand.

Thisacquisitionofunderstandingalleviatesmuchofthestress.Nowyoufeelcomfortable;youhaveadjustedtothenewculture.

  Cultureshockisnotsomethingyoucanavoidwhenlivinginaforeigncountry.Itdoesnotseemlikeaveryhelpfulexperiencewhenyouaregoingthroughitsfourstages.However,whenyouhavecompletelyadjustedtoanewcultureyoucanmorefullyenjoyit.

Youlearnhowtointeractwithotherpeople,andyoulearnaconsiderableamountaboutlifeinaculturethatisnotyourown.Furthermore,learningaboutotherculturesandhowtoadjusttotheshockoflivinginthemhelpsyoulearnmoreaboutyourself.

Unit2

PassageALearningtheOlympicStandardforLove

NikolaiPetrovichAnikinwasnothalfasintimidatingasIhadimaginedhewouldbe.

No,thissurelywasnottheex-Sovietcoachmyfatherhadshippedmeouttomeet.

ButNikolaihewas,Petrovichandall.Heinvitedmeinsideandsatdownonthecouch,

pattingtheblanketnexttohimtogetmetositnexttohim.Iwassonervousinhispresence.

  "Youareyoung,"hebeganinhisRussian-styleEnglish."IfyouliketotryforOlympicGames,Iguessyouwillbeabletodothis.

NaganoOlympicstoosoonforyou,butfor2002inSaltLakeCity,youcouldbeready."

"Yes,whynot?

"herepliedtotheshockedlookonmyface.

Iwasapromisingamateurskier,butbynomeansthetopskierinthecountry."Ofcourse,therewillbemanyhardtrainingsessions,andyouwillcry,butyouwillimprove."

Tobesure,therewerecountlesstrainingsessionsfullofpainandmorethanafewtears,butinthefiveyearsthatfollowed

IcouldalwayscountonbeingencouragedbyNikolai'samusingstoriesandsenseofhumor.

  "Myfriends,theygointhemovies,theygointhedance,theygooutwithgirls,"hewouldstart."ButI,"hewouldconti