大学英语精读2全部课文Word文档下载推荐.docx

1、 A womans reaction in any crisis, the major says, is to scream. And while a man may feel like it, he has that ounce more of control than a woman has. And that last ounce is what really counts. The American does not join in the argument but watches the other guests. As he looks, he sees a strange exp

2、ression come over the face of the hostess. She is staring straight ahead, her muscles contracting slightly. She motions to the native boy standing behind her chair and whispers something to him. The boys eyes widen: he quickly leaves the room. Of the guests, none except the American notices this or

3、sees the boy place a bowl of milk on the veranda just outside the open doors. The American comes to with a start. In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing - bait for a snake. He realizes there must be a cobra in the room. He looks up at the rafters - the likeliest place - but they are bare. Thr

4、ee corners of the room are empty, and in the fourth the servants are waiting to serve the next course. There is only one place left - under the table. His first impulse is to jump back and warn the others, but he knows the commotion would frighten the cobra into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone

5、 of his voice so commanding that it silences everyone.I want to know just what control everyone at this table has. I will count three hundred - thats five minutes - and not one of you is to move a muscle. Those who move will forfeit 50 rupees. Ready? The 20 people sit like stone images while he coun

6、ts. He is saying .two hundred and eighty. when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the cobra emerge and make for the bowl of milk. Screams ring out as he jumps to slam the veranda doors safely shut.You were right, Major! the host exclaims. A man has just shown us an example of perfect self-contro

7、l.Just a minute, the American says, turning to his hostess. Mrs. Wynnes, how did you know that cobra was in the room?A faint smile lights up the womans face as she replies:Because it was crawling across my foot. 提问者： 纯美素然 - 三级最佳答案检举 晚宴我最初听到这个故事是在印度，那儿的人们今天讲起它来仍好像确有其事似的尽管任何一位博物学家都知道这不可能是真的。后来有人告诉我，在第

8、一次世界大战之前不久，一家杂志曾刊登过这个故事。但登在杂志上的那篇故事以及写那篇故事的人，我却一直未能找到。 故事发生在印度。某殖民地官员和他的夫人正举行盛大的晚宴。筵席设在他们家宽敞的餐室里，室内大理石地板上没有铺地毯；屋顶明椽裸露，宽大的玻璃门外便是走廊。跟他们一起就做的客人有军官和他们的夫人，另外还有一位来访的美国博物学家。 席间，一位年轻的女士同一位少校展开了热烈的讨论。年轻的女士认为妇女已经有所进步，不再像过去那样一见到老鼠就吓得跳到椅子上，少校则不以为然。 他说：“一遇到危急情况，女人的反应便是尖叫。而男人虽然也可能想叫，但比起女人来，自制力却略胜一筹。这多出来的一点自制力正是真正

9、起作用的东西。” 那个美国人没有参加这场争论，他只是注视着在座的其他客人。在他这样观察时，他发现女主人的脸上显出一种奇异的表情。她两眼盯着正前方，脸部肌肉在微微抽搐。她向站在座椅后面的印度男仆做了个手势，对他耳语了几句。男仆两眼睁得大大的，迅速地离开了餐室。 在座的客人中除了那位美国人以外谁也没注意到这一幕，也没有看到那个男仆把一碗牛奶放在紧靠门边的走廊上。 那个美国人突然醒悟过来。在印度，碗中的牛奶只有一个意思引蛇的诱饵。他意识到餐室里一定有条眼镜蛇。他抬头看了看屋顶上的椽子那是最可能有蛇藏身的地方但那上面空荡荡的。室内的三个角落里也是空的，而在第四个角落里，仆人们正在等着上下一道菜。这样，

10、剩下的就只有一个地方了餐桌下面。 他首先想到的是往后一跳，并向其他人发出警告。但他知道这样会引起骚乱，致使眼镜蛇受惊咬人。于是他很快讲了一道话，其语气非常威严，竟使得所有的人都安静了下来。“我想了解一下在座的诸位到底有多大的克制能力，我数三百下也就是五分钟你们谁都不许动一动。动者将罚款五十卢比。准备好！在他数数的过程中，那二十个人都像一尊尊雕塑一样端坐在那儿。当他数到“二百八十”时，突然从眼角处看到那条眼镜蛇钻了出来，向那碗牛奶爬去。在他跳起来把通往走廊的门全都砰砰地牢牢关上时，室内响起了一片尖叫声。“你刚才说的很对，少校！”男主人大声说。“一个男子刚刚为我们显示了从容不迫、镇定自若的范例。“

11、且慢，”那位美国人一边说着一边转向女主人。“温兹太太，你怎么知道那条眼镜蛇是在屋子里呢？女主人脸上闪出一丝淡淡的微笑，回答说：“因为它当时正从我的脚背上爬过去。” 2.lessons from jeffersonJefferson died long ago, but may of his ideas still of great interest to us.Lessons from JeffersonThomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, may be less famous than George Washi

12、ngton and Abraham Lincoln, but most people remember at last one fact about him: he wrote the Declaration of Independence.Although Jefferson lived more than 200 years ago, there is much that we learn from him today. Many of his ideas are especially interesting to modern youth. Here are some of the th

13、ings he said and wrote:Go and see. Jefferson believed that a free man obtains knowledge from many sources besides books and that personal investigation is important. When still a young man, he was appointed to a committee to find out whether the South Branch of the James River was deep enough to be used by large boats. While the other members of the committee sat in the state capitol and studied papers on the subject, Jefferson got into a ca