21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The,Future课文解读60篇

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程TheFuture课文解读1　　Whatwillourfuturebelike?Whatmighthappenintheyear2144?Howfarcanyourima下面是小编为大家整理的21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The,Future课文解读60篇,供大家参考。

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读1

　　What will our future be like? What might happen in the year 2144? How far can your imagination take you into the future? Let"s see what a newspaper in New Zealand tells us.

　　The Future

　　Will the future be one of robots and spaceships, or meditation and organic food? Today and next Wednesday The Post steps into the future, and asks the experts what they think the world of tomorrow will be like.

　　Imagine you are holding the December 11, 2144 edition of The Evening Post. It won"t be made of paper, but a thin screen that can be folded up and put in your pocket or bag. You"ll use the same screen tomorrow, when the day"s news will be beamed to its tiny modem via satellite.

　　The modem will chatter away all day, updating stories from around the world as they happen, complete with moving pictures and sound. A retina scanner will follow your eye, scrolling each page as you get near the bottom. The paper"s com*r will record which stories interest you most and design a custom menu every time you switch it on.

　　Let"s see what"s happening today. Again, the big local story is the disappearing apartment blocks at Happy Valley. Built over an old landfill, this expensive new development is slowly sinking into the ground. Engineers suspect plastic milk bottles dumped with their caps screwed on in the late-20th century are bursting under the weight of the buildings. "People back then," says Wellington"s Mayor in a live interview, "were pretty stupid."

　　Overseas a power failure at a cryo-prison in Alabama during the holiday weekend saw 50,000 inmates thawed prematurely, and in Bangladesh monsoon floods have wiped out hundreds of villages. Some things don"t change.

　　In reality, we can"t predict what the pages of this newspaper will contain 144 years from now because we can"t predict the future. But in two weeks we will arrive in the new millennium, a date long held up as the future, but which will soon represent a new beginning.

　　Thirty years ago it was expected that by 2000 commuters would fly to work on highways in the sky, that robots with pinnies would do the vacuuming, that humans would have colonised our near planets and the moon.

　　Our cars are still stuck firmly on the ground, although even the most basic family runabout has a powerful electronic brain which tells it how much fuel to use and figures out in milliseconds how to save the occupants in a crash.

　　We still do the vacuuming ourselves, although our ovens tell us when food is ready. We can download whole libraries through our home com*rs and view snaps of friends on the other side of the world seconds after they are taken.

　　We have yet to live anywhere other than Earth, although missions into space have allowed us to develop new medicines, information chips and superconductors to make life better down here.

　　Who would have believed we"d be altering the genetic make-up of animals so they can grow replacement organs for us? Who"d have believed the drink machine in the foyer dials for supplies when it senses it"s getting low?

　　At the dawn of the new millennium the future seems to be coming at us at a frightening pace, with the world seeming to change almost weekly.

　　What then, will it be like in 100 years? 500? 1000? Will it be a technological future with space hotels, rocket cars, genetically engineered people and automated homes? Or will it be an organic future with a new emphasis on spirituality and nature?

　　Will humankind still be blighted by war? Will we be able to cure cancer? Will we still get married? What sort of world will our children inherit?

　　Over the past few months The Post has been asking experts in their fields to take an educated, but fanciful, guess. None claims to be able to tell the future, but by tracking current trends they can give us an idea of what to expect in the world of tomorrow.

　　You won"t be around to read the December 11, 2144 edition of The Evening Post, but this is the next best thing.

　　Welcome to the future.

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读2

　　robot

　　n. an automatic machine that can perform the actions of a person 机器人

　　spaceship

　　n. a vehicle used for travelling in space 航天器;宇宙飞船

　　organic

　　a. 1. not using artificial chemicals in the production of plants and animals for food 施有机肥料的

　　2. of, found in, or formed by living things 生物体的;有机体的

　　expert

　　n. a person with special knowledge, skill or training in a particular field 专家;能手

　　edition

　　n. one printing of a book, newspaper, etc. (书、报等的)版次

　　fold

　　vt. bend (sth.) so that one part is over another 折叠

　　beam

　　vt. transmit (a signal) in a particular direction 定向发射(无线电信号等)

　　modem

　　n. (计算机)调制解调器

　　via

　　prep.through 通过

　　* update

　　vt. make (sth.) more modern or up-to-date 更新

　　retina

　　n. 视网膜

　　scanner

　　n. 扫描器

　　scroll

　　vt. (on a com*r display) move a cursor smoothly, causing new data to replace old on the monitor (象展开卷轴般)将文字显示于屏幕

　　design

　　vt. plan or arrange so as to make sure that sth. fulfils your purpose 设计

　　custom

　　a. made specially for individual customers 定制的;定做的

　　switch

　　vt. turn (an electrical device) on or off 用开关把(电器)开启(或关掉)

　　disappear

　　vi. cease to be seen 消失;不见

　　apartment

　　n. a set of rooms on one floor of a building 公寓;单元房

　　valley

　　n. a stretch of land between hills or mountains 谷，山谷

　　landfill

　　n. an area built up from deposits of solid garbage 用垃圾填筑而成的地面

　　suspect

　　vt. believe without certain proof; guess 推测，猜想;认为

　　dump

　　vt. throw away (garbage, rubbish, etc.) in a heap or a place set apart for the purpose 倾倒(垃圾等)

　　screw

　　v. fasten (sth.) by turning or twisting 拧紧

　　mayor

　　n. the chief executive of a city or a town *

　　overseas

　　ad. across the sea; abroad 到海外;在国外

　　cryo-prison

　　n. 冰冻监狱

　　inmate

　　n. any of a number of people living together in an institution, esp. a prison (尤指监狱中的)被收容者

　　thaw

　　vi. change from a frozen to a liquid state 融化;化冻

　　* prematurely

　　ad. before the proper or usual time; too early 比(正常)时间提早地;过早地

　　monsoon

　　n. 季风

　　contain

　　vt. have or hold within itself 包含，容纳

　　millennium

　　n. a period of 1000 years 一千年

　　highway

　　n. a main public road 公路;交通要道

　　pinny

　　n. 围裙

　　vacuum

　　vi. clean with a vacuum cleaner 用吸尘器打扫

　　colonise

　　vt. make into a colony 在…开拓殖民地

　　firmly

　　ad. in a firm way 牢固地;稳固地;坚定地

　　runabout

　　n. 敞蓬小轿车

　　electronic

　　a. 电子的

　　millisecond

　　n. 毫秒

　　occupant

　　n. a person who occupies a car, house, etc. 占用者，居住者

　　crash

　　n. an accident in which a vehicle hits sth., usu causing damage, and often injury or death (车辆等)碰撞;撞毁

　　oven

　　n. 烤箱

　　download

　　vt. transfer (a program, data, etc.) from a larger com*r system to a smaller com*r 下载(计算机程序、资料等)

　　snap

　　n. short for snapshot (口)快照，简照

　　chip

　　n. 集成电路片;微(型)电路

　　superconductor

　　n. 超导体

　　alter

　　v. become or make different; change (使)改变;变更

　　* genetic

　　a. 基因的.

　　makeup

　　n. combination of things, people, etc. that form sth.; composition of sth. (事物、人等的)组合;构成

　　replacement

　　n. 1. the act of replacing 代替;替换

　　2. a person or thing that takes the place of another 接替者;替换物

　　organ

　　n. a part of an animal body or plant serving a particular purpose 器官

　　foyer

　　n. an entrance hall or large open space in a theatre, hotel, etc., where people can meet or talk (剧场、旅馆等的)门厅，休息厅

　　pace

　　n. rate of progress or development (进步或发展的)速度;节奏

　　weekly

　　ad. once a week or every week 每星期;每周一次

　　technological

　　a. 技术的

　　rocket

　　n. 火箭;火箭发动机

　　genetically

　　ad. 因基因决定地

　　engineer

　　vt. 设计;建造

　　automate

　　vt. cause (sth.) to work automatically 使自动化

　　emphasis

　　n. stress 强调

　　spirituality

　　n. 精神性;灵性

　　humankind

　　n. 人类

　　blight

　　vt. spoil or ruin 损害

　　cancer

　　n. 癌症

　　inherit

　　vt. receive (property, a title, etc.) as a result of the death of the previous owner or be born with (a physical or mental quality) that a parent, grandparent or other relative has 继承

　　fanciful

　　a. showing imagination rather than reason and experience 幻想的;想像的

　　track

　　vt. follow the course or movements of 跟踪;追踪

　　current

　　a. of the present time; happening now 现时的，当前的

　　trend

　　n. the way or direction things tend to go 趋势;动向

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　step into

　　enter 走进，进入

　　fold up

　　make smaller in size by folding 折叠

　　chatter away

　　clatter continuously from vibration (机器)不停地咯咯作响

　　switch on

　　turn on 打开(电灯、收音机等)

　　screw on

　　旋，拧;旋牢

　　wipe out

　　destroy completely 彻底摧毁;消灭

　　hold sb./sth. up

　　show sb./sth. as an example 举某人(某事物)作为范例

　　other than

　　except 除…之外

　　come at

　　move towards in a threatening manner 冲向

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇扩展阅读

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇（扩展1）

——21世纪大学英语读写基础教程Unit4课文讲解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程Unit4课文讲解1

　　One day, a man who seemed to own everything he could want suddenly felt a deep, inexplicable sadness. What"s wrong with him? Did he finally regain his happiness? Here is the story...

　　The Happiest Man in the World

　　Adapted by Amy Friedman

　　Once upon a time there lived a man named Henry who had both land and money. He loved his wife and their strong and healthy children. In short, Henry had everything a man could want. At least that"s the way it seemed to everyone who knew him.

　　But one morning Henry awoke from a deep sleep beneath a warm comforter, his eyes filled with tears. His heart felt heavy. "I"m unhappy," he said. For a moment he was frightened by such a feeling, but then he jumped out of bed, packed a picnic lunch and set off for a walk in the woods. He was determined to feel happy again.

　　Henry hiked for hours, looking at the bright blue sky, enjoying the crisp autumn day. Everyone he passed greeted him. His neighbor"s dog barked hello. Another neighbor, meeting him as he returned home, handed him a freshly baked pumpkin pie, which he took home for supper.

　　Henry had always loved pumpkin pie, but even the pie, and his children"s happy voices and the blaze of the fire in the hearth, did not lift his spirits. He fell asleep feeling unhappier than he had ever before felt in all his life.

　　When he woke the next morning, he was even sadder. "I must fix this," he said, and set off for the city, where he thought he would find a hundred ways to cheer himself. He purchased silver bracelets for his wife and bags of candy for his children. He bought himself a pair of the softest slippers he could find. He dined in an elegant restaurant, and ate his favorite foods. And still that night he felt a deep sadness.

　　Weeks passed in this way. The ripe pumpkins in the field that had once brought him joy did nothing to raise his spirits. Neither did the moonlit nights, the honking geese, the flowing streams, the fields of hay, the chatter of the children, the feel of his soft new slippers. Henry sipped hot chocolate. He ate ripe apples. He bathed in warm baths and listened to beautiful music. But nothing helped.

　　At last, at his wit"s end, Henry went to see a wise man, and there he begged with a voice filled with misery and longing. "Sir, please tell me what I can do to find a way to lift my heavy heart. I must be cured of this terrible illness, which seems to have come from nowhere. I must find happiness."

　　"That which is clear to some people is sometimes hidden from others," the wise man said. "You must find the happiest man in the world. When you find him, ask him to trade his shirt for yours. Happiness will be yours once again."

　　Henry set off at once to find the happiest man in the world. One after another he came upon men who told him they were happy. Then Henry asked them one question: "Would you be happier if I gave you all my money?"

　　"Yes," each man answered.

　　"Then you are not the happiest man in the world," Henry said, and he went on searching.

　　One day as he walked through the forest, he heard someone in the distance singing the happiest song he had ever heard. He followed the sound and soon came to a woodcutter chopping logs.

　　"Excuse me. My name is Henry, and I am looking for the happiest man in the world," he said.

　　"You"ve come to the right man," the woodcutter said. "I"m happy as can be."

　　"Ah, then," Henry said, "would you like me to give you all my money?"

　　The woodcutter laughed. "I have no need for your money. Look at all I have," and he beckoned Henry to look at the forest—at the red and golden leaves, at the squirrels scurrying across the forest floor, at the birds perched overhead, at the deer grazing nearby.

　　"At last!" Henry cried. "I have been searching for you for a long time now. The wise man told me that if I exchanged shirts with the happiest man in the world, I would be cured of my illness. You see, I"m unhappy. Please, will you exchange your shirt for mine?"

　　The happiest man in the world looked closely at Henry, and then he began to laugh and laugh. He laughed until the forest echoed with his laughter.

　　When at last he quieted himself, Henry asked him, "How can you laugh at such a serious request? You see my shirt. It"s made of the finest cotton, and it will be yours. All I need is to wear yours."

　　And then the woodcutter unbuttoned his tattered coat, and Henry saw that the happiest man in the world wasn"t wearing a shirt.

　　"I own no shirts," the woodcutter said. "But now you know that you have the strength to seek all that you think you should have."

　　Henry smiled, for now he understood why the wise man had sent him on this journey. He felt his heart became light once more.

　　(841 words)

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程Unit4课文讲解2

　　beneath

　　prep.in or to a lower position than 在…的下面

　　comforter

　　n. (美)盖被

　　unhappy

　　a. 不愉快的，不幸福的

　　picnic

　　n. 郊游野餐;户外用餐;(个人自带食品的)聚餐

　　determine

　　v. (cause to) make a decision (使)下决心

　　* hike

　　v. take a long walk in the country (在乡间)作徒步旅行;远足

　　* crisp

　　a. 1. (of the air, weather, etc.) cold, dry and fresh (空气、气候等)干而冷的;清爽的;清新的

　　2. hard and dry; easily broken 干而硬的;脆的;易碎的

　　bark

　　vi. (at) make the short, sharp cry that a dog and some other animals make (狗等动物)吠，叫

　　* pumpkin

　　n. 南瓜

　　pie

　　n. 馅饼(一种西式点心)

　　* blaze

　　n. 1. (a burst of) a bright flame 火焰;烈火

　　2. a bright show of lights, colours, etc. 光辉;灿烂

　　vi. burn brightly and strongly 熊熊燃烧

　　hearth

　　n. 壁炉炉床;壁炉边(被认为是家庭生活的"中心)

　　purchase

　　vt. (fml) buy [正式]购买

　　n. 1. (fml) the act of buying [正式]购买

　　2. a thing that has been bought 购买之物

　　bracelet

　　n. 手镯;臂镯

　　candy

　　n. (esp. AmE) a sweet, sweets, or (a piece of) chocolate (尤美)糖果

　　slipper

　　n. a type of soft comfortable shoe for wearing inside the house 室内便鞋，拖鞋

　　* dine

　　vi. (fml) eat dinner [正式]用膳;进餐

　　elegant

　　a. beautiful and graceful 高雅的，优美的

　　sadness

　　n. 悲伤

　　moonlit

　　a. lighted by the moon 有月光的，月明的

　　honk

　　v. (雁)叫;按汽车喇叭

　　flow

　　v. (of liquid) move continuously and easily (液体)流动，流淌

　　stream

　　n. 1. a natural flow of water smaller than a river 小河，小溪

　　2. (of) a continuous flow of things or people 一连串，川流不息

　　hay

　　n. long grass that has been cut and dried, esp. used as animal food (作牲畜饲料用的)干草

　　chatter

　　n. rapid unimportant conversation 喋喋不休，饶舌

　　vi. talk quickly, continuously, and for a long time, usu. about sth. unimportant 喋喋不休，饶舌

　　* sip

　　v. drink only a little at a time 小口地喝，啜饮

　　n. a very small amount of a drink 一小口

　　chocolate

　　n. 巧克力;巧克力饮料

　　wit

　　n. 1. power of thought 才智，才能

　　2. the ability to use words in a clever and humorous way 风趣;幽默

　　* misery

　　n. great unhappiness or great pain (of body or mind) (身心的)痛苦，不幸

　　longing

　　n. (for)a strong feeling of wanting sth. 渴望

　　nowhere

　　ad. 什么地方都不，无处

　　woodcutter

　　n. a man whose job is to cut down trees in a forest 伐木者，樵夫

　　chop

　　v. cut by repeatedly hitting with an axe or other sharp instrument 砍，劈

　　log

　　n. a thick piece of wood cut from a tree 原木，圆材，干材

　　beckon

　　v. call or signal with a movement of the head, head, etc. (用头或手的动作)示意，召唤

　　squirrel

　　n. 松鼠

　　scurry

　　vi. hurry; move quickly, esp. with small short steps (尤指用小步)急跑，急赶

　　perch

　　vi. (of a bird)come to rest, esp. on a thin, raised object such as a branch (鸟)飞落，暂栖

　　overhead

　　a. & ad.(located or passing) above one"s head 在头顶上(的)，在空中(的)

　　deer

　　n. 鹿

　　* graze

　　vi. feed on growing grass, as cattle, sheep, etc. (牛、羊等)啃食牧草

　　nearby

　　a. & ad. near; close by (在)附近(的)

　　exchange

　　v. (for, with) give sb. sth. and receive sth. of the same kind in return 交换

　　echo

　　vi. (with) (of a place) be filled with echoes 发出回声，产生回响

　　n. a sound sent back or repeated from a surface such as a wall 回声，声音

　　laughter

　　n. an act or sound of laughing 笑，笑声

　　request

　　n. an act of asking for sth 要求，请求

　　vt. ask (for) 要求，请求

　　unbutton

　　v. 解开(纽扣)

　　tattered

　　a. (esp. of clothes) old and torn (尤指衣服)破旧的，破烂的

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　in short

　　briefly stated; in a few words 总而言之

　　at least

　　至少

　　for a moment

　　片刻，一会儿

　　set off

　　start going 出发， 动身

　　at last

　　终于

　　at one"s wit"s end

　　(infml) completely at a loss or in despair [非正式]智穷计尽;全然不知所措

　　from nowhere

　　从不知道的地方

　　once again

　　再一次

　　one after another

　　one by one; repeatedly or continuously 一个接一个地;接连地

　　come upon

　　meet, find, or discover by chance (偶然)遇见，发现

　　go on

　　continue without stopping or without change 继续

　　once more

　　再一次

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇（扩展2）

——21世纪大学英语读写基础教程单元七内容讲解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程单元七内容讲解1

　　"Why do I have to learn math? I"ll never use this again in my whole life." This kind of complaining can often be heard among students. Is it true that nobody needs math? Well, the author is going to tell you the story...

　　Math, Who Needs It?

　　Carlie Vanwilligen

　　"That"ll be $6.52," the cashier said. I handed her a $10 bill. She looked at it, then looked at me. As I waited, she started writing on a pad of paper. After what seemed like several minutes, she handed me the change. "$4.52 is your change," she smiled.

　　I stared at the change, then at her. "That"s not right," I said. She looked at me, confused. "I gave you a $10, the change would be $3.48." I handed the money back to her.

　　"I"m sorry," she replied. "Our com*r is down, and I have to do this by hand. I"m not very good at math." She counted out my change, and I left.

　　As I think back on this exchange, I feel sad, sad because it wasn"t the first time it had happened, sad because I know it won"t be the last. I taught high school math for years, and every year, the conversation was the same: "Why do I have to learn this? This isn"t important. I"ll never use this again in my whole life."

　　Unfortunately, students don"t see the eventual impact of studying a subject. And when that subject is math, they see the value even less. I no longer teach full-time, but I look back on those conversations and think about how my reactions changed each year. The first year I taught, the question caught me off guard. "Because" was my standard answer. The second year, my response was similar, "If you want to graduate, you learn this stuff." It took me until my third year of teaching to realize that, if I genuinely wanted students to learn, they needed motivation. So, instead of my standard "because" and "if you want to pass" answers, I asked them what they"d like to do when they graduate—or when they "grow up". For each career path, I had "math" that they needed to know in order to be successful. For the construction workers, architects, and engineers, there was the geometry involved in getting a building to stand solidly. For the prospective teacher, it was the statistics involved in seeing if your tests were fair to the students. For the prospective "I want to be a stay-at-home mom", there was the calculating involved in maintaining a household. For the financial wizard wanna-be, there was the understanding of economics that comes with being a successful investor or accountant. For the stubborn, who insisted they didn"t want to be anything, and didn"t need math, a simple role-play involving them being "ripped-off" when they couldn"t make change drove my point home.

　　Who needs math? We all do! We use it every day. Not only that, but the problem solving we learned during the days of "if one train leaves Springfield at 6:00pm travelling east at 75mph", can now help us with a myriad of "*" crises. Do I have enough gas to get to work and back without filling the tank? Which bills do I pay and when in order to have enough money in the bank? How much grass seed do I need to cover that 10"×10" bare patch in the front yard?

　　For those still teaching, it is using these examples, and developing activities for students that bring the reality of math into their worlds. For parents, the same holds true. When your child complains that he or she "doesn"t get" math, give your child an example. Take your child to the grocery store. Give your child $10. Tell your child to provide a dinner for the family, complete with the four basic food groups and dessert, for that $10. Show your child the importance of thinking mathematically. It will do your child some good—who knows, you might learn something too!

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程单元七内容讲解2

　　cashier

　　n. a person whose job is to receive and pay out money in a shop, hotel, etc. 出纳员

　　pad

　　n. 便笺本;拍纸簿

　　confused

　　a. unable to think clearly; bewildered 糊涂的，迷惑的

　　com*r

　　n. a machine that stores information and works out answers 计算机;电脑

　　conversation

　　n. informal talk 交谈;谈话

　　eventual

　　a. happening at last as a result 最后的;最终的

　　full-time

　　ad. 全日地;作为专职

　　a. 全日的;专任的

　　reaction

　　n. behavior, a feeling or an action that is a direct result of sth. else 反应，回应

　　similar

　　a. having a likeness or resemblance 相似的;类似的

　　genuinely

　　ad. really 真正地

　　motivation

　　n. 动机，动力，诱因

　　construction

　　n. the act or process of constructing 建筑

　　architect

　　n. a (qualified) person who designs buildings 建筑师

　　geometry

　　n. 几何(学)

　　involve

　　vt. 1. cause (sb.) to be connected with 牵涉

　　2. include or use (sth.) as a necessary part, etc. 包含，含有

　　solidly

　　ad. firmly 牢固地，坚固地

　　* prospective

　　a. possible, likely, expected; probable 预期的;未来的;可能的

　　statistics

　　n. 统计学

　　calculate

　　vt. determine by mathematics or by reckoning 计算

　　maintain

　　vt. 1. support (sb.) financially 赡养

　　2. continue to have; keep in existence 保持;维持

　　financial

　　a. concerning money and finance 财务的

　　wizard

　　n. a person with extraordinary abilities; genius 有非凡才能的人;奇才

　　wanna

　　v. (口)= want to

　　economics

　　n. 经济学

　　investor

　　n. a person who invests money 投资者

　　accountant

　　n. 会计师;会计员

　　* stubborn

　　a. unreasonably unwilling to change 顽固的，执拗的

　　ripped-off

　　a. (俚语)(人)遭劫的;受剥削的;被欺诈的

　　pm

　　(缩)= afternoon 下午(源于拉丁文 post meridiem)

　　mph

　　(缩)= miles per hour 英里/小时

　　tank

　　n. a large container, usu. for liquid or gas (通常盛液体或气体的.)大桶;箱;大容器;油箱

　　solve

　　vt. find an answer to (a problem, etc.); explain or make clear 解决;阐明;解释

　　bare

　　a. without covering; empty 光秃的，无遮的;空的

　　patch

　　n. a small piece of land, esp. one used for growing vegetables (尤指种菜用的)小块土地

　　complain

　　vt. & vi. speak in an unhappy, annoyed, dissatisfied way 抱怨;发牢骚

　　grocery

　　n. 食品杂货店

　　basic

　　a. most simple in nature or level 基本的

　　dessert

　　n. any sweet dish, (eg. pie, ice-cream) eaten at the end of a meal (饭后的)甜食(如馅饼，冰激凌)

　　importance

　　n. the quality or state of being important 重要性

　　mathematically

　　ad. 从数学上

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　a pad of

　　一本(便笺本)

　　by hand

　　by a person, not a machine 用手

　　count out

　　count (sth.) one by one, esp. slowly 逐一数出

　　think back on

　　recall and reconsider (sth. in the past) 回想，回忆

　　catch sb. off guard

　　surprise sb. by doing sth. that he or she is not expecting and is not ready for 乘某人不备;使某人措手不及

　　be involved in

　　be part of, included in, mixed with 参与;卷入;牵涉进

　　rip off

　　cheat (sb.), esp. financially (尤指在钱财上)欺骗

　　drive sth. home

　　make sth. clearly understood 把…讲得透彻明白，使充分理解

　　a myriad of

　　an extremely large number of 无数;极多

　　do sb. good

　　benefit sb. 有益于某人

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇（扩展3）

——21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读 (菁选2篇)

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读1

　　What will our future be like? What might happen in the year 2144? How far can your imagination take you into the future? Let"s see what a newspaper in New Zealand tells us.

　　The Future

　　Will the future be one of robots and spaceships, or meditation and organic food? Today and next Wednesday The Post steps into the future, and asks the experts what they think the world of tomorrow will be like.

　　Imagine you are holding the December 11, 2144 edition of The Evening Post. It won"t be made of paper, but a thin screen that can be folded up and put in your pocket or bag. You"ll use the same screen tomorrow, when the day"s news will be beamed to its tiny modem via satellite.

　　The modem will chatter away all day, updating stories from around the world as they happen, complete with moving pictures and sound. A retina scanner will follow your eye, scrolling each page as you get near the bottom. The paper"s computer will record which stories interest you most and design a custom menu every time you switch it on.

　　Let"s see what"s happening today. Again, the big local story is the disappearing apartment blocks at Happy Valley. Built over an old landfill, this expensive new development is slowly sinking into the ground. Engineers suspect plastic milk bottles dumped with their caps screwed on in the late-20th century are bursting under the weight of the buildings. "People back then," says Wellington"s Mayor in a live interview, "were pretty stupid."

　　Overseas a power failure at a cryo-prison in Alabama during the holiday weekend saw 50,000 inmates thawed prematurely, and in Bangladesh monsoon floods have wiped out hundreds of villages. Some things don"t change.

　　In reality, we can"t predict what the pages of this newspaper will contain 144 years from now because we can"t predict the future. But in two weeks we will arrive in the new millennium, a date long held up as the future, but which will soon represent a new beginning.

　　Thirty years ago it was expected that by 2000 commuters would fly to work on highways in the sky, that robots with pinnies would do the vacuuming, that humans would have colonised our near planets and the moon.

　　Our cars are still stuck firmly on the ground, although even the most basic family runabout has a powerful electronic brain which tells it how much fuel to use and figures out in milliseconds how to save the occupants in a crash.

　　We still do the vacuuming ourselves, although our ovens tell us when food is ready. We can download whole libraries through our home computers and view snaps of friends on the other side of the world seconds after they are taken.

　　We have yet to live anywhere other than Earth, although missions into space have allowed us to develop new medicines, information chips and superconductors to make life better down here.

　　Who would have believed we"d be altering the genetic make-up of animals so they can grow replacement organs for us? Who"d have believed the drink machine in the foyer dials for supplies when it senses it"s getting low?

　　At the dawn of the new millennium the future seems to be coming at us at a frightening pace, with the world seeming to change almost weekly.

　　What then, will it be like in 100 years? 500? 1000? Will it be a technological future with space hotels, rocket cars, genetically engineered people and automated homes? Or will it be an organic future with a new emphasis on spirituality and nature?

　　Will humankind still be blighted by war? Will we be able to cure cancer? Will we still get married? What sort of world will our children inherit?

　　Over the past few months The Post has been asking experts in their fields to take an educated, but fanciful, guess. None claims to be able to tell the future, but by tracking current trends they can give us an idea of what to expect in the world of tomorrow.

　　You won"t be around to read the December 11, 2144 edition of The Evening Post, but this is the next best thing.

　　Welcome to the future.

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读2

　　robot

　　n. an automatic machine that can perform the actions of a person 机器人

　　spaceship

　　n. a vehicle used for travelling in space 航天器;宇宙飞船

　　organic

　　a. 1. not using artificial chemicals in the production of plants and animals for food 施有机肥料的

　　2. of, found in, or formed by living things 生物体的;有机体的

　　expert

　　n. a person with special knowledge, skill or training in a particular field 专家;能手

　　edition

　　n. one printing of a book, newspaper, etc. (书、报等的)版次

　　fold

　　vt. bend (sth.) so that one part is over another 折叠

　　beam

　　vt. transmit (a signal) in a particular direction 定向发射(无线电信号等)

　　modem

　　n. (计算机)调制解调器

　　via

　　prep.through 通过

　　* update

　　vt. make (sth.) more modern or up-to-date 更新

　　retina

　　n. 视网膜

　　scanner

　　n. 扫描器

　　scroll

　　vt. (on a computer display) move a cursor smoothly, causing new data to replace old on the monitor (象展开卷轴般)将文字显示于屏幕

　　design

　　vt. plan or arrange so as to make sure that sth. fulfils your purpose 设计

　　custom

　　a. made specially for individual customers 定制的;定做的

　　switch

　　vt. turn (an electrical device) on or off 用开关把(电器)开启(或关掉)

　　disappear

　　vi. cease to be seen 消失;不见

　　apartment

　　n. a set of rooms on one floor of a building 公寓;单元房

　　valley

　　n. a stretch of land between hills or mountains 谷，山谷

　　landfill

　　n. an area built up from deposits of solid garbage 用垃圾填筑而成的地面

　　suspect

　　vt. believe without certain proof; guess 推测，猜想;认为

　　dump

　　vt. throw away (garbage, rubbish, etc.) in a heap or a place set apart for the purpose 倾倒(垃圾等)

　　screw

　　v. fasten (sth.) by turning or twisting 拧紧

　　mayor

　　n. the chief executive of a city or a town *

　　overseas

　　ad. across the sea; abroad 到海外;在国外

　　cryo-prison

　　n. 冰冻监狱

　　inmate

　　n. any of a number of people living together in an institution, esp. a prison (尤指监狱中的)被收容者

　　thaw

　　vi. change from a frozen to a liquid state 融化;化冻

　　* prematurely

　　ad. before the proper or usual time; too early 比(正常)时间提早地;过早地

　　monsoon

　　n. 季风

　　contain

　　vt. have or hold within itself 包含，容纳

　　millennium

　　n. a period of 1000 years 一千年

　　highway

　　n. a main public road 公路;交通要道

　　pinny

　　n. 围裙

　　vacuum

　　vi. clean with a vacuum cleaner 用吸尘器打扫

　　colonise

　　vt. make into a colony 在…开拓殖民地

　　firmly

　　ad. in a firm way 牢固地;稳固地;坚定地

　　runabout

　　n. 敞蓬小轿车

　　electronic

　　a. 电子的

　　millisecond

　　n. 毫秒

　　occupant

　　n. a person who occupies a car, house, etc. 占用者，居住者

　　crash

　　n. an accident in which a vehicle hits sth., usu causing damage, and often injury or death (车辆等)碰撞;撞毁

　　oven

　　n. 烤箱

　　download

　　vt. transfer (a program, data, etc.) from a larger computer system to a smaller computer 下载(计算机程序、资料等)

　　snap

　　n. short for snapshot (口)快照，简照

　　chip

　　n. 集成电路片;微(型)电路

　　superconductor

　　n. 超导体

　　alter

　　v. become or make different; change (使)改变;变更

　　* genetic

　　a. 基因的.

　　makeup

　　n. combination of things, people, etc. that form sth.; composition of sth. (事物、人等的)组合;构成

　　replacement

　　n. 1. the act of replacing 代替;替换

　　2. a person or thing that takes the place of another 接替者;替换物

　　organ

　　n. a part of an animal body or plant serving a particular purpose 器官

　　foyer

　　n. an entrance hall or large open space in a theatre, hotel, etc., where people can meet or talk (剧场、旅馆等的)门厅，休息厅

　　pace

　　n. rate of progress or development (进步或发展的)速度;节奏

　　weekly

　　ad. once a week or every week 每星期;每周一次

　　technological

　　a. 技术的

　　rocket

　　n. 火箭;火箭发动机

　　genetically

　　ad. 因基因决定地

　　engineer

　　vt. 设计;建造

　　automate

　　vt. cause (sth.) to work automatically 使自动化

　　emphasis

　　n. stress 强调

　　spirituality

　　n. 精神性;灵性

　　humankind

　　n. 人类

　　blight

　　vt. spoil or ruin 损害

　　cancer

　　n. 癌症

　　inherit

　　vt. receive (property, a title, etc.) as a result of the death of the previous owner or be born with (a physical or mental quality) that a parent, grandparent or other relative has 继承

　　fanciful

　　a. showing imagination rather than reason and experience 幻想的;想像的

　　track

　　vt. follow the course or movements of 跟踪;追踪

　　current

　　a. of the present time; happening now 现时的，当前的

　　trend

　　n. the way or direction things tend to go 趋势;动向

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　step into

　　enter 走进，进入

　　fold up

　　make smaller in size by folding 折叠

　　chatter away

　　clatter continuously from vibration (机器)不停地咯咯作响

　　switch on

　　turn on 打开(电灯、收音机等)

　　screw on

　　旋，拧;旋牢

　　wipe out

　　destroy completely 彻底摧毁;消灭

　　hold sb./sth. up

　　show sb./sth. as an example 举某人(某事物)作为范例

　　other than

　　except 除…之外

　　come at

　　move towards in a threatening manner 冲向

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇（扩展4）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解1

　　1. Before you listen to the passage, predict the words that are missing in the printed version of the passage. Then when you hear the passage, mark where you hear differences between your predictions and what"s actually on the tape. Don"t worry about writing down exactly what you hear — just note where you hear differences.

　　The sense of _____ dominates every modern culture to such an extent that most people never _____. Relying mainly on _____ seems so natural — how could a culture favor _____ instead? What would such a culture be like? It"s almost impossible to imagine. But _____ is in fact not as "natural" as we normally think. Although most humans are born with _____, no one is born knowing how to _____. We must learn _____, and many of the rules we learn vary _____. _____ is an excellent example: Before artists invented formal rules for portraying three dimensions, no one thought of distant objects as looking _____. If you doubt this, try explaining _____ to a young child.

　　2. If you had to lose one of your senses, which one would you choose to give up? And having lost it, what do you think you"d miss the most?

　　3. It"s common to speak of "the five senses" — but are there only five? Some researcher say that we all have and use other senses as well. What others can you think of?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解2

　　Rachel Carson

　　A child"s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that, for most of us, that clear-eyed vision — that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring — is dimmed and even lost before we reach *hood. If I had influence with the angels who are supposed to preside over all children, I would ask that their gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.

　　If children are to keep alive their natural sense of wonder without any such gift from the angels, they need the companionship of at least one * who can share it, rediscovering with the child the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. Parents often feel inadequate when confronted on the one hand with the eager, sensitive mind of a child and on the other with a world of complex physical nature. In a mood of self-defeat, they exclaim, "How can I possibly teach my child about nature — why, I don"t even know one bird from another!"

　　I sincerely believe that for children, and for parents seeking to guide them, it is not half so important to know as it is to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil. Once the emotions have been aroused — a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and the unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration or love — then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found, such knowledge has far more lasting meaning than mere information. It is more important to pave the way for children"s desire to know than to put them on a diet of facts they are not ready to assimilate.

　　Even if you feel you have little knowledge of nature at your disposal, there is still much you can do for your child. Wherever you are and whatever your resources, you can still look up at the sky — its dawn and evening beauties, its moving clouds, its stars by night. You can listen to the wind, whether it blows with majestic voice through a forest or sings a many-voiced chorus around the corners of your apartment building, and in the listening, you can gain magical release for your thoughts. You can still feel the rain on your face and think of its long journey from sea to air to earth, and wonder at the mysteries of natural selection embodied in the perfume and flavour of a fruit. Even if you are a city dweller, you can find some place, perhaps a park or a golf course, where you can observe the mysterious migrations of the birds and the changing seasons. And with your child you can ponder the mystery of a growing seed, even if it"s just one planted in a pot of earth in the kitchen window.

　　Exploring nature with your child is largely a matter of being open to what lies all around you. It is learning again to use your eyes, ears, nose and fingertips, opening up the disused channels of your senses. For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?"

　　What is the value of preserving and strengthening this sense of awe and wonder, this recognition of something beyond the boundaries of human existence? Is the exploration of the natural world just a pleasant way to pass the golden hours of childhood or is there something deeper?

　　I am sure there is something much deeper, something lasting and significant. Those who dwell, as scientists or laypeople, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. Whatever the problems or concerns of their personal lives, their thoughts can find paths that lead to inner satisfaction and to renewed excitement in living. Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter.

　　I like to remember the distinguished Swedish oceanographer, Otto Pettersson, who died a few years ago at the age of ninety-three, in full possession of his keen mental powers. His son has related in a recent book how intensely his father enjoyed every new experience, every new discovery concerning the world about him.

　　"He was an incurable romantic," the son wrote, "intensely in love with life and with the mysteries of the universe." When he realized he had not much longer to enjoy the earthly scene, Otto Pettersson said to his son: "What will sustain me in my last moments is an infinite curiosity as to what is to follow."

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解3

　　misfortune

　　n. bad luck 不幸;灾祸

　　clear-eyed

　　a. 视力好的;目光炯炯的

　　awe-inspiring

　　a. 令人敬畏;令人惊叹的

　　dim

　　vt. make less bright or unable to see clearly 使…暗淡;使…看不清

　　a. (of a light) not bright; not easy to see 昏暗的;模糊的

　　* angel

　　n. 天使

　　* preside

　　vi. have authority or control; direct 负责;主持

　　inadequate

　　a. not good enough in quality, ability, size, etc. 不够格的;不能胜任的;不充分的

　　confront

　　vt. stand or meet face to face; bring face to face 面对;遭遇

　　mood

　　n. state of mind or feelings 心境，心情;情绪

　　sincerely

　　ad. 真诚地;忠实地

　　sincere

　　a. free from falseness; true and honest 忠实的;真诚的

　　arouse

　　vt. cause to become active; excite 唤醒;激发

　　rouse

　　vt. 1. cause to become active; excite (=arouse) 唤醒;激发

　　2. wake (sb.) up 唤醒，使醒来

　　mere

　　a. nothing more than 只不过的，仅仅的

　　* assimilate

　　vt. take in and make a part of oneself; absorb 使同化;吸收

　　disposal

　　n. the act of getting rid of sth.; the power or right to use sth. freely 处理;支配

　　dispose

　　vt. 1. put in place; set in readiness 布置;配置

　　2. cause to have a tendency (to do sth.) 使有倾向;使愿意

　　majestic

　　a. showing power and greatness; dignified and impressive 雄伟的，威严的

　　* majesty

　　n. 1. greatness; a show of power as of a king or queen 雄伟;庄重;君王尊严

　　2. [M-] 陛下(对帝王、王后等的尊称)

　　* chorus

　　n. 1. a song sung by many singers together 合唱曲

　　2. a group of singers singing together 合唱队

　　selection

　　n. the act of selecting; sb. or sth. that is selected 选择;被选出的人(或物)

　　* embody

　　vt. 1. represent (a quality, idea, etc.) in a physical form 体现;使具体化

　　2. contain, include 包含

　　* perfume

　　n. 1. a sweet or pleasant smell 芳香，香气

　　2. 香水

　　flavo(u)r

　　n. a taste; a special quality 味道;风味;特色

　　vt. give a particular taste to 给…调味

　　migration

　　n. the movement of a group (often of animals, birds, etc.) from one area to another 迁移;移居;(鸟类等的)迁徒

　　* migrate

　　vi. 1. (of animals) travel regularly to a different area according to the seasons of the year (动物的)迁徒

　　2. change one"s place of living; move from one place to another, especially to find work 迁移;(农业季节工人等)外出找工作

　　* migrant

　　n. 迁移动物;移居者;农业季节工人

　　* ponder

　　vt. think about carefully; consider 沉思;考虑

　　strengthen

　　vt. make stronger 加强，强化

　　awe

　　n. a feeling of respect mixed with fear and wonder 敬畏;惊叹

　　recognition

　　n. the act of recognizing; the state of being recognized 认同;认出;承认

　　* weary

　　a. very tired; bored 疲倦的;厌倦的

　　reserve

　　n. anything kept for later use 储备物

　　vt. 1. keep for a special purpose 保留;储备

　　2. (AmE) book (美)预订

　　* reservation

　　n. 1. doubt or uncertainty, esp. when one"s agreement with sth. is in some way limited 保留;保留意见

　　2. (AmE) booking; reserved seat or accommodation 预定;预定的座席(或住处等)

　　symbolic(al)

　　a. 象征性的

　　symbol

　　n. (of) a sign, shape or object which represents a person, idea or an item 象征;标志;符号

　　ebb

　　n. a flowing of the tide away from the shore 退潮，落潮

　　tide

　　n. the regular rise and fall of the ocean, caused by the attraction of the Moon 潮汐

　　* bud

　　n. a small swelling on a plant that will grow into a flower, leaf, or branch 牙;花蕾

　　* heal

　　v. (cause to) become sound or healthy again 治愈;痊愈

　　infinitely

　　ad. 无穷地，无限地

　　* finite

　　a. having an end or a limit 有限的

　　* refrain

　　n. a part of a song that is repeated, esp. at the end of each verse (歌曲中的)叠歌，副歌

　　vi. (from) hold oneself back (from) 忍住;克制

　　oceanographer

　　n. 海洋学家

　　possession

　　n. 1. the act or state of possessing or being possessed 拥有;具有

　　2. (often pl.) personal property [常复数]所有物;

　　keen

　　a. 1. good, strong, quick at understanding 敏锐的"

　　2. (on, to) eager or anxious to do sth. 热切的

　　intensely

　　ad. greatly or extremely; strongly 极度地;强烈地

　　intense

　　a. great or extreme; strong 极度的;强烈的

　　intensity

　　n. 1. 强烈，剧烈

　　2. 强度，烈度

　　concerning

　　prep.(fml) about; with regard to; in connection with 关于

　　earthly

　　a. of this world as opposed to heaven; material rather than spiritual 尘世的，世俗的

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解4

　　preside over

　　direct (a commi* or other formal group of people); have or exercise control or authority over (sth.) 主持(委员会等);掌管(某事)

　　wish for

　　have a desire for; long for 想要;希望得到

　　pave the way (for)

　　make smooth or easy (for); be a preparation (for) 为…铺*道路;为…作准备

　　at sb."s disposal

　　available for one to use as one wishes 由某人支配或使用

　　wonder at

　　be surprised by or curious about 对…感到惊讶

　　natural selection

　　the theory developed by Charles Darwin that plants and animals best suited to the conditions around them survive while those not suited to the conditions die out 自然选择(指生物界适者生存不适者被淘汰的现象)

　　a matter of sth./doing sth.

　　a question of; an instance or a case of 一个…的问题;一件…的事

　　open up

　　make or become open or accessible 打开;开放

　　be weary of

　　be tired of; be bored with 对…感到厌倦

　　look about

　　look around; examine the place or state of affairs 扫视四周;观察(事态)

　　be in possession of

　　have in one"s possession; maintain control over 拥有;控制

　　as to

　　about; concerning 关于;有关

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇（扩展5）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册克隆的课文介绍60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册克隆的课文介绍1

　　good Science or Baaaad Jdea

　　Chana Freimans Stiefel

　　Just before President Clinton heads to the hospital for knee surgery, he asks another Bill Clinton to meet Russian President Boris Yeltsin at an overseas meeting. Meanwhile, a third Bill Clinton is out playing golf, while a fourth is helping daughter Chelsea with a science project.

　　Sound far-fetched? That day may come. Scientists in Scotland recently announced that, for the first time, they have cloned an exact copy of an * sheep. The cloned baby lamb, named Dolly, has the exact same genes as the * sheep from which she was cloned. In other words, the two are identical twins; only Dolly is six years younger. The goal of embryologist lan Wilmut, the lead scientist, is to develop a way to raise identical sheep that produce medications for humans.

　　A week after Wilmut"s announcement, scientists in Oregon disclosed that they had used a different technique to clone monkeys, close cousins of humans. Faster than you can say "Frankenstein," these accomplishments triggered a worldwide debate: Should scientists be allowed to clone animals? Will humans be next? Is cloning unethical and dangerous—or is it a valuable research tool?

　　All attempts at cloning were largely unsuccessful until 1984. That"s when a scientist in Denmark separated cells from a sheep"s embryo. An embryo is an early stage of development in which cells are busy dividing and "transforming" into specialized cells like skin, eye, or muscle cells.

　　Unlike a skin cell, an embryo is on its way to becoming a complete living thing. The Danish scientist combined an embryo cell with an egg cell from another sheep. He implanted the fused cell - then a newly growing embryo - into a grown female sheep. To much surprise, the embryo grew into a baby lamb. Since then, other scientists have used embryos to clone cattle, pigs, goats, rabbits - and, now, even monkeys.

　　So what makes Wilmut"s sheep unique? Instead of using early-stage embryo cells, Wilmut used cells from the udder of an * sheep. In theory, that"s like using one of your skin cells to clone a new you!

　　Wilmut knew that each cell of the body contains a full set of genetic instructions—a blueprint to grow a complete individual. (The only exceptions are egg and sperm cells, each of which contains half the genes to grow a new individual.) Once cells have specialized, on their way to becoming skin or eye or udder cells, most of the genetic instructions to make a full being are turned off. Until now, scientists believed that specialized cells could not be used to form a complete organism.

　　Wilmut proved them wrong. He found a way to "reprogram" an udder cell and make it grow into a new cloned lamb. An amazing fact: Dolly has no biological father.

　　Wilmut"s success didn"t come easily. He has been studying reproductive science for more than two decades. Last year, he used embryos to successfully clone two sheep. Then he forged ahead to clone an * sheep. But, of 277 udder cells he fused with egg cells, only 30 began to develop into embryos. He implanted 29 of those into female sheep. Only one * gave birth to a lamb.

　　Other scientists have jumped in to repeat Wilmut"s experiment with other animals, including cows. And that"s what has scientists, animal-rights activists, politicians—even President Clinton — up in arms. How far, they wonder, will cloning go?

　　Wilmut maintains that cloning animals has tremendous potential for helping people. Cloned sheep, he says, could be used as living drug factories. Scientists could "engineer" sheep that produce drugs in their milk. And by altering the proteins on the surfaces of animal organs to make them more like human organs, scientists believe they may be able to create a plentiful source of organ donors for people.

　　Why not clone humans as organ donors? Theoretically, Wilmut says, there is no reason his techniques couldn"t someday be used to clone people. Think about the possibilities: a whole team of Michael Jordans, a scientific panel of Albert Einsteins, a movie starring and co-starring Brad Pitt.

　　On a more serious note, some fertility specialists argue that couples who have difficulty conceiving a baby could make copies of themselves. And parents whose child has a fatal disease like cancer might be able to clone the child, creating a twin who is an exact match for bone-marrow donation.

　　But even lan Wilmut draws the line at cloning humans. "All of us would find that offensive," he says. Several countries, including Britain, Denmark, Germany, and Australia, have outlawed all scientific work on cloning humans. The U.S. has no such law, but President Clinton has set up a panel of scientists and ethicists to study the issue. In the meantime, Clinton has imposed a ban on using Federal money to clone humans.

　　Humans are more than the sum of their genes, argues Mark Hanson, an ethicist at an ethics research institute in Briarcliff Manor, New York. Though they look exactly the same, clones are not necessarily carbon copies. The younger twin might grow up with different influences—say, unusual friends or special teachers. A cloned Albert Einstein might flunk physics. A cloned Madonna might sing off-key.

　　Say you were cloned. Would your twin live a shorter life because he or she started out with teenage genes? Scientists aren"t sure. And how could you prevent someone from taking a sample of your hair and making a clone of you? Again, no solutions.

　　Some opponents of cloning also object to the use of animals as research tools. "Next, they"ll be cloning minks and foxes to make more fur coats," says Cleveland Amory, president and founder of the Fund for Animals, an animal rights group.

　　What do you think? Should scientists be allowed to clone animals? How about humans?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册克隆的课文介绍2

　　cloning

　　n. 克隆，无性繁殖

　　surgery

　　n. 手术;外科

　　overseas

　　a. existing somewhere across the sea; foreign (在)海外的;外国的

　　ad. to, at, or in somewhere across the sea 向海外;在海外

　　meanwhile

　　ad. during the same period of time 同时

　　golf

　　n. 高尔夫球

　　far-fetched

　　a. improbable; not naturally connected 不大可能的;牵强的

　　lamb

　　n. a young sheep; the meat of a young sheep 羔羊;羔羊肉

　　gene

　　n. 基因

　　identical

　　a. 1. (with, to) exactly alike 一模一样的a.

　　2. the same 同一的

　　3. 同卵的

　　twin

　　n. 孪生儿之一;[复数] 双胞胎

　　a. 孪生的;成双的.

　　identical twins

　　[复数] 同卵双生胎;全等双生胎

　　embryologist

　　n. 胚胎学家

　　*medication

　　n. 1. medicine used to cure illness 药物

　　2. 药物治疗

　　*disclose

　　vt. 1. make known 透露;使公开

　　2. show by uncovering 使显露

　　*clone

　　vt. 克隆，(无性繁殖)复制

　　accomplishment

　　n. a remarkable achievement 成就;造诣

　　*trigger

　　vt. (off) start (a chain of events) 触发;激起

　　n. 板机;引爆器

　　unethical

　　a. morally wrong 不道德的

　　attempt

　　n. an effort made to do sth. 企图，尝试

　　vt. make an effort at; try 试图做

　　cell

　　n. 细胞

　　embryo

　　n. 胚胎

　　transform

　　vt. change completely in form, appearance or nature 彻底改变;将…转化

　　specialized, -ised

　　a. 1. fit for one particular purpose 专门的

　　2. 专化的;特化的

　　specialize, -ise

　　v. 1. 专化，特化

　　2.(in)专攻;专门研究

　　muscle

　　n. 肌肉

　　implant

　　vt. (in, into) fix dee* in the body or mind 植入;灌输

　　fuse

　　vt. 1. cause to melt in great heat 熔化

　　2. cause to join by melting 熔合

　　female

　　a. 女性的;雌的

　　n. 女子;雌性动物

　　rabbit

　　n. 野兔;兔肉

　　udder

　　n. (母牛、母山羊的)乳房;乳腺

　　contain

　　vt. hold, have within itself 包含，容纳

　　*genetica. 遗传的;基因的

　　blueprint

　　n. a photographic copy in white or blue paper 蓝图;计划

　　exception

　　n. 例外

　　organism

　　n. 1. a living being 生物，有机体

　　2. a whole made of special parts 有机组织

　　reprogram

　　vt. l. 改编…的编码指令序列

　　2. 为…重新编程

　　reproductive

　　a. concerned with producing young or copying 生殖的;复制的

　　*forge

　　vi. (ahead) move steadily and purposely forward 稳步前进

　　activist

　　n. a person who takes or supports vigorous action, esp. for a political cause 激进分子，积极分子

　　tremendous

　　a. very great in size, amount or degree 巨大的，极大的

　　alter

　　v. (cause to) become different 改变，(使)变样

　　protein

　　n. 蛋白质

　　organ

　　n. 1. a part of the body with a particular function 器官n.

　　2. 风琴;管风琴

　　plentiful

　　a. existing in large amounts or numbers 充足的，丰富的

　　donor

　　n. l.(组织、器官等的)供体，供者

　　2. a person who gives or presents 赠送人;捐赠者

　　theoretically

　　ad. according to theory 理论上

　　panel

　　n. 1. a small group of people chosen to do sth. 专门小组

　　2. 镶板;嵌板

　　co-star

　　vt. 使联袂主演

　　fertility

　　n. 繁殖力;肥沃

　　specialist

　　n. expert 专家

　　*conceive

　　vt. 1. become pregnant (with a child) 怀(孕);受(孕)

　　2. think of, imagine 构想;设想

　　fatal

　　a. 1. causing death 致命的

　　2. very dangerous and unfortunate 毁灭性的;不幸的

　　marrow

　　n. 髓，骨髓

　　bonemarrow

　　n. 骨髓

　　donation

　　n. the act of donating or sth. donated 捐赠;捐赠物

　　offensive

　　a. causing offense; unpleasant 冒犯的;使人难受的

　　outlaw

　　vt. declare unlawful 宣布…为非法

　　n. criminal 歹徒;逃犯

　　ethicist

　　n. 伦理学家

　　meantime

　　n. the time between two events 其间，其时

　　impose

　　vt. (on, upon) 1. force the acceptance of 把…强加于

　　2. establish (an additional payment) officially 征(税)

　　ban

　　n. (on) an order to forbid sth. 禁令;禁止

　　vt. forbid by law 禁止;取缔

　　federal

　　a. l. [F-](美国)联邦*的

　　2. 联盟的;联邦的

　　*ethics

　　n. 伦理学;道德学

　　flunk

　　vt. fail (an examination or course) 通不过(考试等)

　　off-key

　　a. 走调的，不和谐的

　　opponent

　　n. a person who acts against sb. or sth. or who takes the opposite side 反对者;对手;敌手

　　mink

　　n. 水貂;水貂毛皮

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　for the first time

　　第一次，破天荒

　　in other words

　　expressing the same meaning in another way 换句话说

　　on one"s way to

　　moving towards 接近，将要

　　to much surprise

　　令人大为惊异的是

　　in theory

　　理论上

　　give birth to

　　produce 产(仔);生(孩子)

　　jump in

　　join in with vigor or eagerness (踊跃或热切地)加入

　　up in arms

　　angry (about sth.) and protesting strongly 极力反对

　　draw the line at

　　refuse to do or accept 拒绝做;拒绝接受

　　set up

　　found or establish 设立，建立

　　in the meantime

　　in the period of time between two events 在此期间，与此同时

　　start out

　　begin 开始

　　object to

　　be against 反对

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇（扩展6）

——21世纪大学英语Unit3读写教程60篇

21世纪大学英语Unit3读写教程1

　　Have you ever paid tributes to your mother? Have you ever expressed your emotions on the theme of mothers? Here industrialist Ross Perot and Professor Michael DeBakey are eager to salute their own mothers.

　　Mothers

　　An old Jewish proverb says, "God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers."

　　Ann Taylor expressed her emotions on the theme of mothers with the following:

　　Who ran to help me when I fell,

　　And would some pretty story tell,

　　Or kiss the place to make it well?

　　My mother.

　　On account of the many tributes paid to mothers from the time of Eve, one might think the subject exhausted. But not so. Here, Industrialist Ross Perot and Professor Michael E. DeBakey are ready, indeed eager, to salute their own cherished mothers.

　　My mother was an angel.

　　Our family lived six blocks from the railroad tracks. During the Depression, the freight trains were filled with hoboes wandering from town to town looking for work. Every day they would come by our house asking for food. My kind mother would always share our food with them.

　　These people were poor and desperate, but we had absolutely no fear of them. When they knocked and asked for food, there was no concern that they might break in and steal things.

　　One day, a hobo said, "Lady, don"t you have a lot of people stopping by here?"

　　My mother said, "Yes, we do."

　　"Do you know why?" he asked.

　　She replied, "Not really."

　　Then he took her out to the street and showed her a mark on our curb. He said, "Lady, this mark on your curb says that you will feed people. That"s why you get so many visitors."

　　After the man left, I turned to my mother and said, "Do you want me to wash that mark off the curb?"

　　She replied with words that I will remember for the rest of my life. "No, Son, leave it there. These are good people. They are just like us, but they"re down on their luck. We should help them."

　　Ross Perot

　　Industrialist

　　My mother"s birthday, Christmas, is symbolic of her human warmth, her giving nature, her noble character, and her high Christian values. She and my father instilled those values in all their children from the earliest age, and she lived to make life better not only for her family, but for everyone she knew, particularly those less fortunate than she.

　　I recall vividly one incident in my childhood that had a lasting impact on me. Every Sunday after dinner, my parents would pack food, clothing, and books in our car and would drive, with their children, to an orphanage just outside our hometown. One Sunday I saw my mother packing a favorite cap of mine, and I protested. She calmly explained that I had several other caps and could easily get new ones, whereas the orphan who would receive this cap had none at all. She assured me that I would derive a special feeling of happiness when I saw the smile on the boy"s face as he put the cap on his head. That lesson made a deep impression on me, and the truth of her words has certainly stood the test of time as other incidents in my life have validated her words. I consider the wonderful parents that God gave me my greatest blessing, for they both believed it was always more blessed to give than to receive.

　　Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.

　　Professor

　　(545 words)

21世纪大学英语Unit3读写教程2

　　Jewish

　　a. of the Jews 犹太人的

　　proverb

　　n. 谚语，语言

　　emotion

　　n. strong feeling of any kind 激情;情感

　　theme

　　n. the main subject or idea of a talk, book, movie, etc. (谈话、书、电影等的)题目，主题

　　following

　　a. 下列的，下述的

　　account

　　n. 理由，根据;账目

　　* tribute

　　n. a gift, speech of praise, etc., given as an expression of gratitude toward another(表示敬意的)礼物;颂词，称赞

　　exhaust

　　vt. 1. use up 用尽，耗尽

　　2. talk about, write about or study a subject fully 详尽论述(某事物)

　　industrialist

　　n. a person engaged in the management of industry 工业家;实业家

　　eager

　　a. full of interest or desire; keen 热切的;渴望的;热心的

　　* salute

　　vt. honor or acknowledge with praise 颂扬

　　* cherish

　　vt. be fond of (sb./sth.); love 珍爱(某人/某事物);爱

　　railroad

　　n. (AmE) railway (美)铁路

　　freight

　　n. goods transported by ships, aeroplanes, or trains (水运、空运、陆运的)货物

　　hobo

　　n. (esp. AmE) an unemployed worker wandering from place to place (尤美)流动的失业工人;失业游民

　　wander

　　vi. move about without any special purpose or direction 游荡;闲逛;流浪

　　desperate

　　a. wild or dangerous because of despair (因绝望而)不顾一切的，拼命的

　　absolutely

　　ad. completely; beyond any doubt 完全地;绝对地

　　concern

　　n. worry; anxiety 担心;焦虑

　　* curb

　　n. (由路缘石砌成的`街道或人行道的)路缘

　　symbolic

　　a. 象征的，象征性的

　　warmth

　　n. the state or quality of being warm 热情;温暖

　　character

　　n. mental or moral qualities that make a person, group, nation, etc., different from others (个人、集体、民族等特有的)品质，特性

　　Christian

　　a. 基督教的;基督教徒的

　　instill

　　vt. put (ideas, feelings, etc.) gradually but firmly into sb"s mind by a continuous effort 逐渐灌输

　　particularly

　　ad. especially 特别，尤其

　　fortunate

　　a. lucky 幸运的

　　recall

　　vt. remember; bring (sth.) back to mind 记得;回想起

　　vividly

　　ad. in a lively manner 清晰地;生动地

　　incident

　　n. event or happening, often of little importance 事情，发生的事;小事

　　childhood

　　n. the condition or time of being a child 童年;幼年时代

　　lasting

　　a. continuing for a long time 持久的

　　impact

　　n. strong effect or influence on sb./sth. 影响;作用

　　pack

　　vt. put (items) into a container 把东西装进(箱子、盒子等)

　　orphanage

　　n. a place or institution for the housing and care of orphans 孤儿院

　　hometown

　　n. the town where one was born and lived while they were young 故乡，家乡

　　favorite

　　a. best liked 最喜欢的

　　protest

　　v. express strong disagreement or disapproval about (sth) *;对…提出异议

　　calmly

　　ad. *静地;镇定地

　　whereas

　　conj.compared with the fact that; while 然而，但是;而

　　orphan

　　n. a child whose parents are dead 孤儿

　　assure

　　vt. promise or tell sth. to (sb.) confidently or firmly 向…保证

　　derive

　　vt. get or obtain 取得，得到

　　happiness

　　n. 愉快，快乐，高兴

　　impression

　　n. an effect produced (esp. on the mind or feelings) 印象

　　validate

　　vt. 1. make (sth.) logical or justifiable 证实;确证

　　2. make (sth.) legally effective 使(某事物)具有法律效力

　　blessing

　　n. God"s favour and protection (上帝的)赐福，保佑

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　on account of

　　because of 因为，由于

　　pay (a) tribute to sb./sth.

　　express one"s admiration or respect for sb./sth. 对(某事物)表示赞赏或敬意

　　look for

　　search for or try to find (sb./sth.) 寻找;寻求

　　come by

　　visit a person or place for a short time, often when one is going somewhere else; get, obtain 访问，看望;得到，获得

　　ask for

　　expect or demand (sth.) 要;要求

　　share with

　　have a share of (sth.) with another or others 与别人分享(某物)

　　break in

　　get into a building by using force, usu. in order to steal sth. 强行闯入屋内，破门而入

　　stop by

　　pay a short visit to a person or place, usu. when one in going somewhere else (顺便)过访

　　wash sth. off

　　remove sth. from the surface of a material, etc., by washing 把某物冲洗掉

　　be down on one"s luck

　　have bad luck, esp. in money * 不走运;穷困潦倒

　　at all

　　(used with negatives or questions) in any way or of any type [用于否定句或疑问句]丝毫，一点;根本

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇（扩展7）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册1

　　Malcolm X

　　Many who today hear me somewhere in person, or on television, or those who read something I"ve said, will think I went to school far beyond the eighth grade. This impression is due entirely to my prison studies.

　　It had really begun back in the Charlestown Prison, when Bimbi first made me feel envy of his stock of knowledge. Bimbi had always taken charge of any conversation he was in, and I had tried to emulate him. But every book I picked up had few sentences which didn"t contain anywhere from one to nearly all of the words that might as well have been in Chinese. When I just skipped those words, of course, I really ended up with little idea of what the book said. So I had come to the Norfolk Prison Colony still going through only book-reading motions. Pretty soon, I would have quit even these motions, unless I had received the motivation that I did.

　　I saw that the best thing I could do was get hold of a dictionary—to study, to learn some words. I was lucky enough to reason also that I should try to improve my penmanship. It was sad. I couldn"t even write in a straight line. It was both ideas together that moved me to request a dictionary along with some tablets and pencils from the Norfolk Prison Colony school.

　　I spent two days just thumbing uncertainly through the dictionary"s pages. I"ve never realized so many words existed! I didn"t know which words I needed to learn. Finally, to start some kind of action, I began copying.

　　In my slow, painstaking, ragged handwriting, I copied into my tablet everything printed on that first page, down to the punctuation marks.

　　I believe it took me a day. Then, aloud, I read back, to myself, everything I"ve written on the tablet. Over and over, aloud, to myself, I read my own handwriting.

　　I woke up the next morning, thinking about those words—immensely proud to realize that not only had I written so much at one time, but I"ve written words that I never knew were in the world. Moreover, with a little effort, I also could remember what many of these words meant. I reviewed the words whose meanings I didn"t remember. Funny thing, from the dictionary"s first page right now, that "aardvark" springs to my mind. The dictionary had a picture of it, a long-tailed, long-eared, burrowing African mammal, which lives off termites caught by sticking out its tongue as an anteater does for ants.

　　I was so fascinated that I went on—I copied the dictionary"s next page. And the same experience came when I studied that. With every succeeding page, I also learned of people and places and events from history. Actually the dictionary is like a miniature encyclopedia. Finally the dictionary"s A section had filled a whole tablet—and I went on into the B"s. That was the way I started copying what eventually became the entire dictionary. I went a lot faster after so much practice helped me to pick up handwriting speed. Between what I wrote in my tablet, and writing letters, during the rest of my time in prison I would guess I wrote a million words.

　　I suppose it was inevitable that as my word-base broadened, I could for the first time pick up a book and read and now begin to understand what the book was saying. Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine the new world that opened. Let me tell you something; from then until I left that prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk. You couldn"t have got me out of books with a wedge. Between Mr. Muhammad"s teachings, my correspondence, my visitors, and my reading of books, months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life...

　　As you can imagine, especially in a prison where there was heavy emphasis on rehabilitation, an inmate was smiled upon if he demonstrated an unusually intense interest in books. There was a sizable number of well-read inmates, especially the popular debaters. Some were said by many to be practically walking encyclopedias. They were almost celebrities. No university would ask any student to devour literature as I did when this new world opened to me, of being able to read and understand.

　　I read more in my room than in the library itself. An inmate who was known to read a lot could check out more than the permitted maximum number of books. I preferred reading in the total isolation of my own room.

　　When I had progressed to really serious reading, every night at about ten p.m. I would be outraged with the "lights out." It always seemed to catch me right in the middle of something engrossing.

　　Fortunately, right outside my door was a corridor light that cast a glow into my room. The glow was enough to read by, once my eyes adjusted to it. So when "lights out" came, I would sit on the floor where I could continue reading in that glow.

　　At one-hour intervals the night guards paced past every room. Each time I heard the approaching footsteps, I jumped into bed and feigned sleep. And as soon as the guard passed, I got back out of bed onto the floor area of that light-glow, where I would read for another fifty-eight minutes—until the guard approached again. That went on until three or four every morning. Three or four hours of sleep a night was enough for me. Often in the years in the streets I had slept less than that.

　　I have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me. I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life. As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive. I certainly wasn"t seeking any degree, the way a college confers a status symbol upon its students. My homemade education gave me, with every additional book that I read, a little bit more sensitivity to the deafness, dumbness, and blindness that was afflicting the black race in America. Not long ago, an English writer telephoned me from London, asking questions. One was, "What"s your alma mater?" I told him, "Books." You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I"m not studying something I feel might be able to help the black man...

　　Every time I catch a plane, I have with me a book that I want to read—and that"s a lot of books these days. If I weren"t out here every day battling the white man, I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity—because you can hardly mention anything I"m not curious about. I don"t think anybody ever got more out of going to prison than I did. In fact, prison enabled me to study far more intensively than I would have if my life had gone differently and I had attended some college. I imagine that one of the biggest troubles with colleges is there are too many distractions. Where else but in prison could I have attacked my ignorance by being able to study intensely sometimes as much as fifteen hours a day?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册2

　　emulate

　　vt. imitate, especially from respect 仿效，模仿

　　penmanship

　　n. the skill or style of handwriting 书写的技巧(或风格)，书法

　　tablet

　　n. 1. a pad of writing paper glued together along one edge 便笺簿，拍纸簿

　　2. 药片

　　thumb

　　vi. (through) turn the pages of (a book, etc.) quickly 迅速翻阅(书等)

　　painstaking

　　a. done with, requiring or taking great care or trouble 刻苦的，下苦功的;煞费苦心的

　　punctuation

　　n. 标点符号 (=punctuation mark)

　　burrow

　　vt. dig (a hole, etc.) 挖(洞等)

　　mammal

　　n. 哺乳动物

　　termite

　　n. 白蚁

　　anteater

　　n. any of several mammals that feed largely or entirely on ants or termites 食蚁动物

　　miniature

　　a. very much smaller in size than is usual or normal 微型的，小型的

　　inevitable

　　a. incapable of being avoided or evaded 不可避免的`

　　word-base

　　n. the vocabulary one commands 词汇量

　　broaden

　　v. (cause to) become broad(er) (使)变宽，(使)变阔，扩大

　　bunk

　　n. a narrow bed built into a wall like a shelf (倚壁而设的)床铺

　　wedge

　　n. 1. 楔子

　　2.(打高尔夫球用的)楔形铁头球棒

　　correspondence

　　n. communication by letters 通信

　　correspond

　　vi. 1. (with) 通信

　　2. (to, with) 相符合;成一致

　　3. (to) 相当，相类似

　　imprison

　　vt. put or keep (sb.) in or as if in prison 监禁，关押;禁锢

　　rehabilitation

　　n. restoration to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity 康复;(罪犯的)改造

　　inmate

　　n. a person confined (as in a prison or hospital) 囚徒;被收容者;住院者

　　intense

　　a. existing in an extreme degree 强烈的，极度的

　　well-read

　　a. well informed or dee* versed through reading 博学的，博览群书的

　　debater

　　n. 辩论家，好辩论者

　　devour

　　vt. enjoy avidly 贪婪地看(或听、读等)

　　literature

　　n. 文学，文学作品

　　maximum

　　n. the greatest quality or value attainable or attained 最大值，最大限度

　　a. as high, great, intense, etc. as possible 最高的;最大的;最强的

　　isolation

　　n. solitude 隔离;孤立

　　outrage

　　vt. make very angry and shocked 激怒;激起…的义愤

　　n. 1. a feeling of great anger and shock 义愤，愤怒

　　2. a very cruel, violent, and shocking action or event 暴行;骇人听闻的事件

　　engrossing

　　a. taking up sb."s attention completely 使人全神贯注的

　　corridor

　　n. a passageway into which compartments or rooms open 走廊，过道

　　interval

　　n. a space of time between events; a space between objects, points or states (时间的)间隔;间歇;(空间的)间隔;空隙

　　footstep

　　n. 脚步，脚步声

　　feign

　　vt. give a false appearance of 假装，佯作

　　light-glow

　　n. 灯光

　　vista

　　n. 远景;前景

　　dormant

　　a. temporarily inactive 暂停活动的;休眠的;潜伏的

　　confer

　　vt. give or grant (a degree or title) to sb. 授予(某人)(学位或头衔)

　　vi. discuss, talk together 讨论，商谈

　　sensitivity

　　n. the quality or state of being sensitive 敏感(性)

　　dumbness

　　n. lack of power of speech 哑

　　alma mater

　　n. a school, college, or university which one has attended or from which one has graduated 母校

　　intensively

　　ad. 加强地;集中地;密集地;透彻地

　　ignorance

　　n. the state or fact of lacking knowledge 无知，愚昧

21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册3

　　in person

　　physically present亲身，亲自

　　take charge of

　　take control of; become responsible for 控制;掌管

　　go through the motions (of doing sth.)

　　pretend to do sth.; do sth. without sincerity or serious intention 装出(做某事的)样子;敷衍

　　get hold of

　　take in the hands; manage to find 抓住;得到，找到

　　along with

　　together with 与…一起

　　thumb through

　　turn over (pages, etc.) quickly with one"s thumb 用拇指迅速地翻阅(书页等)

　　down to

　　下至，直到

　　live off

　　have as food; depend upon for support 以…为食;靠…生活

　　stick out (cause to) project, stand out 伸出，突出

　　pick up

　　gain (speed) 增加(速度)

　　up to

　　up until 直到

　　smile upon

　　direct a smile towards; approve of or favor 对…微笑;赞许;惠及

　　check out

　　have the removal (of sth.) recorded 登记借出

　　adjust to

　　become used to 适应于

　　reflect upon /on

　　think dee* about; consider carefully 沉思;仔细考虑

　　confer on /upon

　　give (an honor, etc.) to (sb.) formally 把(某种荣誉等)授予(某人)

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇（扩展8）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第四册Unit1课文讲解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第四册Unit1课文讲解1

　　First Listening

　　Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following words.

　　genetics

　　遗传学

　　psychiatry

　　精神病学

　　persistent

　　坚持不懈的

　　Second Listening

　　Listen to the tape again and then answer the following questions.

　　1.What question did professor Simonton"s research project seek to answer?

　　2.What three personality traits of great people are mentioned?

　　a) __________________________________________________________.

　　b) __________________________________________________________.

　　c) __________________________________________________________.

　　3.What negative trait of "great" people is mentioned?

　　4. Does professor Simonton believe that great people are more often mentally ill than other people?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第四册Unit1课文讲解2

　　Michael Ryan

　　As a young boy, Albert Einstein did so poorly in school that teachers thought he was slow. The young Napoleon Bonaparte was just one of hundreds of artillery lieutenants in the French Army. And the teenage George Washington, with little formal education, was being trained not as a soldier but as a land surveyor.

　　Despite their unspectacular beginnings, each would go on to carve a place for himself in history. What was it that enabled them to become great? Were they born with something special? Or did their greatness have more to do with timing, devotion and, perhaps, an uncompromising personality?

　　For decades, scientists have been asking such questions. And, in the past few years, they have found evidence to help explain why some people rise above, while others—similarly talented, perhaps—are left behind. Their findings could have implications for us all.

　　Who is great? Defining who is great depends on how one measures success. But there are some criteria. "Someone who has made a lasting contribution to human civilization is great," said Dean Keith Simonton, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis and author of the 1994 book Greatness: Who Makes History and Why. But he added a word of caution: "Sometimes great people don"t make it into the history books. A lot of women achieved great things or were influential but went unrecognized."

　　In writing his book, Simonton combined historical knowledge about great figures with recent findings in genetics, psychiatry and the social sciences. The great figures he focused on include men and women who have won Nobel Prizes, led great nations or won wars, composed symphonies that have endured for centuries, or revolutionized science, philosophy, politics or the arts. Though he doesn"t have a formula to define how or why certain people rise above (too many factors are involved), he has come up with a few common characteristics.

　　A "never surrender" attitude. If great achievers share anything, said Simonton, it is an unrelenting drive to succeed. "There"s a tendency to think that they are endowed with something super-normal," he explained. "But what comes out of the research is that there are great people who have no amazing intellectual processes. It"s a difference in degree. Greatness is built upon tremendous amounts of study, practice and devotion."

　　He cited Winston Churchill, Britain"s prime minister during World War II, as an example of a risk-taker who would never give up. Thrust into office when his country"s morale was at its lowest, Churchill rose brilliantly to lead the British people. In a speech following the Allied evacuation at Dunkirk in 1940, he inspired the nation when he said, "We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end...We shall never surrender."

　　Can you be born great? In looking at Churchill"s role in history—as well as the roles of other political and military leaders—Simonton discovered a striking pattern: "Firstborns and only children tend to make good leaders in time of crisis: They"re used to taking charge. But middle-borns are better as peacetime leaders: They listen to different interest groups better and make the necessary compromises. Churchill, an only child, was typical. He was great in a crisis, but in peacetime he was not effective—not even popular."

　　Timing is another factor. "If you took George Washington and put him in the 20th century he would go nowhere as a politician," Simonton declared. "He was not an effective public speaker, and he didn"t like shaking hands with the public. On the other hand, I"m not sure Franklin Roosevelt would have done well in Washington"s time. He wouldn"t have had the radio to do his fireside chats."

　　Can you be too smart? One surprise among Simonton"s findings is that many political and military leaders have been bright but not overly so. Beyond a certain point, he explained, other factors, like the ability to communicate effectively, become more important than innate intelligence as measured by an IQ test. The most intelligent U.S. Presidents, for example—Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson and John F. Kennedy—had a hard time getting elected, Simonton said, while others with IQs closer to the average (such as Warren G. Harding) won by landslides. While political and economic factors also are involved, having a genius IQ is not necessary to be a great leader.

　　In the sciences, those with "genius level" IQs do have a better chance at achieving recognition, added Simonton. Yet evidence also indicates that overcoming traditional ways of thinking may be just as important.

　　He pointed to one recent study where college students were given a set of data and were asked to see if they could come up with a mathematical relation. Almost a third did. What they did not know was that they had just solved one of the most famous scientific equations in history: the Third Law of Planetary Motion, an equation that Johannes Kepler came up with in 1618.

　　Kepler"s genius, Simonton said, was not so much in solving a mathematical challenge. It was in thinking about the numbers in a unique way—ap*ing his mathematical knowledge to his observations of planetary motion. It was his boldness that set him apart.

　　Love your work. As a child, Einstein became fascinated with the way magnets are drawn to metal. "He couldn"t stop thinking about this stuff," Simonton pointed out. "He became obsessed with problems in physics by the time he was 16, and he never stopped working on them. It"s not surprising that he made major contributions by the time he was 26."

　　"For most of us, it"s not that we don"t have the ability," Simonton added, "it"s that we don"t devote the time. You have to put in the effort and put up with all the frustrations and obstacles."

　　Like other creative geniuses, Einstein was not motivated by a desire for fame, said Simonton. Instead, his obsession with his work was what set him apart.

　　Where such drive comes from remains a mystery. But it is found in nearly all creative geniuses—whether or not their genius is acknowledged by contemporaries.

　　"Emily Dickinson was not recognized for her poetry until after her death," said Simonton. "But she was not writing for fame. The same can be said of James Joyce, who didn"t spend a lot of time worrying about how many people would read Finnegans Wake."

　　Today, researchers have evidence that an intrinsic passion for one"s work is a key to rising above. In a 1985 study at Brandeis University conducted by Teresa Amabile, now a professor of business administration at Harvard University, a group of professional writers—none famous—were asked to write a short poem. Each writer was then randomly placed in one of three groups: One group was asked to keep in mind the idea of writing for money; another was told to think about writing just for pleasure; and a third group was given no instruction at all.

　　The poems then were submitted anonymously to a panel of professional writers for evaluation. The poetry written by people who thought about writing for money ranked lowest. Those who thought about writing just for pleasure did the best. "Motivation that comes from enjoying the work makes a significant difference, "Amabile said.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第四册Unit1课文讲解3

　　artillery

　　n. heavy guns, often mounted on wheels, used in fighting on land, branch of an army that uses these 火炮;大炮;炮兵(部队)

　　surveyor

　　n. a person whose job is to examine and record the area and features of a piece of land by measuring and calculating (土地)测量员;勘测员

　　unspectacular

　　a. ordinary; not exciting or special 不引人注意的;不惊人的

　　spectacular

　　a. (attracting attention because) impressive or extraordinary 引人注目的;出色的;与众不同的

　　carve

　　vt. 1. form (sth.) by cutting away material from wood or stone 雕刻;雕刻成

　　2. build (one"s career, reputation, etc.)by hard work 靠勤奋创(业)，靠勤奋树(名声)

　　uncompromising

　　a. not ready to make any compromise; firm or unyielding. 不妥协的.，坚定的;不让步的

　　influential

　　a. having a lot of influence on sb./sth. 有影响的;有权势的

　　genetics

　　n. the scientific study of the ways in which different characteristics are passed from each generation of living things to the next 遗传学

　　psychiatry

　　n. the study and treatment of mental illness 精神病学;精神病治疗

　　compose

　　vt. write (music, opera, poetry, etc.) 创作(音乐、歌剧、诗等)

　　symphony

　　n. a long complex musical composition for a large orchestra, usu. in three or four parts 交响乐

　　characteristic

　　n. a typical feature or quality 特点

　　unrelenting

　　a. not becoming less strong or severe; continuous 不松懈的，不放慢的;持续的

　　endow

　　vt. provide (sb./sth.) with a good quality, ability, feature, etc. 给予，赋予

　　super-normal

　　a. 超出一般的;超常的;非凡的

　　amazing

　　a. extremely good; esp. in a surprising and unexpected way 惊人的，令人吃惊的

　　cite

　　vt. mention (sb./sth.) as an example or to support an argument; refer to 引用，引证;举出

　　risk-taker

　　n. a person who dares to take risks 敢于冒险的人

　　thrust

　　vt. push (sth./sb./oneself) suddenly or violently (用力)推;强使

　　morale

　　n. state of confidence, enthusiasm, determination, etc. that a person or group has at a particular time 士气，精神状态

　　brilliantly

　　ad. in an outstanding manner 杰出地;才华横溢地

　　Allied

　　a. of the Allies (a group of countries fighting on the same side in a war, esp. those which fought with Britain in World Wars I and II) (第一次世界大战时期)协约国的;(第二次世界大战时期)同盟国的

　　ally

　　n. person, country, etc. joined with another in order to give help and support 同盟者;同盟国

　　evacuation

　　n. leaving a place of danger for a safer place 撤离;撤退

　　evacuate

　　v. 1. remove (sb.) from a place of danger to a safer place 撤退，撤出

　　2. leave or withdraw from (a place) 撤离(某处)

　　flag

　　vi. become tired or weak; begin to lose enthusiasm or energy 疲乏;变弱;(热情、精力等)衰退，低落

　　striking

　　a. attracting attention; unusual or interesting enough to be noticed 引人注目的;显著的，突出的

　　firstborn

　　n. a child born before other children 长子(或长女)

　　peacetime

　　n. a period when a country is not at war 和*时期

　　fireside

　　n. part of a room beside the fireplace, esp. considered as a warm comfortable place 壁炉旁

　　chat

　　n. a friendly informal conversation 闲谈，聊天

　　fireside chat

　　炉边亲切闲谈;(政治领袖在无线电或电视广播中)不拘形式的讲话

　　innate

　　a. (of a quality, feeling, etc.) in one"s nature; possessed from birth 天生的

　　landslide

　　n. (竞选中)压倒多数的选票;一面倒的胜利

　　equation

　　n. 等式;方程(式)

　　boldness

　　n. the state or quality of being confident and brave 勇敢，无畏

　　bold

　　a. confident and brave; daring 勇敢的，无畏的;敢作敢为的

　　magnet

　　n. a piece of iron or other material that can attract iron, either naturally or because of an electric current passed through it 磁铁

　　obsession

　　n. the state of being obsessed 着迷

　　contemporary

　　n. a person who lives or lived at the same time as another, usu. being roughly the same age 同代人;(几乎)同年龄的人

　　a. belong to the same time; of the present time; modern 属于同一时代的;当代的;现代的

　　poetry

　　n. poems collectively or in general [总称]诗

　　intrinsic

　　a. (of a value or quality) belonging naturally to sb./sth.; existing within sb./sth., rather than coming from outside 固有的;本质的;内在的

　　randomly

　　ad. without method or conscious choice 任意地，胡乱地

　　submit

　　vt. give (sth.) to sb./sth. so that it may be formally considered or so that a decision about it may be made 提交，呈递

　　anonymously

　　ad. without revealing one"s name 用匿名的方式

　　evaluation

　　n. the act of assessing or forming an idea of the amount, quality or value of sb./sth. 评价，评估

21世纪大学英语读写教程第四册Unit1课文讲解4

　　have (sth., nothing, a lot, etc.) to do with sb./sth.

　　be connected or concerned with sb./sth. to the extent specified 与某人 / 某事有(一些、毫无、很大)关系

　　make history

　　be or do sth. so important or unusual that it will be recorded in history 创造历史，影响历史的进程;做出值得纪念(或载入史册的)事情

　　rise above

　　become successful or outstanding 取得成功;出类拔萃

　　leave behind

　　cause to lag behind; surpass 把…丢在后面;超过

　　focus on

　　concentrate on 集中于;着重于

　　be endowed with

　　naturally have a good quality, ability, feature, etc. 天生具有

　　come out of

　　originate in or develop from 从…中获得;从…中发展而来

　　build...upon

　　base ... on; use (sth.) as a foundation for further progress 把…建立在…上

　　take charge

　　take control (of sth.); be responsible (for sth.) 掌管;负责

　　go /get nowhere

　　achieve no success or make no progress 不能成功;无进展

　　set ... apart

　　make (sb./sth.) different from or superior to others 使显得突出，使显得与众不同

　　put up with

　　tolerate or bear (sb./sth.) 忍受，容忍

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇（扩展9）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第8单元课文讲解 (菁选3篇)

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第8单元课文讲解1

　　Bill Heavy

　　When my father rings, I hurry down to the front door of my condo. There he is, in corduroy pants, the tread worn off the knees, and a shirt I outgrew in tenth grade. He"s come to help me put in a new garbage disposal. Actually, I"m helping him. His mechanical gene passed over his only son, on its way to some future generation. At 39, I"ve made my peace with this.

　　My father hasn"t been to my place since he helped me paint four years ago. The truth is, I"m often not sure how to talk to him. But this time it will be easy. We have a job to do.

　　In minutes he has taken over the whole enterprise, lying under the sink and squinting up into the machinery. And suddenly I am 12 years old again, watching him fix things and feeling useless.

　　As a child, I identified so strongly with my mother that I thought my father was just a long-term house guest with spanking privileges. She and I are bookish, introverted worriers. My father is an optimist who has never had a sleepless night in his life.

　　Like most fathers and sons, we fought. But there was no cooling-off period between rounds. It was a cold war lasting from the onset of my adolescence until I went off to college in 1973.I hated him. He was a former navy fighter pilot, with an Irish temper and a belief that all the problems of the world—including an overprotected son who never saw anything through to completion—could be cured by the application of more discipline.

　　At a time when an eighth-grader"s social status was measured in the fraction of an inch of hair kissing his collar, my father would march me down to the barbershop on Saturdays and triumphantly tell the man with the scissors. "Just leave him enough to comb." I would close my eyes, determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Without even thinking about it, I froze him out of my life, speaking only when spoken to. I learned to use silence like a knife. My one communique for an entire dinner was usually a sarcastic "May I be excused now? I have homework."

　　I lay awake at night imagining him being transferred by the gas company he worked for to an oil rig in the North Sea. But it didn"t happen, and soon all that remained was the contest of wills.

　　I went off to college, but he was still in my head. I could hear his voice every time I fell short in anything. Only when I began seeing my freelance articles in print did I begin to feel that I was slipping beyond his reach and into my own life.

　　Eventually I discovered that there is no anti-inflammatory agent like time. Now I wondered, could this aging 74-year-old be the giant who once thundered up the stairs to spank me, of whom I was so afraid that I wet my pants? In his place was someone I worried about, whom I dressed in my down hunting jacket for his annual pilgrimage to the Army-Navy game. My profession, which he had once ridiculed, saying, "Gee, do you think there"s any money in it?" now became a source of pride when fellow Rotarians mistook him for Bill Heavy "the writer." It was as if now that I no longer needed so desperately to please him, I had succeeded. We had become two old veterans from opposing armies, shaking hands years after the fighting, the combat so distant as to be a dream.

　　Before we can install the disposal, we have to snake out the pipes. Soon we get stuck trying to figure out how a gasket fits.

　　"Ah," he says finally, "we"re going to have to call a plumber."

　　This is not how I remember him. He used to be so stubborn, the kind of guy who could make IRS examiners throw up their hands in frustration and let him off. Now that I have his mind-set and don"t want to give up, it"s as if he"s acquired mine.

　　He says, "Besides, I gotta get home. Your mother and I have to be at a dinner party at 7:30."

　　"Don"t you pay for the plumber," he says. "Putting this thing in is part of my Christmas present to you."

　　Though we"ve failed to install the disposal, it"s been oddly satisfying. At last we"re on even ground. Maybe he wasn"t the best father. Maybe I wasn"t the best son, but I realize I will never be ready to cope with his leaving. I know that I"m luckier than some of my friends, whose fathers died while they were still locked in the battle that neither really wanted.

　　The plumber comes two days later. He secures the disposal in its place as easily as I buckle my belt.

　　Not long ago, I started badgering my parents to get their estate in order. They didn"t want to deal with it. I finally wrote them a letter saying if I were a parent, I would want to make damn sure the IRS got as little of my money as possible. I knew this would push my father"s buttons. It worked. They met with a lawyer.xc

　　Later, my father and I lunch at a restaurant near my office so he can fill me in on the details. "One thing I don"t want you to worry about is what"ll happen to me," he says, with the satisfied air of a man who has taken care of business. "The Navy will cremate me for free."

　　"And what about the ashes?" I ask, concerned only with practical things. It is as if we are talking about how to get rid of the old disposal.

　　"They scatter them at sea." He turns away, looking around for our waiter. Something breaks inside me. When he turns back, I am crying, hot tears springing up in my eyes so suddenly I"m almost choking.

　　"I don"t want you to die," I manage to say. "I don"t want them to scatter your ashes. I"ll scatter your ashes."

　　"Oh, Bill," he says, taken aback, totally at a loss about what to say. "I just didn"t want to burden you with it."

　　I have no way to tell him that I want to be burdened with it, that it is my birth right to be burdened with it. "I know," I say.

　　I don"t even look around to see if anybody is watching. I don"t care. I reach across the table for his hand and hold it, trying to stop the tears.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第8单元课文讲解2

　　condo

　　n. an apartment in a block of apartments of which each is owned by the people who live in it 公寓套间

　　corduroy

　　n. & a. 灯芯绒(的)

　　tread

　　n. grooved part on the surface 棱纹

　　outgrow

　　vt. grow too large or too tall for (esp. one"s clothes); grow faster or taller than 长大(或长高)而穿不下(原有的衣服等);长得比…快(或高)

　　garbage

　　n. rubbish, refuse 垃圾

　　garbage disposal

　　(装于厨房洗涤槽排水管内的)污物碾碎器

　　mechanical

　　a. 1. of, connected with, produced by machines 机械的";与机械有关的;由机械制成的

　　2. 手工操作的;技工的

　　squint

　　vi. look sideways or with half-shut eyes or through a narrow opening 瞟;眯着眼看;由小孔窥视

　　spank

　　vt. punish (a child) by slapping on the buttocks with the open hand or a slipper, etc. (用巴掌或拖鞋等)打(小孩的)屁股

　　introverted

　　a. (性格)内向的;不爱交际的

　　worrier

　　n. person who worries a lot 担心的人，发愁的人

　　optimist

　　n. a person who is always hopeful and looks upon the bright side of things 乐观的人;乐观主义者

　　cooling-off period

　　a period of time when two people or groups who are arguing about sth. can go away and think about how to improve the situation (争执双方冷静下来考虑如何改善关系的)冷却期

　　onset

　　n. the beginning (esp. of sth. unpleasant) (尤指不快之事的)开始

　　navy

　　n. 海军

　　fraction

　　n. 1. a small part, bit, amount, or proportion (of sth.) (某物的)小部分，一点儿，少许;片断

　　2. 分数;小数

　　collar

　　n. part of a garment that fits around the neck 衣领

　　barbershop

　　n. place where a man gets his face shaved and hair cut 理发店

　　triumphantly

　　ad. joyfully, satisfactorily (at a success or victory) 得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地

　　communique

　　n. official announcement 公报

　　sarcastic

　　a. 讽刺的，嘲笑的，挖苦的

　　rig

　　n. a large structure in the sea used for drilling oil wells 钻井架;钻塔

　　freelance

　　a. 自由作家的;自由职业者做的

　　anti-inflammatory

　　a. 抗炎的，消炎的;息怒的

　　agent

　　n. substance, natural phenomenon, etc. producing an effect 剂;自然力;动因

　　down

　　n. fine, soft feathers of young birds 羽绒

　　pilgrimage

　　n. 1. a journey to a sacred place or shrine 朝圣;朝觐

　　2. a journey to a place associated with sb. /sth. one respects 到敬仰的某处之行

　　ridicule

　　vt. make fun of; mock 嘲弄;嘲笑

　　gee

　　int. (used to express surprise, admiration, etc.) (用以表示惊奇、赞赏等)哎呀，嘿

　　oppose

　　vt. fight or complete against in a battle, competition, or election 反对;反抗;与…较量

　　snake

　　vt. 用长铁丝通条疏通(管道)

　　stuck

　　a. not able to move or continue doing sth. 不能动的;不能继续做某事的;被卡住的

　　gasket

　　n. 垫圈;衬垫;密封垫

　　plumber

　　n. workman who fits and repairs water-pipes, bathroom articles, etc. 管子工

　　mind-set

　　n. mentality, way of thinking 心态;思想倾向

　　buckle

　　n. (皮带等的)搭扣，搭钩

　　vt. 用搭扣把…扣住(或扣紧、扣上)

　　badger

　　vt. pester;nag persistently 纠缠;烦扰

　　estate

　　n. all the money and property that a person owns, esp. that which is left at death 财产;(尤指)遗产

　　cremate

　　vt. burn (a corpse) to ashes 火化(尸体)

　　aback

　　ad. backwards 向后地;退后地

　　birth right

　　与生俱来的权利

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第8单元课文讲解3

　　put in

　　install 安装

　　pass over

　　move past without touching; overlook; fail to notice 掠过;忽视;不注意

　　make one"s peace with

　　settle a quarrel with;accept 与…讲和;接受

　　identify with

　　regard oneself as sharing the characteristics or fortunes with 与…认同

　　see through

　　not give up (a task, undertaking, etc.) until it is finished 把(任务等)进行到底

　　freeze out

　　exclude (sb.) by a cold manner, competition, etc. (以冷淡态度、竞争等)排斥(某人)

　　in print

　　(of a person"s work) printed in a book, newspaper, etc. (指作品)已印出;已出版

　　throw up one"s hands

　　show that one is annoyed or has given up hope with sb. or sth. that causes trouble (因厌烦等而)突然举起双手;认定无望而放弃尝试

　　let off

　　excuse; not punish; not punish severely 原谅;不惩罚;对…从轻处理

　　push sb."s buttons

　　start sb. in action 使某人行动起来

　　fill sb. in (on sth.)

　　give sb. full details (about sth.) 对某人提供(有关某事的)详情

　　for free

　　without charge or payment 不要钱;免费

　　get rid of

　　become free of 扔掉，处理掉;摆脱

　　be taken aback

　　be startled 吃惊

　　at a loss

　　perplexed, uncertain 困惑;不知所措

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程The Future课文解读60篇（扩展10）

——21世纪大学英语读写基础教程Unit4课文讲解 (菁选2篇)

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程Unit4课文讲解1

　　One day, a man who seemed to own everything he could want suddenly felt a deep, inexplicable sadness. What"s wrong with him? Did he finally regain his happiness? Here is the story...

　　The Happiest Man in the World

　　Adapted by Amy Friedman

　　Once upon a time there lived a man named Henry who had both land and money. He loved his wife and their strong and healthy children. In short, Henry had everything a man could want. At least that"s the way it seemed to everyone who knew him.

　　But one morning Henry awoke from a deep sleep beneath a warm comforter, his eyes filled with tears. His heart felt heavy. "I"m unhappy," he said. For a moment he was frightened by such a feeling, but then he jumped out of bed, packed a picnic lunch and set off for a walk in the woods. He was determined to feel happy again.

　　Henry hiked for hours, looking at the bright blue sky, enjoying the crisp autumn day. Everyone he passed greeted him. His neighbor"s dog barked hello. Another neighbor, meeting him as he returned home, handed him a freshly baked pumpkin pie, which he took home for supper.

　　Henry had always loved pumpkin pie, but even the pie, and his children"s happy voices and the blaze of the fire in the hearth, did not lift his spirits. He fell asleep feeling unhappier than he had ever before felt in all his life.

　　When he woke the next morning, he was even sadder. "I must fix this," he said, and set off for the city, where he thought he would find a hundred ways to cheer himself. He purchased silver bracelets for his wife and bags of candy for his children. He bought himself a pair of the softest slippers he could find. He dined in an elegant restaurant, and ate his favorite foods. And still that night he felt a deep sadness.

　　Weeks passed in this way. The ripe pumpkins in the field that had once brought him joy did nothing to raise his spirits. Neither did the moonlit nights, the honking geese, the flowing streams, the fields of hay, the chatter of the children, the feel of his soft new slippers. Henry sipped hot chocolate. He ate ripe apples. He bathed in warm baths and listened to beautiful music. But nothing helped.

　　At last, at his wit"s end, Henry went to see a wise man, and there he begged with a voice filled with misery and longing. "Sir, please tell me what I can do to find a way to lift my heavy heart. I must be cured of this terrible illness, which seems to have come from nowhere. I must find happiness."

　　"That which is clear to some people is sometimes hidden from others," the wise man said. "You must find the happiest man in the world. When you find him, ask him to trade his shirt for yours. Happiness will be yours once again."

　　Henry set off at once to find the happiest man in the world. One after another he came upon men who told him they were happy. Then Henry asked them one question: "Would you be happier if I gave you all my money?"

　　"Yes," each man answered.

　　"Then you are not the happiest man in the world," Henry said, and he went on searching.

　　One day as he walked through the forest, he heard someone in the distance singing the happiest song he had ever heard. He followed the sound and soon came to a woodcutter chopping logs.

　　"Excuse me. My name is Henry, and I am looking for the happiest man in the world," he said.

　　"You"ve come to the right man," the woodcutter said. "I"m happy as can be."

　　"Ah, then," Henry said, "would you like me to give you all my money?"

　　The woodcutter laughed. "I have no need for your money. Look at all I have," and he beckoned Henry to look at the forest—at the red and golden leaves, at the squirrels scurrying across the forest floor, at the birds perched overhead, at the deer grazing nearby.

　　"At last!" Henry cried. "I have been searching for you for a long time now. The wise man told me that if I exchanged shirts with the happiest man in the world, I would be cured of my illness. You see, I"m unhappy. Please, will you exchange your shirt for mine?"

　　The happiest man in the world looked closely at Henry, and then he began to laugh and laugh. He laughed until the forest echoed with his laughter.

　　When at last he quieted himself, Henry asked him, "How can you laugh at such a serious request? You see my shirt. It"s made of the finest cotton, and it will be yours. All I need is to wear yours."

　　And then the woodcutter unbuttoned his tattered coat, and Henry saw that the happiest man in the world wasn"t wearing a shirt.

　　"I own no shirts," the woodcutter said. "But now you know that you have the strength to seek all that you think you should have."

　　Henry smiled, for now he understood why the wise man had sent him on this journey. He felt his heart became light once more.

　　(841 words)

21世纪大学英语读写基础教程Unit4课文讲解2

　　beneath

　　prep.in or to a lower position than 在…的下面

　　comforter

　　n. (美)盖被

　　unhappy

　　a. 不愉快的，不幸福的

　　picnic

　　n. 郊游野餐;户外用餐;(个人自带食品的)聚餐

　　determine

　　v. (cause to) make a decision (使)下决心

　　* hike

　　v. take a long walk in the country (在乡间)作徒步旅行;远足

　　* crisp

　　a. 1. (of the air, weather, etc.) cold, dry and fresh (空气、气候等)干而冷的;清爽的;清新的

　　2. hard and dry; easily broken 干而硬的;脆的;易碎的

　　bark

　　vi. (at) make the short, sharp cry that a dog and some other animals make (狗等动物)吠，叫

　　* pumpkin

　　n. 南瓜

　　pie

　　n. 馅饼(一种西式点心)

　　* blaze

　　n. 1. (a burst of) a bright flame 火焰;烈火

　　2. a bright show of lights, colours, etc. 光辉;灿烂

　　vi. burn brightly and strongly 熊熊燃烧

　　hearth

　　n. 壁炉炉床;壁炉边(被认为是家庭生活的"中心)

　　purchase

　　vt. (fml) buy [正式]购买

　　n. 1. (fml) the act of buying [正式]购买

　　2. a thing that has been bought 购买之物

　　bracelet

　　n. 手镯;臂镯

　　candy

　　n. (esp. AmE) a sweet, sweets, or (a piece of) chocolate (尤美)糖果

　　slipper

　　n. a type of soft comfortable shoe for wearing inside the house 室内便鞋，拖鞋

　　* dine

　　vi. (fml) eat dinner [正式]用膳;进餐

　　elegant

　　a. beautiful and graceful 高雅的，优美的

　　sadness

　　n. 悲伤

　　moonlit

　　a. lighted by the moon 有月光的，月明的

　　honk

　　v. (雁)叫;按汽车喇叭

　　flow

　　v. (of liquid) move continuously and easily (液体)流动，流淌

　　stream

　　n. 1. a natural flow of water smaller than a river 小河，小溪

　　2. (of) a continuous flow of things or people 一连串，川流不息

　　hay

　　n. long grass that has been cut and dried, esp. used as animal food (作牲畜饲料用的)干草

　　chatter

　　n. rapid unimportant conversation 喋喋不休，饶舌

　　vi. talk quickly, continuously, and for a long time, usu. about sth. unimportant 喋喋不休，饶舌

　　* sip

　　v. drink only a little at a time 小口地喝，啜饮

　　n. a very small amount of a drink 一小口

　　chocolate

　　n. 巧克力;巧克力饮料

　　wit

　　n. 1. power of thought 才智，才能

　　2. the ability to use words in a clever and humorous way 风趣;幽默

　　* misery

　　n. great unhappiness or great pain (of body or mind) (身心的)痛苦，不幸

　　longing

　　n. (for)a strong feeling of wanting sth. 渴望

　　nowhere

　　ad. 什么地方都不，无处

　　woodcutter

　　n. a man whose job is to cut down trees in a forest 伐木者，樵夫

　　chop

　　v. cut by repeatedly hitting with an axe or other sharp instrument 砍，劈

　　log

　　n. a thick piece of wood cut from a tree 原木，圆材，干材

　　beckon

　　v. call or signal with a movement of the head, head, etc. (用头或手的动作)示意，召唤

　　squirrel

　　n. 松鼠

　　scurry

　　vi. hurry; move quickly, esp. with small short steps (尤指用小步)急跑，急赶

　　perch

　　vi. (of a bird)come to rest, esp. on a thin, raised object such as a branch (鸟)飞落，暂栖

　　overhead

　　a. & ad.(located or passing) above one"s head 在头顶上(的)，在空中(的)

　　deer

　　n. 鹿

　　* graze

　　vi. feed on growing grass, as cattle, sheep, etc. (牛、羊等)啃食牧草

　　nearby

　　a. & ad. near; close by (在)附近(的)

　　exchange

　　v. (for, with) give sb. sth. and receive sth. of the same kind in return 交换

　　echo

　　vi. (with) (of a place) be filled with echoes 发出回声，产生回响

　　n. a sound sent back or repeated from a surface such as a wall 回声，声音

　　laughter

　　n. an act or sound of laughing 笑，笑声

　　request

　　n. an act of asking for sth 要求，请求

　　vt. ask (for) 要求，请求

　　unbutton

　　v. 解开(纽扣)

　　tattered

　　a. (esp. of clothes) old and torn (尤指衣服)破旧的，破烂的

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　in short

　　briefly stated; in a few words 总而言之

　　at least

　　至少

　　for a moment

　　片刻，一会儿

　　set off

　　start going 出发， 动身

　　at last

　　终于

　　at one"s wit"s end

　　(infml) completely at a loss or in despair [非正式]智穷计尽;全然不知所措

　　from nowhere

　　从不知道的地方

　　once again

　　再一次

　　one after another

　　one by one; repeatedly or continuously 一个接一个地;接连地

　　come upon

　　meet, find, or discover by chance (偶然)遇见，发现

　　go on

　　continue without stopping or without change 继续

　　once more

　　再一次

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