第 1 页：考研英语辅导讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章一 第 2 页：考研英语讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章二 第 3 页：考研英语讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章三 第 4 页：考研英语讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章四 第 5 页：考研英语讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章五 第 6 页：考研英语讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章之六 第 7 页：考研英语讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章七 第 8 页：考研英语讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章八 第 9 页：考研英语讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章九 第 10 页：考研英语讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章之十

考研英语讲义:推荐背诵的十篇精选文章二

1. Reading Comprehension

Text  1

    Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry -- William Shakespeare -- but there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon. And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s birthplace and the other sights.

    The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue. They frankly dislike the RSC’s actors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness. It’s all deliciously ironic when you consider that Shakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise-making.

    The tourist streams are not entirely separate. The sightseers who come by bus -- and often take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the side – don’t usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford. However, the playgoers do manage a little sight-seeing along with their playgoing. It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much of the town’s revenue because they spend the night (some of them four or five nights) pouring cash into the hotels and restaurants. The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall.

    The townsfolk don’t see it this way and the local council does not contribute directly to the subsidy of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford cries poor traditionally. Nevertheless every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or cocktail lounge. Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet Hamburger Bars, the Lear Lounge, the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive.

    Anyway, the townsfolk can’t understand why the Royal Shakespeare Company needs a subsidy. (The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row. Last year its 1,431 seats were 94 per cent occupied all year long and this year they’ll do better.) The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low.

    It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford’s most attractive clientele. They come entirely for the plays, not the sights. They all seem to look alike (though they come from all over) -- lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing jeans and sandals, eating their buns and bedding down for the night on the flagstones outside the theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing-room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them when the box office opens at 10:30 a.m. (466 words)

    Notes: Stratford-on-Avon (阿文河上的)斯特拉福；莎士比亚 (1564 --1616, 英国诗人，戏剧家) 的出生地。superb adj.卓越的，杰出的，极好的。live off (=live on) 靠…为生。sandal凉鞋。take in (=visit) 参观。on the side 附加地，额外地，另外。bring in 从外带入。in a row 连续地。a shame 太过分的事，令人难堪的事，很遗憾。clientele顾客。dedicated adj. 专心工作的，埋头苦干的。flagstone 石板。box office售票口。

1. From the first two paragraphs, we learn that

[A] the townsfolk deny the RSC’s contribution to the town’s revenue.
[B] the actors of the RSC imitate Shakespeare on and off stage.
[C] the two branches of the RSC are not on good terms.  
[D] the townsfolk earn little from tourism.

2. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that

[A] the sightseers cannot visit the Castle and the Palace separately.
[B] the playgoers spend more money than the sightseers.
[C] the sightseers do more shopping than the playgoers.  
[D] the playgoers go to no other places in town than the theater.

3. By saying "Stratford cries poor traditionally"(Line 2 Paragraph 4), the author implies that

[A] Stratford cannot afford the expansion projects.              [B] Stratford has long been in financial difficulties.
[C] the town is not really short of money.                      [D] the townsfolk used to be poorly paid.

4. According to the townsfolk, the RSC deserves no subsidy because

[A] ticket prices can be raised to cover the spending.            [B] the company is financially ill-managed.
[C] the behavior of the actors is not socially acceptable.         [D] the theatre attendance is on the rise.

5. From the text we can conclude that the author

[A] is supportive of both sides.                             [B] favors the townsfolk’s view.
[C] takes a detached attitude.                               [D] is sympathetic to the RSC.

Text  2

    Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn't know for sure? That the evidence was inconclusive, the science uncertain? That the antismoking lobby was out to destroy our way of life and the government should stay out of the way? Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves.

    There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earth's atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect ourselves. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Albert, added this key point in the preface to the panel's report "Science never has all the answers. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present actions."

    Just as on smoking, voices now come from many quarters insisting that the science about global warming is incomplete, that it's OK to keep pouring fumes into the air until we know for sure. This is a dangerous game: by the time 100 percent of the evidence is in, it may be too late. With the risks obvious and growing, a prudent people would take out an insurance policy now.

    Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But it's obvious that a majority of the president's advisers still don't take global warming seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue to press for more research -- a classic case of "paralysis by analysis."

    To serve as responsible stewards of the planet, we must press forward on deeper atmospheric and oceanic research.  But research alone is inadequate. If the Administration won't take the legislative initiative, Congress should help to begin fashioning conservation measures. A bill by Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which would offer financial incentives for private industry, is a promising start. Many see that the country is getting ready to build lots of new power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are ever going to protect the atmosphere, it is crucial that those new plants be environmentally sound. (421 words)

1. An argument made by supporters of smoking was that

  [A] there was no scientific evidence of the correlation between smoking and death.
  [B] the number of early deaths of smokers in the past decades was insignificant.
  [C] people had the freedom to choose their own way of life.
  [D] antismoking people were usually talking nonsense.

2. According to Bruce Alberts, science can serve as

  [A] a protector.         [B] a judge.           [C] a critic.            [D] a guide.

3. What does the author mean by "paralysis by analysis"(Last line, Paragraph 4)?

  [A] Endless studies kill action.                 [B] Careful investigation reveals truth.
  [C] Prudent planning hinders progress.           [D] Extensive research helps decision-making.

4. According to the author, what should the Administration do about global warming?

  [A] Offer aid to build cleaner power plants.      [B] Raise public awareness of conservation.
  [C] Press for further scientific research.           [D] Take some legislative measures.                                     

5. The author associates the issue of global warning with that of smoking because

  [A] they both suffered from the government's negligence.  [B] a lesson from the latter is applicable to the former.
  [C] the outcome of the latter aggravates the former.       [D] both of them have turned from bad to worse.

Text  3

    It is said that in England death is pressing, in Canada inevitable and in California optional. Small wonder. Americans’ life expectancy has nearly doubled over the past century. Failing hips can be replaced, clinical depression controlled, cataracts removed in a 30-minute surgical procedure. Such advances offer the aging population a quality of life that was unimaginable when I entered medicine 50 years ago. But not even a great health-care system can cure death – and our failure to confront that reality now threatens this greatness of ours.

    Death is normal; we are genetically programmed to disintegrate and perish, even under ideal conditions. We all understand that at some level, yet as medical consumers we treat death as a problem to be solved. Shielded by third-party payers from the cost of our care, we demand everything that can possibly be done for us, even if it’s useless. The most obvious example is late-stage cancer care. Physicians – frustrated by their inability to cure the disease and fearing loss of hope in the patient – too often offer aggressive treatment far beyond what is scientifically justified.

    In 1950, the U.S. spent $12.7 billion on health care. In 2002, the cost will be $1,540 billion. Anyone can see this trend is unsustainable. Yet few seem to try to reverse it. Some scholars conclude that a government with finite resources should simply stop paying for medical care that sustains life beyond a certain age – say 83 or so. Former Colorado governor Richard Lamm has been quoted as saying that the old and infirm “have a duty to die and get out of the way” so that younger healthier people can realize their potential.

    I would not go that far. Energetic people now routinely work through their 60s and beyond, and remain dazzlingly productive. At 78, Viacom chairman Summer Redstone jokingly claims to be 53. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is in her 70s, and former surgeon general C. Everett Koop chairs an Internet start-up in his 80s. These leaders are living proof that prevention works and that we can manage the health problems that come naturally with age. As a mere 68-year-old, I wish to age as productively as they have.

    Yet there are limits to what a society can spend in this pursuit. I know the most costly and dramatic measures may be ineffective and painful. I also know that people in Japan and Sweden, countries that spend far less on medical care, have achieved longer, healthier lives than we have. As a nation, we may be overfunding the quest for unlikely cures while underfunding research on humbler therapies that could improve people’s lives. (439 words)

1. What is implied in the first sentence?

  A. Americans are better prepared for death than other people. 
  B. Americans enjoy a higher life quality than ever before.
  C. Americans are over-confident of their medical technology. 
  D. Americans take a vain pride in their long life expectancy.

2. The author uses the example of cancer patients to show that ________.

  A. medical resources are often wasted                  B. doctors are helpless against fatal diseases
  C. some treatments are too aggressive                 D. medical costs are becoming unaffordable

3. The author’s attitude toward Richard Lamm’s remark is one of ________.  

  A. strong disapproval        B. reserved consent        C. slight contempt       D. enthusiastic support

4. In contrast to the U.S., Japan and Sweden are funding their medical care ________.

  A. more flexibly            B. more extravagantly       C. more cautiously       D. more reasonably

5. The text intends to express the idea that ________.

  A. medicine will further prolong people’s lives              B. life beyond a certain limit is not worth living
  C. death should be accepted as a fact of life               D. excessive demands increase the cost of health care

Text  4  (课外阅读)

    "The ship sank in minutes ... she went stern first on to her port side and sank very quickly, until just her turrets were visible. She paused then and just disappeared under the sea and was gone." The last moments of the HMS EDIMBURGH, remembered by one of her crew. It was 2 May, 1942. The British cruiser was on her way home from Murmansk. She was carrying a rather unusual cargo in her bomb room -- five and a half tons of gold bullion, payment by the Russians for American armaments.

    For nearly forty years she lay undisturbed, 800 feet down at the bottom of the Barents Sea, beneath the icy waters of the Arctic Circle. After the war she was declared a war grave. This and her depth effectively ruled out the traditional methods of salvaging her cargo. No diver could get down to work on the wreck, and no-one would be allowed to blast her open with explosives and grab what he could. So for years the HMS EDINBURGH remained a treasure infinitely desirable but always beyond reach.

    Enter now Keith Jessop, who felt sure the cargo could be salvaged. A diver himself once, who had done some small-time salvage, Jessop had been doing a lot of research. He had discovered in the Public Record Office the receipt for the gold bars that confirmed that they had been loaded aboard the cruiser. He also found the secret reports informing the Admiralty that the gold was still in the bomb room when the ship sank. So he had official confirmation that this was not another old sea-dog's yarn about buried treasure. More than that, he was convinced he knew how the gold could be recovered from that depth without desecrating a war grave. The answer lay in a technique called saturation diving, developed in the North Sea and elsewhere for the oil exploration business.

    After endless problems a salvage team set off from northern Norway in early May, 1981. By now, the success of the operation was out of Jessop's hands. As the director of operations put it: "It's like searching London for someone in thick fog with only a torch to see with."

    Undaunted (=fearless), however, when they reached the search area in the Barents Sea they lowered the sonar equipment overboard to scan the seabed for likely large objects. Incredibly, on their first sweep, something large was traced out on the sonar chart. Experience suggested it was a wreck and, miraculously, it turned out to be the HMS EDINBURGH.

    In many ways, the finding of the wreck was the most dramatic moment of the whole mission. A dream had turned into reality. The problem was no longer if, but how. What had started as a gamble became a hard commercial risk. The recovery of the gold was still going to be immensely difficult; indeed, the deepest salvage of its kind had never been attempted. But the journey's end was now in sight.  (495 words)

    Notes: stern n. 船尾；port side 左舷一边；turret 炮塔；cruiser巡洋舰；rule out 排除；salvage vt.打捞；Admiralty 海军部； sea-dog (贬) 海员；desecrate vt. 亵渎；trace out 画出轮廓；turned out to be 结果是；be in sight 看得见，遥遥在望。

1. When the HMS EDINBURGH sank __________.

   A. she was on her way back to England         B. she went down with all the members of her crew
   C. she had been missing for several days        D. she turned upside-down before disappearing under the water

2. The ship lay undisturbed for nearly 40 years because __________.

   A. no explosives were strong enough to blast her open     B. no traditional methods of salvaging were feasible
   C. no diver was allowed to approach a war grave           D. no diver could stand the icy temperatures of the sea

3. Keith Jessop was convinced that the stories about the HMS EDINBURGH were true because _________.

   A. he had documentary evidence to prove his case         B. he had been told the stories by a reliable old sea-dog
   C. he had been sent a secret report from the Admiralty      D. he had been doing some diving in that area himself

4. When the salvage team began their attempts to locate the wreck __________.

   A. they found their equipment would not operate in thick fog    
   B. they were assisted by some sophisticated scanning equipment
   C. their expensive equipment was almost wrecked on the seabed
   D. their sonar equipment was washed overboard by the heavy seas

5. The finding of the wreck meant that _________.

   A. their problems were now at an end                  B. their dream of getting the gold had come true
   C. their mission had now been fulfilled                 D. their promise of success might now be realized

 

Text  2  Word  Study

1. argue  argue against …据理反对; 证明……是不能成立的: 1) All the evidence argued against the theory that the disease was transmitted by water. 所有证据都证明这个理论是不能成立的: 这种疾病是由水传播的。  2) Father argued fiercely against any increase in expenditure for the children’s birth-day party. 父亲据理反对增加孩子们生日聚会的花费。 argue about 争论关于某事：I won’t argue about the matter.  argue sb. into doing sth. 通过争论使某人做某事：We argued him into surrendering the control of the chain company. 我们通过争论使他放弃对链锁公司的控制。 同根词 argument n. 辩论，争论；论点，论据。argumentation  n. 立论，论证；辩论，争论。argumentative  adj. 爱争论的，好辩论的。

2. sure adj. 确实，无疑，有把握：I think he’s coming, but I’m not quite sure. You are sure of a warm welcome. 你一定会受到热烈欢迎。You’re sure to fail if you do it that way. You seem very sure of yourself, young man. 小伙子，你未免太自信了吧！  常用成语：for sure肯定： One thing is sure. We’ve won a great victory. I think he lives there but I couldn’t say for sure. 我想他住在那里，但我不能肯定。 make sure 确保： I think the door is locked, but I’d better go and make sure. 我想门已经锁了，但我最好还是去查一下。 to be sure 当然：He’s clever, to be sure, but not very hard-working. 当然，他很聪明，但是不怎么勤奋。

3. critical adj. 决定性的，关键的；危急时刻的。 be critical of 批评的, 爱挑毛病的: 1) Don’t be so critical of everyone else. (不要对别人如此挑剔。)  2) If you really understood the difficulties facing the government, you wouldn’t be so critical of its spending reductions.（如果你真地理解政府面临的困难, 你就不会对其削减开支的做法如此挑剔。）

Text  3  Word  Study

1.press vt./vi. 1) 按，压，踩：Press the button to start the engine. (请按按钮起动发动机。)  I don’t like shoes that press. (我不喜欢紧的鞋。)  2) 熨烫 vt.：Will you press my trousers for me before tomorrow?  3) (人群)挤，涌：The people were pressing so hard against the President’s car that they almost overturned it.  4) 敦促，催逼：His daughters pressed Shelley to join them.  It’s no use pressing him; he doesn’t like to be hurried.  The matter does not press. (这件事不紧迫。)  The police pressed the students back behind the barriers. (警察迫使学生退到路障后面。)
press n. 新闻界，舆论，报章杂志（和the连用）：Defend the freedom of the press. (维护新闻自由。)  The press will give us a great backing. (舆论会大力支持我们的。)  The meeting was reported by the press. 
同根词：pressing  adj. 紧迫的，急待解决的：Is the matter pressing?   Their attention ought to be focused on the more pressing problems.  The professor is returning on account of pressing duties at home.
常用成语：1) be pressed for time (money) 缺乏时间、金钱：We are pressed for time. We must hurry up. (我们时间不够。我们必须赶紧。)  2) press ahead with 加紧（努力）：We must press ahead with our efforts to reach an agreement.   3) press for 急切要求： They are pressing for reforms. (他们急切要求改革。)  Everyone began pressing him for details. (人人都要求他说明细节。)

2.opt v. (=decide to do sth.; choose) 决定做某事，选择：He opted to go Paris rather than London. （他决定去巴黎而不是伦敦。） Fewer students are opting for science courses nowadays. (现在选修理科的学生少了。) 
同根词：option n. 选择余地；选择权：1) You have the option of leaving or staying.   2) Every voter should exercise his option.  optional 可选择的；选修的：You don’t have to have this radio in your new car; it’s an optional extra.

3. imagine vt. 想象。同根词：imaginable(可以想象出的)；imaginary（假想的）； imaginative（有想象力的）：1) He is the most suitable person imaginable. (他是可以想象出的最合适的人。)  2) The story is not real; it is only imaginary. （这个故事不是真实的，只是假想的。）  3) The artist’s imaginative use of color delighted the critics. (这位画家富有想象力的使用色彩使这些评论家兴高采烈。)  image影像，偶像，雕像。imagination n. 想像力：He has plenty of imagination.

4. fund n. 基金，积累的一笔专款：Hard up families receive cash subsidies from the welfare funds. (经济困难的家庭从福利基金中得到现金补贴。)  fund (复数) 资金，存款，现款，钱：Through lack of funds the scheme fell through. (由于缺乏资金，这项计划失败了。)  They ought to be furnished with the necessary funds. (他们应该得到这些必要的资金。)
fund vt. 资助，为…提供资金：1) We are hoping that the government will fund the project. (我们正在盼望政府给这个项目提供资金。)  2) The university scientists’ research for a cure of this disease is being funded by the government. (这座大学的科学家为治疗这种疾病所进行的研究正得到政府的拨款。)
同根词：overfund vt. 为…提供过量资金。underfund vt. 对…提供资金不足。

Text  4   Word Study

1.rule out (=exclude, eliminate; make impossible, prevent, forbid) 把…排除在外，不把…考虑在内；使不可能，禁止。例如：The regulations rule out anyone under the age of eighteen.(这些规章排除了18岁以下的任何人。)  The possibility of suicide was ruled out.（自杀的可能性被排除了。）  I’m sure that the doctor would rule out visits from you as much too exciting for the patient.（我确信，医生会禁止你们去探望，因为这样会使病人过分兴奋。）

2. present adj. 1) 在场，出席：Every member of the class was present.  2) 存在：Carbon is present in many minerals.   3) 现在的：At the present moment he is supposed to be in Paris.
present n. 现在：I live in the present, not in the past.   常用成语： at present 目前：At present we are living in New York.  for the present 暂且：For the present we had better do nothing.
present n. 礼物：I am just going out to get some presents for my sister.
present vt. 1) 赠送：He carried a copy out into the kitchen and presented it to Maria.   2) 颁发，递交：The principal will present the diplomas.   3) 提出 (论点，看法等)：The speaker presented arguments for his side.  4) 呈现出，显露出：Although he may be troubled, he always presents a calm smiling face.   5) present itself (机会等)出现:  A good opportunity has presented itself for doing what you suggested.                                                  

3. thought 思想，思考。
常用成语： give thought to 思考。例如：You will easily solve the problem only if you will give a bit of thought to it.
at the thought of 一想到…。 例如：I was delighted at the thought of seeing you again.
in thought 在沉思中。 例如：A.作表语：He was in deep thought. (=He was deep in thought.)     B.作状语：He walked slowly back towards the site in deep thought.
on second thoughts 经过再三考虑。例如：But on second thoughts I made up my mind to travel without any food with me. 
同根词：thoughtful 深思的，思考的；体贴人的，关切的。       thoughtless 考虑不周的；不体贴别人的。

4. adjust (to) vt./vi. 调整，校正，（使）适应。例如：1) The desks and seats can be adjusted to the height of any child.  2) I must adjust my watch, it’s slow.          3) Astronauts in flight must adjust to weightlessness.
同根词：adjustable 可调节的。例如：An adjustable electric lamp can be placed in various positions.
adjustment  n.  调整，调节，适应。 例如：They have made a most satisfactory adjustment to their environment.

5. 否定副词：barely (=only just; scarcely) 仅够；几乎没有。例如：1) We barely had time to catch the train.   2)He was so weakened by the disease that he could barely stand up.
scarcely (only just; hardly) 仅仅；几乎不。例如：1) I scarcely know him.   2) Scarcely had she entered the room when the phone rang. 
hardly (=only just; scarcely) 仅够；几乎没有。例如：He can hardly arrived yet. (他大概还没有到。)
rarely (not often, seldom) 不常，很少。例如：Only rarely do I eat in restaurants.

6. let down (=disappoint; fall short of the expectation of ) 使…失望；辜负…的期望。例如：Don’t let me down. I need your help.
let in (=allow to enter) 让…进来。例如：Let me in.     
let off 放（枪、炮、烟火等）；宽恕，从宽处理。例如：The mother said she would let off her son washing the dishes if he could finish his assignment before supper. (1995年试题)   
let alone 不干涉，不管；更不用说。例如：1) Since she is angry, we might as well let her alone. (既然她生气了，我们不妨不要管她。) （1981年试题）  2) Countless divorced politicians would have been elected out of office years ago had they even thought of a divorce, let alone gotten one. (无数离婚的政治家，如果那时即使想到要离婚，更不用说真的离婚了，本来就会落选的。)

II. Writing: (提纲式议论作文)   

Directions: In this part, you are to write an essay of 160 -- 200 words within 30--35 minutes entitled“Importance of Confidence”. Your essay should be based on the information given in the outline below:

1.Importance of confidence

2.Reasons for lack of confidence

3.Necessity to build up confidence
信心的重要性

    一个人不管做什么事, 他应该充满信心地去做。如果他没有信心, 当他面临困难时，他取得成功的可能性就很小。这个道理似乎明白无误。 然而, 在现实中我们确实看到许多人总是抱怨说, 他们缺乏办事的能力, 或者说, 形势对他们来说太严峻因此无法对付。对于有些人来说, 这可能是对的。但是对许多其他人来说, 这只能表明他们已经失去信心。

    为什么有些人即使能够办得到的事也常常感到灰心呢? 我认为有两点原因。首先, 这些人对自己没有一个正确的估计。例如，面对研究生入学考试，有些人往往丧失信心并退却了。其次, 还有一种可能, 就是他们往往夸大他们所遇到的困难。他们似乎觉得这些困难大得克服不了。他们看不到，只要他们刻苦努力，所有的障碍都是能够突破的。

    依我看, 一个人只要对自己的能力有正确的态度, 就有可能建立对自己的信心。 我们既不应过高估计我们的能力, 也不应该过低估计我们的能力。常言道: "有志者事竟成"。只要有信心, 我们一定能完成任何面临的任务。

The Importance of Confidence

    Whatever one does, he should do it with confidence. Without confidence, it is almost impossible for him to achieve anything, when he is faced with difficulties. In reality, however, we do see a lot of people who always complain that they are lacking in (=lack) the ability to do something or that the situation is too critical for them to deal with. For some, this might be true. But for many others, this only shows that they have lost confidence.

    Why do some people often feel frustrated even though they are capable of doing something? I think there are two main reasons. In the first place, they don’t have a correct estimate of themselves. For example, in the face of the postgraduate entrance examination, some of us tend to lose heart and give in. Secondly, there is another possibility that they often exaggerate the difficulties they meet with. It seems to them that the hardships are too great to get over. They can’t see that all the barriers can be broken through only if they make painstaking efforts.

    In my opinion, one should build up faith in oneself as long as he has a right attitude towards his own abilities. We should neither underestimate nor overestimate our abilities. As a proverb says, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” With confidence we can certainly cope with any task we are confronted with.  (237 words)

    背记重点词语汉英对照：1.困难：difficulty, hardship, barrier。  2.面临：be faced with, be confronted with。3.克服(困难)：overcome, get over, break through (difficulties)。4.我认为，我觉得：I think … , It seems to me that …。5.对…丧失信心：lose confidence in …。获得对…信心：gain confidence in …。缺乏对…信心：lack confidence in …。树立对…信心：create (=establish) confidence in …。增强某人做…的信心和决心：strengthen one’s confidence and determination to do sth.。6.顺利解决：deal with … successfully, cope with…。 7.有了…就能…：with …, … can …。 8. 夸大：exaggerate, overestimate。 9.可以毫不夸张地说…：It is no exaggeration to say that …。

    Put the following sentences from Chinese into English:

1. 不管你买得起多少，我们都欢迎（感激）。 

2.他们面临许多问题时，往往丧失信心。

3.他们常常夸大他们遇到的困难。

4. 我们常常看到一些人缺乏克服困难的勇气。

5. 可以毫不夸张地说，只要有信心和决心, 我们一定能完成任何面临的任务。

作业： 1. 认真复习本单元内容；阅读文章要反复看几遍；词汇工作要天天背记。

       2. 攻读“复习指导”语法结构和词汇（介词、短语动词和词汇）；

       3. 把作文要英汉对照，注意英汉表达的差异；注意短文的框架结构和常用句型；

       4. 背记单词要注意词的多义性和搭配关系，要勤查牛津词典或朗文词典。

赠言：不要被别人的成功所煎熬，也不要为自己的失落而沮丧。你或许已经浪费了许多宝贵的时光。认定一个奋斗目标，执著地追求吧。滴水穿石，贵在坚持。-- 朱泰祺。
Text  1 参考译文

    正如我们大家所知道的，阿文河上的斯特拉福小城只拥有一个行业，即威廉 莎士比亚，可是却拥有两个截然不同的、日益敌视的分支。一个分支就是皇家莎士比亚公司(RSC)；这家公司提供阿文河上的莎士比亚纪念剧院演出的优秀剧本。还有一个分支则是这个小城的市民，他们大多靠旅游者为生，这些旅游者到这里来不是看戏而是参观Anne Hathaway的小屋、莎士比亚出生地和其他的名胜景点。

    斯特拉福城可敬的居民们怀疑剧院是否给他们带来什么收入。他们坦城表示不喜欢皇家莎士比亚公司的演员，这些人留着长发、蓄着胡须，穿着凉鞋，吵吵嚷嚷。当你想到莎士比亚自己就是一位蓄着胡须的演员并且也曾吵吵嚷嚷，可现在又在为他们谋生时，这是多么有趣的讽刺啊。

    游客并未完全分流。乘公共汽车来并且常常顺便参观沃里克城堡和布伦亨宫殿的观光客通常并不看戏，他们中有的人甚至惊讶地发现在斯特拉福有一座剧院。然而，来看戏的人看戏之余的确会参观一些地方。皇家莎士比亚公司认为，正是这些看戏的人带来了这个城镇的大部分收入，因为他们花钱在旅馆过夜（其中有些人住4 – 5夜），在餐厅就餐。而旅游者可能参观各处，但在夜幕降临前离开城镇。

    城镇居民并不这样看待这个问题；地方议会也没有直接拨款给皇家莎士比亚公司。斯特拉福向来就哭穷。然而，城里的每个旅馆似乎正在加建一个侧厅或鸡尾酒大厅。希尔顿正在那里建造自己的旅馆。你可以确信，这个新旅馆将装饰有哈姆雷特汉堡酒吧、里尔休息厅、班库宴会厅等等，而价格将十分昂贵。

    不管怎样，小镇居民无法理解为什么皇家莎士比亚公司需要拨款补贴。(该剧院已连续3年打破上座率记录。去年该剧院1431个座位全年有94%的上座率，而今年将会更好。) 当然，其原因是费用急剧上升而票价一直偏低。

    把票价抬得太高也不是好事，因为这样做会把那些斯特拉福最有吸引力的年轻顾客赶跑。这些人完全是为看戏而不是为观光来的。他们看起来很相似（尽管来自五湖四海）：瘦削、尖脸、表情专注、穿着牛仔裤和凉鞋、吃圆面包并晚上睡在剧院外面的石板上，在上午10点半售票口开门时买20张座位票和80张专为这些人出售的站票。

Text  2 参考译文

    你是否记得那些年代？那时科学家争辩说，吸烟会夺去我们的生命，但是怀疑论者坚持说，我们现在还不能肯定。他们说，证据还不确凿，科学上还没有定论。他们还说，反对吸烟的游说是要摧毁我们的生活方式，政府不应该介入。许多美国人接受了那些谬论，因而30多年来，大约1,000万吸烟者过早地走向坟墓。

    如今，又有令人心烦的类似事情发生，因为科学家一批又一批地试图唤醒我们注意地球变暖这种日益增长的威胁。最近的事情是，得到白宫支持的国家科学院的一次专家论坛告诉我们，地球的大气肯定在变暖，而且这个问题主要是人为的。清楚的信息是，我们应该行动起来保护我们自己。科学院院长Bruce Alberts补充说，专家论坛报告的前言中这一关键的论点是：“科学从来也不能回答所有的问题。但是科学确实能够给我们提供对未来的最好的指导。重要的是，我们的国家和全世界，在有关目前的行动所产生的未来后果上，应该把重要的政策建筑在科学所能提供的最佳判断的基础上。”

    就像在吸烟问题上一样，现在来自许多方面的意见认为，关于地球变暖的科学论据是不全面的，在我们没有定论以前向大气中排放二氧化碳（烟气）是没有问题的。这是一项危险的游戏，因为到有了百分之百的证据时，那可太晚了。随着这种危险日益明显并且与日俱增，一个有远见卓识的民族现在最好能拿到一份保险单。

    幸运的是，白宫正开始关注这个问题。可是，很明显，总统的大多数顾问仍然没有认真对待地球变暖。他们不是拿出一项行动计划，而是继续要求做更多的研究 – 这是“由于分析而停止工作”的最典型的例子。

    要当好地球的负责管理者，我们必须继续不断地进行更深入的大气和海洋研究。但是单靠研究还不够。如果美国政府不愿采取立法行动，那么国会应该协助着手制订环保措施。西弗吉尼亚州的民主党参议员Robert Byrd提出的一份议案是一个很好的开端，因为这个议案将对私营工业提供财政奖励。许多人看到，我国正准备建造许多新的电站来满足我们的能源需求。如果我们打算要保护大气，那么重要的是，这些新的发电厂在环保方面应该是靠得住的。

Text  3 参考译文

    在英国死亡据说是急待解决的的，在加拿大死亡据说是不可避免的，在美国死亡据说是可以选择的。难怪，美国人的预期寿命在过去100年中几乎翻了一翻。有病的髋关节可以置换，临床的忧郁症可以控制，白内瘴可以在30分钟的外科手术中剥离。医学的进步提高了老年人的生活质量，这是50年前我进入医学界时所无法想象的。但是即使最好的健康保健体系也无法避免死亡 － 我们没有正视这一现实现在使我们自己的伟大蒙上了一层不祥的阴云。

    死亡是正常的；从遗传学上讲，即使环境再理想，我们也要解体死亡。我们在某种程度上都懂得这一点，可是作为医疗消费者我们把死亡作为一个有待解决的问题来对待。由于我们受到第三付款人（指纳税人）的保护免交保健费用，所以我们要求可能为我们所做到的一切，即使这样做是徒劳的。最明显的例子是晚期癌症的治疗。医生们由于无力治愈这种疾病而灰心失望并且又担心病人失去希望，因而常常提出一些大胆的治疗方案，这种方案远远超出了科学上能证明其正确的范围。

    1950年，美国在医疗保健上花了$127亿。2002年，这笔费用将达到$15400亿。任何人都明白，这一趋势是无法承受的。然而几乎无人愿意去试图逆转这一趋势。有些学者得出结论说，财力有限的政府就应该停止为超出一定年龄，譬如83岁左右，的人延续生命而支付医疗费用。用科罗拉多前任州长Richard Lamm的话来说，年老而体弱多病的人有义务告别人世、不再挡道，这样，年轻健康的人就能发挥出他们的潜力。

    我不会如此极端地来谈这个问题。精力充沛的人通常能工作到60岁或60岁以上，而且仍然工作得很好。78岁时，Viacom 公司董事长Summer Redstone 开玩笑地说，他是53岁。最高法院Sandra Day O’Connor法官是70多岁，而前任外科总监C. Everett Koop 80多岁还主持了一个互联网的开业。这些头头们是活生生的证据，证明预防有效，并且证明我们可以处理好随着年龄自然来临的健康问题。作为仅68岁的人，我希望变老时能和他们一样健康地工作。

    然而，一个社会在医疗保健方面所能支付的费用总是有限的。作为医生，我知道，最花钱的、最戏剧性的保健措施可能是徒劳和痛苦的。我还知道，在日本和瑞典这样一些在医疗保健方面开支少得多的国家中，老百姓的寿命比我们更长更健康。作为一个国家，我们可能在寻求不太可能的药物和疗法方面投入的资金太多，而在研究更简单的能够改善人们生活的医疗方法上花的钱太少。

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