新编英语教程第二册Unit12

Unit 12

DIALOGUE I

Music

A: You have a very good stereo system ... What a fine sound it produces! I feel like I'm sitting in a grand concert hall.
B: It is a good system. It has fine treble, soft bass¹ and perfect surround effects.
A: What did you buy this expensive system for? Do you like music?
B: Very much. I like music so much that the moment I get home I'll turn on my stereo.
A: You're crazy about music.
B: Yes, I am. I can't live without it.
A: What type of music do you like the most?
B: I enjoy listening to almost all categories of music - classical, jazz, country-western, the heavy metal type of rock, new age... Yes, my favourite music is new age - I'm really very fond of it.
A: I'd suggest that you should major in music instead of English.
B: Absolutely. But English is fine. I like English as much as music. I wish I were a double major. Actually I'm more fascinated and delighted with the hardware of music reproduction.
A: The hardware of music reproduction?
B: I mean musical instruments, such as the bone whistles of the Stone Age and the digital synthesizers of this age.
A: You certainly are an expert on music. May I ask you a question?
B: Sure.
A: I hear people talk about "hi-fi". Is it a sound system or something else?
B: It's popularly known as a stereo system. A more accurate definition of hi-fi is a stereo system that reproduces music very realistically with "high fidelity²" quality. It is an improvement on the earlier "mono" record player. In its initial stage, a hi-fi system used compact cassettes containing magnetic tape.
A: I think my first boom-box was a portable cassette-tape player.
B: A weakness with a cassette-tape player is that it produces annoying "hiss³" noise while playing.
A: This was one of the reasons why I bought a CD player when the cassette player broke down.
B: A CD system, as the name suggests, uses compact discs. The system is manufactured on the basis of computer technology with music information stored and reproduced digitally. You know, music hardware continues to develop in the direction of recording⁵ and transferring the astonishingly crisp-clear digital sound.
A: Will this ever-improving technology bring about another development beyond the digital sound format⁴, making the CD as obsolete⁶ as the record?
B: The answer is a definite "yes". I believe it won't take long before the change occurs.

DIALOGUE II

Dialogue:

James and David are two university students who have just done their final examinations. The exam results have just been announced and James rings David up to discuss them.
J: It seems that only about two thirds of the students passed this year.
D: Well, it doesn't surprise me at all, you know. The exams were very difficult this time.
J: Well, I'm really surprised. It's a terrible result, and there are some people who definitely didn't deserve to fail. According to Bob, there are five boys in his class who failed, including Simon.
D: No! You're pulling my leg, surely? I don't believe it! Simon is one of the best students in the university. What about his sister? Did she pass?
J: Oh, yes. It seems she got good marks.
D: That's absolutely incredible! Simon was a much better student than his sister, and has been working so hard for the last few months.
J: It seems so unfair, doesn't it? But, from what I've heard, perhaps he worked too hard. He was ill during the week of the exams - glandular⁷ fever, I think.
D: Oh, I see. Well, that explains it. These things happen, sometimes. I suppose the Dean will take his illness into account and give him a pass; at least I hope so!
J: Well, there's a rumour⁸ going around that the Head of the Department is leaving.
D: Because of the bad results, you mean?
J: Well, I suppose so. I'm not sure. Apparently⁹, Mr. Brown is going to be the new Department Head.
D: What? Mr. Brown?
J: Yes, according to rumours¹⁰.
D: I find that very hard to believe, I must say. Mr. Brown is so young; does he have the experience?
J: Perhaps the change'll be good for the Department - "new broom", you know.
D: Yes, maybe. We'll just have to wait and see.

READING I

The "Green Revolution"

The "green revolution" is the name given to the development of high yielding cereal grains such as wheat, rice, and corn (maize). Only a few years ago various writers were predicting widespread famine as early as 1975. They based this prediction on the high rate of population growth and the limited food supply. But because of the "green revolution", there is now hope that there will be enough food for the people of the world for the next 20 or 30 years, even at the present rate of population growth.
During the 1960's the improved seeds were introduced into countries with serious food shortages, such as India and Pakistan. There were dramatic increases in production. The same is true in a number of countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. A research center in the Philippines is producing "miracle rice" -- varieties that have been highly successful in Asia and in some of the African countries. The significance of this work was recognized by the awarding of the 1970 Nobel Prize to Norman Borlaug, one of the plant breeders.
But famines in various parts of the world showed that much more needs to be done. The famines were caused by a variety of factors. Weather was one of them. Another factor was the change in world economic conditions, bringing higher prices for fertilizers and pesticides¹¹.
The World Food Conference, sponsored by the United Nations and held in Rome in November, 1974, made many recommendations. These were concerned especially with increasing food production in the developing countries, and with getting more help for small farmers. The conference also gave attention to the problems of providing health services for people, especially in regard to good nutrition. These proposals are now being carried out through new programmes.
Various technological¹² developments that will help feed the world in the future are in progress. These include harvesting more food from the sea; new foods from soybeans, cottonseed, and other oilseeds; and proteins from organisms grown on petroleum¹³. But as Dr. Borlaug pointed¹⁴ out in his speech when accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, the technology is available for feeding the world, provided the total population of the world stays within reasonable limits.

Norman Ernest Borlaug

Norman Ernest Borlaug (1914 - ) is American plant breeder and pathologist, father of the "Green Revolution", humanitarian¹⁵, and winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize for Peace.
Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work in creating the Green Revolution, which has vastly increased grain yields in developing countries. The Green Revolution is an agricultural technology based upon the use of new varieties of grain and improvements in pest control and the application of water and fertilizer. Borlaug, working in Mexican wheat fields, developed varieties that were resistant¹⁶ to rust¹⁷ disease, had short stems, and could be grown within a wide range of latitudes¹⁸ around the world. These varieties were highly productive, yielding two or ten times more wheat than before.
The main areas of Borlaug's work have been plant breeding, plant pathology, and agronomy¹⁹, but most important, he is a humanitarian. His guiding beliefs are that "peace can be attained²⁰ only when humankind is no longer hungry" and that "to solve the world's food problems one needs to be decisive and work hard".

READING II

The Irish Famine

No event has had such a decisive effect in shaping the attitude of the Irish people towards the British as the Irish Famine. And although it occurred 120 years ago its effects are still apparent in Ireland today.
Looking back on the famine, the most remarkable²¹ fact was that it should ever have reached such proportions. Although the potato crop failed there was plenty of food left in Ireland, and while thousands died some of it was being exported. Even if the local organizations for dealing²² with a crisis of such magnitude were completely inadequate²³, more positive and generous action by the British Government could have averted²⁴ some of the worst effects. In the light of the large scale Government relief projects undertaken today, the supreme²⁵ irony²⁶ of all was that the richest nation in Europe should have allowed one of the poorest to starve on its doorstep.
Yet the famine looked very different through nineteenth-century eyes. Then, the principles of laissez-faire were generally accepted - in fact, were regarded as almost sacred. It was thought that people should help themselves, and thus the Government should not intervene. In the case of the Irish famine, it was argued, the Government had done all it could to help.
This argument may or may not be valid²⁷; but a little more humanity shown by the Government could have done no harm, and it seems strange that the reports of suffering that are so moving today could have failed to move the Government towards a greater use of its resources.
One million people died of starvation and disease; three-quarters of a million emigrated to America there to become a despised and exploited class. Out of this disaster was forged a new and bitter feeling towards Britain. Daniel O'Connell, the "Liberator²⁸", had insisted on non-violence in dealing with the British, and he had won almost universal support. But his era was over. The violent overthrow²⁹ of the British rule was increasingly advocated, and hatred³⁰ of Britain grew. Few Irish families had not been severely³¹ hit by the famine, and there were even fewer who did not lay the blame fairly and squarely at Britain's door.

Calamity³² is man's true touchstone.
-- Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher

1 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

2 fidelity   

n.忠诚，忠实；精确

参考例句：

• There is nothing like a dog's fidelity.没有什么能比得上狗的忠诚。
• His fidelity and industry brought him speedy promotion.他的尽职及勤奋使他很快地得到晋升。

3 hiss   

v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满

参考例句：

• We can hear the hiss of air escaping from a tire.我们能听到一只轮胎的嘶嘶漏气声。
• Don't hiss at the speaker.不要嘘演讲人。

4 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

5 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

6 obsolete   

adj.已废弃的，过时的

参考例句：

• These goods are obsolete and will not fetch much on the market.这些货品过时了，在市场上卖不了高价。
• They tried to hammer obsolete ideas into the young people's heads.他们竭力把陈旧思想灌输给青年。

7 glandular   

adj.腺体的

参考例句：

• Terry has been laid low with glandular fever for nearly a month now.特里由于功能性高烧已卧床近一个月了。
• A malignant tumor originating in glandular tissue.腺癌起源于腺性组织的恶性肿瘤。

8 rumour   

n.谣言，谣传，传闻

参考例句：

• I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。
• There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来，一直有谣言产生，对他进行中伤。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

10 rumours   

n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传

参考例句：

• The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。
• Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。

11 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

13 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

14 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

15 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

16 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

17 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

18 latitudes   

纬度

参考例句：

• Latitudes are the lines that go from east to west. 纬线是从东到西的线。
• It was the brief Indian Summer of the high latitudes. 这是高纬度地方的那种短暂的晚秋。

19 agronomy   

n.农业经济学

参考例句：

• The science of agronomy helps farmers obtain larger and better crops.农业经济学帮助农民获得更多更好的农作物。
• Heavy agronomy clique and Si Mi order of believe in nature.重农学派和斯密都信奉自然秩序。

20 attained   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
• Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

21 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

22 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

23 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

24 averted   

防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。
• Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。

25 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

26 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

27 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

28 liberator   

解放者

参考例句：

• The best integrated turf quality was recorded in Ram I、Midnight、America、Connie、Liberator, which could be adopted in Shanxi. RamI、Midnight、America、Connie、Liberator综合质量表现均衡且分值较高，是山西省推广应用的重点品种。
• It is the story of a new world that became a friend and liberator of the old. 这是一部新世界的发展史，是一部后浪推前浪的历史。

29 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

30 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

31 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

32 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。