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Unit 11
Heroes
In-Class Reading
Heroes
1 Okay, the following thirty seconds are going to be a test. Don't get nervous. Just tell me what the following three people have in common. Ready? Okay.
2 Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Clark Gable. They are all men, true; they are all famous. What, besides their fame, do all these people have in common?
3 These men are all the people cited by my mother and father as their heroes when they were growing up. Sadly, the youth of today aren't so sure about their idols. When most American teens are asked who they admire, they have either no idea, or they admire a character in a movie or a cartoon. Where are the Winston Churchills and Clark Gables of the modern age? Where have all the heroes gone? Heroes have had a profound impact on our past and should continue to do so in the future.
4 History itself is meaningless without heroes. You can tell the values of a society by the people they choose to follow. For example, the first President of the United States, George Washington, fought in some of the famous battles of the Revolutionary War and risked his life and reputation for the values he believed in. He was a hero to the people of colonial America because he had qualities important to them; qualities such as bravery and statesmanship.
5 Some of the more memorable heroes are those of the recent past. John F. Kennedy, Florence Nightingale, and John Wayne are some common heroes. John F. Kennedy, a former president, was admired for his youthfulness, personality, and speaking ability. Florence Nightingale, a nurse during the Crimean War, was loved for her bravery and kindness in caring for the wounded. And, yes, even John Wayne, a movie cowboy, was admired for his ability to get the bad guy without stooping to his level. All of these are people we have heard of if not idolized at one time or another. They were all nationally known and were all good role models for our youth to follow. But, most importantly, America was not afraid to trust them. They pulled the nation together with their greatness.
6 This unifying force of the hero, something so commonplace in our past, is something sorely lacking in today's society. There are few people who are admired by the entire nation. Perhaps we are afraid to trust. Sociologists have noted an absence of heroes since the late 1960s and early 1970s, around the time of such scandals as Watergate and the Vietnam War. Polls have shown that now people have a hard time finding anyone they admire, let alone find heroic <1>. In our desire to know the absolute truth about people, we have killed off all our heroes. Whether on purpose or by accident, both religion and the media have taken part in the slaughter. Few people are allowed to survive as heroes in the church and worthy people are picked apart and scrutinized by the media until their heroic pedestal comes crashing to the ground <2>. The heroes of the past have left, taking with them the unity they brought to the nation.
7 Perhaps the worst part of this new lack of heroes is that we have replaced formerly good role models with bad ones. Some of the people most admired by Americans today are hardly people for us to follow. Start with television. Many of the favorite stars are shown waving their guns around shooting at people. They make violence seem acceptable.
8 Not only is TV a major influence, but consider rock music. Some of the people most seen and heard by Americans today are rock stars. For example, Ozzy Ozzbourne is known for eating live bats on stage and throwing puppies in the audience to be trampled to death. His actions also make violence seem acceptable. And yet his records are bought and listened to by people across the nation.
9 A third area of misplaced idolatry is in sports figures. Most generally, children and adults admire baseball players. However, these athletes are in the news almost as much for drug use as they are for their sports achievements <3>. College football players are notorious for breaking academic rules.
10 The people most admired by Americans today are bad role models for us to follow, leading us in the wrong direction. If heroes are a mirror of the times, then perhaps our society is in a sorry state. Perhaps we no longer admire unifying qualities like bravery and intelligence. The heroes of today would lead us to believe that America admires only wealth, no matter how it is obtained.
11 Our lack of modern heroes would also lead us to believe that <4> we no longer need heroes. However, our confused nation occasionally stumbles onto a good idol, reminding us that these leaders will always be necessary. For example, the crew of the space shuttle, Challenger <5>. Truly brave, intelligent people willing to risk their lives and reputations for the good of the nation and of scientific advancement <5>. They were good role models for the nation, young and old alike, and with their great achievements, and their tragic deaths, they pulled the nation together for a short while. The unity they brought to us reminded us that heroes will always be vital, even in this era of modern mechanization. Why? Well, we as humans need a path to follow. And this path cannot be provided by computers or robotics. We, individually, need other persons to guide our actions. On the national scale, we need heroes to give the nation unity.
12 Not only do we need heroes to guide us and give us unity, but we need them to help us become great. If we are to succeed, we need those who are successful to lead the path to greatness.
13 We need to begin to rediscover achievement for America. Each of us can take steps toward reinstating the hero to his or her position of leadership. First, we should assess our own heroes, think of whom we truly admire, and why. And if we find them to be good role models, we should allow them to be our heroes. Secondly, we should tell our children that a hero is a good thing to have. We, as parents, teachers and friends, should help our children choose and admire the good qualities of their own heroes. If we begin to accept heroes for today, and help our children accept them for tomorrow, then, perhaps, with time, we can reinstate the glory and pride that the heroes of the past have brought to the people. Even in this age of independence, a good role model may be hard to come by, and should not be let go <6>. It is as simple as being willing to admire those who excel in their field.
14 Perhaps with actions like those I have suggested, the next time you are asked who your heroes are, or the next time I am asked who I truly admire, we won't have to stop and think. We will be sure. (1188 words)
Time taken: ______ minutes
Proper Names
Challenger
挑战者号（美国航天飞机，起飞不久即爆炸，机上七人全部牺牲）
Clark Gable
（男子名）克拉克.加布尔（1901－1960，美国著名电影演员，在《飘》中演男主角）
Crimean War
克里米亚战争（1853－1856年俄国与英、法、土、撒丁王国之间的战争）
Florence Nightingale
（女子名）弗洛伦斯.南丁格尔(1820－1910，英国女护士，近代护理学和护土教育创始人，以在克里米亚战争中改善伤病员护理工作而闻名）
George Washington
（男子名）乔治.华盛顿（1732－1799，美国第一任总统）
John F．Kennedy
（男子名）约翰.肯尼迪（1917－ 1963，美国第三十五任总统，在达拉斯市遇刺身亡）
John Wayne
（男子名）约翰.韦恩（1906－1979，美国最受观众喜爱的影星，因扮演西部牛仔而著名，1969年获奥斯卡奖）
Martin Luther King, Jr.
（男子名）小马丁.路德.金(1929－1968，非暴力民权运动领袖)
Ozzy Ozzbourne
（男子名）欧兹.欧兹波那（摇滚音乐明星）
Revolutionary War
美国独立战争（1775—1783）
Vietnam War
越南战争（北越南与南越南之间的战争，美国支持南越南，1975年结束）
Watergate
水门事件（一系列的丑闻导致尼克松总统下台）
Winston Churchill
（男子名）温斯顿.邱吉尔（1874－1965，曾任英国首相）
New Words
absence
n.
1) lack, non-existence 缺乏，不存在
e.g. He drew attention to the absence of concrete evidence against the defendant.
2) the state of being away 缺席，不在
e.g. His repeated absence from school is worrying.
3) the period of being away 缺席的时间，外出期
e.g. Caroline will be in charge of the office during my absence .
bravery *
n. courageous behavior or character 勇敢，勇气
e.g. It takes a lot of bravery to face the unknown.
challenger *
n. a person or thing that challenges 挑战者，需要全力对付的事物
e.g. Now there's a challenger on the horizon, who has produced a new camera to challenge the likes of the kind.
colonial
adj. of or relating to a colony or colonies 殖民地的
e.g. When he returned to help liberate his nation from colonial rule, he was fluent in Latin but had forgotten his native language.
heroic
adj. of or concerning heroes, very brave 英雄的，英勇的，崇高的
e.g. I ) The firefighters' heroic actions were reported in the local newspaper.
II) The tall athletic young man had played a heroic role in the Dutch Resistance during the Nazi occupation.
idol
n. a person or thing greatly admired or loved 偶像
idolatry
n. the worship of idols, too great admiration of someone or something 偶像崇拜，极度爱慕
idolize
v. treat as an idol 把......当偶像崇拜，极度敬慕
e.g. Naomi idolized her father as she was growing up.
mechanization *
n. using machines instead s of using human beings or animals 机械化
misplace *
v. give (love, affection, etc.) improperly or unwisely 不恰当地给予或寄托，错爱或错信
e.g. Don't misplace your confidence by trusting that irresponsible man.
rediscover *
v. discover again 重新发现
robotics *
n. the study of the making and use of robots 机器人学
scandal
n.
1) a disgraceful action or circumstance, public disgrace 丑事，丑闻
e.g. The scandal of the president rocked the US government.
2) gossip intended to harm others 流言蜚语
e.g. I'm not interested in scandal about the neighbors.
slaughter
1) n. the action of killing in a way that is cruel, unjust, or unnecessary 屠杀，杀戳
e.g. The annual slaughter of wildlife in Italy is horrific.
2) v. kill in a way that is cruel, unjust, or unnecessary 屠杀，杀戳
e.g. Thirty-four people were slaughtered while queuing up to cast their votes.
statesmanship *
n. skill and wisdom in managing public affairs 政治才能，治国之才
stoop
v. do something wrong or immoral that someone would not normally do 屈尊，降低身份做......
e.g. They've stooped to using any and every weapon at their disposal.
tragic
adj.
1) that causes great sadness 悲惨的，可悲的
e.g. His friends were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic news of his death.
2) with a sad ending or in the style of tragedy 悲剧的，悲剧性的
e.g. I ) A moment of carelessness can have tragic results.
II) The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.
trample
v. step heavily with the feet, crush under the feet 踩，践踏
e.g. The hunter was trampled to death by a wild elephant.
unify
v. combine parts of something to form a single whole 使联合，统一
e.g. If the new leader does manage to unify his party, it will be quite an achievement.
unity
n.
1) harmony or agreement between people or groups 和谐，一致
e.g. Her speech was an appeal for party unity.
2) the state of being united or joined as a whole 团结，联合，统一
e.g. Senior politicians met today to discuss the future of European economic unity.
worthy
adj.
1) deserving respect or serious consideration 值得尊敬的，值得重视的
e.g. I ) The conference has outlined a set of worthy principles.
II) When I left university, I considered entering a poorly-paid but worthy profession.
2) deserving 值得......的，配得上......的
e.g. I ) Their cause is worthy of our continued support.
II) The bank might think that you are not worthy of a loan.
Phrases and Expressions
believe in
be of opinion that (something) is right, proper, or desirable 相信......的价值，认为......有益
e.g. I ) He won the cheers even from those who didn't believe in the causes he was fighting for.
II) A travel agent who organizes trips to Mecca said that the Muslin community didn't believe in insurance.
come by
obtain, receive; come to have 得到，获得
e.g. I ) Good jobs are hard to come by in small towns.
II) How did you come by that check?
have ... in common
have a specified amount or degree of shared interests or characteristics 在......有共同之处
e.g. I ) The twins have much in common in their taste and manners.
II) “We both like the excitement of taking risks. That's perhaps the only thing we have in common,” I finally said.
kill off
kill or destroy completely; eliminate 消灭光，除去
e.g. I ) This discovery killed off one of the last surviving romances about this place.
II) It is an effective treatment for the bacteria and does kill them off.
let alone (do)
say nothing of (doing) ; not to mention (doing) 更不用说
e.g. I ) The little boy can't add three and five, let alone do fractions.
II) Many families were not able to make a living for themselves, let alone hope one day to be free.
on a ... scale
to a . . .extent 以......规模地
e.g. I ) They were preparing for war on a large scale.
II) It is team work on a grand scale: over 25,000 people in 184 countries.
pick apart (informal)
examine the nature of someone or something closely in order to find fault, criticize harshly and in detail 对......吹毛求疵，严厉批评
e.g. I ) My English teacher picks apart every assignment I hand in to her.
II) The accountant will pick apart your business expense records, so please be accurate and keep your receipts.
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