21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇【通用文档】

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解1　　FirstListening　　Beforelisteningtothetape,haveaquicklookatthefollowingblan下面是小编为大家整理的21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇【通用文档】,供大家参考。

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解1

　　First Listening

　　Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following blanks to prepare yourself to listen for the figures.

　　1. As you listen to the passage the first time, fill these blanks with the words you hear:

　　Asians and Asian Americans make up only _____ of the US population, but they come up to ____ of the undergraduates at Harvard, _____ at MIT, ______ at Yale and _____ at Berkeley.

　　Second Listening

　　Read the following words first to prepare yourself to answer them to the best of your ability.

　　Talent effort money concentration ambition intelligence pressure sacrifice discrimination tradition

　　2. Why are these statistics "amazing"? And what do you think the explanation is?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解2

　　Fox Butterfield

　　Kim-Chi Trinh was just nine when her father used his savings to buy a passage for her on a fishing boat that would carry her from Vietnam. It was a heartbreaking and costly sacrifice for the family, placing Kim-Chi on the small boat, among strangers, in hopes that she would eventually reach the United States, where she would get a good education and enjoy a better life.

　　It was a hard journey for the little girl, and full of risks. Long before the boat reached safety, the supplies of food and water ran out. When Kim-Chi finally made it to the US, she had to cope with a succession of three foster families. But when she graduated from San Diego"s Patrick Henry High School in 1988, she had straight A"s and scholarship offers from some of the most prestigious universities in the country.

　　"I have to do well," says the 19-year-old, now a second-year student at Cornell University. "I owe it to my parents in Vietnam."

　　Kim-Chi is part of a wave of bright, highly - motivated Asian - Americans who are suddenly surging into our best colleges. Although Asian - Americans make up only 2.4 percent of the nation"s population, they constitute 17.1 percent of the undergraduates at Harvard, 18 percent at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 27.3 percent at the University of California at Berkeley.

　　Why are Asian - Americans doing so well? Are they grinds, as some stereotypes suggest? Do they have higher IQs? Or can we learn a lesson from them about values we have long treasured but may have misplaced — like hard work, the family and education?

　　Not all Asians are doing equally well; poorly - educated Cambodian refugee children, for instance, often need special help. And many Asian - Americans resent being labeled a "model minority," feeling that this is reverse discrimination by white Americans — a contrast to the laws that excluded most Asian immigrants from the US until 1965, but prejudice nevertheless.

　　The young Asians" achievements have led to a series of fascinating studies. Perhaps the most disturbing results come from the research carried out by a University of Michigan psychologist, Harold W. Stevenson, who has compared more than 7,000 students in kindergarten, first grade, third grade and fifth grade in Chicago and Minneapolis with counterparts in Beijing, Taipei and Sendai. On a battery of math tests, the Americans did worst at all grade levels.

　　Stevenson found no differences in IQ. But if the differences in performance are showing up in kindergarten, it suggests something is happening in the family, even before the children get to school.

　　It is here that various researchers" different studies converge: Asian parents are motivating their children better. "The bottom line is, Asian kids work hard," Stevenson says.

　　The real question, then, is how Asian parents imbue their offspring with this kind of motivation. Stevenson"s study suggests a critical answer. When asked why they think their children do well, most Asian parents said "hard work." By contrast, American parents said "talent."

　　"From what I can see," criticizes Stevenson, "we"ve lost our faith in the idea that we can all get ahead in life through hard work. Instead, Americans now believe that some kids have what it takes and some don"t. So we start dividing up classes into‘fast learners’and‘slow learners’, whereas the Chinese and Japanese feel all children can succeed in the same curriculum."

　　This belief in hard work is the first of three main factors contributing to Asian students" outstanding performance. It springs from Asians" common heritage of Confucianism, the philosophy of the 5th-century-BC Chinese sage whose teachings have had a profound influence on Chinese society. One of Confucius"s primary teachings is that through effort, people can perfect themselves.

　　Confucianism provides another important ingredient in the Asians" success as well. In Confucian philosophy, the family plays a central role — an orientation that leads people to work for the honor of the family, not just for themselves. One can never repay one"s parents, and there"s a sense of obligation or even guilt that is as strong a force among Asians as Protestant philosophy is in the West.

　　There"s yet another major factor in this bond between Asian parents and their children. During the 15 years I lived in China, Japan, and Vietnam, I noticed that Asian parents establish a closer physical tie to their infants than most parents in the United States. When I let my baby daughter crawl on the floor, for example, my Chinese friends were horrified and rushed to pick her up. We think this constant attention is old-fashioned or even unhealthy, but for Asians, it"s highly effective.

　　Can we learn anything from the Asians? "I"m not naive enough to think everything in Asia can be transplanted," says Stevenson. But he offered three recommendations.

　　"To start with," he says, "we need to set higher standards for our kids. We wouldn"t expect them to become professional athletes without practicing hard."

　　Second, American parents need to become more committed to their children"s education, he declares. "Being understanding when a child doesn"t do well isn"t enough." Stevenson found that Asian parents spend more time helping their children with homework or writing to their teachers than American parents do.

　　And, third, our schools could be reorganized in simple but effective ways, says Stevenson. Nearly 90 percent of Chinese youngsters say they actually enjoy school, and 60 percent can"t wait for school vacations to end. This is a vastly more positive attitude than youngsters in The US express. One reason may be that students in China and Japan typically have a break after each class, helping them to relax and to increase their attention spans.

　　"I don"t think Asians are any smarter," says Don Lee, an Asian-American student at Berkeley. "There are brilliant Americans in my chemistry class. But the Asian students work harder. I see a lot of wasted potential among the Americans."

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解3

　　excel

　　v. (at) be the beat or better others (at sth.) 胜过他人

　　savings

　　n. money saved, esp. in a bank 积蓄;存款

　　heartbreaking

　　a. which causes great sorrow 令人悲痛的，令人心碎的

　　costly

　　a. expensive, costing a lot of money 代价高昂的;昂贵的

　　sacrifice

　　n. loss or giving up of sth. of value, esp. for what is believed to be a good purpose 牺牲

　　vt. 牺牲

　　risk

　　n. (of) a danger;sth. that might have undesirable results 危险;风险

　　vt. place in a dangerous situation 使遭受危险;冒…的风险

　　cope

　　vi. (with) deal successfully (with a difficult situation) (妥善地)应付或处理

　　succession

　　n. a series or the act of following one after the other (前后相接的)一系列，一连串;连续

　　successive

　　a. following each other closely 接连的，连续的，相继的

　　*foster

　　a. *的;寄养的

　　vt. 收养;照料

　　scholarship

　　n. 1. 奖学金

　　2. 学识;学术成就

　　owe

　　vt. (to) 1. have sth. (usually sth. good) because of 把…归功于

　　2. have to pay, for sth. already done or given 欠

　　owing

　　a. (to) still to be paid 未付的，欠着的

　　motivate

　　vt. (often pass.) 1. provide (sb.) with a (strong) need, purpose or reason for doing sth. [常被动] 激发…的积极性

　　2. 使有动机

　　*surge

　　vi. move, esp. forward, in or like powerful waves (如浪潮般) 汹涌;奔腾

　　n. (感情等的)洋溢或奔放

　　constitute

　　vt. 1. form or make up 形成;构成

　　2. formally establish or appoint 组建;选派

　　constitution

　　n. 1. the act of establishing, making, or setting up;constituting 制定;设立;组成

　　2. (often cap.) [常大写] 宪法;法规;章程

　　*constitutional

　　a. allowed or limited by a political constitution 宪法规定的;合乎宪法的

　　grind

　　n. (AmE, often derog.) a student who is always working (美)[常贬义]用功的学生，书呆子

　　vt. 磨;磨碎

　　*stereotype

　　n. a fixed pattern which is believed to represent a type of person or event 固定形式，老套

　　misplace

　　vt. 1. lose (sth.),usu. for only a limited time (暂时)丢弃

　　2. put in an unsuitable or wrong place 把…放错地方

　　refugee

　　n. sb. who has been forced to leave their country for political reason or during a war 难民;流亡者

　　*resent

　　vt. feel anger and dislike about sth. 对…表示愤恨

　　label

　　vt. 1. describe as belonging to a particular kind or class 把…称为;把…列为

　　2. 加标签于;用标签标明

　　n. 标签

　　minority

　　n. 1. a small part of a population which is different from others in race, religion, etc. 少数民族;少数派

　　2. the small number or part;less than half 少数

　　minor

　　a. 较少的，较小的

　　*discrimination

　　n. 1. the practice of unfairly treating sb. or sth. 区别对待;歧视

　　2. the ability to recognize the difference between two things 识别力;辨别力

　　reverse discrimination

　　the making of distinctions in favour of groups considered disadvantaged or underprivileged 逆向歧视，反其道而行之的歧视

　　*discriminate

　　v. 1. (against, in favor of) unfairly treat one person or group worse or better than others 有差别地对待

　　2. see or make a difference between things or people 区别，辨别，区分

　　contrast

　　n. (to, with) a strong difference between two people, objects or situations 对比;对照

　　v. examine (two things) in order to find or show differences 对比;对照

　　exclude

　　vt. keep out from a place or an activity 阻止…进入;把…排斥在外

　　exclusion

　　n. the act of excluding or fact of being excluded 拒绝;排斥

　　exclusive

　　a. (of) not taking into account;without;excluding 不算;不包括;把…排斥在外

　　exclusively

　　ad. only;and nothing/no one else 排斥其他地;专有地;单独地

　　immigrant

　　n. a person who has come to live in a country from abroad 移民;侨民

　　prejudice

　　n. unfair and usually unfavorable feeling or opinion about a group—e.g.a nationality or race 歧视;偏见;成见

　　series

　　n. 1. (of) a set or group of things of the same kind or related in some way, coming one after another or in order 系列;连接

　　2. 丛书;广播(或电视)系列节目

　　fascinating

　　a. having great attraction or charm 吸引人的.;迷人的

　　*fascinate

　　vt. (with) charm powerfully;be very interesting to 强烈地吸引;迷住

　　disturbing

　　a. causing worry or fright 令人不安的;令人烦恼的

　　disturb

　　vt. 1. break the peace or order of 扰乱;打扰

　　2. cause to become anxious or upset 使心神不安;使烦恼

　　*disturbance

　　n. 1. an act of disturbing or the state of being disturbed 打扰;扰乱

　　2. sth. that disturbs 造成干扰的事物

　　kindergarten

　　n. a school or class for young children, usu. between the ages of four and six 幼儿园

　　*counterpart

　　n. a person or thing that has the same purpose or does the same job as another in a different system 对应的人(或物);对手(方)

　　battery

　　n. 1. (of) a set or number of things of the same kind occurring in rapid succession 一组;一系列

　　2. 电池(组)

　　*converge

　　vi. (of two or more things) come together towards the same point (在一点上)会合;集中

　　the bottom line

　　the basic point 基本要点

　　imbue

　　v. (with)(usu. pass.) to fill with (sth., often a strong feeling or opinion) [常被动]灌输(某种强烈的情感或意见)

　　*offspring

　　n. a child or children from particular parents 子女;后代

　　critical

　　a. 1. providing a careful judgment of the good and bad qualities of sth. 判断(或评价)审慎的

　　2. 批判的

　　3. 关键的

　　criticize (-cise)

　　v. 1. make judgments about the good or bad points of 评论

　　2. judge with disapproval;point out the faults of 批评;指责

　　criticism

　　n. unfavorable judgment or expression of disapproval 批评;指责

　　curriculum

　　n. the program of study offered in a school, college, etc. 课程，大纲

　　factor

　　n. any of the facts, conditions, influences, etc. that act with others to bring about a result 因素，要素

　　outstanding

　　a. 1. better than others, very good 杰出的;优秀的

　　2. easily seen, important 显要的;重要的

　　*heritage

　　n. a tradition, custom, or quality which is passed down over many years within a family, social group, or nation and which is thought of as belonging to all its members 继承物，遗产;传统

　　philosophy

　　n. 哲学

　　sage

　　n. sb., esp. an old man or historical person, known for his wisdom and long experience 圣贤;哲人

　　primary

　　a. 1. chief, main 主要的

　　2. earliest in time or order of development 最初的

　　ingredient

　　n. 1. one of the essential parts of a situation 因素;要素

　　2. 成分

　　central

　　a. 1. chief, main, of greatest importance 主要的，最重要的

　　2. being (at, in, or near) the center (位居)中心的

　　*orientation

　　n. a direction or position 取向;方位;定位

　　*repay

　　vt. reward;pay back 偿还;回报

　　obligation

　　n. sth. that one must do out of a duty or promise 义务;责任

　　guilt

　　n. 1. the feelings produced by knowledge or belief that one has done wrong 内疚

　　2. the fact of having broken a moral rule or official law 罪(行)

　　bond

　　n. 1. sth. that unites two or more people, or groups, such as a shared feeling or interest 联结;联系

　　2. 公债，债券

　　3. 合约

　　crawl

　　vi. & n. 爬(行)

　　horrify

　　vt. shock greatly;fill with horror 吓;使感惊骇

　　unhealthy

　　a. 1. likely to cause illness or poor health 有碍健康的

　　2. not very strong or well, often ill 体弱多病的，不结实的，不健康的

　　*naivea. 1. too willing to believe or trust 轻信的

　　2. without experience (as of social rules or behaviour), esp. because one is young 幼稚的;天真的

　　*transplant

　　vt. move sth. from one place and plant, settle or establish elsewhere 移植;移居

　　recommendation

　　n. 1. suggestion, piece of advice 建议

　　2. 推荐信

　　vacation

　　n. (esp. AmE) holiday 假期;休假

　　vastly

　　ad. 1. very greatly 非常大地

　　2. 广阔地

　　vast

　　a. 1. very large and wide 广阔的;广大的

　　2. great in amount 大量的

　　positive

　　a. 1. (of people) sure, having no doubt about sth. 无疑问的;确定的

　　2. certain, beyond any doubt 肯定的

　　3. (of a statement) direct 正面的

　　span

　　n. 1. the length of time over which a stated thing continues or works well 持续时间

　　2. 跨度;跨距

　　attention span

　　a length of time over which one can concentrate 注意力的持续时间

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　make it (to) (a place)

　　succeed in getting (to) (a place) 成功抵达某地

　　owe to

　　have (sth. good) because of 把…归功于…

　　imbue with

　　(use. pass.) fill (sb), with (sth.), esp. a strong feeling or opinion [常被动] 向…灌输…

　　by contrast

　　very differently (from sth. previously mentioned);on the other hand 对比之下

　　get ahead

　　be successful in one"s career 获得成功;出头

　　have what it takes

　　(infml.) have the qualifications necessary for success 具备取得成功的必要条件

　　spring from

　　be a product or result of;originate from 发源于;来自

　　can"t wait (for sth.)

　　be excited about and eager (for sth.) 迫不及待，等不及

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇扩展阅读

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇（扩展1）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解1

　　First Listening

　　1. As you listen the first time, tick the questions that are answered in the listening passage. Don"t worry about answering the questions yet - just identify which questions are answered.

　　1) What problem is Eddie having in school?

　　2) How many examples does the teacher give?

　　3) Does Eddie"s mother understand the teacher"s viewpoint?

　　4) Does Eddie agree with his teacher?

　　5) What does the teacher think Eddie"s parents should do?

　　Second Listening

　　2. Provide very brief answers to the questions above after the second listening.

　　3. Now a question for discussion: What do you think of the teacher"s ideas?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解2

　　Vicky — beautiful, talented, very bright, voted "Most Likely to Succeed" in college — got a promising job with a large company after graduation. Then, after two years without promotions, she was fired. She suffered a complete nervous breakdown. "It was panic," she told me later. "Everything had always gone so well for me that I had no experience in coping with rejection. I felt I was a failure." Vicky"s reaction is an extreme example of a common phenomenon.

　　Our society places so much emphasis on "making it" that we assume that any failure is bad. What we don"t always recognize is that what looks like failure may, in the long run, prove beneficial. When Vicky was able to think coolly about why she was fired, for example, she realized that she was sim* not suited for a job dealing with people all the time. In her new position as a copy editor, she works independently, is happy and once again "successful."

　　People are generally prone to what language expert S. I. Hayakawa calls "the two-valued orientation." We talk about seeing both sides of a question as if every question had only two sides. We assume that everyone is either a success or a failure when, in fact, infinite degrees of both are possible. As Hayakawa points out, there"s a world of difference between "I have failed three times" and "I am a failure." Indeed, the words failure and success cannot be reasonably applied to a complex, living, changing human being. They can only describe the situation at a particular time and place.

　　Obviously no one can be brilliant at everything. In fact, success in one area often precludes success in another. A famous politician once told me that his career had practically destroyed his marriage. "I have no time for my family," he explained. "I travel a lot. And even when I"m home, I hardly see my wife and kids. I"ve got power, money, prestige — but as a husband and father, I"m a flop."

　　Certain kinds of success can indeed be destructive. The danger of too early success is particularly acute. I recall from my childhood a girl whose skill on ice skates marked her as "Olympic material." While the rest of us were playing, bicycling, reading and just loafing, this girl skated — every day after school and all weekend. Her picture often appeared in the papers, and the rest of us envied her glamorous life. Years later, however, she spoke bitterly of those early triumphs. "I never prepared myself for anything but the ice," she said. "I peaked at 17 — and it"s been downhill ever since."

　　Success that comes too easily is also damaging. The child who wins a prize for a carelessly - written essay, the * who distinguishes himself at a first job by lucky accident faces probable disappointment when real challenges arise.

　　Success is also bad when it"s achieved at the cost of the total quality of an experience. Successful students sometimes become so obsessed with grades that they never enjoy their school years. They never branch out into tempting new areas, because they don"t want to risk their grade - point average.

　　Why are so many people so afraid of failure? Sim* because no one tells us how to fail so that failure becomes a growing experience. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that "every person has the right to fail."

　　Most parents work hard at either preventing failure or shielding their children from the knowledge that they have failed. One way is to lower standards. A mother describes her child"s hastily made table as "perfect!" even though it"s clumsy and unsteady. Another way is to shift blame. If John fails math, his teacher is unfair or stupid.

　　The trouble with failure - prevention devices is that they leave a child unequipped for life in the real world. The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything, no one can win all the time — and that it"s possible to enjoy a game even when you don"t win. A child who"s not invited to a birthday party, who doesn"t make the honor roll or the baseball team feels terrible, of course. But parents should not offer a quick consolation prize or say, "It doesn"t matter," because it does. The youngster should be allowed to experience disappointment — and then be helped to master it.

　　Failure is never pleasant. It hurts *s and children alike. But it can make a positive contribution to your life once you learn to use it. Step one is to ask, "Why did I fail?" Resist the natural impulse to blame someone else. Ask yourself what you did wrong, how you can improve. If someone else can help, don"t be shy about inquiring.

　　When I was a teenager and failed to get a job I"d counted on, I telephoned the interviewer to ask why. "Because you came ten minutes late," I was told. "We can"t afford employees who waste other people"s time." The explanation was reassuring (I hadn"t been rejected as a person) and helpful, too. I don"t think I"ve been late for anything since.

　　Success, which encourages repetition of old behavior, is not nearly as good a teacher as failure. You can learn from a disastrous party how to give a good one, from an ill-chosen first house what to look for in a second. Even a failure that seems total can prompt fresh thinking, a change of direction.

　　A friend of mine, after 12 years of studying ballet, did not succeed in becoming a dancer. She was turned down by the ballet master, who said, "You will never be a dancer. You haven"t the body for it." In such cases, the way to use failure is to take stock courageously, asking, "What have I left? What else can I do?" My friend put away her toe shoes and moved into dance therapy, a field where she"s both competent and useful.

　　Though we may envy the assurance that comes with success, most of us are attracted by courage in defeat. There is what might be called the noble failure — the special heroism of aiming high, doing your best and then, when that proves not enough, moving bravely on. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "A man"s success is made up of failures, because he experiments and ventures every day, and the more falls he gets, moves faster on....I have heard that in horsemanship — a man will never be a good rider until he is thrown; then he will not be haunted any longer by the terror that he shall tumble, and will ride whither he is bound."

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解3

　　vote

　　vt. 1. choose (sb.) to have (a particular title); elect 推选

　　2. 投票选举(或制定、决定、赞成、支持、通过)

　　vi. (for, against, on) express one"s choice officially at a meeting or in an election 投票;选举;表决

　　n. 选举;投票;选票

　　*promising

　　a. likely to be very good or successful 有前途的;有希望的

　　promotion

　　n. 1. advancement in rank or position 提升，晋级

　　2. attempt to make a product or an event popular or successful, esp. by advertising 促销;宣传

　　*breakdown

　　n. 1. physical, mental, or nervous collapse 崩溃;衰竭

　　2. (关系、计划或讨论等的)中断

　　nervous breakdown

　　an unnatural condition of deep worrying, anxiety, weeping or tiredness 精神崩溃

　　rejection

　　n. the act of rejecting or being rejected (遭到)拒绝;摒弃

　　reaction

　　n. response or change caused by the action of another 反应;感应

　　extreme

　　a. 1. greatest possible; of the highest degree 极端的;极度的;最大的

　　2. furthest possible; at the very beginning or end 末端的;尽头的

　　n. 极端;极度(状态)

　　emphasis

　　n. (on, upon) special force or attention given to sth. to show that it is particularly important 强调;重点;重要性

　　beneficial

　　a. producing favourable effects or useful results 有益的;有帮助的

　　editor

　　n. 1. a person who checks and corrects texts before they are published 校订者;(文字)编辑

　　2. 编辑;主编

　　editorial

　　a. of or done by an editor 编辑的，编者的

　　edit

　　v. 1. prepare for printing, broadcasting, etc., by deciding what shall be included or left out, putting right mistakes, etc. (为出版、广播等而)编辑，编选;剪辑

　　2. be the editor of 主编;充任(报纸等的)编辑

　　edition

　　n. a particular version of a book, magazine, or newspaper that is printed at one time 版本

　　*prone

　　a. (to) habitually likely to do sth. (usu. undesirable) 有…倾向的，易于…的

　　ap*

　　vt. (to) bring or put into use or operation 应用;实施

　　vi. (to, for) request sth., esp. officially and in writing (尤指以书面形式)申请;请求

　　complex

　　a. 1. difficult to understand, explain, or deal with; not clear or simple 错综复杂的

　　2. (词或句子)复合的，复杂的

　　n. a system consisting of a large number of closely related parts 综合体;复合体;群落

　　*preclude

　　vt. (fml.) (from) make impossible; prevent 妨碍，阻止;排除;防止

　　practically

　　ad. 1. (infml.) very nearly; almost 几乎，差不多

　　2. in a practical way 实际上;从实际角度

　　*prestige

　　n. general respect or admiration felt in men"s mind for sb. or sth. by reason of having, or being connected with, rank, proved high quality 声望;威望;威信

　　flop

　　n. (infml.) a failure 失败(者)

　　vi. move or fall heavily or awkwardly 笨重地行动;沉重地落下

　　*destructive

　　a. causing or be capable of causing great damage, harm or injury 破坏(性)的

　　acute

　　a. 1. severe, strong, deep 剧烈的`，激烈的;深切的

　　2. (of the mind or the senses) able to notice small differences; working very well; sharp(思想或感官)敏锐的;灵敏的;尖锐的

　　3. 尖的，锐的;成锐角的

　　loaf

　　vi. (infml.) stand or wait in a place without doing anything interesting or useful 游荡，闲逛

　　n. bread, usu. fairly large, in a shape that can be cut into slices (一个)面包

　　*glamo(u)rous

　　a. having the quality of being more attractive, exciting, or interesting than ordinary people or things 富有魅力的;令人向往的

　　*glamo(u)r

　　n. the exciting and charming quality of sth. unusual or special, with a magical power of attraction 魅力;迷人的力量

　　peak

　　vi. reach the highest value, level, point, etc. 达到顶峰;达到最大值

　　n. (山)峰;顶峰;尖顶

　　downhill

　　a. & ad. 1. (becoming) worse or less successful 走下坡路的(地)

　　2. (going) towards the bottom of a hill 向坡下(的)：向下(的)

　　damage

　　n. harm; loss 损害;损失

　　vt. cause damage to 损害;损坏;毁坏

　　distinguish

　　vt. 1. (～oneself) behave or perform noticeably well 使出众

　　2. recognize 辨别;区分

　　probable

　　a. likely 很可能发生的

　　*obsess

　　vt. (usu. pass.) completely fill the mind of (sb.) so that no attention is given to other * [常被动]使着迷

　　grade-point average, GPA

　　(美)(学生各科成绩的)*均积分点

　　shield

　　vt. (from) protect or hide from harm or danger 保护;庇护

　　n. 盾，盾牌

　　hastily

　　ad. too quickly 匆忙地;草率地;性急地

　　haste

　　n. quick movement or action 急忙，匆忙

　　device

　　n. 1. a method of achieving sth. 策略;手段

　　2. an object that has been invented for a particular purpose 装置;设备

　　unequipped

　　a. not equipped with the necessities 未配备所需物品的;无准备的

　　honor roll

　　(美)光荣榜(指优秀学生名单、当地服兵役公民名单等)

　　consolation

　　n. comfort during a time of sadness or disappointment 安慰;慰问

　　consolation prize

　　a prize given to sb. who has not won the competition 安慰奖

　　alike

　　ad. in (almost) the same way; equally 同样地;相似地;以同样程度

　　a. similar in appearance, quality, character, etc. 想像的，同样的

　　*impulse

　　n. 1. a sudden desire to do sth. (一时的)冲动

　　2. 冲力;脉冲;神经冲动

　　inquire, enquire

　　v. ask For information 询问;查问

　　inquiry, enquiry

　　n. (into, about) an act of inquiring 询问;查问

　　afford

　　vt. 1. be able to buy 买得起

　　2. be able to do, spend, give, bear, etc., without serious loss or damage 担负得起(损失、费用、后果等)

　　repetition

　　n. the act of repeating, or sth. repeated 重复;反复

　　ill-chosen

　　a. not well chosen 选择不恰当的

　　ill

　　ad. 1. not well. not enough 不恰当地;拙劣地

　　2. unfavourably; badly, unpleasantly or cruelly 不利地;恶劣地;冷酷无情地

　　3. hardly 几乎不;困难地

　　prompt

　　vt. cause or urge; encourage or help sb. to continue 促使;推动;激励

　　a. done without any delay; not late 迅速的;及时的

　　*ballet

　　n. 芭蕾舞(剧)

　　*stock

　　n. 1. a sup*(of sth.)for use 库存物;储备物

　　2. the thick part of a tree trunk 树桩;树干

　　v. (up) keep supplies of; store 备货;储备

　　courageously

　　ad. bravely; in a way showing courage 英勇地，无畏地

　　toe

　　n. 脚趾;足尖

　　toe shoe

　　芭蕾舞鞋

　　therapy

　　n. the treatment of mental or physical illness (心理或生理)疗法，治疗

　　heroism

　　n. the quality of being a hero; great courage 大无畏精神;英勇

　　horsemanship

　　n. the practice or skill of horse-riding 马术;骑术

　　*haunt

　　vt. (often pass.) be always in the thoughts of (sb.); visit regularly [常被动](思想、回忆等)萦绕;缠扰;常去

　　terror

　　n. (sb. or sth. that causes) extreme fear 恐怖;引起恐怖的人(或物)

　　tumble

　　vi. (down) fall suddenly or helplessly; collapse 摔下;跌倒;倒塌，坍塌

　　whither

　　conj. & ad. (archaic) (to) where 〈古体〉(无论)去哪里

　　bound

　　a. 1. (for, to) going to or intending to go to 准备到…去的

　　2. very likely; certain 一定的;注定的

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　place/lay/put emphasis on/upon

　　give sth. special force or attention to show that it is particularly important 强调;把重点放在，着重于

　　in the long run

　　after enough time; in the end 从长远观点来看;终究

　　a world of

　　a lot of 大量的，无数的

　　be brilliant/best at sth.

　　having or showing great skill at sth. 在某一方面极为出色

　　at the cost of

　　以…为代价

　　branch out

　　(into) add to the range of one"s interests or activities 扩大(兴趣、活动、业务等的)范围

　　count on/upon

　　expect; depend on 指望;料想;依靠

　　turn down

　　refuse (a request or offer or the person that makes it); reject 拒绝(某人或其请求、忠告等)

　　take stock

　　consider a situation carefully so as to take a decision 作出判断，进行评估

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇（扩展2）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第8单元内容详解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第8单元内容详解1

　　1. In the famous tale Through the Looking-Glass, Alice finds her way through a mirror to a very strange land. In the scene you"re about to hear, Alice has been sitting under a tree and talking with the Red Queen. Listen to the passage twice and fill in the missing words from the text below.

　　Suddenly they began to run.

　　Alice never could quite understand how they began: All she remembers is that they were running hand in hand, and the Queen went so fast that Alice could hardly manage to keep up with her. The Queen kept crying " _____! _____!" But Alice couldn"t go faster, though she had no breath left to say so. She felt as if she would never be able to talk again, she was getting so out of breath. And still the Queen cried "_____! _____!" and dragged her along.

　　" _____?" Alice managed to gasp.

　　" _____?!" the Queen repeated. "Why, _____ten minutes ago! _____!" And they ran on, with the wind whistling in Alice"s ears and almost blowing her hair off her head, she imagined. They went so fast that at last they seemed to hardly touch the ground with their feet. And then suddenly, just as Alice was getting quite exhausted, they stopped, and she found herself sitting on the ground.

　　Alice looked around in great surprise. "Why, I do believe _____!"

　　"Of course we have," said the Queen. "What would you expect?"

　　"Well, in my country," said Alice, "you"d generally _____."

　　"_____!" said the Queen. "Here it takes _____."

　　2. The Queen"s final statement is very often quoted(引用)as a comment on modern society. What aspects of life does it make you think of?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第8单元内容详解2

　　Johanne Mednick

　　I have a wonderful bicycle. My family refers to it as "that piece of junk" —an ancient piece of metal, the likes of which can be found in the dump or, if you"re lucky, at garage sales. But I have confidence in my bike. It gives me power, and I cherish its simplicity.

　　What intrigues me, in this age of technological innovation (which is nowhere more apparent than in the bicycle world), is the number of people who stop me and comment on my bike. It"s a real conversation piece. "Where did you get that thing?" "I haven"t seen one of those in ages." "What a great bike." I get all kinds of comments — the best one being from a motorcycle gang who cornered me while I was locking it up. They politely suggested that I should wear gloves while riding to protect my hands. Maybe I should also put on a leather jacket.

　　But really, what is it that people are admiring? Are they admiring me for resisting the lure of mass bicycle consumerism? I must look like an eyesore pedaling behind my family, who all ride the latest model of mountain bike. (To them, I"m some sort of odd person, an embarrassment not fit to be on the road.) On the other hand, maybe people are just genuinely curious, as they would be if confronted with a dinosaur bone. I never get the feeling that they think I"m crazy for riding something so old when I could be fussing with gears and having a presumably easier time of things. My bike seems to touch a sensitive chord in people, and I"m not quite sure what or why that is.

　　Perhaps my bike is representative of a world gone by: the world before gimmicks and gadgets, accessories and attachments. A time when people thought in terms of settling into a cushioned seat, stopping the movement with their heel and travelling a bit slower than we are travelling now. My bike is certainly not built for speed, but who needs speed when I can coast along the streets, hold my head high and deliciously feel the wind on my face? My bike is built for taking time. It makes people feel relaxed.

　　When I"m riding my bike, I feel as though I have control. And I don"t feel that way about most things these days. I don"t deny that my com*r and my microwave make my life a lot easier. I use these things, but they also make me feel rather small and, in a strange way, inadequate. What if I press the wrong button? What if something goes wrong? Maybe if I learned to understand these appliances I"d feel better — more secure about my relationship with technology. But frankly, I"m not comforted by manuals and how-to courses. Of course there are always "experts" I could go to who seem to know everything about anything. Relatives, friends, salespeople — people who seem at ease with all the latest inventions and who delight in ingenuity.

　　I just don"t get excited over the idea of yet another thing I could do if I pulled the right lever or set the right program. Nervous and unsure in the beginning, I eventually adapt to these so-called conveniences and accept them as a part of life, but I"m not entirely convinced of their merit. I hunger for simplicity and I have a sneaking suspicion that many people feel the same way. That"s why they admire my bike. It comforts them and gives them a sense of something manageable, not too complicated.

　　I"m not suggesting that we all go back to a pioneer-village attitude. But I do think it"s important to respect that which is simple and manageable — no doubt difficult in a time when more means better and new means best. I"m proud that my "piece of junk" makes me and others feel good. It allows me the opportunity to relax and, when I"m heading down the road, to escape what I don"t understand.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第8单元内容详解3

　　garage sale

　　宅前出售(在出售人住所进行的清宅旧货出售)

　　* intrigue

　　vt. excite interest or curiosity 激起…的兴趣

　　* innovation

　　n. the creation or introduction of new ideas, methods, etc.; a new invention, idea or method 革新;新方法

　　nowhere

　　ad. not anywhere; in/at/to no place 无处

　　conversation piece

　　sth. that stimulates conversation between people 话题;可作话题的东西

　　motorcycle

　　n. 摩托车

　　gang

　　n. a group of people associated together in some (often criminal) way 群;帮

　　glove

　　n. 手套

　　* lure

　　n. attraction; temptation 诱惑

　　vt. attract, tempt 引诱;诱惑

　　consumerism

　　n. the consumption of goods and services 消费

　　eyesore

　　n. something ugly to look at 刺眼的东西

　　* pedal

　　v. 骑(自行车);踩动踏板

　　n. 踏板

　　genuinely

　　ad. authentically; truly 真地;确实地

　　genuine

　　a. authentic; real, not pretended 真的;真心的

　　fuss

　　vi. behave in an unnecessarily anxious or excited way over small * 忙乱;小题大做

　　n. unnecessary, useless expression of excitement, anxiety, anger, etc. 忙乱;大惊小怪

　　gear

　　n. 齿轮;排档

　　* chord

　　n. two or more musical notes played at the same time; a feeling or emotion thought of as being played on like a musical instrument 和弦;心弦

　　representative

　　a. typical; being an example of 典型的;代表的

　　n. a person acting on behalf of another person or a group of people 代表;代理人

　　gimmick

　　n. an unusual action, object or device which is intended to attract attention or publicity (为引人注意而搞的)小革新，小发明;巧妙的小玩意儿

　　* accessory

　　n. (oft. pl) an extra part which makes sth. more effective or beautiful 附属物;附件

　　attachment

　　n. something that is fixed to something else 附属物

　　cushion

　　n. a soft pillow or pad to rest on; protection from harm, esp. from impact 软垫;缓冲

　　vt. reduce the force of; protect from hardship or sudden change 缓和…的冲击;使免受打击

　　deliciously

　　ad. very pleasantly 美美地;怡人地

　　deny

　　vt. 1. declare as untrue; refuse to accept as true 否认

　　2. refuse to give or allow 拒绝给予

　　appliance

　　n. a machine for use in the home 器具;装置

　　ingenuity

　　n. skill and cleverness in arranging things, solving problems, etc. 灵巧;精巧

　　* ingenious

　　a. having or showing cleverness at making or inventing things 灵巧的，善于创造发明的

　　* lever

　　n. 杠杆;控制杆

　　convenience

　　n. the quality of being convenient; something that makes sth. easier, quicker, more efficient, etc. 方便;提供方便的用具

　　convenient

　　a. 1. (for) near; easy to reach 近处的，近便的

　　2. suited to one"s needs 方便的;合适的`

　　merit

　　n. value; worth 价值，优点

　　suspicion

　　n. belief or feeling (usually) that sth. is wrong, or that sb. has done wrong, etc. 怀疑;疑心

　　manageable

　　a. easy to control or deal with 易操纵的;易处理的

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第8单元内容详解4

　　refer to... as

　　speak about sb./sth. as...; call sb. something 把…称为…;把…叫做…

　　the likes of which/whom

　　sth./sb. of the same kind 诸如此类的人或物

　　corner sb.

　　get sb. into a place or situation difficult to escape 缠住某人;将某人逼入困境

　　lock sth. up

　　fasten sth. with a lock 锁住

　　fuss with sth.

　　concern oneself with sth. unimportant (因小事而)惴惴不安

　　touch a chord

　　call up one"s feelings about sth. 触动(人的)心弦

　　be representative of

　　be an example or type of (a certain class or kind of thing) 代表…的

　　think in terms of sth./doing sth.

　　give primary consideration to sth./doing sth.; emphasize sth./doing sth. in one"s thinking; have sth./doing sth. as one"s priority 首先考虑(做)某事;认为(做)某事是最首要的

　　go wrong

　　turn out badly; make a mistake 坏掉;出错

　　be at ease with sth./sb.

　　feel confident and comfortable with sth./sb. 自在，不拘束

　　hunger for sth.

　　want sth. very much 渴望得到

　　have a sneaking suspicion

　　暗自认为;暗中怀疑

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇（扩展3）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解 (菁选3篇)

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解1

　　First Listening

　　Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following blanks to prepare yourself to listen for the figures.

　　1. As you listen to the passage the first time, fill these blanks with the words you hear:

　　Asians and Asian Americans make up only _____ of the US population, but they come up to ____ of the undergraduates at Harvard, _____ at MIT, ______ at Yale and _____ at Berkeley.

　　Second Listening

　　Read the following words first to prepare yourself to answer them to the best of your ability.

　　Talent effort money concentration ambition intelligence pressure sacrifice discrimination tradition

　　2. Why are these statistics "amazing"? And what do you think the explanation is?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解2

　　Fox Butterfield

　　Kim-Chi Trinh was just nine when her father used his savings to buy a passage for her on a fishing boat that would carry her from Vietnam. It was a heartbreaking and costly sacrifice for the family, placing Kim-Chi on the small boat, among strangers, in hopes that she would eventually reach the United States, where she would get a good education and enjoy a better life.

　　It was a hard journey for the little girl, and full of risks. Long before the boat reached safety, the supplies of food and water ran out. When Kim-Chi finally made it to the US, she had to cope with a succession of three foster families. But when she graduated from San Diego"s Patrick Henry High School in 1988, she had straight A"s and scholarship offers from some of the most prestigious universities in the country.

　　"I have to do well," says the 19-year-old, now a second-year student at Cornell University. "I owe it to my parents in Vietnam."

　　Kim-Chi is part of a wave of bright, highly - motivated Asian - Americans who are suddenly surging into our best colleges. Although Asian - Americans make up only 2.4 percent of the nation"s population, they constitute 17.1 percent of the undergraduates at Harvard, 18 percent at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 27.3 percent at the University of California at Berkeley.

　　Why are Asian - Americans doing so well? Are they grinds, as some stereotypes suggest? Do they have higher IQs? Or can we learn a lesson from them about values we have long treasured but may have misplaced — like hard work, the family and education?

　　Not all Asians are doing equally well; poorly - educated Cambodian refugee children, for instance, often need special help. And many Asian - Americans resent being labeled a "model minority," feeling that this is reverse discrimination by white Americans — a contrast to the laws that excluded most Asian immigrants from the US until 1965, but prejudice nevertheless.

　　The young Asians" achievements have led to a series of fascinating studies. Perhaps the most disturbing results come from the research carried out by a University of Michigan psychologist, Harold W. Stevenson, who has compared more than 7,000 students in kindergarten, first grade, third grade and fifth grade in Chicago and Minneapolis with counterparts in Beijing, Taipei and Sendai. On a battery of math tests, the Americans did worst at all grade levels.

　　Stevenson found no differences in IQ. But if the differences in performance are showing up in kindergarten, it suggests something is happening in the family, even before the children get to school.

　　It is here that various researchers" different studies converge: Asian parents are motivating their children better. "The bottom line is, Asian kids work hard," Stevenson says.

　　The real question, then, is how Asian parents imbue their offspring with this kind of motivation. Stevenson"s study suggests a critical answer. When asked why they think their children do well, most Asian parents said "hard work." By contrast, American parents said "talent."

　　"From what I can see," criticizes Stevenson, "we"ve lost our faith in the idea that we can all get ahead in life through hard work. Instead, Americans now believe that some kids have what it takes and some don"t. So we start dividing up classes into‘fast learners’and‘slow learners’, whereas the Chinese and Japanese feel all children can succeed in the same curriculum."

　　This belief in hard work is the first of three main factors contributing to Asian students" outstanding performance. It springs from Asians" common heritage of Confucianism, the philosophy of the 5th-century-BC Chinese sage whose teachings have had a profound influence on Chinese society. One of Confucius"s primary teachings is that through effort, people can perfect themselves.

　　Confucianism provides another important ingredient in the Asians" success as well. In Confucian philosophy, the family plays a central role — an orientation that leads people to work for the honor of the family, not just for themselves. One can never repay one"s parents, and there"s a sense of obligation or even guilt that is as strong a force among Asians as Protestant philosophy is in the West.

　　There"s yet another major factor in this bond between Asian parents and their children. During the 15 years I lived in China, Japan, and Vietnam, I noticed that Asian parents establish a closer physical tie to their infants than most parents in the United States. When I let my baby daughter crawl on the floor, for example, my Chinese friends were horrified and rushed to pick her up. We think this constant attention is old-fashioned or even unhealthy, but for Asians, it"s highly effective.

　　Can we learn anything from the Asians? "I"m not naive enough to think everything in Asia can be transplanted," says Stevenson. But he offered three recommendations.

　　"To start with," he says, "we need to set higher standards for our kids. We wouldn"t expect them to become professional athletes without practicing hard."

　　Second, American parents need to become more committed to their children"s education, he declares. "Being understanding when a child doesn"t do well isn"t enough." Stevenson found that Asian parents spend more time helping their children with homework or writing to their teachers than American parents do.

　　And, third, our schools could be reorganized in simple but effective ways, says Stevenson. Nearly 90 percent of Chinese youngsters say they actually enjoy school, and 60 percent can"t wait for school vacations to end. This is a vastly more positive attitude than youngsters in The US express. One reason may be that students in China and Japan typically have a break after each class, helping them to relax and to increase their attention spans.

　　"I don"t think Asians are any smarter," says Don Lee, an Asian-American student at Berkeley. "There are brilliant Americans in my chemistry class. But the Asian students work harder. I see a lot of wasted potential among the Americans."

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解3

　　excel

　　v. (at) be the beat or better others (at sth.) 胜过他人

　　savings

　　n. money saved, esp. in a bank 积蓄;存款

　　heartbreaking

　　a. which causes great sorrow 令人悲痛的，令人心碎的

　　costly

　　a. expensive, costing a lot of money 代价高昂的;昂贵的

　　sacrifice

　　n. loss or giving up of sth. of value, esp. for what is believed to be a good purpose 牺牲

　　vt. 牺牲

　　risk

　　n. (of) a danger;sth. that might have undesirable results 危险;风险

　　vt. place in a dangerous situation 使遭受危险;冒…的风险

　　cope

　　vi. (with) deal successfully (with a difficult situation) (妥善地)应付或处理

　　succession

　　n. a series or the act of following one after the other (前后相接的)一系列，一连串;连续

　　successive

　　a. following each other closely 接连的，连续的，相继的

　　*foster

　　a. 收养孩子的;寄养的

　　vt. 收养;照料

　　scholarship

　　n. 1. 奖学金

　　2. 学识;学术成就

　　owe

　　vt. (to) 1. have sth. (usually sth. good) because of 把…归功于

　　2. have to pay, for sth. already done or given 欠

　　owing

　　a. (to) still to be paid 未付的，欠着的

　　motivate

　　vt. (often pass.) 1. provide (sb.) with a (strong) need, purpose or reason for doing sth. [常被动] 激发…的积极性

　　2. 使有动机

　　*surge

　　vi. move, esp. forward, in or like powerful waves (如浪潮般) 汹涌;奔腾

　　n. (感情等的)洋溢或奔放

　　constitute

　　vt. 1. form or make up 形成;构成

　　2. formally establish or appoint 组建;选派

　　constitution

　　n. 1. the act of establishing, making, or setting up;constituting 制定;设立;组成

　　2. (often cap.) [常大写] 宪法;法规;章程

　　*constitutional

　　a. allowed or limited by a political constitution 宪法规定的;合乎宪法的

　　grind

　　n. (AmE, often derog.) a student who is always working (美)[常贬义]用功的学生，书呆子

　　vt. 磨;磨碎

　　*stereotype

　　n. a fixed pattern which is believed to represent a type of person or event 固定形式，老套

　　misplace

　　vt. 1. lose (sth.),usu. for only a limited time (暂时)丢弃

　　2. put in an unsuitable or wrong place 把…放错地方

　　refugee

　　n. sb. who has been forced to leave their country for political reason or during a war 难民;流亡者

　　*resent

　　vt. feel anger and dislike about sth. 对…表示愤恨

　　label

　　vt. 1. describe as belonging to a particular kind or class 把…称为;把…列为

　　2. 加标签于;用标签标明

　　n. 标签

　　minority

　　n. 1. a small part of a population which is different from others in race, religion, etc. 少数民族;少数派

　　2. the small number or part;less than half 少数

　　minor

　　a. 较少的，较小的

　　*discrimination

　　n. 1. the practice of unfairly treating sb. or sth. 区别对待;歧视

　　2. the ability to recognize the difference between two things 识别力;辨别力

　　reverse discrimination

　　the making of distinctions in favour of groups considered disadvantaged or underprivileged 逆向歧视，反其道而行之的歧视

　　*discriminate

　　v. 1. (against, in favor of) unfairly treat one person or group worse or better than others 有差别地对待

　　2. see or make a difference between things or people 区别，辨别，区分

　　contrast

　　n. (to, with) a strong difference between two people, objects or situations 对比;对照

　　v. examine (two things) in order to find or show differences 对比;对照

　　exclude

　　vt. keep out from a place or an activity 阻止…进入;把…排斥在外

　　exclusion

　　n. the act of excluding or fact of being excluded 拒绝;排斥

　　exclusive

　　a. (of) not taking into account;without;excluding 不算;不包括;把…排斥在外

　　exclusively

　　ad. only;and nothing/no one else 排斥其他地;专有地;单独地

　　immigrant

　　n. a person who has come to live in a country from abroad 移民;侨民

　　prejudice

　　n. unfair and usually unfavorable feeling or opinion about a group—e.g.a nationality or race 歧视;偏见;成见

　　series

　　n. 1. (of) a set or group of things of the same kind or related in some way, coming one after another or in order 系列;连接

　　2. 丛书;广播(或电视)系列节目

　　fascinating

　　a. having great attraction or charm 吸引人的.;迷人的

　　*fascinate

　　vt. (with) charm powerfully;be very interesting to 强烈地吸引;迷住

　　disturbing

　　a. causing worry or fright 令人不安的;令人烦恼的

　　disturb

　　vt. 1. break the peace or order of 扰乱;打扰

　　2. cause to become anxious or upset 使心神不安;使烦恼

　　*disturbance

　　n. 1. an act of disturbing or the state of being disturbed 打扰;扰乱

　　2. sth. that disturbs 造成干扰的事物

　　kindergarten

　　n. a school or class for young children, usu. between the ages of four and six 幼儿园

　　*counterpart

　　n. a person or thing that has the same purpose or does the same job as another in a different system 对应的人(或物);对手(方)

　　battery

　　n. 1. (of) a set or number of things of the same kind occurring in rapid succession 一组;一系列

　　2. 电池(组)

　　*converge

　　vi. (of two or more things) come together towards the same point (在一点上)会合;集中

　　the bottom line

　　the basic point 基本要点

　　imbue

　　v. (with)(usu. pass.) to fill with (sth., often a strong feeling or opinion) [常被动]灌输(某种强烈的情感或意见)

　　*offspring

　　n. a child or children from particular parents 子女;后代

　　critical

　　a. 1. providing a careful judgment of the good and bad qualities of sth. 判断(或评价)审慎的

　　2. 批判的

　　3. 关键的

　　criticize (-cise)

　　v. 1. make judgments about the good or bad points of 评论

　　2. judge with disapproval;point out the faults of 批评;指责

　　criticism

　　n. unfavorable judgment or expression of disapproval 批评;指责

　　curriculum

　　n. the program of study offered in a school, college, etc. 课程，大纲

　　factor

　　n. any of the facts, conditions, influences, etc. that act with others to bring about a result 因素，要素

　　outstanding

　　a. 1. better than others, very good 杰出的;优秀的

　　2. easily seen, important 显要的;重要的

　　*heritage

　　n. a tradition, custom, or quality which is passed down over many years within a family, social group, or nation and which is thought of as belonging to all its members 继承物，遗产;传统

　　philosophy

　　n. 哲学

　　sage

　　n. sb., esp. an old man or historical person, known for his wisdom and long experience 圣贤;哲人

　　primary

　　a. 1. chief, main 主要的

　　2. earliest in time or order of development 最初的

　　ingredient

　　n. 1. one of the essential parts of a situation 因素;要素

　　2. 成分

　　central

　　a. 1. chief, main, of greatest importance 主要的，最重要的

　　2. being (at, in, or near) the center (位居)中心的

　　*orientation

　　n. a direction or position 取向;方位;定位

　　*repay

　　vt. reward;pay back 偿还;回报

　　obligation

　　n. sth. that one must do out of a duty or promise 义务;责任

　　guilt

　　n. 1. the feelings produced by knowledge or belief that one has done wrong 内疚

　　2. the fact of having broken a moral rule or official law 罪(行)

　　bond

　　n. 1. sth. that unites two or more people, or groups, such as a shared feeling or interest 联结;联系

　　2. 公债，债券

　　3. 合约

　　crawl

　　vi. & n. 爬(行)

　　horrify

　　vt. shock greatly;fill with horror 吓;使感惊骇

　　unhealthy

　　a. 1. likely to cause illness or poor health 有碍健康的

　　2. not very strong or well, often ill 体弱多病的，不结实的，不健康的

　　*naivea. 1. too willing to believe or trust 轻信的

　　2. without experience (as of social rules or behaviour), esp. because one is young 幼稚的;天真的

　　*transplant

　　vt. move sth. from one place and plant, settle or establish elsewhere 移植;移居

　　recommendation

　　n. 1. suggestion, piece of advice 建议

　　2. 推荐信

　　vacation

　　n. (esp. AmE) holiday 假期;休假

　　vastly

　　ad. 1. very greatly 非常大地

　　2. 广阔地

　　vast

　　a. 1. very large and wide 广阔的;广大的

　　2. great in amount 大量的

　　positive

　　a. 1. (of people) sure, having no doubt about sth. 无疑问的;确定的

　　2. certain, beyond any doubt 肯定的

　　3. (of a statement) direct 正面的

　　span

　　n. 1. the length of time over which a stated thing continues or works well 持续时间

　　2. 跨度;跨距

　　attention span

　　a length of time over which one can concentrate 注意力的持续时间

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　make it (to) (a place)

　　succeed in getting (to) (a place) 成功抵达某地

　　owe to

　　have (sth. good) because of 把…归功于…

　　imbue with

　　(use. pass.) fill (sb), with (sth.), esp. a strong feeling or opinion [常被动] 向…灌输…

　　by contrast

　　very differently (from sth. previously mentioned);on the other hand 对比之下

　　get ahead

　　be successful in one"s career 获得成功;出头

　　have what it takes

　　(infml.) have the qualifications necessary for success 具备取得成功的必要条件

　　spring from

　　be a product or result of;originate from 发源于;来自

　　can"t wait (for sth.)

　　be excited about and eager (for sth.) 迫不及待，等不及

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇（扩展4）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册单元10课文介绍60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册单元10课文介绍1

　　First Listening

　　1. Rapid advances in technology are affecting education just like every other field. Have a look at this list of products and services that students of the future will have, and imagine what each one does. Then, as you listen to the tape, circle the products and services that you hear the students talk about.

　　cyberbooks virtual classes automatic essay generators remote-control pencils Knowledge Transplant Centers

　　Second Listening

　　2. What other technological advances do you imagine will affect education in the 21st century? What about other aspects of human life and civilization?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册单元10课文介绍2

　　Edward Cornish

　　In less than three years the world will reach the outstanding year 2000, and in less than four — on January 1, 2001, to be precise — a new millennium will begin. I am encouraged to offer my personal view of what is likely to happen in the next 30 years — a view that is heavily influenced by years of reading articles and books about the future.

　　To begin with, the next 30 years will almost certainly bring us incredible new achievements. The problems and dangers now facing the world are, in my judgement, far outweighed by solutions and opportunities. It is true enough that humans have an extraordinary genius for making mistakes, but it is balanced by our strong tendency to notice and correct them.

　　Rising Living Standards

　　The trends indicate that humans will be better off economically 30 years from now than they are today. Hundreds of millions of people will live in homes that will seem like palaces to their parents and grandparents. At the same time, brought together by telecommunications, people around the world will work together more efficiently than ever before. Expertise will flow easily and chea* to places where it is needed. Com*rs and cellular phones will become commonplaces.

　　Thanks to genetic engineering, plants will grow bigger, mature faster, need less fertilizer, and resist insects and diseases. New materials will permit improvements in products ranging from refrigerators to automobiles; roofs may rarely need repairs; stockings and underwear may not wear out during the owner"s lifetime.

　　Living to Be 200 Years Old

　　Life expectancy will rise around the world, creating a rapidly growing proportion of old people in the population, as well as the age of the oldest humans — now above 120 years. Rapid progress in biotechnology suggests that breakthroughs may occur that will enable medical science to slow or reverse the aging process. This could mean that many people born in the next 30 years may live to be 200, 300, or more years old.

　　Increased life expectancy has some serious drawbacks, however. As people get older, more will find themselves disabled. Happily, increasingly sophisticated medicines and devices to assist the ill and disabled will become available in the coming decades. Researchers are finding ways to prevent and even partially cure blindness, deafness, muscular deterioration, and other problems connected with aging. This means that increasing numbers of people will be able to work and support themselves for years beyond the typical retirement age of 65.

　　The Global Village

　　The nations of the world will become more tightly integrated because of rapidly improving telecommunications and transportation. A global culture will develop rapidly and take its pick of clothing styles, foods, drinks, games, sports and customs from countries everywhere.

　　A network of superhighways will link up the nations of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Engineers are already talking enthusiastically about a tunnel under the Mediterranean at Gibraltar to link Europe with Africa. And superhighways across the Eurasian land mass will allow residents of Shanghai and Hong Kong to drive comfortably and rapidly to destinations like Paris, Rome, and Stockholm. Travelers in a hurry will, of course, still prefer to fly, especially over long distances. Space-planes should be in service within the next 20 years, making flights from Tokyo to New York in only a couple of hours.

　　Humans Colonize Space

　　We will push the frontiers of human settlement in all directions. The Moon will acquire its first permanent base, and the human population living in space will rise steadily, as manufacturing develops aboard spacecraft and the resources of other planets are explored. Meanwhile, advancing technology will also solve many of the problems of living and working in unfriendly environments on Earth, so the population of Antarctica and the Polar Regions will climb steadily. The forbidding Himalayas may experience a development boom, including, perhaps, luxury hotels for tourists.

　　The pace of ocean development will speed up as seaside nations increasingly assert their ownership of the resources off their shores. Ocean farming will become increasingly attractive as food prices rise. Studies have shown that the biological productivity of the ocean can be greatly increased by adding certain chemicals.

　　Future Dangers and Problems

　　The 21st century will be a century of fantastic achievement, but it may be accompanied by horrors on an unheard-of scale, as was the 20th century with its world wars and atomic bombs. The biggest single cloud hanging over the next 30 years is violence — crime, terrorism, and war. The Cold War is over, but hot wars on a smaller scale must be expected. In addition, nuclear weapons may be used by terrorists.

　　The world"s growing population and intensifying economic activity are increasingly destroying forests and polluting land, water, and air. Successful programs for reducing air pollution in many cities and restoring forests in many areas have demonstrated that environmental destruction is not irreversible, but the job will take great effort on a global scale.

　　Unfortunately, the steady rise in world population makes it likely that, for the world as a whole, environmental conditions will continue to worsen for some years to come. Though a number of precious animal species such as pandas may be preserved, thousands upon thousands of others will almost certainly perish during the next 50 years as their habitats shrink.

　　If we cannot look forward to a peaceful, problem-free future, we can at least comfort ourselves with the realization that it will probably be the best period of history we humans have ever experienced.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册单元10课文介绍3

　　precise

　　a. 1. exact in form, detail, measurements, time, etc. 精确的

　　2. particular; exact; very 恰好的

　　3. shar* clear 极清楚的

　　millennium

　　n. a period of 1,000 years 一千年，千年期

　　outweigh

　　vt. 1. be greater in value or importance than 在价值(或重要性、影响等)上超过

　　2. be greater in weight 在重量上超过

　　grandparent

　　n. the parent of sb."s father or mother 祖父或祖母;外祖父或外祖母

　　*telecommunication

　　n. 电信，远距离通信

　　efficiently

　　ad. in a way that works very well and without waste 效率高地;能胜任地

　　cellular

　　a. of a telephone system that works by radio 蜂窝移动电话系统的

　　*commonplace

　　n. things frequently seen, not anything special 寻常的事物，常见的事物

　　a. *凡的，普通的

　　engineering

　　n. the science or profession of an engineer 工程学;工程师行业

　　fertilizer

　　n. a natural or chemical substance to help plants grow well 肥料

　　refrigerator

　　n. 冰箱

　　rarely

　　ad. seldom 很少，难得

　　underwear

　　n. 内衣

　　expectancy

　　n. 期望;预期;(根据概率统计求得的)预期数额

　　life expectancy

　　预期寿命

　　proportion

　　n. 1. (of) the relative amounts, sizes, etc., of two or more things 比例，比

　　2. (of) a part or share of a whole 部分;份额

　　proportional

　　1. (of) in proportion 成比例的

　　2. concerning proportion 比例(上)的

　　biotechnology

　　n. 生物工艺学(把工艺技术应用于生物科学，如生物工程)

　　*breakthrough

　　n. 突破;突破性进展;重大成就，关键问题的解决

　　enable

　　vt. make able; make possible 使能够，使可能

　　sophisticated

　　a. 1. refined and advanced 高级的，尖端的

　　2. having or showing a lot of experience of the world and social situations 老于世故的

　　assist

　　V. (in, with) help 帮助，帮忙

　　*muscular

　　a. 1. 肌肉的

　　2. 肌肉发达的`，强健的

　　deterioration

　　n. 退化;恶化;变坏

　　*deteriorate

　　vi. become worse 变坏;恶化;退化

　　retirement

　　n. the condition of stopping working because of old age 退休，退职

　　integrate

　　vt. (with, into) combine (parts) into a whole 使结合;使成一体

　　network

　　n. 1. a large system of lines, tubes, wires, etc. that cross or meet one another 网状系统

　　2. 广播网;电视网;广播(或电视)联播公司

　　superhighway

　　n. 超级(高速)公路

　　tunnel

　　n. 隧道，地道

　　resident

　　n. a person who lives (in a place) and is not just a visitor 居民

　　*residential

　　a. (of part of a town) consisting of private houses, without offices or factories (市镇的)居住的，住宅区的

　　residence

　　n. the place where one lives; a house, esp. a large important one 住所;住宅;公馆

　　*reside

　　vi. to have one"s home 居住

　　destination

　　n. a place to which sb. or sth. is going or is being sent 目的地，终点

　　space-plane

　　n. 宇宙飞机

　　colonize, -ise

　　vt. 在…开拓殖民地

　　frontier

　　n. 边境，边界;边疆(the～)(美)(靠近未开发地带的)开发地区边缘;边远地区

　　settlement

　　n. 1. 定居;移民，殖民

　　2. 殖民地;居留地

　　permanent

　　a. lasting for a long time or forever 持久的;永久的

　　aboard

　　prep. on or into (a ship, aircraft, train, bus, etc.) 在(船、飞机、车)上，上(船、飞机、车)

　　spacecraft

　　n. a vehicle able to travel in space 宇宙飞船

　　boom

　　n. (a period of) sudden growth or prosperity 迅速发展(期);繁荣(期)

　　*assert

　　vt. 1. state or declare forcefully and clearly 断言;坚持说;宣称

　　2. show, esp. forcefully, the existence of 有力地表明;明示

　　ownership

　　n. the right of having sth. as one"s property 所有权

　　*productivity

　　n. the rate or efficiency of producing; the ability to produce things生产率;生产力

　　fantastic

　　a. 1. wonderful, great 了不起的，极好的

　　2. extraordinary 异乎寻常的

　　3. (of an idea, plan, etc.) too unrealistic to be practical or reasonable 幻想的，异想天开的

　　fantasy

　　n. imagination; sth. one imagines but is unlikely to happen 想象;幻想;想象的事物

　　atomic

　　a. 原子(能)的

　　atom

　　n. 原子

　　bomb

　　n. 炸弹

　　vt. 轰炸，投弹于

　　terrorism

　　n. *;恐怖行为

　　terrorist

　　n. *;暴徒

　　*intensify

　　v. (cause to) become more intense 加强;增强;强化

　　panda

　　n. (大)熊猫，(大)猫熊

　　preserve

　　vt. (from) keep (sth.) safe; prolong the lifetime or existence of (sth.) 保护;保存，保藏

　　*perish

　　vi. 1. be completely destroyed 被摧毁，毁灭;消亡

　　2. die as a result of accident or very hard conditions 卒;丧生

　　habitat

　　n. the natural home of an animal or plant (动植物的)生境，栖息地

　　shrink

　　v. (cause to) become smaller (使)收缩，(使)缩小

　　peaceful

　　a. 1. without war 和*的

　　2. quiet and calm without any worry or excitement *静的，宁静的

　　problem-free

　　a. without any problems 没有问题的

　　realization

　　n. 1. (an experience of) understanding and believing 认识;领悟

　　2. (of a hope or purpose) becoming real (指希望或目的的)实现

　　realize, -ise

　　vt. 1. understand and believe; be or become conscious of 了解;领悟;认识到

　　2. make (a hope, purpose, fear, etc.) real 使(希望、目的、恐惧等)实现

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　to begin with

　　1. in the first place 首先，第一

　　2. at first 起初，本来

　　in sb."s judgement

　　in sb."s opinion 在某人看来

　　be better off

　　having more money; being in a better condition 富裕;境况(尤指经济境况)好起来

　　wear out

　　(cause to) become useless, threadbare, exhausted 穿破，磨损;用坏;(使)疲倦;(使)耗尽

　　take one"s pick

　　choose (sth. one likes from a group of things) (从…中)挑选(自己喜爱的东西)

　　link up

　　(cause to) join or connect 连接;联系

　　in service

　　being used; in use 在使用中

　　speed up

　　(cause to) move or develop faster (使)加快速度

　　on... scale

　　以…规模;在…范围内

　　as a whole

　　as one thing and not as separate parts 作为一个整体

　　look forward to

　　anticipate with pleasure 盼望;期待

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇（扩展5）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册Unit1内容讲解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册Unit1内容讲解1

　　text a

　　listening

　　first listening

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

　　grade

　　分数

　　concentrate

　　全神贯注

　　schedule

　　时间表

　　pressure

　　压力

　　selectively

　　有选择地

　　relevant

　　有关的

　　skip over

　　跳过;略过

　　approach

　　方法

　　second listening

　　listen to the tape again. then, choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

　　1. the purpose of this listening passage is ____.

　　a) to describe college life

　　b) to give advice for college success

　　c) to warn against being lazy at college

　　d) to increase college enrollment(入学人数)

　　2. according to the listening passage, the most important key to getting good grades at college is _____.

　　a) asking questions in class

　　b) doing assignments ahead of time

　　c) working as hard as you can

　　d) learning how to study effectively

　　3. which of the following does the listening not say you should do?

　　a) organize your time and materials.

　　b) write down every word the professor says in class.

　　c) treat studying like business.

　　d) study together.

　　pre-reading questions

　　1. based on the title, guess what the text is about.

　　2. look at the subheadings, 1-8, in the text. which of these activities do you already do? in which areas do you feel you need improvement?

　　3. are there any "secrets" to your own success as a student? in other words, do you have any special study techniques which have been very successful for you?

　　secrets of a students

　　edwin kiester & sally valentine kiester

　　alex, now a first-year student in natural sciences at cambridge, played football for his school in manchester and directed the school production of a play — but he left school with five a"s. amanda, studying english at bristol university, acted in plays at her school and played tennis regularly. yet she still managed to get four a"s.

　　how do a students like these do it? brains aren"t the only answer. the most gifted students do not necessarily perform best in exams. knowing how to make the most of one"s abilities counts for much more.

　　hard work isn"t the whole story either. some of these high-achieving students actually put in fewer hours than their lower-scoring classmates. the students at the top of the class get there by mastering a few basic techniques that others can easily learn. here, according to education experts and students themselves, are the secrets of a students.

　　1. concentrate! top students allow no interruptions of their study time. once the books are open, phone calls go unanswered, tv unwatched and newspapers unread. "this doesn"t mean ignoring important things in your life," amanda explains. "it means planning your study time so that you can concentrate. if i"m worried about a sick friend, i call her before i start my homework. then when i sit down to study, i can really focus."

　　2. study anywhere — or everywhere. a university professor in arizona assigned to tutor underachieving college athletes, recalls a runner who exercised daily. he persuaded him to use the time to memorise biology terms. another student stuck a vocabulary list on his bathroom wall and learned a new word every day while brushing his teeth.

　　3. organize your materials. at school, tom played basketball. "i was too busy to waste time looking for a pencil or a missing notebook. i kept everything just where i could get my hands on it," he says. paul, a student in new mexico, keeps two folders for each subject — one for the day"s assignments, the other for homework completed and ready to hand in. a drawer keeps essentials together and cuts down on time-wasting searches.

　　4. organize your time. when a teacher set a long essay, alex would spend a couple of days reading round the subject and making notes, then he"d do a rough draft and write up the essay. he would aim to finish a couple of days before the assignment was due so that if it took longer than expected, he"d still meet the deadline. amanda stuck to a study schedule that included breaks every two hours. "trying to study when you"re overtired isn"t smart," she advises. "even a short break to stretch or get some fresh air can work wonders."

　　5. learn how to read. "i used to spend hours going through irrelevant material," amanda remembers. "but then i got used to reading quickly; if the first sentence of a paragraph wasn"t relevant, i"d move on to the next paragraph." "the best course i ever took," says an oklahoma student, "was speed-reading. i not only increased my words per minute but also learned to look at a book"s table of contents and pictures first. then, when i began to read, i had a sense of the material and i retained a lot more." to such students, the secret of good reading is to be an active reader — one who keeps asking questions that lead to a full understanding of the material being read.

　　6. take good notes. "before writing anything, i pide my page into two parts," says amanda, "the left part is about a third of the page wide; the right, two-thirds. i write my notes in the wider part, and put down the main ideas on the left. during revision, this is very useful because you can see immediately why the material is relevant, rather than being worried by a great mass of information." just before the end of lesson bell rings, most students close their books, put away papers, talk to friends and get ready to leave. but a smart student uses those few minutes to write two or three sentences about the lesson"s main points, which he scans before the next class.

　　7. ask questions. "if you ask questions, you know at once whether you have got the point or not," says alex. class participation is a matter of showing intellectual curiosity. in a lecture on economics, for example, curious students would ask how the chinese economy could be both socialist and market-driven, thus interesting themselves not only in whats, but also in whys and hows.

　　8. study together. the value of working together was shown in an experiment at the university of california at berkeley. a graduate student there who observed a first-year calculus course found that asian-american students discussed homework, tried different approaches and explained their solutions to one another while the others studied alone, spent most of their time reading and rereading the text, and tried the same approach time after time even if it was unsuccessful.

　　after all, the secrets of a students are not so secret. you can learn and master them and become an a student, too.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇（扩展6）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册第3课内容讲解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册第3课内容讲解1

　　When Stevie Morris was born, on May 13, 1950, the doctors shook their heads and told the mother that her son was born blind and likely would always be that way. She broke into tears.

　　Blind and black and poor — what kind of life could this new infant have? In her wildest dreams, Mrs. Morris could never have imagined that her new baby would become a famous musician called Stevie Wonder. At the time, all she could do was pray — and worry.

　　Stevie himself didn"t worry at all. Life was too full. He was brought up among church-going people whose faith helped them bear the poverty. He loved music and would pound spoons or forks on any surface that faintly resembled a drum.

　　He even ran and played with sighted children. "I didn"t realize I was blind until I was about four," he says. That might sound strange. To a small child just learning about the world, it wasn"t strange at all. Stevie heard and smelled and touched. As far as he knew, that was all anyone could do. That was life.

　　When Stevie"s mother got tired of her tables being used for drums, she bought him a toy set. He played so hard that he had actually worn the toy out within a few weeks. Other toy sets followed; then an uncle added a toy harmonica, and Stevie learned to play it so quickly that everyone was amazed.

　　Stevie taught himself to play the piano as quickly as he had once learned the harmonica. With friends, he began playing rock and roll music. They performed on the front porch of Stevie"s apartment building, drawing crowds of neighbors to watch and listen and clap time to the beat.

　　"I loved that beat," Stevie says. He not only loved the beat, he was very good at making it.

　　Ronnie White, of the Miracles singing group, heard Stevie and promptly took him down to his recording company, Motown Records.

　　"Give him an audition," Ronnie said. They did. All the top people at Motown got together to hear a little blind boy who wasn"t even ten years old yet. At first, they were being nice. Poor kid. They didn"t want to hurt his feelings.

　　Then they heard Stevie sing and play, and nobody said "poor kid" anymore. They were too busy congratulating themselves on finding a youngster who could be the musical talent of the decade. "He"s a wonder boy," somebody said as they watched little Stevie dart from one instrument to the next, playing each one with ease.

　　"Wonder," somebody else said, "Little Stevie Wonder."

　　The new name stuck and Stevie Morris became Little Stevie Wonder. He had his first hit when he was twelve years old. It was called "Fingertips" and it was a smash.

　　Over the following years, Little Stevie Wonder became one of the top recording artists at Motown, producing one hit after another. But as he grew into *hood, Stevie began to get tired of the way the Motown company controlled all aspects of his career. He wanted to write and produce his own songs, but the Motown company thought it was unwise to change a winning formula.

　　When he turned 21, Stevie finally got his freedom. Against Motown"s wishes he started exploring: he made records that combined gospel, rock and roll, and jazz and which used African and Latin American rhythms. To the record company"s surprise, Stevie"s new albums such as "Music of My Mind" and "Innervisions" were even more popular than his early ones. Stevie Wonder had become a mature man and an independent musical artist.

　　Just after this success, however, tragedy struck. In August of 1973, Stevie was involved in a serious car accident. For nearly a week he lay in a coma, unable to speak or walk. "We don"t know when he"ll be out of danger," the doctor said. Everyone waited and prayed. Suddenly, it didn"t matter that Stevie was a musical genius or that he had conquered blindness and poverty. All he had left was his faith and strong will.

　　That turned out to be enough. Stevie fought back from the shadow of death as he had once fought out from the shadow of blindness. He went on to give more performances, make more hit records.

　　The car accident changed Stevie by making him reevaluate his goals in life. He still loved to make music, but he also started to pay more attention to the world outside. He worked to create a national holiday to honor the civil rights leader Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.. He recorded songs urging racial harmony and raised money to end world hunger. Recently, Stevie was honored by South African president Nelson Mandela for his work against that country"s system of racial apartheid.

　　Stevie Wonder has faith and fame, wealth and love. He has not only conquered his own darkness, but through his music and his social activities he has been able to bring sunshine to the shadow of many other lives.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册第3课内容讲解2

　　sunshine

　　n. the light and heat of the sun 阳光

　　infant

　　n. a very young child 婴儿

　　musician

　　n. a person who performs on a musical instrument, or who writes music 乐师，作曲家

　　pray

　　vi. (for, to) speak to God in order to give thanks or to ask for help 祈祷，祈求

　　spoon

　　n. 匙，调羹

　　faintlh

　　ad. slightly; mildly 轻微地;微弱地

　　resemble

　　vt. look or be like 像，类似

　　drum

　　n. 鼓

　　tire

　　v. (使)感到疲劳;(使)厌倦，(使)厌烦

　　harmonica

　　n. 口琴

　　amaze

　　vt. fill with great surprise; cause wonder in 使惊奇;使惊羡

　　*porch

　　n. (建筑物前有顶的)门廊，入口处

　　apartment

　　n. 公寓大楼;一套公寓房间

　　clap

　　vi. applaud 拍手

　　miracle

　　n. 奇迹

　　promptly

　　ad. immediately and without any delay 迅速地，及时地

　　audition

　　n. (对志愿艺人等的.)面试(指试读、试唱、试奏等)

　　kid

　　n. a child 小孩

　　congratulate

　　vt. speak to (a person) with praise and admiration for a happy event or sth. successfully done 祝贺

　　youngster

　　n. a young person, esp. a boy 年轻人;男孩

　　talent

　　n. 1. a special ability or skill 天才，天资;超常智能

　　2. people of such ability 人才

　　decade

　　n. a period of 10 years 十年(期)

　　*dart

　　vi. move suddenly and quickly 猛冲，飞奔

　　instrument

　　n. 乐器;仪器;器具;器械

　　ease

　　n. 1. freedom from difficulty 容易

　　2. freedom from discomfort, pain or worry 安适;悠闲;无痛苦;无忧虑

　　fingertip

　　n. the end of a finger 指尖

　　smash

　　n. 轰动的演出，巨大的成功

　　v. (cause to) break into pieces violently 打碎，粉碎

　　*hood

　　n. 成年

　　aspect

　　n. a particular part or feature of sth. being considered 方面

　　career

　　n. a profession or occupation with opportunities for advancement or promotion 职业;生涯

　　formula

　　n. 公式，程式;准则，方案

　　explore

　　v. 探索;探测;勘探

　　gospel

　　n. (= gospel music) 福音音乐(美国黑人的一种宗教音乐，具有爵士音乐和美国黑人伤感歌曲色彩)

　　jazz

　　n. 爵士音乐

　　rhythm

　　n. 节奏;韵律

　　*album

　　n. 1. a long-playing record with several items by the same performer (同一表演者的)集锦密纹唱片

　　2. a book with blank pages for stamps, photographs, etc. 集邮册，相册

　　mature

　　a. fully grown or developed mentally or physically 充分发育的;(智力或体力)成熟的

　　independent

　　a. 独立的，自主的

　　tragedy

　　n. 1. a terrible event that causes great sadness 惨事，灾变

　　2. a serious play with a sad ending 悲剧

　　involve

　　vt. 使陷入，使卷入;牵扯，连累

　　coma

　　n. 昏迷

　　musical

　　a. of or for music 音乐的

　　genius

　　n. 天才;创造能力;天才人物

　　conquer

　　vt. gain control over (sth. unfriendly or difficult) 征服;克服(困难等)

　　performance

　　n. the acting of a play, the playing of a piece of music, the doing of a dance, etc., in front of an audience 演出，表演，演奏

　　reevaluate

　　vt. 重新评价

　　goal

　　n. 1. an end; objective 目的;目标

　　2.(足球等的)球门;得分进球

　　hunger

　　n. state of not having enough to eat; lack of food 饥饿

　　urge

　　vt. 力劝;恳求;敦促

　　racial

　　a. characteristic of race; due to or resulting from race 种族的;由种族引起的

　　harmony

　　n. agreement (of feelings, interests, opinions, etc.) 和睦，融洽，一致

　　apartheid

　　n. (南非的)种族隔离

　　fame

　　n. the condition of being known or talked about a lot 名声，名望

　　activity

　　n. 活动;行动

　　Phrases and Exgressions

　　break into

　　begin suddenly (to cry, sing, laugh, etc.) 突然(哭、唱、笑)起来

　　bring up

　　take care of during infancy and childhood; nurse and educate 抚养;养育

　　as far as

　　to the degree that 就…;尽…;至于

　　get tired of

　　be no longer interested in 厌倦，厌烦

　　wear out

　　make useless by use 把…用坏;把…穿破

　　with ease

　　without difficulty 容易地，无困难地

　　grow into

　　become gradually with the passage of time 成长的

　　congratulate oneself on /that ...

　　因…而暗自庆幸

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册第3课内容讲解3

　　When Stevie Morris was born, on May 13, 1950, the doctors shook their heads and told the mother that her son was born blind and likely would always be that way. She broke into tears.

　　Blind and black and poor — what kind of life could this new infant have? In her wildest dreams, Mrs. Morris could never have imagined that her new baby would become a famous musician called Stevie Wonder. At the time, all she could do was pray — and worry.

　　Stevie himself didn"t worry at all. Life was too full. He was brought up among church-going people whose faith helped them bear the poverty. He loved music and would pound spoons or forks on any surface that faintly resembled a drum.

　　He even ran and played with sighted children. "I didn"t realize I was blind until I was about four," he says. That might sound strange. To a small child just learning about the world, it wasn"t strange at all. Stevie heard and smelled and touched. As far as he knew, that was all anyone could do. That was life.

　　When Stevie"s mother got tired of her tables being used for drums, she bought him a toy set. He played so hard that he had actually worn the toy out within a few weeks. Other toy sets followed; then an uncle added a toy harmonica, and Stevie learned to play it so quickly that everyone was amazed.

　　Stevie taught himself to play the piano as quickly as he had once learned the harmonica. With friends, he began playing rock and roll music. They performed on the front porch of Stevie"s apartment building, drawing crowds of neighbors to watch and listen and clap time to the beat.

　　"I loved that beat," Stevie says. He not only loved the beat, he was very good at making it.

　　Ronnie White, of the Miracles singing group, heard Stevie and promptly took him down to his recording company, Motown Records.

　　"Give him an audition," Ronnie said. They did. All the top people at Motown got together to hear a little blind boy who wasn"t even ten years old yet. At first, they were being nice. Poor kid. They didn"t want to hurt his feelings.

　　Then they heard Stevie sing and play, and nobody said "poor kid" anymore. They were too busy congratulating themselves on finding a youngster who could be the musical talent of the decade. "He"s a wonder boy," somebody said as they watched little Stevie dart from one instrument to the next, playing each one with ease.

　　"Wonder," somebody else said, "Little Stevie Wonder."

　　The new name stuck and Stevie Morris became Little Stevie Wonder. He had his first hit when he was twelve years old. It was called "Fingertips" and it was a smash.

　　Over the following years, Little Stevie Wonder became one of the top recording artists at Motown, producing one hit after another. But as he grew into *hood, Stevie began to get tired of the way the Motown company controlled all aspects of his career. He wanted to write and produce his own songs, but the Motown company thought it was unwise to change a winning formula.

　　When he turned 21, Stevie finally got his freedom. Against Motown"s wishes he started exploring: he made records that combined gospel, rock and roll, and jazz and which used African and Latin American rhythms. To the record company"s surprise, Stevie"s new albums such as "Music of My Mind" and "Innervisions" were even more popular than his early ones. Stevie Wonder had become a mature man and an independent musical artist.

　　Just after this success, however, tragedy struck. In August of 1973, Stevie was involved in a serious car accident. For nearly a week he lay in a coma, unable to speak or walk. "We don"t know when he"ll be out of danger," the doctor said. Everyone waited and prayed. Suddenly, it didn"t matter that Stevie was a musical genius or that he had conquered blindness and poverty. All he had left was his faith and strong will.

　　That turned out to be enough. Stevie fought back from the shadow of death as he had once fought out from the shadow of blindness. He went on to give more performances, make more hit records.

　　The car accident changed Stevie by making him reevaluate his goals in life. He still loved to make music, but he also started to pay more attention to the world outside. He worked to create a national holiday to honor the civil rights leader Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.. He recorded songs urging racial harmony and raised money to end world hunger. Recently, Stevie was honored by South African president Nelson Mandela for his work against that country"s system of racial apartheid.

　　Stevie Wonder has faith and fame, wealth and love. He has not only conquered his own darkness, but through his music and his social activities he has been able to bring sunshine to the shadow of many other lives.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册第3课内容讲解4

　　sunshine

　　n. the light and heat of the sun 阳光

　　infant

　　n. a very young child 婴儿

　　musician

　　n. a person who performs on a musical instrument, or who writes music 乐师，作曲家

　　pray

　　vi. (for, to) speak to God in order to give thanks or to ask for help 祈祷，祈求

　　spoon

　　n. 匙，调羹

　　faintlh

　　ad. slightly; mildly 轻微地;微弱地

　　resemble

　　vt. look or be like 像，类似

　　drum

　　n. 鼓

　　tire

　　v. (使)感到疲劳;(使)厌倦，(使)厌烦

　　harmonica

　　n. 口琴

　　amaze

　　vt. fill with great surprise; cause wonder in 使惊奇;使惊羡

　　*porch

　　n. (建筑物前有顶的)门廊，入口处

　　apartment

　　n. 公寓大楼;一套公寓房间

　　clap

　　vi. applaud 拍手

　　miracle

　　n. 奇迹

　　promptly

　　ad. immediately and without any delay 迅速地，及时地

　　audition

　　n. (对志愿艺人等的)面试(指试读、试唱、试奏等)

　　kid

　　n. a child 小孩

　　congratulate

　　vt. speak to (a person) with praise and admiration for a happy event or sth. successfully done 祝贺

　　youngster

　　n. a young person, esp. a boy 年轻人;男孩

　　talent

　　n. 1. a special ability or skill 天才，天资;超常智能

　　2. people of such ability 人才

　　decade

　　n. a period of 10 years 十年(期)

　　*dart

　　vi. move suddenly and quickly 猛冲，飞奔

　　instrument

　　n. 乐器;仪器;器具;器械

　　ease

　　n. 1. freedom from difficulty 容易

　　2. freedom from discomfort, pain or worry 安适;悠闲;无痛苦;无忧虑

　　fingertip

　　n. the end of a finger 指尖

　　smash

　　n. 轰动的演出，巨大的成功

　　v. (cause to) break into pieces violently 打碎，粉碎

　　*hood

　　n. 成年

　　aspect

　　n. a particular part or feature of sth. being considered 方面

　　career

　　n. a profession or occupation with opportunities for advancement or promotion 职业;生涯

　　formula

　　n. 公式，程式;准则，方案

　　explore

　　v. 探索;探测;勘探

　　gospel

　　n. (= gospel music) 福音音乐(美国黑人的一种宗教音乐，具有爵士音乐和美国黑人伤感歌曲色彩)

　　jazz

　　n. 爵士音乐

　　rhythm

　　n. 节奏;韵律

　　*album

　　n. 1. a long-playing record with several items by the same performer (同一表演者的)集锦密纹唱片

　　2. a book with blank pages for stamps, photographs, etc. 集邮册，相册

　　mature

　　a. fully grown or developed mentally or physically 充分发育的;(智力或体力)成熟的

　　independent

　　a. 独立的，自主的

　　tragedy

　　n. 1. a terrible event that causes great sadness 惨事，灾变

　　2. a serious play with a sad ending 悲剧

　　involve

　　vt. 使陷入，使卷入;牵扯，连累

　　coma

　　n. 昏迷

　　musical

　　a. of or for music 音乐的

　　genius

　　n. 天才;创造能力;天才人物

　　conquer

　　vt. gain control over (sth. unfriendly or difficult) 征服;克服(困难等)

　　performance

　　n. the acting of a play, the playing of a piece of music, the doing of a dance, etc., in front of an audience 演出，表演，演奏

　　reevaluate

　　vt. 重新评价

　　goal

　　n. 1. an end; objective 目的";目标

　　2.(足球等的)球门;得分进球

　　hunger

　　n. state of not having enough to eat; lack of food 饥饿

　　urge

　　vt. 力劝;恳求;敦促

　　racial

　　a. characteristic of race; due to or resulting from race 种族的;由种族引起的

　　harmony

　　n. agreement (of feelings, interests, opinions, etc.) 和睦，融洽，一致

　　apartheid

　　n. (南非的)种族隔离

　　fame

　　n. the condition of being known or talked about a lot 名声，名望

　　activity

　　n. 活动;行动

　　Phrases and Exgressions

　　break into

　　begin suddenly (to cry, sing, laugh, etc.) 突然(哭、唱、笑)起来

　　bring up

　　take care of during infancy and childhood; nurse and educate 抚养;养育

　　as far as

　　to the degree that 就…;尽…;至于

　　get tired of

　　be no longer interested in 厌倦，厌烦

　　wear out

　　make useless by use 把…用坏;把…穿破

　　with ease

　　without difficulty 容易地，无困难地

　　grow into

　　become gradually with the passage of time 成长的

　　congratulate oneself on /that ...

　　因…而暗自庆幸

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇（扩展7）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册史蒂芬霍金的简史60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册史蒂芬霍金的简史1

　　First Listening

　　1.Before you listen to the tape have a quick look at the paragraph below. It"s similar to what you"ll hear on the tape, but there are some differences. As you listen the first time, underline the sections of the paragraph that are different from what you hear on the tape. Don"t worry yet about what the exact differences are-just underline where they appear.

　　Steven Hawking, the world-famous scientist and author, lost his ability to speak in 1985. Already confined to a wheelchair, unable to move more than a few muscles, he lost his voice and this meant he could communicate only by raising his eyebrows. Then an American com*r programmer came to Hawking"s rescue by designing a vocalizing com*r specially for him. With its help. Hawking can construct sentences at a speed of about 15 words per minute, by selecting words from his com*r screen and then clicking on a device that vocalizes the sentences for him. Hawking jokes about the com*r: "The only trouble is that it gives me an American accent."

　　Second Listening

　　2. What else do you know about Steven Hawking and his book A Brief History of Time? Why is he called "the smartest man in the world"?

　　A Brief History of Stephen Hawking

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册史蒂芬霍金的简史2

　　He has been proclaimed "the finest mind alive", "the greatest genius of the late 20th century", and "Einstein"s heir". Known to millions, far and wide, for his book A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking is a star scientist in more ways than one. His gift for revealing the mysteries of the universe in a style that non-scientists can enjoy made Hawking an instant celebrity and his book a bestseller in both Britain and America. It has earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records for spending 184 weeks in The Sunday Times "top-ten" lists, and has sold more than five million copies worldwide — virtually unheard-of success for a science book.

　　How did all this happen? How has a man who is almost completely paralysed and unable to speak except through a com*r overcome these incredible obstacles and achieved far more than most people ever dream of?

　　Stephen William Hawking was a healthy baby, born to intellectual, eccentric parents. His father Frank, a doctor specialising in tropical diseases, and his mother Isobel, a doctor"s daughter, lived in a big old house full of books. Carpets and furniture stayed in use until they fell apart; the wallpaper hung peeling from old age. The family car was a London taxi, bought for ￡50.

　　Hawking has always been fascinated by his birth date: January 8,1942. It was the 300th anniversary of the death of Galileo, the Italian mathematician and astronomer who revolutionised astronomy by maintaining that the Sun is the centre of the Solar System — not the Earth, as ancient astronomers believed.

　　"Galileo", says Hawking, "was the first scientist to start using his eyes, both figuratively and literally. In a sense, he was responsible for the age of science we now enjoy."

　　Hawking attended St. Albans School, a private school noted for its high academic standards. He was part of a small elite group, the brightest of the bright students. They hung around together, listened to classical music and read only such "smart" authors as Aldous Huxley and Hawking"s hero, Bertrand Russell, at once an intellectual giant and liberal activist.

　　Hawking spent very little time on maths homework, yet got full marks. A friend recalls: "While I would be struggling away with a complicated problem, he just knew the answer. He didn"t have to think about it."

　　This instinctive insight also impressed his teachers. One of Hawking"s science teachers, for example, recalls the time he posed the question: "Does a cup of hot tea reach a drinkable temperature more quickly if you put the milk in first, or add the milk after pouring?" While the rest of the class struggled over how to even begin approaching the problem, Hawking almost instantly announced the correct answer: "Add the milk after pouring, of course." (The hotter the tea initially, the faster it will cool.) Another teacher relates how Hawking and his friends built a simple com*r—and this was in 1958, a time when only large research centres had any com*rs at all.

　　Hawking the schoolboy was a typical grind, underweight and awkward and peering through eyeglasses. His grey uniform always looked a mess and he spoke rather unclearly, having inherited a slight lisp from his father. This had nothing to do with early signs of illness; he was just that sort of kid—a figure of classroom fun, respected by his friends, avoided by most.

　　Hawking went on to study at Oxford, winning a scholarship to read Natural Science, a course which combines mathematics, physics and astronomy, at University College. He found much of the work easy and averaged only one hour"s work a day. Once, when his tutor set some physics problems from a textbook, Hawking didn"t even bother to do them. Asked why, he spent 20 minutes pointing out errors in the book. His main enthusiasm was the Boat Club. Many times he returned to shore with bits of the boat knocked off, having tried to guide his crew through an impossibly narrow gap. His rowing trainer suspects, "Half the time, he was sitting in the stern with his head in the stars, working out mathematical formulae."

　　Oxford has always had its share of eccentric students, so Hawking fit right in. But then, when he was 21, he was told that he had ALS—a progressive and incurable nerve disease. The doctors predicted that he had only a few years to live.

　　"Before my condition was diagnosed, I was very bored with life," Hawking says today, speaking from his wheelchair through a com*rized voice synthesizer. The doctors" grim prognosis made him determined to get the most from a life he had previously taken for granted.

　　"But I didn"t die," Hawking notes dryly. Instead, as his physical condition worsened, Hawking"s reputation in scientific circles grew, as if to demonstrate the theory of mind over matter. Hawking himself acknowledges his disease as being a crucial factor in focusing his attention on what turned out to be his real strength: theoretical research. Hawking specializes in theoretical cosmology, a branch of science that seeks ultimate answers to big questions; Why has the universe happened, and what are the laws that govern it? His main work has been on black holes and the origin and expansion of the universe. He currently holds the Cambridge University professorship once held by Sir Isaac Newton.

　　The smartest man in the world is not immune to the depression that can accompany severe disabilities. But Hawking says: "I soon realized that the rest of the world won"t want to know you if you"re bitter or angry. You have to be positive if you"re to get much sympathy or help." He goes on: "Nowadays, muscle power is obsolete. What we need is mind power—and disabled people are as good at that as anyone else."

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册史蒂芬霍金的简史3

　　*proclaim

　　vi. say publicly and officially 宣告，宣布

　　*heir

　　n. 继承人

　　best-seller

　　n. sth. (esp. a book) that sells in very large numbers 畅销书/货

　　top-ten

　　n. 排行前十名

　　virtually

　　ad. almost; very nearly 几乎;实际上

　　virtual

　　a. almost what is stated; in fact though not officially 实质上，实际上(但并非正式的)

　　*paralyse, -ze

　　vt. make sb. lose the ability to move part or all of his body, or to feel anything in it 使瘫痪

　　obstacle

　　n. sth. that blocks one"s way or makes movement, progress, etc. difficult 障碍(物)

　　*eccentric

　　a. (of people or their behaviour) unusual; not conventional or normal; slightly odd (人、行为举止)异乎寻常的;古怪的，怪僻的

　　tropical

　　a. of or found in the tropics 热带的;发生于热带的

　　carpet

　　n. 地毯

　　wallpaper

　　n. thick coloured or patterned paper for decorating the walls of a room 墙纸;壁纸

　　*peel

　　vi. (of a covering) come off in strips or small pieces 剥落;脱落

　　vt. (off) remove the outer covering from (a fruit, vegetable, etc.) 削去…的皮;剥去…的壳

　　n. the outer covering of fruits and vegetables (水果、蔬菜等的)皮

　　anniversary

　　n. a day which is an exact year or number of years after sth. has happened; a ceremony, feast, etc., held on this day 周年;周年纪念

　　mathematician

　　n. a person who studies mathematics 数学家

　　astronomer

　　n. a person who studies astronomy 天文学家

　　revolutionise, -ize

　　vt. cause a complete change in 使发生革命性剧变

　　*astronomy

　　n. the scientific study of the sun, moon. stars, planets, etc. 天文学

　　solar

　　a. 1. of, from or concerning the sun 太阳的;太阳产生的

　　2. using the sun"s light and heat 利用太阳光(或太阳能)的

　　ancient

　　a. belonging to times that are long past 古代的;属于古代的

　　figuratively

　　ad. 比喻地;借喻地

　　*literally

　　ad. 1. according to the most basic and simple meaning of a word 字面上地;照文字地

　　2. exactly, really 确实地，真心地，不加夸张地

　　*elite

　　a. (Fr) (of people or organizations) considered to be the best of their kind(法)杰出的，卓越的;精锐的

　　n. a group of the most powerful, rich or talented people 精英阶层;实力集团

　　classical

　　a. 1. (of music) composed with serious intentions and having lasting value (as opposed to jazz or pop) 古典的;古典乐派的

　　2. being in accordance with ancient Greek or Roman models in literature or art or with later systems based on them 古典(指古希腊或古罗马文学、艺术等)的;基于古典文学艺术的

　　*instinctive

　　a. (出于)本能的;(出于)天性的

　　insight

　　n. deep understanding; the ability to see into the true nature of sth. 洞悉，深入了解;洞察力

　　pose

　　vt. 1. ask (a question, riddle, etc.) 提出(问题等)

　　2. create or present (a difficulty, etc.) 造成，引起(困难等)

　　initially

　　ad. at first; at the beginning 最初;开始

　　relate

　　v. 1. tell (a story) 讲述(故事)

　　2. see or show a connection between 使联系，显示出…与…的联系

　　underweight

　　a. weighing too little or less than is usual 重量不足

　　awkward

　　a. 笨拙的;使人尴尬的

　　peer

　　vi. (at, through) look very carefully or hard for not being able to see well 仔细看;费力地看

　　n. a person of the same age or status as you 同辈;同等地位的人

　　eyeglasses

　　n. =glasses 眼镜

　　inherit

　　vt. 1. have features or qualities similar to those of an ancestor 经遗传而得(性格、特征)

　　2. receive (money, property, etc.) as a result of the death of the previous owner 继承(金钱、遗产等)

　　lisp

　　n. 咬舌;口齿不清

　　crew

　　n. 1. a rowing team 全体划船队员

　　2. all the people working on a ship, an aircraft, etc.(船、飞机等的)全体人员

　　gap

　　n. 1. an opening or break between two things 豁口;缺口

　　2. 峡谷;山口

　　3. 差距;分歧;隔阂

　　mathematical

　　a. of or concerning mathematics 数学(上)的

　　progressive

　　a. 1. (of diseases, etc.) becoming increasingly worse in its later stages (疾病等)愈来愈严重的`

　　2. moving forward continuously or by stages 向前进的;循序渐进的

　　3. favoring or eager for new ideas or changes 进步的;改革的

　　incurable

　　a. that cannot be cured 不可救药的;不能治愈的

　　nerve

　　n. 1. any of the threadlike parts of the body which form a system to carry feelings and messages to and from the brain 神经

　　2. strength or control of mind; courage 意志力;勇气

　　predict

　　v. see or describe (a future happening) in advance as a result of knowledge, experience, reason, etc. 预言，预测

　　*diagnose

　　vt. discover the nature of (a disease) 诊断(疾病)

　　wheelchair

　　n. 轮椅

　　synthesizer

　　n. [电子]合成器;音响合成器

　　*grim

　　a. 1. (of a situation, etc.) unpleasant, difficult to accept and worrying 严酷的;无情的

　　2. (of a place) unattractive and depressing in appearance 阴森的，令人生畏的

　　prognosis

　　n. 1. (med.) a doctor"s opinion of what course a disease will probably take [医]预后(指根据症状对疾病结果的预测)

　　2. a prediction about the future 预测

　　dryly, drily

　　ad. 1. according to the rules and without personal warmness or feeling 干巴巴地;冷冰冰地

　　2. 干燥地

　　worsen

　　v. (cause to) become worse (使)变得更坏;(使)恶化

　　demonstrate

　　vt. 1. prove or make clear by reasoning or examples 论证，证明

　　2. show the way to do sth. or how sth. works 示范;操作;演示

　　3. show (one"s particular skill, quality or feeling) 显示，表露

　　vi. take part in a march or meeting to show one"s opposition to sth. or support for it **

　　acknowledge

　　vt. 1. (as, to be) recognize, accept or admit (as) 承认;接受

　　2. state that one has received sth. 告知(信件、礼物等的)收到

　　3. show one"s appreciation for, as by giving or saying sth. 对…表示谢忱，答谢

　　theoretical

　　a. based on or concerning the ideas and abstract principles of a subject, rather than the practical aspects of it 理论(上)的;纯理论的

　　cosmology

　　n. the scientific study of the universe and its origin and development 宇宙学

　　*govern

　　vt. 1. (often pass.) determine the nature of [常被动]决定;支配

　　2. rule (a country, a city, etc. and its people) 统治;治理

　　3. have control or influence over (sth.) 支配;影响

　　governor

　　n. a person who controls any of certain types of organization or place 统治者;管辖者;地方长官

　　expansion

　　n. 1. the process of becoming greater in size or amount 扩大，扩充;扩张

　　2. 扩充物;扩展部分

　　*immune

　　a. 1. (to) not affected by 不受影响的;可防止的

　　2. unable to be harmed (by a disease) because of special powers in oneself 免疫的;有免疫力的

　　depression

　　n. 1. a feeling of sadness and hopelessness 忧伤，消沉，沮丧

　　2. a period of reduced business activity and high unemployment 不景气;萧条(期)

　　disability

　　n. a physical injury or mental illness that severely affects one"s life 伤残，残疾

　　sympathy

　　n. 1. the ability to share the feelings of another 同情心，恻隐心

　　2. a pity 同情

　　sympathize, -ise

　　v. show or feel sympathy (表示)同情

　　black hole

　　an area in outer space into which everything near it, including light itself, is pulled [天]黑洞

　　nowadays

　　ad. at the present time, in contrast with the past 如今，现在

　　obsolete

　　a. no longer used; out of date 已废弃的;过时的

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　far and wide

　　everywhere; from or over a large area 到处;广泛地

　　dream of

　　wish, fantasize, imagine 梦想;向往

　　specialise in

　　concentrate one"s studies, interests, etc. on (a particular field, etc.) 专门从事;专门研究

　　in use

　　being used 在使用着的

　　fall apart

　　break into pieces; break up 破碎;崩溃

　　in a sense

　　to a certain extent but not entirely 从某种意义上说

　　be responsible for

　　be the cause of 是…的原因;对…负责

　　hang around (with)

　　spend time in a place or with sb., often without any particular purpose (在某处)闲荡;(和某人)厮混

　　at once

　　at the same time 同时，一起

　　struggle away with

　　try very hard to do (sth., though it is very hard) 努力做(某事)，艰难地做(某事)

　　have nothing to do with

　　have no relation to or connection with 与…无关

　　bother to do sth.

　　trouble oneself to do sth. 费心去做某事

　　knock off

　　cause sth. to fall from a place 敲掉;击倒

　　work out

　　find an answer to (sth.); solve (sth.) 想出;得出

　　have one"s share of sth.

　　have part of sth.; have the amount that is fair for sb. 享有其中一份;享有自己应得的一份

　　fit (right) in

　　be (precisely) suitable (to) (正)相合

　　mind over matter

　　(sometimes humor) control of events or material objects by the power of the mind 精神战胜物质

　　turn out to be

　　happen to be in the end 最后是;结果是

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇（扩展8）

——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世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇（扩展9）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册课程6内容详解 (菁选2篇)

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册课程6内容详解1

　　Leonid Fridman

　　There is something very wrong with the system of values in a society that has only unkind terms like nerd and geek for the intellectually curious and academically serious.

　　We all know what a nerd is: someone who wears thick glasses and ugly clothes; someone who knows all the answers to the chemistry or math homework but can never get a date on a Saturday night. And a geek, according to "Webster"s New World Dictionary," is a street performer who shocks the public by biting off heads of live chickens. It is a revealing fact about our language and our culture that someone dedicated to pursuit of knowledge is compared to such a freak.

　　Even at a prestigious educational institution like Harvard, anti-intellectualism is widespread: Many students are ashamed to admit, even to their friends, how much they study.

　　Although most students try to keep up their grades, there is but a small group of undergraduates for whom pursuing knowledge is the most important thing during their years at Harvard. Nerds are looked down upon while athletes are made heroes of.

　　The same thing happens in U.S. elementary and high schools. Children who prefer to read books rather than play football, prefer to build model airplanes rather than idle away their time at parties with their classmates, become social outcasts. Because of their intelligence and refusal to conform to society"s anti-intellectual values, many are deprived of a chance to learn adequate social skills and acquire good communication tools.

　　Enough is enough.

　　Nerds and geeks must stop being ashamed of what they are. Those who don"t study hard must stop teasing those who do, the bright kids with thick glasses. The anti-intellectual values that have spread throughout American society must be fought.

　　There are very few countries in the world where anti-intellectualism runs as high in popular culture as it does in the U.S.. In most industrialized nations, not least of all our economic rivals in East Asia, a kid who studies hard is praised and held up as an example to other students.

　　In many parts of the world, university professorships are the most prestigious and materially rewarding positions. But not in America, where average professional ballplayers are much more respected and better paid than professors of the best universities.

　　How can a country where typical parents are ashamed of their daughter studying mathematics instead of going dancing, or of their son reading Weber while his friends play baseball be expected to compete in the technology race with Japan? How long can America remain a world-class power if we constantly put social skills and physical strength over academic achievement and intellectual ability?

　　Do we really expect to stay afloat largely by importing our scientists and intellectuals from abroad, as we have done for a major portion of this century without making an effort to also cultivate a pro-intellectual culture at home? Even if we have the political will to spend a lot more money on education than we do now, do we think we can improve our schools if we laugh at our hardworking pupils and fail to respect their impoverished teachers?

　　Our fault lies not so much with our economy or with our politics as within ourselves, our values and our image of a good life. America"s culture has not adapted to the demands of our times, to the economic realities that demand a highly educated workforce and innovative intelligent leadership.

　　If we are to succeed as a society in the 21 st century, we had better do away with our anti-intellectualism and teach our children that a good life depends on exercising one"s mind and pursuing knowledge to the full extent of one"s abilities.

　　Not until the words "nerd" and "geek" become terms of praise rather than insults do we stand a chance.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册课程6内容详解2

　　Listen to the tape again. Then, choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

　　1. The main purpose of this listening passage is to_________.

　　A) argue against higher salaries for athletes

　　B) offer solutions to current economic problems

　　C) complain about the lack of respect for intellectuals

　　D) describe changes in the English language

　　2. What is the meaning of the words "nerd" and "geek"?

　　A) They are insulting terms which are applied to smart students.

　　B) They are used in the U.S. to describe students from other countries.

　　C) A nerd is a good student and a geek is a poor student.

　　D) A nerd is a poor student and a geek is a good student.

　　3. The passage says that in nations other than the U.S.,_________.

　　A) hardworking students are praised

　　B) professors are paid better salaries

　　C) more respect is given to intellectuals

　　D) all of the above

　　4. The passage suggests that the words "nerd" and "geek" should_________.

　　A) be made illegal

　　B) become words of praise, rather than insults

　　C) be used to describe athletes instead of students

　　D) all of the above

【21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第2单元内容详解60篇【通用文档】】相关文章：

1.户外活动主持人演讲稿(2篇)

2.2024年烟草工作作风存在的问题(5篇)

3.厂房租赁协议书合同范本(4篇)

4.履行好管党治党强基固本的政治责任

5.老年大学舞蹈课教案(7篇)