新编大学英语2课文原文

【1-A】 A Good Heart to Lean Onore than I realized, Dad has helped me keep my balance.Augustus J. Bullock[1] When I was growing up, I was embarrassed to be seen with my father. He was severely crippled and very short, and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare. I would be ashamed of the unwanted attention. If he ever noticed or was bothered, he never let on.[2] It was difficult to coordinate our steps—his halting, mine impatient—and because of that, we didn't say much as we went along. But as we started out, he always said, “You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you. ”[3] Our usual walk was to or from the subway, which was how he got to work. He went to work sick, and despite nasty weather. He almost never missed a day, and would make it to the office even if others could not. It was a matter of pride for him.[4] When snow or ice was on the ground, it was impossible for him to walk, even with help. At such times my sisters or I would pull him through the streets of Brooklyn , N.Y. , on a child's sleigh to the subway entrance. Once there, he would cling to the handrail until he reached the lower steps that the warmer tunnel air kept ice-free. In Manhattan the subway station was the basement of his office building, and he would not have to go outside again until we met him in Brooklyn on his way home. [5] When I think of it now, I marvel at how much courage it must have taken for a grown man to subject himself to such indignity and stress. And I marvel at how he did it—without bitterness or complaint.[6] He never talked about himself as an object of pity, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a “good heart”, and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him.[7] Now that I am older, I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people, even though I still don't know precisely what a “good heart” is. But I know the times I don't have one myself.[8] Unable to engage in many activities, my father still tried to participate in some way. When a local baseball team found itself without a manager, he kept it going. He was a knowledgeable baseball fan and often took me to Ebbets Field to see the Brooklyn Dodgers play. He liked to go to dances and parties, where he could havea good time just sitting and watching.[9] On one memorable occasion a fight broke out at a beach party, with everyone punching and shoving. He wasn't content to sit and watch, but he couldn't stand unaided on the soft sand. In frustration he began to shout, “I'll fight anyone who will sit down with me! I'll fight anyone who will sit dow n with me! ”[10] Nobody did. But the next day people kidded him by saying it was the first time any fighter was urged to take a dive even before the bout began.[11] I now know he participated in some things vicariously through me, his only son. When I played ball (poorly), he “played” too. When I joined the Navy, he “joined” too. And when I came home on leave, he saw to it that I visited his office. Introducing me, he was really saying, “This is my son, but it is also me, and I could have done this, too, if things had been different. ” Those words were never said aloud. [12] He has been gone many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about trifles, when I am envious of another's good fortune, whenI don't have a “good heart”.[13] At such times I put my hand on his arm to regain my balance, and say, “You se t the pace. I will try to adjust to you.” ( 703 words)【1-B-a】 A Kiss for KatePhyllis Volkens[1] Every afternoon when I came on duty as the evening nurse, I would walk the halls of the nursing home, pausing at each door to chat and observe. Often, Kate and Chris, their big scrapbooks in their laps, would be reminiscing over the photos. Proudly, Kate showed me pictures of bygone years: Chris —tall, blond, handsome; Kate pretty, dark-haired, laughing. Two young lovers smiling through the passing seasons. How lovely they looked now, sitting there, the light shining on their white heads, their time-wrinkled faces smiling at the memories of the years, caught and held forever in the scrapbooks.[2] How little the young know of loving, I'd think. How foolish to think they have a monopoly on such a precious commodity. The old know what loving truly means; the young can only guess.[3] Kate and Chris were always together—in the dining room, the lounge, strolling around the big porches and lawns, always holding hands. As we staff members ate our evening meal, sometimes Kate and Chris would walk slowly by the dining-room doors. Then conversation would turn to a discussion of the couple's love and devotion, and what would happen when one of them died. We knew Chris was the strong one, and Kate was dependent upon him.[4] How would Kate function if Chris were to die first? We often wondered.[5] Bedtime followed a ritual. When I brought the evening medication, Kate would be sitting in her chair, in nightgown and slippers, awaiting my arrival. Under the watchful eyes of Chris and myself, Kate would take her pill, then carefully Chris would help her from the chair to the bed and tuck the covers in around her frail body.[6] Observing this act of love, I would think for the thousandth time, good heavens, why don't nursing homes have double beds for married couples? All their lives they have slept together, but in a nursing home, they're expected to sleep in single beds. Overnight they're deprived of a comfort of a lifetime.[7] How very foolish such policies are, I would think as I watched Chris reach up and turn off the light above Kate's bed. Then tenderly he would bend, and they would kiss gently. Chris would pat her cheek, and both would smile. He would pull up the side rail on her bed, and only then would he turn and accept his own medication. As I walked into the hall, I could hear Chris say, “Good night, Kate,” and her returning voice, “Good night, Chris,” while the space of an entire room separated their two beds.[8] I had been off duty two days and when I returned, the first news I heard was, “Chris died yesterday morning.”[9] “How?”[10] “A heart attack. It happened quickly.”[11] “How's Kate?”[12] “Bad.”[13] I went into Kate's room. She sat in her chair, motionless, hands in her lap, staring. Taking her hands in mine, I said, “Kate, it's Phyllis.”[14] Her eyes never shifted; she only stared. I placed my hand under her chin and slowly turned her head so she had to look at me.[15] “Kate, I just found out about Chris. I'm so sorry.”[16] At the word “Chris”, her eyes came back to life. She looked at me, puzzled,as though wondering how I had suddenly appeared. “ Kate, it's me, Phyllis. I'm so sorry about Chris.”[17] Recognition and sadness flooded her face. Tears welled up and slid down her cheeks. “Chris is gone,” she whispered.[18] “I know,” I said. “I know.”[19] We pampered Kate for a while, letting her eat in her room, surrounding her with special attention. Then gradually the staff worked her back into the old schedule. Often, as I went past her room, I would observe Kate sitting in her chair, scrapbooks on her lap, gazing sadly at pictures of Chris.[20] Bedtime was the worst part of the day for Kate. Although she was allowed to move from her bed to Chris's bed, and although the staff chatted and laughed with her as they tucked her in for the night, still Kate remained silent and sadly withdrawn. Passing her room an hour after she had been tucked in, I'd find her wide awake, staring at the ceiling.[21] The weeks passed, and bedtime wasn't any better. She seemed so restless, so insecure. Why? I wondered. Why this time of day more than the other hours?[22] Then one night as I walked into her room, only to find the same wide-awake Kate, I said impulsively, “Kat e, could it be you miss your good-night kiss?” Bending down, I kissed her wrinkled cheek.[23] It was as though I had opened the floodgates. Tears ran down her face; her hands gripped mine. “Chris always kissed me good-night,” she cried.[24] “I know,” I w hispered.[25] “ I miss him so, all those years he kissed me good-night.” She paused while I wiped the tears. “ I just can't seem to go to sleep without his kiss.”[26] She looked up at me, her eyes full of tears. “Oh, thank you for giving me a kiss.”[27] A small smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “You know,” she said confidentially, “Chris used to sing me a song.”[28] “He did?”[29] “Yes,”—her white head nodded—“and I lie here at night and think about it.”[30] “How did it go?”[31] Kate smiled, held my hand and cleared her throat. Then her voice, small with age but still melodious, lifted softly in song: So kiss me, my sweet, and so let us part.And when I grow too old to dream,That kiss will live in my heart.( 921 words)【1-B-b】Benefits from PetsMaxine Huffman[1] Recently, a number of U.S. newspapers carried a very small article entitled “Things You Can Learn from Your Dog”. The article listed seven things done regularly by pet dogs which could be helpful to pet owners if they themselves did them. These things are: 1) When your loved one comes home, run to greet him. 2) Eat with pleasure. 3) When it's hot, drink lots of water. 4) Take naps. 5) Don't bite, just growl. 6) When you want something badly, dig for it. 7) Give unconditional love.[2] There are many people who would like to insist that only human beings are capable of feeling the emotion of love. However, there are many more people, usually pet owners, who feel that they not only love their pets, but that their pets love them in return. This is only one, but a very important, benefit of owning a pet. All of us want to enjoy good health. Thousands of articles are written in newspapers and magazines giving advice of all types as to what people should be doing if they wish to improve their chances of having good health. Most often this advice includes suggestions that we should eat right, exercise, take vitamins and get a pet. Why get a pet? Because more and more studies are showing that people who have pets are healthier, both physically and mentally, than those who don't. Right now more than half of the households in the United States have a companion animal. That includes 51 million dogs, 56 million cats, 45 million birds, and other small animals.[3] Besides the obvious things, like being cute, interesting to watch [N], and a lot of fun, pets do more for us than we often realize. If you now have or have ever had a pet, you know how wonderful it is to have someone there for you [N], no matter how you look, how you are dressed, or what you are doing. Pets love you unconditionally and don't require brilliant conversation. A simple “good boy” and a pat on the head or scratch under the chin is enough for them [N]. They will find ways to let you know their appreciation of your praise, whether it is by wagging their tails, rubbing against you, purring, or simply looking at you with adoring eyes.[4] People who own pets often remark on what good company they are and what fun they have together [N]. Pet experts and researchers identify many other additional benefits that come with pet ownership or interaction. In addition to those mentioned thus far [N], pets ease stress and anxiety, aid relaxation, provide a sense of security, and are a great diversion from troubles. One medical study showed that people's blood pressure would fall when they stroked their pets.[5] Pets are increasingly being used in therapy for the elderly and those who have Alzheimer's disease or physical disabilities. One lady in Tucson [N], Arizona [N], shares her lovely little dog with many elderly nursing home residents. She takes her dog there at least once or twice a week and allows the elderly people to hold and pat her little dog. They eagerly await its arrival and always ask when she and her dog will be back. She is just one of hundreds of people who share their pets with the old and lonely. And then, of course, there are countless stories of dogs trained to aid blind, deaf, or wheel-chair bound individuals, often allowing them to live independently when otherwise this would not be possible. The love between these people and their four-footed friends is touching. Even brushing or patting a dog is great physical therapy, and we all know the benefits of walking, which is something a dog needs too.[6] James Herriot, a country veterinarian in England , has been a very popular writer in the English-speaking world. He has written a number of books and stories about pet owners and their pets. Many of his stories tell of the love between them as well as the benefits that owners and pets derive from each other. Part of his great popularity as a writer comes from the fact that people who love pets like to read about and identify with other pet lovers. ( 706 words)【2-A】Speaking Different LanguagesJohn Gray[1] When Martians and Venusians first got together, they encountered many of the problems with relationships we have today. Because they recognized that they were different, they were able to solve these problems. One of the secrets of their success was good communication. [2] Ironically, they communicated well because they spoke different languages. When they had problems, they would just go to a translator for assistance. Everyone knew that people from Mars and people from Venus spoke different languages, so when there was a conflict they didn't start judging or fighting but instead pulled out their phrase dictionaries to understand each other more fully. If that didn't work they went to a translator for help.[3] You see, the Martian and Venusian languages had the same words but different meanings depending on the way they were used. Their expressions were similar, but they had different connotations or emotional emphasis. Misinterpreting each other was very easy. So when communication problems emerged, they assumed it was just one of those expected misunderstandings and that with a little assistance they would surely understand each other. They experienced a trust and acceptance that we rarely experience today.[4] Even today we still need translators. Men and women seldom mean the same things even when they use the same words. For example, when a woman says, “I feel like you never listen,” she does not expect the word “never” to be taken literally. Using the word “never” is just a way of expressing the frustration she is feeling at the moment. It is not to be taken as if it were factual information.[5] To fully express their feelings, women would tend to exaggerate the facts a little bit for effect and use various superlatives, metaphors, and generalizations. Men mistakenly take these expressions literally. Because they misunderstand the intended meaning, they commonly react in an unsupportive manner. In the following chart ten complaints easily misinterpreted are listed, as well as how a man might respond unsupportively.Ten Common Complaints That Are Easily MisinterpretedWomen say things like this: Men respond like this:“We never go out.” “That's not true. We went out last week.”“Everyone ignores me.” “I'm sure some people notice you.”“I am so tired, I can't do anything.” “If you don't like your job, then quit.”“I want to forget everything.” “I don't think there's anything to forget.”“The house is always a mess.” “It's not always a mess.”“No one listens to me anymore.” “But I'm listening to you right now.”“Nothing is working.” “Are you saying it is my fault?”“You don't love me anymore.” “Of course I do. That's why I'm here.”“We are always in a hurry.” “We are not. Friday we were relaxed.”“I want more romance.” “Are you saying I am not romantic?”[6] You can see how a “literal” translation of a woman's words could easily mislead a man who is used to using speech as a means of conveying only facts and information. You can also see how a man's responses might lead to an argument. Unclear and unloving communication is the biggest problem in relationships. The number one complaint women have in relationships is: “I don't feel heard.”[7] Even this complaint is misunderstood and misinterpreted![8] A man's literal translation of “I don't feel heard” leads him to take the woman's complaint lightly. He thinks he has heard her if he can repeat what she has said. A correct translation of a woman saying “I don't feel heard” is: “I feel as though you don't fully understand what I really mean to say or care about how I feel. Would you show me that you are interested in what I have to say?”[9] If a man really understood her complaint, then he would argue less and be able to respond more positively. When men and women are on the verge of arguing, they generally misunderstand each other. At such times, it is important to rethink or translate what they have heard. ( 660 words)【2-B-1】Five New Words at a TimeYulan Ying[1] My family came to America in 1985. No one spoke a word of English. In school, I was in an English as a Second Language class with other foreign-born children. My class was so over-crowded that it was impossible for the teacher to teach English properly. I dreaded going to school each morning for fear of not understanding what people were saying and for fear of being laughed at.[2] At the time, my mother, Taiqi, worked part time in a Chinese restaurant from late afternoon until late in the night. It was her unfamiliarity with the English language that forced her to work in a Chinese-speaking environment. Although her job exhausted her, my mother still woke up early in the morning to cook breakfast for my brother and me. Like a hen guarding her chicks, she never neglected us because of her fatigue.[3] So it was not surprising that very soon my mother noticed something was troubling me. When I said nothing was wrong, my mother answered, “ You are my daughter. When something is bothering you, I feel it too. ” The pain and care I saw in her moon-shaped eyes made me burst into tears I had held back for so long. I explained to her the fear I had of going to school. “ Learning English is not impossible, ” my mother said. She cheerfully suggested that the two of us work together to learn the language at home with books. The confidence and determination my mother had were admirable because English was as new to her as it was to me.[4] That afternoon, I saw my mother in a different light as she waited for me by the school fence. Although she was the shortest of all the mothers there, her face with her welcoming smile and big, black eyes was the most promising. The afternoon sun shone brightly on her long, black hair, creating an aura that distinguished her from others.[5] My mother and I immediately began reading together and memorizing five new words a day. My mother, with her encouraging attitude, made the routine fun and interesting. The fact that she was sacrificing her resting time before going to work so that I could learn English made me see the strength she possessed. It made me admire my mother even more.[6] Very soon, I began to comprehend what everyone was saying and people could understand me. The person solely responsible for my accomplishment and happiness was my mother. The reading also helped my mother learn English so that she was able to pass the postal entrance exam . [7] It has been seven years since that reading experience with my mother. She is now 43 and in her second year at college. My brother and I have a strong sense of who we are because of the strong values my mother established for herself and her children. My admiration and gratitude for her are endless. That is why my mother is truly the guiding light of my life. ( 510 words)【2-B-b】Misunderstandings[1] He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35 cents in his pocket. In Baltimore , Maryland , he got on a bus and headed straight for the restroom. He thought that if he hid in the restroom, he could ride to New York without paying. But a passenger at the back of the bus saw him. She tapped the perso n in front of her on the shoulder and said, “ There's a bum in the restroom. Tell the bus driver. ” That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him. “ Tell the bus driver there's a bum in the restroom ” he said.[2] The message was passed from person to person until it reached the front of the bus. But somewhere along the way, the message changed. By the time it reached the bus driver, it was not “ there's a bum in the restroom ” but “ there's a bomb in the restroom ” . The driver immediately pulled over to the side of the highway and radioed the police. When the police arrived, they told the passengers to get off the bus and move far away from it. Then they closed the highway. That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam. With the help of a dog, the police searched the bus for two hours. Of course, they found no bomb.[3] Two similar-sounding English words also caused trouble for a man who wanted to fly from Los Angeles to Oakland , California . His problem began at the airport in Los Angeles . He thought he heard his flight announced, so he walked to the gate, showed his ticket, and got on the plane. Twenty minutes after takeoff, the man began to worry. Oakland was north of Los Angeles , but the plane seemed to be heading west, and when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean. “ Is this plane going to Oakland? ” he asked the flight attendant. The flight attendant gasped. “ No, ” she said. “ We're going to Auckland —Auckland, New Zealand. ”[4] Because so many English words sound similar, misunderstandings among English-speaking people are not uncommon. Not all misunderstandings result in highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong continent. Most misunderstandings are much less serious. Every day people speaking English ask one another questions like these: “ Did you say seventy or seventeen? ” , “ Did you say that you can come or that you can't? ” Similar-sounding words can be especially confusing for people who speak English as a second language.[5] When a Korean woman who lives in the United States arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “ Did you get a plate? ” “ No..., ” she answered, wondering what in the world he meant. She worked in an office. Why did the boss ask her about a plate? All day she wondered about her boss' strange question, but she was too embarrassed to ask him about it. At five o'clock, when she was getting ready to go home, her boss said, “ Please be on time tomorrow. You were 15 minutes late this morning. ” “ Sorry, ” she said. “ My car would n't start, and... ” Suddenly she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she understood. Her boss hadn't asked her, “ Did you get a plate? ” He had asked her, “ Did you get up late? ” [6] English is not the only language with similar-sounding words. Other languages, too, have words that can cause misunderstandings, especially for foreigners.[7] Auckland and Oakland . “ A plate ” and “ up late ” . When similar-sounding words cause a misunderstanding, probably the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from the mistake. Of course, sometimes it's hard to laugh. The man who traveled to Auckland instead of Oakland didn't feel like laughing. But even that misunderstanding turned out all right in the end. The airline paid for the man's hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for his flight back to California . “ Oh well, ” the man later said, “ I always wanted to see New Zealand. ” ( 650 words)【3-A】Born to WinYou cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself. — Galileo[1] Each human being is born as something unique , something that never existed before. Each person is born with what he needs to win at life. A normal person can see, hear, touch, taste, and think for himself. Each has his own unique potentials —his capabilities and limitations. Each can be an important, thinking, aware, and creatively productive person in his own right —a winner.[2] The words “winner” and “loser” have many meanings. When we refer to a person as a winner, we do not mean one who defeats the other person by dominating and making him lose. Instead a winner is one who responds genuinely by being trustworthy and responsive , both as an individual and as a member of a society. A loser is one who fails to respond genuinely.[3] Few people are winners or losers all the time. It's a matter of degree . However, once a person has the capacity to be a winner, his chances are greater for becoming even more so..[4] Achievement is not the most important thing for winners; genuineness is. The genuine person realizes his own uniqueness and appreciates the uniqueness of others.[5] A winner is not afraid to do his own thinking and to use his own knowledge. He can separate facts from opinion and doesn't pretend to have all the answers. He listens to others, evaluates what they say, but comes to his own conclusions.[6] A winner is flexible . He does not have to respond in known, rigid ways. He can change his plans when the situation calls for it. A winner has a love for life. He enjoys work, play, food, other people, and the world of nature. Without guilt he enjoys his own accomplishments. Without envy he enjoys the accomplishments of others. [7] A winner cares about the world and its people. He is not separated from the general problems of society. He tries to improve the quality of life. Even in the face of national and international difficulty, he does not see himself as helpless . He does what he can to make the world a better place.[8] Although people are born to win, they are also born totally dependent on their environment. Winners successfully make the change from dependence to independence . Losers do not. Somewhere along the line losers begin to avoid becoming independent . This usually begins in childhood. Poor nutrition , cruelty , unhappy relationships, disease, continuing disappointments, and inadequate physical care are among the many experiences that contribute to making people losers. [9] A loser is held back by his low capacity to appropriately express himself through a full range of possible behavior. He may be unaware of other choices for his life if the path he chooses goes nowhere. He is afraid to try new things. He repeats not only his own mistakes and often repeats those of his family and culture.[10] A loser has difficulty giving and receiving love. He does not enter into close, honest, direct relationships with others. Instead, he tries to manipulate them into living up to his expectations and channels his energies into living up to their expectations. ( 511 words)Better Late than Never[1] He was lying there in the grass, hiding and thinking.[2] He had studied the little girl's habits. He knew she would come outside her grandfather's house mid-afternoon to play. [3] He hated himself for this.[4] In his whole miserable life he'd never considered anything so callous as kidnapping.[5] Yet here he was, lying in the grass, hidden by trees from the house, waiting for an innocent , red-haired, two-year-old girl to come within reach.[6] It was a long wait; there was time to think.[7] Maybe all his life Harlan had been in too much of a hurry .[8] He was five when his Hoosier farmer father had died.[9] At fourteen he dropped out of Greenwood School and hit the road .[10] He tried odd jobs as a farmhand, hated it.[11] Tried being a bus conductor and hated that.12] At sixteen he lied about his age and joined the Army—and hated that, too. When his one-year enlistment was up he headed for Alabama [N], tried blacksmithing and failed.[13] He became a railroad locomotive fireman with the Southern Railroad. He liked that. Figured maybe he had found himself.[14] At eighteen he got married, and within months, wouldn't you know she announced she was pregnant the day he announced he'd been fired again?[15] Then, one day, while he was out job hunting , his young wife gave away all their possessions and went home to her parents.[16] Then came the depression . [17] Harlan couldn't win for losing, as they said.[18] He really tried. [19] Once, while working at a succession of railroad jobs, he tried studying law by correspondence .[20] But he dropped out of that, too. [21] He tried selling insurance , selling tires.[22] He tried running a ferryboat , running a filling station. No use. [23] Face it—Harlan was a loser.[24] And now here he was hiding in the weeds outside Roanoke , Virginia , planning a kidnapping .[25] As I say, he'd watched the little girl's habits, and knew about her afternoon playtime .[26] But, this one day, she did not come out to play, so his chain of failures remained unbroken .[27] Late in life he became chief cook and bottle washer at a restaurant in Corbin. And did all right until the new highway bypassed the restaurant.[28] And then his expected life span ran out . [29] He was not the first man nor would he be the last to arrive at the twilight of life with nothing to show for it.[30] The bluebird of happiness, or whatever, had always flown just out of reach.[31] He'd stayed honest—except for that one time when he had attempted kidnapping. In fairness to his name it must be noted that it was his own daughter he'd meant to kidnap from his runaway wife.[32] And they both returned to him, the next day, anyway.[33] But now the years had passed by and a lifetime was gone and he and they had nothing.[34] He had not really felt old until that day the postman brought his first Social Security check. That day, something within Harlan resented , resisted , and exploded.[35] The Government was feeling sorry for him. [36] It was time to give up and retire .[37] His restaurant customers in Corbin said they'd miss him, but his Government said sixty-five candles on the birthday cake is enough. They sent him a pension check and told him he was “old”.[38] He said, “Nuts.”[39] And he got so angry he took that $105 check and started a new business.[40] Today that business is still prospering . For over twenty years until his death he carried on with remarkable success.[41] For the man who failed at everything but one thing... the man who might have been a law-breaking kidnapper had he not also failed at that ... the man who never got started until it was time to stop... was Harlan Sanders.[42] The new business he started with his first Social Security check was Kentucky Fried Chicken. Now you know the rest of the story. ( 649 words)。