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八六版高中英语课文全集

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八六版高中英语课文

第一册

LESSON 1 HOW MARX LEARNED FOREIGN LANGUAGES马克思怎样学习外语

LESSON 2 AT HOME IN THE FUTURE未来的家

LESSON 3 THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT 盲人和象

LESSON 4 GALILEO AND ARISTOTLE伽利略和亚里斯多德

LESSON 5 THE LOST NECKLACE丢失的项链

LESSON 6 ABRAHAM LINCOLN 亚伯拉罕·林肯

LESSON 7 THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES皇帝的新装

LESSON 8 THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES(Continued)皇帝的新装（续）

LESSON 9 LADY SILKWORM蚕花娘子

LESSON 10 THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA中国的万里长城

LESSON 11 AT A TAILOR'S SHOP在服装店（选自《百万英镑》）

LESSON 12 POLLUTION污染

LESSON 13 THE FOOTPRINT脚印（选自《鲁滨逊漂流记》）

LESSON 14 WATCHING ANTS观蚁

LESSON 15 NAPOLEON'S THREE QUESTIONS拿破仑的三个问题

LESSON 16 CONTINENTS AND OCEANS和海洋

LESSON 17 THE STORY OF WILLIAM TELL 威廉·泰尔的故事

LESSON 18 A LITTLE HERO小英雄

阅读：Merry Christmas圣诞快乐

1. HOW TO USE AN ENGLISH DICTIONARY

2. GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

3. THAT CRAZY TOWER IN PISA

4. THE BEST ADVICE I EVER HAD

5. THE FIRST TELEVISION

6.THE BOYS BUILD A BRIDGE

第二册

LESSON 1 PORTRAIT OF A TEACHER一位教师的写照

LESSON 2 THE TALLEST GRASS最高的草

LESSON 3 ALL THESE THINGS ARE TO BE ANSWERED FOR所有这一切都是要偿还的（选自《双城记》）

LESSON 4 ALL THESE THINGS ARE TO BE ANSWERED FOR(Continued)所有这一切都是要偿还的（续）

LESSON 5 WINTER SLEEP冬眠

LESSON 6 ALBERT EINSTEIN阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦

LESSON 7 ALBERT EINSTEIN(Continued)阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦（续）

LESSON 8 THE PROFESSOR AND HIS INVENTION教授和他的发明

LESSON 9 SPORTS AND GAMES体育运动

LESSON 10 THE LAST LESSON最后一课

LESSON 11 THE LAST LESSON(Continued)最后一课（续）

LESSON 12 WALKING IN SPACE太空行走

LESSON 13 MADAME CURIE AND RADIUM居里夫人和镭

LESSON 14 THE GIFTS礼物

LESSON 15 THE GIFTS(Continued)礼物（续）

LESSON 16 ADVENTURE ON HIGHWAY 6666号公路历险记

VOCABULARY

SUPPLIMENTARY READINGS

1. THE LAST LEAF

2. ESCAPE FROM THE ZOO

3. ROBIN HOOD AND HIS MERRY MEN

4. THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH

5. A THIRSTY WORLD

6. HOW THE BODY CELLS LIVE

第三册

LESSON 1 PERSEVERANCE毅力

LESSON 2 A GERMAN STAMP一张德国邮票

LESSON 3 ON READING谈读书

LESSON 4 THREE GOLD MEDALS FOR WILMA威尔玛的三枚金牌

LESSON 5 THE SNAKE IN THE SLEEPING BAG睡袋里的蛇

LESSON 6 MY TEACHER我的老师（选自海伦·凯勒《我的一生》）

LESSON 7 THE TRIAL审判（选自《威尼斯商人》）

LESSON 8 CHARLES DARWIN查尔斯·达尔文

LESSON 9 THE LANGUAGE OF THE BEES蜜蜂的语言

LESSON 10 THE SIXTH DIAMOND 第六颗钻石

LESSON 11 A SPEECH BY NORMAN BETHUNE诺尔曼·白求恩的演讲

LESSON 12 FROM THE JAWS OF DEATH绝处逢生

VOCABULARY

SUPPLIMENTARY READINGS

1. FACE TO FACE WITH DANGER

2. PAPER AND ITS USES

3. STICK-UP

4. THE EARTHWORM

5. A GIFT FOR MOTHER'S DAY

6. MYSTERIES OF MIGRATION

7. SING FOR ME

8. THE DOG THAT SET ME FREE

9. TWO POEMS

1、HOW MARX LEARNED FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Karl Marx was born in Germany, and German was his native language. When he was still a young man, he was forced to leave his homeland for political reasons. He stayed in Belgium for a few years; then he went to France. Before long he had to move on again. In 1849, he went to England and made London the base for his revolutionary work.

Marx had learned some French and English at school. When he got to England, he found that his English was too limited. He started working hard to improve it. He made such rapid progress that before long he began to write articles in English for an American newspaper. In fact, his English in one of these articles was so good that Engels wrote him a letter and praised him for it. Marx wrote back to say that Engels' praise had greatly encouraged him. However, he went on to explain that he was not too sure about two things--the grammar and some of the idioms.

These letters were written in 1853. In the years that followed, Marx kept on studying English and using it. When he wrote one of his great works, The Civil War in France, he had mastered the language so well that he was bale to write the book in English.

In the 1870's, when Marx was already in his fifties, he found it important to study the situation in Russia, so he began to learn Russian. At the end of six months he had learned enough to read articles and reports in Russian. In one of his books, Marx gave some advice on how to learn a foreign language. He said when a person is learning a foreign language; he must not always be translating everything into his own language. If he does this, it shows he has not mastered it. He must be able to use the foreign language, forgetting all about his own. If he can not do this, he has not really grasped the spirit of the foreign language and can not use it freely.

2、AT HOME IN THE FUTURE

A medical examination without a doctor or nurse in the room? Doing shopping at home? Borrowing books from the library without leaving your home?

These ideas may seem strange to you. But scientists are working hard to turn them into realities.

Let us suppose we can visit a home at the end of this century. We will visit a boy named Charlie Green. He is not feeling well this morning. His mother, Mrs Green, wants the doctor to see him. That is, she wants the doctor to listen to him. She brings a set of wires to Charlie's room. These wires are called sensors. She places one sensor in his mouth and one on his chest. She puts another one around his wrist and one on his forehead. Then she plugs the sensors into a wall outlet. She says the code \"TCP\". This means \"telephone call placed.\" A little light flashes on the wall. The Green's wireless telephone is ready for a call.

Mrs Green says \"2478\comes the doctor's voice: \"Good morning.\"

\"Good morning, Dr Scott,\" answers Mrs Green. \"Charlie isn't feeling too well this morning. I've put the sensors on him. I wonder if you can examine him now.\"

\"Sure,\" the doctor's voice says. \"Well, he doesn't have a fever. And his pulse is fine. Now, breathe deeply, Charlie.\"

Charlie does so.

\"Just a little cold,\" says the doctor. \"Better stay inside today, Charlie. And take it easy.\"

\"Thank you, Doctor,\" says Mrs Green. \"TCC (telephone call completed).\" The light on the wall turns off. The phone call and the examination are finished.

\"Charlie,\" says Mrs Green,\" since you have to stay at home, why don't you do some shopping? You can pick out your new bicycle. After all, your birthday is only two weeks away.\"

\"Great,\" Charlie answers.

Charlie and his mother sit in front of one of the vision phones. There are several in their house.

\"TCP,\" says Charlie. The word ready appears on the screen of the vision phone.

\"New Forest Bicycle Shop,\" a voice says. \"May I help you?\"

Charlie answers, \"I'd like to see your ten-speed bicycles.\"

In the next few minutes, pictures of many models of the bicycles are flashed on the screen. The price of each model is also shown.

Then the voice asks, \"Are you interested in any of these models?\"

\"Yes, I'm interested in model 6.\"

\"Do you wish to place an order at this time?\"

\"Not just yet,\" answers Mrs Green. \"My son's birthday is in two weeks' time. Thank you. TCC.\"

The vision phone shuts off.

Such would be our home in the future.

2-1、A VISIT TO THE LIBRARY IN THE FUTURE

The shopping is finished. Charlie's parents tell him they have to go out for a little while. \"Why don't you visit the library while we're out?\" says Charlie's dad. \"I know they have some new books on basket-ball, your favourite game.\"

Charlie goes to one of the visionphones. He places a call to the library. He asks to see one of the new books on basket-ball.

Basket-ball Giant, the name of the book, is flashed on the screen. \"Turn,\" says Charlie. The first page of the book is shown on the screen. Then the second, and the third. Charlie has read about fifty pages of it. Then he hears his mother's voice coming through a speaker on the wall. Charlie turns off the visionphone. He says hello to his mother.

\"Where are you?\" he adds.

\"We're driving on the freeway,\" Mrs Green says. \"This is taking a little more time than we thought. We won't be back until two o'clock. Better get some lunch for yourself.\"

\"What are you doing?\" Charlie asks.

\"We'll explain later,\" she says.

\"O.K.\" says Charlie.

3、The Blind Men and the Elephant

Once upon a time there were six blind men who lived in a village in India. Every day they went to the road nearby and stood there begging. They had often heard of elephants, but they had never seen one, for, being blind, how could they?

One morning an elephant was led down the road where they stood. When they heard that an elephant was passing by, they asked the driver to stop the beast so that they could have a \"look\".

Of course they could not look at him with their eyes, but they thought they might learn what kind of animal he was by touching and feeling him. For, you see, they trusted their own sense of touch very much.

The first blind man happened to place his hand on the elephant's side. \"Well, well,\" he said. \"This beast is exactly like a wall.\"

The second grasped one of the elephant's tusks and felt it. \"You're quite mistaken,\" he said. \"He's round and smooth and sharp. He's more like a spear than anything else.\"

The third happened to take hold of the elephant's trunk. \"You're both completely wrong,\" he said. \"This elephant is like a snake, as anybody can see.\"

The fourth opened both his arms and closed them round one of the elephant's legs. \"Oh, how blind you are!\" he cried. \"It's very clear that he's round and tall like a tree.\"

The fifth was a very tall man, and he caught hold of one of the elephant's ears. \"Even the blindest person must see that this elephant isn't like any of the things you name,\" he said. \"He's exactly like a huge fan.\"

The sixth man went forward to feel the elephant. He was old and slow and it took him quite some time to find the elephant at all. At last he got hold of the beast's tail. \"Oh, how silly you all are!\" cried he. \"The elephant isn't like a wall, or a spear, or a snake, or a tree; neither is he like a fan. Any man with eyes in his head can see that

he's exactly like a rope.\"

Then the driver and the elephant moved on, and the six men sat by the roadside all day, quarrelling about the elephant. They could not agree with one another, because each believed that he knew just what the beast looked like.

It is not only blind men who make such stupid mistakes. People who can see

sometimes act just as foolishly.

4、GALILEO AND ARISTOTLE

About 2300 years ago, there lived in Greece a great thinker named Aristotle. He observed that feathers fell to the ground slowly, while stones fell much faster. He thought it over carefully and concluded that heavy objects always fell faster than light ones. His conclusion certainly sounded reasonable. But we now know that it is not true.

In those days people seldom did experiments to test their ideas. When they observed anything that happened, they thought about it and then drew a conclusion. Once Aristotle made up his mind that heavy objects always fell faster than light objects, he taught it as a truth to his students. And because he was Aristotle, the great thinker, no one questioned his idea for almost 2000 years.

Then, almost 400 years ago, an Italian scientist named Galileo began to question Aristotle's theory of falling objects. He was not ready to believe something just because Aristotle said so. He decided to do some experiments to test Aristotle's theory.

Galileo lived in the city of Pisa, where there is a leaning tower about 180 feet high. From the top of the tower Galileo dropped a light ball and a heavy ball at exactly the same time. They both fell at about the same speed and hit the ground together. He tried the experiments again and again. Every time he got the same result. At last, he decided that he had found the truth about falling objects. As we know now, heavy objects and light objects fall at the same speed unless air holds them back. A feather falls slower than a stone only

because the air holds the feather back more than it does the stone.

When Galileo told people of his discovery, no one would believe him. But Galileo was not discouraged. He went on doing experiments to test the truth of other old ideas. He built a telescope through which he could study the skies. He collected facts that proved the earth and all the other planets move around the sun.

Today we praise Galileo and call him one of the founders of modern science. He observed things carefully and never took anything for granted. Instead, he did experiments to test and prove an idea before he was ready to accept it.

An experiment was done on the moon in July, 1971. One of the US astronauts who made the first deep space walk on the moon dropped a hammer and a feather together. They both landed on the surface of the moon at the same time. This experiment proved that Galileo's theory of falling objects is true.

4-1、PENICILLIN

If you leave a piece of bread in a warm damp place, mould will soon grow on it. When this happens, we say the bread \"has gone mouldy\". Mould can grow on all kinds of things besides food. It grows from spores which are in the air. If the conditions are right, a spore can quickly get around and form a mould. This happens quite commenly. We have all probably seen it.

In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming found that mould had killed some germs he was trying

to grow in his lab. If he had not noticed this, the world would have lost one of the greatest discoveries of the century. Fleming called the substance \"penicillin\".

Because penicillin can kill germs, doctors use it to treat diseases. It has saved millions of lives. Scientists grow large quantities of common mould so that they can get penicillin from it in order to make antibiotics, that is, substances that kill germs. Next time you see some mould on a piece of bread, remember that it is one of man's greatest friends!

5、The Lost Necklace

Place: a park in Paris

Time: a summer afternoon in 1870

People: Mathilde Loisel, wife Pierre Loisel, husband

(Jeanne is sitting in the park. Mathilde walks towards her, she stops and speaks to Jeanne.)

Mathilde: Good afternoon, Jeanne.

Jeanne : (Looking at the other woman) I’m sorry, but I don，t think I know you.

Mathilde: No, you wouldn’t but many years ago you knew me well. I，m Mathilde Loisel.

Jeanne : Mathilde! My old school friend. Is it possible? But yes, of course it is .Now I remember. Where have you been all these years, Mathilde? I hope you were n’t ill .

Mathilde: No, Jeanne, I was n’t ill . You see here an old woman. But it’s because of hard work—ten years of hard work.

Jeanne : But I don，t understand, Mathilde . There，s only one year between us ; I’m thirty-five and you’re thirty-four. Can hard work change a person that much?

Mathilde : Yes, it can . Years of hard work, little food, only a cold room to live in and never, never a moment to rest. That has been my life for these past ten years.

Jeanne : Mathilde! I did n’t know. I’m sorry. But what happened?

Mathilde: Well, I would rather not tell you.

Jeanne : Oh , come, Mathilde. Surely you can tell an old friend.

Mathilde: Well, …Well, it was all because of that necklace . Your necklace.

Jeanne : My necklace ?

Mathilde: Do you remember one afternoon ten years ago when I came to your house and borrowed a diamond necklace?

Jeanne : Let me think . Ten years ago … Oh, yes, I remember. You were going to the

palace with your husband, I think.

Mathilde: Right. Pierre was working in a government office, and for the first time in our lives we were invited to an important ball.

(The scene changes to that evening in the home of Pierre and Mathilde Loisel.)

Pierre : Yes , Mathilde, we，re going to the ball, the palace ball !

Mathilde: I can，t believe it!

Pierre : But it，s true.

Mathilde: Oh, Pierre, how wonderful! But I haven，t got a dress for the ball !

Pierre : What does a new evening dress cost?

Mathilde: About four hundred francs.

Pierre : Four hundred ! That，s a lot of money . But perhaps, just this once, we’ll use what we have to get a new dress for you. This ball is very important to me. I was the only person in my office who was invited.

Mathilde: Thank you, Pierre, you，re so kind. Oh! But there，s one other thing…

Pierre : What is it, Mathilde?

Mathilde: I…I have no jewelry .

Pierre ：Jewelry? Do you need jewelry? Why not just a flower?

Mathilde: To go to the palace with just a flower is to say “I’m poor . I haven’t got any jewelry.”

Pierre : Can’t you borrow some jewelry from a friend , Mathilde ?

Mathilde: Which friend ? My friends are all poor, too.

Pierre : Let me think . How about Jeanne? She married well. Perhaps she has some.

Mathilde: Ah, yes, Jeanne. She married a man with a lot of money. I’ll go and see her on Friday, after I get the new dress.

Pierre : I，m sure she has something you can borrow.

(The scene changes back to the park. Mathilde continues to tell Jeanne her story.)

Mathilde: One Friday I came to see you, Jeanne. Remember?

Jeanne : Yes , Mathilde, I remember.

Mathilde: You were very kind. You brought out your jewelry and told me to take anything I wanted.

Jeanne : (Smiling) You were like a little girl. Your eyes became so big.

Mathilde: There were so many things and they were all beautiful. It was hard to choose.

Jeanne : Until you saw the diamond necklace.

Mathilde: Yes, and then I knew I wanted to borrow the necklace. I didn’t want anything else , only the necklace.

Jeanne : I，m sure you looked beautiful that evening, Mathilde. You were always a very pretty girl.

Mathilde: Perhaps in those days I was, but everything changed after that night at the palace.

Jeanne : Didn’t you have a good time at the ball ?

Mathilde: Yes, a very good time, but that was the last time…the last happy evening for the next ten years.

Jeanne : But why , Mathilde?

Mathilde: On the way home I looked down at my dress and saw that the necklace was gone. I told Pierre. We returned to the palace and looked in every room, but couldn’t find it. I never saw your necklace again, Jeanne.

Jeanne : But Mathilde, you brought it back to me the next afternoon. I remember very well.

Mathilde: Yes, Jeanne, I brought a necklace to you. It was exactly like your necklace but it was a different one. I hope it was as good as the one you lent me. It cost us thirty-six thousand francs.

Jeanne : Thirty-six thousand !

Mathilde: Yes, Pierre and I borrowed the money and bought it. During the next ten years we both worked night and day to pay for it. That is why you see this old woman before you now, Jeanne. Well, after all these years we’ve at last paid off all our debts.

Jeanne : But Mathilde, my dear friend, that wasn’t a real diamond necklace you borrowed from me. It was made of glass. It was worth five hundred francs at the most.

5-1、THE VAIN STAG

One hot day a big stag that had a pair of very large antlers stood on the bank of a river. He was thirsty and went down to the water to drink. Suddenly he saw his reflection in the water. He was very pleased with what he saw. “Oh,” he said. “What a beautiful pair of antlers I’ve got! How fine my head is! How proud I look! Nobody has such beautiful antlers as I have. Perhaps some people will say that my antlers are too big, but I don’t think so. I like them very much.” And the vain stag looked again at his reflection in the water.

Suddenly he heard the barking of dogs. Three hunters and their dogs came out of the forest. The stag ran across the field into the forest. He was already far from the dogs, but he caught his antlers in the branches of some low trees and could not get away.

The dogs ran up to him and pulled him to the ground. Then the hunters came up and killed him.

6、ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Abraham Lincoln, the son of a poor family, was born in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He spent his childhood in hard work, helping his father on their small farm. His mother, who he loved dearly, died in 1818. Happily for him, his father' s second wife was kind to him too. When she saw that Abraham liked reading, she did all she could to help him. But the family was poor and the boy could not get many books. Abraham Lincoln later said himself that he only went to school a little now and little then. His whole school education added up to no more than one year.

As a young man he was a storekeeper and later a postmaster. He studied law in his spare time and became a lawyer. He was active in politics and strongly against slavery. In all his political life, he thought of building a free state for all the people.

In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. Then he worked still harder for freedom for the slaves. Soon the Southern states rebelled. They set up a state of their own, where they would be free to keep Negroes as slaves. Lincoln said that it was not right for the south to break away from the Union. Fighting broke out between the

North and the South. This was the American Civil War. The war lasted four years before the North won in the end. The nation was reunited and the slaves were set free.

In 18, Lincoln was elected President of the United States for the second time. But his enemies, the slave owners in the South and the bankers in big cities, who had grown rich on the work of the slaves, could not let Lincoln continue his work. He, who led the United States through these years, was shot on April 14, 1865, at a theatre in Washington, D.C. and died early the next morning. The whole nation was in deep sorrow at this news, for the people had come to love him as an inspiring leader, and a wise, warm-hearted, honest man.

About seventeen months before his death, at the opening of a memorial to the many men who lost their lives fighting for the freedom of the Negroes, Abraham Lincoln told his people that the living must finish the work of those dead; that they must fight for freedom for all-Negroes and whites; that America must strengthen government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Today, Abraham Lincoln is regarded as one of the greatest of all American presidents.

6-1、GEORGE WASHINGTON AND HIS HATCHET

When George Washington was quite a little boy，his father gave him a hatchet. It was bright and new，and George took great delight in going about and chopping things with it.

He ran into the garden，and there he saw a tree which seemed to say to him，“Come

and cut me down！”

George had often seen his father's men chop down great trees in the forest，and he thought that it would be fine sport to see this tree fall with a crash to the ground. So he set to work with his little hatchet，and，as the tree was a very small one，it did not take long to chop it down.

Soon after that，his father came home.

“Who cut my fine young cherry tree？”he cried.“It was the only tree of this kind in this country，and it cost me a great deal of money.”

He was very angry when he came into the house.

“If only I knew who killed that cherry tree，”he cried，“I would ... yes，I would ...”

“Father！”cried little George.“I chopped the tree down with my hatchet.”

His father forgot his anger.

“George，”he said，and he took the little fellow in his arms，“George，I am glad that you told me about it. I would rather lose a dozen cherry trees than that you should tell one lie.”

7、8、THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

Many years ago there lived an Emperor, who cared more for fine new clothes than for anything else. He had different clothes for every hour of the day.

One day two cheats came to see the Emperor. They called themselves weavers and said that they knew how to weave cloth of the most beautiful colors and designs in the world. They also said that the most interesting thing about the cloth was that clothes made of it would be invisible to anyone who was either stupid or unfit for his office.

\"Ah, what splendid clothes!\" thought the Emperor. \"They are just what I shall have. When I put them on, I shall be able to find out which men in my empire are unfit for their offices. And I shall be able to tell who are wise and who are foolish. This cloth must be woven for me right away.\"

The Emperor gave the cheats some gold in order that they might begin their work at once.

So the two men set up two looms and pretended to be working very hard. They asked for the most beautiful silk and the best gold thread. This they kept for themselves. And then they went on with their work at the empty looms until late into the night.

After some time had passed, the Emperor said to himself, \"I wonder how the weavers are getting along with my cloth.\" Then he remembered that those who were either fools or unfit for their offices could not see the cloth. Though he believed that he ought to have nothing to fear for himself, he wanted someone else to look at the cloth first.

The Emperor thought a while and decided to send his old Prime Minister to see the cloth. He thought the Prime Minister a wise, honest man who was more fit for his office than anyone else.

So the old Prime Minister went into the hall where the cheats were working at the empty looms.

\"God save me!\" thought the old man, opening his eyes very wide. \"I can't see anything at all.\" But he was careful not to say so.

The men who were pretending to weave asked him to come closer. They pointed to the empty looms and asked him if he liked the design and the colors.

The poor old Prime Minister opened his eyes wider, but he could see nothing on the looms.

\"Dear me,\" he said to himself, \"Am I foolish or unfit for my office? I must never tell anyone that I could not see the cloth.\"

\"Oh! it's most beautiful!\" said the Prime Minister quickly. \"The design and the colors! I will tell the Emperor how wonderful they are.\"

The Emperor was pleased by what the Prime Minister told him about the cloth. Soon after, he sent another official to find out how soon the cloth would be ready. The same thing happened. The official could see nothing, but he sang high praise for the cloth. When

he got back, he told the Emperor that the cloth was beautiful indeed.

All the people in the city were now talking about this wonderful cloth which the Emperor had ordered to be woven for so much money. And they were eager to know how wise or foolish their friends and neighbors might be.

Now at last the Emperor wished to go himself and see the cloth while it was still on the looms. He took with him a few of his officials, including the old Prime Minister and the official who had already been there.

As soon as the weavers heard the Emperor coming, they pretended to work harder than ever, though they were not weaving a single thread through the empty looms.

\"Isn't the cloth magnificent?\" said the official and the Prime Minister. \"What a splendid design! And what colors!\" they said, while pointing to the empty looms. They thought that everyone else could see the wonderful work of the weavers though they could not see it themselves.

\"What on earth can this mean?\" said the Emperor to himself. \"I don't see anything. This is horrible! But I mustn't let anyone know.\"

\"The cloth is beautiful,\" he cried out loud. \"Beautiful! I am very pleased with it.\"

The officials could see no more than the Emperor, but they all shouted, ‘Beautiful! Excellent! Magnificent!\" and other such expressions. They told the Emperor that he should

have new clothes made of this splendid cloth for the coming great procession.

They Emperor nodded. He cried hard to pretend to share in the pleasure of his officials and gave each of the weavers a medal.

The night before the procession, the two men had their lights burning all night long. They wanted everyone to see how hard they were working on the Emperor's new clothes.

At last they cried, \"Finished! The Emperor's new clothes are now ready!\"

Then the Emperor arrived with his officials.

\"Now if you take off your clothes, Your Majesty, we will fit the new clothes on you in front of the mirror,\" said the cheats.

The Emperor was then undressed, and the cheats pretended to dress him in his new clothes. The Emperor turned from side to side in front of the mirror.

\"How splendid the Emperor looks in his new clothes!\" everyone cried. \"And how well they fit! What a splendid design! And what colors!\"

\"Well, I suppose I'm ready for the procession,\" said the Emperor. \"Don't you think they are a nice fit?\" And he turned again in front of the mirror, in order to make the others think he was looking at his new clothes.

\"Yes, perfectly wonderful!\" cried his officials.

And so the procession began.

The Emperor walked in the middle of the procession, through the streets of the city. And all the people standing by and those at the windows cried out, \"On, how splendid our Emperor's new clothes are! What a perfect fit!\"

No one dared say that he could not see the Emperor's new clothes.

Suddenly a little child's voice was heard:\" But he has nothing on!\"

\"Good heavens! Listen to that silly child!\" said the father.

\"Did you hear what the child said?\" some people nearby asked each other.

What the child had said was whispered from one to the other.

\"I can't see anything at all on the Emperor,\" cried one or two of the braver ones.

The cry was taken up and soon everyone was nodding and saying,\" BUT HE HAS NOTHING ON!\"

The Emperor heard the cries. He felt very silly, for he knew that the people were right. But he thought, \"The procession has started, and it must go on!\"

So the Emperor held his head higher than ever. And the two officials who were following him took great trouble to hold up higher the train of the robe that wasn't there at

all.

THE KING'S DISEASE

Many years ago there was a king who was very bad-tempered. Every one was afraid of him. The king was bad-tempered because he was often ill. He was often ill because he ate and drank too much.

\"I'm always ill,\" the king told his doctor.\"Why can't you cure me?\"

The doctor did not dare to tell the king the reason. He knew this would make the king very angry. \"I've given you the best medicine. Your Majesty,\" he said. \"I've done my best.\"

\"Your medicine makes me worse,\" the king said. \"You must cure me before the end of the month or I shall put you in prison. You're trying to poison me.\"

\"Perhaps your food is making you ill,\" the doctor said.What the docter really wanted to say was:\"You eat too much.\"

\"Nonsense,\" the king shouted. \"My cook is the best cook in the world. It is all because you're a fool that I'm often ill. You do not know how to cure me. I pay you to make me well, but what happens? I have a stomachache and a headache every day. Now go and study your books. Find a cure for my disease or...\"

\"Yes, yes, Your Majesty,\" the doctor said and went to his room. He made a lot of medicine but none of it could cure the king.

At last there was only thee days before the end of the month. The doctor went into the forest, where he wanted to see a wise old monk and ask him for advice.

The wise old monk listened carefully to the doctor's story. Then he said, \"I understand your problem, doctor. You cannot tell the king the truth. He will throw you into prison if you do. You must let the king find out for himself why he is always ill.\"

\"How can I do that?\" the doctor said.

\"I have a plan,\" the old monk said. \"Can you get me an invitation to the breakfast at the palace?\"

\"Yes, I can do that easily,\" the doctor answered.

The next morning the monk arrived at the palace. He looked very fat because he has cushions under his robe. And he seemed to enjoy the food very much.

\"I like a man who can eat a lot,\" the king said.

A few minutes after the meal the monk suddenly fell to the floor.

\"Oh, oh!\" he cried. \"My stomach! My head! Oh, oh!\"

\"Do you have a stomachache and headache, too?\" the king asked.

\"Always, Your Majesty,\" the old monk said, and he walked painfully out of the room.

On the last day of the month the old monk came to the palace again. He looked thin and healthy.

\"You look well,\" the king said. \"Come and eat with me.\"

\"No, thank you, \"the old monk said. \"I eat only one meal a day. I saw your doctor. He is a very clever man and he told me that I ate and drank too much. He was right. Now I do not eat as much as before and I am healthy. I no longer have pains in my stomach or head.\"

\"That is very interesting,\" the king said. \"I'll eat and drink less, too. Perhaps it will cure me.\"

And of course, it did.

9、LADY SILKWORM

Long long ago, there lived in Hangzhou a girl called Aqiao. When Aqiao was nine years old, her mother died. Her father remarried and the stepmother was cruel to Aqiao and her brother.

One winter morning, the stepmother told Aqiao to go out and cut some grass for the sheep. The poor girl, with a basket on her back, searched all day from the riverside to the foot of the mountain. But where could she find any green grass in winter? She was tired, cold and hungry, but she was afraid to go home and face her stepmother.

As she walked along, she noticed an old pine tree ahead at the entrance to a valley. Aqiao pushed the branches aside. She saw a brook with red flowers and green grass on both sides. She bent down immediately to cut the grass. She went on cutting and cutting until she came to the end of the brook. She stood up to wipe the sweat off her face. Suddenly she saw a lady all in white standing in front of her. The lady was smiling.

\"Little girl, how nice to see you! Won't you come and stay with us for a while?\"

Aqiao looked around. To her surprise, she found herself in a different world. There were rows of white houses with trees in front of them. The leaves on the trees were green and large. And there were many other ladies in white, who were singing and picking the leaves from the trees.

Aqiao liked what she saw and decided to stay.

After that she worked together with the ladies in white. They picked leaves from the trees, and fed them to some little white worms. Slowly, the little worms would grow up and spit out silk to form cocoons. The lady in white told Aqiao how to reel the shining silk from these cocoons and how to dye the silk different colors.

Time passed quickly and three months went by before Aqiao knew it.

One day, Aqiao thought of her brother: \"Why not ask my brother to come here too?\"

Early next morning, without telling the lady in white, she hurried back home. When

left, Aqiao took some silkworm eggs and a bag of mulberry seeds with her. As she walked, she dropped the seeds along the road so that she would know the way back.

When Aqiao reached home, she found that her father had grown old and her brother had become a young man. The cruel stepmother had died.

It had been fifteen years since she left!

\"Aqiao! Why didn't you come home all these years? Where have you been?\"

Aqiao told her father all that had happened. Her father thought that she must have met a fairy.

The next day Aqiao decided to go back to the valley with her brother. But when she opened the door, she found things had changed. The road was lined with mulberry trees. All the seeds she had dropped had grown into trees. She walked along the trail of mulberry trees until she came to the valley. The old pine tree still stood there like an umbrella covering the entrance, but she could no longer find a way to get into the valley. So all she could do was to go back home.

It was said that that was how the Chinese first raised silkworms. The lady in white whom Aqiao met in the valley was Lady Silkworm, the fairy in charge of the harvesting of silk.

9-1 THE STORY OF SILK

The story of silk is a fascinating one.

About 4,000 thousand years ago the Chinese discovered the secret of the cocoon. No one knows exactly how or when this important discovery was made. One story says that a young princess was drinking tea in her garden and watching the silkworms form cocoons. By chance one dropped into her tea and the hot liquid softened it. When the girl tried to take the cocoon out of her tea, she pulled out a long silk thread.

The Chinese learned to weave the silk thread into cloth. For 2,000 years they were the only people who knew how to make silk. Chinese merchants sold silk throught Asia and Europe and became rich.

Everyone wanted to learn how to make silk, but the Chinese kept the secret carefully.

Finally the secret was stolen in the sixth century. It is said that two monks learned about the silkworms and their cocoons. They spent several years in China and finally found a way to take some silkworm eggs out of the country without anyone fonding out. The monks always carried canes. One day they hid some eggs in the canes, and left China with them. It is said that the development of silk industry in other countries came from those few eggs which the monks carried out of China.

10、THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

The Great Wall of China, the longest wall in the world, runs across north China like a huge dragon. It winds its way from west to east, across deserts, over mountains, through

valleys, till at last it reaches the sea. It is one of the wonders of the world. And it was one of the few man-made objects on earth that could be seen by the astronauts who landed on the moon.

The Great Wall has a history of over twenty centuries. The first part of it was built during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 B.C.- 476 B.C.). During the Warring States Period (475 B.C. - 221 B.C.), more walls were put up to defend the borders of the different kingdoms.

In 221 B.C., the kingdom of Qin united the different parts of China into one empire. To keep the enemy out of his empire, Emperor Qin Shi Huang had all the walls joined up. Thus the Great Wall came into being. Since then, it has often been added to, rebuilt and repaired, especially during the Ming Dynasty (1368-14).

The Great Wall, which is called in Chinese \"The Ten-thousand-li Great Wall\is actually more than 6,000 kilometres long, 6-7 metres high and 4-5 metres wide. In most places it is wide enough for five horses or ten men to walk side by side along the top. It has great gateways which connect the main roads of north China.

Every few hundred meters along the Wall there are watchtowers, where soldiers used to keep watch. When the enemy came, fires were lit and at the same time guns were fired to warn soldiers at other towers. One column of smoke with one gunshot meant an enemy troop of about 100, two columns with two shots meant 500. In this way, a warning message could be sent 500 kilometres within a few hours.

It was very difficult to build and rebuild such a great wall over wild and distant country without any modern machines. All the work had to be done by hand. Many people were forced to work on the wall far away from their homes. They lifted earth in baskets, assed bricks from hand to hand and dragged heavy stones with ropes over their shoulders. Their living conditions were terrible. Thousands of men died and were buried under the wall they built. The Great Wall was made not only of stone and earth, but of the flesh and blood of millions of men.

After the Great Wall were rebuilt hundreds of years ago, no more work was done on it until the People's Republic of China was founded. After that, parts of the Wall were repaired. On both sides of it new cities appeared, trees were planted, and deserts became grasslands. The old Great Wall took on a new look.

Today the Great Wall has become a place of interest not only to the Chinese people, but also to people from all over the world. Many of them have come to know the famous Chinese saying:\" He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man.\"

10-1、LU BAN'S BET

One day while Lu Ban and his younger sister were visiting West Lake in Hangzhou, they were caught in a sudden heavy rain and had to turn back. \"What a pity!\" said Sister Lu.

When they reached home, she said to her brother:\" You're the best craftsman around here, but I'll make a bet with you. Let's see who can invent something that wi

ll let people enjoy the scenery even in the rain.\"

Lu Ban laughed. \"All right,\" he said, \"but there must be a time limit. Three days?\"

\"No, just one nioght. We start tonight and stop at the first cock's crow.\"

Lu Ban was surprised. \"All right, it's a bet.\"

When it turned dark, Lu Ban started building a pavilion at the lakeside. Under the pavilion, people would be able to enjoy the scenery, even in wet weather. When he finished, he went home and looked through the window of his sister's workshop. All was quiet inside.

Lu Ban went back and built another pavilion, then another, and still another. He built nine and started working on the tenth, but before he could finish, he heard a cock crowing, so he stopped.

Soon the sun rose. As he stood by one of the pavilions wondering what his sister had done, Lu Ban saw something coming towards him, something like a roof of a pavilion. Under it was his sister!

As she came nearer, Lu Ban saw that she was holding a bamboo pole which had somethinmg round and flat at one end and was covered with silk of many colors.

\"What a useful thing! How clever!\" he cried out, examining his sister's invention.

Sister Lu smiled. \"Mine can only be used by a single person, while yours can be used by many at the same time. What's more, it was your design that gave me the idea. The scenery looks so much nicer with your pavilions.\"

Some people say that was the beginning of the Hangzhou umbrella.

11、AT A TAILOR'S SHOP

I was wandering through the streets when I caught sight of a tailor's shop. I wanted very much to get a new suit and throw off my old clothes. But... I had nothing in the world but a million-pound note. However, I could not resist the temptation. I went in and asked if they had a cheap suit. The fellow I spoke to made no answer at first, looked me up and down, noticed that I was almost in rags, then said, \"Just a minute.\"

I waited till he had finished his work. Then he took me into a back room, where the rejected suits were kept. He looked through the suits and selected the cheapest one for me. I put it on. It didn't fit, but it was new and I was anxious to have it, so I said shyly:

\"Could you wait a few days for the money? I haven't any small change on me.\"

The fellow looked at me coldly and said, \"Oh, you haven't? Well, of course, I know that gentlemen like you carry only large notes.\"

I was hurt and said, \"My friend, you shouldn't judge a stranger always by the clothes he wears. I'm quite able to pay for this suit. I simply didn't wish to put you to the trouble of

changing a large note.\"

\"Why do you think we can't change your note? On the contrary, we can.\"

I handed the note to him and said: \"Oh, very well, I apologize.\"

He received it with a smile, and then as he looked at the note, his smile froze. Holding the note in his hand, he stood there dumbfounded. The owner of the shop came up to see what was the matter.

I said, \"There isn't any trouble. I'm just waiting for my change.\"

\"Come, come; get him his change, Tod, get him his change.\"

Tod answered, \"Get him his change! It's easy to say, sir; but look at the bill yourself.\"

The owner took a look, gave a low whistle, then made a dive for the rejected clothing and began to snatch it this way and that, talking all the while excitedly, as if to himself.

\"To sell such a suit as that to a millionaire! Tod's a fool. Ah, here's the thing I'm after. Please get those things off, sir, and throw them into the fire. Do me the favor to put on this shirt, and this suit. Ah, it's just the thing, the very thing! The trousers are all right; now the waistcoat; aha, right again! Now the coat - sir! Look at that, now! Perfect - the whole thing!\"

I expressed my satisfaction.

\"Quite right, sir, quite right. But wait till you see what we'll make for you to your own measure.\" Before I could get in a word he had measured me, and was giving orders for evening suits, morning suits, shirts and all sorts of things. \"They will be ready the day after tomorrow,\" he said.

\"But I can't give these orders, unless you can wait some time, or change the note.\"

\"I can wait all my life, sir. Tod, you will send these things to the gentleman's address. Put down the gentleman's address and... \"

\"I'm changing my hotel. I'll drop in and leave the new address,\" I said.

\"Quite right, sir, quite right. One moment - let me show you out, sir. Good day, sir, good day.\"

12、POLLUTION

The pollution of the earth is increasing very fast. Man must make the earth support more people. This has made it necessary for agriculture and industry to develop very quickly.

With the development of modern agriculture and industry, more and more waste is produced. Much of this waste is harmful. It goes into the water, the soil and the air. Some of it is absorbed and made harmless. But where there is too much of it, the poisonous waste may do great harm to the things around us. This is called pollution.

When farmers add fertilizer to the soil to make plants grow better, or spray poison to kill plant pests, poison is sent into the air, the water and the soil. When birds, fish and people eat the grain, drink the water or breathe the air, harm will be done to there health.

The air in big cities is often made very dirty by factories. Millions of tons of waste and poisonous gases are sent into the air with the smoke. In some places, little is done to make the smoke clean before it goes into the air.

Oil is burnt in cars, trucks and buses. They produce waste gases almost as harmful as the gases from factories. In big cities during cold winter months, many old people die from the polluted air. In places around big factories, trees and vegetables are often killed by the bad air.

Another kind of pollution is noise. Very loud noises can make people ill, hurt their ears, or even drive them mad. Houses near airports sometimes have their windows broken by the noise of jet planes passing overhead. Workers in some industries have their hearing harmed by the noise of the machines.

Every day, people throw away a lot of rubbish. Some of the rubbish, such as food, paper and iron, rots away over a long period of time. But plastics and rubber never rot. If they are burned, they give off poisonous gases. How to get rid of these things is a big problem.

Fortunately, people are beginning to realize just how serious the whole situation is. In many countries, laws have been passed to prevent factories from sending out poisonous

gases and polluted water.

Many natural materials are becoming scarce. Scientists have found ways to take some useful things out of the waste materials and use them again. This is called recycling. Steel, iron, glass, cloth and paper can all be recycled.

Waste water, too, can be recycled. When the waste water from factories is made clean and reused, a lot of money is saved. Waste water from a number of cities is \"cleaned\" before flowing back into rivers. Today, many rivers that were polluted are getting cleaner and cleaner. Fish and birds are returning to these rivers, and the water in them is no longer poisonous or dangerous to people's health.

Man is fighting a battle against pollution. Yet, the battle will not be won until everyone knows how serious the danger is, and does something to stop it.

13、THE FOOTPRINT

One day, walking along the sands towards his boat, Crusoe saw in the sand the mark of a man's foot. He was terrified at the sight. He looked round, but could see nobody. He listened, but could hear nothing. There were no other marks. Who had made the footprint? Was there someone else on this lonely island? Was it a savage? Crusoe stared at the footprint, full of fear.

He hurried home, looking behind from time to time as he went. For some days he stayed in this cave, behind his wall. He was afraid to go out, even for food.

But no savages came and after a time he began to go out again. His dog, which was now very old, became ill and died. This made Crusoe very sad. He now felt even more lonely without his friend, the dog.

He often thought about the footmark. Perhaps he had made it himself? He decided to go back and look again. The footprint was still there. He tried his foot in it, but it was much larger than his own. So there must be someone else on the island. Full of fear again, Crusoe returned home.

He built another fence round his cave. Now he made holes in the wall and placed his guns in them, pointing outwards.

But he still did not feel safe enough. He decided to look for another cave, where he could hide if savages came.

He found a good place in the rocks, more than twelve feet high, with a narrow entrance. He stepped into the cave. Suddenly he saw two eyes glaring at him out of the darkness. Was it a man, or a wild animal? He hurried out into the daylight.

Crusoe lit a fire and from it took a burning stick. He stepped back into the cave, holding the stick high above his head. He heard a noise, as if someone was breathing. He stopped. Nothing happened. He went farther into the cave.

On the ground lay an old sick goat, which had gone into the cave to die. It was the goat's eyes that he had seen in the darkness. As he looked at it, the goat rolled over and

died.

Crusoe looked about the cave. The ground and the sides were quite dry. Inside, the top of the cave was nearly twenty feet high. It was a good hiding place.

Crusoe had eleven guns altogether. He brought five of them to his new cave and a great deal of gun-powder. The cave was quite dark inside, so he made some candles to give light.

Now he had a safe place if the savages came. Every day he climbed to a high rock near his cave to keep watch. And so the months and years went by.

It was autumn, the time for Crusoe to gather his small harvest of corn. Early one morning, before starting work, he climbed up to his lookout.

There, on the shore, were nine savages, sitting round a fire. Nearby were two canoes in which they had came to the island. They seemed to be eating something they had cooked on the fire. Crusoe watched, full of fear.

As soon as the savages had gone, Crusoe returned home for two guns. Then he made his way down to the shore. He looked out to sea. The two canoes were almost out of sight.

He went towards the fire, which was still smoking. Among the ashes he found bones. They were not the bones of an animal, but of a human being!

Crusoe knew that the savages killed their enemies and ate them. He made up his mind

to shoot them if they came again. But many months went by and no one visited the island.

13-1 MAKING A BOAT

One day Crusoe decided to go to the lifeboat. He wanted to try to float it, so that he could leave the island. But the boat was too heavy to move. So he left it lying in the sand.

But he did not give up hope. He thought, \"I will make a boat.\"

He searched and found a tree with a thick trunk. He set to work chopping it down.

Crusoe worked on the boat for many weeks and at last the boat was finished. He was very proud of it.

His next work was to roll the boat down to sea. But it would not move. It was to heavy for him.

Then he thought to himself, \"If my boat will not go to the sea, I will have to bring the sea to my boat.\"

So he began to dig a channel down to the sea. But it was much too far and he could not dig the channel deep enough.（channel---canal---canoe）

He realized that he had made his boat much too large and too heavy. All his work was wasted. He felt unhappy.

But he still wanted to get away from the island. He decided to make another boat, this time a smaller one.

He chose a tree nearer to the sea, and chopped it down. Then he set to work for the second time. After many weeks the boat was finished and ready to go into the water.

He dug a short channel six feet wide and four feet deep, from the sea to his boat. When the tide came in he floated it down his channel.

14、WATCHING ANTS

If you go into the fields and turn over a few big stones, you may uncover a city of ant “people”. You will see the workers, who gather food for themselves and for all the others. You will see the nurses, who care for the baby ants. And you will see some of the babies too.

While ants grow, they change their form three times. They start as tiny white eggs, and when these hatch, out come little fat white worms. These worms then weave silk cocoons around themselves, inside which they change from fat worms to ants. When the time comes, the cocoons are torn open by the ant nurses, and the new ants their tender legs and bodies are very gently helped out. You may see some of these new ants, still very pale in color.

A lucky visitor to the ant city may see the queen. She is much larger than the others and her hind half is very big because it is full of eggs. Laying eggs is her full-time job. She

may have tens of thousands of babies in one summer. The nurses keep her very clean, washing her with their tongues. From the outside, the workers bring her food. As the mother of many children, she is respected and taken good care of.

Not all the ants go out for food. Some have extra powerful jaws. These act as guards and soldiers in time of trouble. Some workers keep the tunnels and rooms clean. All rubbish is carried out.

Ants are fond of sweet food. They often milk little bugs called ant cows. You can see ant cows on the leaves and flowers of many plants. These cow bugs drink much more sap than they can use. It passes right through their bodies, only getting a little thicker and sweeter. The ant knows how to milk them. It strikes a cow bug’s back with its forelegs and feelers. The cow bug seems to enjoy this, and presently a tiny drop of honeydew milk appears. The ant laps it up and goes to the next cow bug for more.

The ant is not gathering this food for itself alone. It has two stomachs in its body, one for itself and one for carrying food to “the folks back home”. When it returns, a nurse ant which has been busy indoors all day is sure to ask for honeydew. The two ants place their mouths together. The one which has the honeydew brings up a drop from its public stomach and passes it into the nurse ant’s mouth; later, the nurse will give some of her drop to the babies, or to the queen. This is how the whole city is fed.

When one ant wants food from another, it taps on the other’s head with its feelers, using a kind of telegraph code. They “talk” a great deal by this means. If you watch long enough, you will see many problems settled by this “tap-talking” with the feelers.

15、Napoleon’s Three Questions

A story is told about a Swede who wanted to join Napoleon’s Grand Army. One evening some of Napoleon’s soldiers were drinking together when a young Frenchman brought friend to their table. He explained that his friend was a Swede and knew no French, but this Swede admired Napoleon so much that he wanted to join the French army and fight for him.

The soldiers looked up and saw a tall young man with blue eyes, a friendly face, strong arms and broad shoulders. They like him at once.

The officers saw that he was just the right sort of man, so they accepted him and he became one of Napoleons soldiers. His new friends smoothed away the difficulties. He fought bravely in many battles and gained their respect. However, his knowledge of French remained very weak, because he was not good at learning languages, but this did not prevent him from fighting hard.

Several years later, word came that Napoleon himself was coming to inspect them, and the Swede was warned that the great man world probably ask him some question. There was some difficulty in explaining this to the Swede, but when at last he understood he became very anxious.

“The Swede won’t understand the questions.” One of the Frenchmen said, “What can he do?”

It was well know that Napoleon always asked the same three questions, and usually in the same order. The first question was, “How old are you?” The second was, “how long have you been in my army?” And the third was, “Did you serve in either of my last two campaigns?”

The Swede could not possibly remember all these words and so his friends decided to teach him only the answers in their proper order. They gave him a lot of practice. Whenever possible, one of them would stop him, make him stand at attention, and ask him the three questions. “How old are you?” he would demand, and the Swede would answer, “Twenty-three, sir.” Then his friend would ask, “How long have you been in my army?” and the Swede would answer, “Three years, sir.” To the third question, “Did you serve in either of my last two campaigns?” the Swede would answer with pride, “Both, sir!”

For many days this practice continued. The Swede would walk about, saying to himself, “Twenty-three, sir. Three years, sir. Both, sir!” Before the day of the inspection, his friends were satisfied. He knew his answer. There ought to be no trouble.

Napoleon arrived. Standing in front of the straight lines of soldiers, he looked at them with great satisfaction. Then he began to walk along the lines, smiling sometimes, and saying a few word here and there. The Swede stood quite still, except that his lips moved slightly. He was still practicing.

Napoleon suddenly caught sight of the tall soldier and realized at once that he had never seen him before. He stopped in front of the Swede. For some reason, this time the great man began with the second question.

“How many years have you been in my army?” he demanded.

“Twenty-Three, sir,” said the Swede clearly and well.

Napoleon was surprised. He look at tall man and asked, “How old are you then?”

“Three years, sir,” replied the Swede quickly.

Napoleon was astonished. “Either you are mad, or I am,” he declared.

“Both, sir!” cried the Swede proudly.

15-1、DENOTATION AND CONNOTATION

A TV reporter wanted to find out what people thought of a new film, so she decided to interview people as they came out of the theatre. She asked one woman what she thought of the film. \"It was excellent,\" the woman replied. \"I thought it was the best film I've seen in years.\"

Then she stopped a young man and asked him the same question. \"It was dynamite!\" he said. He was surprised to see the reporter dive to the ground and cover her ears. He bent down to ask her what the trouble was.

\"Where is it?\" she whispered.

\"Where's what?\" he asked.

\"The dynamite!\" she shouted. \"Where's the dynamite?\"

This reporter had a problem. She understood what the word \"dynamite\" meant, but she didn't understand what the young man meant. In other words, she understood the denotation, but not the connotation, of the word.

16、CONTINENTS AND OCEANS

From space the earth looks like a huge water-covered globe, with a few patches of land sticking out above the water. North of the equator about 61 percent of the surface is covered by water. South of the equator 81 percent of the surface is water. Altogether more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet is covered by water.

As you study a globe, you may notice that most of the large land areas are connected, or almost so. We often speak of seven continents, but you can see that Europe, Asia, and Africa are really one landmass. South America is joined to North America, and only a narrow strait separates North America from Asia. Oceania is a separate landmass, but it is separated from Asia by very shallow water. Antarctica is about 600 miles from the tip of South America.

The largest landmass is usually divided into two \"continents\" along the Ural Mountains. Land to the east of the Urals is called Asia; land to the west, Europe. Asia is the largest continent, covering one third of the earth's land area. Africa is the second largest continent. It is actually connected with Asia at the spot where the Suez Canal was dug. Oceania is the smallest continent.

The world's coldest continent, and the most difficult to reach, is Antarctica. For centuries, people have wondered what this continent is really like, since it is covered with solid thick ice and deep snow. You may think it strange that anyone would live there. Actually a very small number of people do. They are mostly visiting scientists. A lot of research work has been carried out in recent years, but much still has to be learned about the land lying under the ice.

As we have seen, oceans cover more than 70 percent of the earth. Study of a globe shows that the oceans actually form one continuous body of water. From Antarctica, three main \"gulfs\" extend northward. These are called the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. The Atlantic is longer and narrower than the other two. The Arctic Ocean is considered by some to be a northern part pf the Atlantic Ocean. The Pacific Ocean is by far the largest ocean and covers almost half of the total ocean area.

Because the ocean surface is so smooth, people may think the ocean bottom is made up of smooth plains. Actually the ocean floors are almost as irregular as the exposed land areas. Many scientists are making a study of animal and plant life in the oceans. They hope to find new resources for mankind.

16-1、ABOUT THE CONTINENTS

A: There are seven continents in the world. But I only remember five. Could you tell me the other two?

B: What are the five you know?

A: Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and South America.

B: The sixth is Oceania, the smallest of all the continents. It's mainly made up of Australia and New Zealand.

A: I know Australia and New Zealand, but I didn't know they're of the same continent. What's the other continent?

B: Antarctica, an ice-covered continent.

A: Oh, I forgot I've learned about it somwhere. Which is the largest of the seven continents?

B: Asia. It has an area of about 43 million square kilometres, covering thirty percent of the world's land.

A: Which continent comes next?

B: Africa, with an area of over 30 million square kilometres, about one-fifth of the land of the world.

A: Is Europe very large?

B: No, Europe is only larger than Oceania in area, with a little over 10 square kilometres, occupying one-fourteenth of the land of the world.

A: Why is Latin America so called?

B: Because most of the people there speak Spanish, Portuguese or French. Those languages belong to the Latin family.

17、The Story of William Tell

The people of Switzerland were not always free and happy as they are today. Many years ago a proud tyrant, whose name was Gessler, ruled over them, and made their lot a bitter one indeed.

One day this tyrant set up a tall pole in the public square, and put his own cap on the top of it; and then he gave orders that every man who came into the town should bow down before it. But there was one man, named William Tell who would not do this. He stood up straight with folded arm, and laughed at the swinging cap. He would not bow down to Gessler himself.

When Gessler heard of this, he was very angry. He was afraid that other men would disobey, and that soon the whole country would rebel against him. So he made up his mind to punish the bold man.

William Tell’s home was among the mountains, and he was a famous hunter. No one in all the land could shoot with bow and arrow so well as he. Gessler knew this, and so he thought of a cruel plan to make the hunter’s own skill bring him to grief. He ordered that Tell’s little boy should be made to stand up in the public square with an apple on his head;

and then he bade Tell shoot the apple with one of his arrows.

Tell begged the tyrant not to have him make this test of his skill. What if the boy should move? What if the bow-man’s hand should tremble? What if the arrow should not carry true?

“Will you make me kill my boy?” he said.

“Say no more.” Said Gessler. “You must hit the apple with your one arrow. If you fail, my soldiers shall kill the boy before your eyes.”

Then, without another word, Tell fitted the arrow to his bow. He took aim, and let it fly. The boy stood firm and still. He was not afraid, for he had all faith in his father’s skill.

The arrow whistled through the air. It struck the apple fairly in the center, and carried it away. The people who saw it shouted with joy.

As Tell was turning away from the place, an arrow which he had hidden under his coat dropped to the ground.

“Fellow!” cried Gessler, “What mean you with this second arrow?”

“Tyrant!” was Tell’s proud answer, “this arrow was for your heart if I had hurt my child.”

And this is an old story, that, not long after this, Tell did shoot the tyrant with one of his

arrows; and thus he set his country free.

17-1、PICK, SHOVEL AND SPEAR

In England there are two places very near each other called \"Brancepeth\" and \"Brandon\".

What do you think these names mean?

Brancepeth means \"the bear's path\" and Brandon means \"the bear's den\".

Here is the story of how these two places got their names. Long, long ago a bear had his den in the place now called Brandon. There was a forest in that place.

The bear killed many people, and nobody dared to go near \"the bear's path\".

One day a brave man, Hodge by name, set out to kill the great bear.

He took with him only a pick, a shovel and a spear. The people did not know what he would do with a pick and a shovel.

Hodge went to the wood. With his pick and shovel he dug a pit in the bear's path.

He then covered the pit with turf and nobody could see that there was a pit there.

Then Hodge took his spear and hid himself behind a tree.

At last the bear came out of his den. He walked to the pit and fell into it. Hodge ran up to the pit, and killed the bear with the spear.

In an old churchyard, near that place, there is a stone in memory of Hodge, the brave man who killed the bear. On the stone there are pictures of a pick, a shovel and a spear.

18、A LITTLE HERO

A group of Italian soldiers led by a captain were advancing slowly toward the position of the enemy. They were expecting to see in the distance some signs of the enemy. They arrived at a farmhouse, in front of which sat a small boy. The boy was cutting a branch of a tree with his knife to make a cane.

When the boy saw the soldiers, he stopped working on the branch, stood up, and took off his cap. He was a handsome boy with large, bright eyes and fair hair.

\"What are you doing here?\" asked the captain. \" Why didn't you leave with your family?\"

\"I don't have any family,\" said the boy. \"I'm an orphan. I used to work for the family that lived here. They've gone, but I stayed in order to see the fighting.\"

\"Have you seen any Austrians pass by here?\"

\"Not within the last three days.\"

The captain got off his horse, and went into the house. His head soon appeared out of one of the second storey windows, from where he could see nothing but trees. In front of the house was a tall tree, its top well above the tops of the other trees. The captain came out and asked the boy:

\"Do you have good eyesight, young man?\"

\"Me? \"asked the boy. \"I can see a sparrow two hundred paces away.\"

\"Do you think you could climb that tree and tell me whether you see anything of the Austrians in the distance?\"

\"Sure,\" said the boy eagerly, jumping up, kicking off his shoes, and throwing aside his cap.

\"How much do you want for that?\" asked the captain.

\"I don't want anything,\" said the boy, already starting to climb. \"I world do anything for our soldiers.\"

In a few minutes the boy was at the top of the tree.

\"Look straight ahead,\" cried the captain, \"and tell me what you see.\"

\"Two men on horseback - nothing else.\"

\"How far away?\"

\"About a mile and a half. They're standing still.\"

\"What else do you see?\" asked the captain after a moment of silence.

The boy looked to the right. after a while he said:

\"Near the cemetery, between the trees, there's something shining, perhaps bayonets.\"

\"Do you see any soldiers?\"

\"No, if there are any, they must be hidden among the trees.\"

Just then there was the sharp whistle of a bullet which passed near the boy.

\"Get down!\" said the captain.

Another bullet whistled by.

\"They're shooting at me,\" said the boy. \"but don't worry. Let me tell you what's to the left. Well, there's a church and I think I see...\"

A third bullet passed, and at almost the same moment the boy was seen to fall suddenly from the tree. He struck the ground heavily. Blood was trickling from his mouth.

The captain ran to him and tore open the boy's shirt. A bullet had passed through his chest on the left. The boy opened his eyes for a moment, looked at the captain, and then died.

\"Poor boy!\" said the captain over and over. He looked at the boy for a minute. He ordered a soldier to bring a national flag and covered the boy's body with it, leaving only his face exposed. The captain collected the boy's cap, shoes, knife, and the branch he had been cutting, and placed them near the boy's body.

\"We'll send someone to pick him up,\" said the captain. \"He died like a soldier and we must bury him like a soldier.\"

The captain and his group moved on, but the story of the little boy spread quickly. Later that afternoon other groups of soldiers moved up to the front. When they passed the place where the dead boy lay, each soldier saluted. Some of them placed flowers on the boy's body. Soon it was covered with flowers. On the boy's pale face there was a half-smile that seemed to suggest that he was happy to have given his life to his country.

18-1、BRUCE AND THE SPIDER

There was once a king of Scotland whose name was Robert Bruce.

The king of England was at war with him and had led a great army into Scotland to conquer the land and the people.

Bruce fought the enemy most bravely. Six times he led his brave little army agai

nst his enemy; and six times his men were beaten. At last he was forced to hide himself in the mountains.

One day, feeling tired and sick at heart, he lay on the ground under a farmhouse. He was ready to give up all hope for it seemed to him that it was no use fighting any longer.

As he lay thinking, he saw a spider over his head, getting ready to weave her web. He watched her as she worked slowly and with great care. Six times she tried to throw her thread from one beam to another, and six times she failed.

\"Poor thing!\" said Bruce. \"You, too know what it is to fail.\"

But the spider did not lose hope. With still more care, she made ready to try for the seventh time. Bruce almost forgot his own troubles as he watched her struggling with the thin thread. Would she fail again? No! The thread was carried safely to the beam.

\"I, too, will try a seventh time!\" cried Bruce.

Inspired by the spirit of the spider, Bruce called his men together and made careful plans Soon another battle was fought. This time the king of England was beaten and driven out of Scotland.

HOW TO USE AN ENGLISH DICTIONARY

A dictionary can be most useful, if you know how to use it correctly.

The first thing to know is that the words in the dictionary are arranged in alphabetical order. This means that all the words beginning with 'a' come first, then those beginning with 'b', then those beginning with 'c', and so on. But this is not all. Take two words beginning with 'a', after and ago. Which comes first? After comes first, because the second letter in after, 'f', comes before the second letter of ago, which is 'g'. The same rule is followed all the way through the word. Thus about comes before above, and fifth before

fifty. If you remember this rule it will save you a lot of time in looking up words.

Open your dictionary at any page. At the top of the page you will see two words printed in heavy type. These are known as guide words. The one on the left-hand side of the page tells you what the first word on that page is. The one on the right-hand side tells you what the last word on that page is. So if you are looking for a word in the dictionary, you first look at the guide words at the head of the pages. Then you will be able to tell whether or not the word you want is on the page you are looking at.

You will notice that a dictionary very often gives several definitions for one word. How would you decide which of these definitions is the one you need? First, you must know what part of speech the word is in the sentence. Is it a noun or a verb? Is it an adjective or an adverb? A word can be used differently in a sentence, and so may have a different sense. Next, you must see which of the definitions will fit into the sentence. It is important to study the rest of the sentence carefully in order to find out the meaning of the word.

For example, you might come across this sentence: \"We use an inclined plane to load

or unload a truck.\" You look up 'load' in the dictionary. The dictionary says: 1. n. a burden, ... 2. vt. put a burden on or into, ... Of course the second definition makes the right sense in the sentense.

You will find that the more you use the dictionary, the better you'll be able to use it and the more useful it will be to you.

abjective形容词---objective目标，任务；客观的，实体的，目标的

come across遇到，碰到

sense 感觉，意思，概念

plane飞机；水平，平面，平的---plain 平原

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

The two largest islands of the British Isles are Great Britain and Ireland. There are three regions in Great Britain. They are England, Scotland and Wales. Scotland lies to the north of England, and Wales to the southwest. Ireland lies to the west of Great Britain. It is a smaller island than Great Britain.

The Atlantic Ocean lies between the British Isles and America, and the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. The North Sea is on the east side of Great Britain. To the south is the English channel. Every day large ships cross the Atlantic Ocean to America, and smaller ones cross the North Sea and the Channel to Europe.

The mountains in Great Britain are almost all in the north and the west. They are not very high; the highest ones are in Scotland. There are many low hills in some parts of the country, but not in the south and east, where there are almost no hills。 In summer there is no snow on any of the mountains or hills in Great Britain or Ireland.

There are many rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long. The rivers which run to the east are longer than the ones which run to the west.

The Thames is one of the longest rivers in England. It is a very beautiful river. It is in the south of the country and runs to the east, into the North Sea. London, the capital of Great Britain, is on the Thames.

London is a very old city. Today it is one of the largest cities in Europe. More than nine million people live there.

The port of London is one of the greatest ports in the world. Ships from all countries go up and down the Thames. They bring food to the people of Britain. Then they take British machines and other things back to the port from which they came.

There are many scenic spots in the west of England. The lakes here are the most beautiful in England. There are trees, flowers and green grass round them.

The water is almost always very still, and you can see the green hills, the brown mountains and everything else round the lake upside down in the water. There are

boats on all the larger lakes, which take people from one side to the other. There are always a lot of boats on the lakes in summer.

Travellers from many countries of the world go to the west of England in summer. There are boat races on the largest lakes, and people from many places in Great Britain and Europe come to see them. Young people travel from one place to another on their bicyles, or walk from one lake to another.

There are large lakes in Scotland too with mountains around them. They are not like the English ones; there are not so many trees and flowers, and green hills round them, but they are beautiful too. The mountains here are higher, and they are grey and dark.

Some people think that this part of Scotland with its lakes and mountains is most beautiful than the West of England. Other people think it is not more lovely, but it is more interesting.

Ireland is a very beautiful country. It is not far from England, and some people like to go there for their holidays. Ireland is even greener than the West of England. It rains very often there, but it is never very cold, and snow almost never falls. The west wind brings rain from the Atlantic Ocean, and much of it falls on Ireland and on the west of England and Scotland.

The Crazy Tower in Pisa

The Dear Old Lady - that is what the people of Pisa call the tower - needs help.

Three million people visit Pisa each year. That's a lot of people. Why do they come to this town in Italy? To see a tower. Alook at the picture will tell you why. The crazy tower leans! It is known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The tower looks as if it might fall at any time. In fact, some visitors stop at the tower just long enough to take a picture. Then they hurry away. Other visitors climb the 294 steps to the top - and come down, feeling like heroes.

Engineers say that the visitors are safe - at least for a while. But the tower does lean. It slants 14 feet 10 inches at the present time. The tower has been leaning for more than 800 years. And every year it leans a tiny bit more. If this keeps on, the tower will fall.

You may wonder what makes the tower lean. If you look at the picture, you will see that one side of the tower is deeper in the earth than the other. The foundation on which the tower rests has sunk into the soil on the leaning side. Why has this happened?

Pisa's tower weighs 14,500 tons. The soil of the tower is a mixture of clay and water. A heavy tower built on soil like this must have a very strong foundation. The Leaning Tower's foundation is just not deep enough and wide enough for the tower above it.

Can anything be done about the tower?

Yes, Italian engineers have several plans. They don't want to make the tower straight - just keep it from leaning any further. So all the plans call for a new foundation that won't sink.

But a new foundation can't be built while the tower is resting on the old one. The tower must be raised. And it must have something to rest on while the new foundation is being built.

The tower could be raised with jacks. They would be like the jacks we use to raise cars when changing a tire. Only these jacks would be giant ones. One plan calls 15 of them to be placed around the tower. Each of the giant jacks would be on its own foundation. And each of them could lift 1000 tons. The 15 jacks would raise the 14,500-ton tower and hold it up while the new foundation is being built.

The Italian engineers are searching for the best plan to save the tower. They know that any plan will take a lot of money. They are trying to get the money from the Italian government. But many Italians refuse to believe that the old tower is in danger. \"It leans and leans and leans,\" they said. \"But it will never fall down.\"

The engineers want to make sure that it won't.

THE BEST ADVICE I EVER HAD

When I was about 15, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings. Week by week her list grew: I was skinny, I talked too loud, I was too proud, and so on. I put up with her as long as I could. At last, I ran to my father in tears and anger.

He listened to my outburst quietly, and then he asked. \"Are the things she says true - or not?\"

True? I wanted to know how to strike back. What did truth have to do with it?

\"Mary, didn't you ever wonder what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl'opinion. Go make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. You needn't pay attention to the other things she said.\"

I did as he told me and discovered to my great surprise that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn't change (like being skinny), but a good number I could - and suddenly wanted to - change. For the first time in my life I began to get quite a clear picture of myself.

I brought the list back to Daddy, but he wouldn't take it.

\"That's just for you,\" he said. \"You know better than anybody else the truth about yourself, once you hear it. But you've got to learn to listen, not close your ears in anger or hurt. When someone says something about you, you'll know if it's true or not. If it is, you'll find it will echo inside you.\"

\"I still don't think it very nice of her to talk about me in front of everybody,\" I said.

\"Mary, there is one way you could stop others talking about you ever again, and criticizing you - just say nothing and do nothing. But then, if you do that, you'd find you were nothing. You wouldn't like that now, would you?\"

\"No,\" I admitted.

Later, I was to have another, more painful lesson about hearing the truth. It happened the week we were to put up a play in which I had the head. How eager and excited I was!

A few days before the show, some of my friends decided to have a picnic at a nearby lake. It was still rather cold. Mother wanted me to stay home so that I might not catch cold, but I insisted on going. After making me promise not to go swimming, she gave in.

Well, I kept the words but not the spirit of that promise. When the others went into the water I couldn't stand being left behind. I put on my swimming-suit, too, and went out in a rowboat.

When at last I headed for shore, some of the boys began to rock my boat. Just as I was about to reach the shore, it went over. Trying to keep out of the water, I took a leap for shore. I made it - but I landed on a broken bottle. My heel was cut right to the bone!

I didn't get to star in the play, but had to lie still in hospital. \"But I kept my promise not to go swimming,\" I said to daddy.

\"Mary, you listened to only half of what your mother said. What she really made you promise was to try not to catch cold. Going swimming was only part of it. You let youself hear only part of the truth. And that's why you ended up like this.\"

I made a final excuse: \"All my friends thought it would be all right, if I stayed in the boat.\"

\"And they all were wrong, weren't they?\" He paused a moment.\"You'll find the world is full of people who think they know better than you. Don't shut your ears to them. Hear them out, but listen out only for the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.\"

Daddy's advice has returned to me at many critical moments in my life and it has worked.

CAREFUL AND CARELESS

Careful and careless are as different as fire and water. But strangely enough, many scientists have both these qualities, that is, they are both careful and careless. Newton, the well known English scientist, is such a person.

Once Newton invited a friend to a dinner at home. When they were ready to eat, Newton left to get a bottle of wine. But after his friend had waited for a long time, Newton still didn＇t come back. Finally his friend found Newton in his lab. The reason was that when Newton was going to get the bottle of wine, he suddenly had a new idea for the experiment he was doing, so he completely forgot his friend and the dinner. There was

another time when Newton was leading a horse up a mountain holding the rein in his hand. While he was walking, he kept thinking of problems he had met in his studies. When he got to the top of the mountain, he found that the rein was not in his hand and the horse was gone.

Among scientists, there are many people like Newton. Einstein was one. Once he was waiting for a friend at a bridge. While waiting, he became lost in thought. It started to rain. The rain kept on for some time. When Einstein took out a piece of paper from his pocket to write something down, the paper was wet and then he realized that it was raining. His clothes had become soaked in the rain. But after he put the paper into his pocket, he again forgot he was standing in the rain.

Many scientists are careless about how the live. This is because they are too careful in their studies.

7、THE TRIAL

这是我的高中英语课本第三册第7课《审判》，原题《威尼斯商人》，作者是莎士比亚，略有删改。

Antonio, a merchant in Venice, was liked by everyone because he was always ready to help others. He had many ships which traded with other countries. Now his ships were all at sea.

Bassanio, Antonio's best friend, was in love with Portia, a rich and beautiful lady who

also loved him. But he was sad because he could not ask Portia to marry him while he himself had no money. So he asked Antonio to lend him three thousand ducats. Antonio did not have any money just then. He went to Shylock, a cruel moneylender, who hated him, because he had often publicly scolded him for his greed. Shylock agreed to lend Antonio the money on condition that Antonio must promise to give him a pound of his flesh and allow him to cut the flesh from any part of his body if he did not pay back the money at the end of three months. Antonio agreed, took the three thousand ducats and gave the money to Bassanio.

Bassanio and Portia arranged to get married. It so happened that Bassanio's servant Gratiano had fallen in love with Portia's maid Nerissa. These two also decided to get married. As the two couples were discussing the wedding arrangements, a letter arrived from Antonio, saying that all his ships were all lost at sea and he would have to give Shylock a pound of his flesh. He wished to see Bassanio before he died.

After the couples got wedding, Portia told Bassanio to go at once to his friend. When Bassanio and Gratiano had gone, Portia thought of a clever plan to save Antonio. She had a good friend who was a doctor of laws. She asked him to lend her some of his lawyer's clothes and notes. She pretended to be a lawyer and Nerissa dressed herself like a lawyer's clerk. They went to Vinice. When they arrived, Antonio and Shylock had been brought before the Duke, and the trial had begun.

* * *

Duke: Have mercy on Antonio. Everyone thinks that you will pretend to be cruel until

the last minute. Then you will show your mercy.

Shylock: I've promised to take my pound of flesh. If you do not let me have it, that will be bad for Venice. No one will trust your laws any more. The greatness of Venice will soon be lost. Antonio is my enemy, I hate him.

Bassanio: Do all men kill the things they do not love?

Antonio: It is useless trying to talk to Shylock. Don't wait any longer. Pass judgement on me and give Shylock what he wants.

Bassanio: I'll pay you six thousand ducats for the three thousand ducats that Antonio borrowed.

Shylock: If you offered me six times the amount that you have just offered, I would still take my pound of flesh. Give me my pound of flesh!

Duke: How can you hope for mercy yourself when you show none?

Shylock: I have done nothing wrong and I fear no judgement. Give me my pound of flesh!

(As the Duke is wondering what to do, Nerissa, dressed like a lawyer's clerk, arrives with a letter from the famous lawyer whom Portia has visited.

While the Duke is talking to Nerissa, Shylock begins to get ready to cut his pound of

flesh from Antonio.

Then the letter is read out for all the court to hear: \"I am very ill. When your letter reached me, I had with me a learned young doctor from Rome. I told him about the quarrel between Shylock and Antonio. We studied many lawbooks and he knows what I would say. I ask you to let him stand in my place and give judgment. He is young, but I never knew so young a body with so wise a head.\"

After the letter has been read to the court, Portia, in lawyer's clothes, enters the room. She takes her seat as judge.)

Portia: Are you Antonio? -- And is this your agreement with Shylock?

Antonio: It is.

Portia: Then Shylock must be merciful; he must have mercy on Antonio.

Shylock: Why must I have mercy on him? Tell me that!

Portia: Mercy falls like the gentle rain from the sky upon the earth. It blesses him who gives it, and him who receives it. We should learn to show mercy to others. Do you still ask for this pound of flesh?

Shylock: I ask for what is mine by law!

Bassanio: I offer ten times the amount of money that Antonio has borrowed. Please

change the law a little so that we may save Antonio.

Portia: We cannot change a law. If one law is changed, then other men will later want to change other laws.

Shylock: Oh, wise young judge!

Portia: Let me see this agreement, this promise of Antonio to you.

Shylock: Here it is.

Portia: Yes, by law Shylock may have a pound of flesh to be cut off by him nearest to Antonio's heart. Be merciful! Let me destroy this paper. --No? Then, Antonio, be ready; and Shylock, take your knife.

Shylock: Oh, learned judge! Oh, wise young man!

Portia: Have you brought anything to weigh the flesh?

Shylock: Yes. I have everything ready here.

Portia: Do you have a doctor, Shylock, to stop Antonio's blood?

Shylock: That is not in the agreement.

Portia: Do you wish to say anything, Antonio?

Antonio: Only a little. Goodbye, Bassanio. Don't be sad for me. Tell your wife about me and how much I loved you. If Shylock cuts deep enough, I'll pay him back with all my heart.

Bassanio: I love you more than my own life, more than my wife, and more than all the world. (He cries.)

Portia: Your wife wouldn't like that offer if she were present to hear you.

Gratiano: I have a wife, whom I love very much. But I wish that she were dead and in heaven, so that she would be able to ask God to help Antonio.

NerissAntonio: It is good that you make this wish when she is not here. If she were present, there would be trouble in your home.

Shylock: We are wasting time.

Portia: Take your pound of flesh. The court allows it and the law gives it to you.

(Shylock begins to move towards Antonio, and is ready to act.)

Portia: Wait! There is something else. Antonio has promised to give you a pound of his flesh. But he has not promised to give you any of his blood. If you let one drop of his blood fall, you will lose all your land and all your money.

Gratiano: Oh, learned judge! Oh, wise young man!

Shylock: Is that the law?

Portia: You shall see the law. You wanted justice; so you shall get justice - more than you wanted.

Shylock: I will take the money. Give me three times more than Antonio borrowed from me.

Bassanio: Here it is. (He cries out, full of joy.)

Portia: Wait! Shylock would not take the money earlier. All he wanted was justice. That is all he can have now. You must cut off just one pound of flesh. No more, no less, just one pound - and not one drop of blood.

(Shylock turns and starts to leave the court.)

Portia: Wait, Shylock. The law of Venice says that if anyone tries to kill any citizen of Venice, everything that he owns shall be taken away from him. One half of his money and his goods shall be given to the city of Venice and the other half shall be given to the person he has tried to kill. His life shall be at the mercy of the Duke. Therefore, go down on your knees and beg the Duke for mercy.

Duke: I shall not kill you. But half of your money is now Antonio's. You must give the other half to the city of Venice.

Shylock: Take my life too! My money and goods are as dear to me as life itself. When

you take those away from me, you also take my life.

Antonio: I shall be happy to give up my part of Shylock's money. Shylock must promise to leave the money upon his death to his daughter and her husband.

Shylock: I promise. Let me go home now. I am not well.

8、CHARLES DARWIN

这是我的高中英语第三册第8课《查理士·达尔文》。

Two men were deep in argument．They were men of wealth and good education．The discussion was taking place in the library of a large country house which one of them owned．Gradually the argument became more heated．It was about a book which lay on the table in front of them．They disagreed about some of the views in the book．Both of them had read it carefully．Then they had read some of the chapters again and again．One of the men held the view that what the book said was right．The other was sure that it was wrong．

The year was 1859．The book had not long been published and had shocked many learned people in Britain．Its title was the Origin of Species，written by Charles Darwin．He had set out to question views about how life had developed on the Earth．In doing so，he had thrown doubt on some people's religious beliefs．And religion was such an important part of life at that time that some men were quite angry with Darwin．How dare he attack beliefs and ideas which had been held for centuries？

Darwin's views were the result of years of careful observation，thought and study．One of his most important ideas was that different types of living creatures on the Earth had not been created suddenly．Instead，they had been developing over thousands of millions of years．In the struggle for life，some species had not been successful．They had died out．Others，however，remained because they were able to fit in with their surroundings．This was what was known as \"the survival of the fittest．\"

The book was not meant to be an attack on Christian belief．Darwin simply set out the facts that he believed to be true．And he based his ideas on scientific experiment．He did not want to make a statement without trying to prove it．But naturally，the Origin of Species was seen as a book written against religion．Its ideas did not agree with what was written in the Bible．For example，Darwin's points about slow evolution did not agree with the story of how Man was created in the Bible．Therefore the book caused great interest and argument，and its author was soon the centre of attention．

Darwin was born in 1809 at Shrewsbury，where he went to school．Later，he studied medicine at Cambridge．However，he was very interested in plants，animals and geology．Therefore when the opportunity arose to go on amost important and interesting voyage for scientific study，he took it．

The journey lasted for five years，from 1831—36．It took him to many different parts of the world．Wherever he went，Darwin made a most careful study of the animal and plant life found there．He was not prepared to accept the usual teachings about how things developed．In true scientific manner，he liked to put ideas to the test．If possible，he wanted proof before he would believe something．

After Darwin returned to Britain he married and settled down to live in Kent．He lived and worked there for the rest of his life．For much of the time he suffered from bad health．However，his work continued．Over the years he read widely．Gradually he gathered together the proof for his beliefs．One of Darwin's friends，Alfred Wallace，was also a naturalist．Wallace and Darwin agreed on the way in which different forms of life had begun．Some of their work was published in 1858．Immediately，it aroused interest．Darwin's main work，the Origin of Speices，was published a year later，in November 1859．The book was received so eagerly that it was sold out on the first day！

Then came the arguments．Most scientists of the time were prepared to accept what Darwin said．The man was something of a genius．He had made his points carefully．Proof was given to support his views．But many people simply could not believe that what he had written was true．It was so different from what the Church taught，and Church leaders declared that Darwin's book was an attack on Christian belief．So many of them wrote and spoke out strongly against it．One of these was the Bishop of Oxford，who took part in a debate against T. H. Huxley，a well-known scientist．The views which they spoke in public showed the great differences which existed between many scientists and many church people．The Bishop said that Darwin's ideas were wrong．Huxley asked him to offer proof，as Darwin had done．The Bishop mainly read statement from the Bible．

The argument went on for many years．The whole question was of interest to a large number of people．Whether or not they agreed with Darwin's views，many of them thought deeply．

Darwin lived on until 1882．Later in his life，he wrote several other books．But none of

them caused the kind of interest and argument that had come in 1859．His Origin of Species was one of the most important books published during the nineteenth century．

1、PERSEVERANCE

这是我的高中英语第三册第1课《毅力》。主人公对书的渴求，他的坚韧不拔，一直引起我的强烈共鸣。

Many years ago I stepped into a bookstore in Cincinnati in search of some books that I anted. While I was there，a poor little boy，not over twelve years of age，came in to ask whether they had geographies to sell．

\"Plenty of them ，\"was the salesman's reply．

\"How much do they cost？\"

\"One dollar，my lad．\"

\"I didn't know they cost so much．\"

He turned to go out and even opened the door，but closed it again and came back．\"I have only sixty-two cents，\"he said．\"Will you let me have the book and wait a little while for the rest of the money？\"

How eagerly the lad looked for an answer，and how disappointed he seemed when the man refused him his request！The little fellow looked up at me with a weak smile，and left

the store．I followed him．

\"And what now？\"I asked．

\"I shall try another place，sir．\"

\"Do you mind if I go too and see how you succeed？\"

\"If you like，\"he said in surprise．

Four different stores I entered with him，and four times I saw the boy's face turn to disappointment．

\"Are you going to try again？\"I asked．

\"Yes，sir．I shall try them all，or I shall not know whether I could get one．\"

We entered the fifth store and the little fellow walked straight up and told the gentleman just what he wanted and how much money he had．

\"Do you want the book very much？\"asked the bookseller．

\"Yes，sir，very much．\"

\"Why do you want it so much？\"

\"To study，sir．I cannot go to school，but when I have time I study at home．All the boys have geographies and they will be ahead of me if I do not get one．Besides，my father was a sailor，and I want to know about the places he used to go to．\"

\"Does he go to those places now？\"

\"He is dead，\"replied the boy，softly．In a moment he added，\"I'm going to be a sailor，too．\"

\"Are you，my boy？\"aksed the gentleman，raising his eyebrows curiously．

\"Yes，sir，if I live．\"

\"Well，my lad，I'll tell you what I will do．I'll let you have the new geography and you may pay me the remainder of the money when you can，or I will let you have one that is not new for fifty cents．\"

\"Are the leaves all in it and is it just like the others，only not new？\"

\"Yes，it's as good as the new ones．\"

\"It'll do just as well then，and I shall have twelve cents left to buy some other book．I'm glad they didn't let me have one at any of the other places．\"

At the boy's last remark the bookseller looked at him．What did the boy mean？I told him what I had seen and heard at the five other places．When the boy had bought the

book，the bookseller gave him a nice new pencil and some clean white paper．

\"A present，my lad，for your perseverance．Always have courage like that and you will make your mark，\"said the bookseller．

\"Thank you，sir，it's very kind of you．\"

\"What is your name，my lad？\"

\"William Hartley，sir．\"

\"Do you want any more books？\"I now asked，earnestly regarding the boy's serious face．

\"More than I can even get，\"he replied．

I gave him two dollars．\"The money will buy some for you，\"I said．

Tears of joy came into his eyes．

\"May I buy what I want with it？\"

\"Yes，my lad，whatever you want．\"

\"Then I'll buy a book for Mother，\"he said．\"I thank you very much，and some day I hope I can repay you．\"

He asked my name and I gave it to him．Then I left him standing by the counter so happy that I almost envied him．

Many years later，I was going to Europe on one of the finest ships that ever ploughed the waters of the Atlantic．We had pleasant weather the greater part of the voyage，but toward the end there came a terrible storm and the ship would have sunk with all on board had it not been for the captain．

A great leak was filling the ship with water．The crew was made up of strong and able men and the mates were experienced seamen of the first class．But after pumping for one whole night with the water still gaining upon them，the sailors gave up in despair．

The captain，who had been below，now came up．He saw how matters stood．

He ordered every man to his position．It was surprising to see those strong men bow before his strong will and hurry back to the pumps．The captain then started below to look for the leak．As he passed me I asked him whether there was any hope of saving the ship．

He looked at me．\"Yes，sir，\"he said，\"so long as one inch of this deck remains above water， there is hope．Only when that fails shall I leave the ship，but not before that，nor shall any of my crew．Everything shall be done to save the ship，and if we fail，it will not be our fault．\"Then he turned to all of us passengers on board and said，\"Every one of you，at the pumps！\"

Three times during that day we gave up in despair．But the captain's courage，

perseverance，and powerful will mastered every man on board，and we went to work again．\"I will land you safe in Liverpool，\"he said，\"if you will be men．\"

And in the end he did land us safe，but the ship sank soon after she reached Liverpool．The captain stood on the deck of the sinking ship receiving the thanks of the passengers as they hurried off the ship．

As I passed，he grasped my hand and said，\"Sir，do you not recognize me？\"I told him that I did not．

\"Do you remember the boy whom you followed when he had so much difficulty in getting a geography，some thirty years ago，in Cincinnati？\"

\"Why yes，I remember that boy very well．His name was William Hartley．\"

\"I am William Hartley，\"said the captain．\"God bless you！\"

\"And may God bless you too，Captain Hartley，\"I said．\"The perseverance that thirty years ago got you that geography has today saved our lives．\"

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