Module 1 Small Talk
How Good Are Your Social Skills?
Have you ever crossed the road to avoid talking to someone you recognize? Would you love to go to a party and talk confidently to every guest? Do you want to make more friends but lack the confidence to talk to people you don’t know? And are you nervous about the idea of being at a social event in another country? Don’t worry – we can help you!
You needn’t worry about situations like these if you have good social skills. And they are easy to learn. People with good social skills communicate well and know how to have a conversation. It helps if you do a little advance planning.
Here are a few ideas to help you. Learn how to do small talk
Small talk is very important and prepares you for more serious conversations. Be prepared! Have some low-risk conversation openers ready. For example:
Think of a recent news story – not to serious, e.g. a story about a film star or sports star. Think of things to tell people about your studies.
Think of “safe” things you can ask people’s opinions about – music, sport, films, etc.
Think of topics that you would avoid if you were talking to strangers – and avoid talking about them! That way, you don’t damage your confidence! Develop your listening skills
Listening is a skill which most people lack, but communication is a two-way process – it involves speaking AND listening. Always remember – you won’t impress people if you talk too much. Here are some ideas to make you a better listener: Do…
Show that you are listening by using encouraging noises and gestures – smiling, nodding, saying “uh-huh” and “OK”, etc.
Keep good eye contact Use positive body language
Ask for more information to show your interest Don’t…
Look at your watch Yawn Sign
Look away from the person who’s talking to you Change the subject
Finish other people’s sentences for them
Always remember the words of Benjamin Disraeli, British Prime Minister in the 19th century: “Talk to a man about himself, and he will speak to you for hours!” Learn the rules
If you go to a social occasion in another country, remember that social rules can be different. In some countries, for example, you have to arrive on time at a party; in other countries, you don’t need to. In addition, you need to know how long you should stay, and when you have to leave. Some hosts expect flowers or a small gift, but in other places, you can take things, but you needn’t if you don’t want t. 总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
remember also that in some countries, you mustn’t take flowers of a certain colour, because they’re unlucky. In most places, you don’t have to take a gift to a party – but find our first!
The Wrong Kind of Small Talk
Esther Greenbaum was a saleswoman for a firm of fax machines and business supplies. But she was also the most outspoken human being in the world – well, Westchester County, at least. Her motto was “Every time I open my mouth, I put my foot in it.”
Esther Greenbaum’s major shortcoming was that she had a complete absence of small talk. No, that’ not quite true. She had small talk, but it was the wrong kind. In fact, she had never learnt the basic rules of social communication, and as a consequence, she made systematic mistakes every time she opened her mouth. It was no coincidence either that she wasn’t a very good saleswoman.
One day during a meeting, Esther was introduced to an important customer, a mature woman. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “How old are you?” The customer looked awkward.
“Forty? Forty-five?” said Esther. “You look much older. And your friend … she’s older than you, but she looks much younger!”
On another occasion, Esther teased a typist, “Hey! When’s your baby due?”
The typist went red and contradicted Esther. “Actually, I’m not pregnant,” she said. “Oh, sorry,” said Esther without any apology. “Just putting on a little weight, huh?”
Esther was never cautious about other people’s feelings. One of her acquaintances, a salesman in the firm, was going through a very messy divorce and was very depressed. She tried to cheer him up. “Forget her! She was a complete fool. No one liked her anyway.”
Much of the time, Esther said the first thing to come into her head. One day at work, a clerk came into the office with a new hairstyle.
“Nice haircut,” said Esther. “How much did it cost?” The woman replied, “I’d rather not say.”
Esther replied, “Well, anyhow, either you paid too much or you paid too little.”
She met a very famous writer once. “Hey, what a coincidence!” she said. “You’re writing a book and I’m reading one!”
The trouble with Esther was she said what she thought, and didn’t think about what she said. A young man was trying to modest about his new job many miles away.
“I guess the company chose me so they’d get some peace in the office,” he smiled.
“No, I guess they chose you to discourage you from spending your whole career with us,” Esther replied sweetly.
Once, Esther went to a brunch party to meet some old school friends on the anniversary of their graduation. She greeted the hostess.
“Do you remember that guy you were dating? What happened to him?” she asked. “You know, the ugly one.”
At the moment, a man came up and stood by her friend. “Esther, I’d like you to meet my husband,” she said, “Charles, this is…”
Esther interrupted her, “Hey, so you married him!”
Making Friends in the USA
In the USA, conversation is less lively than in many other cultures, where everyone talks at the same time. 总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
When someone talks, everyone is expected to listen, no matter how dull the person’s speaking may be. If you’re not sure what to talk about, you can ask what people do. We’re defined by our jobs and we’re usually happy to talk about them, unless you’re spy!
Some people say that Americans talk about their feelings more than Asians, but are more secretive about factual matters. You can safely ask questions about families, where you come from, leisure interests, as well as the latest movies. We’re interested in people’s ethnic background too. But it’s best to avoid politics, religion and other sensitive topics.
A highly personal conversation can take place after a very short period of knowing someone, but this
doesn’t mean that you’re close friends, or the relationship is very deep. But a lot of people are very friendly and hospitable, and the famous invitation “If you’re ever in Minneapolis / San Diego / Poughkeepsie, do call by and see us!” is never made without a genuine desire to meet again.
But while few Americans will worry about the questions you may ask, particularly if you clearly show you’re aware of cultural differences, they may hesitate before they ask you similar questions. In fact, it’s a sign that they don’t wish to violate your private life. So, many Americans will talk about safe topics because they don’t dare to be too curious or personal, but will happily talk about more private matters if you take the lead.
Generally we dislike arguments, and we avoid topics which lead to disagreement. It’s easy to return to discussing the weather: “Do you like the USA?” How do you like the weather?” or making
compliments: ”What lovely flowers and what a beautiful vase!” “That’s fabulous dress you’re wearing.” You should accept compliments graciously and say “Thank you!”
There are a couple of dangerous topics of conversation: age and money. Age is not treated as something very special, unless someone is very old: “Isn’t she wonderful for her age!” and there are no special rules or signs of extra respect for elderly people. Anyway, Americans always want to look younger than they really are, so don’t expect an accurate reply!
Income is a very private matter, and you’d do well to avoid asking how much people earn, although some people may not only be open about it, but show off their wealth. We don’t ask how much things cost, either. But what we don’t like is silence, and almost anything is better than the embarrassment for a quiet party and silent guests.
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The AAA
It is estimated that 80% of all conversation in English is small talk. A very important function of small talk is to establish a relationship between people who don’t know each other very well, or don’t know each other at all.
Psychologists say that the most successful formula for small talk between people like this is the AAA model. AAA = answer, add and ask. This is how it works.
Imagine a situation where two strangers are talking to each other after someone they both know has left the room, or the café or party, etc. the first person asks a question: A: Do you live near here?
The second person replies by answering the question, adding some extra information and then asking another question:
B: (Answer) Yes, I do.
(Add) In an apartment on Brown Street. (Ask) Do you live nearby too?
The first person does the same, answer, add and ask: A: (Answer) No, I live in Bristol. (Add) I’m just visiting London. (Ask) Have you lived here long? B: (Answer) Not so long.
(Add) I moved here three years ago.
(Ask) What’s the purpose of you visit to London?
The speakers may have difficulty at first, but they soon realize that the important thing is that they are saying something. By continuing with the AAA model, the conversation continues. Because the thing they both want to avoid is an embarrassing silence.
The conversation can continue in this way for a long time. However, something can happen that completely changes the atmosphere.
B: Why do you live in Bristol?
A: I’m studying there. History. Are you a student?
B: Yes. And I know some people who are studying at Bristol. Do you know a girl called Helen Brown? A: Helen Brown? Yes! She’s one of my best friends! How do you know her? B: She’s my cousin.
At this point, the AAA model stops. Because they used this very useful technique, they found something they have in common at last.
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Module 1 Small Talk
你的社交技能有多高？
你是否看见认识的人以后，故意过马路以避免与其说话？你愿意参加聚会并自信的和每位来宾交谈吗？你想结交更多的朋友，但是又缺乏与陌生人交谈的信心吗？你是否一想到要在别的国家参加社交活动就觉得忐忑不安？别担心——我们能帮助你！
如果你具备了良好的社交技能，你就不用担心这样的情景。而这些技能是很容易学习的。具有良好社交技能的人能很好的和别人交流并且知道该怎么样说话。要是预先做点准备，将会对你有所帮助。 下面为你出些主意。 学会怎样聊天
聊天时很重要的，并能帮助你为一些更严肃的谈话做准备。准备好！准备一些不太会出错的开场白。例如： ·想出一个最近的新闻故事——不要太严肃，譬如，一个有关于电影明星或体育明星的故事 ·想出一些有关于你的学习的事情告诉人们 ·想出一些“不会出错”的事情询问别人的意见——音乐，体育，电影等 ·想出一些和陌生人谈话时要回避的话题——并且要避免谈论这些话题！那样，你的信心就不会被伤害了！
提高倾听的技能
倾听是大多数人所缺乏的技巧，而交流时双向的过程——它涉及说和听两个方面。永远记住——话太多并不会给人留下怎样的印象。下面是一些使你成为更好的倾听者的建议： 做下面的事情…… ·用一些鼓励的声音或姿势表示你正在倾听——微笑，点头，说一些“嗯”或“对啊”之类的话等等 ·保持得体的目光接触 ·使用积极肯定的肢体语言 ·询问更多的信息表示你的兴趣 不要做下面的事情…… ·看自己的手表 ·打哈欠 ·叹气 ·把目光从正跟你说话的人身上移开 ·改变话题 ·替别人把话说完
要牢记19世纪英国首相本杰明·迪斯累里的话：“和一个人谈论他自己，他会和你说上几个小时！” 学习规则
如果你在另一个国家去参加一个社交场合，要记住会有不同的社交规则。例如，在一些国家，你得准时参加聚会；而在另一些国家就不需要。另外，你需要知道该待多久，该在何时离开。有的主人希望能得到鲜花或小礼品，而在另一些地方你可以给主人送东西，但如果你不想送就没有必要送。还有，要记住在有的国家你不能带某种颜色的鲜花，因为那是不吉利的。在大多数地方，参加聚会不必带礼物——但你得事先弄清楚！
不合时宜的闲聊 埃斯特·戈林鲍姆是一家传真机公司的女推销员和业务代理。但她也是世界上最口无遮拦的人——当然，至少在韦切斯特县是这样的。她的座右铭是“每当我张口，就会讲错话”。 埃斯特·戈林鲍姆的主要缺点是她根本不会闲聊。不，也不完全如此。尽管她闲聊，但不合时宜。实总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
际上，她从来就没有学过社交的基本规则，因此每次开口说话她都会犯经常性的错误。她不是一个好的女推销员绝非偶然。
一天在一次会议上，埃斯特被介绍给一位重要的客户，一位成熟的女士。 她说：“很高兴见到你！你多少岁啦？”这位客户看起来是尴尬的。
“四十？四十五？” 埃斯特说道，“你看起来更老。而且你的朋友……，她比你年龄大，但看起来年轻得多！”
在另一个场合，埃斯特跟一位打字员打趣说：“嗨！你的宝宝什么时候出生啊？” 那位打字员一下变得面红耳赤，并反驳埃斯特说：“实际上，我还没有怀孕呢。” “噢，对不起，” 埃斯特毫无歉意地说，“只是略微有点发福，是吗？”
埃斯特从来不注意他人的感受。和她在同一家公司做推销员的一个熟人正遭受离婚的窘境，为此非常沮丧。埃斯特试图让他高兴起来。
“忘掉她！她是一个十足的傻瓜。没有人会再喜欢她的。”
大多数时间，埃斯特想到了什么就说什么。有一天工作的时，一位刚换了新发型的职员走进办公室。 埃斯特说：“发型很漂亮，花了多少钱？” 这位女士回答道：“我宁愿不说。”
埃斯特答道：“喔，不管怎么样，要么你花多了，要么你花少了。”
有一次她遇见一位非常著名的作家。“嗨，多么巧啊！你正在写一本书，我正在看一本书！”她说。 埃斯特的问题是她想到什么就说什么，而且从不考虑她说的话。一位年轻的男士尽量谦逊地谈论他几英里外的新工作。
“我想公司选择我是为了他们在办公室里可以得到一些平和。”他微笑着说。
“不，我猜测他们选择你是不想你一辈子都跟着我们工作。” 埃斯特甜美的答道。 有一次，埃斯特参加毕业周年聚餐，去见一些老校友。她向女主人打招呼。
“还记得和你约会的那个家伙吗？他怎么样了？”她问道：“你知道的，就是那个长得丑的。”
正在那时，一个男人走过来，站在她朋友的旁边。“埃斯特，我想让见见我丈夫，”她说，“查尔斯，这是……”
埃斯特打断她，“哦，原来你和她结婚了啊！”
在美国交朋友
在美国，交谈比在许多别的国家沉闷得多，在别的国家大家都一起聊天。而在美国，当每个人发表见解时，不管他说的多磨无聊，每个人都应该倾听。
如果你不确定谈论什么，你可以问一下别人是做什么的。工作体现着我们的特质，而且我们通常乐意去谈他们，除非你是个间谍！
有些人说美国人谈论感情要比亚洲人多，但他们对现实的事情却避而不谈。你可以喊坦然的问家庭，对方籍贯，业余爱好及最新电影等相关问题。我们对人们的民族背景也感兴趣。但最好避免政治，宗教等敏感话题。
两人认识很短一段时间后，可能会有一些亲密的交谈，这并不意味着你们是亲密的朋友或关系非常好。但许多人非常友好好客，而且如果无意再相见，他们是不会做出“如果你有机会到明尼阿波利斯\\圣地亚哥\\波及普西，无比混都来看看我们！”这种人们所见惯的邀请的。
但是尽管极少数美国人会担心你可能提出的问题，尤其是你明显表现出你了解文化差异时，再问你相似的文字之前，他们会犹豫。事实上，这表明他们不希望侵犯你的私人生活。因此他们不敢（表现得）太好奇或太冒昧，但如果你首先引入私人话题，他们会高兴地谈论更多关于私人的事情。 一般来说我们不喜欢争论，并避开那些（可能）导致分歧的话题。很容易回到天气的讨论中：“你喜欢美国吗？你觉得这儿的天气怎么样？”或者说些称赞的话：“多么可爱的花，多么漂亮的花瓶啊！”“你穿的这件连衣裙真漂亮。”你应该欣然接受赞美并说“谢谢！”
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会话中有两个敏感的话题：年龄和钱。年龄并没有被当作特殊的话题，除非某人年事已高：“以她的年龄而言，难道她活得不精彩吗？”而且没有格外尊敬老人的规定或迹象。不管怎样，美国人总是想让自己看起来比他们的真实年龄年轻些，因此别指望他们给出确切的回答！
收入是很私人的事情，你最好避免问别人挣多少钱，尽管有些人对此不仅不加隐瞒，而且还有炫耀之意。我们通常也不问东西值多少钱。
但是我们不喜欢沉默不语，几乎任何事情都比宴会冷清、宾客沉默所带来的尴尬要好。
AAA模式
据估计，所有英语会话中80％是闲聊。闲聊的一个非常重要的作用就是在不太熟悉的人之间或根本不认识的人之间建立一种联系。
心理学家说像这样的人之间闲聊的最成功的模式便是AAA模式。AAA模式即：回答、补充和提问。一下就是该模式实际运作的方式。
设想一种情形，两个陌生人在她们都认识的那个人离开房间、咖啡或聚会等之后进行交谈。第一个人问了一个问题; A:你住在这附近吗？
第二个人回答这个问题并补充了一些额外的信息，接着问另一个问题： B：（回答）是的，我住在附近。 （补充）住在布朗街的一套公寓里。 （提问）你也住在附近吗？
第一个人做相同的事情，回答、补充和提问： A：（回答）不，我住在布里斯托尔。 （补充）我只是到伦敦来游玩。 （提问）你在这儿住长时间了吗？ B：（回答）并不是太久。 （补充）我三年前搬到这儿。
（提问）你参观伦敦的目的是什么？
谈话人起初可能会有困难，但他们很快就意识到重要的是他们在谈话。通过继续AAA漠视，谈话得以持续。因为他们都像避开令人尴尬的沉默。
谈话可以以这种方式持续很长时间。然而，可以完全改变气氛的事情可能会发生。 B：你为什么住在布里斯托尔？
A：我在那里学习历史。你是一个学生吗？
B：是的。我认识一些在布里斯托尔学习的人。你认识一个名叫海伦·布朗的女孩儿吗？ A：海伦·布朗！！是的！她是我最好的朋友之一！你怎么会人认识她？ B：她是我堂妹。
AAA模式到此结束。因为他们运用了这种非常有用的社交技巧，最后他们找到了他们有共同的语言的话题。
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Module 2 Fantasy Literature
The Cat That Vanished
Will was stupefied with exhaustion, and he might have gone on to the north, or he might have laid his head on the grass under one of those trees and slept; but as he stood trying to clear his head, he saw a cat. She was a tabby, like Moxie. She padded out of a garden on the Oxford side of the road, where Will was standing. Will put down his shopping bag and held out his hand, and the cat came up to rub her head against his knuckles, just as Moxie did. Of course, every cat behaved like that, but all the same Will felt such a longing to turn for home that tears scalded his eyes.
Eventually this cat turned away. This was night, and there was a territory to patrol, there were mice to hunt. She padded across the road and towards the bushes just beyond the hornbeam trees, and there she stopped. Will still watching, saw the cat behave curiously. She reached out a paw to pat something in the air in front of her, something quite invisible to Will. Then she leapt backwards, back arched and fur on end, tail held out stiffly. Will knew cat-behaviour. He watched more alertly as the cat approached the spot again, just an empty patch of grass between the hornbeams and the bushes of a garden hedge, and patted the air once more.
Again she leapt back, but less far and with less alarm this time. After another few seconds of sniffing, touching, whisker-twitching, curiosity overcame wariness. The cat stepped forward, and vanished.
Will blinked. Then he stood still, close to the trunk of the nearest tree, as a truck came round the circle and swept its lights over him. When it had gone past he crossed the road, keeping his eyes on the spot where the cat had been investigating. It wasn’t easy, because there was nothing to fix on, but when he came to the place and cast about to look closely, he saw it.
At least, he saw it from some angles. It looked as if someone had cut a patch out of the air, about two
metres from the edge of the road, a patch roughly square in shape and less than a metre across. If you were level with the patch so that it was edge-on, it was nearly invisible, and it was completely invisible from behind. You could only see it from the side nearest the road, and you couldn’t see it easily even from there, because all you could see through it was exactly the same kind of thing that lay in front of it on this side: a patch of grass lit by a street light.
But Will knew without the slightest doubt that that patch of grass on the other side was in a different world. He couldn’t possibly have said why. He knew it at once, as strongly as he knew that fire burned and kindness was good. He was looking at something profoundly alien.
And for that reason alone, it enticed him to stoop and look further. What he saw made his head swim and his heart thump harder, but he didn’t hesitate: he pushed his shopping bag through, and then scrambled through himself, through the hole in the fabric of this world and into another.
He found himself standing under a row of trees. But not hornbeam trees: these were tall palms, and they were growing, like the trees in Oxford, in a line along the grass. But his was the centre of a broad boulevard, and at the side of the boulevard was a line of cafes and small shops, all brightly lit, all open, and all utterly silent and empty beneath a sky thick with stars. The hot night was laden with the scent of flowers and with the salt smell of the sea.
Will looked around carefully. Behind him the full moon shone down over a distant prospect of great green hills, and on the slopes at the foot of the hills there were houses with rich gardens and an open parkland with groves of trees and the white gleam of a classical temple.
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Just beside him was that bare patch in the air, as hard to see from this side as from the other, but definitely there. He bent to look through and saw the road in Oxford, his own world. The turned away with a shudder: whatever this new world was, it had to be better than what he’d just left. With a dawning light-headedness, the feeling that he was dreaming but awake at the same time, he stood up and looked around for the cat, his guide.
The Story of J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter
The elder stateswoman of British fantasy literature is J.K. Rowling, the gifted creator of Harry Potter. Joanne Rowling’s roots are in the southwest of England, where she grew up. But the idea for Harry Potter came to her while she was on a delayed train between Manchester and London. She wrote down her ideas on the back of an envelope. She then went to teach English in Portugal, where she continued to add flesh to the bones of the first Harry Potter story. But her name is forever associated with Edinburgh in Scotland, where she lived and developed the format for the whole series of seven books.
There are many anecdotes about how, in 1990, J.K. Rowling began the first draft of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. She had the extra burden of looking after her baby daughter while she worked, and because she was too poor to own a typewriter, she wrote by hand. She spent many hours over a single cup of coffee in a warm cafeteria in Edinburgh because she had no money to pay for the heating at home. Success was not swift and Rowling might have given up. But she was stubborn and overcame all the difficulties. It was only in 1997 that she completed the first Harry Potter story, which, because the publishers in the USA requested an adjustment to the title, was also known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Rowling always intended that her output would be a book every year until she had finished the series. In fact, it took her about ten years to complete. But after the first book, the success of each of the following titles was automatic. The fifth book, The Order of the Phoenix sold about seven million copies the day it was published.
Rowling’s style has been a target for some criticism, but what makes the books so important is that,
because they appeal to readers of all ages, they create a special literary bond between parents and children. In an age of computer games and television programmes, it is also claimed they are responsible for a renewed interest in reading. Harry Potter has even become part of the school curriculum, much to the pleasure of the schoolchildren.
And the Harry Potter effect is not just restricted to the English-speaking world. Rowling’s books have been translated into more than 55 languages, and it has been estimated that more than 250 million copies have been distributed around the world. In 2005 it was estimated that Rowling had accumulated more than one billion dollars on deposit in her bank. She has thus attained the status of being the first writer to become a billionaire.
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Introduction
One of the greatest British writes of fantasy literature was C.S.Lewis (1898-1963), who wrote The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Lucy discovers the winter land of Narnia where she and her two brothers and sister meet the White Witch. They also meet Aslan, the lion, who is the only one who can defeat the Witch and restore summer to Narnia. With Aslan, the children learn to be brave and to forgive. They learn great sorrow and happiness, and finally they learn wisdom. Their time in Narnia is the great adventure that every child dreams of.
Extract from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
And then she saw that there was a light ahead of her; not a few inches away where the back of the wardrobe ought to have been, but a long way off. Something cold and soft was falling on her. A moment later she found that she was standing in the middle of a wood at nighttime with snow under her feet and snowflakes falling through the air.
Lucy felt a little frightened, but she felt very inquisitive and excited as well. She looked back over her shoulder and there, between the dark tree trunks, she could still see the open doorway of the wardrobe and even catch a glimpse of the empty room from which she had set out. (She had, of course, left the door open, for she knew that it was a very silly thing to shut oneself into a wardrobe.) It seemed to be still daylight there. “I can always get back if anything goes wrong,” thought Lucy. She began to walk forward, crunch-crunch over the snow and through the wood towards the other light. In about ten minutes she
reached it and found it was a lamppost. As she stood looking at it, wondering why there was a lamppost in the middle of a wood, and wondering what to do next, she heard the pitter-patter of feet coming towards her. And soon after that a very strange person stepped out from among the trees in to the light of the lamppost. He was only a little taller than Lucy herself and carried over his head an umbrella, white with snow. From the waist upwards he was like a man, but his legs were shaped like a goat’s (the hair on them was glossy black) and instead of feet he had goat’s hoofs. He also had a tail, but Lucy did not notice this at first
because it was so neatly caught up over the arm that held the umbrella so as to keep it from trailing in the snow. He had a red woolen muffler round his neck and his skin was rather reddish too. He had a strange, but pleasant little face, with a short pointed beard and curly hair, and out of the hair there stuck two horns, one on each side of his forehead. One of his hands, as I have said, held the umbrella; in the other arm he carried several brown-paper parcels. With the parcels and the snow it looked just as if he had been doing his Christmas shopping. He was a Faun. And when he saw Lucy he gave such a start of surprise that he dropped all his parcels.
“Goodness gracious me!” exclaimed the Faun.
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The Lord of the Rings
One of the most famous fantasy stories of the twentieth century is the trilogy The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. All three parts of the story have been made into very successful films. The story takes place in a world called Middle Earth. Humans are only one of the creatures who exist at this time. There are also elves, tall beautiful creatures who have magical powers and never die. There are hobbits, who are like small humans and live in holes in hills. There are also dwarves, who are similar to small, ugly men and live deep in the mountains.
In The Lord of the Rings, a wicked wizard called Sauron, who has great magical powers, has created nine rings. Any creature who possesses one of these rings has great power. But Sauron has created one ring – the Ring – that can control all of these rings. The person who has this ring controls the whole of Middle Earth. Fortunately, this ring has been lost for hundreds of years. But then it is discovered by a hobbit. Sauron, realiseng that the Ring has been found, sends his creatures to get it back. If he finds the Ring, Sauron will rule Middle Earth and it will become a place of darkness and fear. Gandalf, a good wizard, realizes that in order to save Middle Earth, the Ring must be destroyed. To do this, someone must take the Ring into Sauron’s kingdom. There, they must destroy the Ring in the fires that created it. The three books tell the story of the journey to destroy the Ring. In the last book of the trilogy there is a terrible war between Sauron and his creatures, and those who want to save Middle Earth.
Many people believe that The Load of the Rings is the best twentieth century novel in English. Of course, there are always those who do not enjoy reading fantasy novels. But if you do, then this is one story you should definitely read.
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Module 2 Fantasy Literature
消失的猫
威尔累得脑子都木了，他本可以继续向北，也有可能在某棵树下头枕草地昏昏睡去；但是，正当他站在那儿，试图让头脑清醒些的时候，他看见了一只猫。
那是一只母斑猫，就像莫克西一样。她轻轻地走出靠着牛津一侧街道上的一个花园，威尔正站在街边。他放下购物袋，伸出手，那只猫便跑到他身边，在他的手指间来回蹭起脑袋，就像莫克西常常做的那样。当然，所有的猫都是那样的，尽管如此，威尔还是渴望回家，以至于热泪充满了他的双眼。
终于，这只猫转身跑开了。正当夜晚她还要巡视自己的领地，捕捉老鼠。她轻轻地穿过马路，朝着角树林另一边的灌木丛走去，然后在那儿停了下来。 威尔继续盯着她，看看猫行为怪异。
她伸出爪子去拍打它前面空气中的某种东西，某种威尔看不见的东西。然后她向后一跃，脊背拱起，毛发竖立，尾巴僵直伸着。威尔了解猫的习性。他更加警觉看着，只见那只猫再次靠近那个地方——就在角树与花园树篱的灌木丛之间的一块空草地，又拍打了一下那里的空气。
她再次向后一跃，但是这次跳得没有那么远，也没有那么害怕了。又是几秒中的嗅来嗅去、爪子触碰、胡须抽动，终于好奇心战胜了警惕性。 那只猫向前一跳，然后就消失了。
威尔眨了眨眼睛。然后他静静地站着，紧靠离他最近的一棵树干，这时一辆卡车转弯驶过来，车灯照到他的身上。卡车开过去后，他穿过马路，眼睛盯着那只猫一直在打量的地方。这并不容易，因为他无法把目光集中在某件东西上。但是当他靠近那个地方，设法仔细观察是，他看出了端倪。 终于，他从某些角度看到了。看上去就像有人在距离路边大约两米的地方将空间切开了一块土地，它大体呈正方形，边长不到一米。如果你与那块空间处在同等高度，从侧面看你几乎看不到它，从后面则完全看不见它，因为透过它，你所能看到的一切与这一边的完全相同：被一盏街灯照亮的一片草地。
但是威尔深信不疑，另一边的那块草地在一个不同的世界里。
他不可能说得出所以然来。只是他马上就知道了，就好像他知道火会燃烧、善意是美好的一样。他所注视着的是某种完全不同的东西。
仅仅是这一个理由，就足以吸引着他俯下身子向更深处望去。他看到的一切使他头晕目眩，心跳加速，但是他却没有迟疑：他把购物袋塞了过去，继而自己也钻了过去——穿过现实世界框架上的这个洞，进入了另一个世界。
他发现自己站在一排树下。那是一些高大的棕榈树，而不是角树。像在牛津一样，那些树木沿着草地排成行。只是，他所处的是一条宽阔的林阴大道的中央，在布满繁星的夜空下，所有的店铺都静悄悄的，无人光顾。在这个炎热的晚上，空气中弥漫着鲜花的芳香和海水咸咸的味道。
威尔仔细地环顾四周。在他的身后，满月映照着远处的青山的轮廓，山脚下的斜坡上坐落着带有富丽花园的房子还有一块树木丛生的公共绿地，一座古典风格的庙宇在其上闪着微微的白光。
空气中的那个空洞就在他的身边，无论是从这边还是那边都难看见，但是确定无疑地存在着，附身向空洞的那一边望去，他看到了自己的世界——牛津的街道。他不禁一颤，转过身来：无论这个新世界如何，总会好过他刚刚离开的那个世界。带着逐渐出现的眩晕感觉，那种处在半梦半醒之间的感觉，他站起身环顾四周寻找那只猫——他的向导。
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
J·K·罗琳与哈利·波特的故事
哈利·波特的天才般的创造者——J·K·罗琳，是英国魔幻文学的元老。乔安妮·罗琳在老家——英格兰西南部长大。而关于哈利·波特的想法是在从曼彻斯特开往伦敦的一列晚点的火车上闯入她的脑海。他在一个信封的本面写下了她的想法。随后她前往葡萄牙教授英语，在那里她继续给她的第一部哈利·波特故事的框架添加了一些情节。但是她的名字却永远与苏格兰的爱丁堡联系在一起，她生活在那儿，并在那儿把整个系列七本书的框架构思出来。 关于J·K·罗琳1990年如何开始她的第一部《哈利·波特与哲学家的石头》的初稿——照看她幼小的女儿。由于她太穷，买不起打字机，她手写。因为付不起家里的暖气费，她在爱丁堡一家温暖的自助餐厅里，要花好长时间才喝完一杯咖啡（一边在此期间写她的小说）。
成功不是一蹴而就的，罗琳本可以放弃，但是她顽强的，她克服了所有的困难。就在1997年，她完成了哈利·波特故事的第一部，由于美国出版商要求对书名进行调整，所以该书也被称为《哈利·波特与魔法石》。
罗琳一直计划每年初一本书知道完成整个系列。事实上，她却花了大约十年的时间来完成。但是第一本书问世后，该系列的接下来的每一本书的成功就显得自然而然了。第五本书，《凤凰社》仅在当天就售出了约700万册。
罗琳的风格一度成为一些批评的对象，而这些书之所以重要，是因为它们吸引了不通过年龄段的读者，它们编织了一条父母与孩子之间特殊的文学纽带。同时，也证实了在电脑游戏和电视节目时代，它们对于掀起新的读书热潮功不可没。哈利·波特甚至成了学校课程的一部分，这使得学生们特别的开心。 哈利·波特的影响不仅仅局限于英语为母语的国家。罗琳的书一杯翻译成多于55种语言的版本，据估计，全世界已售出超过250 000 000册。2005年，估计罗琳的银行存款已超过十亿美元。因此她成了第一位亿万富翁的作家。
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介绍
《狮子、女巫与魔衣橱》的创作者——C·S·刘易斯（1898——1963）是英国最伟大的魔幻文学家之一，露西发现了冰天雪地的纳尼亚，在那里她和她的两个哥哥和一个妹妹遇见了白女巫。他们还邂逅了阿斯兰，那头唯一能够打败女巫，重新夺回纳尼亚之夏的狮子。和阿斯兰在一起，孩子们学会了勇敢与宽恕。他们经历过大悲大喜，最终学到了智慧。他们在纳尼亚的时光是每一个孩子梦寐以求的历险。
《狮子、女巫与魔衣橱》节选
然后，她看见前面有一道光，离它不远处可以看到魔衣橱的后面，但走起来却很远。冰冷的柔软的东西不停地落在她身上。过了一会儿，她发现自己正站在晚间的森林中间，脚下是积雪，雪花在漫天飞舞。
露西有点害怕，但同时她也很好奇，很兴奋。她扭头向后望去，透过黑色的树干，仍然可看见魔衣橱敞开的门廊，她甚至还能瞥见她走出的那个空房子。（当然，她一直让门开着，因为他知道把自己关在衣橱里是很傻的。）那里似乎还是白天。“如果发生了什么事，我还可以回去，”露西想。她开始往前走，伴着脚下嘎吱嘎吱的积雪声穿过森林，朝着另一处光亮走去。大约十分钟之后她到了那里，发现那是一根灯柱。当她站在那里，看着灯柱是，她开始奇怪：为什么森林中间会有根灯柱，她不知所措，这是她听见劈里啪啦的脚步声，（有人正）朝她走来。随后一个非常奇怪的人从森林里走到了灯光下。
他只比露西略高一点，头上撑着一把伞，伞上满是雪。他腰部以上想人，而脚却像山羊腿（腿上是浓重的黑毛），脚步是人脚而是羊蹄。他还有一条尾巴，露西起初没有注意到，因为它整齐地缠在撑伞的手臂上，免得它拖到雪地上。他脖子里围着一条红色羊毛围巾，他的的皮肤也略带红。他有一张奇特却相当好看的小脸，留着短而尖的的胡须和卷曲的头发，前额两侧的毛发里还长着两只角。正如我所说的，他的一只手里拿着一把伞；而另一只手里拿着几个棕色的纸包。通过纸包和他身上的雪；来看，他刚才好像去买圣诞礼物了。他是一个半人半羊的农牧神。看到露西她吃了一惊，包裹都掉了下来。 “天哪！”他惊叫道。
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《指环王》 J·R·R托尔金的《指环王》三部曲是20世纪最著名的魔幻故事之一。这个故事的三个部分都被成功地拍成了电影。故事发生在一个被称为“中部地球”的世界。人类知识但是所存在的物种一只。这个世界也有些精灵族，他们高挑而美丽、具有魔力且永远不是。还有矮人族，他们像个矮小的人类，居住在山洞中。同时也有侏儒族，貌似矮小丑陋的人，住在深山里。
在《指环王》中，索隆——一个有着非凡魔力的邪恶巫师，制造了九玫指环。任何生灵，只要拥有其中一枚指环就会有巨大的魔力。但是索隆造了一枚指环——指环（王）——它可以控制所有这些指环。拥有这枚指环的人就可以掌控整个中部地球。
幸运的是，这枚指环已经遗失了数百年。但是后来一个矮人找到了这枚指环。索隆，意识到指环王已被发现，就派出他的生灵去把它取回来。如果索隆找到这枚指环王，他就会统治中部地球，而那里将会成为一个黑暗而恐怖的世界。甘达夫，一个正义的巫师，意识到为了拯救中部地球，指环王必须被毁掉。为了毁掉指环王，必须有人把它带进索隆的王国。在那里，他们必须用铸造它的火把它毁掉。在三部曲中的最后一本书里，索隆和他的生灵与想拯救中部地球的人之间发生了一场恶战。 许多人认为《指环王》是二十世纪最好的英国小说。当然，也总有一些人不爱读魔幻小说。但如果你喜欢读的话，那么这应该是你必读的一个故事。
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
Module 3 Interpersonal Relationships – Friendship
Roy’s Story
I remember the first time I met Roy. He was standing in the centre of a group of boys, and he was telling a joke. When he reached the final line, everyone burst out laughing. Roy laughed too. A loud happy laugh. “Popular boy,” I thought to myself. My name is Daniel. I was from the north of England, but my father had been offered a better job in London, and our whole family had moved there. I was twelve and, having lost all my old friends, I felt shy and lonely at my new school.
There were 33 students in my new class, and most people weren’t very interested in a shy new boy. Roy was one of the few people who were kind to me. He often invited me to join his particular group, and as a result, I started getting to know people. Roy and I become good friends. We trusted each other and we could talk about personal matters, things that were important to us.
Five years later, Roy and I are still in the same class. But just under a year ago. Roy’s father was knocked over by a car. He died a few days later. The family had to move to a much smaller house in order to manage financially. Roy, who had always been very close to his father, changed completely, becoming silent and moody. He had always been a clever, hard-working student but now he seemed to lose all interest in his work. He started losing friends. These days, Roy and I see each other from time to time, but we no longer close.
About three months ago, a group of us were playing football together after school. Having left something in the cloakroom, I went inside to get it, and found Roy going through the pockets of people’s coats. In his hand he had a wallet – and I knew it wasn’t his! My mouth fell open and I just looked at him. Roy went bright red. ”I’ll put it back right now,” he said, and he did so. I turned round and walked out without saying a word.
I really hoped that Roy would explain why he had been stealing, but instead he started avoiding me. At the same time, small amounts of money started disappearing from students’ lockers. I wonder if the thief was Roy but decided not to say anything to anyone. I hope it wasn’t him.
Last week our school had a big fair in order to raise money for a charity. It was very successful and by the end of the day, we had made about $500. Our class teacher, Mr White, came and chatted to a group of us that included Roy, and held up a box for us to see. “There’s $500 in here,” he said with a smile. But to our surprise, the next morning, we were told that the money had been stolen. Mr White had left the box in a classroom for a few minutes, and when he came back it had disappeared. The head teacher asked anyone who thought they might know something about the theft to come to him.
This weekend, having thought about the situation for a while, I decided to ask Roy about the theft, and this morning I went to see him. Roy was out, and I went upstairs to his bedroom to wait for him. It was a cold day and his jacket was lying on the back of a chair. I put it on and put my hands in the pockets. I could feel a lot of paper notes and I pulled them out.
It looked as if there was about $500 there. I was so surprised that I just stood there, holding the notes in my hands. At that moment, the door swung open, and Roy walked in.
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Childhood Friends
The first time I lost my best friend, I thought it was the end of the world. I don’t mean that he died, he just went away, but I still measure all pain by how hurt I was when Danny left.
I was blessed with a happy childhood, one that most people would want to have. We lived in a small
bungalow in a tiny village in Scotland and we were a very close family. Our neighbours next door had a son named Danny, and we grew up together.
We spent long summer evenings in the pine forests, digging up worms for fishing, and collecting feathers left by the birds in the cages where they had been kept for the hunters. It was here that I discovered that I was allergic to the tiny flies which bit me and made my face swell. There were a few walnut trees above the village and we would chase the squirrels away and wait for them to ripen. Of course, it was too far north for a proper harvest. On windy days we’d slide down the stony slopes to the loch and feel the spray of the sea in our faces.
Danny was a good carpenter too, and we made brooms out of branches, which we tried to sell in the village shop. We built a tree house, where we smoked our first cigar, and I was sick! Once I slipped on some damp leaves, fell out, scratched my arms and cut the heel of my foot, so he washed my wounds in the stream. He was a very considerate boy for someone so young. My mother simply scolded me for tearing my underwear.
We were on good terms with everyone in the village, and we even gave a salute to the local policeman as he passed on his bicycle. But in our imagination, he was an enemy soldier, and we were two spies looking for secrets.
It was the finest friendship anyone could have, and life seemed perfect.
And then at the age of 14, his parents moved to London, over 400 kilometres away. The pain was acute, and I couldn’t forgive Danny for leaving me. I felt he had betrayed me. It was the worst loss I have ever experienced.
I’m now back in touch with Danny, and it’s a privilege to call him my friend. We’re both much more mature now, and we’re still very alike.
But while I’m nostalgic for the happy times we spent together many years ago, I’m ashamed of my feelings, and I don’t want to rewind the recording of my life and remember my loss and my pain.
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
Module 3 Interpersonal Relationships – Friendship
罗伊的故事
我还记得第一次见到罗伊的情景。他站在一群男孩中间，正说着笑话。他说道最后一句的时候，大家都哄堂大笑起来。罗伊也笑了，是那种开心的大笑。我当时心想：“他是个受欢迎的男孩。”我叫丹尼尔，是这个班里的新学生。我们家在英格兰北部，因为父亲在伦敦找了份更好的工作，我们全家就搬到这里来了。当时我12岁，由于失去了我所有的老朋友，在这所新学校里我感到害羞、孤独。
在我的新班里有33名学生。他们大都对我这样一个害羞的新学生不感兴趣。只有少数几个同学对我友善，罗伊是其中一个。他经常邀请我加入他的特殊团队，结果我开始结识其他人。罗伊和我成了好朋友，我们互相信任，谈论一些对我们都重要的一些事情。
现在五年过去了，罗伊和我还是在同一个班。但就在不到一年前，罗伊的父亲遭遇车祸，几天后就去世了。他家不得不搬到一个比以前小很多的房子里，以减轻经济上的负担。罗伊原来和他父亲关系十分亲密，而父亲去世后他彻底改变了，变的沉默寡言、闷闷不乐。他曾经一直是一个聪明和勤奋的学生，但现在他似乎对学习完全失去了兴趣。他开始失去了很多朋友。最近，我和罗伊还时而见面，但已经不再那么亲密了。
大约三个月前，我们一群人放学后在踢足球。因为我把东西落在衣帽间了，我就进去取，这时我发现罗伊正在翻别人的衣服口袋。他手上捏着个钱包——我知道那不是他的！我张大了嘴，直盯着他。罗伊满脸通红。“我马上放回去，”他说着就把钱包放了回去。我转身就走了，没说一句话。
我真希望罗伊能跟我解释他偷东西的原因，可他却对我避而不见。同时，同学们放在衣柜里的零花钱开始丢失。我不知道小偷是不是罗伊，但是我没跟任何人说起，因为我希望不是他。
上周我们学校开了个大型义卖会，为一个慈善机构筹款。 这次活动非常成功，一天下来我们就募集到了大约500英镑。我们的班主任怀特先生进来和我们中的几个人聊了一会儿，也包括罗伊，并给我们看了一个盒子。“这里面有500英镑”，他笑着说。但使我们吃惊的是，第二天早上有人告诉我们说那些钱被人偷了。怀特先生把盒子放在教室里几分钟的功夫，当他回来时盒子已经不翼而飞。校长要求，不管是谁，只要觉得自己多少知道点这起盗窃案的线索，就去找他谈谈。
周末，我想了有又想，决定去找罗伊谈这次失窃的事。今天早上我去找他，发现他出去了，便上楼去他的寝室等他。天很冷，他的夹克衫搭在椅背上。我穿上他的夹克，把手伸进了口袋。我能感觉到里面有很多纸币，便把它们拿了出来。
这叠钱看似约有500英镑。我手中抓着钱，不知所措，只是吃惊地站着。正在这时，门开了，罗伊走了进来。
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
童年好友
第一次失去至交时，我以为那是世界末日。我不是说他死了，他只是走了，可我仍然依据丹尼离开时我的伤心程度来衡量全部痛苦。
我很幸运，有一个快乐的童年，一个大多数人渴望的童年。我们住在苏格兰一个小村庄的一所小平房里。我们是一个亲密的家庭。我们隔壁邻居家有个叫丹尼的孩子，我们一起长大。
我们在松树林里度过漫长的夏日黄昏，挖虫做鱼饵，收集鸟儿掉的羽毛，那些鸟儿曾被关在笼中，已备打猎之用。就是在这里，我发现我对一些小飞虫过敏，它们咬我，我的脸就会肿起来。村子上有一些胡桃树，我们会赶走松鼠，等待胡桃的成熟。当然，那里太靠北了，很难完全收获的。有风的日子，我们就顺石坡滑到海边，任凭水中的浪花溅到脸上。
丹尼还是个好木匠，我们把树枝做成扫帚，想方设法卖给村里的店铺。我们盖起一件树屋，在那里我们抽了第一支烟，我一点儿都不喜欢！有一次我在湿树叶上滑了一跤，摔了出去，擦破了胳膊，划伤脚后跟，于是他在小溪里帮我清洗伤口。对于一个还那么小的孩子来说，他非常会照顾人。我妈妈只是责怪我撕破了内衣。
我们个村里的每一个人都相处得很好，连当地的警察骑着自行车经过时，我们都会向他敬礼。但在我们的想象中，他是敌方战士，而我们则是两个窃取情报的间谍。
然后，14岁的时候，他父亲搬到了伦敦，距村子400多公里远。那种强烈的痛苦使我不能谅解丹尼的离开。我觉得他背叛了我。这是我经历过的最严重的损失。
现在我和丹尼又恢复联系了，能够称他为我的朋友是我的荣幸。我们现在都成熟多了，而且我们很相像。
但当我回忆许多年前我们一起度过的美好时光，我就对我的一些感觉感到羞愧，我不想再重拾以前的生活，唤起我曾经的损失和痛苦。
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
Module 4 Music
An Interview with Liu Fang
Part 1
Liu Fang is an international music star, famous for her work with traditional Chinese instruments. She was born in 1974 and has played the pipa since the age of six. She’s given concerts since she was eleven, including a performance for the Queen of England during her visit to China. She graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where she also studied the guzheng in 1993. What is your musical training and background?
My mother is a Dianju actress. Dianju is a kind of Chinese opera, which includes singing, dancing and acting. When I was a child, she took me to performances. I listened to music before I could speak! When I was five years old, she taught me to play the yueqin.
In 1990, when I was 15 years old, I went to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where I studied the pipa and the guzheng. After I graduated, I went back to my hometown of Kunming and worked as a pipa soloist of the Kunming Music and Dance Troupe. In 1996, I moved to Canada with my husband and I have been living there since then.
What are the biggest challenges of playing the pipa and the guzheng?
If your technique is not good enough, it is impossible to play classical Chinese pipa music. Also, the repertoire for the pipa is large – some pieces were written during the Tang Dynasty.
There are many different pipa schools, and each one has its special way of interpreting the classical pieces. The biggest challenge is to respect the traditions but to add my own style. The same is true of my second instrument, the guzheng. Part 2
Who or what are your musical influences?
The main influence is traditional singing. I listened to traditional opera singing and folk songs in my childhood. Now when I am playing a tune, I am singing in my heart. When I’m playing a sad tune, I am crying in my heart. Listeners often say that they can hear singing in my music.
What characteristics of Chinese classical music do you try to show in your playing?
Firstly, Chinese music is similar to the Chinese language. In Chinese, the same pronunciation with different tones has different meanings. The same is true for music. Secondly, classical Chinese music is closely
connected to Chinese poetry, so it isn’t surprising that most classical pieces have very poetic titles. Thirdly, classical Chinese music and traditional Chinese painting are like twin sisters. In Chinese art there are some empty spaces, which are very important. They give life to the whole painting and they allow people to come into the picture, like a dialogue.
It’s the same with classical Chinese music. There are empty spaces, and people say the silence is full of music. The pipa sounds and the pauses combine to make a poetry of sound. Listeners can experience the power and the beauty of the music, like enjoying a beautiful poem or painting. Part3
What do you like best about performing live?
I enjoy playing and I enjoy performing in public. I like the atmosphere in a concert hall and I always feel happy when I have a concert. I feel a little depressed or lonely when there is no concert for a long time. I also enjoy the time immediately after the concert to share the feelings and ideas with friends and music lovers, listening to their impressions and understanding about the music. I love my career. I also enjoy 总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
traveling: I enjoy sitting in a plane dreaming, or staying a hotel. What are your goals as an artist?
I don’t have a particular goal. But I hope to work with many composers, and I also wish to compose my own music. My background is traditional Chinese music. Since I moved to Canada, I have had
opportunities to make contact with other musical traditions and play with master musicians. I wish to continue working with master musicians from other traditions and to be able to compose my own music, using elements from different cultures. I also wish to introduce classical Chinese pipa and guzheng music to every corner of the world.
Street music
It’s a warm Saturday afternoon in a busy side road in the old district of Barcelona. The pedestrians are
standing in a semi-circle around someone or something in front of the cathedral. I push my way through the crowd and find a quartet of musicians playing a violin suite of classical music. The session lasts ten
minutes. Then one of the musicians picks up a saucer on the ground, and asks for money. All contributions are voluntary, no one has to pay, but the crowd shrinks as some people slide away. But others happily throw in a few coins. They’re grateful for this brief interval of music as they go shopping.
Below the window of my apartment in Paris, a music man takes a place made vacant by an earlier musician. He raises the lid of his barrel organ and turns the handle. Then he sings the songs of old Paris, songs of the people and their love affairs. I remember some of the words even though I have never consciously learnt them. I tap my feet and sing along with him. Down there on the pavement, few passersby stop. Some smile, others walk past with their heads down. Cars pass, gangs of boys form and disappear, someone even puts a coin the cup on the organ. But the music man ignores them all. He’s hot in the sun, so he mps his head with a spotted handkerchief. He just keeps singing and turning the handle.
In Harlem, New York, some locals place a sound system by an open window. They plug it into the electrical socket, and all of a sudden, there’s dancing in the streets. In downtown Tokyo, young couples eat popcorn and dance to the music of a rockabilly band, which plays American music from the Fifties. In the London Underground a student plays classical guitar music, which echoes along the tunnels. It lifts the spirits of the passengers, who hurry past on their way to work. In a street in Vienna or Prague or Milan a group of pipa musicians from the far Andes fill the air with sounds of South America.
The street musician is keeping alive a culture which has almost disappeared in our busy, organized, and regulated lives: the sound of music when you least expect it. In a recording studio, even when relayed by microphone, music loses some of its liveliness. Bt street music gives life to everyone who listens and offers relief from the cares of the day. It only exists in the present, it only has meaning in the context. It needs space.
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
Music from China
One dozen beautiful young women, all in their twenties, take the stage and stand before a variety of ancient musical instruments. The moment they start to play, it is clear the members of Twelve Girls Band are among the most gifted musicians in the world. Coming from China, Twelve Girls Band is already one of that country’s most popular groups.
As they build a musical bridge between east and west, Twelve Girls Band charms the people of many nations around the world. A best-selling act all over Asia, Twelve Girls Band fills concert halls and arenas there, and has now been discovered by America. In 2004 the group arrived on the US music scene at NO. 62 of the billboard 200 album chart. It was the highest entry by an Asian group. In Japan, Twelve Girls Band is already a supergroup. It has sold more than two million records, and has even appeared in TV ads for chocolate and cellphones, among other products. A Japanese DVD of Twelve Girls Band live in concert sold over 200,000 copies, and their live performances have been seen on television around the world. In 2004 they were named International Artist of the Year at the Japan Golden Disc Award ceremonies.
Drawing upon more than 1,500 years of Chinese music, Twelve Girls Band mixes this rich tradition with classical, folk and contemporary sounds. The group signifies the symbolic choice of a dozen members found in various aspects of Chinese numerology with 12 months in a year, and in ancient mythology, 12 jinchai (golden hairpins, which represent womanhood). Inspiration also comes from yuefang, the female chamber orchestras that played in the royal courts of the Tang Dynasty.
Each member of Twelve Girls Band has classical training, with backgrounds that include the China Academy of Music, the Chinese National Orchestra, and the Central Conservatory of Music. Skilled multi-instrumentalists, they perform on traditional Chinese instruments that include the guzheng, the yangqin, the erhu, the pipa and the dizi and xiao.
The group’s appeal is equally as broad, with children, teens, adults and grandparents filling arenas to see it perform. American critics noticed the mixture of pieces by Mozart and Beethoven, with jazz standards like Dave Burbeck’s Take Five, or a version of a mush-loved classic such as Simon and Garfunkel’s El Condor Pasa.
The group honours its musical heritage and shows a genuine love for all style of music – from complex classical works to long-lasting pop tunes.
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼学习 收获 未来
Module 4 Music
刘芳专访
第一部分
刘芳是一位国际知名的音乐家,以弹奏中国传统乐器见长。她出生于1974年,从6岁起就开始弹奏琵琶。11岁起她就开始举办演奏会,包括英国女王访华期间为女王做的一场演出。刘芳毕业于上海音乐学院,1993年她还在那里学习弹奏古筝。
请您谈谈您在音乐方面的背景及训练情况,好吗?
我母亲是滇剧演员。滇剧是一种中国戏剧,里面有声乐、舞蹈及表演。我小的时候,母亲就带我去看节目。在会说话前,我就接触了音乐! 我5岁那年,妈妈教我弹月琴。1990年,我15岁的时候去了上海音乐学院,在那里,我学习了琵琶和古筝。毕业后,我回到故乡昆明,并在昆明歌舞团做了琵琶独奏演员。1996年,我和丈夫移居加拿大,直到现在。 弹奏琵琶和古筝最大的挑战是什么?
如果你的技术不够纯熟,就不可能弹好中国古典琵琶曲。另外,琵琶弹奏曲目很多———一些作品甚至作于唐代。琵琶流派很多,每个流派都有自己独特的诠释古典作品的方式。最大的挑战是尊重传统并融入自己的风格。对于我的第二种乐器———古筝,情况也是如此。 第二部分
请您谈谈哪些人或事对您在音乐方面产生了影响,好吗?
最主要的影响是民族音乐。我在年幼时就听传统戏剧和民歌。现在每当我演奏一个曲子时,我都会在心中跟着吟唱。当我演奏哀伤的乐曲时,我内心也在哭泣。听众都说能在我的乐曲中听到歌声。 您在演奏中想展示中国古典音乐的什么特征
首先,中国民族音乐跟汉语很相似。在汉语中,读音相同音调不同,意义就不同。音乐也是如此。其次,中国古典音乐与中国诗歌关系很密切,因此很多古典音乐作品都有着很诗意的标题就一点也不奇怪了。再次,中国古典音乐与国画像孪生姐妹。在中国国画中,留有些空白,这些空白非常重要。它们给整幅作品带来生机,也使得观众融入图画,就像与图画进行对话。
中国古典音乐也是一样。乐曲中有停顿,人们认为这种停顿静谧之中充满了音乐。琵琶的声音和乐曲中的停顿结合在一起,给声音赋予了诗的意境。听众可以自己感受音乐的力量、音乐的美,就像享受一首美妙的诗歌或一幅美丽的图画一样。 第三部分
现场演出最让您感到愉悦的是什么?
我喜欢弹奏,也喜欢当众演奏。我喜欢音乐厅中的氛围,每当我举行音乐会的时候,我会很兴奋。在很长一段时间没做音乐会后,我会感到有点情绪低落和孤独。我同样喜欢音乐会后和朋友及音乐爱好者分享感受、交流看法,听他们谈对我的音乐的感觉和理解。我热爱我的事业。我也喜欢旅游;我喜欢坐在飞机上幻想,或者呆在旅馆里。 作为一个艺术家,您的目标是什么?
我没有特定的目标。但我希望能和很多作曲家共事,同时我希望创作我自己的音乐。我的音乐底蕴是中国民乐。自从移居加拿大,我就有机会接触到了其他音乐传统并跟一些音乐大师同台演出。我希望我能继续跟他们合作,并吸取其他音乐传统之长,创作自己的音乐。我也希望能使中国传统的琵琶和古筝音乐传遍世界的各个角落。
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
街头音乐
那是一个温暖的星期六下午,在巴塞罗纳旧街区的一条繁忙的道路旁。行人们在大教堂前围成半圆,围观着什么人或什么事。我挤进人群,发现了一个四人乐队正在演奏古典音乐小提琴组曲。演奏持续了10分钟。然后一名演奏者从地上捡起一个碟子要钱。所有的捐献都是自愿的,没有人非掏钱不可,但是随着一些人悄悄走开,人群一下子缩小了。但是其他人非常高兴地扔进去一些硬币。他们感谢使他们在购物途中为之短暂驻足的音乐。
在巴黎我居住的公寓的窗下,一位音乐人占据了早先另一位音乐家空出来的地方。他打开手摇风琴的盖子,摇动把手。然后他开始演唱古巴黎的歌曲,关于人们和他们的爱情故事的歌曲。我仍记得一些歌词,虽然我从未特意去记住它们。我用脚打着节拍跟随他一起唱。沿着人行道很少有过路人停下来。有人微笑,有人低着头走过。车辆路过,一帮帮的男孩子们聚了又散,有人甚至往风琴上的杯子里投硬币。但是这位音乐人不理会所有的这些。在太阳下他很热,所以他用一条脏乎乎的手帕擦脑袋。他只是一个劲儿地边唱边摇动把手。
在纽约哈莱姆,许多当地人将音响设备放在打开的窗户旁。他们把音响设备的插头插入电源插座,突然间,街上的人们就跳起舞来。在东京的市区,年轻的夫妇吃着爆米花随着乡村摇滚乐队演奏的50年代的美国音乐跳舞。在伦敦的地铁里,一个学生演奏古典的吉他音乐,音乐在地铁的隧道里回响。它提起了那些匆匆忙忙赶着去上班的过路人的精神。在维也纳、布拉格或米兰的街道上,一群来自遥远的安第斯山脉的管乐器演奏者让空气中弥漫着南美洲的乐曲。
街头音乐家保持了一种文化的生机,而这种文化在我们紧张忙碌、组织有序、一成不变的生活中已近乎消失:在你最意想不到的时候听到的音乐的声音。在录音室里即使被麦克风转播,音乐也失去了它的些许生动。但是街头音乐赋予了每位倾听者活力,让人们减轻生活的烦恼。它只存在于当下,也只有在情境中才具有意义。它需要空间。
来自中国的音乐
十二位20多岁的美丽的年轻女子登上舞台站立在各种各样的古典乐器前。她们一开始演奏就立刻证明了“女子十二乐坊暠的成员都是世界上最具有天赋的音乐家。来自中国的“女子十二乐坊”已经成为最受本国欢迎的乐队之一。
女子十二乐坊在东西方之间架起了音乐的桥梁,她们吸引了世界各地许多国家的人们。成为亚洲最畅销的音乐组合,“女子十二乐坊”让音乐大厅和音乐场爆满,现在她们已被美国乐坛发现。2004年这个乐队名列美国现场音乐表演的Billboard200排行榜的第62位。这是亚洲乐队中最高的排名。在日本,“女子十二乐坊已经是超级乐队。其专辑销量已经超过200万张,她们甚至还出现在众多商品中的巧克力和手机的电视广告上。一场“女子十二乐坊”现场演奏会的日本DVD销售超过20万张,她们的现场表演已在全世界的电视上播出。2004年她们在日本的金碟奖颁奖典礼上被授予年度最佳海外艺人大奖。 凭借1500多年的中国音乐,“女子十二乐坊”将这浓厚的传统与古典、民族与现代声音巧妙融合。这个乐队十二名成员的选取,代表了中国八卦中的一年十二个月的各种不同的方面,并且象征了古老的神话中代表女性的“十二金钗”。这种灵感还来源于“乐坊”-------在唐朝皇宫演奏的女子管弦乐队。 “女子十二乐坊暠的每位成员都接受过一流的正规教育,分别有着中国音乐学院、中央民族学院、中央音乐学院等教育背景。她们是精通多种乐器的演奏家,表演所使用的乐器有:古筝,扬琴,二胡,琵琶,笛子和箫等中国传统乐器。
这支乐队的吸引力相当广泛,许多小孩子、十几岁的青少年、成年人和祖父母辈的观众挤满了演奏现场观看演出。美国的评论家们发现其作品中有莫扎特与贝多芬音乐的融合,有爵士乐标准诸如戴夫·布鲁贝克的《五拍》或是改编自深受人们喜爱的经典作品西蒙和加芬克尔的《山鹰之歌》。
这支乐队尊崇自己的民族音乐遗产并且展现出对各种音乐风格的真实的热爱———从复杂的古典作品到经久不衰的流行乐曲。
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Module 5 Cloning
Frankenstein’s Monster
Part 1 the story of Frankenstein
Frankenstein is the name of a young scientist from Geneva, in Switzerland. While studying at university, he discovers the secret of how to create life. Using bones from dead bodies, he creates a creature that resembles a human being and gives it life. The creature, which is very large and strong, and is also
extremely ugly, terrifies anyone who sees it. However, the monster, who has learnt to speak, is intelligent and has human emotions. He becomes lonely and unhappy when he cannot find any friends and soon he begins to hate his creator Frankenstein. When Frankenstein refuses to create a wife for him, the monster murders Frankenstein’s brother, his best friend Clerval, and finally, Frankenstein’s new wife Elizabeth. The scientist chases the creature to the Arctic in order to destroy him, but he dies there. At the end of the story, the monster disappears into the ice and snow to end his own life. Part 2 Extract from Frankenstein
It was on a cold November night that I saw my creation for the first time. Feeling very anxious, I prepared the equipment that would give life to the thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning and the rain fell against the window. My candle was almost burnt out when, by its tiny light, I saw the yellow eye of the creature open. It breathed hard, and moved its arms and legs.
How can I describe my emotions when I saw this happen? How can I describe the monster who I had worked so hard to create? I had tried to make him beautiful. Beautiful! He was the ugliest thing I had ever seen! You could see the veins beneath his yellow skin. His hair was black and his teeth were white. But these things contrasted horribly with his yellow eyes, his wrinkled yellow skin and black lips.
I had worked for nearly two years with one aim only, to give life to a lifeless body. For this I had not slept, I had destroyed my health. I had wanted it more than anything in the world. But now I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and horror and disgust filled my heart. Now my only thoughts were, “I wish I had not created this creature, I wish I was on the other side of the world, I wish I could disappear!” When he turned to look at me, I felt unable to stay in the same room as him. I rushed out, and for a long time I walked up and down my bedroom. At last I threw myself on the bed in my clothes, trying to find a few moments of sleep. But although I slept, I had terrible dreams. I dreamt I saw my fiancée walking in the streets of our town. She looked well and happy but as I kissed her lips, they became pale, as if she were dead. Her face changed and I thought I held the body of my dead mother in my arms. I woke, shaking with fear. At that same moment, I saw the creature that I had created. He was standing by my bed and watching me. His mouth opened and he made a sound, then seemed to smile. I think he wanted to speak, but I did not hear. He put out a hand, as if he wanted to keep me there, but I ran out of the room. I hid in the garden and stayed there till morning, terrified by what I had done. Again and again I thought, “I wish I had not done this terrible thing, I wish I was dead!”
You cannot imagine the horror of that face! I had seen him when he was unfinished – he was ugly then. But when he stood up and moved, he became a creature from my worst nightmares.
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
Cloning and DNA
Many people think that the science of genetics and cloning is recent. It’s certainly true that in 1953, Watson and Crick, two scientists at Cambridge University, England, discovered the structure of the acid DNA – a transparent twisting ladder made of the fundamental components of life. But in fact, it was in 1866 that Mendel first recorded the results of growing pea plants. He understood that both the parent plants had influenced the genetic make-up of the new plant.
In 1973, biochemists Cohen and Boyer discovered a procedure to use enzymes – chemicals formed in the body – to unzip the DNA, to cut out a sequence of genes, and finally to insert them into the host cell and combine with its DNA.
Cloning takes the DNA from a single cell to create a whole new individual. A clone is an organism which is genetically identical to another one. But it’s now certain that no clone is an exact copy because of differences in experiences and upbringing.
There are at least two teams of scientists which are trying to clone humans. Although controversial, there are many valid reasons to do so. An Italian doctor wants to offer cloning as an optional treatment for
couples who find it difficult to have children. But anyone who was a clone of one of their parents would be under unknown psychological pressure throughout their childhood.
Another reason is to reproduce the talents of exceptional human beings. But an Einstein clone might choose a path in life which is contradictory to the one the original Einstein chose. He may even possess new vices instead of existing virtues!
A further reason is to obtain a supply of stem cells. Stem cells in embryos are very flexible and can develop into every other type of cell in the body. For example, it could help someone recover from a disease, repair human tissue, or help them walk again after an accident. These stem cells would need to come from an embryo taken from the clone of someone. But the embryo would then be wasted, which many people find unacceptable. What is clear is that some voluntary code of practice among scientists has to be agreed. If not, compulsory government regulations will have to control cloning.
A fourth reason for cloning is that some scientists and farmers think it would be handy to clone, for
example, a prize cow which can resist bacteria or disease, or to sow a cloned crop which can resist rot or pests. But to rely on a few cloned animals or crops would restrict the biodiversity of the bread.
Finally, the latest research into DNA has helped solve crimes by analyzing the suspect’s saliva which they spit at a crime scene or the dirt under their fingernails.
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Jurassic Park – Scientific Fact or Hollywood Fiction?
Steven Spielberg’s successful sci-fi adventure film follows two dinosaur experts – Dr Alan and Dr Ellie Sattler – as they are invited by the eccentric millionaire John Hammond to visit his new amusement park on an island off Costa Rica before it opens to the public. By cloning DNA taken from prehistoric mosquitoes, Hammond has created living dinosaurs for his new Jurassic Park. Accompanied by Hammond’s two grandchildren, they are sent on a tour through Jurassic Park in computer-controlled cars. But a tropical storm hits the island, knocking out the power supply, and an employee destroys the security system so that he can steal dinosaur embryos and sell them. The dinosaurs start to get out of control…
So, since it is possible to clone sheep, is it possible to clone dinosaurs? Or is this just Hollywood? First, any DNA that has been taken from a preserved mosquito is only 40 million years old, so even if any DNA was found, the mosquitoes need to be much older, and as far as we know, mosquitoes that old do not exist. Second, although it is possible to find preserved mosquitoes, only one male has been recovered. In fact, only females can absorb the DNA of another creature. Also, there is no way of knowing if the DNA was from a dinosaur or not. Since there has been no previous discovery of dinosaurs, there is nothing to compare the new sample with.
Thirdly, dinosaur DNA would not be intact after the long period of time since their extinction. When life ends, DNA breaks down and does not repair itself.
Many questions also arise in the cloning of dinosaurs. Some of these questions are: What will be needed to raise a baby dinosaur from childhood successfully? What kinds of conditions do dinosaurs need to survive? What are the diets of dinosaurs? What kinds of care would dinosaurs need in their adult lives? What would be done to protect humans from dinosaurs and vice versa? What ethical and human rights issues are raised by cloning?
So cloning dinosaurs seems scientifically impossible. The world is not ready for it and the materials that are needed are not yet available. Even if it was possible to bring dinosaurs back to life they probably could not survive in the present day environment. Temperature, air, disease, and plants are all different today than in the era of dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are used to a completely different world and would find great difficulty living here. The only place that dinosaurs seem to exist today is in Hollywood.
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总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼学习 收获 未来
Module5克隆
弗兰肯斯坦的怪物
第一部分《弗兰肯斯坦》的故事
弗兰肯斯坦是瑞士日内瓦一位年轻科学家的名字。还在上大学时,他就发现了怎样创造生命的秘密。利用死人的骨头,他制造出一个像人的怪物,并赋予了它生命。那个怪物异乎寻常地高大、强壮,并且极其丑陋,所有的人见了它都感到害怕。但是,怪物却有着人类的智力和情感,并学会了说话。由于找不到任何朋友,他感到非常孤独和难过,并开始憎恨创造他的那个人———弗兰肯斯坦。当弗兰肯斯坦拒绝为他造一个妻子后,怪物杀害了弗兰肯斯坦的兄弟和他最好的朋友克莱瓦尔,最后,还杀死了弗兰肯斯坦的新婚妻子伊丽莎白。为了除掉怪物,弗兰肯斯坦追赶他到北极,但弗兰肯斯坦本人却死在了那儿。在故事的结尾部分,怪物在冰天雪地中结束了自己的生命。 第二部分《弗兰肯斯坦》节选
我是在11月一个寒冷的晚上首次看到我的创造物的。它躺在我的脚边,我紧张不安地准备好了赋予它生命所需的设备。时间已是凌晨1点,雨点敲打着窗户。蜡烛即将燃尽,就在此时,借着微弱的烛光,我看见怪物睁开了黄色的眼睛。它喘着粗气,挪动着四肢。
该怎样描述我看见这一切发生时内心的感受呢? 该怎样描述我费尽心血创造出来的这个怪物的模样呢? 我曾尽力想把他创造得好看一些。好看? 他是我看到过的最丑陋的东西! 他黄色皮肤下的血管依稀可见。他头发是黑色的,牙齿是白色的。但却与他的黄眼睛、皱巴巴的黄色皮肤以及黑嘴唇形成了骇人的对比。
我忙了近两年,目标只有一个, 赋予一个无生命的东西以生命。为此,我放弃了睡眠,累坏了身体。它一度是这个世界上我最想要的东西。现在我已经完成了创作,但梦想中的美丽已荡然无存,恐怖和厌恶充斥着我的心灵。现在,我惟一的想法是:“但愿我没有制造出那个家伙,但愿我身处世界的另一边,但愿我可以消失无踪!当他转过身来看着我时,我
受不了和他呆在同一个房间里。我冲了出去,接下来的很长时间就在自己的卧室来回踱步。最后我和衣倒在床上,试图睡一会儿。尽管我睡着了,但是噩梦连连。我梦见我的未婚妻走在城镇的大街上。她看上去健康而快乐,但是,当我亲吻她时,她双唇失色,犹如死人。她的脸变了,我感觉拥抱着的是我死去的母亲。我浑身战栗着吓醒了。就在那一刻,我看见了我创造出的怪物。他正站在我床边,看着我。他张开嘴,发出一个声音,然后像是笑了。我猜他想说什么,但我没听见。他伸出手来,好像是想拦住我,但我冲出了房间。由于害怕,我藏身花园,一直呆到天亮。我一遍又一遍地想:“但愿我没有做这可怕的一切,但愿我死了!
你无法想像那张脸有多可怕! 当他还没有生命的时候,我看着他,只觉得他丑陋。当他站起来行走后,他就成了我最可怕的噩梦中的怪物。
克隆和DNA
许多人认为基因学和克隆技术是最近发现的。确实,1953年,英国剑桥大学的两位科学家沃森和克里克发现了酸性DNA的结构———由生命的基本成分构成的透明弯曲梯状。但事实上,孟德尔在1866年第一个记录了种植豌豆的结果。他了解到植物的双亲都会影响新植物的基因构成。
1973年,生物化学家科恩和博耶发现了如下程序:利用人体内形成的化学物质酶解螺旋DNA,截取一定顺序的基因片断,最后把它们植入宿主细胞,并使之与其DNA 结合。
克隆技术是从一个单细胞中提取DNA 来创造一个全新的个体。一个克隆物是基因与另一个生物个体完全相同的生物体。但是现在确定的是由于在成长经历和抚育方面的差异,任何克隆体都不是一个完全的复制品。
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
至少有两组科学家正在试图克隆人类。虽然这样做是有争议的,但还是有许多正当的理由。一位意大利医生想用克隆技术为那些很难生育孩子的夫妇提供一种可选择的方法。但是来自父母中的任何一个的克隆人都会在他们的整个童年生活中处于一种未知的心理压力中。 另一个理由是要再造杰出的天才人物。但克隆出来的爱因斯坦也许会选择一条与“原版爱因斯坦截然相反的生活道路。他甚至可能会有新的缺点而不是已有的优点。
更深层的理由是获得大量的干细胞。胚胎中的干细胞是很容易适应的并且能发育成身体中的其他种类的细胞。例如,它能帮助人们从疾病中恢复健康,修复人体组织,或帮助人们在事故后重新站起来。这些干细胞要从被克隆物的胚胎中提取。但是胚胎接着也会被浪费掉,许多人都觉得难以接受。很明显,科学家们的一些非官方的行医法规必须被获准。否则,强制性的政府条例必须控制克隆行为。 进行克隆的第四个原因是,有些科学家和农民认为克隆很方便实惠,例如:克隆能抵御细菌或疾病的优选奶牛,种植能够抵抗枯病或虫害的克隆作物。但是仅仅依靠少数几种克隆动植物会限制生物种类的多样性。
最后,在DNA的最新研究中,通过分析嫌疑犯在犯罪现场吐的唾液或手指甲下的污垢已帮助解决了许多犯罪行为。
《侏罗纪公园》———科学事实还是好莱坞神话? 史蒂文·斯皮尔伯格的成功科幻探险电影故事是伴随着这样的情节开始的———两位恐龙专家———艾伦博士和埃利·萨特勒博士———应古怪的百万富翁约翰·哈蒙德的邀请,在他的位于哥斯达黎加外岛屿上的新的娱乐公园对公众开放前去拜访他。通过克隆从史前的蚊子身上提取的DNA,哈蒙德为他的新侏罗纪公园创造出了活恐龙。在哈蒙德的两位孙子的陪伴下,他们被送到电脑控制的轿车中进行环绕侏罗纪公园的旅行。但是一场热带风暴袭击了岛屿,摧毁了电力供应,一个雇员破坏了安全系统,因此他能偷出恐龙胚胎并卖掉它们。恐龙开始失去控制……
这样看来,既然克隆羊是可能的,那有可能克隆恐龙吗? 或者说这只是好莱坞的神话吗? 首先,任何从保存的蚊子身上提取的DNA都是四千万年前的。恐龙至少有六千万年的历史,因此即使任何DNA 被发现,那些蚊子也需要年代更久远些,不过据我们所知,那么久远的蚊子是不存在的。
其次,虽然找到保存的蚊子是可能的,但只有一只公蚊子已被发现。事实上,只有母蚊子才能吸取另一种生物的DNA。而且,没有方法得知这DNA 是否是从恐龙身上获得的。既然以前还没有发现过恐龙,就无法与新的样本进行比较。
再次,恐龙DNA 自从它们灭绝以来的很长一段时间后将不是完整的。当生命结后,DNA分解并且不能自我修复。恐龙的克隆过程会产生许多问题。一些问题是:需要做什么来成功地抚养仅有几个月的幼恐龙? 恐龙需要在什么样的环境中生存下去? 恐龙的饮食是什么样的? 恐龙在它们成年后的生活中需要什么样的照顾? 需要做什么来保护人类免遭恐龙的伤害,反之亦然? 克隆会提出什么样的道德或人权问题?
因此,克隆恐龙在科学上似乎是不可能的。世界没有为它准备好而且需要的物质原料也是不能获得的。即使真有可能让恐龙复活,它们在目前的环境中也不一定能存活下去。今日的温度、空气、疾病和植物都完全不同于恐龙时代。恐龙已习惯于生存在一个完全不同的世界里,它们会发现很难在现今这样的环境中生存下去。如今恐龙似乎能生存的惟一地方是在好莱坞。
总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
Module 6 War and Peace
The D-Day Landings – Passage 1
In September 1939, Britain declared war on Germany after Germany invaded Poland. The war, which lasted until 1945, is known as the Second World War. During the war, Germany occupied many countries, including France. He most important battle of the war in Europe was Operation Overlord, the military operation in 1944 to invade France.
Operation Overlord started when boats full of soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy in France, known as the D-Day landings. More than 5,000 ships crossed the English Channel, carrying 130,000 troops to the French coast.
Troops from the United States, Britain and Canada took part in the D-Day landings. The operation was extremely dangerous and many soldiers were killed before they even got off the boats. American soldiers attempted to land at the most dangerous place, known as Omaha Beach.
The situation at Omaha Beach was so bad that the US army commanders thought about abandoning the invasion. Eventually, the soldiers made a breakthrough and the D-Day landings were successful. It was the beginning of the end of the Second World War.
Operation Overlord started as a story of danger and confusion and ended as a story of bravery and acts of heroism.
The D-Day Landings – Passage 2
The soldiers of Able Company crossed the English Channel in seven boats early on the morning of 6 June 1944. when they were about 5 kilometres from the beach, the Germans started firing artillery shells at them but the boats were too far away. The Germans continued firing and Boat 5 was hit one kilometer from the beach. Six men drowned before help arrived. Twenty men fell into the water and were picked up by other boats. As a result, they missed the fighting on the beach. Six men drowned before help arrived. Twenty men fell into the water and were picked up by other boats. As a result, they missed the fighting on the beach. They were lucky. If they had reached the beach, they would probably have been killed.
When Boat 3 was a few metres form the beach, the soldiers jumped out, but the water was so deep that some of them disappeared under the water. Many of the men were either killed or wounded by machine gun fire.
The soldiers on Boat 1 and Boat 4 jumped into the water, but it was too deep and most of them drowned. Half an hour after the first attack, two thirds of the company (a company is a group of about 100 soldiers) were dead. The survivors lay on the beach, exhausted and shocked.
After an hour and forty-five minutes, six of the survivors tried to climb up the cliff to get off the beach. Four were too exhausted to reach the top. The other two, Private Jake Shefer and Private Thomas Lovejoy, joined a group from another company and fought with them. Two men. Two rifles. This was Able Company’s contribution to D-Day.
The D-Day Landings – Passage 3
On 6 June 2004, survivors of the D-Day landings from many different countries returned to France to remember their lost comrades. Many of them went to the cemetery and memorial which overlooks Omaha Beach.
The cemetery and memorial are situated on a cliff overlooking the beach and the English Channel, from where the boats attempted their landing. The cemetery contains the graves of 9,386 Americans who died 总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
during the landings. The memorial also contains the names of more than 1,500 men who were never found. On the memorial, there is part of a poem called “For the Fallen”, which was written by an English poet, Lawrence Binyon:
They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.
The poem was first published in The Times newspaper on 14 September 1914 and can be seen on war memorials in many parts of the world.
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D-Day + 2
To our astonishment, just two days after we had received our confidential orders to join the D-Day landing troops, and after a day fighting and seeing many of my friends killed by the enemy, we found ourselves outside a peaceful village in France. It was so sudden, after the mess and confusion of war on the beach. It was late afternoon, and the sun was setting on a perfect country scene of farm buildings, a main street, a few shops, a garage and a church. But we hesitated because we were aware that there might still have been enemy soldiers. Our lieutenant told Private Kowalski and me to advance and check the village.
As we entered the main street, a young woman on a tractor drove out of the garage, saw us and called out something in French. Immediately five men came out of the bar, and two more from a farmyard, holding guns. I took off my helmet and yelled, “American! Put your guns down!” they gathered round us, shouting and shaking our hands, some women appeared and kissed us.
We soon understood that the enemy had abandoned the village, so Kowalski went back to the others to let them know it was safe. I walked into a barbershop and stroked my chin, to show I needed to shave. The barber had a magnificent moustache, which he used wax to keep in shape. He filled a tin with cold water, and took out a razor from a drawer. He used a leather sharpener on the razor, and then gave me the best shave I had had in years. Finally he picked up a pair of scissors and a comb, and cut my hair.
When the rest of our company arrived, they unloaded their baggage and bedding while the villagers brought out some jars of wine, and laid a table in the middle of the street, which they then covered with plates of potatoes and carrots, ham and sausages. Someone shouted “Cheers!” in English and we all drank to liberation and to the French constitution. Some of our boys had never tasted wine before, and spat it out, thinking it was vinegar.
We gave stockings to the women, which they loved, and in return, they gave us perfume for our girlfriends. I was too ashamed to admit that I was too young to have a girlfriend. But the villagers treated us like heroes, and for a brief moment, I felt that all the fear and danger had been worthwhile. But I also remembered my friends who had died earlier that day, and wondered if they would have agreed.
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Winston Churchill’s Speeches
Winston Churchill is well-known as a statesman, politician and as the British Prime Minister during most of the Second World War. He is especially famous for his speeches which many believe made people even more determined to defeat the enemy. Many of these speeches contained lines which are remembered even today.
Churchill made one of his greatest speeches in 1940, when he was invited to become Prime Minister of Britain, and the leader of a new government. The country had been at war for over eight months, and he knew that it would suffer many great defeats before it would begin to win the war. So on 13 May 1940 he promised the House of Commons: “I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined the Government, ‘I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.’”
A month later, the Germany army had advanced across northern Europe, and the British Army had retreated to the coast of the English Channel. The only escape was to cross the sea back to England. Hundreds of small boats set out from ports on the English coast to bring back the soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk in France. But Churchill encouraged people that this was only a temporary defeat in a speech which
included the words, “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
On 18 June 1940, Churchill gave another fine speech when he drew attention to the courage of everyone defending Britain. “In years to come,” he said, “…men will say, ‘This was their finest hour.’”
The Germans continued their attacks on Britain from the air. A small number of pilots resisted the much larger German Air Force. Germany lost many airplanes, and was forced to change their strategy. Britain was no longer threatened by an early invasion, and on 20 August 1940, he said, “Never in the filed of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
In two years, Germany began to lose some important battles. After a defeat in North Africa, on 10 November 1942 he made a speech with the famous words, “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But is is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Many people believe that Churchill’s leadership inspired people to remain brave in the face of Nazi
Germany. His speeches are still remembered and quoted today, and remain some of the finest examples of spoken English.
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Module6战争与和平
D日登陆———文章1
1939年9月,英国在德国入侵波兰后向德国宣战。这场持续到1945年的战争就是第二次世界大战。二战中,德国侵占了包括法国在内的许多国家。1944年进军法国的“霸王行动是第二次世界大战中欧洲战场最重要的军事战役。
“霸王行动”开始于D 日登陆,当日,满载盟军士兵的战船在法国诺曼底海滩登陆。5000多艘战船装载着13万人的军队穿越英吉利海峡抵达法国海岸。
美国、英国和加拿大的军队参加了D日登陆。这次登陆行动异常危险,很多士兵还没来得及下船就牺牲了。美军士兵试图在最危险的奥马哈海滩登陆。奥马哈海滩的形势非常严峻,以至于美军司令官都考虑放弃进攻了。但是,登陆战士最后取得了突破,D 日登陆得以告捷。这是二战结束的前奏。 “霸王行动以惊险和混乱开始,以英勇和无畏结束。 D日登陆———文章2
1944年6月6日清晨,A连的战士们乘坐七艘战船横渡英吉利海峡。当船只离海滩5000米时,他们遭到了德军炮火的轰击,但由于距离太远而没有被击中。在离海滩1000米时,第五艘船被击中。六人在救援到来之前被淹死。另外20名战士落水后被其他船只上的人救起。结果,他们没赶上海滩上的激战。他们很幸运。要是他们抵达了海滩就很有可能没命了。
当第三艘船离海滩数米远时,战士们跳入海中,但由于海水太深,有的人沉入了海底。许多人被机关枪的火力射死或射伤。
第一和第四艘船上的战士也跳入海里,由于海水太深,大多数人都淹死了。第一次进攻开始之后半小时,该连队三分之二的将士都阵亡了(一个连大约有100名士兵)。死里逃生的战士躺在海滩上,疲惫不堪,心有余悸。
1小时45分钟后,六位幸存的战士试图爬上悬崖,离开海滩。其中四名战士由于筋疲力尽未能攀上顶端。另两位战士二等兵杰克·谢弗和二等兵托马斯·洛夫乔伊加入了另一连队,与他们并肩作战。两名战士。两支来复枪。这就是A连对D日登陆所做出的贡献。 D日登陆———文章3
2004年6月6日,来自不同国家的D日登陆幸存者们回到法国,纪念他们阵亡的战友。他们当中有许多人去了俯瞰奥马哈海滩的公墓和纪念碑。
墓地和纪念碑坐落在一处悬崖之上,从那里可以俯瞰海滩和英吉利海峡,当时一艘艘船只就试图从那里登陆。公墓包括9386位美军阵亡战士的坟墓。纪念碑上还刻有1500多名失踪战士的名字。 纪念碑上刻着英国诗人劳伦斯·比尼恩所作诗歌《致倒下的战士》中的一节: 他们永远不会变老,当我们活着的人们都已老朽。 年华不能使他们厌倦,岁月也不会让他们愧疚。 日落日出, 我们缅怀他们直到永久。
这首诗最初刊载于1914年9月14日的《时代》报纸上,在世界许多地方的战争纪念碑上都能见到。
D日登陆+2
使我们吃惊的是,就在我们接到加入D日登陆部队的机密命令后两天,经过一天的战斗,并目睹我的很多朋友被敌军残杀后,我们发现我们来到了一个宁静的法国村庄外面。它是那么突然,在混乱的局面之后,海岸上留下了战争的迹象。
已是傍晚,太阳正在落山,照在农场建筑物上、大街上、几个商店、车库和教堂上,勾勒出完美的乡村美景。但是我们犹豫了(并没有贸然进村),因为我们知道或许那里还有敌兵。我们的陆军中尉告诉士兵科瓦尔斯基和我继续前进并搜查村子。
当我们进入主道时,一个年轻妇女把拖拉机从车库开出来,看到我们并用法语大声喊着什么。立刻从酒总部：罗湖区百仕达花园四期会所一楼 分部：南山区艺园路缤纷商业中心东二楼 学习 收获 未来
吧里走出五个人,又从一个农家院子走出两个人,举着枪。我摘下头盔并喊道:“美国人! 把枪放下!暠他们围着我们,喊叫着,握着我们的手。一些妇女跑过来吻我们。
我们很快明白了敌人已经放弃了整个村子,因此科瓦尔斯基回到其他人那里通知他们已经安全了。我走进一家理发店,摸了摸我的下巴来表明我需要刮胡子。理发师蓄着漂亮的胡子,还用蜡定了型。他装满了一罐凉水,并从抽屉里拿出剃须刀。他用一个皮质削具放在剃须刀上,接着给我刮胡子———这是我有生以来刮得最好的一次。最后,他拿起一把剪刀和梳子给我理发。
当连队其他人员赶到后,村民们在他们卸下行李和铺盖时拿出几瓶葡萄酒,在街中间摆开桌子,然后在上面摆满了一盘盘的土豆、胡萝卜、火腿和香肠。有人用英语大喊:“干杯!”，于是我们都为解放和法国宪法干起了杯。我们的一些男孩们以前从未尝过酒,都吐出来了,以为是醋。 我们送给妇女们她们非常喜欢的长袜,作为回礼,她们拿出香水要我们送给女朋友。我太害羞了以致没有承认我太小了还没有女朋友。但是村民们把我们当成英雄来对待,一时间,我觉得所有的恐怖和危险都是值得的。但是那天我也想起了很早牺牲的朋友,想知道他们是否也会同意我的想法。
温斯顿·丘吉尔的演讲 温斯顿·丘吉尔在二战的大部分时间都是作为政治家、英国首相而出名。他尤其以他的演讲而出名,许多人相信他的演讲甚至让人们产生了更大的决心来打败敌人。这些演讲中的很多内容直到今天还会被记起。
1940年当他被邀请去做英国首相和新政府领袖时,丘吉尔发表了最伟大的演讲之一。英国已经应战八个多月了,他知道,在开始赢取战争之前他们会遭受许多大的失败。因此,在1940年5月13日,他向下议院承诺:“我会对议会说,就像我对那些加入到政府工作中的人说的那样,‘我没有别的,只有鲜血、苦干、泪水和汗水可以付出。’”
一个月之后,德军已经穿过北欧继续进发,英军已经撤退到英吉利海峡的海岸上。惟一的逃生之路就是穿过海峡回到英国。成百上千的小船从英国海岸的港口出发,把位于法国敦刻尔克海滩的士兵们接回来。但是丘吉尔鼓励人们这只是个临时的失败,在演讲中他说:“我们会在海滩上战斗,我们会在登陆地战斗,我们会在田地里和街道上战斗,我们会在山上战斗;我们永远不投降。”
1940年6月18日,当丘吉尔提到每个人要有保卫英国的勇气时,又做出了另一个精彩的演讲。他说:“在不久的将来,……人们会说,‘这是他们最美好的时刻。’ ”
德军继续空袭英国。少数的飞行员抵抗更多的德国空军。德军失去了很多飞机,被迫改变战略。英国不再受到早期入侵的威胁,在1940年8月20日,他说道:“在人类战争史上,从来没有一次像这样,以如此少的兵力取得如此大的成功,保护如此多的众生。”
两年后,德军开始在一些重要的战斗中失势。在北非战场失败后,1942年11月10日,他做了演讲,其中有句著名的话:“现在还不是结束的时候。甚至还不算是结束的开始。但可能是开始的结束。”
许多人相信, 丘吉尔的领导能力激励着人们面对纳粹德军仍能英勇作战。他的演讲在今天仍能被记起和引用,并且其中一些还成为了口语中的经典。
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