高中英语第一册课本(上)U05reading

GETTING TO KNOW STEVEN SPIELBERG

Steven Spielberg,whose mother was a music teacher,was born in 1946 in a small town in America.He started making short films when he was still a young boy.He made his first real film when he was twelve.This was a film in which Spielberg used real actors instead of toys.He wrote the scripts¹ for the films himself.In 1959 Spielberg won a prize for a short film which he made when he was thirteen years old.A few years later,when he was sixteen,he made a film called Firelight.

When Spielberg was young,his dream was to go to the Film Academy,but he couldn't.The reason why he could not go there was that his grades were too low.After studying English,he got a smalljob at a film studio².Here he worked on a short film,whick won him a job as the youngest film director³ in the world.This was the moment when Spielberg's career really took off.

Jaws⁴(1975),one of his first films,was a real blockbuster.It is about a big white shark that attacks swimmers who are spendingtheir holidays in a small village by the se.Many people who saw the film wereafraid to swim in the sea when they remembered the scenes in which people were eaten by the shark.

Spielberg has made two films about creatures that come to the earth from outer space.For example,ET(1982)is about a young boy called Elliott who makes friends with a small creature from outer space and helps him to find a way to go home.The world of adults is cold.Scientists want to find ET to cut him into pieces to do research.But in the world of children and the world where ET comes from,love and friendship are the most important things in life.

Jurassic Park,which Spielberg made in 1993,is about a park where a very rich man keeps different kinds of dinosaurs⁵.When the park is hit by a storm,things start going wrong.The film becomes very .exciting when the children are hunted by meat-eating dinosaurs.

After these highly⁶ successful films Spielberg made several follow-ups of Jaws and Jurassic Park.His later films such as Schindler's List and Saving⁷ Private Ryan are about the cruelty⁸ of war.Inhis war films,he has shown that love and peace will win over war in the end.

Steven Spielber is one of the top directors⁹ in the film industry and also has many fans in China.When asked about the secret of his success,Steven Spielberg said that he owes¹⁰ muchof his success and happiness to his wife and children.He met Cate Capshaw,who is an actress,when he was working on one of his films.After that it still took seven years before they finally got married.The couple has seven children in all.
 

1 scripts   

剧本( script的名词复数 )； 文字； 笔迹； （一种语言的）字母系统

参考例句：

• Many felt he was prostituting his talents by writing Hollywood scripts. 许多人觉得他给好莱坞写剧本是滥用自己的才华。
• The scripts had a rather tired plot. 这部陈旧的剧本的情节是非常俗套的。

2 studio   

n.摄影棚（场）；演播室；画室；工作室

参考例句：

• They are building a modern studio.他们正在修建一座现代化的摄影室。
• He had to spend long hours in the recording studio.他不得不花很长的时间在录音室里。

3 director   

n.主管，导演；主任；理事；董事；处长

参考例句：

• The director has taken the visitors off to his office.经理把客人带到他办公室去了。
• The new director is easy to get along with.新来的主任很好处。

4 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

5 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

7 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

8 cruelty   

n.残忍；残酷

参考例句：

• He was treated with great cruelty.他受到残酷虐待。
• Mercy to the enemies means cruelty to the people.对敌人的仁慈就意味着对人民的残忍。

9 directors   

n.主管( director的名词复数 )；董事；负责人；导演

参考例句：

• I have had the good fortune to work with some brilliant directors. 我有幸与一些卓越的主管人员共事。
• one of the most exciting directors of the Australian new wave 澳大利亚新浪潮派中最为振奋人心的导演之一

10 owes   

v.亏欠，负债，感恩；感激( owe的第三人称单数 )；应把…归功于；欠…债；（对位高权重者）忠诚

参考例句：

• He owes a lot of money to Mr. Smith. 他欠史密斯先生许多钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》