新编英语教程第一册Unit15

Unit 15

DIALOGUE I

Save Our Pandas

A: The giant pandas in the Wolong Reserve in Sichuan Province are facing a crisis¹. Have you read the news about it?
B: Of course I have. The newspapers and magazines have carried quite a few articles on the food crisis of pandas and I've been keeping track of the developments.
A: You like pandas as much as I do, I can see that. I've been reading all the materials available about the life of pandas. I never imagined that the flowering of arrow bamboo could be a threat to the pandas.
B: Neither did I. I never knew that bamboo withered² and died after flowering. Do you know it takes almost ten years for the seeds dropped by the dying³ plants to grow into a forest again?
A: Unbelievable, isn't it? Well, giant pandas seem to feed on little else besides arrow bamboo. Since no other plants can be a substitute⁴, it's very serious and before long, the pandas will die out.
B: Yes, it's an urgent⁵ matter. Your know in the Wolong Mountains, at 3,000 metres above sea level, 95% of the bamboo has flowered. But down below the situation is not that bad.
A: One paper said that five pandas had already been found dead from starvation in that locality⁶.
B: Something must be done to protect our pandas. The other day I ran across an article which said that in some other reserves in the 70s, the bamboo also flowered. And because nothing was done to rescue the pandas, as many as 138 of them died.
A: What a shame! That's a large number when you consider that the entire panda population in China is no more than a thousand.
B: I've heard the local government is taking emergency measures and that rescue teams are relocating these endangered pandas.
A: Yes. I feel a bit relieved⁷, too, to know that the pandas have been moved to where there is plenty of bamboo.
B: Do you know how they relocated the pandas? The rescue people scattered⁸ sugar cane⁹ and cooked meat in the mountains to lure¹⁰ them down to the 2,500-metre level.
A: That was clever, wasn't it?
B: Yes, except that some pandas enjoyed the food so much that they refused to go where they were expected to go.
A: I hope the government will institute strict rules and regulations to safeguard¹¹ the rescue operations. Those who harm the pandas, no matter how minor¹² it might be, should be severely¹³ punished.
B: And those who assist¹⁴ the rescue operations should be highly¹⁵ rewarded.
A: Right! Wildlife protection is a long and enduring¹⁶ campaign that calls for everyone's cooperation and contribution.


DIALOGUE II

Dialogue:
John is always talking about health and fitness¹⁷, and regularly thinks up a new scheme or idea to improve his physical condition. Nevertheless, in spite¹⁸ of all these ambitions and good intentions, he always fails. He is telling his sister his latest ideas for keeping fit.
J: I've decided¹⁹ to become a vegetarian²⁰, Angela. From tomorrow on, I've decided to stop eating meat.
A: Why?
J: Because people in Britain eat too much meat and it's healthier to eat less.
A: Is this another one of your crazy ideas, John? It won't last a week! I remember your other ambitious²¹ schemes; last month, in order to lose weight, you decided to jog to work every morning. That only lasted a week, because every day you were late for work!
J: That's not the reason why I stopped! I stopped jogging because I pulled a muscle in my leg.
A: Well, what about your bicycle?
J: What bicycle?
A: Exactly! You can hardly remember you own a bike as it's been locked away in the garage ever since you bought it.
J: That's not completely true! As soon as the weather improves, I'm going to start using it again.
A: But do you think it will improve your health? That's the question.
J: Well, yes, of course.
A: I think you should start cycling straight away then, seeing that you're begun smoking again!
J: Oh, Angela, I can't stop smoking now that I've begun this new diet without meat. I can't do both things at once. My will-power just isn't strong enough.
A: Even though you have all these good ideas and intentions, John, these ideas never last!
J: Yes, I know. In spite of all my perseverance²² and strength, I don't seem to be able to succeed at anything.
A: Look, I want to stop smoking too, in order to save some money, so why don't we both try and give up together? That way, we can help each other!


READING I

Stuck in the Tube

One day I got stuck in the Tube.
The Tube — that's what most people call it — is London's underground railway system.
It was about nine o'clock in the morning, the middle of the rush-hour, in fact. The train had just left Green Park Station when, instead of speeding up, it started to slow down and then came to a standstill. After five minutes of waiting, some of the passengers began to look fed up. After twenty minutes, which seemed like twenty hours, most of them were looking worried or annoyed, because it had become clear that unless the train moved again immediately they were going to be late for work. Besides, the train was getting hot and stuffy²³.
While we were waiting, a pale woman in beige started to tell the woman next to her story of her life; a pretty girl gave her boyfriend sweets one after another, and a young woman with a suitcase and a baby took a scarf out of her suitcase and made her baby a nest, so that it could lie more comfortably. At last a railwayman came down the length of the train to tell us that the power supply had failed, and that we were not to worry as they were working to put it right. I borrowed my neighbour's newspaper, and lent him my magazine. There was nothing else to do; we could not leave the train, as it had stopped in the tunnel, not at a station.
Half an hour passed, though it seemed more like half a day. All hope of getting to work on time had long since gone. Had the railwayman forgotten all about our existence? Had there been a crash on the line in front? We had no means of knowing. The passengers had already opened all the windows, and the doors between the coaches as well, in an attempt to freshen the stuffy air. A man with a Birmingham accent told his neighbour that he had not been with his present employer²⁴ for long, and was very afraid they were going to give him the sack²⁵, An old woman with a lisp told us that she was taking her daughter a present but her daughter always left home at ten. Had the train broken down? Several people thought so; but they were wrong. It wasn't the train that had broken down, but the power supply. However, to anxious people who are stuck in the Tube, I suppose it doesn't really matter what it is that has broken down.
When I had finished reading my neighbour's newspaper and listening to what the other people were saying, I began to wonder if we were going to stay there for the rest of the day; if, in fact, we were going to spend the rest of our lives down there. But just then the train began to move. A cheer went up, and people continued to talk excitedly as it moved in slowly along the platform at Piccadilly Circus. When the door opened, most of the passengers got out, and it seemed to me that a lot of foul²⁶ air went out with them. The train went quickly after that, as if to make up for lost time. But unfortunately not even a fast train can bring back lost time.
That evening, at the foot of an inside page of the evening newspaper, I found the following report:

POWER FAILURE

There was a failure in the power supply over most of the London Underground this morning, causing a short break in the service.

1 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

2 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

3 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

4 substitute   

n.代理，代理人，代用品，代替物；vt.代替；vi.替代，取代

参考例句：

• Can you substitute for the singer who is ill?你能替一下那位得了病的歌手吗？
• Yogurt is a perfectly acceptable substitute for cream in cooking.酸奶是烹饪用的特别受欢迎的奶油替代品。

5 urgent   

a.紧急的，急迫的，紧要的

参考例句：

• He asked to see the manager for something urgent. 他有急事求见经理。
• A part of this urgent task was allotted to us. 这项紧急任务的一部分分给了我们。

6 locality   

n.地方，所在，位置

参考例句：

• He surprised us with his knowledge of the locality.我们很惊讶他对那地方如此了解。
• It was the locality of the crime.这就是犯罪地点。

7 relieved   

a.如释重负的

参考例句：

• You'll be relieved to know your jobs are safe. 现在知道你们的工作保住了，可以放心了。
• Your coming relieved me of the bother of writing a long letter. 你来了，省去我写长信的麻烦了。

8 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

9 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

10 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

11 safeguard   

vt.保护，维护；n.预防措施，保证条款

参考例句：

• Keeping clean is a safeguard against disease.保持清洁是抵御疾病的防护措施。
• We must safeguard forest timber.我们必须保护森林。

12 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

13 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

14 assist   

vt.协助，帮助，促进；vi.帮忙，参加

参考例句：

• He asked us to assist him in carrying through their plan.他要我们帮助他实施他们的计划。
• We'll assist at your wedding.我们将出席你们的婚礼。

15 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。

16 enduring   

a.持续的，持久的

参考例句：

• What is the reason for the game's enduring appeal? 这种游戏为什么具有经久不衰的吸引力呢？
• I could only feel pity for what they were enduring. 对他们所受的苦难我唯有同情而已。

17 fitness   

n.适合，适当，健康，健身

参考例句：

• They're doing exercises to improve their fitness.他们为增强体质而做体操。
• No one questions her fitness for the job.没人怀疑她能胜任这项工作。

18 spite   

n.（用于短语）虽然，不顾，尽管

参考例句：

• He has modern ideas in spite of his great age.尽管他年事很高，但思想观念却很入时。
• In spite of his anger,his remarks were restrained.他尽管生气，说的话还是有节制的。

19 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

20 vegetarian   

n.素食者；adj.素食的

参考例句：

• She got used gradually to the vegetarian diet.她逐渐习惯吃素食。
• I didn't realize you were a vegetarian.我不知道你是个素食者。

21 ambitious   

adj.有雄心的，劲头十足的，有野心的

参考例句：

• One may be poor but never ceases to be ambitious.人穷志不穷。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

22 perseverance   

n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。
• Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

23 stuffy   

adj.不透气的，闷热的

参考例句：

• It's really hot and stuffy in here.这里实在太热太闷了。
• It was so stuffy in the tent that we could sense the air was heavy with moisture.帐篷里很闷热，我们感到空气都是潮的。

24 employer   

n.雇用方，雇主

参考例句：

• My employer deducted ten pounds from my wages this week.我的雇主从我本周的工钱中扣除了十英镑。
• His monthly salary is paid into the bank by his employer.他的月薪由雇主替他存入银行。

25 sack   

n.袋子，劫掠；vt.解雇，劫掠，把...装入袋子

参考例句：

• They made him pay for his offence by giving him the sack.他们解雇了他，从而使他因自己的过错而受到了惩罚。
• If you're late again tomorrow,you'll get the sack!如果你明天再迟到，那就卷铺盖走吧！

26 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！