第 1 頁：考研英語輔導講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章一 第 2 頁：考研英語講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章二 第 3 頁：考研英語講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章三 第 4 頁：考研英語講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章四 第 5 頁：考研英語講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章五 第 6 頁：考研英語講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章之六 第 7 頁：考研英語講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章七 第 8 頁：考研英語講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章八 第 9 頁：考研英語講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章九 第 10 頁：考研英語講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章之十

考研英語講義:推薦背誦的十篇精選文章二

1. Reading Comprehension

Text  1

    Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry -- William Shakespeare -- but there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon. And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s birthplace and the other sights.

    The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue. They frankly dislike the RSC’s actors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness. It’s all deliciously ironic when you consider that Shakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise-making.

    The tourist streams are not entirely separate. The sightseers who come by bus -- and often take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the side – don’t usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford. However, the playgoers do manage a little sight-seeing along with their playgoing. It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much of the town’s revenue because they spend the night (some of them four or five nights) pouring cash into the hotels and restaurants. The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall.

    The townsfolk don’t see it this way and the local council does not contribute directly to the subsidy of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford cries poor traditionally. Nevertheless every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or cocktail lounge. Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet Hamburger Bars, the Lear Lounge, the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive.

    Anyway, the townsfolk can’t understand why the Royal Shakespeare Company needs a subsidy. (The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row. Last year its 1,431 seats were 94 per cent occupied all year long and this year they’ll do better.) The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low.

    It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford’s most attractive clientele. They come entirely for the plays, not the sights. They all seem to look alike (though they come from all over) -- lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing jeans and sandals, eating their buns and bedding down for the night on the flagstones outside the theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing-room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them when the box office opens at 10:30 a.m. (466 words)

    Notes: Stratford-on-Avon (阿文河上的)斯特拉福；莎士比亞 (1564 --1616, 英國詩人，戲劇家) 的出生地。superb adj.卓越的，杰出的，極好的。live off (=live on) 靠…為生。sandal涼鞋。take in (=visit) 參觀。on the side 附加地，額外地，另外。bring in 從外帶入。in a row 連續(xù)地。a shame 太過分的事，令人難堪的事，很遺憾。clientele顧客。dedicated adj. 專心工作的，埋頭苦干的。flagstone 石板。box office售票口。

1. From the first two paragraphs, we learn that

[A] the townsfolk deny the RSC’s contribution to the town’s revenue.
[B] the actors of the RSC imitate Shakespeare on and off stage.
[C] the two branches of the RSC are not on good terms.  
[D] the townsfolk earn little from tourism.

2. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that

[A] the sightseers cannot visit the Castle and the Palace separately.
[B] the playgoers spend more money than the sightseers.
[C] the sightseers do more shopping than the playgoers.  
[D] the playgoers go to no other places in town than the theater.

3. By saying "Stratford cries poor traditionally"(Line 2 Paragraph 4), the author implies that

[A] Stratford cannot afford the expansion projects.              [B] Stratford has long been in financial difficulties.
[C] the town is not really short of money.                      [D] the townsfolk used to be poorly paid.

4. According to the townsfolk, the RSC deserves no subsidy because

[A] ticket prices can be raised to cover the spending.            [B] the company is financially ill-managed.
[C] the behavior of the actors is not socially acceptable.         [D] the theatre attendance is on the rise.

5. From the text we can conclude that the author

[A] is supportive of both sides.                             [B] favors the townsfolk’s view.
[C] takes a detached attitude.                               [D] is sympathetic to the RSC.

Text  2

    Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn't know for sure? That the evidence was inconclusive, the science uncertain? That the antismoking lobby was out to destroy our way of life and the government should stay out of the way? Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves.

    There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earth's atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect ourselves. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Albert, added this key point in the preface to the panel's report "Science never has all the answers. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present actions."

    Just as on smoking, voices now come from many quarters insisting that the science about global warming is incomplete, that it's OK to keep pouring fumes into the air until we know for sure. This is a dangerous game: by the time 100 percent of the evidence is in, it may be too late. With the risks obvious and growing, a prudent people would take out an insurance policy now.

    Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But it's obvious that a majority of the president's advisers still don't take global warming seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue to press for more research -- a classic case of "paralysis by analysis."

    To serve as responsible stewards of the planet, we must press forward on deeper atmospheric and oceanic research.  But research alone is inadequate. If the Administration won't take the legislative initiative, Congress should help to begin fashioning conservation measures. A bill by Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which would offer financial incentives for private industry, is a promising start. Many see that the country is getting ready to build lots of new power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are ever going to protect the atmosphere, it is crucial that those new plants be environmentally sound. (421 words)

1. An argument made by supporters of smoking was that

  [A] there was no scientific evidence of the correlation between smoking and death.
  [B] the number of early deaths of smokers in the past decades was insignificant.
  [C] people had the freedom to choose their own way of life.
  [D] antismoking people were usually talking nonsense.

2. According to Bruce Alberts, science can serve as

  [A] a protector.         [B] a judge.           [C] a critic.            [D] a guide.

3. What does the author mean by "paralysis by analysis"(Last line, Paragraph 4)?

  [A] Endless studies kill action.                 [B] Careful investigation reveals truth.
  [C] Prudent planning hinders progress.           [D] Extensive research helps decision-making.

4. According to the author, what should the Administration do about global warming?

  [A] Offer aid to build cleaner power plants.      [B] Raise public awareness of conservation.
  [C] Press for further scientific research.           [D] Take some legislative measures.                                     

5. The author associates the issue of global warning with that of smoking because

  [A] they both suffered from the government's negligence.  [B] a lesson from the latter is applicable to the former.
  [C] the outcome of the latter aggravates the former.       [D] both of them have turned from bad to worse.

Text  3

    It is said that in England death is pressing, in Canada inevitable and in California optional. Small wonder. Americans’ life expectancy has nearly doubled over the past century. Failing hips can be replaced, clinical depression controlled, cataracts removed in a 30-minute surgical procedure. Such advances offer the aging population a quality of life that was unimaginable when I entered medicine 50 years ago. But not even a great health-care system can cure death – and our failure to confront that reality now threatens this greatness of ours.

    Death is normal; we are genetically programmed to disintegrate and perish, even under ideal conditions. We all understand that at some level, yet as medical consumers we treat death as a problem to be solved. Shielded by third-party payers from the cost of our care, we demand everything that can possibly be done for us, even if it’s useless. The most obvious example is late-stage cancer care. Physicians – frustrated by their inability to cure the disease and fearing loss of hope in the patient – too often offer aggressive treatment far beyond what is scientifically justified.

    In 1950, the U.S. spent $12.7 billion on health care. In 2002, the cost will be $1,540 billion. Anyone can see this trend is unsustainable. Yet few seem to try to reverse it. Some scholars conclude that a government with finite resources should simply stop paying for medical care that sustains life beyond a certain age – say 83 or so. Former Colorado governor Richard Lamm has been quoted as saying that the old and infirm “have a duty to die and get out of the way” so that younger healthier people can realize their potential.

    I would not go that far. Energetic people now routinely work through their 60s and beyond, and remain dazzlingly productive. At 78, Viacom chairman Summer Redstone jokingly claims to be 53. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor is in her 70s, and former surgeon general C. Everett Koop chairs an Internet start-up in his 80s. These leaders are living proof that prevention works and that we can manage the health problems that come naturally with age. As a mere 68-year-old, I wish to age as productively as they have.

    Yet there are limits to what a society can spend in this pursuit. I know the most costly and dramatic measures may be ineffective and painful. I also know that people in Japan and Sweden, countries that spend far less on medical care, have achieved longer, healthier lives than we have. As a nation, we may be overfunding the quest for unlikely cures while underfunding research on humbler therapies that could improve people’s lives. (439 words)

1. What is implied in the first sentence?

  A. Americans are better prepared for death than other people. 
  B. Americans enjoy a higher life quality than ever before.
  C. Americans are over-confident of their medical technology. 
  D. Americans take a vain pride in their long life expectancy.

2. The author uses the example of cancer patients to show that ________.

  A. medical resources are often wasted                  B. doctors are helpless against fatal diseases
  C. some treatments are too aggressive                 D. medical costs are becoming unaffordable

3. The author’s attitude toward Richard Lamm’s remark is one of ________.  

  A. strong disapproval        B. reserved consent        C. slight contempt       D. enthusiastic support

4. In contrast to the U.S., Japan and Sweden are funding their medical care ________.

  A. more flexibly            B. more extravagantly       C. more cautiously       D. more reasonably

5. The text intends to express the idea that ________.

  A. medicine will further prolong people’s lives              B. life beyond a certain limit is not worth living
  C. death should be accepted as a fact of life               D. excessive demands increase the cost of health care

Text  4  (課外閱讀)

    "The ship sank in minutes ... she went stern first on to her port side and sank very quickly, until just her turrets were visible. She paused then and just disappeared under the sea and was gone." The last moments of the HMS EDIMBURGH, remembered by one of her crew. It was 2 May, 1942. The British cruiser was on her way home from Murmansk. She was carrying a rather unusual cargo in her bomb room -- five and a half tons of gold bullion, payment by the Russians for American armaments.

    For nearly forty years she lay undisturbed, 800 feet down at the bottom of the Barents Sea, beneath the icy waters of the Arctic Circle. After the war she was declared a war grave. This and her depth effectively ruled out the traditional methods of salvaging her cargo. No diver could get down to work on the wreck, and no-one would be allowed to blast her open with explosives and grab what he could. So for years the HMS EDINBURGH remained a treasure infinitely desirable but always beyond reach.

    Enter now Keith Jessop, who felt sure the cargo could be salvaged. A diver himself once, who had done some small-time salvage, Jessop had been doing a lot of research. He had discovered in the Public Record Office the receipt for the gold bars that confirmed that they had been loaded aboard the cruiser. He also found the secret reports informing the Admiralty that the gold was still in the bomb room when the ship sank. So he had official confirmation that this was not another old sea-dog's yarn about buried treasure. More than that, he was convinced he knew how the gold could be recovered from that depth without desecrating a war grave. The answer lay in a technique called saturation diving, developed in the North Sea and elsewhere for the oil exploration business.

    After endless problems a salvage team set off from northern Norway in early May, 1981. By now, the success of the operation was out of Jessop's hands. As the director of operations put it: "It's like searching London for someone in thick fog with only a torch to see with."

    Undaunted (=fearless), however, when they reached the search area in the Barents Sea they lowered the sonar equipment overboard to scan the seabed for likely large objects. Incredibly, on their first sweep, something large was traced out on the sonar chart. Experience suggested it was a wreck and, miraculously, it turned out to be the HMS EDINBURGH.

    In many ways, the finding of the wreck was the most dramatic moment of the whole mission. A dream had turned into reality. The problem was no longer if, but how. What had started as a gamble became a hard commercial risk. The recovery of the gold was still going to be immensely difficult; indeed, the deepest salvage of its kind had never been attempted. But the journey's end was now in sight.  (495 words)

    Notes: stern n. 船尾；port side 左舷一邊；turret 炮塔；cruiser巡洋艦；rule out 排除；salvage vt.打撈；Admiralty 海軍部； sea-dog (貶) 海員；desecrate vt. 褻瀆；trace out 畫出輪廓；turned out to be 結(jié)果是；be in sight 看得見，遙遙在望。

1. When the HMS EDINBURGH sank __________.

   A. she was on her way back to England         B. she went down with all the members of her crew
   C. she had been missing for several days        D. she turned upside-down before disappearing under the water

2. The ship lay undisturbed for nearly 40 years because __________.

   A. no explosives were strong enough to blast her open     B. no traditional methods of salvaging were feasible
   C. no diver was allowed to approach a war grave           D. no diver could stand the icy temperatures of the sea

3. Keith Jessop was convinced that the stories about the HMS EDINBURGH were true because _________.

   A. he had documentary evidence to prove his case         B. he had been told the stories by a reliable old sea-dog
   C. he had been sent a secret report from the Admiralty      D. he had been doing some diving in that area himself

4. When the salvage team began their attempts to locate the wreck __________.

   A. they found their equipment would not operate in thick fog    
   B. they were assisted by some sophisticated scanning equipment
   C. their expensive equipment was almost wrecked on the seabed
   D. their sonar equipment was washed overboard by the heavy seas

5. The finding of the wreck meant that _________.

   A. their problems were now at an end                  B. their dream of getting the gold had come true
   C. their mission had now been fulfilled                 D. their promise of success might now be realized

 

Text  2  Word  Study

1. argue  argue against …據(jù)理反對; 證明……是不能成立的: 1) All the evidence argued against the theory that the disease was transmitted by water. 所有證據(jù)都證明這個理論是不能成立的: 這種疾病是由水傳播的。  2) Father argued fiercely against any increase in expenditure for the children’s birth-day party. 父親據(jù)理反對增加孩子們生日聚會的花費。 argue about 爭論關(guān)于某事：I won’t argue about the matter.  argue sb. into doing sth. 通過爭論使某人做某事：We argued him into surrendering the control of the chain company. 我們通過爭論使他放棄對鏈鎖公司的控制。 同根詞 argument n. 辯論，爭論；論點，論據(jù)。argumentation  n. 立論，論證；辯論，爭論。argumentative  adj. 愛爭論的，好辯論的。

2. sure adj. 確實，無疑，有把握：I think he’s coming, but I’m not quite sure. You are sure of a warm welcome. 你一定會受到熱烈歡迎。You’re sure to fail if you do it that way. You seem very sure of yourself, young man. 小伙子，你未免太自信了吧！  常用成語：for sure肯定： One thing is sure. We’ve won a great victory. I think he lives there but I couldn’t say for sure. 我想他住在那里，但我不能肯定。 make sure 確保： I think the door is locked, but I’d better go and make sure. 我想門已經(jīng)鎖了，但我最好還是去查一下。 to be sure 當然：He’s clever, to be sure, but not very hard-working. 當然，他很聰明，但是不怎么勤奮。

3. critical adj. 決定性的，關(guān)鍵的；危急時刻的。 be critical of 批評的, 愛挑毛病的: 1) Don’t be so critical of everyone else. (不要對別人如此挑剔。)  2) If you really understood the difficulties facing the government, you wouldn’t be so critical of its spending reductions.（如果你真地理解政府面臨的困難, 你就不會對其削減開支的做法如此挑剔。）

Text  3  Word  Study

1.press vt./vi. 1) 按，壓，踩：Press the button to start the engine. (請按按鈕起動發(fā)動機。)  I don’t like shoes that press. (我不喜歡緊的鞋。)  2) 熨燙 vt.：Will you press my trousers for me before tomorrow?  3) (人群)擠，涌：The people were pressing so hard against the President’s car that they almost overturned it.  4) 敦促，催逼：His daughters pressed Shelley to join them.  It’s no use pressing him; he doesn’t like to be hurried.  The matter does not press. (這件事不緊迫。)  The police pressed the students back behind the barriers. (警察迫使學生退到路障后面。)
press n. 新聞界，輿論，報章雜志（和the連用）：Defend the freedom of the press. (維護新聞自由。)  The press will give us a great backing. (輿論會大力支持我們的。)  The meeting was reported by the press. 
同根詞：pressing  adj. 緊迫的，急待解決的：Is the matter pressing?   Their attention ought to be focused on the more pressing problems.  The professor is returning on account of pressing duties at home.
常用成語：1) be pressed for time (money) 缺乏時間、金錢：We are pressed for time. We must hurry up. (我們時間不夠。我們必須趕緊。)  2) press ahead with 加緊（努力）：We must press ahead with our efforts to reach an agreement.   3) press for 急切要求： They are pressing for reforms. (他們急切要求改革。)  Everyone began pressing him for details. (人人都要求他說明細節(jié)。)

2.opt v. (=decide to do sth.; choose) 決定做某事，選擇：He opted to go Paris rather than London. （他決定去巴黎而不是倫敦。） Fewer students are opting for science courses nowadays. (現(xiàn)在選修理科的學生少了。) 
同根詞：option n. 選擇余地；選擇權(quán)：1) You have the option of leaving or staying.   2) Every voter should exercise his option.  optional 可選擇的；選修的：You don’t have to have this radio in your new car; it’s an optional extra.

3. imagine vt. 想象。同根詞：imaginable(可以想象出的)；imaginary（假想的）； imaginative（有想象力的）：1) He is the most suitable person imaginable. (他是可以想象出的最合適的人。)  2) The story is not real; it is only imaginary. （這個故事不是真實的，只是假想的。）  3) The artist’s imaginative use of color delighted the critics. (這位畫家富有想象力的使用色彩使這些評論家興高采烈。)  image影像，偶像，雕像。imagination n. 想像力：He has plenty of imagination.

4. fund n. 基金，積累的一筆�？睿篐ard up families receive cash subsidies from the welfare funds. (經(jīng)濟困難的家庭從福利基金中得到現(xiàn)金補貼。)  fund (復數(shù)) 資金，存款，現(xiàn)款，錢：Through lack of funds the scheme fell through. (由于缺乏資金，這項計劃失敗了。)  They ought to be furnished with the necessary funds. (他們應該得到這些必要的資金。)
fund vt. 資助，為…提供資金：1) We are hoping that the government will fund the project. (我們正在盼望政府給這個項目提供資金。)  2) The university scientists’ research for a cure of this disease is being funded by the government. (這座大學的科學家為治療這種疾病所進行的研究正得到政府的撥款。)
同根詞：overfund vt. 為…提供過量資金。underfund vt. 對…提供資金不足。

Text  4   Word Study

1.rule out (=exclude, eliminate; make impossible, prevent, forbid) 把…排除在外，不把…考慮在內(nèi)；使不可能，禁止。例如：The regulations rule out anyone under the age of eighteen.(這些規(guī)章排除了18歲以下的任何人。)  The possibility of suicide was ruled out.（自殺的可能性被排除了。）  I’m sure that the doctor would rule out visits from you as much too exciting for the patient.（我確信，醫(yī)生會禁止你們?nèi)ヌ酵�，因為這樣會使病人過分興奮。）

2. present adj. 1) 在場，出席：Every member of the class was present.  2) 存在：Carbon is present in many minerals.   3) 現(xiàn)在的：At the present moment he is supposed to be in Paris.
present n. 現(xiàn)在：I live in the present, not in the past.   常用成語： at present 目前：At present we are living in New York.  for the present 暫且：For the present we had better do nothing.
present n. 禮物：I am just going out to get some presents for my sister.
present vt. 1) 贈送：He carried a copy out into the kitchen and presented it to Maria.   2) 頒發(fā)，遞交：The principal will present the diplomas.   3) 提出 (論點，看法等)：The speaker presented arguments for his side.  4) 呈現(xiàn)出，顯露出：Although he may be troubled, he always presents a calm smiling face.   5) present itself (機會等)出現(xiàn):  A good opportunity has presented itself for doing what you suggested.                                                  

3. thought 思想，思考。
常用成語： give thought to 思考。例如：You will easily solve the problem only if you will give a bit of thought to it.
at the thought of 一想到…。 例如：I was delighted at the thought of seeing you again.
in thought 在沉思中。 例如：A.作表語：He was in deep thought. (=He was deep in thought.)     B.作狀語：He walked slowly back towards the site in deep thought.
on second thoughts 經(jīng)過再三考慮。例如：But on second thoughts I made up my mind to travel without any food with me. 
同根詞：thoughtful 深思的，思考的；體貼人的，關(guān)切的。       thoughtless 考慮不周的；不體貼別人的。

4. adjust (to) vt./vi. 調(diào)整，校正，（使）適應。例如：1) The desks and seats can be adjusted to the height of any child.  2) I must adjust my watch, it’s slow.          3) Astronauts in flight must adjust to weightlessness.
同根詞：adjustable 可調(diào)節(jié)的。例如：An adjustable electric lamp can be placed in various positions.
adjustment  n.  調(diào)整，調(diào)節(jié)，適應。 例如：They have made a most satisfactory adjustment to their environment.

5. 否定副詞：barely (=only just; scarcely) 僅夠；幾乎沒有。例如：1) We barely had time to catch the train.   2)He was so weakened by the disease that he could barely stand up.
scarcely (only just; hardly) 僅僅；幾乎不。例如：1) I scarcely know him.   2) Scarcely had she entered the room when the phone rang. 
hardly (=only just; scarcely) 僅夠；幾乎沒有。例如：He can hardly arrived yet. (他大概還沒有到。)
rarely (not often, seldom) 不常，很少。例如：Only rarely do I eat in restaurants.

6. let down (=disappoint; fall short of the expectation of ) 使…失望；辜負…的期望。例如：Don’t let me down. I need your help.
let in (=allow to enter) 讓…進來。例如：Let me in.     
let off 放（槍、炮、煙火等）；寬恕，從寬處理。例如：The mother said she would let off her son washing the dishes if he could finish his assignment before supper. (1995年試題)   
let alone 不干涉，不管；更不用說。例如：1) Since she is angry, we might as well let her alone. (既然她生氣了，我們不妨不要管她。) （1981年試題）  2) Countless divorced politicians would have been elected out of office years ago had they even thought of a divorce, let alone gotten one. (無數(shù)離婚的政治家，如果那時即使想到要離婚，更不用說真的離婚了，本來就會落選的。)

II. Writing: (提綱式議論作文)   

Directions: In this part, you are to write an essay of 160 -- 200 words within 30--35 minutes entitled“Importance of Confidence”. Your essay should be based on the information given in the outline below:

1.Importance of confidence

2.Reasons for lack of confidence

3.Necessity to build up confidence
信心的重要性

    一個人不管做什么事, 他應該充滿信心地去做。如果他沒有信心, 當他面臨困難時，他取得成功的可能性就很小。這個道理似乎明白無誤。 然而, 在現(xiàn)實中我們確實看到許多人總是抱怨說, 他們?nèi)狈�辦事的能力, 或者說, 形勢對他們來說太嚴峻因此無法對付。對于有些人來說, 這可能是對的。但是對許多其他人來說, 這只能表明他們已經(jīng)失去信心。

    為什么有些人即使能夠辦得到的事也常常感到灰心呢? 我認為有兩點原因。首先, 這些人對自己沒有一個正確的估計。例如，面對研究生入學考試，有些人往往喪失信心并退卻了。其次, 還有一種可能, 就是他們往往夸大他們所遇到的困難。他們似乎覺得這些困難大得克服不了。他們看不到，只要他們刻苦努力，所有的障礙都是能夠突破的。

    依我看, 一個人只要對自己的能力有正確的態(tài)度, 就有可能建立對自己的信心。 我們既不應過高估計我們的能力, 也不應該過低估計我們的能力。常言道: "有志者事竟成"。只要有信心, 我們一定能完成任何面臨的任務。

The Importance of Confidence

    Whatever one does, he should do it with confidence. Without confidence, it is almost impossible for him to achieve anything, when he is faced with difficulties. In reality, however, we do see a lot of people who always complain that they are lacking in (=lack) the ability to do something or that the situation is too critical for them to deal with. For some, this might be true. But for many others, this only shows that they have lost confidence.

    Why do some people often feel frustrated even though they are capable of doing something? I think there are two main reasons. In the first place, they don’t have a correct estimate of themselves. For example, in the face of the postgraduate entrance examination, some of us tend to lose heart and give in. Secondly, there is another possibility that they often exaggerate the difficulties they meet with. It seems to them that the hardships are too great to get over. They can’t see that all the barriers can be broken through only if they make painstaking efforts.

    In my opinion, one should build up faith in oneself as long as he has a right attitude towards his own abilities. We should neither underestimate nor overestimate our abilities. As a proverb says, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” With confidence we can certainly cope with any task we are confronted with.  (237 words)

    背記重點詞語漢英對照：1.困難：difficulty, hardship, barrier。  2.面臨：be faced with, be confronted with。3.克服(困難)：overcome, get over, break through (difficulties)。4.我認為，我覺得：I think … , It seems to me that …。5.對…喪失信心：lose confidence in …。獲得對…信心：gain confidence in …。缺乏對…信心：lack confidence in …。樹立對…信心：create (=establish) confidence in …。增強某人做…的信心和決心：strengthen one’s confidence and determination to do sth.。6.順利解決：deal with … successfully, cope with…。 7.有了…就能…：with …, … can …。 8. 夸大：exaggerate, overestimate。 9.可以毫不夸張地說…：It is no exaggeration to say that …。

    Put the following sentences from Chinese into English:

1. 不管你買得起多少，我們都歡迎（感激）。 

2.他們面臨許多問題時，往往喪失信心。

3.他們常�？浯笏麄冇龅降睦щy。

4. 我們常�？吹揭恍┤巳狈�克服困難的勇氣。

5. 可以毫不夸張地說，只要有信心和決心, 我們一定能完成任何面臨的任務。

作業(yè)： 1. 認真復習本單元內(nèi)容；閱讀文章要反復看幾遍；詞匯工作要天天背記。

       2. 攻讀“復習指導”語法結(jié)構(gòu)和詞匯（介詞、短語動詞和詞匯）；

       3. 把作文要英漢對照，注意英漢表達的差異；注意短文的框架結(jié)構(gòu)和常用句型；

       4. 背記單詞要注意詞的多義性和搭配關(guān)系，要勤查牛津詞典或朗文詞典。

贈言：不要被別人的成功所煎熬，也不要為自己的失落而沮喪。你或許已經(jīng)浪費了許多寶貴的時光。認定一個奮斗目標，執(zhí)著地追求吧。滴水穿石，貴在堅持。-- 朱泰祺。
Text  1 參考譯文

    正如我們大家所知道的，阿文河上的斯特拉福小城只擁有一個行業(yè)，即威廉 莎士比亞，可是卻擁有兩個截然不同的、日益敵視的分支。一個分支就是皇家莎士比亞公司(RSC)；這家公司提供阿文河上的莎士比亞紀念劇院演出的優(yōu)秀劇本。還有一個分支則是這個小城的市民，他們大多靠旅游者為生，這些旅游者到這里來不是看戲而是參觀Anne Hathaway的小屋、莎士比亞出生地和其他的名勝景點。

    斯特拉福城可敬的居民們懷疑劇院是否給他們帶來什么收入。他們坦城表示不喜歡皇家莎士比亞公司的演員，這些人留著長發(fā)、蓄著胡須，穿著涼鞋，吵吵嚷嚷。當你想到莎士比亞自己就是一位蓄著胡須的演員并且也曾吵吵嚷嚷，可現(xiàn)在又在為他們謀生時，這是多么有趣的諷刺啊。

    游客并未完全分流。乘公共汽車來并且常常順便參觀沃里克城堡和布倫亨宮殿的觀光客通常并不看戲，他們中有的人甚至驚訝地發(fā)現(xiàn)在斯特拉福有一座劇院。然而，來看戲的人看戲之余的確會參觀一些地方�；始疑�士比亞公司認為，正是這些看戲的人帶來了這個城鎮(zhèn)的大部分收入，因為他們花錢在旅館過夜（其中有些人住4 – 5夜），在餐廳就餐。而旅游者可能參觀各處，但在夜幕降臨前離開城鎮(zhèn)。

    城鎮(zhèn)居民并不這樣看待這個問題；地方議會也沒有直接撥款給皇家莎士比亞公司。斯特拉福向來就哭窮。然而，城里的每個旅館似乎正在加建一個側(cè)廳或雞尾酒大廳。希爾頓正在那里建造自己的旅館。你可以確信，這個新旅館將裝飾有哈姆雷特漢堡酒吧、里爾休息廳、班庫宴會廳等等，而價格將十分昂貴。

    不管怎樣，小鎮(zhèn)居民無法理解為什么皇家莎士比亞公司需要撥款補貼。(該劇院已連續(xù)3年打破上座率記錄。去年該劇院1431個座位全年有94%的上座率，而今年將會更好。) 當然，其原因是費用急劇上升而票價一直偏低。

    把票價抬得太高也不是好事，因為這樣做會把那些斯特拉福最有吸引力的年輕顧客趕跑。這些人完全是為看戲而不是為觀光來的。他們看起來很相似（盡管來自五湖四海）：瘦削、尖臉、表情專注、穿著牛仔褲和涼鞋、吃圓面包并晚上睡在劇院外面的石板上，在上午10點半售票口開門時買20張座位票和80張專為這些人出售的站票。

Text  2 參考譯文

    你是否記得那些年代？那時科學家爭辯說，吸煙會奪去我們的生命，但是懷疑論者堅持說，我們現(xiàn)在還不能肯定。他們說，證據(jù)還不確鑿，科學上還沒有定論。他們還說，反對吸煙的游說是要摧毀我們的生活方式，政府不應該介入。許多美國人接受了那些謬論，因而30多年來，大約1,000萬吸煙者過早地走向墳墓。

    如今，又有令人心煩的類似事情發(fā)生，因為科學家一批又一批地試圖喚醒我們注意地球變暖這種日益增長的威脅。最近的事情是，得到白宮支持的國家科學院的一次專家論壇告訴我們，地球的大氣肯定在變暖，而且這個問題主要是人為的。清楚的信息是，我們應該行動起來保護我們自己�？茖W院院長Bruce Alberts補充說，專家論壇報告的前言中這一關(guān)鍵的論點是：“科學從來也不能回答所有的問題。但是科學確實能夠給我們提供對未來的最好的指導。重要的是，我們的國家和全世界，在有關(guān)目前的行動所產(chǎn)生的未來后果上，應該把重要的政策建筑在科學所能提供的最佳判斷的基礎上�！�

    就像在吸煙問題上一樣，現(xiàn)在來自許多方面的意見認為，關(guān)于地球變暖的科學論據(jù)是不全面的，在我們沒有定論以前向大氣中排放二氧化碳（煙氣）是沒有問題的。這是一項危險的游戲，因為到有了百分之百的證據(jù)時，那可太晚了。隨著這種危險日益明顯并且與日俱增，一個有遠見卓識的民族現(xiàn)在最好能拿到一份保險單。

    幸運的是，白宮正開始關(guān)注這個問題�？墒�，很明顯，總統(tǒng)的大多數(shù)顧問仍然沒有認真對待地球變暖。他們不是拿出一項行動計劃，而是繼續(xù)要求做更多的研究 – 這是“由于分析而停止工作”的最典型的例子。

    要當好地球的負責管理者，我們必須繼續(xù)不斷地進行更深入的大氣和海洋研究。但是單靠研究還不夠。如果美國政府不愿采取立法行動，那么國會應該協(xié)助著手制訂環(huán)保措施。西弗吉尼亞州的民主黨參議員Robert Byrd提出的一份議案是一個很好的開端，因為這個議案將對私營工業(yè)提供財政獎勵。許多人看到，我國正準備建造許多新的電站來滿足我們的能源需求。如果我們打算要保護大氣，那么重要的是，這些新的發(fā)電廠在環(huán)保方面應該是靠得住的。

Text  3 參考譯文

    在英國死亡據(jù)說是急待解決的的，在加拿大死亡據(jù)說是不可避免的，在美國死亡據(jù)說是可以選擇的。難怪，美國人的預期壽命在過去100年中幾乎翻了一翻。有病的髖關(guān)節(jié)可以置換，臨床的憂郁癥可以控制，白內(nèi)瘴可以在30分鐘的外科手術(shù)中剝離。醫(yī)學的進步提高了老年人的生活質(zhì)量，這是50年前我進入醫(yī)學界時所無法想象的。但是即使最好的健康保健體系也無法避免死亡 － 我們沒有正視這一現(xiàn)實現(xiàn)在使我們自己的偉大蒙上了一層不祥的陰云。

    死亡是正常的；從遺傳學上講，即使環(huán)境再理想，我們也要解體死亡。我們在某種程度上都懂得這一點，可是作為醫(yī)療消費者我們把死亡作為一個有待解決的問題來對待。由于我們受到第三付款人（指納稅人）的保護免交保健費用，所以我們要求可能為我們所做到的一切，即使這樣做是徒勞的。最明顯的例子是晚期癌癥的治療。醫(yī)生們由于無力治愈這種疾病而灰心失望并且又擔心病人失去希望，因而常常提出一些大膽的治療方案，這種方案遠遠超出了科學上能證明其正確的范圍。

    1950年，美國在醫(yī)療保健上花了$127億。2002年，這筆費用將達到$15400億。任何人都明白，這一趨勢是無法承受的。然而幾乎無人愿意去試圖逆轉(zhuǎn)這一趨勢。有些學者得出結(jié)論說，財力有限的政府就應該停止為超出一定年齡，譬如83歲左右，的人延續(xù)生命而支付醫(yī)療費用。用科羅拉多前任州長Richard Lamm的話來說，年老而體弱多病的人有義務告別人世、不再擋道，這樣，年輕健康的人就能發(fā)揮出他們的潛力。

    我不會如此極端地來談這個問題。精力充沛的人通常能工作到60歲或60歲以上，而且仍然工作得很好。78歲時，Viacom 公司董事長Summer Redstone 開玩笑地說，他是53歲。最高法院Sandra Day O’Connor法官是70多歲，而前任外科總監(jiān)C. Everett Koop 80多歲還主持了一個互聯(lián)網(wǎng)的開業(yè)。這些頭頭們是活生生的證據(jù)，證明預防有效，并且證明我們可以處理好隨著年齡自然來臨的健康問題。作為僅68歲的人，我希望變老時能和他們一樣健康地工作。

    然而，一個社會在醫(yī)療保健方面所能支付的費用總是有限的。作為醫(yī)生，我知道，最花錢的、最戲劇性的保健措施可能是徒勞和痛苦的。我還知道，在日本和瑞典這樣一些在醫(yī)療保健方面開支少得多的國家中，老百姓的壽命比我們更長更健康。作為一個國家，我們可能在尋求不太可能的藥物和療法方面投入的資金太多，而在研究更簡單的能夠改善人們生活的醫(yī)療方法上花的錢太少。

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08考研英語作文指導：黃金預測范文13篇	考研英語小作文—書信類八大模板練習題
考研英語核心詞根－必背版	考研英語高分作文經(jīng)典背誦100篇匯總

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