英語必修四課文

必修四

Unit1

ASTUDENTOFAFRICANWILDLIFE

Itis5:45amandthesunisjustrisingoverGombeNationalParkinEastAfrica.FollowingJane'swayofstudyingchimps,ourgroupareallgoingtovisitthemintheforest.Janehasstudiedthesefamiliesofchimpsformanyyearsandhelpedpeopleunderstandhowmuchtheybehavelikehumans.Watchingafamilyofchimpswakeupisourfirstactivityoftheday.Thismeansgoingbacktotheplacewhereweleftthefamilysleepinginatreethenightbefore.Everybodysitsandwaitsintheshadeofthetreeswhilethefamilybeginstowakeupandmoveoff.Thenwefollowastheywanderintotheforest.Mostofthetime,chimpseitherfeedorcleaneachotherasawayofshowingloveintheirfamily.Janewarnsusthatourgroupisgoingtobeverytiredanddirtybytheafternoonandsheisright.However,theeveningmakesitallworthwhile.Wewatchthemotherchimpandherbabiesplayinthetree.Thenweseethemgotosleeptogetherintheirnestforthenight.Werealizethatthebondbetweenmembersofachimpfamilyisasstrongasinahumanfamily.

NobodybeforeJanefullyunderstoodchimpbehaviour.Shespentyearsobservingandrecordingtheirdailyactivities.Sinceherchildhoodshehadwantedtoworkwithanimalsintheirownenvironment.However,thiswasnoteasy.WhenshefirstarrivedinGombein1960,itwasunusualforawomantoliveintheforest.Onlyafterhermothercametohelpherforthefirstfewmonthswassheallowedtobeginherproject.Herworkchangedthewaypeoplethinkaboutchimps.Forexample,oneimportantthingshediscoveredwasthatchimpshuntandeatmeat.Untiltheneveryonehadthoughtchimpsateonlyfruitandnuts.Sheactuallyobservedchimpsasagrouphuntingamonkeyandtheneatingit.Shealsodiscoveredhowchimpscommunicatewitheachother,andherstudyoftheirbodylanguagehelpedherworkouttheirsocialsystem.

ForfortyyearsJaneGoodallhasbeenoutspokenaboutmakingtherestoftheworldunderstandandrespectthelifeoftheseanimals.Shehasarguedthatwildanimalsshouldbeleftinthewildandnotusedforentertainmentoradvertisements.Shehashelpedtosetupspecialplaceswheretheycanlivesafely.Sheisleadingabusylifebutshesays:

"OnceIstop,itallcomescrowdinginandIrememberthechimpsinlaboratories.It'sterrible.ItaffectsmewhenIwatchthewildchimps.Isaytomyself,'Aren'ttheylucky?"AndthenIthinkaboutsmallchimpsincagesthoughtheyhavedonenothingwrong.Onceyouhaveseenthatyou

canneverforget..."

Shehasachievedeverythingshewantedtodo:workingwithanimalsintheirownenvironment,gainingadoctor'sdegreeandshowingthatwomencanliveintheforestasmencan.Sheinspiresthosewhowanttocheertheachievementsofwomen.

Unit2

APIONEERFORALLPEOPLE

AlthoughheisoneofChina'smostfamousscientists,YuanLongpingconsidershimselfafarmer,forheworksthelandtodohisresearch.Indeed,hissunburntfaceandarmsandhisslim,strongbodyarejustlikethoseofmillionsofChinesefarmers,forwhomhehasstruggledforthepastfivedecades.DrYuanLongpinggrowswhatiscalledsuperhybridrice.In1974,hebecamethefirstagriculturalpioneerintheworldtogrowricethathasahighoutput.Thisspecialstrainofricemakesitpossibletoproduceone-thirdmoreofthecropinthesamefields.Nowmorethan60%ofthericeproducedinChinaeachyearisfromthishybridstrain.

Bornintoapoorfarmer'sfamilyin1930,DrYuangraduatedfromSouthwestAgriculturalCollegein1953.Sincethen,findingwaystogrowmorericehasbeenhislifegoal.Asayoungman,hesawthegreatneedforincreasingthericeoutput.Atthattime,hungerwasadisturbingprobleminmanypartsofthecountryside.DrYuansearchedforawaytoincreasericeharvestswithoutexpandingtheareaofthefields.In1950,Chinesefarmerscouldproduceonlyfiftymilliontonsofrice.Inarecentharvest,however,nearlytwohundredmilliontonsofricewasproduced.Theseincreasedharvestsmeanthat22%oftheworld'speoplearefedfromjust7%ofthefarmlandinChina.DrYuanisnowcirculatinghisknowledgeinIndia,Vietnamandmanyotherlessdevelopedcountriestoincreasetheirriceharvests.Thankstohisresearch,theUNhasmoretoolsinthebattletoridtheworldofhunger.Usinghishybridrice,farmersareproducingharveststwiceaslargeasbefore.

DrYuanisquitesatisfiedwithhislife.However,hedoesn'tcareaboutbeingfamous.Hefeelsitgiveshimlessfreedomtodohisresearch.Hewouldmuchratherkeeptimeforhishobbles.Heenjoyslisteningtoviolinmusic,playingmah-jong,swimmingandreading.Spendingmoneyonhimselforleadingacomfortablelifealsomeansverylittletohim.Indeed,hebelievesthatapersonwithtoomuchmoneyhasmoreratherthanfewertroubles.Hethereforegivesmillionsofyuantoequipothersfortheirresearchinagriculture.

Justdreamingforthings,however,costsnothing.LongagoDryuanhadadreamaboutriceplantsastallassorghum.Eachearofricewasasbigasanearofcornandeachgrainofricewasashugeasapeanut.DrYuanawokefromhisdreamwiththehopeofproducingakindofricethatcouldfeedmorepeople.Now,manyyearslater,DrYuanhasanotherdream:toexporthisricesothatitcanbegrownaroundtheglobe.Onedreamisnotalwaysenough,especiallyforapersonwholovesandcaresforhispeople.

Unit5

THEMEPARKS—FUNANDMORETHANFUN

Whichthemeparkwouldyouliketovisit?Therearevariouskindsofthemeparks,withadifferentparkforalmosteverything:food,culture,science,cartoons,moviesorhistory.Someparksarefamousforhavingthebiggestorlongestrollercoasters,othersforshowingthefamoussightsandsoundsofaculture.Whicheverandwhateveryoulike,thereisathemeparkforyou!

ThethemeparkyouareprobablymostfamiliarwithisDisneyland.Itcanbefoundinseveralpartsoftheworld.Itwillbringyouintoamagicalworldandmakeyourdreamscometrue,whethertravelingthroughspace,visitingapirateshipormeetingyourfavouritefairytaleorDisneycartooncharacter.Asyouwanderaroundthefantasyamusementpark,youmayseeSnowWhiteorMickeyMouseinaparadeoronthestreet.OfcourseDisneylandalsohasmanyexcitingrides,fromgiantswingingshipstoterrifyingfree-falldrops.Withalltheseattractions,nowondertourismisincreasingwhereverthereisaDisneyland.Ifyouwanttohavefunandmorethanfun,cometoDisneyland!

Dollywood,inthebeautifulSmokyMountainsinthesoutheastern

USA,isoneofthemostuniquethemeparksintheworld.DollywoodshowsandcelebratesAmerica'straditionalsoutheasternculture.AlthoughDollywoodhasrides,thepark'smainattractionisitsculture.Famouscountrymusicgroupsperformthereallyearinindoorandoutdoortheatres.PeoplecomefromalloverAmericatoseecarpentersandothercraftsmenmakewood,glassandironobjectsintheold-fashionedway.VisitthecandyshoptotrythesamekindofcandythatAmericansouthernersmade150yearsago,ortakearideontheonlysteam-enginetrainstillworkinginthesoutheastUSA.Youcanevenseebeautifulbaldeaglesintheworld'slargestbaldeaglepreserve.Andforthosewholikerides,Dollywoodhasoneofthebestoldwoodenrollercoasters,Thunderhead.Itisworld-famousforhavingthemostlengthinthesma