新概念英语第四册课文Oneallegationoftenmadeisthatnoiseproducesmentalillness.Arecentarticleinaweeklynewspaper,forinstance,washeadedwithastrikingillustrationofaladyinastateofconsiderabledistress,withthecaption'Shewasyetanothervictim,reducedtoascreamingwreck'.Onturningeagerlytothetext,onelearnsthattheladywasatypistwhofoundthesoundofofficetypewritersworriedhermoreandmoreuntileventuallyshehadtogointoamentalhospital.Nowthesnaginthissortofanecdoteisofcoursethatonecannotdistinguishcauseandeffect.Wasthenoiseacauseoftheillness,orwerethecomplaintsaboutnoisemerelyasymptom?Anotherpatientmightequallywellcomplainthatherneigh-bourswerecombiningtoslanderherandpersecuteher,andyetonemightbecautiousaboutbelievingthisstatement.Whatisneededinthecaseofnoiseisastudyoflargenumbersofpeoplelivingundernoisyconditions,todiscoverwhethertheyarementallyillmoreoftenthanotherpeopleare.TheUnitedStatesNavy,forinstance,recentlyexaminedaverylargenumberofmenworkingonaircraftcarriers:thestudywasknownasProjectAnehin.Itcanbeunpleasanttoliveevenseveralmilesfromanaerodrome;ifyouthinkwhatitmustbeliketosharethedeckofashipwithseveralsquadronsofjetaircraft,youwillrealizethatamodernnavyisagoodplacetostudynoise.ButneitherpsychiatricinterviewsnorobjectivetestswereabletoshowanyeffectsupontheseAmericansailors.ThisresultmerelyconfirmsearlierAmericanandBritishstudies:ifthereisanyeffectofnoiseuponmentalhealthitmustbesosmallthatpresentmethodsofpsychiatricdiagnosiscannotfindit.Thatdoesnotprovethatitdoesnotexist;butitdoesmeanthatnoiseislessdangerousthan,say,beingbroughtupinanorphanages--whichreallyisamentalhealthhazard.31新概念英语第四册课文Lesson32Itisanimalsandplantswhichlivedinornearwaterwhoseremainsaremostlikelytobepreserved,foroneofthenecessaryconditionsofpreservationisquickburial,anditisonlyintheseasandrivers,andsometimeslakes,wheremudandsilthavebeencontinuouslydeposited,thatbodiesandthelikecanberapidlycoveredoverandpreserved.Buteveninthemostfavourablecircumstancesonlyasmallfractionofthecreaturesthatdiearepreservedinthiswaybeforedecaysetsinor,evenmorelikely,beforescavengerseatthem.Afterall,alllivingcreatureslivebyfeedingonsomethingelse,whetheritbeplantoranimal,deadoralive,anditisonlybychancethatsuchafateisavoided.Theremainsofplantsandanimalsthatlivedonlandaremuchmorerarelypreserved,forthereisseldomanythingtocoverthemover.Whenyouthinkoftheinnumerablebirdsthatoneseesflyingabout,nottomentiontheequallynumeroussmallanimalslikefieldmiceandvoleswhichyoudonotsee,itisveryrarelythatonecomesacrossadeadbody,except,ofcourse,ontheroads.Theydecomposeandarequicklydestroyedbytheweatheroreatenbysomeothercreature.Itisalmostalwaysduetosomeveryspecialcircumstancesthattracesoflandanimalssurvive,asbyfallingintoinaccessiblecaves,orintoanicecrevasse,liketheSiberianmammoths,whenthewholeanimalissometimespreserved,asinarefrigerator.ThisiswhathappenedtothefamousBeresovkamammothwhichwasfoundpreservedandingoodcondition.Inhismouthweretheremainsoffirtrees--thelastmealthathehad32新概念英语第四册课文beforehefellintothecrevasseandbrokehisback.ThemammothhasnowbeenrestoredinthePalaeontologicalMuseuminLeningrad.Otheranimalsweretrappedintarpits,liketheelephants,sabre-toothedcats,andnumerousothercreaturesthatarefoundatRancholaBrea,whichisnowjustasuburbofLosAngeles.Apparentlywhathappenedwasthatwatercollectedonthesetarpits,andthebiggeranimalsliketheelephantsventuredoutontotheapparentlyfirmsurfacetodrink,andwerepromptlyboggedinthetar.Andthen,whentheyweredead,thecarnivores,likethesabre-toothedcatsandthegiantwolves,cameouttofeedandsufferedexactlythesamefate.Therearealsoendlessnumbersofbirdsinthetaraswell.Lesson33Fromtheseventeenth-centuryempireofSweden,thestoryofagalleonthatsankatthestartofhermaidenvoyagein1628mustbeoneofthestrangesttalesofthesea.FornearlythreeandahalfcenturiesshelayatthebottomofStockholmharbouruntilherdiscoveryin1956.ThiswastheVasa,royalflagshipofthegreatimperialfleet.KingGustavusAdolphus,'TheNorthernHurricane',thenattheheightofhismilitarysuccessintheThirtyYears'War,haddictatedhermeasurementsandarmament.Triplegun-decksmountedsixty-fourbronzecannon.ShewasintendedtoplayaleadingroleinthegrowingmightofSweden.AsshewaspreparedforhermaidenvoyageonAugust10,1628,Stockholmwasinaferment.FromtheSkeppsbronandsurroundingislandsthepeoplewatchedthisthingofbeautybegintospreadhersailsandcatchthewind.Theyhadlabouredforthreeyears33新概念英语第四册课文toproducethisfloatingworkofart;shewasmorerichlycarvedandornamentedthananypreviousship.Thehighsterncastlewasariotofcarvedgods,demons,knights,kings,warriors,mermaids,cherubs;andzoomorphicanimalshapesablazewithredandgoldandblue,symbolsofcourage,power,andcruelty,wereportrayedtostirtheimaginationsofthesuperstitioussailorsoftheday.ThenthecannonsoftheanchoredwarshipsthunderedasalutetowhichtheVasafiredinreply.Assheemergedfromherdriftingcloudofgunsmokewiththewaterchurnedtofoambeneathherbow,herflagsflying,pennantswaving,sailsfillinginthebreeze,andtheredandgoldofhersuperstructureablazewithcolour,shepresentedamoremajesticspectaclethanStockholmershadeverseenbefore.Allgun-portswereopenandthemuzzlespeepedwickedlyfromthem.Asthewindfreshenedtherecameasuddensquallandtheshipmadeastrangemovement,listingtoport.TheOrdnanceOfficerorderedalltheportcannontobeheavedtostarboardtocounteractthelist,butthesteepeningangleofthedecksincreased.Thenthesoundofrumblingthunderreachedthewatchersontheshore,ascargo,ballast,ammunitionand400peoplewentslidingandcrashingdowntotheportsideofthesteeplylistingship.Thelowergun-portswerenowbelowwaterandtheinrushsealedtheship'sfate.Inthatfirstglorioushour,themightyVasa,whichwasintendedtoruletheBaltic,sankwithallflagsflying—intheharbourofherbirth.Lesson3434新概念英语第四册课文Thisisascepticalage,butalthoughourfaithinmanyofthethingsinwhichourforefathersferventlybelievedhasweakened,ourconfidenceinthecurativepropertiesofthebottleofmedicineremainsthesameastheirs.ThismodernfaithinmedicinesisrovedbythefactthattheannualdrugbilloftheHealthServicesismountingtoastronomicalfiguresandshowsnosignsatpresentofceasingtorise.Themajorityofthepatientsattendingthemedicalout-patientsdepartmentsofourhospitalsfeelthattheyhavenotreceivedadequatetreatmentunlesstheyareabletocarryhomewiththemsometangibleremedyintheshapeofabottleofmedicine,aboxofpills,orasmalljarofointment,andthedoctorinchargeofthedepartmentisonlytooreadytoprovidethemwiththeserequirements.Thereisnoquickermethodofdisposingofpatientsthanbygivingthemwhattheyareaskingfor,andsincemostmedicalmenintheHealthServicesareoverworkedandhavelittletimeforofferingtime-consumingandlittle-appreciatedadviceonsuchsubjectsasdiet,rightliving,andtheneedforabandoningbadhabits,etc.,thebottle,thebox,andthejararealmostalwaysgrantedthem.Norisitonlytheignorantandill-educatedpersonwhohassuchfaithinthebottleofmedicine,especiallyifitbewrappedinwhitepaperandsealedwithadabofredsealing-waxbyacleverchemist.ItisrecountedofThomasCarlylethatwhenheheardoftheillnessofhisfriend,HenryTaylor,hewentoffimmediatelytovisithim,carryingwithhiminhispocketwhatremainedofabottleofmedicineformerlyprescribedforanindispositionofMrsCarlyle's.Carlylewasentirelyignorantofwhatthebottleinhispocketcontained,ofthenatureoftheillness35
概念英语英语第四册课本教学材料整编
