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Unit1
Onewayof summarizingthe Americanposition is to state that we value originality and independence more than the Chinese do. The contrast between our two cultures can also be seen in terms of the fears we both harbor. Chinese teachersare fearful that if skills are not acquiredearly, they may never be acquired; there is, on the other hand, no comparablehurry to promote creativity. American educators fear that unless creativity has been acquired early, it may never emerge; on the
other hand, skills can be picked up later.
However, I do not want to overstate my case. There is enormous creativity to be found in Chinese scientific, technological and artistic innovations past and present. And there is a danger of exaggerating creative breakthroughs in the West. When any innovation is examined closely, its reliance on previous achievements is all too apparent (the \shoulders of giants\
But assumingthat the contrast I havedevelopedis valid, and that the fostering of skills and creativity are both worthwhile goals,the importantquestion becomes this: Can we gather, from the Chineseand Americanextremes, a superior way to approach education, perhaps striking a better balance between the poles of creativity and basic skills?
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Unit2
Waltonset upa college scholarshipfund for employees' children, a disaster relief fund to rebuild employee homes damagedby fires, floods, tornadoes, and the like. He
believed in cultivating ideas and rewarding success.
\little extra,'\whowasstunnedat suchgenerosityafter the stingy
employer he left to join Wal-Mart\
thinking when I came aboard.\
\handout,\they feel about their company. They believe things are
different here, but they deserve the credit.\
Adds companylawyer Jim Hendren:\yet who worked for him or was around him for any length of time who wasn't better off. And I don't mean just financially, although a lot of people are. It's just something about him -- coming into contact with Sam Walton just makes you a better
person.\
Makingthe journeyfromlog cabin to WhiteHouseis part of the American Dream. But when Jimmy Carter was defeated in his attempt to gain a second term as President of the United States he found himself suddenly thrown out of the WhiteHouseandbackin his log cabin. This is howhe coped.
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Unit3
SEAN:If that sort of thing happenedonly oncein a while, it wouldn't be so bad. Overall, I wouldn't want to trade
my dad for anyone else's. He loves us kids and Mom too. But I think that's sometimes theproblem.Hewantsto do things for us, things he thinks are good.But he needsto give
them more thought because:
SEAN,HEIDIandDIANE:(In unison)Fatherknowsbetter! (The lights quickly fade to black and then come up a second or two later. DIANE stands alone at the Down Right edge of the stage. HEIDI and SEAN enter Down Left and cross to the
edge of the stage. )
DIANE: Can you imagine how humiliated I was? An honor student, class president. And Father was out asking people to have their sons call and ask me to the prom! But that's dear old
dad. Actually, he is a dear. He just doesn't stop
to think. And it's not just one of us who've felt the heavy hand of interference. Oh, no, all three of us live in constantdreadknowingthat at anytime disaster canstrike because: Father knows better.
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Unit4
I'd never realized how important daily routine is: dressingfor work, sleepingnormalhours. I'd neverthought I relied so much on co-workers for company. I began to understand why long-term unemployment can be so damaging, whylife without anexternally
supporteddaily plan canlead
to higher rates of drug abuse, crime, suicide.
To restorebalance to mylife, I force myselfback into the real world. I call people, arrange to meet with the few remaining friends who haven't fled New York City. I try to at least get to the gym,so as to set apart the weekendfrom the rest of my week. I arrange interviews for stories, doctor's appointments-- anythingto get meout of the house
and connected with others.
But sometimes being face to face is too much. I see a friend andher ringing laughter is intolerable -- the noise of conversation in the restaurant, unbearable. I make my excuses and flee. I re-enter my apartment and run to the
computer as though it were a place of safety.
I click on the modem, the once-annoying sound of the connection now as pleasant as my favorite tune. I enter my
password. The real world disappears.
Thought you were safe sharing secrets with Internet friends? Wait for the doorbell...
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Unit5
The runway felt different this time. It startled him for a brief moment. Then it all hit him like a wet bale of hay. Thebar wasset at nine incheshigher than his personal best. That's only one inch off the National record, he thought. The intensity of the moment filled his mind with anxiety.
He began shaking the tension. It wasn't working.
He became more tense. Why was this happening to him now, he thought. He began to get nervous. Afraid would be a more accuratedescription. What washe going to do?Hehad never experienced these feelings. Then out of nowhere, and from the deepestdepthsof his soul, he pictured his mother.Why now? What was his mother doing in his thoughts at a time like this? It
was simple. His mother always used to tell
him when you felt tense, anxious or even scared, take deep breaths.
Sohe did. Alongwith shakingthe tension fromhis legs, he gently laid his pole at his feet. He began to stretch out his arms and upper body. The light breeze that was once there wasnowgone.Hecarefully pickeduphis pole. Hefelt his heart pounding. He was sure the crowd did, too. The silence was deafening. When he heard the singing of some distant birds in flight, he knew it was his time to fly.
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全新版大学英语综合教程2课文原文及翻译
