新视野大学英语nhce-4-6

1、新视野大学英语新视野大学英语新视野大学英语New Horizon College EnglishNew Horizon College English视听说教程视听说教程视听说教程Unit 6The Truth Can Be Stranger Than FictionKey word: superstitionThe word superstition means the irrational or absurd belief or fear that something we do or say may cause an event to occur that will affect us

2、in the future.The word superstition comes from the ancient language of Latin.Superstitions in western countriesThe popular superstitions in western countries :1. The black cat A black cat walking past you is especially bad.2. The number 13Many people consider this number to be very unlucky.clover3.

3、The four leaf cloverSome people believe that a four leaf clover can bring you lots of good luck.4. A horse shoeHanging a horse shoe on your wall so that all your good luck will be caught in the shoe like a cup.5. Knock on woodTouching something made of wood is supposed to bring you good luck.Game ti

4、me!Fortune or misfortuneGood or bad?What we learnt from the game3.Spilling salt 2.Walking under a ladder1.Seeing a black cat walking past you4.Breaking the mirror5.Opening an umbrella in doorsGood or bad?Weird Science: Top unexplained mysteriesFrom hairy beasts to humming deserts, these mysteries go

5、 unexplainedReference Whales found to speak in dialectsWe could blame our accents and different dialects on self-imposed borders - but that doesnt explain why animals from different regions speak in dialects. Using underwater microphones, scientists eavesdropped on whale talk and found that the blue

6、 whales off the Pacific Northwest sound different than those living in the western Pacific Ocean or near Chile. The reason? Still unknown. Reference It parted once. It parted twice. And this time scientists are watching the whole thing. Satellite images show the Arabian tectonic(构造的) plate and the A

7、frican Plate are moving away from each other and parting the southern end of the Red Sea. This growing rift(裂缝), which is tearing the northeast of Ethiopia(埃塞俄比亚) and Eritrea(厄立特里亚) from the rest of Africa, could eventually create a whole new sea.The Red Sea parts againReference Using wave generator

8、s, scientists were able to write on water. The Advanced Multiple Organized Experimental Basin (AMOEBA)- a circular tank created by researchers - can form the Roman alphabets and some Japanese characters. The device could soon find its way to your nearest amusement park. A new wave: Scientists write

9、on waterReference Scientists create cloak of partial invisibilityWriter H.G. Wells imagined it in his writing in the late 1800s, and this year scientists inched closer to creating an invisible man. Duke University researchers created a cloaking device that can make objects invisible to microwave lig

10、ht. The device works by rerouting microwaves beam around it the way boulders(漂石) in a stream divert(转移) flowing water. Reference Amazon River flowed backwardsThe Amazon River apparently changed its mind a few times in history. South Americas majestic waterway currently flows east into the Atlantic O

11、cean. But scientists found this year that millions of years ago, the great river flowed east to west and at one time went in both directions at once. Reference Lead In QuestionDo you think success is due more to luck and opportunity or to diligence? Why? Have a group of three, name as many as possib

12、le supernatural mysteries, unexplained phenomena and unsolved puzzles. that havent been explained. Come up with a list of your ideas and compare with another group to see some unmentioned ones. Pick one or two most mysterious phenomena. Brain StormingReferenceBrain StormingSpring Heeled Jack was an

13、entity said to have been responsible for a number of attacks starting in 1837 AD. He was first seen in London. There were other, later sightings, in Liverpool and the Midlands.Real aliens will be very different from those on TV science fictions.The Great PyramidThe word pyramid means “the fire within” and refers to the cosmic energy that collects in pyramid shaped structures especially when they are aligned (连成一行)appropriately regarding the magnetic poles of the planet. The YetiThe yeti is a mythical creature who is supposed to live