北师大版高中英语课文Unit-16-Stories

Unit16Stories

Warm-up

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1Itwasadarkandfoggynight.Wedroveanddrove.Atmidnight,justaswethoughtwewerelost,wesawalightbehindsometrees.Aswegotnearer,wecouldseeahouse.Itlookedabandoned.Weknockedontheheavydoor.Itopenedslowly.Atallmandressedentirelyinblackstoodthere.“Goodevening,”hesaidinaslow,deepvoice.“I'vebeenexpectingyou.”

2Weweretravellingthroughdeepspaceatthespeedoflight.Suddenly,thespaceshipsloweddownandimmediatelythesystemcameintoview–abrightstarwithtwentyormoreplanets.Oneofthesewouldbeournewhome,fivelightyearsfromourownplanet.

3Oneofmyearliestmemoriesisofmyfatherrunningalongthebeachwithourdog,Tess.Imusthavebeenaboutthreeyearsold.Irememberthedogjumpinguponmeandknockingmeoverintothewater.

4Themanlayonthegroundnexttoawhitetruck.Therewasnodoubt.Hewasdead.Iquicklylookedinthepocketsofhisjacket–somemoney,ahandkerchiefandatheatreticketwithaChicagophonenumberwrittenonit.Threemurdersinthreeweeksandthevictimsallkilledinthesameway.

5Onceuponatime,therelivedabeautifulprincess.Shewasanonlychildandherfatherandmother,thekingandqueen,lovedherverymuch.Oneday,anoldwomancametothecastle.Whenshesawtheprincess,shesmiledandlaughedinastrangeandhorribleway.

Lesson1StoriesfromHistory

Pompeii:Thecitythatbecameatimecapsule

AroundtheendofthefirstcenturyAD,aRomanwritercalledPlinywroteaboutaterriblevolcaniceruptionthathehadwitnessedasayoungman.TheeruptionhadoccurredonAugust24th,79AD.TheearthbegantotrembleandavolcanonamedVesuvius,nearPompeii,Italy,erupted.Plinydescribedacloudcomingdownthemountain,blockingoutthesunandburyingeverythinginitspath,includingwholevillagesandtowns.

ThisparticularlysadeventleftadeepimpressiononPlinywhohadlostanuncleintheeruption.Yet,overthecenturies,therewasagreaterloss.Thepeople,townsandvillagesthathaddisappearedundertheasheswereentirelyforgottenbytheworld.

However,morethan1,600yearslater,somescientistsfoundthelosttownsthathadbeenburiedundertheashes.By1748,theyhadfoundan

“Evans”isaverycommonWelshnameandI'mnotsureexactlywhatitmeans,onlythattherearemany“Evans”inWalesandallaroundBritain.MygrandfatherlefthisfarminnorthernWalestolookforworkwhenhewasseventeenandheendedupinManchester.There'salotofindustrythere.HeputupwithalotofhardshipandsufferingallhislifetoprovideagoodfutureforhisfamilyandI'mgratefulforthat.

“Isaac”isafairlycommonboy'sname.Youmightthinkthat

Igotcalled“Isaac”becausemyparentscouldn'tthinkofanythingelsetocallme!Butyou'dbewrong.MyparentsareclassicalmusiciansandtheynamedmeafterafamousviolinistcalledItzhakPerlman.Theyadmiredhimbecausehewasagreatmusicianandhewasn'tafraidtotryoutnewideasinhismusic.Idon'tplayamusicalinstrument,butIamapainterandIoftenlistentoclassicalmusicwhenIpaint.WhenIlistentoItzhakPerlman'smusic,itinspiresme.

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GuoJiangsheng:MynameisGuoJiangsheng.Jiangshengmeans“bornontheriver”,andguesswhat?Iwasbornonaboat!Myfamilylivesinasmallmountainvillage.MyparentsneededtotravelbyboattoChongqingwheremymotherwasgoingtostayinahospitalformybirth.TheywerestillontheboatoutsideChongqingwhensuddenlymymotherstartedtofeelsomepain.ThenIwasborn.MyparentsgotofftheboatwiththeirnewbabyandthenwenttothehospitaltoseeifeverythingwasOK.ThedoctorsandnurseswereverysurprisedandsaidmymotherandIwerebothveryhealthy.AfterthatmyparentsdecidedIshouldbecalledJiangsheng!

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AmazingButTrue!

Oneday,afishermanontheArralSeawassailinghomeafteraday'swork.Itwasrainingandhedidn'tfeelveryhappy.Hehadn'thadaverygooddayandhadn'tcaughtverymanyfish.Suddenly,heheardastrangenoise.Acowwasflyingtowardshisboat!Thecowhittheboatandnearlydestroyedit.Whenthefishermangotbackhome,peopledidn'tbelievehisstory.Then,sometimelater,theUSAirForceshowedthatthefishermanhadtoldthetruth.WhileoneoftheirtransportplaneswasflyingovertheArralSea,acowontheplanehadgonemadandthepilothadthrownitoutintothesea!

Lesson3LifeStories

HelenKeller

HelenKellerwasaveryspecialgirlwhoneededasuperbteacher.Bythetimeshewassevenyearsold,shestillcouldn'tspeak,readorwrite.ThiswasbecauseHelencouldn'tseeorhear.Withthesesevererestrictionsonhercommunication,Helen'sbehaviourwasoftenunbearable.

Shewasstubbornandangry,andoftenbrokethingswhenshewasn'tunderstood.

AnneSullivanwasbroughtintohelpHelen.AnnewasateacherandformerstudentataschoolfortheblindinBoston.ShehadhadeyesightproblemsearlyinlifeaswellsoshecouldrelatetoHelen'sdifficulties.HerfirstgoalwastostopHelen'stroublesomebehaviour.Helenwouldneedthisvaluablepreparationinordertolearnlanguage.Shewouldalsoneedlotsoflove.WhenAnneandHelenfirstmet,AnnegaveHelenabighug.

Helenwouldhavetolearntounderstandwordsspelledonherhand.Anne'stechniquewassimpleandstraightforward.ShewouldputanobjectintooneofHelen'shandsandspellthewordintoherotherhand.Shestartedwithdolls.ShewouldletHelenplaywiththedoll,andthenspelltheletters“D-O-L-L”intoherhand.Helenthoughtthiswasagame.Shehadaprecisedescriptionofherexcitementinherbook,TheStoryofMyLife:“Runningdownstairstomymother,Iheldupmyhandandmadethelettersfordoll.IdidnotknowthatIwasspellingawordoreventhatwordsexisted;Iwassimplymakingmyfingersgoinmonkey-likeimitation.”

Thenoneday,AnnetookHelenouttothewell.AnneputHelen'shandunderthewater.Asthewaterflowedoveronehand,Annespelled“w-a-t-e-r”intotheotherhand.Thensuddenly,Helenhadaburstofunderstanding;themovementofthefingersmeantthecoolwaterflowingoverherhand.Thispreciousknowledgegaveherhopeandjoy.Finally,theworldofwordswasopeninguptoher.

NowthatHelenunderstoodthekeytolanguage,shewasveryeagertolearnmoreanduseitasmuchasshecould.ChildrenwhocanseeandhearlearnlanguageeasilybutforHelen,itwasagradualandsometimespainfulprocess.

However,theresultswereamazing.AsHelen'sknowledgeandvocabularyexpanded,sheaskedmoreandmorequestions.Thissoonledhertodiscovermorecomplexwordsandchangedherthinkingprocesses.

Tryingtolearntheword“love”wasanexperiencethatsherememberedwell.Thisishowshedescribeditinherbook,TheStoryofMyLife:

“IrememberthemorningthatIfirstaskedthemeaningoftheword‘love'.ThiswasbeforeIknewmanywords.Ihadfoundafewearlyvioletsinthegardenandbroughtthemtomyteacher...MissSullivanputherarmgentlyroundmeandspelledintomyhand,‘IloveHelen.'‘Whatislove?'Iasked.Shedrewmeclosertoherandsaid,‘Itishere,'pointingtomyheart...HerwordspuzzledmeverymuchbecauseIdidnotthenunderstandanythingunlessItouchedit.”

ThemeaningoflovewasstillnotapparenttoHelenbutshekeptontryingtounderstand.“Ismeltthevioletsinherhandandasked,halfinwords,halfinsigns,aquestionwhichmeant,‘Islovethesweetnessofflowers?'‘No,'saidmyteacher.”Helenthenfeltthewarmthofthesunshiningonthem.Shepointedupandaskedifthatwaslove.Whenherteachersaidthatitwasn't,shewasconfusedanddisappointed.“Ithoughtitstrangethatmyteachercouldnotshowmelove.”

Theword“think”wasalsoadifficultoneforHelenbutshehadabreakthroughwhileworkingonasimpletask.ShewasmakingnecklaceswiththehelpofMissSullivanwhenshenoticedthatshehadmadesomemistakes.Uncertainabouthowtofixthem,shestoppedtothinkcarefully.

Asshedidthis,MissSullivantouchedHelen'sheadandspelledtheword“think”intoherhand.

“InaflashIknewthatthewordwasthenameoftheprocessthatwasgoingoninmyhead.”ItwasthefirsttimeHelenhadunderstoodsuchacomplexword—awordforsomethingshecouldn'ttouch.Atthatmoment,hermindreturnedtotheword“love”.Asshethoughtaboutitsmeaningagain,thesuncameout.Shepointedtothesunandaskedherteacheragainifthatwaslove.AnneansweredHelenbyexplainingthatlovewaslikethesunandcloudsinaway.

“Youcannottouchtheclouds,youknow;butyoufeeltherain…Youcannottouchloveeither;butyoufeelthesweetnessthatitpoursintoeverything.Withoutloveyouwouldnotbehappyorwanttoplay.”Inthatvividmoment,Helenfinallyunderstoodthebeautifultruthoftheword“love”.

CommunicationWorkshop

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Onceuponatime,hundredsofyearsago,therewasakingcalledOrpheusandhisqueen,Eurydice.Theylovedeachotherverymuch.KingOrpheuslovedplayingtheharpandheplayeditbeautifully.

QueenEurydicelovednatureandusedtogooutintothecountryeveryday.Onedayinspring,shewentwalkinginthefields.Afterawhileshefelttired.Shesatdownunderanappletreeandsoonfellasleep.Whileshewassleeping,thekingofthefairiescamepastandsawher.

Thekingthoughtshewasbeautifulanddecidedtotakeherawaywithhim.Hetookheronhishorsetohispalaceinabeautifulgreenvalley.WhenKingOrpheusheardthathiswifehadgone,hewasverysad.HehadlovedEurydicesomuch.Hedidn'twanttoliveintheplacewhichremindedhimofhisqueen.HeleftitandwenttolookforEurydice.

Orpheuswenttolive