当代大学英语阅读教程（上）
2008-12
高等教育出版社
施发敏 著
221
教育部于2007年颁布了修订后的《大学英语教学要求》，明确了大学英语教学的目标，强调培养学生的英语交际能力，提高综合应用语言的能力。 众所周知，语言文化知识的获取离不开真实的语言学习环境，中国学生在本土学习英语，要想创建真实的语言环境并非易事，而阅读是语言和文化学习的重要手段和途径。通过阅读，学生可获取大量的语言知识，奠定坚实的语言基础，从而提高英语综合应用能力。 在改革后的全国大学英语四、六级考试方案中，阅读理解分为仔细阅读和快速阅读，仔细阅读又分为多项选择和选词填空。阅读能力的测试题型多样，这就对学生的阅读能力提出了更高的要求。 为全面实施《大学英语教学要求》，推行大学英语教学改革，提高学生综合文化素养，我们特地编写了《当代大学英语阅读教程》（Active English Reading for College Students）。该教程的内容经过严格的筛选和科学的设计，不但有利于培养学生的专项语言能力，而且会大幅度提升学生的整体语言水平。具体而言，本书有以下特点。按主题设计单元，满足个性化需求 本教程分上、下两册。内容新颖、材料真实、题材广泛，涉及工业、农业、文学、医学、艺术、历史、科学、教育、能源、环境、社会等48个主题，融知识性、趣味性和可读性于一体。 本教程按主题设计单元，可满足学生不同的阅读需求，培养并激发其阅读兴趣。学生既可以根据自己的具体学习情况和兴趣爱好进行选择性阅读，拓展知识的深度和广度；还可以循序渐进，按本教程的内容安排，系统地进行学习。 阅读本教程，学生可感知英语语言的魅力，品味英语国家的文化、历史、地理、风土人情和生活方式等，拓宽知识视野，提高文化素养。本教程可作为一部微型的百科全书，为读者提供不同领域的背景知识，而这种百科全书的知识正是提高交际能力所必需。
《当代大学英语阅读教程（上）》按主题设计单元，内容新颖、材料真实、题材广泛，涉及饮食、文化、商务、经济、历史、地理、发明、文学等25个主题，融知识性、趣味性和可读性于一体。阅读《当代大学英语阅读教程（上）》，学生可感知英语语言的魅力，品味英语国家的文化、历史、地理、风土人情和生活方式等，拓宽知识视野，提高文化素养。《当代大学英语阅读教程（上）》可作为一部微型的百科全书，为读者提供不同领域的背景知识，而这种百科全书的知识正是提高交际能力所必需。 《当代大学英语阅读教程（上）》不仅有利于提高大学生的英语阅读能力，对研究生、出国留学生及广大英语爱好者也同样具有一定的参考价值。
UNIT 1 UNIVERSITY LIFEPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）University LifePart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）Section AA College Student as an IdealistSection BPassage 1 Students Major Objective NowadaysPassage 2 Cambridge-A University TownPart Ⅲ ClozeStudents Union and CorporationUNIT 2 OVERSEAS STUDYPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）Study in LondonPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）Section ABenefits of Studying OverseasSection BPassage 1 All About IELTSPassage 2 Financing for College StudentsPart Ⅲ ClozeBecoming an International StudentUNIT 3 WEATHERPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）What Makes the Weather?Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）Section AWeather Affects MoodSection BPassage 1 Global WarmingPassage 2 How to Beat Irish WeatherPart Ⅲ ClozeWeather ForecastUNIT 4 PUBLIC SPEAKINGPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）The Three Minutes in Oral PresentationPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension （Reading in Depth）Section AWhat to Do with Your Hands When Making a SpeechSection BPassage 1 How to Use Humor EffectivelyPassage 2 Fear of Rejection in Public SpeakingPart Ⅲ ClozeParents Anniversary SpeechUNIT 5 COMMUNICATIONPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）Effective CommunicationPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）Section ALanguage CommunicationSection BPassage 1 Nonverbal CommunicationPassage 2 How to Achieve CommunicationPart Ⅲ ClozeLanguage DevelopmentUNIT 6 HEALTH AND NUTRITIONPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）Physical Exercises for the ElderlyPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）Section AEnergy CycleSection BPassage 1 Health ConservationPassage 2 ProteinPart Ⅲ ClozeNutrient Is Vital to Good HealthUNIT 7 AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRYPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）Industrial RevolutionPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）Section AAuto Industry of the FutureSection BPassage 1 "Saltv" Rice Plant Boosts HarvestsPassage 2 The Second Industrial RevolutionPart Ⅲ ClozeNew Farming RevolutionUNIT 8 MARRIAGEPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）Seven Secrets for a Successful MarriagePart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）Section AArranged MarriagesSection BPassage 1 Loyalty and Lasting MarriagePassage 2 What Can Lead to the End of a Marriage?Part Ⅲ ClozeCross-Cultural MarriageUNIT 9 EDUCATIONPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）Students Perception and SatisfactionPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）Section ATips for College StudentsSection BPassage 1 Education in USPassage 2 Education? Computer，NaturallyPart Ⅲ ClozeHow to Improve Reading SpeedUNIT 10 ANIMALSPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）The WhalePart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）Section ACommon Misconceptions About CatsSection BPassage 1 The Education of SarahPassage 2 Bird SleepPart Ⅲ ClozeLionsUNIT 11 TRAVELPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）Pleasure TravelPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension（Reading in Depth）Section ALondon Tower BridgeSection BPassage 1 Harlem in USPassage 2 Central ParkPart Ⅲ ClozeFollowing the Air Travel RulesUNIT 12 FABLES AND LEGENDSPart Ⅰ Reading Comprehension（Skimming and Scanning）Western and Eastern Dragons……UNIT 13 MUSICUNIT 14 ARTSUNIT 15 TRANSPORTATIONUNIT 16 CLONINGUNIT 17 COMPUTER AND INTERNETUNIT 18 OCEANUNIT 19 WORLD WONDERSUNIT 20 SPORTSUNIT 21 MEDICINEUNIT 22 SCIENCEUNIT 23 PSYCHOLOGYKeyReferences
Survival in the real world These skills are not necessarily inborn. Matt Sinclair, finance vice-president of the Students Administrative Council, pointed out the first year as a critical time for students to blend into what he referred to as "the melting pot" of the colleges community. "The first year on campus is always absolutely critical. If it clicks, the second and the third year click as well. This does not happen to everyone. You see that all the time. In fact, I was like that the first year I was here. I came to school for my classes, then I went home. I didnt participate in any of the events at the college. I didnt do anything. That first year was just miserable. That was because of my attitude, which was, leave me alone, I just want to focus on my studies," said Sinclair. While Sinclair understands a new students need to take stock of （鉴定） "the lay of the land", so to speak, he recommends the student not take too long doing that. The key to having fun on campus, he said, lies in a student having an open mind and a willing attitude. The only regret in life: risks that you dont take "If you dont take the chance and reach out to others, then youll never know what you are missing out on. I dont want to look back years later at my time at the college with regrets and thinking, I wish I had done that in college," said Sinclair. Many students come to him on a daily basis. Among all the issues they bring, stress management appears on the top, he said. He takes note of the fact that many students are away from their homes and familiar network of support and can fall victim to severe depression and stress.
