初中英语阅读与测试（第二册）
2008-7
上海远东出版社
陈渊 著
174
在历史跨入新世纪的今天，经济全球化进程日益加速，其影响已深入到全社会各个方面。作为世界性语言的英语已成为国际间沟通、交流必不可少的工具。随着我国经济的快速持续发展，综合国力不断增强，我国各领域各个层面涉外活动目益频繁。在这种形势下，全国范围内的“外语热”便悄然兴起。尤其是英语教育，如今已受到举国上下从未有过的重视。对于广大青年学生来说，这无疑是绝好的客观环境。通过良好的学校教育，近二十年来，已经涌现了一批又一批学有所成的优秀外语人才。不过，就在学青年而论，在英语学习过程中，长期存在这样或那样困难，或学习上事倍功半的问题却不在少数。例如，不少勤奋青年废寝忘食地死记硬背大量单词释义，过于迷信商业运作介入后的某些所谓的英语速成法，造成了不少学习上的误区，以致不少学生误以为只要精读课本，熟记大量生词，不断扩大词汇量，便可精通英语，运用自如。殊不知，忽视英语泛读，不保持精读、泛读的适当比例并持之以恒，英语学习效果必然大打折扣。其实，历来英语教学大纲均有明确规定：中学英语教学目的是对学生进行听、说、读、写的综合训练，培养他们在口头上和书面文字上运用英语的基本能力，其中十分侧重培养阅读能力。现行大纲也着重指出，提高学生英语阅读能力，单纯通过课文教学是不易达到的，必须指导学生在课外阅读相当数量的原著，而绝不是突击记忆大量单词能够毕其功于一役的。这充分表明，英语精读与泛读是相辅相成、不可偏废的，而且要保持适当的阅读量比例，并持之以恒。
《初中英语阅读与测试(第2册)》的编写无论在原文题材、体裁上，抑或语法内容上，均力求做到与课内教材同步，以期达到事半功倍的效果。内容包括：Unit One Culture and Customs、Unit Two Knowledcle of Common Interest、Unit Three Animals and Plants、Unit Fout Language Learning、Unit Five Campus Life、Unit Six Leisure Time、Unit Seven Better City，Better Life、Unit Eight Post and Communication。
陈渊，中国科普作家协会、上海翻译家协会、美国奥尼尔学会会员，上海科普作家协会译委副主任。曾受聘任国家教委优秀学术专著评审委员会审读组成员。因突出贡献，曾由国家教委、国家新闻出版署、上海市人民政府和上海外国语大学授予荣誉证书、高等学校教材编辑特等奖、立大功奖励证书等。长期从事外语教学和研究工作，主要著作有：主编上海市紧缺人才培训工程证书教程中的《中级英语教程》和大中小学教材、教学参考书——《初、高中英语精读(五卷本)》、《新编英语词汇用法手册》、《英语造句词典》以及最新出版的《英语必考词五用详解词典》等；译述作品有《尤金?奥尼尔传》、《医生之家》、《茫茫黑夜》以及世界第一部科幻小说《弗兰肯斯坦》等。
Unit One Culture and CustomsPassage 1 What Does Uncle Sam Mean？Passage 2 Festivals Are Fun，Fun，Fun！Passage 3 AustraliaPassage 4 Western New Year'S TraditionPassage 5 Santa Claus Does Not ForgetPassage 6 Box BoyExercises for Unit OneUnit Two Knowledcle of Common InterestPassage 1 IdiomsPassage 2 The Wonders of DolphinsPassage 3 Idioms about Cats——A Cat'S PawPassage 4 Idioms about Cats（continued）—TO Grin Like a Cheshire CatPassage 5 Idioms about Cats（continued）—TO Be11 the CatPassage 6 ColorsExercises for Unit TwoUnit Three Animals and PlantsPassage 1 Columbus and the EggPassage 2 When We Face Difficult TimesPassage 3 The Monkey ManPassage 4 Big Five Animals in KenyaPassage 5 Dual Pig ImpressionPassage 6 Little Acorns and Mighty OaksExercises for Unit ThreeUnit Fout Language LearningPassage 1 One Way StreetPassage 2 A Clever WorkerPassage 3 HelicoptersPassage 4 Helicopters（continued）Passage 5 Interview at a Trading CompanyPassage 6 SlangExercises for Unit FourUnit Five Campus LifePassage 1 Team SpiritPassage 2 Our School DebatePassage 3 iPods Become Tool for CheatersPassage 4 Boarding Schools in BritmnPassage 5 College Students Leave a Lot BehindPassage 6 Alcohol Rules on American CampusExercises for Unit FiveUnit Six Leisure TimePassage 1 Public Holidays in BritainPassage 2 Reality TVPassage 3 Harry PotterPassage 4 Movie Theater HistoryPassage 5 The Crow and Her ChildrenPassage 6 Musical CatsExercj ses for Unit SixUnit Seven Better City，Better LifePassage 1 The Clever Judge and the Stolen MoneyPassage 2 The Pot of GoldPassage 3 ElectricityPassage 4 Bungee Jumping：Fear But FunPassage 5 A Letter from a TreePassage 6 Transportation HeadacheExercises for Unit SevenUnit Eight Post and CommunicationPassage 1“Sit Up Straight！”May Be Bad AdvicePassage 2“Sweet Bird”of YouthPassage 3 Mom，I Love YouPassage 4 The Post Office IncidentPassage 5 Reading Keeps You WarmPassage 6 An Envelope on Christmas TreeExercises for Unit EightReference Answers
What Does Uncle Sam Mean？ Did you know that everyone in America has one relative in common？Have you ever heard of Uncle Sam？Who iS this Uncle Sam？Where did he come from？What does he look like？And if he'S everyone'S uncle，where does he go for family dinners？ Well,Uncle Sam is not a real person.He was created sometime during the War of 1812 to symbolize the United States of America. Where did the name come from？No one is really sure，but most people think he was named for Samuel Wilson. Samuel Wilson was bom in Massachusetts in 1766.He moved to New York，where he became a meat supplier.There，he put meat into barrels to send to United States arnlies.The barrels of meat were marked with the letters“U.S.”to show that they calrle from the United States.One story says that the soldiers jokingly called the meat supplier“Uncle Sam”tO stand for the letters on the barrels.Since the meat came from the American government，when people thought of Uncle Sam they thought ofthe government. Even though Uncle Sam is thought to have gotten his nalTle from Samuel Wilson.the drawings that cartoonists created in the 1800'S looked nothing like him.A cartoonist named Thomas Nast was the first to draw him the way he is most often drawn today. ……
