Lesson 38
The first calender
最早的日歷
Listen to the tape then answer the question below.
聽(tīng)錄音,然后回答以下問(wèn)題。
What is the importance of the dots, lines, and symbols engraved on some, bones and ivory?
Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates. What is more, they will not have to rely solely on the written word. Films, videos, CDs and CD-ROMS are just some of the bewildering amount of information they will have. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task. He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available. Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.
Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, for then man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.
Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been engraved on walls, bones, and the ivory tusks of mammoths. The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age which began about 35,000 B.C. and ended about 10,000 B.C. By correlating markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult code. They have found that it is connected with the passage of days and the phases of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar. It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not simply a form of artistic expression. They had a definite meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible that there is a definite relation between these paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20,000 years earlier than has been supposed.
New words and expressions 生詞和短語(yǔ)
calendar
n. 歷法,日歷
historian
n. 歷史學(xué)家
unique
adj. 無(wú)與倫比的
steadily
adv. 不斷地
solely
adv. 唯一地
video
n. 錄像
CD-ROOM
n. (只讀)光盤(pán)驅(qū)動(dòng)器
bewilder
v. 令人眼花繚亂
deduce
v. 推斷,推理
scanty
adj. 不足的,貧乏的
clue
n. 線(xiàn)索
insignificant
adj. 不重要的
shed
v. 使流出,瀉
advent
n. 出現(xiàn),到來(lái),來(lái)臨
agriculture
n. 農(nóng)業(yè)
assumption
n. 假定,設(shè)想
dot
n. 小圓點(diǎn)
symbol
n. 符號(hào)
engrave
v. 雕刻
ivory
n. 象牙制品
mammoth
n. (古)長(zhǎng)毛象
tusk
n. 獠牙,長(zhǎng)牙,象牙
nomad
n. 游牧民
correlate
v. 使相互聯(lián)系
phase
n. 月相,天相
primitive
adj. 原始的
depict
v. 描畫(huà),描繪
■calendar n. 歷法,日歷
calender 輪壓機(jī)
■historian n. 歷史學(xué)家
historic 具有歷史意義的
This is a historic speech.
historical 與歷史研究有關(guān)系的
historical research 歷史研究
■unique adj. 無(wú)與倫比的
unique: uneaqualed
Speech is a unique human ability
unique 不能接受比較級(jí),可以接受quite, almost, nearly, surely, really等修飾,但不能接受rather,very等詞的修飾。
unique 獨(dú)一無(wú)二的,因唯一而獨(dú)特
speical 注重性質(zhì)的特殊
especial 強(qiáng)調(diào)超過(guò)其他的全部
Eg: This is a matter of especial importance.
This is a especially important matter.
particular 特定的,著重同類(lèi)中某一個(gè)所有獨(dú)特的性質(zhì)
Pineapples have particular flavour. 菠蘿有特別的味道。
exceptional
extraordinary 特別的,與眾不同的
Eg: The warm weather is exceptional for Jamuary.
■steadily adv. 不斷地
■solely adv. 唯一地
■video n. 錄像
■CD-ROM n. (只讀)光盤(pán)驅(qū)動(dòng)器
■bewilder v. 令人眼花繚亂
bewilder: confuse
Eg: she was bewildered by so many beautiful dresses.
puzzle 某問(wèn)題因復(fù)雜而令人費(fèi)解
Eg: I am puzzled by the problem.
perplex 難以理解(包含焦慮不安,不知如何解決的意思)
Eg: He is perplexed for the answer.
bewilderment: n.
in bewilderment 茫然不知所措
■deduce v. 推斷,推理
deduce: determine or decide sth. by given facts.
Eg: I deduce the conclusion from the given facts.
deduce …from 從…中推論,推斷
infer 推斷(不表示過(guò)程)
Eg: What can you infer from the text?
deduce ==> (ant.) indece 歸納
■scanty adj. 不足的,貧乏的
scanty: too few, not enough
scanty knowledge 一知半解
a scanty crop 欠收
be scanty of sth 奇缺
be short of 短缺
Eg: The village school is scanty of textbooks. 這鄉(xiāng)村學(xué)校奇缺教材。
be want of = in need of 需要……
■clue n. 線(xiàn)索
■insignificant adj. 不重要的
■shed v. 使流出,瀉
shed: pour out
shed tears 淚流滿(mǎn)面
shed light 發(fā)光
shed light on sb. 啟發(fā),啟迪
shed one’s blood for country 為祖國(guó)而流血。
shed one's clothes 脫去衣服
■advent n. 出現(xiàn),到來(lái),來(lái)臨
advent: coming or arrival
at the advent of winter 在冬天到來(lái)的時(shí)候
at the advent of 在…到來(lái)的時(shí)候
since the advent of 自從…的到來(lái)
■agriculture n. 農(nóng)業(yè)
■assumption n. 假定,設(shè)想
■dot n. 小圓點(diǎn)
■symbol n. 符號(hào)
■engrave v. 雕刻
■ivory n. 象牙制品
■mammoth n. (古)長(zhǎng)毛象
■phase n. 月相,天相
■tusk n. 獠牙,長(zhǎng)牙、象牙
■primitive adj. 原始的
■nomad n. 游牧民
■depict v. 描畫(huà),描繪
■correlate v. 使相互聯(lián)系
in the unique position 處于無(wú)以倫比,獨(dú)一無(wú)二的情況
come to: start, begin
背熟:They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates.
select from 從……中進(jìn)行選擇(同類(lèi)中)
choose挑選(憑個(gè)人意愿)
一、有三種情況choose和select不能互換:
1.當(dāng)在兩者中選一個(gè)時(shí)只能用choose, 即choose between
Eg: We have to choose between leaving early and paying for taxi.
2.choose可帶wh從句
Eg: I'll let you choose where we should go to eat.
3.choose to do 只能用choose.
Eg: What invariably happens is that a great number of things choose to go wrong at precisely the same moment.(L33 )
He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences. (L27)
二、select比choose更正式, 即在許多同類(lèi)的人或物當(dāng)中根據(jù)客觀標(biāo)準(zhǔn)對(duì)這兩個(gè)加以比較,鑒別,認(rèn)真地挑選出最好的、最喜歡的、最有用的。
great mass of == too much ==agreat amount of
evidence 不可數(shù)名詞;不能手a great many, a large number of
Eg: She selected a blue dress from the wardrobe.
You have been selected to present us on the committee.
what is more 更有甚者,furthremore,moreover 是的意思
what is worse 更糟糕的是
rely on ==count on ==depend on 依靠,指望
Eg: You can’t rely on others.
He can’t be relied on.
solely adv. 唯一地
means: only, just, nearly
bewilder 令人眼花繚亂
bewildering 令人眼花繚亂的
bewildered 感到眼花繚亂的
背熟:They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action.
in action 行動(dòng)中的,活動(dòng)中的
as it were 可以說(shuō),似乎,好像
Eg: He is as it were a walking dictionary. 他可以說(shuō)是一部活字典
Computers can never as it were lead independent lives. 電腦不能過(guò)獨(dú)立的生活
as it is=in fact=in really=actually=as a matter of fact 事實(shí)上
Eg: I thought things would get better,but as it is , they are getting worse.
In many ways children lives as it were in a different world from the adults. 在許多方面,孩子們可以說(shuō)過(guò)著一種與大人完全不同的生活。
But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task.
be faced with: be in the position in which one must deal with a problem or unpleasant situation.
面臨(因境,問(wèn)題)
Eg: Automobile industry is faced with a bad future now. 汽車(chē)工業(yè)正面臨著令人擔(dān)憂(yōu)的未來(lái)。
A great many people are faced with losing their jobs. 許多人面臨著失業(yè)。
In my opinion, you are faced with a problem as it were how to get enough time to study English.
The student attempting to learn English well in a year is faced with a difficult task. 企圖在一年之內(nèi)把英語(yǔ)學(xué)好的學(xué)生面臨著巨大的難題。
available adj. 可利用的
Eg: I have dictionary availabe for you.
Is there a place available for us to have a chat.
I know you are in need of help, but excuse me, I don’t have any students available for you.
remains ==ruins 遺跡,遺物
insignificant==unimportant
shed light on=throw light on = cast light on 意思是:make a matter clear or understood 解釋?zhuān)f(shuō)明,提示
1
我們正在學(xué)習(xí)的是新概念美音版,
傳統(tǒng)版本(英式發(fā)音)的音頻:音頻播放
2
本課的視頻講解: 點(diǎn)擊觀看
3
詞匯速記:新概念英語(yǔ)詞匯隨身聽(tīng)速記手冊(cè)3 第38-39課
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新概念第3冊(cè)——掌握英語(yǔ)的關(guān)鍵
為什么專(zhuān)家提倡背誦新概念
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Comprehension
1 In assuming that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, historians made the mistake of _____ .
a. relying solely on the written word
b. disregarding the markings that early man had been responsible for
c. supposing that nomadic man had no reason to understand the seasons
d. not connecting the passage of days with the phasesof the moon
2 The scientific evidence that has recently come to light is that _____ .
a. nomads engraved the bones and tusks of the animals they killed
b. noads lived by hunting and fishing
c. nomads travelled widely in various parts of the world
d. the markings made by variousnomadic groups all have a definite pattern
3 The paintings which have been found on the walls of nomadic dwelling places _____ .
a. have taught historians something about the nomadic way of life
b. have no other content than their artistic merit
c. are not thought to be connected with an ancient calendar system
d. are invariably accompanied by odd dots, lines and symbols
Structure
4 It _____ as if they could see nad hear us in action. (ll.6-7)
a. was b. were c. should be d. will be
5 Even _____ seem insignificant remains can shed interesting … (ll.8-9)
a. they b. which c. what d. those to
6 Historians are now able to read this difficult code _____ markings made in … (ll.15-16)
a. with correlating b. having correlated c. which correlates d. for they correlate
7 _____ be a definite relation between these paintings and the …(ll.19-21)
a. It could b. There can c. There may d. It might
Vocabulary
8 Historians have long tried to _____ dots, lines and … (l.13)
a. puzzle b. puzzle out c. riddle d. detect
9 By correlating markings made in _____ parts of the world … (ll.15-16)
a. different b. several c. many d. other
10 ---- historians have been able to read _____ . (l.16)
a. these puzzling signs b. this hard law c. thesedifficult signals d. this uneasy letter
11 Until recently historians assumed that calendars _____ with the advent of agriculture. (l.10)
a. came to existence b. came toexisting c. cme to exist d. were existential
come to +動(dòng)詞原形:come to record ; come to exist ; come into existence
12 The people who lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age _____ .(ll.14-15)
a. wandered from place to place b. lived in villages c. first learnt to write d. learnt how to farm the land
【Key to Multiple choice questions】
1. B 2. D 3. A 4. D 5. C 6. B 7. C 8. B 9. A 10. A 11. C 12. A