閱讀專題訓練之美文篇（一）

Learning aims:

Tap your potential of reading a long and difficulty essay;

Review or accumulate some useful expressions, especially those related to your writing;

Thinking before reading: How to read a long and difficulty passage in reading comprehension?

Part 1-----Reading comprehension (within 8 minutes!)

All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified time to live.

Sometimes it was as long as a year, sometimes as short as 24 hours. But always we were interested in

discovering just how the doomed hero chose to spend his last days or his last hours. I speak, of course, of free men who have a choice, not condemned criminals whose sphere of activities is strictly

delimited.

Such stories set us thinking, wondering what we should do under similar circumstances. what

events, what experiences, what associations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings,

what regrets?

Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die

tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life. We should live each day with

gentleness, vigor and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in

the constant panorama of more days and months and years to come. There are those, of course, who

would adopt the Epicurean motto of “Eat, drink, and be merry”. But most people would be chastened

by the certainty of impending death.

In stories the doomed hero is usually saved at the last minute by some stroke of fortune, but almost

always his sense of values is changed. He becomes more appreciative of the meaning of life and its

permanent spiritual values. It has often been noted that those who live, or have lived, in the shadow

of death bring a mellow sweetness to everything they do.

Most of us, however, take life for granted. We know that one day we must die, but usually we

picture that day as far in the future. When we are in buoyant health, death is all but unimaginable.

We seldom think of it. The days stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our petty tasks, hardly

aware of our listless attitude toward life.

The same lethargy, I am afraid, characterizes the use of all our faculties and senses. Only the deaf

appreciate hearing, only the blind realize the manifold blessings that lie in sight. Particularly does this

observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life. But those who have never

suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties. Their

eyes and ears take in all sights and sounds hazily, without concentration and with little appreciation.

It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it, of not being conscious

of health until we are ill.

I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for

a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound.

Choose the best answer according to the passage:

1. The main idea that the author tries to show is that_______.

A. people who live in the shadow of death are more appreciative of the meaning of life.

B. most of us regard health as something quite usual and ordinary while we are healthy.

C. people should value and take advantage of what they have

D. people should be taught how to use their sight and hearing.

2. The underlined word “doomed” in the first paragraph probably means ___________.

A. fated B. happy C. lucky D. blessing

3. Why does the author mention health in the last sentence of paragraph 6?

A. Because it is one of the “faculties and senses”, like sight and hearing.

B. Because it illustrates her point about “not being grateful for what we have until we lost it.”

C. Because it is the subject of an old story which she has in mind.

D. Because health is important for our sight and hearing.

4. Which of the following would be a “blessing”(para.7), if they struck us for a few days?

A. Blindness and deafness. B. Sight and hearing

C. Darkness and silence. D. Light and sound

Part 2-----Reading accumulation:

Ⅰ. Useful expressions:

1.被判刑的罪犯 _______________________ 6.改變某人的價值觀__________________________

2.發人深思 ___________________________ 7.生活在死亡的陰影中________________________

3.在類似的情況下______________________ 8.將那一天當成是遙遠的未來__________________

___________________________________ __________________________________________

4.將… 塞進、擠進_____________________ 9.延伸，延續_______________________________

5.鮮明地強調生活的價值________________ 10.將生命當成理所當然的事__________________

Ⅱ. Language focus:

1. (1) All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified time

to live. (para 1) _______________________________________________________________.

(2) The directions specify how the medicine is to be used. ________________________________.

(3) The contract specifies red bricks for the roof. _______________________________________.

Conclude the meaning of “specify”___________________________________________________;

Can you think of more words following the structure of “specify”：

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Particularly does the observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life.(para6)

(1) 護士將藥涂抹在傷口上了。______________________________________________________

(2) 這項新技術已經被運用到了農業生產。____________________________________________

(3) 這些校規適用于每個學生。______________________________________________________

(4) 他決定向微軟公司申請秘書職位。________________________________________________

(5) 他正致力于學法語。____________________________________________________________

3. When we are in buoyant health, death is all but unimaginable. (para 5)________________________

點擊高考1:

-What do you think of the performance today?

-Great! ______ but a musical genius could perform so successfully. (07江西卷)

A. All B. None C. Anybody D. Nothing

Conclude the meaning of “all but, none but, nothing but, anything but”:

(1) The room was all but empty. ______________________________________________________

(2) The party was all but over when we arrived.__________________________________________

(3) None but the lonely heart can know my sorrow._______________________________________

(4) Nothing but a miracle can save her life.______________________________________________

(5) He is particular about food, and he eats nothing but steak.________________________________

(6) He is anything but clever, for he can work out none of maths problems._____________________

Ⅲ. Language appreciation:

1. We should live each day with gentleness, vigor and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost

when time stretches before us in the constant panorama of more days and months and years

to come. (para 3)

(長句分析) _________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

2. It has often been noted that those who live, or have lived, in the shadow of death bring a mellow

sweetness to everything they do. (para 4)

(Translate)__________________________________________________________________________

(模仿造句)_________________________________________________________________________

3. Most of us, however, take life for granted. We know that one day we must die, but usually we

picture that day as far in the future. When we are in buoyant health, death is all but unimaginable.

We seldom think of it. The days stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our petty tasks,

hardly aware of our listless attitude toward life. (Para 6)

(Read, taste and recite) _______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Ⅳ. More assignment for self-study:

1. Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die

tomorrow. (para3)

點擊高考2:

(1) There _____ be any difficulty about passing the road test since you have practiced a lot in the driving school. (上海卷05年27題)

A. mustn’t B. shan’t C. shouldn’t D. needn’t

(2) _______fired, your health care and other benefits will not be immediately cut off. (湖北卷)

　 A. Would you be B. Should you be C. Could you be D. Might you be

(3) ----- My cat’s really fat.

　 ----- You ____________ have given her so much food. (浙江卷)

　 A. wouldn’t B. couldn’t C. shouldn’t D. mustn’t

(4) What do you mean, there are only ten tickets? There ____ be twelve.

A. should B. would C. will D. shall (江蘇卷09年25題)

2. He becomes more appreciative of the meaning of life and its permanent spiritual values.

Fill in the blanks with “appreciate, appreciation, appreciative”.

(1) Only the deaf _________________ hearing.

(2) She was deeply ____________________ of your help.

(3) As he grew older, his _______________________ of art grew.

(4) We should live each day with gentleness, vigor and a keenness of ___________________.

(5) I ______________ it when people are enthusiastic about everyday life.

3. But those who have never suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use

of these blessed faculties(機能).

Learn to use the words “bless, blessed, blessing” by completing the following sentences.

(1) May God _________ you and you shall be ________________ with happiness.

(2) I have often thought it would be a ____________ if each human being were stricken blind

and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life.

(3) Please accept my ________________ upon your marriage.

(4) _____________with a strong healthy body, he is always free from illness.

4. Translation.

(1) 大多數人認為我們目前所擁有的一切是理所當然的。

___________________________________________________________________________________

(2) 愿上帝保佑這個國家永遠繁榮昌盛。

___________________________________________________________________________________

(3) 健康和財富是每個人一生的追求，而你很幸運的同時擁有這兩方面！

___________________________________________________________________________________

(4) 我們把班主任描述為精力充沛的人, 她竟然會病倒！(至少3種表達！)

___________________________________________________________________________________

(5) 她的音樂才能無人賞識。

___________________________________________________________________________________

(6) 我很欣賞你救人于水火的高尚品質。

___________________________________________________________________________________

5. Paragraph writing (about 40 words)

----以“假如我只有三天光明”為題，運用或模仿本節課所學的相關表達即興創作一段小演講！

Should I have three days to see, I would …______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

我們都讀過震撼人心的故事，故事中的主人公只能再活一段很有限的時光，有時長達一年，有時卻短至一日。但我們總是想要知道，注定要離世人的會選擇如何度過自己最后的時光。當然，我說的是那些有選擇權利的自由人，而不是那些活動范圍受到嚴格限定的死囚。

這樣的故事讓我們思考，在類似的處境下，我們該做些什么？作為終有一死的人，在臨終前的幾個小時內我們應該做什么事，經歷些什么或做哪些聯想？回憶往昔，什么使我們開心快樂？什么又使我們悔恨不已？

有時我想，把每天都當作生命中的最后一天來邊，也不失為一個極好的生活法則。這種態度會使人格外重視生命的價值。我們每天都應該以優雅的姿態，充沛的精力，抱著感恩之心來生活。但當時間以無休止的日，月和年在我們面前流逝時，我們卻常常沒有了這種子感覺。當然，也有人奉行“吃，喝，享受”的享樂主義信條，但絕大多數人還是會受到即將到來的死亡的懲罰。

在故事中，將死的主人公通常都在最后一刻因突降的幸運而獲救，但他的價值觀通常都會改變，他變得更加理解生命的意義及其永恒的精神價值。我們常常注意到，那些生活在或曾經生活在死亡陰影下的人無論做什么都會感到幸福。

然而，我們中的大多數人都把生命看成是理所當然的。我們知道有一天我們必將面對死亡，但總認為那一天還在遙遠的將來。當我們身強體健之時，死亡簡直不可想象，我們很少考慮到它。日子多得好像沒有盡頭。因此我們一味忙于瑣事，幾乎意識不到我們對待生活的冷漠態度。

我擔心同樣的冷漠也存在于我們對自己官能和意識的運用上。只有聾子才理解聽力的重要，只有盲人才明白視覺的可貴，這尤其適用于那些成年后才失去視力或聽力之苦的人很少充分利用這些寶貴的能力。他們的眼睛和耳朵模糊地感受著周圍的景物與聲音，心不在焉，也無所感激。這正好我們只有在失去后才懂得珍惜一樣，我們只有在生病后才意識到健康的可貴。

我經常想，如果每個人在年輕的時候都有幾天失時失聰，也不失為一件幸事。黑暗將使他更加感激光明，寂靜將告訴他聲音的美妙。