牛津上海版高一下课文

1、 牛津上海版高一下课文牛津高一下课文天王Unit 1 Reading The Phantom of the Opera Read this short story adapted from the novel The Phantom of the Opera.The Paris Opera House was a huge building. Beneath the building there was a strange, dark lake. On this lake was an island. On that island, one hundred years ago, lived t

2、he Phantom.At birth he was so ugly that his own mother made him wear a mask. She forced him to leave home while he was still a child. He then spent years wandering the Earth until he found his home on the island. Yet, this monster of a man loved singing, and had a wonderful voice.The phantom fell in

3、 love with Christine, a beautiful young singer at the Opera. He often sang to her late at night, hiding behind a secret wall in her room because he was afraid of letting her see his face. He taught her how to sing and helped her get better roles in the Opera. Christine enjoyed listening to his voice

4、, too.However, the Phantom wanted Christine for himself. He kidnapped her from the stage in front of the whole audience. Then, he took her down to his secret home on the lake. Only one man was brave enough to follow. He was Raoul, a young man who loved Christine. Raoul tried to rescue Christine, but

5、 the Phantom captured him and put him in a prison.In the Phantom sh ouse, Christine pulled off his mask and saw the real man. At first, she was shocked at his horrible face with yellow eyes and no nose, but then she felt sorry about his suffering. She understood how lonely his life had been. She gen

6、tly kissed his face.No woman had ever touched the Phantom before. Christine kiss made him cry with joy. He released Raoul, and told him to take Christine to safety. By now, a group of people had reached the Phantom s house. They burst in, ready to kill him. At that moment the Phantom disappeared and

7、 was never seen again.Unit 1 MRThe Concert Hall which movedReading this cutting from a city guide for Shanghai to see how one concert hall was kept from destruction.In April 2003, the Shanghai Concert Hall was lifted into the air, and then moved 66.46 metres away.The 5,650-tonne building was deigned

8、 and bilt in 1930 by Chinese architects Zhao Shen and Fan Wenzhao. Originally, the building was used for showing films. In 1959, it was changed into a concert hall. Some of the world s top musiciansincluding the famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the violinist Isaac Stern, played there.By 2002, however, th

9、e Shanghai Concert Hall faced some difficulties. The building was old and needed repair. Also, an elevated road had been built nearby. The noise of the traffic from the road drowned out the concerts. One way of saving the concert hall was moving it. So, over an eight-day period, workers used machine

10、ry to lift the concert hall into the air. They thenpushed it along rails to a new location away from the elevated road.The Shanghai Concert Hall was completely restored after being moved. It was also made larger to seat more people. On 1 October 2004 it reopened with a concert by the British Royal P

11、hilharmonic Orchestra. With new paint and a new location, the charm of the concert hall was brought back to life.Unit 2 Reading Two GeniusesAlbert Einstein was a very famous scientist in the twentieth century. Read this legend about him in a magazine article.Amany people regard Albert Einstein (1879

12、-1955) as a genius. His attempt to explain the workings of the universe led to the development of nuclear energy.Einstein used to say that the only gift he had was curiosity, but this story about hm shows that he also had a sense of humour.As a young man with a growing reputation,Einstein received m

13、any invitations to explain his theories at different universities. On these trips his driver was always the same a man called Hans. Hans often said to him,It s a pleasuredrive a genius like you, Dr. Einstein.One evening, on their way to a distant university, Einstein said, I wish I didn tgive my lec

14、ture tonight, Hans. Im so tired, butdont ant to let my audience down.You dont have to give the lecture, said HI can give it for you. I veli stened to your lecture so many times that Ive learnt it by heart.No one know you at this university, so they wont find out. Einstein agreed with Hans, so they c

15、hanged places. At the university, Hans was guided to a platform, where he stood surrounded by professors and students. Einstein took a seat in the audience, listened to Hans give his lecture perfectly, and joined in the applause at the end.However, before Hans left the platform, a professor shouted

16、from the audience,I d like ask you a difficult question. He then asked a question so complex that Hans had no idea what he was talking about.Einstein thought, Oh no! Now were in trouble. B ut Hans just laughed and said, That nost a difficult question. In fact, it sso easy that even my driver knows h

17、ow to answer it. Hans, please Einstein stood up and answered the question perfectly.They left the university, with Einstein driving. A little later, Hans offered to drive. No,m y friend, lau ghed Einstein. It a sp leasure to drive a genius like you, Hans.Unit 2 MR The Nobel PrizeRead this leaflet ab

18、out the Noble PrizeAlfred Nobel was an inventor born in Sweden. When he died in 1896, he left a lot of money and property. This was then worth about nine million US dollars, and later became the original sourceof the world-famous Nobel Prize.Nobel believed that the spread of knowledge would make the

19、 world a better place. The yearly-awarded prizes are given to honour those who help mankind. Nobel said that the prizes should honour them ost important discoveries or inventions in p hysics, chemistry, physiology or medicine and the most outstanding works literature.Since 1901. the Nobel Prize has

20、been presented to the winners on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel sd eath. At the award ceremony in the Stockholm Concert Hall, the king of Sweden hands each winner a diploma and a medal. The ceremony is followed by a large banquet for about 1,300 peopoel Among the guests of honour are t

21、he Nobel Prize winners and their families, the King and the Queen, and many well-known leaders in science and culture. Two hundred and fifty young students are also honoured with invitations to this grand occasion.Unit 3 Reading The interesting world of plantsPlants can be much more interesting than

22、 youn think. Read this transcript from a nature film to find out why.Water lilies can often be seen in China, with their round leaves, or pads, floating in ponds. In Hangzhou, there is a kind of water lily whose pads are so huge that a person can stand on them. This is a Victoria lily, the largest k

23、ind of water lily in the world. Its pads are more than two metres wide and its white or purple flowers can grow as large as 45 centimetres across.Some flowering plants can also be eaten. The lotus, a near relative of the water lily, is such a plant. It has a long white root, in which there are many

24、holes. In Asian countries, lotus roots and seeds are often cooked and served in meals. In the West, eating lotus roots or seeds is not as popular as it is in Asia.The banyan tree is an interesting tree with many roots growing down from its branches. Itcan be found in South China and other parts of A

25、sia. When its roots reach the ground, they plant themselves and grow bark. Eventually they either become part of the original tree trunk or become separate tree trunks. Using this methid, banyan trees can cover an enormous area. The world s largesty abna ntree, in India, covers an area larger than a

26、 football pitch. Even though it is only one tree, it looks like a whole forest!Speaking of trees, a gingko tree believed to be around 3,800 years old was recently discovered in Hebei Province, China. Many gingko trees have been around for more than 3,000 years that is the reason why they are known a

27、s longevitytr ees in China. While gingko trees can live for a long time, they are not even near being the oldest trees. Bristlecone pine trees in America are among the oldest living trees. One bristlecone pine tree in Nevada is over 4,600 years old!Unit 3 MR Learn to care for plantsRead this article

28、 from a newspaper to get some new ideas about what plants you can grow this year.Spring is in the air, so it is time to go outside and do some gardening. Here are three plants which can decorate your home.Why not grow commone white jasmine/ You can raise it as either a bush or a vine. Jasmine vines

29、produce more flowers than jasmine bushes, but they need a frame to grow on. If you grow them on a frame over a path, the path will soon have a cover of whit, sweet-smelling flowers. Jasmine is not just for tea.Of course, if you like blossoms, do not ignore the Yulan magnolia. These trees can grow to

30、 be over 12 metres tall. In early spring, they are covered with white blossoms which are more than 12 centimetres wide. After the blossoms fall off, green leaves cover the trees all summer. In autumn, these leaves change to red and orange before they litter the ground with colour. TheYulan magnolia

31、is ideal for cool, moist climates.If you have no idea what to grow, you could plant a golden ball cactus. You could keep it in your house, or plant it outside where it can grow to be more than 60 centimetres tall. While it prefers the sun, it tolerates temperatures of below zero degrees centigrade.U

32、nit 4 Reading Friend or enemy?Reading this excerpt from the play Winston and the Spider to learn about one kind of small creature. The scene begins with Winston and his wife Betty standing in their kitchen. Betty: (jumping in fright, and then shouting)Kill it!Winston: (calmly) Certainly not.Betty: W

33、hy? You re not frightened of it, Winston, are you? It s only an insect. Winston: It isn atn insect, Betty. It as s pider.Actually, spiders are very useful creatures. I watched a TV prgramme last night that completely changed my view about spiders. Do you want to hear about it?Betty: Not really. (She

34、 sighs.) but I suppose you re going to tell me anyway.Winston: Spiders are the enemies of insects and the friends of humans. Chinese farmers realized that years ago. Do you know that in parts of China, in autumn, farmers build shelters for spiders and put them all over their fields?Betty: No. I didn

35、t know that.Winston: (ignoring her remarks) The shelters are like little tents. Surviving winter in them, the spiders emerge healthy and hungry when spring comes. At the same time, millions of insects arrive to attack the farmers crops. The spidersfill their empty stomachs, and the farmers become ha

36、ppy because their fields have been protected.Betty: So everyone is hapy except the insects. Winston: Right, and now this natural method ofpest control is being copied all over the world. Betty: (looking bored) Interesting, but now I must go and Winston: (becoming excited) Wait! There s more What s s

37、tronger than steel, lighter than a feather and as elastic as a rubber band?Betty: What?Winston: It tsh e silk the spiders make their webs with. Scientists are trying to develop a material having similar properties. They plan to use it in spacecraft, artificial organs like hearts, and to make really

38、bulletproof vests.Betty: I still think spiders are nasty and should be killed. Their bites are dangerous, aren t thWinston: To insects, yes, but to people, rarely. But even their poison is useful. Doctors think it might be used to treat brain disorders in humans.Betty: That tg ood news for you, then

39、. (She laughs.) But seriously, I get your point, Winston. We should try to understand things in nature and not destroy them.Unit 4 MR The mystery of hibernation No human has ever experienced hibernatin, and yet many creatures experience it every year. Read the following article from a science magazi

40、ne to see what hibernation is all about.What do bears, bats and frogs have in common? They all hibernate. Hibernation is a state often compared to sleep. It usually occrus in winter, when a creature does not move for weeks or months continuously. Creatureshibernate to survive the cold weather and th

41、e absence of food.A typical example of a hibernating creature is the bat. When winter comes, bats find a safe place in a cave. Looking like they are dead, they hang upside down. Their pulse and breathing rates greatly slow down. Their body temperatures drop as well. These things help them save energ

42、y during long winters when it is difficult to find food.Frogs, like many amphibians, also hibernate when it gets cold. After digging deep into the mud at the bottom of a pond, they do not stir again until it is warm. During hibernation, they breathe through their skins, not their mouths.Another hibe

43、rnating creature is the bear. In contrast to other creatures, hibernating bears do not appear as though they are dead, but seem as though they are very sleepy. If they are disturbed during hibernation, they can get up very quickly. While hibernating, bears stay in their dens, which are filled with l

44、eaves to maketheir stay more comfortable and warmer. In spring, having awakened, they leave their dens, thin and hungry.Unit 5 Reading What should I do?Letters from students asking for advice are published anonymously in a school newspaper as a part of the C ounsellor Cosr ner R. ead excerpts from t

45、he letters below.On evening last month, I was visiting a close friend in her new high-rise flat when she accidentally knocked a flowerpot from her window. It smashed to the ground below, narrowly missing some children at lay. On our way out, we stopped to take a look, but now one was hurt, so we sai

46、d nothing and left for the cinema as planned. Returning home later that evening, my friend learnt that the police had been to the flats and questioned everyone. They had even taken a neighbour sos n to the police station. After questioning him, they let him go temporarily. Frightened, my friend has

47、said nothing to the police.Though no one was hurt, I have a guilty conscience and Last night, while travelling home on the underground, I saw three tough guys enter my almost empty carriage.They sat down beside a young boy who was travelling alone and began to tease and tully him. Their behavious wa

48、s so bad that it made him move to another seat, but that did no good. They just followed him and continued their bullying. The boy was obviously frightened. At this point, I stopped looking and got off at my station, feeling sorry for the boy. I regret not helping him, but not being Superman and hat

49、ing violence, what could I do? Should IThe checkout assistant at my usual supermarket is always rude and unhelpful. A few days ago, I gave her a fifty-pound note to pay for a six-pound purchase, but she was so busy grumbling that she accidentally gave me an extra ten-pound note in my change.On disco

50、vering the error, I went back andtried to tell her. Excuse me , I said. Howevebefore I could continue, she barked, Can tsee there s a queue? Go to the end and wait your turn. That did it ! I left the shop with the 10 and a clear conscience.I had meant to correct the error before leaving, but she wou

51、ld not let me. On the other hand Unit 5 MR A letter from the school counsellorThe school counsellor wrote a letter of reply tothe students who sent her letters this week.Lincoln High School News5 May 2007Counsellor s CornerDear studentsI am pleased to read your letters. You all seem very honest. How

52、ever, you hesitated and showed a lack of courage in these unexpected situations. That is why you all have guilty consciences.The best remedy for a guilty conscience is to make the situation right.In the case of the flowerpot falling from thewindow, while the police let the boy go, everyone probably

53、still thinks the boy did it. Making things right means your friend should go to the police and tell them the truth. Then she needs to go to the boy and apologize. You must persuade her to do this.In the case of the three tough guys, you can try contacting the transport police. Maybe they can watch f

54、or these guys and stop them before they hur someone else.In the case of the rude checkout assistant, the money does not belong to you it belongs to the supermarket. You need to go to the supermarket manager and return the 10.I regret to say it is not always easy to do the right thing. However, it is

55、 not right to let others suffer for our mistakes. Since you all seem to be good students, I know you will do your best.If you have any questionso r need any more advice, do not forget to visit me in my office.Thanks for your letters.Sincerely yours,Ms Robbins, School CounsellorUnit 6 Reading Points

56、of viewAre TV commercials for children bad or good? Read this opinion article from a newspaper, followed by cuttings from the Letters to the Editor section, to see both sides.Little Spenders are Big SpendersThe latest target for TV commercials is Asia s fastest growing consmer group children.Asian f

57、amilies are getting smaller and wealthier, and Asian children are watching more TV. One estimate says a typical Asian child sees more than 10,000 minutes of TV commercials a year.To get the attention (and the money) of these young viewers, commercials use child actors. Kids can identify with someone

58、 from their own age group, s ays one advertiser, so the commercials are more effective. Of course, childactors earn big money.Not everyone is happy to se kids turned into consumers. Some educators believe that themore TV commercials children watch, the more materialistic they become. One Japanese su

59、rvey asked children,What do you want most in life?Twenty percent said money or possessions.For these reasons, governments are taking action to protect children. Television authorities, for example, would ban an advertisement if it made children feel inferior because they did not own the advertised p

60、roduct.Bad for childrenWith reference to your LittleS penders are Big Spenders ar ticle, children should not be used as actors in TV commercials. It is illegal for them to work in factories, so why are they allowed to make commercials? Regarding the high salaries, it is bad for children to have too