新标准大学英语三unit10 第一篇文章 课件

1、Text Urban myths or Urban legends?1 London has the most extensive network of underground tunnels in the world. But for some inhabitants, the tunnels are more than just convenient they live in them. The London Subterraneans are a race of people who live beneath the streets. Theyre human, but they don

2、t speak English, and they have their own customs. Occasionally, a few of them come to the surface. They only appear at night through the drains in a dark backstreet, and if they hear footsteps, they hide in a dark alleyway and only come out when its quiet again. And before sunrise, they go back unde

3、r ground. Very few Londoners have seen them, but the friend of a friend has seen them several times. Text 2 True story? Probably not. Its a classic example of whats called in many languages an urban myth. An urban myth is a story you hear by word of mouth. It usually describes something which might

4、have happened, an apocryphal, second-hand story told as if it were true, just about plausible enough to be credible, about some event which has supposedly happened to a real person. Factual or not, its likely to rely on expert storytelling and on a trustworthy source, such as It happened to my broth

5、ers friends mother.Text 3 However, some academics claim that urban myths are not really myths. According to them, a myth is a story which held some religious or spiritual significance for those who told it or listened in the past to it, and which contributed to the expression of shared beliefs and v

6、alues. However improbable a myth might be, its always true for those who belong to that culture from which the myth comes.Text 4 So should we use the term urban myths? Lets look at one of the most durable of urban myths, The Vanishing Hitchhiker. The basic story is that of a driver alone at night on

7、 a dark, country road, who sees a young woman hitchhiking. The driver stops and offers her a lift. Soon the driver drops the hitchhiker off at her destination, and they say goodbye. But its only when the driver stops later that he realizes the young woman has left behind a coat with her wallet, or s

8、ometimes an old envelope in the pocket. He then goes to the address to return the coat.Text An old woman opens the door of the house, and the driver explains what has happened. It turns out that the coat does belong to the old womans daughter, but she was killed several years before on the same stre

9、tch of road where the driver picked her up. That day was the anniversary of the accident.Text 5 In fact, like many myths, this story can be traced back to some time before the cars and roads of the 20th or 21st centuries, and to other countries or regions such as Sweden or East Africa. It also has o

10、ther features common to the myth in its traditional sense. As we have already seen, its a story for those people who want to believe in it, and who share the same cultural values. It has been told and retold many times over the years, gathering embellishments which are specific to the culture in whi

11、ch its set. Finally, its enjoyable, exciting and captivating to the listeners.Text 6 Another well-known urban myth is about the baby alligators which parents on their return from Florida bring home to their children in New York. As the alligators grow in size, they are no longer cute and the parents

12、 have to dispose of them down the toilet. But some of them survive, and as a result there are full-grown alligators living under the streets of Manhattan.Text 7 This is also a myth in that it describes something of the geography of a city or a region, warning of possible dangers. In Greek mythology,

13、 Odysseus sails between Scylla and Charybdis, the narrow and dangerous channel between mainland Italy and the island of Sicily. In the same way, the story of the alligators warns New Yorkers of the dangers which they may face when they use the subway.Text 8 Urban myths can also be a morality or “cau

14、tionary” tale. One of the best-known is the story of the man sitting in a hotel bar. Another person offers to buy him a drink. The next thing the man knows is that hes sitting in his hotel bath, with his body submerged in ice. On the wall is a note telling him not to move, but to call 911.Text The o

15、perator, who is familiar with the situation, tells him to move very slowly, and to feel his lower back. If theres a tube protruding from it, it means that the mans kidney has been removed and sold to be transplanted. The moral of the story is: Be careful of anyone who offers to buy you a drink!Text

16、9 Similarly, traditional myths show people how to behave appropriately in their societies. Gods act in such a way as to set the people a good example. Human beings behave nobly and courageously. Sometimes a human hero may be based on a real person, but may become a god because of his noble actions.T

17、ext 10 In recent years, we have seen the rise of the urban myths which are not circulated orally, but by email, in the form of messages, usually about a virus which can wipe out your hard drive. Its usually recognizable by the warnings of dire consequences if you dont pass on the message to others,

18、and by the use of CAPITAL LETTERS and exclamation marks! There are also web rumours which are based on the merest minor fact or speculation, and which passed around the Web, gathering further fictitious evidence to support them.Text 11 But is this a myth? No, not in the traditional sense. In fact, a

19、 more accurate word for it would be a hoax, something which appears true but turns out to be false and deliberately misleading. True myths are always benign in their intentions.Text 12 Urban myths have the characteristics common to all myths: They often record events, people believe in them, they ha

20、ve been passed on by word of mouth and exaggerated, they often contain a moral or warn of possible dangers in particular situations or contexts, and they advise people what to do or how to behave. In their way, for listeners in the 21st century, they are just as real as the myths of the Greeks, Roma

21、ns, Celts, Vikings, Mesopotamians and Chinese from years gone by.Text 13 But the one difference is that true myths always feature gods or heroic near-gods, or stories about the creation of the world and its natural phenomena, such as lightning or sacred mountains.14 In contrast, urban myths are more

22、 mundane. The London Subterraneans are far from god-like, neither the hitchhiker nor the driver is heroic, the New York alligators dont symbolize natural phenomena, and while the story of the hapless businessman may be a cautionary tale, it hardly acts as a model for heroic behaviour.Text 15 So in c

23、onclusion, the urban myth is not a myth at all, but a legend, which is a story about the more recent past, and is based on historical events and human heroes, or fairies, witches or other fictitious characters. The urban myth is only a myth in the secondary sense of the word: something which turns o

24、ut to be untrue.Text 都市神话还是都市传奇？1 伦敦有着世界上最为庞大的地下隧道网络。但是对某些伦敦居民来说，隧道不仅仅给他们的生活提供了便利他们还以此为家。伦敦地下人是生活在街道下面的一族。 他们属于人类，却不会说英语，他们有自己的风俗习惯。他们中的个别人偶尔也会到地面上来。他们只有在晚上才会从一条黑魆魆的偏僻街道的下水道里钻出来，到地面上活动，而且一听到脚步声，他们就会躲到黑暗的小巷子里藏身，直到没有了动静才出来。日出之前，他们又会回到地下。没有几个伦敦人真正见过他们，但是某人的朋友的朋友曾经见过他们好几次。Text 2 这是真事吗？很可能不是。这是在很多语言中被称为都

25、市神话的一个典型例子。都市神话是你通过口口相传听来的故事，讲述的是一些可能发生过的事情，一个杜撰的，从别处听来的故事，却被当作真事来讲，听起来像真的似的。不论是真是假，都市神话依赖的是讲故事的技巧以及来源的可靠性，比如“这件事发生在我弟弟的朋友的母亲的身上。”Text 3 但是，有一些学者认为都市神话并非真正的神话。在他们看来，神话故事对于讲故事和过去听故事的人来说都有某种宗教或精神层面的意义，而且神话帮助人们表达共同的信仰和价值观。不管一个神话看上去是多么匪夷所思，对于那些从属于这些文化的人来说，它们永远是真实可信的。Text 4 那么我们该不该用“都市神话”这个术语呢？ 让我们来看一下经久

26、不衰的都市神话之一：“消失的搭车客”。故事的大概是：一个司机独自开车行驶在漆黑的乡村公路上，他看到一位年轻女子在路边要搭车。司机停下来，让她上了车。很快司机就把她送到了目的地，他们相互道别。可直到后来停车时司机才发现，这个年轻女子落了一件外套在车上，兜里还装着一个钱包，有的故事是兜里装着个旧信封。于是他按照钱包里或信封上的地址把外套送回去。Text 一位老妇人开了门，司机向她讲述了事情的经过。原来，这件外套是老妇人女儿的，而她的女儿已经在几年前的车祸中去世了，车祸的地点正是司机让她上车的那个地方。那一天也正是车祸的周年纪念日。Text 5 事实上，和许多别的神话一样，这个故事可以追溯到20世纪

27、或是21世纪的汽车和公路出现之前的其他国家和地区，比如瑞典和东非。这个故事还具有传统神话所共有的其他一些特征。正如我们所看到的，这个故事是讲给那些愿意相信它并持有相同的文化价值观的人听的。多年以来，这个故事被人们讲了又讲，在不同的地方还被添加了专属于各地文化的一些元素。最后，这个故事变得好玩、刺激，引人入胜。Text 6 另外一个很出名的都市神话是关于佛罗里达小短吻鳄鱼的故事，大人们去佛罗里达度假，回纽约的时候会给孩子们带几条小鳄鱼。后来短吻鳄越长越大，不像小时候那么可爱了。大人们只好把它们扔进抽水马桶里冲掉。但是其中一些短吻鳄活了下来，所以现在有一些成年短吻鳄在纽约曼哈顿街区下面游荡。Tex

28、t 7 这也是一个神话，因为它描绘了一个城市或地区的地理状况，提醒人们注意某些潜在的危险。在希腊神话中，奥德修斯在意大利大陆和西西里岛之间狭窄而危险的海峡里航行，前有女海妖斯库拉，后有海妖卡律布狄斯。短吻鳄的故事也同样是要提醒纽约人，坐地铁的时候要注意安全。Text 8 都市神话也可以是道德故事或是“警示”故事。这其中最有名的是，一个男子坐在旅馆的酒吧间喝酒，有一个人请他喝了一杯。等他醒来的时候，发现自己躺在房间的浴缸里，身子被埋在冰块下面。墙上贴了一张纸条告诉他不要乱动，立刻打911。Text 接线员遇到过很多这样的情况，让他去摸一下后背下部，动作一定要缓慢。如果脊部插着一根管子，那就说明他

29、的肾被人摘走了，卖掉供人移植了。这个故事的寓意是：如果有人请你喝酒，你一定要提高警惕。Text 9 同样，传统神话也告诉人们在各自的社会中应该如何恰当地为人处事。在神话中，神之所以如此行事，是要为人类树立一个好榜样。神话中人的行为高尚且勇敢。有时候神话中的人类英雄在历史上可能确有其人，可能正因为他们的高尚行为而变成了神。Text 10 近年来， 越来越多的都市神话不是通过口口相传，而是通过电子邮件的形式广为流传的，这些邮件通常是告诉大家要小心某一种病毒，它会删除你硬盘里的文件。通常只要看到那种“如果不把这封信转发给别人，就会有灾难性的后果”的警告，而且用了很多大写字母和惊叹号，你就知道这是一个

30、都市神话。还有很多网络传言，它们对一些微不足道的小细节添油加醋，或者是捕风捉影，在流传过程中加入了越来越多的虚假证据，以证明它们的真实性。Text 11 但这是神话吗？不是，不是传统意义上的神话。事实上，有一个更为准确的词“骗局”，就是一些看上去是真的，而最终发现是假的，并且是用来故意误导人的东西。真正的神话其动机总是善意的。Text 12 都市神话具有所有神话所共有的一些特征：它们通常记录了一些事件，人们相信它们的真实性，它们以口头形式代代相传，并且被逐渐夸大，它们通常包含一个道德寓意，或是警示某种特定情形或情况下可能存在的危险，它们告诉人们应该做什么、怎么做。从形式上看，对于21世纪的听众

31、来说，它们和希腊、罗马、凯尔特、维京、美索不达米亚以及中国的神话一样真实可信。Text 13 但不同的是，真正的神话里总是有神或者接近神的英雄人物，有的神话讲述了创造世界和世界上的一些自然现象，如雷电、圣山之类的。14 与之相反，都市神话更为世俗化。伦敦的地下人和神灵没有半点关系，那个搭车客和司机也不是什么英雄，纽约的短吻鳄不代表什么自然现象，那个倒霉的商人的故事虽然是警示性的，但也绝对说不上是为英雄行为树立了榜样。Text 15 总之，都市神话根本就不是神话，它是一种传奇，讲述一些新近发生的事情，故事是依据历史事件和人类英雄，或者仙女、女巫及其他的虚构人物来编排的。都市神话中的神话这个词我们

32、只能从它的次要意项去理解：一些并非真实的东西。Text Words & Phrasesmythsubterraneanbackstreetfootstepalleywayapocryphalcrediblemoralitymythologydisposealligatorcaptivatingembellishmenthitchhikewarningrecognizableorallycourageouslynoblyappropriatelytransplantstorytellingdurablehitchhikerkidneyprotrudesubmergeexclamation mar

33、kexclamationdireWords & PhrasesrumourspeculationfictitioushoaxdeliberatelymisleadingmisleaduntruesecondarywitchfairycautionaryhaplesssymbolizebenigncreationsacredWords & Phrasesby word of mouthdrop sb. offleave sth. behindwipe outWords & PhrasesLondoner 伦敦人Odysseus 奥德修斯Scylla 锡拉岩礁Charybdis 卡律布狄斯漩涡Si

34、cily 西西里岛New Yorker 纽约人Celt 凯尔特人Mesopotamian 美索不达米亚人myth n. C an ancient traditional story about gods, heroes, and magic 神话e.g. 1. Nobody believes in the myth about human beings becoming immortals. 谁也不相信人能成仙的神话。2. These are the heroes of Greek myths. 这些是希腊神话中的英雄。Words & Phrasessubterranean 1) a. exi

35、sting, occurring, or done under the surface of the earth 存在于地面下的；地底下发生的；在地下进行的 e.g. The prisoners escaped through the subterranean passages. 囚犯们从地下通道逃走了。2) n. C people who live under the surface of the earth 生活在地下的人；在地下工作的人e.g. The miners are a group of subterraneans, they work more than 10 hours su

36、bterraneanly every day. 矿工是一群地下工作者，他们每天在地下工作10小时以上。Words & Phrasesbackstreet n. C a small street in a town or city; a minor street away from the main roads 偏僻街道；小巷；后街e.g.1. We took a short cut through the backstreets of Kings Cross. 我们从金斯路口的后街抄了近道。2. The Backstreet Boys is a very famous American ban

37、d. 后街男孩是美国著名的乐队。Words & Phrasesfootstep n. C (usu pl) the sound that ones feet make when he is walking 脚步声e.g. I heard my husbands footsteps coming up the stairs. 我听到我丈夫上楼的脚步声。follow in someones footsteps: do the same work or achieve the same success as someone else 仿效某人, 步某人的后尘e.g. He followed in h

38、is fathers footsteps and became a doctor. 他子承父业，也成为一名医生。Words & Phrasesalleyway n. C (also alley) a narrow street or passage between or behind buildings 小巷；小街e.g. The attack occurred in a dark alleyway. 袭击发生在一条昏暗的小巷子里。Synonym:alley, backstreetWords & Phrasesapocryphal a. probably not true, but belie

39、ved by a lot of people to be true 不足凭信的；可疑的；杜撰的e.g.1. Most of the stories about his private life are probably apocryphal. 大多数有关他私生活的传言都可能是子虚乌有的。2. We all heard the apocryphal story about the former president. 我们都听说了关于前总统的流传甚广但不足为信的报道。Words & Phrasescredible a. able to be believed or trusted 可信的；可靠的e

40、.g.1. Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent? 是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法?2. The news report is hardly credible. 这则新闻报道令人难以置信。Word family: credibility n. credibly ad. Antonym: incredibleWords & Phrasesstorytelling n. U to tell a story; the art of telling a story 讲故事；说书；讲故事（或说书）的技艺e.g. Storyt

41、elling is one of the earliest forms of folk art. 说书是民间艺术最早的一种形式。 Words & Phrasesdurable a. 1) continuing to exist or work for a long time, even if the situation changes 持久的；永久的e.g. 1. We believe a durable peace can be achieved. 我们相信可以实现持久的和平。2. Finding a durable solution will not be easy. 找到一个永久的解决方

42、法不是件容易的事。 2) able to stay in good condition for a long time and after being used a lot 耐用的e.g. This raincoat is made of very durable material. 这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。 Words & Phraseshitchhiker n. C people who travel by asking other people to take them in their car, by standing at the side of a road and hol

43、ding out their thumb or a sign（站在路边竖起拇指或牌子要求）搭便车旅行的人e.g. 1. He picked up two hitchhikers at the entrance to the motorway. 在高速公路入口，他让两个免费搭车旅行者搭了他的车。 2. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series. 银河系漫游指南是系列科幻喜剧。See also: hitchhike.Words & Phraseshitchhike vi. travel by ask

44、ing other people to take you in their car, by standing at the side of a road and holding out your thumb or a sign （站在路边竖起拇指或牌子要求）搭便车旅行e.g. I was told that the boy hitchhiked all the way home. 我听说这个男孩一路搭便车回到家。 See also: hitchhiker.Words & Phrasesembellishment n. C, U 1) a detail added to a story to m

45、ake it more interesting, especially one that is not completely true, or the process of doing this（用以渲染故事的）细节，润饰e.g. 1. His articles are natural and without embellishment. 他的文章不事雕琢，自然质朴。2. He wished to strip his own use of language of inessentials, ridding it of all traces of verbosity, embellishment

46、, and sentimentality. 他希望削去自己文章里一切不必要的字句，彻底去除累赘、装饰，以及滥情的词语。 Words & Phrases2) a decoration added to sth. in order to make it more beautiful, or the process of doing this 装饰物；装饰e.g. Leather treatments will distinguish handbags, which feature less embellishment than last years styles. 与去年的风格相比，手包的装饰更少

47、，全以皮革的处理度来加以区分。 Word family: embellish v.e.g.1. The events of his life were heavily embellished by his biographers. 他的生平事迹已被传记作家们添油加醋地大加渲染。2. The ceiling was embellished with cherubs. 天花板上装饰着小天使的图案。Words & Phrasescaptivating a. very interesting or attractive in a way that takes all ones attention 迷人

48、的e.g. 1. Her smile is very captivating. 她的笑容极其迷人。2. It seemed as if nature had also seized the moment to assume her mildest and most captivating form. 大自然似乎也抓紧这一时刻，来表现一下自己那最最温柔、最最迷人的姿态。 Word family:captivate v.captivation n. Words & Phrasesalligator n. C a large reptile with a long tail, four short

49、legs, a long pointed mouth, and sharp teeth that lives in parts of the US and China. Alligators are amphibious (=they can live both in water and on land), and they are closely related to crocodiles 短吻鳄（水陆两栖爬行动物）e.g. An Australian Blue heeler dog which fought off an alligator to protect its elderly o

50、wner in Florida has been honoured with a Dog Hero of the Year award. 在美国佛罗里达州，一只澳大利亚布卢赫勒犬为保护其年迈的主人而与一只短吻鳄捕斗，被授予“本年度狗英雄奖”。 Words & Phrasesdispose v. ( of) 1) get rid of by throwing away or giving or selling to someone else 丢掉；处理 e.g. The waste is disposed of in the North Sea. 废物被扔入北海。2) remove someth

51、ing such as a problem by dealing with it successfully 应付，解决，处理问题等e.g. 1. There just remains the matter of funding to dispose of. 余下的只有资金问题需要解决。2. Most complaints can be disposed of pretty quickly. 大多数投诉都能迅速得到处理。Words & Phrases3) kill; destroy 杀死；毁掉 e.g. Her lover came up with hundreds of schemes for

52、 disposing of her husband. 她的情人想出了许多干掉她丈夫的计划。4) defeat someone in a game, competition etc. 战胜；打败e.g. The league champions quickly disposed of the opposition. 联赛冠军很快打败了对手。Word family:disposal n. Words & Phrasesmythology n. C, U a collection of ancient myths, especially those of a particular country o

53、r religion（尤指某个国家或宗教的）神话，神话集e.g.1. The history of Athens is tied to mythology. 雅典的历史与神话密不可分。2. Ganesa was the god of wisdom and success in Hindu mythology.3. This is a book discussing Jewish and Christian mythologies.Word family:mythological a. mythologist n. Words & Phrases在印度神话中，象头神是智慧和成功之神。这是一本讨论

54、犹太教和基督教神话的书。morality n. U principles of right or wrong behaviour; a particular system of values and principles of conduct, especially one held by a specified person or society 道德；（尤指特定社会或人的）道德观e.g. 1. We should strengthen professional morality study. 我们应该加强职业道德研究。2. Behind all the arguments lies the

55、 issue of the morality of the possession of nuclear weapons. 引起所有这些争论的问题是拥有核武器是否道德。Word family: moral a. & n. Words & Phrasessubmerge vt. 1) put sth. completely under water 使没入水中；使浸没；淹没e.g. The river overflowed and submerged the farmland. 河水泛滥，淹没了农田。2) completely cover or obscure 湮没；湮灭；使完全消失e.g. 1.

56、The tensions submerged earlier in the campaign now came to the fore. 竞选初期湮没的紧张局势现在突现了。2 She found her individuality was submerged by family life. Words & Phrases她发现自己的个性已经湮没在家庭生活中。protrude vi. be further forward than the rest of sth. 凸出；伸出e.g.1. The envelop was protruding from her bag. 信封从她包里露了出来。2.

57、 Something like a fin protruded from the water. 一种像鳍的东西伸出水面。3. The child protruded his tongue. 那小孩伸出舌头。 Word family:protrusion n. protrusive a. Words & Phraseskidney n. C one of the two organs in ones body that clean ones blood, make urine and remove waste 肾；肾脏e.g. 1. She got a very serious kidney s

58、tone. 她有很严重的肾结石。2. A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure to place a healthy kidney from a donor into a person whose kidneys no longer function properly. 肾移植就是将供体健康的肾移植给肾脏丧失功能者的外科手术。 Words & Phrasestransplant vt. & n. 1) vt. take an organ from one persons body and put it into another persons bo

59、dy 移植（器官）e.g. Organs are transplanted from donors into patients who need them. 器官从捐献者身上移植到所需病人的体内。2) vt. take a plant out of the ground and put it in a different place 移植；移种e.g. They are transplanting the flowers to the garden. 他们正在把花移植到花园里。Some diseases are _ by certain water animals. (CET4-2000-01

60、-48)A) transplantedB) transformedC) transportedD) transmittedWords & PhrasesD3) n. a medical operation in which a new organ is put into someones body. The organ is taken from the body of another person, especially someone who has just died, who is called a donor （器官）移植e.g. 1. There is a shortage of