大英3summaryUNIT11.1catchingcrabsInthefallofourfinalyear,ourmoodchanged.Peergrouppressuretoworkhardwasstrong.Meanwhile,themostimportantthingforuswaswhatwewoulddonextaftergraduation.Myfatherwantedmetogotolawschool,butIwantedtotravel,aswellastobeawriter.SoIhavetobracemyselfforsomeresistancetohisidea,.However,hesupportedbuthemademethinkaboutitbywatchingthecrabs.Thecagewasfullofcrabs.Oneofthemwastryingtoescape,buteachtimeitreachedthetoptheothercrabspulleditback.Intheenditgaveupescapingandstartedtopreventothercrabsfromescaping.Bywatchingcrabs,myfathertoldmenottobepulledbackbyothers,andtogettoknowmyselfbetter.1.2WearealldyingLifeisshort.Weneverquiteknowwhenwebecomecoffindwellersortrampledashintherosegardenofsomelocalceremony.Sothere’snopointinputtingourdreamsonthebackburneruntiltherighttimearrives.Nowisthetimetodowhatwewanttodo.Makethebestofourshortstay.Andifyoudon’tlikeyourjob,justturntoanotherone.Besides,thereisnotimelikepresent.Weshouldmakebestuseofourtime,sothatwhenthereaperarrives,we’achievedmuchinsteadofregrets.UNIT22.1supermanWhenthewarbegan,theauthorwasinthefifthgradeintheAnnieF.ItwasalsothewinterthatshewasawinneroftheprizefordrawingthebestCivilDefensesigns,livedbyanairport.ShethoughtherUncleFrankboreresemblancetoSuperman.Inherimagination,theairportwasherMeccaandJerusalembecauseofherflyingdreams.Supermanfulfilledherdreamatthemoment.DavidStirling,abookishboy,alsoworshipSuperman.Duringtherecessatschool,heandtheauthorplayedSupermangames.Comparedwiththeirschool-mateswhoplayedtheroutinegames,theyfelttheywereoutlawsbuthadasenseofwindysuperiority.Theyalsofoundastand-in,SheldonFein,wholaterinventedtortures.UNIT33.1howwelistenWealllistentomusicaccordingtoourseparatecapacities.Forthesakeofclarify,wesplituptheprocessoflisteningtomusicintothreehypotheticalplanes.Firstly,thesensuousplane.Itisakindofbrainlessbutattractivestateofmindengenderedbythesoundappealofthemusic.Thesecondplaneistheexpressiveone.Itiswhenwebelieveeachpieceofmusichasatheme,whichmirrorsadifferentworldoffeeling.Thirdly,themusicalplane.Itisveryimportantforallofustobecomemorealivetomusiconitssheerlymuscialplane.Itistheabilitytoexperiencedifferentmusicalelements,suchasmelodies,therhythms,theharmonies,thetonecolorsetc.Weusuallylistentomusiconallthreeplanes.3.2themysteryofGirlwithaPearlEarringThepaintingGirlwithaPearlEarringisoneofDutchpainterJohannesVermeer’smasterworks.Itshowsastrikingyoungwomanwearinganexoticcostumeandaturban,peeringoverhershoulderstraightoutattheviewer.Therewerelotsofmysteryaboutthispainting.Asthenameimplies,itusesapearlearringforafocalpoint.IthasbeenreferredtoastheMonaLisaofthenorth,because,likeLeonardodaVinci’painting,itsappearstobeasimplelikenessofawomanwithanenigmaticsmile,yetwhichcontainslevelsofmeaningsandquestions.Andthepaintinghasbeenthethemeofanovelandafilm.UNIT44.1workincorporateAmericaIntoday’Americansjobsarenotwhattheyusedtobe.ItishardtovisualizewhatworkisincorporateAmerica.Whenafatherwasaskedabouthisjob,hecouldanswerintermsthatachildcouldcometogripswith.Nowadays,whentheparenttakehisoffspringtohisplaceofbusinessinglassbuildingsthatarereallyhardtounderstand.What’smore,it’ssafebetthatevengrownmenhavetroublevisualizingwhatothermendoesintheirjobswithhisday.Therefore,it’snotdifficulttoimagineapoorchildmayanswer”mullingover”afteritbeatsmethemysteriesofwork,whenhisfriendsaskshimofhisfather’sjob.4.2oursupposedlyexcitingtimesarereallyratherdullLivinginaworldofunprecedentedchange,thereareneverbeenanythingquitelikeit.However,wearejustignorantaboutdeeperhistoricalpatterns,takeglobalizationforexample,fromhistoricalcontextpointofview,theworldisalmostmeaningless.WesimplydonotliveinaageofgreattechnologicalinnovationforallourenthusiasmaboutinternetandiPod.Withstaggering90percentofallwebtrafficislocal,wearealwaysbetoldtheInternethasup”theworld.AstheChinesecurseruns“Mayyouliveininterestingtimes”,itcanbringchaoanxietyintheinthewake.EvenanEnglishmanbornin1865wouldhaveseenchangesthemagnitudeofwhichwecanhardlyimagine.UNIT55.1dinneratJoanne’sJoshwasmeetingJoRogers,thesenior.AndhecametoJoanne’s,afamousrestaurantwhichtherearealwayslotsoffamouspeople.Whenhearrivesinthecrowdedandexpensiverestaurant,theheadwaitermakeshimsitintheleastcomfortableplace,eventhoughatablehasbeenbookedforhimanda“MsRogers”.WhenMsRogersarrives,thewaiterrealizesthatsheisawell-knownSenator;andMsRogerrealizesthatherfriendhasbeentreatedbadlybecauseofthecolorofhisskin.Thewaiterrealizeshismistaketoo,andtriestomakeupforit,butitate.’stool5.2wetheyThewriterusesstoriesaboutdoingbusinesstoillustratethedifferencesbetweenanindividualistandacollectivist.Theyhavedifferentconceptsoftheroleofpersonalrelationshipsinbusiness.TheSwedesbelievethebusinessisdonewithacompanywhiletheSaudisthinkitshouldbedonewithapersontheyknowandtrust.Collectivisttheindividualistaredifferent.Inthemostcollectivistsocieties,thefamiliesareusuallyextendedfamilieswhileintheindividualistsocieties,nuclearfamiliesareprevalent.Peopleconsiderthemselvesaspartofagroupinthecollectivistsocieties.Incontrast,theindividualistthinkofthemselvesastheirpersonalidentity.Apracticalandpsychologicaldependencerelationshipdevelopsbetweenthepersonandthein-groupinthecollectivistsocieties.However,rarelydopeopledependonagroupintheindividualistsocieties.UNIT66.1LastmandownThetextfromLastMaDownoffersaneyewitnessaccountofdefininghistoricaleventof9/11attackfromtheperspectiveofRichardPicciotto,afirefighter.Whentheeventhappened,therewasn’tmuchtimeforhimtothink.Thebuildingwasshockingandmanypeoplewasindanger.Hefumbledforsomefixforthesituation.Hetriedtocalmdownandtosaveotherpeople.Hisstoryisthatofaman,ahero,andatragiceventthatinspiredthenation.Hisrecountisndeathanddestruction,butacelebrationoflifeandit’sunpredictableAndthebooknaturehe.wrotebecameanimmediatebest-seller.6.2EleanorRooseveltThepassageoffersaherowhocontrastswithbravefirefighters.Thistimesheisawomanofpowerandprevilegewhostillwantedtodevoteherselftothesuccessshebelievedin.Livinginamale-dominatedworld,EleanorRooseveltshowedgrowingconcernforwomen’sissues,alongwiththoseforlaborissues,youthandcivilrightsissues.EleanorcreatednewFirstLadyprofile.Sheheldapressconferenceforthefemaleonly.ShewasagreatsupporterforFDR,herwheel-boundhusband,whosecareerastheUSpresidentofferedheropportunitytocomeintoherown.AfterFDR’sdeparture,shestillheldpublicpoststouseherpowertoherbeliefs.AnnaEleanorRooseveltneverranonaparwithmen,shesettheplace.7.1Eventhemostrationalpersoncanbeconvincedattimesthatthereisaforceouttheremakingmishapsoccurattheworstpossibletime.WeallliketobelievethatMurphy’sLawistrue.Thereisaverycloseconnectionbetweenpeople’sperceptionofbadluckandinterestingcoincidences.Aparticulareventmayonlybeamisfortunebecauseofthecircumstances.Whenpeopleareinbadluck,theyarealwaysgladtolookfortheexamplesprovethetheoryandignorethosewhichdon’t.Besides,peoplealwayshaveselectivememorywhereanunfaircomparisonismadebetweengoodandbad.