自學(xué)考試綜合英語二 課文

1、Twelve Things I Wish They Taug ht at School1.I attended junior and senior high school, public institution in New York and New Jersey, just after the Second World War. It seems a long time ago. The facilities and skillsof

2、 the teachers were probably well above average for the United States at that time. Since then, I've learned a great deal. One of the most important thing I’ve learned is how much there is to learn, and how much I don

3、't yet know. Sometimes I think how grateful I would be today if I had learned more back then about what really matter. In some respects educations is terribly narrow; the only thing I ever learned in school about Nap

4、oleons was that the United States made a Louisiana Purchase from him (On a planet where some 95% of the inhabitants are not Americans, the only history that was thought worth teaching was American history.) In spelling,

5、 grammar, the fundamentals of math, and other vital subjects, my teachers did a pretty good job. But there's no much else I wish they'd taught us.2.Perhaps all the deficiencies have since been rectified. It seems

6、 to me there are many things (often more a matter of attitude and perception than the simple memorization of facts) that the schools should teach ——things that truly would be useful in later life, useful in making a stro

7、nger country and a better world, but useful also in making people happier. Human beings enjoy learning. That's one of the few things that we do better than the other species on our planet. Every student should regula

8、rly experience the “Aha!“——when something you never understood, or something you never knew was mystery becomes clear.3.So here's my list:Pick a difficult thing and learn it well4.The Greek philosopher Socrates said

9、this was one of the greatest of human joys, and it is. While you learn a little bit about many subjects, make sure you learn a great deal about one or two. It hardly matters what the subject is, as long as it deeply inte

10、rests you, and you place it in its broader human context. After you teach yourself one subject, you become much more confident about your ability to teach yourself another. You gradually find you've acquired a key sk

11、ill. The world is changing so rapidly that you must continue to teach yourself throughout your life. But don't get trapped by the first subject that interests you, or the first thing you find yourself good at. The wo

12、rld is full of wonders, and some of them we don't discover until we're all grow up. Most of them. sadly , we never discover.Don't be afraid to ask “stupid“ questions.5.Many apparently naive inquiries like wh

13、y grass is green, or why the Sun is round, or 10.You know what I'm Talking about.Culture.11.Gain some exposure to the great works of literature, art and music. If such a work is hundreds or thousands of years old and

14、 is still admired, there is probably something to it. Like all deep experiences, it may take a little work on your part to discover what all the fuss is about. But once you make the effort, your life has changed; you&#

15、39;ve acquired a source of enjoyment and excitement for the rest of your days. In a world as tightly connected as ours is, don't restrict your attention to American or western culture. Learn how and what people elsew

16、here think. Learn something of their history, their religion, their viewpoints.Compassion12.Many people believe that we live in an extraordinarily selfish time. But there is a hollowness, a loneliness that comes from liv

17、ing only for yourself. Humans are capable of great mutual compassion, love and tenderness. These feelings, however, need encouragement to grow.13.Look at the delight a one-or two- year old takes in learning, and you see

18、how powerful is the human will to learn. Our passion to understand the universe and our compassion for others jointly provide the chief hope for the human race.Lesson two IconsHeroes and Cultural Icons Gray Grosgrain I

19、f you were asked to list ten American heroes and heroines, you would probably name some or all of the following : George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Boone, Martin Luther King Jr., Amelia Earhart, Susan B. Anthony

20、, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Helen Keller, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Rosa Parks. If next you were asked to list people who are generally admired by society, who somehow seem bigger than life, you might come up with an

21、 entirely different list. You might, in fact, name people who are celebrated for their wealth and glamour rather than their achievements and moral strength of character. And you would not be alone, because pollsters have

22、 found that people today do not choose political leaders who shape history for their “Most Admired” list, but rather movie and television celebrities, fashion models, professional athletes, and even comic book and cartoo