高中英语课外阅读文章

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ONE

At sixty-five Francis Chichester set out to sail single-handed round the world. This is the story of that adventure.

Sailing Round the World

Before he sailed round the world single-handed, Francis Chichester had already surprised his friends several times. He had tried to fly round the world but failed. That was in 1931.

The years passed. He gave up flying and began sailing. He enjoyed it greatly. Chichester was already 58 years old when he won the first solo transatlantic sailing race. His old dream of going round the world came back, but this time he would sail. His friends and doctors did not think he could do it, as he had lung cancer. But Chichester was determined to carry out his plan. In August, 1963, at the age of nearly sixty-five, an age when many men retire, he began the greatest voyage of his life. Soon, he was away in this new 16-metre boat, Gipsy Moth.

Chichester followed the route of the great nineteenth century clipper ships. But the clippers had had plenty of crew. Chicheater did it all by himself, even after the main steering device had been damaged by gales. Chichester covered 14, 100 miles before stopping in Sydney, Australia. This was more than twice the distance anyone had previously sailed alone.

He arrived in Australia on 12 December, just 107 days out from England. He received a warm welcome from the Australians and from his family who had flown there to meet him. On shore, Chichester could not walk without help. Everybody said the same thing: he had done enough; he must not go any further. But he did not listen.

After resting in Sydney for a few weeks, Chichester set off once more in spite of his friends' attempts to dissuade him. The second half of his voyage was by far the more dangerous part, during which he sailed round the treacherous Cape Horn.

On 29 January he left Australia. The mext night, the blackest he had ever known, the sea became so rough that the boat almost turned over. Food, clothes, and broken glass were all mixed together. Fortunately, bed and went to sleep. When he woke up, the sea had become calm the nearest person he could contact by radio, unless there was a ship nearby, Wild be on an island 885 miles away.

After succeeding in sailing round Cape Horn, Chichester sent the followiing radio message to London:" I feel as if I had wakened from a nightmare. Wild horses could not drag me down to Cape Horn and that sinister Southern Ocean again."

Juat before 9 o'clock on Sunday evening 28 May, 1967, he aeeived back in England, where a quarter of a million people were waiting to welcome him. Queeh Elizabeth II knigthed him with the very sword that Queen Elizabeth I had sailed round the world for the first time. The whole voyage from England and back had covered 28, 500 miles. It had taken him nine months , of which the sailing time was 226 days. He had done what he wanted to accomplish.

Like many other adventurers, Chichester had experienced fear and conquered it. In doing so, he had undoubtedly learnt something about himself. Moreover, in the modern age when human beings depend so much on machines, he had given men throughout the world new pride.

　NEW WORDS

single-handed a & ad. (done) by one person alone 单独的(地)

adventure n. 冒险(活动)

solo a. single-handed 单独的

transatlantic a. crossing the Atlantic Ocean 横度大西洋

lung n. part of the body with which one breathes 肺

cancer n. 癌

determined a. with one's mind firmly made up 下定了决心的` determine v. determination n.

retire vi. stop working at one's job(because of age) 退休

voyage n. sea journey 航海;航行

route n. way from one place to another 路线

clipper n. 快速帆船

crew n. group of people who work together on a ship or aeroplane 全体船员;全体乘务员

steer vt. make (esp. a boat or road vehicle) go in a particular direction 为...撑舵

device n. a piece of equipment　设备;装置

steering device　 n. 操舵装置

damage vt. cause harm or injury to 损坏

gale n. very strong wind　大风

cover vt. travel (a certain distance)　行过(一段距离)

previously ad. before 以前 previous 　a.

attempt n. try 试图，尝试

dissuade vt. prevent (sb.) from doing sth. by reasoning 劝阻

treacherous a. more dangerous than it seems 暗藏危险的;奸诈的

cape n. 海角

rough a. (of weather or the sea) stormy; not calm (气候)有暴风雨的;(海)波涛汹涌的

fortunately ad. luckily 幸运地;幸亏 fortunate a.

contact vt. get in touch with 联系，接触

nearby ad. close by 在附近

following a. next; to be mentioned immediately 接着的;下列的

waken v. (cause to) wake 唤醒;醒来

nightmare n. terrible dream 恶梦

drag vt. pull along with great effort 拖，拉

sinister a. 凶恶的，邪恶的

knight n. 爵士 vt. 封... 为爵士

sword 　　　 n. 剑，刀

accomplish vt. finish successfully　完成

conquer vt. overcome　征服

undoubtedly ad. certainly　无疑地

moreover ad. in addition　此外，而且

human a. of or concerning people　人们

being n. a living thing, esp. a person　生物;人

PHRASES & EXPRESSIOMS

set out begin a course if action　着手，开始

give up atop doing　放弃

be determined to (do) have a strong will to (do)　决心(做)

(all) by oneself (completely) alone

in spite of not taking notice of; not caring about 尽管;虽然

by far by a large amount or degree...得多

turn over (cause to) fall over, upset　(使)翻倒，(使)倾覆

can not help can not keep oneself from　禁不住

NAMES

Francis Chichester 　 弗朗西斯. 奇切斯特

Gipsy Moth　　　　　吉普赛. 莫斯

Sydney 悉尼(澳大利亚城市)

Cape Horn 合恩角(智利)

London 伦敦

Elizabeth 伊丽莎白(女子名)

Drake 德雷克(姓氏)

UNIT three: The Present

　TWO

Let us take a serious, reasonable look at what the results be if such a proposal were accepted. Families might use the time for a real family hour. Without the distraction of TV, they might sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another. It is well known that many of our problems -- everything, in fact, from the generation gap to the high divorce rate to some forms of mental illness -- are caused at least in part by failure to communicate. We do not tell each other what is disturbing us. The result is emotional difficulty of one kind or another. By using the quiet family hour to discuss our problems, we might get to know each other better, and to like each other better.

On evenings when such talk is unnecessary, families could rediscover more active pastimes. Freed from TV, forced to find their own activities, they might take a ride together to watch the sunset. Or they might take a walk together (remember feet?) and see the neighborhood with fresh, new eyes.

With free time and no TV, children and adults might rediscover reading. There is more entertainment in a good book than in a month of typical TV programming. Educators report that the generation growing up with television can barely write an English sentence, even at the college level. Writing is often learned from reading. A more literate new generation could be a product of the quiet hour.

A different form of reading might also be done, as it was in the past: reading aloud. Few pastimes bring a family closer together than gathering around and listening to mother or father read a good story. The quiet hour could become the story hour. When the quiet hour ends, the TV networks might even be forced to come up with better shows in order to get us back from our newly discovered activities.

At first glance, the idea of an hour without TV seems radical. What will parents do without the electronic baby-sitter? How will we spend the time? But it is not radical at all. It has been only twenty-five years since television came to control American free time. Those of us thirty-five and older can remember childhoods without television, spent partly with radio -- which at least involved the listener's imagination -- but also with reading, learning, talking, playing games, inventing new activities. It wasn't that difficult. Honest. The truth is we had a ball.

　NEW WORDS

worthwhile a. good enough for the time or effort needed; valuable 值得花时间(或精力)的;有价值的

program (me) n. performance on radio or television 节目

educational a. of or for education; providing education or information 教育的;有教育意义的

current a. of the present time 当前的

social a. of or in society 社会的

movie n. film that one sees at a cinema 电影

nevertheless conj. but; however 然而，不过

propose vt. suggest 建议

broadcasting n. the action of sending out sound (or images) by radio (or television) 广播

prohibit v & n. forbid by law 禁止

proposal vt. suggestion 提议，建议

actually n. in actual fact, really 实际上

generation n. all the people about the same age (一)代

gap n. an empty space between two things or two parts of a thing; a wide difference of opinion, character, or the like 缺口，间隙;分歧，隔阂

divorce n. end of a marriage by law 离婚

rate n. 率

mental a. of the mind 精神的;思想上的

communicate vi. share or exchange opinions, ideas, etc. 交流意见，思想等

disturb vt. make (sb.) worried 使烦恼

emotional a. 感情的

pastime n. anything done to pass time pleasantly 消遣，娱乐

sunset n. the going down of the sun; the time when the sun goes down　日落(时分)

neighborhood n. the area around a point or place 邻近地区;地段

adult n. 成年人

typical　　　a. 典型的

educator n. a person whose profession is education 教育家

barely ad. hardly 仅仅，勉强;几乎没有

literate a. able to read and write 能读写的;有文化的

product n. sth. made or grown 产品

network n. 广播(或电视)联播公司;广播(或电视)网

glance n. quick look 一瞥;扫视

radical a. extreme; very different 激进的

electronic a. 电子的

electron n.

baby-sitter n. someone who looks after a child when the parents are away for a short time (代人临时)照看婴儿

childhood n. time when one is a child 童年

partly ad. not completely; in some degree 部分地;在一定程度上

involve

vt. have as a part or result (必须)包括

imagination n. the ability to imagine 想像力

learning n. the gaining of knowledge or skill through studying; knowledge or skill gained through studying 学习;学问，知识

invent vt. produce (sth.) for the first time 发明

PHRASES & EXPRESSIONS

generation gap failure of the younger and older generations to communicate and understand one another 代沟

in part in some degree; partly 在一定程度上;部分地

grow up change from a child to a man or a woman 成长，长大

bring together cause to meet 使相聚

come up with think of; produce 想出;提出

at first glance when first seen or thought about　乍一看;最初考虑时

have a ball (sl.) enjoy oneself, have a very good time 玩得开心

PROPER NAMES

Mayer　　　　　迈耶(姓氏)

the United States 美国

Unit Five: A Miserable，Merry Christmas