人教新课标高中英语必修4workbook-readingtask

Unit1Womenofachievement-ReadingTaskELIZABETHFRYWhentheQuakerElizabethmarriedJosephFry,itseemedasifherlifewouldbecomfortableandpeaceful.However,Elizabethwasnotcontentwithhereasylifeandhergrowingfamily.Shesawmanypoorpeoplelivingnearherandshewantedtohelpthem.Onedayshewasaskedtovisitaprison.Atfirsttheprisonofficersdidnotwanttolethervisitthewomenprisonersbecausetheyfearedtheprisonerswouldattackher,butElizabethwasnotafraid.Sherealizedthattheprisonersbehavedbadlybecausetheywerebeingtreatedlikeanimals.Theyhadnobeds,cleanclothes,foodorheating.Anychildborninprisonhadtostaythereandhadnochanceofaneducation.Thismeanttheywouldprobablyhavetobegorstealwhentheygrewupandthenwouldreturntoprison.SothefirstthingElizabethdidwastoprovidefood,cleanclothesandstrawforbeds.Latershebeganaprisonschoolforthechildrenandtaughtthewomentosew(缝纫),knit(编织)andmakegoodstosell.Inthiswaytheywereabletomakealittlemoneyforthemselvesandgainsomeself-respect.Herkindnesshelpedhergainthefriendshipoftheprisonersandtheybegantotrytoimprovetheirconditionsforthemselves.LaterElizabethwasaskedtogototheleadersofBritaintodiscusshowtoimprovetheconditionsforprisoners.Ofcourseshedidnotdoalltheworkonherown.OtherQuakerwomenhelpedherandwentaroundthecountryraisingmoneyforherwork.Somepeopledidnotlikeherideasandquarrelledwithher.Theysaidthatsheshouldspendmoretimewithherfamily.Otherpeoplesaidsheenjoyedbeingfamoustoomuch.However,herhusband,Joseph,supportedandencouragedher,soshecontinuedworkingtohelpimprovethelivesofpoorprisonerstillshedied.Herideasdidnotdisappearafterherdeathandherworkwasrememberedin1947whentheQuakersweregiventheNobelPeacePrize.Unit2Workingtheland-ReadingTaskANEARLYFARMERPIONEERSomepeoplethoughtJiaSixiewasaluckyman.Hehadworkedfortheemperorandwhenhegotold,hewasabletogotohishometowntorelax.JiaSixie,however,hadotherplans.HehadalwaysbeeninterestedinagricultureandintendedtodosomethingtomakeChinesefarmingevenbetter.JiaSixielivedinthesixthcenturyAD.HewasborninYiduinShandongProvinceandworkedinGaoyang,whichisalsoinShandong.Asherodethroughthecountrysideonhisjourneysforhisworkhelookedoutatthefields.Someofthemweregreenerandhadmorecropsthanothers.Somecowsandsheeplookedhealthierthanotherstoo.Hewaslostinthought.Whatcouldafarmerdotogetgoodcropsfromhisfields?Surelytheremustberulesthatwouldhelpthem.Hethoughthecouldusehisknowledgetofindoutthebestwaysforfarmerstogrowcropsandthenwriteabooktohelpthem.Indoingsohecollectedinformationfromfarmerswhodidwell,studieditanddidexperimentstofindthebestway.Forexample,hestudiedwaysofkeepingseedsandadvisedfarmerstochooseseed-headswhichhadthebestcolour.Thenhetoldthemtohangthemuptodryallwinter.Thenextspringtheseedsshouldbeknockedoutoftheirseed-headsandplanted.Hestudiedhowtoimprovethesoil.Headvisedfarmerstoclearweedsfromthegroundbeforeplantingcrops.Theycouldeitherlettheanimalseattheweedsorturnthesoiloversothattheweedswerecoveredandwouldrot.Thenhegaveadviceonturningoverthesoil.Thefirsttimeeachyear,farmersshoulddigdeeply,butthesecondtimeshouldbelessdeep.Thereforetheautumnploughingofthesoilshouldbedeeperthanthespringploughing.Hesuggestedchangingcropsinthefieldeveryyear:riceoneyearandwheatthenextsothattheywouldalwaysgetgoodharvests.Theyshouldalsogrowdifferentplantsnexttoeachotherinthefield.Healsogaveadviceonhowtofish,keepagardenandevenmakewine.Hewrotedownhisadviceinabookcalled“QiMinYaoShu”,whichwasconsideredanimportantsummaryoftheknowledgeoffanning.ForcenturiesafterJiaSixiedied,itwasstudiedbyChinesefarmersandstudentsofagriculture.Unit3AtasteofEnglishhumour-ReadingTaskAprilFool'sDay,orApril1st,isknowninmany.countriesasadayforplayingjokesonothers.Itisusuallyatimewhenchildrenmakefunofeachother,butsometimesotherpeoplecangetcaughtinthefuntoo.OneofthemostfamousjokesinEnglandtookplaceonBritishtelevisionin1957.ItwasaMondaynightwhentherewerealwaysmanyseriousprogrammesonthetelevision.OneofthemwascalledPanorama,Thisshowexploredproblemsandprogressallovertheworld,sonobodywassurprisedwhenitbeganwithareportontheexcellentnoodleharvestinsouthSwitzerland.Theprogrammementionedtworeasonsforthegoodcrop:anunusuallywarmwinterandthedisappearanceoftheinsectthatattackedthenoodlecropeveryyear.Thereportershowedmanynoodletreeswiththefarmerspullingnoodlesoffthemandputtingthemintobaskets.Thepeoplewatchingweretoldthattheymaynothaveheardofnoodlesfromthispartoftheworldbecausenoodlesweregrownaspartofsmallfamilybusinesses.Theprogrammemakersrealizedthatpeoplemightwonderwhynoodleswerealwaysthesamesizesotheyexplainedthatitwastheresultofmanyyears'patientresearchwiththetreestoproducenoodlesofexactlythesamelength.Butevensotheyexplained,thelifeofanoodlefarmerwasnoteasy.ThelasttwoweeksofMarchareananxioustimefornoodlefarmers.Thereisalwaysachanceofverycoldweatherspoilingtheircrop.Thenitisdifficultforthemtogettoppricesontheworldmarkets.ManypeopleinEnglandbelievedthisstory.TheyrangtheBBCtofindouthowtogrowtheirownnoodletree.Theyweretoldtoplaceapieceofnoodleinatinoftomatosauceandhopeforthebest.Thismayseemverysilly,butinthe1950sveryfewBritishpeopletravelledabroadfortheirholidaysandevenfewerofthemate