新编大学英语2inclass-reading课文

Unit1AGoodHearttoLeanon1WhenIwasgrowingup,Iwasembarrassedtobeseenwithmyfather.Hewasseverelycrippledandveryshort,andwhenwewouldwalktogether,hishandonmyarmforbalance,peoplewouldstare.Iwouldinwardlysquirmattheun­wantedattention.Ifheevernoticedorwasbothered,heneverleton.2Itwasdifficulttocoordinateoursteps——hishalting,mineimpatient——andbecauseofthat,wedidn'tsaymuchaswewentalong.Butaswestartedout,healwayssaid,Yousetthepace.Iwilltrytoadjusttoyou.3Ourusualwalkwastoorfromthesubway,whichwashowhegottowork.Hewenttoworksick,anddespitenastyweather.Healmostnevermissedaday,andwouldmakeittotheofficeevenifotherscouldnot.Amatterofpride.4Whensnoworicewasontheground,itwasimpossibleforhimtowalk,evenwithhelp.AtsuchtimesmysistersorIwouldpullhimthroughthestreetsofBrooklyn,NY,onachild'ssleightothesub­wayentrance.Oncethere,hewouldclingtothehandrailuntilhereachedthelowerstepsthatthewarmertunnelairkeptice-free.InManhattanthesubwaystationwasthebasementofhisofficebuilding,andhewouldnothavetogooutsideagainuntilwemethiminBrooklyn'onhiswayhome.5WhenIthinkofitnow,Imarvelathowmuchcourageitmusthavetakenforagrownmantosubjecthimselftosuchindignityandstress.Andathowhedidit——withoutbitternessorcomplaint.6Henevertalkedabouthimselfasanobjectofpity,nordidheshowanyenvyofthemorefortunateorable.Whathelookedforinotherswasagoodheart,andifhefoundone,theownerwasgoodenoughforhim.7NowthatIamolder,Ibelievethatisaproperstandardbywhichtojudgepeople,eventhoughIstilldon'tknowpreciselywhatagoodheartis.ButIknowthetimesIdon’thaveonemyself.8Unabletoengageinmanyactivities,myfatherstilltriedtoparticipateinsomeway.Whenalocalsandlotbaseballteamfounditself|withoutamanager,hekeptitgoing.HewasaknowledgeablebaseballfanandoftentookmetoEbbetsFieldtoseetheBrooklynDodgersplay.Helikedtogotodancesandparties,wherehecouldhaveagoodtimejustsittingandwatching.9Ononememorableoccasionafightbrokeoutatabeachparty,witheveryonepunchingandshoving.Hewasn'tcontenttositandwatch,buthecouldn'tstandunaidedonthesoftsand.Infrustrationhebegantoshout,I'llfightanyonewhowilltitdownwithme!10Nobodydid.Butthenextdaypeoplekiddedhimbysayingitwasthefirsttimeanyfighterwasurgedtotakeadiveevenbeforetheboutbegan.11Inowknowheparticipatedinsomethingsvicariouslythroughme,hisonlyson.WhenIplayedball(poorly),heplayedtoo.WhenIjoinedtheNavyhejoinedtoo.AndwhenIcamehomeonleave,hesawtoitthatIvisitedhisoffice.Introducingme,hewasreallysaying,Thisismyson,butitisalsome,andIcouldhavedonethis,too,ifthingshadbeendifferent.Thosewordswereneversaidaloud.12Hehasbeengonemanyyearsnow,butIthinkofhimoften.Iwonderifhesensedmyreluctancetobeseenwithhimduringourwalks.Ifhedid,IamsorryInevertoldhimhowsorryIwas,howunworthyIwas,howIregrettedit.IthinkofhimwhenIcomplainabouttrifles,whenIamenviousofanother'sgoodfortune,whenIdon'thaveagoodheart.13AtsuchtimesIputmyhandonhisarmtoregainmybalance,andsay,Yousetthepace,Iwilltrytoadjusttoyou.Unit2speakingdifferentlanguages1WhenMartiansandVenusiansfirstgottogether,theyencounteredmanyoftheproblemswithrelationshipswehavetoday.Becausetheyrecognizedthattheyweredifferent,theywereabletosolvetheseproblems.Oneofthesecretsoftheirsuccesswasgoodcommunication.2Ironically,theycommunicatedwellbecausetheyspokedifferentlanguages.Whentheyhadproblems,theywouldjustgotoatranslatorforassistance.EveryoneknewthatpeoplefromMarsandpeoplefromVenusspokedifferentlanguages,sowhentherewasaconflicttheydidn’tstartjudging2orfightingbutinsteadpulledouttheirphrasedictionariestounderstandeachothermorefully.Ifthatdidn’twork3theywenttoatranslatorforhelp.3Yousee4,theMartianandVenusianlanguageshadthesamewordsbutdifferentmeaningsdependingonthewaytheywereused.Theirexpressionsweresimilar,buttheyhaddifferentconnotationsoremotionalemphasis.Misinterpretingeachotherwasveryeasy.Sowhencommunicationproblemsemerged,theyassumeditwasjustoneofthoseexpectedmisunderstandingsandthatwithalittleassistancetheywouldsurelyunderstandeachother.Theyexperiencedatrustandacceptancethatwerarelyexperiencetoday.4Eventodaywestillneedtranslators.Menandwomenseldommeanthesamethingsevenwhentheyusethesamewords.Forexample,whenawomansays,“Ifeellikeyouneverlisten,”shedoesnotexpecttheword“never”tobetakenliterally5.Usingtheword“never”isjustawayofexpressingthefrustrationsheisfeelingatthemoment.Itisnottobetakenasifitwerefactualinformation.5Tofullyexpresstheirfeelings,womenwouldtendtoexaggeratethefactsalittlebitforeffectandusevarioussuperlatives,metaphors,andgeneralizations.Menmistakenlytaketheseexpressionsliterally.Becausetheymisunderstandtheintendedmeaning6,theycommonlyreactinanunsupportivemanner.Thefollowingchartliststenfemalecomplaintsthatmeneasilymisinterpreted,aswellashowmenmightrespondunsupportively.TenCommonComplaintsThatAreEasilyMisinterpretedWomensaythingslikethis:Menrespondlikethis:“Wenevergoout.”“That’snottrue.Wewentoutlastweek.”“Everyoneignoresme.”“I’msuresomepeoplenoticeyou.”“Iamsotired,Ican’tdoanything.”“Ifyoudon’tlikeyourjob,thenquit.”“Iwanttoforget7everything.”“Idon'tthinkthere'sanythingtoforget7.”“Thehouseisalwaysamess.”“It’snotalwaysamess.”“Noonelistenstomeanymore.”“ButI’mli