大学英语2 第10课

《大学英语2 第10课》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《大学英语2 第10课（12页珍藏版）》请在装配图网上搜索。

1、大学英语精读第二册10 大耳朵英语 2005-09-30 00:33:41 【打印】 Previous Unit | Next Unit | Back Unit TenClick the button to listen to the textAre we too quick to blame and slow to praise? Itseems we are.PROFITS OF PRAISEJanet GrahamIt was the end of my exhausting first day as waitress in a busy New York restaurant. My

2、cap had gone awry, my apron was stained, my feet ached.The loaded tray I carried felt heavier and heavier. Weary and discouraged,I didnt seem able to do anything right. As I made out a complicated check for a family with several children who had changed their ice-cream order a dozen times, I was rea

3、dy to quit.Then the father smiled at me as he handed me my tip: Well done, he said. Youve looked after us really well. Suddenly my tiredness vanished. I smiled back, and later, when the manager asked me how I d liked my first day, I said, Fine! Those few words of praise had changed everything. Prais

4、e is like sunlight to the human spirit; we cannot flower and growwithout it. And yet, while most of us are only too ready to apply to othersthe cold wind of criticism, we are somehow reluctant to give our fellowsthe warm sunshine of praise.Why - when one word can bring such pleasure? A friend of min

5、e who travels widely always tries to learn a little of the language of any placeshe visits. Shes not much of a linguist, but she does know how to say one word -beautiful- in several languages. She can use it to a mother hold-ing her baby, or to a lonely salesman fishing out pictures of his family.Th

6、e ability has earned her friends all over the world.Its strange how chary we are about praising. Perhaps its because fewof us know how to accept compliments gracefully. Instead, we are embarrassedand shrug off the words we are really so glad to hear. Because of thisdefensive reaction, direct complim

7、ents are surprisingly difficult to give.That is why some of the most valued pats on the back are those which come to us indirectly, in a letter or passed on by a friend: When one thinks ofthe speed with which spiteful remarks are conveyed, it seems a pity thatthere isnt more effort to relay pleasing

8、 and flattering comments.Its especially rewarding to give praise in areas in which effort generally goes unnoticed or unmentioned. An artist gets complimented for a glorious picture, a cook for a perfect meal. But do you ever fell your laundrymanager how pleased you are when the shirts are done just

9、 right? Do you everpraise your paper boy for getting the paper to you on time 365 days a year?35 Praise is particularly appreciated by those doing routine jobs: gas-sta-tion attendants, waitresses - even housewives. Do you ever go into a houseand say, What a tidy room? Hardly anybody does. Thats why

10、 housework is considered such a dreary grind. Comment is often made about activities which are relatively easy and satisfying, like arranging flowers; but not about jobs which are hard and dirty, like scrubbing floors. Shakespeare said, Ourpraises are our wages. Since so often praise is the only wag

11、e a housewife receives, surely she of all people should get her measure.Mothers know instinctively that for children an ounce of praise is wortha pound of scolding. Still, were not always as perceptive as we might be about applying the rule. One day I was criticizing my children for squabbling.Can y

12、ou never play peacefully? I shouted. Susanna looked at me quizzically. Of course we can, she said. But you dont notice us when we do. Teachers agree about the value of praise. One teacher writes that insteadof drowning students compositions in critical red ink, the teacher will get far more construc

13、tive results by finding one or two things which have beendone better than last time, and commenting favorably on them. I believe thata student knows when he has handed in something above his ,usual standard,writes the teacher, and that he waits hungrily for a brief comment in themargin to show him t

14、hat the teacher is aware of it, too. Behavioral scientists have done countless experiments to prove that any human being tends to repeat an act which has been immediately followedby a pleasant result. In one such experiment, a number of schoolchildren were divided into three groups and given arithme

15、tic tests daily for five days.One group was consistently praised for its previous performance; another groupwas criticized; the third was ignored.Not surprisingly, those who were praised improved dramatically. Those who were criticized improved also, but not so much. And the scores of thechildren wh

16、o were ignored hardly improved at all. Interestingly the brightestchildren were helped just as much by criticism as by praise, but the lessable children reacted badly to criticism, needed praise the most. Yet thelatter are the very youngsters who, in mo5t schools, fail to get the pat onthe back.To g

17、ive praise costs the giver nothing but a moments thought and a momentseffort perhaps a quick phone call to pass on a compliment, or five minutesspent writing an appreciative letter. It is such a small investment- and yetconsider the results it may produce. I can live for two months on a goodcomplime

18、nt, said Mark Twain.So, lets be alert to the small excellences around us - and comment on them.We will not only bring joy into other peoples lives, but also, very often, addedhappiness into our own. Click the button to listen to the pronunciations of new wordsNew Wordsprofit n. advantage or good obt

19、ained from sth. ;money gained in business 益处 ; 利润 exhaust vt. tire out 使筋疲力尽waitress n. woman waiter awry a. with a turn to one side 歪 ; 斜apron n. 围裙stain vt. make dirty marks on 玷污load vt. put a full amount of things on or in (sth.)装满 tray n. 托盘 weary a. very tired 厌倦的 , 厌烦的discourage vt. cause to

20、lose courage or confidence 使泄气，使灰心ice-cream n. 冰淇淋dozen n. twelve (一)打quit v. stop (doing sth.) and leave 离(职) , 不干sunlight n. light of the sun; sunshine human a. of or concerning people apply vt. 运用, 实施application n. somehow .ad. for some reason or other; in some way or other 不知怎么地; 以某种方式 reluctant

21、 a. unwilling 不情愿的;勉强的sunshine n. light of the sun linguist n. person who is good at foreign languages; person who studies the science of language 通晓数国语言的人；语言学家salesman n. man whose work is selling a companys goodsto businesses, homes, etc. 推销员earn vt. get in return for work or as a reward forones q

22、ualities, etc. 挣得, 赢得chary a. careful; cautious 谨慎小心的 compliment n. praise 赞美(话)vt. praise 赞美gracefully ad. 大大方方地；优美地graceful a. embarrass vt. make awkward or ashamed 使尴尬defensive a. 防御的surprisingly ad. in a surprising manner or degreepat n. tap made with the open hand 轻拍 v. tap gently with the open

23、 hand indirectly ad. in an indirect way 间接地 indirect a. spiteful a. having or showing ill will 恶意的 convey vt. make (ideas, views, feelings, etc.) known to another person 转达 , 传达relay vt. 传送；转达 flatter vt. praise too much; praise insincerely (in order to please) 过奖; 谄媚, 奉承comment n. opinion, explanat

24、ion or judgment written orspoken about an event, book, person, stateof affairs, etc. 评论vi. make comments (on) ; give opinions rewarding a. worthwhile; worth doing; giving a reward to 值得(做的) ; 报答的reward vt.generally ad. usually 通常, 一般地artist n. person. who practises or works in one of thefine arts, e

25、sp. painting 画家; 艺术家glorious a. splendid 辉煌的laundry n. 洗衣店appreciate vt. understand and enjoy; be thankful for 欣赏，鉴赏，感谢，感激routine a. not unusual or exciting; regular 常规的,例行的 gas-station n. 加油站 attendant n. 服务人员tidy a. neatly arranged 整洁的 , 整齐的housework n. work done in taking care of a house 家务劳动drea

26、ry a. dull and uninteresting 沉闷乏味的grind n. hard uninteresting work 苦差使scrub vt. clean by rubbing hard, esp. with a stiff brush 擦洗wage n. ( pl. ) 工资 , 报酬measure n. an adequate or due portion 份儿instinctively ad. 本能地scold vt. blame with angry words 申斥, 怒骂 perceptive a. 感觉灵敏的 criticize vt. 批评squabble vi

27、. quarrel, esp. noisily and unreasonably 争吵 口角peacefully ad. in a peaceful manner; quietly 安静地peaceful a. quizzically ad. 嘲弄地; 疑惑地drown vt. cover completely with water; cause (sb.) to die by keeping under water 淹没; 使(某人) 淹死critical a. fault-finding 挑剔的,苛求的constructive a. helping 建设性的favo(u)rably ad.

28、 with approval 赞成地, 称赞地favo(u)rable a.brief a. using a few words; shortmargin n. blank space round the printed or written matter on a page 页边的空白behavioral a. of or relating to behavior 行为的countless a. too many to be counted arithmetic n. science of numbers 算术consistently ad. 始终如一地 ; 一贯地consistent a.

29、 previous a. coming earlier in time or order 以前的ignore vt. not to take notice of, pay no attention to 不理, 忽视dramatically ad. strikingly 显著地 dramatic a. react vi. respond 反应youngster n. young person, esp. a boy appreciative a. thankful; grateful investment n. 投资invest v.alert a. watchful and keen 警觉的

30、excellence n. an excellent or valuable quality; virtue Phrases & Expressions make out write out; complete or fill in 开出 ; 填写only too very 极, 非常not much of a not a very good 不十分好的fish out bring out after searching 掏出shrug off dismiss as not deserving attention or as sth. unimportant 耸肩表示对不屑理睬pat on the back word or gesture of praise or encouragement 赞扬; 鼓励pass on convey (to another) 传递live on depend upon for support 靠生活Proper NamesJanet Graham 珍妮特格雷厄姆Shakespeare 莎士比亚Susanna 苏珊娜(女子名) Mark Twain 马克吐温Previous Unit | Next Unit | Back