上海牛津英语高二上第一学期全部课文

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1、S2AChapter 1Reading My favorite sportSkiing is my favorite sport, even though I have only skied for four days in mywhole life. Last year, my father promised to take me on a holiday if I did well inBotanical Gardens?However, my mu said,No, you promised a special holiday. I think you ought tokeep your

2、 word.And, despite the expense, he did,M y dream was to see some real snow, so in the Christmas vacation we flew to Seoul,South Korea, and then took a shuttle bus which runs back and forth between Seoul andMuju Resort. As the bus climbed through the mountains, we saw the snow in the trees. Iwas dyin

3、g to get out of the bus.No one in my family had ever touched snow before. We were all like little children- wepicked it up, made snowballs, and threw them at each other!Then we checked in at the hotel. Our room overlooked one of the ski slopes. The slopewas floodlit, so we watched people skiing unti

4、l 10 p.m. We could not wait to try itourselves.my exams. When I got straight As, DadThe next day we had our first skiing lesson. We rented our ski suits, boots ad skis, and wentoutside onto the snow. Wearing skis for the first time makes you feel very strange. Suddenlyyou find you cannot even walk.O

5、ur instructor took us onto a gentle slope, and showed us some basic skills. In order to do upa hill, you have to stand sideways, and go up step by step. You must point the tips of your skistogether so that you can stop. However, the tips must not cross, or you will fall. You should notski alone in c

6、ase you fall and get injured. To be honest, that first lesson was not a greatsuccess, and I kept falling down!However, the next day I definitely improved. I only fell over a few times, and I managed to do afew longer runs. I felt pleased with myself, and the instructor congratulated me, so I felt gr

7、eat.Although it was very cold, I spent most of that holiday skiing. It was the most wonderful time ofmy life.Nevertheless, it was all over too soon. Now I have decided to work part-time this summer, so Ican earn enough money for another super skiing holiday.More reading Faster, Higher, StrongerThe O

8、lympic Games have a long history. The first modern Games were held in Athens,Greece in 1896. Every four years, athletics from all over the world compete in various sports atthe Games. The largest group participates in athletics.Athleticsrefers to sports in four areas: track, field, road and combined

9、 events. Track events,such as running and hurdling, test a person d. In order to winsaspeetrack event, a person needs to go faster than everyone else. Field events, however, test howhigh or far someone can jump in events such as the long jump or high jump. They also testhow far someone can throw in

10、events such as the shot-put, discus or javelin. The marathonand race walks are road events. They test endurance. In combined events, athletes arerequired to compete in a series of competition from each category. The most famouscombined event is the decathlon. The decathlon involves ten different ath

11、letics events thattake place over two days. Since the decathlon involves ten different athletics events that takeplace over two days. Since the decathlon tests all-around physical ability, the winner of thedecathlon is often calledthe worlds greatest athlete.Although all Olympic sports are equal in

12、importance, athletics is, in many ways, the bestpicture of the Olympic mottoFaster, Higher, Stronger”. Thehumanity to do better-to run faster, to soar higher and to push farther-is what the Olympicsare all about.Chapter 2Reading Tutorial centresHelpfulI have been studying at a tutorial centre for tw

13、o years. The fees are very reasonable, and mycommand of English has improved greatly since I started.My tutors are all qualified teachers. They are sincere and kind. I have been helped a lot bythem.One of my teachers was British. At first, I could not say anything to her. However, later I learnthow

14、to communicate in English with a westerner.I think that the tutorial centre has given me a lot of confidence in using English.I go to sleepI have been attending a tutorial centre for two months. I have been forced to attend by myparents, but I do not think it is useful for me.I am always very tired

15、after school. Sometimes I even sleep during the classes in the evening.Furthermore, the teachers are very boring. They give us a lot of supplementary exercises butthey teach us nothing. I usually read comics during class. Sometimes I go to a video arcadeinstead. I think tutorial centres are uselessW

16、aste of moneyI have studied at a tutorial centre for one year. However, I think that I have been cheated.These tutorial centres are only interested in making money, so they accept too many studentsfor each class. However, they do not want to pay for good teachers. My English teacher was auniversity

17、student who studied physics, not English!Very often, he could not answer our questions about the use of the language.In my opinion, it is better to spend more time on school work than to waste money at amo-nmeaykingtutorial centre.Good and badI have experienced both good and bad tutorial centres.In

18、my first centre, I was in a very big class. My teacher was an Australian. He just talked abouthis travels. I could learn nothing from him. I left within a month.Then I ask all my friends for their advice. As a result of their recommendations, I enrolled on acourse at another centre.The teachers are

19、excellent here and the classes are small. We have been taught many goodtechniques for developing our language and studying skills.There are both good and bad tutorial centres, so you must do some detective work before youenroll.However, the most important thing is whether you are willing to learn an

20、d to work hard. Thekey factor is yourself.?More reading Independent learningIndependent learning is one solution for those who want to continuea class of onetheir education, nut have no time for it. It is often described as you work alone. You study atyour own pace, at a time and place convenient fo

21、r you. These courses can help you get adegree, help your career, or help you learn what interests you.One type of independent learning is the correspondence course, In a correspondence course,a school sends you textbooks, study guides, and materials such as video and audio discs. Youcommunicate with

22、 your teacher by mail. Your teacher reads your papers and makescomments, Your marks are recorded by the school before they are mailed back to you.A newer style of independent learning is e-learning. With e-learning, you study using computersoftware or the Internet. You can learn on your own, or you

23、can enroll on a course. Usually, inan e-learning course, students communicate with their teachers through e-mail. However,some students have been using video recently. This allows the teacher and the students tosee and communicate with each other at the same time.Independent learning gives you the f

24、reedom to adapt your learning to your lifestyle. However,it requires self-discipline and hard work, so not everyone is successful at it. Those who aresuccessful receive a real sense of achievement and satisfaction.Chapter 3Reading FashionMy topic isFashion. Fashion is important to almost all of us.

25、By fashion, weusually mean popular trends in styles of dress. When we do out or to a party, we usually like towear fashionable clothes. To illustrate my talk, I have brought along five objects.My first object is this blouse. It looks beautiful, doesnt it? Itspiece of clothing, and I love it. It cost

26、 me $200. It may seem very extravagant, but I could affordit with my own savings. It wasnt easyefomromneyto, beuatrn thwhen buying clothes, I think the more you spend the better the quality. So you see, fashion isquite important to me.However, Im not as keen on fashion as my brother Gary. Last summe

27、r, he won a free trip toLondon in a contest. The organizers wanted to show him some famous sights. But he didnt appreciate old buildings. He just spent all his time searchingfor the coolest pair of trainers! For him, fashion was more important than culture.These are the trainers he bought. Was it wo

28、rth a trip to London to buy these? Well,I dont think so. It was a waste of time and money.Fashion is very big business. Changes in fashion can create or ruin jobs. As an example, Ihave brought this blonde wig to show you. It belongs to one of my mums friends. Inthe 1960s,these were very fashionable.

29、 But a few years later fashions changed, and women wore wigsmuch less often. Many wig factories closed down, and hundreds of workers lost their jobs,which was terrible!Fashion can affect the natural world, as we.ll Im holding an old hat borrowed from a dramacompany. Its made of beaver fur. These hat

30、s were very fashionableabout 200 years ago. As a result, beavers almost became extinct. Luckily, in the 1850s, thesehats went out of style and the beavers were saved.Finally, we should remember the saying,never judge a book by its cover.will not make us more or less clever, better or worse, more or

31、less honest. I once saw a movieabout Mother Teresa. She spent all her life helping poor people in India, most of whom weredying. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. When she flew to get the award,she wore the same old clothes as usual, and carried all her possessions in a little bag

32、like this,which I bought in a market. This reminds us that fashion is not the most important thing in life.Thank you.More reading Uniform fashion good for young studentsSchool uniforms are not part of the traditional way of life in the USA. In 1987, Cherry HillElementary, which is in the Maryland, w

33、ent against tradition by becoming the first publicschool in the USA to make students wear uniforms. The school did this to reduce troublecaused by the studentslove of fashionnew programme has proved to be a good way to promote safety and discipline, other schoolssoon followed. By 2000, 12 pert cent

34、of American public schools required school uniforms.The introduction of school uniforms has helped reduce school violence. Much of schoolviolence is linked to the wearing of gang colours, which are the clothes worn by different youthgangs. In schools with youth gangs, the number of fights decreased

35、by 40 per cent afteruniforms wre introduced.Uniforms also send a message that students are at school to study, not to play. They reducepeer pressure and create school pride. These things help raise the academic level of thestudents.Although school uniforms are popular in some areas, this new tren ha

36、s met strong resistancefrom many parents, some of whom angrily complain that uniforms keep students from showingtheir individuality. A few parents have even gone too curt to stop school uniforms from beingintroduced. For this reason, it is unlikely that uniforms will ever be adopted nationwade.Chapt

37、er 4Reading The hamburger businessIn 1954, an American businessman called Ray Kroc was selling milkshake machines. Onesmall drive-in hamburger stand in California bought not one but eight of these expensivemachines. Surprised by this Kroc decided to go and visit it.Arriving before the hamburger stan

38、d opened, Kroc sat in his car and watched. A team ofyoung people in uniforms appeared and started cleaning the stand and itscar park, making everything neat and tidy. When opened for business, the hamburger standwas immediately filled with customers. The staff were cheerful, fast and polite. The foo

39、d wasexcellent. Impressed by the cleanliness, service and food, Kroc looked up at the name overthe hamburger stand. It read, Hamburgers.Although started six years earlier, in 1948, McDonaldsmallbusswinaessstill aowned by two brothers, Mac and Dick McDonald. Kroc suggested that they should set upmore

40、 outlets, but the brothers were happy with their life and did not want toexpand further. However, they did allow Kroc to launch other branches ofs for them. That was the start of the bigges-tffoaotd company in history.In 1955, Kroc opened his first McDonalds near Chicago, and many more swiftl follow

41、ed. In1959, the 100thMcDonalds was opened. In 1961, Kroc took over complete ownership of thebusiness from the brothers by paying them US $2.7 million.By 1972, a new McDonalds was being opened every day, and by 1974 there were over3,000 restaurants. McDonalds came to Hong Kong in 1975, and wasintrodu

42、ced into Shenzhen in1990. Two years laetr, the first McDonalds in Beijingopened with more than 40,000 customers on its first day.McDo naldWhy has McDonalds been so successful? Back in 1956, McDonalds adoptemottoQ. S. C. &V.These letters stand forQuality, Service, Cleanliness ValueIn.all ofthese area

43、s, McDonalds pay great attention to detail.For example, after years of planning, McDonalds established its largest everrestaurant in Moscow in1990. To achieve the right quality, potatoes are imported into Russia,and farmers are taught how to farm them properly, as well as how to harvest and pack the

44、m.To achieve good service, McDonalds has one of the best training programmes inthe world. It even has seven Hamburger Universities (one in Hong Kong) where top personnelcan learn management and customer service skills.By 2005, McDonalds had over 30,000 outlets in 119 countries and regions. It sells

45、more than100 hamburgers every second of the day. While it does not yet have a restaurant on the Moon,no doubt a plan is already being made for one.More reading The rise of chain stores in ChinaDuring the last few years, the number of chain stores has greatly increased in big cities inChina. Nowadays

46、, within a short walk along a busy street, you are likely to find a chain store ofsome kind-a fast food restaurant, a bakery or a convenience store.Chain stores have become part of peoples daily lives. They may pop into aBreadTalk to buy a sweet roll for breakfast on their way to work. They may visi

47、t aLianhua Supermarket in the evening to buy some food for dinner,For a birthday, they mightcelebrate with friends at a Little Sheep Hotpot Restaurant. At the weekend they may go toGoMe Appliances to buy a DVD or MP3 player. Chain stores have become so popular thatsome people include them as a facto

48、r when deciding where to live.Why have chain stores grown so fast in number and influence? Meeting the customersneedsis the answer. Opened in convenient locations, the stores ares homes and close to buunsdesrtgorposuonrd stations.They offer a wide range of products in a clean, well-lit and relaxing

49、environment.Every store in a chain operates in the same way as the others do. That way, everyone knowswhat to expect in case they shop there. The prices are reasonable too.It seems that chain stores are a welcome development in China. They are certainly a newforce changing peoples way of life.Chapte

50、r 5Reading Virtual realityOnly 50 years ago, computers were bigger than people. Today, people can carry their laptopswith them anywhere they go. Soon, we may be able to step inside a computer world thanks tothe magic of virtual reality.usually next door to peopleWhat is virtual reality, or VR? If so

51、mething is virtual, then it is created by computer technologyand appears as if it were real. Virtual reality is a computer system with a special headset.When you put on the headset, you look at two tiny television screens. They are so close toyour eyes that your mind will see the image as one pictur

52、e, and you will believe that you haveentered a different world. In many systems, you also wear a special data glove. With this gloveyou can reach out and touch things in the artificial world.The first VR games, already sold round the world, enable you to drive a sports car, fly a plane,or fight an e

53、nemy. In the future, it may be difficult to distinguish the virtual world of the gamesfrom the real world outside.However, VR is not just for entertainment. One day, delighted children will be able to learngeography by observing exciting foreign countries without having to leave their classroom.They

54、 will be thrilled to learn history by visiting the pyramids of Egypt, or by hand-feedingfriendly dinosaurs.In addition, business will be able to use VR for many tasks. Cars designed using computerscan be tested as virtual machines first, before they are manufactures in metal. Architects willbe able

55、to make virtual buildings, which they can walk around and inspect before constructing.VR can help us in hundreds of ways.Despite this, concerned critics have warned that there could be dangers in this powerful newmedium. Will we have VR games in which people can commit virtual crimes? After people g

56、etused to VR, will they want to return to reality?Will we forget how to live and work with real people?On the other hand, some people think that VR will help us improve the world. Byexperimenting harmlessly inside a VR world, we will be able to see the dangers we may facein the future. Then we will

57、be able to avoid them in real life.No doubt there will be some problems with VR, as there are with all new inventions. However,one thing is for sure: VR is here to stay. Get ready to step into another world!More reading Wearable technology?Did you know that some technology can be worn?In fact, weara

58、ble technology has been around for some time. The first people to experimentwith the idea were managers of sports teams. They wanted to know how athletes could usetechnology to improve their performance. Special vests, created to monitor an athletes body,can measure how fast the heart is beating and

59、 how hard the athlete is breathing. Scientistshave also developedcohelp athletes perform better in difficult conditions, such as hot weather.Furthermore, an American company is currently researching clothes for soldiers to help themrun faster, jump higher and lift heavier equipment.Before long, we w

60、ill have technology in our everyday clothing. A computer hidden in a coatcould be operated by a keyboard on one of the sleeves.Electronic sunglasses could show us maps of where we are standing and point us in thedirection that we want to go. Our clothes could also monitor our bodies. They could tell

61、 uswhen we need to eat certain foods, take medicine or rest in order to stay healthy.There is only one problem with clothes like these: They may be difficult to wash. Electricity andwater do not mix! You could remove the electronic parts before washing, but putting themback in again could take hours

62、. Designers are now building small wires into the fabric of theclothing to solve this problem.These clothes could appear in shops any day now. Soon, we could all be wearing electronicclothes.Chapter 6Reading Transforming MarsEver since the beginning of history, people have dreamt of interplanetary t

63、ravel.For centuries, these dreams have always remained dreams. However, scientists now want tomake these dreams come true. They are planning to transform Mars so that humans can livethere. Within 30 years, the first people will land on Mars and, by the year 2185, we will haveestablished cities.In ma

64、ny ways, Mars is the planet most similar to Earth. A Martian day lasts about 24 1/2 hours(although a year has 687 days). While there is no water, there is a lot of ice in the two polar icecaps. The average temperature is -60.The plan involves changing Mars so that it becomes more like Earth. This me

65、ansusing thegreenhouse effect(which we are trying to stop on Earth). The suggest programmewould have five main stages.Stage 1 (AD 2030-2045).The first expedition arrives on Mars, after a journey by spacecraft of about six months. Themembers construct underground buildings, conduct experiments, look

66、for good sites for futurelandings, and also check for signs of life. They can survive only as long as they wearspacesuits, because 95 per cent of the atmosphere is carbon dioxide. Nonetheless, the lowgravity (onet-hird of Earths) means they canmove around easily.Stage 2 (AD 2045-2095)More expeditions arrive. Huge mirrors are put in orbit round Mars to heat the polar ice caps.The ice caps are sprayed black, so that they do not reflect the heat away.Chemicals are released into the air. As a result