英语阅读专题大全（英语阅读进阶版）

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欢迎大家来到“英语阅读”，本栏目旨在提升各位同学的阅读、听力水平及阅读理解能力，内容精选自《英语周报》高中阅读专版。

When the Boat Sinks

——高中进阶 (2018-2019学年第30期) 1版

Last month, Liu Guoliang, a legendary table tennis player and coach, and current chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, announced a point system to evaluate the performance of table tennis players and coaches. Any team that scores below a certain point threshold (起始点) will be considered a failure, causing the coaches to be demoted (降职) and have their salaries cut in half. Moreover, Liu himself promised to give up his entire salary as chairman should any team fail.

This comes not long after Liu's 15-month absence from the Chinese table tennis scene, which has recently experienced some undesirable outcomes. The traditionally Chinese-dominated sport has seen increasingly better results for non-Chinese athletes at international competitions. And the threat of losing gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to another nation has certainly brought about a hint of desperation. Liu's announcement is proof of that. His approach might be considered similar to the Chinese tale of Xiang Yu ordering his soldiers to sink their boats and break their cooking pots before fighting the Qin, resulting in the Chinese idiom "po fu chen zhou (破釜沉舟)." But is it necessary?

To be honest, I think it all depends on the individual. I'm sure most of you have heard of the "carrot vs. stick" method, in which an individual is given either a reward or a punishment based on how well they have completed a task. Some people respond better to rewards, while others react better to punishments. In Liu's case, he has essentially issued himself an ultimatum (最后通牒). It's all or nothing. This is what the players and coaches on the Chinese national table tennis team have to face. However, certain instances may call for extreme measures. Now, if there is one thing which needs this sort of determination, that is — you've probably guessed it — climate change.

I won't get into the details, because we all know them. We have been aware of the problems and the solutions for at least the past ten years, with the more recent studies suggesting a goal not to allow the global average temperature to climb more than 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. That is a true ultimatum. Like Xiang Yu's soldiers, we have crossed the river and sunk all our boats; only some pots remain, but each one is like an enormous lead weight (铅锤) holding us back. They need to go, or else we will be facing consequences far greater than losing a salary.

教案

PRE-READING

Question 1

What do you know about the story behind the Chinese idiom "po fu chen zhou (破釜沉舟)"?

Note: The story dates back to the late years of the Qin Dynasty. Xiang Yu (项羽) led a rebellion (叛乱). He ordered his soldiers to sink all their boats and break their cooking pots after crossing the river to warn them that there was no way to retreat. The only thing they could do to survive was to fight. After nine fierce battles, the Qin army was finally defeated.

Question 2

What do you think of when it comes to the Chinese national table tennis team?

WHILE READING

Sentences

1. Any team that scores below a certain point threshold will be considered a failure, causing the coaches to be demoted and have their salaries cut^① in half. Moreover, Liu himself promised to give up his entire salary as chairman should any team fail^②.

① cut为过去分词作宾语补足语，表示与宾语salaries为被动关系，常用于have、get、keep、make等使役动词。

e.g. I tried to make myself understood.

② 本句为省略if的虚拟语气，表示与将来事实相反，其正常语序应为"If any team should fail ..."。

2. The traditionally Chinese-dominated sport has seen^① increasingly better results for ... And the threat of losing gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to another nation has certainly brought about a hint of^② desperation.

① see: to experience or undergo本句中see不表示“看见”，而是“经历”的意思。

e.g. She has seen it all before in her long career. (She has experienced so much that nothing surprised her.)

② a hint of: a very small amount or sign of sth. 少许，一丝

e.g. The man asked with a hint of impatience.

3. We have been aware of^① the problems and the solutions for at least the past ten years, with the more recent studies suggesting^② a goal not to allow the global average temperature to climb more than 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels.

① be aware of: if you are aware that a situation exists, you realize or know that it exists 意识到，注意到

e.g. The children were not aware of the risks at the time.

② 这是“with 宾语 现在分词”的复合结构，suggest用现在分词形式表示其与宾语the more recent studies为主动关系。

Vocabulary

Complete each sentence using one word from the box in its correct form. Note that there is one word more than you need and you can use each word only once.

announce evaluate desperation approach respond determination

1. It was ____________ that the conference would be put off till next week.

2. Time was running out and they were getting ____________.

3. Rita is a very ____________ person, so she's sure to get the job she wants.

4. The test flight aims to carry out a proper ____________ of the new system.

5. ____________ to the new product seemed to be disappointing.

Key:

1. announced 2. desperate 3. determined

4. evaluation 5. Responses

Translation

1. 政府向民众承诺让他们了解此次坠机事件调查的最新进展。(inform)

2. 锻炼时间的长短取决于你训练的体育项目和你训练了多久。(depend)

3. 做好这份工作需要高度集中的注意力和极大的忍耐力。(call for)

4. 年轻人的环境保护意识未必好于老一辈人。(aware)

Possible answers:

1. The government promised to keep the public informed of the latest developments in the air crash investigation.

2. The length of time spent exercising depends on the sport you are training for and how long you have trained.

3. Doing this job well calls for a high level of concentration and great patience.

4. Young people are not necessarily more aware of environmental protection than the older generation.

Comprehension

Choose the best answer.

1. According to the article, which of the following statements about Liu Guoliang is true?

A. He will be the only one to be punished if the Chinese team loses in the Tokyo Olympics.

B. He was out of the Chinese team for more than one year.

C. He left the Chinese team because it lost an important match.

D. He does not worry that the Chinese team will be defeated in the Tokyo Olympics.

2. What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A. The advantages of the "carrot vs. stick" approach outweigh its disadvantages.

B. It is unnecessary to adopt the "carrot vs. stick" approach in Liu's case.

C. The trend of global warming can be reversed if we adopt the "carrot vs. stick" approach.

D. Whether to adopt the "carrot vs. stick" approach depends on the situation.

3. According to the article, the author would probably agree that ______.

A. it is difficult to find an ideal solution to climate change

B. Xiang Yu and his soldiers could still beat the Qin without sinking their boats

C. the consequences of climate change are unknown to us

D. people might be unable to bear the consequences of climate change

Key: BDD

AFTER READING

Regarding the "carrot vs. stick" method, which one motivates you better, the "carrot" or the "stick"? Why? Give an example to support your view and exchange your ideas with your classmates.

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