时间:2018-12-05 作者:英语课 分类:自考英语综合二下册 课文+单词


英语课

  [00:00.00]Lesson Six

[00:03.50]Text  The Beauty of Britain   J .B .Priestley

[00:12.15]The beauty of our country—or at least all of its south of North Scotland

[00:21.08] —is as hard to define as it is easy to enjoy.

[00:28.73]Remembering other and larger countries,

[00:33.59]we see at once that one of its charmsis

[00:39.24]that it is immensely varied 1 within a small range.

[00:47.31]We have here no vast mountain ranges,

[00:54.15]no boundless 2 plains,no miles of forest,

[00:59.61]and are deprived of the grandeur 3 that may accompany these things.

[01:06.38]But we have superb variety.

[01:12.33]A great deal of everything is packed into little space.

[01:20.09]I suspect that we are always faintly conscious

[01:26.75]of the fact that this is a smallish island,

[01:33.10]with the sea always round the corner.

[01:38.09]We know that everything has to be neatly 4 packed into a small space.

[01:45.64]Nature, we feel, has carefully adjusted things

[01:52.20]—mountains,plains, rivers,lakes

[01:59.04]— to the scale of the island itself.

[02:03.79]A mountain 12,000 feet high would be a horrible monster here,

[02:13.04]as wrong as a plain 400 miles long,

[02:19.57]a river as broad as the Mississippi.

[02:24.93]In America the whole scale is too big, except for aviators 5.

[02:33.47]There is always too much of everything.

[02:38.22]There you find yourself in a region that is all mountains,

[02:45.49]then in another region that is merely part of one immense plain.

[02:54.03]You can spend a long,hard day in the Rockies

[02:59.10]simply travelling up or down one valley.

[03:05.26]You can wander across prairie country

[03:09.94]that has the desolating 7 immensity of the ocean

[03:15.50]Everything is too big; there is too much of it.

[03:22.55]Though the geographical 8 features of this island are comparatively small,

[03:29.50]and there is astonishing variety almost everywhere,

[03:34.86]that does not mean that our mountains are not mountains,our plains not plains.

[03:34.93]Consider that piece of luck of ours, the Lake District.

[03:41.49]You can climb with ease — as I have done many a time

[03:48.04]—several of its mountains in one day.

[03:52.90]Nevertheless, you feel that they are mountains and not mere 6 hills

[04:01.05]—as a correspondent pointed 9 out in the Times recently.

[04:07.09]This same correspondent told a story that proves my point.

[04:14.03]A party of climbers imported a Swiss guide into the Lake District,

[04:21.79]and on the first morning,surveying the misty 10 peaks before him.

[04:29.24]he pointed to a ledge 11 about two thirds of the way up one of them

[04:36.50]and suggested that the party should spend the night there.

[04:42.38]He did not know that that ledge was only an hour or two's climb away

[04:51.13]and that before the light went

[04:54.97]they would probably have conquered two or three of these peaks.

[05:01.81]He had not realised the scale of the country.

[05:07.17]He did not know that he was looking at mountains in miniature.

[05:13.65]What he did know was that he was certainly looking at mountains,

[05:20.31]and he was right,for these peaks,some of them less than 3,000 feet high,

[05:29.66]have all the air of great mountains.

[05:35.22]With variety goes surprise.

[05:39.98]Ours is the country of happy surprises.

[05:44.65]You have never to travel long without being pleasantly astonished.

[05:50.61]It would not be difficult to compile a list of such surprises

[05:56.36]that would fill the next fifty pages,

[06:00.93]but I will content myself with suggesting the first few that occur to me.

[06:08.09]If you go down into the West Country,

[06:12.63]among rounded hills and soft pastures,

[06:17.67]you suddenly arrive at the bleak 12 tablelands

[06:23.71]as if the North had left a piece of itself down there.

[06:29.87]But before you have reached them you have already been surprised

[06:36.22]by the queer bit of marshland,

[06:40.89]as if a former inhabitant had been sent to Cambridge

[06:47.14]and had brought his favourite marshland walk

[06:51.89]back from college with him into the West.


  [06:57.77]The Weald is another of them.

[07:01.90]East Anglia has a kind of rough heath country of its own

[07:08.53]that I for one never expect to find there and I'm always delighted to see.

[07:17.07]Then,after the easy rolling Midlands,the dramatic Peak District,

[07:25.62]with its genuine steep slopes,never fails to astonish me,

[07:31.36]for I feel that it has no business to be there.

[07:37.01]A car will take you all round the Peak District in a morning.

[07:42.36]It is nothing but a crumpled 13 green pocket handkerchief.

[07:48.42]Again,there has always been something surprising to me

[07:54.17]about those cone-shaped hills that suddenly pop up

[08:00.05]in Shropshire and along the Welsh border

[08:05.19]I have never explored this region properly,

[08:10.55]and so it remains 14 to me a country of mystery,

[08:17.91]with a delightful 15 fairy-tale quality about its cone-shaped hills.

[08:25.67]Nevertheless,we hear of search parties going out there to find lost travellers

[08:35.65]I could go on with this list of surprises

[08:41.40]but perhaps you had better make your own.

[08:47.17]Another characteristic of our landscape is its exquisite 16 moderation.

[08:55.53]It looks like the result of one of those happy compromises

[09:01.88]that make our social and political plans so irrational 17 and yet so successful.

[09:11.26]It has been born of a compromise

[09:15.70]between wildness and tameness,between Nature and Man.

[09:24.34]In many countries you pass straight from regions

[09:30.12]where men have left their mark in every inch of ground

[09:36.46]to other regions that are desolate 18 wilderness 19.

[09:42.73]Abroad, we have all noticed how abruptly 20 most of the cities seem to begin;

[09:51.67]here,no city; there, the city.

[09:58.12]With us the cities pretend they are not really there

[10:04.78]until we are well inside them.

[10:09.22]They almost insinuate 21 themselves into the countryside.

[10:15.39]This comes from another compromise of ours,the suburb.

[10:22.05]There is a great deal to be said for the suburb.

[10:27.01]To people of moderate means,

[10:31.09]compelled to live fairly near their work in a city,

[10:37.02]the suburb offers the most civilised way of life.

[10:42.87]Nearly all Englishmen are at heart country gentlemen.

[10:49.03]The suburban 22 villa 23 enables the salesman or the clerk,

[10:55.80] out of hours,to be a country gentleman.

[11:01.73](Let us admit that it offers his wife and children more solid advantages. )

[11:07.68]A man in a newish suburb

[11:11.84]feels that he has one foot in the city and one in the country.

[11:19.60]As this is the kind of compromise he likes,he is happy.

[11:27.14]We must return,however, to the landscape,

[11:31.82]which I suggest is the result of a compromise

[11:38.17]between wilderness and cultivation 24,Nature and Man.

[11:46.50]One reason for this

[11:50.26]is that it contains that exquisite balance between Nature and Man.

[11:57.92]We see a cornfield and a cottage,both solid evidences of man's presence.

[12:06.69]But notice how these things, in the middle of the scene,

[12:12.44]are surrounded by witnesses to that ancient England

[12:19.52]that was nearly all forest and heath.

[12:24.48]The fence and the gate are man-made,

[12:29.05]but are not severely 25 regular and trim

[12:34.31]—as they would be in some other countries.

[12:38.77]The trees and hedges,the grass and wild flowers in the foreground,

[12:46.03]all suggest that Nature has not been forced into obedience 26.

[12:53.77]Even the cottage,which has an irregularity and colouring

[13:01.50]that make it fit snugly 27 into the landscape

[13:06.67](as all good cottages should do) ,

[13:10.82]looks nearly as much a piece of natural history as the trees:

[13:17.36]you feel it might have grown there.

[13:23.00]In some countries,that cottage would have been an uncompromising cube

[13:31.64]of brick,which would have declared,

[13:36.92]"No nonsense now Man,the drainer,the tiller,the builder, has settled here.

[13:44.68]"In this English scene there is no such direct opposition 28.

[13:51.45]Men and trees and flowers,we feel,have all settled down comfortably together.


  [14:00.69]The motto is, "Live and let live. "

[14:06.26]This exquisite harmony between Nature and Man

[14:12.19]explains in part the enchantment 29 of the older Britain,

[14:17.75]in which whole towns fitted snugly into the landscape,

[14:24.10]as if they were no more than bits of woodland;

[14:29.98]and roads went winding 30 the easiest way as naturally as rivers;

[14:38.31]and it was impossible to say where cultivation ended and wild life began.

[14:46.04]It was a country rich in trees,birds,and wild flowers,

[14:54.01]as we can see to this day.



1 varied
adj.多样的,多变化的
  • The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
  • The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。
2 boundless
adj.无限的;无边无际的;巨大的
  • The boundless woods were sleeping in the deep repose of nature.无边无际的森林在大自然静寂的怀抱中酣睡着。
  • His gratitude and devotion to the Party was boundless.他对党无限感激、无限忠诚。
3 grandeur
n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华
  • The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
  • These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。
4 neatly
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
5 aviators
飞机驾驶员,飞行员( aviator的名词复数 )
  • Analysis on Sickness Status of 1149 Aviators during Recuperation. 飞行员1149例疗养期间患病情况分析。
  • In America the whole scale is too big, except for aviators. 在美国整个景象的比例都太大了,不过对飞行员来说是个例外。
6 mere
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
7 desolating
毁坏( desolate的现在分词 ); 极大地破坏; 使沮丧; 使痛苦
  • Most desolating were those evenings the belle-mere had envisaged for them. 最最凄凉的要数婆婆给她们设计的夜晚。
8 geographical
adj.地理的;地区(性)的
  • The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
  • These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。
9 pointed
adj.尖的,直截了当的
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
10 misty
adj.雾蒙蒙的,有雾的
  • He crossed over to the window to see if it was still misty.他走到窗户那儿,看看是不是还有雾霭。
  • The misty scene had a dreamy quality about it.雾景给人以梦幻般的感觉。
11 ledge
n.壁架,架状突出物;岩架,岩礁
  • They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
  • Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上,摔倒了。
12 bleak
adj.(天气)阴冷的;凄凉的;暗淡的
  • They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
  • The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。
13 crumpled
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
14 delightful
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
  • We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
  • Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
15 exquisite
adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的
  • I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
  • I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。
16 irrational
adj.无理性的,失去理性的
  • After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
  • There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。
17 desolate
adj.荒凉的,荒芜的;孤独的,凄凉的;v.使荒芜,使孤寂
  • The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
  • We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后,我们都觉得万分孤寂。
18 wilderness
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。
19 abruptly
adv.突然地,出其不意地
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
20 insinuate
vt.含沙射影地说,暗示
  • He tried to insinuate himself into the boss's favor.他设法巧妙地渐渐取得老板的欢心。
  • It seems to me you insinuate things about her.我觉得你讲起她来,总有些弦外之音。
21 suburban
adj.城郊的,在郊区的
  • Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
  • There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。
22 villa
n.别墅,城郊小屋
  • We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
  • We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。
23 cultivation
n.耕作,培养,栽培(法),养成
  • The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
  • The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃,不值得耕种。
24 severely
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
25 obedience
n.服从,顺从
  • Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
  • Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。
26 snugly
adv.紧贴地;贴身地;暖和舒适地;安适地
  • Jamie was snugly wrapped in a white woolen scarf. 杰米围着一条白色羊毛围巾舒适而暖和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The farmyard was snugly sheltered with buildings on three sides. 这个农家院三面都有楼房,遮得很严实。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 opposition
n.反对,敌对
  • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
  • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
28 enchantment
n.迷惑,妖术,魅力
  • The beauty of the scene filled us with enchantment.风景的秀丽令我们陶醉。
  • The countryside lay as under some dread enchantment.乡村好像躺在某种可怖的魔法之下。
29 winding
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈
  • A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
  • The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。
学英语单词
adenocarcinoma of breast
Arabianise
arteriopressor
be on the grab
biologically equivalent dose
bodil
capillary attaction
choux pastries
claiks
closet-
cnidide
coarsish
coser
cramped up
Cudillero
Deira
derhams
Dracaena terniflora
Eccles, Sir John Carew
electrochromic dye
family anabantidaes
four-way solenoid valve
gart
gaudious
gerund
great auricular vein
hair wire
Han-Chinese
have it made in the shade
hemorrhagic fever
hidate
hydroxylamines
hypoplastic left-heart syndrome
integrated power amplifier
intersertal structure
intersite
jfc
kiln burn
landrum
leading edge flap actuation system
light-sensitive compound
Littre
maaseik (maeseyck)
media whore
miami vice
muresan
naginaketone
Naphthysine
Nieva, R.
non-contemporaneous
noncorrective
nonradium
nonzero sum game
not guilty plea
object programs
operating mine survey
pentolamine
pneumosilicosis
politicized
Privlaka
quaternary steel
razor stone
recencies
rectified value of alternating quantity
red podzolic soil
rhombic system
rib pillar
Saxifraga dongwanensis
scrumdiddlyumptious
seedling machinery
Selenobismuthite
send something in
shipping weight final
side car wheel axle bearing
single packing
solids turn over
somatic cell nuclear transplantation
spatialising
squarewave polarograph
state estimator
stype
sucker-punches
syntheticresin
talinum calycinums
tamboured
task-to-task communication
telconstantan
term of a series
The game is over .
theoretical thermodynamics
thermostatically controlled environment
threshold collision
tigerish
Tilia tuan
tomorrow never dies
transmission semiconductor detector
TSS Network
unsling
wet adiabatic temperature difference
with a view to sth
woven-screen storage
yagodin