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Home Unit 15 A Fable for Tomorrow

Background Information

Extended Reading

Warm-up Questions

Free Discussion

Detailed ReadingBefore Reading Global Reading After Reading


Warm-up Questions1. What does “fable” mean? Can you give an example of a

famous fable?A fable is a brief tale dealing with fundamental things in life, often told to teach a moral lesson.


Aesop’s Fables is perhaps the most famous collection of fables. Many stories included in Aesop’s Fables, such as “The Fox and the Grapes”, “The Farmer and the Viper”, “The Tortoise and the Hare”, and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, are well-known throughout the world.

The Farmer and the Viper



2. What does “tomorrow” in the title refer to?

The word “tomorrow” is used as a metaphor, referring to the future.

3. What are the problems relating to the future most people are concerned about?

pollution population explosionWorld War III terrorismaging problem energy crisisnatural disaster economic depression



4. What do you think is the topic of this article?

The article is mainly about the poisoning of the environment by insecticides and chemical fertilizers.



• In Malaysia and Sri Lanka, 7% to 15% of farmers experience poisoning at least once in their lives.

• In the Philippines, 50% of rice farmers have suffered from sickness due to pesticide use.

• In Egypt, more than 50% of cotton workers in the 1990s suffered symptoms of chronic pesticide poisoning, including neurological and vision disorders.

• In Venezuela, 10,300 cases of poisoning with 576 deaths occurred during the past decade.

• In China, 42,800 new cases of pesticide poisoning were reported in 2006, including 3,900 fatalities.


1. About the writer

Background Information


Rachel Carson (1907-1964) — biologist, writer, ecologist



“Man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.”

— Rachel Carson

“One species — man — has acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world.”

— Rachel Carson



Rachel Carson was born in a small rural Pennsylvania community. As a young child, Carson’s consuming passions were the nature surrounding her hillside home. She was first “published” at the age of ten in a children’s magazine dedicated to the work of young writers. In 1925 Carson entered Pennsylvania College for Women as an English major determined to become a writer. Midway into her studies, however, she switched to biology. Upon graduation, Carson was awarded a scholarship to complete her graduate work in biology at Johns Hopkins University, an enormous accomplishment for a woman in 1929.

Carson’s first book, Under the Sea Wind, published in 1941, highlighted her unique ability to present deeply intricate scientific material in clear poetic language that could captivate her readers and pique their interest in the natural world. In 1951, Rachel Carson began



working on another book, The Sea Around Us. It became her first best-selling book and won the National Book Award. Her next book, The Edge of the Sea, was published in 1955. It told of the connection of all living creatures in areas where land and ocean meet.



The text is taken from Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring, which was published in 1962. Having launched the environmental movement, Silent Spring helped to expose the hazards of chemical pesticide use and draw public attention to environmental issues that had never really been addressed before.

2. About the text


Extended Reading

Listen to the following information for a better understanding of the text. While listening, please fill in the blanks with the information you hear.

Directions:

Rachel Carson’s most famous book, Silent Spring, was published in 1962. The idea for the book developed from a suggestion from a friend. Rachel’s friend owned a protected area for birds. An airplane had flown over the area where the birds were kept and spread a called DDT. It was part of a project to control mosquitoes. Many songbirds and harmless insects were killed by the DDT.

powerful chemical ________________



Ms. Carson and other scientists were very concerned about the harmful effects of DDT and other called pesticides. After World War II, these poisonous chemicals were widely used to control insects. Pesticides were sprayed almost everywhere including agricultural fields and communities. DDT and other pesticides had become popular with the public and the government because they were so effective. Manufacturing these chemicals had become a huge industry. Rachel Carson tried to get many magazines interested in publishing a report about the subject. However, none would agree to publish anything about such a subject. They said no one wanted to hear that industrial companies could cause great ecological damage. Ms. Carson believed the public needed to know about this important issue. She decided to write a book about it. She collected facts from experts from all over the world. She gathered studies that showed the harmful effects of DDT, including and human cancers.

insect-killing chemicals ___________________


disputed_______

declining bird populations ______________________increased________


In her book Silent Spring, Ms. Carson questioned the right of industrial companies to pollute without considering the effects on the environment. Ms. Carson argued that this kind of pollution would result in ever-decreasing populations of birds and other wildlife. She said this would lead to the loss of the wonderful sounds of nature. The of the environment, she said, would cause a silent spring. The chemical industry felt . Industry spokesmen and other critics said the book was and . They misunderstood the message of the book. Ms. Carson did not suggest that all pesticides be banned. She urged that control of these substances be given to biologists who could make informed decisions about the risks involved. Support for the book increased. By the end of 1962, there were more than forty bills in state proposing to control pesticides. Finally, in November, 1969, the United States government ruled that the use of DDT must stop in two years.


poisoningchemical

threatened_________non-scientific___________ emotional________

legislatures_________

________________


Rachel Carson did not live to see how her book influenced the government’s decision to DDT. She died of breast cancer in 1964. She was fifty-six years old.

ban____


Interesting Facts about Rachel Carsonhttp://www.eiu.edu/~wow/carsfacts.html1994 Introduction to Silent Spring by Al

Gorehttp://www.uneco.org/ssalgoreintro.html


Do you think the environmental problem is becoming extremely acute? Can you give some examples of environmental problems that are haunting us?

Free Discussion


polluted rivers and lakes acid rainsand storm soil erosiondesertification deforestationover-fishing salinization

Can you propose measures we can take to prevent further pollution and improve the polluted environment?


Part Division of the Text

Further Understanding

Skimming



Skimming

What is the central argument of the passage?


Due to his ignorance and lack of concern for the integrity of nature, man has been abusing chemicals, causing irrecoverable harm to the environment and people.


Directions: Please divide the text into 4 parts and identify the key words or phrases of each part.

Part Division of the Text


Main IdeasParts

1

2

Paras

1~2

3~6 the coming of a strange blight

all life in harmony with its surroundings

4 9 warning against a grim spectre / stark reality

3 7~8the stricken world silenced by people themselves


1. There was once a town in the heart of America. The phrase in italics means:

Further Understanding

B( )


Multiple Choices

A. in the core ofB. in the center ofC. in the midst ofD. among



2. … where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings … The phrase in italics has all the following meanings except: C(

)A. to live peacefully withB. to be in agreement withC. to live in combination withD. to be in a state of peacefulness with

3. … clouds of bloom drifted above the green field. The phrase in italics has all the following meanings except: A( )

A. a large number ofB. a great amount ofC. plenty ofD. lots of



4. … countless birds came to feed on the berries … The word in italics means all of the following except: D

A. numerousB. a great many ofC. vast numbers ofD. uncountable

( )

5. … the first settlers raised their houses, … The word in italics means: C

A. liftedB. collectedC. builtD. set up

( )



6. Some evil spell had settled on the community. The word in italics means: B

A. fixedB. fallenC. made permanentD. decided to make its home

( )



7. … who would be stricken suddenly while at play. The phrase in italics means: A

A. would fall illB. would be hit hardC. would be given a blowD. would be astonished

( )



8. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted. This sentence means: C

A. The feeding stations in the backyards were not crowded any more.B. There were no more feeding stations in the backyards.C. No birds were seen at the feeding stations in the backyards.D. The feeding stations in the backyards were given up.

( )



9. Only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh. The word in italics means: D

A. treesB. an area of different treesC. bushesD. forests

( )

10. … the young survived only a few days. The word in italics means: B

A. lived longerB. remained aliveC. lastedD. outlived

( )


There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings. The town lay in the midst of a checkerboard of prosperous farms, with fields of grain and hillsides of orchards where, in spring, white clouds of bloom drifted above the green fields. In autumn, oak and maple and birch set up a blaze of colour that flamed and flickered across a backdrop of pines. Then foxes barked in the hills and deer silently crossed the fields, half hidden in the mists of the autumn mornings.

Along the roads, laurel, viburnum and alder, great ferns and wild flowers, delighted the traveller’s eye through much of the year. Even in winter the roadsides were places of beauty, where countless birds came to feed on the berries and on the seed heads of the dried weeds rising above the snow.

A Fable for Tomorrow


From Silent Spring by Rachel Carson


The countryside was, in fact, famous for the abundance and variety of its bird life, and when the flood of migrants was pouring through in spring and autumn people travelled from great distances to observe them. Others came to fish the streams, which flowed clear and cold out of the hills and contained shady pools where trout lay. So it had been from the days many years ago when the first settlers raised their houses, sank their wells and built their barns. Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change. Some evil spell had settled on the community: mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families. In the town the doctors had become more and more puzzled by new kinds of sickness appearing among their patients.



There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths not only among adults but even among children, who would be stricken suddenly while at play and die within a few hours. There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example — where had they gone? Many people spoke of them, puzzled and disturbed. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh. On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks were hatched. The farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs — the litters were small and the young survived only a few days.




The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit. The roadsides, once so attractive, were now lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire. These too, were silent, deserted by all living things. Even the streams were now lifeless. Anglers no longer visited them, for all the fish had died. In the gutters under the eaves and between the shingles of the roofs, white granular powder still showed a few patches; some weeks before it had fallen like snow upon the roofs and the lawns, the fields and streams. No witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new life in this stricken world. The people had done it themselves. This town does not actually exist, but it might easily have a thousand counterparts in America or elsewhere in the world. I know of no community that has experienced all the misfortunes I describe.


Yet every one of these disasters has actually happened somewhere, and many real communities have already suffered a substantial number of them. A grim spectre has crept upon us almost unnoticed, and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality we all shall know.



There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings. The town lay in the midst of a checkerboard of prosperous farms, with fields of grain and hillsides of orchards where, in spring, white clouds of bloom drifted above the green fields. In autumn, oak and maple and birch set up a blaze of colour that flamed and flickered across a backdrop of pines. Then foxes barked in the hills and deer silently crossed the fields, half hidden in the mists of the autumn mornings.

Along the roads, laurel, viburnum and alder, great ferns and wild flowers, delighted the traveller’s eye through much of the year. Even in winter the roadsides were places of beauty, where countless birds came to feed on the berries and on the seed heads of the dried weeds rising above the snow.


A Fable for TomorrowFrom Silent Spring by Rachel Carson


The countryside was, in fact, famous for the abundance and variety of its bird life, and when the flood of migrants was pouring through in spring and autumn people travelled from great distances to observe them. Others came to fish the streams, which flowed clear and cold out of the hills and contained shady pools where trout lay. So it had been from the days many years ago when the first settlers raised their houses, sank their wells and built their barns. Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change. Some evil spell had settled on the community: mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families. In the town the doctors had become more and more puzzled by new kinds of sickness appearing among their patients.



There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths not only among adults but even among children, who would be stricken suddenly while at play and die within a few hours. There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example — where had they gone? Many people spoke of them, puzzled and disturbed. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh. On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks were hatched. The farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs — the litters were small and the young survived only a few days.




The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit. The roadsides, once so attractive, were now lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire. These too, were silent, deserted by all living things. Even the streams were now lifeless. Anglers no longer visited them, for all the fish had died. In the gutters under the eaves and between the shingles of the roofs, white granular powder still showed a few patches; some weeks before it had fallen like snow upon the roofs and the lawns, the fields and streams. No witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new life in this stricken world. The people had done it themselves. This town does not actually exist, but it might easily have a thousand counterparts in America or elsewhere in the world. I know of no community that has experienced all the misfortunes I describe.


Yet every one of these disasters has actually happened somewhere, and many real communities have already suffered a substantial number of them. A grim spectre has crept upon us almost unnoticed, and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality we all shall know.



Why does the writer begin her article in such a way?

The opening sentence of this article is an echo of a typical fable which usually begins with “There was once a …”.

There was once a town in the heart of America …


Why is this article entitled “A Fable for Tomorrow”?

A fable is usually a fictitious story meant to teach a moral. The writer uses a story of her own invention in an effort to warn us of the dangers of pollution. If man does not control the massive use of chemical insecticides, the imagined tragedy will become a stark reality. This is why this article is called a fable.


Paraphrase this sentence.

The town was situated among thriving farms which were set in a pattern of squares.

The town lay in the midst of a checkerboard of prosperous farms, …




In autumn, oak, maple and birch produced a very bright color that glowed and flared against a background of pines.

In autumn, oak and maple and birch set up a blaze of colour that flamed and flickered across a backdrop of pines.




… made many tourists take great pleasure in looking at them during the greater part of the year.

… delighted the traveller’s eye through much of the year.




As a matter of fact, the countryside was well-known over a wide area for the richness and different kinds of bird life. In spring and autumn when the vast number of migratory birds kept rushing in, people came from various places to watch them.

The countryside was, in fact, famous for the abundance and variety of its bird life, and when the flood of migrants was pouring through in spring and autumn people travelled from great distances to observe them.



Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change. Some evil spell had settled on the community: …


After some time a peculiar plant disease that destroyed, withered and prevented the growth of plants became prevalent in that area. It was as if the community was under some harmful magical power or irresistible evil influence.




Please find out in the article expressions the writer used to repeat the key idea “blight”.

evil spell much illnessmysterious maladies new kinds of sicknesssickened and died sudden and unexplained deatha shadow of death would be stricken suddenly



On the mornings that used to be vibrating with the singing in chorus of a great many different birds, everything was now silent.


On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was now no sound; …


In the gutters under the eaves and between the shingles of the roofs, white granular powder still showed a few patches; …

What is implied by this sentence?

It implies that chemical fertilizers had been used excessively, so much so that even several weeks afterwards, traces could still be seen here and there.



A grim spectre has crept upon us almost unnoticed, and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality we all shall know.


Paraphrase the sentence.

A frightful and ghastly shadow has slowly and quietly dominated us without being noticed by us and this imaginary disaster may naturally become a harsh reality that will affect us all.


harmony: n. [U] agreement in feeling or opinion; accord

There was not much harmony in international affairs during those years.


我的猫和狗相处得十分和睦。

My cat and dog live in perfect harmony.他的音乐品位和我的很一致。

His taste for music is in harmony with mine.

harmonious: adj.

He is blessed with a harmonious family.2. having component elements pleasingly or appropriately combined

1. friendly and peaceful



In Paris you can see a harmonious blend of architectural styles.画中的各个部分组成了一个和谐的整体。

The different parts of the picture form a harmonious whole.

harmonize:

1. vi. If things harmonize, they combine in a pleasant way.窗帘应当与室内的整体装饰相一致。

Curtains should harmonize with the overall interior décor.

2. vt. to make laws or policies similar to those of a different country, organization, etc.

英国希望有个国际协定来协调所有欧盟成员国的做法。

The UK wants an international agreement to harmonize practices throughout the EU.


lie: v. (lie — lay — lain — lying) 1. be situated (indicating position or situation)

The village lies at the foot of the mountain.


Snow lay thick on the ground; the river was frozen solid.

2. be kept and remain in a certain state

The injured man was lying motionless on his back.她的包打开着放在桌上。

Her bag was lying open on the table.

农场位于北面几英里处。

The farm lay a few miles to the north.



3. hang; hover

Deep sorrow lay over the whole country at the death of the great military leader.

内疚感令他无法快乐起来。

Feelings of guilt lay heavy on him.


checkerboard: n. 国际跳棋棋盘


Vocabulary Extension:chessboard 国际象棋棋盘

chess 国际象棋

Chinese chess 象棋

Chinese checkers 跳棋


a cloud of arrows (insects, locusts, horsemen, smoke, dust or sand)

a cloud of: mass of things in the air, esp. moving together


He made his way to the exit in a cloud of security men.

黑压压的一群苍蝇围着我们嗡嗡地飞。

A thick cloud of flies buzzed around us.

Similar expressions: a rain / shower of arrows / bullets / congratulations / protests箭如雨下 / 弹如雨下 / 一连串的祝贺 / 劈头盖脸的一阵抗议a sea of up-turned faces / flame无数张朝上看的脸 / 一片火海


a blaze of: a bright or steady light or glare; a brilliant, striking display; a sudden outburst of emotion


the blaze of the desert sun 沙漠上强烈的阳光炙焰

the blaze of day 白昼的光辉

flowers that are a blaze of color 色彩鲜艳的花朵

in the blaze of publicity 在公众瞩目之下

a blaze of anger 勃然大怒

饭店灯火通明 , 五彩缤纷。The restaurant was a blaze of light and color.

a flood of (migrants) 一群（候鸟）a flock of (chickens) 一群（小鸡）

Vocabulary Extension:



a bar of (chocolate) 一条（巧克力）

a blanket of (snow) 一片（白雪）

a bucket of (water) 一桶（水）

a bunch of (grapes) 一串（葡萄）

a cloud of (smoke) 一团（烟）a chain of (thoughts)

一连串（想法）

a series of (articles) 一系列（文章）

a fit of (coughing) 一阵（咳嗽）

a roomful of (guests) 一屋子（客人）a plot of (land)

一块（地）



a slice of (ham) 一片（火腿）

a jar of (jam) 一罐（果酱）

a loaf of (bread) 一条（面包）

a set of (tools) 一套（工具）

a slip of (paper) 一张（纸条）

a coat of (paint) 一层（油漆）

a block of (ice) 一大块（冰）

a blade of (grass) 一叶（草）


backdrop: n. (= backcloth) painted cloth hung at the back of a stage in a theatre, as part of the scenery; background 背景幕，天幕；背景


The lake and mountains provided a dazzling backdrop for the ceremony.Negotiations were carried out against a backdrop of continued fighting.The events of the 1930s provided the backdrop for the movie.她的小说以 19世纪的中国为背景。

Her novel has the 19th-century China as its backdrop.


bark: v. to make the short, loud sound that dogs and some 　　　 other animals make


roar tiger / lionhowl wolfbellow bull


drone; hum; buzz bee / flychirp; sing birdchatter magpiecoo dove

cheep; sing chickenboo; moo cowbleat sheep / goatquack duckmeow; purr catcroak froghiss snake


mist: n. clouds of very small drops of water floating in the 　　　 air, near or reaching to the ground; thin fog


The mountain top was covered in mist.The origin of the custom is lost in the mists of time.偏见的迷雾减弱了他的判断能力。

A mist of prejudice spoiled his judgment.


abundance: n. a great or plentiful amount; quantity that is 　　　　　　 more than enough


Oil flows in abundance.He wished to have money in abundance.这儿有喝不完的啤酒。There was beer in abundance.她的头发浓密黝黑。She had an abundance of very dark hair.

abundant: adj. plentifulThere is abundant time.There is an abundant supply of cheap labour.该地区降雨丰沛。Rainfall is abundant in the region.



abound (in / with): v. exist or have in great numbers or 　　　　　　　　 quantities

Venice abounds in famous hotels.

我们有充分的证据证明他有罪。We have abundant proof of his guilt.

The book abounds with close-up images from space.

他很有胆量。

He abounds in courage.这个国家有很多老虎。

This country abounds with tigers.


bird life: 鸟类Vocabulary Extension:


animal life 动物

plant life 植物

marine life 海洋生物


fish:


1. vi. to try to catch fish, for example using a net or a fishing 　 rod

The ship was not permitted to fish in Canadian waters.2. vt. to catch fish in a particular area of water

Many boats fish these waters.许多小船在这些水域捕鱼。


a fish out of water 离水之鱼（形容与其所处的环境不融洽，感到别扭、难堪）

to teach a fish how to swim 班门弄斧

(as) mute as a fish 默不作声；一声不响



drink like a fish 酗酒，牛饮

The best fish smell when they are three days old.鱼过三天后，再鲜也变臭。 / 久居别家招人嫌。

There are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it.有水何患无鱼。 / 天涯何处无芳草。

make fish of one and flesh of another 厚此薄彼


raise: v. 1. (formal) to build something


This old castle was raised in the 17th century.这些纪念碑是为纪念死者而修建的。

Monuments were raised in honour of the dead.

2. to breed and care for to maturity

The farmer raises crops and cattle.四十多年来她一直在养羊。

She’s been raising sheep for over 40 years.


blight:


The threat of war cast a blight on their happiness.

Distrustfulness blighted his previous marriage.

1. n. plant disease; something that damages or spoils something else

2. v. to cause serious damage or harm to something

The serious illness blighted the rest of his life.

失业是我们社会的一大祸患。 Unemployment is a blight on our community.

苹果树因严寒而枯萎。

The apple trees were blighted by frost.他的名誉为他的行为不检所毁。 His reputation was blighted by his bad behavior.


spell: n. [C]


1. words or actions that make magic things happen

2. a powerful influence on someone, usually an influence that makes them admire or obey another person

They say she died after a wizard cast a spell on her.The frog was a handsome prince under a spell.

女巫对他施了魔咒，把他变成了野兽。

The witch cast a spell on him and turned him into a beast.

Super idols are able to put a spell on the public.Mary fell under his spell within minutes of meeting him.他不是第一个为她所倾倒的人。

He was not the first man to fall under her spell.



3. a period of a particular kind of activity, weather, etc., usually a short period

美丽的岛屿似乎使她着迷了。

The beautiful island seemed to have cast a spell on her.

There has been a long spell of dry weather.在军队呆了很短的一段时间后，我上了大学。 After a short spell in the army, I went to college.

漫长的雨天给果农带来了麻烦。 A prolonged wet spell causes trouble to fruit farmers.


malady: n. [C]


cf.

往往指由病人内部的虚弱或失调所致，故着眼点是内因，一般是一段时间或更长时间的不适，还可指一切心理的病症，从轻微神经病到严重的精神病。

He was stricken at 21 by a crippling malady.

Violent crime is only one of the maladies afflicting modern society.

maladymalady, illness, disease

She died after a long illness.

How many working days have you missed through illness?

尤指慢性疾病，也可引申指弊端，弊病。

illness



指具体的病，尤指由细菌或病毒所致的传染病，如流感、麻疹、腮腺炎等，又如心脏病。

Heart disease runs in our family.

disease


strike: v. (illness, trouble, etc.) seriously affect or attack someone


He was stricken by a heart disease. The rise in living costs struck the poor people of the country.那个村子遭受旱灾。

Drought struck the village.破晓时分敌人对小镇发起进攻。

The enemy struck the town at dawn.灾难在起飞后的几分钟内降临了。

Disaster struck within minutes of take-off.



stricken: adj. affected by something overwhelming, such as disease, trouble, or painful emotion


flood-stricken 受到洪水侵袭的

plague-stricken 受到瘟疫侵袭的

horror-stricken 惊恐万状的

panic-stricken 惊慌失措的

grief-stricken 悲痛万分的

poverty-stricken 穷苦不堪的

love-stricken 为爱所苦的conscience-stricken 受良心谴责的


moribund: adj. (formal) no longer effective and not likely to continue for much longer


a moribund doga moribund economy

a moribund industrya moribund way of life

moribund customs


litter:


a litter of puppies

Please take your litter away with you when you leave the room.

a litter of notes / papers / textbooks

1. n. all the young born to an animal at one time

2. n. bits of waste paper, containers, etc. that people have left on the ground in a public place

公园和河里满是乱扔的废弃物。 The park and river are full of litter.

3. n. a group of things arranged in a very untidy way



4. v. make a place untidy with scattered rubbishPlease do not litter.Selfish picnickers litter the beach with food wrappers.

5. v. to give birth to a litterThe cat is about to litter.


substantial: adj. noticeable; important; of some size or value


a substantial amount of money一大笔钱 Since he returned this term, he has made substantial progress. 我们的足球队以悬殊的比分赢了这场比赛。 Our soccer team won the game by a substantial margin.许多人呼吁应让黑人在政府中有举足轻重的发言权。

Many people demanded that blacks be given a substantial voice in the government.


spectre / specter: n. [C] the possibility of something unpleasant that might happen in the future


the spectre of another world war

The latest economic forecast again raises the spectre of increased inflation.他心头一直萦绕着可能失业的恐惧感。

The spectre of unemployment was always on his mind.


stark: adj.


The landscape was grey and stark.

The hill formed a stark silhouette against the sky.他不喜欢光秃秃的砖墙和钢窗架。

He disliked the stark brick walls and the steel window frames.

1. very bare and plain in appearance

2. unpleasantly clear and impossible to avoid

The film shows the stark realities of life in the slums.

Those are the stark facts of the matter.



3. complete; total

John’s eyes were wide open with a look of stark terror.

Their poverty was in stark contrast to the luxury all around them.他的话与先前说的形成了鲜明的对比。 His words were in stark contrast to what he had said earlier.


Useful Expressions

Passage Dictation

Interaction Activities

Guided Writing

Additional Reading


Text Appreciation


1. 和睦相处

2. 在……中间

3. 鸟类

4. 修建房屋

5. 怪病

live in harmony

in the midst of …

bird life

raise houses

mysterious maladies

Useful Expressions

6. 死亡的阴影 a shadow of death


7. 许多 scores of



9. 细粉粒 granular powder

10. ……大量的 a substantial number of …

11. 无法回避的事实 stark reality

8. 开花 come into bloom


Passage Dictation

Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be read at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be read at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work.

Directions:



Although the world is large, man is able to live in only a small part of it. The atmosphere is only about eleven kilometers thick. The soil that supplies us with food is only about fifteen centimeters thick and man can live on only about one eighth of the world’s surface. In the past two hundred years man has greatly changed his environment. Water has been given to deserts. Roads have been built across deserts and through forests. Cities have grown to an astonishing size. Many scientists think that man may not find life pleasant in the world of the future. Man is destroying the ecological balance by deforestation, uncontrolled use of insecticides and fertilizers, the dumping of sewage and chemicals into water. If no actions are taken, the future of the world is frightening.



Life in the Year 2050 Have you ever imagined what life will be like in the year 2050? Are you pessimistic or optimistic about the future? Fill in the grid with your predictions about the following:


1. Transport and travel

Optimistic view: People might travel with wings that scientists have invented.Pessimistic view: Too crowded. It might take several hours to travel from one end of the city to the other.

Interaction Activities



2. Food and drink

3. Family life

Optimistic view: There will be enough food and drink to provide people with adequate nourishment.Pessimistic view: Not enough food and drink to divide among an ever-growing population.

Optimistic view: Happy and pleasant life in the nuclear family: father, mother and one child.Pessimistic view: Dull and boring, with the family members sitting in front of TV all day long.



4. Education

5. Pollution

Optimistic view: Higher education for everyone, television teaching and computerized teaching in every school. Pessimistic view: Lack of interest in schooling; too many distractions outside the school.

Optimistic view: Water purified, air cleaned and noise eliminated.Pessimistic view: Water black and foul-smelling; air full of soot and dirt; noise deafening.


StructureThe writer carefully avoids identifying the real subject matter at the beginning. Her purpose is not just to inform but to convince the reader of the serious effects of pollution resulting from the massive and indiscriminate use of fertilizers and pesticides, a problem which most Americans were ignorant of until Carson gave this warning.


1.

Text Appreciation



After presenting a detailed description of a strange blight and the lifeless community, the writer finally sets out the cause of all the miseries and disasters and puts the responsibility where it belongs — on man himself. The writer creates a mystery deliberately and thereby arouses the reader’s concern as well as curiosity.The writer repeats the key idea “blight” so that the idea hangs together and the sentences can be closely linked in theme. The article, therefore, becomes a coherent piece revolving around the central theme that the abuse of chemical pesticides has severely endangered the environment.

2.

3.



Language and StyleThis passage is unique in its presentation of the subject matter. A grave warning is given in the form of a fable. The language of this article is vivid, colorful and descriptive. In the first part there are lyrical touches with the rhythm of poetry. With the use of simple and poetic expressions as well as vivid images, the writer skillfully creates a detailed description of beautiful land, rich vegetation and vigorous wildlife. The poetic picture unfolded in the first two paragraphs contrasts sharply with the description of “a strange blight” in the following paragraphs.

1.

2.



Rhetorical DevicesThis article is rich in rhetorical devices. Please find in the

text at least one instance for each of the following rhetorical devices.

simile metaphor parallelisminversion rhetorical question alliteration


Guided Writing — Précis Writing

Write a 200-word précis of “A Fable for Tomorrow” according to the outline and the main points given below.

Directions:


The outline:1. The location of the town, its environment when the first settlers arrived2. The blight, its results 3. The actual situation — a grim spectre creeping upon us



Details to be supplied for the outline: 1. flowers, bloom, spring trees, colours, autumn small animals, fields and hills winter, birds, berries, seed heads, above the snow streams, trout scene, settlers 2. blight, chickens, cattle, sheep sickened, people, unknown diseases, strange silence farms, no chickens, no piglings, no bees, no fruit white granular powder distinctive man-made action



3. such a town, not existing communities, all disasters grim spectre, creeping unnoticed, imagined tragedy, real



The town was located in the heart of America, amid prosperous farms with fields of grain and hillsides of orchards. Flowers bloomed in spring and trees provided a blend of colors in autumn. Small animals wandered in the fields and hills. Flowers bloomed by the roadside most of the year. Even in winter birds could feed on berries and seed heads above the snow. There were also streams with trout. This was the scene when the first settlers came. Then came a blight; chickens, as well as cattle and sheep, sickened, and people, young and old alike, were stricken with unknown diseases. A strange silence prevailed. On the farms, no chickens were hatched, piglings died, no bees hovered over apple blossoms, thus no pollination, and no fruit. What remained were patches of white granular powder. Man-made action had destroyed everything. Such a town may not actually exist. No communities have suffered all of the disasters. But every one of these disasters has happened somewhere and many communities have suffered a number of them. A grim spectre has crept onto us unnoticed and this imagined tragedy may become a stark reality.


Guided Writing — Passage Writing

It is now generally accepted that vehicles (cars, trucks, etc.) are a major source of air pollution in cities. You are to suggest ONE way to solve the problem.Please write a composition of about 200 words on the following topic:

Directions:



One Way to Solve the Problem

You are to write in three parts. In the first part, state what your suggested way is.In the second part, state one or two advantages of your

suggestion.In the last part, bring what you have written to a natural

conclusion.



Pollution is a very serious problem the world is facing now. In many cities, air pollution is pretty serious. It is said that vehicles are a major source of air pollution in cities. Some solutions to the problem have been proposed, such as reducing the number of vehicles and using lead-free petrol. However, I would suggest replacing petrol with electricity as the source of power.

The substitution of petrol with electricity is advantageous for at least two reasons. On the one hand, electricity is clean. As we know, the use of petrol has proved to be the most serious cause of pollution when we drive in vehicles. If electricity is applied, no pollutants will be yielded. On the other hand, unlike petrol, electricity is almost inexhaustible. Now that many ways of generating electricity are available, the resort to electricity may free us from the worry that the power needed for vehicle use may run out someday.



To sum up, using electricity as power is arguably an ideal solution to the problem of vehicle pollution. It can both keep the air clean and permanently satisfy the needs of vehicle users.



When he was in college, Bill Rathje learned that the largest human-made structure in the New World was Mexico’s 30-million-cubic-foot Temple of the Sun, over 2,000 years old. In 1987, he led a team of archaeologists on a dig at Durham Road Landfill in Fremont, California. This structure, built from cover dirt and the discards of three moderate-sized communities, was already five times larger than the Temple of the Sun. Modern landfills are the largest and most numerous monuments humanity has ever built to any lifestyle or civilization.

The sheer size and number of landfills is a good reason to investigate them. Imagine weighing and recording every piece of garbage in excruciating detail: bottles, grass clippings, detergent boxes, motor-oil cans, rotten and not-so-rotten food debris, fast-food packages,

Talking Trash by Jane Duden




disposable diapers, and thousands of other items in our goulash of garbage. It’s a task that would make most of us turn up our noses, but it is Dr. William Rathje’s job and his claim to fame. While their fellow archaeologists dig up very old refuse to learn about ancient societies, Bill Rathje and his team prefer fresher data. They systematically unearth and record the buried archaeological artifacts of our own society — modern garbage. Why? In a 1988 letter to the editor of The New York Times, Rathje answered that question: “Because the United States is in the throes of a garbage-disposal crisis, and most of the local officials who are making decisions that will affect our environment, economy, and lifestyles for decades have never studied refuse firsthand. In making policy, they must rely on what they know from personal experience, and their resulting perceptions of solid-waste problems can be quite different from reality.”


Dr. Rathje believes we will be able to establish our priorities and our options only when we have realistic perceptions of the solid wastes we actually throw away. In other words, the garbage crisis is not a crisis about garbage; it is a crisis about a lack of accurate information. The real garbage crisis is the fact that our knowledge and attitudes are out of sync with behavior and material realities. Dr. Rathje founded Le Projet Du Garbage — The Garbage Project — at the University of Arizona in 1973. Studying garbage, or refuse analysis, is a serious, scientific methodology capable of identifying and quantifying purchase, consumption, and discard behaviors. Garbage analysis is a record of actual behavior rather than self-reported behavior or self-perceptions. For example, many people think plastics are the big culprit burying our waste system. Dr. Rathje’s findings prove a different reality. The volume



and weight of other things are placing a much larger strain on landfills. Yet, the perception that we are buried in fast-food packaging dramatically influences solid waste management policies nationwide. We can easily call “packaging” a tidal wave of garbage and espouse the ultimate goal of protecting the environment. When we think generically of takeout meals and plastic containers, we easily identify overpackaging and the loss of traditional values. Yet, when we each go shopping, we buy for our immediate needs. In stores, packaging becomes product identification, protection, and convenience. The discards in our garbage are enablers of our fast-paced lifestyles. Rathje says we may verbally deny aspects of our lifestyles while behaviorally propagating them. Since 1987, The Garbage Project has excavated four landfills in Canada and nine landfills in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, and



New York. The Garbage Project has conducted fresh household garbage studies in Tucson, Phoenix, New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Marin County (California) as well as Mexico City, Mexico, and Sydney, Australia. It turns out that much of the information used to formulate solid-waste policies — what we think is in landfills and what happens to it over time — may be based more on fantasies than on facts. Our visions of solid waste seem largely based on what we see every day as litter that never even reaches landfills. It didn’t take long for Dr. Rathje to learn that landfills are full of surprises. He described his findings before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in 1989 as it was considering the Solid Waste Disposal Act. One finding was that landfills are more similar than they are different. Nationwide, we generally discard the same things. In all study landfills,



for example, fast-food packaging comprised less than one percent of the refuse from the 1980s. Disposable diapers comprised less than two percent. Dr. Rathje believes these and other similarities among landfills and their contents argue strongly that landfill and solid-waste regulations would most effectively be legislated at a national level. Another finding showed that timely biodegradation in a landfill seems to be a fantasy. Paper items of all types — newsprint, brown grocery bags, cereal boxes, envelopes — were still perfectly readable. This included some buried as early as March 1962. Some food debris does degrade, but at the slow rate of about fifty percent every twenty years. The rest of the refuse in landfills seems to fully retain its original weight, volume, and form after twenty-five years. Rapid decomposition can be simulated in laboratories, but Rathje says our perception that organics biodegrade rapidly in landfills is most likely based on what we see in compost piles.



Composed paper does decompose quickly when exposed to air, moisture, and consistent turning. Such paper is digested by the same fungi and aerobic bacteria that “rot” fallen leaves into humus. Most refuse in landfills, however, is buried much deeper than three feet below the surface, which creates a largely anaerobic environment. The refuse isn’t turned, and any existing fluids usually settle into pockets. Yet, making discards out of theoretically biodegradable materials, such as paper or plastic with cornstarch, is often proposed as a solution to our garbage woes. A third finding of The Garbage Project digs showed that, contrary to popular belief, plastics occupy only nine to twelve percent of the volume of landfills. In addition, plastics have remained constant in landfill volume for the past twenty years. By the time plastic bottles have been compressed in garbage trucks and buried under tons more refuse,



they are squashed flat. Additionally, manufacturers constantly make plastics thinner and lighter — more “squashable” — in order to control costs. Fourth, at least one percent of household refuse is hazardous waste: paints, pool chemicals, cleaning supplies, and so on. That means a community of 100,000 households is likely to deposit nearly 477 tons of household hazardous waste in its landfill each year. Reducing toxic materials in landfills is critical to public well-being. Finding number five is that landfills are being glutted by materials that offer large targets of opportunity for big cuts in refuse volume. With volume the most critical characteristic of garbage in landfills, the main target is paper. More than half the space in landfills is occupied by paper that is not recycled. Paper left behind can only be recycled if markets are expanded and if additional facilities are opened.



Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Rathje and his team, project results like these are being used by government, business, and environmental groups in planning environmental policies and practices. The real garbage crisis has been unearthed.



C

Read the passage “Talking Trash” and choose the best answer for each of the following questions.

Directions:


1. Dr. Rathje digs up landfills because he believes .

A. the space can be better used for buildingB. we can rescue valuable items for recyclingC. questions about landfill contents must be answered with hard evidence

______



2. Fast-food packaging .

A. is only for protecting the productB. mainly promotes the productC. provides easy identification for shoppers

C ______

3. Data from Dr. Rathje’s studies are valuable because .

A. they challenge traditional assumptions about landfill composition as well as the extent and rate of decompositionB. they give policymakers and planners accurate informationC. Both A and B

C ______



4. Organic materials fail to biodegrade quickly in landfills because .

A. they have been mislabeledB. landfill conditions are not conducive to decompositionC. preservatives have been added to them

B ______

5. Compost piles and landfills are similar in that both .

A. hold refuseB. are designed to biodegrade refuseC. smell bad

A ______



6. Studies of garbage are useful .

A. for making us understand our own society and civilizationB. for dispelling the myths about the glutting of landfillsC. for showing us how wasteful we really are

B ______

7. Dr. Rathje’s studies show that .

A. we are a society of recyclersB. we are a throw-away societyC. our behaviors are inconsistent with our beliefs

C ______



8. One of the reasons why things decompose in compost piles is (that) .

A. the presence of oxygen for bacteria and fungiB. they are smaller than landfillsC. they contain only organic refuse

A

9. In Dr. Rathje’s opinion, legislation about garbage .

A. needs to mandate source reductionB. is most effectively and efficiently handled at the federal levelC. is most effectively and efficiently handled at the local level

B

______

______



10. According to Dr. Rathje, the real garbage crisis is .

A. incinerator emissionsB. collecting recyclablesC. that our knowledge and attitudes are out of sync with

both behaviors and material realities

C ______



Directions: Find a word in the passage “Talking Trash” that means:

1. garbage (Para. 3)2. procedure (Para. 6)3. dug up (Para. 9)4. consisted of (Para. 11)5. fabricated (Para. 12)6. packed solid (Para. 14)

1. refuse 2. methodology 3. excavated 4. comprised 5. simulated 6. compressed

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