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词汇提示

1.volcanic eruptions 火山爆发

2.molten 熔化的

3.spectacular explosions of lava 壮观的熔岩爆炸

4.dormant 休眠的

5.tropics 热带

6.unified 统一

7.sugar cane 甘蔗

8.naval base 海军基地

9.claim a diverse heritage 拥有多样化的遗产

原文

Hawaii

Of the fifty states in the United States，forty-nine are located on the mainland of North America.

The other state is Hawaii，which consists of several islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Hawaii is known as an especially beautiful and interesting place.

The Hawaiian islands were formed by volcanic eruptions that pushed molten rock，called“lava”，above the surface of the ocean.

Some of the islands no longer have any volcanic activity，but there are still active volcanoes on two Hawaiian islands Oahu and the“big island”（which is known as simply as Hawaii）.

One of these volcanoes，Mauna Loa，still erupts sometimes，with spectacular explosions of lava.

Another volcano，called Mauna Kea，is now dormant.

These volcanoes are both very tall and reach over 4000 meters above sea level.

The air above Mauna Kea is so clear and thin that scientists use the mountain as a base for observing the stars.

The islands of the Hawaii are located in the tropics，and they are known for their beautiful weather.

The temperatures are usually in the rage of 20 to 30 degrees Celsius，and the days are usually sunny.

This weather allows people to enjoying swimming and surfing on the beautiful beaches of Hawaii.

Despite the sunshine，most of the islands also receive enough rainfall to support many beautiful flowers and trees.

The first people to live in Hawaii were Polynesian groups who arrived from other islands in Pacific，well over 1000 years ago.

The islands were visited by European explorers during the late eighteenth century.

During the early nineteenth century，the islands became unified under a single king.

However，during this time，many Hawaiians died from diseases that were brought by European and American visitors.

The Hawaii islands are excellent places for growing sugar cane and pineapples.

In the late eighteenth century，some Americans became large farms，called“plantations”in Hawaii.

The Americans eventually gained the control of the government，and Hawaii became a territory of the United States.

The United States built a naval base on the island of Oahu，at Pearl Harbor.

This base was attacked by Japan in 1941，but it was soon repaired.

The naval base is still in use today.

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries，there were great demand for labor on the sugar and pineapple plantations.

People came to Hawaii from many lands，and Hawaii became a place of many cultures.

The native Hawaiians mixed with people from places such as Japan，China，Korea，the Philippines，Portugal，and Puerto Rico，as well as the mainland United States.

Today，many Hawaii can claim a diverse heritage .

In 1959，Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States，with the city of Honolulu as its capital.

Today，there are more than one million people in Hawaii，more than half of whom live in Honolulu.

Each year，many people visit Hawaii as tourists，to experience the beauty of these islands.

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词汇提示

1.coast 海岸

2.assembled 集合

3.dissatisfied 不满意

4.represented 代表

5.settlers 定居者

6.rebel 造反

7.invaded 入侵

8.conquer 占领

原文

The Origins of Canada and The United States

Most people are aware of that Canada and the United States are two very large countries in North America.

However，most people do not know how these countries came to exist.

The story of the creation of these countries is a very interesting one.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries，some people from England and from France moved across the Atlantic Ocean.

English people lived on what is now the east coast of the United States，and French people lived on what is now Quebec，in the eastern part of Canada.

The kings of England and France were often at war with each other.

This meant that there were often fighting in the north America between the soldiers of England and France.

By about the year of 1750，there were many more people in the English colonies than in the French colonies.

When the next war began，the English king was determined to defeat the French and gain complete control of North America.

The English assembled a large force of ships and soldiers and attacked the French at Quebec.

The French fought bravely，but they were too few in numbers，and the English won the war.

England then gained control of all of North America.

After this war，the people of the English colonies in North America began to feel dissatisfied with their government.

They were not represented in the English government，but they had to taxes to the English king.

The taxes were used to paid for English soldiers who defended the American colonies，but the Americans did not want these soldiers.

In 1775，the American settlers began to rebel，and in 1776 the Americans declared their independence.

For several years，there were much fighting between the Americans and the English soldiers.

For a wile，it appeared that the Americans would lose，even though they fought bravely.

Then，the king of France decided to help the Americans.

He sent his ships and soldiers to America，and they helped the Americans to defeat the English forces.

England recognized the United States of America as an independent country in 1783

However，England kept control of Canada.

When the American colonies rebelled against England，some of the people who lived in those colonies did not rebel.

These people were called“Loyalists”，because they were loyal to the king.

When the war ended，the Loyalists had to leave the country.

They moved northward to Canada，where they started new English-speaking colonies.

During the year 1812，the Americans invaded Canada，but they were not able to conquer the country.

During the nineteenth century，the people of Quebec continued to speak French and to maintain their French culture.

Meanwhile，many people moved to the English-speaking areas in Canada.

In the year 1867，Quebec and the English-speaking colonies agreed to form a single country，Canada.

By this time，there were two large countries in the northern part of North America！

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词汇提示

1.beverages 饮料

2.fermentation 发酵

3.yeasts 酵母

4.bacteria 细菌

5.break down 分解

6.convert 转变

7.spirits 烈酒

8.precision 精确

9.category 类别

10.depressants 镇静剂

11.inhibited  抑制

12.restrained 克制

13.co-ordination 协调

14.attempts 企图

15.campaigns 运动

16.punishments 惩罚

原文

Alcohol

Alcohol is the oldest drug that is used in Western countries.

For thousands of years，people have made alcoholic beverages.

These beverages are made by allowing a process fermentation to occur.

Alcoholic fermentation happens when yeasts or bacteria break down the sugars that occur in some liquids，and convert some of those sugars into alcohol.

Many liquids，such as fruit juices，can ferment.

Thousands of years ago，alcoholic drinks were common in the Middle East.

However，the Islamic region forbids alcohol，so very little alcohol is consumed in this part of the world.

In European countries，and in other parts of the world，many different kinds of alcoholic beverages are produced and consumed.

In warmer areas of Europe，people make wine by allowing grape juice to ferment.

In cooler areas of Europe，people make beer by fermenting liquids made from water and various grains.

The process of fermentation is also used to make stronger drinks known as spirits

These drinks include vodka，whisky，and rum.

The techniques for making good wine，beer，and spirits have been developed over hundreds of years，and require scientific precision.

Some people have developed a great appreciation for well-made wine，beer and spirits，and have become experts about the many different varieties of these beverages.

Many people appreciate the taste of alcoholic beverages，but many also enjoy the feeling that alcohol causes.

Alcohol belong to a category of drugs called“depressants”，because it“depresses”the central nervous system，causing a person to feel less inhibited or restrained.

Many people enjoy this feeling，but when a person drinks a lot of alcohol，he or she loses co-ordination，balance，and judgement.

Speech may become unclear，and the person may speak too much.

Some people become aggressive or depressed.

When a person under the influence of alcohol，the person is said to be drunk.

One of the problems that can result from alcohol consumption is known as“drunk driving”.

Some people try to drive a car after having consumed alcohol，but this is extremely dangerous.

Each year，thousands of people are killed by drunk drivers who lose control of their cars.

In recently years，attempts have been made to reduce this problem，by public education campaigns and by strict laws and punishments.

If you drink，don't drive！

Another problem associated with alcohol is addiction，and it is known as alcoholism.

Some people drink so frequently that they develop a psychological addiction to alcohol.

This problem can have terrible consequences for a person's health，personal relationships，and career.

Alcoholic beverages are firmly a part of Western culture，and of many other cultures also.

On the one hand，drinks provide many people with much enjoyment and appreciation.

On the other hand，alcohol is a drug that can be abused，leading to accidents and addiction.

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词汇提示

1.monarchies 君主制

2.ceremonial figure 礼仪人物

3.constitutional 宪法的

4.democraticies 民主政体

5.barons 贵族

6.Magna Carta 大宪章

7.parliament 议会

8.abolish 废除

9.ongoing 进行中的

原文

Kings and Queens of England

Today，in the early twenty-first century，most countries no longer have kings and queens.

However，some countries have remained as monarchies，including England and its former colonies.

However，even in these countries，the monarch is a ceremonial figure who no longer has any real power over his or her subjects.

These countries are called constitutional monarchies because they are democracies in which the monarch remained the official head of state.

Many years ago，the kings and queens of England did have real power，but gradually this power was transferred to people and their elected officials.

It is interesting to examine how this transition occurred.

Even in very early times，the kings of England did not have absolute power.

He was the most powerful man in the country，but he could not entirely force his will upon others.

If he became too demanding，he might face opposition from powerful local land-owners.

These men，called the barons，might resist a king who tried to become too strong.

This was exactly what happened in the year 1215.

The king of England had made many unreasonable demands upon the country，and the barons decided to resist.

They force the king to agree a list of rules that would limit his power.

These rules were written in a famous document called the Magna Carta.

This document described not only the rights of the barons，but also of the people of England.

During the next few hundred years，the kings still had much power.

However，the other people，such as the landowners and the richer men of the towns，also had influence.

Their meetings became known as Parliament，and the king had to share power with the parliament.

During the 1640s，one king tried to rule without parliament，and tried to take away the right of parliament.

This led to a civil war，and the king was defeated.

England soon became a monarchy again，but it became clear that parliament would have more power than the king.

Until the twentieth  century，the parliaments of England became more democratic，as more and more people were allowed to vote.

Today，England still has a constitutional monarchy.

But not all English-speaking countries recognize the England queen.

For example，the United States became an independent country over 200 years ago and has been a republic ever since.

In some countries，there is debate about the future of the monarchy.

Canada，Australia and New Zealand still recognize the queen of England as their own queen even though those countries are no longer governed by England.

Many people in those countries want to abolish the monarchy.

They believe that they countries should now have their own head of state.

On the other hand，some people in those countries want to keep the monarchy it reminds them of their country's early history.

This is an ongoing topic of debate for Canadians，Australians and New Zealanders.

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词汇提示

1.mammals 哺乳动物

2.whales 鲸鱼

3.sleds 雪橇

4.lamps 灯

5.territory 版图

6.carvings 雕刻

7.sculptures 雕塑

8.depict 描绘

9.sketches 素描

原文

The Inuit

Not many people would want to live in the Arctic areas of northern Canada，Alaska，and Greenland.

In these places，the summers are very short and the winters are extremely cold and dark.

However，there are some people who have made this place their home for many generations.

These people are called the Inuit.

The word“Inuit”means“person”in the language of Inuit，which is called Inukitiut

Before modern times，the Inuit had to survive by hunting.

Because their homeland was in such a cold，northern place，the Inuit could not make a living by farming or by gathering plants.

Many of the animals that the Inuit hunted are mammals that live in the water.

For example，the Inuit used the boats to hunt whales.

Also，they hunted seals by waiting for the seals to rise to the surface of the water.

Sometimes，the Inuit would hunt the land mammals，such as polar bears.

When eating the meat of the animals they had hunted，the Inuit often ate the meat raw.

This was necessary because only raw meat could provide them with enough nutrients to survive in a place where fruits and vegetables were not available.

In previous times，the Inuit were known as the“Eskimos”，which means“people who eat raw meat”.

However，the Inuit did not like this name.

The Inuit invented many useful tools for surviving in the cold，northern areas.

They sewed warm clothing from the furs and skins of the animals they hunted.

For transportation，they used the dogs，which could pull them in sleds across the snow.

For making heat and light，they used the lamps that burned the fat and oil of whales.

The Inuit were famous for their houses made of snow，which were called igloos.

The igloos were made by cutting blocks of snow and then using these blocks to build a small round-shaped house.

People could enter or exit the igloo through a narrow tunnel.

In recently decades，the Inuit have had much contact with the modern world.

Inuit children now attend schools，and Inuit adult work at a variety of occupations.

In some ways，the Inuit have found it difficult to adjust to the changes from their traditional ways，but the Inuit are meeting this challenge.

In Canada，there is a new territory in the far north，called Nunavut，where most of the people，including the leaders，are Inuit.

The Inuit are famous for their beautiful artwork.

In particularly，Inuit carvings and sculptures are known for their excellent quality.

These carvings，which nowadays are made from a kind of stone called soapstone，depict people or animals such as bears，seals，or whales.

In addition to paintings，Inuit artists have produced beautiful sketches and painting of northern scenes.

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词汇提示

1.debated 辩论

2.restrictions 限制

3.imitate 模仿

4.wrestlers 摔跤手

5.disputes 争执

6.conduct 安排

7.conflict 冲突

原文

Violence on Television

Nowadays，the issue of violence on television is often debated.

Many people are concerned that the images of violent acts might cause the viewers to become more aggressive.

Some of these people believe that there should be restrictions on violent television programs.

Other people feel that individuals should be able to choose what they want to watch on TV.

Many of these people believe that violent television is unlikely to affect people's behavior.

One of concerns that some people have about violent TV is that viewers might imitate aggressive acts.

For example，consider a TV program that shows professional wrestlers.

Some people believe that children watch the program might copy the actions of the wrestlers and that this could lead to serious injuries.

As another example，consider a TV program that shows people shooting guns at each other.

Some people believe that viewers of such a program might be more likely to use a gun in their disputes with others.

Another concern that some people have with violent TV is that it might make people less sensitive to the effects of violence.

In other words，people who watch many acts of violence on television might no longer be shocked by violet acts.

They might then become quite tolerant of the use of violence.

Some people do not believe that violence on television is likely to have harmful effects.

They point out that many terrible acts of violence occurred long before television.

They also argue that people can tell the difference between television and real life.

That is，they say that people are unlikely to imitate violent acts，and are unlikely to become less sensitive to violence in real life.

Also，they argue that parents are able to prevent their children from watching violent television.

Psychologists have conducted some research studies on the effects of violent television.

Some studies have shown that children who watch a lot of violent TV do become slightly more aggressive as adults.

Other studies have found that people behave somewhat more aggressively after watching a violent program.

This is especially true for people who have an aggressive personality.

Finally ，some other research has found that rates of murder tend to increase slightly in the days following a televised boxing match.

Nearly all psychologists now agree that violence on television does contribute to aggressive behavior in everyday life.

The issue of violence on television is difficult because it is a conflict between public safety and individual freedom.

Some people feel that violent TV should be restricted because it might have harmful effects on society but other feel that individuals should be free to watch the programs that they like.

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词汇提示

1.carbon dioxide 二氧化碳

2.absorbing 吸收

3.species 种

4.extinct 灭绝

5.declare 宣布

原文

Preservation of Forests

Many thousands of years ago，much of the world's land area was covered in forests.

Since that time，people have needed to clear the forests by cutting the trees in order to make room for their farms and cities.

Today，forests are still being cleared，and many people are worried that too much forest area is being lost.

There are many reasons why it is important to preserve forests.

One reason is that the trees inside the forests help to remove carbon dioxide from the air and put oxygen back into the air.

This is important，because scientists believe that too much carbon dioxide in the air might be causing the world's temperature increase quickly.

The forests might help to reduce the problem by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air.

Another reason for preserving forests is maintain many different species of plants and animals.

The forests are the home of a huge variety of plants and animals，which will be extinct if the forests are destroyed.

These plants and animals are both beautiful and interesting，but they also have practical benefits for people.

For example，doctors believe that many diseases might be treated by chemicals that are obtained from forest plants.

Forests are also important for providing wood，or lumber，but sometimes people cut down too many trees for lumber.

To preserve the forests，it is important to ensure that the amount of wood removed is not more than the amount of new wood that grows in the forest.

Otherwise，the forest will gradually disappear.

In many parts of the world，forests have already been cleared.

In recently years，many forests have been cleared in South America，Africa，and southeast Asia.

In other parts of the world，the forests had been cleared a long time ago.

There are only a few areas of the world where very large areas of forests have not yet been changed by people.

These areas include the Amazon rain forest in Brazil，and the northern forests of Canada，Alaska，and Siberia.

Some countries have passed laws to protect their forests from being cleared.

For example，a country can declare its forest areas to be a national park and prevent the forests from being cut down.

However，this is very difficult for poor countries to do.

The people may want to cut down the forests to obtain wood，to gain access to natural resources in the forest areas ，or to have new land for farming.

When forests are cut down to gain new farmland，however，people usually find that the soil is not very good for farming.

It is a difficult challenge to provide opportunities for poor people of these countries，and to protect the forests at the same time.

However，it is very important that this challenge be met successfully because the forests will be needed by future generations of people.

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词汇提示

1.politics 政治

2.printer 印刷商

3.almanace 年历

4.experiments 实验

5.bifocals 双光眼镜

6.supervised 监督

7.ambassador 大使

原文

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most famous people in American history.

He was never a President of the United States，but he made great achievements in many areas in life，including business，literature，science，and politics.

Benjamin Franklin was born in the city of Boston，during the year 1706.

In his early years，Franklin was very poor.

As a young man，he worked for his older brother，who was a printer.

However，the two brother soon argued with each other.

Benjamin decided to leave，and he moved to the city of Philadelphia.

He worked very hard and soon became a successful printer.

He published his own newspapers，and he also published books called almanacs，which contained many wise sayings.

Many of the wise sayings in Franklin's almanacs are still repeated today.

Franklin's printing business was very successful ，but he was also very interested in science.

He performed experiments on the topic of electricity.

Some of these experiments were very dangerous.

In one experiment，Franklin was almost killed when he went outside during a lightning storm and flew a kite that had a metal key attached.

However，Franklin was lucky enough to avoid injury，and he learned new facts about electricity.

In addition to scientific research，Franklin was also an inventor.

He invented a new kind of eye-glasses called“bifocals”.

Bifocals are eye-glasses that allow people to see things that are far away，but also allow them to read things that are very close.

Another invention was a new kind of stove for burning wood.

This new stove was much more efficient than the older stove had been.

He also invented a new lightning rod，which keeps house safe from lightning.

Franklin was also interested in making his city a better place to live.

He started a public library，and he helped to organize a hospital and a fire department.

In addition，he supervised the postal service，which operated profitably under his command.

In his later years，Franklin became heavily involved in politics.

For most of Franklin's life，the United Sates was not yet a country.

Instead，the states were still colonies of England，but Franklin encouraged other Americans to become an independent country.

When the United States became a country，Franklin became the American ambassador to France.

The French people like Franklin very much.

Franklin later returned to the United States，and he died in 1790.

Today，many Americans still admire the brilliant achievements of Benjamin Franklin，who did so much to improve people's lives.

The picture of Benjamin Franklin can be seen on the American one hundred-dollar bill.

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词汇提示

1.trial by jury 陪审团审判

2.accused 控告

3.guilt 罪犯

4.innocence 无辜

5.crime 罪行

6.jurors 陪审员

7.ridiculous 荒唐的

8.ordeal 折磨

9.blistered 起泡

10.combat 搏斗

11.witchcraft 巫术

12.barbaric 野蛮

13.victim 受害者

14.bias 偏见

15.prejudice 成见

16.accurate 精确的

17.inconvenient 不方便

原文

The History of Trial by Jury

In most English-speaking countries，a person is accused of a crime has the right to a“trial by jury”.

In a trial by jury，the guilt or innocence of the accused person is decided by a group of 12 people，called jurors，who must listen to the evidence about this case.

The idea of trial by jury is over 800 years old，but there was a time when criminal cases were decided in other ways.

Today，many of these methods seem ridiculous and cruel.

Many accused people were forced to undergo a trial by ordeal.

There were several different kinds of this trial.

For example，in the ordeal by fire，an accused man was forced to carry a red-hot piece iron in his hand.

People believed that if the man was innocent，then the gods would protect him，and his hand would not be burned or blistered by the iron.

Another form of the trial by ordeal was the ordeal by combat.

If one person accused another of a crime，they would be forced to fight each other with some weapon.

People believed that the gods would help the man who was right and allow him to win the fight.

Yet another kind of ordeal was the ordeal by water.

If a woman was accused of a crime，such as witchcraft，she might be thrown into a river with rocks attached to her.

People believed that if the gods would help an innocent woman and allow her to float on the water.

Gradually，people realized that the trial by ordeal was a completely worthless way to judge person's innocence or guilt.

They wanted a less barbaric way to decide criminal cases.

During the twelfth century，a new method was introduced by one of the kings of the England，Henry the Second.

Henry said that criminal cases should be decided by the opinions of twelve honest men who knew about the crime，the victim，and the accused person.

This was the beginning of trial by jury in English-speaking countries，and the method soon became very popular.

People trusted this new method much more than they trusted the old methods

Later，the system of trial by jury changed somewhat.

Instead of having twelve men and women who knew about the crime，juries were chosen so that the twelve people did not know anything about the crime.

This change ensures that the jurors do not have any bias or prejudice about the case.

When jurors do not know any of the people involve in the case，their decisions are more like to be fair and accurate.

Today，citizen in many countries are called occasionally for jury duty.

This can be inconvenient for the people who are busy with their work and family life.

However，many men and women are willing to serve on juries because of a feeling of responsibility to society.

The use of juries in criminal cases helps to ensure that justice is done.

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词汇提示

1.element 元素

2.cardio-vascular fitness 心血管健康

3.rowing 划船

4.steady 稳定

5.recreational 娱乐

6.strength 力量

7.endurance 耐力

8.palms 手心

原文

Physical Fitness

In modern society，many people find that they do not get very much exercise.

They travel by bus，train，or car，and they can move up or down in elevators.

They have machines that do most of the heavy work that was once done by people.

However，exercise is important for staying healthy.

A person who exercises frequently will be“physically fit”.

There are different aspects of physical fitness.

One important element of being physically fit is called cardio-vascular fitness

The words“cardio-vascular” refers to the heart and lungs.

If one's heart and lungs are good condition，then one can exercise at a steady pace without soon getting tired.

To develop cardio-vascular fitness，it is important to perform some exercise that makes one's heart beat quickly.

For example，a person can improve cardio-vascular fitness by riding a bicycle，by running，by swimming，by rowing，or even by walking quickly.

Some people go to special places called“health clubs”or“gyms”，where they can use different exercise machines to develop their cardio-vascular fitness.

But many people improve their cardio-vascular fitness by playing recreational sports，such as tennis or soccer，or by dancing vigorously.

By having good cardio-vascular fitness，one is less likely to suffer from heart disease.

Of course，there is one way to improve cardio-vascular fitness that does not involve exercise：stop smoking！

Another important aspect of physical fitness is called flexibility.

Flexibility refers to one's ability to stretch comfortably.

For example，a healthy person should be able to touch his or her toes without bending the legs.

People can perform various stretching exercises to improve flexibility.

By being flexible，a person can avoid injuries that might otherwise affect their body.

Yet another important aspect of physical fitness is the strength and endurance of one's muscles.

Many people suffer from injuries that result，in part，from weakness of the muscles.

Muscular strength and endurance can be improved by a variety of exercises.

Some of these exercises involve lifting a weight，but other exercises simply involve pushing and pulling against the weight of one's own body.

One example is an exercise called the“push-up”.

In this exercise，a person lies on the floor，with the face pointing down.

The person bends his or her arms，so that palms of the hands are on the floor，next to the shoulders.

The person then pushes with his or her arms，lifting the upper part of the body above the ground until the arms are straight.

Before starting to do any exercises，it is a good idea to have a medical check-up.

Some people do not want to exercise，because they think it will be too much work.

However，many people find that they feel very good when they exercise.

Exercising can be an enjoyable and fun way to maintain health and fitness.