新概念英语第三册讲义：LESSON 38 THE FIRST CALENDER.doc

1、 Lesson 38 44:52 Lesson 38 The first calender 最早的日历【New words and expressions】 生词和短语calendar n. 历法，日历historian n. 历史学家unique adj. 无与伦比的steadily adv. 不断地solely adv. 唯一地video n. 录像CD-ROM n. （只读）光盘驱动器bewilder v. 令人眼花缭乱deduce v. 推断，推理scanty adj. 不足的，贫乏的clue n. 线索insignificant adj. 不重要的shed v. 使流出，泻adven

2、t n. 出现，到来，来临agriculture n. 农业assumption n. 假定，设想dot n. 小圆点symbol n. 符号engrave v. 雕刻ivory n. 象牙制品mammoth n. （古）长毛象phase n. 月相，天相tusk n. 獠牙，长牙、象牙primitive adj. 原始的nomad n. 游牧民depict v. 描画，描绘correlate v. 使相互联系calendar n. 历法，日历calender 轮压机historian n. 历史学家historic 具有历史意义的This is a historic speech.histo

3、rical 与历史研究有关系的historical research 历史研究unique adj. 无与伦比的unique: uneaqualedSpeech is a unique human abilityunique 不能接受比较级，可以接受quite, almost, nearly, surely, really等修饰，但不能接受rather,very等词的修饰。unique 独一无二的，因唯一而独特speical 注重性质的特殊especial 强调超过其他的全部Eg: This is a matter of especial importance.This is a especi

4、ally important matter.particular 特定的，着重同类中某一个所有独特的性质Pineapples have particular flavour. 菠萝有特别的味道。exceptionalextraordinary 特别的，与众不同的Eg: The warm weather is exceptional for Jamuary.L37-05_38-01 end 1140”L38-02 begin 1046”steadily adv. 不断地solely adv. 唯一地video n. 录像CD-ROM n. （只读）光盘驱动器bewilder v. 令人眼花缭乱b

5、ewilder: confuseEg: she was bewildered by so many beautiful dresses.puzzle 某问题因复杂而令人费解Eg: I am puzzled by the problem.perplex 难以理解（包含焦虑不安，不知如何解决的意思）Eg: He is perplexed for the answer. bewilderment: n.in bewilderment 茫然不知所措deduce v. 推断，推理deduce: determine or decide sth. by given facts.Eg: I deduce th

6、e conclusion from the given facts.deduce from 从中推论，推断infer 推断（不表示过程） Eg: What can you infer from the text?deduce = (ant.) indece 归纳scanty adj. 不足的，贫乏的scanty: too few, not enoughscanty knowledge 一知半解a scanty crop 欠收be scanty of sth 奇缺be short of 短缺Eg: The village school is scanty of textbooks. 这乡村学校奇

7、缺教材。be want of = in need of 需要clue n. 线索insignificant adj. 不重要的shed v. 使流出，泻shed: pour out shed tears 泪流满面shed light 发光shed light on sb. 启发，启迪shed ones blood for country 为祖国而流血。shed ones clothes 脱去衣服advent n. 出现，到来，来临advent: coming or arrivalat the advent of winter 在冬天到来的时候at the advent of 在到来的时候sin

8、ce the advent of 自从的到来agriculture n. 农业assumption n. 假定，设想dot n. 小圆点symbol n. 符号engrave v. 雕刻ivory n. 象牙制品mammoth n. （古）长毛象phase n. 月相，天相tusk n. 獠牙，长牙、象牙primitive adj. 原始的nomad n. 游牧民depict v. 描画，描绘correlate v. 使相互联系【Text】 Lesson 38 The first calender 最早的日历 Listen to the tape then answer the questio

9、n below. What is the importance of the dots, lines, and symbols engraved on stone, bones and ivoury?Future historians will be in a unique position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumula

10、tes. What is more they will not have to rely solely on the written word. Films, videos. CDs and CD-ROMs are just some of the bewildering amount of information they will have. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is

11、always faced with a difficult task. He has to deduce what he can from the few scanty clues available. Even seemingly insignificant remains can shed interesting light on the history of early man.Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, for then

12、 man was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to indicate that this assumption is incorrect.Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been engraved on walls, bones, and the ivory tusk of mammoths. The nomads

13、who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age, which began about 35,000 B.C. and ended about 10,000 B.C. By correlating markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult code. They have found that it is connected with the pas

14、sage of days and the phases of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar. It has long been known that the hunting scenes depicted on walls were not simply a form of artistic expression. They had a definite meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible

15、that there is a definite relation between these paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20,000 years earlier than has been supposed.参考译文 未来的历史学家在写我们这一段历史的时候会别具一格。对于逐渐积累起来的庞大材料，他们几乎不知道选取哪些好，而且，也不必完全依赖文字材料。电影、录像、光盘和

16、光盘驱动器只是能为他们提供令人眼花缭乱的大量信息的几种手段。他们能够身临其境般地观看我们做事，倾听我们讲话。但是，历史学家企图重现遥远的过去可是一项艰巨的任务，他们必须根据现有的不充分的线索进行推理。即使看起来微不足道的遗物，也可能揭示人类早期历史的一些有趣的内容。 历史学家迄今认为日历是随农业的问世而出现的，因为当时人们面临着了解四季的实际需要，但近期科学研究发现，好像这种假设是不正确的。长期以来，历史学家一直对雕刻在墙壁上、骨头上、古代长毛象的象牙上的点、线和形形色色的符号感到困惑不解。这些痕迹是游牧人留下的，他们生活在从公元前约35，000年到公元前10，000年的冰川期的末期，以狩猎、

17、捕鱼为生。历史学家通过把世界各地留下的这种痕迹放在一起研究，终于弄懂了这种费解的代码。他们发现代码与昼夜更迭和月亮圆缺有关，事实上是一种最原始的日历。大家早就知道，画在墙上的狩猎图景并不是单纯的艺术表现形式，它们有着一定的含义，因为它们已接近古代人的文字形式。有时，这种图画与墙壁上的刻痕共存，它们之间可能有一定的联系。看来人类早就致力于探索四季变迁了，比人们想像的要早20,000年。【课文讲解】in the unique position 处于无以伦比，独一无二的情况come to: start, begin背熟：They will hardly know which facts to sel

18、ect from the great mass of evidence that steadily accumulates.select from 从中进行选择(同类中)choose挑选（凭个人意愿）一、有三种情况choose和 select不能互换：1当在两者中选一个时只能用choose, 即choose between Eg: We have to choose between leaving early and paying for taxi.2choose可带 wh从句Eg: Ill let you choose where we should go to eat.3choose to

19、 do 只能用choose.Eg: What invariably happens is that a great number of things choose to go wrong at precisely the same moment.（L33 ） He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences. (L27)二、select比choose更正式， 即在许多同类的人或物当中根据客观标准对这两个加以比较，鉴别，认真地挑选出最好的、最喜欢的、最有用的。gr

20、eat mass of = too much agreat amount of evidence 不可数名词；不能手a great many, a large number ofEg: She selected a blue dress from the wardrobe.You have been selected to present us on the committee.L38-02 end 1046”L38-03 begin 1122”what is more 更有甚者，furthremore,moreover 是的意思what is worse 更糟糕的是rely on =coun

21、t on =depend on 依靠，指望Eg: You cant rely on others.He cant be relied on.solely adv. 唯一地means: only, just, nearlybewilder 令人眼花缭乱bewildering 令人眼花缭乱的bewildered 感到眼花缭乱的背熟：They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action.in action 行动中的，活动中的as it were 可以说，似乎，好像Eg: He is as it were a walking dicti

22、onary. 他可以说是一部活字典 Computers can never as it were lead independent lives. 电脑不能过独立的生活as it is=in fact=in really=actually=as a matter of fact 事实上Eg: I thought things would get better,but as it is , they are getting worse.In many ways children lives as it were in a different world from the adults. 在许多方面

23、，孩子们可以说过着一种与大人完全不同的生活。But the historian attempting to reconstruct the distant past is always faced with a difficult task.be faced with: be in the position in which one must deal with a problem or unpleasant situation.面临（因境，问题）Eg: Automobile industry is faced with a bad future now. 汽车工业正面临着令人担忧的未来。A

24、great many people are faced with losing their jobs. 许多人面临着失业。In my opinion, you are faced with a problem as it were how to get enough time to study English.The student attempting to learn English well in a year is faced with a difficult task. 企图在一年之内把英语学好的学生面临着巨大的难题。available adj. 可利用的Eg: I have dic

25、tionary availabe for you.Is there a place available for us to have a chat.I know you are in need of help, but excuse me, I dont have any students available for you.remains =ruins 遗迹，遗物insignificant=unimportantshed light on=throw light on = cast light on 意思是：make a matter clear or understood 解释，说明，提示

26、L38-03 end 1122”L38-04 begin 1159”Eg: This information shed light on the problem. 这份情报会搞清楚这一问题。Can you shed any light on the case of the fire? 你能够解释这次火灾吗？She will shed light on the case of stolen jewels. 好将能够揭示这次珠宝失窃案。Paragraph 1in the unique positionselect fromthe great mass of evidencethe bewilder

27、ing amount of informationwhat is moreas it werein actionbe faced withavailableshed interestion light onup to now = so far 到目前为止come into being = come into existence 产生，出现come to power 上台come into use 开始使用be faced with a real need to do sth. 面临着做某事的真正需要。Eg: We are faced with a real need to learn Engl

28、ish well.indicate 揭示which 引导定语从句，修饰the last Ice Agecorrelate 相互联系it is connected with = it is associated with in fact 可以替换为as it is; actually, in realityas near as 接近Paragraph 3 remembered historian has long been puzzled bylive by hunting and fishingread this difficult codeit has long been known tha

29、tmake a real effort to understand the seasonsL38-04 end 1159”L38-05 begin 911”【Multiple choice questions】Comprehension1 In assuming that calendars came into being with the advent of agriculture, historians made the mistake of _ .a. relying solely on the written wordb. disregarding the markings that

30、early man had been responsible forc. supposing that nomadic man had no reason to understand the seasonsd. not connecting the passage of days with the phasesof the moon2 The scientific evidence that has recently come to light is that _ .a. nomads engraved the bones and tusks of the animals they kille

31、db. noads lived by hunting and fishingc. nomads travelled widely in various parts of the worldd. the markings made by variousnomadic groups all have a definite pattern3 The paintings which have been found on the walls of nomadic dwelling places _ .a. have taught historians something about the nomadi

32、c way of lifeb. have no other content than their artistic meritc. are not thought to be connected with an ancient calendar systemd. are invariably accompanied by odd dots, lines and symbolsStructure4 It _ as if they could see nad hear us in action. (ll.6-7)a. was b. were c. should be d. will be5 Eve

33、n _ seem insignificant remains can shed interesting (ll.8-9)a. they b. which c. what d. those to6 Historians are now able to read this difficult code _ markings made in (ll.15-16)a. with correlating b. having correlated c. which correlates d. for they correlate7 _ be a definite relation between thes

34、e paintings and the (ll.19-21)a. It could b. There can c. There may d. It mightVocabulary8 Historians have long tried to _ dots, lines and (l.13)a. puzzle b. puzzle out c. riddle d. detect9 By correlating markings made in _ parts of the world (ll.15-16)a. different b. several c. many d. other10 - hi

35、storians have been able to read _ . (l.16)a. these puzzling signs b. this hard law c. thesedifficult signals d. this uneasy letter11 Until recently historians assumed that calendars _ with the advent of agriculture. (l.10)a. came to existence b. came toexisting c. cme to exist d. were existentialcom

36、e to +动词原形： come to record ; come to exist ; come into existence12 The people who lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age _ .(ll.14-15)a. wandered from place to place b. lived in villages c. first learnt to write d. learnt how to farm the land【Key to Multiple choice questions】1. B 2. D 3. A 4. D 5. C 6. B 7. C 8. B 9. A 10. A 11. C 12. AL38-05 631” Lesson 38 44:52 (L38-05_39-01 237”)