新标准大学英语(第二版)综合教程2

1、Contents,Active Reading 1,Couch Potato: Life as a Full-time Television Watcher Listen to the audio clip and give explanations to the following terms,Warming Up,1 couch potato,2 mouse potato,3 cabin fever,4 nesting/cocooning,5 leave the nest,6 empty nest/empty nester,Scripts,Check your answers,Warmin

2、g Up,1 couch potato,2 mouse potato,3 cabin fever,someone who likes to spend a lot of time sitting or lying down while watching television,someone who enjoys working on a computer as much as a couch potato enjoys watching television,boredom and restlessness people experience if they spend too much ti

3、me inside their homes,Warming Up,4 nesting / cocooning,5 leave the nest,6 empty nest / empty nester,the way that some people enjoy spending a lot of time in their homes to make them nice places to live,When children are grown, they are in college, or they are married and starting families of their o

4、wn far away from their parents houses,When children leave the nest, their parents are living alone without children in their empty houses,Scripts Some unusual words describe how a person spends his or her time. For example, someone who likes to spend a lot of time sitting or lying down while watchin

5、g television is sometimes called a “couch potato”. A couch is a piece of furniture that people sit on while watching television. Robert Armstrong, an artist from California, developed the term couch potato in 1976. Several years later, he listed the term as a trademark with the United Statesgovernme

6、nt. Mister Armstrong also helped write a funny book about life as a full-time television watcher. It is called the Official Couch Potato Handbook,Warming Up,Warming Up,Couch potatoes enjoy watching television just as “mouse potatoes” enjoy working on computers. A computer mouse is the device that mo

7、ves the pointer, or cursor, on a computer screen. The description of mouse potato became popular in 1993. American writer Alice Kahn is said to have invented the term to describe young people who spend a lot of time using computers. Too much time inside the house using a computer or watching televis

8、ion can cause someone to get “cabin fever”. A cabin is a simple house usually built far away from the city. People go to a cabin to relax and enjoy quiet time,Cabin fever is not really a disease. However, people can experience boredom and restlessness if they spend too much time inside their homes.

9、This is especially true during the winter when it is too cold or snowy to do things outside. Often children get cabin fever if they cannot go outside to play. So do their parents. This happens when there is so much snow that schools and even offices and stores are closed. Some people enjoy spending

10、a lot of time in their homes to make them nice places to live. This is called “nesting” or “cocooning”. Birds build nests out of sticks to hold their eggs and baby birds,Warming Up,Some insects build cocoons around themselves for protection while they grow and change. Nests and cocoons provide secur

11、ity for wildlife. So people like the idea of nests and cocoons, too. The terms cocooning and nesting became popular more than 20 years ago. They describe people buying their first homes and filling them with many things. These people then had children. Now these children are grown and have “left the

12、 nest”. They are in college. Or they are married and starting families of their own far away. Now these parents are living alone without children in their “empty nest”. They have become “empty nesters,Warming Up,Text,Leisure inactivities or how to relax and do nothing,About the text,Go to the text,T

13、ext,the evolution of leisure activities,when people had no much free time,in the Victorian time,no leisure activities,football, rugby, cricket, bird-watching,in the 1990s,in the 21st century,being a couch potato,being a mouse potato,About the text,Text,couch potato,Who wants to be a couch potato,How

14、 to become a couch potato,What are mouse potatoes,What do mouse potatoes usually do,Who oppose the term couch potato and why,What are the risks for couch potatoes,What are possible for more adventurous mouse potatoes,mouse potato,Leisure inactivities or how to relax and do nothing 1 Centuries ago pe

15、ople didnt have much free time, because everyone was working too hard. In Britain in the 19th century, people had more time off, but the Victorians thought relaxing and doing nothing was a sin. So to avoid temptation, they invented football, rugby and cricket. People took up more gentle leisure acti

16、vities like bird-watching, gardening and trainspotting, and it was even possible simply to watch a sport and give the impression that you were actually doing something useful,Text,2 One instance of this is cricket, which is a peculiar game with weird rules, where nothing happens for five days, at th

17、e end of which the players often decide to call it a draw. And everyone, players and spectators, feel perfectly fulfilled by this non-event. Its a good example of what we can now call a leisure inactivity. 3 Gradually over the years, leisure inactivities have involved even less interaction. In the 1

18、990s a new leisure creature evolved, one who thinks that lying on the sofa watching sport or DVDs on the television is the most exciting inactivity they can manage. This is the couch potato,Text,4 So who wants to be a couch potato? Well, as a matter of fact, many people do, and for understandable re

19、asons. Maybe its your one day off in the week. Maybe you just got back from work or school. Maybe youre tired and just want to chill. For the couch potato, every activity is too much trouble, and laziness is an art form. 5 How do you become a couch potato? Its easy. Sit down in a comfortable place,

20、such as a reclining chair, a beanbag or . you knew it was coming . a couch. Dont sit on a potato. Make sure you have everything you need, snacks (especially potato chips no serious couch potato would eat anything else), drinks, magazines and a telly,Text,6 The most important piece of equipment is of

21、 course, the remote control. Without the freedom to change channel without moving from the couch, no couch potato would be worthy of the name. In fact, watching TV without a remote control becomes dangerously like physical exercise, and probably should be avoided. 7 Now just start watching the telly

22、. Change channels every ten seconds, and then move on. Dont be too keen, try not to get too interested in anything, because that risks your status as a couch potato. (Remember that you have the attention span of a Maris Piper.) Finally, ask other people to do things for you, like get more food, or r

23、ent a movie. But be nice to them! If you arent nice, youll probably have to do it yourself,Text,8 But with every new fashion, theres a reaction. British farmers were recently reported by the BBC to be angry at the use of the expression couch potato, because it was damaging the vegetables image. Pota

24、toes are inherently healthy, says the British Potato Council, and is organizing protests to demand the removal of couch potato from the Oxford English Dictionary. 9 So there you are! Couch potatoes are healthy,Text,10 Of course, for the true couch potato, there are inherent risks. Perhaps the greate

25、st of these results from the lack of exercise, and is referred to by professional couch potatoes as telly belly. Some, however, see their telly belly as a mark of their dedication to their leisure inactivity, and wear it proudly over the top of their trousers. (Interestingly, this is a highly fashio

26、nable style known as a muffin top. Find out why next time youre in Starbucks.,Text,11 But times move on, and in the 21st century we now have a version of the couch potato specially for the online activities on the computer. This is called the mouse potato. A mouse potato spends excessive amounts of

27、time in front of a computer monitor, with the same lack of interest in the outside world as their older cousin, the couch potato. Mouse potatoes are addicted to online gaming with other fellow tubers around the world. In fact, leaving the computer not only seems pointless but also risks a threat by

28、some rival mouse potato in a brighter time zone across the world. For time off, they usually perform extensive Internet searches or participate in online chat rooms, leaving ill-informed and badly spelt opinions around the virtual world, and generally insulting ones intelligence,Text,12For the more

29、adventurous mouse potatoes, you can even travel the world and visit countries you might otherwise never see by going to CouchPotatotravel. com. You can also find out how much time you spend on your computer by logging the distance your mouse travels. These are called mouse miles, and who knows, mayb

30、e one day you can exchange them for more potato chips at all good computer stores. 13So with a minimum of effort you too can have your own leisure inactivity. Become a couch potato! Earn that telly belly! Train hard as a mouse potato, and earn mouse miles. Get started today. Theres so much time, and

31、 so little to do,Text,Text,闲暇无为或如何歇着无所事事 1 数百年前，人们没有多少空闲时间，因为人人都在辛苦劳作。在19 世纪的英国，人们有了较多闲暇，可是维多利亚时代的人认为歇着无所事事是一种罪过。于是为了避免诱惑，他们发明了足球、橄榄球和板球。人们开始从事更温和的休闲活动，如观鸟、园艺、收集火车头号码。他们甚至可能只是观看一项运动，给人一种有事可做的印象,Text,2 其中一个例子是板球。这是一种规则怪异的奇特游戏，如果五天之内毫无进展，玩家往往就会决定双方战平。而无论是玩家还是观众，人人都对这毫无结果的比赛感到心满意足。这是个我们现在可以称之为闲暇无为的好例子。

32、 3 近年来，闲暇无为中的互动逐渐变得更少了。在20 世纪90 年代，一个新的休闲物种进化成功，它认为躺在沙发上看电视体育节目或数码影碟是它们能做到的最令人兴奋的无为了。这就是沙发土豆,Text,4 那么，谁想当沙发土豆呢？好吧，事实上，许多人都想，理由也是可以理解的。也许今天你休息，也许你刚下班或放学。也许你累了，只想放松。对沙发土豆来说，任何活动都太麻烦，懒散是一门艺术。 5 怎样才能变成沙发土豆呢？那很容易。在一个舒适的地方坐下，例如一张躺椅、一个豆袋或你知道接下来就是一张沙发。可别坐在土豆上。确保你拥有所需的一切：零食（尤其是土豆片严肃的沙发土豆不会吃别的）、饮料、杂志和电视,Text

33、,6 最重要的装备当然是遥控器了。没有无需离开沙发就能换频道的自由，沙发土豆就配不上这个称号。事实上，没有遥控器看电视有变成近似体育锻炼的危险，或许是应当避免的。 7 现在，就开始看电视吧。每隔十秒钟换一次频道，然后继续换。别太用心，尽量不要对任何节目太感兴趣，因为这会威胁到你的沙发土豆身份。（记住，你的注意力持续时间只有玛丽斯 派铂马铃薯的那么长。）最后，要让别人帮你做事，如拿更多食物，或租影碟。但是对他们态度要好！如果你态度不好，你就很可能得亲自动手了,Text,8 但是，对于每种新时尚，都会有反对者。英国广播公司最近报道，英国农民对“沙发土豆”这一叫法感到愤怒，因为它败坏了土豆的形象。英

34、国土豆协会称，土豆是天然有益于健康的，他们将要组织抗议活动，要求把“沙发土豆”一词从牛津英语词典中删除。 9 你瞧我没说错吧！沙发土豆是健康的,Text,10 当然，对于真正的沙发土豆来说，固有的危险还是有的。也许最大的危险来自缺乏锻炼，其后果便是被专业沙发土豆称为电视肚。然而，有些人则视自己的电视肚为专注闲暇无为的标志，骄傲地把它系在裤腰之上。（有趣的是，这是一种极为时尚的穿法，叫做松糕顶。下次泡星巴克的时候去弄明白为什么吧。,Text,11 可是时间在推移，到了21 世纪，我们现在又有了沙发土豆的翻版，特指电脑在线活动。这叫做鼠标土豆。鼠标土豆在电脑显示器前面花费太多的时间，和他们的表兄沙

35、发土豆一样缺乏对外界的兴趣。鼠标土豆痴迷于与世界各地的块茎同伴玩在线游戏。事实上，离开电脑不仅毫无意义， 而且会使你受到世界上较亮时区的鼠标土豆对手的威胁。休息期间，他们通常在互联网上进行广泛搜索或加入在线聊天室，在虚拟世界到处留下缺乏见识和拼写拙劣的意见，一般来说是对人家智力的污辱,Text,12 对于更具冒险精神的鼠标土豆来说，你甚至可以登录沙发土豆旅游网站，去周游世界，造访列国，如果没有该网站你可能永远也去不了这些地方。通过记录你的鼠标旅行的距离，你还可以算出你在电脑上花了多少时间。这叫做鼠标英里数，或许将来的某一天，在所有好的电脑商店里你可以拿它换更多的土豆片。 13 就这样，费最小的

36、劲，你也可以拥有自己的闲暇无为。变成一个沙发土豆吧！养一个那样的电视肚吧！作为鼠标土豆刻苦训练，挣鼠标英里数吧。今天就开始吧。时间那么多，而要做的事情却那么少,leisure,inactivity,sin,temptation,rugby,fulfilled,involve,interaction,evolve,couch potato,snack,telly,span,attention span,inherently,cricket,trainspotting,instance,peculiar,fulfil,understandable,chill,laziness,reclining

37、chair,beanbag,removal,inherent,belly,dedication,fashionable,Words unable to stop taking an illegal or harmful drug 入迷的；上瘾的 e.g. 1. Shes addicted to computer games, which makes her mother angry at times. 她痴迷于电脑游戏，这让她妈妈有时很生气。 2. She became addicted to alcohol and diet pills. 她变得酗酒，并且对减肥药片上了瘾。 Word fam

38、ily: addiction n,Words not having much knowledge of a particular subject 显出缺乏知识的；显出无知的；消息不灵通的 e.g. 1. Such speculation may be ill-informed about education. 这或许是对教育不谙内情的揣测。 2. He in fact has made an ill-informed comment. 他其实作出了无知的评论。 Antonym: well-informed,Words 它不可单独作表语，只作为定语，意为“可钦的”，“高尚的,Words 2. w

39、orth后的动名词常常形式上是主动语态，而意义上却是被动语态，它与主语是动宾关系； 3. worth后一般接动名词，在接名词时常是钱数或相当于“代价”的比喻性名词。 e.g. 1. It was a good horse, worthy of a better rider. 骏马要配好骑手。 2. She is worthy of all honor. 她值得所有荣誉,Words the people who watch or listen to a particular program, or who see or hear a particular artists, writers etc

40、. work（用复数动词）（英） 观众，听众；读者 e.g. She felt nervous at having to sing before such a large audience. 要为这么多听众演唱, 她感到很紧张,Language Points,Fill in the blanks with spectator or audience. 1 It was the first time for her to give a speech to a large _. 2 A _ threw the ball back to the players. 3 Baseball is one

41、of the oldest and most popular _ sports. 4 Defining your target _ will help to strengthen your brands effectiveness,Language Points,audience,spectator,spectator,audience,Language Points,feel perfectly fulfilled by this non-event. People feel satisfied with watching the game of cricket for five days

42、and seeing the game end in a draw,翻译,人人都对这毫无结果的比赛感到心满意足,Language Points,and laziness is an art form. Note the funny way in which art form is used,翻译,懒散是一门艺术,you knew it was coming a couch. A couch potato, of course, will need to have a couch to sit on. In function, here you knew it was coming equals

43、 of course. As we use “of course” when giving information which might seem to insult the intelligence of the listener (Of course, you are a girl, so you might have a different view), this phrase is used in light-hearted contexts when we state the obvious. Of course, a couch potato sits on a couch. Y

44、ou predicted we would say that before we did,Language Points,翻译,你知道接下来就是一张沙发,Without the freedom to change channel, without moving from the couch, no couch potato would be worthy of the name. It is absolutely necessary for a qualified couch potato to change channel at will without leaving the couch,

45、Language Points,翻译,没有无需离开沙发就能换频道的自由，沙发土豆就配不上这个称号,In fact, watching TV without a remote control becomes dangerously like physical exercise, and probably should be avoided. A couch potato in the true sense should do nothing physically. If you watch TV without a remote control, you would have to move t

46、o the TV to change channels, which will involve physical activity. And by doing this you will risk your status of being a couch potato, hence such physical activity should be avoided,Language Points,翻译,事实上，没有遥控器看电视有变成近似体育锻炼的危险，或许是应当避免的,Remember that you have the attention span of a Maris Piper. A Ma

47、ris Piper is the name of a kind of potato. A potato, of course, has no attention span. The writer is using this comparison to mean that a couch potato has very little attention span. So a person who is a couch potato does not and should not concentrate on anything for long,Language Points,翻译,记住，你的注意

48、力持续时间只有玛丽斯派铂马铃薯的那么长,But with every new fashion, theres a reaction. For every new fashion, there is an opposing voice,Language Points,翻译,但是，对于每种新时尚，都会有反对者,Potatoes are inherently healthy, says the British Potato Council . British Potato Council is an official organization to help this very large sect

49、or of British agriculture,Language Points,翻译,英国土豆协会称，土豆是天然有益于健康的,and wear it proudly over the top of their trousers. As one might proudly wear a team or university T-shirt, a couch potato wears (in a metaphorical sense) his bulging stomach as proof of his inactive lifestyle. The writer is being humo

50、rous in saying this,Language Points,翻译,骄傲地把它系在裤腰之上,Interestingly, this is a highly fashionable style known as a muffin top. Find out why next time youre in Starbucks. A couch potatos stomach bulges over the top of their trousers, just like the edge of a muffin bulging over the top of a cake tin. The

51、 writer suggests anyone who does not understand what he means should go to a Starbucks and compare couch potatoes with muffins, and then they will understand,Language Points,翻译,有趣的是，这是一种极为时尚的穿法，叫做松糕顶。下次泡星巴克的时候去弄明白为什么吧,leaving the computer not only seems pointless but also risks a threat by some riva

52、l mouse potato in a brighter time zone across the world. To leave the computer makes the mouse potatoes feel empty in the meaningless real world. Moreover, in online games, those who are in the time zone where time is earlier may take advantage of the chance when the mouse potatoes are offline to sl

53、eep,Language Points,翻译,离开电脑不仅毫无意义， 而且会使你受到世界上较亮时区的鼠标土豆对手的威胁,leaving ill-informed and badly spelt opinions around the virtual world, and generally insulting ones intelligence. leaving ill-informed and badly spelt opinions on the Internet without realizing that other people would know they are wrong,L

54、anguage Points,翻译,在虚拟世界到处留下缺乏见识和拼写拙劣的意见，一般来说是对人家智力的污辱,For the more adventurous mouse potatoes, you can even travel the world and visit countries you might otherwise never see by going to CouchP. If a mouse potato is interested in taking adventures, he can log onto CouchP to have a virtual travel aro

55、und the world. Without the website, probably, a mouse potato would never visit any other parts of the outside world,Language Points,翻译,对于更具冒险精神的鼠标土豆来说，你甚至可以登录沙发土豆旅游网站，去周游世界，造访列国，如果没有该网站你可能永远也去不了这些地方,maybe one day you can exchange them for more potato chips at all good computer stores. When a mouse p

56、otato gets enough mouse miles, they can exchange them for potato chips at computer stores. One can earn air miles when one buys an air ticket, and when they accumulate enough air miles, they can exchange the air miles for a free air ticket. Note the writers humorous tone here,Language Points,翻译,或许将来

57、的某一天，在所有好的电脑商店里你可以拿它换更多的土豆片,So with a minimum of effort you too can have your own leisure inactivity. Become a couch potato! Earn that telly belly! Train hard as a mouse potato, and earn mouse miles. Get started today. Theres so much time, and so little to do. As can be seen by now, the whole passag

58、e is written in a humorous and light-hearted tone. The writer seems to be calling on the reader to be a couch potato or mouse potato. In fact the writer is being humorous, not really calling on the reader to do so. We can also say there is a touch of satire in the last paragraph. While putting it in

59、 a humorous tone, the writer may in fact disapprove of such a lifestyle,Language Points,Reading and understanding,Dealing with unfamiliar words,Reading and interpreting,Developing critical thinking,Exercises,Reading and understanding 3 Choose the best way to complete the sentences. 1 In the 19th century, British people had more time off than in previous times but _. (a) they wanted to play sports (b) they didnt want to do anything useful (c) it was important to do something useful and feel fulfilled (d) they enjoyed very complicated leisure