新視野大學英語讀寫教程第二冊unit8-a There’s a Lot More to Life than a Job

Unit 8

Section A

Pre-reading Activities

First Listening

Please listen to a short passage carefully and prepare to answer some questions.

Second Listening
Listen to the tape again. Then answer the following questions with your own experiences.
1) How do young students and older teachers see the role of education differently?
2) What is "quality of life" and how can it be improved?
3) According to the writer, what must educators prepare students for?

There's a Lot More to Life than a Job

It has often been remarked that the saddest thing about youth is that it is wasted on the young.
Reading a survey report on first-year college students, I recalled the regret, "If only I knew then what I know now."
The survey revealed what I had already suspected from informal polls of students both in Macon and at the Robins Resident Center: if it (whatever it may be) won't compute and you can't drink it, smoke it or spend it, then "it" holds little value.
According to the survey based on responses from over 188,000 students, today's college beginners are "more consumeristic and less idealistic" than at any time in the seventeen years of the poll.
Not surprising in these hard times, the students' major objective "is to be financially well off. Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life." Accordingly, today the most popular course is not literature or history but accounting.
Interest in teaching, social service and the humanities is at a low, along with ethnic and women's studies. On the other hand, enrollment in business programs, engineering and computer science is way up.
That's no surprise either. A friend of mine (a sales representative for a chemical company) was making twice the salary of college instructors during her first year on the job — even before she completed her two-year associate degree.
"I'll tell them what they can do with their (music, history, literature, etc.)," she was fond of saying. And that was four years ago; I tremble to think what she's earning now.
Frankly, I'm proud of the young lady (not her attitude but her success). But why can't we have it both ways? Can't we educate people for life as well as for a career? I believe we can.
If we can not, then that is a conviction against our educational system — kindergarten, elementary, secondary and higher. In a time of increasing specialization, a time when 90 percent of all the scientists who have ever lived are currently alive, more than ever, we need to know what is truly important in life.
This is where age and maturity enter. Most people, somewhere between the ages of 30 and 50, finally arrive at the inevitable conclusion that they were meant to do more than serve a corporation, a government agency, or whatever.
Most of us finally have the insight that quality of life is not entirely determined by a balance sheet. Sure, everyone wants to be financially comfortable, but we also want to feel we have a perspective on the world beyond the confines of our occupation; we want to be able to render service to our fellow man and to our God.
If it is a fact that the meaning of life does not dawn until middle age, is it then not the duty of educational institutions to prepare the way for that revelation? Most people, in their youth, resent the Social Security deductions from their pay, yet a seemingly few short years later find themselves standing anxiously by the mailbox.
While it's true all of us need a career, preferably a prosperous one, it is equally true that our civilization has collected an incredible amount of knowledge in fields far removed from our own. And we are better for our understanding of these other contributions — be they scientific or artistic. It is equally true that, in studying the diverse wisdom of others, we learn how to think. More importantly, perhaps, education teaches us to see the connections between things, as well as to see beyond our immediate needs.
Weekly we read of unions that went on strike for higher wages, only to drive their employer out of business. No company, no job. How shortsighted in the long run.
But the most important argument for a broad education is that in studying the accumulated wisdom of the ages, we improve our moral sense. I saw a cartoon recently which depicts a group of businessmen looking puzzled as they sit around a conference table; one of them is talking on the intercom: "Miss Baxter," he says, "could you please send in someone who can distinguish right from wrong?"
In the long run that's what education really ought to be about. I think it can be. My college roommate, now head of a large shipping company in New York, not surprisingly was a business major. But he also hosted a classical music show on the college's FM station and listened to Wagner as he studied his accounting.
That's the way it should be. Oscar Wilde had it right when he said we ought to give our ability to our work but our genius to our lives.
Let's hope our educators answer students' cries for career education, but at the same time let's ensure that students are prepared for the day when they realize their shortsightedness. There's a lot more to life than a job.
Words: 821

NEW WORDS

formal
a. 1. following accepted rules of behavior 正式的；合乎禮儀的
2. in appearance; by name only 形式上的，名義上的

informal
a. not formal 不正式的，不拘形式的，隨便的

poll
n. 1. [C] a survey of public opinion 民意測驗，民意調查
2. (also pl.) the giving of written choices at an election 選舉投票

resident
a. 1. having a home in a place 居住的，居留的
2. attached to and working regularly for a particular organization 住校的，住院的，住在任所的
n. [C] a person who lives or has his/her home in a place 居民，定居者

▲compute
v. count (sth.); work (sth.) out 估算，算出，計算

■consumeristic
a. believing in spending money and buying goods 消費主義的

accordingly
ad. 1. for the reason; so 因此，所以
2. in a manner that is suggested by what is known or has been said 按照所說的情況

▲humanity
n. 1. (pl.) subjects concerned with human culture 人文學科（尤指文學、語言、歷史和哲學）
2. [U] human beings as a whole; people 人的總稱，人類
3. [U] kind-heartedness 仁慈，仁愛，善心

▲ethnic
a. of a national or racial group that has a common cultural tradition （有共同文化傳統(tǒng)的）民族的，種族的；部落的

▲enroll
v. become or make (sb.) a member (of sth.) （使）成為……的成員，注冊

enrollment
n. 1. [C] the number of people enrolled 注冊或登記的人數
2. [U] enrolling or being enrolled 登記，注冊，入會

salary
n. [C] a fixed amount of money given every week, month, or year as pay for an employee 薪金，薪水

kindergarten
n. [C, U] a school for very young children 幼兒園

elementary
a. 1. of or in the beginning stage; related to primary schools 初級的；小學的
2. simple or easy; basic 簡單的，基本的，基礎的

secondary
a. 1. (of education or a school) for children over 11 years old （教育、學校）中等的
2. less important than related things 次要的

specialize
vi. (in) give particular attention to (a subject, product, etc.) 專攻，專門研究（某課題、產品等）

specialization (英specialisation)
n. [U, C] specializing 專業(yè)化，專門化

corporation
n. [C] a business company 公司

agency
n. 1. [C] a government organization 政府機構
2. [C] a business or place of business providing a service 經銷處，代理處

confine
n. (pl.) limits, borders 界限，范圍
vt. keep sb./sth. within certain limits 把……限制于

occupation
n. 1. [C] a job; employment 工作，職業(yè)
2. [C] a way of spending time; an activity done in one's spare time 日常活動，消遣

render
vt. 1. give 給予，提出
2. cause sb./sth. to be in a particular state 使得，使成為

institution
n. 1. [C] (building of an) organization, (sometimes) an organization for helping people with special needs 機構；慈善機構，社會福利機構（如孤兒院、養(yǎng)老院）
2. [C] a custom, system or organization that has existed for a long time and is accepted as an important part of a particular society 制度，習俗

▲revelation
n. 1. [U] making known sth. that was secret or hidden 泄露，揭示，展示
2. [C] sth. which is revealed 所揭露的事，驚人的新發(fā)現

preferable
a. preferred; more suitable 更可取的，更合意的，更好的

preferably
ad. rather than anything, anywhere, etc. else 更可取地，寧可

civilization (英civilisation)
n. [U, C] a human society with its highly developed social organizations, or the culture and way of life of a society or country at a particular period in time 文明，文化

incredible
a. impossible or very difficult to believe 難以置信的

contribution
n. [C, U] action of giving (money, support, help or ideas) towards a particular aim or purpose; sth. given towards a particular aim or purpose 捐助（物），貢獻（物），奉獻

artistic
a. 1. of art or artists 藝術的，美術的；藝術家的
2. skillful and attractive 富有藝術性的，精美的，精彩的

wisdom
n. 1. [U] experience and knowledge; quality of being wise 經驗與知識，智慧，睿智
2. [U] good judgment 正確判斷，賢明

weekly
ad. once a week or every week 一周一次地，每周地
a. happening once a week or every week 一周一次的，每周的
n. [C] a newspaper or magazine which is published once every week 周報，周刊

union
n. 1. [C] a club formed by uniting people or groups; an organization of employees 協(xié)會，俱樂部；工會
2. [C] (the act or instance of) uniting or being united 聯合，合并

accumulate
v. collect a large number of things over a long time; gradually increase in number or amount 累積，積累

cartoon
n. 1. [C] an amusing drawing in a newspaper or magazine 漫畫，幽默畫
2. [C] a film made by photographing a series of gradually changing drawings 動畫片

▲depict
vt. show (sb./sth.) as a picture; describe (sth.) in words 描繪，描述

puzzle
v. 1. (make one) feel confused or slightly worried because one cannot understand sth. （使）困惑，（使）為難
2. (make one) think hard about sth. in order to understand it （使）苦思
n. 1. [C] a game or toy in which parts must be fitted together correctly, intended to amuse or exercise the mind 智力測驗，智力玩具，謎
2. [C] a question that is difficult to understand or answer 難題，難解之事

conference
n. [C, U] (meeting for) discussion or exchange of views 會議，討論（會）

■intercom
n. [C] a system by which one can talk through a machine to sb. in a near place 內部通話系統(tǒng)

distinguish
vt. 1. recognize the difference between (people or things) 辨別，識別
2. (oneself) behave or perform noticeably well 表現突出

classical
a. (of music) serious and traditional in style 古典的

■FM (abbreviation for frequency modulation)
n. [U] a radio system of broadcasting 調頻

PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS
if only
(used to express a strong wish) （用來表示強烈的愿望）但愿，真希望

according to
as stated by (sb.) or in (sth.) 根據

be well off
be in a good position, esp. financially 經濟充裕，富裕

at a low
at a low level or figure 處于低水平（或數字）

be fond of
have a great liking for sb./(doing) sth. 很喜歡，很喜愛

be proud of
take pride in 為……感到自豪

arrive at
reach (sth. such as a place or conclusion) 達成，得出

be meant to do
be supposed to do 應做

read of
find out about (sb./sth.) by reading 通過閱讀發(fā)現（或查明）

go on strike
be engaged in/start a strike 舉行罷工

in the long run
after a long period; in the end 從長遠的觀點來看；終究，最后

PROPER NAMES

Macon
梅肯（美國喬治亞州中部城市）

Robins Resident Center
羅賓斯住宿中心

Baxter
巴克斯特

Oscar Wilde
奧斯卡·王爾德（愛爾蘭作家、詩人，19世紀末英國唯美主義的主要代表）