快速阅读-(4)(附CD-ROM) 本书特色
新世纪大学英语系列教材
“新世纪大学英语系列教材”按照《(大学英语课程教学要求)》，由外教社组织
国内十余所著名高校英语教学专家，邀请国际知名视听教学专家，为我国大学生
度身打造而成!
●科学性、系统性和时代性的完美体现：以国内外先进外语教学理论为指导，
融多种教学模式和手段为一体，满足一般要求、较高要求和更高要求的分层
次教学需要。选材贴近时代、贴近生活；强化听说，注重听、说、读、写、
译等技能协调发展；练习编写充分体现实用性、新颖性和可操作性。
●语言能力和文化素质的同步提升：注重培养学习者的英语思维习惯，开拓跨
文化交际视野，实现语言综合应用能力和人文素养的全面提高。
●分类指导和因材施教的教学原则：综合、视听说、阅读、写作、快速阅读等
主干教程和经贸、文化类选修课教程，涵盖语言知识、应用技能、学习策略
和跨文化交际，充分满足个性化教学的需要，有助于学生提高语言综合应用
能力，从容应对各级语言能力测试。
●基于计算机和课堂的教学模式：提供完整、多元、立体化的英语教学平台，
个性化的学习光盘、方便实用的电子教案、丰富多样的网络资源，使课堂内
外教与学充分体现交互性、自主式和合作型的新型教学模式，实现培养学生
终身学习能力的教学目标。
快速阅读-(4)(附CD-ROM) 节选
2004年1月，教育部颁布了《大学英语课程教学要求(试行)》，将大学英语的教学目标确
定为“培养学生的英语综合应用能力，特别是听说能力，使他们在今后工作和社会交往中能用
英语有效地进行口头和书面的信息交流，同时增强其自主学习能力，提高综合文化素养，以适
应我国社会发展和国际交流的需要”，提出了分层次(即“一般要求”、“较高要求”和“更高要
求”)和分类指导的教学要求。与此同时，教育部在全国180所院校开展多媒体网络教学的试点，
推广具有个性化学习特征的多媒体网络教学系统，并于2005年2月颁布了《全国大学英语四、
六级考试改革方案(试行)》，2007年7月又下发了修订后的《大学英语课程教学要求》。这些举
措进一步推动了我国高校大学英语教学全方位的改革和教学质量的全面提升。新世纪的教学改
革呼唤新的教材不断诞生。这既是时代的召唤，也是历史的必然。
正是在这样的时代背景下，上海外语教育出版社于2004年初组织全国数十所高校启动了
“新世纪大学英语系列教材”建设项目。项目开始之初，外教社以书面问卷、个别访谈和集体
座谈等形式在全国数十所高校中进行了广泛的调查研究，并请专家对编写方案进行了多次论
证。在上海外语教育出版社庄智象社长的直接领导和筹划下，经过三年多的努力，我们编写了
这套“新世纪大学英语系列教材”，力图为新世纪形势下的我国大学英语教材建设作出新的尝
试和努力。
在编写过程中，我们力求体现以下一些编写理念和特色：
(一)坚持人本主义教育观。在确立“新世纪大学英语系列教材”的指导思想时，我们强调
教学过程中的人的因素，强调“以学生为中心”，重视开发学习者的自我潜能，注重“情感”
和“态度”在学习活动中的作用和力量，力图使学生成为“自我实现者”。与此同时，我们认
为，教师必须在课堂内外发挥指导作用，指导学生学会学习。
(二)尊重外语教学的普遍规律和在国内学习英语的客观条件，充分考虑“人”、“语言”和
“社会”之间存在的互为依存、互动互促、密不可分的关系，开拓学习者的跨文化交际视野，
让学生置身于广阔的社会文化情景之中，养成用英语进行思维的习惯，做到学有所思、思有所
得、得有所用，从而不再感到英语是身外之物，实现英语综合运用能力和学习者人格、素质的
同步提升。
(三)立足国情，博采众长，充分吸收我国外语教学长期积累下来的宝贵经验和行之有效的
教学方法，全面而辨证地审视国外盛行的教学理念，汲取其精髓和内涵，兼收并蓄地注入我们
的教学理念中，确保教材具有更好的系统性、科学性、完整性、针对性和实用性。
(四)全面落实《大学英语课程教学要求》提出的教学原则、教学内容和所倡导的教学方
法，确保“分层次教学”和“分类指导”的落实，让不同地区、不同群体、不同层次乃至不同
时期的学习者各尽其能、各取所需地选用学习资源。为此，系列教材的主干教程共分8册，旨
在实现“一般要求”(1—4册)、“较高要求”(3—6册)和“更高要求”(5—8册)的学习目标。不
同类别的学校可根据各自的情况从中选择各自的教学起点。
(五)为了体现人本主义的教育观并贯彻“个性化学习”、“自主式学习”、“合作学习”等先
号 进学习理念，“新世纪大学英语系列教材”在课堂教学活动和课后学习活动的设计和安排等方
面为教师和学生都提供了较为广阔的空间，教师和学生都可以根据各自的情况和面对的教学条
件选择恰当的教材起点、教学模式和学习模式，实现《大学英语课程教学要求》提出的教学模
式的改变，即从“以教师为中心、单纯传授语言知识与技能的教学模式”向“以学生为中心、
既传授一般的语言知识与技能，更注重培养语言运用能力和自主学习能力的教学模式”的转变。
(六)在教学内容的安排上，本系列教材讲求科学性和系统性；在培养学生英语综合运用能
力方面，本系列教材注重听说训练，强调听、说、读、写、译等诸方面技能协调而全面的发
展；在练习设计上，本系列教材突出实用性、新颖性和可操作性。
(七)为适应新形势下我国高校英语教育的需求，“新世纪大学英语系列教材”增加了诸如
“经贸类”和“文化类”的选修课教程。这些用英文撰写的选修课教程旨在拓宽学生的相关专
业知识，进一步提高学生的英语思维能力和听、说、读、写、译诸方面的语言应用技能。
“新世纪大学英语系列教材”由《综合教程》、《阅读教程》、《视听说教程》、《写作教程》、
《快速阅读》和选修课系列教程等部分组成。除《快速阅读》外，各教程均配有教师手册。《综
合教程》和《视听说教程》还配有学习光盘和电子教案；《快速阅读》配有学习光盘。各教程
虽自成体系，但理念相通、联系密切、相得益彰，为学生和教师提供了比较完整的、多元的、
立体化的英语教学平台。
新世纪呼唤新教材，新教材体现新理念。和外语界的众多前辈一样，我们在特定的历史条
件下做了一件我们认为有意义的工作。我们培育的这棵新苗需要更多园丁的抚育和护理。我们
期待着她的成长、壮大、开花、结果。
秦秀白
lUh'Do We Drdam?
Two difierent schOOls of thOUght ex—
ist as to why we dream：the physiological
schOOl，and the psych010gical sch001．
B0th，however，agree that we dream
during the REM，or rapid eye movement，
phuse of sleep．During this phuse of sleep，
our closed eyes dart rapidly about，our
brain actiVity peaks，and our muscles suf
fer temporary paralysis．
The physiological theory centers
upon how our body，specifically our brains，
f．unetion during the REM phuse of sleep．
Supporters 0f this theory beIieve that we
dream to exercise the synapses(突触)，or
pathways，between brain cells，and that
dreaming takes over where the active and
awnke brain Ieaves 0伍When awnke．our
brains constantly transmit and receive
messages，which course through our bil一
“OhS 0f brain cells to their appropriate
destinations，and keep our bodies in per—
petual motion．Dreams replace thi s
f让netion．
Two fundamental physiological facts
go towards suppofting this theory of
dreams．The frst 1ies in the fact that the
first two or so years of one's life，the most
formative ones for leurni ng，are also the
ones in which the most REM sleep
occurs．It fbllows that du ring this time 0f
the greatest REM sleep，we experienee the
greatest humber of dreams．The second
physiological fact that lends eredence to
this theory is that our brain waves during
REM sleep，as recorded by machines men—
Silting the brain’s electrical activity，are al—
most identicalin nature to the brain waves
during the hours we spend awake．This is
not the case during the other Phuses of
sleep．
Psychological theorists of dreams
focus upon our thOHghts and emotions，
and speculate that dreams deal with im—
mediate concerns in our lives．sach as un
finished business from the day，or con—
cerns we are incapable of handling during
the course 0f the day．Dreams can，in fact，
teach us things about ourselyes that we
are unaware o￡
Connections between dreams and the
human psyche have been made by many
people over thousands of years．Sigmand
Freud, one of the fathers of modern
psychology, believed dreams to be sym-
bolic of any number of things buried deep
within our minds and our memories.
(349 words)
Comprehension exercises
I. Read the following statements, mark
~
Y (for YES) ifthe statement agrees with the inJrmation given in the text;
N (forNO) ifthe statement contradicts the informationgiven in the text;
NG (r NOT GIVEN) if the inrmation is not given in the text.
1. REM is a phase of sleep during which our brains have a good rest.
2. It is a fact that dreams take over the work our brain left undone during the day.
3. Physiologically speaking, a two-year-old experiences more dreams than an adult
during REM.
4. Our brain waves during sleep are found to be extremely similar to the brain waves
during the hours we are awake.
5. Freud belongs to the psychological school of thought.
6. Throughout history, the number of psychological school followers has exceeded
that of physiological school followers.
II. Facts are statements that tell what really happened or really is the case. A fact is based on direct
evidence and can be proved. Opinions are statements of belief, judgment, or feeling. Opinions
show what someone thinks about a subject. Label the following statements 1 forct and O for
opinion.
7. Two different schools of thought exist as to why we dream: the physiological
school, and the psychological school.
__ 8. Psychological theorists of dreams speculate that dreams deal with immediate con-
cerns in our lives, such as unfinished business from the day, or concerns we are
incapable of handling during the course of the day.
__ 9. Connections between dreams and the human psyche have been made by many
people over thousands of years.
Did you sleep well last night? Or did
you wake up feeling fatigued and slug-
gish-perhaps even wondering ifyou re-
ally slept at all? Getting a good night's sleep
requires more than crawling into bed and
closing your eyes. Understanding your
sleep behavior and preparing for a sound
sleep can help make sure every night is a
good night for sleeping.
"Sleep is a behavior and, like all
behaviors, it varies greatly among people,"
explains Dr. Carol Landis, sleep re-
searcher and associate professor in
biobehavioral nursing and health systems
at the University of Washington School
of Nursing. "The greatest differences oc-
cur in the timing of sleep and the amount
of sleep -- the factors which are most
important in determining whether you
will wake up feeling rested."
Research has found that people sleep
better at different times during their daily
cycle. For example, some people function
better if they go to sleep early and rise
early, while others feel more rested ifthey
stay up late and sleep in. "Many people
don't pay attention to the timing of their
sleep," Landis notes. "Yet delaying or al-
tering the time you go to sleep can have a
major impact on how you feel when you
wake up."
The amount of sleep the average adult
needs each night also varies. Some people
may be fine with six hours' sleep, while
others need up to nine hours per night.
Landis points out that those who follow a
regular sleep schedule are more apt to
function better on fewer hours, but she
adds that most adults need at least six
hours of sleep each night.
' person's sleeping patterns aren't
set in concrete," Landis stresses. Gradu-
ally altering the timing of sleep can help
change sleep patterns. An "evening per-
son" who needs to get to work early in
the morning can try upping the time they
go to bed by 30 minutes every few days.
Within a few weeks, this slow adjustment
will help "reset" the internal body clock.
In addition to maintaining a regular
daily sleep schedule, Landis offers the fol-
lowing tips on practicing good sleep
hygiene:
~ Avoid stimulants, including cigarettes,
