he question of prestige arises； as soon as you feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose； the most savage bative instincts are aroused。 Anyone who has played even in a school football match knows this。 At the international level； sport is frankly mimic warfare。 But the significant thing is not the behaviour of the players but the attitude of the spectators： and； behind the spectators； of the nations who work themselves into furies over these absurd contests； and seriously believe at any rate for short periods that running； jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue。
GEORGE ORWELL The sporting spirit
New words and expression
goodwill
n。 友好
cricket
n。 板球
inclination
n。 意愿
contest
n。 比赛
orgy
n。 无节制的，放荡
deduce
v。 推断
petitive
adj。 竞争性的
patriotism
n。 地方观念，爱国主义
disgrace
v。 使丢脸
savage
adj。 野性的
bative
adj。 好斗的
mimic warfare
模拟战争
behaviour
n。 行动，举止
absurd
adj。 荒唐的
参考译文
当我听人们说体育运动可创造国家之间的友谊，还说各国民众若在足球场或板球场上交锋，就不愿在战场上残杀的时候，我总是惊愕不已。一个人即使不能从具体的事例（例如1936年的奥林匹克运动会）了解到国际运动比赛会导致疯狂的仇恨，也可以从常理中推断出结论。
现在开展的体育运动几乎都是竞争性的。参加比赛就是为了取胜。如果不拚命去赢，比赛就没有什么意义了。 在乡间的草坪上，当你随意组成两个队，并且不涉及任何地方情绪时，那才可能是单纯的为了娱乐和锻炼而进行比赛。可是一量涉及到荣誉问题，一旦你想到你和某一团体会因为你输而丢脸时，那么最野蛮的争斗天性便会激发起来。即使是仅仅参加过学校足球赛的人也有种体会。在国际比赛中，体育简直是一场模拟战争。但是，要紧的还不是运动员的行为，而是观众的态度，以及观众身后各个国家的态度。面对着这些荒唐的比赛，参赛的各个国家会如痴如狂，甚至煞有介事地相信 至少在短期内如此 跑跑、跳跳、踢踢球是对一个民族品德素质的检验。
Lesson 7
Bats
蝙蝠
First listen and then answer the following question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
In what way does echo…location in bats play an utilitarian role？
Not all sounds made by animals serve as language； and we have only to turn to that extraordinary discovery of echo…location in bats to see a case in which the voice plays a strictly utilitarian role。
To get a full appreciation of what this means we must turn first to some recent human inventions。 Everyone knows that if he shouts in the vicinity of a wall or a mountainside； an echo will e back。 The further off this solid obstruction； the longer time will elapse for the return of the echo。 A sound made by tapping on the hull of a ship will be reflected from the sea bottom； and by measuring the time interval between the taps and the receipt of the echoes； the depth of the sea at that point can be calculated。 So was born the echo…sounding apparatus； now in general use in ships。 Every solid object will reflect a sound； varying according to the size and nature of the object。 A shoal of fish will do this。 So it is a paratively simple step from locating the sea bottom to locating a shoal of fish。 With experience； and with improved apparatus； it is now possible not only to locate a shoal but to tell if it is herring； cod； or other well…known fish； by the pattern of its echo。
It has been found that certain bats emit squeaks and by receiving the echoes； they can locate and steer clear of obstacles or locate flying insects on which they feed。 This echo…location in bats is often pared with radar； the principle of which is similar。
MAURICE BURTON Curiosities of animal life
New words and expressions生词和短语
bat
n。 蝙蝠
strictly
adv。 明确地
utilitarian
adj。实用的
appreciation
n。 理解
elapse
v。 障碍物
hull
n。 消逝
interval
n。 船体
receipt
n。 间隔
apparatus
n。 收到
shoal
n。 仪器
herring
n。 鱼群
cod
n。 鳕鱼
squeak
n。 尖叫声
参考译文
动物发出的声音不都是用作语言交际。我们只要看一看蝙蝠回声定位这一极不寻常的发现，就可以探究一下声音在什么情况下有绝对的实用价值。
要透彻理解这句话的意义，我们应先回顾一下人类最近的几项发明。大家都知道，在墙壁或山腰附近发出的喊声，就会听到回声。固体障碍物越远。回声返回所用时间就越长。敲打船体所发了的声音会从海底传回来，测出回声间隔的时间，便可算出该处海洋的深度。这样就产生了目前各种船舶上普遍应用的回声探测仪。任何固体者反射声音，反射的声音因物体的大小和性质的不同而不同。鱼群也反射声音。从测定海深到测定鱼群，这一进展比较容易。根据经验和改进了的仪器，不仅能够确定鱼群的位置，而且可以根据鱼群回声的特点分辨出是鲱鱼、鳕鱼，这是人们所熟悉的其他鱼。
人们发现，某些蝙蝠能发出尖叫声，并能通过回声来确定并躲开障碍物，或找到它们赖以为生的昆虫。蝙蝠这种回声定位常常可与雷达相比较，其原理是相似的。
Lesson 8
Trading standards
贸易标准
First listen and then answer the following question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What makes trading between rich countries difficult？
Chickens slaughtered in the United States； claim officials in Brussels； are not fit to grace European tables。 No； say the American： our fowl are fine； we simply clean them in a different way。 These days； it is differences in national regulations； far more than tariffs； that put sand in the wheels of trade between rich countries。 It is not just farmers who are plaining。 An electric razor that meets the European Union's safety standards must be approved by American testers before it can be sold in the United States； and an American…made dialysis machine needs the EU's okay before is hits the market in Europe。
As it happens； a razor that is safe in Europe is unlikely to electrocute Americans。 So； ask businesses on both sides of the Atlantic； why have two lots of tests where one would do？ Politicians agree； in principle； so America and the EU have been trying to reach a deal which would eliminate the need to double…test many products。 They hope to finish in time for a trade summit between America and the EU on May 28TH。 Although negotiators are optimistic； the details are plex enough that they may be hard…pressed to get a deal at all。
Why？ One difficulty is to construct the agreements。 The Americans would happily reach one accord on standards for medical devices and them hammer out different pacts covering； say； electronic goods and drug manufacturing。 The EU following fine continental traditions wants agreement on general principles； which could be applied to many types of products and perhaps extended to other countries。
From： The Economist； May 24th； 1997
New words and expressions 生词和短语
slaughter
v。 屠宰
fit
adj。 适合
grace
v。 给。。。增光
tariff
n。 关税
standard
n。 标准
dialysis
n。 分离，分解；透析，渗析
electrocute
v。 使触电身亡
eliminate
v。 消灭
accord
n。 协议
device
n。 仪器，器械
hammer out
v。 推敲
pact
n。 合同，条约，公约
参考译文
布鲁塞尔的官员说，在美国屠宰的鸡不适于用来装点欧洲的餐桌。不，美国人说，我们的家禽很好，只是我们使用了另一种清洗方式。当前，是各国管理条例上的差异，而不是关税阻碍了发达国家之间的贸易。并不仅仅是农民在抱怨。一把符合欧洲联盟安全标准的电动剃须刀必须得到美国检测人员的认可，方可在美国市场上销售；而美国制造的透析仪也要得到欧盟的首肯才能进入欧洲市场。
碰巧在欧洲使用安全的剃须刀不大可能使美国人触电身亡，因此，大西洋两岸的企业都在问，当一套测试可以解决问题时，为什么需要两套呢？政治家在原则上同意了， 因此，美国和欧洲一直在寻求达成协议，以便为许多产品取消双重检查。他们希望尽早达成协议，为5月28日举行的美国和欧洲贸易的最高通级会议作准备。然谈判代表持乐观态度，但协议细节如此复杂，他们所面临的困难很可能使他们无法取得一致。
为什么呢？困难之一是起草这些协议。美国人很愿意就医疗器械的标准达成一个协议，然后推敲出不同的合同，用以涵盖 比如说 电子产品和药品的生产。欧洲人遵循优良的大陆传统，则希望就普遍的原则取得一致，而这些原则适用于许多不同产品，同时可能延伸到其它国家。
Lesson 9
Royal espionage
王室谍报活动
First listen and then answer the following question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
What important thing did King Alfred learn when he penetrated the Danish camp of Guthrum？