【正文】 1 Unit1 學外語 Learning a foreign language was one of the most difficult yet most rewarding experiences of my life. 學習外語是我一生中最艱苦也是最有意義的經(jīng)歷之一。 Although at times learning a language was frustrating, it was well worth the effort. 雖然時常遭遇挫折，但卻非常有價值。 My experience with learning a foreign language began in 4junior/4 middle school, when I took my first English class. 我學外語的經(jīng)歷始于初中的第一堂英語課 。 I had a kind and patient teacher who often praised all of the students. 老師很慈祥耐心，時常表揚學生。 Because of this positive method, I eagerly answered all the questions I could, never worrying much about making mistakes. 由于這種積極的教學方法，我踴躍回答各種問題，從不怕答錯。 I was at the top of my class for two years. 兩年中，我的成績一直名列前茅 When I went to senior middle school, I was eager to continue studying English。 however, my experience in senior middle school was very different from before. 到了高中后，我渴望繼續(xù)學習英語。然而，高中時的經(jīng)歷與以前大不相同。 While my former teacher had been patient with all of the students, my new teacher quickly punished those who gave incorrect answers. 以前，老師對所有的學生都很 耐心，而新老師則總是懲罰答錯的學生。 Whenever we answered incorrectly, she pointed a long stick at us and, shaking it up and down, shouted, No! No! No! 每當有誰回答錯了，她就會用長教鞭指著我們，上下?lián)]舞大喊：“錯！錯！錯！” It didn39。t take me long to lose my eagerness to answer questions. 沒有多久，我便不再渴望回答問題了 Not only did I lose my joy in answering questions, but I also lost my desire to say anything at all in English. 我不僅失去了回答問題的樂趣，而且根本就不想再用英語說半個字。 However, that state didn39。t last long. 好在這種情況沒持續(xù)多久。 When I went to college, I learned that all students were required to take an English course. 到了大學，我了解到所有學生必須上英語課。 Unlike my senior middle school teacher, my college English teachers were patient and kind, and none of them carried long, pointed sticks! 與高中老師不同，大學英語老師非常耐心和藹，而且從來不帶教鞭！ The situation was far from perfect, though. 不過情況卻遠不盡如人意。 As our classes were very large, I was only able to answer a couple of questions in each class period. 由于班大，每堂課能輪到我回答的問題寥寥無幾。 2 Also, after a few weeks of classes, I noticed there were many students who spoke much better than I did. 上了幾周課后，我還發(fā)現(xiàn)許多同學的英語說得比我要好得多。 I began to feel intimidated. 我開始產(chǎn)生一種畏懼感。 So, once again, although for different reasons, I was afraid to speak. 雖然原因與高中時不同，但我卻又一次不敢開口了。 It seemed my English was going to stay at the same level forever. 看來我的英語水平要永遠停步不前了 That was the situation until a couple of years later when I was offered an opportunity to study English through an online course. 直到幾年后我有機會參加遠程英語課程，情況才有所改善。 The munication medium was a puter, a phone line, and a modem 這種課程的媒介是一臺電腦、一條電話線和一個調(diào)制解調(diào)器。 . I soon got access to the necessary equipment, learned how to use the technology from a friend and participated in the virtual classroom 5 to 7 days a week. 我很快配齊了必要的設(shè)備并跟一個朋友學會了電腦操作技術(shù)，于是我每周用 5 到 7 天在網(wǎng)上的虛擬課堂里學習英語。 Online learning is not easier than regular classroom study。 網(wǎng)上學習并不比普通的課堂學習容易。 it requires a lot of time, mitment and discipline to keep up with the flow of the course. 它需要花許多的時間，需要學習者專心自律，以跟上課程進度。 I worked hard to meet the minimum standards set by the course and to plete assignments on time. 我盡力達 到課程的最低要求，并按時完成作業(yè)。 I practiced all the time. 我隨時隨地都在學習。 I carried a little dictionary with me everywhere I went, as well as a notebook in which I listed any new words I heard. 不管去哪里，我都隨身攜帶一本袖珍字典和筆記本，筆記本上記著我遇到的生詞。 I made many, sometimes embarrassing, mistakes. 我學習中出過許多錯，有時是令人尷尬的錯誤。 Once in a while I cried out of frustration, and sometimes I felt like giving up. 有時我會因挫折而哭泣，有時甚至想放棄。 But I didn39。t feel intimidated by students who spoke faster than I did because I took all the time I needed to think out my ideas and wrote a reply before posting it on the screen. 但我從未因別的同學英語說得比我快而感到畏懼，因為在電腦屏幕上作出回答之前，我可以根據(jù)自己的需要花時間去琢磨自己的想法。 Then, one day I realized I could understand just about everything I came across, and most importantly, I could say anything I wanted to in English. 突然有一天我發(fā)現(xiàn)自己什么都懂了，更重要的是，我說起英語來靈活自如。 Although I was still making many mistakes and was continually learning new ways to say things, I had finally reaped the benefits of all of my hard work. 盡管我還是常常出錯，還有很多東西要學，但我已嘗到了刻苦學習的甜頭。 3 Learning a foreign language has been a most trying experience for me, but one that I wouldn39。t trade for anything. 學習外語對我來說是非常艱辛的經(jīng)歷，但它又無比珍貴。 Not only did learning another language teach me the value of hard work, but it also gave me insights into another culture, and my mind was opened to new ways of seeing things. 它不僅使我懂得了艱苦努力的意義，而且讓我了解了不同的文化，讓我以一種全新的思維去看待事物。 The most wonderful result of having learned a foreign language was that I could municate with many more people than before. 學習一門外語最令人興奮的收獲是我能與更多的人交流。 Talking with people is one of my favorite activities, so being able to speak a new language lets me meet new people, participate in conversations, and form new, unfettable friendships. 與人交談是我最喜歡的一項活動，新的語言使我能與陌生人交往，參與他們的談話，并建立新的難以忘懷的友誼。 Now that I speak a foreign language, instead of staring into space when English is being spoken, I can participate and make friends. 由于我已能說英語，別人講英語時我不再茫然不解了。我能夠參與其中，并結(jié)交朋友。 I am able to reach out to others and bridge the gap between my language and culture and theirs. 我能與人交流，并能夠彌合我所說的語言和所處 的文化與他們的語言和文化之間的鴻溝。 Unit2 The radio clicked on. Rock music blasted orth 收音機“咔嗒”一聲，搖滾樂就大聲地響開了。 . Like a shot, the music woke Sandy. 音樂像槍聲似的將桑迪吵醒。 She looked at the clock。 it was 6:15 . 她看了一下鐘，早上 6 點一刻。 Sandy sang along with the words as she lay listening to her favorite radio station. 她躺在床上，聽著她喜歡的電臺廣播，嘴里哼著歌詞。 Sandy, shouted her father. Sandy, turn that music off! “桑迪，” 她父親喊道，“桑迪，把音樂關(guān)了！” Steve Finch burst nto her room. 史蒂夫芬奇沖進她的臥室。 Why do you have to listen to such horrible uff? “你為什么一定要聽這么糟糕的音樂？ It39。s the same thing over an