unit 9 Where Is the News Leading Us

WhereIstheNewsLeadingUs?byNormanCousinsNormanCousinsCousinswasborninUnionCity,NewJersey(盟市).Atage11,hewasmisdiagnosedwithtuberculosisandplacedinasanatorium.Despitethis,hewasanathleticyouth,andheclaimedthatasayounboy,hehad“setouttodiscoverexuberance.”CousinsattendedTheodoreRooseveltHighSchoolintheBronx,NewYorkCity,graduatingonFebruary3,1933.Heeditedthehighschoolpaper,wherehiseditingabilitieswerealreadyinevidence.Cousinsreceivedabachelor’sdegreefromTeachersCollege,ColumbiaUniversityinNewYorkCity.Oneofthemostinfluentialmagazineeditorsofthe20thcenturyEditoroftheSaturdayReviewfrom1940to1971ApowerfuladvocateofworldgovernmentMajorpublications:ModernManIsObsolete(1945)TalkswithNehru(1951)PresentTense:AnAmericanEditor’sOdyssey(1968)RelevantinformationOPEC—acronymfortheOrganizationofPetroleumExportingCountries,aninternationalorganizationprimarilyconcernedwithcoordinatingthecrude-oilpoliciesofitsmemberstates.Foundedin1960,OPEChas11members—Algeria,Indonesia,Iran,Iraq,Kuwait,Libya,Nigeria,Qatar,SaudiArabia,UnitedArabEmirates,andVenezuela.OPECheadquartersislocatedinVienna,Austria.Theorganization'sauthorityistheConference,madeupofhigh-levelrepresentativesofthemembergovernments,whichmeetsatleasttwiceayear.TheboardofgovernorsimplementsresolutionsoftheConferenceandmanagestheorganization.YMCA—acronymforYoungMen’sChristianAssociation,aninternationalorganizationthatpromotesthespiritual,intellectual,social,andphysicalwelfareofyoungChristians基督教男青年会WalterLippmann(1889–1974)---U.S.journalistandpoliticalphilosopher,wellknownforhiswritingsoncurrentsocialandpoliticaleventsandphenomena.Hiswidelysyndicatedcolumn“TodayandTomorrow”fortheNewYorkHeraldTribune(纽约先驱论坛报)wasreadbymillionsfromSeptember1931untilhisretirementin1967.nitrogenfixation(固氮作用):Theformationofnitrogenouscompounds(含氮化合物)bythemetabolicassimilation(代谢性的同化作用)ofatmosphericnitrogenbycertainsoilbacteria.Whenthesebacteriadie,thefixednitrogenismadeavailableinthesoilasplantfood.(将大气中的氮转化为可被植物利用的无机化合物---固定的氮。)Languagepoints1.symposium:ameetingorconferenceforthepublicdiscussionofsometopicespeciallyoneinwhichtheparticipantsformanaudienceandmakepresentations讨论会，座谈会2.distinguished:anadjectiveusedespeciallyofpeoplewhoarefamousforseriousworkinscience,thearts,etc.,卓越的，杰出的e.g.adistinguishedscientist/physician,etc.3.anchorman:abroadcasterornewscaster新闻节目主持人，电(视)台讨论节目主持人e.g.Theanchormandeterminesthestyleandtoneofthetalkshow.电视节目主持人决定了讨论节目的形式和格调。4.tothecore:utterly,completely地道，彻底e.g.Heisapoliticiantothecore.他是地地道道的政客。5.tough:uncompromising不妥协的，忍耐的6.aggressive:energetic7.savvy:a.knowledgeable理解的，通晓的e.g.besavvyaboutsth.通晓某事She’sbeenaroundandsavvytoalotofthings.她见过世面，懂得很多事。n.(sl.)commonsense,understanding常识，理解haveplentyofsavvy很有头脑;Whereisyoursavvy?你的常识到哪去了？8.waysandmeans:(asetphrase)methodsandmeansofaccomplishingsth,e.g.Wehavewaysandmeansofgettingtheinformationweneed.我们有办法弄到我们所需的信息。9.solidreporting:reportingsubstantialandreliablenewsbasedonfacts10.scrutinize:examineverycloselyandcarefullye.g.Thejewelerscrutinizedthediamondforflaws.珠宝商仔细查看钻石有没有瑕疵。11.address:putforward,raised12.prone:likelytosufferfromanillness;tendingtoshowaparticularnegativecharacteristic易。。。的，有。。。倾向的e.g.Sheispronetoanger/exaggeration/flu.Pronemayalsobeusedafteranounwithahyphencombiningthetwoe.g.anaccident-proneperson(oftenhavingaccidents)易出事故的人disaster-prone:tendingtoreportdisasters;interestedinreportingdisasters13.modify:changeslightly14.distortion:afalseaccount,thenegativehappeningsornews15.L16-19:Thedifferentwaysofprovidingnews,i.e.,thenewspaper,television,andradioseemalltofollowthebeliefthatallnewsisbadnews.Whyisthisso?Coulditbebecausepeopleareusedtodwellingonnegativenewsasaruleandbecausenewspaperpeoplearegenerallysensitivetosuchnewswhenfacingeverydayhappenings?16.beaptto:likelyorhavingatendencytodosomething倾向于。。。；容易。。。e.g.apttobeforgetfulMypenisratherapttoleak.17.devalue:reducetheexchangevalueof18.collidewith:crashviolentlyintoe.g.Heransofastthathecollidedwithapedestrianinthestreet.amisshapenpicture:adistortedviewoftheworld19.thesumtotal:theentireamountofsth20.ingredient:constituent,component.Thiswordisoftenusedincooking,referringtothedifferentthingsthatcombinetomakesomekindoffood.e.g.Flour,eggs,sugar,andshortening(起酥油)arethechiefingredientsofanykindofcake.21.inhibitor:hindranceorobstruction22.deplete:reduce,decreaseL38-40Idonotmeantoproposethatwemakeupsome“good”newsanduseitasaremedyforthecatastrophesreportedonthefrontpage.NeitherdoIconsidergoodnewsasathoroughanddetailednewsstoryabouthowthelocalYMCAoperates.23.contrive:makeorinventinacleverway;cause(something)tohappeninaccordancewithone’splansorwishes.策划，谋划，设计，安排e.g.Canyoucontrivetobeatthestationbynoon?你能设法在中午前赶到车站吗？24.antidote:anythingthatcounteractssth.unpleasant;aremedythatstopsorcontrolstheeffectsofapoison解毒剂；解药；矫正方法e.g.Educationisaneffectiveantidotetoignorance.教育是消除无知的有效方法。25.searchout:findoutoruncoverbysearching26.heavenandhell:blissandsuffering27…bothsectorscallforattentionandscrutiny:bothaspectsneedcaringandcarefulobservation28.inawiderperspective: