深圳牛津八年级上册课文

1Unit1EncyclopaediaLookitup!Herearetwoarticlesfromanencyclopaedia.DaVinci,LeonardoLeonardodaVinci(1452—1519)wasanItalianpainter,inventor,musician,engineerandscientist.DaVinciwasborninthecountryside.Fromanearlyage,heshowedgreatintelligenceandartisticability.Ashegrewolder,helearnttodomanydifferentthings.Hispaintingsareveryfamous,andone,theMonaLisa,isperhapsthemostfamouspaintingintheworld.Healsohadmanyinventions.Forexample,hisnotebooksincludesomeinterestingdrawingsofflyingmachines.(SeeArt)DinosaursDinosaurslivedonEarthmorethan60millionyearsbeforehumanbeings.TheylivedeverywhereonEarth.Somedinosaurswereassmallaschicken.Otherswereasbigastenelephants.Somecouldevenfly.Manydinosaursateplants.However,somedinosaurslikedtoeatmeat.DinosaurslivedonEarthformorethan150millionyears.Then,suddenly,theyalldiedout.Nobodyknowswhy.However,wecanlearnaboutthemfromtheirfossils.(SeeEarthhistory)2Unit2NumbersThekingandthericeAlongtimeago,therewasakinginIndia.Theking’sfavouritegamewaschess.Oneday,awiseoldmancametothepalaceandthekingchallengedhimtoagame.Thekingpromisedtheoldman,“Youcanhaveanyprizeifyouwinthegame.”Theoldmansaid,“IfIwinthegame,I’dlikeonegrainofriceforthefirstsquareofthechessboard,twoforthesecond,fourforthethird,andthendoubletheamountforeachoftherestsquares.”“Isthatall?”askedtheking.“Wouldn’tyoulikegoldorsilverinstead?”“No,justrice,”repliedtheoldman.Thekingandtheoldmanplayedthegameforalongtime.Finally,theoldmanwon.Sothekingorderedhismentocollectabagofrice.Heputonegrainonthefirstsquare,twoonthesecond,andsoon.Thekingquicklyrealizedtheproblem--evenwithallthericeinthecountry,hewouldstillnothaveenoughricetoputonallthesquares!3Unit3ComputersComputerfactsSmallerandbetterInthe1940s,thefirstcomputerswerebiggerthancars.Nowcomputersarebecomingsmallerandbetter.Somecomputersaretiny.Youmaybeunawareofthem.ThereisprobablyoneinsideyourTVorwashingmachine.Youdependoncomputersmorethanyourealize.Whatcanwedowithcomputers?Wecanusecomputerstocalculate.Theycancalculateatafasterspeedthanwecanandalmostnevergivewronganswers.Wecanalsotypeanddrawthingswiththem.Inaddition,computerscandoimportantjobslikeoperatingrailwaysandflyingplanesandspaceships.Isacomputerclevererthanme?Theansweris“No”.Yourbraincanproducenewideasbutcomputerscannot.However,onedaycomputersmaybeabletodoabetterjobthanhumanbeings.Forexample,theymaybebetterthandoctorsatdoingtheirjob.Whatwillhappentousifcomputerscandoallourjobs?Willwehavenothingtodo?Computersmaychangeourlives,butwilltheymakethembetter?4Unit4InventionsGreatinventionsGreatinventionschangetheworld.Theyhelppeopleliveabetterlife.Thefollowingarethreeofthemostimportantinventionsinhistory.ThewheelThewheelisperhapsthegreatestinventioninhistory.Afteritsinvention,travellingbecamefasterandmorecomfortable.Afewthousandyearsago,peoplestartedtousewheelsoncarriages.Intheearly19thcentury,thefirsttrainsbegantocarrypassengers.Atthestartofthe20thcentury,carsbecamepopular.Withoutthewheel,wewouldnothavetheseinventions.ThetelephoneAlexanderGrahamBellinventedoneofthefirstpracticaltelephonesin1876.Sincethen,peoplehavebeenabletospeaktoeachotheroverlongdistances.Todaymillionsofpeopleacrosstheworldownmobilephones.Theyallowpeopletokeepintouchwitheachotheranytime,anywhere.ThelightbulbThomasEdisondevelopedthefirstpracticallightbulbin1879.Beforetheinventionofthelightbulb,peoplehadtouseoillamps,gaslampsorcandlestoseeatnight.Withlightbulbs,peoplecandoasmanythingsintheeveningsastheycaninthedaytime.Canyouimaginelivingwithoutthem?5Unit5EducationalexchangesAnexchangevisitiseducationalandinteresting!AgroupofBritishstudentsfromWoodparkSchoolinLondonarevistingXinhuaJuniorHighSchoolinBeijingonaneducationalexchange.“Iwasverynervousatfirst,”saysSarah.“However,myhostfamilyarereaalyfriendly.I’mgladtobeaguestintheirhome.I’velearnttousechopsticks,andthey’reteachingmealittleChinese!”ThestudentsspendtheweekdaysstudyingwithChinesestudents.Attheweekend,theytouraroundBeijingandvisitplacesofinterestwiththeirhostfamilies.“It’sbeenafantasticexperiencesofar,”saysEric.“I’velearntabitoft’aichi,andIreallyenjoyit.We’vealreadylearntalotaboutChinesecultureandhistory.TheteachershaveintroducedustoChinesepainingaswell.We’vealsotriedtopaintsomepicturesourselves!Ihaven’thadmuchsuccessyet,butI’llkeeptrying.”“I’vemademanynewfriends,”saysSarah.“IplantokeepintouchwiththemwhenIreturnhome.We’llseeoneanothersoonbecausethey’llcomeovertotheUKforthesecondpartoftheexchangenextmonth.Ican’twait!”6Unit6AncientstoriesTheTrojanhorseThecaptainstoodonthehighwallofthecityofTroy.“TheGreekshavegoneandwe’vewon,”hesaid.“They’vetriedtocaptureourcityfortenyears.Nowthey’vegivenupandsailedaway!”“Butlookoverthere,”asoldiersaid.“They’veleftahugewoodenhorse.”“Ah,yes,”thecaptainsaid,“it’stoobig.TheGreeksdidn’twanttotakeitwiththem.Getsomehelpandpullitintothecity.”Thatnight,inthemainsquareofthecity,alltheTrojanscelebrated.Theysanganddancedaroundthehorse,andmadejokesaboutthestupidGreeks.“Ihaven’tlaughedlikethissincemychildhood,”thecaptainsaid.Aftertheparty,theylockedallthegatesofthecityandthenallwenttosleep.Bymidnight,themai