新标准大学英语4课文summary

Unit1reading2ifyouaskmeThisisaninformalandpersonalizedaccountofaneconomicgraduatewhogetsajobinapubforayearandthenhasanopportunitytobesuccessful(aluckybreak).Sinceherfamilycan’tsupporthertofurtherstudy,shehastowork.Shehasfinancialproblemsandfeelslonely.ShetellshertroublestoTony,aregularcustomerofthepub,whotalkstosomefriendsandgetsheraloantosetupabusiness.Withthishelpshehashermaster’sdegreeandherowncompany.however,unluckliy,Tonyisdisabledafteranaccidentandneedstherepaymentoftheloantoadapthishouseforhisdisability.ShepaybackTony’shelp,andTonythinksthatinvestinginpeoplegivesthebestreturnyoucaneverhopefor.Unit2reading1Readingisalife-changingactivity.Ithelpsusenteranewworldandliberateusfromtherealworldwecomefrom;itstimulatesouremotionsandallowsusenjoyandcelebratethevarietyanddifferencefrombooks;itaidsustogetoutofconfusioninamaterialworldandtodiscovertherealmeaningofthelife.Simplyput,booksaresupremelyinfluentialinthewaywelive.Homerunbookmightbetheanswerforthebookthateveryoneshouldread.Itdescribesthefirstreadingexperiencethatinducessuchpleasureandsatisfactionthatyoucannotputitdownanditmayrangefromtheclassicstothemostrecent.Everyoneislookingfortheirownhomerunbooks.Andwhatisyours?Unit2reading2HenryMillerdepictsthestrugglehemadetoobtainbookswhenhewasyoung,andthenintroducesthereasonthatmakesabooklive---thatis,theenthusiasticrecommendationofonereadertoanother.Inhiseyes,booksareoneofthefewthingsmencherisheddeeply,butifyoulendittoothers,itmakesfriendsforyou.Hecontinuestosuggestthatthevastmajorityofbooksrepeatwhatotherssay,soreadaslittleaspossible.Hethenadvicessuchawaytotesthissuggestion---thatis,leaveabookalone,butthinkasintenselyaspossibleandifyoudecidetoread,observewithwhatextraordinaryacumenyoureaditandrealizethatverylittleofthebooksisreallynewtoyou.Unit3reading1Between1960and2010,therearetwoconstantfactors:theubiquitousjeansandtheriseandfallofhemlinesforwomen’sskirtsanddresses.JeanswereinventedbyLeviStraussinthemid-19thcenturyinAmerica.Butitsoonbecamepopularamongyoungpeople.Inlate1950s,itexporttoEuropeandAsia.Themostimportantdevelopmentinfashioninthe1960swastheminiskirtinventedbyMary,Quant.Hemlineswererelatedtotheeconomy.Whenevertheeconomicoutlookisunsettled,bothmenandwomentendtowearmoreconservativeclothes.Andastheeconomysituationchanged,timesawanumberofdifferentstyles.Sometimesthehemlinecanevenpredictedachangeinthemoodofthestockmarketlongbeforeitactuallyhappens.Anditwasprovedintheeconomiccrisisin2008.Duringthewholeperiod,fashionstyleshaverangedwidely.Buttheconstantfactorsoverthisperiodaredenimandhemlines.Unit3reading2Seaglassispopularamongthejewellerycollectorsforseveralreasons.First,thecreationofseaglassisaformofrecycling,wherenaturecompensatesforman’sfolly.Second,withhumanrecyclingratherthanhurlingitintothesea,seaglassbecomesrarerthandiamonds,itssupplyisindeclinewhileitsdemandisontherise.Thisleadstoitsboominthemarket.Third,itseco-credentialslendseaglassfurtherappeal,asgoldextractiondamagestheenvironmentanddiamondindustryhasapoorhumanrightsrecord.Sothedesignerswouldliketoputseaglasstouse.GinaCowenbecameaseaglassjewellerafterherstintsinjournalismandmusicmanagementinher20sand30s.Whileseaglassisdisappearing,sheisstillonthehunt.GinaCowen’scollectionstartedinherwalkalongashinglebeachnearCapetown,SouthAfrica,whereshewasborn.Shehasseveralhuntinggrounds,SouthAfrica,Fiji,MajorcainSpain,andtheUK.ButherfavouriteoneisSeahamBeachintheUK.HerdesignsweresoldatLiberty,London,butmostlyshesellsherjewellerytoprivatecustomers.Withthedeclineofseaglassinsupply,therehasarisenproblemofrevivingoldhabitsofdumpingglassintothesea.GinaCowenrefusestocondoneitandsheevenrejectstheideaofpolishingnewglasstomakeitlookold,asthereisastorybehindseaglass.SofollowCowen’sexampleandsearchforglowingpebblesbeforetheyvanish.Unit4reading1Today,wearecaughtinthecreditcrunchbecausebankssettrapswhichappealtoourvanityandgreedandsometimestoourbasicneedforsurvival.Thebanksgiveafalsesenseofsuperioritytopeoplewithexclusivegoldcreditcardsinhard.Theytargetpeoplewhoarepronetoimpulse-buying,andpotentiallybadcreditrisks,temptedtospendmorethantheyhave,andliabletofallbehindwithrepayments.Theylureimpoverishedstudentswithunrealisticinterestrates.Theychargepeoplewhogooverthelimittheexorbitantinterestbutomittotellthemtheinterestpaidisnotforthedebt,butfortheoverspendoftheoverdraft.Byattractinguswiththeirendlesspublicityforloansofmoney,thebanksearnmoney.Sohowtogetourselvesoutofthetraps?Layoutallofyourcreditcardsinaline,takealargepairofscissorsandcutthemintosmallpieces.Thenthebankshavenopotentialtotemptmoneyawayfromyou.Unit4reading2What’sthekeytoWeddedbliss?Moneymatters.Marriageatitscoreisafinancialunion.Topreservetheirmaritalassetsandtheirunion,coupleshadbettersharesimilaroutlooksonmoneymattersor,attheveryleast,findsomemiddleground.Otherwise,moneywillbeahugefactorinbreakingupmarriages.However,noteveryoneisluckytogetmarriedtoafinancialtwin.Tobecomemorecompatiblewiththeirsignificantotherandultimatelymoreprosperous,couplesneedfollowtheseguidelines:talkingandsharinggoals;runningahomelikea