U4-L8-My-Graduation-Speech

2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTUUnit4Lesson8MyGraduationSpeechNeilPostman2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTUNewwords&expressionsspiritualancestorAthenianliterateecologyepicVisigothmarauderdesecratealignoneselfwithoutnumber精神上的l祖先雅典人有教养的生态学史诗西哥特人强盗亵渎与…结盟数目超过2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTUPre-ReadingActivitiesChoosethebestanswertoeachofthefollowingquestions.1.Whatisthespeaker'smainpurposeinthisgraduationspeech?A)Toprovidepracticaladviceforthoseenteringthejobmarket.B)Toreflectonthevalueoftheeducationthegraduateshavereceived.C)Toinspirethegraduatestolivealifeofhighideals.D)Toinformthegraduatesaboutsomeinterestinghistoricalfacts.C2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTU2.WhichofthefollowingisNOTanaccomplishmentoftheAthenians?A)Creatingaculturewhichflourishesuntiltoday.B)Creatinggreatworksofartwhichhavelastingbeauty.C)Inventingscience,philosophy,andpoliticaldemocracy.D)Holdingthevaluesoftruthandbeautyinthehighestregard.A2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTU3.WhichofthefollowingaretheVisigothsgivencreditfor?A)Strivingforexcellenceinallthings.B)Developingmodernlogicandscience.C)CreatingtheOlympicgames.D)Beingexcellenthorsemenandwarriors.D2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTU4.Attheendofthespeech,whatchoicedoesthespeakerposetothegraduates?A)TochoosetofolloweitherthespiritoftheAtheniansorthatoftheVisigoths.B)Tochoosewhetherornottoattendgraduateschool.C)Tochoosewhethertopursuesocialjusticeorahigh-payingcareer.D)TorememberthehistoryofEurope,sothatitswarsneednotberepeated.A2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTUText-relatedinformationDemocritus(460---370BC)德谟克利特Democritus,acentralfigureinthedevelopmentoftheatomictheoryoftheuniverse.whichhadbeenoriginatedbyhismentor,thephilosopherLeucippus.Theatomistsheldthattherearesmallestindivisiblebodiesfromwhicheverythingelseiscomposed,andthatthesemoveaboutinaninfinitevoidspace.TheVisigoths西哥特人alsoknownastheGoths,wereabarbarictribe.TheVisigoths(orwesternGoths)wereancientGermanicpeopleswhoinvadedtheRomeEmpire.Beginninginthe4thcenturyAD,theysettledinareasofwhatarenowSpain,Portugal,andFrance.2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTUText-relatedinformationTheRomanEmpireWhentheancientGreekswerereachingtheheightoftheirglory,thepowerofRome,tothewest,wasslowlyrising.ThegeniusoftheGreekslayinart,literature,science,andphilosophy.TheRomanswerebestinwarfare,engineering,andgovernment.TheRomanscalledtheMediterraneanMareNostrum--“oursea.”Themapindicateswhytheyhadgoodreasontodoso.ThemapshowsthattheempireextendedfromtheBritishIslesinthenorthwesttoEgyptinthesoutheastandfromArmeniainthenortheasttoMauretania(nowMorocco)inthesouthwest.TheRomanEmpirethusencompassedtheMediterranean,ruledeverycivilizedlandinEuropeandAfrica,andextendedintoAsia.Theonlyothercivilizedcountriesintheworldlayfarthereast,inAsia..2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTUText-relatedinformationTheDarkAgesTheperiodinhistoryfromtheendoftheRomeEmpiretoabout800ADisoftencalledtheDarkAges,ortheEarlyMiddleAges.TheEarlyMiddleAgessawthecontinuationoftrendssetinLateAntiquity,depopulation,deurbanization,andincreasedbarbarianinvasion.TherewasnotmuchprogressmadeinEuropeduringthisperiod.Thefoundationswerelaid,however,forimportantadvancesthatweretofollowinthelaterMiddleAgesandtheRenaissance.ThestirrupwasprobablyinventedduringtheDarkAges.Waterwheelsalsomadetheirfirstappearancethen.Theywereusedassourcesofpowerinsmallriversandinseainlets,wheretheywererunbytidalcurrents.Thewaterwheelsledtothewindmill,whichwasintroducedinabout1100.themagneticcompasswasalsoinventedataboutthistime.2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTUText-relatedinformationPlato(428?—348?BC)柏拉图Plato,Greekphilosopher,whowithhisteacherSocratesandhisstudentAristotlelaidthephilosophicalfoundationsofWesternculture.HefoundedtheAcademy,aninstituteofscientificandphilosophicalresearch,whereAristotlewasoneofhisstudents.BuildingonbutalsodepartingfromSocrates’thought,hedevelopedaprofoundandwide-rangingphilosophicalsystem,subsequentlyknownasPlatonism.Histhoughthaslogical,epistemological,andmetaphysicalaspects,butmuchofitsunderlyingmotivationisethical.Itispresentedinhismanydialogues,inmostofwhichSocratesplaysaleadingrole.platonic:arelationshipthatisplatonicisjustfriendlyandisnotasexualrelationship:aplatonicfriendship2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTUAristotle:亚里士多德(384—322BC)(384-322BC)aGreekphilosopherandscientistwhohashadgreatinfluenceonWesternthought.Hismanyworksdealwithsubjectssuchasscience,politics,morality,andliterature.—Aristotelianadjective2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTULanguagepointsAuthor’sNotesitthroughsth.staywithsth.FromthebeginningtotheendIfyousitthroughsomethingsuchasafile,lecture,ormeeting,youstayuntilitisfinishedalthoughyouarenotenjoyingit.Examples:ThemoviewassobadthatIcouldhardlybeartositthroughit.Ican’tsitthroughsixhoursoftheplay.2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTUAuthor’sNote1.Havingsatthroughtwodozenorsograduationspeeches,I…(Author’sNote):twodozenorso:approximately/about24,2.Thusanyspeechlongerthan,say,fifteenminuteswillseemtedious,ifnotentirelypointless:say:tosuggestasanexamplepointless:withlittleornosense2010-09-18Y.ZHANGNTULanguagepointsIfyouaredonew