Extinction Events 1
The Earth was formed about 4.6 billion years ago.
The first life appeared about a billion years later.
The first plants didn't appear until around 2 billion years ago.
Until about 580 million years ago, life forms were small and microscopic [ˌmaɪkrəˈskɑːpɪk](微观的).
Since that time, life has evolved into (evolv into 发展成，进化成) many different types, or species [ˈspiːʃiːz] (物种).
However, scientists estimate that more than 99% of them are now extinct (灭绝的，绝种的).
There have been several extinction events in the history of the Earth.
In an extinction event many life forms, or species of life, die out.
The causes of mass extinction events are unsolved mysteries(未解之迷).
These events are not predictable[prɪˈdɪktəbl] and can happen at any time.
Scientists think that some of them were started by asteroid [ˈæstərɔɪd] impacts (小行星撞击) or volcanic[vɑːlˈkænɪk] eruptions美[ɪ'rʌpʃ(ə)n] (火山喷发).
Events like these can change the global conditions that life depends on.
One major extinction event happened about 66 million years ago.
That event may have been started by a large asteroid that hit the Earth.
As a result, the dinosaurs and about half of all species on the planet died out.
When the asteroid hit the earth, it started a chain of events.
A chain of events is a series of events linked together, like a chain.
This particular chain of events happened over a period of months and years.
When the asteroid hit the Earth, it caused a huge cloud of dust to enter the atmosphere.
This cloud of the dust blocked the Sun and darkened the Earth for many months.
Without enough sunlight, plants and plant-eating animals quickly died.
With the deaths of so many plants and animals, the food chain collapsed.
This led to the deaths of many more species.
Mass extinction events have played an important part in the evolution of life.
In fact, some extinction events have helped to accelerate evolution.
For example, some mammals lived through the age of the dinosaurs, but they couldn't compete.
When the dinosaurs were removed, the mammals were able to compete more successfully.
Once they could compete, mammals evolved to a higher state.
Without extinction events, perhaps we wouldn't be here today.
Extinction Events 2
Scientists estimate that there have been at least 5 mass extinctions in the last 540 million years.
They also believe that we have entered a new extinction event.
Species are becoming extinct at a much faster rate than before.
Instead of asteroids or volcanic eruptions, the current event is the result of human activities.
Human activities, for example, have led to global warming.
Global warming is the result of an increase in carbon gases in our atmosphere.
These gases trap heat(阻碍热量排放) from the sun, so the Earth is getting warmer.
As a result, sea levels are rising and weather patterns are changing.
In addition, we humans are destroying the habitats(栖息地) of many plants and animals.
Cutting down forests and polluting rivers destroys the habitats of many forms of life.
There is no longer any doubt that this is happening.
Species of life are disappearing at an increasing rate.
Global temperatures are rising and weather patterns are changing.
Scientists are warning us that fast action is necessary to save our future.
If we don't act, we may go the way of the dinosaurs.
Body Systems
The body'scirculatory system(血液循环系统) includes the heart andblood vessels(血管).
The heart pumps blood to all parts of the body through a network ofarteries and veins(动脉和静脉).
Thedigestive system(消化系统)breaks down(分解) andabsorbs food(吸收食物) into the body.
It supplies the energy that the body needs forgrowth and repair(生长和修复).
After digestion,excess food(多余的食物) is turned into waste andeliminated from the body(被排出体外).
Thenervous system(神经系统) includes the brain,spinal cord(脊髓) andnerves(神经).
This is your body's control system.
It controls your muscles and organs, including your circulatory and digestive system.
Therespiratory system(呼吸系统) includes the nose and lungs.
It brings air andoxygen(氧气) into the body and removescarbon dioxide(二氧化碳).
The lungs are where oxygen enters thebloodstream(血流), and carbon dioxide is removed.
Theimmune system(免疫系统) protects the body againstinfections(感染、传染) anddiseases(疾病).
Sneezing(打喷嚏) andfever(发烧) are examples of how the immune system works.
If an infectioninvades(侵袭，侵入) the body, the immune system attacks it.
Great Discoveries
Thecontrolled use of fire(控制和使用火) allowed people to cook food andsurvive(幸存) in colder climates.
Fire provided light so that people could work andsocialize(参与社交) for longer hours.
With theinvention of agriculture(农业的发明), people could grow food andsettle into communities(融入群体生活).
By growing food, people could spend less time hunting, and more time for other things such as art.
The domestication(驯养) of animals allowed people to raise and use animals for food and work.
By raising herds of animals(成群的动物) such as sheep, humans had a regular supply of meat and clothing.
The strength of animals such as horses and oxen was used for work and transportation(运输).
The development of tools and machines has resulted in more efficient manufacturing(制造业) and construction(建筑业).
With better tools and machines, work can be done with fewer people and at much lower costs.
The development of science and engineering has improved many things, including communications.
With an understanding of electricity, telephones and radios allow people to communicate over long distances.
Dialogue 1: Smartphone Addiction
M: I took a vacation last night.
W: What are you talking about? Where did you take your vacation?
M: I didn't go anywhere. I just spent an evening without my smartphone.
W: How was it?
M: It was great. I got a real magazine and read it with nointerruption(中断,干扰). It was very peaceful.
W: Yes, I haven't done that in a long time.
W: Yes, I just saw adocumentary(纪录片) about that. A husband was complaining to his wife that she was spending too much time on her smartphone.
M: What happened? Did theyget a divorce(离婚)?
W: You guessed it. In the end, they got a divorce.
M: It's a bitironic(讽刺的), don't you think? Smartphones were supposed to bring people together, but they are pulling people apart.
W: Yes, you are right.
M: Hey, just a minute. I've got a message on my smartphone, and it can't wait.
Dialogue 2: Rude Boss
(B: Boss E: Employee)
B: Hey, wake up and get back to work. What's wrong with you?
E: I'm on my break sir, and I have a bad headache.
B: Well, we're not paying you to sleep. If you're going to sleep, sleep someplace else.
E: Yes, sir. Sorry, it won't happen again.
B: You had better not.
E: Just a minute. Don't talk to me like that.
B: What did you say?
E: You hurt me. You don't have to treat people like that.
B: Well, if you don't like it, I suggest you leave.
E: OK, I will. I've had enough of you. I'll get a job somewhere else.
Point of View 1
This man is holding a piece of fruit in his hand.
The piece of fruit is either an orange or an apple.
We can’t see which it is because we can’t see inside the box.
The probability that it is an orange is equal to the probability that it is an apple.
It may be an apple, and it may be an orange.
It’s got to be one or the other.
It can’t be anything else.
Now let’s look at it from the man’s point of view.
From his point of view, the probabilities are different.
From his point of view, the probability that he has an orange is 100% or 0%.
That’s because he knows what he has.
For him there is no uncertainty.
If he has an orange, the probability is 100%.
If he doesn’t have an orange, the probability is 0%.
He either has it or he doesn’t.
From our point of view, the probability that he has an orange is 50%.
From his point of view, the probability that he has an orange is 100% or 0%.
So the probability depends on your point of view.
Point of View 2
People see things from different points of view.
This often leads to arguments between people.
Here are some examples.
From this man’s point of view, he is relaxing.
He needs to relax because he has been working too hard.
He hasn’t been getting enough sleep.
His wife sees things differently.
She isn’t aware of how hard he has been working.
From her point of view, he is doing nothing.
However, she knows what needs to be done around the house.
It isn’t fair that she has to work while he does nothing.
When people see things from different points of view, they often come to different conclusions.
These differences can cause real communication problems.
Disaster
Earthquakes are caused by forces deep within the Earth.
When the earth shakes, buildings can collapse and people can be buried inside.
An explosion is a rapid, violent release of energy.
Explosions can be caused by chemical reactions, such as inside an engine.
A spark can ignite a mixture of gases, and release energy for good or destructive purposes.
Accidents are often caused by people doing foolish things or by not being careful.
One major cause of accidents is driving too fast.
Accidents with fire can be very serious, and can result in very painful injuries.
Epidemics are the rapid spread of a disease, such as the flu orebola.
Throughout history, epidemics have killed millions of people.
Storms are caused by changes in the atmosphere resulting in high winds and heavy rain.
Thunderstorms are caused by electric charges in the atmosphere that produce lightning, which can cause forest fires.
Some storms cause flooding, and major damage to homes and cities.
Religions
Followers of the islam religion are called Muslims.
These Muslims are praying inside a mosque.
Muslims are called to prayer 5 times a day, beginning just before sunrise.
Christianity is based on the teaching of Jesus Christ, who lived more than 2000 years ago.
Christians believe that Jesus is the son of god.
Christians often gather in churches orcathedrals toworship.
Followers of Judaism are calledJews.
These Jews are meeting inside thesynagogue, which is a place of worship and study.
Judaism was founded over 35 hundred years ago, in the middle east.
Judaism is based on the teaching of Moses, who they believe is the most important prophet.
Buddhism began in India and is based on the teachings of the Buddha.
The religion is about 25 hundred years old.
Some Buddhists practice a form of meditation in which they empty their minds of any thought.
Hinduism is the world’s third most popular religion and is the main religion of India.
Hinduism has no founder and is a mixture of many beliefs.
Some Hindus believe in the cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth.
Dialogue 1: Missing Aircraft
A: Do you have any more information about the location of the missing aircraft?
B: No, we don’t. The only information we have is that it disappeared.
A: What about the last communication with the aircraft?
B: The last communication was about 15 minutes before it disappeared.
A: Was there anything unusual in the communication?
B: No, there wasn't anything unusual. Nothing pointed to any kind of problem.
B: Anyway, we are confident that we will find it. It’s a large aircraft so it shouldn’t be difficult to find.
A: How many countries are helping with the search?
B: Right now, we have search teams from 3 countries starting the search.
A: It’s a big area to search, so can you give us an estimate about how long it will take?
B: Yes, it’s a big area so it might take a long time. But we won’t give up. We will search until we find it.
Dialogue 2: Missing Aircraft
M1: Have they found the wreckage(残骸) yet?
M2: What are you talking about?
M1: You know, the airplane that disappeared last year?
M2: Oh, yes, now I know what you're referring to.
M1: Yes, they found some pieces of it.
M2: What about the black boxes?
M1: No, they still haven’t found the black boxes.
M2: It’s hard to believe they still don’t know what happened.
M1: Perhaps they’ll never know, especially if they don’t find the black boxes.
M2: Whatever happened to it, there is no good reason why a modern airline is allowed to disappear.
M1: I agree with you.
Alcatraz 1
Alcatraz is a smallisland(岛，岛屿) in San FranciscoBay (海湾), 1.5 miles from San Francisco.
From Alcatraz, you can see the famous Golden Gate Bridge.
Alcatraz is also famous and is now a majortourist attraction(旅游景点，旅游胜地).
Tourists can reach the island by boat from the city.
Alcatraz has oftenappeared(appear 出现) in movies, including 'Escape from Alcatraz' which was made in 1979.
One reason it’s famous is because it used to be a prison, a veryspecial(特别的) prison.
It was designed for prisoners who were causing trouble in other prisons, such as trying to escape.
It was a maximum security prison, so escape was almost impossible.
The waters around it are cold, and only very strong swimmers can swim from the island to San Francisco.
The first group of prisoners arrived in 1934.
There were 137 prisoners, including bank robbers and murderers.
They came by train from another prison in the state of Kansas.
During that trip, there was heavy security.
The prisoners were under guard and handcuffed.
Nobody wanted them to escape.
Alcatraz 2
The prison was designed to hold up to 336 prisoners.
However, the average (平均的，通常的) population was only about 270.
Although there were severalnotorious(声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的)inmates(犯人), such as Al Capone, most of the inmates were not well-known.
Many had tried to escape from other prisons or were considered violent.
If a man did notbehave(守规矩) at another prison, he could be sent to Alcatraz.
At Alcatraz, there was just one inmate in eachprison cell(牢房).
Prison life at Alcatraz washighly structured(高度结构化的) and boring.
It was designed to teach prisoners to follow rules.
They had four rights: food, clothing,shelter(住所) andmedical care(医疗).
Everything else was a privilege(特权，优待) that had to be earned.
Privileges included working, visits from family members, and access to the prison library.
There were also activities such as painting and music.
Once a prisoner showed that he could follow the rules, he could be transferred back to another prison to finish his sentence.
Alcatraz was used as a prison for 29 years.
During that time, no prisoner escaped successfully.
There were 14 escape attempts, involving 36 prisoners.
Twenty-three were caught alive, and six were shot and killed.
Two men tried to escape twice.
Twodrowned(drown 淹死，溺死) and five were listed as missing andpresumed drowned(估计已经被淹死了).
The most violent escape attempt occurred on May 2nd, 1946 when six prisoners tried to escape.
That event is called the 'Battle of Alcatraz'.
While it was in use, Alcatraz held some of the most notorious criminals in American history, such as Al Capone.
Al Capone was a crime boss who built his career in Chicago.
The prison was finally closed in 1963.
It was closed because it was too expensive to operate.
Graphs & Charts
A bar graph(柱状图) uses rectangular bars of different lengths to show and compare data.
The lengths of the bars are proportional(成比例) to the values they represent.
The bars can be vertical, up and down, or horizontal(美 ['hɔrə'zɑntl]，水平的) .
A circle graph (圆形图，扇面图), often called a pie graph, is shaped like a circle.
It is divided into segments that look like pieces of a pie.
Percentages (百分率，百分比) are used to compare the segments which are ordered from biggest to smallest.
Line graphs(曲线图，线状图) are used to show the relationship between two variables, such as time and distance.
These variablesare plotted on(被标注在) 2axes(美['æksɪz]，axe的复数，坐标轴), the x-axis (美 ['æksɪs]，轴，轴线) and the y-axis.
The x-axis often shows time while the y-axis shows how quantities, such as distance, temperature or profits change with time.
Aflowchart(流程图) is a type of graph that shows how a process or a project flows from start to finish.
A flowchart consists of start points, inputs, outputs and decision points
流程图是一种显示流程或项目如何从头到尾流动的图形。流程图由起始点、输入点、输出点和决策点组成
Anorganizational chart(组织结构图), or org chart, show the structure of a company.
It shows how people and departments within a company are connected.
It defines the roles and responsibilities of people and departments within a company.
Legal Terms
Laws are rules that people are supposed to follow.
A system of laws governs the behavior of people within a country.
Criminals are people who break the law.
People who commit a crime are called criminals.
Some criminals are very dangerous and need to be put in jail(被关进监狱).
A jail or prison is a place where criminals are locked behind bars, sometimes for many years.
Prisons are designed to keep criminals away from other people.
A courthouse(法院) is where someone charged with committing a crimegoes on trial(受审).
In court, evidence is presented to show the guilt orinnocence(清白，无罪) of the person on trial.
When someone breaks the law, they may be arrested by the police.
To arrest someone means to take and hold them until they go on trial.
Currency Exchange
W: May I help you, sir?
M: I’d like to change some US dollars into Japanese yen, please.
W: Yes, certainly sir. How much would you like to change?
M: I’d like to change 500 dollars.
W: May I see your passport please?
M: I don’t have it with me, but I do have my driver’s license. Would that be OK?
W: No, I'm sorry, sir. I need to see your passport, it’s the law.
M: Look, I’m not asking for a loan. I just want to convert my dollars into yen. Why do I need my passport?
W: I understand your frustration sir, but that’s the law. I can not do something that is illegal.
M: OK, do you have any suggestions?
W: Sure, the easiest thing for you to do it is to use a machine in one of the hotels near here. You can borrow someone’s passport and then do the conversion.
M: So the machine doesn’t check my fingerprints or anything like that?
W: No, sir. But there is a limit as to how much you can change at one time. You also have to pay a higher fee.
M: Thanks for your help.
W: You’re welcome, sir.
Al Capone 1
AI Capone was one of the most famous criminals in American history.
He came from an immigrant family.
His parents came from Italy, and his father was a barber.
As a boy, he belonged to a street gang.
Hequit school(退学) after finishing the 6th grade.
He built his career as a crime boss in Chicago.
He became boss at 26 when the previous leader was nearly killed.
His crime organization made a lot of money, more than $100 million a year.
Most of the money came from illegal activities, especially the sale of illegal liquor.
His organization was also involved in gambling and prostitution.
Capone was a flashy dresser who enjoyed being famous.
He protected himself by bribing police and public officials.
Though he was involved in the deaths of many, he was never convicted of a serious crime.
When he was finally arrested, it was for minor crimes.
In 1929, he and his bodyguard were arrested for carrying deadly weapons.
For that they were sentenced to a year in prison.
Capone was released in nine months for good behavior.
Al Capone 2
In 1930, Capone was Public Enemy No.1 in Chicago.
A year later he was arrested for failure to pay taxes.
The government had finally found a way to catch him.
After a trial, he was found guilty and sentenced to 11 years in prison.
He spent the first two years of his sentence at a prison in Atlanta, Georgia.
Then he was sent to Alcatraz, the country's most famous prison.
At Alcatraz, he was diagnosed with a disease that began to take over his brain.
As a result, he spent much of his time in the prison hospital.
By the time he was released from prison in 1939, he was no longer able to lead his organization.
He died of a stroke and pneumonia in 1947.
Economic Terms
Income is money received for work or from investments.
For a company to survive, its income needs to be more than its expenses.
People who earn a good salary can buy what they need to survive.
A receipt is given to you after you have paid for something.
A receipt is proof that you have paid for something.
A receipt shows that something has been paid for.
After paying for something, be sure to get a receipt.
An invoice is a request for payment.
An invoice lists the prices and products being bought.
To invoice someone means to give them a bill for products or services.
Once an invoice is paid, it can be used as a receipt.
Taxes are what we pay to the government for government services.
Taxes pay for many services, such as education, police and health care.
An income tax is a tax on your income.
In some countries, income taxes are very high.Interest is what we pay to lenders when we borrow money.
If someone lends you money, you pay interest for the use of that money.
Personality Types
Emotional people often show their feelings and have a bad temper.
They make decisions based on the feelings more than facts.
Sometimes these people make bad decisions because of their emotions.
Leaders are people who take responsibility and are trusted by others.
Good leaders make good decisions and get things done.
In many situations, others look to them for leadership.
Loyal people can be depended on to follow their leader.
They will support and protect their leaders and friends.
A strong team needs a good leader and loyal followers.
Independent people can do things on their own.
They often prefer working by themselves.
Sometimes they have difficulty working in a group.
Creative people come up with new ideas and ways of doing things.
They often have a good imagination and can see things in different ways.
Many artists and musicians are very creative.
A Video Project 1
(M: Manager L: Lisa)
M: Congratulations, Lisa!
L: Congratulations for what?
M: We just heard the news.
L: What news? Don't keep me in suspense.
M: QuickServe has accepted your video proposal.
L: Already? I just submitted it a week ago.
M: Maybe so, but they like it so much that they made a quick decision. They want you to get started on it as soon as possible.
L: That's great news. But I'm still working on some other projects. They need to be finished first.
M: Can't you delay some of our other projects?
L: I'm not sure, how important is this project?
M: They are putting a lot of pressure on us now, especially since they read your proposal. They really like it. It's a very creative way of presenting their company. It had everybody laughing.
L: Yes, that was the idea. It was fun to do, and our whole team thought it was funny.
M: Well, great job.
L: I think it's the best work your team has ever done.
A Video Project 2
M: When can you get started on the project?
L: Are they going to pay extra? In my proposal, I said the earliest start date would be one month after signing the contract.
M: Was that in the proposal?
L: Yes, it was. Have they signed the contract yet?
M: No, they haven't, but I'm sure they will right away.L: They'll also need to make an advance payment. That was in the proposal, too. We can't stop everything else just because they are excited.
M: OK, I'll get back to them and let them know.
L: Yes, please do, I've been through this kind of thing before.
