时间:2019-01-14 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2011年(十月)


英语课

Survival Guides Turn Nerds into Action Hero


 


A few years ago, David Borgenicht, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a book agent. Then one day, he read an article that gave him an idea for his own book.



He and a friend - magazine writer Joshua Piven - produced an instant best-seller that developed almost a cult 1 following. It’s about life-and-death situations - and how to survive them.



The article that David Borgenicht was reading told people how they might safely land a small plane if the pilot passes out. It got him thinking about other hair-raising situations in movies and TV shows. Of course it’s one thing for an action hero to leap from a moving motorcycle into a car or fend 2 off a killer 3 shark.



But how would ordinary, out-of-shape readers do it? How would they wrestle 4 free from an alligator 5, for example, or survive if their parachutes do not open, or escape from a mountain lion?



Borgenicht and Piven produced a pocket-sized book called The Worst-Case Scenario 6 Survival Handbook. In its first eight months, it sold more than one million copies and has been reprinted at least a dozen times.









Great white shark bearing down on you? No worries, consult the "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook."




Killer bees chasing you? Not a problem. Lost in the desert? Turn to Page 129. Need to build a fire but don’t have any matches? No sweat, write Borgenicht and Piven, who are themselves just ordinary physical specimens 7.



Other advice? If you find yourself on top of a moving train, here’s how to survive: don’t stand up.



And what if a bull is charging you? Not to worry, say the authors: don’t antagonize the bull; do not move; look for an escape route; if one is not available, remove an article of clothing, such as your shirt; throw the clothing away from you and run for your life in another direction.



Common sense, perhaps, but it could come in handy. The authors have since produced a whole series of guides, reality television shows, and calendars about surviving everything from traveling to college to a game of golf.



We should note that, despite the helpful tips, the Worst Case Survival books are sold in the humor section of bookstores.



n.异教,邪教;时尚,狂热的崇拜
  • Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书,但有一定的崇拜者。
  • The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。
v.照料(自己),(自己)谋生,挡开,避开
  • I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
  • He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。
n.杀人者,杀人犯,杀手,屠杀者
  • Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
  • The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。
vi.摔跤,角力;搏斗;全力对付
  • He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
  • We have to wrestle with difficulties.我们必须同困难作斗争。
n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)
  • She wandered off to play with her toy alligator.她开始玩鳄鱼玩具。
  • Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather.鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。
n.剧本,脚本;概要
  • But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
  • This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。
n.样品( specimen的名词复数 );范例;(化验的)抽样;某种类型的人
  • Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
  • The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》
学英语单词
accepting responsibility
after-tax economic comparison
aitken particle
allocation of common income
arms-smuggling
auditus
auricular canaliculi
auto manual
babeerinemethine
bogen structure(bogenstruktur)
Byrne
capital spending
cathedralesque
cerium-142
certificated
Closed Fund
cortiadrenal
crucible base block
cutting range
day rate plan
death's-herb
dislodg(e)ment
driblet
effective core diameter
ehrlichioses
eldren
energy flow model
engraving disc revolver
Epilobium amurense
external (irradiation) hazard
fora
French Standard
grid scale
halbert
heavy metal
helium spectrum lamp
hematogeneses
herbicide action
hunan movement
hydrospace vehicle
inter-scorers reliability
intra-record slack byte
Laramie R.
light energy
long-term supplement
magnetic secular change
metasequoias
modulation fallback
moisture-holding capacity
moldable
monetary discipline
monopathophobia
monosaccharides
Muencke pump
non-duplicated
of deepest dye
Oostwold
Pagong
parallel affine
perfretation
phenylisopropyladenosine
pinning point
pitch of holes in pattern
play someone like a violin
pnigophobia
Prague manever
preservatie character
product evolution
psalmodikons
pseuderies
Ranibennur
recitant
redleas
rhossilis
ropebridge
Roudouallec
royal commissions
rump-bone
Sangchok
sannaite
sea trifolies
semi-permanent depression
single plate clutch
Slashers Reefs
sorts-out
Streptomyces parvus
subdural hydroma
sun - tan oil
supracondyloid fossae
tanacetene
tapered strut
tight-fitting screw
to heave
Tofta
transport of dangerous goods by sea
tungomelane
upper-air disturbance
valley load
Velikaya Guba
wait-lists
walking beam
Yukon Time