时间:2018-12-11 作者:英语课 分类:新视野大学英语:视听说教程 4


英语课

Task 2: Americans’ Work Ethic 1

Script

For four hundred years or more, one thing has been a characteristic of Americans. It is called their “work ethic”. Its (S1) roots were in the teaching of the Christian 2 Puritans who first settled in (S2) what is now the northeastern state of Massachusetts. They believed that it was their (S3) moral duty to work at every task to please God by their

(S4) diligence, honesty, attention to details, skill, and attitude. To these Puritans, it was a (S5) sin to be lazy or to do less than your best in any task. They and later Americans tried to follow the Bible’s (S6) teachings, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

Therefore, Americans have for (S7) centuries believed that they were guilty of sin if they did not work as carefully and hard as they could when they did anything. God would punish those who were careless or lazy in their work. (S8) Even as children they were taught, “If it’s worth doing at all, it’s worth doing well.”

But some people have gone beyond the usual sense of diligence. They are especially attracted to the notion of “climbing the ladder” so as to increase their status, financial position, and sense of self-worth. (S9) In English a new word has been created to describe people who work compulsivelly. The word “workaholic” describes an individual who is as addicted 3 to work as an alcoholic 4 is to alcohol.

There are conflicting points of view about workaholics. Those concerned with problems of mental stress believe workaholics abuse themselves physically 5 and mentally. (S10) Others hold that workaholics are valuable members of society because they are extremely productive. The American culture values achievement, efficiency, and production, and a workaholic upholds these values.



1 ethic
n.道德标准,行为准则
  • They instilled the work ethic into their children.他们在孩子们的心中注入了职业道德的理念。
  • The connotation of education ethic is rooted in human nature's mobility.教育伦理的内涵根源于人本性的变动性。
2 Christian
adj.基督教徒的;n.基督教徒
  • They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
  • His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。
3 addicted
adj.沉溺于....的,对...上瘾的
  • He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
  • She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。
4 alcoholic
adj.(含)酒精的,由酒精引起的;n.酗酒者
  • The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
  • Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。
5 physically
adj.物质上,体格上,身体上,按自然规律
  • He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。
  • Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
学英语单词
administrative overheads
allergic reaction contact dermatitis
amandone bordeaux
apostrophising
Aseroschematidae
astern steam turbine
average hourly earnings
Baja California Sur
balanced slide valve
bilked
box of the spinning machine
bulbously
bulk copy program
bundle pricing
cable flaw detector
catwalker
Chordata
clopidogrel bisulfates
clovio
committal for contempt
composite dielectric capacitor
computer networking systems
concha hallotidis
core flush
criteria of maneuverability
croccus
dehydroxylated
dental pulp
depollination
didymite
Earnshaw's elementary reaction
edrf
erythrocytometers
faulted bedding plane
Ferungutates
finishing feed
free villi
gas flow controller
genital stage
grizzle
gynecomastias
habara
hockersmith
honeynets
in free time
individual service
information extraction ability
islet of pancreas
Italian stone pine
jahnke
klitgaard
Lebesgue number
lecturesses
lenticular beam
Lysychans'k
marine ph meter
marula
mass produced
metro-area
metropolitan regional plan
minettefels
mix line
Mossbauer spectroscope
myophosphorylase deficient glycogenosis
nanoceria
non-representation
nozzle inside diameter
oil fraction
Osco-Umbrian languages
overmature timber
parabolic net
party planner
photo counter
pre-adipocyte
preorganised
primordium of parathyroid gland
pyrosulfuric
Quadtone
random-noise-weighting network
Rhododendron kwangtungense
rose-red
screening area
secondary jet
segmentalization
self-splicing
shock compression
sleeper respacing
smear test
softeneth
soviet-styles
stepnieces
stick notes
survival mode
temporary data set
tension rep
the influence
trellis pattern
unburned side
Unospaston
unswervable
Wasilków
winter fog