新世纪英语高二全部课文及重点词组

　　8. Stars from the south

　　The summer of 2001 saw Australians win the Cycling Tour de France, beat the world at cricket(板球) and rugby, and have a player in the final of the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament for the eighteenth time.

　　Many countries would be amazed at that kind of success. For Australia, it was just a typical sporting summer. At the 2000 Olympics, Australia came fourth in the medals table. That does not sound so great, yet Australia has a population of only 19 million. There are more Olympic medal winners per head of population in Australia than in any other country.

　　What is it that makes Australians a sporting people? This is a question that many people involved in sports have asked themselves over the years.

　　Some of the answers are simple. Sport needs space. Australians have 7.4 million square kilometres of space to play sports in. many other countries are either too crowded or too small to encourage everybody to take part. Besides that, Australia is a warm, dry country. This encourages people to go outdoors to enjoy themselves. Furthermore, since 85 per cent of Australians live near the sea, they learn water sports early; and since sharks swim off the coasts of Australia, they also learn to swim very fast.

　　However, it is not just the environment. The Australian government invests heavily in sports. Instead of just looking for the gifted people and training them, the emphasis is on trying to get everyone to join in. So Australia has a small population, but a large number of sports-loving people to choose from.

　　Other reasons go deep into the history and culture of the country. When the British first found Australia they decided that it would be a great place to send criminals to. Life for the first Australians was very tough, so they had to be independent and develop a will to win just to survive. Yet they also had to be able to trust each other and be willing to help each other out. In order countries, coaches train people in mental toughness and team building. In Australia, these qualities are part of the general social environment.

　　Being far away from Europe also meant that Australians were far away from the centres of Western arts and cultures. As a result, sport itself has become a way of cultural expression and part of the Australian nationality. An English football fan wants to see the national team do well, but really cares more about his local club. For an Australian, representing the nation is the most important thing of all. Everything else is just good practice. Being good at sports is part of what it means to be an Australian.

　　9. Why did I quit hunting?

　　Why did I quit hunting?

　　Well, it isn’t a long story, but I wonder if you will really understand.

　　I used to be crazy about the hunting season. I could hardly wait for those dry, cold mornings, that cup of hot coffee and then the walk over fresh-fallen snow, a fine rifle(步枪) in my hand.

　　There’s a thrill in hunting, an excitement that comes over you when a deer crashes out of the bush. You are waiting for him with death. After hunting, you also feel great. There’s the bit of showing off with the boys---the fine head of the deer hung high up on the wall---sure, there’s a thrill in all of it.

　　There’s beauty in the woods, too, especially late in the fall. Sometimes you walk among the huge trees, where the sunlight filters through. It’s quiet and big, with touches of white and green and gold. And the silence is like that of a church.

　　It was like that the last time I was in the woods. I was alone, packing a rifle, a thermos(保温瓶) of coffee and three thick sandwiches. I went up into the hills, heading for a well-used deer trail. Sure enough there were fresh tracks in the snow. I turned over a few rocks to clear the snow and settled down behind a little bush. It was pretty cold, but I was dressed for it and didn’t mind.

　　I sat there for about an hour. It was then that I saw him. A deer, a big beautiful deer! He was off to my left. There was no cover nearer to him than 30 yards. Surely I couldn’t miss! I waited for him to realize I was there. I waited for him to be shocked and run away. But he fooled me completely. He came towards me! He was curious, I suppose, or maybe he was stupid---how else can you explain it?

　　He was not quite young, but a deer in his prime. He must have known about men and guns. But he came closer, putting one foot before the other, slowly and purposefully. His big eyes never moved from my face. Well, that deer walked right up to where I was sitting. Then he stopped and looked at me!

　　What happened next is hard to believe, but it’s true. And it all seemed quite natural. Just as when a friendly puppy comes near you, I reached up and scratched his head, right between the horns. And he liked to be scratched. That big, wild, beautiful deer bent his head like a young horse. In fact, he practically asked for more. I scratched his head and his nose poked at my shoulder. He didn’t even tremble. I fed him my sandwich! Yes, I know what a deer eats, but that deer ate my sandwich. Well, he finally went his way, down the hill and up the deer trail. Shoot him? Not me. You wouldn’t have either, not after that. I just watched him go.

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