英语学习和其他学科的学习一样,也是个知其然和知其所以然的过程。知其然就是Practice makes perfect,通过大量的练习来掌握语音、词汇和语法方面的知识,做到对这门语言有些基本的感性认识并能初步使用。知其所以然就是要明白这种语言各组成部分之间的关系,弄清其内在规律,更好地指导语言实践。对于初学者来说重要的当然是前者,但到了一定程度,不失时机地学点语言理论,把已经掌握的知识系统化、条理化,无疑对自己的进一步学习是大有裨益的。这里仅列举三个与英语学习密切相关的理论作例子。
澳大利亚拥有相当完备的高等教育体制,高等学校大体可分为3种类型:综合性大学(University)、高等教育学院(College of Advanced Education)和技术与进修学院(College of Technology and Further Education)。综合性大学学术水平较高,更强调拓展知识领域和开展学术研究,可授予学士、硕士、博士学位。高等教育学院学术水平居中,更侧重于对教师职业的培训,学生不一定会授予学位;技术与继续教育学院以职业技术教育为主,学生以攻读各种证书者居多,拿学位的较少。
Former President Reagan had been in office only two months when he excited the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 30,1980,after giving a speech,six shots rang out,fired from a 0.22-caliber revolver(左轮手枪)loaded with explosive “Devastator”bullets.Secret service agent Timothey J.McCathy and Washington police officer James Delahanty were hit,as was White House Press Secretary James S.Brady,who suffered a serious head wound.
在工业化以前的欧洲,许多地方都庆祝5月1日,以它作为温暖的天气和草木繁荣的开始。罗马人在这一天前后举行运动会纪念花神,德鲁伊特人(the Druids)燃起火堆纪念贝尔神(the god Bel)。中世纪时,大多数欧洲国家的居民都庆祝5月,他们用鲜花点缀房间(把一篮篮的鲜花拿进家里的风俗叫做“引来5月”),推举五朔节女王(Queen of the May),竖起五朔节花柱并绕着它跳舞。由于五朔节花柱让人联想起男性生殖器官和异端宗教,17世纪时,五朔节在清教徒中引起了争议。在旧英格兰和新英格兰,宗教当局取缔了绕着五朔节花柱跳舞的风俗。
The Mississippi is the greatest river in the United States flowing from north to south, it gathers many waters on its way. You will easily understand why it is called “Old Man River” , or the “Father of Waters”.A lot of early settlers built their homes on the land along its waters. Some of them moved farther west, but they never failed to remember the old familiar river. The Mississippi was and is the old man of all American people, too.
At a dinner party,the speaker,who was the guest of honor,was about to deliver a speech when his wife sitting at the other end of the table,sent him a piece of paper with the word“KISS”scribbed on it.