Unit 2 Period 2 Understanding ideas—Reading comprehension-【步步高】2023-2024学年高一英语必修第三册（外研版2019）

The UN-bringing everyone closer together

I am pleased to have this chance today to talk to you about the United Nations, or the UN, as it is more often referred to. The UN is an international organization made up of countries that want to promote world peace. I am very happy to have been chosen to be a Goodwill Ambassador for them. Being a Goodwill Ambassador means that I visit countries where the UN operates1 programmes to help people. I feel very honoured to have been able to take on this role.

Now let me tell you about the work I have been doing with them. My job with the UN is not paid but voluntary2, and as I said before, I visit countries where the UN has programmes to help people. So, how do I help by visiting these countries? Well, if I visit these countries, the television and press3 will follow and record my visits. This will increase people’s knowledge of the work of the UN. In addition, my visits will encourage people working on the projects and draw local people’s attention to the situation.

I have visited many countries in Africa. Recently, I was fortunate4 enough to travel to South Africa, where I met some women who have organized themselves into a group. They collect approximately 1. 35 yuan per day from each member and add it to some money contributed by the government. With this, the women have enough money to acquire materials to make baskets. They then sell these at the market for a profit5. With luck their group will be able to expand and maybe set up a shop. Such programmes can transform6 people’s lives by giving them the ability to provide for themselves and their families. There are lots of worthwhile programmes like this under the umbrella of the UN that have helped millions of people across the world.

Apart from the urgent problems caused by wars and conflicts, the UN helps countries with other problems such as lack of education, starvation, disasters, AIDS and other diseases.

With the work of the UN the world has been brought closer together.

(节选自译林版旧教材选修6 Unit 4)

词汇积累

1．operate /'ɒpəreɪt/ v．操作；运行

2．voluntary /'vɒləntri/ adj.志愿的；自愿的

3．press /pres/ n．媒体；新闻界

4．fortunate /'fɔːtʃənət/ adj.幸运的

5．profit /'prɒfɪt/ n．利润；利益

6．transform /træns'fɔːm/ v．改变

Period 2　Understanding ideas—Reading comprehension

Ⅰ.匹配单词

1．contribution　 A．to provide money for sth，usually sth official

2．relief   B．(the ability to have) a clear，deep，and sometimes sudden understanding of a

 complicated problem or situation

3．effective   C．to receive money as payment for work that you do

4．fund   D．producing the result that is wanted or intended；producing a successful result

5．recycle   E．an action or a service that helps to cause or increase sth

6．earn   F．to give money or goods to help a person or organization

7．donate   G．to use something again for a different purpose

8．insight   H．a feeling of happiness that something unpleasant has not happened or has

 ended

答案　1.E　2.H　3.D　4.A　5.G　6.C　7.F　8.B

Ⅱ.选词填空

1．Much to our relief，regulars at the local bar have set up a fund to help out.

2．The key point is that you have to look across the whole of the solution before making the final decision.

3．After graduating from college，I took some time off to go travelling，which turned out to be a wise decision.

4．Whether each of us can fully pull our weight indeed makes a difference to the project’s success.

5．He is intelligent enough to make his dream a reality but he needs to understand hard work is also part of it.

Step 1　速读——整体理解文意

Ⅰ.明文章大意

What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The friendship between Ryan and African children.

B．Ryan tried his best to build a well in Africa.

C．Ryan helped African children to recycle waste water.

D．The well built by Ryan changed the world.

答案　B

Ⅱ.悉层次结构

Match the main idea with each paragraph.

Para.1　　　 A．Ryan was inspired and decided to help.

Para.2   B．Ryan got help and realized his dream at last.

Para.3   C．Ryan got more support and helped more people.

Para.4   D．Ryan visited the well in Uganda he donated.

Para.5   E．The kind attitude changed Ryan’s whole life.

Para.6   F．Ryan’s first try ended up in failure.

答案　Para.1 A　Para.2 F　Para.3 B　Para.4 D　Para.5 C　Para.6 E

Step 2　细读——逐段获取细节

Ⅰ.Read Para.1 and do the following exercises.

1．What inspired Ryan to help?

A．His teacher’s introduction.

B．The dirty water he found.

C．The ten-kilometre distance.

D．The drinking fountain in his school.

答案　A

2．Knowing that many people in African countries couldn’t get enough clean water，Ryan was         .

A．happy and worried

B．surprised and concerned

C．excited and curious

D．angry and disappointed

答案　B

Ⅱ.Read Paras.2－3 and do the following exercises.

1．How much does it cost to build a well?