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Language
Many animals use some
kind of language.
They use signals
which have meanings.
For example, when
a bee has found some food, it goes back to its
home.
It is impossible for a bee to
tell the other bees where the food is by speaking
to them,
but it can do a little
dancing.
This tells the bees where the
food is and how far away it is.
Some
animals show how they feel by making sounds.
It is not difficult to tell if a dog is
angry because it barks.
Birds make
several different sounds and each has its own
meaning.
Sometimes we humans make
sounds in the same way.
We
make
sounds
like.
or
to
show
how
we
feel
about
something
or
when
we drop something on our toes!
But we
have something that no animal has: a large number
of words which have the
meaning of
things, action, feelings or ideas.
We
are able to give each other information, to tell
other people what is in our mind, or
how we feel.
By
writing
down
words
we
can
remember
what
has
happened
or
send
messages
to
people far away.
It is
impossible for animals to do this.
Some
birds, like the parrot, can be taught to say
words, but they do not know what
they
mean .
They cannot use the words.
No one knows how man learned to make
words.
Perhaps he began by imitating
animals.
Perhaps he imitated sounds he
heard all around him: water splashing, bees
humming,
a stone falling to the ground.
In some way he learned to make words.
As the centuries went by , he made more
and more words.
This is what we mean by
language.
The words we know are called
our vocabulary.
We should try to make
our vocabulary bigger.
We should read
as many books as we can .
There are
plenty of books written in English for us to read.
Of course , there are new words in
them.
When we find a new word, we can
look it up in our dictionary.
Our
dictionary is our most useful book.
许多动物使用某种语言。
它们使用具有意义的信号。
例如，当一只蜜蜂找到食物时，它就回家去。
蜜蜂不可能跟其他的蜜蜂说话，
来告诉它们食物在那里，
但是它能做一点飞舞的
动作。
这就告诉那些蜜蜂食物在那里以及食物有多远。
有些动物藉由发出声音，来表示它们的感受如何。
要知道狗是否生气并不难，因为它会叫。
鸟发出几种不同的声音，而且每一种都有它本身的意义。
有时我们人类也用同样的方式发出声音。
我们发出像
“
喔！
＂或
“
哎唷！
＂的声音来表示我们的感受或表示我们掉
了东西砸
到脚趾头。
但是我们拥有动
物所没有的东西：
(
那就是有
)
很多的文字具有表达事物、行为、
感情或观念的意义。
我们能够互相提供消息，能够告诉别人我们的想法，或我们的感受。
用文字记下，我们可以记住所发生的事情，或者传送信息给远方的人。
这是动物所不可能做到的。
有些鸟，像鹦鹉，能够教会说话，但它们不知道那些话的意思。
它们不会使用那些话。
没有人知道人类如何学会造字。
也许人类藉由模仿动物而开始的。
也
许他模仿他周围所听到的一切的声音：
水的飞溅声、
蜜蜂的嗡嗡
声、
石头的落
地声。
用某种方式人类学会了造字。
随著几世纪的过去，人类造了越来越多的字。
这就是我们所谓的语言。
我们所认识的字称为我们的字汇。
我们应该设法使我们的字汇扩大。
我们应该尽可能多阅读书籍。
有很多用英文写的书可以供我们阅读。
当然，书里面有生字。
当我们发现生字的时候，我们可以查字典。
字典是我们最有用的书。
What Is It?
It has two
wheels, but no engine.
It is usually
built for one person.
It is powered by
human legs.
It does not go very fast,
but it costs almost nothing to operate.
In some countries, it is used only for
sport and recreation.
In other
countries, it is used for basic transportation.
What is it?
It is found
everywhere, in homes, offices, and stores.
In public places, it can be operated by
a coin or token.
Years ago an operator
had to make the connection.
Today, you
simply dial the correct numbers.
The
connection is made by machines.
In
seconds , your voice is heard in Tokyo, New York,
Manila, Taipei, or Rome.
This is made
possible by Mr. Bell's marvelous machine.
What is it?
They are bought
by accountants and bookkeepers, storekeepers and
students.
Some are designed to do very
complicated work.
They are sold at high
prices.
Others are much simpler and
cheaper.
Some have to be plugged into
an electrical outlet.
Others are
powered by batteries.
Difficult
problems used to take hours of work with pencil
and paper.
Now they are solved in
seconds.
Although they are a great help
, some people worry about them.
They
are afraid that students will depend on them.
Then they will never learn how to solve
mathematics problems without them.
What
are they?
Images are transmitted from
one place.
They travel through the air
for long distances.
Then they are
received by this machine.
The images
are projected on a small screen.
In the
1950's, these machines were owned by only a few
people.
Today, it seems, everybody owns
one.
What is it?
The basic
design of this
It comes in various
sizes and colors.
With reasonable care
it will run for 70 or 80 years.
It
walks, talks, thinks, and invents.
这是什么？
它有两个轮子，但没有引擎。
它通常为一个人使用而制造的。
它靠人的双腿为动力。
它跑得并不快，但操作起来几乎不花费什么钱。
在某些国家它只作运动和消遣之用。
在另外的一些国家它作为基本的运输工具。
这是什么？
它到处可以找得到，在家里、办公室、和商店。
在公共场所，它可用一枚硬币或代用硬币操作。
多年前必须有接线生来做接通的耕作，
今天你仅仅拨正确的号码。
连接的耕作由机器来作。
几秒钟的工
夫，你的声音就在东京、纽约、马尼拉、台北或罗马被听到了。
这是由贝尔先生的奇妙机器所促成。
这是什么呢？
它们由会计员、簿记员、店主与学生所购买。
有些是被设计来做很复杂的耕作。
它们售价很高。
有些比较简单而且比较便宜。
有些必须插入电插座。
有些以电池为动力。
以往困难的问题总是需要用笔与纸耕作数小时。
现在这些问题在几秒钟内就解决了。
虽然它们是一大帮助，但是有些人却为它们而担心。
这些人恐怕学生会依赖它们。
没有它们，学生将无法学会如何解决数学问题。
它们是什么？
影像从一个地方传送出去。
它们经由空中传到远距离。
然后它们由这个机器接受。
影像投在一个小的萤光幕上。
在二十世纪五十年代，仅仅少数人才拥有这些机器。
今天似乎大家都拥有一部。
这是什么？
这部「机器」的基本设计在几千年当中都没有改变。
它的存在有种种大小和颜色。
如果有适当的照顾，它会运转七、八十年。
它会走路、讲话、思考、和发明。
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