經(jīng)典高中英語(yǔ)美文摘抄
經(jīng)典高中英語(yǔ)美文摘抄
英語(yǔ)美文題材豐富,涉及面廣,大多蘊(yùn)涵人生哲理。引導(dǎo)學(xué)生欣賞美文,不僅能提高他們的閱讀理解能力,而且能使他們得到美的熏陶,從而提高學(xué)生對(duì)周圍事物的認(rèn)識(shí)。本文是經(jīng)典高中英語(yǔ)美文,希望對(duì)大家有幫助!
經(jīng)典高中英語(yǔ)美文:沃爾瑪發(fā)跡妙訣
How did a peddler of cheap shirts and fishing rods become the mightiest corporation in America?The short version of Wal-Mart’s rise to glory goes something like this:In 1979 it racked up a billion dollars in sales. By 1993 it did that much business in a week;by 2001 it could do it in a day.
It’s a stunning tale - one that propelled Wal-Mart from rural Arkansas, where it was founded in 1962,to the top of the Fortune 500 this year. Sam Walton, Wal-Mart’s founder,pushed sales growth relentlessly while squeezing costs with sophisticated information technology.He exhorted employees to sell better with the“ten foot rule” (greet customers if they are that close).He was, in other words, an early evangelist forthe first commandment of today’s economy: Service rules.Wal-Mart, in fact, is the first service company to rise to the top of the Fortune 500.When Fortune first published its list of the largest companies in America in 1955, Wal-Mart didn’t even exist.That year General Motors was America’s biggest company, and in every year that followed, either GM or another mighty industrial, Exxon, was NO. 1.
Wal-Mart’s achievement caps a bigger economic shift - from producing goods to providing services.Manufacturing’s share of U.S. employment peaked in 1953, at 35%.It has been declining steadily since. In the decade that will end in 2010,the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures that goods producing industries will create 1.3 million new jobs,compared to 20 million for service industries.To look at it another way, today there are about four times as many people working in service jobs as in other kinds of jobs.And even within manufacturing, services are an increasingly large share of operations.
As America got richer consumption got more complicated. With more income to throw around,people started spending more on services movies and travel, mortgages to buy houses, insurance to protect those houses,the occasional decadent weekend at a luxury hotel.Economists call this a shift in the demand pattern;Fortune calls it the main reason that 64 of this year’s top 100 are service companies.Over the next few years, only three of the ten fastest growing occupations (software engineers, nurses,and computer support) pay middle class salaries.The rest could be called, well, Wal-Mart kinds of jobs - cashiers, retail assistants, food service, and so on. In short, the service economy is delivering more good jobs than ever before.
一個(gè)出售廉價(jià)襯衣和釣魚竿的商販?zhǔn)侨绾纬蔀槊绹?guó)實(shí)力最強(qiáng)的公司的?沃爾瑪百貨公司的發(fā)跡史可以濃縮為以下三個(gè)階段:1979年它全年的銷售額為10億美元;到1993年,一周就能達(dá)到這個(gè)數(shù)額;在2001年僅需一天之功。
這是一個(gè)驚人的傳奇故亊——這家1962年始創(chuàng)于阿肯色州鄉(xiāng)村地區(qū)的沃爾瑪百貨公司在今年一躍登上了〈財(cái)禽>500強(qiáng)的榜首。公司創(chuàng)始人薩姆·沃爾頓一面千方百計(jì)提高銷售額, 一面以先進(jìn)的信息技術(shù)降低成本。他以嚴(yán)格的"10英尺規(guī)則” (向在這距離之內(nèi)的顧客致意)鼓勵(lì)員工提高銷售業(yè)績(jī)。換句話說(shuō),他是當(dāng)今經(jīng)濟(jì)戒律——服務(wù)規(guī)則——的第一位傳道者。事實(shí)上,沃爾瑪百貨公司是第一個(gè)躍居(財(cái)富>500強(qiáng)榜首的服 務(wù)業(yè)公司。1955年,當(dāng)《財(cái)富〉雜志第一次公布美國(guó)最大公司的排名時(shí),沃爾瑪甚至尚未問世。那一年,通用汽車公司是美國(guó)最 大的公司,此后不是通用汽車公司就是另一個(gè)大公司——埃克 森公司獨(dú)占鰲頭。
沃爾瑪?shù)某删瓦€標(biāo)志著一個(gè)更重要的經(jīng)濟(jì)轉(zhuǎn)變——從生產(chǎn)商品向提供服務(wù)的轉(zhuǎn)變。1953年美國(guó)制造業(yè)的就業(yè)人數(shù)占總 就業(yè)人數(shù)的比例達(dá)到歷史最高點(diǎn)——35%。從此就開始逐年下降。根據(jù)勞工統(tǒng)計(jì)局的數(shù)據(jù),到2010年底的未來(lái)10年間,制造業(yè)將創(chuàng)造130萬(wàn)個(gè)就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì),而服務(wù)業(yè)創(chuàng)造的就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)將高達(dá) 2000萬(wàn)個(gè)。換一個(gè)角度看,今天在服務(wù)業(yè)中工作的人數(shù)大約是其他行業(yè)的4倍。即使在制造業(yè)中,服務(wù)在業(yè)務(wù)經(jīng)營(yíng)中所占的比例也越來(lái)越大。
隨著美國(guó)人富裕程度的曰益增高,消費(fèi)也變得越來(lái)越復(fù)雜。人們開始把更多的錢花在接受服務(wù)方面看電彩、旅游、抵押 貸款買房、為房屋保險(xiǎn)、偶爾到豪華飯店度個(gè)奢侈的周末。經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家稱這種現(xiàn)象為需求變化;〈財(cái)富〉雜志則認(rèn)為這是本年度評(píng)出的100家最大公司中有64家是服務(wù)業(yè)公司的主要原因。在未來(lái)幾年中,10種發(fā)展最快的職業(yè)中只有3種(軟件工程、護(hù)士 和電腦支持)能夠提供中等收入。其余都可稱作沃爾瑪式的職業(yè)——收銀員、售貨員、食品服務(wù),以及諸如此類的職業(yè)??傊?, 同過去相比,服務(wù)業(yè)正在提供更多相當(dāng)不錯(cuò)的就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)。
經(jīng)典高中英語(yǔ)美文:葛底斯堡演說(shuō)
Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation,conceived in liberty,and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now, we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation,or any nation soconceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of thatwar.We have come to dedicate a portionof that field as a final resting-place for those who heregave their lives that that nation might live. Itis altogether fitting and proper that we should dothis.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate,we cannot consecrate,we cannot hallow,thisground. The bravemen, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above ourpower to add or detract.The world will little note nor long remember what we say here,but it cannever forget what they did here.It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to theunfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.It is rather forus to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us,that from these honored deadwe take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure ofdevotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall no have died in vain; that thisnation,under God, shall have a new birth of freedom;and that government of the people, by thepeople, and for thepeople, shall not perish from the earth.
八十七年前,我們的先輩們?cè)谶@個(gè)大陸上創(chuàng)立了一個(gè)新的國(guó)家,她孕育于自由的理念之中,奉行一切人生來(lái)平等的原則。
現(xiàn)在,我們正在進(jìn)行一場(chǎng)偉大的內(nèi)戰(zhàn),以考驗(yàn)這個(gè)國(guó)家,或者任何一個(gè)孕育于自由和奉行上述原則的國(guó)家是否能夠長(zhǎng)久存在下去。 我們?cè)谶@場(chǎng)戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中的一個(gè)偉大戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)上集會(huì)。我們來(lái)到這里,就是要把這個(gè)戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)的一部分奉獻(xiàn)給那些為了國(guó)家的生存而捐軀的人們,使其成為他們最后的安息之所。我們這樣做是完全應(yīng)該而且是非常恰當(dāng)?shù)摹?/p>
但是,從更廣泛的意義上來(lái)說(shuō),這塊土地我們不能夠奉獻(xiàn),不能夠圣化,不能夠神化。那些曾在這里戰(zhàn)斗過的勇士們,活著的和死去的,已經(jīng)把這塊土地圣化了,這遠(yuǎn)不是我們微薄的力量所能增減的。我們今天在這里所說(shuō)的話,全世界不大會(huì)注意,也不會(huì)長(zhǎng)久地記住,但是勇士們?cè)谶@里的豐功偉績(jī),全世界卻永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)忘記。毋寧說(shuō),倒是我們這些還活著的人,應(yīng)該在這里把自己奉獻(xiàn)給勇士們 已經(jīng)如此崇高地向前推進(jìn)但尚未完成的事業(yè)。倒是我們應(yīng)該在這 里把自己奉獻(xiàn)于仍然留在我們面前的偉大任務(wù)我們要從這些 光榮的犧牲者身上汲取更多的獻(xiàn)身精神,來(lái)完成他們已經(jīng)完全徹底為之獻(xiàn)身的事業(yè);我們要在這里下定最大的決心,不讓這些烈士們白白犧牲;我們要使國(guó)家在上帝福佑下得到自由的新生,要使這個(gè)民有、民治、民享的政府永世長(zhǎng)存。
經(jīng)典高中英語(yǔ)美文:愛美
The love of beauty is an essential part of all healthy human nature. It is a moral quality.Theabsence of it is not an assured ground of condemnation, but the presence of it is aninvariable sign of goodness of heart. In proportion to the degree in which it is felt willprobably be the degree in which nobleness and beauty of character will be attained.
Natural beauty is an all pervading presence. The universe is its temple. It unfolds into thenumberless flowers of spring. It waves in the branches of trees and the green blades of grass.It haunts the depths of the earth and the sea. It gleams from the hues of the shell and theprecious stone. And not only these minute objects but the oceans, the mountains, the clouds,the stars, the rising and the setting sun - all overflow with beauty. This beauty is soprecious, and so congenial to our tenderest and noblest feelings, that it is painful to think ofthe multitude of people living in the midst of it and yet remaining almost blind to it.
All persons should seek to become acquinted with the beauty in nature. There is not a wormwe tread upon, nor a leaf that dances merrily as it falls before the autumn winds, but calls forour study and admiration.The power to appreciate beauty not merely increases our sourcesof happiness -it enlarges our moral nature, too. Beauty calms our restlessness and dispels ourcares. Go into the fields or the woods, spend a summer day by the sea or the mountains, andall your little perplexities and anxieties will vanish. Listen to sweet music, and your foolish fearsand petty jealousies will pass away. The beauty of the world helps us to seek and find thebeauty of goodness.
愛美乃是健全人性不可或缺的一部分。它是道德的一種品質(zhì)。缺乏這種品質(zhì)并不能作為責(zé)難的真正理由,但是擁有 這種品質(zhì)則是心靈美好的永恒標(biāo)志。品德之高尚與完美所達(dá)到的程度可能與愛美的感受程度成正比。
大自然之美無(wú)處不在。整個(gè)宇宙就是其殿堂。美,在春曰 百花中綻放;美,在綠葉嫩枝間搖曳;美,在深海幽谷里游弋;美,在奇石與貝殼的繽紛色彩中閃爍。不只是這些細(xì)微之物,甚至大洋大川,云朵繁星,曰出曰落--切都洋溢著美。這樣的美如此珍貴,與我們最溫柔、最高尚的情感是如此相宜。然而,想到很多人置身于美,卻幾乎對(duì)它視若無(wú)睹,真是令人痛心不已。
所有的人都應(yīng)該去感知大自然之美。我們所踩過的小蟲以及秋風(fēng)拂掠之際飄落飛舞的樹葉,皆值得我們探究與贊賞。具有欣賞美的能力不僅可以使我們快樂的源泉汩汩噴涌——它也可以拓展我們的德性。美,撫平我們心中的不安,也驅(qū)散了我們的憂慮。走進(jìn)田野或樹林,在夏曰的海濱或山間度過一天的時(shí)光,那么你所有微不足道的困惑和焦慮都會(huì)煙消云散。傾聽美妙的音樂,你那愚蠢的恐懼與瑣碎的猜忌都會(huì)消逝無(wú)蹤。世間萬(wàn)物之美總會(huì)有助于我們探尋與發(fā)現(xiàn)善良之美。
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