高中英语第二册课本朗读12

JULES VERNE: THE FATHER OF SCIENCE FICTION

Jules Verne was born in 1828, in France. His father sent him to Paris to study law, but instead Verne developed his love for the theatre. To make a living, Verne had to write and sell stories. Jules spent many hours in Paris libraries studying geology¹, physics and many other subjects. He used the latest ideas and technical inventions of his day in his books. Many of the instruments in his novels will remind the reader of Dr² Benjamin Franklin’s experiments with electricity. By taking the scientific developments of his day one step further, Jules Verne laid the foundation³ of modern science fiction. He also suggested how inventions could be used in the future to allow man to do things that were considered impossible in his own time. Jules Verne died in 1905, long before any of his dreams came true.
At the beginning of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, one of his most famous novels, ships are disappearing all over the world and it is believed to be caused by a sea monster. Dr Aronnax, his servant and a Canadian whale hunter set out to find the monster. After months of searching they find it and in the collision⁴ that follows, the three men are thrown overboard. In their efforts to survive, they find themselves on the surface of the monster itself, which turns out to be a submarine⁵. They are taken on board and Captain Nemo decides not to kill them but makes them his permanent⁶ guests. From that day on they start planning their escape.
Captain Nemo takes them on a voyage⁷ across the oceans. The Nautilus is an extraordinary ship. The furniture is precious⁸ and huge glass windows that can be opened and closed give a view of the underwater⁹ world. The ship is also very strong and protected with thick iron¹⁰ plates. All that is needed for life on board comes from the ocean. Electricity is used for light, heating¹¹, power and to defend the ship against attacks. The food aboard¹² the Nautilus is all sea food.
Dressed in diving suits, they walk around in this magic world, lighted by the lamps of the ship. They find themselves surrounded by colourful rocks, fishes, shells¹³ and plants, all waving and moving slowly in the blue waters.
Readers have wondered about the character of Captain Nemo ever since the book was published. You could say he is someone you will neither like nor dislike. You might think that he is a cruel man because he keeps Aronnax and the others as prisoners¹⁴ and destroys ships. But at other moment you will find him gentle and weak, when he cries about the lost lives of people drowned in ships that have sunk.
Another wonderful story is that of Journey to the Center of the Earth. The story begins with the discovery of an ancient document in an old book. It explains how to find a secret road to the centre of the earth. Two men decide to go on this adventure and travel to Iceland, where they enter the earth through a chimney¹⁵ in an extinct¹⁶ volcano¹⁷. Their guide leads them through a narrow passage deep into the earth. Passing through layers of coal and marble¹⁸ they go deeper and deeper. They drink the water from a boiling underground river and after many days they reach a huge lake or underground ocean. Walking along its shores they go through forests of mushrooms and plants that lived on the earth millions of years ago. They build a raft¹⁹ to cross the sea and are attacked by ancient sea creatures. In the end, their raft is drawn into a fast steam and with ever increasing speed and temperatures they are shot out of a volcano in southern Italy

1 geology   

n.地质学，（某地）地质

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• In his lecture on geology,he touched on the subject of climate.他在关于地质学的报告中，也涉及气候问题。

2 Dr   

n.医生，大夫；博士(缩)（= Doctor）

参考例句：

• Dr.Williams instructs us in botany.威廉博士教我们植物学。
• The ward of the hospital is in the charge of Dr.Green.医院的这间病房由格林医生负责。

3 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

4 collision   

n.碰撞；(利益，意见等的)冲突，抵触

参考例句：

• The car was wrecked by its collision with a big lorry.这辆小轿车是由于和大卡车相撞而碰毁的。
• This collision had a very unusual cause.这次冲突有着非同寻常的原因。

5 submarine   

n.潜水艇；adj.水底的，海底的；vt.用潜艇袭击；vi.滑入...底下

参考例句：

• Within a short time,everything on the submarine was buttoned up.不一会儿，潜水艇内所有的东西都扣紧了。
• The submarine signaled for help.潜水艇发出求救的信号。

6 permanent   

adj.永久的，不变的，固定的

参考例句：

• The coat gives permanent protection against heavy rain.这种防雨衣经久耐用。
• It's difficult to find a permanent cure for this disease.这病很难除根。

7 voyage   

n.航行，航海，航程，旅行，航空；vi./vt.航海，航行；渡过，飞过

参考例句：

• Life is compared to a voyage.人生好比航海。
• The December weather favoured our voyage.12月的天气使我们的航行顺利。

8 precious   

adj.宝贵的，珍贵的，过于精致的，珍爱的

参考例句：

• Each life is precious.生命都是宝贵的。
• Spring rain is as precious as oil.春雨贵如油。

9 underwater   

adj.在水中的；adv.在水下

参考例句：

• I've never seen anyone stay underwater that long.我从没见过有人在水下呆那么久。
• This machine has been specially adapted for use underwater.这机器是为水下使用而特别改装的。

10 iron   

n.铁，熨斗，坚强，烙铁，镣铐；vt.烫平，熨，用铁包；vi. 烫衣服

参考例句：

• The iron has lost its magnetic force.这块铁已失去了磁力。
• We need an electrician to mend the iron.我们要请电工修理熨斗。

11 heating   

n.加热，供暖，暖气装置；adj.加热的，供暖的

参考例句：

• They will install a heating and lighting system in our house.他们将在我们家装上供热供电系统。
• If the pressure is too low,the heating system will act up.如果压力太低，供暖系统就会出毛病。

12 aboard   

adv.在船上，在火车上，在飞机上；prep.在…之上

参考例句：

• They were all aboard the ship last night.昨天夜里他们都在船上。
• He checked their names off as they went aboard the plane.在他们登上飞机时，他登记上了他们的姓名。

13 shells   

n.（贝、卵、坚果等的）壳( shell的名词复数 )；外壳；炮弹；（人的）表面性格

参考例句：

• We collected shells on the beach. 我们在海滩拾贝壳。
• But at last the shells cracked, one after another. 最后，蛋壳一个接着一个地裂开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 prisoners   

n.囚徒( prisoner的名词复数 )；俘虏；被夺去自由的人[动物]等

参考例句：

• The president granted a general amnesty for all political prisoners. 总统大赦了所有的政治犯。
• The prisoners were living in appalling conditions. 囚犯的居住条件极为恶劣。

15 chimney   

n.烟囱，烟筒；玻璃罩

参考例句：

• The chimney blew out a cloud of black smoke.烟囱里喷出一团黑烟。
• His father is a chimney sweeper.他的父亲是一位扫烟囱的工人。

16 extinct   

adj.灭绝的，不再活跃的，熄灭了的，已废弃的

参考例句：

• All hopes were extinct.所有希望都破灭了。
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years.恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。

17 volcano   

n.火山

参考例句：

• The volcano unexpectedly blew up early in the morning.火山一早突然爆发了。
• It is most risky to go and examine an active volcano.去探察活火山是非常危险的。

18 marble   

n.大理石，石弹，雕刻品；adj.大理石的，冷酷无情的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• Marble is a precious stone.大理石是一种珍贵的石料。
• The statue was carved out of marble.这尊像是大理石雕成的。

19 raft   

vi.乘筏；n.木筏

参考例句：

• I lay on the raft in the sun until I was dry.我在阳光下躺在木排上，一直到全身都干了。
• She spent seven days afloat on a raft.她在一只木筏上漂泊了七天。