托福听力短文 I-15-1

(man) I'm sure almost every one of you looked at your watch or at a clock before you came to class today. Watches and clocks seem as much a part of our life as breathing or eating. And yet, did you know that watches and clocks were scarce¹ in the United States until the 1850's?

In the late 1700's, people didn't know the exact time unless they were near a clock. Those delightful² clocks in the squares of European towns were built for the public --- after all, most citizens simply couldn't afford a personal timepiece. Well into the 1800's --- in European and the United States --- the main purpose of a watch, which, by the way, was often on a gold chain, was to show others how wealthy you were.

The word "wristwatch" didn't even enter the English language until nearly 1900. By then the rapid pace of industrialization³ in the Unites States meant that measuring time had become essential. How could the factory worker get to work on time unless he or she knew exactly what time it was? Since efficiency⁴ was now measured by how fast a job was done, everyone was interested in time. And since industrialization made possible the manufacture⁵ of large quantities of goods, watches became fairly inexpensive. Furthermore⁶, electric lights kept factories going around the clock. Being on time had entered the language --- and life --- of every citizen.

1 scarce   

adj.缺乏的，不足的；稀少的，罕见的

参考例句：

• The food was scarce during the war.战争期间食物短缺。
• This kind of material is rather scarce.这种原料较缺。

2 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

3 industrialization   

n.工业化

参考例句：

• Industrialization inevitably led to the expansion of the urban working class. 工业化不可避免地导致了城市工人阶级人数的增多。
• Industrialization influences social usages. 工业化影响着社会的习俗。

4 efficiency   

n.效率，效能，功效

参考例句：

• We were most impressed with your efficiency.你的效率给我们留下很深刻的印象。
• Our goal is to achieve the maximum of efficiency.我们的目标是取得最高的效率。

5 manufacture   

n.产品，制造，制造业；vt.制造，加工；vi.参与制造

参考例句：

• The equipment is of our own manufacture.这设备是我们自己制造的。
• Plastic is an important manufacture.塑料是种重要产品。

6 furthermore   

adv.而且，此外

参考例句：

• I don't like her because she is too tall and furthermore she smokes too much.我不喜欢她，因为她太高，另外她抽烟太厉害。
• I don't want to go there,furthermore,I have no time to do so.我不想去那里，而且我也没时间去。