王强口语 第二册 Read Text 009

　　口语部分
文化篇
Read the text carefully and be prepared to answer the question:
Faith in the Future
Americans are deep believers in looking ahead.  Other societies may turn to history to get their sense of direction, but American hopes and dreams are firmly planted in the future.  So other peoples are not so surprised when life goes through cycles of good times followed by bad ones.  But Americans are used to thinking of history as a line of progress basically always leading onward¹ and upward.  This faith3 in the future gives Americans their optimism, as well as their belief that they can direct their own destinies.  Americans scoff² at the idea that they must simply grin and bear them when bad things happen; they think that with hard work they can change their lives for better.

1 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

2 scoff   

n.嘲笑，笑柄，愚弄；v.嘲笑，嘲弄，愚弄，狼吞虎咽

参考例句：

• You are not supposed to scoff at religion.你不该嘲弄宗教。
• He was the scoff of the town.他成为全城的笑柄。