内容提要

本书的目的是让你看到古代的发明对我们的生活产生了哪些正面的影响。有时候我们会忘了古人有多聪明。我想让读者了解，古人的智慧、毅力和在某些情况下表现出来的勇气，为我们带来了多大的福利。其中有些发明是实物，例如轮子和各种工具。但此外也有抽象的发明，比如语言和哲学，这些对我们来说也非常重要。发明也可以是一种发展上的进步，不一定非得是实物。我们甚至可以说，以长远来看，抽象的发明更为重要，因为思想观念会推动改变，而这些改变中有许多就会改变我们的生活。在本书里，我把对话和文章穿插在一起，使对话跟文章的关联更明确。

精彩片段

Passage 35

It is not certain when language began. Obviously, spoken language could not have started until humans developed voice boxes9 or larynxes10.

It used to be thought that Neanderthal11 people could not have developed languages because they did not seem to have possessed larynxes. However, evidence has recently been found that shows that their society was more complex than was thought and so they must have had some kind of language, though it may have been simpler than most languages today.

On the other hand, it may have been more complex because ancient languages tend to be more complex than modern ones. This is because as time goes on, people simplify12 the way they speak as they come into contact with other people.

A simpler language is easier to learn and to understand and so makes communication with foreigners easier.

 

Unit 1Language 语言
Passage & Conversation1
Practice9
Quiz Ⅰ10
Quiz Ⅱ11

Unit 2Fire 火
Passage & Conversation12
Practice21
Quiz Ⅰ22
Quiz Ⅱ22

Unit 3Writing 文字
Passage & Conversation23
Practice31
Quiz Ⅰ32
Quiz Ⅱ33

Unit 4The Wheel 轮子
Passage & Conversation34
Practice42
Quiz Ⅰ42
Quiz Ⅱ43

Unit 5Tools 工具
Passage & Conversation44
Practice52
Quiz Ⅰ53
Quiz Ⅱ54

Unit 6Boats and ships 船
Passage & Conversation55
Practice63
Quiz Ⅰ63
Quiz Ⅱ64

Unit 7Art and Music 艺术与音乐
Passage & Conversation65
Practice71
Quiz Ⅰ72
Quiz Ⅱ72

Unit 8Agriculture 农业
Passage & Conversation74
Practice83
Quiz Ⅰ83
Quiz Ⅱ84

Unit 9The City 城市
Passage & Conversation85
Practice93
Quiz Ⅰ94
Quiz Ⅱ94

Unit 10Religion, Morality and Law 宗教、道德与法律
Passage & Conversation95
Practice102
Quiz Ⅰ102
Quiz Ⅱ103

Unit 11Philosophy 哲学
Passage & Conversation104
Practice111
Quiz Ⅰ111
Quiz Ⅱ112

Unit 12Democracy and Human Rights 民主与人权
Passage & Conversation113
Practice120
Quiz Ⅰ120
Quiz Ⅱ121
附录文章译文与解答122

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