1、He Led a Useful Life1. Benjamin Franklin would seem right at home among us if he were alive today. In fact, he did a lot to shape our way of life. Right now you are probably nodding your head and thinking, “ oh, yes- we learned all about old B. F. in the fifth grade”. But lets see whether you really

2、 know “all about him”.2You probably know that he was a stout old fellow with a bald head who flew a kite with a key fastened to it and signed the Declaration of Independence. All that is true, but there is a lot more to know about this man who had so many useful ideas and served his country in so ma

3、ny different ways.3Franklin had a practical mind. When he saw a problem, he tried to do something about it. The houses of Philadelphia were built of wood and easily caught fire. Neighbors tried to help each other, but they could do little to save a burning house. So Franklin organized a fire -fighti

4、ng company. Philadelphias fire loss became so low that the first fire-insurance company in the United States was soon set up there. Ben Franklin was one of its directors. He also persuaded the city to pave and light its streets. Again, the fact that people had trouble keeping their houses warm in wi

5、nter set Franklins active mind to work. He decided that the big fireplaces were to blame. Because they were set deep into the wall, they did not let enough heat reach the middle of the room. So he drew some plans and hired an ironworker to make the pot -bellied Franklin stove. It stood in the middle

6、 of a room and threw off heat in every direction.4He did not patent the invention. He was too busy with his discoveries to bother with making money. Although he was a wealthy man by the time he was forty-two, money by itself did not interest him. He valued it because it enabled him to retire from bu

7、siness. Then he had time to spend on other things that seemed more worthwhile. What he really cared for most of all was science. 5Franklin was always trying to answer the question, What makes things act the way they do? At that time learned men were puzzled about electricity. They wondered whether i

8、t was in some way like the lightning in a thunderstorm. It might be, but how could you prove it? You know how Ben Franklin proved it-by coaxing some electricity down his kite string. That act made him famous in America and Europe. But of course Franklin did not stop here. He found a way to make the

9、knowledge useful: he invented the lightning rod.6.Franklin would gladly have spent the rest of his days in quiet study and research. But he was a very important person now, and the country needed him for public service.7.Disagreement between the colonies and the British was becoming quite serious. P

10、ennsylvania needed a representative in England. Would Dr. Franklin accept the post? He would. He went to London and stayed there for more than ten years. He did his best and might have helped to delay the war. But both sides were too angry to reach agreement. Franklin returned home just as the Revol

11、utionary War began, arriving in time to sign the Declaration of Independence.8He was now seventy years old, and his health was not good. He would gladly have settled down at home. But America needed help from France to carry on the war, and she asked Dr. Franklin to win his help. He answered, I am l

12、ike a worn-out piece of carpet. If there is one corner left which can be useful to my country, I will be honored.9His first step was to turn over all his money as a loan to Congress. He wanted to prove his faith in the new American government and encourage others to support it. Then he set sail for

13、France.10In Paris, Franklin was warmly welcomed. Although he was a simple man, he was a shrewd diplomat. He spoke very poor French, but he always chose the right words for the occasion. He finally persuaded King Louis of France to declare war on England. That was an important achievement. It was onl

14、y with the aid of the French fleet that Washington was able to win the war and American independence.11Benjamin Franklin returned to America. He was very old now, and in poor health. But still he did not settle down and retire to his comfortable home. He sat through the long arguments on the terms o

15、f the Constitution. Twice, the meetings would have failed if he had not helped the delegates to agree.12Ben Franklin died in 1790 at the age of eighty-four. He had spent all his adult life helping people. Years before, he had told his mother that that was his aim. When he died he did not want people

16、 to say, He died a rich man. All he hoped was that people would remember him and say, He led a useful life.stout staut adj.結(jié)實的, 勇敢堅定的, 激烈的, 矮胖的, 頑強的 n. 矮胖子, 烈性啤酒a stout mana stout bodya stout shipput up stout resistance to the proposal.e.g.對提議采取堅決的抵制態(tài)度堅固的船肥碩的身體剛勇的人right at home: very familiar很熟悉at h

17、ome: 1. 在家里 2. 舒適自在，無拘無束 3.在本國，在國內(nèi) 4. 在主場e.g.Sit down and make yourself at home.The president is not as popular at home as he is abroad.Is the match on Saturday at home or away?坐下，別拘束?？偨y(tǒng)在國內(nèi)不如在國外受歡迎。 星期六的比賽是主場還是客場？shape :n.外形, 形狀, 形態(tài), (尤指女子的)體形, 身段, 形式 vt. 制作, 定形, 使成形, 塑造, 使符合vi.成形, 形成, 成長e.g.shape t

18、he boat very longshape the destiny ofevents which shape peoples lives把這船做得很長決定.的命運決定人一生的大事set up: 1） to create sth or start it 創(chuàng)建，建立，開辦2）建立，設(shè)立，設(shè)置. 3）to arrange for sth to happen安排，策劃開辦公司The police set up roadblocks on routes out of the city.警察在城外的路上設(shè)置了路障。e.g.Ive set up a meeting for Friday.我已安排好在星期五

19、開會。e.g.to set up a businesse.g.set to: (old fashioned, informal) to begin doing sth in a busy or determined way 起勁地干起來，毅然開始做e.g.He set to with a will and soon finished it. 他下定決心做這件事, 很快就完成了。set sth in/into sth : usually passive to fasten sth into a flat surface so that it does not stick out from it

20、把裝進（或鑲?cè)胫校〆.g.A closet set into the wall 裝在墻上的壁櫥set sail for: 啟程，出發(fā)e.g.We set sail at high tide.我們在漲潮時啟航。be to do: 1）to say what must or should be done表示必須或應(yīng)該 2）used to say what happened later(表示后來發(fā)生的事）I am to call them once I reach the airport.You are to report this to the police. He was to regret t

21、hat decision for the rest of his life.我一到機場就得給他們打電話。他終生都會后悔作出了那個決定。e.g.你應(yīng)該報警。be about to : 即將要發(fā)生throw sth/sb off 1)擺脫，甩掉e.g.2）匆匆脫掉，拽下，扯掉（衣服）e.g.To throw off a cold/worries/your pursuersShe entered the room and threw off her wet coat.治好傷風，消除憂慮，甩掉追捕者她一進屋就脫掉了濕漉漉的大衣。patent invention n.專利發(fā)明 patent：n.專利權(quán)，

22、專利證 adj. 有專利的 v. 獲得專利權(quán) e.g.to apply for/ obtain a patent on an invention申請/獲得發(fā)明專利權(quán)patent laws專利法coax kuks: v. sb (into doing sth)/ sb (into/out of sth)哄勸，勸誘She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer.She had to coax the car along.“Nearly there.” she coaxed.她哄著那匹馬讓它再靠近點。她不得不耐著性子發(fā)動汽車往前開。就快到了。她哄著說

23、。e.g.settle down : 1)舒適的坐下或躺下2)(在某地）定居下來，過安定的生活e.g.e.g.When you are going married and settle down.你打算什么時候成家，安定下來。I settled down with a book.我手拿一本書舒舒服服地坐下。3)settle down/ settle sb down （使某人）平靜下來，安靜下來4)settle (down) to sthe.g.e.g.It always takes the class a while to settle down at the start of the lesson.那個班上課總得過一會兒才能安靜下來。They finally settled down to a discussion of the main issues.她們終于開始討論一些主要問題了。turn s