第三册第29课 “Funny or Not”？的作者指出幽默感与民族特性存在关系，而某些滑稽故事对不同国家的人都能产生吸引力。这一点是文化学研究的重要课题。第50课 “New Year Resolutions”以诙谐的语言讲述了“我”早锻炼和读书两项计划中途夭折的经历，揭示了人性中懒惰、缺乏恒心的弱点，读此文时想必多数人都会报之以会心的一笑。第19课 “A Very Dear Cat”中的老太太为她被绑架的宠物猫偿付了1000英镑的赎金，故事看似轻松，却凸显出西方国家孤寡老人寂寞无依的社会现实。第21课 “Daniel Mendoza”记述了拳击手丹尼尔·门多萨事业由盛转衰、最后贫窭而殁的悲惨经历。以我个人的理解，在西方社会人们热衷于所谓的个人成功，儿童时在天堂，中青年如在战场，老年人如入坟墓，此文的作者对这种砍头去尾的半截人生提出了质疑。门多萨倘能持盈保泰，谦冲善下，具备做人和生活的基本智慧，其晚境或不至如此凄凉。
第四册第20课 “Man, the Unknown”和第46课“The Menance of Urban Explosion”评述了现代城市人口爆炸、生存环境严重恶化的问题。第五课 “No Room in the Ark”呼吁人们关注大猩猩等濒危动物的生存。第14课是罗素的名篇 “How to Grow Old”，罗素指出老年人克服对死亡的恐惧就应该舍小我入大我，摆脱个人狭隘 的小圈子让自己的生活和整个人类的生活融合在一起，这与中国古人达观随缘的人生理念颇有神似之处。第七课 “The Sporting Spirit”的作者认为竞争性的现代体育运动并不利于增进国与国之间的友好关系?惺鄙踔粱峒し⒆钜奥?恼?慷肥さ奶煨浴＠献映?肌安徽?保??顾怠拔镒吃蚶希?薄扒苛赫卟坏闷渌馈保??鞣浇??逵?康骶杭迹?略嘶岬目诤攀恰案?摺⒏?臁⒏?俊保?谡庋?淖谥枷隆坝岩甑谝唬?热?诙?钡睦硐胧悄岩哉嬲?迪值摹?BR>
这一册第27课 “The Personality of Man”对人类社会的“进步”提出了深入的思考。作者指出人类在知识的积累方面取得了巨大的进展，但在智力和道德方面并没有得到全面的提高。所谓“现代文明”并不是人类全部天赋均衡发展的结果。知识是一种双刃的武器，既可以为人造福，也可以用来作恶，而现在人们正随意地用知识做着这两方面的事。比如炮手利用现代科技将人打成伤残，而外科医生就在附近利用科学成果救治伤员，这种情形是十分冷酷和奇怪的。作者对人类的未来忧心忡忡：如果知识的这种双重作用继续发展，人类将向何处去呢？
以下摘录 “The Sporting Spirit”一文。
The Sporting Spirit
I am always amazed when I hear people saying that sport creates goodwill between the nations, and that if only the common peoples of the world could meet one another at football or cricket, they would have no inclination to meet on the battlefield. Even if one didn’t know from concrete examples (the 1936 Olympic Games, for instance) that international sporting contests lead to orgies of hatred, one could deduce it from general principles.
Nearly all the sports practiced nowadays are competitive. You play to win, and the game has little meaning unless you do your utmost to win. On the village green, where you pick up sides and no feeling of local patriotism is involved, it is possible to play simply for the fun and exercise: but as soon as the question of prestige arises, as soon as you feel that you and some larger unit will be disgraced if you lose, the most savage combative instincts are aroused. Anyone who has played even in a school football match knows this. At the international level sport is frankly mimic warfare. But the significant thing is not the behaviour of the players but the attitude of the spectators: and, behind the spectators, of the nations who work themselves into furies over these absurd contests, and seriously believe— at any rate for short periods— that running, jumping and kicking a ball are tests of national virtue.作者: 石榴木 时间: 2010-7-4 17:01
问：学习《新概念英语》需不需要背诵课文？
