21世纪第二册第一课【荐】.docVIP

Unit 1 Book 3 What is it that makes someone great? Why do certain people go down in history as outstanding characters, admired by millions? Are heroes and heroines truly different from other people ---- more intelligent, more courageous, stronger and better? Or is their fame just a matter of chance? The articles youre going to read in this unit take a closer and more personal look at three very different figures from modern history: Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa and Princess Diana. As you read the texts, youll consider the acts these three are famous for; their strength of will, warm spirit and love of life; as well as the difficulties they faced, their personalities and their human nature ---- the other side of what made them special. Text A ---Abridged from an article by Mary Soames My father,Winston Churchill,began his love affair with painting in his 40s,amid disastrous circumstances.As First Lord of the Admiralty in 1915,he had been deeply involved in a campaign in the Dardanellesthat could have shortened the course of a bloody world war.But when the mission failed,with great loss of life,Churchill paid the price,both publicly and privately:He was removed from the Admiralty and lost his position of political influence. Overwhelmed by the disaster----“I thought he would die of grief,”said his wife,Clementine----he retired with his family to Hoe Farm,a country retreat in Surrey.There,as Churchill later recalled,“The muse of painting came to my rescue!” One day when he was wandering in the garden,he chanced upon his sister-in-law sketching with watercolours. He watched her for a few minutes,then borrowed her brush and tried his hand----and the muse worked her magic.From that day forward,Winston was in love with painting. Delighted with anything that distracted Winston from the dark thoughts that overwhelmed him,Clementine rushed off to buy whatever paints and materials she could find.Watercoloursoil