大学英语Book2 Unit 2概要1.doc

Section A The humanities: Out of date? Background information 1the humanities The humanities are a group of academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative. The humanities, called social sciences, include history, anthropology, communication studies, cultural studies, law, language, literature, philosophy,religion,music and theater,etc. Through exploration of the humanities,students learn how to think creatively and critically,to reason,and to ask questions.Because these skills allow students to gain new insights into everything from poetry and paintings to business models and politics,humanistic subjects have been at the heart of a liberal arts education.Today,humanistic knowledge continues to provide the ideal foundation for exploring and understanding the human experience.However,with the economic downtrend,many colleges and universities intend to cut liberal arts courses to save money,and students also try to take natural science courses to help them seek job opportunities.Whether or not studying courses in the humanities has thus become a controversial question. 2 self-awareness Self-awareness isn’t a quality that you demonstrate by telling a story,but rather it has to do with how you tell the story and your ability to communicate what you learned.Being able to explain to the admissions committee why you value one accomplishment above others,what you learned from a setback,or the deeper meaning of your career goals,is evidence of self-awareness.Furthermore,the self-aware individual has knowledge of both his strengths and weaknesses. 3 James Cameron World-famous director of the movie,Titanic.The film received 14 Academy Award nominations and was awarded 11 Oscars（奥斯卡奖). 4 Sally Ride An American physicist and former NASA(m美国国家航空航天局) astronaut.In 1983,at age 32,she became the first American woman and then youngest American to enter space. 5 Bruce Lee A Chinese-American actor,martial arts in