Section 2---Unit 04 Culture and Customs
The
Bare Facts of Toilet Paper
Picture
this: You've just answered nature's call,
and to your horror, there's no toilet paper in the bathroom! Instead, there is
a sponge on a stick soaking in salt water. You probably can't imagine using
that, but the ancient Romans did.
Before
modern toilet paper was invented, people used all kinds of materials for the
same purpose. Greeks used stones. Hawaiians used coconut shells. The Vikings
used wool, and Eskimos used snow. Leaves and corncobs were used in America.
People made do with whatever was at hand.
The
first real toilet paper was made in 1391 for the emperor of China. They were
two-by-three-foot sheets and perfumed! By the late 15th century, people were
using pages from old books, magazines, and newspapers.
In
1857, Joseph C. Gayetty sold toilet paper in packages of flat sheets in the
United States, but it wasn't a hit. Toilet paper didn't become popular until
1897, when the Scott brothers sold toilet paper in rolls. In 1942, an English
company created the two-layer paper that we're used to now.
It's
common these days to see toilet paper sold in different colors and scents.
However, some toilet-paper makers have turned this simple item into something
that can even be entertaining. For those who get bored in the bathroom, there
is toilet paper with puzzles printed on it. And in Japan, toilet-paper makers
have put out a story toilet paper with an entire novel printed on it for your
reading pleasure.
From
the early days of using sponges on sticks to the present-day toilet-paper
novels, the evolution of toilet paper certainly is fascinating. One thing we
know for sure is that using modern toilet paper is much, much better than using
coconuts or corncobs!
  | ancient | 第二級 | [形容詞] 古代的 |
| | bare | 第三級 | [形容詞] 裸的;僅僅的; [動詞] 露出 |
| | better | 第二級 | [形容詞] 較佳的;更好的;更適當的; [動詞] 改善;提高;超過;變得較好; [副詞] 更好地;更適當地; [名詞] (人或事物)較優者,較好者 |
| | bored | 第三級 | [動詞] bore(使厭煩) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | century | 第二級 | [名詞] 一世紀 |
| | China | 第二級 | [名詞] 中國 |
| | coconut | 第三級 | [名詞] 椰子;椰子肉 |
| | coconuts | 第三級 | [名詞] coconut(椰子;椰子肉) 的複數 |
| | company | 第二級 | [名詞] 公司 |
| | created | 第二級 | [動詞] create(創造) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | emperor | 第三級 | [名詞] 皇帝 |
| | entertaining | 第四級 | [動詞] entertain(招待,款待) 的現在分詞 |
| | entire | 第二級 | [形容詞] 全部的,整個的 |
| | evolution | 第五級 | [名詞] 發展,進展 |
| | fascinating | 第五級 | [動詞] fascinate(迷住,使神魂顛倒) 的現在分詞 |
| | flat | 第二級 | [形容詞] 平的; [副詞] 平直地,仰臥地;恰恰,正好;斷然地; [名詞] 平坦部分 |
| | horror | 第三級 | [名詞] 恐怖,震驚,毛骨悚然 |
| | imagine | 第二級 | [動詞] 想像 |
| | instead | 第二級 | [副詞] 反而,卻 |
| | invented | 第三級 | [動詞] invent(發明) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | layer | 第五級 | [動詞] 把...堆積成層; [名詞] 層;階層;地層 |
| | leaves | 第二級 | [名詞] leaf(樹葉) 的複數 |
| | magazines | 第二級 | [名詞] magazine(雜誌) 的複數 |
| | materials | 第二級 | [名詞] material(材料,原料) 的複數 |
| | novel | 第二級 | [形容詞] 新的,新穎的,新奇的; [名詞] 小說 |
| | novels | 第二級 | [名詞] novel(小說) 的複數 |
| | perfumed | 第四級 | [動詞] perfume(使充滿香氣) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | printed | 第二級 | [動詞] print(印刷;用印刷體寫) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | probably | 第三級 | [形容詞] probable(很可能發生的) 的衍生的副詞 |
| | purpose | 第二級 | [名詞] 目的 |
| | puzzles | 第二級 | [動詞] puzzle(使迷惑) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] puzzle(謎) 的複數 |
| | scents | 第五級 | [動詞] scent(嗅;聞) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] scent(氣味;香味;蹤跡) 的複數 |
| | sheets | 第二級 | [名詞] sheet(一張(紙);床單) 的複數 |
| | shells | 第二級 | [名詞] shell(殼,果殼;貝殼) 的複數 |
| | soaking | 第五級 | [動詞] soak(浸泡;使濕透) 的現在分詞 |
| | sponge | 第五級 | [動詞] (用海綿)揩拭;海綿般地吸收; [名詞] 海綿;海綿狀物 |
| | sponges | 第五級 | [動詞] sponge((用海綿)揩拭;海綿般地吸收) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] sponge(海綿;海綿狀物) 的複數 |
| | states | 第二級 | [動詞] state(陳述) 的第三人稱單數現在式 |
| | stick | 第二級 | [動詞] 黏貼;刺;戮;釘住;插牢;堅持; [名詞] 棍;棒;杖;枝條 |
| | sticks | 第二級 | [動詞] stick(黏貼;刺;戮;釘住;插牢;堅持) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] stick(棍;棒;杖;枝條) 的複數 |
| | stones | 第二級 | [動詞] stone(用石頭鋪;用磨刀石磨) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] stone(石頭) 的複數 |
| | united | 第三級 | [動詞] unite(統一;使團結) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | used | 第二級 | [形容詞] 習慣於; 舊的;用舊了的 |
| | whatever | 第二級 | [形容詞] 無論怎麼的; [代名詞] 任何...的事物 |
| | wool | 第二級 | [名詞] 羊毛;毛織品 |
Reading Comprehension
( ) 1. What does the phrase "answered nature's call" mean in
the first paragraph?
(A) Gone back to
nature (B)
Responded to the invitation from nature
(C) Gone to
nature (D) Gone
to the bathroom
( ) 2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned
in the article?
(A) The earliest
toilet paper was made in China.
(B) Hawaiians
used coconut shells as toilet paper because they were available.
(C) Two-layer
toilet paper was created by the Scott brothers.
(D) Toilet paper
was sold in packages of flat sheets earlier than in rolls.
( ) 3. When did toilet paper start becoming
popular?
(A) 1391 (B) 1857m (C) 1897 (D) 1942
( ) 4. What is paragraph five mainly about?
(A) Toilet paper
that is entertaining to people
(B) Novels that
you can read in the bathroom
(C) The things
you should do while using the bathroom
(D) How puzzles
printed on toilet paper can be relaxing
| | article | 第二級 | [名詞] 文章;報導；論文;物件;條款 |
| | available | 第二級 | [形容詞] 可用的,可得到的,有效的 |
| | China | 第二級 | [名詞] 中國 |
| | coconut | 第三級 | [名詞] 椰子;椰子肉 |
| | created | 第二級 | [動詞] create(創造) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | entertaining | 第四級 | [動詞] entertain(招待,款待) 的現在分詞 |
| | flat | 第二級 | [形容詞] 平的; [副詞] 平直地,仰臥地;恰恰,正好;斷然地; [名詞] 平坦部分 |
| | following | 第二級 | [形容詞] 接著的,其次的;下面的; [介系詞] 在...以後; [名詞] 一批追隨者;下列事物(或人員) |
| | invitation | 第三級 | [名詞] 邀請 |
| | layer | 第五級 | [動詞] 把...堆積成層; [名詞] 層;階層;地層 |
| | mentioned | 第二級 | [動詞] mention(提到,說起) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | novels | 第二級 | [名詞] novel(小說) 的複數 |
| | paragraph | 第四級 | [名詞] (文章的)段,節 |
| | phrase | 第二級 | [動詞] 用言語表達,用(詞); [名詞] 片語,詞組 |
| | printed | 第二級 | [動詞] print(印刷;用印刷體寫) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | puzzles | 第二級 | [動詞] puzzle(使迷惑) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] puzzle(謎) 的複數 |
| | relaxing | 第三級 | [動詞] relax(使鬆弛,使鬆懈,放鬆) 的現在分詞 |
| | responded | 第二級 | [動詞] respond(作答,回答) 的過去式及過去分詞 |
| | sheets | 第二級 | [名詞] sheet(一張(紙);床單) 的複數 |
| | shells | 第二級 | [名詞] shell(殼,果殼;貝殼) 的複數 |
| | used | 第二級 | [形容詞] 習慣於; 舊的;用舊了的 |
沒有留言:
張貼留言