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I.本单元课文注释与疑难解析
2. Impressive as the record is, it fades next to the story of Armstrong’s struggle against disease.虽然这项纪录令人难忘， 但是阿姆斯特朗统计并作斗争的故事更令人瞩目。
as 引导倒装让步状语从句， 相当于 though.引导的正常语序的状语从句。
Tired as he was, he sat up late. （=Though he was tired, he sat up late.）
他虽然疲倦,可仍然很晚才睡。
fade 在此句中是比喻。是less impressive 的含义。
fade vi.
1. 凋谢, 枯萎
The flowers faded for want of water.
花儿因缺水而凋谢了。
2. (颜色) 褪去
The color fades when exposed to light.
这颜色曝光后会褪色。
3. (声音等) 变微弱;(光等) 变暗淡; 逐渐消失 [(+away)]
The sound of the footsteps faded away.
脚步声渐渐消失了。
vt.
1. 使褪色
Sunshine faded the tapestry.
阳光晒得挂毯褪了色。
3. These new sports are called “extreme sports” and all center on the “X-factor”…
这些新的运动叫做极限运动， 他们都集中在极限这个要素上。
center (sth) on /upon/ round sb/sth: 集中 have sb/sth as its center or main concern or theme; be concentrated or concern on sb/sth
eg. The social life of the village centers round the local sports club. 村民的社交活动都集中在当地的体育俱乐部。
Her research is centered on the social effect of unemployment. 她的研究课题是失业对社会的影响。
II. 文化背景知识
History of the Guinness Book of World Records
About the history of the Guinness Book of World Records including the story of its creation and founding.
History: The Guinness Book of World Records was born one bleak fall day in 1954 when Sir Hugh Beaver, while on a shooting expedition in Ireland, aimed at a small flock of golden plover and missed.
Sir Hugh, the managing director of Arthur Guinness, Son and Co., Ltd., had, of course, missed birds before, but it didn't happen often, and he was curious. Clearly the plover were considerably faster than the ducks and geese that he readily bagged. Perhaps, he mentioned to his companions over whiskey and soda that night, the plover was "the fastest game bird we've got." His companions countered with other birds, but the argument ended in frustration because there was nowhere to check. The most erudite encyclopedias, when consulted, proved to have no information on the flight speeds of game birds.
Back in London, Sir Hugh mulled over this deficiency; what modern Britain needed was a book that would tell people quickly and concisely just what was biggest, smallest, fastest, slowest, shortest, longest, etc., about as many things as possible. If such a book did not already exist, one should waste no time creating it; what was more, once created, it could be distributed to the many British pubs where Guinness stout was sold and where it would be useful in settling all those arguments that are peculiar to pubs. But who could put together such a book, considering how difficult the information was to come by? Fortunately, a junior executive at the brewery knew just the man, or in this case, men--identical twins Norris and Ross McWhirter. Sons of a prominent newspaperman, the McWhirters were raised in a house full of periodicals, newspapers, and reference books. As children, they clipped articles of interest and developed such insatiable curiosity about facts and trivia that they compiled their own lists--on subjects like the deepest lakes and the highest mountains. Concerned about the number of discrepancies they found in their sources, the two boys decided that when they grew up they would establish an agency to correct those errors.
In 1951 they started such a business, setting out, in Norris McWhirter's words, "to supply facts and figures to newspapers, yearbooks, encyclopedias, and advertisers." While building up their accounts, they both worked as sports journalists. One of the athletes they knew and covered was runner Christopher Chataway, the employee at Guinness who recommended them to Sir Hugh Beaver. After an interview in which the Guinness directors enjoyed testing the twins' knowledge of records and unusual facts, the brothers agreed to start work on the book. The rest is publishing history. Some four months later the first slim green volume--198 pages long--was at the bookstalls, and in four more months it was England's No. 1 nonfiction best-seller. The whole country, it seemed, was eager to know and pass around such information as the land speed record for a rocket sled (632 mph) and the most prodigious feat of childbearing--an honor claimed by a 19th-century lady, Mrs. Feodor Vassilyev, who bore 69 children (16 sets of twins, 7 of triplets, and 4 of quadruplets).
Some world records
Tallest Man
The tallest man in medical history for whom there is irrefutable evidence is Robert Pershing Wadlow. He was born at Alton, Illinois, USA, on February 22, 1918, and when he was last measured on June 27, 1940, was found to be 2.72 m (8 ft 11.1 in) tall.
Wadlow died at 1:30 a.m. on July 15, 1940, in a hotel in Manistee, Michigan, as a result of a septic blister on his right ankle caused by a brace, which had been poorly fitted only a week earlier. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Alton, in a coffin measuring 3.28 m (10 ft 9 in) long, 81 cm (32 in) wide and 76 cm (30 in) deep.
Wadlow's greatest recorded weight was 222.71 kg (35 st 1 lb) on his 21st birthday and he weighed 199 kg (31 st 5 lb) at the time of his death. His shoe size was 37AA (47 cm, 18½ in long) and his hands measured 32.4 cm (12¾ in) from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger. He wore a size 25 ring. His arm span was 2.88 m (9 ft 5¾ in) and his peak daily food consumption was 8000 calories.
At the age of nine, he was able to carry his father Harold F. Wadlow, later Mayor of Alton, who stood 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) and weighed 77 kg (170 lb), up the stairs of the family home.
Most Goals In A Soccer Career
Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940, in Tres Coracos, Brazil, Pelé is arguably the best soccer player ever. He scored more goals than anyone else, banging in 1,279 over a career spanning 21 years playing only for two clubs: Santos of Rio de Janeiro, and the New York Cosmos. He scored on his club debut for Santos in September 1956 aged just 16, and notched his 1,000th playing for the same outfit in November 1969.
Pelé's greatest successes came in the famous yellow shirt of Brazil, playing in four - and winning three - World Cups. "He featured in some of the best teams to ever play the round ball game," says Guinness World Records sports editor Chris Marais. "Not only that, he was voted Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999, and he never even took part in an Olympic games! It is unlikely we will ever see a career like it again."
Largest Store Sculpture
The statue of the God of Longevity is the largest stone carving measuring 200 m (656 ft) wide and 218 m (715 ft) high and is on the northwest side of the peak, Guimeng, in the Meng Shan Mountains near Pingyl, Shandong, China.
Largest Consumption Of Cigarettes By Country
The world's largest consumer of cigarettes is China, with 1,643 billion consumed in 1998. With a global consumption in 2000 of 5,500 billion, this means that one in every three cigarettes smoked today is smoked in China!
"Tobacco companies are cranking out cigarettes at the rate of five and a half trillion a year," announced the World Health Organization, "nearly 1,000 cigarettes for every man, woman, and child on the planet."
TOP FIVE CIGARETTE CONSUMERS:
1. China: 1,643 billion
2. USA: 451 billion
3. Japan: 328 billion
4. Russia: 258 billion
5. Indonesia: 215 billion
EXPERT ADVICE TO HELP YOU BREAK A RECORD
How to be a record breaker
Sometimes it is okay to break things as long as it is a Guinness World Record! But before you start on your quest to be a record breaker, read this simple how to guide.
From the fastest and the tallest to the heaviest and the smallest, Guinness World Records has been collecting the coolest facts about the world’s most amazing record breakers!
We’ve spent nearly 50 years investigating remarkable people, breathtaking buildings, amazing animals and fantastic places and when we award our official Guinness World Records certificate, it’s proof that you and l not see anything quite as impressive anywhere else in the world.
Be the best!
All of our record breakers are the ultimate in one way or another, the richest, the largest, the bravest, and the oldest. But even you! Yes, you can be a record breaker.
To make the application process simple, we’ve chosen some top record ideas that you can try at home or at school. These records can be found on the Break a Record pages.
If you want to break a different record or set a new one, then you need to follow these important steps:
1. Before attempting any record, we need to decide if your suggestion is suitable and safe. So the first you should do is contact us. The easiest way is by using the record application form on the Guinness World Records web site.
2. Tell us your idea. Give us as much information as you can, including what the record is, when you want to attempt it, where you will be doing it, and so on.
a) If it is an existing record, we’ll tell you what the current record is, what guidelines must be followed and what evidence you need to send us
b) If it is a new record that no one has set yet, we need to check it out to make sure it meets our requirements. If it does, we will write official rules and guidelines specific to that record idea to make sure all attempts are made in the same way. Find out more about what kind of records we like.
3. Whether it is a new or existing record, we will then send you the guidelines for your particular record. Once you receive these, you can attempt your record at any time. You do not need a Guinness World Record official at your attempt. But you do need to gather evidence. Find out more about the kind of evidence we need.
4. If you think you’ve set or broken a record, send us all the evidence as specified in the guidelines. You can do this by post, or electronically by email.
5. We then investigate your claim fully a process that can take up to 10 weeks, depending on the number of claims in the system, and how complex your record is.
6. If you’re successful, we’ll send you an official certificate that says you’re now a Guinness World Record holder.
Please note that a certificate does not guarantee you a place in the Guinness World Records book. Each year, the editor compiles the book from the best and most relevant records for that year, and not every new record is included
What evidence do I need?
It is not that we don’t trust you? If you think you’ve broken a record, you need to send us a package of evidence to support your claim
Each and every record claim must be accompanied by detailed documentation, such as eyewitness statements, video footage, and logbooks.
Witnesses: Two independent witness statements are the minimum requirement, and your witnesses should be people of standing in the community, such as:
1. Doctors
2. Lawyers
3. Judges
4. Notaries public
5. Clergy
6. Elected officials
7. Postmasters
8. Educational or medical professionals
9. Fire and rescue officers
10. Law enforcement officers
11. Officials from a sporting body
Experts: Certain records may also require the judgment of a technical expert, such as surveyor or a public health official.
Neither witness can be related to you. Witnesses should not only be able to confirm that they have seen the successful progress and completion of the record attempt, but also that the guidelines have been followed.
Guinness World Records is unable to supply personnel to invigilate attempts, but reserves the right to do so.
Video evidence: A requirement for all record challenges is a clearly labelled VHS video tape or digital video on CD-ROM
Extreme sport
Extreme sports (now also known as action sports) is a general, somewhat hazily-defined term for a collection of newer sports involving adrenaline-inducing action. They often feature a combination of speed, height, danger and spectacular stunts. Levels of danger vary widely, but there is always an element - an "extreme" factor - that causes an adrenaline rush which keeps participants loyal to their sport. Some participants termed 'adrenaline junkies' develop an obsession with their sport and even claim to be "addicted to adrenaline". (This is the result of a misnomer, since often the high obtained is a product of increased levels of dopamine endorphins and serotonin).
Extreme sports are most often pursued by young adults who wish to push their own limits of fear and physical ability, and in doing so, also help to push the limits of their sport as a whole. Because of this youthful demographic, extreme sports often attract their own kind of youth culture with associated clothing fashions and music. Indeed, the distinction between an extreme sport and a conventional sport is often as much due to marketing as the level of danger involved or the adrenaline generated. For example, snowboarding has a more extreme image than skiing mainly because it is newer, even though skiing is a faster and at least equally dangerous way of getting down the mountain. Also, only individual sports are generally considered to be extreme, so a sport like Rugby Union, though dangerous and adrenaline-inducing, is disqualified both by its traditional image and because it is a team sport.
The term gained popularity with the advent of the X Games, a made-for-television collection of such events. Advertisers were quick to realize the appeal of the event and competitors and organisers are now flooded with sponsorship. The high profile of extreme sports and the culture surrounding them has also led people to invent jokey parodies, such as Extreme ironing, urban housework, extreme croquet, extreme unicycling and extreme wheelbarrow.
Several extreme sports, including snowboarding, were included in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
Some extreme sports have been around for many decades and the proponents span many generations, often including well known personalities. For example rock climbing and ice climbing has spawned such immortal names as Edmund Hillary.
List of some extreme sports
The following could be classified as extreme sports:
1 BASE jumping
2 BMX freestyle
3 Bouldering
4 Buggy Rollin
5 Buildering Bungee jumping
6 Elevator surfing
7 Free-diving
8 Caving
9 Free running / Parkour
10 Cave diving
11 Climbing
12 Whitewater kayaking
13 Kneeboarding
14 Mountain biking
15 Mountain boarding
16 Parachuting
17 Poweriser
18 Whitewater rafting
19 Rollerblading
20 Skateboarding
21 Skydiving
22 Skysurfing
23 Slicky Boarding
24 Snowblading
25 Snowboarding
26 Street luge
27 Surfing
28 Wakeboarding
29 Water skiing
30 Windsurfing