新課標人教版選修8-Unit3-課文

TheProblemOfTheSnakes

WhenIcalledupmymotherinthecountrysideonthetelephoneshewasveryupset."Therearesomesnakesinourcourtyard,"shetoldme."Snakescomenearthehousenowandthen,andtheyseemtohavemadetheirhomehere,notfarfromthewalnuttree.Canyougetridofthemplease?"Ifeltveryproud.Herewasachancefor.metodistinguishmyselfbyinventingsomethingmercifulthatwouldcatchsnakesbutnotharmthem.Iknewmyparentswouldnotlikemetohurttheselivingcreatures!

ThefirstthingIdidwastoseeiftherewereanyproductsthatmighthelpme,butthereonlyseemedtobepowdersdesignedtokillsnakes.Anewapproachwasclearlyneeded.Isetaboutresearchingthehabitsofsnakestofindtheeasiestwaytotrapthem.Luckilythesereptilesaresmallandthatmadethesolutioneasier.

Preparedwithsomeresearchfindings,Idecidedonthreepossibleapproaches:firstly,removingtheirhabitat;secondly,attractingthemintoatrapusingmaleorfemaleperfumeorfood;andthirdlycoolingthemsothattheywouldbecomesleepyandcouldbeeasilycaught.Idecidedtousethelastone.Iboughtanice-creammakerwhichwasmadeofstainlesssteel.Betweentheoutsideandtheinsidewallsofthebowlthereissomejelly,whichfreezeswhencooled.Iputthebowlintothefridgeandwaitedfor24hours.AtthesametimeIpreparedsomeice-cubes.

ThenextmorningIgotupearlybeforethesunwashot.Iplacedthefrozenbowloverthesnakes'habitatandtheice-cubesontopofthebowltokeepitcool.FinallyIcoveredthewholethingwithalargebucket.ThenIwaited.AftertwohoursIremovedthebucketandthebowl.Thesnakeswerelessactivebuttheywerestilltoofastforme.Theyabruptlydisappearedintoaconvenientholeinthewall.SoIhadtoadjustmyplan.

ForthesecondattemptIfrozethebowlandtheice-cubesagainbutplacedthemoverthesnakes'habitatintheevening,asthetemperaturewasstartingtocool.Thenasbefore,Icoveredthebowlwiththebucketandlefteverythingovernight.EarlythenextmorningIreturnedtoseetheresult.ThistimewithgreatcautionIbentdowntoexaminethesnakesandIfoundthemverysleepy.Butoncepickedup,theytriedtobiteme.Astheywerepoisonoussnakes,Iclearlyneededtoimprovemydesignagain.

Mythirdattemptrepeatedthesecondprocedure.ThenextmorningIcarriedinmyhandasmallnetusedforcatchingfish.Thiswasintheexpectationthatthesnakeswouldbiteagain.Butmonitoredcarefully,thesnakesprovedtobenotroubleandallwentaccordingtoplan.Icollectedthepassivesnakesandthenextdaywemerrilyreleasedthemallbackintothewild.

Pressedbymyfriendsandrelations,Idecidedtoseizetheopportunitytogetrecognitionformysuccessfulideabysendingmy

conversationstobeheldatthesametime.Buthefoundtheproblemdifficulttosolve.Onedayashewasexperimentingwithoneendofastrawjoinedtoadeafman'seardrumandtheothertoapieceofsmokedglass,Bellnoticedthatwhenhespokeintotheear,thestrawdrewsoundwavesontheglass.Suddenlyhehadaflashofinspiration.Ifsoundwavescouldbereproducedinamovingelectricalcurrent,theycouldbesentalongawire.Insearchingtoimprovethetelegraph,Bellhadinventedthefirsttelephone!

Bellwasfullyawareoftheimportanceofhisinventionandwrotetohisfather:

"Thedayiscomingwhentelegraphwireswillbelaidontohousesjustlikewaterorgas–andfriendswilltalktoeachotherwithoutleavinghome."

Thepatentwasgivenin1876,butitwasnotuntilfivedayslaterthatBellsenthisfirsttelephonemessagetohisassistantWatson.Thewordshavenowbecomefamous:

"MrWatson-comehere-Iwanttoseeyou."

AlexanderGrahamBellwasnotamantorestandheinterestedhimselfinmanyotherareasofinvention.Heexperimentedwithhelicopterdesignsandflyingmachines.Whilesearchingforakitestrongenoughtocarryamanintotheair,Bellexperimentedputtingtrianglestogetheranddiscoveredthetetrahedronshape.Beingverystable,ithasprovedinvaluableinthedesignofbridges.

Bellwasaninventorallhislife.Hemadehisfirstinven