1、Unit 1 Breaking records背景知识导读1. Facts of Ashrita FurmanAshrita Furman, born September 16, 1954 in Brooklyn, New York, is the holder of 26 records in the Guinness Book of Records, including being the individual with the most current Guinness World Records 1. Furman first entered into the Guiness book
2、 by doing 27,000 Jumping Jacks in 1979. Since he began in 1979, Furman has broken more than 100 Guinness records. Furman is a graduate of Jamaica High School in Jamaica, Queens, New York. He went on to attend Columbia University but dropped out in 1974 after he had become a devout follower of Sri Ch
3、inmoy, the Indian philosopher and religious teacher. World records Records held by Ashrita Furman include: Most hopscotch games in 24 hours Most rope jumps in 24 hours Fastest 10-km sack race Most underwater rope jumps in one hour Fastest pogo stick ascent of Canadas CN Tower Largest bouquet of flow
4、ers Greatest distance traveled on a pogo stick Most milk crates balanced on chin The longest distance walked by a person balancing a milk bottle on their head Greatest amount of beer glasses balanced on chin Most sit-ups performed in an hour The fastest mile, pushing an orange with his nose Longest
5、time juggling underwater Longest continuous somersaulting Fastest time juggling 3 balls while running 50 miles Longest distance pogostick Jumping Fastest mile on a pogostick Fastest walking lunge mile Fastest marathon mile skipping Swiss ball balancing Fastest hula hoop racing Furthest distance trav
6、ersed carrying the most bricks with one hand Fastest 100 meters on a kangaroo ball Fastest mile on a kangaroo ball Most Guinness records in different categories2. About Beijing OlympicThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be held in Beijing in the Peoples
7、 Republic of China from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony to take place at 8 p.m. on August 8, 2008 (the number 8 stands for prosperity in Chinese culture). Some events will be held at venues constructed in neighboring towns and in the coastal city of Qingdao. On July 8 20
8、05, the International Olympic Committee announced that Hong Kong will hold the equestrian events at the site of the Hong Kong Sports Institute in Fo Tan, Sha Tin. The facilities of the Sports Institute may be moved to Wu Kai Sha. This will be the second time the same season of Olympics Games has bee
9、n hosted by two members of the International Olympic Committee. On October 28 2005 The UKs Guardian newspaper reported that a new discipline of 10km open-water swimming for men and women will be added to the Summer Olympic schedule in 2008.3The meaning of lifeThe philosophical question “What is the
10、meaning of life?“ means different things to different people. The vagueness of the query is inherent in the word “meaning“, which opens the question to many interpretations, such as: “What is the origin of life?“, “What is the nature of life (and of the universe in which we live)?“, “What is the sig
11、nificance of life?“, “What is valuable in life?“, and “What is the purpose of, or in, (ones) life?“. These questions have resulted in a wide range of competing answers and arguments, from scientific theories, to philosophical, theological, and spiritual explanations.4. Many people believe that the m
12、eaning of life is:.to accumulate wealth .to advance natural human evolution, or to contribute to the gene pool of the human race .to advance technological evolution, or to actively develop the future human .to become God, or God-like .to compete or co-operate with others .to destroy others who harm
13、you, or to practice nonviolence and nonresistance .to express compassion .to gain and exercise power .to give and receive love .to learn and find enlightenment .to leave a legacy, such as a work of art or a book .to live in peace with each other, and in harmony with the natural environment .to produ
14、ce offspring through sexual reproduction .to pursue a dream, vision, or destiny .to relate, connect, or achieve unity with others .to search for truth, knowledge, understanding, or wisdom .to seek and acquire virtue, to live a virtuous life .to seek and find beauty .to seek freedom, either physicall
15、y, mentally, financially, or spiritually .to seek happiness and flourish, experience pleasure or celebrate .to serve others or do good deeds .to simply live until one dies (there is no universal or celestial purpose, existence has no meaning beyond which one chooses to give it) .to survive, including the pursuit of immortality through scientific means (see life extension) .to work for justice and democracy .to worship, serve, or achieve union with God
