Judge the world as a horse

---book review on Black Beauty To be frank, although I grew up in the village, I hardly pay much attention on animals. And it was taken for granted that they are just creatures without mind in the mercy of our human beings. Never have I had the chance to learn about horses till I come upon with Black Beauty. After finishing reading the novel, I am deeply impressed by the author’s elaborate description of horses’ nature and behavior. How could a grace lady like Anna Sewell seem like a senor groom who knows exactly horses’ feelings? And I am also ashamed of my innocence and prejudice to animals. The book is far more meaningful in calling up people of all ages to respect animals and take good care of them than just entertaining the child as some critics defied it as children’s classic. The author personified these horses and presented the world in the horse Black Beauty’s eyes in his lifelong experience. Truth is told in the horse’s various daily experiences with different kinds of masters and grooms. However, being well taken care of or suffering miserable overuse, Black Beauty as the inferior creature, is powerless to revolt. So what matters is humans’ consciousness and morality.

Life is like a mirror. Others will treat you the same way as you do no matter for human beings or animals. That is what I get from the behaviors of horses. The novel presents the world and various kinds of people in the horse eyes. Throughout Black Beauty’s life, he comes up with various kinds of masters and grooms, considerate or bad-tempered. The truth is told when he sees many horses undergoing ill-use. “I saw a great deal of trouble amongst the horses in London, and much of it that might have been prevented by a little common sense. We horses do not mind hard work if we are treated reasonably. ”① I notice that he use the phrase--common sense. It is ironical that some of we developed creatures always act without common sense. With halters, headstalls and bits, we deprive the freedom of the horses to make them controllable. Regardless of their feelings, we want them to run as fast as they can or carry twice or ① P172 in Black Beauty by Anna Sewell Signet Classic

more the goods as they can endure. But horses tend to be hard to control and cause troubles under such conditions. That lady Anna’s falling down from a horse for her whipping constantly in ignorance of the horse’s poor condition is good proof to it. We would feel angry and intense to resist when we are rudely treated. So are the horses. They are unable to shout out their dissatisfaction, but they will act out their mood. I always believe that we will get what we plow in the garden. So if we want a lovely animal, we should treat them kindly just as Black Beauty says in the novel—It may be hard work sometimes, but a friendly hand and voice make it easy.②

Why do human beings always feel superior to other creatures? After reading the novel, the question troubles me a lot. Here is a conversation between horses.

---Do you know why this world is as bad as it is?

---It is because people think only about their own business and won’t trouble themselves to stand up for the oppressed, no bring the wrong-doer to light.③

With a special angle of view, people in the novel are judged by the horses’ value of world. I don’t think selfish is proper to describe some of them in horses’ eyes. They regard themselves as the controller so as to do anything they like. The conceit and pride make them look down upon any other creatures. But every creature is born equal. We are just part of the nature. How can you image if there are only human beings left in the world? It must be the end of the world. So it is not enough to take care of other creatures but to respect them and treat them as friends.

I am gratified that Black Beauty be home finally after ups and downs. But who knows whether horses like Black Beauty are the majority or the minority? Anna Stewell was a kindhearted lady to reveal the horse world to remind us. I don’t believe in superstition, but I do believe that whatever action would get the same reaction. So be kind to all creatures and make friends with them!

崔佳丽 0701123 ②

③ P174in Black Beauty by Anna Sewell Signet Classic P164 in Black Beauty by Anna Sewell Signet Classic

第二篇：Mars meteorite 'Black Beauty' is in a class of its own

Marsmeteorite'BlackBeauty'isinaclassofitsownAdarklumpofrockfoundintheMoroccandesertin2011isanewtypeofMartianmeteorite,sayscientists.

Weighing320g,thestonehasbeengiventheformalnameNorthwestAfrica(NWA)7034-butisnicknamed"BlackBeauty".

ItstextureandchemistrysetitapartfromallpreviousobjectspickedupoffthesurfaceofEarthbutknowntooriginateontheRedPlanet.

Theresearchers'analysis,reportedinSciencemagazine,showsthemeteoritetobejustovertwobillionyearsold.

ThestudywasledbyCarlAgeefromtheUniversityofNewMexico,US.

"IthassomeresemblancetotheotherMartianmeteoritesbutit'salsodistinctlydifferentinotherrespects,"hetoldBBCNews,"bothinthewayitjustlooksinhandsample,butalsoinitselementalcomposition."

Therearejustover100Martianmeteoritescurrentlyincollectionsworldwide.TheywereallblastedofftheRedPlanetbysomeasteroidorcometaryimpact,andthenspentmillionsofyearstravellingthroughspacebeforefallingtoEarth.

Theirdiscoverywasmostlychance(fewwereseenintheactoffalling)buttheirdarkformsmeantheywillhavecaughttheeyeofmeteoritehunterswhoscourdesertsandsandpolaricefieldsforrarerocksthatcantradefortensofthousandsofdollars.

VirtuallyalltheMartianmeteoritescanbeputinoneofthreeclassificationsreferredtoasShergotty,Nakhla,andChassignyafterkeyspecimens.ScientistswilloftenrefertotheserockssimplyastheSNCmeteorites.

ProfAgeeandcolleaguesarguethatNWA7034nowbeputinitsownclass.

Thisrockisabasalticbrecciaincharacter.Itismadeofajumbleoffragmentsthathavebeencementedbacktogetherinthehightemperaturesofavolcaniceruption.TherearemanyexamplesofMoonmeteoritesthatlookthisway,butnoSNCones.

Geochemically,NWA7034isdominatedbyalkalielementssuchaspotassiumandsodium.ThisispreciselywhattherobotroversstudyingbasaltsdownonthegroundonMarsalsosee.ThisisnotatraitseenintheSNCmeteorites,interestingly.

Continuereadingthemainstory

TakeatriptoMars

ExploretheRedPlanetwithNasa'srobot

ProfAgee'steamalsoseemuchmorewaterinthenewmeteorite-about6,000partspermillion.Thatisabout10timesmorewaterboundintotherockthanisthecaseinthemostwater-richSNCspecimens.

Thissayssomethingabouttheenvironmentinwhichtherockformed,indicatingtherewasamuchgreaterabundanceofwatertointeractwiththebasalt.

"ThisrockisfromtwobillionyearsagoandalotoftheSNCsarefromonlyabout200-400millionyearsago,"explainedProfAgee.

"AndofcoursethosemostrecenttimesonMarshavewitnessedacold,dryplanetwithathinatmosphere.AlotofpeoplebelievethatearlyMars,ontheotherhand,wasalotwarmerandalotwetter,andmaybeevenaharbourforlife.

"So,whathappenedinbetween?Whendidthistransformationtodrierconditionsoccur?Well,NWA7034,becauseofitsgreaterage,maybeabletoaddressthosequestions."