Unit-Twelve.doc

Unit Twelve

Text I

I. Writing Skills
This is a short piece of narrative writing about an unforgettable winter. The writer carefully selects a subject which has made a clear impression on him and wants to evoke sympathy from the reader. He aims at telling the reader about the sufferings experienced in the extreme cold by establishing the situation in the first two short introductory paragraphs. He tries to convey a distinct impression of the extreme cold both outside and inside by setting out specific and concrete details. It is precisely the mention of such particular things as definite colours and sounds, and specific action and attitudes of people that awaken the reader’s interest and win his sympathy.

II. Language Points
1. in living memory：in the years which can be remembered by some people still alive
e.g. The plane tragedy last year was the most serious one in living memory.
The earthquake in Tangshan in 1976 was the biggest tragedy in living memory.

2. in the depths of : 在... 深处（多做复数）
e.g. Coal miners have to work in the depths of the earth.
The ship sank in the depths of the ocean.
in the ~ of the winter (late winter) 隆冬
in the ~ of despair 极度绝望中
in the ~ of my heart 在内心深处
Note: (sometimes) in the depth of winter/ my heart
c.f. at a depth of 在 ... 的深度
e.g. Water was found at a depth of 10 meters. (10 meters deep)

3. round about
① round about
a) (adv.) nearby
e.g. He lives somewhere round about.
There are not many houses round about.
b) (prep.): about
e.g. Come round about 2 o’clock.
There must have been round about 1,000 people here.
c) (prep.) around
e.g. She sat with her children round about her. b) b)
② roundabout (adj.): not going or coming by the shortest way, or not using the most direct way
e.g. I heard the news in a roundabout way.
We came by a roundabout route.

4. on and off: from time to time; occasionally;
e.g. I write to my friend in America on and off.
He comes to see me on and off.
It rains on and off.

5. approximate
① approximate (adj.): very near
be ~ to: close to
e.g. Her money is approximate to &10,000.
② approximately (adv.): nearly
③ approximate (vi.): come near to (在质量或数量方面)接近
~ to
e.g. His description of the event approximated to the truth.
④ approximation (n.): almost correct amount or estimate
e.g. That is a very close approximation to the truth.

6. thrill
① thrill (v.): cause to be excited or surprised
~ sb.
e.g. Stories of adventures thrill him.
The match was so exciting that it thrilled everyone.
② thrilling (adj.): causing excitement
e.g. It is a thrilling story of violence and murder.
There was a thrilling finish of the race.
③ thrilled (adj.): excited and happy
be ~ at sth
e.g. He was thrilled at the suggestion.
She was thrilled at the result of her exam.
be ~ to do sth (hear/ know/ see/ find)
e.g. We were thrilled to hear that he got full marks.
The boys were thrilled and happy to see their parents.
④ thrill (n.) [c]: feeling of being excited, happy or surprise.
e.g. At first, it was a thrill, but the thrill was soon over.
feel a ~/ get a ~ (s)
e.g. She felt a thrill when she saw the world-famous tennis player.
He got a thrill from the movie.
⑤ thriller (n.): novel or play in which excitement and emotional appeal are the essential elements 富于刺激并激动读者感情的小说或戏剧
e.g. He always likes to read thrillers.

7. relentlessly (adv.): without pity/ mercy; mercilessly
e.g. He scolded her relentlessly.
The snow fell relentlessly.

8. of dirty grey colour of = what has a certain quality
be + adj = be + of + n
eg: The mountain is very high (of great height).
The ocean is very deep (of great depth).
The film is very interesting (of great interest).
The meeting is very important (of great importance).
When she was as tall as me (of my height), she worked a lot.
When she was as old as me (of my age), she studied at university.

9. set in
① set in: begin and continue（经常用指天气或疾病）开始
e.g. When he recovered from heart disease, another infection set in.
A heavy snowstorm set in before the small fishing boat reached the shore.
A strong wind had set in before we got home.
② set in to do sth: begin to do sth.
eg: It has just set in to rain.

10. harden
① harden (v.)
a) (vt.) : make or become hard, strong etc.
~ sth./ sb. 使...变硬 (坚强）
e.g. They harden clay by putting it in a fine.
I’ll try to harden my body.
Mothers must try to harden the heart.
Life in the mountains hardened me (made me firmer).
b) (vi.): become hard, strong
e.g. Her mind hardened as she got used to difficulties.
The snow hardened until ice was formed.
② hardened (p.p)
e.g. a hardened criminal / a hardened smuggler (顽固不化的罪犯/走私犯)

11. grime
① grime (n.): dirt
e.g. His face is covered with grime and sweat.
② grime (v.): make dirty
e.g. Her face is grimed with dust.
③ grimy (adj.): dirty
e.g. grimy faces (roofs/ windows)

12. tame
① (adj.): used to living with human beings, not wild or fierce.
e.g. This is a tame dog/ donkey.
Her husband is a tame little man.
② (vt.): make tame
e.g. to tame a lion/ tiger /birds

13. chop up: cut up (cut into small bits) 切碎
e.g. Meat is often chopped up before being cooked.

14. freeze/froze/frozen
① freeze (v.)
a) (vi.): (of water) become ice.
e.g. The water in the basin froze last night.
Water freezes at zero.
make one’s blood freeze/ freeze one’s blood: fill one with terror 令人战愫
e.g. His terrible stories made our blood freeze.
Mary’s blood froze when she had to walk through the cemetery at night.
freeze up 冻上了
e.g. The lake has frozen up.
The engine has frozen up.
freeze over (湖水等) 冻上了
e .g. During the severe winter of 1947 even the sea froze over.
The pond’s frozen over. We shall have some skating soon.
freezing point冰点,零度(摄氏)
e.g. It’s very cold today. The temperature has dropped to freezing point.
b) (vt.): cause (water etc) to become ice or become hard.
e.g. The cold has frozen the earth solid.
The North wind has frozen the water in the pool.
freeze out: exclude.排挤出去, 不让参加
e.g. The other boys froze John out of the club.
Some of the smaller traders are being frozen out by the big combines.
c) (vi.): (of sb.) be or feel very cold
e.g. Two of the men froze to death.
I am freezing now.
d) (vi.) very cold.
e.g. It is freezing tonight.
e) (vt.) make (credits, prices etc.) temporarily or permanently stabilize冻结
e.g. The government decided to freeze prices for six months.
Taxes would be frozen for two years.
② frozen (p.p.): made cold and hard 冰冻的
e.g. The road was frozen over.
Chinese people prefer fresh vegetables to frozen vegetables.
③ freeze (n.)
a) [c] cold
e.g. The weatherman predicts a freeze for tomorrow.
The slipped and broke his leg during the big freeze last winter.
b) the stabilization of prices and wages
e.g. It demanded a freeze on prices.
In September, a wage and price freeze was instituted by the government to be in
effect through 1979.
Don’t put a freeze on my wages.

15. Overhaul
① (vt.)
a) examine thoroughly in order to learn about the condition of
彻底检查以期了解…之状况; 检修
~ sth.
e.g. Before going for a long ride, I overhauled my bicycle.
How much will it cost to overhaul the engine?
b) overtake; catch up with赶上，追上
~ sth./ sb.
e.g. The fast cruiser soon overhauled the cargo boat.
The police car easily overhauled us.
② (n.) examination for the purpose of repairing
have an overhaul(ing) of sth.
e.g. Generally speaking, a driver should have an overhaul of his car every year.

16. call at a place: visit a place.
e.g. I would always call at the tranquil monastery when I went to that city
call on sb.: visit sb.
e.g. We are expecting our uncle to call on us this weekend.

17. be on order: be requested but not yet supplied
e.g. Many books are on order.

18. deliver
① deliver (vt.)
a) take letters, parcels, goods etc. to houses, persons to whom they are addressed to the buyers送信, 送货
~ sth. (to sb.)
e.g. A postman is a man employed to deliver letters and parcels.
Did you deliver the message to your father?
This postman will have to deliver all these letters to the receivers before
Christmas.
deliver over/ up to: give up, hand over移交 交给
e.g. He delivered up the stolen goods to the police.
The old man delivered over his property to his son.
b) rescue, save, set free ( from )拯救, 解救
deliver sb. from
e.g. We must try to deliver them from misery.
Lincoln delivered many black people from slavery.
c) help a woman in childbirth (给某人) 接生, 助产
deliver sb. of
e.g. They delivered the woman of twins.
(The woman was delivered of twins.)
They delivered the twins.
d) give forth in words陈述
deliver oneself of… 发表意见
e.g. She delivered herself of her opinions.
② deliverance (n.): rescue
e.g. He is happy about his deliverance from the prison.
③ delivery (n.): delivering of letters, goods etc.
e.g. How many deliveries are there in your city?
We guarantee prompt delivery of goods.
take ~ of : 提取
e.g. When will you take delivery of the car we have got for you?
make deliveries of : 送货
e.g. The shop makes deliveries of goods every day.

19. furious (adj.): violent, uncontrolled
be ~ with sb.
e.g. He will be furious with you if you offend him.
be ~ at sth.
e.g. He will be furious at what you say.

20. …only to discover…( see, find, know, discover, notice ): “ only + to + v” is used to express result
e.g. The young man accepted the job offered by the boss only to find that he would
work under a woman.
Uncle Alan came to take Tom home for his holiday, only to find that Tom
was unwilling to go.
She went to find her husband, only to discover her husband was with another woman.

21. devote
① devote (vt.): give up (oneself, one’s time, energy, etc) to sb. or sth.
~ sth. to sth.
e.g. What do you devote your spare time to ?
I devote my spare time to sports.
He devoted his life to mission work in Africa.
~ oneself to
e.g. He devoted himself to scientific research.
I’ll devote myself to educational cause.
② devoted
a) (p.p.)
be devoted to专心致志于,献身于, 忠诚于
e.g. He was devoted to science.
She is still devoted to the study of Chemistry.
She is devoted to her husband.
be fond of 热爱, 喜欢
e.g. Shaka was devoted to his mother.
The writer has been devoted to the plumbers.
She is quite devoted to her children.
b) (adj.): loyal
e.g. He is a devoted comrade who is giving everything for the cause.
He has a lot of devoted friends.
③ devotedly (adv.)
e.g. He is working hard and devotedly.
We’ll serve the people devotedly.
④ devotion (n.)
a) devoting or being devoted
e.g. A teacher’s devotion to the educational cause is admirable.
b) deep, strong love
e.g. We know the devotion of a mother for her children.
Because of his devotion to music, he is popular with the young people.
have ~ to
e.g. The dog has much devotion to his master.
⑤devotee (n.): a person who is devoted to sth.
e.g. a devotee of music/ sports

IV. Translation
1. 那个可怕的夜晚使人毛骨悚然.
2. 我们老师对教育事业的忠诚一直鼓励我们学好英语.
3. 如果你借了钱不还,银行就会冻结你的工资.
4. 我们的老朋友很高兴因为他从监狱里释放出来.
5. 是你们把货物带走, 还是我们把它们送去你们家?
6. 如果可能, 我们将提前到商场提货.
7. 他们没到火车站时已经开始下雪.
8. 那次火灾是人们记忆中最严重的一次.
9. 他一生中经历过多次失败, 但失败使他坚强.
10. 他匆忙地赶到飞机场, 结果发现飞机已经起飞了. ( only to )

(Suggested key
1. That terrible night was thrilling.
2. Our teacher’s devotion to the educational cause has been encouraging us to learn English well.
3. If you borrow money and do not pay it back, the bank will freeze your salary.
4. Our old friend is very happy for he has been released from prison.
5. Will you take take the goods home or shall we make deliveries of them to your home?
6. If possible, we will come to the shop to take delivery of goods ahead of time.
7. Snow had set in before they reached the railway station.
8. That fire disaster was the most serious in living memory.
9. He has experienced many times of failure in his life, but failures make him hardened.
10. He hurried to the airport, only to find that the plane had taken off.)

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