1、UNIT ONE AN IMPRESSIVE ENGLISH LESSONDetailed study of the text1.IfIamtheonlyparentwhostillcorrectshischildsEnglish,thenperhapsmysonisright.Tohim,Iamatedious oddity:afatherheis obliged tolistentoandamanabsorbedintherulesofgrammar,whichmysonseemsallergicto.(Para.1)Meaning:Mysonisprobablyrightiftherei
2、snootherparentlikemewhostillcorrectshischildsmistakeinEnglish.Tomyson,Iamaboringandstrangefather,whohehastolistento;Iamalsotheonewhopayslotsofattentiontogrammarrules,whichhedoesntseemtolike.tedious:a.boringandcontinuingfortoolong冗长乏味的Tellingthestoryhasbecometedious,asIhavedoneitsomanytimes.讲述这个故事已变得
3、单调乏味,因为我已经讲了这么多次了。oddity:n.Castrangeorunusualpersonorthing怪人;怪物;奇特的东西Withhisneatsuitson,hefeltlikeanodditywalkinginthispoorneighborhood.穿着笔挺的西装走在这个贫民窟里,他觉得自己就像个怪物。be/feel obliged to do sth.:ifyouareobligedtodosth.,youhavetodoitbecausethesituation,thelaw,aduty,etc.makesitnecessary(因形式、法律、义务等关系而)非做不可,
4、迫使IthinkValentinesDayisawasteoftime,butIstillfeelobligedtosendmywifeacard.Usage note:obligedThewordobligeismostcommonlyusedintheexpressionbe/feelobliged.be/feelobligedtodosth.指“感到有责任做某事”Hefeltobligedtohelphismother,evenifitmeantleavingcollege.他觉得有责任帮助母亲,即使这意味着他要离开大学。be/feelobligedtosb./sth.指“对某人或某事心
5、存感激”Thankyouverymuch,doctor,Iamextremelyobligedtoyou.医生,非常谢谢你。对您,我深表感谢。absorbed:a.so interested or involved in sth.that you do not notice anything else 极感兴趣的;全神贯注的;专注的。Time passes quickly when you are absorbed in reading a good book.在聚精会神地读一本好书的时候,时间过得非常快。allergic:a.1)(be to sth.)(infml)if you are a
6、llergic to sth.,you do not like it and try to avoid it.不喜欢某事,对某事反感Most men are allergic to housework.大多数男人都不喜欢做家务。2)having an allergy 过敏的I do not enjoy picnics because I am allergic to grass.我不喜欢野餐,因为我对草过敏。2.I think I got serious about this only recently when I ran into one of my former students,fre
7、sh from an excursion to Europe(para.2)Meaning:I think I started to pay attention to other peoples usage of grammar only lately,when I happened to meet one of my former students,who had just returned from a short journey to Europe.get/be serious about:if you are serious about sth.,you really mean it
8、and are not joking or pretending 对是认真的;并非开玩笑的When you are staying with your roommates,you cannot get too serious about privacy.你和你的室友相处的时候,不能太计较隐私。run into sb.:(infml.)meet sb.by chance 偶然遇见某人You forgot all about your cousins birthday until you suddenly ran into her today.要不是你今天偶然遇见了你表姐,你已全然忘记了她的生日。
9、fresh from:havingjustcomefromaparticularplaceorexperience刚从.来的;刚有经历的Schoolprincipalsshouldnotexpectteachers,freshfromcollege,todealwithalargegroupofdifficultchildren.学校的校长不应该指望刚从大学毕业的老师来应付一大群难以对付的孩子。excursion:n.Cashortjourneyyoutakeforpleasure短途出行;远足Itwassuchawonderfuldaythattheydecidetotakeadayexcu
10、rsiontothemountain.这么好的天气,他们决定去山上一日游。3.“How was it”I asked,full of earnest anticipation.(para.2)Meaning:When I asked about how her trip to Europe had been,I was expecting her response anxiously and sincerely.How was it?:(spoken)often used in conversation to ask sb.about their opinion or experience o
11、f sth.(口语常用表达,用于询问看法或经历)Did you watch the movie last night?How was it?你昨天晚上看那部电影了吗?感觉怎么样?full of:(followed by abstract nouns)feeling or showing a lot of particular emotion or quality(感觉、表达或表现出)充满某种情感(特质)的full of excitement/energy/hope/happiness/praise充满兴奋/活力/希望/幸福/赞美The teacher was full of praise fo
12、r the home work that the students had done.老师对学生们完成的功课赞不绝口。earnest:a.very serious and sincere 非常认真的;郑重其事的。At the office he was very earnest,but hes more relaxed now.在办公室他很认真,但是现在他放松多了。4.She nodded three or four times searched the heavens for the right words,and then exclaimed,it was like,whoa!(para.
13、3)Meaning:she nodded her head three or four times,tried to find the right words in her mind and then shouted with excitement it was like whoa!Meaning beyond words:Since the student was not quite sure how to exactly describe her travel experience,the tone of the author is somewhat sarcastic.The autho
14、r intended to send out the message that the student was incompetent regarding the selection of her English vocabulary.search somewhere for sth.:try to find sth.in some place 在某地方搜寻某物The robber reached out and searched the back pocket of my trousers for anything valuable.那个盗贼伸手搜我裤子后面的口袋以寻找值钱的东西。Note
15、The heavens means the sky:here search the heavens for the right words implies the studenttried hard to find suitable words to describe what she saw and experienced when traveling in Europe.Usage notesearch,search forsearch:lookthrough检查;搜查Theysearchedthemaninfrontofmefromheadtofoot.他们把我前面的男子从头到脚搜查了一
16、遍。searchfor:lookfor寻找;搜寻Thecustomsweresearchingfordrugsattheairport.海关人员在机场搜寻毒品。exclaim:v.say sth.suddenly and loudly because of surprise,anger,or excitement(由于惊奇、气愤或激动)呼喊,惊叫Susan exclaimed horror when a young man with a gun suddenly appeared from behind her.当一名年轻男子突然持枪从苏珊背后出现时,她害怕得惊叫起来。Note It was
17、like whoa means it was really great!It was like is an informal expression in conversation,very common for young people who are lazy and incapable to reference their ideas.The expression is usually followed by an adjective or an exclamation.It was,like,marvelous!简直奇妙极了!(It was like)Whoa!How come you
18、got a hundred 0percent correct on such a hard test?哇!这么难的考试你怎么都全答对了?Note Whoaisspecificallyusedtoshowthatpeoplearesurprisedorthinksomethingisveryimpressive.Itcanbeusedindifferentcontexts.Forexample:Todescribesomethingthatyourenotquitesurehowtodescribe:thatcarissocoolitslikewhoa.Toexpresssurprise:who
19、a!Itsreallyamazing!Toindicateadesiretoendwhatsomeoneistalking:whoaok,thatsenough.5.And that was it.(para.4)Meaning:And that was everything she said,without even mentioning any details of her wonderful experience in Europe.That was it.:often used in conversation to say that sth.is completely finished
20、 or that a situation cannot be changed 就这样(指某事彻底结束或形式不能更改)That was it.I could no longer hope for a promotion,and my boss didnt even want to see me again.就这样吧,我的升职再也没指望了,我的老板甚至不想再见到我。6.The civilization of Greece and the glory of Roman architecture were captured in condensed non-statement.(para.4)Mean
21、ing:The civilization of Greece and the glory of Roman architecture were just described in one word rather than a complete statement because of her inability to choose appropriate words to express herselfcapture:vt.1)succeed in recording,showing,or describing a situation or feeling,using words or pic
22、tures(用文字或图片)记录下,描述,捕捉Some artists are able to catch a likeness in a sketch while others are gifted to capture a fleeting expression.有些艺术家能画出酷似某人的肖像,而另一些则善于捕捉到稍纵即逝的表情。2)catch a person and keep them as a prisoner俘虏;逮捕Government troops have succeeded in capturing the rebel leader.政府军已经成功捕获叛乱分子的头目。cond
23、ense:vt.make sth.that is spoken or written shorter 将(讲话或文章)压缩The whole chapter could be condensed into a few paragraphs.这一整章可以压缩成几个段落。condensed:a.being made shorter,usu.including only the most important parts压缩的The council was merely given a condensed version of what had already been disclosed in Wa
24、shington.该理事会得到的知识已在华盛顿披露的内容的浓缩版。7.My student“whoa”was exceeded only by my head-shaking distress.(para.4)Meaning:My head-shaking distress at her inability to express properly was even greater than her slang term whoa,one word,which did not make any statement to describe the civilization of Greece an
25、d the glory of Roman architecture.Meaning beyond words:The word exceed states explicitly that the authors worry about his students language inability was much more intense than her excitement.exceed:vt.(fml.)be more than a particular number or amount 超过;超出Youll have to pay extra money if you exceed
26、your luggage allowance.如果你的行李超重,你必须额外付费。distress:n.U a feeling of extreme unhappiness 忧虑;苦恼;悲伤She had five years of active and happy life in the hospital before she died,without much pain or distress from cancer.她过世前在医院过了五年积极而快乐的生活,并没有因为患癌症二遭受多大的痛苦和忧伤。8.There are many different stories about the dow
27、nturn in the proper use of English.(para.5)Meaning:There are a lot of different stories about why people are less skilled when using English.downturn:n.C,usu.sing.a process in which business activity,production,etc.,is reduced and conditions become worse 衰退;下降The downturn in the auto industry affect
28、ed the entire economy of the United States.汽车工业的衰退影响了整个美国的经济9.Surely students should be able to distinguish between their/there/theyre on the distinctive difference between complimentary and complementary(para.5)Meaning:Of course,students should be able to recognize and understand the differences be
29、tween their/there/theyre on the obvious difference between complimentary and complementarydistinguish:recognizethedifferencesbetweenthings区别;辨别Aformaleducationwithemphasisonhistoryliteratureandculturehelpsapersonlearnhowtodistinguishrightfromwrong着重于历史、文学和文化的正规教育能帮助一个人学习如何明辨是非。Usage Note:distinguish
30、ed,distinctive,distinctdistinguished 指”卓越的;杰出的;著名的”。His grandfather had been a distinguished university professor.他的曾祖父曾是一位杰出的大学教授。distinctive 指”(特征、性格或外表)独特的,有明显不同的”。强调”表示差别的”、”有特色的”、”特殊的”Linda had a very distinctive voice.艾琳有一个非常独特的声音。distinct 表明”分明的、明了的、清楚的”I have the distinct feeling that she di
31、d not like me at all.我明显感到她一点儿都不喜欢我。distinct的另一个词义是”明显不同的;有区别的”Our interests were quite distinct from those of them.我们的兴趣与他们的截然不同。complimentary:a.1)given free to people 免费赠送的All guests will receive a complimentary bottle of champagne.所有客人都将得到一瓶免费的香槟。2)saying that you admire sb.or sth.赞美的;钦佩的Mrs.Stev
32、ens was most complimentary about your work.史蒂文斯夫人称赞你的工作。complementary:plementary things go well together although they are usu.different 互为补充的;互补的The economies of the two countries are complementary to one another in nature.两国经济具有互补性。10.They unfairly bear the bulk of the criticism for these knowledg
33、e deficits because there is a sense that they should know better.(para.5)Meaning:Just because they are assumed to learn better,students unfairly become the main target of the criticism for their insufficient knowledge.bulk:n.U(the of sth.)the majority or largest part of sth.(某物的)大部分Because the bulk
34、of the work was supervised by the owner,the overall cost is difficult to assess.大部分的工作是由业主监督,总体成本很难去评估。deficit:n.C1)alackofaquality,skill,orabilitythatyoushouldhave(素质、技能或能力的)缺乏、不足;knowledge/language/sleepdeficit知识、语言、睡眠的缺乏2)theamountbywhichsth.islessthanyouneedorshouldhave赤字;亏损;逆差Owingtotheheavydef
35、icit,thecompanyisapparentlyonthevergeofbankruptcy.由于巨额亏损,该公司很明显已到了破产的边缘。NoteTheworddeficitismainlyusedinthesecondmeaning(赤字;亏损;逆差)11.Studentsarenotdumb,buttheyarebeingmisledeverywheretheylookandlisten.(para.6)Meaning:Studentsarenotstupidhowever,theymistakenlylearnwhatevertheyseeandhearintheirlanguag
36、eenvironment.NoteHere,“theyarebeingmisled”isusedforemphasis,emphasizinganon-goingsituationof“beingmisled”.dumb:a.(infml.)stupid愚蠢的Thequestionsweresetupjusttomakeherlookdumb.问题这么设计就是为了让她出丑。12.Forexamplesignsingrocerystorespointthemtothestationary,eventhoughtheactualstationery-pads,albumsandnotebooks-
37、arenotitemsnailed down.(para.6)Meaning:Forexample,signsofmerchandiseingrocerystoresleadstudentstothe“stationary”departmentsellingstationerylikepads=,albumsandnotebooks.However,thesedisplayedstationeryitemsaremovablebutnotnaileddown.Meaning beyond words:Takingthewrongspelledsignsingrocerystoresasanex
38、ample,theauthorarguesthatitisnotstudentsfault.Theverbphrasenaildowniscleverlyusedtodescribethefunnysituation:movable“stationery”itemsareunderthesignofunmovablestationarydistinctspellingmistakebetweenthetwowords.stationary:a.standingstillinsteadofmoving不(移)动的;静止的Stationarycarsintrafficjamscausedagrea
39、tdealofpollution.交通堵塞中静止不动的汽车产生了大量污染。stationery:n.Umaterialsusedforwriting,suchaspaper,penspencils,etc.文具Weregretthatweareunabletoaccepttelephoneordersforpersonalstationeryitems.很遗憾,我们不能接受个人文具用品的电话订购。nail sth.down:1)fastensth.tosth.elsewithnails钉;将某物钉牢Willyounaildownthatlooseboardinthefloor?请把那块松动的地
40、板钉牢好吗?2)(infml.)reachafinalanddefiniteagreementordecisionaboutsth.Twodaysisntenoughtonaildownthedetailsofanagreement.要把协议的所有细节都确定下来,两天的时间是不够的。13.Friendsandlovedonesoftenproclaimtheyvejustatewhen,infact,theyrejusteaten(para.6)Meaning:FriendsandlovedonesoftenmakemistakeswhenspeakingEnglish.Forexample,
41、theysaypubliclytheyrejustatebutactuallytheyshouldsaytheyrejusteaten.proclaim:vt.(fml.)saypubliclyorofficiallythatsth.importantistrueorexists宣称;宣布;声明Britainproudlyproclaimsthatitisanationofanimallovers.英国自豪的宣称自己是一个爱护动物的国家。Usage Noteproclaim,claimproclaim是正式宣告或公开宣告,“宣告”的中文意思比“声明”要严肃。Thegovernmenthaspr
42、oclaimedanewlaw.政府公布了一箱新法令。claim是根据权力声明,根据权利要去索赔,根据权利认领;声称;断言;主张;Theyclaimtohavediscoveredacureforthedisease.他们声称已经发现了治疗此病的方法。要求;索赔Theoldmanclaimedtheland.老人要求得到这块土地。14.Therefore,itdoesntmakeanysensetocriticizeourstudents(para.6)Meaning:So,theresnogoodreasontocriticizeourstudents.Whichisunfairtothem
43、.15.Blameforthescandalofthislanguagedeficitshouldbe thrust uponourschools,whichshouldbesettinghighstandardsofEnglishlanguageproficiency.(para.7)Meaning:Ourschoolsshouldbeblamedfortheshockingevidenceofstudentsinsufficientlanguageskills.ItstheirresponsibilitytoestablishhighstandardsofEnglishlanguageab
44、ilities.scandal:n.1)sing.asituationthatshocksyouandmakesyouangry,esp.onethatyouthinksb.inauthorityshouldchange(尤指当局本应改变的)令人震惊的事,引起愤慨的事Itisascandalthatapersoncanbestoppedbythepolicefornoreason.警察竟可以毫无理由地拦人,这很令人震惊。2)Caneventinwhichsb.,esp.sb.important,behavesinabadwaythatshockspeople(尤指牵涉知名人士的)丑闻,丑事Th
45、eofficialgotinvolvedinascandalandwasforcedtoresignweekslater.那位官员卷入了一桩丑闻,几个星期后被迫辞职。thrust sth.upon/on sb.:(usu.passive)forcesb.todooracceptsth.迫使某人做某事;迫使某人接受某事Sheneverenjoyedthefamethatwasthrustonher.对于强加给她的名声,她从未感到开心过。proficiency:n.Uagoodstandardofabilityandskill熟练;精通EvidenceofbasicproficiencyinEng
46、lishispartoftheadmissionrequirements.具备基本的英语技能是入学要求的一部分。16.Insteadtheyonlyteachalittlegrammarandevenlessadvancedvocabulary.(para.7)Meaning:contrarytowhattheschoolsshoulddotheyonlyteachalittleamountofgrammarandfarfromenoughadvancedvocabulary.17.Moreover,theyoungerteachersthemselvesevidentlyhavelittle
47、knowledgeofthesevitalstructuresoflanguagebecausetheyalsowentwithoutexposuretothem.(para.7)Meaning:Inaddition,theyoungteachersobviouslyknowlittleabouttheseimportantstructuresoflanguagesincetheyalsodidnthavethechancetodealwiththemintheirpriorlearningexperiences.evidently:ad.usedforsayingthatsth.isobvi
48、ouslytrue.明显地;显然Sheshouldhavebeenheretwohoursago,soshesevidentlydecidednottocomeafterall.她两小时以前就应该到这儿了,所以她显然决定不来了。exposure:1)sing.,Uthechancetoexperiencenewideas,waysoflife,etc.接触;体验Exposuretoasecondlanguageshouldtakeplaceinelementaryschool.孩子们应该从小学就开始接触第二语言。2)Uwhensb.isinasituationwheretheyarenotpr
49、otectedfromsth,dangerousorunpleasant显露ThedoctortoldPennythattoomuchexposuretothesunisbadfortheskinandmaycausecancer.医生对彭妮说在太阳底下晒太阳对皮肤有害,可能还会致癌。Noteexposure是动词expose的名词形式,动词expose常用于短语be/getexposedto中,表示“接触、体验”。Somechildrenareneverexposedtoclassicalmusic.有些孩子们从来没有接触过古典音乐。18.Schoolsfailtoadequatelytea
50、chtheessentialframeworkoflanguage,accurategrammarandpropervocabulary,whiletheyshouldtaketheresponsibilityofpushingtheyoungontothepathofcompetentcommunication.(para.7)Meaning:Althoughschoolsareresponsibleforgettingstudentsonthetrackofeffectivecommunication,theyareunabletosufficientlyteachthebasicconc
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