Text A Detailed Understanding
I. Difficult Sentences
1. Until then I’d been bored by everything associated with English courses. (Para. 1)
What can we infer from this sentence?
(Up to then, Baker had had no interest in things related to English courses.)
2. I hated the assignments to turn out long, lifeless paragraphs that were agony for teachers to read and for me to write. (Para. 1)
Paraphrase the sentence.
(I found it painful to write long, boring essays as required by teachers; neither did teachers enjoy what I wrote.)
3. another cheerless year in that most tedious of subjects (Para. 2)
What can we learn from this phrase?
(We can know from this phrase that before Mr. Fleagle became Baker’s English teacher, all English courses were dull.)
4. I prepared for an unfruitful year with Mr. Fleagle and for a long time was not disappointed. (Para. 3)
What does the author really mean when he says “I ... was not disappointed”?
(He means that his expectation was right that Mr. Fleagle’s lessons were dull.)
5. I took the list home and did nothing until the night before the essay was due. Lying on the sofa, I finally faced up to the unwelcome task, took the list out of my notebook, and scanned it. (Para. 3)
1) What can we infer from these sentences?
(Baker was unwilling to write his essay.)
2) List phrases to support your inference.
(did nothing until … the essay was due; faced up to the unwelcome task.)
6. This title produced an extraordinary sequence of mental images. (Para. 4)
Paraphrase the sentence and translate it into Chinese.
(At the sight of the title I saw an unusual series of pictures in my mind’s eye. 这个题目在我脑海里唤起了一连串不同寻常的图像。)
7. Vivid memories came flooding back of a night in Belleville when all of us were seated around the supper table — Uncle Allen, my mother, Uncle Charlie, Doris, Uncle Hal — and Aunt Pat served spaghetti for supper. (Para. 4)
Analyze the structure of the sentence.
(在这个长句中，came flooding back 是谓语，其余的都是主语。为了使句子结构平衡，避免头重脚轻，作者运用了割裂修饰法，把谓语前移，主语中心语的修饰成分后置，使谓语紧接主语。例如：
- A list has been drawn up of words we have learned so far.
- All is not gold that glitters.)
8. Neither Doris nor I had ever eaten spaghetti, and none of the adults had enough experience to be good at it. (Para. 4)
What is the relationship between Baker and Doris? Why?
(Doris was Baker’s sister or his female cousin. Two reasons for that:
- Doris is a female name;
- The author mentioned “none of the adults ...” which shows that they were still children, not adults.)
9. I was preparing myself for a command to report to Mr. Fleagle immediately after school for discipline when I saw him lift my paper from his desk and knock for the class’s attention. (Para. 6)
1) Paraphrase this part of the sentence: I was prepared … for discipline.
(I was ready for Mr. Fleagle’s order to see him soon after school for the purpose of punishing me ...)
2) Why did Baker think he would be punished?
(Because to his mind, this time he had violated the rules of formal composition.)
3) What’s the function of the word “when” in the sentence?
(The word “when” here doesn’t mean “at or during the time that” (当…时). Instead, it means “and then” (在那时).
More examples:
- He had just drifted off to sleep when the bell rang.
- I was about to ask after his wife when I suddenly remembered that they were getting a divorce.)
10. In the eleventh grade, at the eleventh hour as it were, I had discovered a calling. (Para. 9)
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
(就在十一年级，可谓是最后的时刻，我找到了一件今生想做的事。)
II. Words & Expressions
off and on (or on and off): from time to time; now and again; irregularly
- It has been raining on and off for a week. That’s why the clothes feel damp.
- As her patient slept soundly during the night, Nurse Betty was able to doze off and on in a bedside chair.
take hold: become established
- The idea of one child has taken hold in many Chinese families.
- 老习惯是很难摆脱的。这就是为什么你要在习惯养成前戒烟。(Old habits die hard. That’s why you should stop smoking before the habit takes hold.)
bore: vt. make (sb.) feel tired and lose interest
- The speaker went on and on, and the audience grew bored by his speech.
- Tom Sawyer grew bored with painting the garden fence, so he thought of a way to make others paint for him.
Collocation:
a crashing bore 讨厌至极的人/事
a frightful bore 讨厌得要命的家伙
an insufferable bore 讨厌得令人无法忍受的人
an utter bore 极惹人厌烦的事
associate: vt. join or connect together; connect or bring in the mind
- 我们总是把埃及与金字塔联系起来。(We often associate Egypt with pyramids.)
- I can’t associate this gentle young woman with the radical political essays she has written.
- Jim wished to forget everything associated with his former life.
turn out:
1) come out or gather as for a meeting, public event, etc.
2) prove to be
3) shut off
4) produce; make
Match the above definitions with the sentences below.
- A large group of protesters have turned out. (1)
- The school has turned out some great scholars. (4)
- Turn out the light before you go to bed. (3)
- The plan turned out a failure. (2)
- We are to turn out 100,000,586 computers next year to meet the market requirements. (4)
- The experiment turned out to be a success. (2)
- Crowds turned out for the procession. (1)
anticipate: vt. expect (usu. followed by gerund or that-clause)
- The police had anticipated trouble from the soccer fans and were at the ground in large numbers.
- 他们预测到2012年死于艾滋病的人数将增加一倍。(They anticipate that deaths from AIDS will have doubled by 2012.)
N.B. 该动词所接的宾语可以是动名词，不可用不定式代替。
- We anticipate running into problems in carrying out the medical welfare reform.
- We anticipate hearing from you again.
tedious: adj. boring and lasting for a long time
- The movie was so tedious that many viewers left before it was over.
- Laura found George to be tedious and decided not to see him anymore.
inspire: vt. fill (sb.) with confidence, eagerness, etc.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speeches inspired people to fight for equal treatment of African Americans.
- The last leaf on the tree that never fell off inspired the dying patient with the will to live on.
Collocation:
inspire sth. in sb .(= inspire sb. with sth.) 使某人产生某种感情；激发某人的某种感情
rigid: adj. (often disapproving) fixed in behavior; based on correct or accepted rules
- 如果他从前对事情不那么严格苛刻的话，他女儿就不会这么年轻就离家出走了。(If he had been a little less rigid about things, his daughter would not have left home at such a young age.)
- The rigid headmaster would button up his clothes even on the hottest days.
severe: adj.
1) completely plain
- The widow wore a severe black dress to her husband’s funeral.
- 海明威以其朴实的写作风格而闻名于世。(Hemingway is known for his severe writing style.)
2) stern; strict
- Only those who have undergone severe training can be accepted into the air force.
- Fu Lei was so severe with his son that even his wife would cry.
3) causing very great pain, difficulty, worry, etc.
- The severe chest pain experienced by the Vice-President proved to be a heart attack.
- 工厂必须生产出更新更好的产品，才能在激烈的商业竞争形势中获胜。(A factory must turn out newer and better products to win in the climate of severe business competition.)
CF: severe, stern & strict
severe 作“严厉”解时，可以用来形容人（severe father 严厉的父亲），人的面貌（severe look 严厉的神色），人的态度（The teacher is severe with his students. 教师对学生很严厉。）。
stern 与 severe 相近，但用途比较窄，一般用于人的容貌或态度。例如：a stern father 和 a severe father 都可以用，但含义稍有不同：a severe father指对于子女有严厉的要求，积极的意义较多；a stern father 则指对子女不含温情，要他们服从，消极的意味较多。
strict 相当于汉语的 “严格的”，须先假定有一种客观的标准（如规章、纪律、定义、真理等）。例如：
- The teacher is strict with his students.
- There is a strict regulation against smoking in the auditorium.
tackle: vt. deal with
- Toshiba (东芝) recently designed a robot that can tackle almost any kinds of housework.
- The question set by the teacher was so difficult that the pupils did not know how to tackle it.
face up to: be brave enough to accept or deal with (a problem or difficulty)
- Yeltsin faced up to the fact that he was no longer fit for the Russian presidency and resigned on New Year’s Eve.
- 既然你女儿已经诞生了，你就要承担起做父亲的责任。(Now that your daughter was born, you’ll have to face up to the responsibilities of being a father.)
sequence: n. connected line of events, ideas, etc.
- 连续的歉收（bad harvest）迫使一些非洲国家请求外国援助（foreign aid）。(A sequence of bad harvests forced some African countries to ask for foreign aid.)
- The Fall of the Roman Empire was written in historical sequence.
CF: sequence & series
sequence 是指“先后衔接的次序”。这种次序可以是历史性的，即事态发生时的先后次序；也可以是逻辑性的，即论点先后的衔接，相当于汉语的“语无伦次”中的“伦次”。例如：
- I have a poor memory for dates and often mix up the sequence of events. (我记日期的能力很差，常把事情的先后次序弄混。)
- Your argument lacks logical sequence, for your second point does not follow the first. (你的论据缺乏逻辑顺序，因为你的第二点与第一点衔接不上。)
series 是指“系列”、“组”，可以有先后衔接的次序，也可以没有，但一系列或一组的东西一定自成一个完整的单位。例如：
- Professor Li will give a series of lectures on the Middle East issue. (李教授将就中东问题做一系列的讲座。)
- The post office has issued a series of stamps commemorating the Olympic Games. (邮政局发行了一组纪念奥运会的邮票。)
Collocation:
in sequence 顺次，挨次
in rapid sequence 紧接着，一个接着一个
in regular sequence 按次序，有条不紊
the sequence of events 事情的先后顺序
recall: vt. bring back to the mind; remember (usu. followed by noun / gerund, or that-clause)
- I recognize the face but can’t recall her name.
- I don’t recall ever meeting her.
- She recalled that she had to see the doctor again that afternoon.
CF: recall, remember & remind
这三个词都与“记忆”有关，前两个词有时可通用。
recall“想起”，把忘记的东西又想起来了，其动作包含有意识的努力，因此常与 can，could 等词连用，强调一次的回忆。例如：
- Try as I might, I could not recall where I had left the book. (我怎么也想不起来我把书丢在哪里了。)
- I remember her face but I cannot recall where I met her. (我记得她的脸，但是想不起在什么地方见过她。)
remember “想起”，用处比较广泛，指事物自然在记忆中出现，不包含努力或意志。例如：
- I suddenly remembered I had left the book in the library. (我突然想起我把书忘在图书馆里了。)
如果 remember 表示有意识的行动，常指“记住”。例如：
- You must remember this phone number. (你必须记住这个电话号码。)
remind 指“使某人想起”，“提醒”，宾语是人。具体用法如下：
1) 接宾语；
2) 接宾语 of 宾语；
3) 接宾语 不定式；
4) 接宾语 that-clause。
例如：
1) If I forget it, please remind me. (如果我忘了，请提醒我。)
2) This reminds me of last year. (这使我想起去年的事。)
3) Remind me to write to my Mom. (提醒我给妈妈写信。)
4) The sight of the clock reminded me that I was late. (看到钟我想起自己迟到了。)
argument: n.
1) a disagreement; a quarrel
- Mary found that compromise was always the best policy when she had an argument with her husband.
2) a reason given to support or disprove sth.
- There are many arguments against smoking.
- 那位著名的教授总能把论点讲透彻。(The famous professor can always drive home an argument.)
Collocation:
get into an argument 加入/卷入争论
break off an argument 中断一场争论
terminate an argument 结束一场争论
settle an argument 解决一场争论
a bitter / violent / heated argument 激烈的争论
put forward / offer an argument 提出论点
confute an argument 驳倒一个论点
put down: write down
- 管家把每天的开支记在小记事本上。(The housekeeper puts down the daily expenses in a little notebook.)
- Put down what you hear, please.
violate: vt. act against
- Speeding in downtown areas violates traffic regulations.
- A country isn’t respected if it violates an international agreement.
compose: vt. write or create (music, poetry, etc.)
- The president’s speech is really brilliant. Do you think it was composed by himself or by someone else?
- John Lennon composed the song Beautiful Boy for his son.
CF: compose, consist of, comprise & constitute
这组动词的一般含义为“组成”或“构成”。
compose 常见于被动语态，构成 be composed of 的结构，表示“由…构成”；在用于主动语态时,一般包含着“融合为一”的意思，而且主语或者是复数名词或者是集体名词。例如：
- Concrete is composed of cement, sand and gravel mixed with water. (混凝土由水泥、沙、石子与水掺和而成。)
- England, Scotland and Wales compose the island of Great Britain. (英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士构成大不列颠岛。)
consist of 意为“由…构成”，强调结果是一个统一整体。例如：
- New York City consists of five boroughs. (纽约市由五个行政区组成。)
comprise 可表示“由…构成”；也可表示“构成”。例如：
- The committee comprises men of widely different views. (这个委员会由见解甚为殊异的人组成。)
- Fifty states comprise the United States. (美国由50个州组成。)
constitute 的主语可以是复数名词也可以是单数名词，所“构成”的事物在属性和特征上，亦或在组织上，与组成成分是一致的。例如：
- Seven days constitutes a week. (七天构成一个星期。)
turn in:
1. hand in; give over
2. deliver (a person or thing) to the police
3. give back; return
Match the above definitions with the sentences below.
- The criminal turned herself in. (2)
- For your final grade, each of you must turn in a 7-page paper. (1)
- You must turn in your uniform when you leave the army. (3)
- Have you all turned in your homework for last night? (1)
command:
1. n. order
- The commander gave the command that all prisoners of war should be well treated.
- The rebellious army would not obey any command from the President.
2. v. give an order (to)
- 船长命令船员立刻离船。(The captain commanded his men to leave the ship immediately.)
- If you command wisely, you’ll be obeyed cheerfully. ([谚语]指挥有方，人人乐从。)
- He is not fit to command others that cannot command himself. ([谚语]不能指挥自己就不能指挥别人。)
NB:
像 suggest, demand 等动词一样,跟在 command后面的 that 从句中要用虚拟语气，谓语用“should 原形动词”或直接加原形动词，而不管从句中的人称或时态。例如：
- He commanded that all the gates (should) be shut.
Collocation:
get command of 控制
have a good command of 能自由应用
have … at one's command 能充分掌握…
take command of 开始担任…指挥
under (the) command of 由…指挥； 在…指挥之下
CF: command & order
command 暗含“必须服从”的意思，比较正式。例如:
- The officer commanded his soldiers to open fire on the enemy. (军官命令士兵开枪射击敌人。)
order 指一般的上级“命令”下级，较普通、常用。例如：
- He was ordered to write a full report on the matter. (他奉命写一篇关于那件事的详细报告。)
what’s more: in addition; more importantly
- Ms. Stewart manages a successful business and gives a weekly TV cooking show. What’s more, she has already published three books on gardening.
-你怎么会爱上这个人。他整天看电视，更有甚者，他好像几个月没刷牙了！(How can you love this man? He watches TV all day long, and what’s more, he seems not to have brushed his teeth for months!)
hold back:
1) prevent the expression of (feelings, tears, etc.)
- Johnny cried bitterly in the classroom, not even attempting to hold back the tears.
2) make sb. or sth. stop moving forward
- The men built banks of earth to hold back the rising flood water.
3) prevent the development of
- You could become a good musician, but your lack of practice is holding you back.
4) keep (sth.) secret
- 把事情全告诉我，不要隐瞒任何细节。(Tell me about it — don’t hold anything back.)
avoid: vt. keep or get away from (usu. followed by noun / gerund)
- The little boy who had broken a neighbor’s window ran away to avoid punishment / being punished.
- 我横穿马路以便避开他，但他看到了我并朝我跑过来。(I crossed the street to avoid meeting him, but he saw me and came running towards me.)
NB:
英语中有些动词或词组后面只能跟名词或动名词，不能跟不定式，如：avoid，deny，enjoy，escape，finish，mind，miss，postpone，suggest，feel like，give up，put off 等，我们在使用中要特别注意。
CF: avoid & escape
两词均有“避”的意思。
avoid 指“（有意识地）躲避”不愉快的或可能发生的危险或情况，而不是“逃避”实际的威胁。例如：
- He deliberately avoided seeing me. (他故意回避我。)
- The danger can be avoided if we lay our plans carefully. (如果我们计划定得周密，危险就可以避免。)
escape 作及物动词时，表示“逃脱”，常用于抽象、借喻的情况中。例如：
- How did he imagine that things like that could escape detection? (他怎么会认为像那样的事情可以不被发觉呢？)
- The name has escaped my memory. (我记不得那名字了。)
the eleventh hour: the last moment before sth. important happens
- John turned in the report at the eleventh hour.
-那位总统的访问在最后时刻被取消了。(The president’s visit was called off at the eleventh hour.)
career: n. a job or profession for which one is trained and which one intends to follow for the whole of one’s life
- My farmer parents have never expected me to make novel writing my career.
- 我祖父教了一辈子书，教书是他所干过的唯一的工作。(My grandfather was a career teacher; it’s the only job he’d ever done.)
Collocation:
carve (out) a career for oneself 闯出一番事业；谋求发迹
in (the) full career 开足马力地,全速地
make a career 在事业上有所成就
put / set the seal on: make sth. definite or complete
- A last-minute goal set / put the seal on Tottenham’s victory.
- The experience set the seal on their friendship.
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