Text Analysis

(Directions:) The author offers four keys to getting hired. All are instructive yet each is begun in a way different from the rest stylistically. Please match these strategies with each suggestion.

   Column A                                              Column B

1) Prepare to win.                                             starts with a surprising fact

2) Never stop learning.                                       begins with a question

3) Believe in yourself, even when no one else does.     starts with a quotation

4) Find a way to make a difference.             begins with a personal opinion

Detailed Reading

1. Difficult Sentences  

That left me with only one other question.

Translate the sentence into Chinese.

 (= 这样我就只剩一个问题要问了。)

When we watch a world-class musician or a top athlete, we don’t see the years of preparation that enabled him or her to become great.

1.    Translate the sentence into Chinese.

(= 我们在观看世界级音乐家或顶尖运动员的表演时，看到的并不是使他们变成出类拔萃人物的长年苦练。)

2.    What does this sentence imply?

 (= When we admire other people’s success, we always forget that they have worked on this for a long time.)

The same preparation applies in every form of human endeavor.

Paraphrase the sentence.

(= No matter what kind of success you want to achieve, you should prepare for it.)

And that’s how it worked out.

1.    Translate the sentence into Chinese.

(= 当时情况也的确如此。)

But it takes no longer to prepare well for one interview than to wander in half-prepared for five.

1.    What does this sentence indicate?

(= This sentence means that anyone, who wants to get hired, should get concentrated. )

You see, a goal is a dream with a deadline: in writing, measurable, identifiable, attainable.

1.    What does this sentence refer to?

(= People should regard their goal as a kind of dream, but it can be achieved and realized. The goal is not a daydream.)

2.    Translate the sentence into Chinese.

(=要知道，所谓目标就是有最后限期的梦想：写成文字，可测量，可确认，可实现。)

the majority of New York cabdrivers are unfriendly, if not downright rude.

1.    What does “downright” mean here?

(= It means “absolutely”.)

He’s living proof that you can always shift the odds in your favor.

1.    What does “living proof” mean?

(= It means “a good example which illustrates the point very well”.)

2.    What does “shift the odds in your favor”?

(= It means “you can be more likely to succeed”.)

3.    Translate the sentence into Chinese.

(=他就是一个生动的例证，说明你总是可以争取到成功的机会。)

As we were taxiing down it to take off, Curt turned to me and said gleefully, “Look, Harvey, no tracks in the snow!”

   1. Why was Curt so happy when he said that there were no tracks in the snow?

(= Because Curt thought they were the first to take off. )

   2. What does this sentence refer to?

(= One should know how to seek happiness in trifle events or in daily life.)

Then go out and make your own tracks in the snow.

1.    Translate the sentence into Chinese.

(=然后就出发，在雪地上留下你自己的足迹。)

2.    What does “make your own tracks in the snow” mean?

(= Anyone should try your best to accomplish his own success.)

2  Words and Expressions:

interview:

1. n.

1)    a meeting where a person is asked questions to decide whether he can take up a job

*  When she was still at school, she had her first interview, for a part-time job in a restaurant.

2)    a meeting where a person is asked questions to find out his/her actions, opinions, etc.

* The film star agreed willingly to give an interview immediately after his wedding.

2. v.

1) hold an interview with (someone)

* 他正在接受一地方电视台对他关于失业率的采访。

 （= He was being interviewed by a local TV station about the rate of unemployment.）

     2) question (someone) to discover their opinions or experience

 在一次调查研究中，被调查的女性中超过一半的人都讨厌“家庭妇女”这一称呼。

(=In a survey more than half the women interviewed hated the label ‘ housewife’)

grill: vt.

1)    cook under or over direct heat

* We could grill the chops on the barbecue.

2)    (infml) question intensely and severely (esp. of the police)

* 他被拷问了三小时后，警察才让他走。

  （= He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go.）

* The senior detective grilled the young suspect about the robbery case.

 follow up: take addition steps to further (a previous action)

 让我们担心的是恐怖分子在威胁之后会进行炸弹攻击。

(= We are worried that terrorists will follow up their threats with bomb attacks.) (插入图像bomb)

* If you make a hotel booking by phone, follow it up with written confirmation.

Collocation:

     1) as follows  如下

      * The result were as follows.

2) to follow   下一个

 * I’ll have fish, with fruit to follow.

in one’s hands: in one’s possession

     * 我的律师有了所有相关的证据。

        （=All the relevant facts are in my solicitor’s hands.）

     * His father’s company has been in his hands for many years.

prospective: adj.  expected; probable; intended

 * The chief function of direct-mail advertising is to familiarize prospective buyers with a product.

 * 这个世界闻名的大学收到近200名学生的申请表。

（= This university of world fame had applications from nearly 200 prospective students.）

as I see it: in my opinion

      * 在我看来，这些钱足够他在国外生活一年了。

（= As I see it, the money is sufficient for seeing him through a year abroad.）

* As I see it, this press conference is the most successful one we have ever had.

Collocation:

   see about 安排；采取行动

   see out   送出门，送到门口

   see to 负责，照料

   * It’s time for me to see about cooking dinner.

   * I’ll see you out.

* If I cook lunch, will you see to the children?

 (as) the saying goes: used to introduce a particular phrase that people often say

    * As an old English saying goes, “If you want to live and thrive, let a spider run alive!”

    * 正如谚语所说，“无风不起浪”。

(= As the saying goes, “ There’s no smoke without fire.”)

(L.29) apply: v.

1)     request something, esp. in writing

 * Anyone who has a college degree can apply for the job.

* With admission criteria ranking among the most selective in theUnited States, Harvard accepted less than 20 percent off all who applied.

2)     bring or put into use

 * Apply as much force as is necessary.

  (= 需要用多少力量就用多少。)

3)    to have an effect; be directly related

 * 这项规则不适用。

 （= This regulation doesn’t apply.）

endeavor:

1. vt. (fml)  try

     * You must endeavor to improve your work.

     * 这个跨国公司一直尽力在最短的时间内处理顾客的投诉。

  （= The multinational company always endeavors to deal with clients’ complaints as promptly as possible.）

     * The government has endeavored to forbid the employment of children under the age of 16.

2. n. effort

        * 她尽可能地帮助我们。

        （= She made every endeavor to help us.）

l  The climbing of Mount Qomolangma was an outstanding example of human endeavor.

        CF: endeavor, try &attempt

这三个词都可作动词，有“尝试”，“企图”，“努力”之意。

endeavor: 意思是“努力”，“尽力”，无“尝试”之意，指为完成某事需付出的巨大努力，是书面语。例如：

 Galileo endeavored to prove that the earth rotates around the sun. 伽利略尽力证明地球是绕着太阳转的。

try: 意思是“尝试”，“打算”，比“endeavor” 意思轻，指多次企图去做某事。例如：

she tried the little golden key in the lock. 她试着用那把小小的金钥匙开那把锁。

attempt: 意思是“尝试”，“努力”，“试图（做某事）”，侧重有某种动机并开始做，常有冒险性和失败的可能性，多用作书面语。例如：

 The swimmer attempted to cross the English Channel but failed. 那个游泳选手试图横渡英吉利海峡，但没有成功。

employment: n.

1) a person’s trade or profession

    * The students, who are approaching the school-leaving age, endeavor to look for employment.

(= 快要毕业的学生都尽力找工作。)

   2) the condition of having paid work

* The economic depression caused a fall in the numbers in full-time employment.

 * 未受过高等教育的人在就业问题上常遇到阻碍。

（= People without high education often face barriers in employment.）

do one’s homework: make preparations beforehand

      * He had evidently done his homework and read his predecessor’s reports.

      * 在演讲之前，他做了充分的准备工作。

（= He had done his homework before he delivered the speech.）

go after: try hard to obtain; chase

     *  在英语演讲比赛中，他去争取得奖。

(=He went after a prize in the English speech contest.)

     * 你会不会去这个公司找工作？

      （= Are you planning to go after a position in this company?）

Collocation:

go about 从事

go against 违背；对……不利

go ahead  开始

1）         The case may ________ (=go against) you.

2）         The council gave us permission to ______ (=go ahead) with our building plans.

3）         How do you ________ (=go about) repairing this clock?

incidentally: by the way

      * I really got to go now. Incidentally, don’t forget to pay a visit to your mother tomorrow. She is expecting you.

chuckle: laugh quietly

     * 看到她的惊讶，我轻轻一笑。(插入图像Chuckle)

（= I chuckled at the astonishment on her face.）

* “That’s a bit heavy, isn’t it?” he chuckled.

rank:

1.    n. a position in the hierarchy of the armed force or society

         * He was at last promoted to the rank of Captain.

         * 社会各阶层的人都很关心这个案件。

         （= People of all ranks are very attentive to this case.）

2.    v.  be or put (in a certain class)

* This town ranks high among New England beauty spots.

 (= 这座城镇在新英格兰风景区中名列前茅。)( 插入图像New England)

physical: adj.

1)    of or concerning the body

* 人类在肤色、眼睛颜色、体型及其它身体特征上都有所不同。

（=Human populations differ in their skin color, eye color, shape and other physical characteristics.）

* Regular exercise enhances people’s sense of mental well being along with the general physical health.

2)    of or according to the laws of nature

* Is there a physical explanation for these strange happenings?

(=对这些怪现象有科学上的解释吗？)

* It is a physical impossibility to be in two places at once.

structure: n.

1)    the way in which parts are formed into a whole

   * Morphology is concerned with the structure of words, syntax with the structure of phrases and sentences.

   * 不同的社会有不同的家庭构造。

   （= The structure of the family varies from society to society.）

2.    n. anything formed of many parts, esp. a building

   * The house was a handsome four-story brick structure.

 (in)adequate: adj.

1)    enough for the purpose, and no more

    * The city’s water supply is no longer adequate.

2)    having the necessary ability or qualities

* 我希望他能胜任这分工作。

（= I hope he will be adequate to the job.）

CF: adequate, ample & sufficient

adequate: 意为“刚好够或合适”，着重指在数量或质量上合适某种情

场合，或符合一个客观要求，标准。例如：

The book is adequate for the use of beginners. 这本书适合初学者使用。

My salary is not adequate to support my family. 我的薪水不足以养家。

ample: 指不单能达到应有的程度或能满足需要的程度，而且充足有余。例如：

There is abundantly ample food for all. 有丰裕的食物供大家吃。

Sufficient: 通常用来表示数量之多能满足或达到某种特殊的需求和目的。例如：

Have you made sufficient investigation in this case? 这个案件你作过充分的调查了吗？

He has sufficient knowledge and experience for the work. 他具备足够的知识和经验应付这件工作。

deadline: n.  a time limit by which something must be done

* Tomorrow is the deadline for the students to hand in their term paper.

* 由于种种原因，她错过了交税的最后期限。

（= For one reason or another, she missed the deadline for income tax to be handed in.）

make a difference: change the situation or outlook; have an effect

    * 在异国旅行会不会讲该国语言大不相同。

（= Speaking the language makes a lot of difference when you travel to another country.）

* 你干什么对我没有丝毫影响。

(=It doesn’t make the least difference to me what you are doing.)

Collocation:

make all the difference  大不相同

settle a difference      消除分歧

blurt: v.  say (something which should not be said) suddenly and without thing

      * 他没有考虑后果就脱口说出了那消息。

（= He blurted out the news before he considered its effect.）

* As soon as the teacher put forward the question, he blurted the answer out.

pry:

1. vt. force sth. open or away from a surface

* Can you help me pry the cover off this wooden box without breaking it?

(=你能不能帮我不打破这个木箱盖而撬开它?) (插入图像pry)

*Her car trunk had been pried open and all her equipment was gone.

2. vi. look or inquire closely and curiously

Don't pry into the affairs of others.

Collocation:

pry about到处窥探

pry into窥探，打听

21. (L.95) odds: (pl.) the probability that something will or will not happen

   * 她的马只有10% 的可能性会赢。

（= The odds are 10 to 1 that her horse will not win the race. ）

* The odds are that he will fail his exam.

Collocation:

  at odds with  与…不一致

  odds and ends  零碎的事情 

in the neighborhood of: about

* He has an annual salary in the neighborhood of $50,000.

* I am hoping to buy an apartment in the neighborhood of $12,000.

beyond anyone’s / one’s wildest dreams: more than anyone/ one can ever imagine

 * 在10年前，我做梦也没想到今天我会拥有自己的汽车。(插入图像car)

  （=Ten years ago it was beyond my wildest dreams that I could afford a car.）

 * Scientists have made an invention which is to change our lives beyond our wildest dreams.

sparkle: to shine in small flashes

   * The diamond ring sparkled in the sunlight.

   * The stone sparkles when properly cut.

CF: gleam, flicker, shimmer& sparkle

gleam: 指通过模糊的媒介或在黑暗的背景上所看到稳定的光。例如：

   A few scattered bars of light gleamed in the rain through the cottage windows. 在雨中，几道分散的光柱透过农舍的窗户照射出来。

Flicker: 表示分散的或不规则的闪动，多用于来形容火光。例如：

The logs flickered in the grate. (插入图像flicker) 木材在壁炉中燃烧发光。

shimmer: 指水面在亮光的映照之下所发出柔和的光。例如：

Velvet curtains with gold embroidery shimmered.( 插入图像shimmer) 天鹅绒窗帘的金丝刺绣熠熠生辉。

sparkle: 指吸收物体反射出来的不稳定，但明亮的光。有时可以glitter和互换。例如：

   The sun sparkles wet grass.( 插入图像sparkle) 草叶上的露水在阳光下闪闪发光。