Unit One

A Young Boy’s Ambition

Warm up questions What do you know about the American a

uthor Mark Twain? What transient ambitions do you have wh

en you were a child? Do you have any permanent ambition no

w? What is it?

Key points but one: only permanent: means lasting for ever and never ch

anging transient: lasting for only a short time New York has a transient population. fade out: disappear gradually The memory in Japan will never fade out from hi

s mind.

drowse: drowsy,drowsiness pretty nearly: means almost pretty much pretty w

ell It is pretty nearly impossible to travel over these

mountains in winter. film: a film of :the coating or covering on or over

sth. A film of mist

pour out: cause people or things to come or go in a continuous stream

in a twinkling: in a very short time or very quickly

husband: save to use sth husband one’s strength, husband resources be under way: having started and making

progress

justice of the peace: refers to a person who judges less serious cases in a local law court.

issue from: result from Economic problems are issuing from a lack of i

nvestment offend: offence offensive This was distinction enough for me as a gener

al thing: generally speaking, my father’s occupation is distinctive enough for me .

conspicuous: when use to describe a thing, it means easily seen. When to modify a person, it means attracting attention by unusual behavior.

The actress wore a mini-skirt on a snowy day in order to be conspicuous

eminence: eminent : a eminent scientist swell: be proud of doing sth His heart swelled with pride. slough: stand, sit or move in a lazy way often not quite

upright She sloughed round the room all day.

vague: not clearly expressed or perceived

dim: where or which one cannot see well, not bright, or not clearly remembered.

Indefinite: not clearly defined or stated Obscure: not easily or clearly seen or un

derstood, hidden lapse into : sink, pass or fall by degrees lapse in reading,lapse in addiction

Unit Four

Three Kinds of Fatigue

Warm up questions

Do you often feel tired? When do you usually feel tired? What do you think are the probable causes

of you tiredness if you sometimes feel tired? How many kinds of fatigue can you classify?

Key points when hay was baled by hand: when dried grass was tied in bundles tire: is the general and ordinary word and usually implies the drainin

g of one’s strength or patience; it may suggest such causes as overextension, long continuance at a task, boredom, or a sense of futility.

Weary: as often suggests an incapacity for enduring more of the same thing or an unwillingness to continue one’ effort or one’s interest.

Fatigue: is stronger than tire and implies great lassitude brought on by overstrain or undue effort.

Exhaust: heightens fatigue’s implications of drained strength or a worn-out condition of mind or of body.

era: age/period labor-saving: use less labor wear oneself down: cause to be reduced bit by bit; feel e

xhausted Recently, the heavy work really wore me down. feel dragged out: feel very tired; become exhausted all ov

er The old lady went to bed early, because she felt dragged

out after her long journey. resume full activity: restore one’s activity fully

drain of : use too much on end: continuously by far: so far conflict: in psychology, it means sth.make you fe

el depressed distract: take a person’s mind off something distract one’s attention

counterproductive: having negative result The medicine has some counterproductive effect on people backfire: having the opposite result The overdose of sleeping oills can backfire and cause harmful effect

s. 14. boost: to increase; raise To boost prices/ a big boost in salary enhance: strenghten enhance one’s political conciousness health enhances beauty

in a relaxed fashion: in a relaxed manner drag down: become exhausted overextend: take on too much Since she has overextended the job, she is wo

rking overtime every evening. in perspective: considering things in relation to

one nother accurately and fairly take sth. in stride: accept and deal with someth

ing easily with a thud: with dull sound as of a blow

Unit Five

Bringing Up Children

Group Discussion

Do you remember playing together with your parents or older relatives? Do you think children need to be treated in this way?

Do you think that a child should be allowed to play with mud, water, sand or any other messy or dirty substance until he “grows out of it”?

Key points refer to : memtion eg. The red rose refers to love. distinguish: v eg. Can you distinguish the rose from the lily. distinguish oneself by sth This girl distinguishes herself by coolness. distinguished: adj. Tom is a distinguished professor in our university. rear: n. eg. a kitchen in/at/to the rear of the house. rear: v. bring up; raise eg. rear a family The snake reared its head.

temperament: person’s disposition or nature eg. a man with artistic temperament I have got a very nervous temperament. defect: n. flaw eg. defect in a car defect in education system defect: v. betray Our spy defected to the enemy. outlet: n. means of releasing one’s feeling the outlet of the water eg. He need an outlet for pent angry. warp: v. eg. The damp wood began to warp. The sun warped the book.

conform to: accord with eg. Your behavior should conform to the requirement of the law. conform with/to eg. His idea does not conform with mine. 9 zest: great interest or pleasure eg. Her zest fot life is as great as ever. He entered into our plan with zest. indulgence: n. gratify one’s desire eg. Let’s talk about the serious consequence of indulgence. Indulge: v. indulge in eg He indulged himself in drinks every day.

Severe: adj. strict eg. My parents are very severe with me. leave out: omit eg. Remember not to leave out the last sentence of the paragraph. at intervals: in a period between two events or times eg. The meeting continues at intervals of five minutes. preach: v eg. She preached the economy as the best means of solving the cris

is. You are in no position to preach to me about efficiency. It is generally accepted that eg. it is generally accepted that all children are born with equal intelli

gence.

as regard: with reference to; concerning eg. As regard the fatigue, I have noting to say. extend over: eg. The peace negotiations have extended over two year. acquisition: gaining by skill eg. I like your earrings-are they a recent acquisition. deceive: v. cause sb. to believe sth. that is false eg. If they think their kids are happy, they are deceiving themselves. Disillusion: state of being free from sth.different from the reality eg. There is increasing disillusionment with the government.

Unit Eleven

Etiquette

Group Discussion

Can you give some examples of old customs of politeness and ceremony in old China?

The actual words we use also show respect or the opposite. What examples can you think of in Chinese? Are they closely related with class distinctions?

Dose the English language have its own ways of showing respect or the opposite?

Key points

etiquette: synonyms: convention, protocol, code, unwritten law

prostrate: lie with the face down and arms stretches out, esp. in obedience or worship.

haughty: compare with arrogant, bigheaded, conceited, vain, complacent, pompous

as a rule: usually; more often than not As a rule, we get up about six o’clock.

on show; being exhibited to the public Some famous cars are on show here. work out: calculate; devise in detail covet: desire strongly The presidency is surely a job that every politician covets. mark off: make into a separate area by drawing line precedence: the condition of being dealt with before other things or o

f being considered more important than other things. Business people often think that fluency and communication take pr

ecedence over grammar when speaking.

in the presence of: close enough to be seen or heard by someone precede: be or go before something or someone in time or space. He unlocked the door and preceded them into the bare little room. in accordance with: in agreement or conformity treaty: a written agreement between two or more countries formally

approved and signed by their leaders. harmonious: in agreement, free from ill feeling International free trade promotes harmonious relation between natio

ns.

wane: become less or weaker My enthusiasm for the project was waning. unrest: means disturbed condition social/political unrest be irrelevant to: not relate to gracious: kind, generous; courteous, esp. refers to the behavior of p

eople towards other people who have a lower social position which is polite and pleasant.

graceful : refers to a quality that is simple, natural beauty, esp. of movement or form.

valiant: very brave or bravely determined, esp. when things are difficult or the situation gives no cause for hope

debase: reduce in quality or value debase the value of dollar have… to one’s name: own

Unit Thirteen

Practical Psychology: Silent Speech

Warm up questions

What are they doing? What has happened to thme? What are their probable occupations?

Key points swamp by/with ⑴ cover a place or thing with a large amount of water The boat was swamped by an enormous wave. ⑵ if something swamps a person or thing, it comes to the

m in a larger amount than they can easily deal with. I am swamped with work at the moment. it’s all down to body language: it’s all caused by body lang

uage I am sure the problem is down to her inexperience, not any

of intelligence.

incongruity: something not in harmony or agreement, something out of place.

The obvious friendship between the two leaders was another incongruity in these already unusual negotiations.

make sense of : find a meaning in I have read the letter twice, but I can’t make sense of it. know…..as : name …as regard…..as I know her as a colleague, but not really as a friend. rapport: close agreement or sympathy with someone else After working with Jane for many years, I had developed a

close rapport

animatedly: in a way that is interesting and energetic The spectators were animatedly debating the likely result of

the tennis final. edge away: move slowly and carefully away We all start to edge away slightly, or sit forward in our chair,

when we’re too polite to say “I’d like to leave”, and most people will take the hint.

open up: make open, make possible the development of I was so embarrassed that I wished the floor would open u

p and swallow me.

be aware of : have knowledge or experience of a particular thing I am well aware of the problems caused by this new road--- it turns righ

t past my office. in the guise of: assuming a particular manner or appearance The men who arrived in the guise of drug dealers were actually underc

over police officers. When two people meeting make eye contact, both raise and lower their

eyebrows in a flash greeting, which is known by experts as the eyebrow flash: when two people meeting make eye contact, they will raise and lower eyebrows quickly to express their greeting. Experts call this “eyebrow flash”

at the height of: at the time when it is the strongest and most full of activity.

At the height of crisis, we were left without any help.

Unit Three

Doctor’s Dilemma: Treat or Let Die

Warm up questions

What decision would you make if you were her parent, husband, or the judge?

Is society obliged to preserve life at any cost? Or is there a point when nature should be allowed to take its course?

Key points Dilema: a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what

to do because all the choices given seem equally good or equally bad

eg: This placed Robert Kennedy in a dilema. Double-edged sword: something that has as many bad res

ults as good ones; something with one negative and one positive effect

eg: The competition rules must be regarded as a double-edged sword.

Outstrip: be greater in quantity than something else; exceed or surpass

eg: The demand for food outstripped the supply.

Blur: make the difference between two ideas, subjects, less clear

eg: The difference between male and female roles within the house has become blurred.

Limbo: a state of uncertainty about a situation that you cannot control and in which there is no advancement and improvement

eg: I am in limbo until I know whether I’ve got the job.

In the wake of: of something, especially something bad happening afterwards and usually as a result of it

eg: They submitted their resignations in the wake of a scandal.

Paramount: more important than anything else. eg: During a war, the interests of the state are par

amount, and those of the individual come last.

Congenital: existing since or before birth; inherent eg: The city seems to have a congenital inferiority

complex. Defect: a fault or a lack of something that means t

hat something or someone is not perfect. eg:A defect in the braking system caused several

accidents before the car was recalled.

Unit Six

The New American Dreamers

Group discussion

What jobs are valued most from the general perspective, and why?

How do different people define success? What do people find stressful about their job

s?

Key points Prototype: someone or something that is one of the first an

d most typical examples f a group or situation. eg: The prototype of this particular computer was develope

d by an American in 1975. Knowledgeable: knowing a lot eg: We are looking for people who are knowledgeable abo

ut the oil and banking industries. Committed: willing to work hard and give your time and ene

rgy to something believing strongly in something eg: The company looks for highly committed people who ar

e willing to study for further professional qualifications in their own time.

Convinced: feeling certain that something is true eg: Molly agreed, but she did not sound very convi

nced. Aspiration: a strong desire to have or do somethin

g eg: He has never had any aspiration to earn a lot o

f money.

Affluent: having plenty of money, nice houses, expensive things

eg: As people become more affluent, their standard and style of living improves.

Condo: an apartment building in which each apartment is owned by the person living in it, but the building and the shared areas are owned by everyone together

eg: He had finally decided to rent a condo on the lake.

Defer: delay something until a later date; postpone eg: Further discussion on the proposal will be defe

rred until April. Poignant: having a strong effect on your feelings,

especially in a way that makes you feel sad. eg:This is one of her most poignant works.

Unit Nine

Animal Emotions

Group discussion

Do you think that animals have intelligence as human beings do? Do animals have emotions?

What is your opinion of keeping pets?

Key points Single out: choose sb or sth from among a group of similar

people or things, esp, in order to praise them or criticize them

eg: His article starts by singling out the five key goals of U.S. foreign policy.

Linger: stay somewhere a little longer,esp, because one does not want to leave; continue looking at or dealing with sth for longer than is usual

eg: They lingered over coffee and missed the last bus.

In unison: in perfect agreement or accord; at the same time and in the same way

eg: Management and workers must act in unison to compete with foreign business.

Whimper: of an animal making a series of small weak sounds, expressing pain or unhappiness.

eg: A half-starved dog sat miserably in the corner, whimpering pathetically.

Sentient: able to experience physical and possibly emotional feelings.

eg: They failed to offer sound moral justifications for treating sentient creatures as mere research tools.

At the forefront of sth: in a leading position in an important activity that is trying to achieve sth or develop new ideas.

eg: The company has always been at the forefront of science and technology.

Legitimize: make legal or acceptable eg: They decided to legitimize their business relati

onship. Symposium: a meeting or conference for discussio

n of a topic, one in which the participants form an audience and make presentations

eg: They have held many symposiums on animal-welfare issues.

Unit Twelve

Technology Remakes the Schools

Warm up questions

What are the differences between schooling and education?

What are the main differences between the out of school world and the school campus?

Key points

Miraculously: like a miracle; extremely surprising eg: But rather than burn out the following morning,

this one-day portion of oil miraculously burned for seven additional days.

Banal: ordinary and not interesting; because of a lack of new or different ideas.

eg: I could not think of anyting to say that wouldn’t sound banal.

Charge: impose a duty, responsibility, or obligation on; order or instruct some to do sth

eg: The commission is charged with investigating all the alleged breaches of the law.

Contrast: set in opposition in order to show or emphasize differences; show a difference when compared.

eg: If you contrast some of her early writing with her later work, you can see just how much she has improved.

Conservatise: unwillingness to accept changes or new ideas; tendency to resist great or sudden change, esp, in politics

eg: Its report accused the policy of inefficiency and conservatism about new methods.

Responsive: ready to react in a useful or helpful way

eg: We had a wonderfully responsive audience for last night’s performance.

Put sth at one’s fingertips: make sth available or easy to get; be completely familiar with sth

eg: You have to admit how wonderful the service center is --- it just puts anything you may possibly need at your fingertips!

Hunt down: succeed in find sb or sth after much effort; search or try to find

eg: Detectives have finally managed to hunt down the killer.