1 Leisure Activities

1 Leisure Activities

Useful Information

There are some people in society who either have to or want to work all the time. Most people, however, seek ways to socialize, to relax, or to have fun during their leisure hours. People’s tastes vary depending on their income and their age. In recent years, the home entertainment industry has grown all over the world. Instead of going out to see a movie or taking a walk in the park, many people prefer to turn on the television and stay at home. More and more families have DVDs, MP3, MP4, Cable TV, Wi-Fi, and computer games to add to the variety of leisure activities in the home. Especially many young people spend hours sitting in front of their computers, surfing on the Internet or playing computer games. With the coming of the new Internet services, many people are using the Internet chatting and even dating with each other. Many of them also do shopping online.

Despite the rise in home entertainment, there are still many people who enjoy spending some of their leisure time attending sporting events or other physical activities such as dancing, t’ai chi, etc. Exercise not only contributes to good health, but also takes the mind away from worries and troubles.

Concerts, plays and other performances constitute another source of entertainment outside the home.

While some people prefer to be entertained, others prefer to be the entertainers. They derive great satisfaction from giving others pleasure by making them laugh or by enabling them to lose themselves in the imaginary world of a play or relaxing music.

PART 1 Preparation

1 A Survey of Chinese People’s Leisure Activities

STEP ONE

Age Groups Leisure Activities Time Spent Frequency

Grandparents playing t’ai chi fishing

1 hour 6 hours

every day once a month

Leisure Activities

Unit 1

(to be continued)

2 Unit 1

Age Groups Leisure Activities Time Spent Frequency

Grandparents

reading newspapers watching TV gardening

enjoying Peking Opera, dancing, etc.

babysitting grandchildren practicing calligraphy having afternoon tea

1 hour 3 hours half an hour 2 hours 3 hours 1 hour 1 hour

every day every day every day every day once a week every day every day

Parents

dancing

climbing and hiking watching TV traveling

visiting or entertaining friends reading novels or newspapers playing chess

shopping keeping pets

1 hour 4 hours 3 hours 10 days 4 hours 2 hours 4 hours 2 hours half an hour

every day once a week every day every year once a week every day once a week once a week every day

College students

playing ball games going swimming

playing computer games surfing the Internet telephoning and messaging reading blogs

traveling

listening to music reading novels

watching a sports match

going to a concert, theaters or museums shopping

going to karaoke

1 hour 1 hour 1 hour 2 hours half an hour half an hour 15 days 1 hour 2 hours 1 hour 3 hours 4 hours 2 hours

every day every day every day every day every day every day once a year every day every day every day once a week once a week once a week

Children under 12

playing Lego (^乐高积木) playing with schoolmates, etc.

riding bicycle

drawing, playing piano, etc.

playing computer games watching cartoons listening to stories playing yo-yo (^溜溜球) reading picture-books swimming

1 hour 2 hours half an hour 1 hour half an hour 1 hour 1 hour half an hour half an hour half an hour

every day every day every day every day every day every day every day every day every day every day (continued)

3 Leisure Activities STEP TWO

Survey questions:

1 What do you usually do in your spare time?

2 How much time do you spend on those activities each time? And how often?

STEP THREE

1 I interviewed one classmate about his grandparents’ leisure activities. They have very different interests regarding their leisure activities. The grandpa loves tea. Every afternoon he goes to a tea house, enjoying tea and chatting with a bunch of old people like himself. It’s the best time in a day for him. He would forget all his troubles and pains during the tea time. The grandma loves dancing in the evening. As long as it doesn’t rain, she’ll go to a park nearby and dance with a group of women, winter or summer. She says dancing makes her younger and healthy.

She also helps babysit during the day when the parents go to work. Once or twice a week, she plays mahjong (^麻将) with her friends.

2 I asked a classmate about her parents’ leisure activities. The father likes climbing and hiking on weekends. On weekdays, he has to work late, so when he gets home, he likes to watch TV. Then on weekends, he’ll go hiking. Sometimes he takes his camera with him. That’s his new hobby—

taking photos. Every year, he would travel to a foreign country for a few days. The mother likes to surf on the Internet during her free time. She does a lot of online shopping. She is addicted to it and has bought a lot of items that she doesn’t need at all. She also loves to watch soap operas on the Internet.

3 • Iaskedthreeofmyclassmatesabouttheirleisureactivities.Allofthemareboysand

one thing they all like is computer games. They like to play computer games because the games give them a sense of accomplishment. They also take some sports activities in the afternoon, like basketball and football.

• Italkedwithtwogirls.Bothofthemlikelisteningtomusic.Theysaytheyfeelrelaxed

while listening to music. They also like to read blogs and talk with their friends through micromessage (weixin). It is a very convenient and cheap way to communicate with other people. They also go to concerts and other performances on campus once in a while.

4 I asked two classmates about their leisure activities when they were in primary and middle school.Onesaidtheyhadalotofhomeworkandseldomhadtimetodowhatheliked.Butif

he had had time, he would enjoy watching animated cartoons and riding bicycle. Another said she liked to play with her schoolmates. She also read books and watched cartoons. Sometimes she chatted with her friends online.

2 Laughter

Cross-talk is very popular in China. You can listen to it everywhere, on MP3 players, on the radio, on TV, on the Internet, etc. I think its popularity mainly lies in its humorous language, the performers’ quick wits, their funny gestures, and presentation skills. The subject of cross-talk is in most cases close to our real life so that it resonates with the audience. It uses either bitter irony or funny teasing to amuse people. The most important thing is that cross-talk can make one laugh and think at the same time. What’s more, cross-talk is also a reflection of the traditional Chinese

4 Unit 1

culture. Cross-talk comedians are really gifted performers. They are good at singing—able to sing different kinds of songs as well as a variety of local operas. Some of them are very good at mimicking. With almost nothing on the stage, they can perform whatever they want to.

3 Recognizing Puns

1 The word “plane” has the same pronunciation as “plain”. If you say something is plain, you mean it is simple in style. Normally you don’t have very nice food on the plane.

2 “A terminal illness” causes death, often slowly, and cannot be cured. The word “terminal” also means “a big building where people wait to get onto planes, buses, or ships, or where goods are loaded”. An airport terminal is where you get on or get off a flight.

3 The word “pointless” means “having no sense or purpose”, and a broken pencil has no point.

4 Math teachers may have a lot of problems for their students. They may also have problems themselves.

5 The word “short” means “short in height”, and it also means “not having as much of sth. as you want or need”. So here it may mean the boy doesn’t have enough money to pay for the lunch, or the boy is too short to reach the counter.

6 When you buy something from a vending machine, if you insert more than enough money, the machine will return the change, in the form of coins. What the nurse means is that they haven’t managed to get the coins out of the boy’s body yet. So the boy’s condition hasn’t changed.

7 The word “driving” also means “powerful”.

8 The word “bored” has the same pronunciation as “board (^董事会)”. So here to the listener, it may also mean the mother is a member of the private school board.

Additional activity

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of watching DVDs and going to the movies.

Watching DVDs Going to the Movies

Advantages

1) It’s more convenient, you don’t have to buy tickets.

2) You can watch a DVD whenever you like.

3) You can watch it over and over again if you like.

4) It’s much cheaper than going to the movies.

1) Movies are better in quality than DVDs.

2) You have a relaxed holiday feeling.

3) The wide big screen presents more vivid pictures.

Disadvantages

1) The quality is not as good as that of a movie, because many of the DVDs are pirated (^盗版的).

2) You may be disturbed by telephone calls or other things while watching.

1) The cinemas are sometimes too noisy.

2) The ticket may be expensive.

5 Leisure Activities

PART 2 Reading-Centered Activities

In-Class Reading

Pre-Reading

Sample

1 I enjoy jokes because I think jokes can always make one laugh. It’s well-known that laughter is the bestmedicine.Besides,jokesoftenhavesomewisdominthem.WhenIhavetimeIusuallyread

jokes in newspapers or in books. There are many jokes which cater to different age groups. I also like reading cartoons and comic strips.

2 I think humor is a very important quality for a person and a key to getting along with others. I like to be with humorous people. They are like sunshine, very popular with others. They can make me laugh when I am unhappy. They can change an awkward situation and help people get rid of embarrassment by making everybody laugh. With such people, life becomes more interesting and enjoyable.

Passage Reading

Words, Phrases and Grammatical Points

1 note (Line 16, Para. 10) Some phrases with “note”:

1 make a note of sth.: write sth. down so that you can look at it later

e.g. I) I made a note of her address and phone number.

II) She took out her diary and made a note of the time of the meeting.

2 take / make notes: write notes

e.g. I) I read the first chapter and took notes.

II) She sat quietly in the corner making careful notes.

III) I noticed he was making notes about the deals as I was describing them to the board.

3 take note (of sth.): pay careful attention (to sth.) e.g. I) Take note of the weather conditions.

II) People were beginning to take note of her talents as a writer.

III) His first album made the music world stand up and take note.

2 blame (Line 7, Para. 13) Some phrases with “blame”:

1 blame sb. / sth. for sth.: say or think that sb. or sth. is responsible for sth. bad e.g. I) You can hardly blame Peter for being angry with her.

II) The report blames poor safety standards for the accident.

2 be to blame (for sth.): used to say that sb. or sth. is responsible for sth. bad

e.g. I) You are not to blame for what happened.

II) The hot weather is partly to blame for the water shortage.

6 Unit 1

3 only have yourself to blame: (spoken) used to say that sb.’s problems are their own fault e.g. I) If he fails his exams, he’ll only have himself to blame.

II) He only has himself to blame if no one talks to him.

3 alive (Line 8, Para. 13)

The word is an adjective and not used before a noun. It has the following meanings:

1 continuing to exist

e.g. I) Ancient traditions are still very much alive in rural areas.

II) The big factories are trying to stay alive by cutting costs.

2 still living and not dead

e.g. I) Doctors fought to keep her alive.

II) It was really a bad accident—they’re lucky to be alive.

3 active and happy

e.g. I) With the wind rushing through her hair she felt intensely alive.

II) It was the kind of morning when you wake up and feel really alive.

The phrase “alive and well” means:

1 still existing and not gone or forgotten, especially when this is surprising e.g. Unfortunately, discrimination against black people is alive and well.

2 still living and healthy or active, especially when this is surprising e.g. He was found alive and well after three days.

参考译文

享受幽默——什么东西令人开怀？

1 人们听到一个有趣的故事会笑，会开心，古今中外都一样。这一现象或许同语言本身一样由来已久。

那么，到底是什么东西使故事或笑话让人感到可笑呢？

2 第一次意识到幽默的存在，我便喜欢上了它。我曾试图向学生们解释并与他们探讨幽默这个话题。

这些学生文化差异很大，有来自拉丁美洲的，也有来自中国的。我还认真思考过一些滑稽有趣的故事。这 完全出于我个人的喜好。

3 听我讲完一个笑话后，为什么班上的一些学生会笑得前俯后仰，而其他学生看上去就像刚听我念完 天气预报一样呢？显然，有些人对幽默比别人更敏感。而且，我们也发现有的人很善于讲笑话，而有的人 要想说一点有趣的事却要费好大劲儿。我们都听人说过这样的话：“我喜欢笑话，但我不怎么会讲笑话，也 总是记不住。”有些人比别人更具有幽默感，就像有些人更具有音乐、数学之类的才能一样。一个真正风趣 的人在任何场合都有笑话可讲，而且一个笑话会从他记忆里引出一连串的笑话。一个缺乏幽默感的人不可 能成为一群人中最受欢迎的人。一个真正具有幽默感的人不仅受人喜爱，而且在任何聚会上也往往是人们 注意的焦点，这么说有一定的道理。

4 甚至有些动物也具有幽默感。我岳母从前经常来我们家，并住上很长一段时间。她通常不喜欢狗，

但却很喜欢布利茨恩——我们养过的一条拉布拉多母猎犬。而且，这种喜欢是相互的,^{布利茨恩也很喜欢我} 岳母。布利茨恩即使在很小的时候就常常戏弄外祖母。当外祖母坐在起居室里她最喜欢的那张舒适的椅子 上时，布利茨恩就故意把她卧室里的一只拖鞋叼到起居室。它在外祖母刚好够不着的地方蹦来跳去，一直

7 Leisure Activities 逗到外祖母忍不住站起来去拿那只拖鞋。外祖母从椅子上一起来，布利茨恩就会迅速地跳上椅子，它那闪 亮的棕色眼睛里掠过一丝拉布拉多犬式的微笑，无疑是在说：“啊哈，你又上我的当了。”

5 笑话或幽默故事通常由三部分构成，这三部分很容易辨认。第一部分是铺垫（即背景），接下来是主 干部分（即故事情节），随后便是画龙点睛的结尾语（即一个出人意料或令人惊讶的结尾）。如果结尾语含 有一定的幽默成分的话，这个笑话便会很有趣。通常笑话都有这三部分，而且每部分都必须交代清楚。如 果讲故事或说笑话的人使用观众都熟悉的手势和语言的话，则有助于增强效果。

6 我们可以对幽默这种娱乐形式进行分析，从而找出究竟是什么使一个有趣的故事或笑话令人捧腹。

举例来说，以下是几种最常见的幽默形式，有非常显而易见的，也有较为微妙含蓄的。

7 “滑稽剧”是最明显的幽默形式。其语言简单、直截了当，常常以取笑他人为乐。滑稽剧这种形式 过去是、现在仍然是单人表演的喜剧演员和小丑的惯用技巧。它为不同年龄、不同文化背景的人们所喜爱。

几乎本世纪的每个讲英语的喜剧演员都曾以这样或那样的方式讲述过下面这则笑话。一位男士问另一位男 士：“昨晚我看到的那位和你在一起的女士是谁？”那位男士回答道：“那可不是什么女士，那是我妻子。”

这则笑话的幽默之处在于第二位男士说他的妻子不是一位女士，也就是说她不是一个高雅的女人。这则笑 话并没有因为经常被人讲而变得不再那么好笑。由于这是一则经典笑话，观众事先都知道要说什么，而且 大家因为对这则笑话很熟悉而更加喜欢它。

8 中国的“相声”是一种特殊的滑稽剧。说相声时，两名中国喜剧演员幽默地谈论诸如官僚主义、家 庭问题或其他一些个人话题。相声哪儿都能听到，无论是在乡村的小舞台上，在北京最大的剧院里，还是 在广播和电视上。在中国，它显然是一种家喻户晓的传统的幽默形式。

9 文字游戏不像滑稽剧那样浅显，它因语言的误用或误解而可笑。我特别喜欢的一个例子是三位年 长的绅士在英国乘火车旅行的故事。当火车慢慢停下来时，第一位绅士问道：“这是温布利(Wembley) 吗？”“不，”第二位绅士说，“是星期四(Thursday)。”“我也是，”第三位绅士说道，“让我们下车喝杯啤 酒吧。”我们知道上了年纪的人往往耳背，因此会把Wembley^听成Wednesday^，把Thursday^听成thirsty^， 这样一来就为第三位老人的妙语做好了巧妙的铺垫。

10 著名的中国漫画家和幽默家丁聪便是一位文字游戏大师。在他的一幅幽默漫画中，一位老师说：“你 为什么一字不改地抄别人的作业？”那位年轻的学生回答道：“我没有一字不改地抄。我把作业上的名字改 成自己的名字了。”在丁聪的另一幅经典漫画中，一位父亲生气地问道：“告诉我，1^加2^{等于几？”儿子说：}

“我不知道。”这位不耐烦的父亲接着说道：“比方说，你、你妈妈和我，我们加起来一共是几个，你这个傻 瓜？”儿子得意地回答道：“是三个傻瓜。”这些故事无论是漫画还是笑话，是由演滑稽剧的喜剧演员说，

还是搭档的相声演员讲，都为各地的人们所喜爱。人们喜爱这些有趣的故事，因为它们贴近现实生活，而 且其中那些出人意料的妙语也十分有趣。

11 双关语是一种更微妙的文字游戏。它使用的技巧是利用发音相似的词或同一个词的不同意义来制造 幽默的效果。有些批评家认为双关语是最低级的幽默，但我不同意这种观点。与其他形式的幽默相比，双 关语需要更微妙、更精深的语言技巧。然而，简单的双关语甚至连很小的孩子也会用。例如，“谜语”或 脑筋急转弯问题常在铺垫部分、故事情节中，以及更多地在结尾语中使用双关语。双关语是我最早懂得的 幽默形式。记得大约在五岁时，我听到过下面这个谜语。一个人问道：“什么东西整个儿是黑的、白的和红 的？”另外一个人通常猜不出来，于是问道：“我猜不着。是什么呀？”出谜语的人答道：“是报纸。”如果 你知道在英语中red^{（红色）和}read（读）的读音一样，但意思显然不同，答案就很明显了。

12 DOUBLE ENTENDRES （法语中的“一语双关”）是双关语的特殊形式，其词汇或短语有双重意

义。两个意义往往差异很大，一个比较恰当，另一个往往比较粗俗，但也并不总是这样。我喜欢那个关于 一位中学教师和校长因看见学生在学校操场上接吻而感到担心的故事，故事并不过火。那位教师对学生们

8 Unit 1

说：“我和校长已经决定停止在学校操场上接吻的做法。”听到笑声，她意识到自己没有把意思表达清楚，

于是她补充说：“我的意思是不能在我们的鼻子底下发生接吻这样的事了。”当然，这个解释并没有纠正她 的第一句话，反而使这个笑话的双重含义变得更加好笑。

13 一些专业的幽默作家认为现在的幽默大多缺乏智慧，不够巧妙。他们不喜欢在幽默中被人们滥用的 有色情意味或粗俗的语言，而且他们觉得大多数幽默作家缺乏创造性。的确，现在有些幽默令人震惊，但 我认为这不是幽默的过错。幽默现在仍然存在，并且将来还会继续存在下去，原因很简单——因为每天都 有有趣的事情发生。一些有幽默感的人看到、听到这些有趣的事情后会把它们编成妙趣横生、令人开心的 笑话和故事。

Exercises

Post-Reading

Reading Comprehension

1 Paragraphs

Paras. 1-3 Topics

Humor is universal, but people’s sense of humor varies.

Para. 4 Even animals have a sense of humor. The writer’s dog is a good example.

Para. 5 The typical three parts of a joke: 1) the setup, 2) the body, 3) the punch line.

Paras. 6-12 Different forms of humor: 1) slapstick, 2) Chinese cross-talk, 3) a play on words, 4) puns, and double entendres.

Para. 13 Humor will persist even though some professional humorists think today’s humor is not very intelligent or sophisticated.

2 ¹ B  ² D ³ C ⁴ A ⁵ C ⁶ A ⁷ A ⁸ D ⁹ B  ¹⁰ B 3 Sample

I think there are several factors that lead to the different responses, such as one’s personality, knowledge of the world, cultural background, etc. Some people are more sensitive to humor.

They like to laugh, and they enjoy jokes. They are more imaginative. After hearing a joke, they will use their imagination to make the joke more laughable. Others may not understand the joke well, perhaps because they don’t have the right knowledge, or because of their limited cultural background, etc. Another barrier, I think, is the language. Sometimes when a foreign teacher tells a joke, his students cannot understand it because of some difficult words. And people from different cultures may perceive humor differently.

4 Joke 1

One day a visitor from the city came to a small rural area to drive around on the country roads, see how the farms looked, and perhaps see how farmers earned a living. (SETUP) The city man saw a farmer in his yard, holding a pig up in his hands, and lifting it so that the pig could eat apples from an apple tree. The city man said to the farmer, “I see that your pig likes apples, but

9 Leisure Activities

isn’tthatquiteawasteoftime?”(BODY)

The farmer replied, “What’s time to a pig?” (PUNCH LINE) Joke 2

One absent-minded professor approached the edge of a wide river, and far across on the other side he saw another absent-minded professor. (SETUP) The first man called out loudly, “Hello! How doIgettotheothersideoftheriver?”(BODY)

The second man on the far side of the river shouted back, “Hello! You are already on the other side of the river.” (PUNCH LINE)

5 Sample

• I agree with it because people enjoy laughter. Humorous people know that laughter is the best medicine. In fact, this kind of insult is not insulting in its real sense because when people are trying to make others laugh the focus is on the fun they can enjoy, not on insulting them.

People often need self-mockery to survive, to let out anger, and to get out of difficult or embarrassing situations. Life should be filled with laughter. How boring the world would be if everybody was serious and humorless.

• I don’t agree with it. Dignity is the most important thing. I wouldn’t allow anyone to insult me even if they intend to make me laugh. As a matter of fact, they wouldn’t be able to make me laugh if they are insulting me. When people are getting together, friendliness and harmony are the priorities. I enjoy jokes, but I think some jokes go too far bacause they hurt people.

Vocabulary

1 ¹ A entertaining B entertainment C entertained D entertainer 2 A recognizable B recognized C recognition

3 A tempting  B temptation C tempt

4 A reasoned  B reasoning C reasonable D reason 5 A analyzed  B analytical C analyst D analysis 6 A valuable  B valuation C valued / values D value 7 A humorist  B humor C humorous D humorless 8 A understandable B understanding C understand D misunderstood 2 ¹ a sense of responsibility ² a sense of safety / security ³ a sense of inferiority

4 a sense of superiority ⁵ a sense of rhythm ⁶ a sense of justice 7 a sense of shame ⁸ a sense of helplessness ⁹ a sense of direction ¹⁰ a sense of urgency

3 ¹ mischief ² sense ³ end ⁴ successful ⁵ contacted 6 individually ⁷ response ⁸ answer ⁹ directly ¹⁰ followed Translation

1 Lively behavior is normal for a four-year-old child.

2 Fast cars appeal to John, but he can’t afford one.

3 Dave required a lot of time to study the diverse arguments.

10 Unit 1

4 I asked my boss for clarification, and she explained the project to me again.

5 Photographic film is very sensitive to light.

6 Mutual encouragement can be a great help, especially in the early days.

7 Jimmy cried when people made fun of him.

8 John won’t give up. He persists in his opinion / viewpoint.

9 Ted always wants to be the focus / center of attention.

10 Is it cheaper if we buy the ticket in advance?

After-Class Reading

参考译文

致命诱惑

1 英国离奇谋杀案小说的“女皇”毫无疑问是阿加莎·克里斯蒂。虽然作者本人在二十多年前就去世 了，但她创作的侦探小说现在仍然非常畅销。这些小说被译成了一百多种语言，销量超过了20^亿册。

2 无论是在英国还是在其他国家，阿加莎·克里斯蒂的小说都非常受欢迎，这并不难理解。她的每本 书构思都很巧妙。她创造的人物很容易辨认，情节的设计环环相扣，很严密。但最重要的是，她所有的故 事都给读者设置了一个谜团。

3 克里斯蒂的作品几乎都是以谋杀开场，迫使读者提出这样一个问题：“是谁干的？”，而最后总是水 落石出。读者的乐趣就在于根据故事里隐含的线索顺藤摸瓜，努力在作者揭开谜底之前找到正确答案。这 种模式迎合了人类最强烈的本能之一——好奇心——而人们对这种模式的喜爱程度丝毫没有减弱的迹象。

4 很多离奇的案子都是由克里斯蒂笔下的一位常常出场的侦探破解的，例如那个非常自信的比利时人 赫尔克里·波洛，或者是那个显然没有恶意的小老太太马普尔小姐。克里斯蒂同时也为她的故事创造了一 个特有的背景，这种背景如同她创作的一些人物一样为人们所熟知。那是处于两次世界大战之间的英国，

那儿的小村庄里邻里关系紧密，生活平静，或者是城里的阔佬们聚集在乡下的豪宅里度周末。

5 这个世界有着严格的社会等级制度。乡下宅子的主人占据着社会的顶层，他们很可能是贵族成员，

然后是那些职业阶层：医生、律师和商人。处于底层的则是一般民众，在书中通常作为仆从、厨师和园丁 出场。当谋杀案发生时，有不少需要调查的嫌疑人。

6 阿加莎·克里斯蒂笔下的世界不是一个完全真实的世界，这就是她的作品一直不过时的原因之一。

这是一个安定的、循规蹈矩的世界，而谋杀案的发生打乱了人们的正常生活。因此必须侦破案件，抓住杀 人犯，从而恢复宁静的生活。

7 在阿加莎·克里斯蒂一生的大部分时间里，英国的杀人犯都被处以死刑。因此，她作品中的谋杀案一 旦破获，找出了杀人犯，那么他或者她的末日就到了。不会有未了结的事情，读者于是就可以高枕无忧了。

8 当然，在现实世界里，事情并非如此。罪犯会逍遥法外，法律会伤及无辜，审判不公时有发生。简 而言之，现实世界并不是一个安全的地方。正因为如此，才会有这么多的读者喜欢逃避现实，埋头于老套 的、结局没有任何争议并且可以预测的侦探小说中。

9 阿加莎·克里斯蒂所著的这种侦探小说毫无疑问是老套的。现代描写犯罪的作家几乎没有人再写这 样的作品了。现代的犯罪小说在道德上和心理上都更趋复杂，除了“是谁干的？”这个问题之外，现代犯 罪小说还要探讨“为什么这样做？”的问题。现代作家更感兴趣的是了解罪犯的心理和杀人的动机。他们

11 Leisure Activities 所探讨的犯罪世界比阿加莎·克里斯蒂所能想象的要黑暗得多。现代的犯罪小说不仅不能给读者带来慰藉，

反而会使他们感到不安。

10 但是对于美国人称之为“舒适型”的犯罪小说流派，英国人依旧十分喜爱。谋杀故事仍被看作是一 种娱乐消遣，而且电视节目表里也充斥着以杀人犯被捕、让观众心安理得而告终的侦探剧。

11 从酒店提供的“周末离奇谋杀案”活动也可以看出侦探小说有多么流行。客人们扮演那些经典侦探 小说中的嫌疑人，用一个周末的时间来找出他们中的哪一个是“杀人犯”。或者举办“谋杀案侦破晚宴”：

一群朋友聚在一起, 吃饭时根据预先专门准备好的关于人物性格和行踪的线索破解一桩案件。如果餐桌上的 谋杀案提不起你的兴趣，还有各种各样的棋盘游戏和计算机游戏来测试你的侦探能力。

12 但是有些人会沉迷于此，无法自拔。小说里最有名的侦探也许就是夏洛克·福尔摩斯了，他的住处 是“伦敦贝克街221B号”。现在仍有信件寄到那里，要求他帮忙破解各种各样的谜案。因为有很多信件寄 给这位大侦探，所以现在位于此处的公司雇用了一个人，专门回复这些信件。

13 只要人类还有好奇心，那么毫无疑问，各种各样的侦探小说就会继续施展其致命的诱惑力。

PART 3 Further Development

1 Vocabulary Review

1 B

A a part of a gun which causes the gun to fire when pressed B causesth.tohappenorexist

C an event or thing that causes sth. to happen 2 A

A a number of people or things

B oneofthelongthinpiecesofwire,nylon,etc.thatisstretchedacrossamusicalinstrument

and produces sound

C a thin rope or thick thread used for tying or fastening things 3 A

A disappear

B depart;leaveaplace

C travel to a place and spend some time there, for example for a holiday 4 C

A make a car, truck, bus, etc. move along B forcesb.orsth.togosomewhere C strongly influence sb. to do sth.

5 B

A a college or university, or the time when you study there

B anopinionorwayofthinkingaboutsth.sharedbyagroupofpeople

C train or discipline

12 Unit 1

6 C

A the meals provided for you when you pay to stay somewhere

B aflatwidepieceofwood,plastic,etc.thatshowsaparticulartypeofinformation C a flat piece of wood, plastic, card, etc. that you use for a particular purpose 7 B

A relating to business

B anadvertisementontelevisionorradio C more concerned with money than with quality 8 A

A let sth. fall B speaklessloudly

C stop doing sth., discussing sth., or continuing with sth.

9 C

A an organization of people with a common purpose or interest who meet regularly and take part in shared activities

B aplayingcardshowingtheblackthree-leavedsign^{（扑克牌中的）梅花} C a heavy stick, usually thick at one end

10 C

A shine or give off light

B flowquicklyandingreatamounts

C move in a continuous flow in the same direction

2 Competing for Tourists

Sample

Our special services and facilities:

• childcare center, medical center

• reading room

• cinema, karaoke hall, dance hall, computer game rooms

• tennis court, football field, basketball court, swimming pool, bowling alley

• teahouse, pub, coffee house

• spas and foot massage

We have theme activities such as:

• A two-day tour to scenic spots: We will have a packaged tour to some beautiful places like

“QiandaoLake”,“TianmuLakeRafting”,“WestLake”,etc.;

• Artsactivities,suchasCalligraphyTour,BeijingOperaNight,FuninAcrobatics,etc.;

• Knowing-More-About-Society-Tour: going to the countryside, visiting a silk factory, visiting a museum,watchingafashionshow,visitinghistoricsights,etc.;

• Fun in food: cooking lessons, cooking competitions, enjoying healthy food with Chinese herbalmedicine,etc.;

• Miscellaneous activities: playing board games, various sorts of ball games, bonfire party, swimming and dancing, spa bathing, etc.

13 Leisure Activities

3 Trying to Be the Most Entertaining Group

Joke 1

Bad or Worse

“How is the business?” asked Mike, as he walked into his friend’s dress shop.

“Terrible,”complainedJohn.“Businessisawful.YesterdayIonlysoldonedress,andtodayitwas

even worse.”

“How could it be even worse?” asked Mike.

“Today the customer returned the dress she bought yesterday.”

Joke 2

The Effectiveness of Advertisement

Some businessmen were talking excitedly about advertising on TV. As none of them had ever done it before, everyone had his point of view. At this moment, Mr. Grey arrived. Mr. Grey was a car dealer and he had once made an advertisement.

“What are you talking about?” Mr. Grey asked.

“We are talking about whether advertisement works or not,” one of the businessmen answered.

“Oh, yes, it works very fast,” Mr. Grey said. “I once advertised for my watchdog and offered a reward of $100.”

“Did you get the dog back?”

“No, but that very night three of my cars were stolen.”

Game

Teapot

Two people can play this game, but it is better with more people. Ask one person to move away so that the rest of you can decide on which verb you are going to choose. Let’s suppose you choose

“sing”.Theotherpersoncanthenreturn;heorsheasksquestions,replacingtheverbwiththe

word “teapot”. You answer them, but you avoid using the verb you have chosen. For example:

Friend: Do you teapot in the bath?

You: Yes, sometimes.

Friend: Do you teapot during meals?

You: No, not usually.

Friend: Do you enjoy teapotting?

You: Yes.

Friend: Do other people enjoy your teapotting?

You: Theypretendtheydon’t.ButI’msuretheydoreally!

Questions and answers like these can go on and on until your friend discovers the word. You can also limit the number of questions so that the game won’t run too long.

14 Unit 1

4 Week-Long Holiday Project

Sample

Name: Dandelion (^蒲公英)

People: David Project Manager Overall charge

Mary Researcher Questionnaire designer James Researcher Public relations

Cheryl Computer technician Data management John Treasurer Financial management Target: Find new customers and raise the sales volume of New College English.

Research methods and steps:

1 Design questionnaires and interview 1,000 office workers and other people who are studying English by themselves.

2 Check the interview results and decide the potential customers.

3 Organize events in public libraries demonstrating features of the book for those potential customers.

4 Provide demo classes.

Budget: 200 yuan stationery

300 yuan photocopies of questionnaire 900 yuan rent for public events

600 yuan public relations

Further actions: If we successfully get the grants, we will organize campus tours and classroom demonstrations of the use of New College English. The potential customers will have opportunities to attend the class and use its online courseware. We will hold Q&A meetings regularly with experienced English teachers and answer any questions our users may have during their self-study.

5 Racking Your Brains

1 A camel. ² Your age. ³ A towel. ⁴ A peacock. ⁵ A candle.

6 Have someone throw it to you.

PART 4 Translation and Writing

2 Translation Practice

这位上了岁数、但从未结过婚的英国女士，1930年第一次出现在小说《寓所谜案》中，当时她的年龄

介于65-70^{岁。在长达}41^{年的时间里，她出现在}12^{部小说以及}20篇短篇中——最后一次破案时她已经

年事很高了。

马普尔小姐外表高高瘦瘦，面色红润，但布满皱纹。她有着一双淡蓝色的眼睛，雪白的头发在头上盘成 老式的发髻。从外表上看，她不会给任何人造成伤害，加上她那漫无边际的闲谈以及永远都带在身边的

15 Leisure Activities 毛线针，这些常常会引起人们的误解，让人们仅仅把她看成是一位“犹犹豫豫的老妇人”。那些真正了 解她的人都明白，她对人类的本性有着敏锐的观察能力，而且“不可思议地总是正确”。

虽然马普尔小姐一生都生活在看上去枯燥而乏味的圣玛丽牧场，她却相当老道地认识到并接受了这一点：

我们周围充满了邪恶。就像她经常指出的那样，大城市能找到的人性特征和邪恶，在她住的村子及周边 也都能找到。于是，她的破案方式就是找出圣玛丽牧场和外面的世界在生活和人物方面的相似之处。

3 Writing

1 Sample

My Favorite Pastime

Myfavoritepastimeiswriting.Youmaynotthinkitisapastime.Buttomeitis,becauseitisa

form of relaxation that takes my mind away from other things when I feel tired.

I began to write when I was in primary school. I was imaginative and created many interesting stories at that time. When I told the stories to my friends on our way home from school, they enjoyed them. Soon it became my regular practice. That made me really happy. Sometimes I wrote down my stories and passed them around among my classmates.

When I was in high school, I began to like poems. This was because of the influence of my best friend Jasmine. She liked poems very much, so gradually I learned to appreciate poems. When I was writing poems, I could concentrate for a long time, totally losing myself. Whether I was happy or sad I started writing poems to express myself.

Let me tell you a little secret. Now I’m writing a science fiction about time travel. I’m sure it is original and interesting. However, writing definitely takes time, and how I wish I could have more time to pursue this hobby. I may not become a professional writer, but I will always enjoy writing.

2 Sample

How People Spend Their Leisure Time

Many people are busy with various things at work or at home, and they have no time for entertainment.Butthisisreallybadforone’shealth.Weshouldmakeanefforttohaverelaxation.

A proverb says, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

People in different regions may have different forms of activities. In China one of the most popular activities is traveling, especially going to the remote areas. The isolated locations appeal to travelers who want to get closer to nature because they are tired of stressful city life.

Other people will stay at home, watching TV, going to the movies or concerts, or inviting some friends over for a party. Children like to go to the park, play with their schoolmates, and participate in sports. Young women like to go shopping while young men prefer to stay at home, watching TV and surf the net.

Pastimes vary according to age, sex, personality and financial situations. Whatever one’s pastime is, it can make them feel relaxed, more refreshed and ready to start a new day’s work. Pastimes offer a way to take one’s mind away from the stresses of everyday life.

17 The Power of Words

Useful Information

At any level of society, people who are good with words often have power or influence. The capacity to communicate is a valuable asset in any situation, whether you want to convince, console or encourage others. To be able to use the right words in appropriate situations is both a skill and a gift.

We often assume that to be a good communicator you have to be well-educated, but in fact people from all walks of life can communicate effectively. The most important aspect of the art of communicating is to know or understand one’s audience. Without this sensitivity, it is impossible to choose words that will have the desired impact on the person or people with whom we are talking.

One of the advantages of education is that it enables one to change registers of language more easily.

When speaking to a person in a position of authority, we normally speak differently than we would if we were speaking to a close friend. Education enlarges our vocabulary and enhances our capacity to switch from one type of language to another. In other words, we can choose to speak in plain and simple language or with complex and sophisticated sentences. Changing registers does not mean, of course, that the content of what we say becomes more or less profound. Just because a person speaks in simple terms does not mean that they are not saying something important or profound.

After all, one of the most famous sentences in the English language is grammatically simple, but philosophically complex: “To be or not to be, that is the question.”

In our personal lives, other people’s words can change our mood or even our attitudes. Words are an essential link between friends, relatives, colleagues and acquaintances, etc. Using kind and thoughtful words to maintain and to improve our relationships is one way to contribute to the well-being of ourselves and others. In today’s fast-paced world, it is often easy to become so involved with one’s daily existence that one forgets to keep in touch with friends, to give words of encouragement to the people around us and to show that we care about them.

Written words are even more powerful because they can be kept and treasured as a permanent reminder. With the advent of e-mail, letter-writing has perhaps made a comeback. Providing one has access to the Internet, keeping in touch with distant friends and colleagues has been made much easier.

The Power of Words

Unit 2

18 Unit 2

PART 1 Preparation

1 The Sentences That Affected You

Sample

1 • I love / like you.

• I feel proud of you.

• I admire you.

• You are so beautiful and adorable.

 • I enjoy being with you.

• It’s very nice / kind / generous / friendly of you.

• You are the best.

• You are the most creative person I’ve ever known in my life.

• You’ll make a difference in this world.

2 • You are stupid / lazy / careless / thoughtless / mean.

• I don’t love you any more.

• You disappointed me. / You let me down.

• You don’t understand anything about it.

• I don’t want to see you any more.

3 • Go on.

• I’m sure you’ll succeed.

• Wherever you go, I’ll be right there supporting you.

• I’m proud of you.

• I believe you can do it.

• You will make it.

• I can see your progress.

2 What Has Happened?

Sample

Pat and Tom work in the same office and are good friends. One day they were having dinner in arestaurant.Theyweretalkingabouttheircolleague,Mary.BothofthemthoughtthatMary

was a disagreeable person, and not easy to get along with. They even mentioned that once Mary suspected her colleague had stolen her purse, but in fact she had left it in her car. When they were talking, they didn’t realize that Mary happened to be there, too.

Then, Mary stomped angrily out of the restaurant. At that moment, they realized that Mary had overheard their conversation. They were very embarrassed, wishing that they hadn’t said anything bad about Mary.

3 Dialects and Mandarin (Putonghua)

Sample

1 • I can just speak Cantonese, in addition to Putonghua.

19 The Power of Words

• Two—Cantonese and Shanghai dialect.

2 •  My mom speaks Cantonese and my dad speaks Putonghua. We speak Putonghua at home.

• BothmydadandmomspeakCantonese,soIalsospeakCantoneseathome.

3 •  The great majority of Chinese people choose to speak Mandarin in social context because dialects can be understood only by small groups of people. When we go to a different city, we have to speak Mandarin if we don’t know the local dialect. Otherwise, people won’t understand us and there’ll be a lot of trouble and inconvenience. Not only is Mandarin important for our work and life, it is also important for entertainment. If we don’t understand Mandarin, we won’t be able to enjoy TV programs, radio programs and movies,becausetheyareusuallyinMandarin.Besides,manyforeignersalsolearntospeak

Mandarin in China. Perhaps you won’t be able to talk or make friends with any of them if you can’t speak their languages or Mandarin.

• To me, dialects are important in many ways. People speaking the same dialect feel close to each other. Usually they are from the same region and have more in common. When you talk about a particular event or custom in your hometown, perhaps you’ll find it hard to express yourself in Mandarin. And you’ll find your dialect has more vivid expressions thanMandarin.Besides,dialectscanhelpyourecognizefellowtownsmenbytheirdialect

or accent. When they are far from their hometown, townsmen feel as if they were from the same family. There’s a saying which goes like this: Townsmen have tears in their eyes when seeing each other.

PART 2 Reading-Centered Activities

In-Class Reading

Pre-Reading

Sample

1 • Ioftencallmyparents,usuallyonceaweek.ButIcalledthemmorefrequentlywhenIwasa

first-year college student. Now I’m somehow used to college life. Communication with parents has become a routine and I do it regularly.

I also send my parents letters, birthday cards, New Year cards, etc. I have many friends and we often e-mail each other and sometimes write each other letters when we have something to share because letters can be read again and again and be kept for a long time. I am very happy when I receive their letters, and can’t wait to read them. After I send a letter, I will wait anxiously for a reply. I hope they enjoy my letters, too.

• I don’t think people of my age often write letters. Instead, we e-mail each other almost every day. So the happiest time in a day is when I sit down and check my e-mails after a day’s work.

When I read e-mails, I feel as if I were talking with the person face-to-face. And at the same

20 Unit 2

time, I can experience many things vicariously (通过他人的经验感受到地) and share with them some happy moments in their lives. Sure I’ll reply to their e-mails right away, hoping they’ll also share my feelings. E-mailing is so fast and we feel we are only a click away from each other.Bye-mailingwecansavealotofpaper,andtrees.

2 • I believe people need encouragement and praise. Encouraging words to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through. I remember very well when I was in middle school there was once a speech contest. I wanted to take part in it, but I was afraid of making a fool of myself. Then one of my classmates said to me, “This is your chance. Just have a try.

What could you lose?” Her words encouraged me so much that I entered the contest and finally won the second prize.

• There is no doubt that people need encouragement and praise. All of us would like to feel needed, admired or loved. Without words of encouragement or praise, how could we know that wewerevaluedbypeopleclosetous?Besides,whenIfailtodosomething,I’llfeeldepressed.

If someone can comfort or console me at that moment, and give me encouragement, they’ll probably make a difference in my life. On the other hand, if I can encourage or cheer my friends up, I’ll feel good about myself. So encouragement and praise actually benefit people on both sides.

Passage Reading

Words, Phrases and Grammatical Points

1 column inch (Line 5, Para.2)

“Column inch” is a newspaper term. A page may have several columns. A column has a fixed width. A column inch is a unit of space one column wide by one inch high. Ads are charged per column inch. For example, an ad that is 2 columns wide and 5 inches tall would be 10 column inches.

2 make a habit of (Line 2, Para. 3)

除了make a habit of…^， habit^{的用法还包括：}

1 be in the habit of

e.g. I) I’m not in the habit of lying to my friends.

II) Jeff was in the habit of taking a walk after dinner.

2 get / fall into the habit of

e.g. I) Although I stopped taking lessons, I’ve got into the habit of practicing my saxophone.

II) He had fallen into the habit of having a coffee every time he passed the coffee machine.

3 break the habit of

e.g. I) A new method was developed to help break the habit of smoking.

II) Try to break the habit of adding salt to your food at the table.

21 The Power of Words 3 a quick, encouraging word (Lines 2-3, Para.3)

Here “word” means “a short statement, especially one that gives advice, information, or a warning”.

e.g. I) A word to fathers: Don’t frighten away your daughter’s friends.

II) A good word of advice to students: Don’t speak before you think.

4 … the paper was flooded with calls and letters… (Line 3, Para. 4)

The expression “be flooded with sth.” means “receive so many letters, complaints, or inquiries that you cannot deal with them all easily”.

e.g. I) The office was flooded with complaints.

II) I was flooded with calls just from those few advertisements.

5 … have been known to turn around a day… (Lines 7-8, Para. 5)

More examples about the structure “have been + past participle + to do…”

e.g. I) He has been known to be very generous with his time.

II) Dr. Smith has been asked several times to perform that operation.

6 attach… to (Lines 2-3, Para.7) attach... to ^{可以用于以下词组中：}

1 attach importance to: believe that sth. is important

e.g. It is unwise to attach too much importance to the information.

2 attach sth. to sth.: fasten or connect one object to another e.g. She attached a stamp to the envelope and mailed it.

3 be attached to: be part of a bigger organization

e.g. This institute is attached to the University of Toronto.

4 be / become attached to: like sb. or sth. very much because you have known them or had them for a long time

e.g. It’s easy to become attached to the children you work with.

7 owe… to (Lines 3-4, Para.8)

This phrase means “have sth. or achieve sth. because sb. or sth. has helped you”.

e.g. I) I owe my success to him.

II) She owed her good health to her regular lifestyle.

III) I owe it to the doctor that I am still alive.

8 ever-ready (Line 4, Para.8)

“Ever-” is a prefix meaning “always or continuously”. It is often used with adjectives and the “-ing”

form of verbs.

e.g. I) The visit left an everlasting impression on me.

II) The leaves of evergreen trees are often shaped like needles.

III) Perhaps the dread of cancer is ever-present.

IV) The government was embarrassed by its ever-growing debt.

V) The ever-changing colors of the sea have inspired many artists.

22 Unit 2

参考译文

便笺的力量

1 作为体育编辑，我最早为蒙彼利埃（俄亥俄州）的《企业导报》工作。当时我很少收到体育迷的来 信。因此，一天早晨放在我桌上的一封来信引起了我的好奇心。

2 打开来信，我看到了下面的话：“关于老虎队的评述很不错，再接再厉。”签名的是体育编辑唐·沃 尔夫。当时我只有十几岁（每写一栏英寸文字，稿酬总计达15美分），因此他的话对我来说是莫大的鼓舞。

我把这封信一直放在书桌的抽屉里，后来它都折角了。每当我怀疑自己不是当作家的料时，我就会重温一 下唐写给我的便笺，然后便又会信心满满。

3 后来，我逐渐对唐有了更多了解，知道给各行各业的人写简洁而鼓励的话语是他长久以来的习惯。

他告诉我说：“当我使别人充满信心时，我自己也感觉好极了。”

4 因此他的朋友圈子就像附近的伊利湖那么大，这也不足为奇了。唐去年去世了，享年75^{岁。当时，}

电话与悼函像潮水般地涌向报社，这些都来自于曾经得到过他的文字激励的人们。

5 多年来，我努力效仿唐以及我的其他朋友，他们关心别人，常写一些鼓舞人心的话语。我觉得他们 这样做是很有意义的。在这样一个常常冷漠的、无动于衷的世界上，这些便笺给人们带来温暖和慰藉。我 们都时不时地需要鼓励，而且大家都知道几句赞美的话会使一个人的一天因此而变得有所不同，有时甚至 会改变一个人的一生。

6 那么，为什么很少有人愿意写激励人心的便笺呢？我猜想很多人回避这种做法是因为他们太看重别 人的看法了。他们担心会被误解，怕别人觉得他们多愁善感或者言不由衷。还有，写便笺也要花时间，远 不如打电话方便。

7 当然打电话也有缺点，那就是：说过的话留不住。而一张便笺能使我们的良好祝愿显得愈加珍贵。

便笺是白纸黑字、记录在案的东西，而且我们写下的文字可以被反复阅读，细细品味，并加以珍藏。

8 尽管写便笺会多花一些时间，但一些非常繁忙的人也在这么做，其中就包括乔治·布什。有人说，

他政治上的成功在很大程度上归功于他那支随身携带的笔。这是怎么回事呢？在他整个职业生涯中，每次 会面之后，他几乎都会随后写封信，给予亲切的回应——一句赞美之词、一行表扬的话或一段感谢语。他 不仅写给朋友和同事，还写给萍水相逢的人以及完全陌生的人——比如那位借伞给他的人，他后来收到布 什热情的赞扬信时感到很惊讶。

9 那些通常做作的公司高层经理们的领导作风可以被形容为强硬、冷漠，并且脱离群众。但即使这些 人也开始学习写便笺去鼓舞别人，并且他们从中获益匪浅。福特汽车公司前主席唐纳德·彼得森把每天写 便笺鼓励同事当作一件日常工作。福特汽车公司在20^世纪80年代走出低谷、取得成功主要是他的功劳。

“我只不过匆匆地在备忘录或信的角落里写一些鼓舞人心的话，然后传递出去，”他说道。“每天最重要的10 分钟就是鼓励那些为你工作的人。”

10 “很多时候，”他说，“那些我们真正喜欢的人并不知道我们是怎么看待他们的。很多时候，我们会以 为，我并没有说过什么批评的话，为什么非得去说好话呢？我们忘了，人类需要正面的肯定或鼓励——事 实上，我们靠这个取得进步，获得成功！”

11 怎样才能写出振奋精神、温暖人心的信呢？只要我们愿意表达我们的理解和感激即可。写这种便笺 的高手都具有我称之为“4S^{”的技巧。}

12 1^）真诚(sincere)。没有人愿意听到虚假的赞美。

13 2^）简短(short)。如果不能在三句话内表达出你的意思，你很可能就写得太长了。

23 The Power of Words

14 3^）具体(specific)。赞扬一位业务伙伴“演讲精彩”未免过于笼统含糊；告诉他“关于沃伦·巴菲

特的投资策略讲得很精彩”才是一语中的。

15 4^）自然(spontaneous)。这使得便笺充满了生气，洋溢着热情，并使读者的心灵长久地感受到这种

生气和热情。

16 当你得到处找写信用品时，写出来的东西就难以表达自然，因此我总是把纸、信封和邮票放在手边，

甚至在旅行时也是如此。信封、信笺等不需要很花哨，重要的是要表达的思想。

17 那么，你身边的人又有谁值得你写便笺表示感谢或认可呢？一位邻居？为你服务的那位图书馆管理 员？一位亲戚？你的市长？你的伙伴？一位老师？你的医生？你不必富有诗意。如果你需要一个理由，那么 就找一个生活中具有里程碑意义的重要事件，你们共同参加的某个特殊事件的周年纪念日、生日或者节日。

例如，过去的25年里，每年圣诞的时候，我总是给远方的朋友写一封信，而且常常在上面亲笔写上一句感 谢或祝贺的话。鉴于圣诞节的氛围，对一年来所取得的成功与获得的好运表示谢意似乎是最恰到好处的。

18 不要吝啬你的赞美。像“最了不起的”、“最聪明的”、“最漂亮的”这类使用形容词最高级的表达法会 使大家都感到高兴。即使你的赞美之词与现实相比稍稍过了一点儿也没关系。记住，梦想的实现往往孕育 于期望之中。

19 今天，我收到了以前的老板和导师诺曼·文森特·皮尔寄来的一封温暖的赞扬信。这张小小的便笺 上满是鼓舞人心的词句，这促使我坐到了打字机前来完成几封我早就该写的信。我不知道这些信会不会使 别人高兴，但是，这些信让我感到很高兴。正如我的朋友唐·沃尔夫所说的，使别人充满信心，也会使自 己感到高兴。

Exercises

Post-Reading

Reading Comprehension

1 Paragraphs Topics

Paras. 1-5 1 The significance of Don Wolfe’s notes: Don Wolfe’s uplifting notes made the writer feel confident and many others feel good.

Paras. 6-7 2 Reasons why many people shy away from writing uplifting notes.

Paras. 8-10 3 Some very busy people write notes and benefit from this practice, for example, GeorgeBushandsometopcorporatemanagerslikeDonaldPetersen.

Paras. 11-18 4 How to write notes that lift spirits and warm hearts.

Para. 19 5 Conclusion: An uplifting note makes both the receiver and the sender feel good.

2 ¹ F ² F ³ T ⁴ F ⁵ T ⁶ F ⁷ T ⁸ F ⁹ T ¹⁰ T ¹¹ T ¹² T

3 Sample

Situation 1: It’s not the end of the world. I’m sure you’ll get good results in the final. I once failed two courses.

Situation 2: I’m sorry to learn that your grandmother passed away. She was a wonderful person and will be remembered by your family and those who know her.

24 Unit 2

Situation 3:HappyBirthday!Youarethesweetestpersonintheworld.Imissyourcompanyand

look forward to seeing you again.

Situation 4:Youarealwaysthebestinmyeyes.Timecancureeverything.Bebrave!

Situation 5: Congratulations! What a good beginning! I wish you success.

Vocabulary

1 STEP ONE

Column A Column B The Compound Words Created

up eared upbeat, uplift

draw ready drawback

hand conscious handwritten

rag back rag-eared

ever beat ever-ready

over lift overdue

self due self-conscious

mile stone milestone

type wishing typewriter, typewritten

well writer / written well-wishing, well-written

STEP TWO

1 upbeat / uplifting ² ever-ready ³ overdue ⁴ typewriter 5 milestone ⁶ handwritten ⁷ uplifted ⁸ self-conscious 9 rag-eared ¹⁰ drawbacks

2 ¹ A intrigued (v.): arouse sb.’s interest or curiosity

B intrigues(n.): the act or practice of secretly planning to harm sb. or make them lose their position of power

2 A straining (v.): try very hard to do sth., using all your physical or mental strength

B strain(n.): a force that stretches, pulls or puts pressure on sth.

3 A savor (n.):taste;flavor

B savored(v.): enjoy an experience, activity, or feeling as much as you can and for as long as you can 4 A treasure (v.): treat sth. as being very special, important, or valuable

B treasure(n.): a collection of valuable things such as gold, silver, jewels, etc.

5 A credited (v.): consider sb. as having achieved sth. or being the reason for it

 B credit(n.):trust;faith

6 A boost (n.): an encouraging act of cheering sb. up

B boost(v.): make sb. feel more confident and less worried 7 A note (n.): a short, usually informal letter

B noted(v.): notice or pay careful attention to sth.

8 A signed (v.): write your signature on a letter or document to show that you wrote it, agreed with it

B sign(n.): a movement of your arms, hands, or head which is intended to have a particular meaning

25 The Power of Words 9 A stuffed (v.): push or put sth. into a small place, especially in a careless hurried way

B stuff(n.): used when you are talking about what sb. has done or made, for example writing, music, or art 10 A count (n.): the process of counting, or the total you get when you count things

B counts(v.): be important or valuable

11 A complimented (v.): express praise or admiration of sb.

B compliment(n.): an expression of praise, admiration, approval, etc.

12 A flood (n.): a large number or amount

B flooding(v.): arrive in large numbers 3 column: ¹ D ² A ³ B   ⁴ C

tough: ¹ D ² B   ³ E ⁴ F ⁵ C ⁶ A 4 ¹ A complementary B complimentary C complimentary

 complimentary:a)expressingadmiration,praise,etc.;b)givenfreeofcharge

 complementary:makingsth.completeorperfect;supplyingwhatislackingorneededforcompletion 2 A stationery B stationary C stationary

stationary: not moving or not changing

stationery: writing materials (e.g. paper, envelopes, etc.) 3 A typist B typewriter C typist

typewriter: a machine with a keyboard that you use for typing words directly onto a sheet of paper typist: a person who types, especially one employed to do so

4 A vulgar B vague C vague

 vague:a)notclearlyexpressed,known,ordescribed;b)notclearinshape;noteasytosee vulgar: not having or showing good taste or good manners

5 A pad B pat C pad

 pad:a)severalsheetsofpaperfastenedtogether,usedforwriting,drawing,etc.;b)athickpiece

of a substance such as cloth, used for protecting sth.

a pat on the back: (informal) praise for sth. that you have done well

6 A own B owed C owes D owned

owe: a) have to pay sb. money because you have borrowed from them, or because they have donesth.foryouorsoldyousth.andyouhavenotpaidthemforit;b)feelgratefultosb.

because they have helped you

own: a) a.belongingtooneselfandnooneelse;b)v. legally have sth. because you have bought it, been given it, etc.

5 ¹ solution ² wasted ³ hidden ⁴ subject ⁵ noise 6 extra ⁷ purchased ⁸ replaced ⁹ appreciation ¹⁰ strange Translation

1 However, the main drawback with this type of search engine is its tendency to include too much information.

2 She’s very generous with her time—always ready to help other people.

3 You may have known someone else for 20 years and yet they will never be more than a casual acquaintance.

4 He doubted that the car was hers because everyone knew she had no money.

26 Unit 2

5 It’s impossible to forget such horrific events—they will remain in the memory forever.

6 In a world too often filled with uncertainties, it is nice to have a safety net, something you can rely on.

7 The earthquake happened a year ahead of the prediction by the research group, but earthquakes are usually difficult to predict.

8 I don’t mind being awakened once or twice in the middle of the night by my roommate so long as she doesn’t make a habit of it.

After-Class Reading

参考译文

美言尽在其中

1 我当时在明尼苏达州莫里斯市的圣玛丽学校任教，马克·埃克隆是我教的三年级一班的学生。全班 34个学生都和我很亲密，但马克是万里挑一的。他衣冠整洁，一副乐天派的样子，即便偶尔调皮一下，也 显得那么可爱。

2 马克上课时还会说个不停。我只得一次次地提醒他，未经允许是不可以在课堂上讲话的。然而，每 次我不得不纠正他的捣乱行为时，他的反应总是那么真诚，这给我留下了深刻的印象。“谢谢您纠正我的行 为，老师！”起初我不明白他的话到底是什么意思，可是不久我就习惯了，这话每天都听他说好多遍。

3 一天上午，当马克又在不停地说话时，我没了耐心，于是犯了一个新教师会犯的错误。我看着马克 说道：“如果你再说一个字，我就用胶带把你的嘴封住！”

4 ^不到10秒钟就听见查克突然嚷起来：“马克又说话了。”我并没有让任何学生帮我监督马克，可是既 然我已经在全班面前说明了惩罚办法，就要说到做到。

5 我还记得当时的情景，就像是今天上午刚刚发生似的。我走到自己的桌前，不慌不忙地拉开抽屉，

拿出一卷胶带，接着一言不发地走到马克桌前，撕下两条胶带，在他的嘴上贴成一个大大的叉。然后我又 回到教室的前面。

6 当我瞥了马克一眼，想看看他的反应时，他对我眨了眨眼。他得逞了！我笑了起来。我回到马克的 桌旁，撕掉了贴在他嘴上的胶带，并无可奈何地耸了耸肩，这时全班都欢呼起来。撕掉胶带后他说的第一 句话是：“谢谢您纠正我的行为，老师。”

7 那年年底的时候，我被安排去教初中数学。时光飞逝，不知不觉中马克又坐在了我的教室里。他比 过去更英俊了，而且还是那么彬彬有礼。因为不得不仔细听我讲解“新数学”，九年级的马克不再像在三年 级时那么爱讲话了。

8 有个星期五，班里的情况有点儿不对头。整整一周我们都在努力学习一个新的概念。我感到学生们 开始泄气了，而且彼此之间变得急躁、易怒。我得改变一下班里的气氛，以免情况失控。于是我让学生把 班上其他同学的名字列在两张纸上，在名字之间留出些空间。然后我让他们考虑一下对于每位同学的最好 的评价，并把它写下来。

9 那堂课剩下的时间全花在了完成这项任务上。当学生们离开教室的时候，每个人都把他们写好的两 张纸递给了我。查利面带微笑。马克对我说：“谢谢您教导我，老师。周末愉快。”

10 那个星期六，我把每个学生的名字分别写在一张纸上，然后把其他人说的关于那个学生的话都一一列 在上面。星期一，我把这些纸分别发给对应的学生。有的有两页之多。没多久，所有的学生都在微笑。“真的