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新概念英语第二册lesson 14 Do you speak English?
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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Lesson 14&Do you speak English?
experience last year. After I had left a small village in the south of France, I
on& the next town. On the way, a young man waved to me. I stopped and he asked me for a lift. As soon as he had got into the car, I said good morning to him in French and he replied in the same language. Apart from a few words, I do not know any French at all. Neither of us
during the journey. I had nearly reached the town, when the young man suddenly said, very slowly, 'Do you speak English?' As I soon learnt, he was English himself!
1.I drove on the next town.我继续驶往下一个城镇。
句中的副词 on 有&继续地&，&不停顿地&意思。
2.on the way,在途中。
3.ask for a lift,要求搭车。
4.apart form,除了&&以外。
5.As I soon learnt,he was English himself!我很快就知道，他自己就是个英国人。
去年我有过一次有趣的经历。在离开法国南部的一个小村庄后，我继续驶往下一个城镇。途中，一个青年人向我招手。我把车停下，他向我提出要求搭车。他一上车，我就用法语向他问好，他也同样用法语回答我。除了个别几个单词外，我根本不会法语。旅途中我们谁也没讲话。就要到达那个镇时，那青年突然开了口，慢慢地说道&你会讲英语吗？& 我很快了解到，他自己就是个英国人！
　　自学导读
1．After I had left a small village in the south of France, I drove on to the next town. 在离开法国南部的一个小村庄后，我继续驶往下一个城镇。
（1）表示一个大范围中的某一个地方时要用介词in:
Beijing is in the north of China.
北京位于中国的北部。
（2）副词on紧跟在动词后面时可以表示&向前&、&继续下去&等意义：
He talked on until everybody had gone.
他滔滔不绝地讲到大家都走了。
I was reading when my friend called. After he had
gone, I went on to read.
我朋友来看我时我正在看书。他走了以后我便继续看书。
2．I stopped and he asked me for a lift. 我把车停下，他向我提出要求搭车。
名词lift的含义之一是&（给步行者）搭便车&、&免费搭车&：
Last night, I had to walk home. No one would give me a lift.
昨晚我不得不走回家。谁也不愿意让我搭车。
I was lucky today. I got a lift soon after I had left the village.
我今天运气好，离开村子不久就搭上了便车。
3．As soon as he had got into the car, I said good morning to him in French and he replied in the same language. 他一上车，我就用法语向他问早上好，他也同样用法语回答我。
（1）表示时间的固定短语as soon as通常表示&一&&就&&&，即两个动词之间相隔时间非常短：
Tell him the news as soon as you meet him.
你一遇见他就把这消息告诉他。
（2）表示用某种语言作为交际手段时介词用in，表示讲某种语言时可以不加介词：
speak English/ French 讲英语／法语
That book is written in German.
那本书是用德语写的。
He replied the question in English.
他用英语回答了这个问题。
　语法 Grammar in use
过去完成时(The simple past perfect tense)
过去完成时由 had+ 过去分词构成，它表示过去某时或某动作发生之前已经完成的动作或情况，即&较早的过去&。在用
过去完成时态的句子中，常用的连词有 when, after, as soon as, until, by that time等：
When I woke up in the morning, she had already had
her breakfast.
当我早上醒来时，她已经吃过早饭了。
After he had said goodbye to us all, Captain Alison started his journey.
当艾利森船长和我们大家都道了别之后，他就启程了。
Did you really ring the police?
你真的给警方打电话了？
It was a mistake. I realized it as soon as I had rung them.
我犯了个错误。刚给他们打完电话我就意识到了。
I didn't know that she was a famous actress until you had told me.
直到你告诉我时我才知道她是位名演员。
常与现在完成时连用的副词如already, just, never, never&before也常与过去完成时连用，以强调事件发生的先后次序：
The boys loved the zoo. They had never seen wild animals before.
男孩们喜欢动物园，以前他们从没见过野兽。
在有些用过去完成时的句子中没有明确的时间状语，但通过上下文可以看出动作发生的先后
　　词汇学习 Word study
1．ask与ask for
ask最常用的意思是&问&、&询问&：
I asked (Mary) a question.
我（向玛丽）问了一个问题。
它也可以表达&请求&、&要求&或&邀请&等意思：
They asked Tony to sing a song.
他们请托尼唱支歌。
They asked her to spend the weekend with them.
他们邀请她一起度周末。
ask for表示&要&、&要求&：
You are always asking for help.
你总是要人帮忙。
I asked for a cup of coffee, but they gave me a cup of tea.
我要的是一杯咖啡，但他们却给了我一杯茶。
2．except, except for与apart from
3者都表示&除&&以外&，有时可以互相代替使用：
Everyone has helped in some way apart from/ except for/except you.
每个人都帮了点忙，只有你没有。
I have no other books except/ except for these.
除了这些书以外我再没有其他书了。
但是 except不用于句首，except for/ apart from则可以：
Apart from/ Except for you, everyone has helped in some way.
除了你，每个人都帮了点忙。
3．短语 which of, either of, neither of与 both of
这些短语都可用于指两个人或两件事。
（1）当询问在两个或更多的人或事物中偏爱哪一个或选择哪一个时，可用 which:
I like both of these bags. Which of the two do you prefer?
这两个包我都喜欢。你喜欢哪一个？
（2）either与neither都是对两个人或物而言（后接单数名词）。either指 one or the other（不是这个就是那个），either和 neither 后跟of时则指两个事物中的每一个：
(3）both只指两个人或物。当它用在名词前时，of可有可无：
Both books/ Both of the books are interesting.
两本书都很有趣。
当both用在代词前面时，其后必须加of:
Both of us/ them left early.
我们俩／他们俩都走得很早。
I love both of you.
我爱你们俩。
　　练习答案 Key to written exercises
1．关键句型练习答案
A 1 I drove on to the next town after I had left a small village.2 I said good morning to him in French as soon as he had got into the car.
3 I had nearly reached the town, when the young man said:&Do you speak English?&
C 1 After she had written the letter, she went to the post office.
2 After he had had dinner, he went to the cinema.
3 When I had fastened my seat belt, the plane took off.
4 We did not disturb him until he had finished work.
5 As soon as he had left the room, I turned on the radio.
6 He had been very ill before he died.
D 1 regretted& 2 had begun/ began& 3 arrived
2．难点练习答案
1 Except for& 2 both of& 3 Apart from
4 asked&ask for& 5 neither of&asked
3．多项选择题答案
1 b& 2 c& 3 a& 4 c& 5 d& 6 b
7 c& 8 b& 9 c& 10 b& 11 b& 12 b
　　【New words and expressions】 生词和短语
★amusing　adj. 好笑的，有趣的
:感到好笑的
动词后面会加人做宾语
The story amused me.
The story is amusing.
i am amused.
interesting:有意思
The book is interesting.
The book is amusing.
funny:好笑的，可以指贬义，开心的，令人开心的
interesting/funny story
★experience　n. 经历
经验：不可数名词
经历：可数名词
He has a lot of experience.
He has a lot of experiences.
+s(a/an),经历；原形，经验
He is an experienced doctor.
★wave　v. 招手
向某人招手
★lift　n. 搭便车
be动词＋形容词/介词
be动词后面不能是名词，一旦是名词，就认为主语和后面的名词是等号关系
I am a teacher.
I was a lift.
take a bus/taxi/lift
take a lift:搭便车
I take a list.
The student gave me a lift.
give sb a lift:让某人搭便车
B wants to take a lift.
A will give B a lift.
thumb lift :拇指便车
I want to take a list.
★reply　v. 回答
He answered/replied.
answer sth/reply to sth.
answer the letter：回信
I will reply to the letter.
★language　n. 语言
native language：母语
mother tongue
The native language is Chinese.
My mother tongue is Chinese.
★journey　n. 旅行
begin a trip：开始一个旅行
begin a journey
trip,travel,tour
trip：短距离旅行或出差
go on Business/go on a trip
travel：周游（长途）
tour,为了玩
tourist：游客
journey：所有的旅行
go on a journey, 3 days' journey
2 hours' journey
voyage：旅行（海上）
flight：空中飞行
journey：偏重于陆地旅行
课文讲解】
搭便车：take a lift
给某人搭便车：give sb a lift
路程，旅行：journey
经历：experience.
一般有意思，interesting、funny,　amusing顷向于让某人笑出声
I had an amusing experience last year.
after,从句的标志，后面叫时间主语从句
when,while,as：当什么时候，until,before,after
简单句当中一个谓语，有从句有主句，从句一个谓语动词，主句一个谓语动词
after：在什么什么之后，主句的动作发生在从句之后，从句的动作发生在主句的
前面，从句的动作发生在前，主句的动作发生在后
如果两个都是过去时，同时发生，会用进行时态；如果一先一后，发生在前的动作
为过去完成时（had done）
after后面的从句一个变成过去时，一个变成过去完成时，一定是从句用过去完成时。
before：在什么什么之前，主句发生在从句之前，主句用过去完成时。
地点做介词短语修饰前面的名词
in the south of
表达方位的表达方式一共有3个介词，in,on,to
没有相接的，是相离的，to
在什么里面，in
drive to：开车去某地，drive on (on:继续），on加在动词的后面表示继续
on the way：在路上，在途中
wave to sb：冲某人挥手
I stopped=I stopped the car.
ask sb for sth：请求某人要求得到什么东西
as soon as：一...就...户名一定要加一个句子（时间主语从句），
后面的先发生
As soon as I had received the letter,I ringed/called him back.
只要是状语从句，一旦遇到将来时，变为一般现在时
As soon as you arrive,you must call me.
As soon as 强调两个动作几乎是连在一起的
say goodbye,say sorry,say hello,say good morning to him
用某种语言：in＋某种语言
I speak English.I say a word in Chinese.
reply 要想加宾语要加 to
in the smae language
as soon as：一...就...
As soon as I had entered the room,I took off my coat at once.
apart from：除了什么之外，except
except,except for,apart from
1.when except is used at the beginning of a sentence,it is followed by for.
2.apart from习惯上喜欢放句首，apart from=except=besides
如果认为整体之中做这件事情的人除了整体之外，还有这个人也做了，是加号
如果认为整体之中做这件事情的人除了整体之外，这个人没有做，是减号
All the passengers are
except us. 减号
3.except：从整体之中减掉，besides 如果放在句首，统一用apart from
4.except for含有对整体中的某一个方面不满意
The article is very good except for his handwriing.
except for 可以不放在句首，强调整体当中某一方面除外，剩下的整体都不错
Except for his height,he is very excellent.
　　【Special difficulties】
I invited everyone except George. Except for George I invited everyone.
Except for/apart from this,everything is in order.
1.except for
3.apart from(Except for)
except for=apart from,喜欢放在句首
except和besides可放句子中间，besides指在整体上加上，except要从整体减掉
not at all：一点点都不
I don't like it. I don't like it at all.
apart from=except
Apart from my sister,I like everyone.
Apart from a few words,I know any French
during the journey：在旅途当中，自始自终
neither of sb,either of sb
either of sb：什么当中的任何一个
neither of sb：什么当中的任何一个都不
either,neither 都是指两个当中的任何一个
如果不只两个人，就变成none of
none,neither一旦出现，这句话就不会再有not
I don't like the book,My sister doesn't like it either.
Neither of us likes　it.
nearly：将要
when: 就在此时
I had nearly reached Home when I found my mother
Do you speak English?问的是一个事实　你说英语吗？你是说英语国家的人吗？
Do you swim? 你去游泳吗？　　Can you swim?你会游泳吗？
As I learnt. learn:知道，得知
我得知：I　我知道：I know
As we know,the New
English is very good.
As＋主语＋动词＋逗号＋句子，As：正如
As I think,it is the coldest day in the year.
As my mother said/As I heard
As he said,English is easy to learn.
himself,反身代词单独放在句尾，起强调作用
I read English myself.
as soon as+从句，表示时间，一...就...
apart from=except for,放在句首，除了什么之外
neither of:两者之间都不，一旦出现，这句话里面不会再出现not
三者或三者以上之间都不：none of
As I learnt,正如......
As sb do sth,一定要加逗号，再加另外一个句子
英语当中的第一句话往往起着概述的作用
有两种方式可以背诵：一种是硬背，另一种是先理解，然后按照事情的发展顺序背
　　【Key structures】过去完成时
过去完成时：过去的过去或两个动作都在过去，一个动作在前，一个在后，
发生在前的动作为过去完成时
过去完成时一定要以一个过去时态在铺垫，这个动作一定要发生在had done之后
until：直到什么时候为止，直到什么时候才
until，在后面一个从句之前发生了主句
until,主句和从句两个都用一般过去时对，主句和从句然后一个用过去完成是也对
I had not understood the problem until he explained it.
4.We hadn't disturbed him until he finished work.
We didn't disturb him until he had finished work.
We didn't disturb him until he finished work.
after后面会家过去完成时，before后面会加一般过去时
Exercises D
1.The moment后面直接加从句，The moment = as soon as
一般过去时，regretted
2.before引导的从句用一般过去时，主句用过去完成时
3.arrived,过去完成是一定要和过去的过去有关
　　【Special difficulties】
a.ask and ask for
ask sth：问什么什么东西，ask a question/ask sb
ask for sth：要求得到，ask for the answer
c.which of ,either of, neither of ,both of
either of :两者当中的任何一个
neither of：两者都不
which of :那一个，which of the two
both of：两者都
Which of the two do you like?
I want both of them.I want either of them.I want neither of them.
4.asked,ask for
5.either of,前面有not
Multiple choice questions】
French不可数，不能用many
plenty of：足够多的
not much: a little
not a little: much
7....c....
neither不会和not连用
either：任何一个
both：两个都
neither of,不能说we neither,只能说neither of us
responded和replied用法一样
replied后面加宾语一定要加to,　answer直接加
：军礼，军人的问候
：搭便车的人
passenger：乘客，付车钱
12. almost=nearly
just as 正当...时候　＋时间主语从句
点击收听单词发音&&
adj.有有趣的，好玩的
参考例句：
The girl was amusing herself with a doll.那女孩在玩洋娃娃自娱。
He related some amusing stories in his childhood to his children.他向孩子们述说了他少年时代的一些趣事。
vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群
参考例句：
He drove at a speed of sixty miles per hour.他以每小时60英里的速度开车。
They drove foreign goods out of the market.他们把外国货驱逐出市场。
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
v.娱乐，逗乐，使高兴，使有趣
参考例句：
Tom makes up stories to amuse his little brother.汤姆编故事逗他的小弟弟。
I often amuse myself with reading.我常以读书自乐。
adj.被逗笑的；愉快的；顽皮的v.“amuse”的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
My funny drawings amused the kids. 我的滑稽图画把孩子们逗乐了。
There was an amused look on the President's face. 总统面带愉悦的神情。
adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的
参考例句：
Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
Perhaps you and I hayou are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。
n.百万富翁，大富豪
参考例句：
The millionaire put up a lot of money for the church.这位百万富翁为教会捐了许多钱。
She wants to marry a millionaire.她想嫁给一位有钱人。
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
n.概念，观念，思想
参考例句：
A small baby has no concept of right and wrong.婴儿没有是非概念。
He was asked to define his concept of cool.他被要求说明自己关于“酷”的定义。
vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮
参考例句：
Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。
n.流浪者，步行，跋涉；v.步行，跋涉
参考例句：
She wants to go for a tramp in the country.她想去乡间远足。
A tramp came to the door and asked for food.一个流浪汉来到门前讨饭吃。
v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉
参考例句：
They had an eighty-mile journey and decided to hitch hike.他们要走80英里的路程，最后决定搭便车。
All the candidates are able to answer the questions without any hitch.所有报考者都能对答如流。
n.远足者，长途旅行者
参考例句：
He picked up a hitch-hiker. 他中途让个搭便车的人上了车。 来自辞典例句
Foreign back-packer: It means a hiker who loves traveling around the world. 外国背包客：就是喜欢在全世界旅游的徒步旅行者啊！ 来自互联网
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------分隔线----------------------------新标准大学英语NewStandard综合教程4部分答案和翻译
Active reading (1)
Looking for a job after university? First, get
off the sofa
Reading and understanding
Dealing with unfamiliar words
3 Match the words in the box with their
definitions.
1 to make progress by moving to the next stage in a
series of actions or events (proceed)
2 the process of changing from one situation, form
or state to another (transition)
3 not feeling involved with someone or something in
a close or emotional way (detached)
4 referring to something which will happen soon
(upcoming)
5 to be sitting still in a position that is not
upright (slump)
6 to return to a previous state or way of behaving
7 to say what happened (recount)
4 Complete the paragraph with the correct
form of the words in Activity 3.
It isn’t easy to make the (1) transition from a
busy university student to an unemployed young adult (2) slumped on
a bar stool or half watching a mindless television show, wondering
if and how their career is going to (3) proceed. Many people who
have experienced a long period of inactivity like this, when (4)
recounting how they felt at the time, refer to the same strange
psychological effect. As the days pass, they begin to feel (5)
detached from any sense of pressure to go and look for a job, and
tend to regard (6) upcoming interviews as if they were not very
important. Typically, back at home after three or four years away,
they (7) revert to old habits, start seeing old friends, and, in
many cases, become dependent again on their parents.
5 Replace the underlined words with the
correct form of the words in the box. You may need to make other
1 I went to a mixed-ability secondary school just
outside London. (comprehensive)
2 I got stopped by a policeman who asked to see my
driving licence. (cop)
3 Have you seen this beautiful from the air view of
Oxford? (aerial)
4 Isabel tightly her bag as she walked down the
corridor towards the office. (clutched)
5 You should speak to T he’s an supporter of
flexible working hours. (advocate)
6 I hurt my leg badly a couple of months ago, and
it still hasn’t got better completely. (healed)
6 Answer the questions about the
1 Is a dead-end job one with (a) exciting
prospects, or (b) no future?
2 Is a tricky problem (a) difficult, or (b)
easy to solve?
3 If an activity saps all your energy, do
you feel (a) tired, or (b) more active than usual?
4 Does a pushy person try to (a) persuade
you to do something you don’t want to, or (b) help you by listening
to what you have to say?
5 If you feel apathy, do you want to (a)
change the world, or (b) stay at home and do nothing?
7 Answer the questions about the
1 Is fork out (a) a formal, or (b) an
informal way of saying to pay for something?
2 If you are in the same boat as another
person, are you (a) making the same journey together, or (b) in the
same difficult or unpleasant situation?
3 If you feel you have come full circle, do
you (a) feel you are back where you started, or (b) feel a sense of
satisfaction because you have completed something?
4 If someone takes a soft line, do they deal
with a person (a) in a kind and sympathetic way, or (b) in a lazy
way without making a decision?
5 If you strike the right note about
something, are you expressing yourself (a) well, or (b) badly?
6 If you do something by all means, do you
(a) try your best to do it, or (b) not care about it?
7 If you nudge someone back into the saddle,
are you encouraging them to (a) take responsibility again, or (b)
take it easy?
8 If you talk through a problem with
someone, do you (a) examine it carefully and sensitively, or (b)
refer to it quickly and then change the subject?
Active reading (2)
If you ask me
Dealing with unfamiliar words
4 Match the words in the box with their
definitions.
1 funny or entertaining (amusing)
2 used for emphasizing that something good has
happened, especially because of good luck (fortunately)
3 an amount of money that a person, business or
country borrows, usually from a bank (loan)
4 to take an amount or number from a total
5 the most exciting, impressive, or interesting
part of an event (highlight)
6 to show that you understand someone’s problems
(sympathize)
7 needing a lot of time, ability, and energy (demanding)
5 Complete the conversation with the correct
form of the words in Activity 4.
A After three years at university, I’m now
quite heavily in debt.
B I (1) sympathize with you, I know what
it’s like to have financial problems. But (2) fortunately I didn’t
need to take out a student (3) loan when I was at university,
because I had a part-time job.
A What did you do?
B I worked in a restaurant at weekends.
A That must have been very (4)
demanding.
B Yes, it was. I had to get the right
balance between work and study. But the other people who worked
there were good fun to be with, so it was quite (5) amusing too.
The (6) highlight of the weekend was always Saturday night when we
worked overtime.
A But I don’t expect you made a lot of
B No, there wasn’t much after they’d (7)
deducted tax and pension contributions. But it was enough to keep
6 Replace the underlined words with the
correct form of the words in the box. You may need to make other
1 When I was at college I kept all my personal
things in an old cupboard.
2 A lot of people who leave university before
getting a degree end up in good jobs.
3 I think she’ll get a good degree, but I wouldn’t
risk my money on the exact result.
4 The money I spent at college was more than what I
earned in my part-time job.
5 The chances of my being offered a job after that
interview must be quite remote.
6 Our business has done very well since we changed
our advertising.
7 I think telling the truth and not cheating is
always the best policy.
Key: (1) belongings (2) dropouts (3) gamble
(4) exceeded (5) odds
(6) has thrived (7) honesty
7 Answer the questions about the words and
expressions.
1 If something is not all it’s cracked up to
be, is it (a) valid and interesting, or (b) just a little bit
disappointing?
2 If someone keeps banging on about
something, are you likely to be (a) interested in, or (b) bored
by what they say?
3 If there is a lot of hassle in your life,
are you likely to feel (a) stressed, or (b) relaxed?
4 If something happens out of the blue, is
it (a) unexpected, or (b) part of your plan?
5 If you say you ended up in a particular
job, do you suggest that (a) you have fulfilled your ambition, or
(b) it happened almost by chance?
6 Are the regulars in a pub (a) the
customers who come very often, or (b) the food the pub offers most
7 If something is dead easy, is it (a) very
easy, or (b) not easy at all?
8 If you treat someone to something, do you
(a) buy something nice for them, or (b) behave badly to them?
9 If you cheer a place up, do you (a) make
the place look brighter, or (b) make the people in the place
Reading and interpreting
8 Look at the sentences from the passage and
identify the style features.
1 Twelve years at school and three years at
university, teachers banging on about opportunities in the big wide
world beyond our sheltered life as students, and what do I
This shows the informality of an incomplete
sentence in the first part, the use of an informal expression
(banging on) and a rhetorical question to the reader (What do I
2 Try as I might to stay cheerful, all I ever get
is hassle, sometimes with people (especially boys, god, when will
they grow up?) …
This has the use of an informal word (hassle), an
informal exclamation (god) and a question to the
reader (When will they grow up?)
3 Actually, I had my eye on the course at the
London School of Economics (LSE).
Here there is a discourse marker typical of speech
(Actually) and an informal phrase (had my eye on).
4 I kind of understand it, and not just because my
degree is in economics.
Here “kind of” is a sort of discourse marker of
informal speech (showing something is general, vague or not
definite).
5 I wanted something in finance and investments,
because you know, maybe with a job like that, I could use my
This has a discourse marker of informal speech (you
6 ... it’s true, he really did seem to have three
Again here is a discourse marker of informal speech
(it’s true).
7 I talked to him about ... well, about pretty well
everything …
This has another discourse marker of informal
speech (well) and an informal phrase (pretty well).
Language in use
word formation: compound nouns
1 Write the compound nouns which mean:
1 a degree which is awarded a first class (a
first-class degree)
2 work in a hospital (hospital work)
3 a ticket for a plane journey (a plane ticket)
4 a discount for students (a student discount)
5 a pass which allows you to travel on buses (a bus
6 a room where an interview is held (an interview
7 a period spent in training (a training
word formation: noun phrases
2 Write the noun phrases which
1 a career which is rewarding from the financial
point of view (a financially rewarding career)
2 legislation which has been introduced recently
(recently introduced legislation)
3 instructions which are more complex than usual
(unusually complex instructions)
4 an institution which is orientated towards
academic (academically orientated work)
5 work which makes physical demands on you
(physically demanding work)
6 information which has the potential to be
important (potentially important information)
7 candidates who have been selected after a careful
procedure (carefully selected candidates)
8 a coursebook in which everything has been planned
beautifully (a beautifully planned textbook)
try as … might
3 Rewrite the sentences using try as … might
1 I’m trying to fill this last page, but I just
can’t think of anything.
Try as I might to fill this last page, I just can’t
think of anything.
2 I try to be friendly with Marta, but she doesn’t
seem to respond.
Try as I might to be friendly with Marta, she
doesn’t seem to respond.
3 I try hard to get to sleep, but I can’t help
thinking about my family.
Try as I might to get to sleep, I can’t help
thinking about my family.
4 He just doesn’t seem to get the promotion he
deserves, even though he keeps trying.
Try as he might, he just doesn’t seem to get the
promotion he deserves. / Try as he might to get the
promotion he deserves, he just doesn’t seem to get
5 I keep trying to remember her name, but my mind
is a blank.
Try as I might to remember her name, my mind is a blank.
given that …
4 Rewrite the sentences using given that
1 Since I know several languages, I thought I would
look for work abroad.
Given that I know several languages, I thought I
would look for work abroad.
2 Xiao Li has the best qualifications, so she
should get the job.
Given that Xiao Li has the best qualifications, she
should get the job.
3 Since we’re all here, I think it would be a good
idea to get down to some work.
Given that we’re all here, I think it would be a
good idea to get down to some work.
4 Since it’s rather late, I think we should leave
this last task until tomorrow.
Given that it’s rather late, I think we should
leave this last task until tomorrow.
clauses introduced by than
5 Rewrite the sentences using clauses
introduced by than .
1 She’s experienced at giving advice. I’m more
experienced.
She’s less experienced at giving advice than I am.
/ I’m more experienced at giving advice than she is.
2 You eat too much chocolate. It isn’t good for
You eat too much chocolate than is good for
3 She worked very hard. Most part-timers don’t work
She worked harder than most part-timers do.
4 You have arrived late too many times. That isn’t
acceptable.
You have arrived late more times than is
acceptable.
5 I don’t think you should have given so much
personal information. It isn’t wise.
I think you have given more personal information
than is wise.
collocations
6 Read the explanations of the words. Answer
the questions.
1 highlight A highlight is the most
exciting, impressive, or interesting part of an event.
(a) What would you like to be the highlight
of your career?
I would like the highlight of my student career to
be to receive a national award for the best student research
(b) How can you highlight an important
sentence in a text?
You can underline it in pencil or pen or you can
use coloured pens or highlighters.
(c) What are the edited highlights of a
football match?
The highlights are when someone scores a goal or
prevents one from being scored.
2 loan A loan is an amount of money
someone borrows from someone else.
(a) Have you ever taken out a loan?
No, I haven’t. But my parents have taken out several loans to
buy kitchen equipment.
(b) What is the best way to pay off a
It is best to pay a loan off quickly, although you
will still have to pay some interest.
(c) If you have a library book on loan, what
do you have to do with it?
You have to return it before the date it is due,
otherwise you may have to pay a fine.
3 thrive To thrive means to be very
successful, happy or healthy.
(a) What sort of business thrives best in
your part of the country?
In my part of the country, light industries and
electronics companies thrive.
(b) Which sort of plants thrive in a hot
In a hot climate you can see tropical fruit and
vegetables thrive and also tropical plants and trees.
(c) Why do you think some couples thrive on
It is difficult to understand why some couples
thrive on conflict. Maybe each one wants to compete with the other
or maybe they enjoy “kissing and making up” after the conflict.
7 Translate the paragraphs into
If you ask me, real life is not all it’s cracked up
to be. Twelve years at school and three years at university,
teachers banging on about opportunities in the big wide world
beyond our sheltered life as students, and what do I find?
Try as I might to stay cheerful, all I ever get is
hassle, sometimes with people (especially boys, god, when will they
grow up?), but mostly with money. It’s just so expensive out here!
Everyone wants a slice off you. The Inland Revenue wants to deduct
income tax, the bank manager wants repayments on my student loan,
the landlord wants the rent, gas, water, electricity and my mobile
bills keep coming in, and all that’s before I’ve had anything to
eat. And then some bright spark calls me out of the blue, asking if
I’m interested in buying a pension. At this rate, I won’t even last
till the end of the year, let alone till I’m 60.（☞
翻译时可以根据上下文增译，即增加原文暗含了但没有直接表达出来的意思。如最后一句译文加了“领养老金”，点出了与上一句的关联。）
依我看，现实生活与人们想象的不一样。我们上了12年的中、小学，又上了3年的大学，这期间老师们一直在没完没了地谈论在安宁的学生生活之外那个广阔天地里的各种机会，可我遇到的又是什么呢？
无论我怎么想保持心情愉快，麻烦事总是接踵而来：有时是跟人争吵（尤其是跟男孩，天哪！他们什么时候才能长大？），但通常是为钱发愁。这个地方什么东西都很贵！人人都想从我身上拿点钱去：国税局要收个人所得税，银行经理要我偿清学生贷款，房东催我交房租、燃气费、水费、电费，手机账单也不断地寄来。所有这些还没算上吃饭的钱。更可气的是，不知从哪里冒出一个自作聪明的家伙冷不丁地给我打电话，问我要不要买养老金。照这样下去，我连今年都活不过去了，更别提活到60岁领养老金了。
8 Translate the paragraphs into English.
我认为，选修第二专业并不适合每一位本科生。我大学本科主修英语专业，大一时就开始辅修经济学了。无疑，我是班里最用功的学生。我竭尽全力想同时达到两个不同专业的要求，但还是有不及格的时候。因为经济学需要良好的数学基础，我不得不花大量时间钻研数学，因而忽略了英语学习。
第二学期,《英国文学》及《宏观经济学》两门课不及格给我敲响了警钟，这可是我一生中第一次考试不及格，这大大打击了我的自信心。虽然我不是一个容易向命运低头的人，在暑假结束的时候，我还是决定放弃经济学，以免两个专业都难以完成。当我只需修一个专业的时候，一切似乎又回到了正轨。
( try as … sap one’ given
If you ask me, taking a second major isn’t good for
every undergraduate. In my freshman year as an English major, I
took economics as my minor. By all odds, I was the most hardworking
student in my class. But try as I might to meet the requirements of
the two different subjects, I still couldn’t do well enough to pass
all the exams. Given that the study of economics required a good
command ofmathematics, I had to spend so much time on math that I
neglected my English major.
Failing English Literature and
Macroeconomics in the second semester sounded the alarm for
me. This was the first time I did not pass a course in my life,
which had greatly sapped my confidence. Although I was not a man
who would easily bow to fate, as the summer break came to a close,
I decided to give up economics for fear that I would fail in both
subjects. Now that I had only one subject to attend to, everything
seemed to be on the right track again.
Translation of the passages
Active reading (1)
大学毕业找工作的第一要义：别躺在沙发上做梦
今年夏天，超过65
万的大学生毕业离校，其中有许多人根本不知道怎么找工作。在当今金融危机的背景下，做父母的该如何激励他们？
七月，你看着21
岁英俊的儿子穿上学士袍，戴上四方帽，骄傲地握着优等学士学位证书，拍毕业照。这时，记忆中每年支付几千英镑，好让儿子吃好、能参加奇特聚会的印象开始消退。总算熬到头了。等到暑假快要结束，全国各地的学生正在为新学期做准备的时候，你发现大学毕业的儿子还歪躺在沙发上看电视。他只是偶尔走开去发短信，浏览社交网站Facebook，去酒吧喝酒。这位前“千禧一代”的后裔一夜之间变成了哼哼一代的成员。他能找到工作吗？
这就是成千上万家庭所面临的景象：今年夏天，超过65
万大学生毕业，在当今金融危机的背景下他们中的大多数人不知道自己下一步该做什么。父母只会唠叨，而儿女们则毫无缘由地变成了叛逆者，他们知道自己该找份工作，但却不知道如何去找。
来自米德尔塞克斯郡的杰克·古德温今年夏天从诺丁汉大学政治学系毕业，获得二级一等荣誉学士学位。他走进大学就业服务中心，又径直走了出来，因为他看见很多人在那里排长队。跟他一起
个男孩也都跟他一样，进去又出来了。找工作的压力不大，虽然他所认识的大多数女生都有更清晰的计划。
他说：“我申请政治学研究工作，但被拒了。他们给的年薪是1 万8
千镑，交完房租后所剩无几，也就够买一罐煮豆子，可他们还要有研究经历或硕士学位的人。然后我又申请了公务员速升计划，并通过了笔试。但在面试时，他们说我‘太冷漠’了，谈吐‘太像专家治国国论者’。我觉得自己不可能那样，但我显然就是那样的。”
打那以后他整个夏天都在“躲”。
他能够轻松复述《交通警察》中的若干片段，他白天看电视的时间太多，已经到了影响健康的地步。跟朋友谈自己漫无目标的日子时，他才发现他们的处境和自己的并没有两样。其中一位朋友在父母的逼迫下去超市摆货，其余的都是白天9
点“无所事事”，晚上去酒吧喝酒打发时间。要么，干脆就在酒吧工作？这样还可以挣些酒钱。“我不想在酒吧工作，我上的是综合性中学，我拼命读书才考上了一所好大学。到了大学，我又埋头苦读，才得到一个好学位。可现在我却跟那些没上过大学的朋友处在同一个水平线上，他们整天给客人倒酒，干无聊的活。我觉得自己好像兜了一圈，又回到了原来的起点。
他的母亲杰奎琳·古德温为他辩护。她坚持认为她的儿子已经尽力了，她自己中学毕业后一直都在工作，可是她和她的丈夫发现，建议儿子如何继续找工作是件很棘手的事情。她说，“我一直都必须工作。现在找工作很难，因为如果你有了学位，学位就会为你提供新的机会，至少你自己会这么想。”
虽然现在她对儿子的态度还比较温和，但是她心里很清楚，去南美度三星期的假之后，他的休假就结束了。他可能还得付房租，分担家庭开支。她说，“在某个时候他们总该长大成人，我们已经帮了他们交了大学的学费，所以他们也该给我们一点点回报了。南美度假就是一个分水岭，他回来以后如果找不到工作，那就打圣诞节零工好了。”
心理治疗师盖尔·林登费尔德是《情感康复策略》的作者。她说古德温家长的说法是很恰当的，从上大学到工作的转换对孩子和父母来说都很艰难，关键是他们要在支持理解孩子和不溺爱孩子之间取得平衡。
“父母的主要任务就是支持他们，如果他们教导孩子该如何做就会引起矛盾，”她说。“如果有熟人，一定要找他们想办法。但很多父母心太软了。必须限制孩子的零花钱，要求他们交房租，或分担日常生活或养宠物的花销。父母要过正常的生活，不要让孩子随便用你们的银行卡或者榨干你们的情感能量。”
为他们支付职业咨询费、面试交通费及书费是好事，但不能催得太紧。林登费尔德建议：虽说父母不能太宽容，但是如果孩子找工作遇到了挫折，父母应该体谅他们，宽容他们几天甚至几周——这要看他们受打击的程度来决定。等他们缓过来之后，父母就该坚决要求孩子继续求职。
男孩更容易困在家里。林登费尔德相信男人比母亲和姐妹更容易帮助他们的儿子、侄子、或朋友的儿子。她说，由于男人和女人处理挫折的方式不同，孩子们需要跟男人谈话，才能度过难关。
她强烈支持他们去酒吧工作：那是克服毕业冷漠症的一剂良方。这工作好不好要取决于你如何看待它。就是在酒吧打工的时候，林登费尔德找到了她的第一份工作，当航拍助手。她说在酒吧工作是拓展人际关系的绝好机会，肯定比赖在家里看电视更容易找到工作。
她说：“给超市上货也一样。如果干得好，你就会被人发现的。如果你聪明、活泼，对顾客彬彬有礼，你很快就会升职。所以，把它看作是机会，那些最终能成功的人士都有在超市上货的经历。”
你的儿子或女儿可能不会干好莱坞影星们干过的活，比如像乌比·戈德堡那样去停尸房给死人化妆，或者像布鲁斯·威利斯那样在核电站当警卫，但即便是布拉德·皮特也曾经不得不穿上宽大的鸡套装站在墨西哥快餐连锁店El
Pollo Loco 的门口招揽生意。他们中没有一个人因为这些经历而变得越来越穷。
Active reading (2)
依我看，现实生活与人们想象的不一样。我们上了12 年的中、小学，又上了3
年的大学，这期间老师们一直在没完没了地谈论在安宁的学生生活之外那个广阔天地里的各种机会，可我遇到的又是什么呢？
无论我怎么想保持心情愉快，麻烦事总是接踵而来：有时是跟人争吵（尤其是跟男孩，天哪！他们什么时候才能长大？），但通常是为钱发愁。这个地方什么东西都很贵！人人都想从我身上拿点钱去：国税局要收个人所得税，银行经理要我偿清学生贷款，房东催我交房租、燃气费、水费、电费，手机账单也不断地寄来。所有这些还没算上吃饭的钱。更可气的是，不知从哪里冒出一个自作聪明的家伙冷不丁地给我打电话，问我要不要买养老金。照这样下去，我连今年都活不过去了，更别提活到60
岁领养老金了。
我那时还不想出去工作。我的意思是，我并不是个中途辍学者，但我知道自己以后可能不得不退学。许多人认为“生活不是野餐”，“没有免费的午餐”。但既然我拿到了优等生文凭，我想我应该继__续攻读硕士学位。实际上，我已经瞄上了伦敦经济学院的课程，这是一所顶尖的学校，能给我的履历表增添一段光彩的经历。但当我跟妈妈谈起这件事时，她说她没法继续供我上学了。我大概能理解她的心情，这不仅仅是因为我学的是经济学。15
年来，为了能让我上学，她含辛茹苦。这些年来，父亲大部分时间都不在家。就算在家，他也没钱。他把钱都拿去赌狗、喝酒了。我听了妈妈的话，向命运低下了头。
依我看，不管人们说什么，幸运的是世上还是有很多好心人。麦克就是其中的一个。大学毕业时，我想如果我回家，妈妈会觉得她有责任照顾我。所以，我就收拾行李去伦敦找工作。我想找金融和投资方面的职位，因为你知道这样我就可以用上我的专业知识。可是那时候已经没有这样的工作了，我又不愿意做乏味的办公室工作，复印文件、端茶倒水什么的。
无论你走到伦敦的什么地方，你都能找到一个好酒吧。有一天，我意识到这个城里没有人会雇我，我走进位于特荷街的索尔兹伯里酒吧去喝一杯，顺便吃点东西。店主麦克正在店里，他一只手倒酒，一只手做三明治，同时还洗酒杯。他真的好像有三只手。他好像也认识所有的客人，叫得出常客的名字。
他跟他们打招呼，帮他们调好酒后问一句：“今天还喝这个，是吧？”我觉得他看起来蛮酷的，他在做着他最擅长做的事情：为那些口渴的顾客服务，没人能比得上他。所以我就走上前去问他要不要雇人。好吧，长话短说，某个周五的午餐时间我开始在那个酒吧打工。这份工作要求很高，但我喜欢干。
顾客好像觉得我挺逗乐的，这也让我感觉好一些。有位穿西服的中年常客总要半品脱苦啤酒，一份火腿泡菜三明治，面包皮要消掉。他叫托尼。我一看见他进来，不等他开口就开始准备他的午餐，他也是那些好心人之一。
依我看，一个人没钱的时候花钱最容易。我开始琢磨怎么花第一个月的薪水了。我住的公寓房租很贵，我挣的钱刚够支付第一个月的大笔账单，但是我估计还能剩点钱好好犒劳一下自己。我想，何不买张CD
或买盆花草装点一下房间？
发工资的那天正好是我的生日，除了麦克和托尼，我在伦敦就没有别的朋友了。如果你知道我那时还没有男朋友，你就会理解我为什么觉得对不起自己了。我给自己定了些鲜花，让卖花的人附上一张卡片，上面写道：“给你我所有的爱。无名氏”。我生日那天最精彩的瞬间就是送花人到达公寓时大惑不解的眼神。
那周晚些时候，托尼像往常一样来了，在酒吧里坐下。“你怎么了？今天怎么不见你笑啦？”我跟他聊了……
嗯，差不多什么都跟他说了：钱、硕士学位、生日等等。他很同情我。　
托尼离开搁脚凳和旁边几个人说话。记住：索尔兹伯里酒吧是在市中心，这里所有的顾客都在银行、保险或证券市场工作。第二天，他拿着几张价值共2
万英镑的支票来到酒吧，他对我说：“这是给你的创业贷款，你唯一的贷款担保是我对你的信任，相信有一天你赚了钱会把钱还给我们。如果你还不了钱，那就太糟了，金融生意就是这样。但是，我相信你还得了。”
我没说话，我怕我自己要哭了。世上这么好的人能有几个？
那些花怎么处理？我叫花店改送到妈妈那里去了，我生日那天鲜花正好送到她家。她最该得到这些鲜花，不是吗？
依我看，回顾这些年的经历，我发现人一辈子只需要一两次的转折就能成功。就算吃苦受累也不要紧，那还是值得的。
在索尔兹伯里酒吧干了一年之后，我去了伦敦经济学院深造。拿到硕士学位之后，我在一家投资银行找到了一份工作。我把那两万英镑投进了证券市场，在2008
年金融崩盘之前卖掉了所有的股票。
我把托尼和其他投资者的钱还了，付给他们10%
的年息，并成立了自己的公司。公司的生意好得超乎意料，至今还红红火火。托尼给我写了一封感谢信。他出了车祸，现在不能走路了。我还给他的钱正好可以用来改造房子，房子改造后他就可以坐着轮椅在家里自由活动了。下面是他信里写的话：“我从事银行业35
年来最好的投资就是给你的这笔贷款，你连本带利地偿还了贷款，我对你的信任和你的诚实都获得了百倍的回报。依我看，在人身上投资能带来你最希望看到的回报。”
依我看，他说得对。你说呢？
Active reading (1)
Danger! Books may change your life
Culture points
Lewis Carroll () is the pen-name of
Charles Dodgson. He was a priest, a mathematician whotaught at
Oxford University, a photographer, humorist and writer of
children’s literature. Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland (1865) was immediately successful, a masterpiece
which revolutionized children’s literature, giving coherence and
logic through wit and humour to unlikely or impossible episodes in
which imaginary creatures embody recognizable human
characteristics. He is also known for Through the Looking Glass
what Alice found there (1871) and nonsense
poems, such as The Hunting of the Snark (1876).
William Cowper (): a notable
English poet, writer of hymns and letter-writer. He wrote gentle,
pious, direct poems about everyday rural life and scenes of the
countryside which have been seen as forerunners of the Romantic
movement: Coleridge called Cowper “the best modern poet”. He
translated Homer’s Greek epics. The Odyssey and The
Iliad into English. Another example of his verses which have
become common sayings is “God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders
to perform…”
John Steinbeck (): American
novelist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.
The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is a well-known, long tragic
novel about an American family of farmers who are driven off their
land in Oklahoma by soil erosion in the famous “dust bowl” era.
They flee to California to
what they hope will be a better life. The book won
the Pulitzer Prize and was made into a film in 1940. Other
well-known novels include Of Mice and Men (1937), Cannery
Row (1945), The Pearl (1947), East of Eden (1952)
and an account of a personal rediscovery of America, Travels
with Charlie (1962).
John Irving (1942& ): American novelist and
screenwriter who taught English at college and was a wrestling
coach. The Fourth Hand (2001) is a comic-satirical novel
about a TV journalist, Wallington, whose hand is seen by millions
of viewers to be bitten off by a circus lion. A surgeon gives him a
hand transplant (a third hand) but the wife of the dead donor wants
to visit her husband’s hand and have a child by Wallington, who
feels where his original hand used to be (the fourth hand).
Audrey Niffenegger (1963& ): American
college professor who teaches writing to visual artists and shows
students how to make books by hand. Her first novel, The Time
Traveller’s Wife (2003) & filmed in 2009 & is a science fiction
and romance bestseller about a man who travels uncontrollably in
time to his own history and visits his wife in her childhood, youth
and old age. His wife needs to cope with his absences and dangerous
life while he travels. The story is a metaphor for distance and
miscommunication in failed relationships.
Paul Torday (1946& ): a British businessman
who worked for a company that repaired ship’s engines for many
years. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2007) was his first
novel. It is a political satire and comedy about a dull civil
servant who becomes involved in a plan to populate the desert with
Scottish salmon. Politicians manage the media to “spin” this as a
plan they support in order to divert attention from problems in the
Middle East. There are themes of cynicism and belief, and East-West
culture clashes.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (): a
Russian writer who was imprisoned in Soviet labour camps in 1945;
after eight years, he was exiled to Kazakhstan and not freed until
1956, when he became a teacher. In 1970 he was awarded the Nobel
Prize for Literature but not receive it until 1974. He went to
Germany, Switzerland and the USA, returning to Russia in 1994. His
best known novels were based on his experiences as a prisoner and
include: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1962),
Cancer Ward (1968), The Gulag Archipelago
(). His later works were about Russian history and
Graham Greene (): a British
novelist, short-story writer, playwright, travel writer and
essayist. He wrote a number of thrillers (he called them
‘entertainments’) which dramatize an ambiguous moral dilemma, often
revealing guilt, treachery, failure and a theme of pursuit. Greene
was also a film critic and all of these novels have been made into
films: Brighton Rock (1938), The Power and the Glory
(1940), The Heart of the Matter (1948), The Third Man
(1950), The Quiet American (1955), and Our Man in
Havana (1958).
E. M. Forster (): a British
novelist and writer of short stories and essays. He lived at
different periods in Italy, Egypt and India and taught at Cambridge
University. His best known novels include A Room with a
View (1908), Howard’s End (1910), A Passage to
India (1924) which have all been made into films. His writing
about reading and writing includes a book of lectures, Aspects
of the Novel (1927).
Thomas Merton (): an American
Catholic writer, who was a Trappist monk in Kentucky. He wrote over
70 books, including many essays about Buddhism and a translation
into English of the Chinese classic, Chuang Tse. He had a
great deal to say about the meeting of Eastern and Western cultures
and wrote many letters to writers, poets, scholars and thinkers. He
read a lot in English, Latin, French and Spanish and said he always
had at least three books which he was reading at any one time.
William Blake (): a British poet,
artist and mystic, who read widely in English, French, Italian,
Latin, Greek and Hebrew. He made many engravings to illustrate the
work of such writers as Virgil, Dante and Chaucer, as well as his
own poems. He stressed that imagination was more important than
rationalism and the materialism of the 18th century and criticized
the effects of the industrial revolution in England, but his work
was largely disregarded by his peers. He is best known for his
poetry in Songs of Innocence (1787) and Songs of
Experience (1794). His belief in the oneness of all created
things is shown in his much-quoted verse, “To see the world in a
grain of sand / And a heaven in a flower, / Hold infinity in the
palm of your hand / And eternity in an hour.”
Clifton Fadiman (): an
American writer, radio and TV broadcaster and editor of
anthologies. For over 50 years he was an editor and judge for the
Book-of-the-Month Club. In 1960 he wrote a popular guide to great
books for American readers, The Lifetime Reading Plan, which
discusses 133 authors and their major work: the 1997 edition
includes 9 authors from China.
J. K. Rowling (1965&): British writer of the
seven Harry Potter fantasy books. She studied French and Classics
at Exeter University, before teaching English in Portugal and
training to teach French in Scotland. The main idea about a school
for wizards and the orphan Harry Potter came on a delayed train
journey from Manchester to London in 1990. She began to write as
soon as she reached London. Twelve publishersrejected the first
book before Bloomsbury, a small London publisher, agreed to publish
it. Later books have repeatedly broken all the sales records (as
have some of the films). She is one of the richest women in the UK
and a notable supporter of many charities.
Language points
1 Variety’s the very spice of life, / That gives
it all its flavour … (Para 2)
Spices are made from plants and added to food to
give it its particular flavour or taste. The English proverb
“Variety is the spice of life” (the proverb comes
from Cowper’s poem) therefore means that variety gives
life extra value and allows you to appreciate life
in particular ways.
2 We learn to look beyond our immediate
surroundings to the horizon and a landscape far away from
home. (Para 3)
This means that through reading we learn to look
beyond our immediate experience or familiar
environment to things beyond our immediate
experience, ie to completely different things that we can
imagine and experience through books.
3 When a baseball player hits a home run he hits
the ball so hard and so far he’s able to run round the
four bases of the diamond, and score points not
only for himself but for the other runners already
on a base. (Para 9)
In the American game of baseball, the field of
grass is diamond-shaped and has four bases (specific points
marked around the diamond), round which players
must run to score points. One team bats (ie team
members take turns to hit the ball and run round
the bases) and the members of the other team throw (pitch)
the ball and, when it is has been hit, try to catch
it or get it quickly to one of the four bases. If a batting
player can hit the ball hard enough, he can run
round all four bases before the other team can get the ball
and thus score maximum points & with a home run. In the passage,
a really good book is a home run.
3 Choose the best answer to the
questions.
1 Why are we like Alice in wonderland when we read
(a) Because, like Alice, we often have
accidents.
(b) Because reading makes us feel young again.
(c) Because reading opens the door to new
experiences.
(d) Because books lead us into a dream world.
2 According to the writer, what is the advantage of
reading over real life?
(a) There is more variety in books than in real
(b) We can experience variety and difference
without going out of the house.
(c) The people we meet in a book are more
interesting than real people.
(d) It’s harder to make sense of real life than a
3 What do the seven novels listed in Paragraph 4
have in common?
(a) Their titles stimulate imagination.
(b) They represent the best writing by British and
American novelists.
(c) They have become classics.
(d) You can find all of them in any local
4 At what moment in our lives do books become
important?
(a) As soon as we start reading.
(b) When we start buying books to fill our shelves
(c) When we start listening to bedtime stories.
(d) Only when we are ready for books.
5 What claim did Merton make about the poems of
William Blake?
(a) They were similar to the works of the Greek
writers and thinkers.
(b) They helped him understand the meaning of
(c) They created a sense of confusion.
(d) They taught him a lot about modern culture.
6 What is meant by a home-run book?
(a) A book which is so good you are unable to put
(b) A book that the whole family can enjoy.
(c) A children’s book that is read and appreciated
by adults.
(d) A book that hits hard like a home run in the
game of baseball.
Dealing with unfamiliar words
4 Match the words in the box with their
definitions.
1 to make someone feel that they do not belong to your group
2 to fail to do something that you should do
3 to mention something as an example (cite)
4 to be strong enough not to be harmed or destroyed
by something (withstand)
5 in most situations or cases (normally)
6 to be about to happen in the future (await)
5 Complete the paragraph with the correct
form of the words in Activity 4.
When I lived in Britain, one of my favourite radio
programmes was called “Desert Island Discs”. The
format was always the same: Guest celebrities were
asked to imagine they had been washed ashore on a
desert island, and had to choose nine books & (1)
excluding the Bible and Shakespeare, which they were
already provided with & to take with them to the
island, to help them (2) withstand the physical and mental
isolation. I sometimes like to think which books I
would take. (3) Normally, like most people, I don’t
have much time for reading, and I could (4) cite
dozens of books which I have never read but which I
would like to. It’s an opportunity I have (5)
awaited all my life, in fact. But what would I choose? Mostly
novels, probably, but I wouldn’t (6) neglect to
include a volume or two of poetry. My first choice, I think,
would be Tolstoy’s War and Peace. I’ve never
read it, but I’m ready to believe that it is one of the most
marvelous books ever written.
6 Replace the underlined words with the
correct form of the words in the box.
1 In a good novel, the writer and reader
communicate with each other. (interact)
2 I have to face up to the problem sooner or later.
(confront)
3 I read the book in one sitting and Mary did too.
(likewise)
4 E. M. Forster was one of the most important and
respected British novelists of the 20th century.
(influential)
5 Do you believe that a work of literature can
actually lead to social changes? (induce)
6 Robert Burns was a great poet who wrote in the
language variety spoken in Scotland. (dialect)
7 The Time Traveller’s Wife is the story of
a man who has a strange and inexplicable genetic disorder.
(mysterious)
7 Answer the questions about the
1 If you have had a disconcerting experience, do
you feel a bit (a) tired, or (b) confused?
2 If you have a vista of something, can you (a) see
or imagine it, or (b) go and visit it?
3 Would you express great wrath by (a) smiling at
someone, or (b) shouting at them?
4 If you feel enchanted by a book, do you (a) like
it a lot, or (b) not like it at all?
5 Is a writer who is supremely talented (a) very
good, or (b) quite good at his job?
6 If reading fosters an understanding of certain
problems, does it (a) help understanding, or (b) prevent it?
7 If you are desperately trying to get a job, are
you (a) trying very hard to get it, or (b) caring little
whether you get it or not?
8 Is a sensation (a) a certainty, or (b) just a
Active reading (2)
They were alive and they spoke to me
Background information
This is from The Books in My Life by Henry
Miller (), an American novelist, writer and painter.
Miller was born in New York, lived in Paris , and then in
California. His best-known works blend fiction, autobiography,
social criticism and mysticism: Tropic of Cancer (1934
published in France) describes his life and loves in Paris and
because of its sexual frankness it was not published in the USA
till 1961; Black Spring (1936) has ten autobiographical
Tropic of Capricorn (1939) is about his years with
the Western Union Telegraph C The Colossus of
Maroussi (1941), considered by some critics to be his best
work, is a travel book about people from his stay in Greece.
In The Books in My Life (1969) Miller looks
at 100 books that influenced him. His list includes children’s
books written originally for adults (eg Alice in Wonderland,
The Arabian Nights, Greek Myths and Legends,
Robinson Crusoe, The Three Musketeers); many French
novels and poetry (eg by Balzac, Hugo, Giono, Nerval, Proust,
Rimbaud, Huysmans, Maeterlinck), German novels (by Mann, Hesse,
Dreiser) and the Chinese Lao Tse and Fenollosa’s The
Chinese Written Character as a Medium for Poetry, besides work
by American writers (Twain, Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman),
Dostoievshy, Nietzsche, Joyce and writers on spiritual topics.
Culture points
August Strindberg (): A Swedish
playwright and a prolific writer of novels, short stories, satires,
essays and poems, and a photographer, who tried various jobs before
becoming assistant librarian at the Royal Library in Stockholm and
established an experimental theatre. He is best known for his
plays, including The Father (1887) and Miss Julie
(1888), and for his vitality, vigour, and brilliant use of
Miller cites Strindberg’s autobiographies, The
Confession of a Fool (vol.2), a passionate love story and
account of problems in his marriage, and The Inferno
(vol.3), a study of his religious conversion, delusions and
neuroses which reflect Strindberg’s periods of mental
instability.
Blaise Cendrars () is the pen name
of Fr&d&ric Sauser, a Swiss-born French novelist, shortstory
writer, poet, and film-maker, who led a life of constant travel (he
was born in an Italian railway train) doing various jobs in Russia,
Europe, North and South America and Asia & he is said to have
shoveled coal on steam trains in China. He lost his right arm
fighting for France in World War I. His prose includes vivid,
witty, action-packed novels, like Moravagine (1926), which
describe travel and adventure, or works directly inspired by his
own experience, like The Astonished Man (1945) and The
Cut Hand (1946), and four volumes of memoirs. Miller admired
his work and lists ‘virtually the complete works’ of Cendrars as
influential reading.
R&my de Gourmont (): a French
writer of 50 books: essays, novels and poetry, with a strong
interest in medieval L as a critic he was admired
by T. S. Eliot. He was a librarian at the National Library in
P later, a painful skin disease kept him largely at home. He
was influential in the symbolist movement in literature. He claimed
that a work of art exists only through the emotion it gives us. He
asserted the need to get away from the unquestioning acceptance of
commonplace ideas and associations of ideas, and believed it was
necessary for thought to proceed by imagery rather than by
Julius Caesar (110 BC&44 BC): a Roman
statesman, known as a great military strategist. As a general he
was famous for the conquest of Gaul (modern France and Belgium)
which he added to the Roman Empire. He also made two expeditions to
Britain, was governor of Spain and traveled in North Africa and
Egypt. He was a good speaker and he wrote several books of
commentaries and memoirs on Roman wars and military campaigns.
Caesar’s writing is often studied today by those who learn
The Julius Caesar of literature: this
phrase compares Cendrars with Caesar: both were men of action,
travelers, adventurers, explorers, who somehow found time to read a
lot and write books.
Language points
1 The fact, however, that in the past I did most
of my work without the aid of library I look upon as an advantage
rather than a disadvantage. (Para 1)
This is irony. Miller is writing about the
importance of reading and about key books in his life, but there is
a paradox: Only recently has he been able to get all the books he
has wanted all his life (ie he now has money, as a best-selling
writer, to buy books) and, as a writer, he wrote books without the
help of a library. He says that not having books was an advantage.
The explanation is probably that Miller’s early writing was a
mixture of autobiography and fiction, so he didn’t need to read
other books or refer to them to do his own writing. The irony is
that he is saying this in a book about the books the influenced
2 A good book lives through the
passionate recommendation of one reader to another. (Para
Miller thinks that a good part of the ‘life’ of a
book is how one reader recommends it to another
with enthusiasm, ie books are about sharing
experience, not just the author’s experience in the book and the
reader’s experience of reading it, but also the experience of
word-of-mouth or face-to-face recommendation by other readers.
3 And the better the man the more easily will he
part with his most cherished possessions. (Para 4)
This continues Miller’s thought that books are for
sharing. A good person will share things he or she loves. In this
case, such a person will give or lend favourite books and such
generosity makes friends: When you give books you get
friendship.
4 If you are honest with yourself you will
discover that your stature has increased from the mere effort of
resisting your impulse. (Para 6)
Miller’s argument here is that you should not read
everything, but that you should choose very carefully and
selectively. This means you should resist the temptation to read
some things which are not really going to add to your knowledge or
enjoyment (not every book will do this, only some). Here, he says
that in this way, we grow (we “increase our stature”). That is, we
grow by not reading many books. The implication is that if we
choose the very best books and read these few really carefully we
will get the best from them & and grow by such selection. Miller
discusses 100 books which he things are such books.
5 All on the side, as it were. (Para 7)
Cendrars was a man of action who spent most of his
time on travels and adventures. Surprisingly (you would think he
did not have time), he read a lot in different languages and even
wrote many books & this was in addition to his main activities.
6 For, if he is anything, Cendrars, he is a man
of action, an adventurer and explorer, a man who has known how to
“waste” his time royally. (Para 7)
Cendrars had a huge reputation as a man of action,
travelling, having adventures and exploring different countries and
yet he read a lot (he knew how to use the little time available to
read). “Waste” is in quotes to show irony (reading isn’t a waste of
time), that he reads in a royal manner (ie very thoroughly). The
sentence structure here is quite French with the repetition of
Reading and understanding
2 Choose the best answer to the
questions.
1 What does Miller consider to have been an
advantage during his writing career?
(a) To have been able to read all the books he
(b) To have grown up in a room full of books.
(c) To have written without the aid of a
(d) The fact that he never wanted to own any
2 What did three stars on a book mean in the public
library in Miller’s youth?
(a) Young people weren’t allowed to read them.
(b) They were the most popular books in the
(c) They were intended for children.
(d) They were more exciting than one-star books.
3 Why does Miller hope the star system still exists
in public libraries?
(a) It is an efficient system which works well.
(b) It discourages people from reading
inappropriate books.
(c) It makes people interested in reading.
(d) It makes it easier for people to recognize
4 Why do people lend books, in Miller’s
(a) Because they feel the need to share their
(b) It’s the best way to make a friend.
(c) It’s less risky than lending money.
(d) Because it’s not possible to possess a book for
5 According to Miller, what should you do when you
find a book you want to read?
(a) Pick it up and start reading.
(b) Ask a friend for advice about the book.
(c) Think about whether you really need to read
(d) Only read it if it is original.
6 What does Miller especially admire about Blaise
(a) He had a very adventurous life.
(b) He was a great writer.
(c) He knew what to do with his time.
(d) He read as well as wrote a lot.
Dealing with unfamiliar words
3 Match the words in the box with their
definitions.
1 the quality of being new, interesting, and
different from anything that anyone has created before
(originality)
2 the process of putting people or things into
particular groups according to the features they have
(classification)
3 to make an organized and determined attempt to
deal with a problem (tackle)
4 to make something better or more enjoyable
5 a difficulty or problem that prevents you from
achieving something (obstacle)
6 to sink under water and die (drown)
7 not being used (idle)
8 a suggestion that someone or something is
especially suitable or useful for a particular situation
(recommendation)
9 to make a lot of effort to achieve something
4 Complete the conversation with the correct
form of the words in Activity 3.
A &Professor Ridgeway, you’ve just
written a biography of the poet Shelley, who (1) drowned off the
coast of Italy in 1822 in a sailing accident. As you remind us in
the introduction, people’s lives have been (2) enriched by poetry
for thousands of years. What (3) recommendation could you make to a
young poet who is just beginning their career?
B &That they should always (4)
strive to be themselves, and not to worry about (5) originality.
Once they’ve found their own voice, it will be original in its own
way, because everyone is unique.
A &So you don’t believe in the (6)
classifications which label poets as “romantic” or “modernist” and
B &I do, but they have limited
A &What do you think is the main
(7) obstacle facing young poets today?
B &I think it is to accept that
you cannot be productive all the time. A poet’s mind is never (8)
idle and waiting for the right moment is part of the creative
process. All other problems are relative, and can be (9) tackled
when you get to them.
5 Replace the underlined words with the
correct form of the following words. You may need to make other
1 I felt depressed and lacking in confidence after
reading his criticism of my novel. (demoralized)
2 Henry Miller’s The Books in My Life is
about, as the name suggests, the story of his life.
(autobiographical)
Henry Miller’s The Books in My Life
is, as the name suggests, autobiographical.
3 Shakespeare had an extraordinary talent as a
writer, which is without comparison in the history of
English literature. ( unparalleled)
4 Some people look to a book for pleasure rather
than for understanding. (enlightenment)
5 The experiment in banning alcohol drinks in the
United States actually led to an increase in crime.
(prohibiting)
6 I’m not sure if it is to their advantage for
readers to read this review before they start the book.
(advantageous)
7 Miller’s Tropic of Cancer was, without
doubt, one of the most infamous}