《大学英语网络课程》课题组
New Century English, Book I
UNIT SEVEN
The Richest Man in the World
Unit 7
• Text
• Grammar Tips
• Reading Skills
• Practical Reading
• Practical Writing
Unit 7 Text
• Background Information
• Lead In
• Word Bank
• Intensive Study
• Web Resources
Background Information

Bill Gates

Microsoft Corporation

Lake Washington
Background Information
Bill Gates
William Henry, III(1955--- ), American business executive,
chairman and chief executive office of Microsoft Corporation. He
was born in Seattle, Washington. Gates cofounded Microsoft in
1975 with Paul Allen, his high school friend and partner in
computer –language development from 1967.
Background Information
Fascinated by computers by the age of 12, Gates was involved with
various programming projects throughout high school. While attending
Harvard in 1975, Gates teamed with Allen to develop a version of the BASIC
computer-programming language for the Altair, the first personal computer. As
a result of this work on BASIC, Gates decided to drop out of Harvard
University in his junior year to devote his time to Microsoft, pursuing his vision
of a computer on every desk and in every home, the idea behind the company.
In the early 1980s, Gates led Microsoft’s evolution from a developer of
programming languages to a diversified software company producing operating
systems and applications software as well as programming tools. This transition
began in 1981 with Microsoft’s introduction of MS-DOS, the operating system
for the IBM PC, the new personal computer from International Business
Machines Corporation(IBM).
Background Information
Gates persuaded other computer manufacturers to
standardize on MS-DOS, fueling software compatibility and
computer industry growth in the 1980s. Gates also pushed
Microsoft to introduce application software, such as Microsoft
word-processing software for the IBM PC. In a key strategic move,
Gates agreed to develop application soft-ware for the Macintosh,
made by Apple Computer, prior to the release of the first Mac in
1984. This strengthened Microsoft’s position as a developer of
applications that take advantage of the graphical user interface.
Background Information
Much of Gates’ success rests on his ability to translate technical
visions into market strategy, and to blend creativity with technical
acumen. He has accumulated one of the world’s largest personal
fortunes from his holdings of Microsoft stock and is known for his
personal and corporate contributions to charity and educational
organizations. Gates continues to be personally involved in
product development at Microsoft. His willingness to back new
technologies such as Microsoft Windows NT, and workgroup
applications has kept Microsoft at the forefront of computer
hardware and software evolution.
Background Information
Gates has made personal investments in other high-technology
companies. In 1988 he founded Corbis Corporation, which now
owns the largest collection of digital images in the world. In 1995
Corbis purchased the Bettmann Archive of 16 million
photographic images and announced plans to digitize part of the
collection. In 1994 Gates and Craig McCaw, a pioneer in the
celluar telecommunications industry, became primary investors in
Teledesic Corporation. Teledesic planned to launch several
hundred low-orbiting artificial satellites to create a global, highspeed telecommunications network.
Background Information
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft is the leading American computer software company. Microsoft
was founded in 1975 by William H. Gates III and Paul Allen. The pair had
teamed up in high school through their hobby of programming on the original
PDP-10 computer from the Digital Equipment Corporation. In 1975 they
collaborated on the first version of the BASIC programming language for the
Altair, the first personal computer. This led to the formation of Microsoft in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the same year. In 1979 Gates and Allen moved
the company to a suburb of their hometown of Seattle. Allen resigned in 1983
due to health reasons, but later rejoined the company’s board of directors.
Microsoft has grown from 15 employees and $500,000 in revenues in 1978 to
more than 20,000employees and $8.7 billion in revenues for the fiscal year
ending in June 1996.
Background Information
Microsoft Corporation
In 1999 the U.S. software giant suffered a serious setback in
its battle with the U.S. government over anticompetitive practices,
but still managed to increase its earnings by 68% to $7.8 billion
for the year ending June 30.
As Microsoft wades through the U.S. government’s efforts to
subdue its dominance of PC operating systems and Web
browsers, one possible outcome is the division , or spinning-off, of
some of its operations, which begs a question: After four years at
the top of the 200 big companies, will Microsoft be No.1 again
next year? Or No. 1 and No.2?
Background Information
Lake Washington
This long narrow lake separates Seattle from East king
County. Once a formidable barrier to transportation, the lake is
now crossed by two floating bridges which have contributed to
the rapid growth of this part of the metropolitan area.
Lead In

Lead in

Topic-Related Words or Phrases

Content Questions
Lead In
I. Lead In
If you possess a large amount of money,
what will you do with it?
Ideas:
buy lottery tickets, deposit it in the bank,
hide it in a save or under the mattress, invest it
in stock, spend it on luxuries
More to learn
Topic-related Words or Phrases
American dream 美国梦
creativity
创造性
setback
挫折
bankruptcy
破产
Perseverance
毅力
Content Questions
II. Content Questions
1. Who is Bill Gates?
2. How rich is he?
3. Where does he get all his money?
Content Questions
4. How does the author describe the amount
of his money?
5. How does he spend his money according to
the text?
6. What will the visitors find in Bill’s house?
More to learn
Content Questions
7. Anybody who wants to visit Bill’s house can
go about his house, can’t he?
8. What does “this cold-blooded approach”
refer to?
9. Why is Bill Gates’ love life described as coldblooded?
More to learn
Content Questions
10. Who is Ann Winblad?
11. How did they enjoy themselves by going
to movies?
12. Why did they do it in such a way?
More to learn
Content Questions
13.What did Bill Gates sign with his wife
when they got married?
14. What does the nickname “King of the
Nerds” mean?
15. Why does the author say this was simply
unfair?
More to learn
Content Questions
16. How did he manage to be in the same
class as the girls he fancied in Harvard
University?
17. Why did he leave Harvard University
before graduation?
18. Why is Microsoft so successful?
More to learn
Content Questions
19. What is the main business of Microsoft?
20. When id Bill Gates become a billionaire?
21. What is Windows?
More to learn
Content Questions
22. Do you know how many people in the
world use Windows?
23. What is Bill Gates engaged in nowadays?
24. Why does he want to develop HPC?
Word Bank

New Words

Phrases and Expressions

Collocations
New Words
afford
v.
annual
adj.
have enough money for sth. 买得起
every year or once a year 年度的
approach
n. 方法
billionaire
n.
亿万富翁
click
v.
make a slight short sound 轻击
conduct
v. direct; manage 处理；管理
develop
v.
bring existence of 开发
encode
v.
turn(a message) into code 编码
estimate
v.
make a rough calculation 估计
More to learn
New Words
give and receive as equivalents 交换
exchange
v.
fancy
v.
have a liking for 喜欢
fortune
n.
财气；运气
gadgetry
n.
小机器
hardware
n.
硬件
high-tech adj.
高科技
icon
n.
图标
insert
v.
put an object into 插入
intention
n.
an aim or purpose 意图，目的
More to learn
New Words
intimate adj. close in relationship 亲密的
manage
v. succeed in doing 达到，做成
mobile
n. a telephone that you can carry with you 手机
monitor
n. 显示器；监控器
mouse
n. 鼠标
nerd
n. 电脑迷；笨蛋
output
n. 产量
overlook
v.
have a view from above 俯瞰
More to learn
New Words
pack
v.
fill or crowd 挤满，塞满
plot
n.
情节
preference n.
偏爱
screen
n.
屏幕
share
n.
股份
software
n.
软件
tycoon
n.
大亨
virtual
adj.
wander
v.
nearly true 虚拟的
move about without any purpose 漫步
More to learn
Phrases and Expressions
alarm clock 闹钟
finish college 大学毕业
leave behind 撇下
on (the ) screen 在显示屏上
start up
创办
annual holiday 年假
lie in
take up
在于
virtual date 网上约会
go off 响起
smart card 智能卡
占用
More to learn
Collocations
an approach to
处理方法
click on
点击
be shy about doing
怯于做
be based on
以……为基础
pack with
用……塞满
be true of
对……适用
More to learn
Read in
In the compute world, there is one man who is too
influential to miss — Bill Gates. Do you know anything about
him? Are you interested in his wealth, his life, and his key to
success? Read the following text.
Text
The Richest Man in the World
中文译文
Text
1
Bill Gates is the richest private citizen in the world. There
is nothing he can’t afford. Every morning, when his alarm
clock goes off, the software tycoon is $20 million richer than
when he went to bed. His wealth is based on his company,
Microsoft, of which he owns 39% of the shares. He has a
personal fortune estimated at ￡18 billion which is more than
the annual economic output of over a hundred countries.
2
He is not shy about spending it. He has built a mansion
overlooking Lake Washington that he’s packed with high-tech
gadgetry and TV monitors, some taking up an entire wall.
Visitors are given a smart card encoded with their personal
中文译文
Text
preferences, so that, as they wander from room to room, their
favorite pictures will appear on the screens, and the music they
like will play. The card is programmed so that only the most
intimate friends can open all the doors.
3
This cold-blooded approach to human relationships also seems
to be true of his love life. When he went out with an ex-girlfriend,
Ann Winblad, who is now a very successful businesswoman, the
couple conducted much of their relationship by going on virtual
dates. Each would drive alone to the same movie at the same time
in different towns, and then talk about it afterwards on their
mobiles, discussing the plots and exchanging opinions. When
finally he got married, he and his wife, Melinda, signed an
中文译文
Text
Agreement that allows him to go on an annual holiday with his
ex-lover, Ann, leaving his wife behind.
4
Gates has been called “King of the Nerds”, but this simply
isn’t fair. In the ninth grade at school, he got A’s in all the
subjects he took, which put him among the top ten students in the
nation. Gates went on to Harvard University, where he managed
to be in the same class as he girls he fancied by inserting a piece
of software into the college computer. But he never finished
college. When he left, he knew exactly what to do. He started up
his own computer company.
5
The reason why Microsoft has been so successful is because
Gates saw that his fortune lay in software, not hardware.
中文译文
Text
He became a billionaire at 31, and since then Microsoft has
created Windows, which is a system that can be run by clicking
on icons with a mouse.
6
Now the multi-billionaire, whose software is used in two-
thirds of the world’s computers, is developing the HPC, or handheld personal computer. It is his intention that there should be a
computer in the pocket of everybody in the whole world.
中文译文
课文译文
在计算机界，有一个影响巨大不可忽略的人物—— 那就是
比尔 · 盖茨。你对他有所了解吗？你对他的财富，他的生活以
及他成功的秘诀感兴趣吗？请读下面这篇文章。
课文
世界上最富有的人
课文译文
比尔 · 盖茨是世界上最富有的人，天下没有他买不起的东
西。每天清晨，闹钟响过之后，这位软件巨头又比他上床前多
了2，000万美元。他的财富来自他的公司—— 微软公司，他
拥有该公司39％的股份。据估计，他的个人财产已达1800亿英
镑，超过了一百多个国家的年经济总产值。
比尔 · 盖茨花钱毫不吝啬。他修建了一栋俯瞰华盛顿湖的
豪宅，里面处处都是高科技装置和电视屏，有些占据了整面墙
壁。来访者可以领到一张智能卡，其中录入了来访者的个人爱
好编码。
课文译文
因此，当客人从一个房间参观到另一个房间时，屏幕上会出现
他们最喜欢的画面，他们喜爱的音乐也会响起来。每张智能卡
都编有特制的程序，因此只有最亲密的朋友才能打开所有的门。
比尔 · 盖茨也用他处理人际关系的这种冷酷的方式处理他
的爱情生活。与前任女友安 · 温布莱德（现在是商界一个成功
女士）外出约会时，这对情侣通常以虚拟约会的方式来维持关
系。两个人会同时驾车去不同的地方看同一部电影，然后通过
移动电话讨论这部电影的情节，交换看法。最后到了结婚时，
他与妻子梅林达签订了一份
课文译文
协议，明确自己能与以前的情人安每年去度一次假，而把妻子
撇在一边。
盖茨一直被人称为“傻子王”，其实这是不公平的。上九
年级时，他选修的所有科目都得了A，这使他跻身于全国前十
名优等生之列。盖茨就这样一直念到哈佛大学。在哈佛大学，
为了能与他喜欢的女孩们同班，他曾在学校的计算机里插入了
一个软件而使自己如愿以偿。但他最终没有读完大学。离开哈
佛时，他心里很清楚自己该做什么，他创建了自己的电脑公司。
微软公司如此成功的原因在于盖茨明白他的财富在于软件
开发方面，而不是硬件。
课文译文
31岁时，他就成了一位亿万富翁。从那时起，微软公司就开发
出了视窗软件，只需用鼠标点击一下图标，计算机就可以在这
个系统中运行。
目前，世界上有三分之二的电脑都使用比尔 · 盖茨的软件。
而这位亿万富翁现在正在研制一种掌上计算机，他的目标是让
全世界每个人的口袋里都装有一台计算机。
Too … to … 太…而不能
e.g.
•
He is too fat to run fast. 他太胖了而不能跑快。
•
He is too young to join the army.
他年纪太小了而不能参军。
Key : n. 关键，钥匙，答案 (to)
e.g.
•
a key to the grammar exercises 语法练习答案
•
a key to a door
•
a key to one's success
开门的钥匙
成功的秘诀
afford : Vt.提供, 给予, 供应得起
afford something / afford to do something
e.g.
•
He can afford to buy a house in the downtown.
•
I can’t afford a new car right now.
•
Can you afford $10,000 for a wedding ring?
•
How can you afford to dine out every weekend?
•
We can’t afford to waste one single moment.
Go off: begin to ring; make a loud noise 响起
e.g.
•
The signal pistol went off with a bang.
信号枪砰的一声响了。
•
The alarm clock went off at six and woke me.
•
Our neighbor’s car alarm is always going off in the middle
of night.
base… on: use as a basis for 根据，基于
Be based on / upon ……基于
e.g.
•
His conclusion was based on experiments.
•
The film is based on a novel by Dickens.
•
He always bases his theory on the result of the
experiment.
•
Mike usually bases his stories on the real life of
ordinary people.
estimate: guess an amount, price or number as exactly as you can
V. 评估，估计，估价
e.g.
•
It’s been estimated that the number of car-owners will
increase by 10%.
•
It is difficult to estimate how many illegal guns there are in
America.
•
I estimate that he earns at least $ 1,000 a month. Otherwise
he wouldn’t have taken up the job.
annual: happening every year 每年的，年度的
e.g.
•
The company has 5,000 employees, with an annual
turnover of one billion dollars.
•
What is the annual rainfall in this area?
这个地区的年降雨量是多少？
output: the amount of something that is made; production
n. 产量，输出，输出量
e.g.
•
The world output of crude oil this year is 10 % higher than
last year.
•
The car factory had a large output last year.
•
the total value of industrial output
•
the annual output of steel
工业总产值
钢的年产量
Pack: vt. put things into cases 包装, 捆扎, 塞满,
e.g.
•
We’re going on holiday tomorrow, and I haven’t started
packing yet!
•
Bill packed all his books into boxes.
•
They packed their bags and left.
他们把行李打好了包就动身了。
take up: fill (a place), occupy 占据
e.g.
•
The oceans take up the greater part of the earth’s surface.
•
This table takes up too much room.
•
I won’t go to the opera because it takes too much time.
•
I’m afraid that this bed will take up too much space.
Preference n. a thing you prefer 偏爱，优先选择
e.g.
•
We could eat Chinese, Japanese or Indian food – do you
have any preference?
•
I have a preference for the theatre rather than the cinema.
wander: walk slowly without purpose 漫步
e.g.
•
The children wandered about in the woods.
•
Mary wandered the streets, looking for her dog.
So that : 以便；因此
e.g.
•
I want to get a college degree so that I can find a better
job.
•
I want to learn English well so that I can study abroad
after graduation.
•
I am preparing for the final examination. I must get a
better grade so that I can win a scholarship.
program : enter a set of instructions into a computer so that
it will do a certain function 编制程序
e.g.
•
My computer is programmed to perform difficult
calculations.
•
John programmed his computer to sound an alarm in
the morning.
•
Please program the computer to do the job instead of
manual operation. 请给电脑编制一个程序,以便进行这
项工作代替手工操作。
approach: a method of doing something or dealing with a
problem
方法，途径
e.g.
•
There are two basic approaches to teaching a foreign
language.
•
He failed to come up with a better approach.
Be true of …: be the same to …对…也一样，符合…
e.g.
•
The same is true of the way of the life in Japan.
•
Chinese use chopsticks to have meals. This is also true
of Japanese.
conduct: v. direct, manage 处理，管理，实施
e.g.
•
John was appointed to conduct the advertising
campaign.
•
The company conducted a survey to find out people’s
reaction to its new product.
•
My aunt conducts her business very successfully.
我的婶婶把企业经营得很成功。
virtual: nearly true 虚拟的
e.g.
•
The virtual reality program made it seem as though I were
piloting a plan.
•
A virtual business is one that exists in cyberspace.
exchange: give something to someone in return for something
else 交换，调换
e.g.
•
They still exchange gifts at Christmas.
•
Where can I exchange my dollars for pound?
•
Can I exchange my clothes for your bread?
leave … behind: fail to bring or take 把…留在后面
e.g.
•
She was in such a hurry that she left her umbrella behind.
•
I have left my coat behind in the restaurant.
•
I had to leave him behind when I joined the army.
•
I am coming. Don’t leave me behind.
Agreement n. 一致，协议，协定
Sign an agreement
e.g.
•
They signed an agreement of cooperation.
•
We are going to sign an agreement with him.
•
He signed an agreement with his wife when they got
married.
Manage to do something 设法做成某事
e.g.
•
He managed to get here in time.
•
Although he’s not good at English, he still managed to
pass the English exam.
fancy : like or be attracted to someone; want
喜欢，喜爱，想要
e.g.
•
I don‘t fancy fish today. 今天我不想吃鱼。
•
I fancy that girl. 我喜欢那个女孩。
•
Would you fancy a cool drink?
•
After a hard day at work, I fancy a hot bath.
Insert: vt. put something inside something else 插入, 嵌入
e.g.
•
Please insert your credit card into the slot.
•
Bill inserted a bookmark into the book.
The reason why … is that…
e.g.
•
The reason why I am late is that the traffic is too heavy
after the first snow.
•
The reason why I didn’t come is that my mother was ill and
I had to send her to hospital.
•
The reason why I won’t go to the party is that I must go on
with the examination.
lie in: exist in 在于
e.g.
•
The beauty of Suzhou lies in its traditional design of
gardens.
•
His failure in the interview lay in his lack of confidence.
develop: invent or produce a new product 开发
e.g.
•
We’ve developed the project from an original idea by
Johnson.
•
We must develop all the natural substances in our
country.
intention: plan, purpose 目的，意图
e.g.
•
He has no intention of buying a new car.
•
He has every intention of going to Paris to study
French.
Web resources
• http://www.microsoft.com/billgates/default.asp
---- the official site of Bill Gates
• http://ei.cs.vt.edu/～history/Gates.Mirick.html
---- a short biography of Bill Gates
• http://www.ihatebillgates.com/
---- opposing views about Bill Gates and Microsoft
Grammar Tips
形容词和副词的比较结构
 标示确指数字时，ten, hundred, thousand, million, billion等只用单数形
式，不能用复数形式。
There are eight thousand students in this college.
（这间大学有8000学生。）
The dictionary is worth two hundred dollars.
（这本字典值200美元。）

但在某些表示概数的习语中，如 “成百上千”、“成千上万”、“成
百万”等，基数词要用复数形式。
Thousands of people gathered in the park when the president was going
to give a speech.
(当总统将要进行演讲时，成千上万的人聚集在公园里。)
Grammar Tips
形容词和副词的比较结构
 数词常与名词连用构成复合定语，中间要用连字符 “-”，而且名词只用单
数形式。
The workers in this factory will have a two-week holiday next week.
(这家公厂的工人下星期将放假两个星期。)
She has written a six-hundred-word article.
(她写一篇600字的文章。)
 “几分之几”的英语表示方法：分子用基数，分母用序数。当分子大于一时，
分母的序数形式用复数。
one third (三分之一) two fifths(五分之二)
He finished the exercise in one third of the time it usually took.
(他在通常所需时间的三分之一内完成了练习。)
Grammar Tips
形容词和副词的比较结构
 当表示“A是B的多少倍”时，常用“…times as+形容词/副词原级+ as”
这一结构。
Our house is three times as big as theirs.
（我们的房子是他们的三倍大。）
 当表示“A比B多少倍”时，常用“…times +形容词/副词的比较级+
than”这一结构。
Our house is three times bigger than theirs.
(我们的房子比他们的大三倍。/我们的房子是他们的四倍大。)
Grammar Tips
形容词和副词的比较结构
 当表示“增加或减少了多少”时，常用介词“by”接增加或减少的幅度。
reduce by 3/4 (减少了3/4)
increase by 6 times (增加了6倍)
The output of cotton went up by 30 percent.
(棉花的产量增长了百分之三十。)
 表示“每隔”与“每逢”的方法有两种：
1）every + 基数词+复数名词；
2）every + 序数词+单数名词，这两种方法所表示的意义相同。
every five days = every fifth day
(每五天/隔四天。)
The bus runs every ten minutes.
(公共汽车每十分钟一趟。)
Grammar Tips
Correct the errors, if there are any, in the following sentences.
1. Considering his appearance, he doesn’t seem to be a forty-yearsold man.
2. Two third of the students in this class come from South China.
3. Over three thousand people were invited to attend the conference.
4. We are going to study Chapter Fifth today.
5. More than seventy percent of the water on the earth are sea
water.
Grammar Tips
Correct the errors, if there are any, in the following sentences.
6. “I’d like to buy a stamp.” “Please go to the three windows on
your left.”
7. Mary’s daughter returns home every third weeks.
8. Our house is thirty percent bigger as theirs in size.
9. Before we go to analyze the last chapter, I suggest we review
the first four chapters.
10. The output of the factory reduced in twenty percent.
Grammar Tips
Fill in each blank with the words given in an appropriate form.
1. He ________ no sooner _________ (arrive) in New York than he
________ (go) to see his girlfriend.
2. By the end of 2000, I ___________ (work) in this company for
twenty years.
3. I ___________ (think) I __________ (can) pass the test, but I
failed at last.
4. She looks very tired. She __________ (type) the material for a
whole night.
5. I ___________ (not feel) very well in recent days. I think it is
because I am too worried about my daughter. She just
_________ (leave) college and _________ (not find) a job yet.
Grammar Tips
Fill in each blank with the words given in an appropriate form.
6. I ___________ (hot go) anywhere before my son ___________
(come) back.
7. The theater ___________ (set up) by the time you return this
time next year.
8. The old man ____________ (sit) under a tree fishing when he
________ (see) a man swimming down the river.
9. I called at his house yesterday evening. He ________ (paint) the
living room.
10. Mike seldom ____________ (smoke) in the office.
Reading Skills
Reading Skills
Using a dictionary
Most students are familiar with the common uses of a dictionary(1)to
look up the meaning of words you don’t know, and (2)to check the spelling of
words. A dictionary can be useful in many other ways because it contains
much more than just word meanings. For most entries you will find a
pronunciation key, word origin, part(s) of speech, variant spellings, and
synonyms(同义词). At the beginning or end of many desk dictionaries you will
find information on language history and manuscript form, lists of symbols,
and tables of weights and measures.
A dictionary is the basic tool for expanding your vocabulary. Get in the
habit of consulting your dictionary whenever you see or hear a somewhat
familiar word that you don’t use and can’t define precisely. Locate the word,
read each meaning, and find the one that fits the way the word was used when
you read or heard it.
Reading Skills
Reading Skills
Using a dictionary
A thesaurus, or dictionary of synonyms, is a valuable reference for locating
a precise, accurate, or descriptive word to fit a particular situation. There are
many words which mean similar, and you should choose a word from the
entry that most closely suggests the meaning you want to convey. The easiest
way to do this is to test out or substitute various choices in your sentence to see
which one is most appropriate; check the dictionary if you are not sure of a
word’s exact meaning. Remember, a misused word is often a more serious
error than a wordy or imprecise expression.
A common question students ask is, which dictionary should I buy? There
are several types of dictionaries, each with its own purpose and use. A pocket
or paperback dictionary is an inexpensive, shortened version of a standard
desk dictionary. It is small enough to carry with you to yo9ur classes and is
relatively inexpensive.
Reading Skills
Reading Skills
Using a dictionary
A desk dictionary is a more complete, thorough dictionary. Although a
pocket dictionary is convenient, it is also limited. A pocket edition lists about
55,000 words, whereas a standard desk edition lists up to 150,000 words. Also,
the desk edition provides much more complete information about each word.
Another type is the unabridged dictionary, which can be found in the
reference section of any library. The unabridged edition provides the most
complete information on each word in the English language.
Deciding whether to buy a desk or pocket dictionary will depend on your
needs as well as what you can afford. It would be ideal to have both. A pocket
dictionary is sufficient for checking spelling and for looking up common
meanings of unfamiliar words. To expand your vocabulary by learning
additional meanings of words or to do any serious word study, you need a
desk dictionary.
Practical Writing
Letter of Invitation
邀请函是日常生活和工作中常见的一种信函，具有简洁 、热情的特点。写
邀请函时需注意：
l 礼貌、友好地发出邀请。
l 清楚地写明邀请的原因、活动的时间（年、月、日、时、分）以及地点
。
l 结尾时表示希望对方接受邀请。
l 如果要求被邀请人答复，应注明RSVP/ r. s. v. p.（法语，意思是“请答
复”）
Practical Writing
Sample Reading 1
A sample letter of invitation to a birthday party
20,Queen’s Rd., 5/F
Hong Kong
13th May 2000
Dear Jane
It’s my birthday next Wednesday, May the eighteenth. Can you come to a party in
my house? It starts at three o’clock in the afternoon.
Rebecca and Irene are going to make a birthday cake in my house and they will
come in the morning. Can you come early too and help put up the decoration?
After the tea party, we are going to exchange presents. Will you bring one along
when you come?
I hope you can come.
Love
Mary
Practical Writing
Sample Reading 2
An informal invitation to dinner
Dear Jim,
We are having several colleagues for dinner at 7:00p.m. on
Friday, May the fifth, at the Oriental Express. We are all hoping
you can join us.
Yours
Edward
Practical Writing
Sample Reading 3
UNIVERSITY of BALLARAT
Australia
Professor Kerry Smith
Vice-Chancellor
invites
Ms Tang Liu
to a
Special Dinner
following the University of Ballarat’s Conferring Ceremony
On Tuesday 22nd May, 2001
At 6:30p.m.
At the
SHERATON HOTEL
20 Nathan Road, Kowlon, Hong Kong
RSVP by Friday, 20th April, 2002
Telephone: +61 3 53279502
To Gwenda MaManus, University of Ballarat
Facsimile: +61 3 53279855
PO Box 663, Ballarat, Vic. Australia
E-mail: g.mcmanus@ballarat.edu.au