New College English
Unit Eight
I Preparation
III Further Development
II Reading Activities
IV Translation & Writing
Part I
1. Talking About Twins
2. Proverbs and Sayings
Preparation
Activity 1 Talking About Twins
Directions: Work in groups to the following questions.
•Do you know any twins? What can you say about them?
•Why are people curious about twins?
•How do you think it feels to be twins?
Activity 1 Talking About Twins
Sample
•Look alike and usually dress alike
•Easy to mix them up
•Different personalities
•Not manu twins around us
•Usual resembling
Activity 1 Talking About Twins
Sample
•Twins must be proud because they are different from others
•They may feel happy because they can enjoy each other’s
company
•They may feel lonely because it is difficult to make friends
with othr people
•They may feel bored and discouraged because every day they
will see the mirror image of themselves.
Activity 2 Proverbs and Sayings
Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
Benjamin Franklin
未受教育的天才，犹如矿中之银。
富兰克林
Genius only means hard-working all one's life .
天才只意味着终身不懈的努力。
Mendeleyer
门捷列耶夫
Activity 2 Proverbs and Sayings
The people who get on in this world are the people who get up
and look for circumstances they want , and if they cannot find
them, they make them.
Bernard Shaw
在这个世界上，取得成功的人是那些努力寻找他们想
要机会的人，如果找不到机会，他们就去创造机会。
肖伯纳
Part II
Reading Activities
1. Pre-reading Questions
2. Text Organization
3. Sentence Study
4. Words & Phrases
Pre-reading Questions
1.
Many identical twins are much alike in both
appearance and behavior, even when raised apart.
Does it suggest that the genes play a more important
role in one’s development?
No, it only suggests the power of the genes and the
limitation of the effect of environment. In the study, these
identical twins were raised in the same physical
environment. Even when raised apart, they were put in
homes with a similar background. Therefore, it’s not
surprising that these twins developed similarly .
Pre-reading Questions
2. What criticism would you make of the study designed
to observe the relative effects of heredity
andenvironment?
The conclusion is not justified because the sets of twins
studied shared not only the same genes but also the same
environment. The similarities are not due entirely to genes
since environment also plays a role..
Text Organization
Para.1
Introduction: No characteristic is caused exclusively by either environment
or genes.
Para.2-8
Research on the relative effects of heredity and environment
A. Studies on identical twins raised together (Para. 2)
B. Studies on identical twins raised apart in similar environments (Para. 3-4)
C. Studies on identical twins raised apart in contrasting environments
(Para. 5-8)
Para.9
Conclusion: What we can do is set by the genes, but what we actually do is
largely determined by the environment.
Sentence Study
1.
… we see that there can be no development
without the interacting environment. (Line 4)
【译文】
……我们就会明白，没有与其相互作用的环境，就
不可能有任何个人的发展。
【句型】
no + NP + without 构成双重否定，表达肯定
意义。
其中no修饰的名词短语可作主语。
Sentence Study
【例句】
No other reproduction in any form is permitted
without written permission from the publishing
house.
未经出版社同意不得以任何形式进行复制。
In some countries no major business is conducted
without eye contact, requiring face-to-face
conversation.
在有些国家里, 没有当面接触就做不成大生意, 需要面
对面的交谈。
Sentence Study
2.
The relative effects of heredity and environment are
most clearly observable in identical twins. (Line 7)
【译文】
遗传和环境的相对影响在同卵双胞胎中最易观到。
【句型】
The (relative) effects of … are (most clearly)
observable.
效果/影响是显而易见的
完全可以看出……的影响
Sentence Study
【例句】
The environmental effect of this new factory is
most clearly observable in the surrounding field and
river.
在周围的田地和河流中完全可以看到这个新工厂对环
境的影响。
The effect of culture shock is most clearly observable
in the unprepared visitors when they are involved in
a strange culture.
Sentence Study
3. In a study … there were no more significant
differences than existed among unseperated pairs of
twins. (Line 21)
【译文】
……双胞胎之间的差异并不比一起长
大的双胞胎之间的差异更显著。
Sentence Study
【句型】 no more…than
和……一样不；比……更不；非常不
no more than (=only) 不过，仅仅
【例句】
He is no more a God than us.
他和我们一样不是上帝。
Sentence Study
【例句】
Money is no more than our servant.
金钱不过是我们的仆人。
No place in China can produce more memories
of the beauty of your country than Guilin.
中国没有其它地方像桂林一样可以让人记
住你们美丽的国家。
Sentence Study
4. Important as they are, genes alone are never absolutely
responsible for any trait. (Line 68)
【译文】 尽管基因非常重要，但是基因本身决不能完
全决定任何一个特点。
【句型】 这是as 引导的让步状语从句，从句要倒装。
该句相当于：Though they are important, ...
“形容词/副词/名词 + as / though + 主语 + 谓语”
句型，引导让步状语从句。
Sentence Study
【例句】
Much as I admire him as a writer,
I don’t like him as a man.
Brave though they were, they had no chance of
winning.
Teacher as he is, he cannot finish task in an hour.
Words & Phrases
1. interact v.
(+ on / with) have an effect on each other or
something else
互相作用，互相影响
【例句】
We college students should actively interact with
the society.
We college students should be in active interaction
with the society.
Words & Phrases
2. identical adj.
1. ( + with / to) exactly alike
完全相同的，完全一样的
2. the same 同一的
【例句】
Your voice is identical to your brothers.
You and your brother have almost identical voices.
声音相同
Words & Phrases
3. resemblance n.
the fact or an instance of
being like or similar to another
person or thing 相似，类似
resemble (v.) look or be like 像，似
【例句】
The identical twins resemble each other in appearance
but not in character.
这对同卵双胞胎 (the identical twins) 长相相似但性
格不同。
Words & Phrases
4. substantially adv. quite a lot 相当大地
substance n.
1. (C) a material; type of matter
物；物质
2. (the+, U) the important part;
the real meaning 实质；本质；
主旨；大意
substantial adj.
1. solid; strongly made 牢固的；结实的
2. noticeable; important; of some
size or value 显著的；重要的；有价值的
Words & Phrases
【例句】
Student: What is water?
substance vital to life
Teacher: Water is a ___________________.
(生命必须的物质)
Words & Phrases
【例句】
Though young, he has substantially contributed to the
project.
尽管年轻，他已为这个工程作出了相当大的贡献。
To study abroad indicates to make substantial
changes in life.
出国留学意味着在生活上作出重大改变。
Words & Phrases
5. illustrate v.
1. (+ by / with) make the meaning
(of something) clearer by giving
related examples 阐明，说明
2. (+ with) put pictures in a book,
article, etc. 给……作插图说明
【例句】
他通过讲述自身的体验来阐明他的论点。
illustrated his point by relating his own
He ________________
experience.
Words & Phrases
6. resume v.
1) start doing something again
after stopping or being
interrupted (中断之后)继续
2) take again 重新占用
【例句】
他的脸上很快就又露出自信的
神情。
resumed its
His face quickly __________
_________________.
confident expression
Words & Phrases
7. distinguish v.
1) hear, see, or recognize 辨认出；
看清楚；听清楚
2) ( + from / between) make or
recognize differences 辨别；区别；
3) behave (oneself) noticeably well
使出众，使扬名
【例句】 Every so often, people can not carefully
distinguish between facts and rumors.
有时人们无法谨慎地区别事实和传言。
Words & Phrases
distinguished adj. marked by excellent
quality or deserved fame
著名 的，杰出的
distinguishable adj. that can be clearly
seen, heard, or recognized
as different 清晰可见的；可辨别的
Part III
Further Development
1. Case Study
2. Debate
Case Study
Directions: Work in groups to respond to the following case study.
You are young parents. You have a beautiful eightyear-old daughter. Like all parents you want your child to
be happy and healthy. You want to give her all the love
and support you can. What are most important things you
would do to keep her healthy physically, intellectually
and emotionally? Share your ideas with other groups.
Case Study
Physically
Sample
•Take part in sports with her
•Take her out on walks
•Give her good food that helps her to be strong
and health
•Keep her clean and properly dressed
•Let her do some housework
•Send her to a dance school
Case Study
Intellectually
Sample
•Sing songs with her
•Tell her stories about human ancestors
•Send her to extra classes
•Let her watch educational programs on TV
•Take her to famous historic places, museums
•Involve her in making decisions when
possible
Case Study
Emotionally
Sample
•Be kind to her, but also strict
•Encourage her or praise her when necessary
•Teach her moral values
•Voice our feelings frequently
•Respect her own judgement
•Teach her how to face failure
•Encourage her to be kind to living creatures
Debate
Directions: Work in 2 groups to debate which has a stronger influence,
heredity or environment.
Which has a stronger influence, heredity or
environment?
Sample
•Exercise, sports
and good food can
make you grow
taller and stronger
•Physical traits and
certain diseases can
be inherited, such
as cancer or high
blood pressure
Debate
Sample
•Intelligent professional’s
children are not necessarily
intelligent, so intelligence is
not inherited
•A person with very low
IQ can never become a
scientist no matter how
hard he/she tries
•If heredity is more
important, why do we study
for tests?
•Both my parents are
practical, and that’s why I
lack imagination
•The son of a thief is not
necessarily a thief.
•A person without a
“music gene” can never be
a musician
Part IV Translation & Writing
1. Translation Skills
2. Writing Practice
Translation Skills
状语从句的翻译
Translation Skills
状语从句也称为副词性从句，与名词性从
句和形容词性从句（即定语从句）共同构
成英语从句体系。状语从句在全句中的作
用类似副词，因此，像副词一样，状语从
句在译文中的位置也较为灵活，可采用直
译法、倒译法，将其放在全句之前或全句
之后。此外，还可将状语从句转变为其他
从句类型，使中文译文表达更地道。：
Translation Skills
（一）状语从句的直译法
【例句】
Once human beings stand up and become masters of
their own fate, there will be no difficulties they may not
overcome.
一旦人站起来，成为自己命运的主宰，就不会
有他们克服不了的困难。
Translation Skills
（二）状语从句的倒译法
【例句】
The local government will set up more paper mills if they
can get more raw materials.
如果能够得到更多的原材料，当地政府将兴建更多的造纸
厂。
Translation Skills
（三）状语从句的转译法
【例句】
New things always have to experience difficulties and
setbacks as they grow.
任何新生事物的成长都要经过艰难曲折。
（状语从句转译为作为主语的名词“成长”）。
Writing Practice
. Directions: Write a composition on the topic:
Which has a stronger influence,
heredity or environment? Yo ur
composition should be no less than
120 words according to the outline
given below in Chinese:
1) 父母遗传很重要；
2) 后天环境影响起关键作用；
3) 我们是先天遗传与后天环境
的综合产物。
Writing Practice
Sample
Which has a stronger influence, heredity or
environment?
Which is more important in shaping a person’s character,
heredity or environment? First, let us examine the influence
of heredity. A kind-hearted mother may expect a child who is
also gentle and kind. An engineer father who used to get high
marks in mathematics tests is very likely to have a son or
daughter who is also good at math and plans to be an
engineer, maybe because the child inherits the “math gene”
from the father. Stubborn (顽固的) parents are likely to have
children who are as hard to turn as a donkey (犟牛般的子女).
Writing Practice
Sample
However, the environment also plays a key role in
molding many of a child’s characteristics. Environment
can change a person no matter what one inherits from
parents. Exercise, sports and good food, for example,
can make a person grow taller and stronger, which
explains the reason why young Chinese are obviously
bigger and taller than their grandparents. Intelligent
professionals’ children are not necessarily intelligent, so
intelligence is not inherited. On the other hand, the son
of a thief is not necessarily a thief.
Writing Practice
Sample
In conclusion, we are the product of nature and
nurture. It is family, schools, and society that work
together to shape who we are. Therefore, both heredity
and environment have great influence on a person’s
personality. Heredity creates a person, but environment
can create an improved one.