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Ⅲ. Background Information p15
English Language
Characteristics of English
American English
New Zealand
The Big Apple
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English Language
The English language is the most widely spoken
language in the world. It is used as either a primary or
secondary language in many countries.
During the 1500s, fewer than 2 million people spoke
English. All of them lived in what is now Great Britain.
Through the centuries, as the result of various historical
events, English spread throughout the world. Today, about
400 million people speak English as their native language.
Most of them live in Australia, Canada, Great Britain,
Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States.
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Characteristics of English
Vocabulary. English has a larger vocabulary than any
other language. There are more than 600,000 words in the
largest dictionaries of the English language.
Some English words have been passed on from
generation to generation as far back as scholars can trace.
These words, such as woman, man, sun, hand, love, go, and
eat, express basic ideas and feelings. Later, many words
were borrowed from other languages, including Arabic,
French, German, Greek, Italian, Latin, Russian, and Spanish.
For example, algebra 代 数 is from Arabic, fashion from
French, piano from Italian, and canyon from Spanish.
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Characteristics of English
A number of words, such as doghouse and splashdown,
were formed by combining other words. New words were
also created by blending words. For example, motor and
hotel were blended into motel. Words can be shortened to
form new words, as was done with history to form story.
Words called acronyms are formed by using the first letter or
letters of several words. The word radar is an acronym for
radio detection and ranging.
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Characteristics of English
Pronunciation and spelling in English sometimes seem
illogical or inconsistent. Many words are spelled similarly
though pronounced differently. Examples include cough,
though, and through. Other words, such as blue, crew, to,
too, and shoe, have similar pronunciations but are spelled
differently. Many of these variations show changes that
occurred during the development of English. The spelling of
some words remained the same through the centuries,
though their pronunciation changed.
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Characteristics of English
Grammar is the set of principles used to create
sentences. These principles define the elements used to
assemble sentences and the relationships between the
elements.
The elements include parts of speech and
inflections.
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Characteristics of English
Parts of speech are the word categories of the English
language. Scholars do not all agree on how to describe the
parts of speech. The traditional description lists eight
classes: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs,
prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The most
important relationships of the parts of speech include subject
and verb, verb and predicate, and modifier修饰语 and the
word modified.
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Characteristics of English
English has fewer inflections than most other European
languages. An English noun has only two inflections, the
plural and the possessive. Inflections are used to change
the tense and number of a verb or the case of a pronoun.
Inflections can change adjectives to the comparative or the
superlative — for example, big, bigger, biggest. (From the
1998 World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia)
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American English
American English is a variety of the English language
spoken in the United States. Although all Americans do not
speak the same way, their speech has enough in common
that American English can be recognized as a variety of
English distinct from British English, Australian English, and
other national varieties. American English has grown up with
the country. It began to diverge from British English during
its colonial beginnings and acquired regional differences
and ethnic flavor during the settlement of the continent.
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country’s separate political development. Webster’s most
successful changes were spellings with or instead of our
(honor, labor for the British honour, labour); with er instead of
re (center, theater for the British centre, theatre); with an s
instead of a c (defense, license for the British defence,
licence); with a final ck instead of que (check, mask for the
British cheque, masque); and without a final k (traffic, public,
now also used in British English, for the older traffick,
publick). Later spelling reform created a few other
differences, such as program for British programme.
Canadian spelling varies between the British and American
forms, more British in eastern Canada and more American in
western Canada.
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D. Grammar
The grammar of educated speakers of English differs little
among national varieties. In the speech of people with less
access to education, grammatical variations in regional and
social varieties of American English are very common as
normal, systematic occurrences (not as errors). One major
difference between British and American English is that the
two attach different verb forms to nouns that are
grammatically singular but plural in sense. In American
English, the team is…, or the government is… (because
they are viewed as single entities), but in British English, the
team are…, or the government are… (because teams and
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government are understood to consist of more than one
person). Sometimes function words are used differently: The
British stay in hospital but Americans stay in the hospital.
(From Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2004)
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The Big Apple
The term dates to 1921 and
was originally a reference to
the race courses in and
around New York City. These
were the big money courses,
and the “apple” was associated
with
a
prize,
something
desirable.
By the late 1920s, the term had been adopted by jazz
musicians and generalized to the city as a whole. A
tourism advertising campaign in the 1970s that used the
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term as a theme reinvigorated its usage and brought the
name to the attention of millions who had not otherwise
heard it. Today it’s a common colloquial expression used by
New York City dwellers to refer with some pride to their city.
(From http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorb. html)
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Ⅳ. Class Presentation
Listening & Speaking
Reading & Writing
Time for Fun
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Listening & Speaking
The Language for Asking For and Giving Clarification
Asking For and Giving Clarification
Listening Practice
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Listening Practice
Listen to the following people speaking and decide
what they are talking about.
Listen to the following five short dialogues and
choose the appropriate answers.
Listen to the following short story twice. Listen
carefully and decide whether the statements are
true (T) or false (F) according to the story you have
heard.
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Listening Practice
Listen to the following talk and fill in the blanks
with the missing words. The talk is given twice.
Listen to the talk again and then answer the
following questions orally.
Have an open discussion on the topic given below.
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The Language for Asking For and Giving Clarification
You are going to listen to an instructor talking about
asking for and giving clarification. Listen carefully and
fill in the blanks with the missing words.
Instructor: In our daily conversations, we can not help
asking for clarification (澄清，说明) when we are
what has been said , or have
not clear about ________________
become puzzled about a particular
mentioned earlier . A conversation is a
point ______________
two-way interaction . During interaction,
form of ________________
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a breakdown
misunderstanding can lead to ___________
in communication. To avoid
even confusion, we
misunderstanding or ____________
tend to have an impulse (冲动) to ask for
clarification.
This is especially true when a Chinese learner of English
_____________
native speaker. This skill can help him or her avoid
talks with a
embarrassment caused by misunderstanding, and keep the
going on .
conversation _______
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You can develop the skill by reading and familiarizing
yourselves with the language for asking for and giving
clarification:
— I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand what you mean by
market economy.
— I’m sorry, could you (possibly) explain what you mean
by globalization?
— I don’t understand what you mean by black lie.
— What (exactly) do you mean by sick humor?
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And the language for giving clarification:
— (Well,) what I’m trying to say is (that) + SENTENCE.
— (Well,) the point I’m trying to make is (that) +
SENTENCE.
— (Well,) I think what I mean is (that) + SENTENCE.
— What I mean is (that) + SENTENCE.
— What I’m saying is (that) + SENTENCE.
— All I’m trying to say is (that) + SENTENCE.
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Now come up with a particular subject on which you
voice your opinion or attitude, and expect others to
ask for clarification about something that might be
unclear to them. Try to use the language you have
just learned in Exercise 1.
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Asking For and Giving Clarification
1) Before you listen to the first conversation, read the
following words and expressions which may be new
to you.
available
有空的
innocent
无害的
fib
小谎
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Listen to the following conversation twice and fill in the
blanks with the missing words.
Wang Ying: Are you going to the party tonight, Tom?
They told me it was going to _____
be fun.
Tom Chang: I know, but _________
I don’t think I’m available tonight.
Are you?
Wang Ying: Well… _________
it depends .
Tom Chang: I’ll tell them a little white lie.
Wang Ying: Tell them what? _________
What’s that ?
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Tom Chang: I said: “I will tell them a little white lie.”
what you mean by white
Wang Ying: I don’t understand ____________
lie.
Tom Chang: Oh, it is an innocent social fib or excuse.
Wang Ying: Oh, I’ve ____
got it now!
Tom Chang: Sometimes we have to do it in our daily lives.
Wang Ying: So what’s your little white lie?
what would you say ?
Tom Chang: Well, ________________
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Now listen to the conversation again and answer the
following questions.
1. Who won’t be able to attend the party
tonight?
Tom Chang.
2. Is Wang Ying going to the party?
It depends.
3. What will Tom Chang tell them?
He’ll tell them a little white lie.
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4. What is a little white lie according to
Tom Chang?
It’s an innocent social fib or excuse.
5. What’s their little white lie?
Not mentioned.
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2) Before you listen to the second conversation, read
the following words which may be new to you.
hearing problems
听觉疾病
hearing aid
助听器
device
装置
will
遗嘱
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Listen to the following conversation twice, and then
complete the passage according to the conversation
you have just heard.
There was an elderly gentleman who had had
serious hearing problems for years. He went to the
_____________________
doctor who was able to have him fitted for a set of
hearing aids that allowed the man ___________
to hear 100% .
The old fellow went back in a month to the doctor
and the doctor said, “Your hearing ________
is perfect . Your family
must be really pleased that you can _________
hear again .”
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To this the gentleman replied, “Oh, I haven’t told my
listen to the conversations
family yet. I just sit around and _____________________.
three times !”
I’ve changed my will _________
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Now listen to the conversation again, and complete
the form as the speaker recounts it. After that, act it
out in class.
What brought you here?
Doctor:
Gentleman: _____________________________
What did you say? Would you speak
louder please?
_____________________________
Doctor:
What is bothering you today? Do you
have any pain?
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Gentleman: _______________________________
No. I’ve been having serious hearing
_______________________________
problems for years. I can’t hear people
_______________________________
well. That’s why I’m here.
Doctor:
I suggest you wear a hearing aid.
Gentleman: What
do you mean by hearing aid?
_______________________________
What’s that?
_______________________________
Doctor:
It’s a device that allows you to hear
100%.
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One month later the elderly gentleman
comes to see the doctor again.
Doctor:
Good. Your hearing is perfect. Your
family must be pleased that you can
hear again.
Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit
Gentleman: ________________________________
around and listen to the conversations.
________________________________
Doctor:
Why?
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Gentleman: You
________________________________
know what? I’ve changed my will
three times!
________________________________
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Try to figure out something that may elicit ( 引出 )
questions, write it down on the chalkboard and
expect others to ask for its clarification. Get ready to
clarify. In your conversations, try to use the
language you learned in Exercise 1.
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Listening Practice
Listen to the following people speaking and decide
what they are talking about.
1.
script
KEY
M: This room is so crowded. I can hardly hear or
see a thing.
W: I don’t understand why they didn’t have this
lecture in a bigger room, do you?
Q: What are they talking about?
A) A lecture.
B) A room.
C) An instructor.
D) A movie.
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2.
script
KEY
M: How are we going to get home? It’s so late the
buses and subways have all stopped running.
W: It looks as though we have no choice but to call
a taxi.
Q: What are they talking about?
A) How to get home.
B) Why the buses stopped running.
C) When a taxi will come.
D) Where to spend the night.
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3.
script
KEY
W: Jack, have you finished your research paper for
economies?
M: Not yet, I always seem to put things off until the
last minute.
Q: What are they talking about?
A) A scientific experiment.
B) A college course.
C) A time schedule.
D) A research paper.
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4.
script
W: Tim missed the deadline for the assignment again.
M: He’s got to adjust his study habits in order to
survive the university.
Q: What are they talking about?
KEY
A) Tim’s excellent performance.
B) Tim’s assignment.
C) Tim’s study habits.
D) Tim’s graduation day.
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5.
script
KEY
W: Watching the news on TV is a good way to learn
English.
M: It’s especially helpful when you check out the
same information in the newspaper.
Q: What are they talking about?
A) How to learn English.
B) How to get informed.
C) How to compare TV and newspaper.
D) How to get a job.
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Listen to the following five short dialogues and
choose the appropriate answers.
1.
script
KEY
W: I can’t get through to this number.
M: You must first dial 1.
Q: What can we learn from this conversation?
A) The post office is closed.
B) A department store is having a sale.
C) They are discussing a math contest.
D) The woman is making a telephone call.
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2.
script
KEY
W: Are there any dogs around?
M: No, they’re not allowed in this community.
Q: What does the man mean?
A) No dogs are allowed in the area.
B) Unfortunately, they don’t have any dogs.
C) It’s good to have a dog around the house.
D) The law is too complicated to understand.
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3.
script
KEY
M: This one is much cheaper.
W: But it may not last as long.
Q: What does the woman imply?
A) This is the last one.
B) The longer style is better.
C) It might not be of good quality.
D) You should buy cheaper things.
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4.
script
KEY
M: Did you ever get in touch with your friend?
W: No, when I called, all I got was a recorded
message.
Q: What did the woman do?
A) She arranged to meet her friend later.
B) She fixed her friend’s tape recorder.
C) She tried to telephone her friend.
D) She went to her friend’s house.
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5.
script
KEY
W: Is it possible to see the apartment before we
rent it?
M: Sure, it’s vacant.
Q: What does the man mean?
A) It’s a beautiful place.
B) No one lives there now.
C) You can see it after your vacation.
D) You had better make an appointment.
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Listen to the following short story twice. Listen
carefully and decide whether the statements are
true (T) or false (F) according to the story you
have heard.
blonde
金发碧眼的白种女人
gallon
加仑(液量单位)
bathtub
浴缸
pasteurize
用巴氏法消毒
chest
胸腔
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script
____
F 1. The blonde was beautiful because she took a milk
bath every day.
T 2. A bath took 15 gallons of milk.
____
T 3. The milkman doubted that the blonde could drink 15
____
gallons of milk.
____
F 4. The blonde corrected her mistake.
____
F 5. The blonde said that it would be wonderful if the
milk was pasteurized.
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Tapescript
A blonde heard that milk baths make you beautiful. So
she left a note for her milkman to leave 15 gallons of milk.
When the milkman read the note, he felt there must be a
mistake. He thought she probably meant 1.5 gallons, so he
knocked on the door to clarify the point.
The blonde came to the door and the milkman said, “I
found your note to leave 15 gallons of milk. Did you mean 15
gallons or 1.5 gallons?”
The blonde said, “I want 15 gallons. I’m going to fill my
bathtub with milk and take a milk bath.”
The milkman asked, “Pasteurized?”
The blonde said, “No, just up to my chest.”
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Listen to the following talk and fill in the blanks with
the missing words. The talk is given twice.
Two doctors were in a hospital hallway one day
complaining about Nurse Nancy. “She’s incredibly mixed_______________
up (糊涂),” said one doctor. “She _____________
does everything absolutely
backwards (背道而驰). Just last week, I told her to give a
patient 2 milligrams (毫克) of morphine (吗啡) ____________.
every 10 hours
every 2 hours . He damn near
She gave him 10 milligrams ___________
(几乎) died on (因为) us!”
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The second doctor said, “That’s nothing. Earlier this
week, I told her to give a patient an enema (灌肠剂)
every 24 hours. She tried to give him 24 enemas
____________
in one hour ! The guy _________
_________
damn near exploded!”
Suddenly, they heard a blood-curdling scream (令人毛
骨悚然的尖叫声) _______________
from down the hall .
I just realized I
“Oh my God!” said the first doctor, “ ___________
told Nurse Nancy to prick (刺) Mr. Smith’s boil (疖子)!”
(121 words)
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Listen to the talk again and then answer the following
questions orally.
1. What were the two doctors talking about?
They were talking about Nurse Nancy.
2. Why did they say that Nurse Nancy was
so mixed-up?
Because she did everything absolutely
backwards.
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3. Can you give any examples to prove this?
① One doctor told her to give a patient 2
milligrams of morphine every 10 hours.
She gave him 10 milligrams every 2 hours.
② The other doctor told her to give a patient
an enema every 24 hours. She tried to give
him 24 enemas in one hour.
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4. What did they hear all of a sudden while talking?
They heard a blood-curdling scream from down
the hall.
5. What was Nurse Nancy most probably doing then?
She was boiling a patient.
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Have an open discussion on the topic given below.
These expressions may help your discussion:
Try this discussion
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Try this discussion:
Student A: Misunderstandings are part of life. They are necessary. We
learn from our mistakes. It’s sad but true: sometimes pain
can help us learn.
Student B: How true! Misunderstandings help us grow. Without falling
down, we don’t learn to get up. So a misunderstanding can
be good. It means something to us. It tells us something we
didn’t know before.
Student C: Now I have a better understanding. I always thought
misunderstandings are bad. But now I see they are valuable,
maybe even precious. They can make life meaningful.
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Student D: I totally agree. Misunderstandings are like seeds. If you take
care of them, they grow. They can make very different
people grow closer. But let’s not forget: it’s work. Both
people have to work very hard to bridge their differences.
Then everyone shares in the reward.
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Reading & Writing
Text A Misunderstanding
Text A Exercises
Grammar Review
Practical Writing
Text B The Mysteries of the English Language
Text B Exercises
Text C 5 Ways to Enlarge Your Vocabulary
Comprehension of the Text
Basic Reading Skills
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Text A
Starter
Have you ever had an experience in which you are
misunderstood or have failed to understand others?
Misunderstandings can result from the spoken form or
written form of the language that you use. Fill in the
following blanks with words or expressions that may
cause misunderstandings.
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Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood
when used in spoken form:
seventeen / seventy
1. _________________
2. _____________________________________
can / cant (especially in American English)
3. ___________________
Oakland / Auckland
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Text A
Words or expressions that are often misunderstood
when used in written form:
1. _____________________
farther / father / further
2. _____________________
affect / effect
3. _____________________
capital / capitol
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Text A
Misunderstanding
CH
?
Author Unknown
1
He had uncombed hair, dirty clothes, and only 35
cents in his pocket. In Baltimore, Maryland, he got on a
bus and headed straight for the restroom. He thought that
if he hid in the restroom, N he could ride to New York
without paying. But a passenger at the back of the bus
saw him. She tapped the person in front of her on the
shoulder and said, “There’s a bum in the restroom. Tell the
bus driver.” ThatNpassenger tapped the person sitting in
front of him. “Tell the bus driver there’s a bum in the
restroom,” he said.
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e
• hit sb. in/on the +
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Text A
CH
?
2 N The message was passed from person to person until
it reached the front of the bus. But somewhere along the
way, the message changed. By the time it reached the bus
driver, it was not “There’s a bum in the restroom” but
“There’s a bomb in the restroom.” The driver immediately
pulled over to the side of the highway and radioed the
police. When the police arrived, they told the passengers
to get off the bus and stay far away. Then they closed the
highway. N That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
With the help of a dog, the police searched the bus for two
hours. Of course, they found no bomb.
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Text A
CH
3 Two similar sounding English words also
caused trouble for a man who wanted to fly
from Los Angeles to Oakland, California. His
problems began at the airport in Los Angeles.
N He thought he heard his flight announced, so he walked to the
gate, showed his ticket, and got on the plane. Twenty minutes
after takeoff, the man began to worry. N Oakland was north of
Los Angeles, but the plane seemed to be heading west, N and
when he looked out his window all he could see was ocean. “Is
this plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight attendant. The
flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.”
?
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Text A
CH
N
?
4
Because so many English words sound similar,
misunderstandings among English speaking people are
not uncommon. Not all misunderstandings N result in
highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent. Most misunderstandings are much less
serious. Every day people speaking English ask one
another questions like these: “Did you say seventy or
seventeen?” “Did you say that you can come or that you
can’t?” Similar sounding words can be especially
confusing for people who speak N English as a second
language.
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Text A
5 When a Korean woman who lives in the United States
arrived at work one morning, her boss asked her, “Did you
get a plate?” “No…,” she answered, wondering what in the
world he meant. She worked in an office. Why did the
boss ask her about a plate? All day she wondered about
her boss’s strange question, but she was too embarrassed
to ask him about it. At five o’clock, when she was getting
ready to go home, her boss said, “Please be on time
tomorrow. N You were 15 minutes late this morning.”
“Sorry,” she said. “My car wouldn’t start, and….” Suddenly
she stopped talking and began to smile. Now she
understood. Her boss hadn’t asked her, “Did you get a
plate?” He had asked her, “Did you get up late?”
?
CH
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Text A
CH
?
6 Auckland and Oakland. “A plate” and “up late.” When
similar sounding words cause a misunderstanding,
probably the best thing to do is just laugh and learn from
the mistake. Of course, sometimes it’s hard to laugh. The
man who traveled to Auckland instead of Oakland didn’t
feel like laughing. But even that misunderstanding turned
out all right in the end. The airline paid for the man’s
hotel room and meals in New Zealand and for his flight
back to California. “Oh well,” the man later said, “I always
wanted to see New Zealand.”
(624 words)
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misunderstanding //: n. (an
example of) wrong understanding 误解，误会
e.g.
Her poor French often leads to misunderstandings
when she visits France.
T
她的法语很差，因而她访问法国时常引起误会。
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misunderstand //: vt. understand
wrongly
误解
e.g.
I’m sorry, I misunderstood you.
T 对不起，我误解你了。
It seems that you have misunderstood what I said
at the meeting.
T
看来你误解了我在会上所说的话了。
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1) What is the text mainly about?
It is about misunderstandings that similar sounding
English words or expressions can cause.
2) Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes head
straight for the restroom when he got on the bus?
He wanted to go to New York without paying for the ticket.
3) What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide to do
when she saw the man hiding himself in the restroom?
She decided to tell the bus driver that a bum was hiding
in the restroom.
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Chinese Version
误
会
佚名
他头发蓬乱，衣着肮脏，口袋里只有35美分。在马里兰
州的巴尔的摩，他登上一辆公共汽车并径直走向了洗手间。
他想如果他躲在洗手间里，便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。但
是坐在公共汽车后面的一位乘客看见了他。她拍了拍她前面
那位乘客的肩膀说：“洗手间里有个流浪汉。告诉公共汽车
司机。”那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人，说道：
“告诉公共汽车司机，洗手间里有个流浪汉。”
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uncombed //: a. 未梳理过的，蓬乱的
e.g.
Mary’s hair was uncombed and her face unwashed
as she hurried to the hospital this morning.
T
今天早晨玛丽匆匆赶去医院时，她头发没梳，脸也没洗。
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comb //:
1. n. 梳子
2. vt. tidy, arrange or straighten (the hair, etc.) with a comb
梳（头发等）
e.g
.
Sally combed her hair carefully.
T
赛莉仔细地梳了头发。
PREV.
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cent //: n. (a coin equal to) 0.01 of a US dollar and
many other metric units of currency 分（为美元及
其他多种十进制货币单位的1%）；一分值的硬币
e.g
.
T
This trip won’t cost you a cent. It’s on me.
这次旅行你一分钱也不用花。费用由我付。
This pen is cheap. It costs you only 75 cents to buy one.
T
这种钢笔便宜。你只需花75美分就可以买一支。
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get on: board (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 登上（公共汽车、
火车、飞机等）
e.g.
When I got on the bus, I found all the seats were occupied.
T
我登上公共汽车时，发现所有的座位都有人了。
They felt worried when they realized that they had got on the
wrong train.
T
当他们意识到乘错火车时，他们感到担心起来。
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head for: go towards 向…走去；朝…行进
e.g.
The ship was heading for Britain.
T
这艘船正驶向英国。
He headed for the bus stop.
T
他向公共汽车站走去。
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restroom //: n. [AmE euph] public
toilet in a hotel, restaurant, etc. ［美］（旅馆、
餐馆等公共建筑物内的）公用厕所，洗手间。
请注意，在英国人们通常用toilet一词。
Euph:euphemism
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… he could ride to New York without paying.
……他便可以不付钱就乘车去纽约。
介词without 解释为“不、未”，其后跟动词时，须用V-ing形式。
e.g.
Tom was talking to his girlfriend without looking at her.
T
汤姆跟他的女朋友说话时没有看她。
He understood the meaning of the word without looking
it up in a dictionary.
T
他不查词典就懂了那个词的意思。
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tap //: vt. hit (sb./sth.) lightly with a quick short blow,
esp. to attract attention（尤指为吸引注意）轻拍，
轻敲（某人或某物）
e.g.
Grace tapped on the door and went in.
T
格雷斯轻轻地敲了一下门就进去了。
He turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
T
有人拍了拍他的肩膀，他转过身来。
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英语中讲击打某人身上某一部位时，通常总是用介词引出
那个部位。
又如：
The robbers hit him over the head with a stone.
T
强盗用石头砸他的头。
PREV.
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That passenger tapped the person sitting in front of him.
那位乘客轻轻地拍了一下坐在他前面的人。
sitting in front of him是分词短语，作定语用，修饰the person。
课文中类似的句子还有：
Every day people speaking English ask one another questions
like these…
每天都有讲英语的人相互问这样的问题……
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bum /bm/: n. [AmE sl] wandering person who lives by
begging ［美俚］ 流浪汉，流浪乞丐
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bomb //: n. hollow metal container filled with
explosives 炸弹
e.g.
Fortunately the house was empty when the bomb
exploded.
T
炸弹爆炸时，幸好房子里没有人。
Terrorists had planted a bomb somewhere in the station.
T
恐怖分子在火车站的某个地方放置了一枚炸弹。
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4) What was the original message the passengers were
supposed to pass and what had it turned into when it
reached the driver?
The original message was “There is a bum in the
restroom,” but it turned into “There is a bomb in the
restroom.”
5) What was the result of the wrong message?
The bus driver radioed the police and a traffic jam
resulted.
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Chinese Version
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传到了公共汽车的前边。
但在这一过程的某个环节，口信变了。当它传到公共汽车
司机那儿时，已经不是“洗手间里有个流浪汉”，而是
“洗手间里有颗炸弹”。司机马上在公路边停下车来并用
无线电通知了警察。当警察到达时，他们让乘客下车并且
远离汽车。然后他们关闭了那条公路。那很快就造成了15
英里长的交通堵塞。警察在警犬的帮助下，在公共汽车上
搜查了两个小时。当然，他们没有发现什么炸弹。
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The message was passed from person to person.
这口信通过一个又一个的乘客传下去。
注意本句中from… to…这一结构中的名词前没有冠词。
相同的例句如:
She went from house to house asking if anyone had
seen the child.
T
T
她挨家挨户地询问是否有人见过那个孩子。
They work hard from morning to night.
他们从早到晚努力工作。
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That soon caused a 15-mile-long traffic jam.
那很快就造成了15英里长的交通堵塞。
英语中使用连字符构成的复合词作定语时，其中的可数名
词一般都用单数形式。
又如：
a 65-year-old lady, a ten-page report, a five-day tour
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somewhere: ad. at, in, or to a place not specified or
known 在某处;在(或到)某个不确定(或不知道)
的地方
e.g.
They lived somewhere near London.
T
他们住在伦敦附近的某个地方。
I am sure I saw it somewhere, but I can’t remember
exactly where.
T
我确信在什么地方见过它，但是记不起确切的地方了。
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by the time: 到…时候
e.g
.
T
The phone was ringing but by the time she got indoors,
it had stopped.
电话铃响了，但是等她走进屋子时，铃声已经停了。
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not… but…: 这一结构常常用来连接两个单词、词组或句子，
表示“并非…而是…”的意思。
e.g.
The animal you saw in this area was not a rabbit, but a
wild cat.
T
你在这个地区看见的那个动物不是野兔，而是一种野猫。
These youngsters are motivated not by a desire for
success, but by fear of failure.
T
这些年轻人的动力并非来自于对成功的渴望，而是来
自于对失败的恐惧。
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immediately //: ad. without
delay; at once 立即，马上
e.g.
The telephone rang and he answered it immediately.
T
电话铃一响他马上就接了。
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immediate //: a. done or needed at
once and without delay 立即的，即刻的；紧
迫的
e.g.
Mr. Smith wants an immediate answer from his boss.
T
史密斯先生要他的老板立即答复。
Immediate action must be taken to prevent further
problems.
T
必须马上采取行动来防止更多的问题。
PREV.
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pull over: drive a vehicle to the roadside 把车开到路边
e.g.
The policeman asked the driver to pull over.
T
警察叫驾驶员靠边停车。
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radio: vt. send a message to (sb.) by radio 用无线电通知
（某人)
e.g.
When the pilot saw the target, he immediately radioed
the headquarters.
T
飞行员看到目标时，立即用无线电通知了指挥部。
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get off: leave (a bus, a train, a plane, etc.) 下（公共汽车、
火车、飞机等）
e.g.
Tom was seen to get off the bus near the railway station.
T
有人看见汤姆在火车站附近下了公共汽车。
When I got off the train at the city on the coast, I could
smell the sea.
T
当我在那座海滨城市走下火车时，我闻到了大海的气息。
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15-mile-long: 15英里长的。
英语中这种构词现象比较常见，
类似的例子如：
2-meter-wide
T
两米宽的
15-foot-tall
T
15英尺高的
3-inch-thick
T
3英寸厚的
注意，这些合成词一般都作定语用，其中的量词都为单数形式。
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traffic //: n. (movement of) people and vehicles
along roads and streets, or aircraft in the sky 交通；通行，往
来
e.g.
There was heavy traffic on the roads this morning.
T
今天早晨路上的交通很拥挤。
By the time we reached the city we had hit a traffic jam.
T
我们到达那个城市时，正碰上交通堵塞。
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jam //: n. mass of people or things pressed so
close together that movement is difficult or
impossible 拥挤；堵塞
e.g.
About 1,000 cars sat in a jam for two hours waiting to
cross the bridge yesterday.
T
昨天大约有1 000辆汽车等候过桥，堵了两个小时。
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6) Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and
where did he arrive?
He wanted to go to Oakland but arrived in Auckland.
7) What was the cause of his mistake?
He thought that he heard the word “Oakland” in the
announcement, but in fact what he heard was “Auckland.”
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Chinese Version
两个发音相似的英语单词给一个想从洛杉矶飞往加利福
尼亚州奥克兰的人也造成了麻烦。他的问题始于洛杉矶机场。
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班，所以他走向登机门，出示
了机票并登上了飞机。起飞20分钟后，这人开始担心起来。奥
克兰在洛杉矶的北边，但是飞机似乎正在向西飞，而当他向窗
外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。“这架飞机是去奥克兰
吗?”他问航班服务员。航班服务员倒抽了一口冷气，“不，”
她说。“我们去奥克兰——新西兰的奥克兰。”
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Oakland //
奥克兰（美国加利福尼亚州西部港市）
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similar /l/: a. like or alike; of the same kind;
almost but not exactly the same in nature or
appearance 相像的，相仿的，类似的，相似的
e.g.
These two words are similar in pronunciation, but
different in spelling.
T
这两个词发音相似，但是拼写不同。
His view about the situation is quite similar to ours.
T
他对形势的看法跟我们差不多。
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Los Angeles
/
/: 洛杉
矶（美国加利
福尼亚州西南
部港市）
e.g.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in
the US. It is the center of the American film
industry.
T
洛杉矶是美国的第二大城市，是美国的电影业中心。
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airport //: n. place where aircraft can land and
take off 机场，航空港
e.g.
Her family went to see her off at the airport.
T
她的家人前往机场给她送行。
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flight //: n. (an act of) flying; journey through air or
space; a plane making a particular journey 飞行；
飞翔；航班
e.g.
We need to hurry or we’ll miss our flight.
T
我们得赶紧了，否则会误机的。
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takeoff //: n. the beginning of flight, when a
plane, spacecraft, etc. rises from the ground（飞机
的）起飞；（航空器的）升空
e.g.
The plane crashed five minutes after takeoff.
T
飞机在起飞5分钟后坠毁。
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Oakland was north of Los Angeles…
奥克兰在洛杉矶的北边……
英语中讲某一个地方在另一个地方的北面，用north of;
句中north是副词，不能有冠词。同样，表示在东面、
南面、西面可以用east of, south of, west of。
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gasp //: vi. take in one’s breath suddenly and in a
way that can be heard, esp. because of surprise,
shock, etc.（尤指由于惊讶等而）喘气，喘息；倒
抽气
e.g
. I gasped when I heard the money had been lost.
T
听到钱丢了，我倒抽了一口气。
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New Zealand /
/: 新西兰（大
洋洲国家）
e.g
.
New Zealand is an island country
in the southern Pacific Ocean,
southeast of Australia.
T
新西兰是澳大利亚东南的一个岛国，
位于太平洋南部。
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He thought he heard his flight announced.
他以为听到广播中宣布了他的航班。
句中announced是宾语补足语。
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… and when he looked out his window all he could see
was ocean.
……而当他向窗外望去时，他所能看到的全是大海。
all 指“所有的东西，一切”。all he could see指“他所能
看到的一切”，在句中作主语。
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8) According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings
take place among English speaking people?
According to the writer, it is common for
misunderstandings to take place among English
speaking people.
9) Who are more easily confused by similar sounding
English words?
Speakers of English as a second or foreign language
are more easily confused.
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Chinese Version
因为有这么多英文单词发音相似，讲英语者之间
的误会并不罕见。并非所有的误会都会导致公路关闭
或乘客飞错大陆。大多数误会远没有这么严重。每天，
讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题:“你是说七十还是十
七?”“你是说你能来还是不能来?”发音相似的单词
对把英语作为第二语言的人来说，特别容易让人混淆。
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uncommon //: a. rare or unusual 罕见
的；不平常的；异乎寻常的
e.g
.
T
20 years ago, supermarkets were uncommon in China.
20年前，超市在中国很少见。
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common //: a. found or happening often and
in many places; usual 常见的；普通的；通常的
e.g
. Jones is a very common name in Britain.
T
琼斯是英国很常见的名字。
PREV.
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... misunderstandings among English speaking people are
not uncommon.
……讲英语者之间的误会并不罕见。
not uncommon是一种双重否定的表达方式，实际上表达了
一种更为肯定的意思。
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... result in highways being closed or passengers flying to
the wrong continent.
……导致公路关闭或乘客飞错大陆。
句中being closed 和 flying 都是动名词，分别受 highways
和 passengers 的修饰，用作 result in 的宾语，
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又如：
Don’t your parents mind your sister staying out so late?
T
难道你的父母不介意你妹妹在外呆得这么晚吗？
His actions could lead to him/his losing his job.
T
他的行为可能会使他丢工作。
PREV.
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continent /n/: n. any of the seven main
large masses of land on the Earth (地球上的）
洲，大洲；大陆
e.g.
She loved the African continent.
T
她爱非洲大陆。
She has traveled in more than 20 countries on six
continents.
T
她在六大洲20多个国家旅行过。
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seventy //: n. the number 70 七
十
e.g
.
Seventy people were killed in the earthquake.
T
有70个人死于地震。
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seventeen //: n. the number
17 十七
e.g
.
I left home when I was seventeen。
T
我17岁时离家。
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English as a second language:
This term is used to refer to English as taught to people
whose native language is not English but who live in a
society in which English is the main language or one of
the main languages. It is often abbreviated to ESL.
这一术语指母语不是英语但生活在英语为主要语言社会中
的人所学的英语。常缩略成ESL。
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10) Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her
boss’s question?
She confused “up late” with “a plate” and found herself
unable to understand what her boss said.
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Chinese Version
一天早晨，一位生活在美国的韩国妇女到上班地点时，
她的老板问她：“你拿到盘子了吗?” “没有……”她回答说，
心里却在纳闷，不知道他到底是什么意思。她在办公室工作。
老板为什么问她盘子的事呢？一整天她都对老板的怪问题感
到纳闷，但又不好意思开口问他。到了5点，当她准备回家
时，她的老板说:“明天请准时上班。你今天早晨迟到了15分
钟” “对不起，”她说。“我的车发动不起来，而且……”
突然她停止了讲话并开始微笑起来。她这时才明白老板并没
有问她“你拿到盘子了吗？”他问的是“你是不是起来晚
了？”
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Korean // a. 朝鲜的，韩国的；朝鲜人
的，韩国人的；朝鲜族的；朝鲜语的，韩国语
的
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the United States / / 美利坚
合众国，美国
(= the United States of America)
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wonder //: v. express a wish to know sth.,
silently or in words 对…感到疑惑；想知道
e.g.
I was wondering if you are free for lunch.
T
不知道你是否有空一起吃午饭。
I wondered what his words meant.
T
我想知道他的话是什么意思。
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in the world: used for emphasis after words that ask
questions, as who, why, what, etc. (用于疑问词who,
why, what等后以加强语气)究竟，到底
e.g.
T
T
What in the world is he doing?
他究竟在干什么？
Where in the world were you when I was in need of
your help?
在我需要你帮忙时你到底在哪里？
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embarrassed: a. feeling nervous and uncomfortable
and worrying about what people think of you
窘迫的，尴尬的
e.g.
T
Tom looked embarrassed when he found that he had no
money with him at all.
发现自己一点钱都没带时，汤姆看上去很尴尬。
T
I got very drunk at the party, and I feel really embarrassed
about it.
在聚会时我喝得烂醉，我真的感到不好意思。
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Language Points
embarrass //: vt. make (sb.) feel anxious
and uncomfortable, esp. in a social situation
使窘迫,使尴尬
e.g.
T
I hope I didn’t embarrass you in front of your friends.
我希望我没有让你在朋友面前感到难堪。
T
One woman was trying to embarrass me by asking me
questions I couldn’t answer.
一个女人问了我一些无法回答的问题，企图使我下不了台。
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UNIT 1
Language Points
be on time: be not late 准时
e.g.
T
The London train was on time, but I didn’t see my
Chinese friend.
伦敦开来的火车准时到达，但我没有看见我的中国朋友。
T
Don’t worry, she’ll be on time.
别担心，她会准时的。
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Language Points
You were 15 minutes late. 你迟到了15分钟。
英语中表示时间、距离时，常将具体的数字放在形容词
late, long等前面。
又如:
The bus was ten minutes early.
T 公共汽车早到了10分钟。
The bridge is 140 feet long.
T 桥长140英尺。
During the storm, there were waves of up to 30 metres
high off the coast.
T 暴风雨中，海岸外浪高达30米。
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11) What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings
arise among English speaking people,
He suggests laughing and learning from the mistake.
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Chinese Version
Auckland 和Oakland。“一个盘子”和“起晚”。
当发音相似的单词引起误会时，也许最好的处理方式就
是一笑了之并从错误中吸取教训。当然，有时候很难笑
得出来。那个没到Oakland却去了Auckland的人是不会
想笑的。但即使是那场误会，最终的结局也还不错。那
家航空公司支付了那人在新西兰的旅馆住房和用餐的费
用，还支付了他飞回加利福尼亚的费用。“ 哦，还好，”
那人后来说，“我一直就想要看看新西兰的。”
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Language Points
instead of: in place of 代替；而不是
e.g.
T
T
T
Can I have tea instead of coffee?
我能不喝咖啡而喝茶？
Let’s play cards instead of watching television.
我们不看电视，来打牌吧。
If you want to have your meal at seven o’clock instead of
five o’clock, you can.
如果你想把用餐时间从5点改到7点，那行啊。
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Language Points
feel like: have the feeling of being; have a wish for, want
有…的感觉；想要
e.g.
When my best friend left me alone in the street, I felt like
a hurt animal.
T
T
当我最好的朋友把我一个人抛在街上的时候，我感觉自
己像一只受伤的动物。
Do you feel like another drink?
你想再要一杯饮料吗？
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Language Points
all right: good enough, satisfactory but not very good; in
good health or spirits; well 令人满意的；不错的；
健康良好的；健康的
e.g.
T
“What’s the food like in this restaurant?” “It’s all right.”
“这家餐馆的食品怎样？”“还不错。”
T
Kate looks really unhappy. You’d better make sure she’s
all right.
凯特看上去很不高兴。你应该保证她一切安好。
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e.g.
Are you feeling all right now?
T
你现在感觉好些了吗？
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Language Points
airline //: n. business that runs a regular service
for carrying passengers and goods by air 航空公司
e.g.
Eleven of Europe’s fifteen busiest routes are
controlled by only two national airlines.
T
欧洲最繁忙的15条航线中有11条是由两家国营航空公
司控制的。
What airline did you fly?
T
你乘坐哪家航空公司的飞机?
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Language Points
in the end: at last; finally
最终；结果
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Language Points
California
//
加利福尼亚州（美国州
名）
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Language Points
Auckland /d/ 奥克兰
（新西兰北岛西北岸港
市）
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UNIT 1
Text A Exercises
Reading Aloud
Understanding the Text
Reading Analysis
Vocabulary
Structure
Translation
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Reading Aloud
Read the following paragraph until you have learned
them by heart.
Because so many English words sound similar,
misunderstandings among English-speaking people are
not uncommon. Not all misunderstandings result in
highways being closed or passengers flying to the wrong
continent. Most misunderstandings are much less serious.
Every day people speaking English ask one another
questions like these: “Did you say seventy or seventeen?”
“Did you say that you can come or that you can’t?” Similarsounding words can be especially confusing for people
who speak English as a second language.
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Understanding the Text
Answer the following questions.
1. What is the text mainly about?
2. Why did the man with uncombed hair and dirty clothes
head straight for the restroom when he got on the bus?
What did the passenger at the back of the bus decide
3. to do when she saw the man hiding himself in the
restroom?
What was the original message the passengers were
4. supposed to pass and what had it turned into when it
reached the driver?
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5.
6.
What was the result of the wrong message?
Where did the man in Los Angeles want to go and where
did he arrive?
7. What was the cause of his mistake?
8. According to the writer, how often do misunderstandings
take place among English-speaking people?
9. Who are more easily confused by similar-sounding
English words?
10. Why did the Korean woman wonder all day about her
boss’s question?
11. What is the best thing to do when misunderstandings
arise among English-speaking people, according to the
writer?
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Topics for Discussion.
1. Have you ever experienced situations similar to those
described by the writer of the text? Are there similar
misunderstandings among Chinese-speaking people?
Tell the story/stories that you know to your classmates.
2. What can you do to avoid the serious consequences (后
果) of misunderstandings caused by confusing words or
expressions?
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Reading Analysis
Read Text A again and complete the following table.
Part
Topic
Ⅰ Misunderst
and-ings
may occur
among
native
English
speakers.
Paragraph
Supporting Details
1
A passenger wanted to
tell the driver ________
that there
_____________________.
was a bum in the restroom
2
The change of the word
“bum” into “bomb” caused a
traffic jam .
15 milelong ________
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Part
Topic
Paragraph
3
Supporting Details
A man who wanted to go to
Oakland finally got to
he
Auckland because ___
failed to get the meaning
_____________________
correctly
_____________________.
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Part
Topic
Ⅱ
Nonnative
English
speakers
are more
________
often
________
affected
________
.
Paragraph
4
Supporting Details
Misunderstandings among
English-speaking people are
common, but they occur
more
frequently among non_______________________
native English speakers
____________________.
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Part
Topic
Ⅱ
Nonnative
English
speakers
are more
________
often
________
affected
________.
Paragraph
5
Supporting Details
A Korean woman’s failure to
understand the difference
between “a plate” and “up
______________________
late” made her wonder
_____
about her boss’s question all
day.
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Part
Topic
Ⅲ
What
should
people do
when
______
misunder________
standings
_______
occur
_____?
Paragraph
6
Supporting Details
The best thing people can do
about misunderstandings
caused by similar-sounding
probably just laugh
words is ________________
______________________.
and learn from the mistake
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UNIT 1
Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change
the forms where necessary.
Common
continent
embarrass
flight
immediately
misunderstanding
passenger
search
serious
similar
traffic
wonder
1. About seventy of the train’s 500 passengers
__________ were injured
in the accident.
2. When mother saw my face, she knew immediately
__________ that
something was wrong.
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Common
continent
embarrass
flight
immediately
misunderstanding
passenger
search
serious
similar
traffic
wonder
3. These two Chinese words look quite similar
_____, but they are
opposite in meaning.
______ what she looks like
4. I haven’t seen Mary in years. I wonder
now.
________ in both size and population.
5. Asia is the largest continent
_____ light tells drivers to
6. On streets and highways, a red traffic
stop and a green light tells them to go.
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UNIT 1
Common
continent
embarrass
flight
immediately
misunderstanding
passenger
search
serious
similar
traffic
wonder
7. Cultural differences between people from different
_______________ .
countries can sometimes lead to misunderstandings
8. John got very drunk at the party, and his wife felt really
___________ about it.
embarrassed
_____ have been
9. Because of the bad weather, most flights
cancelled (取消) today.
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Common
continent
embarrass
flight
immediately
misunderstanding
passenger
search
serious
similar
traffic
wonder
10. Earthquakes (地震) are common
_______in this part of the world.
11. Traffic police in Shanghai are again warning that
overloaded vehicles (超载车辆) are dangerous and can
______ accidents.
cause serious
12. Police have searched
________ the area for about two days, but
so far have found nothing.
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UNIT 1
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below.
Change the forms where necessary.
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
1. I ran to the railway station as fast as I could but found the
got on.
train was almost full by the time I _____
2. Having finished his work ahead of time, Philip was happy
head for the airport to enjoy his
to leave his office and _______
holiday.
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UNIT 1
get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
3. You should have seen Boris’s face when Max ______
tapped
him _____________
on the shoulder . How surprised he was at that
moment!
4. When a policeman saw the bus driver running a red light,
pull over and walked towards the bus.
he called to him to _______
5. His poor English has _________
resulted in misunderstandings
between him and his American boss.
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get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
6. What a lovely day it is! Do you ______
feel like a walk along the
mountain path?
7. __________
By the time we got to the bus stop, the last bus had
already left.
8. Though there were quite a few difficulties, I was sure that
turn out all right .
things were going to _____________
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get on/off
pull over
turn out (all right)
head for
result in
in the end
tap (sb.) on the shoulder
feel like by the time
instead of
9.
At the meeting, there were many different suggestions for
in the end we decided to take George’s
our holiday, but ________
suggestion and went to the seaside again.
10. I can’t understand why they chose him ________
instead of you —
you can do the job much better than he.
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Structure
Rewrite the following sentences after the model.
Model:
She did not ask him about it because she felt
embarrassed.
→ She was too embarrassed to ask him about it.
1. By the time I got home, I couldn’t do anything active
because I was very tired.
By the time I got home, I was too tired to do anything active.
________________________________________________
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2. The two girls look very similar, so people outside their
family cannot tell them apart from each other.
The
two girls look too similar for people outside their
____________________________________________
family
to tell them apart from each other.
____________________________________________
3. What in the world does mm (美眉) stand for? I cannot
understand the abbreviations (缩写词) that people use
on the BBS (电子布告栏系统) because they are really
confusing.
_____________________________________________
What
in the world does mm stand for? The abbreviations
that
people use on the BBS are too confusing for me to
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
understand.
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4. Because of TV, most people have become lazy and do
not make the effort to go to the cinema.
____________________________________________
Because
of TV, most people have become too lazy to
____________________________________________
make the effort to go to the cinema.
5. Ann made a serious mistake yesterday. She could not
decide on the correct choice because she had very little
time to do the test.
Ann
made a serious mistake yesterday because the test
_____________________________________________
gave
her too little time to decide on the correct choice.
_____________________________________________
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Fill in the blanks with the preposition/conjunction
“until” and the words given in brackets. Add some
words or change the forms of the words given
where necessary.
Model:
The message was passed from person to person until it
reached the front of the bus. (reach, it, the front, the bus)
1. I plan to keep studying English ______________________
until I have really learnt the
____________________
basics
of the language . (the basics, I learn, really, the
language)
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2. I was so moved by the story that I couldn’t stop
until the end of the book. (the book, the end)
crying ___________________
3. It’s fine to ask questions as the speakers go along, but it’s
better if you wait. ________________________________.
until they have finished their speeches
(they, speech, finish)
4. I didn’t know the difference between these two confusing
words ______________________________________
until my teacher explained them in class with
several examples .(explain, them, several examples,
_______________
my teacher, in class)
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until I saw Sam
5. I stayed in my office talking to Mr. Smith _____________
Ward leave the building (I, Sam Ward, leave, see, the building)
___________________.
6. After he received the phone call, he ran out of the store, not
stopping ____________________.
until he got on a city bus (a city bus, get on, he)
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Translation
Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 由于下大雪，旅客们只能在机场等到午夜雪停为止。
Because
of the heavy snow, the passengers had to
___________________________________________
wait
at the airport until midnight when the snow
___________________________________________
stopped.
___________________________________________
2. 火车开动20分钟后，两个男孩才发现他们登上的是一
辆开往杭州而不是他们的家乡苏州的火车。
Twenty
minutes after the train started, the two boys
___________________________________________
found
that they had got on a train heading for
___________________________________________
Hangzhou
instead of their hometown, Suzhou.
___________________________________________
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3. 发音相似的英语词常常引起讲英语者之间的误会。
Similar-sounding
English words often result in
___________________________________________
misunderstandings
among English-speaking people.
___________________________________________
4. 驾驶员听到从汽车引擎(engine)里传出异常的声音，
于是他马上靠边停车检查，但是最终一切正常。
The
driver heard an unusual sound from the car
___________________________________________
engine,
so he pulled over immediately to check, but it
___________________________________________
turned out all right in the end.
___________________________________________
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5. 当李先生意识到自己犯了一个在把英语作为第二语言
的人群中常见的错误时，他感到很尴尬。
___________________________________________
Mr.
Lee felt very embarrassed when he realized that
he had made a very common mistake among
___________________________________________
speakers of English as a second language.
___________________________________________
6. 玛丽想学日语，并希望能很快学会，但不久就发现日
语太难了，短期内她无法学会。
Mary
___________________________________________
felt like learning Japanese and hoped she could
learn
___________________________________________
it quickly, but soon found it was too difficult for
her
___________________________________________
to learn in a short period of time.
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UNIT 1
Grammar Review
动词的-ing形式
动词的-ing形式由动词原形+ -ing构成。它可以在句中
作主语、表语、定语、宾语、宾语补足语和状语,但不能单
独构成谓语。
动词-ing的形式变化（以write为例）
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UNIT 1
主
一般式
完成式
动
writing
having written
被
动
being written
having been written
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动词-ing的用法
用
法
1. 作主语
例
句
Making history in my family is yet another
important thing I hope to gain from my
college education.
在我的家庭中创造历史是我希望从大学教育
中得到的又一样重要的东西。
Taking a look back has motivated me to
reach farther.
回顾过去激励着我走得更远。
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UNIT 1
用
法
2.作动
词、介
词和短
语动词
的宾语
例
句
He thought that if he hid in the restroom,
he could ride to New York without paying.
他想如果他躲在洗手间里，便可以不付钱
就乘车去纽约。
He took up singing recently.
他最近对唱歌发生了兴趣。
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用
法
3. 作表语
例
句
It is fitting that January 4, Louis’s birthday,
is considered Braille Day, in honor of the
blind.
把路易的生日1月4日定为向盲人表示敬意的
布拉耶日是非常恰当的。
My job is training new workers.
我的工作是培训新工人。
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UNIT 1
用
法
例
句
4. 作宾语补语 I noticed the young porter of a sleeping
car whispering to the conductor and
nodding toward me.
我注意到一个年轻的卧车行李搬运员正在
跟列车员窃窃私语，并朝着我点头。
Can you get the car going?
你能开动这辆车吗？
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用
法
5. 作定语。动
词-ing形式
单独作定语
时一般放在
被修饰词之
前，动词ing短语作
定语一般放
在被修饰词
之后
例
句
I’ve tried every way to comfort the crying girl.
我已经想尽了各种办法来安慰那个哭哭啼啼
的女孩。
Every day people speaking English ask one
another questions like these: “Did you say
seventy or seventeen?”
每天讲英语的人会相互问这样的问题：“你
是说七十还是十七呢？”。
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UNIT 1
用
法
6. 作状语，
可以表示
时间、原
因、让步、
条件和结
果等
例
句
She answered, wondering what in the world
he meant.
她回答道，却不明白他的话究竟是什么意思。
The brothers sat eyeing each other over the
tops of the moneybags.
两兄弟坐在那儿，目光越过钱袋顶看着对方。
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UNIT 1
Translate the Chinese in the brackets into English.
1. The sun shines bright in the sky, giving
___________________
us heat and light
(给我们光和热).
2. They had six other children — three boys and three girls,
ranging
______________________
in age from 4 to 16 (年龄在4到16岁之间).
______________________
invited to speak here (应邀在此讲话) is a great
3. Being
honor for me.
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encouraging words (你鼓励的话).
4. I’m so glad to hear your
____________________
5. The young man sitting
between Mary and Tom (坐在玛
________________________
丽和汤姆中间的) is the chairman of the Student Union.
6. What’s the point of leaving
today’s work for tomorrow
___________________________
(把今天的工作留到明天)?
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7. From the window we could see the children
playing in the playground (在操场上玩耍).
____________________
8. You shouldn’t drive for more than three hours without
taking a break (休息片刻).
____________
leaving me alone (留下我一个人) in the
9. He rushed out, ______________
restaurant.
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10. Wilbur and Orville didn’t have any special training in
science or engineering, but they enjoyed ______
taking
____________________
mechanical things apart (把机械的东西拆开) to see
how they worked.
PREV.
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UNIT 1
Practical Writing
Letters of Invitation
How to write a letter of invitation
Do you have an engagement, wedding, or graduation
coming up? Is there a performance, school event, or
meeting to which you want to invite people? Do you want to
invite someone to speak at your meeting or conference?
Whatever your event is, the following will help you write
an effective invitation.
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UNIT 1
Guidelines for writing invitations:




State the occasion, date, time, and place. Include
addresses and a map if necessary. Mention if
refreshments will be served. List any charges that may
apply. Include a telephone number for RSVPs. If there is a
dress code, state the preferred dress in the lower left-hand
corner of the card.
If you need a response, include a self-addressed,
stamped reply card or envelope with your invitation.
Express that you are looking forward to seeing the person.
Do not use abbreviations and do not use contractions
(don’t; we’ll) except for name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc.
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



If dinner will be served, state two separate times: the time
people can start arriving and the time dinner will be served.
If you do not want gifts, briefly state that gifts are not desired
or needed. Explain that your guests presence is the only
gift you need.
Make sure you send out your invitations with ample
advance notice.
If you have guests coming from out of town or from other
countries, you may want to send out your invitation several
months in advance (especially if your event takes place
around a holiday). This will allow your guests adequate time
to make preparations, reservations, save money, etc.
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UNIT 1


For smaller, less formal events that include local guests or
guests from nearby areas, you may only need to provide a
few weeks’ notice.
If you are inviting someone to speak at a conference, your
invitation should include the following information:
* Name of the conference and the sponsoring organization;
* Date, time, place of the conference and speech;
* Type of audience;
* Type of speech, topic, and how long the speech should be;
* Any accommodations that will be made, including lodging,
meals, and transportation;
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* Name of the contact person along with phone numbers
and addresses where that person can be contacted; and
* Finally, articulate your pleasure at having the person
speak at the meeting or conference.
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Useful Expressions:
1. How to start your letter:




You are invited to attend our company’s annual open
house.
We invite you to join us in thanking David Shaw for his 25
years of leadership.
It would be a great pleasure to meet you on _____ (date)
at/in the ____ (place).
_______ (company) invites you to an exclusive showing of
its latest computing and telecommunications products.
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
Would you be interested in sharing your experience with
the members of our association at their monthly dinner
meeting?
2. How to offer details about your arrangements:




We are giving a luncheon at _____ (place) at _____ (time)
on ______ (date) to introduce .
The company will host a celebration in honor of David’s
retirement at Legal Tech, on June 27, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Refreshments will be served from p.m. to p.m.
The presentation will take place at (place) at (time) on
(date).
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UNIT 1
3. How to end your letter:






We are sure you will find the presentation interesting.
We hope you will be able to attend.
We are all looking forward to hearing your views.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Just call our office at 98-8899 and we will be glad to
reserve a place for you.
Please let me know as soon as possible.
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UNIT 1
Read the invitations below and answer the questions
that follow.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary
of the founding of Nanjing Technical College
the President, Mr. Li Xinyang,
would like to invite Mr. Wang Hong
to a Reception on Friday, July 2, 2004
from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m. at the Guest Center of NTC
R.S.V.P. ( R.S.V.P. 是法语 répondez s’il vous plaît 的
缩写，相当于：Reply, if you please. 请回复。)
Tel. 34756183 ext. 238 ( ext. 为 extension 的缩写，意
为“电话分机，分机号码”。)
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UNIT 1
1. Who is inviting Mr. Wang Hong to attend a reception?
Mr. Li Xinyang, the president of Nanjing Technical College.
2. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of
Nanjing Technical College.
3. Where is the reception to be held?
At the Guest Center of NTC.
4. When will the reception be held?
On July 2, 2004 from 12:30 to 13:30 p.m.
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UNIT 1
Dear Mr. Smith,
We take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a
reception given in honor of Mr. David Brown, on the occasion
of his retirement from McMillan Investment Company. The
reception will be held at the Grand Hall, on Wednesday, May
12, 2004. Our department will be presenting Mr. David Brown
with a gift at that time.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Jennifer Lewis
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UNIT 1
5. When is the reception going to be held?
On Wednesday, May 12, 2004.
6. What is the purpose for holding the reception?
To celebrate Mr. David Brown’s retirement from
McMillan Investment Company.
7. Where is the reception being held?
At the Grand Hall.
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UNIT 1
You are going to hold a graduation party at your
house on Sunday, June 27. The party will start after
your graduation ceremony, at about 4:00 p.m. Write
an invitation letter to your friends.
Suggested Answer:
Dear Wu Ji,
You are invited to attend a graduation party at my
house on Sunday, June 27. The party will start
immediately after our graduation ceremony, at about 4:00.
Your parents and friends are welcome, too.
I do hope you can come.
Sincerely,
Wang Jun
PREV.
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UNIT 1
Text B
CH
The Mysteries of the English Language
Kelley Hunsicker
1
What’s so mysterious about the English language?
Let’s take a look.
2 Why do we have so many words that sound the same
but are spelled differently and have different meanings?
Words like:
Way — weigh, hear — here, stair — stare,
do — dew, red— read, ate — eight
?
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UNIT 1
Text B
CH
3 Why do we have words that are spelled the same, but
are pronounced differently and have different meanings?
See how many of these you can pronounce right.
N 1. Billy will present Tom with his present.
2. I object to that object being here.
3. I estimate that the estimate will be too high.
4. The dove dove quickly from the sky.
5. The judge will convict the convict today.
N
6. Since you are so close, please close the door.
?
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UNIT 1
CH
?
Text B
4 How many did you get right on your
first try? Let’s look at words that are
spelled the same and pronounced the
same but have different meanings.
1. I walked across that board to
board the ship.
2. I tried to shoo the bat away with my bat.
3. I caught a cold from the cold weather.
4.This bug is really starting to bug me.
5. Some towns actually border the border.
5 Get the idea? How about this one? There are at least
seven ways to pronounce “ough”:
Dough, cough, hiccough, plough, through, rough,
thorough
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UNIT 1
Text B
6 And then there are the words that make no sense at
all, such as:
1. Where’s the “corn” in “corned beef”?
2. Where’s the “egg” in “eggplant”?
3. Why isn’t a “grapefruit” a “fruit from a grape”?
N 4. Why is a “boxing ring” square?
N 5. How can someone be “beside himself”?
7 Once you have learned the basics of the English
language, you may think that’s all there is to it, N but most
Americans speak yet another language.
8 The following is a short story about a foreign exchange
student arriving at the home he will be staying at. Having
learned basic English, imagine his confusion.
CH
?
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UNIT 1
Text B
CH
9 N “Welcome to the Big Apple. I hope you don’t feel like
a fish out of water here. We’ve been on pins and needles
waiting for you. We thought you might have gotten cold
feet or something. Oh, don’t mind my little brother Jason;
he’s just got ants in his pants today. Mom would have
sent him out to play, but she figured he could help to
break the ice. He can be so funny sometimes. Here’s
your room; it’s clean as a whistle. I had so many plans
for us today, but then it dawned on me, you’ll probably
need some time to catch your second wind.”
?
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UNIT 1
Text B
CH
10 Still think there’s no mystery in the English language?
The mystery is that anyone can learn at all ! How many
of these “word mysteries” can you think of ?
(476 words)
?
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Language Points
Billy will present Tom with his present.
比利将把自己的礼物赠送给汤姆。
这一组句子中拼写相同的词除了读音不同、意思不同外，有
的还重读音节不同，如 present, object 和 convict 等：
present vt. / /
present n. //
object vi. //
object n. //
convict vt. //
convict n. / /
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Language Points
Why is a “boxing ring” “square”?
为什么“拳击台”是“方的”？
英语中 ring 通常为环形物，但是方形的拳击台却用了
ring 这个词。
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Language Points
How can beside someone be “beside himself”?
某人怎么会“在他自己旁边”（“神志失常”）？
英语中 beside 原意为“在…旁边”。
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Language Points
… but most Americans speak yet another language.
……但是大多数美国人讲的又是另一种语言。
世界各地的英语在发音、拼写、语法等方面存在着或多或少
的差异。美国英语与英国英语差异尤大，特别是在口语中。
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Language Points
Welcome to the Big Apple.
欢迎来到大苹果城。
英语中人们常用the Big Apple来指纽约市。
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UNIT 1
1) How many groups of interesting English words has the
writer talked about in the text?
Five.
2) What kind of words are those that are talked about in the
first group?
They are those that sound the same but are spelled
differently and have different meanings.
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UNIT 1
Chinese Version
英语之奥秘
凯利•亨西克
英语有何奥秘之处？让我们来瞧瞧。
为什么我们有这么多发音相同但拼写不同、意义也不同的词？
如: way(路) — weigh(称…的重量),
hear(听见) — here(这里),
stair(梯级) — stare(凝视),
do(做) — dew (露水),
red(红的) — read(读过),
ate(吃过) — eight(八)。
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Language Points
mystery / /: n. sth. which cannot be
explained or understood 神秘的事物，不可思议
的事物，难以理解的事物，谜
e.g.
She believes that life is full of mysteries.
T
她认为生命充满了神秘。
His findings will help to reveal many mysteries of the sea.
T
他的发现将有助于揭示许多海洋之谜。
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Language Points
Kelly Hunsicker //: 凯利 • 亨西
克 （American author, freelance journalist and
photographer 美国作家、自由撰稿的记者和摄影师）
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Language Points
mysterious //: a. full of mystery; not
easily understood 神秘的，不可思议的；难以理解
的
e.g.
You are a mysterious girl why won’t you tell me
your name?
T
你是一个神秘的女孩——你为什么不把你的名字告诉我呢？
He died under mysterious circumstances, but
nobody knows if it was murder.
T
他死得蹊跷，但无人知道是否是谋杀。
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Language Points
take a look: 看一看
e.g.
There is something wrong with my car. Can you take a
look at it?
T
我的车坏了。你能看一下吗？
I have a special interest in old houses. Do you mind if I
take a look around?
T
我对老房子有着特殊的兴趣。你是否介意我随处看看？
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meaning //: n. what sth. expresses or
represents 意义，意思；含义
e.g.
This expression has two very different meanings in
English.
T
这个短语在英语中有两个截然不同的意思。
T
Now that he is a college student, life has new meaning
for him.
现在他是大学生了，生活对他而言有了新的意义。
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Language Points
weigh //: v. find the weight of, esp. by using a machine;
have the stated weight 称…的重量，称；称得重量
e.g.
Every time I weigh myself I seem to have got heavier!
T
我每次称体重都好像更重了。
These potatoes weigh nearly 5 kilos.
T
这些土豆差不多重5公斤。
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Language Points
stare //: v. look steadily for a long time 盯着看；凝视
e.g
.
Don’t stare at other people — it’s impolite!
T
不要盯着别人看——那样不礼貌！
She was staring into the fire thinking about her own
future.
T
她注视着炉火，思考着自己的将来。
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Language Points
dew /;/: n. the small drops of water which
form on cold surfaces during the night 露，露水
e.g.
When he walked in the garden early in the morning, his
shoes became wet with dew.
T
当他清晨在花园里散步时， 他的鞋被露水打湿了。
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UNIT 1
3) What is the main difference in the pronunciation of
the words given in the second group?
Most of the words being compared are pronounced
almost the same except that they stress different
syllables.
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UNIT 1
Chinese Version
为什么我们有拼写相同但发音不同、意义也不同的词？看
看这些词中你能读对几个？
1. 比利将把自己的礼物赠送给汤姆。
2. 我反对把那样东西留在这里。
3. 我估计这一估计数会太高。
4. 那只鸽子很快地从空中俯冲而下。
5. 法官今天将宣判那名囚犯有罪。
6. 既然你靠得那么近，那就请你关上门吧。
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Language Points
pronounce //: vt. make the sound of (a
letter, a word, etc.) 发（字母、词等的）音
e.g
.
How do you pronounce your last name?
T
你的姓怎么念？
This word is difficult to pronounce.
T
这个词很难读。
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Language Points
object:
1. // v. be against sb. or sth.; feel or show
opposition or disapproval 反对，不赞成
e.g.
Tom objected to the plan because he thought it would
be too expensive.
T
汤姆反对这个计划，因为他觉得花费太大了。
I object to her going alone.
T
我不赞成她一个人去。
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UNIT 1
2. // n. thing that can be seen or felt; aim
物体，实物；目的，目标
e.g.
In their beautiful bedroom, the children are surrounded
by familiar objects.
T
在他们美丽的寝室里，孩子们的周围都放着熟悉的东西。
He made it his object in life to be a good doctor.
T
他把做一名好医生定为自己的人生目标。
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Language Points
estimate //:
1. // v. judge or calculate the nature, value,
size, amount, etc. of (sth.), esp. roughly; form an
opinion about 估计；估价；判断
e.g.
The tree is estimated to be at least 700 years old.
T
这颗树估计至少已有700年的树龄。
We estimate that over 75% of our customers are women.
T
我们估算我们的顾客中妇女超过75％。
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UNIT 1
2. // n. calculation or judgment of the nature,
value, size, amount, etc. of sth. 估计
e.g.
My estimate of his abilities was wrong.
T
我对他的能力估计错了。
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Language Points
dove: 1. n. /, / 鸽子
2. // dive 的过去式
dive //: (dived or dove) v. jump head first into water; go
under the surface of water; go down quickly （头朝下）
跳水；潜水；俯冲
e.g.
Mark dived off the bridge into the river.
T
T
马克从桥上跃入河中。
The plane dived towards the ground and exploded
immediately.
飞机冲向地面，紧接着就爆炸了。
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Language Points
convict:
1. //: vt. declare that (sb.) is guilty of a
crime after a trial in a court 宣判（某人）有罪
e.g
The two men were convicted of murder.
.
T
T
那这两个人被判谋杀罪。
The judge found that there was not enough evidence to
convict him.
法官发现没有足够的证据判他有罪。
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UNIT 1
2. //: n. person who has been declared
guilty of a crime and sent to prison 已决犯；囚
犯
e.g.
The search for the escaped convict went on for days.
T
对逃犯的搜捕持续了几天。
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Language Points
Since you are so close, please close the door.
既然你靠得那么近，那就请你关上门吧。
句中前一个close读作//，第二个close读作
//。
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UNIT 1
4) Can you give some words that are spelled the same
and pronounced the same but have different meanings?
Give at least two pairs of such words.
He plans to study chemical engineering and he wants
to be a chemical engineer.
5) How many ways are there to pronounce “ough” in
English? What are they?
There are at least seven, e.g. dough, cough, hiccough,
plough, through, rough and thorough.
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UNIT 1
Chinese Version
在第一次尝试中你读对了多少？让我们来看看拼写相同、
读音相同但意义不同的词吧。
1. 我走过那块跳板登上船。
2. 我试图用我的球拍把那只蝙蝠赶走。
3. 我因为天气寒冷而感冒了。
4. 这一只虫子真的开始烦扰我了。
5. 一些城镇实际上跟边界接界。
明白了吗？下面这个又怎么样呢？“ough”至少有七种发音
方法：
dough(//生面团), cough (/f/ 咳嗽), hiccough
// 打嗝儿), plough (//犁), through
(// 通过), rough (// 不平滑的), thorough
(// 彻底的）。
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Language Points
get sth. right: do sth. correctly; understand sth. clearly,
without error 做对某事；正确理解某事；把某
事弄得正确无误
e.g.
T
I got most of the questions right.
我大多数题目都答对了。
Make sure you get people’s names right when you’re
sending out the invitations.
T
发邀请函时，要确保把人家的姓名写对。
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Language Points
board //: 1. n. a long thin flat piece of cut wood;
plank 木板
e.g
.
The walls of their room were made up of several
boards only.
T
他们房间的墙仅由几块木板组成。
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UNIT 1
2. v. get onto (a ship) or into (a public vehicle) 上（船、火
车、公共汽车）
e.g.
At 7:30 I boarded the train for New York.
T
T
7点半，我登上了去纽约的火车。
Before boarding the plane, Jenny tried once more to
call home.
登机前，珍妮试着再一次给家里打电话。
PREV.
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Language Points
shoo //: vt. drive away (as if) by saying “shoo”用
“嘘”声赶走
e.g.
I shooed him out of the room.
T
我用“嘘”声把他赶出了房间。
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bug //: 1. n. any small insect 虫子
2. vt. [sl] annoy; irritate [俚] 烦扰；使恼怒
e.g.
T
I’ve had that disease many years, it really bugs me.
我生那种病好多年了，它真把我烦透了。
What’s bugging you, Kenny?
T
肯尼，你有什么烦恼？
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border //: 1. vt. form a border to; have a common
border with 形成……的边界，毗邻；与……接壤
e.g.
Shanghai borders the East China Sea.
T
上海毗邻东海。
Ten years ago in this place there was a garden that
bordered the river.
T
10年前，这个地方的河边有一个花园。
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2. n. the dividing line between two countries edge; part
near the edge of sth. 国界；边境；边缘，边
e.g.
T
Mount Qomolangma lies on the border between China
and Nepal.
珠穆朗玛峰位于中国和尼泊尔的边界。
PREV.
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Language Points
How about…?
1. used to ask a question that directs attention to another
person or thing ……怎么样？（用于讲另一个人
或事物时）
e.g.
I’m feeling hungry. How about you?
T
我感到饿了，你怎么样？
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2. used to make a suggestion ……如何？（用于提出建议）
e.g.
How about some noodles for lunch?
T
中午吃些面条如何？
How about going to the beach this afternoon?
T
今天下午去海滩如何？
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at least: not less than; if nothing else is true; at any rate
至少；反正；无论如何
e.g.
T
At least seven students were injured in the accident.
事故中至少有7个学生受伤。
T
I don’t know where he is, but at least I know he is still alive.
我不知道他在哪里，但是至少我知道他还活着。
At least you should listen to his explanation.
T
你至少应该听听他的解释。
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dough //: n. flour mixed with water ready for
baking 生面团
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hiccough //: n.（也可拼作hiccup）打嗝儿，
打嗝声
e.g.
Don’t drink so fast — you’ll get hiccups.
T
别喝得那么快——你会打嗝的。
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thorough//: a. complete in every way 彻底的
e.g.
The police have made a thorough search of the area.
T
警察彻底搜查了这一区域。
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plough //: n. a farming tool with a heavy
cutting blade which is used to break up and
turn over the earth, esp. before seeds are
planted 犁
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6) Why does the writer say that words such as “eggplant”,
“grapefruit”, etc. make no sense at all?
Because some parts of these words have nothing to do
with the things that the words refer to.
7) What does the writer think of the difference between
British English and American English?
The writer thinks that they are very different. American
English is said to be a different language from British
English.
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UNIT 1
8) Who is the next to last paragraph spoken to and
where is it spoken?
This paragraph is spoken to a student who has learnt
British English and has just arrived in New York City in
the United States.
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UNIT 1
Chinese Version
还有一些完全没有道理的词，如：
1. “corned beef”（咸牛肉）中的“corn”（ “玉米”） 在
哪里?
2. “eggplant”（“茄子”）中的“egg” （“蛋”） 在哪
里?
3. 为什么“grapefruit”(“柚子”)不是“fruit from the
grape”(“葡萄的果实”)?
4. 为什么“boxing ring”(“拳击台”)是“square”(“方
的”)?
5. 某人怎么会“beside himself”（“神志失常”）?
一旦你学到了英语的基础的东西，你可能认为英语就是这
样了，但是大多数美国人讲的又是另一种语言。
下面是一个外国交换留学生抵达他将住宿的家时的一个小
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sense / /: n. good practical understanding and judgment;
feeling; meaning 见识，判断力；感觉；意义
e.g.
My grandmother’s good sense comes from years of
experience.
T
我祖母的正确判断力来自于多年的经验。
I like Pam — she has a sense of humour.
T
我喜欢帕姆——她有幽默感。
He did his work out of a sense of duty.
T
他出于责任感而工作。
This noun usually has two senses.
T
这个名词通常有两个意思。
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Language Points
make sense: have an understandable meaning 有意义；
有道理；讲得通
e.g.
This word doesn’t make sense in this sentence.
T
句子中的这个词讲不通。
It made sense for Sam to live near the college.
T
萨姆住在学校附近是有道理的。
There are parts of the plan that simply don’t make
sense.
T
这个计划的有些部分简直毫无意义。
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Language Points
beside oneself: having lost one’s self-control because of the
intensity of the emotion one is feeling（因过于激动）
失去自制力；神志失常；发狂
e.g.
When he heard the good news, he was beside himself
with happiness.
T
当他听到这个好消息时，他欣喜若狂。
When Tom lost his job, he was beside himself with anger.
T
汤姆丢了工作，愤怒得难以自持。
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basics: 英语中basics一般以复数形式作为名词用，意思
为“基础、要素”。
e.g.
I still haven’t mastered the basics of English grammar.
T
我还没有掌握英语语法的基础。
You have to understand the basics before you can do
more advanced work.
T
你必须懂得基础知识然后才能做进一步的工作。
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Language Points
That’s all there is to it: 就是这样，就是这么一回事
e.g.
When a person dies, he loses everything. That’s all
there is to it.
T
当一个人死去时，他就丧失了一切。就那么回事。
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Language Points
foreign exchange student: 外国交换留学生。通常
指根据不同国家间的交流项目而到国外学
习的学生。
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Language Points
imagine //: vt. form a mental picture of
(sth.) 想象，设想
e.g.
The lake is much more beautiful than I had imagined.
T
T
这个湖比我想象的要漂亮得多。
Try to imagine a room as big as a football field.
试想一下一个跟足球场一般大小的房间。
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confusion //: n. bewilderment or
embarrassment 困惑；窘迫
e.g.
There is a lot of confusion among parents about their
children’s education.
T
家长们对自己孩子的教育有着许多困惑。
To avoid confusion, we explained the main points again.
T
为了避免混淆，我们把要点又解释了一遍。
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Language Points
corn // n. （作蔬菜食用的）鲜嫩玉米；［美］
玉米；［英］谷物
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Language Points
beef //: n. the meat of farm cattle 牛
肉
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Language Points
eggplant // n.
茄子
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Language Points
grapefruit //
n. 葡萄柚
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Language Points
grape //: n. 葡萄
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9) What is the confusion that the foreign exchange student
may have when he hears the words upon his arrival at
his new home in New York City?
He is confused by the way his American friend talks to
him. He is having a difficult time understanding the
idioms and colloquial expressions used by a native
speaker of American English.
10) Can you identify the idioms used in the last but one
paragraph? Put them in the blanks below and figure
out their meanings.
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Idiom or Expression
Meaning
like a fish out of water
(feeling) awkward or
uncomfortable, because one is in
strange, unsuitable surroundings
on pins and needles
worried; nervous
get/have cold feet
become or be afraid or reluctant
to do sth.
have (got) ants in one’s
pants
be very restless or excited
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Idiom or Expression
Meaning
break the ice
do or say sth. to remove or reduce
awkwardness or tension, esp. at a
first meeting or at the start of a
party, etc.
clean as a whistle
very tidy or clean
dawn on sb.
become clear to sb.
catch/get one’s second feel strong again after getting very
wind
tired
PREV.
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Chinese Version
“欢迎来到大苹果城。希望你在这里不会如鱼离水感
到不自在。我们一直在急切地盼着你来。我们以为你也
许会感到胆怯或什么的。哦,别介意我的小弟弟贾森；他
今天只是有点坐立不安。妈妈本来会打发他出去玩的，
但又认为他能够帮助打破冷场。他有时候会非常有趣。
这是你的房间；它干干净净，一尘不染。我本来为咱们
今天作了许多安排，但后来我突然想到，你可能需要一
些时间来恢复精力。”
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Language Points
the Big Apple: 大苹果城（美国纽约市的绰号）
Big Apple的起源请参见Background Information。
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Language Points
like a fish out of water: (feeling) awkward or uncomfortable,
because one is in strange, unsuitable surroundings
如鱼离水；感到生疏（或不自在）
e.g.
My little brother felt like a fish out of water in his new
school.
T
我的小弟弟在新学校感到不自在。
T
I always feel like a fish out of water among these high
society people.
我在上流社会人群中总是感到不自在。
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Language Points
on pins and needles: worried; nervous 如坐针毡的；坐立不
安的；急得要死的
e.g.
T
I was on pins and needles until I found out I’d won.
在我弄清楚自己赢了之前，我一直如坐针毡。
We’re on pins and needles waiting to hear whether
she got the job.
T
我们一直坐立不安地等着听她是否得到那份工作的消息。
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Language Points
or something: or a thing like that 诸如此类的什么
e.g
.
T
Did she have an accident or something on her way back
home yesterday?
昨天她回家时是否遇上车祸或此类似的事了？
Maybe we can go to the movies or something.
T
也许我们可以去看电影或做一些类似的事情。
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have (got) ants in one’s pants: be very restless or excited
坐立不安，非常激动
e.g.
She’s got ants in her pants because she’s going to a
party tonight.
T
她今晚将去参加一个晚会，所以一直非常激动。
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Language Points
would have sent him out to play: 本来会打发他出去玩的。
句中would have sent是虚拟语气，表示跟事实相反的含义。
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figure / /: vt. think (sth.); calculate 认为，想；估
计
e.g.
From the way he talked, I figured that he was drunk.
T
从他讲话的样子看，我想他是喝醉了。
I need some time to figure my expenses in the coming
week.
T
我需要一些时间估计一下下周的花费。
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break the ice: do or say sth. to remove or reduce
awkwardness or tension, esp. at a first meeting or
at the start of a party, etc.（为难办的事）开个头；
打破沉默，使气氛活跃
e.g
Let’s break the ice by having everyone give their names.
.
T
让我们以自报姓名开始吧。
Sam’s arrival broke the ice and people began to talk and
laugh.
T
萨姆的到来使得气氛活跃起来，人们开始交谈、欢笑了。
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clean as a whistle: very tidy or clean 干干净净；洁白无瑕
e.g.
I want you to get those plates as clean as a whistle.
T
我要你把那些盘子彻底洗干净。
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dawn //: 1. vi. begin to grow light; gradually become
clear (to sb. s mind); become evident (to sb.) 破晓；
被理解；被想到
e.g.
The morning dawned clear and sunny.
T
破晓时天空如洗、阳光明媚。
Gradually the truth about him dawned.
T
他的真相渐渐地清楚了。
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2. n. time of day when light first appears; daybreak 黎明；拂晓
e.g.
We got up at dawn and started our 15 day journey.
T
我们黎明即起，开始了我们15天的旅程。
They seem to work from dawn till dusk.
T
他们好像从黎明一直工作到黄昏。
PREV.
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dawn on sb.: become clear to sb. 某人突然明白，某人恍然大悟
e.g.
It dawned on the poor woman that she had made a
terrible mistake.
T
那可怜的女人突然明白她犯了一个可怕的错误。
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catch/get one’s second wind: feel strong again after getting
very tired 恢复精力，恢复元气
e.g.
I was feeling tired, but I got my second wind after lunch.
T
我感到累了，但是午饭后我又恢复了精力。
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Chinese Version
你是否仍然认为英语没什么奥秘？英语之奥秘就在于
任何人都能学会这种语言！你能想出多少此类“单词之谜”
呢？
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11) What is the biggest mystery the writer has found about
the English language?
The biggest mystery is that anyone can learn it.
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at all: 完全，根本（常用于否定句中）
e.g.
I don’t know him at all.
T
我根本就不认识他。
She cannot see or hear anything at all.
T
她根本就看不见也听不见。
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Language Points
think of: produce or put forward (an idea, etc.) 想出，想到
e.g.
Can you think of a good place for the holidays?
T
你能想出一个度假的好地方吗?
I can’t think of any reason why he would do that.
T
我想不出任何他会干那事的理由。
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UNIT 1
Exercises
Answer the following questions.
1. How many groups of interesting English words has the
writer talked about in the text? 1. How many groups of
interesting English words has the writer talked about in the
text?
2. What kind of words are those that are talked about in the
first group?
3. What is the main difference in the pronunciation of the
words given in the second group?
4. Can you give some words that are spelled the same and
pronounced the same but have different meanings? Give
at least two pairs of such words.
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5. How many ways are there to pronounce “ough” in
English? What are they?
6. Why does the writer say that words such as “eggplant,”
“grapefruit,” etc. make no sense at all?
7. What does the writer think of the difference between
British English and American English?
8. Who is the next to last paragraph spoken to and where
is it spoken?
9. What is the confusion that the foreign exchange student
may have when he hears the words upon his arrival at
his new home in New York City?
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10. Can you identify the idioms used in the last but one
paragraph? Put them in the blanks below and figure
out their meanings.
11. What is the biggest mystery the writer has found about
the English language?
PREV.
NEXT
UNIT 1
Fill in the following blanks with the words or expressions
given below. Change the form where necessary.
board estimate
figure
imagine meaning mysterious
mystery present (v.) pronounce stare
weigh
object
________ of
1. How life began on Earth is one of the great mysteries
science.
2. Many Westerners think that Chinese is a mysterious
_________
language that they can never understand.
3. The word “spring” has several different meanings
_________ and so
does the word “ring.”
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board estimate
figure
imagine meaning mysterious
mystery present (v.) pronounce stare
weigh
object
4. Billy stared
______ at me in silence for nearly twenty seconds and
then left without saying a word.
5. Can you estimate
_______ how many more days you will need to
finish the book that you are writing?
6. I could not believe my eyes. She was far more beautiful
________ .
than I had imagined
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board estimate
figure
imagine meaning mysterious
mystery present (v.) pronounce stare
weigh
object
______ he could learn English well in six
7. Ricardo always figured
months, but he never really began his learning.
8. Jane had to say goodbye to her friends when it was time to
board the train.
_____
_________ the word
9. Some students find it difficult to pronounce
“thorough.”
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board estimate
figure
imagine meaning mysterious
mystery present (v.) pronounce stare
weigh
object
10. Margaret was a very good basketball player. She stood
_______ 72 kilograms.
1.86 meters tall and weighed
11. One of the girl students presented
________ a bunch of flowers to
the professor who had just given a lecture on the
mysteries of the English language.
_____ in the sky!
12. Look, there is a strange object
PREV.
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UNIT 1
Fill in the blanks with the expressions given below.
Change the form where necessary.
at least
beside oneself
dawn on sb. get sth. right
make sense
object to
take a look
think of
1. Take
__________
a look at the photo and see if you recognize
anyone in it.
2. These questions are too difficult. We’ve got to find some
get right
easier ones that most kids can _______.
3. Prof. Smith used to think that this English expression is
objected to its use.
ungrammatical and _________
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at least
beside oneself
dawn on sb. get sth. right
make sense
object to
take a look
think of
4. To work as a translator, you need to know ______
at least two
languages well.
5. It _____________
makes no sense to invest more money in a project that
will never succeed.
6. When he learned that his book would be published soon,
he was ____________
beside himself with joy for days.
PREV.
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at least
beside oneself
dawn on sb. get sth. right
make sense
object to
take a look
think of
7. Only after he woke up the next morning and found that
dawn on Old John
his money was gone did it begin to _______
who the two mysterious women were.
8. They’re trying hard to ______
think of an appealing （吸引人的）
title for their new film.
PREV.
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Text C
CH
5 Ways to Enlarge Your Vocabulary
Ginger Rue
1 Want increase your vocabulary? Here are five tried-and-true
methods.
1. Pay attention to context (上下文).
2 When you come across an unfamiliar word, try to figure out
its meaning by using hints (暗示) from other words or visuals
(画面). For example, when an ad for a food processor (加工器)
promises that it will help you prepare “a sumptuous family
breakfast, including eggs, fruit, pastries (各式糕点), and more,”
you can infer (推断) that sumptuous means “lavish” (丰盛的) or
“magnificent” (极好的). The words, along with the photo that
may accompany the ad, can help you guess the meaning.
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Text C
增加词汇量的5种方法
金格·鲁
想增加你的词汇量吗? 以下是五种经试验证明切实可行
的方法。
1. 注意上下文。
当你碰到一个不熟悉的词时, 试着利用其他词或画面提
供的线索来确定它的意思。例如, 当一种食品加工器的广告
允诺帮你准备 “一份奢侈的家庭早餐, 包括蛋、水果、糕饼
及其他食品”时，你可以推断出“奢侈的”意为 “丰盛的”
或 “极好的” 。这些词和可能伴随着广告的照片能够帮你
猜测出词义。
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Text C
CH
2. Learn a new word daily.
3 Each day, pick a word from the dictionary and try to
use it as often as possible. Realize you’ve forgotten your
best friend’s birthday? Just exclaim (大声说出), “How
gauche (笨拙) of me!” You’ll make much more of an
impression (印象) than if you just say “thoughtless” (粗心
的).
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Text C
2. 每天学一个新词。
每天从词典上摘出一个词并尽可能地多用。意识到自
己忘了最好朋友的生日吗? 尽管大叫：“ 我何其笨拙!”
那比仅仅说“粗心”更能给人留下深刻的印象。
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Text C
CH
3. Associate (把…跟…联系起来) new words with
people or places.
4
One way to learn something new is to associate
something you don’t know with something you do. Let’s
say you learn that urbane (温文尔雅的) means “elegant”
(高雅的) or “refined” (有教养的). Associate that new word
with someone who is like that — perhaps your English
teacher. Then, whenever you read “urbane” again, your
teacher’s face will pop (突然出现) into your head, and
you’ll remember the word’s meaning.
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Text C
3. 将生词与人或地方联系起来。
学习新事物的方法之一是将你不知道的事物和你所知
道的事物联系起来。假定你学到温文尔雅意为“高雅的”
或“有教养的”。将这个新词与这样的某个人——也许就
是你的英语老师——联系起来。这样，无论何时你再读到
“温文尔雅”，你老师的面容就会突然出现在你的脑海里，
你也就记住了这个词的意思。
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Text C
CH
4. Listen to good vocabulary sources.
5 Hearing words used correctly will help you learn their
denotations (本义) (dictionary definitions (定义)) and
connotations (转意) (implied meanings). Keep your ears
open — especially to respectable sources. Listen to
National Public Radio occasionally instead of pop music
(流行音乐) stations. Watch TV shows that feature (由…担纲)
articulate (口才好的) people discussing current events (时事)
or comedies (喜剧) that use clever wordplay (俏皮话). Learn
new words as you enjoy leisure (闲暇的) activities.
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Text C
4. 听良好的词汇来源。
听别人正确地用词可以帮助你学到这些词的本义（词
典定义）和转意（隐含词义）。竖起耳朵仔细听——特别
要听名声好的来源。偶尔也听听国家公共广播电台，而不
要总是听流行音乐台。看看由口齿清楚的人们担纲的时事
讨论节目，或对话巧妙的喜剧。在享受闲暇活动的同时学
习新词。
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Text C
CH
5. Become an active reader.
6 Well written magazines such as Time （《时代》）
or The Smithsonian （《史密森》杂志） can provide
painless (无痛的) vocabulary lessons as you wait in the
dentist’s (牙医的) office.
7 Outstanding fiction (小说) and nonfiction (非小说) are
as close as your local library. As you read, notice the
words that authors use: When you come upon one you
don’t know and can’t figure out from context, look it up.
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Text C
5. 做一名积极的读者。
当你在牙医诊所候诊时，像《时代》或《史密森》等
文笔好的杂志可以提供轻松的词汇课程。
杰出的小说和非小说类的书到你当地的图书馆就可以
借到。在你阅读时，要注意作者的用词：当你碰到不认识
的词并且无法从上下文理解词义时，就查一下词典。
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CH
Text C
8 It’s fun to make note of an author’s “favorite” words.
For example, you’ll come across furtive (偷偷摸摸的) at
least a dozen times in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of
Tom Sawyer (《汤姆·索亚历险记》). Do you know what it
means?
9 To monitor (检测) your progress, keep a notebook of
new words you acquire (学到). By the end of the year,
you’ll be surprised at how many words you’ve learned.
Review the list regularly to refresh your memory (加深记
忆), put a star by favorite words, and use them often!
(415 words)
PREV.
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Text C
注意作家“最喜欢的”用词是件趣事。例如，在马
克·吐温的《汤姆·索亚历险记》中，你至少会12次碰到
“偷偷摸摸”这个词。你知道它的意思吗？
为了检测进步,你可将所学的生词记在笔记本上。年
终时，你会惊讶地发现自己已经学了很多词。经常复习词
表以加深记忆，在最喜欢的词旁边打个星号，并且经常使
用它们！
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Comprehension of the Text
Choose the best answer for each of the following
multiple choice questions.
1. While reading, it is possible to know the meaning of a
word __________.
KEY
A) from its context
B) by studying some advertisements
C) from notes given by the writer
D) by talking to someone at breakfast
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2. According to the writer, by using a word that is less
commonly used, one can ____________.
KEY
A) befriend other people more easily
B) show how learned and knowledgeable one is
C) make a deep impression on other people
D) remember that word forever
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3. By associating new words with people or places, the
writer believes that _________________.
KEY
A) one can remember those people or places
B) one can get those people’s support and friendship
C) one can remember the meaning of those words
D) one can learn to be more elegant or refined
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4. People can increase the size of their vocabulary not only
from written sources, but also from ________________.
KEY
A) spoken sources
B) talking to articulate people only
C) current events
D) taking part in as many leisure activities as possible
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5. The writer mentions Time and The Smithsonian when he
tells the reader to be an active reader because he thinks
that these magazines ____________.
KEY
A) can be found in all local libraries
B) are most suitable to be read in the dentist’s office
C) should be read by well educated people only
D) can help people increase their vocabulary in a
leisurely way
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6. What should the reader do if he or she cannot figure
out the meaning of a word in a book?
KEY
A) Write to the writer for help.
B) Ask his or her English teacher for help.
C) Go to the local library.
D) Look it up in a dictionary.
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7. To keep a notebook of new words will help you
_____________.
KEY
A) have fun during the learning process
B) know how often a famous writer uses a certain word
C) see your progress at vocabulary learning
D) notice the mistakes that you may have made
PREV.
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UNIT 1
Basic Reading Skills
Guessing the Meaning of Unknown Words in Context (1)
阅读中我们不可避免会遇到一些生词,如果我们能掌握一些根
据上下文猜测词义的技能，无疑会有助于提高我们的阅读速度。
例如，假定你不认识下面句子中knack这个词，也可以猜测它的
含义：
Some people seem to have a knack for learning languages.
They can pick up new vocabulary, master rules of grammar, and
learn to write in the new language more quickly than others.
(Text C, Unit 8, Book 1)
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从这个词的上下文，即：有些人似乎具有一种学习语言的
knack，他们能比别人（没有这种学习语言的knack的人）更快地
学会新的词汇、掌握语法规则、学会用新学的语言写作，我们就
可以猜到knack的大致意思：knack = natural skill or ability。
再如,假定你不认识下面句子中flight attendant：“Is this
plane going to Oakland?” he asked the flight attendant. The
flight attendant gasped. “No,” she said. “We’re going to
Auckland — Auckland, New Zealand.” (Text A, Unit 1, Book 2)
从这个词语的上下文，我们可以猜测到它的大致意义：
someone who serves food and drinks to passengers on a plane,
and looks after their comfort and safety。
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Choose the right answer by guessing the meaning of
each of the underlined words.
1. Years ago I arrived one day at Salamanca — a railway
station near New York. I was to take the sleeper train
there. There were crowds of people on the platform and
they were all swarming into the long sleeper train and
packing it full.
KEY
A) （火车站的）大门
B) （火车站的）月台
C) 讲台
D) 论坛
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2. I asked the man in the ticket office if I could have two
tickets, but he answered sharply “No!” and shut the
window in my face. This was a terrible blow to my
dignity;…
KEY
A) 谦虚
B) 荣誉
C) 自尊心
D) 名声
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3. We have nothing left but the big family compartment (卧
车包房), with two berths and a couple of armchairs in it,
but it is entirely at your disposal.
KEY
A) 铺位
B) 窗户
C) 茶杯
D) 泊位
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4. For a moment, I even thought that this was some sort of
test, and that this woman was someone from the head
office, testing my loyalty. I responded dutifully….
KEY
A) 大方
B) 同情心
C) 能力
D) 忠诚
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5. You’re a pretty smart fellow and you’re aggressive. I
admire that. You have a captive audience in your cab,
and you take advantage of it. It takes chutzpah to do
what you do.
KEY
A) 谦虚
B) 牺牲
C) 厚脸皮
D) 诚实
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Time for Fun
Martin Ruther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream
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Martin Ruther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in
history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the
history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose
symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the
Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree
came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro
slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering
injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long
night of their captivity.
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But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free.
One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still
sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the
chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the
Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a
vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years
later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of
American society and finds himself an exile in his own
land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a
shameful condition.
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In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a
check. When the architects of our republic wrote the
magnificent words of the Constitution and the
Declaration of Independence, they were signing a
promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as
well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable
Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It
is obvious today that America has defaulted on this
promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are
concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation,
America has given the Negro people a bad check, a
check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
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But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is
bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are
insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of
this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a
check that will give us upon demand the riches of
freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind
America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time
to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the
tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to
make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time
to rise from the dark and desolate valley of
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segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is
the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial
injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the
time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency
of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's
legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an
invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen
sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those
who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and
will now be content will have a rude awakening if the
nation returns to business as usual. And there will be
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neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro
is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of
revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our
nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who
stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace
of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we
must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to
satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of
bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our
struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We
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must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into
physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the
majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the
Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all
white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced
by their presence here today, have come to realize that
their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have
come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to
our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
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And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall
always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights,
"When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as
long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors
of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as
our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain
lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the
cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in
Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes
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he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not
satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls
down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty
stream."¹
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out
of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come
fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come
from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you
battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by
the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans
of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that
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unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi,
go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back
to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums
and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that
somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you
today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and
tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply
rooted in the American dream.
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I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and
live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these
truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia,
the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave
owners will be able to sit down together at the table of
brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi,
a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering
with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an
oasis of freedom and justice.
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I have a dream that my four little children will one day
live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color
of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its
vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping
with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black
girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and
white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
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I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted,
and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough
places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be
made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed
and all flesh shall see it together."²
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the
South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain
of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able
to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a
beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we
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will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle
together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom
together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of
God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become
true.
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And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of
New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of
Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of
California.
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But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of
Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring,
when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet,
from every state and every city, we will be able to speed
up that day when all of God's children, black men and
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white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics,
will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old
Negro spiritual:
Free at last! free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!³
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