21st Century College English: Book 3
Unit 5: Text A
The ABCs
of the USA
Unit 5: Text A
• Lead-in Activities
• Text Organization
• Writing and Reading Skills
• Language Points
• Guided Practice
• Assignment
The ABCs of the USA
Lead-in Activities
Warm-up Questions
1. Nowadays many people are surging into America,
how will you comment on this?
2. How do you know about America? What do think of
this country?
3. If you were given the chance to choose a foreign
country to live, will you choose America? Why or why
not?
Text Organization
The ABC of the U.S.A: America, Seen with European Eyes
I.
Bring about the main focus of the text and make
clear that the author comes form Britain while
his wife is all-American.
Paras. 1-2
II.
Explanation of America. (In an A-to-Z list to
identify differences between America and other
countries.)
Paras. 3-28
Writing and Reading Skills
1) The main writing skill in this text is LISTING. There are
many different way of using listing. The author prefers
an A-to-Z explanation arranged according to the
sequence of alphabetical order. It is equally effective to
use numerical order or apply phrases such as “ one of
the features” and “another feature”.
2) Identifying the writer’s purpose in reading materials:
Some of the clues that you can watch for to help you
identify what kind of writing you’re dealing with include:
Writing and Reading Skills
a) Informational wring features facts, observations and
evidence, not opinions or value judgments. The writer may
present theories to explain the facts, but the aim is not so
much to change the reader’s opinion as it is to clarify a
question or situation.
b) Persuasive writing features emotional appeals:
opinions and arguments, rhetorical questions, evaluating
language and/or judgmental language.
c) Texts written mainly to entertain can, of course, be very
varied — but they often use rather informal language,
simple sentence structure, dialogs, puns and or figures of
speech.
Language Points
Text A:
The ABCs of the USA
American Seen with European Eyes
By Michael Dobbs
Language Points
The ABCs of the USA
American Seen with European Eyes
By Michael Dobbs
1
America can be a strange experience for a foreigner. My wife
and I arrived in the United States in January after seven years
overseas — four in France, three in Poland. From the jumble of first
impressions, we compiled an A-to-Z explanation of why America
can be such a foreign country to those who arrive here from Europe.
Language Points
2
I should explain at the outset that I am from Britain, but my
Florida-born wife Lisa is as American as apple pie. In our list,
however, A doesn't stand for apple pie. It stands for:
3
Ambition. In the Old World, people are taught to hide it. Here it‘’s
quite proper to announce that you’re after the boss’s job or want to
make a million dollars by the age of 30.
4
Breakfast. The American habit of conducting business at
breakfast has reached Europe, but I doubt it will ever really catch on.
In France and Britain, breakfast is a family affair. Here, it’s become
part of the power game.
Language Points
5
Credit Cards. You really can’t leave home without them. It’s
interesting, and somewhat frustrating, to discover that bad credit is
better than no credit at all: I was refused a VISA card on the grounds
that I didn't have a credit profile.
6
Dreams. The American Dream is still very much alive. Dreaming
great dreams is what keeps American society going — from the
waitress who wants to become a car dealer to the street kid who wants
to become a basketball star. Europeans dream dreams too, but don't
seem to believe in them so much.
Language Points
7
Exercise. A couple of years ago I came to Washington with some
French journalists. As our bus passed a health club on the way to the
hotel, the French visitors cheered at the sight of body-conscious
Americans bending, stretching and leaping around. America's
obsession with physical fitness really amuses — and puzzles —
Europeans.
8
First names. In Europe, people progress in a natural and orderly
way from the use of last names to the use of first names. Here, it’s first
names at first sight. This can cause confusion for Europeans. With
everyone on a first-name basis, how can you tell your acquaintances
from your friends?
Language Points
9 Gadgets. These can be addictive. It’s difficult to imagine now how
we survived for so long without automatic ice machines and
microwave ovens.
10 Hardware Stores. If I were in charge of arranging the programs of
visiting delegations from less-developed countries, I’d include a
compulsory visit to a hardware store. These temples of American
capitalism reveal a whole range of American values, from the do-ityourself pioneer spirit through a love of comfort that absolutely
astonishes most foreigners.
Language Points
11 Insurance. Americans have policies to cover every possible risk,
no matter how remote. So far, we’ve refused supplementary
insurance for our car radio, death insurance for our mortgage and
accident insurance for our cat. It gives us a feeling of living
dangerously.
12 Junk food. Anyone who wants to understand why Americans
suffer from higher rates of cancer and heart disease only has to
look at what they eat.
13 Ketchup. I had to come to America to discover that it can be eaten
with anything — from French fries to French cheese.
Language Points
14 Lines. American lines — beginning with the yellow line at
immigration control — are the most orderly in the world. The British
queue, once internationally renowned, has begun to decay in recent
years. The French queue was never very impressive, and the Italian
line is simply a mob.
15 Money. In Europe, everybody likes money, but no one shows it off.
Unless it’s been in the family for several generations, there’s often an
assumption that it was acquired dishonestly. In America, no one cares
how you got it.
Language Points
16 No smoking. No longer just a polite request in America, this
phrase has become the law. Nobody would dare ask a Frenchman to
put out his Galoise in a restaurant.
17 Oliver North. What other major Western democracy lets army
officers take over foreign policy? A hero for some, a traitor for others,
Ollie (see First Names) is an example of an American recklessness
that awes and alarms Europeans.
18 Patriots. They exist everywhere, of course, but the American
version is louder and more self-conscious than the European. In
Britain, it's taken for granted that politicians love their country. Here,
they're expected to prove it.
Language Points
19 Quiet. American cities are quieter than European cities — thanks
to noise controls on automobiles and to recent environmental
legislation. This was a major surprise for someone brought up to
assume that America was a noisy place.
20 Religion. The idea of putting preachers on TV is alarming to
Europeans. It’s even more alarming to see them in action.
21 Sales. Ever since arriving in Washington, we’ve been hurrying to
take advantage of this week’s unrepeatable offer, only to discover that
it’s usually repeated next week. We’re just catching on that there’s
always an excuse for a sale.
Language Points
22 Television. That grown-ups can watch game shows and sitcoms
at 11 AM amazes me — but the national habit, day or night, is
contagious. I recently found myself nodding in agreement with a
professor who was saying that American kids watch too much
television. Then I realized that I was watching him say this on
television.
23 Ulcers. See Work.
Language Points
24 Visas. Americans don’t need visas to visit Britain (or most
European countries, for that matter). To enter the United States, I had
to sign a document promising that I would not overthrow the
government by force and had no criminal record. One wonders if
many terrorists and criminals answer “yes” on these questionnaires.
25 Work. People in less developed countries often imagine that they
can become rich simply by emigrating to America. But America
became a wealthy society through work, work and more work. It’s still
true.
Language Points
26 X-rated movies. We have them in Europe too, but not on motelroom TVs.
27 Yuppies. The European counterpart remains a pale shadow of the
all-American original. The animal seems more ambitious, and more
common, on this side of the Atlantic.
28 Zillion. What other nation would invent a number that’s infinitely
more than a billion? America may not always be the best, but it
certainly thinks big.
jumble
— n. a confused or untidy group of things
e.g.
• the jumble which covers the surface of the desk
• He found an untidy jumble of things in the drawer.
at the outset
— at the beginning
e.g.
• You should explain this to him at the outset.
• At the outset of his career, he didn't earn very much
money.
as American as apple pie
— typically American
Since apple pie is a common dessert in the U.S.A, this
comparison emphasizes that Lisa, the writer's wife, is a
typical American.
stand for
— represent; mean
e.g.
• The olive branch stands for peace.
• The abbreviation NSPCC stands for National Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
ambition
— n. strong desire for success, power, money, etc.
Ambition also means the desire eventually to become or
e.g.
do something special.
Examples:
• That politician is full of ambition.
• Too
muchambition
ambitionwas
caused
to act selfishly.
Her
lifelong
to beJohn
a teacher.
He has always had an ambition to go to New York.
after
— prep. in search of; with a desire for
e.g.
• I'm after a tie to go with this shirt.
• I'm sure she's after my husband.
catch on
— 1. become popular 流行起来
2. understand 懂得, 理解
Translation:
e.g.
那首新歌很快流行了起来.
• Will helicopters ever catch on as a common mode of
transport?
Key:
•• The
thingcaught
about on
this
new worker is that he
That best
new song
quickly.
catches on very fast.
• The second time the teacher explained the problem,
the boy caught on.
catch on
— 1. become popular 流行起来
2. understand 懂得, 理解
Translation:
那首新歌很快流行了起来.
Key:
• That new song caught on quickly.
Here, it's become part of the power game.
power game
— a situation in which different people or groups are
competing for power
Paraphrase
?
Key
• Here in America, breakfast has become one of the
activities in the competition for power.
I was refused a VISA card on the grounds that I didn't
have a credit profile.
VISA 威世信用卡（美国的一种购物信用卡）
Visa International is a credit card and payment system
company based in Foster City, near San Francisco,
California, U.S.A. Visa is the world's largest consumer
payment company, with more than 500 million cards
issued and more than half of the world's market in
transactions. Visa is collectively owned by more than
20,000 member financial institutions around the world.
These institutions issue Visa cards, and each establishes
the terms that it will offer to consumers, such as rates
and fees.
More to learn
I was refused a VISA card on the grounds that I didn't
have a credit profile.
credit profile
— a short description of a person's reputation in
money matters
More to learn
I was refused a VISA card on the grounds that I didn't
have a credit profile.
on the grounds that
— because 根据, 以…为理由
e.g.
Paraphrase
• ?
His request was disallowed on the grounds that he
was not a full member of the club.
Key
I failed
get a VISA
card because
I didn't have
•• He
was to
always
declining
their invitations
on the
anything
written form to prove my credit.
grounds
ofin
illthe
health.
dealer
— n. a person whose business involves buying and selling
商人；证券经纪人
Compare: dealer and businessman
Examples:
a dealerdealer
and a businessman are people doing
•Both
a used-car
business, but a dealer is a trader who handles a certain
•type
a dealer
in antique（古董）furniture
of goods
and has a specialized knowledge of these
while
a businessman
is a person
not only
•goods,
He was
a successful
businessman
beforewho
becoming
a
works
in business, but also is the manager of a company.
writer.
the French visitors cheered at the sight of body-conscious
Americans bending, stretching and leaping around
at the sight of
— as soon as seeing (sth. or sb.) 一见之下; 立即
e.g.
• Jane fainted at the sight of blood.
• The child laughed at the sight of the clockwork toy.
More to learn
the French visitors cheered at the sight of body-conscious
Americans bending, stretching and leaping around
The combining form — conscious is used to combine with
words such as “safety”, “energy”, “weight”, “figure”,
“health”, etc. to form compounds which indicate that a
person thinks this particular aspect of a situation is
important, and is aware of or worried about it.
e.g.
• We have to be very safety-conscious with this sort of
machine.
• He is so weight-conscious — I've never seen anyone so
careful about what they eat.
obsession
— n. a fixed idea from which the mind cannot be freed
e.g.
• Taylor's fascination with bees developed into an
obsession.
• His obsession with motorbikes infuriates（激怒）his
wife.
In Europe, people progress in a natural and orderly way
from the use of last names to the use of first names. Here,
it's first names at first sight.
In
Europe, people use last names in talking to each other
Translation
when they
? first meet and don't yet know each other well,
and then, unconsciously and step by step, they begin to
Key:
use first names as they get to know each other better.
here in America, people use first names even when
•But在欧洲，人们从用姓到用名，有一个自然有序发展
they
meet for the first time.
的过程，在这儿,第一次见面就直呼其名。
addictive
— a. causing a person to be so used to sth. that the person
cannot stop using it
e.g.
•
Cocaine（可卡因）and nicotine（尼古丁）are addictive
substances.
•
The problem with PC games is that they are addictive.
be in charge of
— be responsible for
e.g.
•
Mr. Smith is in charge of this project.
•
Who will be in charge of the department when David
leaves?
do-it-yourself
— the activity of making or repairing things oneself,
instead of paying workmen
e.g.
• The popularity of do-it-yourself (DIY) has put a lot of
decorators out of business.
• A new DIY store has just opened.
Americans have policies to cover every possible risk, no
matter how remote.
policy
Translate into Chinese
— n. a document which shows the agreement one has
? an insurance company
made with
remote
Key
— a. (of a possibility, etc) very unlikely to happen;
美国人对每一种可能的风险都买保险，无论那种风险多
slight
么微小。
•
mortgage
— n. 抵押；抵押贷款
— vt. use (one's land or house) as a guarantee to the lending
institution in order to borrow money from it 抵押
e.g.
• We had a party when we made the last payment on
our home mortgage.
• I mortgaged the house so my children could go to
college.
the yellow line at immigration control
the line marked in yellow at international airports in
the U.S.A. for people to stand along and have their
passports checked by immigration officers
Note that the word line in the sentence is used in two
different meanings. Here it is a long, thin mark drawn
or painted on a surface, but in “American lines” it
means a queue, or a number of people standing one
behind another forming a continuous row.
More to learn
the yellow line at immigration control
e.g.
immigration
•— The
studied
of the
birds'
n. thebiologist
coming of
people the
into route
a country
in order
to
migration.
work
or settle there
migration,
emigration
and immigration
•Compare:
The researcher
examined
the effects
of migration on
refugees.refers to the movement of numbers of people
Migration
creatures
from (受迫害的
place to) family
place，emigration
means
•or The
persecuted
looked forward
to
leaving
one's country to live in another, while
emigration.
immigration is the process of coming into a new
•country
Theretoare
live.strict limits on immigration into the
country.
queue
— n. a line of people waiting (for a bus, to be served, to enter a
place, etc.)
— vi. form or join a line 排队(等候)
e.g.
• A queue of customers waited for the bank to open.
• The tourists queued up in front of the palace.
no one shows it off
show off
— try to impress people and make them admire your ability,
achievements, or possessions
show sth. off
— show sth. to a lot of people because you are very proud of
it
e.g.
• Pay no attention to Susan — she’s just showing off.
• Peter was keen to show off his new car.
assumption
— n. 1. sth. that is taken as true without proof 假定；臆断
2. the taking (of power or responsibility) 夺取；篡夺
e.g.
• People often make assumptions that turn out to be
false.
• My assumption was that you would remember the
appointment, so I didn't remind you.
• The rebel's sudden assumption of power shocked the
whole nation.
Oliver North
— 奥利弗·诺斯
Oliver North was former military aide to the US National Security
Council, whose name became a household word over the course
of the Iran-Contra Affair, American political scandal of 1985 and
1986, in which high-ranking members in the administration of
President Ronald Reagan arranged for the secret sales of arms to
Iran in direct violation of existing United States laws. The dual
goal was to better American relations with Iran and obtain release
of American hostages held in Lebanon by pro-Iranian terrorists.
Profits from the $30 million in arms sales went to the Nicaraguan
right wing “contra” guerrillas to supply arms. North was
instrumental in setting up a covered network for providing
support to the contras with ship, airplanes, airfield, and secret
bank accounts.
bring up
— nurture and educate (a child) 养育; 教育
e.g.
• When their parents died, an aunt brought them up.
• David was brought up to respect teachers.
see them in action
If you see someone or something in action, you see
them doing the job or activity that they are trained or
designed to do.
e.g.
• exciting photos of ski jumpers in action
• I’d like to see the new computer system in action.
Translate into Chinese
?
Key
•
看到他们真的上了电视
Ever since arriving in Washington, we’ve been hurrying to take
advantage of this week's unrepeatable offer, only to discover
that it's usually repeated next week
take advantage of
— make use of; profit from 利用
e.g.
• You should take advantage of the low prices and buy.
• The government's complicated tax rules take
advantage of the people who don't understand them.
More to learn
Ever since arriving in Washington, we’ve been hurrying to take
advantage of this week's unrepeatable offer, only to discover
that it's usually repeated next week
only to do sth.
— to do sth. as a disappointing or surprising result
e.g.
• Scott arrived at the South Pole only to find that
Amundsen had got there before him.
Key
Translate into Chinese
?
• 自从到达华盛顿以后，我们总是急匆匆地赶去享受本
周的一次性削价优惠，结果却发现下周又会出现这种
优惠。
More to do
only to do sth.
Rewrite each of the following sentences, using an “only + to
infinitive” clause. (Ex. X)
1. After driving all night we got to Amy's place, and
then we unexpectedly discovered that she was away
for the weekend.

We drove all night [to get] to Amy’s place, only to
discover that she was away for the weekend.
More to do
only to do sth.
Rewrite each of the following sentences, using an “only + to
infinitive” clause. (Ex. X)
2. He spent ages negotiating for a pay increase, and
then he unexpectedly resigned from his job soon after
he'd received it.

He spent ages negotiating for a pay increase, only
to resign from his job soon after he’d received it.
More to do
only to do sth.
Rewrite each of the following sentences, using an “only + to
infinitive” clause. (Ex. X)
3. He spent four years getting a degree, and then he was
surprised to learn that there were no jobs for
graduates.

He spent for years getting a degree, only to learn
that there were no jobs for graduates.
More to do
only to do sth.
Rewrite each of the following sentences, using an “only + to
infinitive” clause. (Ex. X)
4. I hurried to the shop, and then was surprised to find
it was closed.

I hurried to the shop only to find it was closed.
More to do
only to do sth.
Rewrite each of the following sentences, using an “only + to
infinitive” clause. (Ex. X)
5. Scott arrived at the South Pole on January 18th, and
then unexpectedly found that Amudsen had got there
before him.

Scott arrived at the South Pole on January 18th,
only to find that Amudsen had got there before
him.
More to do
only to do sth.
Rewrite each of the following sentences, using an “only + to
infinitive” clause. (Ex. X)
6. I raced home to tell my family the good news, and
then unexpectedly fell down the stairs and broke my
leg.

I raced home to tell my family the good news, only
to fall down the stairs and break my leg.
contagious
— a. 1. (of a feeling or attitude) spreading quickly from
person to person (情绪等)感染性的
2. (of a disease) that can spread from person to
person (疾病)传染的
e.g.
• Laughter is often contagious.
• The flu is a highly contagious disease.
in agreement with
— 同意，赞同
e.g.
• The business partners were never in agreement with
each other about marketing strategies.
• As to this matter, I'm in complete agreement with you.
for that matter
— (used to show that a statement is true in another
situation or that it can also refer to another person)
e.g.
• I'm going to bed early, and so for that matter should
you (= you should also).
• Don't talk like that to your mother — or to anyone else
for that matter (= nor to anyone else either).
by force
— by fierce or violent means 用武力或强迫手段
e.g.
• The soldiers took the castle by force.
• The police had to scatter the crowd by force.
X-rated movies
— movies having a rating of X, movies that are relating to
or characterized by explicit sexual material or activity,
produced for exhibition or viewing by adult audiences
Today the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rates films to
provide guidance to viewers about what kind of material the movie is
likely to contain. There are five ratings. “G” (General) indicates that the
film is suitable for all ages. “PG” (Parental Guidance) means that some
material may be inappropriate for children. “PG-13” means that some
material may be unsuitable for children under age 13. “R” (Restricted)
means that anyone under age 17 must be accompanied by a parent or
adult guardian. “NC-17” (No Children under 17) means that no one
under age 17 is admitted.
Yuppies
— n. 雅皮士 (Young Urban Professional的缩写， 即城
市 职业阶层中的年轻人士)
Yuppies usually have a derogative meaning of a young
middle-class professional person working in a city. It is
an acronym（首字母缩合词）and derivation（派生词）
of “young urban professionals”.
The European counterpart remains a pale shadow of
the all-American original.
be a (pale) shadow of
— be less powerful or influential or effective than
e.g.
• The new minister is a pale shadow of his predecessor.
• She used to be a great player, but now she's only a
shadow of her former self.
More to learn
The European counterpart remains a pale shadow of
the all-American original.
original
— a. a thing from which another is copied, imitated or
translated
e.g.
Paraprase
• The?original of this painting is in Rome.
• I shall keep the original of this report. You can have
Key
a photocopy if you want.
• The European yuppies are much less impressive than
the typical yuppies of America where they originated.
think big
— have ambitious ideas
e.g.
• He certainly thinks big, but rarely takes any action.
• Traditionally, one is expected to be modest rather than
think big.
Guided Practice
• Vocabulary
• Cloze
• Translation
• Structure Writing
The ABCs of the USA
Exercises • Vocabulary
《读写教程 III》: Ex. III, p. 139
Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the
form where necessary.
compile
ambition
orderly
confusion acquaintance supplement
renowned impressive assumption amuse
legislation
emigrate
1. Politicians are always promising to introduce __________
legislation to
raise salaries and lower taxes.
compiled from a wide
2. The new poetry collection was __________
variety of sources and includes poems from twelve countries
and seven centuries.
Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the
form where necessary.
compile
ambition
orderly
confusion acquaintance supplement
renowned impressive assumption amuse
legislation
emigrate
3. Every culture is full of beliefs and assumptions
__________ that most
people never question until they come into contact with
another culture.
4. Many people who __________
emigrate to America in hopes of
becoming rich are surprised at how hard they have to work.
Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the
form where necessary.
compile
ambition
orderly
confusion acquaintance supplement
renowned impressive assumption amuse
legislation
emigrate
acquaintances but very few close
5. He has a wide circle of ______________
friends.
6. She's a __________
ambition is
renowned tennis player, but her real __________
to become a writer.
Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the
form where necessary.
compile
ambition
orderly
confusion acquaintance supplement
renowned impressive assumption amuse
legislation
emigrate
7. To avoid __________,
confusion you'd better start by explaining the
whole idea from beginning to end in an __________
orderly way.
8. When you take a small child on a long trip, you need to
bring lots of books and toys to keep him or her __________.
amused
Vocabulary
III. Fill in the blanks with the words given below. Change the
form where necessary.
compile
ambition
orderly
confusion acquaintance supplement
renowned impressive assumption amuse
legislation
emigrate
impressive/amusing
9. Most visitors to Shanghai find it a very __________________
city.
supplement their income,
10. They teach at night school to __________
which otherwise wouldn't be sufficient to live on.
Cloze
《读写教程 III》: Ex. XI, p. 144
Cloze
Select the most appropriate word from the four choices given. The
choice “0” means that no additional word is appropriate.
One of the most striking things
about Americans is that they
seem to expect everyone to like
them
wherever
they
go.
Americans aren't of course the
only people in the world who
D
take __1__
that their cultural
standards
are
generally
admired—monoculturalism B is
typical __2__ every society in the
world. ABut it isn't __3__ that
Americans seem
1. A. advantage
B. granted
C. it as advantage
D. it for granted
2. A. for
B. of
C. to
D. 0
3. A. admiration
B. admiring
C. to be admired
D. you to admire
Cloze
to expect—they seem to expect
__4__.
This
phenomenon,
C
which the rest of the world
finds both amusing and D
5 ,
may be at least partly C
6 to
the American definition of
friendliness. To Americans,
friendliness means
B7
informal and cheerful and
open to other people, even
before you know them __8__
D to
be sure you like them. And it's
important to note that 9A real
friendship may certainly arise
4. A. being liked
B. to be alike
C. to be liked
D. you like
5. A. being frustrated
B. frustrate
C. frustrated
D. frustrating
6. A. because
B. being
C. having been D. to be
7. A. addiction
B. enthusiasm
C. enthusiast D. obsession
8. A. as well
B. enough well
C. enough D. well enough
9. A. although
B. as though
C. unless
D. until
Cloze
A
__10__
acting friendly in this
way, Americans do not mistake
D being friends. This can,
__11__
D when
of course, cause
12
Americans meet people from
more reserved cultures. But if
you consider __13__
D American
history, it's easier to see where
this pattern of behavior comes
from. In the pioneer days, if
you acted too reserved and
B
formal, no one __14__
any
reason to help you if you got in
10. A. from
B. in
C. of
D. 0
11. A. as
B. in
C. to
D. for
12. A. confuse
B. confused
C. confusing
D. confusion
13. A. about
B. at
C. of
D. 0
14. A. would give
B. would have
C. would have had
D. would’ve
Cloze
C
trouble (__15__
there was
plenty of in the pioneer days).
Having a wide circle of friendly
acquaintances was a key 16
survival, C so “friendliness”
became a glorified pattern of
behavior that every generation
of Americans is trained to
A
_17__ in a high degree. They're
so good at being friendly – and
it works at home – so
Americans' __18__ is that it
willBwork everywhere.
15. A. and
B. that
C. which
D. 0
16. A. for
B. of
C. to
D. 0
17. A. exhibit
B. document
C. profile
D. supplement
18. A. ambition
B. assumption
C. confusion
D. obsession
Translation — Chinese to English
Translation
 Ex. XII
 Ex. XIII
Translation — Chinese to English
《读写教程 III》: Ex. XII, p. 145
Translation — Chinese to English
America can be a strange experience for a foreigner. My
从杂乱的初步印象中
wife and I arrived in the United States in January after seven
我们编了一套从A到Z的解释
years
overseas — four in France, three in Poland. From the
jumble of first impressions, we compiled an A-to-Z explanation
of why America can be such a foreign country to those who
arrive here from Europe.
莉萨是个地道的美国人
I should explain at the outset that I am from Britain, but
my Florida-born wife Lisa is as American as apple pie. In our
list,在这儿，你宣称要谋取上司的职位或者想在30岁
however, A doesn’t stand for apple pie. It stands for:
前赚到一百万美元也十分正当。
Ambition. In the Old World, people are taught to hide it.
Here it’s quite proper to announce that you’re after the boss’s
job or want to make a million dollars by the age of 30.
Translation — Chinese to English
《读写教程 III》: Ex. XIII, p. 146
Translation — Chinese to English
1. 为了帮助外国投资者更好地了解上海，他们根据能找到的
各种资料来源汇编了这本上海指南。
get a better understanding of Shanghai
the various sources they could find
compile
To help foreign investors get a better understanding of Shanghai,
they’ve compiled this little guide from the various sources they
could find.
Translation — Chinese to English
2. 他是在计划实现之后才让大家知道的那种人。
He is the sort of person
keep his plans to himself until they’re realized
He is the sort of person who prefers to keep his plans to himself
until they’re realized.
Translation — Chinese to English
3. 我千里迢迢到纽约来看他，结果却发现他两天前出国了。
come to New York from far away
only to find
I came to New York from far away to see him, only to find he had
gone abroad two days before.
Translation — Chinese to English
4. 现在很难想象没有电、没有电视、没有电话，我们是如何
生存了如此之久的。
it is difficult to imagine
survive
It is difficult to imagine now how we’ve survived for so long without
electricity, television or telephone.
Translation — Chinese to English
5. 只要钱是老老实实赚来的，新政策鼓励人们变得富有。
encourage
acquired honestly
The new policy encourages people to become wealthy if the money
has been acquired honestly.
Translation — Chinese to English
6. 如果我负责这个项目，我会更好地利用现有的资金。
make better use of
be in charge of
the money that is available
If I were in charge of the project, I’d make better use of the money
that’s available.
Translation — Chinese to English
7. 他们拒绝给他进入这个国家的签证，理由是他是个危险分
子。
an entry permit
on the grounds that
He was refused an entry permit on the grounds that he was a
dangerous person.
Translation — Chinese to English
8. 老师没有多久就发现, 汤姆总有迟交作业的借口。
it didn’t take sb. long to catch on
an excuse for being late with the assignments
It didn’t take the teacher long to catch on that Tom always had an
excuse for being late with the assignments.
Structured Writing
Structured Writing
The main writing skill in text A is LISTING. The author prefers
an A-to-Z explanation arranged according to the sequence of
alphabetical order. It is equally effective to use numerical order
or apply phrases such as “one of the features” and “another
feature”, as in the following example.
Sample Essay
Write your own
Structured Writing
Sample Essay
Shanghai is famous as a paradise for shopping.
One of the features of Shanghai is the number of big stores. They
are spacious, with many high stories, in which you can buy almost
anything you want, from a box of matches to a suite of furniture. Most
of them are very modern, equipped with speedy elevators and
escalators, well-planned lighting, ventilation, and heating. You can
spend hours wandering around one of these stores, leisurely
inspecting the items for sale. If you stay in a store so long that you
feel hungry, you need not leave the building, for almost all the big
stores have cafes, snack bars or restaurants.
Structured Writing
Sample Essay
Another feature of Shanghai's shopping is the chain-store, in
which prices are usually lower and a wider variety of items are offered
–mainly foodstuffs, household items, clothing and stationery. The
items are displayed on open counters. Most of the chain-stores
operate on the “serve yourself” method: you go in, pick up a basket,
walk round the shop and choose what you want. At the exit there is a
checkout lane where you pay for everything at one time.
Structured Writing
Write Your Own
Now use the writing technique of LISTING to write a
short composition of about 150 words. Here are some ideas
you can choose from if you like.
some pieces of advice for English language learning
some differences between families in China and America
some points that foreigners might feel confused about
China
some points I have learned from my foreign teacher
An A-to-Z explanation of China
Assignment
1. Review Text A
2. Do exercises:
• Cloze
(Ex. XI, p. 144)
• Translation
(Ex. XII& XIII, p. 146)
3. Structured Writing
(p. 148)