Before Reading
1. Background Information
Love Story (novel)
Love Story (song)
Erich Segal
Harvard University
Radcliffe College
2. Elements of Fiction
3. Warm-up Questions
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Detailed Reading
After Reading
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Love Story (novel)
Introduction
Love Story is a 1970 romance novel by
American writer Erich Segal. A film based on the
novel was also released in 1970, and is
considered one of the most romantic of all time
by the American Film Institute. Love Story
became the top selling work of fiction for all of
1970 in the United States, and was translated
into more than 20 languages. A sequel, Oliver’s
Story, was published in 1977.
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Plot
The novel tells the story of Oliver Barrett IV, who comes from a long line of
wealthy and well-respected Harvard University graduates. Partly to break the
traditional Ivy League mold, the Harvard student meets and falls in love with
Jennifer, a working-class, quick-witted Radcliffe College student. Upon
graduation from college, the two decide to marry against the wishes of
Oliver’s father, who thereupon severs ties with his son.
Without his father’s financial support, the couple struggles to pay Oliver’s
way through Harvard Law School with Jennifer working as a private school
teacher. Graduating third in his class, Oliver takes a position at a respectable
New York law firm.
With Oliver’s new income, the pair of 24-year-olds decide to have a child.
After failing to conceive, they consult a medical specialist, who, after repeated
tests, informs Oliver that Jennifer is ill and will soon die.
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As instructed by his doctor, Oliver attempts to live a “normal life” without
telling Jennifer of her condition. Jennifer nevertheless discovers her ailment
after confronting her doctor about her recent illness. With their days together
numbered, Jennifer begins costly cancer therapy, and Oliver soon becomes
unable to afford the hospital expenses. Desperate, he seeks financial relief
from his father.
When Mr. Barrett realizes that Jennifer is ill and that his son borrowed the
money for her, he immediately sets out for New York. By the time he reaches
the hospital, Jennifer is dead. Mr. Barrett apologizes to his son, who replies
with something Jennifer once told him: “Love means not ever having to say
you’re sorry.”
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Love Story (song)
Love Story is a popular song published in 1970, with music by Francis Lai
and lyrics by Carl Sigman. The song was introduced in the movie Love Story.
The song has been covered many times. Andy Williams recorded the biggest hit
version.
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Love Story
Where do I begin
to tell the story of how great a love can be?
The sweet love story that is older than the sea.
The simple truth about the love she brings to me.
Where do I start?
With her first hello,
she gave a meaning to this empty world of mine.
There’ll never be another love, another time.
She came into my life and made the living fine.
She fills my heart.
She fills my heart
with very special things.
With angel’s souls, with wild imaginings.
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She fills my soul with so much love.
That anywhere I go,
I’m never lonely.
With her along, who could be lonely?
I reach for her hand.
It’s always there.
How long does it last?
Can love be measured by the hours in a day?
I have no answers now, but this much I can say.
I know I’ll need her till the stars all burn away
and she’ll be there.
How long does it last?
Can love be measured by the hours in a day?
I have no answers now, but this much I can say.
I know I’ll need her till the stars all burn away and she’ll be there.
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Erich Segal
Erich Segal, born in 1937, is a contemporary American novelist and professor
of literature at Yale. Love Story is his first novel, which came out in 1970 and
immediately earned him great fame. He was hailed as the “first important new
writer of the 1970s”. Since then he has published a number of successful novels
including Fairy Tales (1973), Oliver’s Story (1977), Man, Woman and Child (1980),
and The Class (1985).
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Harvard University
Harvard Yard
Statue of John Harvard
Harvard Stadium
Memorial Church
Harvard University Presidents 1829-1862
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Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest
institution of higher learning in the United States.
Harvard University
Motto
Veritas (“Truth”)
Established
September, 1636
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Academic term
Semester
Endowment
U.S. $29.2 billion
President
Catharine Drew Gilpin Faust
Staff
Undergraduates
2,497 non-medical, 10,674 medical
6,715
Postgraduates
12,424
Campus
Urban, 380 acres
Colors
Crimson
Nickname
Crimson
Mascot
John Harvard
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Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women’s liberal arts college in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, USA, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It
was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. It began to merge with Harvard in
1977, a process which finished in 1999. Radcliffe’s campus now functions as a
research institute within Harvard, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
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Elements of Fiction
Plot
Setting
Characters
Theme
Point of View
Style
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Plot
Plot is the carefully planned sequence of events in a story. It begins with
the presentation of a situation that needs to be solved. As the characters act
and react, the plot moves to its solution.
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Setting
Setting is the environment in which the characters live and move. It
includes the place where the story happens and the period of history in which
it occurs. Not only does the setting serve as a location for events, it is also a
force that impels certain actions.
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Characters
Characters are the persons who initiate or go through the events of the
plot. Their qualities emerge and your understanding of them develops as the
story progresses. Sometimes a character is individual; sometimes a character
is universal, representing a basic human type.
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Theme
Theme refers to the deeper meaning underlying the surface of the story.
And the key to understanding it is experience — experience in living and
experience in reading fiction. The former deepens your insight into your fellow
human beings while the latter increases your ability to detect what clues to
look for and how to interpret them.
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Point of View
Point of view refers to the position from which the writer views his or her
subjects. There are two common points of view in telling stories.
1. Third-person narration. Most writers use the third-person narration,
that is, he, she, or they in telling the story. In the epilogue of The Gadfly, the
story is narrated from the point of view of Gemma.
2. First-person narration. Sometimes stories like Love Story are told by
the first-person narrator “I”. The narration, as a result, is limited to the
observations, feelings, and behavior of this character. In Love Story, for
instance, all the actions are seen through the eyes of “I” — Oliver Barrett IV.
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Style
Style refers mainly to the way in which a writer uses language. It is
determined by word choice, sentence structure and variety, imagery, and
arrangement.
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Warm-up Questions
1. Suppose you are about to marry someone you love but your parents object
strongly to your marriage, how will you react?
2. If you have wronged your spouse terribly or the other way round, what will
you do?
3. If your spouse has hostility towards his or her parents for some reason or
other, would you choose to leave them alone or do something to bring about
a reconciliation between them? Why?
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1. Text Analysis
2. Part Division of the Text
3. Further Understanding
For Part 1
True or False
For Part 2
Questions and Answers
For Parts 3~4
Citing Evidence
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Text Analysis
Love Story (Chapter 13)
Fill in the blanks with the information from the text.
Theme
Genuine love among the contemporary youth.
Setting
The story takes place in the 1960s in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, where Harvard University and Radcliffe
College are located.
Characters
Oliver, Jennifer and Mr. Barrett, Oliver’s father.
Point of View
First-person narration.
Style
Simple and lucid (明晰的).
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Part Division of the Text
Parts
Paragraphs
Main Ideas
1
1-20
Jennifer and Oliver receive an invitation from Oliver’s
parents, to which the couple reacts differently.
2
21-59
Jennifer passes on to Mr. Barrett a made-up
“message”, which makes Oliver very angry.
3
60-73
Oliver searches everywhere for Jennifer, but in vain.
4
74-90
Oliver finds Jennifer in front of their house.
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True or False
1. Oliver’s father sends a letter of invitation to Oliver and Jennifer. ( F )
It is Oliver’s mother who has addressed the envelope.
2. Jennifer takes the letter as a sign of reconciliation, but Oliver does not. ( T )
3. Jennifer tries to persuade Oliver to accept the invitation because she thinks
he will be regretful if he does not. ( T )
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4. Oliver does not accept the invitation because he hates his father. ( F )
Because he is so proud and competitive that he thinks he hates his father.
5. Oliver has evidence that his son will not resent him. ( F )
He knows his son will not resent him, but he cannot produce any evidence.
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Questions and Answers
1. Jennifer insists that a reply (preferably a positive one) be made to the invitation.
What reasons does she give?
She says that in her life she has never deliberately hurt anyone and she does
not think she can this time.
2. What is Oliver doing while Jennifer tries to persuade him? Does he change his
mind?
He is immersed in Percival’s appeal to the Supreme Court, and he does not
change his mind.
3. What does Jennifer actually do in reply to the invitation? Does she
immediately tell Mr. Barrett that they would not come to the birthday party?
She makes a phone call to Mr. Barrett, but she does not immediately tell him
that they would not come to the birthday party.
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4. How does Oliver feel when he hears his wife say “we’re terribly sorry, sir, (that we
won’t be able to come)”?
He is angry because he does not want his father to think that he is sorry.
5. What does Jennifer beg her husband to do? Why?
She begs him to talk to his father because she does not want to hurt him.
6. Is Oliver moved? Does he do what he is asked to?
Oliver is not moved, and he says that he will never talk to him.
7. At the end of the telephone conversation, Jennifer passes on to Mr. Barrett a
made-up “message”. What does Oliver react to this?
He is so angry that he hurls the phone across the room.
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Citing Evidence
1. Cite evidence from the text to support that Oliver feels regretful for what he does
and his search for Jennifer is panicked and anxious.
Evidence 1: Oliver searches everywhere for Jennifer, including Law School
library, Harkness Commons, the lounge, the cafeteria, Agassiz Hall, Paine Hall,
and Harvard Square.
Evidence 2: When he is searching the library, his glance is so tense and his
face so fierce that he is disturbing the whole place.
Evidence 3: He is running everywhere, his legs trying to catch up with the pace
of his heart.
Evidence 4: He is cold, but he is numb more with fright.
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2. Cite evidence from the text to support that Jennifer is not angry with Oliver.
Evidence 1: Jennifer goes back home by herself, and as she forgets her key,
she waits on the top step.
Evidence 2: When Oliver says that he is sorry, she says that love means not
ever having to say you’re sorry.
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Oliver Barrett IV, a Harvard student from a wealthy WASP family, fell in love
with Jennifer, a Radcliffe music major, daughter of a pastry chef of Italian
descent. Jennifer returned his love. The two of them started talking about
marriage, thinking they were made for each other. A banker and a squeamish
parent, Oliver Barrett III refused to give his blessing to the proposed alliance.
Oliver and Jennifer thereupon went ahead on their own, contented with their
“love in a cottage.”
We join the novel in Chapter 13, three years after Oliver married Jennifer
regardless of his father’s fierce opposition. One day, they received an invitation
from Oliver’s parents to the old man’s sixtieth birthday party. Jennifer preferred
accepting the invitation, regarding it as a good opportunity for a reconciliation
between father and son. But Oliver wouldn’t give it a thought. Thus the two of
them had a violent quarrel ...
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Love Story
Erich Segal
CHAPTER 13
Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Barrett III
request the pleasure of your company
at a dinner in celebration of
Mr. Barrett’s sixtieth birthday
Saturday, the sixth of March
at seven o’clock
Dover House, Ipswich, Massachusetts
R. S. V. P.
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“Well?” asked Jennifer.
“Do you even have to ask?” I replied.
I was in the midst of abstracting The
State v. Percival, a very important precedent in criminal law. Jenny was sort of
waving the invitation to bug me.
“I think it’s about time, Oliver,” she said.
“For what?”
“For you know very well what,” she answered. “Does he have to crawl here
on his hands and knees?”
I kept working as she worked me over.
“Ollie — he’s reaching out to you!”
“Bullshit, Jenny. My mother addressed the envelope.”
“I thought you said you didn’t look at it!” she sort of yelled.
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Okay, so I did glance at it earlier. Maybe it had slipped my mind. I was, after
all, in the midst of abstracting The State v. Percival, and in the virtual shadow of
exams. The point was she should have stopped haranguing me.
“Ollie, think,” she said, her tone kind of pleading now. “Sixty goddamn years
old. Nothing says he’ll still be around when you’re finally ready for the
reconciliation.”
I informed Jenny in the simplest possible terms that there would never be a
reconciliation and would she please let me continue my studying. She sat down
quietly, squeezing herself onto a corner of the sofa where I had my feet. Although
she didn’t make a sound, I quickly became aware that she was looking at me
very hard. I glanced up.
“Someday,” she said, “when you’re being bugged by Oliver V —”
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“He won’t be called Oliver, be sure of that!” I snapped
at her. She didn’t raise her voice, though she usually did
when I did.
“Listen, Ol,
even if we name him Bozo the Clown
that kid’s still going to resent you because you were a big
Harvard athlete. And by the time he’s a freshman, you’ll
probably be in the Supreme Court!”
I told her that our son would definitely not resent me. She then inquired how I
could be so certain of that. I couldn’t produce evidence. I mean, I simply knew our
son would not resent me, I couldn’t say precisely why. Jenny then remarked:
“Your father loves you too, Oliver. He loves you just the way you’ll love Bozo.
But you Barretts are so damn proud and competitive, you’ll go through life thinking
you hate each other.”
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“If it weren’t for you,” I said jokingly.
“Yes,” she said.
“The case is closed,” I said, being, after all, the husband and head of
household. My eyes returned to The State v. Percival and Jenny got up. But then
she remembered.
“There’s still the matter of the RSVP.”
I said that a Radcliffe music major could probably compose a nice little
negative RSVP without professional guidance.
“Listen, Oliver,” she said, “I’ve probably lied or cheated in my life. But I’ve
never deliberately hurt anyone. I don’t think I could.”
Really, at that moment she was only hurting me,
so I asked her politely to
handle the RSVP in whatever manner she wished, as long as the essence of the
message was that we wouldn’t show unless hell froze over. I returned once again
to The State v. Percival.
“What’s the number?” I heard her say very softly. She was at the telephone.
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“Can’t you just write a note?”
“In a minute I’ll lose my nerve. What’s the number?”
I told her and was instantly immersed in Percival’s appeal to the Supreme
Court. I was not listening to Jenny. That is, I tried not to. She was in the same
room, after all.
“Oh — good evening, sir,” I heard her say.
She had her hand over the mouthpiece.
“Ollie, does it have to be negative?”
The nod of my head indicated that it had to be, the wave of my hand indicated
that she should hurry up.
“I’m terribly sorry,” she said into the phone. “I mean, we’re terribly sorry, sir ...”
We’re! Did she have to involve me in this? And why can’t she get to the point
and hang up?
“Oliver!”
She had her hand on the mouthpiece again and was talking very loud.
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“He’s wounded, Oliver! Can you just sit there and let your father bleed?”
Had she not been in such an emotional state, I could have explained once
again that stones do not bleed. But she was very upset. And it was upsetting me
too.
“Oliver,” she pleaded, “could you just say a word?”
To him? She must be going out of her mind!
“I mean, like just maybe ‘hello’?”
She was offering the phone to me. And trying not to cry.
“I will never talk to him. Ever,” I said with perfect calm.
And now she was crying. Nothing audible, but tears pouring down her face. And
then she — she begged.
“For me, Oliver. I’ve never asked you for anything. Please.”
Three of us. Three of us just standing (I somehow imagined my father being
there as well) waiting for something. What? For me?
I couldn’t do it.
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Didn’t Jenny understand she was asking the impossible? That I would have
done absolutely anything else? As I looked at the floor, shaking my head in
adamant refusal and extreme discomfort, Jenny addressed me with a kind of
whispered fury I had never heard from her:
“You are a heartless bastard,” she said. And then she ended the telephone
conversation with my father saying:
“Mr. Barrett, Oliver does want you to know that in his
own special way ...”
She paused for breath. She had been sobbing, so it
wasn’t easy. I was much too astonished to do anything
but await the end of my alleged “message.”
“Oliver loves you very much,” she said, and hung up
very quickly.
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There is no rational explanation for my actions in the next split second. I must
never be forgiven for what I did.
I ripped the phone from her hand, then from the socket — and hurled it across
the room.
“God damn you, Jenny! Why don’t you get the hell out of my life!”
I stood still, panting like the animal I had suddenly become. Jesus Christ! What
the hell had happened to me? I turned to look at Jen.
But she was gone.
I mean absolutely gone, because I didn’t even hear footsteps on the stairs.
Christ, she must have dashed out the instant I grabbed the phone. Even her coat
and scarf were still there. The pain of not knowing what to do was exceeded only
by that of knowing what I had done.
I searched everywhere.
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In the Law School library, I prowled the rows of
grinding students, looking and looking. Up and back, at
least half a dozen times. Though I didn’t utter a sound, I
knew my glance was so intense, my face so fierce, I was
disturbing the whole place. Who cares?
But Jenny wasn’t there.
Then all through Harkness Commons, the lounge, the
cafeteria. Then a wild sprint to look around Agassiz Hall at
Radcliffe. Not there, either. I was running everywhere now,
my legs trying to catch up with the pace of my heart.
Paine Hall? (Ironic goddamn name!) Downstairs are piano practice rooms. I
know Jenny. When she’s angry, she pounds the keyboard. Right? But how about
when she’s scared to death?
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It’s crazy walking down the corridor, practice rooms on either side. The sounds
of Mozart and Bartók, Bach and Brahms filter out from the doors and blend into this
weird infernal sound.
Jenny’s got to be here!
Instinct made me stop at a door where I heard the pounding (angry?) sound of
a Chopin prelude. I paused for a second. The playing was lousy — stops and starts
and many mistakes. At one pause I heard a girl’s voice mutter, “Shit!” It had to be
Jenny. I flung open the door.
A Radcliffe girl was at the piano. She looked up. An ugly, big-shouldered hippie
Radcliffe girl, annoyed at my invasion.
“What’s the matter, man?” she asked.
“Sorry,” I replied, and closed the door again.
Then I tried Harvard Square. Nothing.
Where would Jenny have gone?
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I just stood there, lost in the darkness of Harvard Square, not knowing where to
go or what to do next.
A colored guy approached me and inquired if I was in
need of a fix. I kind of absently replied, “No, thank you, sir.”
I wasn’t running now. I mean, what was the rush to return to the empty house?
It was very late — almost 1 A.M. — and I was numb — more with fright than
with the cold (although it wasn’t warm, believe me). From several yards off, I
thought I saw someone sitting on the top of the steps. This had to be my eyes
playing tricks, because the figure was motionless.
But it was Jenny.
She was sitting on the top step.
I was too tired to panic, too relieved to speak. Inwardly I hoped she had some
blunt instrument with which to hit me.
“Jen?”
“Ollie?”
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We both spoke so quietly, it was impossible to take an emotional reading.
“I forgot my key,” Jenny said.
I stood there at the bottom of the steps, afraid to ask how long she had been
sitting, knowing only that I had wronged her terribly.
“Jenny, I’m sorry —”
“Stop!” she cut off my apology, then said very quietly, “Love means not ever
having to say you’re sorry.”
I climbed up the stairs to where she was sitting.
“I’d like to go to sleep. Okay?” she said.
“Okay.”
We walked up to our apartment. As we undressed, she
looked at me reassuringly.
“I meant what I said, Oliver.”
And that was all.
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I was in the midst of abstracting The State v. Percival, a very important
precedent in criminal law.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
我正忙于摘录刑法上一起非常重要的判例 ——“珀西瓦尔公诉案”的要点。
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“Does he have to crawl here on his hands and knees?”
Paraphrase the sentence.
Does he have to come here and beg for forgiveness?
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“when you’re being bugged by Oliver V — ”
What does Oliver V refer to?
Oliver V refers to Oliver’s future son. Because Oliver’s full name is
Oliver Barrett IV, Jennifer calls their future son Oliver V.
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even if we name him Bozo the Clown that kid’s still going to resent you
because you were a big Harvard athlete.
What does the sentence mean?
No matter what the kid’s name is, he is still going to resent Oliver because of
his excellence.
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so I asked her politely to handle the RSVP in whatever manner she wished, as
long as the essence of the message was that we wouldn’t show unless hell
froze over.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
于是我客客气气地请她全权处理“请赐回示”的事儿，随她用什么方式都行，只要回示的
实质是：除非地狱封冻，我们决不赴宴。
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Had she not been in such an emotional state, I could have explained once
again that stones do not bleed.
Paraphrase the sentence.
If she had not been in such an emotional state, I could have explained again
that he was so stubborn that he would not be hurt just as stones do not bleed.
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I was much too astonished to do anything but await the end of my alleged
“message.”
Why is Oliver so astonished? What is he waiting for?
Oliver is astonished because he has not expected Jennifer to make up a
message for him. At the moment he can do nothing but wait for what Jennifer
is going to say.
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A colored guy approached me and inquired if I was in need of a fix.
Translate the sentence into Chinese.
一个黑人走到我跟前，问我要不要“来一针”。
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It was very late — almost 1 A.M. — and I was numb — more with fright than
with the cold (although it wasn’t warm, believe me).
What can we infer from the sentence?
It is very late, but Oliver has not found Jennifer. He is so frightened and
anxious that he is numb. He even does not feel cold.
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“Love means not ever having to say you’re sorry.”
What is the function of the sentence?
This is a famous line in Love Story, and appears several times in the novel.
It demonstrates pure and simple love between Oliver and Jennifer, and the
love between Oliver and his father. The Chinese translation is “爱永远不必说
抱歉”.
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in celebration of:
in order to celebrate
a reception in celebration of the fund’s 70th
anniversary
We will have a party in celebration of my mother’s
sixtieth birthday.
Collocation:
anniversary celebrations
birthday celebrations
周年庆典
生日庆典
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reach out (to):
show people that you are interested in them and want to listen to them
I didn’t like his gift, but I realized at the same time
that he was reaching out to me.
到目前为止，他的政府还没向共和党表示任何的兴趣。
So far, his administration has failed to reach
out to Republicans.
Collocation:
reach a decision / a conclusion / an agreement
reach for
reach the point / level / stage
作出决定/作出结论/达成一致
伸手拿
达到某点/水平/阶段
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yell: vi.
[also yell out] shout or say something very loudly, especially because you are
frightened, angry, or excited
I yelled out, “Here I am!”
Clare yelled in pain as she fell.
Collocation:
yell at
yell at somebody to do something
yell (out) in surprise / pain
向……吼
大声叫某人干某事
惊讶/痛苦得喊出来
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CF: yell, cry, shout & scream
这些动词的共同含义是“喊”或“叫”。
多指求援、鼓励时的呼叫。也可指因外界因素刺激而发出尖厉声音。
yell
一般指因恐惧、痛苦、惊奇等而喊叫。
cry
shout 指有意识地高声喊叫，常用于提出警告、发命令或唤起注意等。
scream 指因恐惧、快乐或痛苦而发出尖叫声。
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words above. Change the form where
necessary.
1. There’s no need to _____
shout ! I can hear you!
cry aloud.
2. It was painful, and made me ___
3. “Help me!” she yelled
_____ hysterically.
4. After the first few shots, people started screaming
_________ .
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
virtual: adj.
1) very nearly a particular thing
Car ownership is a virtual necessity when you
live in the country.
Finding a cheap place to rent is a virtual
impossibility in this area.
2) made, done, seen, etc. on the Internet or on a computer, rather than in the
real world
虚拟世界
virtual worlds
The website allows you to take a virtual tour of the art gallery.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
reconciliation: n.
a situation in which two people, countries, etc. become friendly with each other
again after quarrelling
Her ex-husband had always hoped for a reconciliation.
NB: 通常的搭配是reconciliation between / with
The meeting failed to achieve a reconciliation
between the two groups.
聚会使他和他的兄弟和解了。
The party brought his reconciliation with his
brother.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
squeeze: v.
1) try to make something fit into a space that is too small, or try to get into such a
space
Five of us squeezed into the back seat.
We could probably squeeze in a few more people.
2) press something firmly together with your fingers or hand
She smiled as he squeezed her hand.
3) get liquid from something by pressing it
Squeeze the oranges.
Squeeze a bit of lemon juice onto the fish.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
supreme: adj.
having the highest position of power, importance, or influence
the Supreme Court
Supreme Allied Commander is the title given to the most senior commander of
some multinational organizations.
Before Reading
Global Reading
deliberately: adv.
done in a way that is intended or planned
He was deliberately trying to upset her.
NB: 同义词有on purpose，intentionally。
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
essence: n.
the most basic and important quality of something
She seems the very essence of kindness.
The essence of Arsenal’s style of football is speed.
他的讲座本质上很简单。
In essence his lecture was very simple.
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
lose one’s nerve:
suddenly become so nervous that you cannot do what you intended to
Jensen would’ve won if he hadn’t lost his nerve.
Collocation:
the nerve to do something
hold / keep one’s nerve
get on one’s nerves
干……的勇气
在困境中保持勇气
使某人很恼火
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
be immersed in:
be deeply absorbed in
She was far too immersed in her studies.
NB: immerse的其他用法有：
1) immerse … in …
把……完全浸在……
Immerse your foot in ice-cold water to reduce the swelling.
2) immerse oneself in …
投身于……
他16岁离开学校，投身于劳动党。
He left school at 16 and immersed
himself in the Labor Party.
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
come / get to the point:
talk about the important thing; reach the central question or fact
I wish you’d get to the point.
我直接进入重点。
I’ll come straight to the point.
Collocation:
a point of view
at the point of
in the point of
make a point
off the point
to the point
to the point of
观点；着眼点
接近；将近……的时候
关于，就……而言
证明论点
不切题，离题
中肯；扼要
达到……程度
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
go out of one’s mind:
become mentally ill or very worried, bored, etc.
Nicole looked at him as if he’d gone out of his mind.
NB: 近义词有lose one’s mind，be out of one’s mind。
He must have been out of his mind to employ her.
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
await: vt.
wait for
Several men are awaiting trial for robbery.
A terrible surprise awaited them at Mr. Smith’s house.
CF: await & wait
这两个动词均含“等，等待”之意。
await 正式用词，及物动词，通常指不断等待，多含耐心意味。例如：
I await your answer.
wait
我期待你的答复。
普通用词，强调静候于某处，直到等候或期待的人或事物的到来，通常用作不及物动
词，与for连用。例如：
Hurry up! A lot of people are waiting for you.
快一点！很多人在等你。
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
allege: vt.
say that something is true or that someone has done
something wrong, although it has not been proved
The prosecution alleged that the man had been
responsible for an act of terrorism.
据称，警察接受了贿赂。
It was alleged that the policeman had accepted bribes.
NB: 常用的句型有：it is alleged that …
allege that …
be alleged to be / do something
alleged: adj.
what someone says has happened or is true, although it has not been proved
an alleged crime / fact / incident
被断言的、所谓的犯罪/事实/事件
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
rational: adj.
able to reason; based on reason
Parents need to be fully informed so they can make a rational decision.
I’m sure there’s a rational explanation for all this.
NB: 反义词是irrational。
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
exceed: vt.
1) be more than a particular number or amount
Working hours must not exceed 42 hours a week.
他的表现超出了我们的预料。
His performance exceeded our expectations.
2) go beyond what rules or laws say you are allowed to do
He was fined for exceeding the speed limit.
The police had exceeded their authority.
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
fierce: adj.
1) angry or ready to attack, and looking very frightening
fierce guard dogs
She turned round, looking fierce.
2) done with a lot of energy and strong feelings, and sometimes violent
There was fierce fighting in the city.
3) very strong and often angry
These people take fierce pride in their independence.
4) much colder, hotter, etc. than usual
fierce heat
fierce weather
When the fierce wind blows then the numerous holes are filled; when it
stops then the numerous holes are empty.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
ironic: adj.
1) using words that are the opposite of what you really mean, often in a joking
way
ironic comments
When I told Lucy I loved her book, she thought I was being ironic.
2) unusual or amusing because something strange happens or the opposite of
what is expected happens or is true
Your car was stolen at the police station! How
ironic!
It’s ironic that her husband smoked for thirty
years, and yet she’s the one who died of
lung cancer.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
filter: v.
1) pass slowly in a specific direction
Moonlight filtered in through the frosted window.
The familiar notes of Beethoven’s Für Elise filtered from the bar.
2) remove unwanted substances from water, air, etc. by passing it through a
special substance or piece of equipment
The ozone layer filters harmful UV rays from the sun.
水槽中的水不断地被过滤。
The water in the tank is constantly filtered.
filter out
The pump filters out mud.
Net users can filter out unwanted emails with
software.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
blend:
1) vi. mix together thoroughly
The old house blends in perfectly with the countryside.
两者的声音结合得多么完美。
How well the voices of the two blend.
2) vt. thoroughly mix together soft or liquid substances to form a single smooth
substance
Blend the sugar, eggs, and flour.
3) v. combine different things in a way that produces an effective or pleasant
result, or to become combined in this way
a story that blends fact and legend
Leave the sauce for at least one hour to allow the flavors to blend together.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
instinct: n.
an ability or way of behaving that a person or an animal possesses
Animals have a natural instinct for survival.
Birds build nests by instinct.
His first instinct was to rush back to Isobel.
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
mutter: v.
1) speak in a low voice, especially because you are annoyed about something,
or you do not want people to hear you
Elsie muttered something I couldn’t catch and walked off.
What are you two muttering about?
2) complain about something or express doubts about it, but without saying
clearly and openly what you think
Some senators muttered darkly about the threat to national security.
CF: mutter, murmur & whisper
这些动词均有“低语”之意。
mutter 多指别人不易听到的低语。
murmur 通常指人、微风或小溪等的低沉、柔和或连续的声音。
whisper 通常指耳语、窃窃私语。
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words above. Change the form where
necessary.
1. The wind _________
murmured through the trees.
2. “I never want to come here again,” he ________
muttered to himself.
3. You don’t have to _______
whisper . No one can hear us.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
invasion: n.
1) when the army of one country enters another country by force, in order to
take control of it
the invasion of Normandy
The book is about the invasion of the country in the twentieth century.
2) the arrival in a place of a lot of people or things, often where they are not
wanted
Breaking into other people’s house is considered as an invasion of privacy.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
CF: invasion, attack & aggression
这些名词均有“进攻、侵略”之意。
invasion 多指具体的侵入或侵犯别国领土，也可用来指抽象事件。
attack 普通用词，含义广，指事先不发警告，主动地向对方发起武力进攻或对言论等进行抨
击。
aggression 词义宽泛，既可指武装入侵别国领土，又可指文化、经济等方面的侵略。强调
敌意行动和征服的企图。
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words above. Change the form where
necessary.
attacks on foreigners recently.
1. There have been several ______
aggression in children.
2. Television violence can encourage __________
3. The new century sees the _______
invasion of American movies in China.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
(be) in need of:
1) need help, advice, money, etc., because you are in a difficult situation
This project is in urgent need of funding.
他无家可归，迫切需要帮助。
He is homeless and in desperate need of help.
2) need to be cleaned, repaired, or given attention to in some way
The church was in great need of repair.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
fright: n.
sudden, intense fear
He was shaking with fright.
The child cried out in fright.
当意识到自己欠了多少钱时，我极度恐惧。
I got an awful fright when I realized how much money
I owed.
CF: fright, fear, horror & terror
这些名词均含“恐惧、惧怕、惊恐”之意。
fright 通常指一阵突然的、令人震惊的短暂恐惧，有时含夸张意味。
fear 普通用词，强调指面临危险或灾祸时内心所引起的恐惧心情。
horror 强调指因看到令人讨厌或危险的东西或情景而引起的厌恶情绪、极度恐惧心情或战栗
的动作。
terror 指极大的恐惧和惊骇，语气最强。
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words above. Change the form where
necessary.
1. There are _____
fears that share prices could decrease still further.
2. There was a look of sheer _____
terror on his face.
3. The animal took _____
fright and ran away.
horror of the situation.
4. Dense smoke surrounded them, adding to the _____
Before Reading
Global Reading
1. Useful Expressions
2. Listening Comprehension
3. Picture Talking
4. Blank Filling
5. Writing Practice
6. Proverbs and Quotations
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Useful Expressions
1. 庆贺
in celebration of
2. 主动向……伸出手（表示兴趣、友好）
reach out to …
3. 写信封
address the envelope
4. 被……忽略
slip one’s mind
5. 挤进沙发的一角
squeeze oneself onto a corner of the sofa
6. 最高法院
the Supreme Court
7. 出示证据
produce evidence
8. 失去勇气
lose one’s nerve
9. 沉浸在……
be immersed in …
10. 把手盖在话筒上
have one’s hand over / on the mouthpiece
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
11. 说重要的事情
get to the point
12. 挂电话
hang up
13. 失去理智
go out of one’s mind
14. 在接下来的一刹那
in the next split second
15. 冲出去
dash out
16. 发出声音
utter a sound
17. 害怕得要死
be scared to death
18. 迷失在哈佛广场的黑暗中
be lost in the darkness of Harvard Square
19. 需要……
be in need of …
20. 打断道歉
cut off one’s apology
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Listening Comprehension
Directions: In this section, you will hear a short passage. At the end of the
passage, you will hear some questions. After you hear a question, you
must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C)
and D).
1. A) By sending their beloved rings.
KEY
B) By sending their beloved sleeves.
C) By wearing the names of their beloved on their rings.
D) By wearing the names of their beloved on their sleeves.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
2. A) On the seventh day of the second lunar month.
B) On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
KEY
C) On the fourteenth day of the seventh lunar month.
D) On the fourteenth day of the second lunar month.
3. A) They send chocolates.
KEY
B) They send flowers.
C) They look at the stars of Niu Lang and Zhi Nϋ in the evening.
D) They look at the moon in the evening.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
4. A) She was the daughter of the Goddess of Heaven.
KEY
B) She was the daughter of God.
C) She was the mother of the Goddess of Heaven.
D) She was the mother of God.
5. A) On the morning of February 14th.
KEY
B) On the morning of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
C) On the night of February 14th.
D) On the night of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
February is the month for love. In days gone by, people celebrated Valentine’s
Day (February 14th) by wearing the names of their beloved on their sleeves. Today,
we exchange Valentine’s Day cards. And flowers and chocolates are popular gifts.
Of course, things are a little different in China. Although it is not as popular, the
Chinese also have a day for love. Qi Qiao Jie is also called Chinese Valentine’s
Day. It falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. People in love
celebrate by looking at the stars of Niu Lang and Zhi Nϋ in the evening. They
believe Niu Lang and Zhi Nϋ were husband and wife. Zhi Nϋ was the seventh
daughter of the Goddess of Heaven. She fell in love with Niu Lang and married
him. Her mother was very angry with her and ordered her to return to heaven. Niu
Lang and Zhi Nϋ were separated by the Milky Way, and allowed to reunite only on
this special night of the year.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
Questions 1 to 5 are based on the passage you have just heard.
1. How did people spend Valentine’s Day in the past?
2. When is Chinese Valentine’s Day?
3. How do people celebrate Chinese Valentine’s Day?
4. Who was Zhi Nϋ?
5. When were Niu Lang and Zhi Nϋ allowed to reunite?
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Picture Talking
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Picture Talking
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Picture Talking
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Picture Talking
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Picture Talking
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Blank Filling
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to
select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word
bank. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.
Change the forms when necessary. You may not use any of the words
in the bank more than once.
Before Reading
virtual
forgive
point
dash
desperation
reconciliation
Global Reading
vain
nerve
allege
Detailed Reading
invite
rational
instinct
After Reading
reach
exceed
await
Oliver and Jennifer received an ________
invitation from Oliver’s parents to the old
man’s sixtieth birthday party. Jennifer preferred accepting it, regarding it as a
good opportunity for a ___________
reconciliation between father and son. But Oliver
wouldn’t give it a thought. He told Jennifer that it was _______
virtually impossible for
point when
_____ out to his father and asked her to get straight to the _____
him to reach
alleged message instead. Oliver was
calling his father, while Jennifer made an ______
outrageous and did something that made Jennifer _____
dash out of the house.
Oliver searched everywhere for Jennifer but in ____
vain . Finally, when he went
back home in __________
desperation , he found Jennifer sitting in front of the house, and
already ________
forgiving him for what he had done.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
Writing Practice — Writing Invitations
1. A Brief Introduction
2. Homework
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
A Brief Introduction
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.
 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.
 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 wanted or needed.
Explain that their presence is the only gift you need.
 Make sure you send your invitations out with ample advance notice.
Before Reading
Samples
Formal Invitation
Business Invitation
Personal Invitation
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
Formal Invitation
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Rasool
cordially invite you to a reception
celebrating the engagement of
Mary Jane Rasool and Robert Yates
to be held on Sunday, the sixth of June
at six o’clock
Pierre’s Cafe
800 23rd Street NW
Washington, DC
RSVP Semi-Formal Dress
(202) 555-6908
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
Business Invitation
Longman’s Transportation Services
cordially invites you to the
15th Annual Employees Appreciation Picnic.
The whole family is welcome!
12:00 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday, May 22, 1999
South Redding Creek Park
Redding, Maryland
Food, drink, games, and
entertainment will be provided.
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
Personal Invitation
You are invited to Michael Carison’s 10th birthday!
Date: Saturday, June 12, 1999
Time: 11:30 am to 3:00 pm
Where: 345 Eastern Avenue
Lodi, Washington
Call Tonia at (307) 555-1234 to RSVP
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
Homework
Directions: In this part, you are supposed to write an invitation to invite your
friends to attend your graduation ceremony.
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
Proverbs and Quotations
1. Love asks faith, and faith asks firmness.
爱情要求忠诚，而忠诚要求坚贞。
2. How shall I do to love? Believe. How shall I do to believe? Love.
怎样对待爱情？要相信。怎样才能相信？要有爱情。
3. Love can turn the cottage into a golden palace.
爱情可使茅屋成为金碧辉煌的宫殿。
After Reading
Before Reading
Global Reading
Detailed Reading
After Reading
4. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
情人眼里出西施。
5. Every man is a poet when he is in love.
— Plato, ancient Greek philosopher
每个恋爱中的人都是诗人。
—— 古希腊哲学家 柏拉图
6. First love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity.
— George Bernard Shaw, British playwright
初恋就是一点点笨拙外加许许多多好奇。
—— 英国剧作家 乔治•伯纳德•肖