INTENSIV READING I 1

Unit 5 I Never Write Right

Objectives:

Skills:

1) reading: Using Context Clues for Word Meaning (Part II)

2) writing: Review Combination, Contraction and Subordination

Vocabulary:

Receptive words: illustrate; embarrass; astonish; publish; dumb; graduate; minus;

ancient; enclose; favorite; qualification; promotional; disciplined

Productive phrases: burst into; to sb’s astonishment; at random; fit in; here and

there; set one’s mind to; work on

Pre-reading

Discussion in the class “ Dream Most Likely to Come True”

1. T asks Ss to write down one of their life dreams as well as any possible obstacles

to fulfill it.

2. T divide Ss into groups and ask the Ss to talk about their dreams and obstacles

to their group members to suggest to each other ways of overcoming obstacles.

3. T asks one S from each group to present to the class his/her obstacles and

suggestions from the group members.

Global-reading

1. About Linda Stafford

2. What did the author do in her English class one day when she was 15?

( She told the class that she was going to write and illustrate her own books.)

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3. How did the class react when the author made her announcement?

(Half of the students nearly fell out of their chairs2laughing)

4. What was the short poem she wrote that night about? What happened to it?

( It was about broken dreams. She mailed it to a magazine and it was published.)

5. The Capper’s Weekly

Capper’s is a century-old American magazine published in Kansas. It concentrates on

rural American traditions, and offers a wide selection of poetry in each issue.

6.Why did she think that “ dumb luck” was fine?

(Because she tasted success and achieved more than any of her classmates had

done.)

7. What daily household chores did the author have to do when she was working on

her first book?

( She had to take care of her four children, milk goats, and do the cooking, laundry

and gardening.)

8.How was her life changed when her first book became a bestseller?

(She appeared on TV talk shows, traveled from New York to California and Canada

on promotional tours.)

9. Advance on royalties

Royalties are payments made to author or musicians when their work is sold or

performed. They usually received a fixed percentage of profits from these sales or

performances. And sometimes the publisher will pay an author or musician in advance

a certain amount of money ---- say, a $100.00 advance --- for a work before it is

published or performed.

10. Native Americans

The first people to live in North America were the American Indians, or Native

Americans. Modern scientists believe that the first Native Americans came from

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Asia 15,000 or 30,000 years ago across the Bering Strait from Siberia to Alaska.

They did not live in one place, but were always on the move looking for food. In

other words, the first American Indians were hunters who followed the animals ---

their food source – during time of migration from place to place. Together, the

nomadic people and animals slowly migrated toward the south. These early

inhabitants gradually spread out all over the North American continent ( now

Canada, the United States, and Mexico).

11.What happened to the eight books the author wrote?

( Four have been published, and three are still out with the publishers. One stinks.)

12.To the author, what’s the secret of her successful writing career?

( Writing isn’t difficult, it’s fun, and anyone can write a book if they set their mind

on it. Of course, a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.)

Detailed-reading

1. put off: delay

--put off paying the bills.

拖延付清帐单

--We put off our match because of the weather.

由于天气的原因我们推迟了比赛。

2. illustrate vt. add pictures to (sth esp. a book); show the meaning or truth of sth

more clearly, esp. by giving examples

--In order to describe the plan for the new building he needed to illustrate it in a

drawing,

--The book was illustrated with color photographs.

这本书配上了彩色照片。

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--The speaker said he would endeavor to illustrate.

演讲人说他将设法举例说明。

Cf: illustration n. picture, etc. used for decorating a book or explaining a text 举例说

插图；图解; 例证

--"It's not a very good novel, but I like the illustrations."

"这本小说不是很精采,但我喜欢里面的插图。"

--The scientist cited vivid instances in illustration of his theory.

科学家以生动的例子说明他的理论。

(in illustration of 作为...的例证)

3. genius

n. ①a person who has very great natural ability and talent 天才；天赋；才华;天才人物

--Einstein was a genius.

爱因斯坦是一个天才。

--He's a genius at mathematics.

他是个数学天才。

②great and special ability 特殊的才能

--a genius for mathematics

数学的天分

Cf: genius, gift, talent 意思都是“天赋”、“才能”。

genius 在这组同义词中程度最高, 指“最全面的天才”, 也可指“有天才的人”, 如:

--Li Bai was a great genius.

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李白是个伟大的天才。

gift 侧重“天赋”, 如:

--She has a gift for music.

她有音乐天赋。

talent 侧重“才能”, 如:

--He showed great talent in language.

他显示出语言才能。

4. embarrass vt. cause to feel ashamed or uncomfortable

--be [feel] embarrassed 局促不安

--Embarrassed by his heavy luggage, he could not walk fast.

由于受到笨重行李的拖累, 他走不快。

--When I began to sing, he laughed and made me embarrassed.

我开始唱歌时，他大笑起来，使我感到很窘。

3. burst into: suddenly begin to cry, to laugh, etc.

--burst into laughter; burst into tears.

突然大笑起来；突然哭起来

--The excited crowd burst into song.

5. to one’s astonishment/ the astonishment of sb: to one’s great surprise, to the

great surprise of sb.

--To his astonishment, he passed the examine fortunately.

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令他吃惊的是，他幸运地通过了考试。

--I resigned, to the astonishment of my boss.

Cf: astonish vt. to surprise or amaze;

be astonished at sth. 对某事感到惊讶

--The news astonished everybody.

这消息使人人感到惊讶。

--He was astonished at what he found.

他发现的情况使他十分惊讶。

Cf: amaze, astonish, surprise 都含有“使...惊异” 的意思,而且它们都是一般以事物或他

人作主语, 以本人作宾语; 以本人作主语时用被动形式。

amaze 强调“使惊异, 困惑”间或还有“惊叹, 佩服”的意思, 是意义很强的词, 如:

We were amazed at the ingenuity with which they solved their difficulties.

他们在解决困难中所表现的智慧使我们惊叹[佩服]。

astonish 表示“使人大吃一惊”、“几乎无法使人相信”, 但没有“惊叹”的意思, 如:

I was astonished at his rudeness.

他的粗野使 我大吃一惊。

surprise 语气较上述两词弱, 只表示“出乎意外地惊异”, 如:

We were surprised at finding the house empty.

我们惊讶地发现房子是空的。

6. publish vt. have printed and put on sale

--This company publishes children's books.

这个公司出版儿童书籍。

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--News of the general's sudden death was not published for several days.

那个将军突然死亡的消息有好几天没有公布。

7. Line 10: Just plain dumb luck…

dumb: a. stupid; unable to speak

--be dumb from birth

从生下来就不会说话

--a dumb child

哑巴/愚蠢的孩子

--dumb officials; a dumb decision.

愚钝的官员们；愚蠢的决定

8. graduate v. successfully complete a course and receive a certificate or diploma

n. person who has completed a course at a university, school,etc

--He graduated in history.

他毕业于历史专业。

--He was [has been] graduated from Oxford in the class of 1978.

他是牛津大学 1978 届毕业生。

--She graduated from an American college.

她从一所美国的学院毕业。

Cf: graduation n. 毕业；毕业典礼

-- The graduation party was out of sight.

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毕业生晚会太棒了

--I look forward to graduation from university.

我期待大学毕业。

--What will you do after graduation?

毕业后你将做什么？

9. minus

a. less than; just below in quality:

--minus material

次品

--get a grade of A minus in English

英语得到 A-的成绩

prep. less by the subtraction of; decreased by；below zero 减去[plus];负的；零以下

--Ten minus six is four.

-- The temperature was minus 20 degrees.

温度是零下 20 度。

10. Para 8: …suddenly feeling 15 again when I was 15 and hearing echoes of

laughter…:

…all of a sudden it reminding me of what had happened when I was 15 and the

laughter I got from the class.

Echo n. a sound heard again near its source after being reflected.

--the echoes of our voices

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我们的声音的回声

vi, vt. 发出回声

--Our voices echoed in the empty room.

我们的声音在空房间里回响。

--The hall echoes the faintest sounds.

大堂发出微弱的回声。

laughter n. the act of laughing; the sound produced by laughing.

--forced laughter

强颜欢笑

--loud laughter

响亮的笑声

11.ancient:

a. of or in time long past; dating from a remote period; of great age; very old; aged

--to study ancient history 研究古代历史

-- an ancient city 古城

ancientness n.

n. a person who lived in ancient times

Cf: ancients

a. the civilized peoples, nations, or cultures of antiquity, as the Greeks, Romans,

Hebrews, and Egyptians (usually prec. by the).

b. the writers, artists, and philosophers of ancient times, esp. those of Greece and

Rome.

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Cf: —Synonyms Ancient, antiquated, antique, old- fashioned refer to something

dating from the past.

Ancient implies existence or first occurrence in a distant past:

--an ancient custom.

Antiquated connotes something too old or no longer useful:

--an antiquated building.

Antique suggests a curious or pleasing quality in something old:

--antique furniture.

Old-fashioned may disparage something as being out of date or may approve

something old as being superior:

--an old-fashioned hat; old-fashioned courtesy.

—Antonyms 2, 3. new, modern.

12. at random: without definite aim, purpose, method, unsystematically:

--chose a card at random from the deck

--Contestants were chosen at random from the studio audience.

13. enclose v. (also inclose)

①to shut or hem in; close in on all sides; to surround, as with a fence or wall (用篱、墙

等)圈起, 围绕

--valley enclosed by tall mountains

--to enclose land

②to insert in the same envelope, package; to hold or contain

--He enclosed a check.

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--A book was sent with the bill enclosed.

--His letter enclosed a check

--the enclosed 附件

14. string n. thin rope used for trying things together; any series of things arranged

or connected in a line or following closely one after another:

--a string of questions

一连串问题[质问]

--a string of abuses

一连串的咒骂

15. contract n. an agreement between two or more parties for the doing or not doing

of something specified; an agreement enforceable by law

--award a contract

[美]授与(合同）； 委托(某人）承包

--sign/break the contract

签订/撕毁合同

draw up/ negotiate/ keep a contract

草拟合同/缔结契约/遵守［履行］合同

collective:

bare contract 没有担保的契约(通常无效）

Cf: AGREEMENT, BARGAIN, COMPACT, CONTRACT all suggest a binding arrangement between

two or more parties.

AGREEMENT ranges in meaning from mutual understanding to binding obligation.

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BARGAIN applies particularly to agreements about buying and selling but also to

haggling over terms in an agreement.

COMPACT applies to treaties or alliances between nations or to solemn personal

pledges. CONTRACT is used especially in law and business for such agreements as are

legally enforceable.

16.Line 37: …an advance on royalty…. 预付的版税

advance n. a giving beforehand; a furnishing of something before an equivalent is

received:

--An advance on his next month's salary permitted him to pay his debt on time.

--He received $100 as an advance against future delivery.

royalty n. a payment to an owner for the use of property, especially patents,

copyrighted works, franchises or natural resources. 版税；特许权使用费

--His income is mainly from royalty.

他的收入主要来自版税。

--He is receiving royalty from his invention.

他正在获得对他发明的使用费。

17. work on: to exercise influence on; persuade; affect:

--I'll work on her, and maybe she'll change her mind.

18. promotion n. [u]something devised to publicize or advertise a product, cause,

institution, etc., as a brochure, free sample, poster, television or radio commercial,

or personal appearance.

promotional a. of/relating to promotion

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--promotional survey/tour

19. qualification n. the act of qualifying or the condition of being qualified; a quality,

ability, or accomplishment that makes a person suitable for a particular position or

task

--admission qualification

入学资格

--What qualifications have you got to have for this job?

申请这个工作你所具有的条件是什么？

Cf: qualify v.

qualify as 取得...资格;把(某人)说成

--I hope to qualify as a doctor.

我希望取得医生资格。

qualify for 有...资格, 有...权; 应得; 使合格, 使能担任, 使适合于

--Do you qualify for the vote?

你有投票资格吗？

qualify to do sth. 使有资格做某事

--A degree in English does not qualify you to teach English.

你的英语程度教书不够格。

Cf: qualified a. having the appropriate qualifications for an office, position, or task

qualifiable a. capable of being qualified

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20 discipline vt. to train by instruction and practice, especially to teach self-control

to; to teach to obey rules or accept authority; to punish in order to gain control or

enforce obedience

n. Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior,

especially training that produces moral or mental improvement; Controlled behavior

resulting from disciplinary training; self-control.

--The soldiers showed perfect discipline under the fire of the enemy.

在敌人的炮火下，那些士兵显示了良好的纪律。

--In learning a foreign language, question and answer drills are good disciplines.

学外语时, 问答练习是很好的训练方法。

--Students must learn to discipline themselves.

大学生必须学会自律。;大学生必须学会约束自己。

--She under no circumstances disciplines her children and they are uncontrollable.

"无论在什么情况下她从不惩戒自己的孩子,因而他们都变得无法无天。"

21. process v. to handle (papers, records, etc.) by systematically organizing them,

recording or making notations on them, following up with appropriate action, or the

like:

--to process mail.

22. fit in: Also, fit into. Provide a place or time for.

--We can't fit in another appointment —there's no time,

--The manager is very busy but she’ll be able to fit you in tomorrow.

23. here and there: in several different places in a random and disordered way

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--He worked here and there, never for long in one town.

--I did a bit of teaching here and there before finding a full-time job.

24. odds n. The ratio of the probability of an event's occurring to the probability of

its not occurring.

--The odds are that it will rain today.

An amount or a degree by which one thing exceeds or falls short of another:

--won the contest by considerable odds.

Collective:

Against all odds: In spite of seeming very unlikely/all difficulties

--Against all odds the slower team won.

by all odds, in every respect; by far; undoubtedly:

--She is by all odds the brightest child in the family

25.set/put/turn one’s mind on: concentrate on or be determined to achieve

--She's put her mind to improving her test results

--I've set my mind on finding a job I really like

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