6. He started as a stunt rider, and from there rose to be one of the great stars of the early Westerns. Antonyms: fall, drop, decline, sink

7. No country in the world has developed so expertly the skill of advertising as the Americans. Synonyms: skillfully, competently, professionally

8. They even tried to interfere in their stars’ private lives. Antonym: public

4. Sentence rephrasing

Rephrase each of the following sentences with the word given in bracekets.

1. Have you any objection to my sitting here for a few minutes? (mind) Tip: mind v. care 介意

e.g. Do you mind passing me the pepper?

Key: Do you mind my sitting here for a few minutes?

2. I’m going to make you responsible for today’s programme. (charge) Tip: charge n. supervise, control 监管，管理 in charge of control 管理

e.g. Who will be in charge of the department? He is the man in charge of the human resources.

Key: I’m going to put you in charge of today’s programme.

3. The firm is going to raise everybody’s salary. (given) Tip: give v. offer, provide 给予

e.g. Can you give me another chance?

Key: Everybody,salary is going to be given a raise/ rise.

4. Did Pamela say why she was so late? (reason) Tip: reason n. explanation 解释

e.g. The reason why he gave up was still unknown.

Key: Did Pamela give any reason for being so late?

5. It wasn’t necessary for you to do all that washing-up. (needn’t) Tip: need aux. 需要

e.g. You need take good care of your sister. needn’t do: not have to 不需要

e.g. You needn’t give me your answer immediately.

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Key: You needn’t have done all that washing-up.

6. Things are always going wrong in a job like this. (sort) Tip: sort n. kind, type 种类

e.g. I am not good at this sort of question.

Key: Things are always going wrong in a job of this sort.

7. Virginia learned to ski when she was five years old. (age) Tip: age n. how long sth. has existed 年，岁 at the age of： …years old … ……岁 e.g. He became a celebrity at the age of three.

Key: Virginia learned to ski at the age of five.

8. It’s no use trying to mend this tyre. (point) Tip: point meaning, significance 意义 e.g. What is the point of getting up so early?

no point (in)： no need 不需要，没意义 e.g. There is no point teaching a kid philosophy.

Key: There’s no point in trying to mend this tyre.

II. Grammar Exercises

1. Use of simple present tense:

1) The simple present is used in the expression of eternal truths and proverbs, scientific and other statements made for all time.

e.g. A rolling stone gathers no moss.

London stands on the River Thames.

2) The simple present can express habitual or recurrent actions. e.g. Percy often goes to his office by underground. He always sleeps with his windows open.

3) The simple present can be used to denote a momentary phenomenon that exists at the time of speaking.

e.g. What’s the matter with you? You look pale.

4) The simple present can be used to denote future time. e.g. I hope she likes the flowers.

If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we will go to the countryside.

5) The simple present can occasionally be used to denote past time. This use of the simple present is usually found with such verbs as tell, say, hear, write, learn. e.g. Mary tells me you’re entering college next year. I hear poor old Mrs. Smith has lost her son.

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Practice

Complete the following sentences using the simple present. 1. Hydrogen ______ (be) the lightest element.

2. Mary usually ______ (learn) languages very quickly but she ____________ (not, seem ) able to to learn modern Greek.

3. (Commentator:) …William is now on the attack. He ______ (run) up the field with the Glasgow man right on his heels! He _______ (pass) to Sykes who _______ (kick) to Boyd. Boyd _______ (head) the ball past the Glasgow goalkeeper but just ________ (miss) the goal by a fraction! The ball ______ (hit) the post and _______ (bounce) back into the field! Oh! What hard luck for Manchester!

4. Bad driving _______ (cause) many accidents.

5. In his Comedie Humaine he ________ (give) us a history of a company. 6. The shop ________ (open) at 10 a.m. and _______ (close) at 9 p.m. Keys: 1. is

2. learns, doesn’t seem

3. runs, passes, kicks, heads, misses, hits, bounces (The simple present is used in commentaries.) 4. causes

5. gives (The simple present is used in reviews.) 6. opens, closes

2. Use of present progressive:

1) The present progressive is used to denote an action in progress at the moment of speaking. e.g. Hurry up! We’re all waiting for you.

2) The present progressive can express an action in progress at a period of time including the present.

e.g. Jane is studying law while her sister is doing physics.

3) The present progressive is used to denote a future happening according to a definite plan or arrangement.

e.g. I’m going to Shanghai for the summer holiday.

When you are talking with him, take care not to mention this.

4) The present progressive can be used to denote an action in the immediate past and to make even politer requests with such verbs as hope, wonder.

e.g. You don’t believe it? You know I’m telling the truth. I’m wondering if I may have a word with you.

Practice

Complete the following sentences using the present progressive. 1. She constantly _____________ (complain) about the house. 2. If you ________ (stand) at the corner, I’ll give you a lift. 3. I ___________ (hope) you’ll give us some advice.

4. I can’t understand why he ________ (be) so selfish. He isn’t usually like that.

5. I ________ (read) an interesting book at the moment. I’ll lend it to you when I’ve finished it.

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6. — Oh, I’ve left the lights on again.

— Typical! You always ____________ (leave) them on. Keys:

1. is constantly complaining ( the present progressive is used to express one’s feelings) 2. are standing (The present progressive is used to denote a future happening ) 3. am hoping (The present progressive is used to make even politer requests.) 4. is being ( The present progressive suggests temporariness.) 5. am reading

6. are always leaving ( The present progressive emphasizes the continuousness of the action.)

3. Progressive verbs vs. non-progressive verbs:

The present progressive is commonly associated with durative dynamic verbs such as work, play, study, live, write, etc. which are progressive verbs. Those momentary verbs, denoting very short duration, such as shoot, jump, nod, put, etc. and stative verbs such as think, know, belong, believe, like, etc., are non-progressive verbs.

e.g. Peter shoots and —yes, it’s a goal. The crowd are cheering and the other players are

running up to congratulate him.

Practice

Fill in the blanks with the proper forms of the given verbs. 1. Do you ________ (believe) what he says?

2. I ________ (place) the test tube over the flames; now you can see that the liquid ________ (begin) to change color.

3. You must let me pay for the meal. I _________. (insist) 4. I _________ (know) Peter well. I’ll introduce you to him. 5. I __________ (gather) Peter’s looking for a job. Keys:

1. believe ( non-progressive verb)

2. place (a momentary verb used as a non-progressive verb), is beginning 3. insist (non-progressive verb) 4. know (non-progressive verb) 5. gather (non-progressive verb)

III. Translation exercises

1． 政府下决心无论如何要避免食品价格陡然上涨。(at all costs) Explanation：

Also, at any cost or price: regardless of the expense or effort involved, by any means Translation：

The government is determined to avoid at all costs a sharp rise in food price. Practice：

要不惜一切代价在三周内把桥修好。

The bridge must be repaired within three weeks at all costs.

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