Unit 1:
1．Which sentence in the first paragraph establishes the link between the driving of a nail and the choice of a word? 2．So with language firmly and exactly.
2. what does the word “this” in sentence 1,para 2, refer to? Getting the word that is completely right for the writer’s purpose.
3．Do you agree with the author that there is a great deal of truth in the seemingly stupid question “How can I know what I think till I see what I say?”
The question sounds irrational, but is true. Unless we have found the exact words to verbalize our own thoughts, we can never be very sure of what our thoughts are. Without words, our thoughts can not be defined or stated in a clear and precise manner.
4. expain why the word “imprison” in the example given in para.9, though not a malapropism, is still not the right word for the writer’s purpose?
“malapropism” means the unintentional misuse of a word by confusing it with one that resembles it, such as “human” for
“humane”, “singularity” for “singleness”. But the misuse of imprison is different case, it is wrongly chosen because the user has failed to recognise its associations.
5.Please make comments on the three pairs of examples given in this section. Compare and contrast their differences in meaning.
human: of, or relating to man. (human being; human nature; human rights)
humane: characterized by kindness, mercy, or compassion. (humane judge,humane officer)
Human action = action taken by human; Humane action = merciful action; Human killer = person that kills human;
Humane killer = instruments which kill but cause little pain, esp. those for the painless killing of animals.
6. what does the word “alive” in the sentence “a student needs to be alive to these differences” (para.9)mean?
Sensitive, alert.
7. the writer begins his article with an analogy between the unskilled use of the hammer and the improper choice of words.
indentify the places where the analogy is referred to in the rest of the article.
“we don’t have to look far afield to find the evidence of carpentry”(para.5)
“it is perhaps easier to be a good craftman with wood and nail than a good craftsman with words.”(para.9)
“a good carpenter is not distinguished by the number of his tools, but by the craftsmanship with which he uses them. So a good writer is not measured by the extent of his vocabulary, but by his skill in finding the “mot juste”, the word that will hit the nail cleanly on the head.”(para.11)
Paraphrase
1.A writer who pay great attention to expressing the exact English will never be satisfied with a word which can not express an idea accurately.
2.For the reader can easily understand what kind of feelings and thoughts we want to convey, we need to be careful to choose the words we used in article.
3.Finding the most suitable word is in no sense easy. But
there is nothing like the delight and excitement we shall experience when we pick up such a word.
4.If we can use language accurately we are in a position to totally understand the subject matter.
Tanslation
1. 在举出许多事实并列出一些统计数字后，他终于把他的论点说清楚了。(drive sth. home)
After citing many facts and giving a number of statistical figures, he finally drove home his point.
2. 差不多花了半年功夫，我们才完成了那个研究项目。(more or less)
It took us half a year more or less to carry through the research project.
3. 他说的话如此微妙，我们很难理解他的真实意图。(subtle)
What he said was so subtle that we could hardly make out his true intention.
4. 他的新书一针见血地审视了当代的社会问题。(squarely)
His new book looks squarely at the contemporary social problems.
5. 今日的年轻一代对互联网上的最新信息很关注。(be alive to)
The younger generation today are very much alive to the latest information found on the Internet.
6. 外语是不是在童年更容易学好？这是一个观点问题。(a matter of)
It is a matter of opinion whether a foreign language is more easily learned in one’s childhood or otherwise.
7. 在挫折面前千万不要丧失信心；鼓起勇气坚定不移地去克服它。(take courage)
Never lose heart in the face of a setback; take courage and deal with it squarely.
8. 适量的米饭、肉类、蔬菜、水果构成均衡的饮食。(constitute)
Adequate amounts of rice, meat, vegetables, and fruit constitute a balanced diet.
Unit 2 Paraphrase
1 The result is, the sea,the cradle of many civilizations, is seriously polluted. It is the first of the seas that has been made to suffer from a situation resulting from development mixed with an irresponsible mentality.
2Further, while the places such as Cannes and Tel Aviv dispose of their wastes through a pipe stretching out half a mile from the shore, most cities do not bother to do that but simply dump their sewage directly into the sea along the coastline.
3 There is an even bigger hazard hidden in the seafood dishes that are forever so appealing to those holiday makers.
4 Factories are set up around the coastline, few of which, including the most sophisticated, have been equipped with a satisfactory system for dealing with their effluents. Translation
1. 我觉得曾见过他，但一时想不起他的名字。(escape)
I thought I had met him before, but his name just escaped me at the moment.
2. 阔别多年，他已经不再是我记忆中的那个纯真少年，而变成了一个老于世故的生意人。(sophisticated)
After years of separation, he was no longer the innocent lad that I had remembered; rather he had turned into a sophisticated businessman.
3. “占领华尔街”运动的起因之一是美国国内日益扩大的贫富差距。(affluent)
One of the motives of the \was the ever-widening gap between the affluent and the impoverished in the U.S.
4. 由于这个灯塔附近有一个海军基地，外国游客不得登塔。(deny)
Foreign visitors are denied access to the light-house as there is a naval base nearby.
5. 吸毒几乎毫无例外地和盗窃、卖淫联系在一起。(go hand in hand)
Almost without exception, drug addiction goes hand in hand with robbery and prostitution.
6. 这个高尔夫俱乐部不对外开放，只为VIP会员服务。(exclusively)
This golf club is not open to the public; it serves exclusively VIP club members.
7. 为讨得皇帝的欢心，这几个皇妃无所不为。(vie) In vying for the king's affection and favour, the imperial concubines resorted to every means possible.
8. 他小时候被狗咬过，所以对狗一直有点戒心。(wary of)
He was bitten by a dog when a child, so he has been wary of dogs ever since.
Unit 3
1. In the Hoffmann’s opinion “simplicity” is the best word to describe the essense of Einstein’s character. The abstract notion of simplicity is explained by a phrase in the first paragraph. Which is it?
“going instinctively to the heart of a matter”
2. from the two anecdotes related in paras.2-4, what impression of Einstein have you got?
Einstein was a very modest, never thinking himself any superior to or more authoritative than others because of his fame and achievements as a great scientist of the time.
3. what, according to the author, is Einstein’s most outstanding trait as a scientist?
Concentration. Refer to the first sentence of Paragraph 9. 4. why did Einstein insist on working hard when he was so badly shaken by his wife’s death?
Working hard requires concentration, which would help him to dispel the feeling of sorrow.
5. how do you interpret the sentence in para.11 “to help him, I steeered the discussion away from routine matters into more difficult theoretical problems”?
Tackling more difficult theoretical problems requires greater concentration and absorption. This would help him temporarily forget the sadness caused by his wife’s death.. 6. what revelation is made through Einstein’s comment on Beethoven and Mozart’s works?
As a simple man, Einstein takes it that beauty exists in the Universe. Such beauty is natural, pure, and simple. Beauty found is even greater and more admirable than beauty created.
7. how did Einstein feel about the destructive effect produced as a result of the application of his E=mc2 formula?
This is something he had not expected. He was greatly dismayed by the devastating effect his formula produced once it was put into application.
8.with his favorite anecdote related in para.19, Hoffmann aims to illustrate Einstein’s whimsically. Do you think he is really a whimsical man? What personality trait other than being whimsical is revealed here?
He was not really a whimsical man. If he could be called a whimsical man, then his whimsicality came from the young heart and childlike innocence which he had managed to retain.
Paraphrase
1. In the Hoffmann’s opinion “simplicity” is the best word to describe the essense of Einstein’s character. The abstract notion of simplicity is explained by a phrase in the first paragraph. Which is it?
“going instinctively to the heart of a matter”
2. from the two anecdotes related in paras.2-4, what impression of Einstein have you got?
Einstein was a very modest, never thinking himself any superior to or more authoritative than others because of his fame and achievements as a great scientist of the time.
3. what, according to the author, is Einstein’s most outstanding trait as a scientist?
Concentration. Refer to the first sentence of Paragraph 9. 4. why did Einstein insist on working hard when he was so badly shaken by his wife’s death?
Working hard requires concentration, which would help him to dispel the feeling of sorrow.
5. how do you interpret the sentence in para.11 “to help him, I steeered the discussion away from routine matters into more difficult theoretical problems”?
Tackling more difficult theoretical problems requires greater concentration and absorption. This would help him temporarily forget the sadness caused by his wife’s death..
6. what revelation is made through Einstein’s comment on Beethoven and Mozart’s works?
As a simple man, Einstein takes it that beauty exists in the Universe. Such beauty is natural, pure, and simple. Beauty found is even greater and more admirable than beauty created. 7. how did Einstein feel about the destructive effect produced as a result of the application of his E=mc2 formula?
This is something he had not expected. He was greatly dismayed by the devastating effect his formula produced once it was put into application.
8.with his favorite anecdote related in para.19, Hoffmann aims to illustrate Einstein’s whimsically. Do you think he is really a whimsical man? What personality trait other than being whimsical is revealed here?
He was not really a whimsical man. If he could be called a whimsical man, then his whimsicality came from the young heart and childlike innocence which he had managed to retain.
Translation
1. 他按了下汽车喇叭以引起路上行人的警觉。(alert)
He honked his car horn to alert the pedestrians. 2. 信息工程的迅速发展是人类努力作出尝试的一个突出事例。(endeavour)
The fast development of information technology is an outstanding example of human endeavour.
3. Mary试图找到恰当的语言来表达她对老师的感激。(grope)
Mary groped for the appropriate words to express her indebtedness to her teacher.
4.学校校长以平易的话语向年轻人传递了富有挑战性的信息。(convey)
The school principal's plain words conveyed a message of challenge to the young people.
5. 不要胡乱摆弄电线，要不然会引起电线短路。(tamper with)
Don't tamper with the wires, or you may cause a short circuit.
6. 他自以为在竞争中可以战胜任何对手，但是过分的自信使他失败了。(fail vt.)
He thought he could beat everyone at the competition, but his excessive self-confidence failed him.
7. 他说的话似乎简单明了，但是其中暗含的意思我们没能理解。(fathom)
What he said seemed simple and clear, but the meaning implied we could hardly fathom.8.
8. 他试图把小组漫无目的的谈话引导到一些有建设性的话题上去。(steer)
He tried to steer the group's random talk towards some constructive subjects.
Unit 4
1.how do you account for Harrington’s use n para.2 of the first person singular, which is not found anywhere else in the passage?
To enforce his assertion that the other America did exist though most Americans might not believe it just because they had never been there personally. What Harrington is trying to say is “I myself was once ignorant of its existence, but now I can prove to you that it does exist.”
2.what, according to Harrington, has rendered poverty less visible in rural America?
Refer to paras.4-5
Rural poverty is hidden away from tourists who normally travel on highways without penetrating into the country, and sometimes is masked by its natural beauty.
3.how has urban development contributed to the reduced awareness of the existence of the poor?
Refer to paras.8-10
Urban transformation leads to the distributional segregation of poverty, and urban renewal creates the false impression about the existence of the poor.
4.what have mass-production and age to do with the invisiblity of poverty?
Refer to paras.11-14
Mass production of garments enables even the poor to be decently dressed. Most poor people are aged; they are less mobile and thus less visible.
5.how do you understand the statement “the poor are politically invisble”?
politically, the poor are not adequately represented; and their voice is not heard an attended to in the political life of the nation.
Paraphrase
1The beautiful clothes worn by the poor and the myth story about the affluent society always cover the severe fact of the poor.
U4.2 The middle class was misled by the beauty and myths mask of the poverty, and their unawareness made more complex this separation between the rich and the poor.
Translation
1. 你能理解他那夸夸其谈的长篇大论的意义吗？(make out)
Can you make out the meaning of his long-winded harangue?
2. 他正在为考试结果担忧，因此根本没用心听访问教授的讲课。(not in the least)
Being worried about his exam results, he was not in the least attentive to the visiting professor's lecture.
3. 是儿童还是成人能更容易地在短期内学会一门外语的基础知识？这是一个有争议的问题。(rudiments)
Is it easier for a child or a grown-up to acquire the rudiments of a foreign language in a short period of time? This is a controversial question.
4. 他所说的关于短训班的事对你有吸引力吗？(appeal to)
Did what he said about the short-term training course appeal to you?
5. 史蒂夫·乔布斯的传记鼓舞着他在研究工作中作出更多有创意的努力。(inspire)
The biography of Steve Jobs inspired him to greater creative efforts in doing research.
6. 对西部贫困地区没有机会接受正常教育的孩子我们应该不闻不问吗？(indifferent)
Should we be indifferent to the children who are denied the opportunity of a normal education in the impoverished regions in the west?
7. 校委会最近作出的决定对我们的课程设置没有什么影响。(bear on)
The decision made recently by the school board had little to bear on our curriculum.
8. 这条船造得很牢固，经得起任何风暴的袭击。(withstand)
The ship was so strongly built that it can withstand any storm.
Unit 5
1Children have become television addicts, devoting much of the time when they are together to watching TV.
U5.2 Television is not merely one among many important factors that may influence a child today.
U5.3 Television has brought about great changes in family life, playing the dominant role in shaping the lives of children today.
U5.4 .....the television has its magic power over people. As soon as the television is on, people stop talking and doing anything else, becoming lifeless statues before the TV screen.
U5.5 The moment a child sits down to watch television is the moment his growth towards maturity is suspended.
Translation
1. 无法回避的严酷现实浇灭了他们对美好未来的浪漫憧憬。(dispel)
The harsh reality they could not evade dispelled all their romantic hopes for a rosy future.
2. 由于不可预料的天气，我们的运动会将延期到下周举行。(postpone)
Our sports meet will be postponed to next week because of the unpredictable weather.
3. 凡是来参观展览会的人，不论是谁都必须出示他／她的身份证。(no matter)
Every visitor to this exhibition must show his / her identity card no matter who he / she is.
4. 旧城中心的改造计划要得到市政府的批准。 (be subject to)
The renovation plan for the old city center is subject to the approval of the municipal government.
5. 一次又一次的挫折和失败并没有使他的希望破灭。(wither)
The experience of repeated setbacks and failures did not wither away his hopes.
6. 电子邮件传递信息又快又便利，已经在相当大的程度上替代了传统的邮递。(replace)
E-mail is so quick and convenient in sending messages that it has already replaced traditional mail service to a large extent.
7. 看到长城使他产生一种惊讶的感觉。(evoke) The sight of the Great Wall evoked a sense of wonder in him.
8. 质量控制工具的保养是会很昂贵的。(maintenance) The maintenance of quality-control instruments can be very costly.
Unit 6
1. 如果对这台器械有不清楚的地方，你可以写信到我们总公司去询问。(address)
If there is anything you are not clear about the device, address your inquiry to our head office.
2. 在执行计划之前，我们最好把它的每一个方面考虑仔细，看看是否切实可行。(scrutinize)
Before we put the new plan into practice, we had better scrutinize every aspect of it to make sure that it is practicable.
3. 新的规章执行后，我们预期这地区的治安情况会有好转。(a change for the better)
We expect that there will be a change for the better in the security situation of this area after the new regulations are implemented.
4. 不要把他的话当真。他不过是开个玩笑而已。(literally)
Don't take his words literally. He's just cracking a joke.
5. 在农业中应用固氮作用(nitrogen fixation)的前景良好。(prospect)
The prospect of employing nitrogen fixation in agriculture is promising.
6. 他想发明一种不留痕迹的涂改液，但却以失败而告终。(contrive)
His attempt at contriving a correcting fluid which leaves no marks on paper ended in failure.
7. 那个外国人不会说汉语，他用手势表达他的要求，但是无法把意思表达出来。(get sth. across)
The foreigner who did not speak Chinese gestured to make a request, but he just couldn't get his idea across.
8. 他不考虑这件事多么紧迫而断然拒绝，不留一丝余地。(once and for all)
Without considering the urgency of the matter, he gave us a flat refusal, once and for all.
Unit Seven
1. 他怪异的行为有悖于一般的良好行为规范。(run counter to)
His peculiar behaviour runs counter to the popular concept of good conduct.
2. 可以肯定的是，历史上鲜有人能同时在科学和数学领域的成就比牛顿更突出。(impact)
What is certain is that few people in history have created a greater impact than Newton on the development of both science and mathematics.
3. 你不该嘲笑孩子的失败，应该鼓励他们再去尝试。(deride)
You are not supposed to deride children for their failures; you should encourage them to try again, instead.
4. 在Judy毕业典礼那天，她的叔叔婶婶以丰盛的晚餐来款待她。(sumptuous)
On her graduation day, Judy was treated to a sumptuous dinner by her uncle and aunt.
5. 对于他在公司的过往表现，没有人有什么不满。(with respect to)
With respect to his past record in the firm, no one has anything to complain about.
6. 他们的自由与我们的自由息息相关，我们不能单独行动。(inextricably)
Their freedom is inextricably bound to ours. We cannot act alone.
7. 我年迈的叔祖母不习惯使用那些市场上盛行的一次性物品。(disposable)
My aged great aunt is not used to the disposable goods which flood the market today.
8. 他在考试中作弊被抓住后，名字马上被从应考者名单上删去。(eliminate)
His name was immediately eliminated from the list of candidates after he was caught cheating in the exam.
Unit Eight
1.他企图影射John 是肇事者，结果是徒劳的。(insinuate, futile)
His attempt at insinuating that John was the culprit turned out to be futile.
2.每当没能完成期望他做的事时，他都善于临时编个借口来为自己开脱。(improvise)
He is very clever at improvising excuses each time he fails to do what is expected of him.
3.他的西藏之行可以让他想参加布达拉宫的愿望如愿以偿了。(gratify)
His trip to Tibet may well gratify his desire to see the Potala.
4.这家公司人力资源雄厚，足以应对其他大公司的挑战。(command)
This corporation commands distinguished human resources, rich enough to meet challenges from other big corporations.
5.我认为这恐怕不是我们双方都能接受的变通办法。我们难道想不出一个更好的方案来处理这个问题？(alternative)
I don’t think that could be an acceptable alternative for both of us. Can’t we come up with a better one for this problem?
6.总爱胡思乱想和动不动就心血来潮都是有害的。(caprice)
It’s harmful to indulge in whims and caprices. 7.对不属于你的东西不要有非分之想。(lay one’s hands on, be entitled to)
Try not to lay your hands on anything that you are not entitled to.
8.他没来参加竞赛。很可能把这件事全给忘了。 (it may well be that)
He did not come to the competition. It may well be that he had forgotten all about it.
Unit Nine
1.比赛的结果不仅取决于球员的个人技术，还取决于全队所有球员能否把握好时机。(timing)
The outcome of the game depends not just on the skills of individual players but also on the timing of all the players of the team.
2.接下来我想问的是，我们如何维持一个恒定的自我呢？(self-identity)
What I want to ask next is how we could sustain a constant self-identity.
3.从迷梦中醒悟过来之后他为自己所做的蠢事感到可耻。(infatuation)
He felt ashamed of himself for the foolish things he had done when his infatuation was over.
4.皮肤科医生告诫人们要小心阳光的直射，因为会有患皮肤癌的危险。(warn)
Skin doctors warn people to be careful with direct sun exposure because of the risk of skin cancer.
5.她的头部伤得很厉害，但是她最终还是爬出了窗口。(manage to)
Her head was seriously injured, but she eventually managed to climb out of the window.
6.我们该怎么做才能使我们的展览摊位比别人的更突出呢？(stand out)
How can we make our exhibit booth stand out from the others?
7.他设法冒充一名绅士，但每个人都知道他只是一个暴发户。(pass for)
He tried to pass for a gentleman, but everyone knew he was just an upstart.
8.他强调说，政界人士和媒体评论员都应该在言辞上有所冷静。(rhetoric)
He stresses that both politicians and commentators in the media need to cool their rhetoric.
Unit Eleven
1. 不要期望每做一件小事就有酬报。从长远来看，你所做的全部努力都会得到适当的回报。(remunerate)
Don’t expect to be remunerated for every little thing you do. In the long run, all the efforts you have made will be duly rewarded.
2.植树造林在美化环境、丰富自然、发展国民经济方面都起着举足轻重的作用。(replenish)
Planting is the most important part of creating a beautiful environment, replenishing nature and developing the national economy.
3. 那天是植树节。所有的志愿者都积极投入工作，种了数千棵柳树。(pitch in)
It was the Tree-planting Day. All the volunteers pitched in and planted thousands of willow trees.
4. 不像他那性情温和的妹妹，他脾气急躁，并且动不动就训斥别人。(fulminate)
Unlike his sweet-tempered sister, he has a quick temper and he fulminates at people easily.
5. 在反腐斗争中，努力减少腐败比根除腐败更有效。(diminish)
In the fight against corruption, it is more helpful to try to diminish it rather than eradicate it.
6. 在参加辩论之前，你必须确定你所有的论点都正确并且都有根据。(ascertain)
Before you take part in a debate, you are advised to ascertain that all your arguments are sound and well-grounded.
7. 他们应该学会解决问题和冲突，启发灵感和批判性思考问题的方法。(resolve)
They should learn to solve problems and resolve conflicts, and to brainstorm and think critically.
8. 他一再催促逼迫，使我都不愿意去参加下一周的聚会了。(disincline)
All his pushing and goading disinclined me towards going to the party next weekend.