rare指难得发生的事或难遇见的人或事，侧重特殊性。例如： The black-necked crane is one of the rarest species in the world.
deliver vt. give birth to 分娩
e.g. My sister-in-law delivered a healthy girl last night. My mother delivered me at Sibly Memorial hospital.
Expressions: in / under … circumstances stand out pull away in contrast to in / under… circumstances in … situation 在??情况下
e.g. Jane is my truest friend, so I can trust her in any circumstances.
Under the circumstances, it seemed better not to tell him about the accident.
stand out have an easily-seen shape, colour, etc.; be very noticeable 显著，显眼；杰出，突出 e.g. That fashion model always stands out in a crowd no matter where she is. Every tree, wall and fence stood out against dazzling white fields.
pull away (esp. of a vehicle or its driver) start to move away from the side of the road or another moving vehicle （车辆或司机）驶离（路边或另一开动的车辆） e.g. The driver waved us goodbye as he pulled away.
I stood in the driveway and watched him back out and pull away.
in contrast to in comparison with objects or situations so that differences are made after 与……形成对比[对照]
e.g. The company lost $7 million this quarter in contrast to a profit of $6 million a year earlier.
In contrast to the surroundings, she was young, pretty and brisk.
Section B Difficult Sentences
1. He makes it his business to learn the stop of every regular passenger. (Para. 4) Q: Translate this sentence into Chinese.
A: 他特意记住了每个经常乘坐的人的下车地点。 Q: Make a sentence with the itzlicized structure.
A: The restaurant manager makes it his business to ensure I am happy and comfortable every time I‘m there.
2. Her worn clothing suggests she doesn‘t have much money to spare, but she always clutches an extra cup of coffee for the driver. (Para. 5) Q: Translate this sentence into Chinese.
A: 她破旧的衣服表明她并没有多少余钱，但她总是会给司机带一杯咖啡。 Q: Paraphrase this sentence.
A: From the old clothes she‘s wearing, one can tell that she is probably poor, but she uses what little money she has to buy a cup of coffee for the driver, which shows how much this bus trip
25
means to her.
3. For many months, our only sadness lay in our inability to establish the same rapport with the silent woman at the front of the bus. (Para. 10) Q: Translate this sentence into Chinese.
A: 好多个月的时间里，我们唯一伤心的事是不能和坐在车前部的那个沉默的女人建立起同样的融洽关系。
Q: Make a sentence with the italicized structure.
A: The root of the problem in relationship lies in our inability to forgive the other says.
4. The night lengthened and grew cozy, and when we parted as friends — we shared names. (Para. 16)
Q: Translate this sentence into Chinese. A: 这个夜晚持续了很久，变得很温暖，我们告别时已成了朋友——这一次我们交换了姓名。 Q: What is the implied meaning of the italicized part?
A: We talked for a long time and as we got to know each other better, we felt more comfortable and closer.
Section C COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS ▇ Comprehension questions （Para. 1）
Q: What was the former belief of the author and his wife?
A: They used to feel that it was virtually impossible to be a true friend to someone whose name they didn‘t know.
Q: What have changed their thinking?
A: Years of Sunday-morning bus trip through the city with the same ―nameless‖ people have changed their thinking.
▇ Comprehension questions （Paras. 2-4）
Q: What does the author tell us about the regular bus driver?
A: He is a dutiful bus driver. Judging by his walrus moustache which is white at the edges and his well-worn face, we may know that he is not young. He is a very kind person and always smiles benignly at his passengers. He is a very careful driver. He keeps the bus clean and expects every passenger to obey the written and unwritten rules that govern the trip. He knows his regular passengers well and regards it his responsibility to remember where each regular passenger should get off the bus.
Q: Why is teamwork far more important than knowing names in the author‘s opinion?
A: Because to ensure a pleasant bus ride, everyone should cooperate as if in a team. The driver should perform his duties well and the passengers should obey the written and unwritten rules. There should be no smoking, no littering, and everyone should behave in a polite and decent manner. Under such circumstances, names are no longer important.
▇ Comprehension questions （Paras. 5-6）
Q: What do they usually do before the bus leaves the station?
A: They all look around and check in their minds if every regular passenger is on the bus. Q: What do you know about the silent woman?
A: She sits up front and never responds to others‘ greetings. Her worn clothing suggests that she
26
doesn‘t have much spare money. However, she is always considerate enough to get a cup of coffee for the driver.
Q: Why does the factory security guard close his eyes during his bus trip?
A: He must be very tired after working a long night shift. But he can open his eyes at the precise moment when the driver approaches his stop and then gets off the bus.
▇ Comprehension questions （Paras. 7-9）
Q: What happened to the rotund gentleman one morning?
A: One morning, as he moved forward to board the bus, he fell down on the sidewalk and was badly hurt. The others all tried to help. They cradled his head until an ambulance arrived. They were all very sad and prayed for him in silence.
Q: Why did the passengers feel a little pride when they think of the new-born baby of the Mexican couple?
A: By taking the same bus together for a long time, they care about each other as if they are of one big family. They have observed how the loving Mexican couple were expecting their baby and now that the baby was born, they all feel happy for the young Mexican couple. Q: Why does the author say that they hate to leave the meeting point without the Haitians?
A: Because the Haitian friends have such a sense of fun that the passengers feel happy when they are aboard. So, although they are always late because of their tricky bus route, the passengers are willing to wait for them.
▇ Comprehension questions （Paras. 10-11）
Q: What is the only thing that the author and his wife feel sad about during their Sunday-morning bus trip for many months?
A: They can‘t develop a friendly relationship with the silent woman at the front of the bus. She never responds to their cheery greetings. They feel sad about it.
Q: What was the response of the silent woman when they greeted her in the fish restaurant?
A: When the couple greeted her with the friendly familiarity they had shown all year, she showed her happy recognition this time and responded with a shy smile. Q: Why was the woman silent on the bus?
A: As the author and his wife later found out, the woman had a speech impediment. She was silent because talking was hard for her.
▇ Comprehension questions （Paras. 12-16）
Q: What do you know about the family life of the silent woman?
A: She was a single mother with a disabled son who was receiving special care away from home. She lived alone and felt lonely. The bus ride was the best thing she did all week, and an occasional visit to the fish restaurant was almost as good as the second best thing. She missed her son very much.
Q: Why did she ride the bus on Sunday mornings?
A: She rode the bus on Sunday mornings simply for the companionship of the driver whose name she didn‘t know, but who appreciated the hot coffee she brought.
Q: How did the author and his wife feel about the dinner with the silent woman?
A: They all had a wonderful time. For the silent woman, an occasional visit to the fish restaurant
27
was a pleasant experience and this time, it was even better with the companionship of her friends—the author and his wife. The author and his wife also enjoyed the dinner and they felt that the fish had never tasted better.
Q: What happened when they left the restaurant?
A: When they left the restaurant, they were already friends with each other. And they shared their names.
Part IV Optional Classroom Activities
1. In 2012, six Chinese college students had an adventure of hitch-hiking round China. They visited 50 cities and started their journey with 300 yuan each. By working part-time and with the help of strangers, they successfully finished their trip. Surf the Internet (http://epaper.xkb.com.cn/view.php?id=807210) and learn more about their adventure. If you were invited to take part in a trip like this, would you go? Why or why not? Work with your group members and debate the pros and cons of such an adventure.
2. One characteristic of a civilized and harmonious society is that it shows evidence of moral and intellectual advancement. Surely it is humane, ethical, and reasonable to lend a hand to fellow citizens in their time of need. But from time to time we hear reports about individuals refusing to perform acts of kindness to help those in need. A typical example is that of a two-year-old girl in the city of Foshan in Guangdong province who was hit by two vehicles after wandering onto the road on October 13, 2011. The girl, who was later known as ―Xiao Yueyue‖, lay unconscious and bleeding on the ground for seven minutes as 18 people passed by her body, none of whom stopped to check on her or help. The incident was captured by a surveillance camera, and it sparked an outcry from Chinese media and netizens alike, criticizing the lack of morals of a society that would pass by an individual in need without attempting to help in some way. What do you think of the ―Xiao Yueyue‖ incident? How do you react when encountering a case like this? Would you help an old man who has accidentally fallen down on the subway? Would you buy goods recommended by a stranger? Reflect on these questions and share your opinions with your group members.
Par V Enhance Your Language Awareness
Section A Useful Expressions Useful Expressions from Text A come upon has become a national motto rely solely on
Chinese Equivalences 碰到 已经成为全国性的信条 完全依赖 28