
1. Explain the underlined part in each sentence in your own words.
1)The first time I went to Washington D.C. was on the edge of the
at the beginning of
2)Preparations were in the air around our house before school was even over.
the whole family were already either actually busy making preparations or enjoying the ambience
3)In fact, my first trip to Washington was a mobile feast.
a large enjoyable meal on the train
4)…as if we had never been Black before.
as if we had never been mistreated for being black.
5)My parents wouldn't speak of this injustice, not because they had contributed to it.
had partially caused
6)My fury was not going to be acknowledged by a like fury.
was not going to be openly sympathized with by people displaying a similar anger
2. Fill in each blank with one of the two words from each pair in their appropriate forms and note the difference of meaning between them.
bruise scar
Explanation: bruise indicates an injury of the surface flesh, caused by a blow that does not necessarily break the skin and that results in a marked skin; the word can also suggest the tendency to turn black-and-blue from small impacts. Scar refers to the forming of a mark over a healed wound or suggests the doing of damage that will leave a lasting mark.
1)Be sure to store these tropical fruits carefully as they bruise easily.
2)She continued massaging her right foot, which was bruised and aching.
3)He was scarred for life during a pub fight.
4)This is something that's going to scar him forever.
dampen soak
Explanation: Dampen is to make or become somewhat wet, emphasizing the moist condition that results. In a figurative sense, the word means to depress. Soak means to wet thoroughly, implying immersion. To soak something is to place it in liquid and leave it long enough for the liquid to act upon it.
1)Nothing quite beats the luxury of soaking in a long and hot bath at the end of a tiring day.
2)Dampen the stamp at the back and stick it on the envelope; there you are.
3)I've gotten my feet thoroughly soaked in the cold, feeling frozen through and through.
4)I hate to dampen your spirits, but aren't you overlooking a few minor points?
acknowledge admit
Explanation: Acknowledge is to accept responsibility for something one makes known, and we acknowledge something embarrassing or awkward, and usually not voluntarily; more often, the acknowledgment is extracted from one more or less unwillingly. Admit is a bold acknowledgment of implication in something one has formerly tended to deny or to equivocate about.
1)"There are some faults which men readily admit but others not so readily” (Epictetus).
2)The general finally acknowledged that the war had not been going as well as expected, but he affirmed that a shift in strategy would enhance the prospects of victory.
3)His cooking reflects a determination to acknowledge his northern roots.
4)He admitted under questioning that he was in the service of a foreign power, but denied that he was guilty of espionage.
agony anguish
Explanation Agony represents suffering, the endurance of which calls forth every human resource. Its severity is of such extent that the word is often used to denote the struggle and pain that may precede death. Anguish points to the extremity of grief which so terrifies the spirit as to be insupportable.
1)In a Guatemalan prison, the man lingered in agony for 18 minutes when the lethal injection finally took effect.
2)So you will be saving these villagers a lot of trouble and anguish if you tell us now where they are.
3)No child deserves to live in the shadow of fear, anguish and pain.
4)The driver screamed in agony and dropped the automatic as he was crushed between the door and the chassis.
3. Fill in the blank in each sentence with a word or phrase taken from the box, using its appropriate form.
ensconce agony vulnerable in private dazzle avow travesty dainty approve relieve decree flair
1)The local council has decreed that the hospitals that are not able to reach the service standards should close.
2)When Hamlet murmured "To be, or not to be," he was faced with a(n) agonizing dilemma.
3)The young mother smiled approvingly at her son, who asked to play outdoors.
4)The Prime Minister is now firmly ensconced in Downing Street with a large majority.
5)We need a manager with plenty of flair to run the business in China.
6)It is noticed that quick-minded people suffer no vulnerability to criticism.
7)It was a relief to be outside in the fresh air again after staying weeks-long underground.
8)The government's avowed commitment to reduce tax has been largely appreciated.
4. Make a sentence of your own for each of the given words with meanings other than those used in the text. You may change the part of speech of these words.
1)present
John presented me with the challenge, and I took it up.
2)capital
To open a supermarket demands a large amount of capital.
3)pack
Well, it’s your turn to shuffle the pack and deal the cards.
4)move
It would be a wise move to check the market first.
5)counter
The results of the test ran counter to expectations.
6)drop
Is there a drop of tea left in the pot?
5. Fill in each blank with a definite, indefinite, or zero article.
(1) The concept of (2) / sleep research is (3) a fairly new development. (4) A lot of experimental work is done to increase our knowledge about (5) / insomnia and other sleep-related problems in order to help (6) / people who are deprived of (7) / sleep. Some of these studies have shown that, although some people have (8) / trouble falling asleep, (9) / others have (10) an equally difficult time waking up. It is believed that there is (11) a natural cycle which regulates (12) / man's body temperature.
During (13) the night (14) a person's temperature may drop one or two degrees, and it can be difficult to arouse him in (15) the morning if his body hasn't become hot enough yet. In addition, (16) a person awakened during (17) a period of (18) / heavy sleep is irritable and cannot think clearly. Finally, some people don't want to get up simply because they don't like (19) the activity that awaits them.
Tips: An online brief introduction ()
How to Use Articles (a/an/the)
The can be used with non-count nouns, or the article can be omitted entirely.
A/an can be used only with count nouns. Some common types of nouns that don't take an article are:
Names of languages and nationalities;
Names of sports;
Names of academic subjects.
6. Put a word in each blank that is appropriate for the context.
I remember the very day that I became colored. Up (1) to my thirteenth year I lived in the little Negro town of Eatonville, Florida. The only (2) white people I knew passed through the town going to or coming (3) from Orlando. The native whites rode dusty horses, and the Northern tourists chugged down the sandy village road in automobiles. The Northerners were peered at cautiously from behind curtains by the (4) timid. The more venturesome would come out on the porch to watch them go past and got just as (5) much pleasure out of the tourists as the tourists got out of the village.
During this period, white people (6) differed from the colored to me only in that they rode through town and never (7) lived there. They liked to hear me “speak pieces” and sing and wanted to see me dance, and (8) gave me generously of their small silver for doing these things, which seemed (9) strange to me for I wanted to do them so much that I needed bribing to (10) stop . Only they didn’t know it. The colored people gave no dimes.
IV. Translation
1. Translating Sentences
1)我自己还没有看过,不过大家都认为是一部好片子。(suppose)
I haven’t seen it myself, but it is supposed to be a really good movie.
suppose vt. assume, believe, accept as true; pretend that sth. is true; take sth. as a fact
be supposed to do sth: be expected or required to do sth.
e.g. Am I supposed to be at the meeting on Tuesday?
Latin America is supposed to be a pretty inexpensive place to travel in.
This restaurant is supposed to make excellent salads.
e.g. Scientists can only suppose that the illness is caused by a virus.
2)女主人把奶酪切成一口一块的大小,客人们吃起来就方便了。(bite-size)
The hostess cut the cheese into bite-size pieces; therefore, it would be more convenient for the guests to eat it.
bite-size adj.(usa. before noun)
a)small enough to be put whole into your mouth
e.g. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
b)small enough to be read or dealt with easily
e.g. The guides are produced in bite-sized sections.
3)睡眠不足的话,很少有人能够正常生活。(deprive)
No one can function properly if they are deprived of adequate sleep.
deprive vt. if you deprive someone of something, you take it away from them or prevent them from having it
deprive someone of something
e.g. As a child he had been deprived of love and attention.
The courts cannot deprive me of the right to see my child.
4)他细心地学我的样子,装作什么怪事都没有发生。(copy)
He carefully copied my pretense that nothing unusual had occurred.
copy vt.
a)to make a copy that is the same as the original thing
e.g. They were charged with illegally copying videotapes.
b)to do something in the same way as someone else
e.g. Children learn by copying their parents.
5)他上台后发布的第一项法令就是禁止私人拥有支。(decree)
The first decree he issued after he came into office was that private ownership of guns (should) be banned.
fan-cooled adj. cooled by blowing a current of air on with or as if with a fan
e.g. totally enclosed fan-cooled type induction motor(全封闭扇冷式感应电动机)
6)我就是来看他那被说得神乎其神的脚法的。(fabled)
I’ve come to see his fabled footwork that people talk so much about.
decree n. an official decision or order made by a leader or government
e.g. Napoleon made a conqueror’s entry into Berlin. Here he issued the Berlin Decree that barred British goods from Europe.(拿破仑以征服者的姿态进入柏林。在那里颁布了禁止英国与欧洲通商的柏林敕令。)
7)我不是一个严格意义上的教师,因为我没有接受过训练,但是我有丰富的教学经验。(proper)
I’m not a teacher proper, since I haven’t been trained, but I’ve had a lot of teaching experience.
proper adj.
a)[only before noun] suitable for the purpose or situation
e.g. You have to have the proper tools for the job.
b)[never before noun] understood in its most exact meaning
e.g. Does he live in Swansea proper or in the suburbs?
8)学生通常都会在考试之前猜考试题目。(anticipate)
Students tend to anticipate what questions they will be asked on the examination.
anticipate vt.
a)to think that something will probably happen
e.g. The organizers hadn’t anticipated the huge interest there was in the event.
The building will be completed around six months earlier than anticipated.
b) to guess that something will happen, and be ready to deal with it
e.g. Luckily we had anticipated the question.
2. Translating Passage
Translate the following into Chinese.
It would be fatal for America to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
参考译文:
如果美国对此时此刻的迫切性视而不见,低估黑人的决心,那么这对美国的命运来说将是致命的。自由平等、令人心旷神怡的秋天遥遥无期,黑人正当愤怒的闷热夏季就不会消失。1963年并不是终结,而是一个开端。只要黑人得不到公民权益,美国就不可能有安宁和稳定。反抗的旋风会继续撼动这个国家的根基,直到光明正义的日子来临。
V. Oral Activities
1. Giving A Talk
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, working people are said to have been the owners of the nation. In spite of the great improvement in people’s living standards, polarization of wealth and poverty seems to be getting more and more serious. Therefore, discrimination of some kinds has occurred in China today. If you agree, give examples and explore the causes.
You could probably begin your talk with “I know that we’re, generally speaking, living a happy life. However, for one reason or another, we might have heard of instances of inequality in our society. Now let me give you some examples.”
Tips: Let me give you some examples to illustrate the inequality that I believe exists in our society. A person from a rural area might be looked down upon with a contemptuous glance. Female students might have the experience of being discriminated against in job-hunting. Elderly people might fail to get the priority seats on the bus. And patients who are seriously ill might be refused to be hospitalized just because they have insufficient money. Such things may have been caused by factors that are social, psychological, economic, geographical, or whatever.
2. Having A Discussion
Although it has long been claimed that all men are created equal and independent, people, in reality, for one reason or another, suffer from discrimination, racial, gender, age, or whatever. The text The Fourth of July is a vivid illustration of racial discrimination in the United States sometime in the 1950s and 1960s. On the basis of your understanding, please hold a group discussion on the author’s narration about her experiences in terms of racial discrimination.
Tips: Excited as the author had been about her first trip to Washington D.C., the capital of the United States, where all men are proclaimed to be equal, she was very much shocked at the white waitress's refusal to serve them simply because they were black. Besides, her mother would not allow her to go to the dining car on the surface because of the high price for the meal there, but essentially because of black people being denied the right to sit in that part of the train in 1947. And her sister Phyllis had been excluded from her class trip to Washington, also because of her skin color. This essay discloses the racial discrimination against the black people in a country that boasts freedom and equality for all people, white and black.
VI. Writing
Study the following picture carefully and write an essay of about 400 words on the following topic:
HOW TO FIND AN IDEAL JOB
You should: describe the cartoon; give some tips to job seekers.
The following patterns or sentences may be useful when you interpret a picture.
As described/illustrated/portrayed/shown/in the picture, ...
As can be seen from the photo, ...
According to the picture, …
As you can see from the picture,....
In the cartoon, we can see that…
The cartoon is thought-provoking, and it illustrates a common phenomenon in today’s society.
Essay development by interpreting pictures
HOW TO FIND AN IDEAL JOB
It can be seen in the cartoon that a young man is writing an application letter for a job. Obviously, so many advertisements around make him nervous and bewildered. Indeed, how to find a good job causes most job seekers a headache. There are many factors to take into account when you apply for a job, but in my opinion, they boil down to three major ones.
First of all, tailoring your career to your personal interest is important if you want to work at something that is fulfilling and inspiring. If you like your job, you will regard the job as your career rather than a means of earning money. As an old saying goes, "When work is a pleasure, life is joy. When work is a duty, life is slavery." For example, if you are a linear thinker who likes to work within concrete and specific principles, working in a creative field like advertising may only serve to frustrate you. Thus, while you may not always be able to support yourself with your true passion, it is important to find a career that will suit your natural inclination and interest.
What's more, salaries must not be neglected. It is a fact of modern life that adults need to earn money in order to eat, keep a roof over their heads and pay bills. You may get a job you like, but if the job cannot enable you to support you and your family, you cannot make both ends meet but have to live from hand to mouth. When you choose a career path, it's important to take an honest look at your earning potential, not just at entry level, but over the long term. In some careers, earning potential is unlimited, while in others, even after many years of experience and accomplishment, there is a ceiling on earning potential.
Last but not least, the occupation you choose should be what you are or will be good at. Maybe you like a job, maybe it also offers a good salary, but if it is not what you are capable of, you won't be successful. Therefore, before you write your application letter, you need to study the job descriptions carefully. Factors like the growth potential of your prospective job and the skills you will develop in that position are often as important as, if not more important than, interest and salaries.
So to sum up, when you choose a job you should consider all three factors: interest, salary and ability.
VII. Listening Exercises (Optional)
1. Listen for the main ideas. Listen to the talk once.
Task: Which of the following best states the speaker’s purpose?
A.To pinpoint the cause the Black movement
B.To give a brief introduction to W. E. B. Du Bios’ life and career.
C.To disclose the dispute between Du bios and Booker Washington.
D.To explain the reason why Du Bios ultimately joined the Communist Party
Key: [ B ]
2. Listen for the details. Listen to the talk again.
1). Du Bois fought for civil rights for black people in the United States. He was responsible for the changes in conditions for black people as well as the changes in the way they thought about themselves during the 1920s and 1930s. [T]
2). William’s parents had never been slaves, but his grandparents were.[F]
3). William attended Fisk University, a college for black students in a southern state. He thought it would help him learn more about the life of most black Americans there.[T]
4). William Du Bois received his doctorate degree in history from the University of Berlin in 15. [F]
5). After his book, The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study, was published, he became a professor of economics and history at Atlanta university. [T]
6).The racial prejudice, race violence and riots in the country made Du Bios believe that social change could happen only through protest. [T]
7). The dispute between the two leaders, Du Bois and Washington, divided the Black Movement into two groups: the conservative supporters of Washington and his extremist opponents. [T]
8). Throughout his life Washington was active in the Pan-African movement. [F]
9). William Du Bois believed that blacks should develop a separate group economy, a separate market system, which could be a weapon for fighting economic injustice against blacks and for improving their poor living conditions. [T]
10). Du Bois resigned from the position because he thought that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People supported the interests of successful blacks and was not concerned with problems of poorer blacks. [T]
11). The United States government accused the Peace Information Center of supporting the Soviet Union and found Mr. Du Bois guilty. [F]
12). A day after Du Bois’ death hundreds of thousands of blacks and whites gathered for the March on Washington to seek civil right in the United States. [T]
Task 2: Supply the missing information about Du Bois according to the talk you hear.
| Events | When | Where |
| Was born | (1) 1868 | Great Barrington, Mass. |
| (2) got a doctorate degree of history | 15 | |
| Published the book The Philadelphia Negro | (3) 19 | |
| (4) Prof. of economics and history | 17-1910 | Atlanta University |
| Published the book The Souls of Black Folk | (5) 1903 | |
| (6) established the Niagara Movement | 1905 | |
| Director of National Association for Advancement of Colored People | (7) 1909 | |
| Resigned from The Crisis | (8) 1934 | |
| Prof. of economics and history | 1934-1944 | (9) Atlanta University |
| (10) returned to The Crisis | 1944-1948 | |
| An official for the Peace Information Center | (11) 1950 | |
| Joined the Communist Party of the United States | (12) 1961 | |
| (13) died at the age of 95 | Aug. 27, 1963 | (14) Ghana, West Africa |
