The Power of Words

英语自学网

　　Unit 5
        　　The Power of Words
        　　After-Class Reading
        　　PASSAGE I All the Good Things
        　　He was in the first third-grade class I taught at Saint Mary's School in Morris, Minnesota. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million[1]. Very neat in appearance, he had that happy-to-be-alive attitude[2] that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful.
        　　Mark also talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving. "Thank you for correcting me, Sister[3]!" I didn't know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.
        　　One morning my patience was growing thin[4] when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice-teacher's mistake. I looked at Mark and said, "If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut[5]!"
        　　It wasn't ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, "Mark is talking again."[6] I hadn't asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it.
        　　I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened the drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room.
        　　As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it![7] I started laughing. The entire class cheered as I walked back to Mark's desk, removed the tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, "Thank you for correcting me, Sister."
        　　At the end of the year I was asked to teach junior-high math. The years flew by, and before I knew it[8] Mark was in my classroom again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite[9]. Since he had to listen carefully to my instructions in the "new math", he did not talk as much in the ninth grade as he had in the third.
        　　One Friday, things just didn't feel right[10]. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were growing frustrated with themselves — and edgy with one another. I had to change the mood of the class before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.
        　　It took the remainder of the class period to finish the assignment, but as the students left the room, each one handed me the papers. Charlie smiled. Mark said, "Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend."
        　　That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday I gave each student his or her list. Some of them ran two pages. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" I heard whispered.[11] "I never knew that meant anything to anyone!" "I didn't know others liked me so much!"
        　　No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents. But it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another again.
        　　That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I returned from a vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother asked the usual questions about the trip,the weather, my experiences in general. There was a slight lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a sideways glance and simply said, "Dad?" My father cleared his throat as he usually did before saying something important. "The Eklunds called last night," he began.
        　　"Really?" I said. "I haven't heard from them for several years. I wonder how Mark is."
        　　Dad responded quietly. "Mark was killed in Vietnam," he said. "The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend." To this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494[12] where Dad told me about Mark.
        　　I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, Mark, I would give all the masking tape in the world if only you could talk to me[13].
        　　After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates headed to Chuck's farmhouse for lunch. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting for me. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."
        　　Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."
        　　Mark's classmates started to gather around us. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary." Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocket-book, took out her wallet and showed her worn and ragged list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said without hesitation. "I think we all saved our lists."
        　　That's when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. (1050 words)
        　　Proper Names
        　　Charlie
        　　(男子名)查理(同Charley)
        　　Chuck
        　　(男子名)查克(Charles 的昵称)
        　　Helen P. Mrosla
        　　(女子名)海伦.P.姆落斯拉
        　　Marilyn
        　　(女子名)玛里琳(Mary 的异体)
        　　Mark Eklund
        　　(男子名)马克.埃克隆
        　　Mary
        　　(女子名)玛丽
        　　Minnesota
        　　(地名)明尼苏达州(美国州名)
        　　Morris
        　　(地名)莫里斯(明尼苏达州一城市)
        　　Saint Mary's School
        　　圣玛丽学校(罗马天主教学校)
        　　Vicki
        　　(女子名)维姬(Victoria 的昵称，亦做 Vickie, Vicky)
        　　Vietnam
        　　(国名)越南
        　　New Words
        　　album
        　　n. a book in which photographs, stamps, etc., can be kept (收存照片、邮票等的)册子
        　　e.g. Jane had several albums of photographs of her family.
        　　billfold
        　　n. (AmE) a small flat leather case, used for carrying paper money, cards, etc. 皮夹子
        　　e.g. I reported my missing billfold to the police.
        　　blurt
        　　v. say something suddenly and without thinking 脱口而出
        　　e.g. I blurted out the answer and it was incorrect.
        　　coffin
        　　n. a box in which a dead body is buried or burnt 棺材
        　　e.g. The body was placed in a wooden coffin.
        　　edgy
        　　adj. nervous, easily upset or annoyed 不安的;易怒的
        　　farmhouse *
        　　n. the main house on the farm, where the farmer lives 农庄住宅(尤指主要住房)
        　　incessantly
        　　adv. continually 不停地
        　　junior
        　　adj.
        　　1) 初级的
        　　e.g. a junior high school (初中), a junior school (小学)
        　　2) lower in rank or standing 地位或身份低的
        　　e.g. Anne is junior to Jane at the accounting firm.
        　　math
        　　n. (AmE informal) mathematics, science of numbers, quantity and space 数学
        　　e.g. My school district requires every student to take four years of high-school math.
        　　mischievousness
        　　n. being playfully annoying 恶作剧
        　　novice
        　　adj. (of someone) new to the task 新手的，生手的
        　　permission
        　　n. the act of allowing someone to do something 准许
        　　e.g. My father gave me permission to use his car.
        　　ragged
        　　adj. torn and in a bad condition 破旧的
        　　refold *
        　　v. bend a piece of paper, cloth, etc. by laying or pressing one part over another again 再折叠
        　　remainder
        　　n. remaining people, things or time 剩下的人、东西或时间
        　　e.g. Anne ate half of the pizza and left the remainder for me.
        　　saint
            
            

entwo

        　　n.
        　　1) a person declared to be holy by the Christian Church because of his or her qualities or good work (基督教正式追封的)圣徒
        　　e.g. Saint (St) Patrick
        　　2) a very kind, patient, and unselfish person 圣人，道德高尚的人
        　　e.g. My girlfriend Geraldine must be a bit of a saint to put up with me.
        　　serviceman
        　　n. a man in the armed forces 军人
        　　sheepishly
        　　adv. in an awkward or apologetic way 窘迫地，不好意思地
        　　shrug
        　　v. raise one's shoulders slightly (to express doubt, indifference, ignorance, etc.) 耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)
        　　e.g. Mary shrugged her shoulders when I asked her what we should do.
        　　sideways
        　　adj. & adv. to, towards or from the side 向(从)一边(的)，横着(的)
        　　e.g. I) I noticed the reporter's sideways glance from across the room.
        　　II) If you move sideways to the left, I can get everyone on the picture.
        　　Phrases and Expressions
        　　act on
        　　behave according to 根据……行事
        　　e.g. Acting on a friend's advice, he bought $ 50,000 of shares in a television company.
        　　be/become accustomed to (doing)
        　　be used to doing something or be in the habit of doing something 习惯于……
        　　e.g. I'm not accustomed to being interrupted.
        　　before long
        　　soon, without much delay立刻，不久
        　　e.g. I'm looking forward to seeing you before long.
        　　blurt out
        　　say something suddenly and rapidly, even when one is expected to keep quiet 突然说出，脱口而出
        　　e.g. The witness blurted out the name of the killer even though the judge told him to keep quiet.
        　　if only
        　　I wish ... 只要，但愿……就好了(后面的从句用虚拟语气)
        　　e.g. I ) If only I knew what they are going to do.
        　　II) If only it hadn't been so cold, I would have shown more initiative.
        　　get out of hand
        　　become impossible to control 无法控制
        　　e.g. Deal with the problem before it gets completely out of hand.
        　　make ... of
        　　understand something in a particular way 理解，解释
        　　e.g. We just couldn't make anything of his odd behavior at the party.
        　　move on
        　　leave your present job, class, or activity and start doing another one 更换工作(话题等)
        　　e.g. I think we have talked enough about the subject; let's move on.
        　　once too often
        　　one time more than is sensible or safe(指违例、冒险等)多次幸免这次遭殃;多次成功这次受挫
        　　e.g. He exceeded the speed limit once too often and was fined $ 20.
        　　tear off
        　　pull violently off 撕掉
        　　e.g. The child tore off the wrapping in his eagerness to see his birthday present.
        　　to this day
        　　even now 至今
        　　e.g. To this day, I still don't know why he killed himself.
        　　PASSAGE II Mother Tongue
        　　Amy Tan
        　　I am a writer. And by that definition, I am someone who has always loved language. I am fascinated by language in daily life. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language — the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth. Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all — all the Englishes I grew up with.
        　　Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use. I was giving a talk to a large group of people, the same talk I had already given to half a dozen other groups. The nature of the talk was about my writing, my life, and my book, The Joy Luck Club. The talk was going along well enough until I remembered one major difference that made the whole talk sound wrong. My mother was in the room. And it was perhaps the first time she had heard me give a lengthy speech, using the kind of English I have never used with her — a speech filled with carefully constructed grammatical phrases,burdened, it suddenly seemed to me, with nominalized forms, past perfect tenses, conditional phrases, all the forms of standard English that I had learned in school and through books, the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother.
        　　Just last week, I was walking down the street with my mother, and I again found myself conscious of the English I was using, the English I do use with her. We were talking about the price of new and used furniture and I heard myself saying this: "Not waste money that way." My husband was with us as well, and he didn't notice any switch in my English. And then I realized why. It's because over the twenty years that we have been together I've often used the same kind of English with him, and sometimes he even uses it with me. It has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk, the language I grew up with.
        　　You should know that my mother's expressive command of English doesn't reflect how much she actually understands[1]. She reads financial reports, listens to Wall Street Week (a TV financial news program), converses daily with her stockbroker, and reads many types of books with ease. Yet some of my friends tell me they understand only 50 percent of what my mother says. Some say they understand 80 to 90 percent. Some say they understand none of it, as if she were speaking pure Chinese. But to me, my mother's English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It's my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. That was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world.
        　　Lately, I've been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to other people as "broken" English. But I shrink with pain when I say that. It always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than "broken", as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked certain wholeness and soundness. I've heard other terms used, "limited English", for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people's perceptions of the "limited" English speaker.
        　　I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother's "limited" English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of empirical evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
        　　My mother has long realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to ask me to call people on the phone to pretend I was she. In this guise, I was forced to ask for information or even complain and yell at people who had been rude to her. One time it was a call to her stockbroker in New York. She had cashed out her small stock portfolio[2] and it just so happened we were going to go to New York the next week, our very first trip outside California. I had to get on the phone and say in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, "This is Mrs Tan."
        　　And my mother was standing in the back whispering, "Why he don't send me check, already two weeks late. So mad he lie to me, losing me money."
            
            

ensix

        　　And then I said in perfect English, "Yes, I'm getting rather concerned. You had agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived."
        　　Then she began to talk more loudly, "What he want, I come to New York tell him front of his boss, you cheating me?" And I was trying to calm her down, make her be quiet, while telling the stockbroker, "I can't tolerate any more excuses. If I don't receive the check immediately, I am going to speak to your manager when I'm in New York next week."
        　　Why are there not more Asian Americans represented in American literature? Why are there so few Asian Americans enrolled in creative writing programs? Why do so many Chinese students go into engineering? Well, these are broad sociological questions I can't begin to answer. But I have noticed in surveys that Asian students, as a whole, always do significantly better on math achievement tests than in English. And this makes me think that there are other Asian-American students whose English spoken in the home might also be described as "broken" or "limited". And perhaps they also have teachers who are steering them away from writing and into math and science, which is what happened to me. Fortunately, I happen to be rebellious in nature and enjoy the challenge of disproving assumptions made about me[3]. I became an English major my first year in college, after being enrolled as pre-med. (1079 words)
        　　Proper Names
        　　The Joy Luck Club
        　　《喜福会》(艾米.谭的第一部小说，1989年出版)
        　　Wall Street Week
        　　一个金融报道的电视栏目
        　　New Words
        　　achievement
        　　n.
        　　1) something important that you succeed in doing by your own efforts 成就，成绩
        　　e.g. Tom's achievements in school earned him a scholar-ship.
        　　2) the act of achieving 达到，完成，实现
        　　e.g. It is only the achievement of these goals that will finally bring lasting peace.
        　　conditional *
        　　adj.
        　　1) (of a clause, phrase, conjunction, or verb form) expressing a condition 条件的
        　　e.g. "If he is here on time, ..." is a conditional clause.
        　　2) subject to one or more conditions or requirements being met 有条件的
        　　e.g. Their support is conditional on his proposals meeting their approval.
        　　empirical
        　　adj. based on observation or experience (instead of theory or pure logic) 从观察或经验中得来的
        　　e.g. The scientist also considered the empirical evidence before writing a report.
        　　engineering
        　　n. the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures 工程(学)，工程技术
        　　e.g. I took a course in engineering at the university.
        　　evoke
        　　v. bring to mind a certain image or feeling 唤起，引起，使人想起
        　　e.g. Bill's soft voice evoked a feeling of peace and calmness.
        　　fascinated *
        　　adj. extremely interested in someone or something 被强烈地吸引住，感到着迷的
        　　e.g. I was fascinated by her voice.
        　　grammatical *
        　　adj. of or about grammar, correct according to the rules of grammar 语法的，符合语法规则的
        　　e.g. The single sheet of paper was filled with grammatical and spelling errors.
        　　guise
        　　n. an external form, appearance, or manner, typically concealing the true nature of something 伪装
        　　e.g. In the guise of a bank examiner, he robbed the bank.
        　　imagery *
        　　n. visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work 形象化描述，比喻
        　　e.g. The author's vivid imagery made his book interesting to read.
        　　intimacy *
        　　n. close familiarity or friendship; closeness 亲密(的关系)
        　　e.g. Anne's fear of intimacy interfered with her relationships.
        　　nominalize
        　　v. create or make a noun 使名词化
        　　perception
        　　n.
        　　1) the way you regard something and your beliefs about what it is like 认识，看法
        　　e.g. Parents' views influence their children's perceptions of the world.
        　　2) the realizing or noticing of things that are not obvious 感知(能力)，觉察
        　　e.g. It did not require a great deal of perception to realize the interview was over.
        　　portfolio
        　　n.
        　　1) the securities held by a person or company (个人或公司所持有的)有价证券
        　　2) a large flat case for loose sheets of paper such as drawings, documents, etc. 公文包
        　　pre-med *
        　　n. (AwE) a premedical student 医学预科生
        　　shrink
        　　v. (shrank, shrunk)
        　　1) move back and away from something, especially because of fear, disgust, etc. 退缩，畏缩
        　　e.g. Mary shrank away from the snake in terror.
        　　2) become or make smaller in size or amount (使)收缩
        　　e.g. The workforce has shrunk to less than a thousand.
        　　sociological *
        　　adj. of the scientific study of societies and the behavior of people in groups 社会学的
        　　e.g. Forming friendships is a basic sociological process.
        　　soundness *
        　　n. the state of being in good condition, not damaged, injured, or diseased 完好，完整;健康
        　　e.g. His soundness of mind was evident from his good decisions.
        　　stockbroker
        　　n. someone whose job is to buy and sell stocks, bonds, and shares for other people 股票、证券经纪人
        　　e.g. There are now many stockbrokers in China.
        　　visual
        　　adj. connected with seeing 视觉的，看得见的
        　　e.g. Special glasses created David's visual disorder.
        　　vivid
        　　adj. producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind 生动的，栩栩如生的
        　　e.g. John has vivid memories of his childhood.
        　　wholeness *
        　　n. an undamaged, unbroken state 完整性
        　　e.g. Wholeness of health pays attention to both physical and mental factors.
        　　yell
        　　v. shout or say something very loudly 喊叫
        　　e.g. The spectators yelled and cheered.
        　　Phrases and Expressions
        　　go into
        　　enter a particular profession, business, etc. 参加，从事......
        　　e.g. I) Bob wants to go into the army.
        　　II) Mr Pok has now gone into the tourism business.
        　　take someone/something seriously
        　　consider someone or something important 认为......重要，认真对待......
        　　e.g. I) I always take you seriously, don't I?
        　　II) Unfortunately, no one took my messages seriously.
        　　PASSAGE III How to Write a Personal Letter
        　　We shy persons need to write a letter now and then, or else people will forget us. It's true. And I speak as one who prefers to reach for the phone, dial the number, and talk. The telephone is the easy way out[1]. A letter is better.
        　　Such a sweet gift — a piece of handmade writing, in an envelope that is not a bill, sitting in our friend's path when she trudges home from a long day at work, a day our words will help repair. They don't need to be immortal, just sincere. She can read them twice and again tomorrow: You're someone I care about, Corinne, and think of often, and every time I do, you make me smile.
        　　We need to write; otherwise nobody will know who we are. They will have only a vague impression of us as A Nice Person, because frankly, we don't shine at conversation, we lack the confidence to thrust our faces forward and say, "Hi, I'm Heather Hoffman, let me tell you about my week." Mostly we say "Uh — huh" and "Oh really." People smile and look over our shoulder[2], looking for someone else to talk to.
        　　So a shy person sits down and writes a letter. To be known by another person — to meet and talk freely on the page — to be close despite distance. To escape from anonymity and be our own sweet selves and express the music of our souls.[3]
        　　We want our dear Aunt Eleanor to know that we have fallen in love, that we quit our job, that we're moving to New York, and we want to say a few things that might not get said in casual conversation[4]: thank you for what you've meant to me. I am very happy right now.
        　　The first step in writing letters is to get over the guilt of not writing. You don't "owe" anybody a letter. Letters are a gift. The burning shame you feel when you see unanswered mail makes it harder to pick up a pen and makes for a cheerless letter when you finally do[5]. I feel bad about not writing, but I've been so busy, etc. Skip this. Few letters are obligatory, and they are Thanks for the wonderful gift and I am terribly sorry to hear about George's death. Write these promptly if you want to keep your friends. Don't worry about the others, except love letters, of course. Obviously when your true love writes Dear Light of My life, Joy of My Heart, you should respond immediately.
        　　Some of the best letters are written in a burst of inspiration, so keep your writing stuff in one place where you can sit down for a few minutes and write a quick note to a friend. Keep envelopes, stamps, address book, everything in a drawer so you can write fast when the pen is hot[6].
        　　Sit for a few minutes with the blank sheet in front of you, and meditate on the person you will write to, let your friend come to mind until you can almost see her or him in the room with you. Remember the last time you saw each other and how your friend looked and what you said and what perhaps was unsaid between you; when your friend becomes real to you, start to write.
        　　Write the salutation — Dear You — and take a deep breath and begin. A simple declarative sentence will do, followed by another and another. Tell us what you're doing and tell it as if you were talking to us. Don't think about grammar, don't think about style, don't try to write dramatically, just give us your news. Where did you go, who did you see, what did they say, and what do you think?
        　　If you don't know where to begin, start with the present[7]: I'm sitting at the kitchen table on a rainy Saturday morning. Everyone is gone and the house is quiet. Let your simple description of the present lead to something else. Let the letter drift gently along.
        　　The hardest letter to write is one that is meant to impress, as we all know from writing job applications; if it's hard work to produce a letter for a friend, maybe you're trying too hard to be terrific. A letter is only a report to someone who already likes you for reasons other than your brilliance[8]. Take it easy.
        　　Don't worry about form. It's not a term paper. When you come to the end of one episode, just start a new paragraph. You can go from a few lines about the sad state of rock'n'roll to the fight with your mother to your fond memories of Mexico to the kitchen sink and what's in it. The more you write, the easier it gets.
        　　Don't tear up the page and start over when you write a bad line — try to write your way out of it[9]. Make mistakes and continue. Let the letter cook along[10] and let yourself be bold. Outrage, confusion, love — whatever is in your mind, let it find a way to the page. Writing is a means of discovery, always, and when you come to the end and write Yours ever or Hugs and Kisses, you'll know something you didn't when you started the letter.
        　　Probably your friend will put your letter away, and it'll be read again a few years from now — and it will improve with age[11].
        　　And forty years from now, your friend's grandkids will dig it out of the attic and read it, a sweet and precious relic of the ancient eighties[12] that gives them a sudden clear glimpse of the world we old-timers knew. You will then have created an object of art. Your simple lines about where you went, who you saw, what they said, will speak to those children and they will feel in their hearts the humanity of our times.
        　　You can't pick up a phone and call the future and tell them about our times. You have to pick up a piece of paper. (1025 words)
        　　Proper Names
            
            

enfour

        　　Corinne
        　　(女子名)科琳(Corinna的异体)
        　　Eleanor
        　　(女子名)埃莉诺(Helen的异体;亦作Elinor)
        　　Garrison Keillor
        　　(男子名)加里森.科勒
        　　Heather Hoffman
        　　(男子名)希瑟.霍夫曼
        　　Mexico
        　　(地名)墨西哥(拉丁美洲国家)
        　　New Words
        　　anonymity *
        　　n. the state of being or remaining unknown to most other people 匿名
        　　e.g. Anyone providing information to the police will be guaranteed anonymity.
        　　application
        　　n.
        　　1) (the act of making) a request, especially officially and in writing 申请;申请表，申请书
        　　e.g. I wrote five applications for jobs but didn't get a single reply.
        　　2) the act of putting something to use 应用，实施
        　　e.g. The application of new scientific discoveries to industrial processes usually makes jobs easier to do.
        　　attic
        　　n. space or room immediately below the roof of a house 阁楼，顶楼
        　　blank
        　　adj.
        　　1) without marks, having no writing 空白的;空着的
        　　e.g. The writer just sat and stared at the blank sheets of paper.
        　　2) showing no feeling, understanding or interest 茫然的，无表情的
        　　e.g. He looked blank and said he had no idea what I was talking about.
        　　bold
        　　adj.
        　　1) brave, confident, and adventurous; not afraid to take risks 果敢的，冒险的，无畏的
        　　e.g. He's a bold thinker with lots of original ideas.
        　　2) without respect or shame; immodest 冒失的，鲁莽的，不客气的
        　　e.g. She waited for him to invite her to dance, not wishing to seem bold.
        　　brilliance *
        　　n. brightness, the state or quality of being brilliant, smart or clever 才华，才智
        　　cheerless *
        　　adj. dull and depressing; without comfort or happiness 沉闷的，阴郁的，无乐趣的
        　　declarative *
        　　adj. relating to, or having the form of a sentence used in making a statement 陈述的，叙述的
        　　dial
        　　v. (dialled, dialling, BrE dialed, dialing)
        　　1) operate a telephone by pushing buttons 拨电话号码
        　　e.g. I dialled several times, but I got a busy signal each time.
        　　2) place a phone call by pushing buttons 打电话给......
        　　e.g. Mary dialled her aunt and told her that she would be with her the next month.
        　　glimpse
        　　n. a short look 一瞥，一看
        　　e.g. I caught a glimpse of a well-known film star downtown yesterday.
        　　grandkid
        　　n. grandchild (外)孙;(外)孙女
        　　handmade *
        　　adj. made by hand 手工制作的 (此处意为: written by hand 手写的)
        　　humanity
        　　n.
        　　1) the quality of being humane or human 仁慈，人道，博爱
        　　e.g. You should treat animals with humanity.
        　　2) people in general 人类，人(总称)
        　　e.g. Humanity will be helped by the recent advances in medicine.
        　　meditate
        　　v. think deeply or seriously about 考虑，沉思
        　　obligatory *
        　　adj. required, necessary, compulsory 必须履行的，强制性的
        　　old-timer
        　　n. an old man 老人
        　　outrage
        　　n. strong resentment or anger 义愤，愤慨
        　　e.g. The mayor's cruel remarks caused a huge outrage.
        　　rainy
        　　adj. having a lot of rain 多雨的
        　　e.g. During the rainy season, it gets very hot and humid here.
        　　relic
        　　n. an old object or custom that reminds people of the past 遗物;遗俗
        　　salutation *
        　　n. a word or phrase used at the beginning of a letter or speech, such as "Dear Mr Smith" (书信、演讲等开头的)称呼语
        　　terrific
        　　adj. (informal) very good and especially enjoyable; excellent 极好的;玩得愉快的
        　　e.g. We had a terrific time at the party.
        　　thrust
        　　v. (thrust, thrust)
        　　1) force or impose upon someone or into some position or situation 延伸，挺伸
        　　e.g. He thrust his fist in front of my face.
        　　2) push forcefully and suddenly 猛推，猛塞，把......插入
        　　e.g. I ) John thrust his body forward to open the stuck door.
        　　II) The thieves thrust him into the back room and tied him up.
        　　trudge
        　　v. walk slowly or with difficulty 缓慢或吃力地走
        　　uh huh
        　　int. (informal) used to show that you understand or agree with what someone is saying to you (表示肯定、同意等)嗯，嗯
        　　e.g. "Is he six years old?" "Uh huh."
        　　unanswered *
        　　adj. not answered 未予答复的
        　　unsaid *
        　　adj. not expressed, unspoken 未说出口的
        　　Phrases and Expressions
        　　care about
        　　have concern for, to worry about 关心
        　　e.g. She cares about nobody but herself.
        　　dig out
        　　(of a place) find by searching 翻找
        　　e.g. What on earth did you dig out of that old book?
        　　drift along
        　　go or move slowly with no control over the direction 任其自然，随波逐流
        　　e.g. Some people have aims in their lives, while some just drift along.
        　　get over
        　　successfully deal with problems, difficulties, etc. 克服，战胜
        　　e.g. You'll soon get over your shyness.
        　　make for
        　　lead to, help bring about 导致
        　　e.g. Careful driving makes for fewer accidents.
        　　now and then
        　　sometimes 时而，偶尔
        　　e.g. Now and then we heard shots in the woods.
        　　put away
        　　put or store in its proper place 把......放在合适的地方
        　　e.g. John folded the newspaper neatly and put it away on the side table.
        　　shine at/in
        　　excel in some way 出众，干得出色
        　　e.g. He shone at chess when he was young.
        　　start over
        　　begin something again from the beginning 重新开始
        　　e.g. We decided to abandon the first draft of the report and start all over again.
        　　tear up
        　　rip up into pieces 撕毁
        　　e.g. Jack got mad and tore the papers up and threw them away.