大学英语精读Unit5languagework

1、Unit 5Unit 5 Fourteen StepsText IFourteen StepsHal Manwaring1 They say a cat has nine lives, 1 and I am inclined to think that possible since I am now living my third life and Im not even a cat. My first life began on a clear, cold day in November 1934, when I arrived as the sixth of eight children

2、of a farming family. My father died when I was 15, and we had a hard struggle to make a living. As the children grew up, they married, leaving only one sister and myself to support and care for Mother, who became paralyzed in her last years and died while still in her 60s. My sister married soon aft

3、er, and I followed her example within the year.2 This was when I began to enjoy my first life. I was very happy, in excellent health, and quite a good athlete. My wife and I became the parents of two lovely girls. I had a good job in San Jose and a beautiful home up the peninsula in San Carlos. Life

4、 was a pleasant dream. Then the dream ended. I became afflicted with a slowly progressive disease of the motor nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side. Thus began my second life 3 In spite of my disease I still drove to and from work each day, with the aid of special equ

5、ipment installed in my car. And I managed to keep my health and optimism, to a degree, because of 14 steps.4 Crazy? Not at all. Our home was a split-level affair with 14 steps leading up from the garage to the kitchen door. Those steps were a gauge of life. They were my yardstick, my challenge to co

6、ntinue living. I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and then drag the other painfully afteNt repeating the process 14 times until, utterly spent, I would be through I could then admit defeat and lie down and die. 2 So I kept on working, kept on climbing those

7、 steps. And time passed. The girls went to college and were happily married, and my wife and I were alone in our beautiful home with the 14 steps.5 You might think that here walked a man of courage and strength. Not so. Here_ hobbled _a bitterly disillusioned cripple, a man who held on to his sanity

8、 and his wife and his home and his job because of 14 miserable steps leading up to the back door from his garage.3 As I became older, I became more disillusioned and frustrated.6 Then on a dark night in August, 1971, I began my third life. It was raining when I started home that night; gusty winds a

9、nd slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads 4 Suddenly the steering wheel jerked in my hands and the car swerved violently to the right. In the same instant I heard the dreaded bang of a blowout. I fought the car to stop on the rain-slick shoulder of t

10、he road and sat there as the enormity of the situation swept over me.5 It was impossible for me to change that tire! Utterly impossible! A thought that a passing motorist might stop was dismissed at once. Why should anyone? I knew I wouldn 't! Then I remembered that a short distance up a little

11、side road was a house. I started the engine and thumped slowly along, keeping well over on the shoulder until I came to the dirt road, where I turned in - thankfully. Lighted windowswelcomed me to the house and I pulled into the driveway and honked the horn.7 The door opened and a little girl stood

12、there, peering at me. I rolled down the window and called out that I had a flat tire and needed someone to change it for me because I had a crutch and couldn't do it myself. She went into the house and a moment later came out bundled in raincoat and hat, followed by a man who called a cheerful g

13、reeting. I sat there comfortable and dry, and felt a bit sorry for the man and the little girl working so hard in the storm. Well, I would pay them for it. The rain seemed to be slackening a bit now, and I rolled down the window all the way to watch. It seemed to me that they were awfully slow and I

14、 was beginning to become impatient. I heard the clank of metal from the back of the car and the little girl s voice came clearly to me. Here s the jack-handle, Grandpa." She was answered by the murmur of the man's lower voice and the slow tilting of the car as it wasjacked up.6 There follow

15、ed a long interval of noises, jolts and low conversation from the back of the car, but finally it was done. I felt the car bump as the jack was removed, and I heard the slam of the truck lid, and then they were standing at my car window.8 He was an old man, stooped and frail-looking under his slicke

16、r. The little girl was about eight or ten, I judged, with a merry face and a wide smile as she looked up at me. He said, This is a bad night for car trouble, but you re all set now." Thanks,“ I said. How much do I owe you?” He shook his head. Nothing. Cynthia told me you were a cripple .on crut

17、ches. Glad to be of help. I know you d do the same for me. There 's no charge, friend." I held out a five-dollar bill. No! I like to pay my way." He made no effort to take it and the little girl stepped closer to the window and said quietly, Grandpa can't see it.”9 In the next few

18、frozen seconds the shame and horror of that moment penetrated and I was sick with an intensity I had never felt before. 7 A blind man and a child! Fumbling, feeling with cold, wet fingers for bolts and tools in the dark a darkness that for him would probably never end until death. I don 't remem

19、ber how long I sat there after they said good night and left me, but it was long enough for me to search deep within myself and find some disturbing traits. I realized that I was filled to overflowing with self-pity, sefishness, indifference to the needs of others and thoughtlessness.81 sat there an

20、d said a prayer.10 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."9 To me now, months later, this Scriptural admonition is more than just a passage in the Bible. It is a way of life, one that I am trying to follow

21、. It isn't always easy. Sometimes it is frustrating, sometimes expensive in both time and money, but the value is there. I am trying now not only to climb 14 steps each day, but in my small way to help others. Someday, perhaps, I will change a tire for a blind man in a car someone as blind as I

22、had been.Paragraphs 1-2Words and Expressions1. be inclined to be likely or tend to do sth .e.g. In the first instance I was inclined to refuse, but then I reconsidered.起初我想拒绝，但后来还是重新考虑了。He was inclined to give them a free hand.他倾向于放手让他们干。Synonym:tend to, be likely to2. follow one's example imita

23、tee.g. Brian persuaded his brother to follow his example and join the army.I suggest you follow Ted 's example and take some regular exercise.Synonym:follow one 's lead3. afflict vt. cause severe suffering or paine.g. He was afflicted with cancer.他患了癌症。She was afflicted with conscience.她受良心责

24、备。Collocation:be afflicted withDerivation:afflictive a.affliction n.Translation:1 .我对那些受苦受难的人们充满同情。I have great sympathy for people in affliction.2 .这种病女人比男人更容易患上。It is an illness which afflicts women more than men.4. progressive a. developing graduallye.g. The build-up of pollutants in the atmosphe

25、re has led to a progressive weakening of the ozone layer.Since the 1950s there has been a progressive fall in the numbers of adults who cannot read and write.Synonym:gradual, little by littleSentences1. a cat has nine lives (Paragraph 1)Explanation: It is a proverb. Cats are very tough and seem able

26、 to survive accidents or hardships.Paragraphs 3-5Words and Expressions5. with the aid of with the help ofe.g. The bacteria can only be seen with the aid of a high-power microscope.The child was saved and brought back to life with the aid of an international rescue team.这个孩子在国际救援队的帮助下得救了。6. install v

27、t. set upe.g. To minimize the risk of burglary, install a good alarm system.安装可靠的报警设备，以降低被盗的风险。The workers are installing a heating system.工人们正在安装供暖系统。Derivation: installation n.7. to a / some degree partlye.g. The film was boring to a degree.这部影片相当枯燥。A country's future prosperity depends, to a

28、degree, upon the quality of education of its people.Synonym:in a sense, in some way8. hobble vi. walk in an awkward way because your feet are injurede.g. The old man hobbled along (the road) with the aid of his stick.那老汉拄着拐杖一病一拐地走着。Synonym: limp9. disillusioned a. disappointede.g. Disillusioned by h

29、is team 's poor performance, the manager resigned.10. hold on to keep one's grip on; not let go ofe.g. He tried hard to be in his superior 's good graces in order to hold on to his job.他想方设法讨上司的欢心，以保住自己的饭碗。I'd hold on to that house for the time being; house prices are rising sharply

30、at the moment.目前我不能出让那所房子，此刻房价正在急剧上涨。11. lead up to come before and result ine.g. The events that led up to the murder were shown in a series of flashbacks.The report describes the negotiations that led up to the settlement.Activity: Choose a word or phrase and change its form if necessary to fill i

31、n each blank in the following sentences.with the aid oflead up tohold on tohobbledisillusion1. your umbrella so that it won 't be blown away. (Hold on to)2. She was anxious to enlighten me about the events that the dispute. (led up to)3. All the other teachers are thoroughly with their colleague

32、s. (disillusioned)4. Some of the runners could only manage to over the finishing line. (hobble)5. the searching dog, the rescue team has rescued many people 's lives in the earthquake. (With the aid of)Sentences2. I felt that if the day arrived when I was unable to lift one foot up one step and

33、then drag theother painfully after it repeating the process 14 times until, utterly spent, I would be thoughI could then admit defeat and lie down and die. (Paragraph 4)Translation:我感到如果哪天我不能先抬起一只脚，另一只脚再痛苦地跟上，并把这一动作 重复14次，直到疲惫不堪，那我就完了。这一天到来之时，就是我承认失败、倒下、死亡 之时。3. Here hobbled a bitterly disillusioned

34、 cripple, a man who held on to his sanity and his wife and his home and his job because of 14 miserable steps leading up to the back door from his garage. (Paragraph 5)Paraphrase: Painfully and bitterly, a disabled man hobbled around here. Owing to the 14 miserable steps leading up to the back door

35、from his garage, the man could keep up to his sanity and his wife and his home and his job.Translation:这是一个梦想破灭、痛苦失望的残疾人，他蹒跚着，正是因为有了这条从车库 通向后门的可怕的14级台阶，他才能保持理智、陪伴妻子、维护家庭、坚持工作。Paragraph 6Words and Expressions12. swerve vi. turn sharply and suddenlye.g. The car swerved to the right.I will never swerve

36、 from my declared policy on this matter.我决不背离我已经宣布的在这个问题上的政策。Synonym:turn, change13. sweep vi. to move, especially quickly and powerfullye.g. Her eyes swept the room.她的眼睛扫视了一下房间。A wave of panic swept over her.一阵惊恐袭上她的心头。Comparison:clean the most common word, clean a dirty place or dirty objectclear

37、to remove or get rid of whatever is blocking or filling something, or to stopbeing blocked or fullsweep give a cleaning with a broom, sometimes used figurativelymop to wash or wipe with or as if with a mopwipe to slide something, especially a piece of cloth, over the surface of something else,in ord

38、er to remove dirt, food or liquidscrub to rub something hard in order to clean it, especially using a stiff brush, soap and waterExercise: Choose a word from the list and use its appropriate form to fill in the blanks: clean clear mop wipe scrub1. I my shoes on the mat before I came in. (wiped)2. Th

39、e mayor is determined to up the city. (clean)3. It took several hours to the road after the accident. (clear)4. I have to the kitchen floor at least once a day. (mop)5. Although she the old pot thoroughly, she could not make it look completely clean.(scrubbed)14. dismiss vt.1) refuse to accept that

40、sth. might be true or importante.g. The government has dismissed criticisms that the country 's health policy is a mess.2) formally ask or order someone to leave; firee.g. At first she threatened to dismiss us all, but later she relented.起初她威胁要解雇我们所有的人，但是后来她态度软化了。Derivation:dismissible a.Sentenc

41、es4 .gusty winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as I drove slowly down one of the less-traveled roads. (Paragraph 6)Paraphrase: Strong winds and heavy rain slammed the car when I drove slowly along the less-traveled roads.Translation:狂风阵阵，倾盆大雨敲打着车身，我缓缓地驾车沿着一条车辆罕至的公路行驶。5 . the enormity of the

42、 situation swept over me. (Paragraph 6)Paraphrase:the seriousness of the situation gripped me.Translation:坐在车内，我深感形势危急。Paragraph 7Words and Expressions15. peer at look very carefully or hard ate.g. Walter peered anxiously at his father's face.Collocation:peer throughpeer intoe.g. She peers throu

43、gh the mist, trying to find the right path.The driver was peering into the distance trying to read the road sign.16. slacken vt. become slower or less activee.g. The train slackened speed as it approached the station.火车快到站时减慢了速度。We slackened our pace as we reached the village.17. jack up lift with a

44、 jack (a device for lifting heavy objects)e.g. Why don't you jack it up and we 'll have a look at the suspension? Fred jacked up the car and started to unscrew the wheel nuts.18. interval n. a period of time between activitiese.g. He comes back to see us at regular intervals.他每隔一段时间就回来看我们。Th

45、ere is an hour's interval to the next train.下一火班车还要过一小时才开。Collocation:at intervals不时，时时；每隔一段时间(距离)at intervals of 相隔，每隔Activity: Fill in each of the following blanks with a word or expression in its proper form.at regular intervals intervaljack up bundle up peer1. In the budget the chancellor is

46、 bound to the price of cigarettes. (jack up)1. in heavy clothes, the pedestrians walked hurriedly against the piercing cold wind. (Bundled up)3. When no one answered the door, she through the window to see if anyone was there.(peered)4. We see each other usually about once a month. (at regular inter

47、vals)5. There's often a long between an author completing a book and it appearing in the shops. (interval)Sentences6. She was answered by the murmur of the man 's lower voice and the slow tilting of the car as it was jacked up. (Paragraph 7)Translation:老人用低沉的声音回应了她。随着千斤顶把汽车托起，车身缓慢地倾斜。Paragra

48、ph 8Words and Expressions19. frail a. weak and poor in healthe.g. A frail old woman with a walking stick came slowly down to the gate to meet us.His frail arm could barely hold his plate.20. charge n. the price that you have to pay for a service or for sth. you buy e.g. No charge is made for repairs

49、.They are happy to give their services free of charge.Derivation:chargeable a.Activity: Translate the following sentences into English:1 .她身体虚弱已有好几个月了。Her health has been frail for months.2 .只要你预先付款，我们就不收你送货费。As long as you've paid in advance, we won't make any charge to you for delivery.Par

50、agraphs 9-10Words and Expressions21. penetrate vt. enter, pass (into or through)e.g. Amazingly, the bullet did not penetrate his brain.In most jellyfish, these stinging cells are so small that they can 't penetrate human skin.Derivation :penetration n. a movement into or through something or someone; insight e.g. He writes with penetration.他写的文章尖锐深刻。What is your idea toward globalization and cultural penetration?你对全球化和文化渗透有什么想法？22. fumble vi. move the fingers in an attempt to do sth. awkwardly e.g. She fumbled about in her handbag for