202321世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇

发布时间:2023-01-03 11:45:08|来源：网友投稿

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说1　　CarolineSeebohm　　Dr.EdwardJennerwasbusytryingtosolvetheproblemofsmallpox.A下面是小编为大家整理的202321世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇,供大家参考。

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说1

　　Caroline Seebohm

　　Dr. Edward Jenner was busy trying to solve the problem of smallpox. After studying case after case, he still found no possible cure. He had reached an impasse in his thinking. At this point, he changed his tactics. Instead of focusing on people who had smallpox, he switched his attention to people who did not have smallpox. It turned out that dairymaids apparently never got the disease. From the discovery that harmless cowpox gave protection against deadly smallpox came vaccination and the end of smallpox as a scourge in the western world.

　　We often reach an impasse in our thinking. We are looking at a problem and trying to solve it and it seems there is a dead end. It is on these occasions that we become tense, we feel pressured, overwhelmed, in a state of stress. We struggle vainly, fighting to solve the problem.

　　Dr. Jenner, however, did something about this situation. He stopped fighting the problem and sim* changed his point of view—from his patients to dairy maids. Picture the process going something like this: Suppose the brain is a com*r. This com*r has absorbed into its memory bank all your history, your experiences, your training, your information received through life; and it is programmed according to all this data. To change your point of view, you must reprogramme your com*r, thus freeing yourself to take in new ideas and develop new ways of looking at things. Dr. Jenner, in effect, by reprogramming his com*r, erased the old way of looking at his smallpox problem and was free to receive new alternatives.

　　That"s all very well, you may say, but how do we actually do that?

　　Doctor and philosopher Edward de Bono has come up with a technique for changing our point of view, and he calls it Lateral Thinking.

　　The normal Western approach to a problem is to fight it. The saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going," is typical of this aggressive attitude toward problem-solving. No matter what the problem is, or the techniques available for solving it, the framework produced by our Western way of thinking is fight. Dr. de Bono calls this vertical thinking; the traditional, sequential, Aristotelian thinking of logic, moving firmly from one step to the next, like toy blocks being built one on top of the other. The flaw is, of course, that if at any point one of the steps is not reached, or one of the toy blocks is incorrectly placed, then the whole structure collapses. Impasse is reached, and frustration, tension, feelings of fight take over.

　　Lateral thinking, Dr. de Bono says, is a new technique of thinking about things—a technique that avoids this fight altogether, and solves the problem in an entirely unexpected fashion.

　　In one of Sherlock Holmes"s cases, his assistant, Dr. Watson, pointed out that a certain dog was of no importance to the case because it did not appear to have done anything. Sherlock Holmes took the opposite point of view and maintained that the fact the dog had done nothing was of the utmost significance, for it should have been expected to do something, and on this basic he solved the case.

　　Lateral thinking sounds simple. And it is. Once you have solved a problem laterally, you wonder how you could ever have been hung up on it. The key is making that vital shift in emphasis, that sidestepping of the problem, instead of attacking it head-on.

　　Dr. A. A. Bridger, psychiatrist at Columbia University and in private practice in New York, explains how lateral thinking works with his patients. "Many people come to me wanting to stop smoking, for instance," he says. "Most people fail when they are trying to stop smoking because they wind up telling themselves, "No, I will not smoke; no, 1 shall not smoke; no, I will not; no, I cannot..." It"s a fight and what happens is you end up smoking more."

　　"So instead of looking at the problem from the old ways of no, and fighting it, I show them a whole new point of view—that you are your body"s keeper, and your body is something through which you experience life. If you stop to think about it, there"s really something helpless about your body. It can do nothing for itself. It has no choice, it is like a baby"s body. You begin then a whole new way of looking at it—‘I am now going to take care of myself, and give myself some respect and protection, by not smoking."

　　“There is a Japanese parable about a donkey tied to a pole by a rope. The rope rubs tight against his neck. The more the donkey fights and pulls on the rope, the tighter and tighter it gets around his throat—until he winds up dead. On the other hand, as soon as he stops fighting, he finds that the rope gets slack, he can walk around, maybe find some grass to eat...That"s the same principle: The more you fight something the more anxious you become—the more you"re involved in a bad pattern, the more difficult it is to escape pain.

　　"Lateral thinking," Dr. Bridger goes on, "is sim* approaching a problem with what I would call an Eastern flanking maneuver. You know, when a zen archer wants to hit the target with a bow and arrow, he doesn"t concentrate on the target, he concentrates rather on what he has in his hands, so when he lets the arrow go, his focus is on the arrow, rather than the target. This is what an Eastern flanking maneuver implies—instead of approaching the target directly, you approach it from a sideways point of view—or laterally instead of vertically."

　　"I think the answer lies in that direction," affirms Dr. Bridger. "Take the situation where someone is in a crisis. The Chinese word for crisis is divided into two characters, one meaning danger and the other meaning opportunity. We in the Western world focus only upon the ‘danger" aspect of crisis. Crisis in Western civilization has come to mean danger, period. And yet the word can also mean opportunity. Let us now suggest to the person in crisis that he cease concentrating so upon the dangers involved and the difficulties, and concentrate instead upon the opportunity—for there is always opportunity in crisis. Looking at a crisis from an opportunity point of view is a lateral thought."

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说2

　　smallpox

　　n. a highly contagious disease causing spots which leave marks on the skin 天花

　　impasse

　　n. a position from which progress is impossible; deadlock 僵局;死胡同

　　tactics

　　n. a method or process of carrying out a scheme or achieving some end 战术;策略

　　dairymaid

　　n. a girl or woman who works in a dairy 牛奶场女工

　　dairy

　　n. 1. place where milk is kept and milk products are made 牛奶场;奶品场

　　2. shop where milk, butter, etc. are sold 乳品店

　　cowpox

　　n. a disease of cows, of which the virus was formerly used in vaccination against smallpox 牛痘

　　vaccination

　　n. 接种疫苗

　　scourge

　　n. thing or person that causes great trouble or misfortune 苦难的根源;灾难;祸害

　　dead end

　　n. a point beyond which progress or achievement is impossible; a street or passage closed at one end 僵局;死巷，死胡同

　　vainly

　　ad. uselessly; in vain 枉然地;徒劳地

　　vain

　　a. 1. having too high an opinion of one"s looks, abilities, etc.; conceited 自视甚高的;自负的

　　2. useless or futile 无用的，无益的，无效的;徒劳的

　　erase

　　vt. rub out; remove all traces of 擦掉;抹去

　　lateral

　　a. of, at, towards, or from the side or sides 横向的.;侧面的;向侧面的

　　laterally

　　ad. in a lateral direction, sideways 横向地;侧面地;旁边地

　　lateral thinking

　　横向思维，水*思考

　　going

　　n. 1. the condition of the ground for walking, driving or riding 地面状况

　　2. condition of progress 进行情况;进展

　　framework

　　n. 1. set of principles or ideas used as a basis for one"s judgement, decisions, etc. 参照标准;准则;观点

　　2. structure giving shape and support 框架，结构

　　vertical

　　a. straight up and down; at right angles to a horizontal plane 纵向的;垂直的

　　vertically

　　ad. in a vertical direction 垂直地

　　sequential

　　a. of, forming, or following in (a) sequence 相继的;连续的

　　flaw

　　n. a defect; fault; error 瑕疵;缺点

　　structure

　　n. sth. built; anything composed of parts arranged together; way in which sth. is put together, organized, built, etc. 结构;建筑物;构造物

　　utmost

　　a. greatest; highest 极度的;极高的

　　significance

　　n. importance; meaning 重要性;意义，含义

　　sidestep

　　v. step aside; avoid by stepping aside 横跨一步避开;回避

　　head-on

　　ad. in a direct manner; with the head or front first 正面地;迎头向前地

　　parable

　　n. a brief story used to teach some moral lesson or truth 寓言

　　donkey

　　n. 驴

　　slack

　　a. not tight or firm; loose 不紧的;松弛的

　　flank

　　v. be located at the side (of); attack the side (of) 位于侧面;攻击侧面

　　man(o)euver

　　n. a planned movement of troops or warships; a skillful move or clever trick 部队等的调遣;巧计;策略

　　flanking maneuve

　　n. 侧攻策略

　　zen

　　n. a japanese form of Buddhism, emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition 禅;禅宗

　　archer

　　n. a person who shoots with a bow and arrows 弓箭手

　　bow

　　n. 弓

　　im*

　　vt. express indirectly; suggest 暗示;意味着

　　sideways

　　a. to or from a side 旁边的;向侧面的

　　affirm

　　vt. declare to be true; say firmly 断言;肯定

　　period

　　int.(美口)(常用于叙述事实或看法后表示强调)就是这话;就是这么回事

　　cease

　　vt. put an end to; stop 终止;停止

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说3

　　take in

　　receive; absorb 接受;接纳;吸收

　　in effect

　　in reality 实际上

　　take over

　　take control in place of sth. else 取而代之;取得主导地位

　　be hung up on/about

　　be thinking or worrying too much about 因…而烦心;因…而心神不宁

　　wind up

　　(infml.) bring or come to an end; end in a specified state or circumstance (口)(使)结束;以…告终

　　end up

　　wind up; come out 结束;结果是

　　pull on

　　draw (one end of sth. long) continuously and with force 用力拉(某长形物之一端)

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇扩展阅读

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇（扩展1）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解1

　　1. Before you listen to the passage, predict the words that are missing in the printed version of the passage. Then when you hear the passage, mark where you hear differences between your predictions and what"s actually on the tape. Don"t worry about writing down exactly what you hear — just note where you hear differences.

　　The sense of _____ dominates every modern culture to such an extent that most people never _____. Relying mainly on _____ seems so natural — how could a culture favor _____ instead? What would such a culture be like? It"s almost impossible to imagine. But _____ is in fact not as "natural" as we normally think. Although most humans are born with _____, no one is born knowing how to _____. We must learn _____, and many of the rules we learn vary _____. _____ is an excellent example: Before artists invented formal rules for portraying three dimensions, no one thought of distant objects as looking _____. If you doubt this, try explaining _____ to a young child.

　　2. If you had to lose one of your senses, which one would you choose to give up? And having lost it, what do you think you"d miss the most?

　　3. It"s common to speak of "the five senses" — but are there only five? Some researcher say that we all have and use other senses as well. What others can you think of?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解2

　　Rachel Carson

　　A child"s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that, for most of us, that clear-eyed vision — that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring — is dimmed and even lost before we reach *hood. If I had influence with the angels who are supposed to preside over all children, I would ask that their gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.

　　If children are to keep alive their natural sense of wonder without any such gift from the angels, they need the companionship of at least one * who can share it, rediscovering with the child the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. Parents often feel inadequate when confronted on the one hand with the eager, sensitive mind of a child and on the other with a world of complex physical nature. In a mood of self-defeat, they exclaim, "How can I possibly teach my child about nature — why, I don"t even know one bird from another!"

　　I sincerely believe that for children, and for parents seeking to guide them, it is not half so important to know as it is to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow. The years of early childhood are the time to prepare the soil. Once the emotions have been aroused — a sense of the beautiful, the excitement of the new and the unknown, a feeling of sympathy, pity, admiration or love — then we wish for knowledge about the object of our emotional response. Once found, such knowledge has far more lasting meaning than mere information. It is more important to pave the way for children"s desire to know than to put them on a diet of facts they are not ready to assimilate.

　　Even if you feel you have little knowledge of nature at your disposal, there is still much you can do for your child. Wherever you are and whatever your resources, you can still look up at the sky — its dawn and evening beauties, its moving clouds, its stars by night. You can listen to the wind, whether it blows with majestic voice through a forest or sings a many-voiced chorus around the corners of your apartment building, and in the listening, you can gain magical release for your thoughts. You can still feel the rain on your face and think of its long journey from sea to air to earth, and wonder at the mysteries of natural selection embodied in the perfume and flavour of a fruit. Even if you are a city dweller, you can find some place, perhaps a park or a golf course, where you can observe the mysterious migrations of the birds and the changing seasons. And with your child you can ponder the mystery of a growing seed, even if it"s just one planted in a pot of earth in the kitchen window.

　　Exploring nature with your child is largely a matter of being open to what lies all around you. It is learning again to use your eyes, ears, nose and fingertips, opening up the disused channels of your senses. For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?"

　　What is the value of preserving and strengthening this sense of awe and wonder, this recognition of something beyond the boundaries of human existence? Is the exploration of the natural world just a pleasant way to pass the golden hours of childhood or is there something deeper?

　　I am sure there is something much deeper, something lasting and significant. Those who dwell, as scientists or laypeople, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. Whatever the problems or concerns of their personal lives, their thoughts can find paths that lead to inner satisfaction and to renewed excitement in living. Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter.

　　I like to remember the distinguished Swedish oceanographer, Otto Pettersson, who died a few years ago at the age of ninety-three, in full possession of his keen mental powers. His son has related in a recent book how intensely his father enjoyed every new experience, every new discovery concerning the world about him.

　　"He was an incurable romantic," the son wrote, "intensely in love with life and with the mysteries of the universe." When he realized he had not much longer to enjoy the earthly scene, Otto Pettersson said to his son: "What will sustain me in my last moments is an infinite curiosity as to what is to follow."

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解3

　　misfortune

　　n. bad luck 不幸;灾祸

　　clear-eyed

　　a. 视力好的;目光炯炯的

　　awe-inspiring

　　a. 令人敬畏;令人惊叹的

　　dim

　　vt. make less bright or unable to see clearly 使…暗淡;使…看不清

　　a. (of a light) not bright; not easy to see 昏暗的;模糊的

　　* angel

　　n. 天使

　　* preside

　　vi. have authority or control; direct 负责;主持

　　inadequate

　　a. not good enough in quality, ability, size, etc. 不够格的;不能胜任的;不充分的

　　confront

　　vt. stand or meet face to face; bring face to face 面对;遭遇

　　mood

　　n. state of mind or feelings 心境，心情;情绪

　　sincerely

　　ad. 真诚地;忠实地

　　sincere

　　a. free from falseness; true and honest 忠实的;真诚的

　　arouse

　　vt. cause to become active; excite 唤醒;激发

　　rouse

　　vt. 1. cause to become active; excite (=arouse) 唤醒;激发

　　2. wake (sb.) up 唤醒，使醒来

　　mere

　　a. nothing more than 只不过的，仅仅的

　　* assimilate

　　vt. take in and make a part of oneself; absorb 使同化;吸收

　　disposal

　　n. the act of getting rid of sth.; the power or right to use sth. freely 处理;支配

　　dispose

　　vt. 1. put in place; set in readiness 布置;配置

　　2. cause to have a tendency (to do sth.) 使有倾向;使愿意

　　majestic

　　a. showing power and greatness; dignified and impressive 雄伟的，威严的

　　* majesty

　　n. 1. greatness; a show of power as of a king or queen 雄伟;庄重;君王尊严

　　2. [M-] 陛下(对帝王、王后等的尊称)

　　* chorus

　　n. 1. a song sung by many singers together 合唱曲

　　2. a group of singers singing together 合唱队

　　selection

　　n. the act of selecting; sb. or sth. that is selected 选择;被选出的人(或物)

　　* embody

　　vt. 1. represent (a quality, idea, etc.) in a physical form 体现;使具体化

　　2. contain, include 包含

　　* perfume

　　n. 1. a sweet or pleasant smell 芳香，香气

　　2. 香水

　　flavo(u)r

　　n. a taste; a special quality 味道;风味;特色

　　vt. give a particular taste to 给…调味

　　migration

　　n. the movement of a group (often of animals, birds, etc.) from one area to another 迁移;移居;(鸟类等的)迁徒

　　* migrate

　　vi. 1. (of animals) travel regularly to a different area according to the seasons of the year (动物的)迁徒

　　2. change one"s place of living; move from one place to another, especially to find work 迁移;(农业季节工人等)外出找工作

　　* migrant

　　n. 迁移动物;移居者;农业季节工人

　　* ponder

　　vt. think about carefully; consider 沉思;考虑

　　strengthen

　　vt. make stronger 加强，强化

　　awe

　　n. a feeling of respect mixed with fear and wonder 敬畏;惊叹

　　recognition

　　n. the act of recognizing; the state of being recognized 认同;认出;承认

　　* weary

　　a. very tired; bored 疲倦的;厌倦的

　　reserve

　　n. anything kept for later use 储备物

　　vt. 1. keep for a special purpose 保留;储备

　　2. (AmE) book (美)预订

　　* reservation

　　n. 1. doubt or uncertainty, esp. when one"s agreement with sth. is in some way limited 保留;保留意见

　　2. (AmE) booking; reserved seat or accommodation 预定;预定的座席(或住处等)

　　symbolic(al)

　　a. 象征性的

　　symbol

　　n. (of) a sign, shape or object which represents a person, idea or an item 象征;标志;符号

　　ebb

　　n. a flowing of the tide away from the shore 退潮，落潮

　　tide

　　n. the regular rise and fall of the ocean, caused by the attraction of the Moon 潮汐

　　* bud

　　n. a small swelling on a plant that will grow into a flower, leaf, or branch 牙;花蕾

　　* heal

　　v. (cause to) become sound or healthy again 治愈;痊愈

　　infinitely

　　ad. 无穷地，无限地

　　* finite

　　a. having an end or a limit 有限的

　　* refrain

　　n. a part of a song that is repeated, esp. at the end of each verse (歌曲中的)叠歌，副歌

　　vi. (from) hold oneself back (from) 忍住;克制

　　oceanographer

　　n. 海洋学家

　　possession

　　n. 1. the act or state of possessing or being possessed 拥有;具有

　　2. (often pl.) personal property [常复数]所有物;

　　keen

　　a. 1. good, strong, quick at understanding 敏锐的"

　　2. (on, to) eager or anxious to do sth. 热切的

　　intensely

　　ad. greatly or extremely; strongly 极度地;强烈地

　　intense

　　a. great or extreme; strong 极度的;强烈的

　　intensity

　　n. 1. 强烈，剧烈

　　2. 强度，烈度

　　concerning

　　prep.(fml) about; with regard to; in connection with 关于

　　earthly

　　a. of this world as opposed to heaven; material rather than spiritual 尘世的，世俗的

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解4

　　preside over

　　direct (a commi* or other formal group of people); have or exercise control or authority over (sth.) 主持(委员会等);掌管(某事)

　　wish for

　　have a desire for; long for 想要;希望得到

　　pave the way (for)

　　make smooth or easy (for); be a preparation (for) 为…铺*道路;为…作准备

　　at sb."s disposal

　　available for one to use as one wishes 由某人支配或使用

　　wonder at

　　be surprised by or curious about 对…感到惊讶

　　natural selection

　　the theory developed by Charles Darwin that plants and animals best suited to the conditions around them survive while those not suited to the conditions die out 自然选择(指生物界适者生存不适者被淘汰的现象)

　　a matter of sth./doing sth.

　　a question of; an instance or a case of 一个…的问题;一件…的事

　　open up

　　make or become open or accessible 打开;开放

　　be weary of

　　be tired of; be bored with 对…感到厌倦

　　look about

　　look around; examine the place or state of affairs 扫视四周;观察(事态)

　　be in possession of

　　have in one"s possession; maintain control over 拥有;控制

　　as to

　　about; concerning 关于;有关

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇（扩展2）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解1

　　First Listening

　　1. As you listen the first time, tick the questions that are answered in the listening passage. Don"t worry about answering the questions yet - just identify which questions are answered.

　　1) What problem is Eddie having in school?

　　2) How many examples does the teacher give?

　　3) Does Eddie"s mother understand the teacher"s viewpoint?

　　4) Does Eddie agree with his teacher?

　　5) What does the teacher think Eddie"s parents should do?

　　Second Listening

　　2. Provide very brief answers to the questions above after the second listening.

　　3. Now a question for discussion: What do you think of the teacher"s ideas?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解2

　　Vicky — beautiful, talented, very bright, voted "Most Likely to Succeed" in college — got a promising job with a large company after graduation. Then, after two years without promotions, she was fired. She suffered a complete nervous breakdown. "It was panic," she told me later. "Everything had always gone so well for me that I had no experience in coping with rejection. I felt I was a failure." Vicky"s reaction is an extreme example of a common phenomenon.

　　Our society places so much emphasis on "making it" that we assume that any failure is bad. What we don"t always recognize is that what looks like failure may, in the long run, prove beneficial. When Vicky was able to think coolly about why she was fired, for example, she realized that she was sim* not suited for a job dealing with people all the time. In her new position as a copy editor, she works independently, is happy and once again "successful."

　　People are generally prone to what language expert S. I. Hayakawa calls "the two-valued orientation." We talk about seeing both sides of a question as if every question had only two sides. We assume that everyone is either a success or a failure when, in fact, infinite degrees of both are possible. As Hayakawa points out, there"s a world of difference between "I have failed three times" and "I am a failure." Indeed, the words failure and success cannot be reasonably applied to a complex, living, changing human being. They can only describe the situation at a particular time and place.

　　Obviously no one can be brilliant at everything. In fact, success in one area often precludes success in another. A famous politician once told me that his career had practically destroyed his marriage. "I have no time for my family," he explained. "I travel a lot. And even when I"m home, I hardly see my wife and kids. I"ve got power, money, prestige — but as a husband and father, I"m a flop."

　　Certain kinds of success can indeed be destructive. The danger of too early success is particularly acute. I recall from my childhood a girl whose skill on ice skates marked her as "Olympic material." While the rest of us were playing, bicycling, reading and just loafing, this girl skated — every day after school and all weekend. Her picture often appeared in the papers, and the rest of us envied her glamorous life. Years later, however, she spoke bitterly of those early triumphs. "I never prepared myself for anything but the ice," she said. "I peaked at 17 — and it"s been downhill ever since."

　　Success that comes too easily is also damaging. The child who wins a prize for a carelessly - written essay, the * who distinguishes himself at a first job by lucky accident faces probable disappointment when real challenges arise.

　　Success is also bad when it"s achieved at the cost of the total quality of an experience. Successful students sometimes become so obsessed with grades that they never enjoy their school years. They never branch out into tempting new areas, because they don"t want to risk their grade - point average.

　　Why are so many people so afraid of failure? Sim* because no one tells us how to fail so that failure becomes a growing experience. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that "every person has the right to fail."

　　Most parents work hard at either preventing failure or shielding their children from the knowledge that they have failed. One way is to lower standards. A mother describes her child"s hastily made table as "perfect!" even though it"s clumsy and unsteady. Another way is to shift blame. If John fails math, his teacher is unfair or stupid.

　　The trouble with failure - prevention devices is that they leave a child unequipped for life in the real world. The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything, no one can win all the time — and that it"s possible to enjoy a game even when you don"t win. A child who"s not invited to a birthday party, who doesn"t make the honor roll or the baseball team feels terrible, of course. But parents should not offer a quick consolation prize or say, "It doesn"t matter," because it does. The youngster should be allowed to experience disappointment — and then be helped to master it.

　　Failure is never pleasant. It hurts *s and children alike. But it can make a positive contribution to your life once you learn to use it. Step one is to ask, "Why did I fail?" Resist the natural impulse to blame someone else. Ask yourself what you did wrong, how you can improve. If someone else can help, don"t be shy about inquiring.

　　When I was a teenager and failed to get a job I"d counted on, I telephoned the interviewer to ask why. "Because you came ten minutes late," I was told. "We can"t afford employees who waste other people"s time." The explanation was reassuring (I hadn"t been rejected as a person) and helpful, too. I don"t think I"ve been late for anything since.

　　Success, which encourages repetition of old behavior, is not nearly as good a teacher as failure. You can learn from a disastrous party how to give a good one, from an ill-chosen first house what to look for in a second. Even a failure that seems total can prompt fresh thinking, a change of direction.

　　A friend of mine, after 12 years of studying ballet, did not succeed in becoming a dancer. She was turned down by the ballet master, who said, "You will never be a dancer. You haven"t the body for it." In such cases, the way to use failure is to take stock courageously, asking, "What have I left? What else can I do?" My friend put away her toe shoes and moved into dance therapy, a field where she"s both competent and useful.

　　Though we may envy the assurance that comes with success, most of us are attracted by courage in defeat. There is what might be called the noble failure — the special heroism of aiming high, doing your best and then, when that proves not enough, moving bravely on. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "A man"s success is made up of failures, because he experiments and ventures every day, and the more falls he gets, moves faster on....I have heard that in horsemanship — a man will never be a good rider until he is thrown; then he will not be haunted any longer by the terror that he shall tumble, and will ride whither he is bound."

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解3

　　vote

　　vt. 1. choose (sb.) to have (a particular title); elect 推选

　　2. 投票选举(或制定、决定、赞成、支持、通过)

　　vi. (for, against, on) express one"s choice officially at a meeting or in an election 投票;选举;表决

　　n. 选举;投票;选票

　　*promising

　　a. likely to be very good or successful 有前途的;有希望的

　　promotion

　　n. 1. advancement in rank or position 提升，晋级

　　2. attempt to make a product or an event popular or successful, esp. by advertising 促销;宣传

　　*breakdown

　　n. 1. physical, mental, or nervous collapse 崩溃;衰竭

　　2. (关系、计划或讨论等的)中断

　　nervous breakdown

　　an unnatural condition of deep worrying, anxiety, weeping or tiredness 精神崩溃

　　rejection

　　n. the act of rejecting or being rejected (遭到)拒绝;摒弃

　　reaction

　　n. response or change caused by the action of another 反应;感应

　　extreme

　　a. 1. greatest possible; of the highest degree 极端的;极度的;最大的

　　2. furthest possible; at the very beginning or end 末端的;尽头的

　　n. 极端;极度(状态)

　　emphasis

　　n. (on, upon) special force or attention given to sth. to show that it is particularly important 强调;重点;重要性

　　beneficial

　　a. producing favourable effects or useful results 有益的;有帮助的

　　editor

　　n. 1. a person who checks and corrects texts before they are published 校订者;(文字)编辑

　　2. 编辑;主编

　　editorial

　　a. of or done by an editor 编辑的，编者的

　　edit

　　v. 1. prepare for printing, broadcasting, etc., by deciding what shall be included or left out, putting right mistakes, etc. (为出版、广播等而)编辑，编选;剪辑

　　2. be the editor of 主编;充任(报纸等的)编辑

　　edition

　　n. a particular version of a book, magazine, or newspaper that is printed at one time 版本

　　*prone

　　a. (to) habitually likely to do sth. (usu. undesirable) 有…倾向的，易于…的

　　ap*

　　vt. (to) bring or put into use or operation 应用;实施

　　vi. (to, for) request sth., esp. officially and in writing (尤指以书面形式)申请;请求

　　complex

　　a. 1. difficult to understand, explain, or deal with; not clear or simple 错综复杂的

　　2. (词或句子)复合的，复杂的

　　n. a system consisting of a large number of closely related parts 综合体;复合体;群落

　　*preclude

　　vt. (fml.) (from) make impossible; prevent 妨碍，阻止;排除;防止

　　practically

　　ad. 1. (infml.) very nearly; almost 几乎，差不多

　　2. in a practical way 实际上;从实际角度

　　*prestige

　　n. general respect or admiration felt in men"s mind for sb. or sth. by reason of having, or being connected with, rank, proved high quality 声望;威望;威信

　　flop

　　n. (infml.) a failure 失败(者)

　　vi. move or fall heavily or awkwardly 笨重地行动;沉重地落下

　　*destructive

　　a. causing or be capable of causing great damage, harm or injury 破坏(性)的

　　acute

　　a. 1. severe, strong, deep 剧烈的`，激烈的;深切的

　　2. (of the mind or the senses) able to notice small differences; working very well; sharp(思想或感官)敏锐的;灵敏的;尖锐的

　　3. 尖的，锐的;成锐角的

　　loaf

　　vi. (infml.) stand or wait in a place without doing anything interesting or useful 游荡，闲逛

　　n. bread, usu. fairly large, in a shape that can be cut into slices (一个)面包

　　*glamo(u)rous

　　a. having the quality of being more attractive, exciting, or interesting than ordinary people or things 富有魅力的;令人向往的

　　*glamo(u)r

　　n. the exciting and charming quality of sth. unusual or special, with a magical power of attraction 魅力;迷人的力量

　　peak

　　vi. reach the highest value, level, point, etc. 达到顶峰;达到最大值

　　n. (山)峰;顶峰;尖顶

　　downhill

　　a. & ad. 1. (becoming) worse or less successful 走下坡路的(地)

　　2. (going) towards the bottom of a hill 向坡下(的)：向下(的)

　　damage

　　n. harm; loss 损害;损失

　　vt. cause damage to 损害;损坏;毁坏

　　distinguish

　　vt. 1. (～oneself) behave or perform noticeably well 使出众

　　2. recognize 辨别;区分

　　probable

　　a. likely 很可能发生的

　　*obsess

　　vt. (usu. pass.) completely fill the mind of (sb.) so that no attention is given to other * [常被动]使着迷

　　grade-point average, GPA

　　(美)(学生各科成绩的)*均积分点

　　shield

　　vt. (from) protect or hide from harm or danger 保护;庇护

　　n. 盾，盾牌

　　hastily

　　ad. too quickly 匆忙地;草率地;性急地

　　haste

　　n. quick movement or action 急忙，匆忙

　　device

　　n. 1. a method of achieving sth. 策略;手段

　　2. an object that has been invented for a particular purpose 装置;设备

　　unequipped

　　a. not equipped with the necessities 未配备所需物品的;无准备的

　　honor roll

　　(美)光荣榜(指优秀学生名单、当地服兵役公民名单等)

　　consolation

　　n. comfort during a time of sadness or disappointment 安慰;慰问

　　consolation prize

　　a prize given to sb. who has not won the competition 安慰奖

　　alike

　　ad. in (almost) the same way; equally 同样地;相似地;以同样程度

　　a. similar in appearance, quality, character, etc. 想像的，同样的

　　*impulse

　　n. 1. a sudden desire to do sth. (一时的)冲动

　　2. 冲力;脉冲;神经冲动

　　inquire, enquire

　　v. ask For information 询问;查问

　　inquiry, enquiry

　　n. (into, about) an act of inquiring 询问;查问

　　afford

　　vt. 1. be able to buy 买得起

　　2. be able to do, spend, give, bear, etc., without serious loss or damage 担负得起(损失、费用、后果等)

　　repetition

　　n. the act of repeating, or sth. repeated 重复;反复

　　ill-chosen

　　a. not well chosen 选择不恰当的

　　ill

　　ad. 1. not well. not enough 不恰当地;拙劣地

　　2. unfavourably; badly, unpleasantly or cruelly 不利地;恶劣地;冷酷无情地

　　3. hardly 几乎不;困难地

　　prompt

　　vt. cause or urge; encourage or help sb. to continue 促使;推动;激励

　　a. done without any delay; not late 迅速的;及时的

　　*ballet

　　n. 芭蕾舞(剧)

　　*stock

　　n. 1. a sup*(of sth.)for use 库存物;储备物

　　2. the thick part of a tree trunk 树桩;树干

　　v. (up) keep supplies of; store 备货;储备

　　courageously

　　ad. bravely; in a way showing courage 英勇地，无畏地

　　toe

　　n. 脚趾;足尖

　　toe shoe

　　芭蕾舞鞋

　　therapy

　　n. the treatment of mental or physical illness (心理或生理)疗法，治疗

　　heroism

　　n. the quality of being a hero; great courage 大无畏精神;英勇

　　horsemanship

　　n. the practice or skill of horse-riding 马术;骑术

　　*haunt

　　vt. (often pass.) be always in the thoughts of (sb.); visit regularly [常被动](思想、回忆等)萦绕;缠扰;常去

　　terror

　　n. (sb. or sth. that causes) extreme fear 恐怖;引起恐怖的人(或物)

　　tumble

　　vi. (down) fall suddenly or helplessly; collapse 摔下;跌倒;倒塌，坍塌

　　whither

　　conj. & ad. (archaic) (to) where 〈古体〉(无论)去哪里

　　bound

　　a. 1. (for, to) going to or intending to go to 准备到…去的

　　2. very likely; certain 一定的;注定的

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　place/lay/put emphasis on/upon

　　give sth. special force or attention to show that it is particularly important 强调;把重点放在，着重于

　　in the long run

　　after enough time; in the end 从长远观点来看;终究

　　a world of

　　a lot of 大量的，无数的

　　be brilliant/best at sth.

　　having or showing great skill at sth. 在某一方面极为出色

　　at the cost of

　　以…为代价

　　branch out

　　(into) add to the range of one"s interests or activities 扩大(兴趣、活动、业务等的)范围

　　count on/upon

　　expect; depend on 指望;料想;依靠

　　turn down

　　refuse (a request or offer or the person that makes it); reject 拒绝(某人或其请求、忠告等)

　　take stock

　　consider a situation carefully so as to take a decision 作出判断，进行评估

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇（扩展3）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说 (菁选3篇)

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说1

　　Caroline Seebohm

　　Dr. Jenner, however, did something about this situation. He stopped fighting the problem and sim* changed his point of view—from his patients to dairy maids. Picture the process going something like this: Suppose the brain is a computer. This computer has absorbed into its memory bank all your history, your experiences, your training, your information received through life; and it is programmed according to all this data. To change your point of view, you must reprogramme your computer, thus freeing yourself to take in new ideas and develop new ways of looking at things. Dr. Jenner, in effect, by reprogramming his computer, erased the old way of looking at his smallpox problem and was free to receive new alternatives.

　　That"s all very well, you may say, but how do we actually do that?

　　Doctor and philosopher Edward de Bono has come up with a technique for changing our point of view, and he calls it Lateral Thinking.

　　Lateral thinking, Dr. de Bono says, is a new technique of thinking about things—a technique that avoids this fight altogether, and solves the problem in an entirely unexpected fashion.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说2

　　smallpox

　　n. a highly contagious disease causing spots which leave marks on the skin 天花

　　impasse

　　n. a position from which progress is impossible; deadlock 僵局;死胡同

　　tactics

　　n. a method or process of carrying out a scheme or achieving some end 战术;策略

　　dairymaid

　　n. a girl or woman who works in a dairy 牛奶场女工

　　dairy

　　n. 1. place where milk is kept and milk products are made 牛奶场;奶品场

　　2. shop where milk, butter, etc. are sold 乳品店

　　cowpox

　　n. a disease of cows, of which the virus was formerly used in vaccination against smallpox 牛痘

　　vaccination

　　n. 接种疫苗

　　scourge

　　n. thing or person that causes great trouble or misfortune 苦难的根源;灾难;祸害

　　dead end

　　n. a point beyond which progress or achievement is impossible; a street or passage closed at one end 僵局;死巷，死胡同

　　vainly

　　ad. uselessly; in vain 枉然地;徒劳地

　　vain

　　a. 1. having too high an opinion of one"s looks, abilities, etc.; conceited 自视甚高的;自负的

　　2. useless or futile 无用的，无益的，无效的;徒劳的

　　erase

　　vt. rub out; remove all traces of 擦掉;抹去

　　lateral

　　a. of, at, towards, or from the side or sides 横向的.;侧面的;向侧面的

　　laterally

　　ad. in a lateral direction, sideways 横向地;侧面地;旁边地

　　lateral thinking

　　横向思维，水*思考

　　going

　　n. 1. the condition of the ground for walking, driving or riding 地面状况

　　2. condition of progress 进行情况;进展

　　framework

　　n. 1. set of principles or ideas used as a basis for one"s judgement, decisions, etc. 参照标准;准则;观点

　　2. structure giving shape and support 框架，结构

　　vertical

　　a. straight up and down; at right angles to a horizontal plane 纵向的;垂直的

　　vertically

　　ad. in a vertical direction 垂直地

　　sequential

　　a. of, forming, or following in (a) sequence 相继的;连续的

　　flaw

　　n. a defect; fault; error 瑕疵;缺点

　　structure

　　n. sth. built; anything composed of parts arranged together; way in which sth. is put together, organized, built, etc. 结构;建筑物;构造物

　　utmost

　　a. greatest; highest 极度的;极高的

　　significance

　　n. importance; meaning 重要性;意义，含义

　　sidestep

　　v. step aside; avoid by stepping aside 横跨一步避开;回避

　　head-on

　　ad. in a direct manner; with the head or front first 正面地;迎头向前地

　　parable

　　n. a brief story used to teach some moral lesson or truth 寓言

　　donkey

　　n. 驴

　　slack

　　a. not tight or firm; loose 不紧的;松弛的

　　flank

　　v. be located at the side (of); attack the side (of) 位于侧面;攻击侧面

　　man(o)euver

　　n. a planned movement of troops or warships; a skillful move or clever trick 部队等的调遣;巧计;策略

　　flanking maneuve

　　n. 侧攻策略

　　zen

　　n. a japanese form of Buddhism, emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition 禅;禅宗

　　archer

　　n. a person who shoots with a bow and arrows 弓箭手

　　bow

　　n. 弓

　　im*

　　vt. express indirectly; suggest 暗示;意味着

　　sideways

　　a. to or from a side 旁边的;向侧面的

　　affirm

　　vt. declare to be true; say firmly 断言;肯定

　　period

　　int.(美口)(常用于叙述事实或看法后表示强调)就是这话;就是这么回事

　　cease

　　vt. put an end to; stop 终止;停止

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说3

　　take in

　　receive; absorb 接受;接纳;吸收

　　in effect

　　in reality 实际上

　　take over

　　take control in place of sth. else 取而代之;取得主导地位

　　be hung up on/about

　　be thinking or worrying too much about 因…而烦心;因…而心神不宁

　　wind up

　　(infml.) bring or come to an end; end in a specified state or circumstance (口)(使)结束;以…告终

　　end up

　　wind up; come out 结束;结果是

　　pull on

　　draw (one end of sth. long) continuously and with force 用力拉(某长形物之一端)

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇（扩展4）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册单元2课文详析60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册单元2课文详析1

　　First Listening

　　Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following words.

　　fare

　　乘客

　　buck

　　(俚)(一)元

　　trace

　　找到

　　glare

　　盯视

　　gratitude

　　感激

　　gracefully

　　得体地

　　Second Listening

　　Listen to the tape again and choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

　　1. How did the man who had lost his wallet react to it being returned?

　　A) He acted hostile towards the cabdriver.

　　B) He took it without a word, but smiled his thanks.

　　C) He gave the driver some money, but no thanks.

　　D) He thanked the driver, but gave him no reward.

　　2. What does the story of the cabdriver show?

　　A) Cabdrivers are usually honest people.

　　B) People need to be shown gratitude.

　　C) You should always give a tip for good service.

　　D) It"s not worthwhile to help other people.

　　3. Which of the following is NOT an example of expressing gratitude?

　　A) returning a wallet someone has left behind

　　B) gracefully receiving an act of kindness from another person

　　C) thanking and praising coworkers, family, and friends

　　D) making a small gesture of appreciation

　　4. Why does the author consider gratitude so important?

　　A) It keeps people from getting angry.

　　B) It helps you to get what you want.

　　C) It makes others like you more.

　　D) It makes the world a more pleasant place to live.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册单元2课文详析2

　　A.J. Cronin

　　On a fine afternoon in New York, I got into a taxi. From the driver"s expression and the way he slammed in his gears, I could tell that he was upset. I asked him what was the trouble. "I"ve got good reason to be sore," he growled. "One of my fares left a wallet in my cab this morning. Nearly three hundred bucks in it. I spent more than an hour trying to trace the guy. Finally I found him at his hotel. He took the wallet without a word and glared at me as though I"d meant to steal it."

　　"He didn"t give you a reward?" I exclaimed.

　　"Not a cent. But it wasn"t the dough I wanted..." he fumbled, then exploded, "If the guy had only said something..."

　　Because his helpful, honest act had not been appreciated, that cabdriver"s day was poisoned, and I knew he would think twice before rendering a similar service. The need for gratitude is something we all feel, and denial of it can do much to harm the spirit of kindness and cooperation.

　　During World War II a mother in Cincinnati received a letter from her son in the army in which he spoke of a woman in a village in Normandy who had taken him into her home when he was wounded and hungry, and hidden him from the Germans. Later on, unhappily, the boy was killed in the Ardennes offensive. Yet the mother was moved by an irresistible intention. She saved up for two years, crossed the Atlantic and located the village referred to by her son. After many inquiries, she found the woman who had sheltered her son—the wife of an impoverished farmer—and pressed a package into her hand. It was the gold wristwatch her son had received on his graduation, the only object of real value the boy had ever possessed. The mother"s act of gratitude so touched people"s hearts that it has become something of a legend in and around the village. It has done more than fine speeches to foster good feeling toward Americans.

　　Gratitude is the art of receiving gracefully, of showing appreciation for every kindness, great and small. Most of us do not fail to show our pleasure when we receive hospitality, gifts and obvious benefits, but even here we can perfect our manner of showing gratitude by making it as personal and sincere as possible. Recently, when touring in southern Italy with my wife, I sent to a friend in Connecticut several bottles of a local wine which had taken our fancy. It was a trifling gift, yet to our surprise, instead of the conventional letter of thanks, we receive a phonograph record. When we played it, we heard our friend"s voice speaking after dinner, describing how he and his guests had enjoyed the wine and thanking us for our thoughtfulness. It was pleasant to have this unusual proof that our gift had been appreciated.

　　Gratitude is sometimes more than a personal affair. My son, studying medicine at McGill University, told me of a patient brought into hospital in Montreal whose life was saved by a blood transfusion. When he was well again he asked: "Isn"t there any way I can discover the name of the donor and thank him?" He was told that names of donors are never revealed. A few weeks after his discharge he came back to give a pint of his own blood. Since then he has returned again and again for the same purpose. When a surgeon commented on this splendid record of anonymous service, he answered sim*: "Someone I never knew did it for me. I"m just saying "thanks"".

　　It is a comforting thought that gratitude can be not merely a passing sentiment but a renewal which can, in some instances, persist for a lifetime. A husband who recalls appreciatively some generous or unselfish act on his wife"s part, or a wife who never forgets the gifts her husband has given her, does much to keep the domestic wheels spinning smoothly. W.H. Hudson, British author and naturalist, has written: "One evening I brought home a friend to share our usual evening meal. Afterward he said to me:‘You are fortunate to have a wife who, despite ill health and children to look after, cooks such excellent meals." That tribute opened my eyes and taught me to show gratitude for my wife"s day-to-day heroism, which I had hitherto taken for granted."

　　It is, above all, in the little things that the grace of gratitude should be most employed. The boy who delivers our paper, the milkman, the mailman, the barber, the waitress at a restaurant, the elevator operator—all oblige us in one way or another. By showing our gratitude we make routine relationships human and render monotonous tasks more agreeable.

　　A patient of mine in London who worked as a bus conductor once confided to me, "I get fed up with my job sometimes. People grumble, bother you, haven"t got the right change for their tickets. But there"s one lady on my bus morning and evening, and she always thanks me in a particularly friendly way when I take her ticket. I like to think she"s speaking for all the passengers. It helps me to keep smiling."

　　Arnold Bennett had a publisher who boasted about the extraordinary efficiency of his secretary. One day Bennett said to her, "Your employer claims that you are extremely efficient. What is your secret?" "It"s not my secret," the secretary replied. "It"s his." Each time she performed a service, no matter how small, he never failed to acknowledge it. Because of that she took infinite pains with her work.

　　Some persons refrain from expressing their gratitude because they feel it will not be welcome. A patient of mine, a few weeks after his discharge from the hospital, came back to thank his nurse. "I didn"t come back sooner," he explained, "because I imagined you must be bored to death with people thanking you."

　　"On the contrary," she replied, "I am delighted you came. Few realize how much we need encouragement and how much we are helped by those who give it."

　　Gratitude is something of which none of us can give too much. For on the smiles, the thanks we give, our little gestures of appreciation, our neighbors build up their philosophy of life.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册单元2课文详析3

　　gratitude

　　n. being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness 感激;感谢的心情

　　slam

　　vt. shut loudly and with force; push, move, etc., hurriedly and with great force 猛然关上;猛力推移

　　sore

　　a. painful or aching; angry, esp. from feeling unjustly treated 疼痛的;恼怒的"

　　growl

　　v. make a deep, angry sound; complain angrily 咆哮;怒冲冲地抱怨

　　fare

　　n. a paying passenger (esp. in a taxi) (尤指出租车)乘客

　　trace

　　vt. find or discover 查出，找到

　　glare

　　vi. look fiercely or fixedly 瞪着眼看

　　dough

　　n. (sl.) money (俚语)钱

　　fumble

　　v. speak in a clumsy and unclear way支支吾吾地说，笨嘴拙舌地说

　　render

　　vt. 1. give (esp. help) 给予;提供(帮助等)

　　2. cause to be 使得;使成为

　　denial

　　n. the act of denying 否认;否定;拒绝

　　offensive

　　n. a planned military attack involving large forces over a long period 军事进攻;攻势

　　intention

　　n. sth. one proposes or plans to do 意图;目的;打算

　　inquiry

　　n. the act of inquiring; an investigation or examination 查询;调查

　　wristwatch

　　n. a small watch worn on a strap around the wrist 手表

　　foster

　　vt. help the growth and development of; encourage or promote 培养，促进;鼓励，助长

　　gracefully

　　ad. in a graceful way 优雅地;优美地;得体地

　　appreciation

　　n. gratefulness; gratitude 感激;感谢

　　hospitality

　　n. friendly reception; generous treatment of guests or strangers 款待;好客

　　sincere

　　a. free from pretense or deceit; genuine 真诚的;真挚的

　　trifling

　　a. of slight importance; of little value 微不足道的;没什么价值的

　　conventional

　　a. of the usual type; commonly used or seen 惯常的;通常的

　　phonograph

　　n. an instrument that reproduces the sounds from records 留声机;电唱机

　　thoughtfulness

　　n. the quality of being careful or considerate of others 关心;体贴

　　proof

　　n. 1. (piece of) evidence that shows that something is true or is a fact 证据; 证物

　　2. testing of whether something is true or a fact; demonstration or proving 验证;证明;证实

　　transfusion

　　n. the transfer of blood from one person or animal to another 输血

　　discharge

　　n. act of giving somebody permission to leave the army, hospital, etc. 允许离开;退伍;出院

　　pint

　　n. a measure for liquids (and some dry goods) equal to about 0.57 of a litre 品脱

　　surgeon

　　n. a doctor who performs operations 外科医生

　　sentiment

　　n. a mixture of thought and feeling 感情;情绪

　　renewal

　　n. the act of renewing or fact of being renewed 更新;恢复;重新开始;(中断后的)继续

　　appreciatively

　　ad. gratefully; thankfully 感激地

　　generous

　　a. showing readiness to give money, help, kindness, etc. 慷慨的，大方的

　　unselfish

　　a. not selfish; caring for others 无私的;为他人着想的

　　naturalist

　　n. a person who studies plants or animals, esp. outdoors 博物学家

　　tribute

　　n. a thing said or done or given as a mark of respect or affection, etc. 表示尊敬或赞美的言辞或举止;称赞;礼物

　　hitherto

　　ad. until this/that time 迄今;至今

　　barber

　　n. a person whose work is cutting men"s hair and shaving them 理发师

　　elevator

　　n. a moving platform or cage to carry people and things; up and down in a building, mine, or the like 电梯

　　elevate

　　vt. lift up; raise to a higher place or rank; improve (the mind, morals, etc.) 举起，提高;提升…的职位;提高(思想修养、道德品质等)

　　operator

　　n. a person who works a machine, apparatus, etc. 操作人员

　　monotonous

　　a. lacking in variety; boring through sameness 单调的;乏味的

　　agreeable

　　a. giving pleasure, pleasant 愉悦的;愉快的

　　confide

　　vt. tell (a secret) to sb. 吐露(秘密)

　　boast

　　vi. talk too proudly 吹牛，自夸

　　employer

　　n. a person or firm that employs others 雇主

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册单元2课文详析4

　　think twice

　　think carefully; reconsider; hesitate 仔细考虑;重新考虑;踌躇，犹豫

　　save up

　　put aside (money) for future use 储蓄;存(钱)

　　refer to

　　mention 提及

　　something of a

　　rather a; to some degree 有点儿;有几分;可以说是一个

　　take /catch sb."s fancy

　　attract or please sb. 吸引住某人;令某人喜欢

　　on sb."s part/on the part of sb.

　　made or done by sb. 某人所做的;某人有责任的

　　in one way or another

　　by some means or method 以某种方式(或方法)

　　be /get fed up with /about

　　be(come) tired or bored; be(come) unhappy or depressed 厌倦;厌烦;沮丧

　　boast about /of

　　talk too proudly about /of 自吹;夸耀

　　take pains with

　　make an effort to do 努力;下功夫

　　refrain from

　　hold oneself back from; avoid 克制;避免

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇（扩展5）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册单元2内容解析60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册单元2内容解析1

　　Listening

　　First Listening

　　Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following words.

　　conversation

　　谈话

　　comment on

　　bowling

　　保龄球

　　lane

　　球道

　　connect

　　联系

　　converse

　　交谈

　　switch

　　转换

　　Second Listening

　　Listen to the tape again. Then, choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

　　1. What was the main cause of the problem discussed in the listening?

　　A) She was using a Western style in conversations among the Japanese.

　　B) She insisted on speaking English even though she was in Japan.

　　C) She spoke the Japanese language poorly.

　　D) She was an American woman married to a Japanese man.

　　2. Which of the following comparisons does the listening make about Japanese and Western conversational styles?

　　A) The Japanese style is like tennis and the Western style is like volleyball.

　　B) The Western style is more athletic than the Japanese style.

　　C) The Japanese style is like bowling and the Western style is like tennis.

　　D) The Japanese style is like singles tennis and the Western style is like doubles.

　　3. The author considers the Western conversational style to be ____________.

　　A) more interactive (互动的)

　　B) louder

　　C) more personal

　　D) better

　　4.The author considers the Japanese conversational style to be ____________.

　　A) easier to adjust to(适应)

　　B) more strictly (严谨地) organized

　　C) more traditional

　　D) better

　　5.The author concludes that ____________.

　　A) once you know the differences, it is easy to adjust to them

　　B) because she is American, she will never really understand Japan

　　C) life will be much easier for her students than it was for her

　　D) it remains difficult to switch from one style to another

　　Pre-reading Questions

　　1.Look at the title and guess what this passage is about.

　　2. Go over the first paragraph quickly and find out who the author is. Is she a Japanese born and educated in the United States or an American married to a Japanese?

　　3. Have you ever talked with a native speaker of English? What problems have you encountered in talking with a foreigner?

　　Conversational Ballgames

　　Nancy Masterson Sakamoto

　　After I was married and had lived in Japan for a while, my Japanese gradually improved to the point where I could take part in simple conversations with my husband, his friends, and family. And I began to notice that often, when I joined in, the others would look startled, and the conversation would come to a halt. After this happened several times, it became clear to me that I was doing something wrong. But for a long time, I didn"t know what it was.

　　Finally, after listening carefully to many Japanese conversations, I discovered what my problem was. Even though I was speaking Japanese, I was handling the conversation in a Western way.

　　Japanese-style conversations develop quite differently from western-style conversations. And the difference isn"t only in the languages. I realized that just as I kept trying to hold western-style conversations even when I was speaking Japanese, so were my English students trying to hold Japanese-style conversations even when they were speaking English. We were unconsciously playing entirely different conversational ballgames.

　　A western-style conversation between two people is like a game of tennis. If I introduce a topic, a conversational ball, I expect you to hit it back. If you agree with me, I don"t expect you sim* to agree and do nothing more. I expect you to add something — a reason for agreeing, another example, or a remark to carry the idea further. But I don"t expect you always to agree. I am just as happy if you question me, or challenge me, or completely disagree with me. Whether you agree or disagree, your response will return the ball to me.

　　And then it is my turn again. I don"t serve a new ball from my original starting line. I hit your ball back again from where it has bounced. I carry your idea further, or answer your questions or objections, or challenge or question you. And so the ball goes back and forth.

　　If there are more than two people in the conversation, then it is like doubles in tennis, or like volleyball. There"s no waiting in line. Whoever is nearest and quickest hits the ball, and if you step back, someone else will hit it. No one stops the game to give you a turn. You"re responsible for taking your own turn and no one person has the ball for very long.

　　A Japanese-style conversation, however, is not at all like tennis or volleyball, it"s like bowling. You wait for your turn, and you always know your place in line. It depends on such things as whether you are older or younger, a close friend or a relative stranger to the previous speaker, in a senior or junior position, and so on.

　　The first thing is to wait for your turn, patiently and politely. When your moment comes, you step up to the starting line with your bowling ball, and carefully bowl it. Everyone else stands back, making sounds of polite encouragement. Everyone waits until your ball has reached the end of the lane, and watches to see if it knocks down all the pins, or only some of them, or none of them. Then there is a pause, while everyone registers your score.

　　Then, after everyone is sure that you are done, the next person in line steps up to the same starting line, with a different ball. He doesn"t return your ball. There is no back and forth at all. And there is always a suitable pause between turns. There is no rush, no impatience.

　　No wonder everyone looked startled when I took part in Japanese conversations. I paid no attention to whose turn it was, and kept snatching the ball halfway down the alley and throwing it back at the bowler. Of course the conversation fell apart, I was playing the wrong game.

　　This explains why it can be so difficult to get a western-style discussion going with Japanese students of English. Whenever I serve a volleyball, everyone just stands back and watches it fall. No one hits it back. Everyone waits until I call on someone to take a turn. And when that person speaks, he doesn"t hit my ball back. He serves a new ball. Again, everyone just watches it fall. So I call on someone else. This person does not refer to what the previous speaker has said. He also serves a new ball. Everyone begins again from the same starting line, and all the balls run parallel. There is never any back and forth.

　　Now that you know about the difference in the conversational ballgames, you may think that all your troubles are over. But if you have been trained all your life to play one game, it is no simple matter to switch to another, even if you know the rules. Tennis, after all, is different from bowling.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册单元2内容解析2

　　conversational

　　a. 会话的，交谈的

　　conversation

　　n. an informal talk in which people exchange news, feelings, and thoughts 谈话; 会谈

　　ballgame

　　n. any game played with a ball 球类活动

　　gradually

　　ad. in a way that happens or develops slowly over a long period of time 逐渐

　　startle

　　vt. make suddenly surprised or slightly shocked 使惊吓，使惊奇

　　halt

　　n. a stop or pause 停住，停止

　　v. stop (使)停住，(使)停止

　　handle

　　vt. deal with 处理，应付

　　unconsciously

　　ad. not consciously 无意识地，不知不觉地

　　challenge

　　vt. 向…挑战;对…质疑

　　n. 挑战;质疑

　　disagree

　　vi. (with) have or express a different opinion from sb. else 有分歧，不同意

　　response

　　n. an answer; (an) action done in answer 回答;回应;反应

　　original

　　a. first; earliest 起初的;原来的

　　bounce

　　vi. (of a ball) spring back or up again from the ground or another surface (球)弹起，(球)反弹

　　objection

　　n. sth. that one says to show that he /she opposes or disapproves of an action, idea, etc. 反对，异议

　　forth

　　ad. forward; out 向前;向外

　　responsible

　　a. having the job or duty of looking after sb. or sth., so that one can be blamed if things go wrong 须负责的，有责任的

　　bowling

　　n. 保龄球

　　relative

　　a. having a particular quality when compared with sth. else 相对的，比较的

　　n. a member of one"s family; relation 亲属;亲戚

　　a. coming before in time or order 先前的，以前的

　　junior

　　a. of lower rank or position; younger 级别或地位较低的`，年资较浅的;年少的，较年幼的

　　bowl

　　vt. 把(球)投向球瓶

　　lane

　　n. 球道;车道;胡同，小巷

　　n. 球瓶;大头针，别针

　　vt. record 记录，登记

　　suitable

　　a. 合适的;适当的

　　impatience

　　n. 不耐烦;急躁

　　*snatch

　　vt. get hold of (sth.) hastily; take in a hurry, esp. forcefully 抓住;夺，夺得

　　alley

　　n. 小巷，小街，胡同;球道

　　bowler

　　n. 投球手

　　apart

　　ad. into pieces 成碎片

　　parallel

　　a. running side by side but never getting nearer to or further away from each other *行的，并列的

　　switch

　　vi. change 改变，转移

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　Join in

　　take part in (an activity) 参加，参与

　　come to a halt

　　stop 停住，停止;停顿

　　even if/though

　　in spite of the fact that; no matter whether 即使;尽管

　　just as

　　正如;同样地

　　back and forth

　　来回地，反复地

　　and so on

　　and other things of this kind 等等

　　knock down

　　make (sth.) fall by hitting or pushing it 击倒;撞倒

　　fall apart

　　break; fall to pieces; end in failure 破裂;破碎;以失败告终

　　call on /upon

　　formally ask (sb.) to do sth. 号召;请求

　　refer to

　　mention; speak about 谈到，提及

　　after all

　　when all is said or done 毕竟

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册单元2内容解析3

　　Listening

　　First Listening

　　Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following words.

　　conversation

　　谈话

　　comment on

　　bowling

　　保龄球

　　lane

　　球道

　　connect

　　联系

　　converse

　　交谈

　　switch

　　转换

　　Second Listening

　　Listen to the tape again. Then, choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

　　1. What was the main cause of the problem discussed in the listening?

　　A) She was using a Western style in conversations among the Japanese.

　　B) She insisted on speaking English even though she was in Japan.

　　C) She spoke the Japanese language poorly.

　　D) She was an American woman married to a Japanese man.

　　2. Which of the following comparisons does the listening make about Japanese and Western conversational styles?

　　A) The Japanese style is like tennis and the Western style is like volleyball.

　　B) The Western style is more athletic than the Japanese style.

　　C) The Japanese style is like bowling and the Western style is like tennis.

　　D) The Japanese style is like singles tennis and the Western style is like doubles.

　　3. The author considers the Western conversational style to be ____________.

　　A) more interactive (互动的)

　　B) louder

　　C) more personal

　　D) better

　　4.The author considers the Japanese conversational style to be ____________.

　　A) easier to adjust to(适应)

　　B) more strictly (严谨地) organized

　　C) more traditional

　　D) better

　　5.The author concludes that ____________.

　　A) once you know the differences, it is easy to adjust to them

　　B) because she is American, she will never really understand Japan

　　C) life will be much easier for her students than it was for her

　　D) it remains difficult to switch from one style to another

　　Pre-reading Questions

　　1.Look at the title and guess what this passage is about.

　　2. Go over the first paragraph quickly and find out who the author is. Is she a Japanese born and educated in the United States or an American married to a Japanese?

　　3. Have you ever talked with a native speaker of English? What problems have you encountered in talking with a foreigner?

　　Conversational Ballgames

　　Nancy Masterson Sakamoto

　　Finally, after listening carefully to many Japanese conversations, I discovered what my problem was. Even though I was speaking Japanese, I was handling the conversation in a Western way.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册单元2内容解析4

　　conversational

　　a. 会话的，交谈的

　　conversation

　　n. an informal talk in which people exchange news, feelings, and thoughts 谈话; 会谈

　　ballgame

　　n. any game played with a ball 球类活动

　　gradually

　　ad. in a way that happens or develops slowly over a long period of time 逐渐

　　startle

　　vt. make suddenly surprised or slightly shocked 使惊吓，使惊奇

　　halt

　　n. a stop or pause 停住，停止

　　v. stop (使)停住，(使)停止

　　handle

　　vt. deal with 处理，应付

　　unconsciously

　　ad. not consciously 无意识地，不知不觉地

　　challenge

　　vt. 向…挑战;对…质疑

　　n. 挑战;质疑

　　disagree

　　vi. (with) have or express a different opinion from sb. else 有分歧，不同意

　　response

　　n. an answer; (an) action done in answer 回答;回应;反应

　　original

　　a. first; earliest 起初的;原来的

　　bounce

　　vi. (of a ball) spring back or up again from the ground or another surface (球)弹起，(球)反弹

　　objection

　　n. sth. that one says to show that he /she opposes or disapproves of an action, idea, etc. 反对，异议

　　forth

　　ad. forward; out 向前;向外

　　responsible

　　a. having the job or duty of looking after sb. or sth., so that one can be blamed if things go wrong 须负责的，有责任的

　　bowling

　　n. 保龄球

　　relative

　　a. having a particular quality when compared with sth. else 相对的，比较的

　　n. a member of one"s family; relation 亲属;亲戚

　　a. coming before in time or order 先前的，以前的

　　junior

　　a. of lower rank or position; younger 级别或地位较低的.，年资较浅的;年少的，较年幼的

　　bowl

　　vt. 把(球)投向球瓶

　　lane

　　n. 球道;车道;胡同，小巷

　　n. 球瓶;大头针，别针

　　vt. record 记录，登记

　　suitable

　　a. 合适的;适当的

　　impatience

　　n. 不耐烦;急躁

　　*snatch

　　vt. get hold of (sth.) hastily; take in a hurry, esp. forcefully 抓住;夺，夺得

　　alley

　　n. 小巷，小街，胡同;球道

　　bowler

　　n. 投球手

　　apart

　　ad. into pieces 成碎片

　　parallel

　　a. running side by side but never getting nearer to or further away from each other *行的，并列的

　　switch

　　vi. change 改变，转移

　　Phrases and Expressions

　　Join in

　　take part in (an activity) 参加，参与

　　come to a halt

　　stop 停住，停止;停顿

　　even if/though

　　in spite of the fact that; no matter whether 即使;尽管

　　just as

　　正如;同样地

　　back and forth

　　来回地，反复地

　　and so on

　　and other things of this kind 等等

　　knock down

　　make (sth.) fall by hitting or pushing it 击倒;撞倒

　　fall apart

　　break; fall to pieces; end in failure 破裂;破碎;以失败告终

　　call on /upon

　　formally ask (sb.) to do sth. 号召;请求

　　refer to

　　mention; speak about 谈到，提及

　　after all

　　when all is said or done 毕竟

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇（扩展6）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册1

　　Malcolm X

　　Many who today hear me somewhere in person, or on television, or those who read something I"ve said, will think I went to school far beyond the eighth grade. This impression is due entirely to my prison studies.

　　It had really begun back in the Charlestown Prison, when Bimbi first made me feel envy of his stock of knowledge. Bimbi had always taken charge of any conversation he was in, and I had tried to emulate him. But every book I picked up had few sentences which didn"t contain anywhere from one to nearly all of the words that might as well have been in Chinese. When I just skipped those words, of course, I really ended up with little idea of what the book said. So I had come to the Norfolk Prison Colony still going through only book-reading motions. Pretty soon, I would have quit even these motions, unless I had received the motivation that I did.

　　I saw that the best thing I could do was get hold of a dictionary—to study, to learn some words. I was lucky enough to reason also that I should try to improve my penmanship. It was sad. I couldn"t even write in a straight line. It was both ideas together that moved me to request a dictionary along with some tablets and pencils from the Norfolk Prison Colony school.

　　I spent two days just thumbing uncertainly through the dictionary"s pages. I"ve never realized so many words existed! I didn"t know which words I needed to learn. Finally, to start some kind of action, I began copying.

　　In my slow, painstaking, ragged handwriting, I copied into my tablet everything printed on that first page, down to the punctuation marks.

　　I believe it took me a day. Then, aloud, I read back, to myself, everything I"ve written on the tablet. Over and over, aloud, to myself, I read my own handwriting.

　　I woke up the next morning, thinking about those words—immensely proud to realize that not only had I written so much at one time, but I"ve written words that I never knew were in the world. Moreover, with a little effort, I also could remember what many of these words meant. I reviewed the words whose meanings I didn"t remember. Funny thing, from the dictionary"s first page right now, that "aardvark" springs to my mind. The dictionary had a picture of it, a long-tailed, long-eared, burrowing African mammal, which lives off termites caught by sticking out its tongue as an anteater does for ants.

　　I was so fascinated that I went on—I copied the dictionary"s next page. And the same experience came when I studied that. With every succeeding page, I also learned of people and places and events from history. Actually the dictionary is like a miniature encyclopedia. Finally the dictionary"s A section had filled a whole tablet—and I went on into the B"s. That was the way I started copying what eventually became the entire dictionary. I went a lot faster after so much practice helped me to pick up handwriting speed. Between what I wrote in my tablet, and writing letters, during the rest of my time in prison I would guess I wrote a million words.

　　I suppose it was inevitable that as my word-base broadened, I could for the first time pick up a book and read and now begin to understand what the book was saying. Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine the new world that opened. Let me tell you something; from then until I left that prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk. You couldn"t have got me out of books with a wedge. Between Mr. Muhammad"s teachings, my correspondence, my visitors, and my reading of books, months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life...

　　As you can imagine, especially in a prison where there was heavy emphasis on rehabilitation, an inmate was smiled upon if he demonstrated an unusually intense interest in books. There was a sizable number of well-read inmates, especially the popular debaters. Some were said by many to be practically walking encyclopedias. They were almost celebrities. No university would ask any student to devour literature as I did when this new world opened to me, of being able to read and understand.

　　I read more in my room than in the library itself. An inmate who was known to read a lot could check out more than the permitted maximum number of books. I preferred reading in the total isolation of my own room.

　　When I had progressed to really serious reading, every night at about ten p.m. I would be outraged with the "lights out." It always seemed to catch me right in the middle of something engrossing.

　　Fortunately, right outside my door was a corridor light that cast a glow into my room. The glow was enough to read by, once my eyes adjusted to it. So when "lights out" came, I would sit on the floor where I could continue reading in that glow.

　　At one-hour intervals the night guards paced past every room. Each time I heard the approaching footsteps, I jumped into bed and feigned sleep. And as soon as the guard passed, I got back out of bed onto the floor area of that light-glow, where I would read for another fifty-eight minutes—until the guard approached again. That went on until three or four every morning. Three or four hours of sleep a night was enough for me. Often in the years in the streets I had slept less than that.

　　I have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me. I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life. As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive. I certainly wasn"t seeking any degree, the way a college confers a status symbol upon its students. My homemade education gave me, with every additional book that I read, a little bit more sensitivity to the deafness, dumbness, and blindness that was afflicting the black race in America. Not long ago, an English writer telephoned me from London, asking questions. One was, "What"s your alma mater?" I told him, "Books." You will never catch me with a free fifteen minutes in which I"m not studying something I feel might be able to help the black man...

　　Every time I catch a plane, I have with me a book that I want to read—and that"s a lot of books these days. If I weren"t out here every day battling the white man, I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity—because you can hardly mention anything I"m not curious about. I don"t think anybody ever got more out of going to prison than I did. In fact, prison enabled me to study far more intensively than I would have if my life had gone differently and I had attended some college. I imagine that one of the biggest troubles with colleges is there are too many distractions. Where else but in prison could I have attacked my ignorance by being able to study intensely sometimes as much as fifteen hours a day?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册2

　　emulate

　　vt. imitate, especially from respect 仿效，模仿

　　penmanship

　　n. the skill or style of handwriting 书写的技巧(或风格)，书法

　　tablet

　　n. 1. a pad of writing paper glued together along one edge 便笺簿，拍纸簿

　　2. 药片

　　thumb

　　vi. (through) turn the pages of (a book, etc.) quickly 迅速翻阅(书等)

　　painstaking

　　a. done with, requiring or taking great care or trouble 刻苦的，下苦功的;煞费苦心的

　　punctuation

　　n. 标点符号 (=punctuation mark)

　　burrow

　　vt. dig (a hole, etc.) 挖(洞等)

　　mammal

　　n. 哺乳动物

　　termite

　　n. 白蚁

　　anteater

　　n. any of several mammals that feed largely or entirely on ants or termites 食蚁动物

　　miniature

　　a. very much smaller in size than is usual or normal 微型的，小型的

　　inevitable

　　a. incapable of being avoided or evaded 不可避免的`

　　word-base

　　n. the vocabulary one commands 词汇量

　　broaden

　　v. (cause to) become broad(er) (使)变宽，(使)变阔，扩大

　　bunk

　　n. a narrow bed built into a wall like a shelf (倚壁而设的)床铺

　　wedge

　　n. 1. 楔子

　　2.(打高尔夫球用的)楔形铁头球棒

　　correspondence

　　n. communication by letters 通信

　　correspond

　　vi. 1. (with) 通信

　　2. (to, with) 相符合;成一致

　　3. (to) 相当，相类似

　　imprison

　　vt. put or keep (sb.) in or as if in prison 监禁，关押;禁锢

　　rehabilitation

　　n. restoration to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity 康复;(罪犯的)改造

　　inmate

　　n. a person confined (as in a prison or hospital) 囚徒;被收容者;住院者

　　intense

　　a. existing in an extreme degree 强烈的，极度的

　　well-read

　　a. well informed or dee* versed through reading 博学的，博览群书的

　　debater

　　n. 辩论家，好辩论者

　　devour

　　vt. enjoy avidly 贪婪地看(或听、读等)

　　literature

　　n. 文学，文学作品

　　maximum

　　n. the greatest quality or value attainable or attained 最大值，最大限度

　　a. as high, great, intense, etc. as possible 最高的;最大的;最强的

　　isolation

　　n. solitude 隔离;孤立

　　outrage

　　vt. make very angry and shocked 激怒;激起…的义愤

　　n. 1. a feeling of great anger and shock 义愤，愤怒

　　2. a very cruel, violent, and shocking action or event 暴行;骇人听闻的事件

　　engrossing

　　a. taking up sb."s attention completely 使人全神贯注的

　　corridor

　　n. a passageway into which compartments or rooms open 走廊，过道

　　interval

　　n. a space of time between events; a space between objects, points or states (时间的)间隔;间歇;(空间的)间隔;空隙

　　footstep

　　n. 脚步，脚步声

　　feign

　　vt. give a false appearance of 假装，佯作

　　light-glow

　　n. 灯光

　　vista

　　n. 远景;前景

　　dormant

　　a. temporarily inactive 暂停活动的;休眠的;潜伏的

　　confer

　　vt. give or grant (a degree or title) to sb. 授予(某人)(学位或头衔)

　　vi. discuss, talk together 讨论，商谈

　　sensitivity

　　n. the quality or state of being sensitive 敏感(性)

　　dumbness

　　n. lack of power of speech 哑

　　alma mater

　　n. a school, college, or university which one has attended or from which one has graduated 母校

　　intensively

　　ad. 加强地;集中地;密集地;透彻地

　　ignorance

　　n. the state or fact of lacking knowledge 无知，愚昧

21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册3

　　in person

　　physically present亲身，亲自

　　take charge of

　　take control of; become responsible for 控制;掌管

　　go through the motions (of doing sth.)

　　pretend to do sth.; do sth. without sincerity or serious intention 装出(做某事的)样子;敷衍

　　get hold of

　　take in the hands; manage to find 抓住;得到，找到

　　along with

　　together with 与…一起

　　thumb through

　　turn over (pages, etc.) quickly with one"s thumb 用拇指迅速地翻阅(书页等)

　　down to

　　下至，直到

　　live off

　　have as food; depend upon for support 以…为食;靠…生活

　　stick out (cause to) project, stand out 伸出，突出

　　pick up

　　gain (speed) 增加(速度)

　　up to

　　up until 直到

　　smile upon

　　direct a smile towards; approve of or favor 对…微笑;赞许;惠及

　　check out

　　have the removal (of sth.) recorded 登记借出

　　adjust to

　　become used to 适应于

　　reflect upon /on

　　think dee* about; consider carefully 沉思;仔细考虑

　　confer on /upon

　　give (an honor, etc.) to (sb.) formally 把(某种荣誉等)授予(某人)

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇（扩展7）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册Unit9课文及词汇讲解60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册Unit9课文及词汇讲解1

　　Robert Temple

　　One of the greatest untold secrets of history is that the""modern world" in which we live is a unique synthesis of Chinese and Western ingredients. Possibly more than half of the basic inventions and discoveries upon which the "modern world" rests come from China. And yet few people know this. Why?

　　The Chinese themselves are as ignorant of this fact as Westerners. From the seventeenth century onwards, the Chinese became increasingly dazzled by European technological expertise, having experienced a period of amnesia regarding their own achievements. When the Chinese were shown a mechanical clock by Jesuit missionaries, they were awestruck. They had forgotten that it was they who had invented mechanical clocks in the first place!

　　It is just as much a surprise for the Chinese as for Westerners to realize that modern agriculture, modern shipping, the modern oil industry, modern astronomical observatories, modern music, decimal mathematics, paper money, umbrellas, fishing reels, wheelbarrows, multi-stage rockets, guns, underwater mines, poison gas, parachutes, hot-air balloons, manned flight, brandy, whisky, the game of chess, printing, and even the essential design of the steam engine, all came from China.

　　Without the importation from China of nautical and navigational improvements such as ships" rudders, the compass and multiple masts, the great European Voyages of Discovery could never have been undertaken. Columbus would not have sailed to America, and Europeans would never have established colonial empires.

　　Without the importation from China of the stirrup, to enable them to stay on horseback, knights of old would never have ridden in their shining armor to aid damsels in distress; there would have been no Age of Chivalry. And without the importation from China of guns and gunpowder, the knights would not have been knocked from their horses by bullets which pierced the armor, bringing the Age of Chivalry to an end.

　　Without the importation from China of paper and printing, Europe would have continued for much longer to copy books by hand. Literacy would not have become so widespread.

　　Johann Gutenberg did not invent movable type. It was invented in China. William Harvey did not discover the circulation of the blood in the body. It was discovered — or rather, always assumed — in China. Isaac Newton was not the first to discover his First Law of Motion. It was discovered in China.

　　These myths and many others are shattered by our discovery of the true Chinese origins of many of the things, all around us, which we take for granted. Some of our greatest achievements turn out to have been not achievements at all, but simple borrowings. Yet there is no reason for us to feel inferior or downcast at the realization that much of the genius of mankind"s advance was Chinese rather than European. For it is exciting to realize that the East and the West are not as far apart in spirit or in fact as most of us have been led, by appearances, to believe, and that the East and the West are already combined in a synthesis so powerful and so profound that it is all-pervading. Within this synthesis we live our daily lives, and from it there is no escape. The modern world is a combination of Eastern and Western ingredients which are inextricably fused. The fact that we are largely unaware of it is perhaps one of the greatest cases of historical blindness in the existence of the human race.

　　Why are we ignorant of this gigantic, obvious truth? The main reason is surely that the Chinese themselves lost sight of it. If the very originators of the inventions and discoveries no longer claim them, and if even their memory of them has faded, why should their inheritors trouble to resurrect their lost claims? Until our own time, it is questionable whether many Westerners even wanted to know the truth. It is always more satisfying to the ego to think that we have reached our present position alone and unaided, that we are the proud masters of all abilities and all crafts.

　　We need to set this matter right, from both ends. And I can think of no better single illustration of the folly of Western complacency and self-satisfaction than the lesson to be drawn from the history of agriculture. Today, a handful of Western nations have grain surpluses and feed the world. When Asia starves, the West sends grain. We assume that Western agriculture is the very pinnacle of what is possible in the productive use of soil for the growth of food. But we should take to heart the astonishing and disturbing fact that the European agricultural revolution, which laid the basis for the Industrial Revolution, came about only because of the importation of Chinese ideas and inventions. The growing of crops in rows, intensive hoeing of weeds, the "modern" seed drill, the iron plow, the moldboard to turn the plowed soil, and efficient harnesses were all imported from China. Before the arrival from China of the trace harness and collar harness, Westerners choked their horses with straps round their throats. Although ancient Italy could produce plenty of grain, it could not be transported overland to Rome for lack of satisfactory harnesses. Rome depended on shipments of grain by sea from places like Egypt. As for sowing methods — probably over half of Europe"s seed was wasted every year before the Chinese idea of the seed drill came to the attention of Europeans. Countless millions of farmers throughout European history broke their backs and their spirits by plowing with ridiculously poor plows, while for two thousand years the Chinese were enjoying their relatively effortless method. Indeed, until two centuries ago, the West was so backward in agriculture compared to China, that the West was the Underdeveloped World in comparison to the Chinese Developed World. The tables have now turned. But for how long? And what an uncomfortable realization it is that the West owes its very ability to eat today to the adoption of Chinese inventions two centuries ago.

　　It would be better if the nations and the peoples of the world had a clearer understanding of each other, allowing the mental chasm between East and West to be bridged. After all they are, and have been for several centuries, intimate partners in the business of building a world civilization. The technological world today is a product of both East and West to an extent which until recently no one had ever imagined. It is now time for the Chinese contribution to be recognized and acknowledged, by East and West alike. And, above all, let this be recognized by today"s schoolchildren, who will be the generation to absorb it into their most conceptions about the world. When that happens, Chinese and Westerners will be able to look each other in the eye, knowing themselves to be true and full partners.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册Unit9课文及词汇讲解2

　　untold

　　a. not told to anyone 未说过的，未被讲述的;未透露的

　　synthesis

　　n. (pl syntheses / -si:z /) the combining of separate things, esp. ideas, to form a complex whole 综合，结合，综合体

　　Westerner

　　n. a native or inhabitant of the West, i.e. Europe and North America 西方人，欧美人

　　onwards

　　ad. forward in time or space 向前

　　dazzle

　　vt. (often passive) to impress sb. greatly through beauty, knowledge, skill, etc. 使昏眩;使惊奇;使赞叹不已;使倾倒

　　amnesia

　　n. partial or total loss of memory [医] 记忆缺失;遗忘(症)

　　regarding

　　prep.with reference to; concerning 关于;至于;就…而论，在…方面

　　awestruck

　　a. suddenly filled with wonder and respect or fear 充满敬畏(或畏怯、惊奇)之心

　　astronomical

　　a. of astronomy 天文学的;天文的，天体的

　　decimal

　　a. based on or counted in tens or tenths 小数的;十进位的

　　wheelbarrow

　　n. (also barrow) an open container for moving small loads in, with a wheel at one end, and two legs and two handles at the other 手推车;独轮车

　　multi-stage

　　a. having many stages (火箭、导弹等)多级的

　　underwater

　　a. situated, used or done below the surface of the water 在水下的;供水下用的;在水中操作(或生长)的

　　parachute

　　n. 降落伞

　　hot-air

　　a. filled with heated air 热空气的

　　brandy

　　n. a strong alcoholic drink usu. made from wine 白兰地(酒)

　　whisky

　　n. (US or Irish whiskey) a strong alcoholic drink made from malted grain, esp. barley or rye 威士忌酒

　　importation

　　n. the act of bringing goods, services, ideas, etc. from a foreign country into one"s own country 进口;输入

　　nautical

　　a. of ships, sailors or sailing 船舶的;海员的;航海的

　　navigational

　　a. relating to the action, process or art of finding the position and direct the course of a ship, an aircraft, a car, etc., using maps, instruments, etc. 航行的;航海的`;航空的

　　navigation

　　n. 航行;航海;航空

　　rudder

　　n. a vertical piece of wood or metal at the back of a boat, used for steering (船的)舵

　　compass

　　n. (also magnetic compass) a device for finding direction. with a needle that always points to the north 罗盘(仪)，指南针

　　multiple

　　a. having or involving many individuals, items or types 多个(或多项、多种)的

　　n. <数> 倍数

　　multi*vt. 乘，使相乘

　　mast

　　n. an upright post of wood or metal used to support a ship"s sails 船桅，桅杆

　　voyage

　　n. a long journey, esp. by sea or in space 航行，(尤指)航海;航天

　　colonial

　　a. of, relating to or possessing a colony or colonies 殖民地的;拥有殖民地的

　　stirrup

　　n. either of a pair of metal or leather loops that hang down from a horse"s saddle to support a rider"s feet 马镫

　　knight

　　n. (欧洲中世纪的)骑士;(近代英国的)爵士(品位低于从男爵，其名前称号用 Sir)

　　armo(u)r

　　n. (formerly) a protective, usu. metal, covering for the body, worn when fighting 盔甲

　　damsel

　　n. (arch) a young woman who is not married (古)(诗)少女，姑娘;闺女

　　chivalry

　　n. (in the Middle Ages) the ideal qualities expected of a knight, such as courage, hono(u)r and concern for weak and helpless people 骑士品质(或气概、精神、道德标准、信条等)(如勇武、荣誉感、侠义、扶持弱小、慷慨、谦恭、尊敬女性、对敌人宽容等);骑士制度

　　gunpowder

　　n. explosive powder used esp. in bombs or fireworks 火药

　　bullet

　　n. a small missile with a pointed end that is fired from a gun 子弹

　　literacy

　　n. the ability to read and write 识字，有文化;读写能力

　　movable

　　a. that can be moved 可动的，活动的

　　circulation

　　n. the movement of blood round the body from and to the heart 血液循环

　　circulate

　　v. (使)环行;(使)环流;(使)循环

　　borrowingn. a thing borrowed, esp. money or a word taken by one language from another 借用;采用;借用物;借用词语

　　downcast

　　a. (of a person, an expression, etc.) depressed; sad 垂头丧气的;沮丧的

　　all-pervading

　　a. present and seen or felt everywhere 遍及各方面的;无孔不入的

　　inextricable

　　a. so closely linked that separation is impossible (绳结等)解不开的;分不开的

　　inextricably

　　ad. 紧密地;不可分割地

　　gigantic

　　a. of very great size or extent; huge 巨大的;庞大的

　　originator

　　n. a person who originates; inventor 创始人;发明者;创作者

　　inheritor

　　n. a person who receives money, property etc. as a result of the death of the previous owner 继承人;后继者

　　resurrect

　　vt. 1. bring (sb.) back to life again 使(某人)复活

　　2. revive (a practice, etc.); bring back into use 使(某种做法等)重新流行;重新唤起对…的记忆;重新使用

　　ego

　　n. an individual"s idea of oneself, esp. in relation to other people or to the outside world 自我，自己

　　unaided

　　a. not assisted by sb./sth; without help 无助的;独立的

　　folly

　　n. being foolish; lack of wisdom 愚笨，愚蠢

　　complacency

　　n. (usu. derog) a calm feeling of satisfaction with oneself, one"s work, etc. 自满(情绪)，沾沾自喜

　　self-satisfaction

　　n. (derog) a feeling of being too pleased with oneself and one"s own achievements 沾沾自喜，自鸣得意

　　handful

　　n. a small number 少数，少量

　　pinnacle

　　n. the highest point; the peak 顶峰，极点，顶点

　　mo(u)ldboard

　　n. a curved metal plate in a plow, which turns over the earth from the furrow (农)犁壁

　　Strap

　　n. a strip of leather, cloth or other flexible material, often with a buckle, used for fastening sth., keeping sth. in place, carrying sth. or holding onto sth. 带，条带;皮带;布带;铁皮条

　　transport

　　vt. take sth./sb. from one place to another in a vehicle 运输，运送;输送;搬运

　　overland

　　ad. across the land; by land, not by sea or air 横越大陆地;经由陆路

　　satisfactory

　　a. of an acceptable nature or standard; good enough for a purpose 令人满意的;可喜的;恰当的

　　shipment

　　n. a cargo or goods transported, esp. by ship 装载(或交运)的货物(量)

　　sow

　　v. put or scatter seed in or on the ground; plant land with seed 播种，种;撒播(种子);播种于(土地)

　　effortless

　　a. needing little or no effort 不需要努力的;不(大)费劲的;容易的

　　backward

　　a. having made or making less than normal progress 落后的

　　underdeveloped

　　a. (of a country, etc.) not having achieved a high level of economic development 未充分发展的;不发达的;落后的

　　adoption

　　n. the act of taking over sth. and having or using it as one"s own 采取，采纳，采用

　　chasm

　　n. a very wide difference between people, groups, etc., esp. one that is unlikely to change (感情、兴趣、意见等的)大差别，大分歧

　　intimate

　　a. (of people) having a very close and friendly relationship 熟悉的;亲密的;密切的

　　fundamental

　　a. that need to be known or learned first; most important 基本的，根本的;重要的

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册Unit9课文及词汇讲解3

　　bring...to an end

　　cause...to end 使…完结(终了、结束)

　　or rather

　　(used to correct sth. one has said previously, or to give more accurate information)more exactly; more truly; it would be better to say 或者确切点说

　　lose sight of

　　fail to consider (sth.); forget (sth.) 忘记;忽略

　　set...right

　　put...right; rectify 校正;纠正

　　take...to heart

　　consider seriously; be much affected or upset by (sth.) 认真考虑(某事);关注(某事);对(某事)想不开;为(某事)忧虑(或伤心、烦恼)

　　come about

　　happen, esp. in a way that seems impossible to prevent 发生，产生

　　for lack of

　　because there is not enough 因缺乏

　　come to the attention of

　　draw (sb."s) attention 引起…的关注

　　compared to/with

　　examined to see how people or things are alike and how they are different 与…相比

　　by/in comparison to/with

　　(when) compared with/to 与…相比

　　look...in the eye(s)/face

　　look at (sb.) steadily without shame or embarrassment (心地坦然地)直视(某人)，正视(某人)

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇（扩展8）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第6课内容解析60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第6课内容解析1

　　1. You"re going to hear a radio news report about the death of a student. As you listen to it, you"ll be expected to fill in the missing information from the chart below. Before you listen, use your imagination to predict what the missing information might be.

　　A) Who was involved? Yohashi Yatsumoto, a student, aged _____ Hiro Takeda, _____, aged _____

　　B) What happened? _____ was killed when _____

　　C) Where and when? _____

　　d) Additional details:

　　_______________

　　2. What feelings do you think will be caused by the death reported in the passage — how must the family and friends of the dead student feel? What about the person responsible? What do you think the police should do?

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第6课内容解析2

　　Linda Weltner

　　My husband and I went to a funeral a few weeks ago. The man we honored had not been ill and will never grow old. He was killed in his car on a Sunday night, driving home along a divided highway.

　　It was an ordinary evening, no blacker than any other, when a car coming in the other direction went out of control, broke through the guard rail, and hit two other cars before smashing head on into his. According to the newspaper, the driver, who was returning from a wedding, seemed puzzled. "I only had two bottles of beer and a cocktail," she is reported to have said.

　　A wedding.

　　Followed by a funeral.

　　I wish she could have been there to see all the lives her act has changed forever, the wife, and four children, the extended family, the hundreds and hundreds of friends who sat in painful silence, listening to words which barely touched the depths of their grief.

　　Strange to think that, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this happens in America every 23 minutes.

　　Somebody drinks.

　　Somebody drives.

　　Somebody dies.

　　And other lives are altered forever, though sometimes the changes may be invisible to a casual observer. By chance, the day before the funeral I ran into a longtime acquaintance while shopping. He commented on my crutches. I asked if he had ever broken his leg.

　　"Uh, I have a long rod in this thigh," he said, "from a car accident two weeks after I came back from Vietnam."

　　"That"s ironic. To leave a war zone and then get injured," I teased him. "You"re lucky it wasn"t worse."

　　"Well, my wife was killed in the crash and so was the wife of the driver," he said uncomfortably. "We were hit by a drunk."

　　I"ve known this man for years, yet suddenly realized there was a whole chapter of his life he"d never mentioned. I asked and discovered he"d remained in the hospital seven weeks, and that all that time he"d known his wife was dead. It was hard to know where to go from there, for there are questions you can"t put to someone in a casual conversation — questions like, "How could you bear it?" or "What did you do about wanting revenge?"

　　I wish I knew the answers to those questions. I wish I could offer those answers to the woman who, overwhelmed by grief, could barely walk as she followed her husband"s coffin from the church.

　　Every 23 minutes, who dies?

　　A mother who will never comfort the child who needs her. A woman who will never know how very much her friends depended on her. A man whose contributions to his community would have made a difference. A wife whose husband cannot picture the future without her.

　　Every 23 minutes, who dies?

　　A son who involuntarily abandons his parents in their old age. A father who can never acknowledge his children"s accomplishments. A daughter who can never take back her angry words. A sister who will never be her sister"s maid of honor.

　　Every 23 minutes, who dies?

　　A brother who will not be there to hold his newborn niece. A friend whose encouragement is gone forever. A bride-to-be who will never say her vows. An aunt whose family will fragment and fall apart.

　　Every 23 minutes, who dies?

　　A child who will never fulfill his early promise. An uncle who leaves his children without guidance and support. A grandmother whose husband must now grow old alone. A lover who never had a chance to say how much he cared.

　　Every 23 minutes.

　　A void opens.

　　Someone looks across the table at a vacant chair; climbs into an empty bed, feels the pain of no voice, no touch, no love. Where there was once intimacy and contact, now there is only absence and despair.

　　Every 23 minutes

　　A heart breaks.

　　Someone"s pain shatters the confines of her body, leaking out in tears, exploding in cries, defying all efforts to soothe the despair. Sleep offers no escape from the nightmare of awakening. And morning brings only the irreversibility of loss.

　　Every 23 minutes.

　　A dream ends.

　　Someone"s future blurs and goes blank as anticipation fades into nothingness. The phone will not ring, the car will not pull up to the house. The weight of tomorrow becomes unbearable in a world in which all promises have been broken by force.

　　Every 23 minutes.

　　Somebody wants to run. Somebody wants to hide.

　　Somebody is left with hate. Somebody wants to die.

　　And we permit this to go on.

　　Every 23 minutes.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第6课内容解析3

　　funeral

　　n. a ceremony of burying or burning a dead person 葬礼

　　* cocktail

　　n. 鸡尾酒

　　painful

　　a. causing an upsetting or unpleasant feeling; causing a feeling of discomfort in a particular part of the body 令人痛苦的;疼痛的.

　　crutch

　　n. T字形拐杖

　　rod

　　n. a long thin pole or bar 杆;棒条

　　* thigh

　　n. the top part of the human leg 大腿

　　zone

　　n. an area of particular qualities 地带，地区

　　injure

　　vt. hurt; offend 伤害，损害

　　injury

　　n. (to) harm, damage to a living thing (对生物的)伤害;损害

　　drunk

　　n. a person who habitually drinks too much alcohol 酗酒者，醉汉

　　a. overcome by drinking alcoholic liquor; (fig.) filled with excitement and joy 醉酒的;(喻)陶醉的

　　* revenge

　　n. (for, on) punishment given to sb. in return for harm done to oneself 复仇;报复

　　vt. do sth. to get satisfaction for (an offence, etc.); avenge (sb.) 报…之仇;为…报仇

　　involuntarily

　　ad. not (done) from choice or intention 非自愿地;非出于本意地

　　maid

　　n. 1. a female servant 女仆，保姆

　　2. (obsolete usage): a girl or (young) woman who is not married 少女，年轻女子

　　niece

　　n. 侄女;甥女

　　vow

　　n. a solemn promise or declaration 誓言

　　vt. declare or swear solemnly 立誓

　　fragment

　　vi. break or separate into small pieces 破碎;碎裂

　　n. a small piece from a larger whole 碎片

　　guidance

　　n. guiding or being guided; direction 引导;指导

　　vacant

　　a. 1. (of a place or space) empty; not filled with anything 空的;未被占用的

　　2. (of a job) not at present filled 空缺的

　　intimacy

　　n. the state of being in a close relationship 亲密;密切

　　intimate

　　a. 1. (of people) close in relationship 亲密的;密切的

　　2. personal; private 个人的;私人的

　　despair

　　n. complete lack or loss of hope 绝望

　　vi. (of) have lost all hope 绝望;失去希望

　　* shatter

　　vt. break (sth.) suddenly into small pieces; smash (sth.) 粉碎;砸碎

　　confines

　　n. (fml) limits; borders; boundaries (正式)界限;边界;范围

　　leak

　　v. 1. (使)渗漏

　　2. make known (使)泄露出去

　　n. 漏隙;漏出物

　　* defy

　　vt. disobey; fight against; show no fear or respect for 违抗;蔑视

　　* defiance

　　n. behaviour showing one"s disobedience to sb. or ignorance of sb. 违抗;蔑视

　　* soothe

　　vt. make less angry or upset; calm or comfort 抚慰;使*静

　　nightmare

　　n. an unpleasant and terrible dream 恶梦

　　irreversibility

　　n. a state of things which cannot be turned back, changed or improved 不可挽回;不可逆转

　　fade

　　vi. 1. (away) disappear or die gradually 逐渐消失

　　2. lose strength, colour, freshness, etc. 衰颓;褪色;凋谢

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第6课内容解析4

　　go out of control

　　be no longer under control 失去控制

　　smash into

　　hit forcefully against 猛地撞在…

　　head on

　　with the head or front parts meeting violently 迎面地，正面地

　　by chance

　　by accident; unintentionally 偶然地;意外地

　　comment on

　　make a remark or give an opinion on 评论;就…发表意见

　　make a difference

　　有影响;起作用

　　take back one"s words

　　admit that one was wrong in what one has said 收回说过的话

　　maid of honor

　　首席女傧相

　　[n.]-to-be

　　未来的…

　　fade into

　　gradually disappear and become (sth. of no importance) 逐渐消失而变成(无足轻重的东西)

　　pull up [to/at/in front of a place]

　　(of vehicles) drive up to and stop at (车辆)到达，驶入

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇（扩展9）

——21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第8单元课文讲解 (菁选3篇)

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第8单元课文讲解1

　　Bill Heavy

　　When my father rings, I hurry down to the front door of my condo. There he is, in corduroy pants, the tread worn off the knees, and a shirt I outgrew in tenth grade. He"s come to help me put in a new garbage disposal. Actually, I"m helping him. His mechanical gene passed over his only son, on its way to some future generation. At 39, I"ve made my peace with this.

　　My father hasn"t been to my place since he helped me paint four years ago. The truth is, I"m often not sure how to talk to him. But this time it will be easy. We have a job to do.

　　In minutes he has taken over the whole enterprise, lying under the sink and squinting up into the machinery. And suddenly I am 12 years old again, watching him fix things and feeling useless.

　　As a child, I identified so strongly with my mother that I thought my father was just a long-term house guest with spanking privileges. She and I are bookish, introverted worriers. My father is an optimist who has never had a sleepless night in his life.

　　Like most fathers and sons, we fought. But there was no cooling-off period between rounds. It was a cold war lasting from the onset of my adolescence until I went off to college in 1973.I hated him. He was a former navy fighter pilot, with an Irish temper and a belief that all the problems of the world—including an overprotected son who never saw anything through to completion—could be cured by the application of more discipline.

　　At a time when an eighth-grader"s social status was measured in the fraction of an inch of hair kissing his collar, my father would march me down to the barbershop on Saturdays and triumphantly tell the man with the scissors. "Just leave him enough to comb." I would close my eyes, determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Without even thinking about it, I froze him out of my life, speaking only when spoken to. I learned to use silence like a knife. My one communique for an entire dinner was usually a sarcastic "May I be excused now? I have homework."

　　I lay awake at night imagining him being transferred by the gas company he worked for to an oil rig in the North Sea. But it didn"t happen, and soon all that remained was the contest of wills.

　　I went off to college, but he was still in my head. I could hear his voice every time I fell short in anything. Only when I began seeing my freelance articles in print did I begin to feel that I was slipping beyond his reach and into my own life.

　　Eventually I discovered that there is no anti-inflammatory agent like time. Now I wondered, could this aging 74-year-old be the giant who once thundered up the stairs to spank me, of whom I was so afraid that I wet my pants? In his place was someone I worried about, whom I dressed in my down hunting jacket for his annual pilgrimage to the Army-Navy game. My profession, which he had once ridiculed, saying, "Gee, do you think there"s any money in it?" now became a source of pride when fellow Rotarians mistook him for Bill Heavy "the writer." It was as if now that I no longer needed so desperately to please him, I had succeeded. We had become two old veterans from opposing armies, shaking hands years after the fighting, the combat so distant as to be a dream.

　　Before we can install the disposal, we have to snake out the pipes. Soon we get stuck trying to figure out how a gasket fits.

　　"Ah," he says finally, "we"re going to have to call a plumber."

　　This is not how I remember him. He used to be so stubborn, the kind of guy who could make IRS examiners throw up their hands in frustration and let him off. Now that I have his mind-set and don"t want to give up, it"s as if he"s acquired mine.

　　He says, "Besides, I gotta get home. Your mother and I have to be at a dinner party at 7:30."

　　"Don"t you pay for the plumber," he says. "Putting this thing in is part of my Christmas present to you."

　　Though we"ve failed to install the disposal, it"s been oddly satisfying. At last we"re on even ground. Maybe he wasn"t the best father. Maybe I wasn"t the best son, but I realize I will never be ready to cope with his leaving. I know that I"m luckier than some of my friends, whose fathers died while they were still locked in the battle that neither really wanted.

　　The plumber comes two days later. He secures the disposal in its place as easily as I buckle my belt.

　　Not long ago, I started badgering my parents to get their estate in order. They didn"t want to deal with it. I finally wrote them a letter saying if I were a parent, I would want to make damn sure the IRS got as little of my money as possible. I knew this would push my father"s buttons. It worked. They met with a lawyer.xc

　　Later, my father and I lunch at a restaurant near my office so he can fill me in on the details. "One thing I don"t want you to worry about is what"ll happen to me," he says, with the satisfied air of a man who has taken care of business. "The Navy will cremate me for free."

　　"And what about the ashes?" I ask, concerned only with practical things. It is as if we are talking about how to get rid of the old disposal.

　　"They scatter them at sea." He turns away, looking around for our waiter. Something breaks inside me. When he turns back, I am crying, hot tears springing up in my eyes so suddenly I"m almost choking.

　　"I don"t want you to die," I manage to say. "I don"t want them to scatter your ashes. I"ll scatter your ashes."

　　"Oh, Bill," he says, taken aback, totally at a loss about what to say. "I just didn"t want to burden you with it."

　　I have no way to tell him that I want to be burdened with it, that it is my birth right to be burdened with it. "I know," I say.

　　I don"t even look around to see if anybody is watching. I don"t care. I reach across the table for his hand and hold it, trying to stop the tears.

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第8单元课文讲解2

　　condo

　　n. an apartment in a block of apartments of which each is owned by the people who live in it 公寓套间

　　corduroy

　　n. & a. 灯芯绒(的)

　　tread

　　n. grooved part on the surface 棱纹

　　outgrow

　　vt. grow too large or too tall for (esp. one"s clothes); grow faster or taller than 长大(或长高)而穿不下(原有的衣服等);长得比…快(或高)

　　garbage

　　n. rubbish, refuse 垃圾

　　garbage disposal

　　(装于厨房洗涤槽排水管内的)污物碾碎器

　　mechanical

　　a. 1. of, connected with, produced by machines 机械的";与机械有关的;由机械制成的

　　2. 手工操作的;技工的

　　squint

　　vi. look sideways or with half-shut eyes or through a narrow opening 瞟;眯着眼看;由小孔窥视

　　spank

　　vt. punish (a child) by slapping on the buttocks with the open hand or a slipper, etc. (用巴掌或拖鞋等)打(小孩的)屁股

　　introverted

　　a. (性格)内向的;不爱交际的

　　worrier

　　n. person who worries a lot 担心的人，发愁的人

　　optimist

　　n. a person who is always hopeful and looks upon the bright side of things 乐观的人;乐观主义者

　　cooling-off period

　　a period of time when two people or groups who are arguing about sth. can go away and think about how to improve the situation (争执双方冷静下来考虑如何改善关系的)冷却期

　　onset

　　n. the beginning (esp. of sth. unpleasant) (尤指不快之事的)开始

　　navy

　　n. 海军

　　fraction

　　n. 1. a small part, bit, amount, or proportion (of sth.) (某物的)小部分，一点儿，少许;片断

　　2. 分数;小数

　　collar

　　n. part of a garment that fits around the neck 衣领

　　barbershop

　　n. place where a man gets his face shaved and hair cut 理发店

　　triumphantly

　　ad. joyfully, satisfactorily (at a success or victory) 得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地

　　communique

　　n. official announcement 公报

　　sarcastic

　　a. 讽刺的，嘲笑的，挖苦的

　　rig

　　n. a large structure in the sea used for drilling oil wells 钻井架;钻塔

　　freelance

　　a. 自由作家的;自由职业者做的

　　anti-inflammatory

　　a. 抗炎的，消炎的;息怒的

　　agent

　　n. substance, natural phenomenon, etc. producing an effect 剂;自然力;动因

　　down

　　n. fine, soft feathers of young birds 羽绒

　　pilgrimage

　　n. 1. a journey to a sacred place or shrine 朝圣;朝觐

　　2. a journey to a place associated with sb. /sth. one respects 到敬仰的某处之行

　　ridicule

　　vt. make fun of; mock 嘲弄;嘲笑

　　gee

　　int. (used to express surprise, admiration, etc.) (用以表示惊奇、赞赏等)哎呀，嘿

　　oppose

　　vt. fight or complete against in a battle, competition, or election 反对;反抗;与…较量

　　snake

　　vt. 用长铁丝通条疏通(管道)

　　stuck

　　a. not able to move or continue doing sth. 不能动的;不能继续做某事的;被卡住的

　　gasket

　　n. 垫圈;衬垫;密封垫

　　plumber

　　n. workman who fits and repairs water-pipes, bathroom articles, etc. 管子工

　　mind-set

　　n. mentality, way of thinking 心态;思想倾向

　　buckle

　　n. (皮带等的)搭扣，搭钩

　　vt. 用搭扣把…扣住(或扣紧、扣上)

　　badger

　　vt. pester;nag persistently 纠缠;烦扰

　　estate

　　n. all the money and property that a person owns, esp. that which is left at death 财产;(尤指)遗产

　　cremate

　　vt. burn (a corpse) to ashes 火化(尸体)

　　aback

　　ad. backwards 向后地;退后地

　　birth right

　　与生俱来的权利

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第8单元课文讲解3

　　put in

　　install 安装

　　pass over

　　move past without touching; overlook; fail to notice 掠过;忽视;不注意

　　make one"s peace with

　　settle a quarrel with;accept 与…讲和;接受

　　identify with

　　regard oneself as sharing the characteristics or fortunes with 与…认同

　　see through

　　not give up (a task, undertaking, etc.) until it is finished 把(任务等)进行到底

　　freeze out

　　exclude (sb.) by a cold manner, competition, etc. (以冷淡态度、竞争等)排斥(某人)

　　in print

　　(of a person"s work) printed in a book, newspaper, etc. (指作品)已印出;已出版

　　throw up one"s hands

　　show that one is annoyed or has given up hope with sb. or sth. that causes trouble (因厌烦等而)突然举起双手;认定无望而放弃尝试

　　let off

　　excuse; not punish; not punish severely 原谅;不惩罚;对…从轻处理

　　push sb."s buttons

　　start sb. in action 使某人行动起来

　　fill sb. in (on sth.)

　　give sb. full details (about sth.) 对某人提供(有关某事的)详情

　　for free

　　without charge or payment 不要钱;免费

　　get rid of

　　become free of 扔掉，处理掉;摆脱

　　be taken aback

　　be startled 吃惊

　　at a loss

　　perplexed, uncertain 困惑;不知所措

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇（扩展10）

——21世纪大学英语综合教程第三册第2单元课后答案

21世纪大学英语综合教程第三册第2单元课后答案1

　　21世纪大学实用英语综合教程第三册第2单元课后答案.ppt

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202321世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说1

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说2

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说3

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说60篇扩展阅读

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解1

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解2

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解3

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第3课内容讲解4

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解1

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解2

21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第4课内容全解3

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说1

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说2

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第3课内容解说3

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册单元2课文详析1

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册单元2课文详析2

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册单元2课文详析3

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册单元2课文详析4

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册单元2内容解析1

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册单元2内容解析2

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册单元2内容解析3

21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册单元2内容解析4

21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册1

21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册2

21世纪大学英语读写教程第5单元课文详解第四册3

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册Unit9课文及词汇讲解1

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21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第6课内容解析2

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第6课内容解析3

21世纪大学英语读写教程第三册第6课内容解析4

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21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第8单元课文讲解2

21世纪大学英语读写教程第4册第8单元课文讲解3

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