21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解1 FirstListening 1.YoureabouttohearaconversationaboutWinstonChurchill.Befo下面是小编为大家整理的21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解60篇,供大家参考。
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解1
First Listening
1. You"re about to hear a conversation about Winston Churchill. Before you listen, take a look at the words below. Which do you think you"re likely to hear when people discuss Churchill? Then, as you listen to the tape the first time, circle the words you hear.
prime minister author painter politician World War I romantic fearless serious passionate World War II
Second Listening
Read the following questions first to prepare yourself to answer them to the best of your ability.
2. What was the argument about? Which side do you believe?
3. What do you know about Winston Churchill as British prime minister? What about his personality—do you have any impressions of him as a human being?
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解2
Mary Soames
My father, Winston Churchill, began his love affair with painting in his 40s, amid disastrous circumstances. As First Lord of the Admiralty in 1915, he had been dee* involved in a campaign in the Dardanelles that could have shortened the course of a bloody world war. But when the mission failed, with great loss of life, Churchill paid the price, both publicly and privately: He was removed from the Admiralty and lost his position of political influence.
Overwhelmed by the disaster — "I thought he would die of grief," said his wife, Clementine — he retired with his family to Hoe Farm, a country retreat in Surrey. There, as Churchill later recalled, "The muse of painting came to my rescue!"
One day when he was wandering in the garden, he chanced upon his sister-in-law sketching with watercolours. He watched her for a few minutes, then borrowed her brush and tried his hand — and the muse worked her magic. From that day forward, Winston was in love with painting.
Delighted with anything that distracted Winston from the dark thoughts that overwhelmed him, Clementine rushed off to buy whatever paints and materials she could find. Watercolours, oil paints, paper, canvas — Hoe Farm was soon filled with everything a painter could want or need.
Painting in oils turned out to be Winston"s great love — but the first steps were strangely difficult. He contemplated the blank whiteness of his first canvas with unaccustomed nervousness. He later recalled:
"Very hesitantly I selected a tube of blue paint, and with infinite precaution made a mark about as big as a bean on the snow-white field. At that moment I heard the sound of a motorcar in the drive and threw down my brush in a panic. I was even more alarmed when I saw who stepped from the car: the wife of Sir John Lavery, the celebrated painter who lived nearby.
""Painting!" she declared. "What fun. But what are you waiting for? Let me have the brush — the big one." She plunged into the paints and before I knew it, she had swept several fierce strokes and slashes of blue on the absolutely terrified canvas. Anyone could see it could not hit back. I hesitated no more. I seized the largest brush and fell upon my wretched victim with wild fury. I have never felt any fear of a canvas since."
Lavery, who later tutored Churchill in his art, said of his unusual pupil"s artistic abilities: "Had he chosen painting instead of politics, he would have been a great master with the brush."
In painting, Churchill had discovered a companion with whom he was to walk for the greater part of his life. Painting would be his comfort when, in 1921, the death of his mother was followed two months later by the loss of his and Clementine"s beloved three-year-old daughter, Marigold. Overcome by grief, Winston took refuge at the home of friends in Scotland — and in his painting. He wrote to Clementine: "I went out and painted a beautiful river in the afternoon light with red and golden hills in the background. Many loving thoughts.... Alas, I keep feeling the hurt of Marigold."
Life and love and hope slowly revived. In September 1922 another child was born to Clementine and Winston: myself. In the same year, Winston bought Chartwell, the beloved home he was to paint in all its different aspects for the next 40 years.
My father must have felt a glow of satisfaction when in the mid-1920s he won first prize in a prestigious * art exhibition held in London. Entries were anonymous, and some of the judges insisted that Winston"s picture — one of his first of Chartwell — was the work of a professional, not an *, and should be disqualified. But in the end, they agreed to rely on the artist"s honesty and were delighted when they learned that the picture had been painted by Churchill.
Historians have called the decade after 1929, when Winston again fell from office, his barren years. Politically barren they may have been, as his lonely voice struggled to awaken Britain to the menace of Hitler, but artistically those years bore abundant fruit: of the 500-odd Churchill canvases in existence, roughly half date from 1930 to 1939.
Painting remained a joy to Churchill to the end of his life. "Happy are the painters," he had written in his book Painting as a Pastime, "for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end of the day." And so it was for my father.
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解3
amid
prep.in the middle of, among 在…之中
* disastrous
a. extremely bad; terrible 灾难性的,糟透的
lord
n. (in Britain) title of some officials of very high rank(英)大臣;大人,阁下
admiralty
n. (the A~)(in Britain) government department in charge of the navy (英)海军部
campaign
n. 1. a series of planned military actions 战役
2. a planned series of activities, esp. in politics and business 运动
bloody
a. 1. very violent, with a lot of wounding and killing 血腥的
2. covered with blood 血污的
mission
n. 1. (usu. military) duty or purpose for which people are sent somewhere [常指军事]任务
2. 天职,使命
privately
ad. 1. not publicly 非公开地
2. personally; secretly 在涉及私(个)人方面;秘密地
private
a. 1. personal; secret 私(个)人的;秘密的
2. not public 非公开的
disaster
n. (a)sudden great misfortune 灾难,天灾;祸患
* grief
n. a feeling of extreme sadness 悲哀
* grieve
v. suffer from grief or great sadness (为…而)悲伤;伤心
retreat
n. 1. a place into which one can go for peace and safety 隐居处
2. 撤退;避难
vi. move back or leave a center of fighting or other activity 撤退;退避
muse, Muse
n. 1. (in Greek mythology) one of the nine goddesses of poetry, music, etc. 缪斯(希腊神话中司文艺的九位女神之一)
2. a force or person that inspires sb. to write, paint, etc. 创作灵感
rescue
n. help which gets sb. out of a dangerous or unpleasant situation 救助;救援
vt. 救助;救援
sister-in-law
n. sister of one"s husband or wife 姑子;姨子;嫂子;弟媳
sketch
v. make a quick, rough drawing (of sth.) 素描,速写
n. 素描,速写
watercolo(u)r
n. 水彩(颜料);水彩画
magic
n. 魔法,法术
a. 有魔力的
* distract
vt. (from) take (one"s mind, sb.) off sth. 转移(注意力); 使转移注意力
* canvas
n. 1. a piece of strong heavy cloth used for an oil painting 帆布画布
2. a completed oil painting 油画
* contemplate
vt. look at in a serious or quiet way, often for some time (默默地)注视,凝视
blank
a. 1. without writing, print or other marks 空白的
2. expressionless;without understanding 无表情的;茫然的
unaccustomed
a. not used (to sth.); not usual (对某物)不习惯的;不寻常的
accustomed
a. regular; usual 惯常的,通常的
hesitantly
ad. not doing sth. quickly or immediately for one"s uncertainty or worry about it 犹豫不决地
infinite
a. extremely great in degree or amount; without limits or end 无限的";极大的
precaution
n. 1. carefulness 防备,预防
2. an action taken to avoid sth. dangerous or unpleasant 预防措施
bean
n. 豆;蚕豆
motorcar
n. a car 汽车
alarm
vt. excite with sudden fear or anxiety 使惊恐;使忧虑
n. 1. a sudden feeling of fear or anxiety 惊恐;忧虑
2. a warning of danger 警报
plunge
vi. (into, in) 1. rush suddenly and dee* into sth. 投身于
2. suddenly fall in a particular direction 纵身投入;一头扎入
fierce
a. 1. angry, violent and cruel 暴怒的;凶猛的;残酷的
2. (of heat, strong feelings) very great 强烈的
* slash
n. a long sweeping cut or blow 砍;挥击
vt. cut with long sweeping forceful strokes;move or force with this kind of cutting movement 砍,砍击;猛挥
absolutely
ad. completely;without conditions 完全地;绝对地
* terrify
vt. fill with terror or fear 恐吓,使惊吓
* wretched
a. very unhappy or unfortunate 不幸的;可怜的
victim
n. sb. or sth. hurt or killed as a result of other people"s actions, or of illness, bad luck, etc. 牺牲者,受害者;牺牲品
* fury
n. 1. a wildly excited state (of feeling or activity) 狂热;激烈
2. (a state of) very great anger 狂怒
artistic
a. 1. of. concerning art or artists 艺术的;艺术家的
2. made with inventive skill or imagination 富有艺术性的
companion
n. mate; one who associates with or accompanies another 同伴;伴侣
beloved
a. much loved; darling 深爱的;亲爱的
overcome
vt. 1. (often pass.) (by, with) (of feelings) take control and influence one"s behavior [常被动](感情等)压倒,使受不了
2. win a victory over; defeat 克服;战胜
* refuge
n. (a place that provides) protection or shelter from harm, danger or unhappiness 避难(所);庇护(所)
alas
int. a cry expressing grief, sorrow or fear 唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
* revive
v. 1. regain strength, consciousness, life, etc.;bring (sb. or sth.) back to strength, consciousness, life, etc. (使)复苏;(使)重振活力
2. become active, popular, or successful again 恢复生机;复兴;重新流行
glow
n. a feeling of warmth or pleasure 热烈
vi. emit a soft light 发光
*
a. & n. (a person who is) not professional 业余(水*)的(运动员、艺术家等)
entry
n. 1. a person or thing taking part in a competition, race, etc. 参赛一员
2. entrance; the act of entering or the right to enter 进入;进入权
* anonymous
a. (of a person) with name unknown;(of a letter, painting, etc.) written or created by an unidentified person 名字不详的;匿名的
disqualify
vt. make or declare unfit, unsuitable, or unable to do sth. 取消…的资格;使不适合;使不能
rely
vi. (on, upon) 1. have trust or confidence (in) 信任;信赖
2. depend with full trust or confidence 依赖
* historian
n. a person who studies history and/or writes about it 历史学家
* barren
a. (of land) unproductive (土地等)贫瘠的,荒芜的
awaken
vt. 1. (to) cause to become conscious of 使意识到
2. cause to wake up 唤醒
* menace
n. a threat or danger 威胁
abundant
a. plentiful; more than enough 丰富的;充足的
abundance
n. a great quantity; plenty 丰富;充裕;大量
odd
a. 1. (infml.) (after numbers) a little more than the stated number [常用以构成复合词]…以上的;…出头的
2. strange or unusual 奇特的;古怪的
3. 奇数的,单数的
existence
n. the state of existing 存在;实有
* pastime
n. hobby;sth. done to pass time in a pleasant way 消遣,娱乐
Phrases and Expressions
pay the price
experience sth. unpleasant because one has done sth. wrong, made a mistake, etc. 付出代价
come to sb."s rescue
help sb. when he/she is in danger or difficulty 解救某人,救助某人
chance upon
meet by chance; find by chance 偶然碰见;偶然发现
try one"s hand
attempt (to do sth.), esp. for the first time 尝试
plunge into
begin to do sth. suddenly; enter without hesitation 突然或仓促地开始某事;突然冲入
before one knows it
before one has time to consider the course of events 转眼之间,瞬息之间
fall upon
attack fiercely 猛攻,猛扑
take refuge
seek protection from danger or unhappiness 避难
rely on
trust, or confidently depend on 依赖,依靠
fall from office
lose a position of authority to which sb. was elected or appointed 离位,下台
awaken to
cause to become conscious of 使意识到
bear fruit
produce successful results 结果实;有成果
date from
have existed since 始自
keep sb. company
stay with sb. so that he/she is not alone 陪伴某人
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解60篇扩展阅读
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解60篇(扩展1)
——21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册第3课内容讲解60篇
21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册第3课内容讲解1
When Stevie Morris was born, on May 13, 1950, the doctors shook their heads and told the mother that her son was born blind and likely would always be that way. She broke into tears.
Blind and black and poor — what kind of life could this new infant have? In her wildest dreams, Mrs. Morris could never have imagined that her new baby would become a famous musician called Stevie Wonder. At the time, all she could do was pray — and worry.
Stevie himself didn"t worry at all. Life was too full. He was brought up among church-going people whose faith helped them bear the poverty. He loved music and would pound spoons or forks on any surface that faintly resembled a drum.
He even ran and played with sighted children. "I didn"t realize I was blind until I was about four," he says. That might sound strange. To a small child just learning about the world, it wasn"t strange at all. Stevie heard and smelled and touched. As far as he knew, that was all anyone could do. That was life.
When Stevie"s mother got tired of her tables being used for drums, she bought him a toy set. He played so hard that he had actually worn the toy out within a few weeks. Other toy sets followed; then an uncle added a toy harmonica, and Stevie learned to play it so quickly that everyone was amazed.
Stevie taught himself to play the piano as quickly as he had once learned the harmonica. With friends, he began playing rock and roll music. They performed on the front porch of Stevie"s apartment building, drawing crowds of neighbors to watch and listen and clap time to the beat.
"I loved that beat," Stevie says. He not only loved the beat, he was very good at making it.
Ronnie White, of the Miracles singing group, heard Stevie and promptly took him down to his recording company, Motown Records.
"Give him an audition," Ronnie said. They did. All the top people at Motown got together to hear a little blind boy who wasn"t even ten years old yet. At first, they were being nice. Poor kid. They didn"t want to hurt his feelings.
Then they heard Stevie sing and play, and nobody said "poor kid" anymore. They were too busy congratulating themselves on finding a youngster who could be the musical talent of the decade. "He"s a wonder boy," somebody said as they watched little Stevie dart from one instrument to the next, playing each one with ease.
"Wonder," somebody else said, "Little Stevie Wonder."
The new name stuck and Stevie Morris became Little Stevie Wonder. He had his first hit when he was twelve years old. It was called "Fingertips" and it was a smash.
Over the following years, Little Stevie Wonder became one of the top recording artists at Motown, producing one hit after another. But as he grew into *hood, Stevie began to get tired of the way the Motown company controlled all aspects of his career. He wanted to write and produce his own songs, but the Motown company thought it was unwise to change a winning formula.
When he turned 21, Stevie finally got his freedom. Against Motown"s wishes he started exploring: he made records that combined gospel, rock and roll, and jazz and which used African and Latin American rhythms. To the record company"s surprise, Stevie"s new albums such as "Music of My Mind" and "Innervisions" were even more popular than his early ones. Stevie Wonder had become a mature man and an independent musical artist.
Just after this success, however, tragedy struck. In August of 1973, Stevie was involved in a serious car accident. For nearly a week he lay in a coma, unable to speak or walk. "We don"t know when he"ll be out of danger," the doctor said. Everyone waited and prayed. Suddenly, it didn"t matter that Stevie was a musical genius or that he had conquered blindness and poverty. All he had left was his faith and strong will.
That turned out to be enough. Stevie fought back from the shadow of death as he had once fought out from the shadow of blindness. He went on to give more performances, make more hit records.
The car accident changed Stevie by making him reevaluate his goals in life. He still loved to make music, but he also started to pay more attention to the world outside. He worked to create a national holiday to honor the civil rights leader Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.. He recorded songs urging racial harmony and raised money to end world hunger. Recently, Stevie was honored by South African president Nelson Mandela for his work against that country"s system of racial apartheid.
Stevie Wonder has faith and fame, wealth and love. He has not only conquered his own darkness, but through his music and his social activities he has been able to bring sunshine to the shadow of many other lives.
21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册第3课内容讲解2
sunshine
n. the light and heat of the sun 阳光
infant
n. a very young child 婴儿
musician
n. a person who performs on a musical instrument, or who writes music 乐师,作曲家
pray
vi. (for, to) speak to God in order to give thanks or to ask for help 祈祷,祈求
spoon
n. 匙,调羹
faintlh
ad. slightly; mildly 轻微地;微弱地
resemble
vt. look or be like 像,类似
drum
n. 鼓
tire
v. (使)感到疲劳;(使)厌倦,(使)厌烦
harmonica
n. 口琴
amaze
vt. fill with great surprise; cause wonder in 使惊奇;使惊羡
*porch
n. (建筑物前有顶的)门廊,入口处
apartment
n. 公寓大楼;一套公寓房间
clap
vi. applaud 拍手
miracle
n. 奇迹
promptly
ad. immediately and without any delay 迅速地,及时地
audition
n. (对志愿艺人等的.)面试(指试读、试唱、试奏等)
kid
n. a child 小孩
congratulate
vt. speak to (a person) with praise and admiration for a happy event or sth. successfully done 祝贺
youngster
n. a young person, esp. a boy 年轻人;男孩
talent
n. 1. a special ability or skill 天才,天资;超常智能
2. people of such ability 人才
decade
n. a period of 10 years 十年(期)
*dart
vi. move suddenly and quickly 猛冲,飞奔
instrument
n. 乐器;仪器;器具;器械
ease
n. 1. freedom from difficulty 容易
2. freedom from discomfort, pain or worry 安适;悠闲;无痛苦;无忧虑
fingertip
n. the end of a finger 指尖
smash
n. 轰动的演出,巨大的成功
v. (cause to) break into pieces violently 打碎,粉碎
*hood
n. 成年
aspect
n. a particular part or feature of sth. being considered 方面
career
n. a profession or occupation with opportunities for advancement or promotion 职业;生涯
formula
n. 公式,程式;准则,方案
explore
v. 探索;探测;勘探
gospel
n. (= gospel music) 福音音乐(美国黑人的一种宗教音乐,具有爵士音乐和美国黑人伤感歌曲色彩)
jazz
n. 爵士音乐
rhythm
n. 节奏;韵律
*album
n. 1. a long-playing record with several items by the same performer (同一表演者的)集锦密纹唱片
2. a book with blank pages for stamps, photographs, etc. 集邮册,相册
mature
a. fully grown or developed mentally or physically 充分发育的;(智力或体力)成熟的
independent
a. 独立的,自主的
tragedy
n. 1. a terrible event that causes great sadness 惨事,灾变
2. a serious play with a sad ending 悲剧
involve
vt. 使陷入,使卷入;牵扯,连累
coma
n. 昏迷
musical
a. of or for music 音乐的
genius
n. 天才;创造能力;天才人物
conquer
vt. gain control over (sth. unfriendly or difficult) 征服;克服(困难等)
performance
n. the acting of a play, the playing of a piece of music, the doing of a dance, etc., in front of an audience 演出,表演,演奏
reevaluate
vt. 重新评价
goal
n. 1. an end; objective 目的;目标
2.(足球等的)球门;得分进球
hunger
n. state of not having enough to eat; lack of food 饥饿
urge
vt. 力劝;恳求;敦促
racial
a. characteristic of race; due to or resulting from race 种族的;由种族引起的
harmony
n. agreement (of feelings, interests, opinions, etc.) 和睦,融洽,一致
apartheid
n. (南非的)种族隔离
fame
n. the condition of being known or talked about a lot 名声,名望
activity
n. 活动;行动
Phrases and Exgressions
break into
begin suddenly (to cry, sing, laugh, etc.) 突然(哭、唱、笑)起来
bring up
take care of during infancy and childhood; nurse and educate 抚养;养育
as far as
to the degree that 就…;尽…;至于
get tired of
be no longer interested in 厌倦,厌烦
wear out
make useless by use 把…用坏;把…穿破
with ease
without difficulty 容易地,无困难地
grow into
become gradually with the passage of time 成长的
congratulate oneself on /that ...
因…而暗自庆幸
21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册第3课内容讲解3
When Stevie Morris was born, on May 13, 1950, the doctors shook their heads and told the mother that her son was born blind and likely would always be that way. She broke into tears.
Blind and black and poor — what kind of life could this new infant have? In her wildest dreams, Mrs. Morris could never have imagined that her new baby would become a famous musician called Stevie Wonder. At the time, all she could do was pray — and worry.
Stevie himself didn"t worry at all. Life was too full. He was brought up among church-going people whose faith helped them bear the poverty. He loved music and would pound spoons or forks on any surface that faintly resembled a drum.
He even ran and played with sighted children. "I didn"t realize I was blind until I was about four," he says. That might sound strange. To a small child just learning about the world, it wasn"t strange at all. Stevie heard and smelled and touched. As far as he knew, that was all anyone could do. That was life.
When Stevie"s mother got tired of her tables being used for drums, she bought him a toy set. He played so hard that he had actually worn the toy out within a few weeks. Other toy sets followed; then an uncle added a toy harmonica, and Stevie learned to play it so quickly that everyone was amazed.
Stevie taught himself to play the piano as quickly as he had once learned the harmonica. With friends, he began playing rock and roll music. They performed on the front porch of Stevie"s apartment building, drawing crowds of neighbors to watch and listen and clap time to the beat.
"I loved that beat," Stevie says. He not only loved the beat, he was very good at making it.
Ronnie White, of the Miracles singing group, heard Stevie and promptly took him down to his recording company, Motown Records.
"Give him an audition," Ronnie said. They did. All the top people at Motown got together to hear a little blind boy who wasn"t even ten years old yet. At first, they were being nice. Poor kid. They didn"t want to hurt his feelings.
Then they heard Stevie sing and play, and nobody said "poor kid" anymore. They were too busy congratulating themselves on finding a youngster who could be the musical talent of the decade. "He"s a wonder boy," somebody said as they watched little Stevie dart from one instrument to the next, playing each one with ease.
"Wonder," somebody else said, "Little Stevie Wonder."
The new name stuck and Stevie Morris became Little Stevie Wonder. He had his first hit when he was twelve years old. It was called "Fingertips" and it was a smash.
Over the following years, Little Stevie Wonder became one of the top recording artists at Motown, producing one hit after another. But as he grew into *hood, Stevie began to get tired of the way the Motown company controlled all aspects of his career. He wanted to write and produce his own songs, but the Motown company thought it was unwise to change a winning formula.
When he turned 21, Stevie finally got his freedom. Against Motown"s wishes he started exploring: he made records that combined gospel, rock and roll, and jazz and which used African and Latin American rhythms. To the record company"s surprise, Stevie"s new albums such as "Music of My Mind" and "Innervisions" were even more popular than his early ones. Stevie Wonder had become a mature man and an independent musical artist.
Just after this success, however, tragedy struck. In August of 1973, Stevie was involved in a serious car accident. For nearly a week he lay in a coma, unable to speak or walk. "We don"t know when he"ll be out of danger," the doctor said. Everyone waited and prayed. Suddenly, it didn"t matter that Stevie was a musical genius or that he had conquered blindness and poverty. All he had left was his faith and strong will.
That turned out to be enough. Stevie fought back from the shadow of death as he had once fought out from the shadow of blindness. He went on to give more performances, make more hit records.
The car accident changed Stevie by making him reevaluate his goals in life. He still loved to make music, but he also started to pay more attention to the world outside. He worked to create a national holiday to honor the civil rights leader Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.. He recorded songs urging racial harmony and raised money to end world hunger. Recently, Stevie was honored by South African president Nelson Mandela for his work against that country"s system of racial apartheid.
Stevie Wonder has faith and fame, wealth and love. He has not only conquered his own darkness, but through his music and his social activities he has been able to bring sunshine to the shadow of many other lives.
21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册第3课内容讲解4
sunshine
n. the light and heat of the sun 阳光
infant
n. a very young child 婴儿
musician
n. a person who performs on a musical instrument, or who writes music 乐师,作曲家
pray
vi. (for, to) speak to God in order to give thanks or to ask for help 祈祷,祈求
spoon
n. 匙,调羹
faintlh
ad. slightly; mildly 轻微地;微弱地
resemble
vt. look or be like 像,类似
drum
n. 鼓
tire
v. (使)感到疲劳;(使)厌倦,(使)厌烦
harmonica
n. 口琴
amaze
vt. fill with great surprise; cause wonder in 使惊奇;使惊羡
*porch
n. (建筑物前有顶的)门廊,入口处
apartment
n. 公寓大楼;一套公寓房间
clap
vi. applaud 拍手
miracle
n. 奇迹
promptly
ad. immediately and without any delay 迅速地,及时地
audition
n. (对志愿艺人等的)面试(指试读、试唱、试奏等)
kid
n. a child 小孩
congratulate
vt. speak to (a person) with praise and admiration for a happy event or sth. successfully done 祝贺
youngster
n. a young person, esp. a boy 年轻人;男孩
talent
n. 1. a special ability or skill 天才,天资;超常智能
2. people of such ability 人才
decade
n. a period of 10 years 十年(期)
*dart
vi. move suddenly and quickly 猛冲,飞奔
instrument
n. 乐器;仪器;器具;器械
ease
n. 1. freedom from difficulty 容易
2. freedom from discomfort, pain or worry 安适;悠闲;无痛苦;无忧虑
fingertip
n. the end of a finger 指尖
smash
n. 轰动的演出,巨大的成功
v. (cause to) break into pieces violently 打碎,粉碎
*hood
n. 成年
aspect
n. a particular part or feature of sth. being considered 方面
career
n. a profession or occupation with opportunities for advancement or promotion 职业;生涯
formula
n. 公式,程式;准则,方案
explore
v. 探索;探测;勘探
gospel
n. (= gospel music) 福音音乐(美国黑人的一种宗教音乐,具有爵士音乐和美国黑人伤感歌曲色彩)
jazz
n. 爵士音乐
rhythm
n. 节奏;韵律
*album
n. 1. a long-playing record with several items by the same performer (同一表演者的)集锦密纹唱片
2. a book with blank pages for stamps, photographs, etc. 集邮册,相册
mature
a. fully grown or developed mentally or physically 充分发育的;(智力或体力)成熟的
independent
a. 独立的,自主的
tragedy
n. 1. a terrible event that causes great sadness 惨事,灾变
2. a serious play with a sad ending 悲剧
involve
vt. 使陷入,使卷入;牵扯,连累
coma
n. 昏迷
musical
a. of or for music 音乐的
genius
n. 天才;创造能力;天才人物
conquer
vt. gain control over (sth. unfriendly or difficult) 征服;克服(困难等)
performance
n. the acting of a play, the playing of a piece of music, the doing of a dance, etc., in front of an audience 演出,表演,演奏
reevaluate
vt. 重新评价
goal
n. 1. an end; objective 目的";目标
2.(足球等的)球门;得分进球
hunger
n. state of not having enough to eat; lack of food 饥饿
urge
vt. 力劝;恳求;敦促
racial
a. characteristic of race; due to or resulting from race 种族的;由种族引起的
harmony
n. agreement (of feelings, interests, opinions, etc.) 和睦,融洽,一致
apartheid
n. (南非的)种族隔离
fame
n. the condition of being known or talked about a lot 名声,名望
activity
n. 活动;行动
Phrases and Exgressions
break into
begin suddenly (to cry, sing, laugh, etc.) 突然(哭、唱、笑)起来
bring up
take care of during infancy and childhood; nurse and educate 抚养;养育
as far as
to the degree that 就…;尽…;至于
get tired of
be no longer interested in 厌倦,厌烦
wear out
make useless by use 把…用坏;把…穿破
with ease
without difficulty 容易地,无困难地
grow into
become gradually with the passage of time 成长的
congratulate oneself on /that ...
因…而暗自庆幸
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解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二册第一课内容讲解60篇(扩展3)
——21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解 (菁选3篇)
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解1
First Listening
1. You"re about to hear a conversation about Winston Churchill. Before you listen, take a look at the words below. Which do you think you"re likely to hear when people discuss Churchill? Then, as you listen to the tape the first time, circle the words you hear.
prime minister author painter politician World War I romantic fearless serious passionate World War II
Second Listening
Read the following questions first to prepare yourself to answer them to the best of your ability.
2. What was the argument about? Which side do you believe?
3. What do you know about Winston Churchill as British prime minister? What about his personality—do you have any impressions of him as a human being?
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解2
Mary Soames
My father, Winston Churchill, began his love affair with painting in his 40s, amid disastrous circumstances. As First Lord of the Admiralty in 1915, he had been dee* involved in a campaign in the Dardanelles that could have shortened the course of a bloody world war. But when the mission failed, with great loss of life, Churchill paid the price, both publicly and privately: He was removed from the Admiralty and lost his position of political influence.
Overwhelmed by the disaster — "I thought he would die of grief," said his wife, Clementine — he retired with his family to Hoe Farm, a country retreat in Surrey. There, as Churchill later recalled, "The muse of painting came to my rescue!"
One day when he was wandering in the garden, he chanced upon his sister-in-law sketching with watercolours. He watched her for a few minutes, then borrowed her brush and tried his hand — and the muse worked her magic. From that day forward, Winston was in love with painting.
Delighted with anything that distracted Winston from the dark thoughts that overwhelmed him, Clementine rushed off to buy whatever paints and materials she could find. Watercolours, oil paints, paper, canvas — Hoe Farm was soon filled with everything a painter could want or need.
Painting in oils turned out to be Winston"s great love — but the first steps were strangely difficult. He contemplated the blank whiteness of his first canvas with unaccustomed nervousness. He later recalled:
"Very hesitantly I selected a tube of blue paint, and with infinite precaution made a mark about as big as a bean on the snow-white field. At that moment I heard the sound of a motorcar in the drive and threw down my brush in a panic. I was even more alarmed when I saw who stepped from the car: the wife of Sir John Lavery, the celebrated painter who lived nearby.
""Painting!" she declared. "What fun. But what are you waiting for? Let me have the brush — the big one." She plunged into the paints and before I knew it, she had swept several fierce strokes and slashes of blue on the absolutely terrified canvas. Anyone could see it could not hit back. I hesitated no more. I seized the largest brush and fell upon my wretched victim with wild fury. I have never felt any fear of a canvas since."
Lavery, who later tutored Churchill in his art, said of his unusual pupil"s artistic abilities: "Had he chosen painting instead of politics, he would have been a great master with the brush."
In painting, Churchill had discovered a companion with whom he was to walk for the greater part of his life. Painting would be his comfort when, in 1921, the death of his mother was followed two months later by the loss of his and Clementine"s beloved three-year-old daughter, Marigold. Overcome by grief, Winston took refuge at the home of friends in Scotland — and in his painting. He wrote to Clementine: "I went out and painted a beautiful river in the afternoon light with red and golden hills in the background. Many loving thoughts.... Alas, I keep feeling the hurt of Marigold."
Life and love and hope slowly revived. In September 1922 another child was born to Clementine and Winston: myself. In the same year, Winston bought Chartwell, the beloved home he was to paint in all its different aspects for the next 40 years.
My father must have felt a glow of satisfaction when in the mid-1920s he won first prize in a prestigious * art exhibition held in London. Entries were anonymous, and some of the judges insisted that Winston"s picture — one of his first of Chartwell — was the work of a professional, not an *, and should be disqualified. But in the end, they agreed to rely on the artist"s honesty and were delighted when they learned that the picture had been painted by Churchill.
Historians have called the decade after 1929, when Winston again fell from office, his barren years. Politically barren they may have been, as his lonely voice struggled to awaken Britain to the menace of Hitler, but artistically those years bore abundant fruit: of the 500-odd Churchill canvases in existence, roughly half date from 1930 to 1939.
Painting remained a joy to Churchill to the end of his life. "Happy are the painters," he had written in his book Painting as a Pastime, "for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end of the day." And so it was for my father.
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解3
amid
prep.in the middle of, among 在…之中
* disastrous
a. extremely bad; terrible 灾难性的,糟透的
lord
n. (in Britain) title of some officials of very high rank(英)大臣;大人,阁下
admiralty
n. (the A~)(in Britain) government department in charge of the navy (英)海军部
campaign
n. 1. a series of planned military actions 战役
2. a planned series of activities, esp. in politics and business 运动
bloody
a. 1. very violent, with a lot of wounding and killing 血腥的
2. covered with blood 血污的
mission
n. 1. (usu. military) duty or purpose for which people are sent somewhere [常指军事]任务
2. 天职,使命
privately
ad. 1. not publicly 非公开地
2. personally; secretly 在涉及私(个)人方面;秘密地
private
a. 1. personal; secret 私(个)人的;秘密的
2. not public 非公开的
disaster
n. (a)sudden great misfortune 灾难,天灾;祸患
* grief
n. a feeling of extreme sadness 悲哀
* grieve
v. suffer from grief or great sadness (为…而)悲伤;伤心
retreat
n. 1. a place into which one can go for peace and safety 隐居处
2. 撤退;避难
vi. move back or leave a center of fighting or other activity 撤退;退避
muse, Muse
n. 1. (in Greek mythology) one of the nine goddesses of poetry, music, etc. 缪斯(希腊神话中司文艺的九位女神之一)
2. a force or person that inspires sb. to write, paint, etc. 创作灵感
rescue
n. help which gets sb. out of a dangerous or unpleasant situation 救助;救援
vt. 救助;救援
sister-in-law
n. sister of one"s husband or wife 姑子;姨子;嫂子;弟媳
sketch
v. make a quick, rough drawing (of sth.) 素描,速写
n. 素描,速写
watercolo(u)r
n. 水彩(颜料);水彩画
magic
n. 魔法,法术
a. 有魔力的
* distract
vt. (from) take (one"s mind, sb.) off sth. 转移(注意力); 使转移注意力
* canvas
n. 1. a piece of strong heavy cloth used for an oil painting 帆布画布
2. a completed oil painting 油画
* contemplate
vt. look at in a serious or quiet way, often for some time (默默地)注视,凝视
blank
a. 1. without writing, print or other marks 空白的
2. expressionless;without understanding 无表情的;茫然的
unaccustomed
a. not used (to sth.); not usual (对某物)不习惯的;不寻常的
accustomed
a. regular; usual 惯常的,通常的
hesitantly
ad. not doing sth. quickly or immediately for one"s uncertainty or worry about it 犹豫不决地
infinite
a. extremely great in degree or amount; without limits or end 无限的";极大的
precaution
n. 1. carefulness 防备,预防
2. an action taken to avoid sth. dangerous or unpleasant 预防措施
bean
n. 豆;蚕豆
motorcar
n. a car 汽车
alarm
vt. excite with sudden fear or anxiety 使惊恐;使忧虑
n. 1. a sudden feeling of fear or anxiety 惊恐;忧虑
2. a warning of danger 警报
plunge
vi. (into, in) 1. rush suddenly and dee* into sth. 投身于
2. suddenly fall in a particular direction 纵身投入;一头扎入
fierce
a. 1. angry, violent and cruel 暴怒的;凶猛的;残酷的
2. (of heat, strong feelings) very great 强烈的
* slash
n. a long sweeping cut or blow 砍;挥击
vt. cut with long sweeping forceful strokes;move or force with this kind of cutting movement 砍,砍击;猛挥
absolutely
ad. completely;without conditions 完全地;绝对地
* terrify
vt. fill with terror or fear 恐吓,使惊吓
* wretched
a. very unhappy or unfortunate 不幸的;可怜的
victim
n. sb. or sth. hurt or killed as a result of other people"s actions, or of illness, bad luck, etc. 牺牲者,受害者;牺牲品
* fury
n. 1. a wildly excited state (of feeling or activity) 狂热;激烈
2. (a state of) very great anger 狂怒
artistic
a. 1. of. concerning art or artists 艺术的;艺术家的
2. made with inventive skill or imagination 富有艺术性的
companion
n. mate; one who associates with or accompanies another 同伴;伴侣
beloved
a. much loved; darling 深爱的;亲爱的
overcome
vt. 1. (often pass.) (by, with) (of feelings) take control and influence one"s behavior [常被动](感情等)压倒,使受不了
2. win a victory over; defeat 克服;战胜
* refuge
n. (a place that provides) protection or shelter from harm, danger or unhappiness 避难(所);庇护(所)
alas
int. a cry expressing grief, sorrow or fear 唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
* revive
v. 1. regain strength, consciousness, life, etc.;bring (sb. or sth.) back to strength, consciousness, life, etc. (使)复苏;(使)重振活力
2. become active, popular, or successful again 恢复生机;复兴;重新流行
glow
n. a feeling of warmth or pleasure 热烈
vi. emit a soft light 发光
*
a. & n. (a person who is) not professional 业余(水*)的(运动员、艺术家等)
entry
n. 1. a person or thing taking part in a competition, race, etc. 参赛一员
2. entrance; the act of entering or the right to enter 进入;进入权
* anonymous
a. (of a person) with name unknown;(of a letter, painting, etc.) written or created by an unidentified person 名字不详的;匿名的
disqualify
vt. make or declare unfit, unsuitable, or unable to do sth. 取消…的资格;使不适合;使不能
rely
vi. (on, upon) 1. have trust or confidence (in) 信任;信赖
2. depend with full trust or confidence 依赖
* historian
n. a person who studies history and/or writes about it 历史学家
* barren
a. (of land) unproductive (土地等)贫瘠的,荒芜的
awaken
vt. 1. (to) cause to become conscious of 使意识到
2. cause to wake up 唤醒
* menace
n. a threat or danger 威胁
abundant
a. plentiful; more than enough 丰富的;充足的
abundance
n. a great quantity; plenty 丰富;充裕;大量
odd
a. 1. (infml.) (after numbers) a little more than the stated number [常用以构成复合词]…以上的;…出头的
2. strange or unusual 奇特的;古怪的
3. 奇数的,单数的
existence
n. the state of existing 存在;实有
* pastime
n. hobby;sth. done to pass time in a pleasant way 消遣,娱乐
Phrases and Expressions
pay the price
experience sth. unpleasant because one has done sth. wrong, made a mistake, etc. 付出代价
come to sb."s rescue
help sb. when he/she is in danger or difficulty 解救某人,救助某人
chance upon
meet by chance; find by chance 偶然碰见;偶然发现
try one"s hand
attempt (to do sth.), esp. for the first time 尝试
plunge into
begin to do sth. suddenly; enter without hesitation 突然或仓促地开始某事;突然冲入
before one knows it
before one has time to consider the course of events 转眼之间,瞬息之间
fall upon
attack fiercely 猛攻,猛扑
take refuge
seek protection from danger or unhappiness 避难
rely on
trust, or confidently depend on 依赖,依靠
fall from office
lose a position of authority to which sb. was elected or appointed 离位,下台
awaken to
cause to become conscious of 使意识到
bear fruit
produce successful results 结果实;有成果
date from
have existed since 始自
keep sb. company
stay with sb. so that he/she is not alone 陪伴某人
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解60篇(扩展4)
——21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册Unit1内容介绍60篇
21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册Unit1内容介绍1
Listening
First Listening
Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following words.
grade
分数
concentrate
全神贯注
schedule
时间表
pressure
压力
selectively
有选择地
relevant
有关的
skip over
跳过;略过
approach
方法
Second Listening
Listen to the tape again. Then, choose the best answer to each of the following questions.
1. The purpose of this listening passage is ____.
A) to describe college life
B) to give advice for college success
C) to warn against being lazy at college
D) to increase college enrollment(入学人数)
2. According to the listening passage, the most important key to getting good grades at college is _____.
A) asking questions in class
B) doing assignments ahead of time
C) working as hard as you can
D) learning how to study effectively
3. Which of the following does the listening NOT say you should do?
A) Organize your time and materials.
B) Write down every word the professor says in class.
C) Treat studying like business.
D) Study together.
Pre-reading Questions
1. Based on the title, guess what the text is about.
2. Look at the subheadings, 1-8, in the text. Which of these activities do you already do? In which areas do you feel you need improvement?
3. Are there any "secrets" to your own success as a student? In other words, do you have any special study techniques which have been very successful for you?
Secrets of A Students
Edwin Kiester & Sally Valentine Kiester
Alex, now a first-year student in natural sciences at Cambridge, played football for his school in Manchester and directed the school production of a play — but he left school with five A"s. Amanda, studying English at Bristol University, acted in plays at her school and played tennis regularly. Yet she still managed to get four A"s.
How do A students like these do it? Brains aren"t the only answer. The most gifted students do not necessarily perform best in exams. Knowing how to make the most of one"s abilities counts for much more.
Hard work isn"t the whole story either. Some of these high-achieving students actually put in fewer hours than their lower-scoring classmates. The students at the top of the class get there by mastering a few basic techniques that others can easily learn. Here, according to education experts and students themselves, are the secrets of A students.
1. Concentrate! Top students allow no interruptions of their study time. Once the books are open, phone calls go unanswered, TV unwatched and newspapers unread. "This doesn"t mean ignoring important things in your life," Amanda explains. "It means planning your study time so that you can concentrate. If I"m worried about a sick friend, I call her before I start my homework. Then when I sit down to study, I can really focus."
2. Study anywhere — or everywhere. A university professor in Arizona assigned to tutor underachieving college athletes, recalls a runner who exercised daily. He persuaded him to use the time to memorise biology terms. Another student stuck a vocabulary list on his bathroom wall and learned a new word every day while brushing his teeth.
3. Organize your materials. At school, Tom played basketball. "I was too busy to waste time looking for a pencil or a missing notebook. I kept everything just where I could get my hands on it," he says. Paul, a student in New Mexico, keeps two folders for each subject — one for the day"s assignments, the other for homework completed and ready to hand in. A drawer keeps essentials together and cuts down on time-wasting searches.
4. Organize your time. When a teacher set a long essay, Alex would spend a couple of days reading round the subject and making notes, then he"d do a rough draft and write up the essay. He would aim to finish a couple of days before the assignment was due so that if it took longer than expected, he"d still meet the deadline. Amanda stuck to a study schedule that included breaks every two hours. "Trying to study when you"re overtired isn"t smart," she advises. "Even a short break to stretch or get some fresh air can work wonders."
5. Learn how to read. "I used to spend hours going through irrelevant material," Amanda remembers. "But then I got used to reading quickly; if the first sentence of a paragraph wasn"t relevant, I"d move on to the next paragraph." "The best course I ever took," says an Oklahoma student, "was speed-reading. I not only increased my words per minute but also learned to look at a book"s table of contents and pictures first. Then, when I began to read, I had a sense of the material and I retained a lot more." To such students, the secret of good reading is to be an active reader — one who keeps asking questions that lead to a full understanding of the material being read.
6. Take good notes. "Before writing anything, I divide my page into two parts," says Amanda, "the left part is about a third of the page wide; the right, two-thirds. I write my notes in the wider part, and put down the main ideas on the left. During revision, this is very useful because you can see immediately why the material is relevant, rather than being worried by a great mass of information." Just before the end of lesson bell rings, most students close their books, put away papers, talk to friends and get ready to leave. But a smart student uses those few minutes to write two or three sentences about the lesson"s main points, which he scans before the next class.
7. Ask questions. "If you ask questions, you know at once whether you have got the point or not," says Alex. Class participation is a matter of showing intellectual curiosity. In a lecture on economics, for example, curious students would ask how the Chinese economy could be both socialist and market-driven, thus interesting themselves not only in whats, but also in whys and hows.
8. Study together. The value of working together was shown in an experiment at the University of California at Berkeley. A graduate student there who observed a first-year calculus course found that Asian-American students discussed homework, tried different approaches and explained their solutions to one another while the others studied alone, spent most of their time reading and rereading the text, and tried the same approach time after time even if it was unsuccessful.
After all, the secrets of A students are not so secret. You can learn and master them and become an A student, too.
21世纪大学英语读写教程第一册Unit1内容介绍2
perform
vt. 执行, 完成; 演出, 表演
vi. 演出, 表演; 工作, 表现; 执行, 完成
high-achieving
a. 得高分的
lower-scoring
a. 得分较低的
concentrate
vi. direct all one"s attention, etc. towards sth. 全神贯注;集中思想;专注;专心
interruption
n. 打扰; 干扰; 中止; 阻碍
ignore
vt. take no notice of; refuse to pay attention to!! 不理;忽视
focus
v. direct attention, etc. on sth. 集中注意力于某事情
assign
vt. appoint to a job or duty 委派; 指派
underachieving
a. doing less well than was expected, esp. in school work 未能充分发挥学习潜力的;学习成绩不良的
athlete
n. a person who is good at or who often does spors 运动员
recall
vt. bring back to the mind; remember 回想(起);记得
memorise, -rize
vt. learn and remember 记住;熟记
missing
a. 缺失的, 找不到的;失踪的`,下落不明的
notebook
n. small book for writing notes in 笔记本;记事本
folder
n. 文件夹
assignment
n. a duty or piece of work that is given to someone (指定的)作业;(分派的)任务
drawer
n. 抽屉
essential
n. (usu. pl.) sth. that is necessary or very important [常用复数] 必需品
a. (to, for) necessary; central 绝对必要的;非常重要的
essay
n. a short piece of writing giving sb. "s ideas about politics, society, etc. 论说文; 散文
draft
n. the first rough written form of anything or a rough plan 草稿;草案
vt. make a draft of 起草;草拟
due
a. expected or supposed (to happen, arrive, etc.) 到期的;预定应到的
*deadline
n. a date or time before which sth. mush be done or completed 最后期限
schedule
n. a timetable for things to be done 时间表;日程安排表
overtired
a. 过度疲劳的
stretch
vi. 舒展身体,伸懒腰
irrelevant
a. (to) not having any real connection with or relation to sth. else 不相关的;不相干的
relevant
a. directly connected with the subject or problem being discussed or considered 相关的; 相干的
speed-reading
n. 快速阅读
per
prep.for each 每;每一
content
n. 1.(pl.) a list in a book saying what the book contains [复数] 目录
2.the subject matter, esp. the ideas, of a book, speech, etc. 内容
retain
vt. keep (possession of); avoid losing 保持;保留
revision
n. 复习;修改
scan
vt. look at quickly without careful reading 浏览,扫视
participation
n. 参与;参加
participate
vi. (in) to take part or have a share in an activity or event 参与;参加
intellectual
a. of intellect 知识的;智力的
n. 知识分子
curiosity
n. the desire to know or learn 好奇(心);求知欲
economics
n. the scientific study of the way in which wealth is produced and used 经济学
economy
n. the system by which a country"s wealth is produced and used 经济(制度)
market-driven
a. 市场驱动的
graduate
a. 研究生的
vi. 毕业
n. 有学位者,大学毕业生
graduate student
研究生
calculus
n. 微积分
approach
n. a manner or method of doing sth. or dealing with a problem 方式;方法
v. come near or nearer to sb. or sth. 靠近;接近
solution
n. an act or way of finding an answer to a difficulty or problem 解决(办法)
Phrases and Expressions
make the most of
get the best use or greatest gain from 充分利用
count for much/little
be of much/little worth or importance 很有 / 没有多少价值或重要性
not the whole story/only part of the story
不是全部情况 / 只是部分情况
put in
spend (time or money) 花费(时间或金钱)
get (or lay) one"s hands on
find; obtain 把 … 弄到手
hand in
give (sth.) to sb. in charge by hand; send in 交上;提交
keep ... together
cause to remain together 把 … 聚在一起
cut down on
reduce 减少
stick to
keep to; not abandon or change 坚持;不放弃,不改变
work wonders
do things that people did not think possible 创奇迹;产生奇妙作用
go through
read from beginning to end; examine 从头至尾看;遍查
lead to
have as a result; cause 导致;引起
a couple of
two; a few 两(个);两三(个)
write up
write in a complete form 写出,写成
put down
write down 写下
put away
put (sth.) in its proper place 把(某物)收藏在合适的地方
time after time
again and again; repeatedly 一再;屡次
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解60篇(扩展5)
——21世纪大学英语综合教程第二册Unit2课文翻译及课后答案60篇
21世纪大学英语综合教程第二册Unit2课文翻译及课后答案1
几年前的一天,我来到萨拉曼卡——纽约附近的一个火车站。我计划在那儿搭乘卧车。站台上都是人,他们涌入长长的卧车,把列车挤得满满的。我问售票处的人能否买两张票,但他厉声回答说:“没票!”然后冲着我的脸关上了窗。这真是对我尊严的莫大打击,然而我又需要这两张车票。我找到一位地方官员,问他能否在卧铺车厢的某个地方找个可怜的小角落;但他猛然打断了我,厉声说道:“没有,找不到。每个角落都挤满了。好了,不要再来烦我了。”说完,他便不理我而走开了。我没料到他会这样对待我,我的尊严处于一种难以描述的状况。我对同伴说:“他们这样对我讲话是因为他们不知道我是谁。”可我的同伴却说:“别说这种傻话了。即便他们知道你是谁,你觉得这能帮你在没有空座的火车上搞到座位吗?”说完他也不理我了。这太过分了。我找到刚才那个官员,非常有礼貌地告诉他我叫马克•吐温,我是否能——但他又一次打断了我:“我已经告诉过你不要再来烦我了。”接着又不再理我了。我无助地环顾四周,发现我的同伴目睹了整个经过。我感到的耻辱无法用语言形容。我说:“或许他没有听到我的名字。”但我的同伴却不这么认为,他说:“他肯定清楚地听到你的名字了,只不过他不在乎罢了,就是这么回事。”
我不知道接下去会发生什么,但就在这时候,我注意到一个年轻的卧车行李搬运工正在跟列车员窃窃私语,并朝着我点头。那个列车员随即转过身,毕恭毕敬地向我走来。
“我能为您效劳吗,先生?”他说道,“您要在卧车上找个空位吗?”
“呃,当然,”我回答说,“可我问过站台上那个人,他说每个角落都塞满了,还叫我不要烦他。”
“不会吧,先生,我简直不敢相信他说了这样的话。简直无法想象有人竟然这样对您说话,先生!我很抱歉,先生,但您一定是误会他了。我们什么空地方都没了,只剩下那个大的家庭包房,里面有两个铺位和几把扶手椅,但这一切都供您享用。过来,汤姆,把这些箱子搬上车!”
搬运工拿了我们的小提箱,我们则上了车。在豪华包房把我们舒舒服服安顿好以后,汤姆满脸堆笑地说:“哦,您还需要什么吗,先生?”
“呃,这盏灯吊得太高了。能不能在我的床头再给我安一盏灯,好让我看起书来舒服点?”
“可以,先生,可以。我会亲自给您安上。您需要什么只管说,我们就是把整条铁路里里外外查个遍也要帮您找到。”说完他便离开了。
我微笑着对同伴说:“咳咳,现在你怎么说?”
我的同伴看起来很羞愧。“唔,”他说,“你是对的。我为刚才在站台上对你说过的那些话感到抱歉。这么看来犯傻的是我,不是你。能跟你一起来我很高兴。假如没有你,我永远也不会搞到车票。但我还是不明白。”就在这时汤姆的笑脸再次出现在门口,接着说了这样一句话:“喔,先生,我一下子就把您给认出来了。接着我就告诉了列车员。”
“是这样吗,小伙子?”我问道,“那我是谁呢?”
“您是纽约*麦克莱伦先生。”说罢他又离开了。
21世纪大学英语综合教程第二册Unit2课文翻译及课后答案2
5
1. bother, bother 2. companion 3. Shame 4. officials 5. notice
6. recognized 7. vacant 8. scene 9. politely 10. describe
6
1. cut short 2. at their disposal 3. at the same time 4. in … face
5. turn your back on 6. a couple of 7. turned … inside out 8. Look around
7
1. must have seen the tickets for tonight’s play
2. must have been here many times
3. may have gone bad
4. may not have received the present
8
1. Nancy was glad to have quit her part-time job before her final exams.
2. Aren’t you ashamed to have eaten all the fruit in the basket?
3. We are really grateful to have received so much care during our visits here.
4. Henry was foolish to have trusted such a liar.
9
1. The public noticed that since that local official left, his position had been vacant for a couple of months.
2. Seeing the girl looking around helplessly on the platform, the young porter asked politely if she needed any help.
3. I recognized your companion the minute he appeared at the door. He looked just as you had described.
4. We didn’t bother to find a hotel, for my good friend invited us to stay in her house and put a luxurious car at our disposal.
5. While the professor was turning the suitcases inside out to find his glasses, his wife was sitting comfortably in an armchair watching the whole scene.
6. I turned my back on her because she expected me to treat her like a queen.
10
1. seeing a doctor as soon as possible
2. working for another hour
3. buying a new car
4. going to the cinema
5. having been to New York
6. quitting my job
7. speaking it
8. being recognized
9. spending all that money
10. losing my job
21世纪大学英语综合教程第二册Unit2课文翻译及课后答案3
我在一家7-11商店里已经工作了两年,自以为很善于处理我们经理所说的“与顾客的关系”了。我坚信,一个友好的微笑和脱口而出的“先生”、“女士”和“谢谢”就足以让我应付任何可能出现的情况,无论是安慰缺乏耐心或难缠的顾客, 还是为找错零钱而道歉。但是几天前的那个晚上,一位老妇人却动摇了我的信念: 乖巧的回答并不能消除与他人打交道时遇到的磕磕绊绊。
老妇人一进来,就与我们灯火通明、货架整齐、亮堂堂的店铺形成了鲜明的对照。老妇人似乎每走一步都十分痛苦。她慢慢地推开玻璃门,蹒跚地走向最近的通道。在气温只有华氏40度的晚上,她只穿着一件褪了色的连衣裙和一件薄薄的、淡褐色的、小得连纽扣都扣不起来的羊毛衫,还有一双破旧的黑拖鞋。她那青筋暴突的腿上既没有穿长袜也没有穿短袜。
老妇人在店里转了几分钟后,在罐装蔬菜前停了下来。她拿起一罐玉米,盯着标签看。此时,我决意做一个有礼貌的"好雇员,便问她是否需要帮助。
对我清晰宏亮的“您要买点什么?”老妇人轻声回答说:
“我要一些吃的。”
“太太,您在找玉米吗?”
“我要一些吃的,”她重复道。“哪种都行。”
“哦,罐头玉米是95美分,”我用最乐于助人的口吻说道。“或者,如果您愿意的话,我们今天有特价面包。”
“我付不出钱,”她说。
有那么一刹那,我真想说:“把玉米拿去吧。”但雇员守则却涌入我的脑海:保持礼貌,但不要让顾客占你便宜,让他们知道是你在控制局面。曾有一刻我甚至认为这是某种考验,老妇人是总部派来考验我的忠诚的。于是,我尽职尽责地回答说:“对不起,太太,我不能免费送您任何东西。”
老妇人的脸似乎“塌陷”得更厉害了(如果有这种可能的话),她双手颤抖着把罐头放回货架,然后从我身旁慢慢地走向门口,破旧而又肮脏的羊毛衫勉强遮住她佝偻的背。
她离开后不久,我便拿着那罐玉米冲出门去,可是老妇人已经无影无踪。在余下的当班时间里,老妇人的形象一直浮现在我的脑海中。我年轻、健康、沾沾自喜,而她却年老多病,身处绝境。我真心希望我当时能表现得像一个人而不是“机器人”,但意识到我们保持自身良好本性的力量是多么的脆弱,又令我感到悲哀。
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解60篇(扩展6)
——21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册Unit3内容介绍60篇
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册Unit3内容介绍1
First Listening
1. As you listen to the tape the first time, fill in the missing parts in the blanks.
A) Jack is interested in a job as an ________ manager located in _______.
B) His qualifications include _______ years of experience knowing how to use ________.
C) He believes that people are _______ everywhere.
Second Listening
2. What is the disagreement about? Whose opinion do you agree more with? Why?
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册Unit3内容介绍2
Joint ventures involving Western and Japanese companies often run into conflicts — a multitude of little things that escalate into big emotional battles in which all the parties keep exclaiming: "What"s wrong with them!? Can they understand that ...?!" But because the conflicts are mainly due to cultural differences, neither side can understand—unless they have a "cultural translator".
The first cultural translator I ever met was an installation engineer, George by name, who worked for an American company where I was the director of international operations. The company had just started a joint venture with a Japanese firm, and the American management needed someone to train the Japanese employees in its unique technology. George"s solid understanding of the equipment, its installation and use made him the best-qualified employee for the job, so everyone was happy when George accepted a two-year contract for temporary transfer to Japan.
From the start, George was well accepted by all the Japanese employees. Japanese managers often distrust anyone sent to represent US owners, but George was so naturally nonassertive that no one could see him as a threat to their careers. So they felt comfortable asking his advice on a wide range of *, including the odd behavior of their partners across the ocean. Engineers throughout the company appreciated George"s expertise and his friendly and capable help, and they got into the habit of turning to him whenever they had a problem — any problem. And the secretaries in the office were eager to help this nice bachelor learn Japanese.
Sooner than anyone expected, the company became a profitable, thriving and growing venture. George"s first two-year contract came to an end. By then, he could speak good Japanese, and had picked up Japanese habits. He drank green tea at all hours, ate rice at every meal and had even learned to sit properly on Japanese tatami mats. So when George was offered a second two-year Japanese contract, he accepted at once. Another contract followed, and George"s love affair with Japanese culture continued.
But as George"s sixth year in the country was coming to an end, an unexpected difficulty became apparent: The Japanese engineers had surpassed George in their knowledge of the rapidly - changing technology. He had nothing left to teach them.
Was this the end for poor George? Was there nothing more he could offer to the now-mature joint venture he had served so loyally? Would he have to leave the country he had come to love? No! Faced with the threat of an unwilling departure from Japan, George reinvented himself as a "cultural translator".
The idea came to George one day when the Japanese joint-venture president was — again — offended by a message from the American management. As usual in such situations, he stormed into George"s office and threw the message in front of him in a fury. And George, as usual, read the message and explained in his calm manner what the Americans had really meant by it, not what it sounded like in the context of Japanese culture.
Fortunately for everyone, both the Japanese and American sides of the joint venture had heard enough horror stories about cultural conflicts to recognize the value of George"s skills, so when he proposed this new position for himself, the idea was quickly approved. The wisdom of this decision was proved again and again over the years.
At times something far more important than good English was needed. One such case was when the Japanese accountant had to explain the $46,534 spent on 874 December-holiday presents. Or there was the time when the Japanese personnel manager had to justify keeping a chemist on the payroll even though the company no longer needed his expertise. In cases like these, everyone turned to George.
Somehow or other, he made their messages sound at least halfway sensible to Americans. And when there was something that even George couldn"t "translate" into American - style sense, he would write, "This will sound crazy, but you should go along with it anyway."
It worked the other way around, too. When the American managers visited Japan, George accompanied us everywhere to ensure that we didn"t do or say anything too stupid from the Japanese viewpoint. Whenever we did that anyway, he came to the rescue at once: "What they really mean is...." Whole multitudes of difficulties never arose thanks to George"s skill at smoothing over small conflicts before they became big, emotional and costly.
Since leaving that company in George"s capable hands, I"ve advised many firms on international operations. And my first recommendation is always the same: Don"t worry about language problems — the first thing you need is a cultural translator.
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解60篇(扩展7)
——21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册Unit3内容介绍 (菁选2篇)
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册Unit3内容介绍1
First Listening
1. As you listen to the tape the first time, fill in the missing parts in the blanks.
A) Jack is interested in a job as an ________ manager located in _______.
B) His qualifications include _______ years of experience knowing how to use ________.
C) He believes that people are _______ everywhere.
Second Listening
2. What is the disagreement about? Whose opinion do you agree more with? Why?
21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册Unit3内容介绍2
Joint ventures involving Western and Japanese companies often run into conflicts — a multitude of little things that escalate into big emotional battles in which all the parties keep exclaiming: "What"s wrong with them!? Can they understand that ...?!" But because the conflicts are mainly due to cultural differences, neither side can understand—unless they have a "cultural translator".
The first cultural translator I ever met was an installation engineer, George by name, who worked for an American company where I was the director of international operations. The company had just started a joint venture with a Japanese firm, and the American management needed someone to train the Japanese employees in its unique technology. George"s solid understanding of the equipment, its installation and use made him the best-qualified employee for the job, so everyone was happy when George accepted a two-year contract for temporary transfer to Japan.
From the start, George was well accepted by all the Japanese employees. Japanese managers often distrust anyone sent to represent US owners, but George was so naturally nonassertive that no one could see him as a threat to their careers. So they felt comfortable asking his advice on a wide range of *, including the odd behavior of their partners across the ocean. Engineers throughout the company appreciated George"s expertise and his friendly and capable help, and they got into the habit of turning to him whenever they had a problem — any problem. And the secretaries in the office were eager to help this nice bachelor learn Japanese.
Sooner than anyone expected, the company became a profitable, thriving and growing venture. George"s first two-year contract came to an end. By then, he could speak good Japanese, and had picked up Japanese habits. He drank green tea at all hours, ate rice at every meal and had even learned to sit properly on Japanese tatami mats. So when George was offered a second two-year Japanese contract, he accepted at once. Another contract followed, and George"s love affair with Japanese culture continued.
But as George"s sixth year in the country was coming to an end, an unexpected difficulty became apparent: The Japanese engineers had surpassed George in their knowledge of the rapidly - changing technology. He had nothing left to teach them.
Was this the end for poor George? Was there nothing more he could offer to the now-mature joint venture he had served so loyally? Would he have to leave the country he had come to love? No! Faced with the threat of an unwilling departure from Japan, George reinvented himself as a "cultural translator".
The idea came to George one day when the Japanese joint-venture president was — again — offended by a message from the American management. As usual in such situations, he stormed into George"s office and threw the message in front of him in a fury. And George, as usual, read the message and explained in his calm manner what the Americans had really meant by it, not what it sounded like in the context of Japanese culture.
Fortunately for everyone, both the Japanese and American sides of the joint venture had heard enough horror stories about cultural conflicts to recognize the value of George"s skills, so when he proposed this new position for himself, the idea was quickly approved. The wisdom of this decision was proved again and again over the years.
At times something far more important than good English was needed. One such case was when the Japanese accountant had to explain the $46,534 spent on 874 December-holiday presents. Or there was the time when the Japanese personnel manager had to justify keeping a chemist on the payroll even though the company no longer needed his expertise. In cases like these, everyone turned to George.
Somehow or other, he made their messages sound at least halfway sensible to Americans. And when there was something that even George couldn"t "translate" into American - style sense, he would write, "This will sound crazy, but you should go along with it anyway."
It worked the other way around, too. When the American managers visited Japan, George accompanied us everywhere to ensure that we didn"t do or say anything too stupid from the Japanese viewpoint. Whenever we did that anyway, he came to the rescue at once: "What they really mean is...." Whole multitudes of difficulties never arose thanks to George"s skill at smoothing over small conflicts before they became big, emotional and costly.
Since leaving that company in George"s capable hands, I"ve advised many firms on international operations. And my first recommendation is always the same: Don"t worry about language problems — the first thing you need is a cultural translator.
推荐访问:读写 大学英语 一课 21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解60篇 21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册第一课内容讲解1 21世纪大学英语读写教程第二册课文