Part Two In-class Reading

Pretest: Checking Your Word Power

For each italicized word or expression, choose the best meaning below.

1） I caught a glimpse of the taxi before it disappeared around the corner of the street.

A. a full view

B. a close watch

C. a quick and incomplete view

2） As a movie star, she has to keep herself in the foreground .

A. front

B. the nearest part of a scene

C. focus of attention

3） Anger appeared on her usually composed face.

A. calm

B. changeable

C. elegant

4） The special agent sneaked past the guard and entered the building through the back door.

A. moved slowly

B. moved quietly and secretly

C. moved quickly

5） The economy of many Asian countries collapsed immediately in the financial crisis.

A. ended suddenly

B. decreased

C. shrank

6） She took a malicious pleasure in hurting others.

A. direct

B. extreme

C. not well-intentioned

7） Environmental protection is clearly their main preoccupation .

A. problem

B. concern

C. responsibility

8） Doctors discourage massive doses of painkillers.

A. small in quantity

B. large in quantity

C. bad in quality

Text A

Fresh Start

Evelyn Herald

I first began to wonder what I was doing on a college campus anyway when my parents drove off, leaving me standing pitifully in a parking lot , wanting nothing more than to find my way safely to my dorm room. The fact was that no matter how mature I liked to consider myself, I was feeling just a bit first-gradis . My plan was to keep my ears open and my mouth shut and hope no one would notice I was a freshman.

With that thought in mind, I raised my head, squared my shoulders , and set out in the direction of my dorm. It took everything I had not to stare when I caught my first glimpse of a real live college football player . What confidence, what reserve , what muscles ! I only hoped his attention was drawn to my airs of assurance rather than to my shaking knees. I spent the afternoon seeking out each of my classrooms so that I could attend each lecture on time without having to ask dumb questions about its whereabouts .

The next morning I found my first class and marched in. Once I was in the room,however, another problem awaited me. Where to sit? Freshmen manuals advised sitting near the front, showing the professor in an intelligent and energetic manner . So I chose a seat in the first row and to the side. I was in the foreground but out of the professor's direct line of vision .

I studied my textbook of American literature and wrote down the date on a clean notebook.“Welcome to Biology 101,”the professor began. A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. I felt for my schedule and checked the room number. I was in the right room. Just the wrong building!

After class I went to the cafeteria . I piled my tray with sandwich goodies and was heading for the salad bar when I accidentally stepped in a large puddle of ketchup . My food tray tipped and I lost my balance.

In the seconds after my fall I thought how nice it would be if no one had noticed. Yet it seemed that all the students in the cafeteria came to their feet, cheering and clapping. Slowly I stood up and sneaked out of the cafeteria as the cheers died down behind me.

or three days I dined alone on nothing more than shame, regret, and a mix of junk food . On the fourth day I couldn't endure that. I needed some real food. Perhaps three days was long enough for the campus population to have forgotten me. So off to the cafeteria I went.

I made my way through the food line and tiptoed to a table, where I collapsed in relief .Suddenly I heard a crash that sounded vaguely familiar. I looked up to see that another poor soul had met the fate I'd thought was reserved only for me. I was even more surprised when I saw who the poor soul was: the very composed , very upper class football player I'd seen just days before (though he didn't look quite so composed wearing spaghetti on the front of his shirt). My heart went out to him as people began to cheer and clap as they had for me. He got up, hands held high above his head in a victory clasp , grinning from ear to ear. I expected him to slip away from the cafeteria as I had, but instead he turned around and began preparing another tray. And that's when I realized I had been taking myself far too seriously.

What I had interpreted as a malicious attempt to embarrass a naive freshman had been merely a moment of college fun. Probably everyone in the cafeteria had done something equally dumb when he or she was a freshman.

Who cared whether I dropped a tray, where I sat in class, or even whether I showed up in the wrong lecture? This wasn't like high school. Popularity was not so important: running with the crowd was no longer a law of survival . In college, it didn't matter. This was my big chance to do my own thing, be my own woman — if I could get past my preoccupation with doing everything perfectly .

Once I recognized that, I relaxed and began to view college as a wonderful experiment.College, I decided, was probably the only time I would be completely forgiven for massive mistakes. So I used the opportunity to make all the ones I thought I'd never make.

Three years after graduation, I'm still making mistakes. And I'm even being forgiven for a few.

( 785 words )

New Words and Expressions

pitifully [ˈpitifuli] ad. in a manner that deserves or arouses pity 令人怜悯地；可怜地

lot [lɔt] n. an area of land used for a particular purpose （作某种用途的）一块地，场地

dorm [dɔːm] n. (infml.) dormitory 宿舍

mature [məˈtjuə] a. fully grown; developed mentally or physically 充分发育的；成熟的

square one's shoulders stand straight and push your shoulders back, usually to show your determination 挺胸而立

glimpse [ɡlimps] n. a quick look 一瞥；一看

reserve [riˈzəːv] v. ＆ n.v. put aside or keep sth. for a later occasion or special use 保留；储备　n. 矜持；自制

muscle [ˈmʌsl] n. 肌肉；肌肉的力量

airs [ɛəz] n.(pl.) affected manners intended to impress others 装腔作势，摆架子 (sing.) impression given; appearance or manner 给人的印象；外貌；态度

assurance [əˈʃuərəns] n. confidence or certainty in one's own abilities 自信；把握

dumb [dʌm] a.(infml.) stupid 愚蠢的

whereabouts [ˈ(h)wɛərəˈbauts] n. the place where someone or something is 下落；行踪

await [əˈweit] v. wait for (an event); (of an event or circumstance) be in store for (someone) 等待（事件）；（事件、情况）将降临到（某人）

manual [ˈmænjuəl] n. a book containing information or practical instructions 手册；指南

intelligent [inˈtelidʒənt] a. having or showing intelligence 聪明的；有才智的

energetic [ˌenəˈdʒetik] a. full of or done with energy 精力充沛的；充满活力的

manner [ˈmænə] n. a person's way of behaving towards others 态度

glimpse [ɡlimps] n. a quick look 一瞥；一看

glimpse [ɡlimps] n. a quick look 一瞥；一看

foreground [ˈfɔːɡraund] n. the most prominent or important position or situation （与the 连用）最重要或最突出的位置（或形势）

vision [ˈviʒən] n. the power or state of being able to see 视力；视觉

cold sweat a state of sweating induced by fear, anxiety, or illness 冷汗

break out (a rash or sweat) appears on your skin 出（疹子、汗）

schedule [ˈskedʒjul] n. a plan for carrying out a process or procedure, giving lists of intended events and times 计划（表）；进度表；时刻表

cafeteria [̩ kæfiˈtiəriə] n. a restaurant (esp. in a factory or college) in which customers collect their meals on trays from a counter 自助餐厅；自助食堂

goody [ˈɡudi] n. (usually goodies) something attractive or desirable, especially something tasty to eat 好吃的东西

head for move towards (a place) 向（某处）行进

accidentally [̩ æksiˈdentli] ad. happening unexpectedly or by chance 意外地；偶然地

puddle [ˈpʌdl] n. a small pool of liquid, especially rain water 水坑

ketchup [ˈketʃəp] n. a spicy sauce made chiefly from tomatoes and vinegar, used as a relish 调味番茄汁

sneak [sniːk] v. ( infml. ) go quietly and secretly in the direction specified悄悄地走；溜

die down become less strong, active, or violent 逐渐减弱

dine [dain] v. eat dinner 进餐

junk food ( infml. ) food eaten as a snack and usu. thought to be not good for one's health 垃圾食品

endure [inˈdjuə] v. suffer or undergo (sth painful / uncomfortable) patiently 忍受；忍耐

make one's way through / to / towards sth. 行走；前进

tiptoe [ˈtiptəu] v. walk quietly and carefully on tiptoe 踮着脚悄悄地走

collapse [kəˈlæps] v. sit or lie down as a result of exhaustion or amusement （因疲劳或为逗乐而）坐下或躺下

relief [riˈliːf] n. a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress 宽慰；轻松；解脱

crash [kræʃ] n. a violent fall, blow or breakage 坠落；撞击（声）

vaguely [ˈveiɡli] ad. in a way one cannot specify 含糊地；不明确地

soul [səul] n. a person regarded with affection or pity 可爱的人；可怜的人

composed [kəmˈpəuzd] a. with one's feelings under control; calm 克制的；镇静的

upper class college junior or senior students 大学高年级（三、四年级）学生；the group of people who belong to the highest social class 上层阶级

spaghetti [spəˈɡeti] n. a type of pasta in very long thin pieces, that is cooked in boiling water 意大利细面条

clasp [klɑːsp] n. a tight hold 紧握，握住

slip [slip] v. go somewhere quietly or quickly without being noticed 悄悄或匆匆到某处

interpret [inˈtəːprit] v. understand sth. as having a particular meaning理解；了解

malicious [məˈliʃəs] a. intended to harm others 恶意的；蓄意的

embarrass [imˈbærəs] v. cause (sb.) to feel awkward or ashamed 使觉得尴尬或害羞

naive [nɑˈːiːv] a. natural and innocent in speech and behavior （言行）自然而天真的

merely [ˈmiəli] ad. only 仅；不过

popularity [̩ pɔpjuˈlæriti] n. the state of being liked or admired by many people 流行；声望

survival [səˈvaivəl] n. the state of continuing to live or exist 存活；幸存

preoccpation u [pri̩ ˈɔkjupeiʃən] n. something that you think about frequently or for a long time 心里总想着的事物；使人全神贯注的事物；关注

relax [riˈlæks] v. (make sb.) rest after work; calm down （使某人）放松；镇定

massive [ˈmæsiv] a. substantial; very large 可观的；大量的

Exercises

I. Comprehension

1. Skimming: Outlining the Text

Work in pairs to find the main idea and complete the outline with words or sentences chosen from the text.

Part One: Introduction (Para.1)

The author tells about:

1） her first days on______________________________;

2） her feelings which she describes as ______________________;

3） her plan to ______________________.

Part Two: Main events (Paras. 2-8)

The author recalls three incidents happening during her first days of college.They are:

Part Three: Conclusion (Paras. 9-12)

The author learns from her own experience that:

1） a person should view his/her college life as ____________;

2） (s)he should not be afraid of ____________ during college years.

2. Scanning: Understanding Detailed Information

Read the text carefully and decide whether the following statements are true or false and then correct the false statements according to the text.

________1） To avoid being recognized as a newcomer, Evelyn raised her head and squared her shoulders while walking on the campus.

______2） Evelyn hoped that the football player would notice her shaking knees and came up to give her a helping hand.

______3） Evelyn chose to sit in the front of the classroom in the professor's direct line of vision.

______4） American history was the first class Evelyn was going to attend the next morning.

______5） Evelyn was very much embarrassed by the cheering of people in the cafeteria for her accidental fall on the floor.

______6） Evelyn was extremely careful with her steps when dining for the second time in the cafeteria.

______7） The upper class footballer still looked quite composed as usual with spaghetti on the front of his shirt after the fall.

______8） Evelyn thought that one should be allowed to make just a few mistakes even after his/her graduation from college.

II. Vocabulary

1. Word Drilling

Fill in the blanks with words or phrases chosen from the box. Change the form where necessary.

1） They tried to ________ the truth in what was said in the newspaper.

2） My greatest ________ was to accumulate a sufficient amount of money to travel to Europe.

3） We were all greatly drawn by his frank views, humorous words and genial ________.

4） It may take a generation to see how the Internet reshapes society and human behavior once it becomes a(n) ________ technology.

5） We started off at dawn and ________ the sea for surfing.

6） The best properties, however, the colonial mansions and villas, ________ for the government.

7） There have been four hundred escapes this year, ________ the lack of security.

8） I felt greatly amused when I saw our manager's ________ at failure to remember the name of that distinguished guest.

9） Sally ran across her old friend Bill in London last week, she greeted him with a(n) ____________of delighted surprises.

10） I was 19 years old; wise in the ways of sport but ________ beyond all measure as to what the world was really about.

11） He refused to give away any information regarding the man's ________.

12） The man's ________ was surprising, as the doctors thought he would die.

13） His secretary explained patiently that this was the only spare time from his busy ________.

14） Officials fear that he________ the emphasis on diplomacy as a sign of weakness.

15） The minister warned that if war ________, it would be catastrophic for the whole world.

2. Confusable Words

Compare each group of words given and then choose the proper word to complete each sentence. Change the form where necessary.

1） crash / clash / crush

A. I failed to watch the World Cup final because it_______ with my examination.

B. Never let your mind wander when driving or a car _______ is probable.

C. Inside the government, there was a _______ of views.

D. During the earthquake, people lay _______ to death beneath the rubble of their houses.

2） relax / relieve / release

A. The prisoner smoked frequently to _______ nervous tension.

B. The light music will help to _______ you after a day's work.

C. The energy _______ by the chain reaction is transformed into heat.

D. The officer involved was_______ of his duties because he had violated strict guidelines.

3） intelligent / intellectual / intelligible

A. Such difficult questions are_______ only to specialists.

B. Teaching is an _______ occupation.

C. Susan's a very bright and _______ woman who knows her own mind.

D. High levels of lead could damage the _______ development of children.

III. Grammar & Structure

1. Word-formation

Note 1: The suffix -ish is used in the following ways:

a. with nouns, forming adjectives, meaning: of the nature of; resembling ……性的；……一样的；像……似的

e.g. childish, foolish, first-gradis (Para.1), etc.

b. with nouns, forming adjectives and nouns, meaning: (language or people) of the specified nationality某国家或某民族的（语言或人）

e.g. English, Danish, etc.

c. with adjectives, forming adjectives, meaning: somewhat; approximately 略微的；大约的

e.g. reddish, tallish, etc.

1) Add the suffix to the following nouns and adjectives to form adjectives or nouns. Be sure to make any necessary spelling changes.

A. boy _________________

B. book _______________

C. fat _______________

D. snob _______________

E. Turkey _______________

F. Sweden _______________

G. young _______________

H. yellow _______________

2) Use some of the words you've formed to complete the sentences below.

A. She was relieved to see his face light up with a ________ grin.

B. He is a ________ fellow, always talking through his nose.

C. The poor girl liked to be thought clever, but she hated to be thought ._______________

D. His lips were colorless, and his teeth looked ________.

Note 2: The prefix fore- is used in the following ways:

with nouns or verbs, forming nouns or adjectives, meaning:

a. (of time or rank) before; in advance of （指时间或职位）前，预先

e.g. forefather, foresee, etc.

b. (of position) in front of （指位置）在前部

e.g. foreground (Para.3), foreman, etc.

3) Translate the following words into Chinese.

A. forefather _______________

B. foreknowledge _______________

C. foretaste _______________

D. forefront _______________

E. foresee _______________

F. foreman _______________

G. forehead _______________

H. foresight _______________

4) Use some of the words above to complete the sentences below.

A. The couple had the _______ to plan their retirement wisely.

B. The main leaders of the government at all levels should stand in the _______ of the fighting against flood.

C. What we are doing today is something never dreamed of by our ______________.

D. He could never have ______________ that one day his books would sell in millions.

E. Summer styles are often a ______________ of autumn fashion.

2. Sentence Rewriting

Combine the following pairs of sentences after the models.

Model 1: a. I liked to consider myself mature.

b. But I was feeling just a bit first-gradish.

→ No matter how mature I liked to consider myself, I was feeling just a bit first-gradish.

1） a. It was late.

b. But I told him to report to me after work.

→__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2） a. The work was hard.

b. But no complaint ever passed her lips.

→________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3） a. They were often urged.

b. But they could not bring themselves to join in.

→__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Model 2: a. I only hoped his attention was drawn to my airs of assurance.

b. I didn't hope his attention was drawn to my shaking knees.

→ I only hoped his attention was drawn to my airs of assurance rather than to my shaking knees.

1） a. Young adults are more likely to prefer pop songs.

b. Older people are less likely to prefer that.

→________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2） a. Many people nowadays communicate by e-mail.

b. They've stopped using phones and faxes.

→_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3） a. Nuclear science should be developed to benefit the people.

b. It should not harm them.

→_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Grammar: Subjective Clause

Complete the following sentences by translating the Chinese into English, using the pattern similar to the italicized part in the model.

Model: What I had interpreted as a malicious attempt to embarrass a naive freshman had been merely a moment of college fun.

1） ________________________（他的所作所为） often varied with what he says.

2） ________________________（她一开始就吸引我的地方） was her incredible experience of life.

3） ________________________（他们能否赢得这次比赛） depends on their own strength and bravery.

4） ________________________（谁将负责我们部门的管理工作） remains unsettled yet.

5） _________________________（她应邀代表全班发言的事实） flattered her greatly.

6） _________________________（水资源已经遭到污染的事实） is a matter of grave concern.

IV. Comprehensive Exercises

1. Cloze

Fill in each of the blanks with a word from the list below.

There are generally two educational methods: the lecture method and the group learning method. In a lecture classroom, the teacher dominates the ______ (1) by doing most of the talking. Students listen and take notes. This ______ (2) is best at passing on content to students. It prepares students for a society that they have ______ (3) memorized.In _____ (4), the teacher of a group learning classroom appears to have no definite role at all, ______ (5) about from group to group. Students do not memorize information,but they actively generate their own ______ (6), each contributing insights for the success of the group. This method prepares students for a society that values ______ (7) ideas. The disadvantage is that students have not memorized ______ (8) basic facts.

2. Translation

1) Complete the following sentences by translating into English the Chinese given in the brackets.

A. He could resign if he wanted and_______________（确保每年能领到十五万六千英镑的年金）.

B. ___________________________ （等雷鸣般的掌声平息下来）, the Nobel Prize winner began his speech.

C. Whenever you change sleep cycles__________________________,（你的生物钟就得做出相应的调整）.

D. _______________________ （人们选择上什么样的学校）became increasingly consequential for success in getting into university.

E. I don't object to what she says, _____________________ （但她说话的方式让我很反感）.

2) Translate the following passage into Chinese.

My first days in university are memorable. When my parents drove off, leaving me alone on the campus, I was at a loss as to what to do. No matter how I tried to look mature, I just couldn't possibly get rid of the feeling of being a freshman. I spent several hours seeking out my dorm room and each of my classrooms. The next morning, I sat in the foreground, studied my textbook of American Literature, and got ready for the lecture in an energetic manner. But when the biology professor came in I realized that I was sitting in the wrong room. After class, I went to the cafeteria. Unfortunately, when I was heading for a table with my food tray, my feet slipped, my food tray tipped and I lost my balance and fell flat on the ground. All the students in the cafeteria cheered for me after my fall. For days, I was distressed with a sense of shame. Later on, I came to realize that I was taking such trivial incidents far too seriously. In university, you are allowed to make mistakes and you may view college life as a kind of experiment. In a word, it is more important to be yourself. 8BlkxnH7HNYMl8C7fBTqfgA9rQkBN38vrLnI67pByyzmTj/Av4KHuehmT1D5D6OP