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21世纪大学英语第一册

Unit 1

Text A

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! T op 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.

(795 words)

New Words

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

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

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

Proper Names

Edwin Kiester埃德温·基斯特

Sally Valentine Kiester莎莉·瓦伦丁·基斯特

Alex阿历克斯（男子名）

Cambridge剑桥(英格兰东南部城市, 剑桥大学所在地); 剑桥大学(=Cambridge University)

Manchester曼彻斯特（英格兰西北部港市）

Amanda阿曼达（女子名）

Bristol布里斯托尔（英格兰西南部港市）

Arizona亚利桑那州（美国州名）

New Mexico新墨西哥州（美国州名）

Oklahoma俄克拉荷马州（美国州名）

California加利福尼亚州（美国州名）

Berkeley伯克利（美国加利福尼亚州西部城市）

第一册

Unit 2

Text A Listening

First Listening

Before listening to the tape, have a quick look at the following words. Conversation 谈话 comment on 评论 bowling 保龄球

lane 球道 connect 联系 converse 交谈 switch 转换 Second Listening

Listen to the tape again. Then, choose the best answer to each of the following questions. 1. What was the main cause of the problem discussed in the listening? A) She was using a Western style in conversations among the Japanese. B) She insisted on speaking English even though she was in Japan. C) She spoke the Japanese language poorly.

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

2. Which of the following comparisons does the listening make about Japanese and Western conversational styles? A) The Japanese style is like tennis and the Western style is like volleyball. B) The Western style is more athletic than the Japanese style.

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

D) The Japanese style is like singles tennis and the Western style is like doubles. 3. The author considers the Western conversational style to be ____________. A) more interactive (互动的) B) louder

C) more personal D) better

4.The author considers the Japanese conversational style to be ____________. A) easier to adjust to （适应）

B) more strictly (严谨地) organized C) more traditional

第一册

D) better

5.The author concludes that ____________.

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

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

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

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

Pre-reading Questions

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

2. Go over the first paragraph quickly and find out who the author is. Is she a Japanese born and educated in the United

States or an American married to a Japanese?

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

foreigner?

Conversational Ballgames

Nancy Masterson Sakamoto

After I was married and had lived in Japan for a while, my Japanese gradually improved to the point where I could take

part in simple conversations with my husband, his friends, and family. And I began to notice that often, when I joined in,

the others would look startled, and the conversation would come to a halt. After this happened several times, it became

clear to me that I was doing something wrong. But for a long time, I didn't know what it was.

Finally, after listening carefully to many Japanese conversations, I discovered what my problem was. Even though I was

speaking Japanese, I was handling the conversation in a Western way.

Japanese-style conversations develop quite differently from western-style conversations. And the difference isn't only in

the languages. I realized that just as I kept trying to hold western-style conversations even when I was speaking

Japanese, so were my English students trying to hold Japanese-style conversations even when they were speaking

English. We were unconsciously playing entirely different conversational ballgames.

A western-style conversation between two people is like a game of tennis. If I introduce a topic, a conversational ball, I

expect you to hit it back. If you agree with me, I don't expect you simply to agree and do nothing more. I expect you to

add something — a reason for agreeing, another example, or a remark to carry the idea further. But I don't expect you

always to agree. I am just as happy if you question me, or challenge me, or completely disagree with me. Whether you

agree or disagree, your response will return the ball to me.

第一册And then it is my turn again. I don't serve a new ball from my original starting line. I hit your ball back again from where it

has bounced. I carry your idea further, or answer your questions or objections, or challenge or question you. And so the

ball goes back and forth.

If there are more than two people in the conversation, then it is like doubles in tennis, or like volleyball. There's no waiting

in line. Whoever is nearest and quickest hits the ball, and if you step back, someone else will hit it. No one stops the

game to give you a turn. You're responsible for taking your own turn and no one person has the ball for very long.

A Japanese-style conversation, however, is not at all like tennis or volleyball, it's like bowling. You wait for your turn, and

you always know your place in line. It depends on such things as whether you are older or younger, a close friend or a

relative stranger to the previous speaker, in a senior or junior position, and so on.

The first thing is to wait for your turn, patiently and politely. When your moment comes, you step up to the starting line

with your bowling ball, and carefully bowl it. Everyone else stands back, making sounds of polite encouragement.

Everyone waits until your ball has reached the end of the lane, and watches to see if it knocks down all the pins, or only

some of them, or none of them. Then there is a pause, while everyone registers your score.

Then, after everyone is sure that you are done, the next person in line steps up to the same starting line, with a different

ball. He doesn't return your ball. There is no back and forth at all. And there is always a suitable pause between turns.

There is no rush, no impatience.

No wonder everyone looked startled when I took part in Japanese conversations. I paid no attention to whose turn it was,

and kept snatching the ball halfway down the alley and throwing it back at the bowler. Of course the conversation fell

apart, I was playing the wrong game.

This explains why it can be so difficult to get a western-style discussion going with Japanese students of English.

Whenever I serve a volleyball, everyone just stands back and watches it fall. No one hits it back. Everyone waits until I

call on someone to take a turn. And when that person speaks, he doesn't hit my ball back. He serves a new ball. Again,

everyone just watches it fall. So I call on someone else. This person does not refer to what the previous speaker has

said. He also serves a new ball. Everyone begins again from the same starting line, and all the balls run parallel. There is

never any back and forth.

Now that you know about the difference in the conversational ballgames, you may think that all your troubles are over.

But if you have been trained all your life to play one game, it is no simple matter to switch to another, even if you know

the rules. Tennis, after all, is different from bowling.

(801 words)

第一册New Words

conversational a. 会话的，交谈的

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

ballgame n. any game played with a ball 球类活动

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

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

halt n. a stop or pause 停住，停止

v. stop （使）停住，（使）停止

handle vt. deal with 处理，应付

unconsciously ad. not consciously 无意识地，不知不觉地

challenge vt. 向…挑战；对…质疑

n. 挑战；质疑

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

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

original a. first; earliest 起初的；原来的

bounce vi. (of a ball) spring back or up again from the ground or another surface

（球）弹起，（球）反弹

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

反对，异议

forth ad. forward; out 向前；向外

responsible a. having the job or duty of looking after sb. or sth., so that one can be blamed if things

go wrong 须负责的，有责任的

bowling n. 保龄球

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

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

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

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

bowl vt. 把（球）投向球瓶

lane n. 球道；车道；胡同，小巷

pin n. 球瓶；大头针，别针

第一册register vt. record 记录，登记

suitable a. 合适的；适当的

impatience n. 不耐烦；急躁

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

alley n. 小巷，小街，胡同；球道

bowler n. 投球手

apart ad. into pieces 成碎片

parallel a. running side by side but never getting nearer to or further away from each other

平行的，并列的

switch vi. change 改变，转移

Phrases and Expressions

Join in take part in (an activity) 参加，参与

come to a halt stop 停住，停止；停顿

even if/though in spite of the fact that; no matter whether 即使；尽管

just as 正如；同样地

back and forth 来回地，反复地

and so on and other things of this kind 等等

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

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

call on /upon formally ask (sb.) to do sth. 号召；请求

refer to mention; speak about 谈到，提及

after all when all is said or done 毕竟

Proper Name

Nancy Masterson Sakamoto南希·马斯特森·坂本

第一册Unit 3

Text A

Listening

First Listening

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

amaze使惊羡drum鼓harmonica口琴rock and roll music摇滚乐

porch门廊audition试唱hit轰动一时的人（或事、物）album集锦密纹唱片

influential有影响的encounter遭到charts排行榜

Second Listening

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

1. The main purpose of the listening passage is________.

A) to give an overview of Stevie Wonder's life and career

B) to analyze Stevie Wonder's most popular albums

C) to discuss different types of music in the U.S.

D) to discuss the status of blind people in the U.S.

2. Stevie's career as a pop musician can be described as________.

A) a long struggle to gain fame

B) great success from a young age on

C) a long but unremarkable career

D) early popularity that didn't last

3. Which of the following problems did Stevie NOT have to overcome?

A) Being born poor and blind.

B) An unhappy childhood.

C) A serious car accident.

D) Both A) and B).

4. Which of the following best describes Stevie Wonder?

A) A musician who sings mostly about love and romance.

B) A musician who is popular because he is blind.

第一册

C) A man who has been very successful despite many obstacles.

D) A typical poor black person in the U.S..

Pre-reading Questions

1. Do you know who Stevie Wonder is? What do you know about him and his accomplishments?

2. Besides Stevie Wonder, what other people with physical disabilities do you know about who have achieved fame and

success? Describe who they are and what they have done.

3. How do you think you would feel if you became blind? How would it affect your life?

Stevie Wonder: Sunshine in the Shadow

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.

第一册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 adulthood, 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. T o 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.

(834 words)

第一册New Words

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

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

adulthood 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

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 Expressions

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

Proper Names

Stevie Wonder史蒂威·旺达（人名）

Morris莫里斯（姓氏）

Ronnie White罗尼·怀特（人名）

Motown Records莫顿唱片公司

Innervisions《内心幻觉》（唱片名）

Martin Luther King, Jr.小马丁·路德·金（1929 — 1968，美国民权运动领袖）

Nelson Mandela纳尔逊·曼德拉（1918 —，南非共和国总统）

Unit 4

Text A

Listening

First Listening

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

wrinkled有皱纹的laundry付洗衣物bundle捆，包complain抱怨respond回答

Second Listening

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

1. Which of the following best describes the washwoman?

A) Tall and strong.

B) Tall, but weak.

C) Small, old, and weak.

D) Small and old, but strong.

2. Why did the family appreciate the washwoman so much?

A) She charged the lowest price for laundry.

B) She was reliable and independent.

C) She was funny and entertaining.

D) They liked to hear her tell stories.

3. Why did the family become worried about the washwoman?

A) She did not reappear with their laundry.

B) They heard that she was sick.

C) She threatened to quit.

D) She drank too much tea.

4. What happened to the washwoman at the end of the story?

A) She decided to raise her prices.

B) She decided to move to another city.

C) She went to live with her son.

D) She never returned for more laundry.

第一册

Pre-reading Questions

1. Think of a person you know who continues to work hard in his/her old age. Describe this person to your classmates.

What is he/she like? What does he/she do? Why do you think he/she still works?

2.This short story is about a woman who continued to work hard in her old age because she "did not want to become a

burden." What do you suppose this phrase means?

The Washwoman

Isaac Bashevis Singer

She was a small woman, old and wrinkled. When she started washing for us, she was already past seventy. Most Jewish

women of her age were sickly and weak. All the old women in our street had bent backs and leaned on sticks when they

walked. But this washwoman, small and thin as she was, possessed a strength that came from generations of peasant

forebears. Mother would count out to her a bundle of laundry that had accumulated over several weeks. She would then

lift the bundle, put it on her narrow shoulders, and carry it the long way home.

She would bring the laundry back about two weeks later. My mother had never been so pleased with any washwoman.

Yet she charged no more than the others. She was a real find. Mother always had her money ready, because it was too

far for the old woman to come a second time.

Laundering was not easy in those days. The old woman had no running water where she lived but had to bring in the

water from a pump. And the drying! It could not be done outside because thieves would steal the laundry. So it had to be

carried up to the attic and hung on clotheslines. Only God knows what the old woman had to endure each time she did a

wash!

She could have begged at the church door or entered a home for the penniless and aged. But there was in her a certain

pride and love of labor with which many members of the labor force have been blessed. The old woman did not want to

become a burden, and so she bore her burden.

The woman had a son who was rich. He was ashamed of his mother, and never came to see her. Nor did he ever give

her money. The old woman told this without bitterness. When the son got married, the wedding took place in a church.

The son had not invited the old mother to his wedding, but she went to the church anyway and waited at the steps to see

her son lead the bride to the altar.

One day the washwoman, now nearly eighty years old, came to our house. A good deal of laundry had accumulated

第一册during the past weeks. Mother gave her a pot of tea to warm herself, as well as some bread. The old woman sat on a

kitchen chair trembling and shaking, and warmed her hands against the teapot. Her fingernails were strangely white.

These hands spoke of the stubbornness of mankind, of the will to work not only as one's strength permits but beyond the

limits of one's power. It was sad to watch the old woman stagger out with the big bundle and disappear.

Usually the woman brought back the wash after two or, at the most, three weeks. But three weeks passed, then four and

five, and nothing was heard of the old woman.

For us the washwoman's absence was a catastrophe. We needed the laundry. We did not even know the woman's

address. It seemed certain that she had collapsed, died. Mother declared she had had a premonition that we would

never see our things again. We mourned, both for the laundry and for the old woman who had grown close to us through

the years she had served us so faithfully.

More than two months passed. One evening, while Mother was sitting near the lamp mending a shirt, the door opened

and a small puff of steam, followed by a huge bundle, entered. Under the bundle tottered the old woman, her face as

white as a linen sheet. Mother uttered a half-choked cry, as though a corpse had entered the room. I ran toward the old

woman and helped her unload her bundle. She was even thinner now, more bent. She could not utter a clear word, but

mumbled something with her sunken mouth and pale lips.

After the old woman had recovered somewhat, she told us that she had been ill, very ill. In fact, she had been so sick that

someone had called a doctor, and the doctor had sent for a priest. Someone had informed the son, and he had

contributed money for a coffin. But God had not yet wanted to take this poor soul to Himself. She began to feel better,

she became well, and as soon as she was able to stand on her feet once more, she resumed her washing. Not just ours,

but the wash of several other families too.

"I could not rest easy in my bed because of the wash," the old woman explained. "The wash would not let me die."

"With the help of God you will live to be a hundred and twenty," said my mother.

"God forbid! What good would such a long life be? The work becomes harder and harder ... my strength is leaving me ...

I do not want to be a burden on any one!" The old woman muttered, crossed herself, and raised her eyes toward heaven.

After getting paid, she left, promising to return in a few weeks for a new load of wash.

But she never came back. The wash she had returned was her last effort on this earth. She had been driven by a strong

will to return the property to its owners, to fulfill the task she had undertaken.

(898 words)