高级英语1

《高级英语1 》辅导纲要

Lesson 1 Four Choices for Young People

主要内容: I. Synonyms bucolic: pastoral

antecedent: predecessor, ancestor presumably: probably; barricade: blockade inaugurate: launch, initiate affluent: rich formidable: fearful skepticism: doubtfulness, misgiving: skepticism holocaust: massacre 2. Antonyms dwindle: increase unprecedented: usual tedious: exciting

affluent, wealthy : impoverished unsullied: spoiled parasitic: independent pastoral, rustic : urban inevitable: avoidable Brutal: humane 3. Definition

guise: an outer appearance 伪装 重点掌握:

1. Meaning of words in context

So Jim Binns‘ generation has a formidable(frightening) job on its hands.

formidable: fearful, terrifying, dreadful, threatening, menacing, terrific, alarming 可怕的，令人生畏的 2. the figures of speech

At the same time, my generation was discovering that reforming the world is a little like fighting a military campaign in the Apennines, as soon as you capture one mountain range, another one looms ahead. _ simile 3. Explanation

1) It demands patience, always in short supply. (Para. 11) 2) This strategy also has ancient antecedents. (Para. 5)

3) … except for the polar regions, the frontiers are gone. (Para. 6)

4) … but in general the stream of migration is flowing the other way. (Para. 6) 5) For at best their victory never dawns on the shining new world they had dreamed of, … KEY

1) This strategy is not new; it dates back to ancient times.

2) Except for the poplar regions, very few areas on earth remain unsettled. 3) But in general farmers are moving in large numbers to the cities. 4) brings about

5) It requires people to be patient, which most people are not. Their patience runs out quickly.

Lesson 2 Rock Superstars:

What Do They Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society?

主要内容: 1. Synonyms radical: extreme ramble: wander reverence: respect

piety: devotion, loyalty adulation: flattery 2. Antonyms

reverence: disrespect 3. Definition

pilgrim: person who travels (esp．a long way) to a holy place as an act of religious love and respect朝拜圣地者；香客

pilgrimage :a journey to some sacred place to show respect to God bequeath: hand down, give or pass to others after death 重点掌握:

1. Meaning of words in context

How do you feel about all this adulation (praise) and hero worship? adulation: the giving of too much praise or respect, esp. to win favor; praise more than necessary or deserved (to win favor) 谄媚；奉承 2. The figures of speech

Horowita sees the rock music arena as a sort of debating forum, a place where ideas clash and crash onomatopoeia/ alliteration 3. Explanation

1) By a man‘s heroes ye shall know him. (Epigraph 2) 2) … a place where ideas clash and crash. (Para. 3)

3) The Beatles showed there was a range of emotions between love and hate. 4) … these rock musicians mirror feelings and beliefs … (Para.10) KEY

1) You‘ll find out what kind of person someone is if you know who his or her heroes are.

2) (The rock music arena) is a place where different ideas come into violent conflict. 3) The Beatles articulated subtle emotions, not just the two extreme feelings of love and hate.

4) These rock musicians reflect the kind of emotions and outlook that…

Lesson 3 A Most Forgiving Ape (part one)

主要内容: 1.Synonyms intrepid: insistent reprisal: revenge elusive: puzzling 2. Antonyms

Belligerence: friendliness verify: di sprove

Intrepid, dauntless: cowardly hostile: friendly 3. Definition

stereotyped: typed, categorized, fixed, established in form; used and repeated without change 定型的；反复使用而不便的；固定的

safari: trip through wild country (in east and central Africa); people, vehicles and animals of such a trip; the people, vehicles, animals, etc. making such a trip （尤指在东非和中非的） 重点掌握:

1. Meaning of words in context

It is this ―human-ness‖ of the gorrila which is so beguiling(enchanting ). beguiling: deceiving, cheating, leading astray; charming; amusing 欺骗的；吸引人的；有意思的 2. Explanation

1)He is the stereotyped monster of horror films… 2)… who haunts the imagination of climbers in the Himalayas … (L3) 3)… is no more than shadow boxing as a general rule. (L3) KEY

1) The gorilla always appears in horror films and adventure books as a monster in fixed form _ half-man, half-gorilla.

2) Who always appear frightfully in the wild imaginings of the mountain climbers in

the Himalayas.

3) The gorilla is merely acting out gestures of aggressiveness to warn the enemy away. All this is simply a show.

Lesson 4 A Most Forgiving Ape (Part Two)

主要内容: 1. Synonyms

bewilderment: puzzlement sweltering : hot lurk: hide palpable: obvious gratify: satisfy

enunciate: articulate, pronounce dilemma: quandary amnesia: forgetfulness scramble: climb bizarre: strange, peculiar, alternative :option 2. Antonyms groggily: steadily impenetrable: passable uncompromising: flexible outlandish: normal 3. Definition

accelerate: speed up, pick up speed, quicken , space up 加速 fatigue: great tiredness

amnesia: forgetfulness; loss of memory, either in part or completely

prophet: a religious person who claims to be able to explain God‘s will and tell lurk: hide, lie concealed, lie in ambush, sneak, prowl 潜伏；埋伏

blister: small bag-like swelling under the skin, filled with liquid (caused by rubbing,

burning, etc.) 泡，水泡 重点掌握:

1. Meaning of words in context

1) That there is prejudice against women is an idea that still strikes nearly all men as bizarre(strange). bizarre: strange, peculiar, odd, as if having terrible dream 奇异的

2) I rose groggily (unsteadily) to my feet and faced the impossible once more. groggily: unsteadily; weakly, likely to collapse or fall 支持不住地；软弱地 2. The figures of speech

1). A vast cloud, shot through with sunlight, was tearing off the crest of Muhavura. personification _ 2). He was the most distinguished and splendid animal I ever saw and I had only one desire at that moment: to go forward towards him, to meet him and to know him: to communicate. parallelism 3. Explanation

1) – ―lest too light winning make the prize light‖. (Para. 7) 2) The next ten minutes were as timeless as only the amnesia of utter exhaustion could make them …. (Para. 8)

3) … my legs had turned to water again…. (Para. 8) KEY

1) I was so tired that my mind stopped functioning as if I were under the effect of an anesthetic.

2) I seemed to have lost sense of time due to my utter exhaustion, and that made the next ten minutes infinitely long to me.

3) I became so weary with climbing that my legs could hardly support me any longer.

Lesson 5 A Lesson in Living (Part One)

主要内容: 1. Synonyms: swirl: whirl wiry: thin

benign: benevolent, kind-hearte familiarity: intimacy 2. Antonyms Inedible: eatable 重点掌握: 1. Explanation

1) Then I met, or rather got to know, the lady who threw me my first life line. (Para. 1)

2) … and my image of her would have been shattered like the unmendable Humpty-Dumpty. (L5)

3) She didn‘t encourage familiarity. (Para. 3) 4) But they talked, and from the side of the building where I waited for the ground to open up and swallow me, … (Para. 10)

5) One summer afternoon, sweet-milk fresh in my memory, she stopped at the store to buy provisions. (Para. 14) 6) … and according to the Good Book, it goeth before a fall.‖ KEY

1) the lady who threw me the rope to rescue me, or the lady who taught me the first

2) My image of her would have been shattered and cannot be restored. I cannot remember her clearly.

3) She didn‘t encourage others to be on too intimate terms with her.

4) I was so ashamed of Momma‘s behavior towards Mrs. Flowers that I really wanted

to find a place to hide myself.

5) What happened that afternoon (the event leading up to my first visit to Mrs. Flowers) was still fresh in my memory. important lesson in living

10) Pride goes before a fall. ( One is bound to fail if he gets too conceited).

Lesson 6 A Lesson in Living (Part Two)

主要内容: 1. Synonyms couch: express aura: atmosphere 2. Definition

sophistication: various experience of the year subsidize: to support with money 重点掌握:

1. The figures of speech

I wanted to gobble up the room entire and take it to Bailey, who would help me analyze and enjoy it hyperbole 2. Explanation

1)… it is language alone which separates him from the lower animal. (Para. 4) 2) I wanted to gobble up the room entire and take it to Bailey, who would help me analyze and enjoy it. (Para. 13) 3) She said that I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. (Para. 16) 4) It was the least I could do, but it was the most also. (Para. 21) 5) I have tried often to search behind the sophistication of years for the enchantment I so easily found in those gifts. (Para. 23) 6) The essence escapes but its aura remains. (Para. 23) KEY

1)…it is language alone which distinguishes human beings from all other animals. 2) I wanted to remember everything in the room so that I could describe to Bailey in detail how the room was furnished and decorated with good taste.

3) Ignorance is something to be ashamed of and one must never slacken one‘s efforts in seeking knowledge, yet one should by no means have any contempt for those who are unable to read and write.

4) That simple answer was all and the only thing I could say at the moment. 5) After I grew up, I have become more mature, and have a better and more complex understanding of the world, still I tried to seek the reason…why I enjoyed reading the books Mrs. Flowers offered me.

6) The essential points of the poem‘s content escape me, but the beautiful reading (or the deep impression) remains in my memory (or its impact on my life can still be felt).

Lesson 7 I’d Rather Be Black Than Female

主要内容: 1. Synonyms prejudice: bias eliminate: discard handicap: obstacle bizarre: strange, peculiar 2. Antonyms

Skeptical: credulous eliminate : add hostility: amity masculine: feminine Skeptical: credulous, trusting Incredulous: gullible

Suspicious, skeptical: credulous

invariably: changeably unrewarding: worthy 3. Definition

empathy: the power to enter into the feelings or spirit of others

boycott: to join with others in refusing to have any dealings with (some other individual or group) 联合抵制（某个人或团体）

stereotype: fixed pattern or type of things or persons 定型；定型模式

empathy: the power and state of imagining oneself to be another person, and so of sharing his ideas and feelings 移情作用 hardware: machinery used in war; armaments 重点掌握: 1. Explanation

1)… has made me some kind of phenomenon. (Para. 1)

2)For all but the last six, I have done the work—all the tedious details that make the difference between victory and defeat on election day … (L7) 3) Women have not even reached the level of tokenism that blacks are reaching. (Para. 11)

4) The women of a nation mold its morals, its religion, and its politics by the lives they live. (Para. 17) KEY

1)…has made me quite an extraordinary person.

2) …all the boring routine jobs that can determine the outcome of an election

3) Women have not achieved even the minimal, symbolic equality being achieved by blacks.

4) Women shape society‘s moral, religious and political standards by the way they act in everyday life.

Lesson 8 The Trouble With Television

主要内容: 1. Synonyms command: order stimulus: activator

novelty: originality, newness, uniqueness; Stimulation: excitement cultivate: develop divert: distract 2. Antonyms casual: serious aptly: unlikely wholesale: retail perpetual: temporary aptly: unlikely 3. Definition

Divert: distract, amuse, entertain; turn from serious thought, draw off to a different subject.

kaleidoscopic:(of scenes, colours or patterns)changing quickly narcotic: taking away pain and causing sleep; painkiller,

tolerance: Willingness to accept behavior and beliefs that are different from your own

fatigue: great tiredness 重点掌握:

1. Meaning of words in context

In short, a lot of television usurps(encroaches) one of the most precious of all human gifts, the ability to focus your attention yourself, rather than just passively surrender it.

Usurp: seize illegally, take unlawfully, steal, grab, encroach upon, infringe upon?

Give up; surrender, yield, relinquish, 2. The figures of speech

Consider the casual assumptions that television tends to cultivate: that complexity must be avoided , that visual stimulation is a substitute for thought , that verbal precision is an anachronism. _ parallelism _ 3. Explanation

1) The dullest, the least gifted of us can achieve things that seem miraculous to those who never concentrate on anything. 2) Television‘s variety becomes a narcotic, not a stimulus. 3 )In its place that is fine. 4) I think this society is being force-fed with trivial fare. KEY

1) The least capable among us can accomplish a great deal if we concentrate on something. (In the eyes of those who don‘t concentrate on anything, those of us who do can accomplish wonders.)

2) The various entertainment offered by television drugs viewers rather than providing them with food for thought.

3) There is nothing wrong with appealing to a short attention span if it is used proper

4) This society is being forced to accept things of little worth.

Lesson 9 On Getting Off to Sleep

主要内容: 1. Synonyms

pervade: spread , imbue defy: challenge sycophantic: flattering

callous: hardened, heartless, indifferent stupendous: remarkable

2. Antonyms

eventful: unimportant 3. Definition

vexation: a feeling of distress, trouble, worriness, torment, harassnes insomnia: a state of being unable to sleep stupendous: surprisingly great, remarkable legion: great in number, very many

sycophantic: flattering, of or like parasite, flatterer, puppet 拍马的；谄媚的 重点掌握:

1. Meaning of words in context

1).The artificial ways of inducing sleep are legion( numerous), and are only alike in their ineffectuality.

2). To me, there is something inhuman, something callous(Indifferent) and almost bovine, in the practice.

callous: hardened, heartless, indifferent; uncaring 麻木的；无情的 2. The figures of speech

1). I must confess that I always … those ―as soon as my head touches the pillow‖ fellows._ hyperbole 2). Discussing the question, … sleep drew the curtain. personification 3).Between chime and chime of the clock …__onomatopoeia/ alliteration _ 3. Explanation

1) But let me be between the sheets at a later hour, … (Para. 1) 2) When I‘m in the humour I can compose grand symphonies, … (Para. 2) 3) … when it is time to close the five ports of knowledge, … (Para. 3) 4) … ―lest too light winning make the prize light‖. (Para. 3)

5) … who proses it away from morning to night, and never gets beyond corporal and material verities! … (Para. 7) KEY

1) let me live in bed. (go to bed) at midnight (at a late hour) 2) when I am in the right mood: when I am in high spirits

3) when it is time to fall asleep.

4) otherwise one will not treasure the things one have got (gained) easily.

5) Mr. H (who) writes in a prose style whole day long (from morning till night), but his writing mainly consists of trivial matters in daily life, having nothing witty and fanciful.

Lesson 10 Why I Write?

主要内容: 1. Synonyms bias: prejudice picturesquely: vivid 2. Antonyms

undervalued: overvalued egoism: altruism dominant: recessive 3. Definition

meticulous: careful about small things or about minute details, often to extremes aesthetics: the study and science of the philosophy of beauty subsidize: to support with money

impulse: a sudden will to do something; inclination, wish, tendence 冲动 重点掌握:

1. Meaning of words in context

I will only say that of late years I have tried to write less picturesquely( vividly) and more exactly.

picturesquely: colorful, striking, distinctive, attractive, charming, imaginative; (of language) making a picture for the mind; having great force; vivid （指语言）生动的；有力的；栩栩如生的 2. Explanation

1) … this created a sort of private world in which I could get my own back for my failure in everyday life. (Para. 2) 2) It is his job, no doubt, to discipline his temperament and avoid getting stuck at some immature stage, or in some perverse mood. (Para. 5) KEY

1) This facility and power created a kind of world that existed only in my mind where I could compensate for being a failure in everyday life.

2) A writer must keep a firm check on his moods and not allow his development to be arrested or himself to fall into a mood that is unfavourable to writing. 综合 Cloze

Directions: Fill in the missing words in the following passage:

1. Once there was a student who wrote one failing paper after another. Nothing he put down on the paper was 1 any good and his teacher knew it. Finally he 2 school, and as he packed his bags he wrote a long note to the dean. He explained that he had 3 to be an auto mechanic, not a college student, 4 that social pressure and his sense of duty 5 his family had forced him to go to school. It just wasn‘t working 6 , and his composition course was the worst course of all. He 7 that composition teachers give students more realistic and practical 8 and encourage them to write what they need to write.

The remarkable thing 9 this farewell not to the dean was that it was 10 an outstanding example of good writing. There were no 11 in grammar or punctuation or spelling. The prose flowed when it should have flowed, was crisp when it should have been crisp. It was 12 of the right information, in the right place, at the right time — in 13 words, full of dramatic power. Despite a 14 of failing compositions, this student knew how to write — but only when he felt he had something important to say and someone to say it 15 .

Language is power, 16 the poets have said. At least some of the time, the pen is 17 than the sword. Writing is most likely to be good when the writer wants it to be, when the degree of involvement in the 18 is high, when the feeling behind the sentences is 19 . when you write, say when you want to in such a way that

your readers will be persuaded to accept your goals as 20 also. 2.

People form new companies to make and service goods because they hope to 1 a profit. They work to improve their goods and services, to devise new products, and to make a profit. A product must be something that 2 will choose to buy. This gives 3 consumers some power. Whatever they are will and able to buy is called demand. 4 is made and offered for sale is called supply. The demand for a product or service always affects the 5 of that product or service. For example, 6 consumers buy only small cars, manufactures will keep on making 7 . if consumers buy only large automobiles, manufacturers will make these 8 . sometimes, the quality of the service that is available will decide 9 cars are bought.

Most goods are provided 10 more than one firm. In the auto industry several firms make and service small cars. These firms compete 11 sales. They try to learn just 12 the demand will be so that they can 13 exactly what the consumer want. 14 keeps the quality of goods 15 falling very low. The consumer will buy products 16 work well and that require 17 servicing. He will not buy a 18 made auto, for instance, if there is a better 19 for sale at the same 20 .

3. Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own. _1__ the turn of the century when Jazz was born, America had no prominent _2__ of its own. No one knows exactly when jazz was __3_-, or by whom. But it began to be _4_ in the early 1900s. Jazz is America‘s contribution to __5__ music. In contrast to classical music, which __6__ formal European traditions. Jazz is spontaneous and free-form. It bubbles with energy, __7__ moods, interests, and emotions of the people. In the 1920s jazz __8__ like America. And _9__ it does today. The __10__ of this music are as interesting as the music __11__, American Negroes, or blacks, as they are called today were the Jazz _12__. They were brought to the Southern states __ 13_ slaves. They were sold to plantation owners and forced to work long __14_. When a Negro died his friends and relatives __15__ a procession to carry the body to the cemetery. In New Orleans, a band often accompanied the

__16_-. On the way to the cemetery the band played slow, solemn music suited to the occasion. __17__ on the way home the mood changed. Spirits lifted. Death had removed one of their __18__, but the living were glad to be glad to be alive. The band played __19__ music, improvising on both the harmony and the melody of the melody the tunes __20__ at the funeral. This music made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of Jazz. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

(A) By (A) music (A) discovered (A) noticed (A) classical (A) forms

(B) At (B) song (B) acted (B) found (B) sacred (B) follows

(C) In (C) melody (C) invented (C) listened (C) Popular (C) approaches (C) exposing (C) seemed (C) either (C) discoveries (C) available (C) fans (C) with (C) hours (C) hosted

(D) On (D) style (D) designed (D) heard (D) light (D) introduces (D) illustrating (D) sounded (D) neither (D) resources (D) oneself (D) pioneers (D) by (D) times (D) formed

(A) expressing (B) explaining (A) appeared (A) as (A) origins (A) concerned (A) players (A) for (A) months (A)

demonstrated

(B) felt (B) so (B)originals (B) itself (B) followers (B) as (B) weeks (B) composed

16. (A)

demonstration

(B) procession (C) body (D) march

17. 18. 19. 20.

(A) Even (A) number (A) sad (A) whistled

(B) Therefore (B) members (B) solemn (B) sung

(C) Furthermore (C) body (C) happy (C) presented

(D) But (D) relations (D) funeral (D) showed

4. Fill in each blank with an appropriate transitional word or phrase chosen

from the following list.

but firstly for one thing however in spite of moreover unlike whereas

There are both similarities and differences between the tourist-attraction countries Italy and Greece. (1)_______, both the Italians and Greeks are friendly and gregarious people. Secondly the antiquities of both countries are fascinating; Rome‘s Colosseum and Athen‘s Parthenon are two of the world‘s great sights. Thirdly both countries offer comfortable tourist accommodations. (2)______ the luxury hotels in Rome and Athens are excellent. (3)______, there are important contrasts between Italy and Greece. (4)______, dining in Italy can be a memorable experience, (5)______ food in Greece tends to be wholesome but plain. And the look of each country is different. The Italian countryside is green and lush, (6)_____ the Greek terrain is dry and desertlike. (7)______ the elegant Italian signor or signorina, the Greek citizen dressed and lives more simply. (8)_______ these differences, though, a tourist can expect a delightful holiday in either country.

5.The earliest settlers came to the North American continent to establish colonies which were free from the controls that existed in European societies. They wanted to (1)_____ the controls that placed on their lives by kings and governments, priests and churches, noblemen and aristocrats. To a great (2)_____, they succeeded. In 1776 the British colonial settlers (3)______their independence from England and (4)_____ a new nation, the United States of America. In (5)_____doing, they overthrew the king of the England and declared that the power to govern would lie in the (6)_____of the people. They were now (7)_____from the power of the kings. In 1787, when they (8)______ the Constitution for their new nation, they separated church and state so that there would never be a government-supported church. This greatly (9)_____ the power of the church. Also, in this Constitution they expressly forbade titles of nobility to ensure that an aristocratic society would not develop. There would be (10)_____ ruling class of noblemen in the new nation.

This historic decision (11)_____by those first settlers have had a profound

(12)_______on the shaping of the American character. By limiting the power of the government and the churches and eliminating a formal aristocracy, they (13)______a climate of freedom where the emphasis was (14)______the individual. The United States came to be associated in their minds (15)_____ the concept of individual freedom. This is probably the most (16)_____ of all the American values. Scholars and outside observers often (17)______this value ―individualism‖, but many Americans use the word ―freedom‖. Perhaps the word is one of the most respected popular words in the United States today.

By ―freedom‖, Americans (18)______ the desire and the ability of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference from the government, a ruling noble class, the church or (19)______other organized authority. The desire to be free of controls was a basic value of the new nation in1776, and it has continued to (20)_____ immigrant to this country.

6. The earliest settlers came to the North American continent to establish colonies which were free from the controls that existed in European societies. They wanted to (1)_____ the controls that placed on their lives by kings and governments, priests and churches, noblemen and aristocrats. To a great (2)_____, they succeeded. In 1776 the British colonial settlers (3)______their independence from England and (4)_____ a new nation, the United States of America. In (5)_____doing, they overthrew the king of the England and declared that the power to govern would lie in the (6)_____of the people. They were now (7)_____from the power of the kings. In 1787, when they (8)______ the Constitution for their new nation, they separated church and state so that there would never be a government-supported church. This greatly (9)_____ the power of the church. Also, in this Constitution they expressly forbade titles of nobility to ensure that an aristocratic society would not develop. There would be (10)_____ ruling class of noblemen in the new nation.

This historic decision (11)_____by those first settlers have had a profound (12)_______on the shaping of the American character. By limiting the power of the government and the churches and eliminating a formal aristocracy, they (13)______a climate of freedom where the emphasis was (14)______the individual. The United

States came to be associated in their minds (15)_____ the concept of individual freedom. This is probably the most (16)_____ of all the American values. Scholars and outside observers often (17)______this value ―individualism‖, but many Americans use the word ―freedom‖. Perhaps the word is one of the most respected popular words in the United States today.

By ―freedom‖, Americans (18)______ the desire and the ability of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference from the government, a ruling noble class, the church or (19)______other organized authority. The desire to be free of controls was a basic value of the new nation in1776, and it has continued to (20)_____ immigrant to this country.

7. The first and smallest unit that can be discussed in relation to language is the word. In speaking, the choice of words is __1_ the utmost importance. Proper selection will eliminate one source of __2__ breakdown in the communication cycle. Too often, careless use of words __3__ a meeting of the minds of the speaker and listener. The words used by the speaker may __4__ unfavorable reactions in the listener __5__ interfere with his comprehension; hence, the transmission- reception system breaks down.

__6__, inaccurate or indefinite words may make __7__ difficult for the listener to understand the __8__ which is being transmitted to him. The speaker who does not have specific words in his working vocabulary may be __9__ to explain or describe in a __10_- that can be understood by his listeners.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

(A) of

(B) At

(C) for (C) likely (C) destroys (C) back up (C) which (C) preliminarily

(D) on (D) invalid (D) offers (D) stir up (D) what (D)

Unexpectedly

(A) inaccessible (B) timely (A) encourages (B) prevents (A) pass out (A) who (A) Moreover

(B) take away (B) as (B) However

7. 8. 9.

(A) that (A) speech (A) obscure

(B) It (B) sense (B) difficult (B) means

(C) so (C) message (C) impossible (C) method

(D) this (D) meaning (D) unable (D) way

10. (A) case

Reading Comprehension

1. Horseman in the Sky By Ambrose Bierce

One sunny afternoon in the autumn of the year 1861, a soldier lay in a clump of laurel, by the side of a road in western Virginia. He lay at full length upon his stomach, his feet resting upon the toes, his head upon the left forearm. His extended right hand loosely grasped his rifle. But for a slight rhythmic movement of the cartridge box at the back of his belt he might have been thought to be dead. He was asleep at his post of duty. If detected he would be dead shortly afterward, death being the just and legal penalty for his crime.

The clump of laurel in which the criminal lay was in the angle of a road which went zigzagging downward through the forest. At a second angle in the road was a large flat rock, jutting out northward, overlooking the deep valley from which the road ascended. The rock capped a high cliff; a stone dropped from its outer edge would have fallen sheer downward one thousand feet to the tops of the pines. The angle where the soldier lay was on the same cliff. Had he been awake it might well have made him giddy to look below.

The country was wooded everywhere except at the bottom of the valley to the northward, where there was a small meadow, through which flowed a stream scarcely visible form the valley‘s rim. This open ground looked hardly larger than an ordinary backyard but was really several acres in extent. Its green was more vivid than that of the enclosing forest. Away beyond it rose a similar line of giant cliffs. The valley, indeed, from this point of observation seemed entirely shut in, and one could but have wondered how the road had found a way into it.

No country is so wild and difficult but men will make it a theater of war‘ concealed

in the forest at the bottom of that military rattrap in which half a hundred men in possession of the exits mi8ght have starved an army to submission, lay five regiments of Federal infantry. They had marched all the previous day and night and were resting. At nightfall they would take to the road again, climb to the place where their unfaithful sentinel now slept, and descending the other slope of the ridge, fall upon a camp in the rear of it. In case of failure, their position would be perilous in the extreme; and fail they surely would, should accident or vigilance apprise the enemy of the movement.

The sleeping sentinel in the clump of laurel was a young Virginian named Carter Druse. He was the son of wealthy parents. His home was but a few miles from where he now lay. One morning he had risen from the breakfast table and said, quietly but gravely: ― Father, a Union regiment has arrived at Grafton. I am going to join it.‖ The father lifted his head, looked at the son a moment in silence, and replied: ―Well, go sir, and whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty. Virginia, to which you are a traitor, must get on without you. Should we both live to the end of the war, we will speak further of the matter. Your mother, as the physician has informed you, is in a most critical condition; at the best she cannot be with us longer than a few weeks, but that time is precious. It would be better not to disturb her.‖ So Carter Druse, bowing to his father, who returned the salute with a stately courtesy, left the home of his childhood. By conscience and courage, devotion and daring, he soon commended himself to his fellows and his officers; and it was to these qualities and to some knowledge of the country that he owed his selection for his present duty at the extreme outpost. Nevertheless, fatigue had been stronger than resolution, and he had fallen asleep. What good or bad angel came in a dream, to rouse him, who shall say? He quietly raised his arm and looked between the masking branches of the laurels, instinctively closing his right hand about the stock of his rifle. His first feeling was a keen artistic delight. On the cliff — motionless at the extreme edge of the rock and sharply outlined against the sky — was a statue of impressive dignity. The figure of a man sat on the figure of a horse, straight and soldierly, but with the repose of a god carved in marble. The gray uniform harmonized

with its background, softened and subdued by the right hand grasping it at the ―grip‖; the left hand, holding the bridle rein, was invisible. The face of the rider, turned slightly away, showed only an outline of temple and beard; he was looking downward to the bottom of the valley.

For an instant Druse had a strange feeling that he had slept to the end of the war and was looking upon a noble work of art. The feeling was dispelled by a slight movement of the horse which had drawn its body slightly backward from the verge; the man remained of the situation, Druse now brought the butt of his rifle against his cheek by cautiously pushing the barrel forward through the bushes and, glancing through the sights, covered a vital spot on the horseman‘s breast. A touch upon the trigger and all would have been well with Carter Druse. At that instant the horse man turned his head and looked in the direction of his concealed foe— seemed to look into his face, into his eyes.

Carter Druse grew pale; he shook in every limb, turned faint. His hand fell away form his weapon, his head slowly dropped until his face rested on the leaves in which he lay.

It was not for long; in another moment his face was raised form earth, his hands resumed their places on the rifle, his forefinger sought the trigger; mind, heart, and eyes were clear, conscience and reason sound. Eh could not hope to capture that enemy; to alarm him would but send him dashing to his camp. The duty of the alarm him would but send him dashing to his camp. The duty of the soldier was plain: the man must be shot dead from ambush— without warning. But no— there is a hope; he may have discovered nothing— perhaps he is but admiring the landscape. If permitted, he may turn and ride carelessly away. It may well be that his fixity of attention …. Druse turned his head and looked downward. He saw creeping across the green meadow a sinuous line of blue figures and horses— some foolish commander was permitting his soldiers to water their beasts in the open, in plain view from a dozen summits!

Druse withdrew his eyes from the valley and fixed them again upon the man and horse in the sky, and again it was through the sights of his rifle. But this time his aim

was at the horse. In his memory rang the words of his father at their parting: ―Whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty.‖ He was calm now; not a tremor affected any muscle of his body; his breathing, until suspended in the act of taking aim, was regular and slow. He fired.

After firing his shot, private Carter Druse reloaded his rifle and resumed his watch. Ten minutes had hardly passed when a Federal sergeant crept cautiously to him on hands and knees. Druse neither turned his head nor looked at him. ―Did you fire?‖ the sergeant whispered. ―Yes.‖ ―At what?‖

―A horse. It was standing on yonder rock — pretty far our. You see it is no longer there. It went over the cliff.‖ The man‘s face was white, but he showed no other sign of emotion. Having answered, he turned away his eyes and said no more.

The sergeant did not understand. ―See here, Druse,‖ he said, after a moment‘s silence, ―it‘s no use making a mystery. I order you to report. Was there anybody on the horse?‖ ―Yes.‖ ―Well?‖ ―My father.‖

The sergeant slowly rose to his feet and walked away.

A. Answer the following questions?(5 points, 2 points for 1, 3points for 2)

1. Why did he shift his aim from the breast of the horseman to the horse? 2. ―But for a slight rhythmic movement of the cartridge box at the back of his

belt, he might have been thought to be dead.‖ Was the soldier dead or alive? How do you know that he was alive?

B. Paraphrase.(15 points, 3 points each)

1. No country is so wild and difficult but men will make it a theatre of war. 2. Nevertheless, fatigue had been stronger than resolution, and he had fallen

asleep.

3. For an instant Druse had a strange feeling that he had slept to the end of the

war…

4. Broad awake and keenly alive to the significance of the situation,… 5. A touch upon the trigger and all would have been well with Carter Druse.

2.The Odour of Cheese By Jerome K. Jerome

Cheese, like oil, makes too much of itself. It wants the whole boat to itself. It goes through the hamper, and gives a cheesy flavour to everything else there. You can‘t ell whether you are eating apple-pie or German sausage, or strawberries and cream. It all seems cheese. There is too much odour about cheese.

I remember a friend of mine buying a couple of cheeses in Liverpool. Splendid cheeses they were, ripe and mellow, and with a two hundred horsepower scent about them that might have been warranted to carry three miles, and knock a men over at two hundred yards. I was in Liverpool at the time, and my friend said that if I didn‘t mind he would get me to take them back with me to London, as he should not be coming up for a day or two himself, and he did not think the cheese ought to be kept much longer.

―Oh, with pleasure, dear boy,‖ I replied, ―with pleasure.‖

I called for the cheeses, and took them away in a cab. It was a ramshackle affair, dragged along by a knock-kneed, broken-winded somnambulist, which his owner, in a moment of enthusiasm, during conversation, referred to as a horse. I put the cheeses on the top, and we started off at a shamble that would have done credit to the swiftest steam-roller ever built, and all went merry as a funeral bell, until we turned the corner. There, the wind carried a whiff from the cheeses full on to our steed. It woke him up, and with a snort of terror, he dashed off at three miles an hour. The wind still blew in his direction, and before we reached the end of the street he was laying himself out at the rate of nearly four miles an hour, leaving the cripples and stout ladies simple nowhere. It took two porters as well as the driver to hold him in at the station; and I do not think we would have done it, even then, had not one of the men had the

presence of mind to put a handkerchief over his nose, and to light a bit of brown paper.

I took my ticket, and marched proudly up the platform, with my cheeses, the people falling back respectfully on either side. The train was crowded, and I had to get into a carriage where there were already seven other people. One crusty old gentleman objected, but I got in, notwithstanding; and putting my cheeses upon the rack, squeezed down with a pleasant smile, and said it was a warm day. A few moments passed, and them the old gentleman began to fidget. ―Very close in here,‖ he said. ―Quite oppressive,‖ said the man next to him.

And then they both began sniffing, and, at the third sniff, they caught it right on the chest, and rose up without another word and went out. And then a stout lady got up, and said it was disgraceful that a respectable married women should be harried about in this way, and gathered up a bag and eight parcels and went. The remaining four passengers sat on for a while, until a solemn-looking man in the corner who, from his dress and general appearance, seemed to being to the undertaker class, said it put him in mind of a dead baby; and the other three passengers tried to get out of the door at the same time, and hurt themselves.

I smiled at the black gentleman, and said I thought we were going to have the carriage to ourselves; and he laughed pleasantly and said that some people made such a fuss over a little thing. But even he grew strangely depressed after we had started, and so, when we reached Crewe, I asked him to come and have a drink. He accepted, and we forced our way into the buffet, where we yelled, and stamped, and waved our umbrellas for a quarter of an hour; and then a young lady came and asked us if we wanted anything.

― What‘s yours?‖ I said, turning to my friend.

―I‘ll have a half a crown‘s worth of brandy, neat, if you please, miss,‖ he responded. And he went off quietly after he had drunk it and got into another carriage, which I thought mean.

From Crewe I had the compartment to myself, though the train was crowded. As we

drew up at the different stations, the people, seeing my empty carriage, would rush for it. ―Here y‘ are, Maria; come along, plenty of room.‖ ―All right, Tom; we‘ll get in here,‖ they would shout. And they would run along, carrying heavy bags, and fight around the door to get in first. And one would open the door and mount the steps and stagger back into the arms of the man behind him; and they would all come and have a sniff, and then troop off and squeeze into other carriages, or pay the difference and go first.

Form Euston I took the cheeses down to my friend‘s house. When his wife came into the room she smelt round for an instant. Then she said: ― What is it? Tell me the worst.‖

I said: ―It‘s cheeses. Tom bought them in Liverpool, and asked me to bring them up with me.‖

And I added that I hoped she understood that it had nothing to do with me; and she said that she was sure of that, but that she would speak to Tom about it when he came back.

My friend was detained in Liverpool longer than he expected; and three days late, as he hadn‘t returned home, his wife called on me. She said: ―What did Tom say about those cheeses?‖

I replied that he had directed they were to be kept in a moist place, and that nobody was to touch them.

She said: ―Nobody‘s likely to touch them. Had he smelt them?‖ I thought he had, and added that he seemed greatly attached to them.

―You think he would be upset,‖ she queried, ―if I give a man a sovereign to take them away and bury them?‖

I answered that I thought he would never smile again.

An idea struck her. She said: ―Do you mind keeping them for him? Let me send them round to you.‖

―Madam,‖ I replied, ―for myself I like the smell of cheeses, and the journey the other day with them from Liverpool I shall ever look back upon as a happy ending to a pleasant holiday. But, in this world, we must consider others. The lady under whose

roof I have the honour of residing is a widow, and, for all I know, possible an orphan too. She ahs a strong, I may say, an eloquent objection to being what she terms ?put upon‘. The presence of your husband‘s cheeses in her house she would, I instinctively feel, regard as a ?put upon‘, and it shall never be said that I put upon the widow and the orphan.‖

―Very well, then,‖ said my friend‘s wife, rising, ―all I have to say is that I shall take the children and go to a hotel until those cheeses are eaten. I decline to live any longer in the same house with them.‖

She kept her word, leaving the place in charge of the charwoman. The hotel bill came to fifteen guineas; and my friend, after reckoning everything up, found that the cheeses had cost him eight-and-six pence a pound. He said he dearly loved a bit of cheeses, but it was beyond his means, so he determined to get rid of them. He threw them into the canal; but had to fish them out again, as the bargemen complained. They said it made them feel quite faint. And, after that, he took them one dark night and left them in the parish mortuary. But the coroner discovered them, and make a fearful fuss. He said it was a plot to deprive him of his living by waking up the corpses.

My friend got rid of them, at last, by taking them down to a seaside town and burying them on the beach. It gained the place quite reputation. Visitors said they had never noticed before how strong the air was, and weak-chested and consumptive people used to throng there for years afterwards.

A. Try to find out the most possible theme for this article.( 5 points)

1. The odour of cheese is terrible.

2. The cheese caused lots of trouble to the author and his friends.

3. Cheese attempts to engage far more human attention than it really deserves. 4. The interesting experience of the narrator as being seemingly totally unaware

of the havoc caused by the cheeses.

B. Paraphrase: explain the following sentences in your own words. (9 points, 3 points each) 1. ―Very close in here,‖ he said.

2. And he went off quietly … and got into another carriage, which I thought

mean.

3. . … the people falling back respectfully on either side. C. True or False. (8 points, 2 points each)

1. ―Splendid cheeses they were, ripe and mellow,…‖ The author describes the cheeses in this way indicating that he loves the cheeses very much

2. ―…put a handkerchief over his nose, and to light a bit of brown paper.‖ They burn some brown paperto counteract the smell of the cheese.

3. The author finally agreed to keep the cheese for a few days for his friend, Tom..

4. The cheeses were finally eaten by my friend. D. What does “put upon” in this article mean?( 5 points) 1. give something to somebody to keep 2. take advantage of someone 3. take something away from someone

E. Answer the following questions according to the article. (8 points, 4 points each)

1. How could the author have the whole compartment to himself when the train was so crowded? What happened to those who had intended to get into this carriage? 2. What was the reaction of the wife of the author‘s friend when she received the cheeses?

3. The Fine Art of Putting Things off

Michael Demarest

(1) ―Never put off till tomorrow,‖ exhorted Lord Chesterfield in 1749, ―what you can do today.‖ That the elegant earl never got around to marrying his son‘s mother had a bad habit of keeping worthies like Dr. Johnson cooling their heels for hours in an anteroom attests to the fact that even the most well-intentioned men have been postponers ever. Quintus Fabius Maximus, one of the great Roman generals, was dubbed ―Cunctator” (Delayer) for putting off battle until the last possible vinum break. Moses pleaded a speech defect to rationalize his reluctance to deliver Jehovah‘s edict to Pharaoh. Hamlet, of course, raised procrastination to an art form.

(2) The world is probably about evenly divided between delayers and do-it-nowers. There are those who prepare their income taxes in February, prepay mortgages and serve precisely planned dinners at an ungodly 6:30 p.m. The other half dine happily on leftovers at 9 or 10, misplace bills and file for an extension of the income tax deadline. They seldom pay credit-card bills the apocalyptic voice of Diners threatens doom from Denver. They postpone, as Faustian encounters, visits to barbershop, dentist or doctor.

(3) Yet for all the trouble procrastination may incur, delay can often inspire and revive a creative soul. Jean Kerr, author of many successful novels and plays, says that she reads every soup-can and jam-jar label in her kitchen before settling down to her typewriter. Many a writer focuses on almost anything but his task – for example, on the Coast and Geodetic Survey of Maine‘s Frenchman Bay and Bar Harbor, stimulating his imagination with names like Googins Ledge, Blunts Pond, Hio Hill and Burnt Porcupine, Long Porcupine, Sheep Porcupine and Bald Porcupine islands. (4) From Cunctator‘s day until this century, the art of postponement had been virtually a monopoly of the military (―Hurry up and wait‖), diplomacy and the law. In former times, a British proconsul faced with a native uprising could comfortably ruminate about the situation with Singapore Sling, in hand. Blessedly, he had no nattering Telex to order in machine guns and fresh troops. A U.S. general as late as World War II could agree with his enemy counterpart to take a sporting day off, loot the villagers‘ chickens and wine and go back to battle a day later. Lawyers are among the world‘s most addicted postponers. According to Frank Nathan, a nonpostponing Beverly Hills insurance salesman, ―The number of attorneys who die without a will is amazing.‖

(5) Even where there is no will, there is a way. There is a difference, of course, between chronic procrastination and purposeful postponement, particularly in the higher echelons of business. Corporate dynamics encourage the caution that breeds delay, says Richard Manderbach, Bank of America group vice president. He notes that speedy action can be embarrassing or extremely costly. The data explosion fortifies those seeking excuses fro inaction – another report to be read, another authority to be

consulted. ―There is always,‖ says Manderbach, ―a delicate edge between having enough information and too much.‖

(6) His point is well taken. Bureaucratization, which flourished amid the growing burdens of government and the greater complexity of society, was designed to smother policymakers in blankets of legalism, compromise and reappraisal – and thereby prevent hasty decisions from being made. The centralization of government that led to Watergate has spread to economic institutions and beyond, making procrastination a worldwide way of life. Many languages are studded with phrased that refer to putting things off – from the Spanish manana to the Arabic bukrafil mishmash (literally ―tomorrow in apricots,‖ more loosely ―leave it for the soft spring weather when the apricots are blooming‖).

(7) Academe also takes high honors in procrastination. Bernard Sklar, a

University of Southern California sociologist who churns out three to five pages of writing a day, admits that ―many of my friends go through agonies when they face a blank page. There are all sorts of rationalizations: the pressure of teaching, responsibilities at home, checking out the latest book, looking up another footnote.‖ (8) Psychologists maintain that the most assiduous procrastinators are women, though many psychologists are (at $ 50-plus an hour) pretty good delayers themselves. Dr. Ralph Greenson; a U.C.L.A. professor of clinical psychiatry (and Marilyn Monroe‘s one-time shrink), takes a fairly gentle view of procrastination. ―To many people,‖ he says, ―doing something, confronting, is the moment of truth. All frightened people will then avoid the moment of truth entirely, or evade or postpone it until the last possible moment.‖ To Georgia State Psychologist Joen Fagan, however, procrastination may be a kind of subliminal way of sorting the important from the trivial. ―When I drag my feet, there‘s usually some reason,‖ says Fagan. ―I feel it, but I don‘t yet know the real reason.‖

(9) In fact, there is a long and honorable history of procrastination to suggest that many ideas and decisions may well improve if postpones. It is something of a truism that to put off making a decision is itself a decision. The parliamentary process is essentially a system of delay and deliberation. So, for that matter, is the creation of

a great painting, or an entrée, or a book, or a building like Blenheim Palace, which took the Duke of Marlborough‘s architects and laborers 15 years to construct. In the process, the design can mellow the marinate. Indeed, hurry can be the assassin of elegance. As T. H. White, author of Sword in the Stone, once wrote, time ―is not meant to be devoured in an hour or a day, but to be consumed delicately and gradually and without haste.‖ In other words, pace Lord Chesterfield, what you don‘t necessarily have to do today, by all means put off until tomorrow. Questions:

(I) Judge which of the following best states the writer’s purpose of writing. (2 points) （ ）

A. As a member in good standing of the Procrastinators‘ Club of America, Demarest is trying to convince readers that procrastination is a fine art that can always improve things.

B. Demarest is trying to disprove with abundant examples Chesterfield‘s exhortation ―Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.‖

C. In a half serious and half-joking manner Demarest expresses his view on procrastination that while in some cases it is justified and fruitful to delay, in others it is irrational and encumbering.

(II) Judge whether the following statements are true or false. 12 points, 2 points each)

1. Many lawyers die with a will because they are in the habit of delaying doing things.（ ）

2. ―Chronic procrastination‖ (para. 5) means ―procrastination resulting from a prolonged, recurring disease‖. （ ）

3. Psychologists are interested in the phenomenon of procrastination but their study of it has not led to a unified explanation of its cause. （ ）

4. ―Academe also takes high honors in procrastination‖ (para. 7) means ―in academic circles procrastination is a commendable practice‖. （ ）

5. The word ―subliminal‖ (para.8) and the adjective ―sublime‖ are synonymous.

（ ）

6. According to Demarest one of the reasons people might give for delaying doing something is

that they have not collected sufficient information. （ ）

(III) Find 4 sentences using different rhetorical devices from the above passages, write them out and indicate the paragraphs from which they are taken. ( 8 points, 2 points each)

4. Christmas Day in the Morning

by Pearl S. Buck

1. He woke suddenly and completely. It was four o‘clock, the hour at which his father had always called him to get up and help with the milking. Strange how the habits of his youth clung to him still! His father had been dead for thirty years, and yet he still waked at four o‘clock in the morning. But this morning, because it was Christmas, he did not try to sleep again.

2. Yet what was the magic of Christmas now? His childhood and youth were long past, and his own children had grown up and gone.

3. Yesterday his wife had said, ―It isn‘t worthwhile, perhaps—‖ And he has said, ―Oh, yes, Alice, even if there are only the two of us, let‘s have a Christmas of our own.‖ 4. Then she had said, ―Let‘s not trim the tree until tomorrow, Robert. I‘m tired.‖ 5. He had agreed, and the tree was still out by the back door.

6. He lay in his bed in his room. The door to her room was shut because she was a light sleeper. Years ago they had decided to use separate rooms. Neither of them slept as well as they once had. They had been married so long that nothing could separate them, actually.

7. Why did he feel so awake tonight? For it was still night, a clear and starry night. No moon, of course, but the stars were extraordinary! Now that he thought of it, the stars seemed always large and clear before the dawn of Christmas Day.

8. He slipped back in time, as he did so easily nowadays. He was fifteen years old and still on his father‘s farm. He loved his father. He had not known it until one day a few

days before Christmas, when he had overheard what his father was saying to his mother.

9. ―Marry, I hate to call Rob in the mornings. He‘s growing so fast, and he needs his sleep. I wish I could manage alone.‖

1. ―Well, you can‘t, Adam.‖ His mother‘s voice was brisk. ―Besides, he isn‘t a child any more. It‘s time he took his turn.‖

2. ―Yes,‖ his father said slowly. ―But I sure do hate to wake him.‖ When he heard these words, something in him woke: his father loved him! He had never thought of it before, taking for granted the tie of their blood. Now that he knew his father loved him, there would be no more loitering in the mornings and having to be called again. He got up after that, stumbling blind with sleep, and pulled on his clothes.

3. And then on the night before Christmas, he lay thinking about the next day. They were poor, and most of the excitement was in the turkey they had raised themselves and in the mince pies his mother made. His sisters sewed presents, and his mother and father always bought something he needed, not only a warm jacket, maybe, but something more, such as a book. And he always saved and bought them each something, too.

4. He wished, that Christmas he was fifteen, he had a better present for his father instead of the usual tie from the ten-cent store. He lay on his side and looked out of his attic window.

5. ―Dad,‖ he had once asked when he was a little boy, ―What is a stable?‖ 6. ―It‘s just a barn,‖ his father had replied, ―like ours.‖

7. Then Jesus had been born in a barn, and to a barn the shepherds and the Wise Men had come, bringing their Christmas gifts!

8. A thought struck him like a silver dagger. Why should he not give his father a special gift, out there in the barn! He could get up earlier, creep into the barn and get all the milking done. And then when his father went in to start the milking, he‘d see it all done.

9. He laughed to himself as he gazed at the stars. It was what he would do, and he mustn‘t sleep too soundly.

10. He must have waked twenty times, striking a match each time to look at his old watch.

11. At a quarter to three he got up and crept downstairs, careful of the creaky boards, and let himself out. A big star hung low over the roof, a reddish gold. The cows looked at him, sleepy and surprised. It was early for them, too.

12. But they accepted him placidly and he fetched some hay for each cow and then got the milking pail and the big milk cans.

13. He had never milked all alone before, but it seemed almost easy. He smiled and milked steadily, two strong streams rushing into the pail, frothing and fragrant. The cows were behaving well, as though they knew it was Christmas.

14. The task went more easily than he had ever known it to before. Milking for once was not a chore. It was a gift to his father. He finished, the two milk cans were full, and he covered them and closed the milk-house door carefully, making sure of the latch. He put the stool in its place by the door and hung up the clean milk pail. Then he went out of the barn and barred the door behind him.

15. Back in his room he had only a minute to pull off his clothes and jump into bed, for he heard his father up. He put the covers over his head to silence his quick breathing. The door opened.

16. ―Rob!‖ his father called. ―We have to get up, son, even if it is Christmas.‖ 17. ―Aw-right,‖ he said sleepily.

18. ―I‘ll go on out,‖ his father said. ―I‘ll get things started.‖

19．The door closed and he lay still, laughing to himself. In just a few minutes 19. his father would know. His dancing heart was ready to jump from his body. 20. The minutes were endless—ten, fifteen, he did not know how many—and he heard his father‘s footsteps again. The door opened. 21. ―Rob!‖ 22. ―Yes, Dad—‖

23. ―You son of a –‖ His father was laughing, a queer sobbing sort of a laugh. ―Thought you‘d fool me, did you!‖ His father was standing beside his bed, feeling for him, pulling away the cover.

24. ―It‘s for Christmas, Dad!‖

25. He found his father and clutched him in a great hug. He felt his father‘s arms go around him. It was dark, and they could not see each other‘s faces. 26. ―Son, I thank you. Nobody ever did a nicer thing—‖

27. ―Oh, Dad, I want you to know—I do want to be good!‖ The words broke from him of their own will. He did not know what to say. His heart was bursting with love. 28. ―Well, I reckon I can go back to sleep,‖ his father said after a moment. ―No, listen—the little ones are waked up. Come to think of it, son. I‘ve never seen you children when you first saw the Christmas tree, I was always in the barn. Come on!‖ 29. He pulled on his clothes again, and they went down to the Christmas tree, and soon the sun was creeping up to where the star had been. Oh, what a Christmas, and how his heart had nearly burst again with shyness and pride as his father told his mother about how he, Rob, had got up all by himself.

30. ―The best Christmas gift I ever had, and I‘ll remember it, son, every year on Christmas morning, as long as I live.‖

31. They had both remembered it, and now that his father was dead he remembered it alone; that blessed Christmas dawn when, alone with the cows in the barn, he had made his first gift of true love. Outside the window now the stars slowly faded. He got out of bed and put on his slippers and bathrobe and went softly downstairs. He brought in the tree, and carefully began to trim it. It was done very soon. He then went to his library and fetched the little box that contained his special gift to his wife, a diamond brooch, not large but dainty in design. But he was not satisfied. He wanted to tell her—to tell her how much he loved her.

32. How fortunate that he had been able to love! Ah, that was the true joy of life, the ability to love! For he was quite sure that some people were genuinely unable to love anyone. But love was alive in him. It still was.

33. It occurred to him suddenly that it was alive because long ago it had been born in him when he knew his father loved him. That was it: love alone could waken love. 34. And this morning, this blessed Christmas morning, he would give it to his beloved wife. He could write it down in a letter for her to read and keep forever. He

went to his desk and began: My dearest love…

35. When it was finished, he sealed it and tied it on the tree. He put out the light and went tiptoeing up the stairs. The stars in the sky were gone, and the first rays of the sun were gleaming in the east, such a happy, happy Christmas! 1. True or false. (10 points)

( ) 1)The hero of the story got the habit of getting up early in the morning since his

youthhood.

( ) 2)The old man and his wife used separate bedrooms because they no longer love

each other.

( ) 3)The hero didn‘t know that he loved his father nor did he knew that his father

loved him until the Christmas Eve when he was fifteen years old.

( ) 4)The hero had always been willing to get up early to help his father with the

milking.

( ) 5)His father decided to go to bed since his soon had finished the milking that

Christmas morning. 2. Explanation: (10 points)

1) He slipped back in time, as he did so easily nowadays. (P8)

2) He never thought of it before, taking for granted the tie of their blood. (P11) 3) …he got up and crept downstairs, careful of the creaky boards.. (P20) 4) Milking for once was not a chore. (P23)

5) The words broke from him of their own will. (P36) 3. Questions: (10 points)

1) Can you summarize the theme of the story with just one sentence from the

text?

2) Why does the author choose Christmas as the setting of the story? What‘s the

significance of it?

3) What made the old express his love of his wife on that Christmas day? 4) Can you analyze the structure of the story according to the chronological

order? How does the setting change in each part?

5) What is the language style of the story? Who are supposed to be the reader?

4. Point out the different rhetorical devices used in Paragraphs 17, 19, 20, 22, 32. (10 points) 1) Para. 17 2) Para. 19 3) Para. 20 4) Para. 22 5) Para. 32

5. Vesuvius Erupts

Pliny the Younger

So the letter which you asked me to write on my uncle‘s death has made you eager to hear about the terrors and also the hazards I had to face when left at Misenum, for I broke off at the beginning of this part of my story. ―Though my mind shrinks from remembering … I will begin.‖

After my uncle‘s departure I spent the rest of the day with my books, as this was my reason for staying behind. Then I took a bath, dined, and then dozed fitfully for a while. For several days past there had been earth tremors which were not particularly alarming because they are frequent in Campania: but that night the shocks were so violent that everything fell as if it were not only shaken but overturned. My mother hurried into my room and found me already getting up to wake her if she were still asleep. We sat down in the forecourt of the house, between the buildings and the sea close by. I don‘t know whether I should call this courage or folly on my part (I was only seventeen at the time) but I called for a volume of Livy and went on reading as if I had nothing else to do. I even went on with the extracts I had been making. Up came a friend of my uncle‘s who had just come from Spain to join him. When he saw us sitting there and me actually reading, he scolded us both—me for my foolhardiness and my mother for allowing it. Nevertheless, I remained absorbed in my book. By now it was dawn (25 August in the year 79), but the light was still dim and faint. The buildings round us were already tottering, and the open space we were in was too

small for us not to be in real and imminent danger if the house collapsed. This finally decided us to leave the town. We were followed by a panic-stricken mob of people wanting to act on someone else‘s decision in preference to their own ( a point in which fear looks like prudence), who hurried us on our way by pressing hard behind in a dense crowd. Once beyond the buildings we stopped, and there we had some extraordinary experiences which thoroughly alarmed us. The carriages we had ordered to be brought out began to run in different directions though the ground was quite level, and would not remain stationary even when wedged with stones. We also saw the sea sucked away and apparently forced back by the earthquake: at any rate it receded from the shore so that quantities of sea creatures were left stranded on dry sand. On the landward side a fearful black cloud was rent by forked and quivering bursts of flame, and parted to reveal great tongues of fire, like flashes of lightning magnified in size.

At this point my uncle‘s friend from Spain spoke up still more urgently: ―If your brother, if your uncle is still alive, he will want you both to be saved; if he is dead, he would want you to survive him – so why put off your escape?‖ We replied that we would not think of considering our own safety as long as we were uncertain of his. Without waiting any longer, our friend rushed off and hurried out of danger as fast as he could.

Soon afterwards the cloud sank down to earth and covered the sea; it had already blotted out Capri and hidden the promontory of Misenum from sight. Then my mother implored, entreated, and commanded me to escape as best I could – a young man might escape, whereas she was old and slow and could die in peace as long as she had not been the cause of my death too. I told her I refused to save myself without her, and grasping her hand forced her to quicken her pace. She gave in reluctantly, blaming herself for delaying me. Ashes were already falling, not as yet very thickly. I looked round: a dense black cloud was coming up behind us, spreading over the earth like a flood. ―Let us leave the road while we can still see,‖ I said, ―or we shall be knocked down and trampled underfoot in the dark by the crowd behind.‖ We had scarcely sat down to rest when darkness fell, not the dark of a moonless or cloudy

night, but as if the lamp had been put out in a closed room. You could hear the shrieks of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men; some were calling their parents, others their children or their wives, trying to recognize them by their voices. People bewailed their own fate or that of their relatives, and there were some who prayed for death in their terror of dying. Many besought the aid of the gods, but still more imagined there were no gods left, and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness forevermore. There were people, too, who added to the real perils by inventing fictitious dangers: some reported that part of Misenum had collapsed or another part was on fire, and though their tales were false they found others to believe them. A gleam of light returned, but we took this to be a warning of the approaching flames rather than daylight. However, the flames remained some distance off; then darkness came on once more and ashes began to fall again, this time in heavy showers. We rose from time to time and shook them off, otherwise we should have been buried and crushed beneath their weight. I could boast that not a groan or cry of fear escaped me in these perils, had I not derived some poor consolation in my mortal lot from the belief that the whole world was dying with me and I with it.

At last the darkness thinned and dispersed into smoke or cloud; then there was genuine daylight, and the sun actually shone out, but yellowish as it is during an eclipse. We were terrified to see everything changed, buried deep in ashes like snowdrifts. We returned to Misenum where we attended to our physical needs as best we could, and then spent an anxious night alternating between hope and fear. Fear predominated, for the earthquakes went on, and several hysterical individuals made their own and other people‘s calamities seem ludicrous in comparison with their frightful predictions. But even then, in spite of the dangers we had been through and were still expecting, my mother and I had still no intention of leaving until we had new of my uncle.

Of course these details are not important enough for history, and you will read them without any idea of recording them; if they seem scarcely worth even putting in a letter, you have only yourself to blame for asking them. Questions:

A. Which sentence most appropriately describes the passage? (4 points)4

1. A vivid description of the terrifying scenes of the Vesuvius eruption. 2. A sequel to and unfinished story about the eruption of Vesuvius. 3. A truthful record of one of the world‘s most famous destructive upheavals.

4. A personal account of the writer‘s first-hand experience during the frightful events of the Vesuvius eruption.

B. True or false. (12 points)TTTF

1. The earth tremors that had lasted several days were not taken seriously by Pliny and his mother because they did not necessarily herald a calamitous volcanic eruption.

2. Somewhere in the passage Pliny implies that at the moment of great panic most people lost their power of judgment and just followed others blindly.

3. According to Pliny, when gripped by fear of death many people even lost their faith in the gods.

4. Pliny boasts that not a groan or cry of fear escaped him because he was wise enough to foretell that he was destined to survive with the whole world.

C. Paraphrase the following. (9 points)

1. We were followed by a panic-stricken mob of people wanting to act on someone else‘s decision in preference to their own ( a point in which fear looks like prudence), who hurried us on our way by pressing hard behind in a dense crowd.

2. We replied that we would not think of considering our own safety as long as we were uncertain of his.

3. There were people, too, who added to the real perils by inventing fictitious dangers: some reported that part of Misenum had collapsed or another part was on fire, and though their tales were false they found others to believe them.

D. Answer the following questions. (10 points)

1. Why did Pliny and his mother choose to sit in the forecourt of the house rather than in the house?

2. When did Pliny begin to feel seriously that his safety was threatened? And when did he begin to feel the real peril of the situation?

3. Why did Pliny use the word ―mob‖ in Para.3, instead of ―crowd‖ or ―group‖? what other words denoting a multitude of people can you think of ?

4. What details of experience do you think impressed Pliny most dramatically?

5. How would you describe Pliny‘s performance in the course of the disaster?

参考答案： Cloze 1.

1. ever 2. quit 3. wanted 4. but 5. to 6. out 7. recommended 8. assignments 9. about 10. itself 11. errors 12. full 13. other 14. series 15. to 16. as 17. mightier 18. subject 19. genuine 20. theirs 2.

1. make 2. consumers 3. the 4. Whatever 5. supply 6. if 7. them 8. instead 9. which 10. by 11. for 12. what 13. supply 14. Competition 15. from 16. that 17. little 18. poorly 19. one 20. price 3.

1—5:BACAC 6—10:BADBA 11—15:BDBCD 16—20:BDBCC 4.

(1) Firstly (2) Moreover (3) However (4) For one thing

(5) whereas (6) but (7) Unlike (8) In spite of 5.

1. escape 2. extent 3. declared/got/gained/achieved 4. established/founded 5. so 6. hands 7. free 8. wrote 9. limited/restricted 10. no 11. made 12. effect/influence/impact 14. on 15. with 16. basic/important/essential 17. call 18. mean 19. any 20. attract/draw. 6.

1. escape 2. extent 3. declared/got/gained/achieved 4. established/founded 5. so 6. hands 7. free 8. wrote 9. limited/restricted 10. no 11. made 12. effect/influence/impact 14. on 15. with 16. basic/important/essential 17. call 18. mean 19. any 20. attract/draw. 7.

1—5:ACBDC 6—10: ABCDD Reading Comprehension

1. A Horseman in the Sky

1.

1.) He did not want to aim directly at his father.

2.)He lay there motionless and asleep but his breathing caused the cartridge box at the back of his belt to move rhythmically. If the cartridge box had not moved at regular intervals, he might have been thought to be dead. 2.

1. There is no country that is too wild and difficult for men to make it a theatre of war. ( Men will make war in any country no matter how wild and difficult.) 2. He could not refrain from falling asleep though he was fully aware of the importance of the task entrusted to him. He was exhausted.

3. A strange feeling swept across his mind. He felt as if the war had come to an end while he was sleeping and s if he were enjoying a noble work of art 4. He was now wide a wake and fully aware of the significance of the situation.

( The man on the horse was a great menace to the safety of his fellow soldiers

hiding there in the forest.)

5. If he had pressed the trigger then, he would have killed the horseman and have accomplished his duty. He wouldn‘t have to suffer from a guilty conscience, because he didn‘t know yet who the horseman was at that point.

2. The Odour of Cheese

A. 3 B.

1. It is very crowded here, and the smile is unbearable.

2. The narrator thought the black gentleman should not have deserted him just like the others.

3. The people were apparently driven back by the terrible odour, not out of respect for the narrator.

C. 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. F D. 2 E.

1. The other passengers in the compartment were all driven away by the repulsive odor of the cheeses.

And one would open the door and mount the steps and stagger back into the arms of the man behind him; and they would all come and have a sniff, and then troop off and squeeze into other carriages, or pay the difference and go first.

2. She didn‘t want to accept it because she couldn‘t bear the odour of them. She wanted to have them buried or give them the author. Finally she went to the hotel.

3. The Fine Art of Putting Things off

(I) C

(II) 1. T 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. F 6. T

4. Christmas Day in the Morning

1. 1) T 2) F 3) T 4) F 5) F

2.

1) He had recently got into the habit of recalling things in the past/ of letting his thoughts go back to the old days.

2) He had never thought of the fact that his father loved him because he took the relationship of father and son as a matter of course. He had never given this another thought.

3) He had to be careful so that the boards would not make any noise, and wake up his father thus spoiling his plan.

4) For the first time milking was not a tedious, unpleasant, boring task.

5) He was so excited that these words just came out naturally and automatically. He just poured out his emotion without thinking. 3.

1) Love alone could waken love. (P42)

2) It‘s the time for people to express love to each other. 3) His recollection of his father. 4) Part One (P1-P7) Present time Part Two (P8-P39) Past Part Three (P40-P44) Present time

5) Simple. The story would appeal to a mass audience. 4.

1) simile 2) hyperbole 3) personification 4) alliteration 5) oxymoron

5. Vesuvius Erupts

A. 4

B. 1. T 2. T 3. T 4. F C.

1. Close behind us was a big swarm of people, pushing hard to make their way out of this perilous spot. They were so horrified that they were obviously in a state of being uncertain of their own decisions, and so would rather follow others ( a case

where one, when extremely overwhelmed with fear, may become cautious). 2. We answered that it was not possible for us to consider how we should stay away from danger, unless we were sure that all was safe with him.

3. Some people made up stories, saying that part of Misenum had been destroyed or another part was on fire. These tales made a frightening situation even more frightening. Though they were mere rumors, there were still people who seriously took them as true. D.

1. This is a choice based on common sense. In the event of an imminent earthquake, it is safer to stay outside rather inside a building.

2. Not until dawn of August 25th, when the building s around were tottering. / He was thoroughly alarmed when the carriages began to run in different directions though the ground was level.

3. ―Mob‖ connotes ―disorder‖, while ―crowd‖ and ―group‖ are neutral in their connotation. Other words are: gang, table, throngs, multitude, knot, etc. 4. The details given in para.5 – what he experienced after the whole world seemed to be shrouded in complete darkness.

5. He demonstrated great courage, at the expense of prudence perhaps. But on the whole he was quite composed and wise in the decisions he made.

where one, when extremely overwhelmed with fear, may become cautious). 2. We answered that it was not possible for us to consider how we should stay away from danger, unless we were sure that all was safe with him.

3. Some people made up stories, saying that part of Misenum had been destroyed or another part was on fire. These tales made a frightening situation even more frightening. Though they were mere rumors, there were still people who seriously took them as true. D.

1. This is a choice based on common sense. In the event of an imminent earthquake, it is safer to stay outside rather inside a building.

2. Not until dawn of August 25th, when the building s around were tottering. / He was thoroughly alarmed when the carriages began to run in different directions though the ground was level.

3. ―Mob‖ connotes ―disorder‖, while ―crowd‖ and ―group‖ are neutral in their connotation. Other words are: gang, table, throngs, multitude, knot, etc. 4. The details given in para.5 – what he experienced after the whole world seemed to be shrouded in complete darkness.

5. He demonstrated great courage, at the expense of prudence perhaps. But on the whole he was quite composed and wise in the decisions he made.

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