Ⅱ. Text study
1. Main idea & structure
The text depicts a mother’s responses to her daughter’s fight for independence through detailed description of the mess left behind by the daughter. Part one (Paras.1-4): General situation & my responses
The daughter is leaving home for independence and the mother feels glad on the one hand and expresses her concern on the other.
Part II (Paras. 5- 12): The mess left by the daughter and my responses The daughter left a mess in her rooms and the mother straightens up the rooms. Part III (Paras. 13- 22): Concluding part
After the mother finds a large envelope with all the memorable things the parents gave to the daughter, the mother’s attitude changes completely. Ⅲ. New words＆Phrases
1) await vt. 1 wait for sth. 等待；等候
The little boy was still awaiting his father’s return when the clock struck 11. 当时钟敲响11 点时，那个小男孩仍在等着他爸爸回来。
2 if sth. awaits you, it will happen to you （某事）将降临到…身上
The biggest surprise awaiting the birthday girl is that her father is flying to London for her birthday. 那个过生日的女孩即将得到的最大惊喜是她爸爸将飞到伦敦来为她庆祝生日。
2) embarrass vt. make sb. feel ashamed, nervous, or uncomfortable, esp. in front of other people （尤指在社交场合）使尴尬，使窘迫
I felt embarrassed, going to the wrong classroom on the first day of college. 大学的第一天我走错了教室，感到非常尴尬。
Embarrassment n.1 [C] sb. or sth. that causes problems or makes you feel ashamed 让人难堪的人；使人为难的事
He is such an embarrassment to his family. 他让他的家人感到非常难堪。
The court case was an embarrassment to the company. 这个案子对该公司来说是个麻烦。 2 [U] a feeling of being nervous or ashamed because of what people know or think about you 尴尬；难堪；窘迫
To her terrible embarrassment, there were many people around when one of her high heels broke off. 她一只高跟鞋的鞋跟断了，当时周围有许多人，这让她很尴尬。
3) polish n. [C, U] a chemical substance that you rub onto an object to make it shine 上光剂；擦光剂
The girl was told by her parents to remove the polish from her nails because she was too young for make-up. 女孩的父母让她把指甲油擦掉，因为她还太小，不适合化妆。 vt.1 make sth. smooth, bright, and shiny by rubbing it 擦亮；擦光
He polished his glasses with a handkerchief in order to see more clearly. 他用手帕擦了擦
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眼镜，以便看得更清楚些。
2 improve a piece of writing, a speech, etc. by making slight changes to it before it is completely finished 修改；润色
Your essay is good; you just need to polish it a bit. 你的文章不错，你只要稍加润色就可以了。
浪漫的小卡片，看她作何反应？
4) historical a. 1 describing or based on events in the past 描写历史事件的；基于史实的 Historical novels are a marvelous blend of fact and fiction. 历史小说是事实和小说的奇妙结合。
2 relating to the past （有关）历史的
It is important to look at the novel in its historical context. 从历史背景来看待这部小说很重要。
5) strain vi. pull hard at sth. or push hard against sth. 使劲拉；使劲推；绷紧
The dog strains at the rope fastened to its collar, eager to be off. 那只狗使劲拽着拴在脖子上的绳子，拼命要挣脱。
vt. injure a muscle or part of your body by using it too much or making it work too hard 拉伤；扭伤；损伤
I strained a muscle in my back when playing tennis. 我在打网球时拉伤了背上的一块肌肉。 n.
[C, U] worry that is caused by having to deal with a problem or work too hard over a long period of time 焦虑；紧张
We know that a long time without change can lead to boredom, and physical and mental strain. 我们知道，长时间没有变化会导致乏味，以及身体和精神上的紧张。 6) strip vt. (also ~ off) 1 remove sth. that is covering the surface of sth. else 剥去；除去 She asked us to strip off the sheets and bring them downstairs when we leave. 她叫我们离开时把床单撤下来并带到楼下。
It took me several hours to strip the wallpaper from the walls. 我花了好几个钟头把墙纸从墙上揭下来。
2 take off your clothes or take off sb. else’s clothes 脱去（…的）衣服
Jack stripped off his sweater and threw it onto the couch. 杰克脱掉毛衣，把它扔到长沙发上。
7) reverse vt. change sth., such as a decision, judgment, or process so that it is the opposite of what it was before 推翻，彻底改变（决定、判决、过程等）
The Jones had planned to sell their house and move into an apartment, but later they reversed their minds. 琼斯一家打算把房子卖掉，搬到公寓去住，但是他们后来改变了主意。
n. (the ~) the exact opposite of what has just been mentioned 相反情况；正相反
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Of course I don’t dislike you – quite the reverse. 我当然不是不喜欢你——恰恰相反，我喜欢你。
a.(only before noun) (~ order/situation/process, etc.) the opposite order, etc. to what is usual or to what has just been stated 相反的（顺序、局势、过程等）
The record showed a reverse trend to that in other countries. 记录显示在其他国家有与之相反的趋势。
2.Phrases and expressions
make it 1 be successful at sth., e.g. in your job 获得成功
He came to the US and not only made it, but made it big. 他来到美国，不仅成功了，而且还发达了。
2 succeed in getting somewhere in time for sth. or when this is difficult （尤指在困难情况下）准时到达，赶上
With blood pouring from his leg, he made it to a nearby house. 他腿上流着血，支撑着走到附近的一所房子。
free of/from not containing or involving sth. unpleasant 无…的；摆脱了…的 We need to create a relaxing atmosphere, free of tension. 我们需要创造一种没有压力的轻松氛围。
They claim all the drinks are free of artificial colorings. 他们声称所有的饮料都不含人工色素。
catch oneself doing sth. suddenly realize one is doing sth. 突然意识到自己在做某事 One day I caught myself smiling for no reason; then I realized I was thinking of you. 有一天我忽然发觉自己正无缘无故地微笑，随后我意识到我那时想到了你。 throw away get rid of sth. that you do not want or need 扔掉；丢弃
after all 1 used for saying that sth. is true despite what was said or planned before 终究；最终还是
Maybe she was right after all. 或许最终还是她对。
2 used when giving a reason to explain what you have just said 毕竟
I’m not really ambitious about making money. After all, money isn’t everything. 我对赚钱真没什么雄心大志，毕竟钱不是一切。
reverse oneself (AmE) change one’s opinion or position in an argument （争论中）改变主意/立场
Suddenly, he reversed himself completely. 突然，他完全改变了立场。 straighten up 1 make sth. tidy 把…弄整洁
As usual, she helped her mother clear away the dishes and straighten up the room. 跟平时一样，她帮助妈妈清理碗碟，并把屋子收拾整洁。 2 stand up straight 直起身
I straightened up and the ache in my back grew worse. 我直起身子，这时背部的疼痛加剧了。
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keep back 1 not show your feelings, even though you want to very much 抑制，控制（感情）
When she heard that her mom was seriously ill, she could hardly keep back her tears. 听到妈妈病重的消息，她忍不住流下了眼泪。
2 deliberately not tell sb. all that you know about sth. 隐瞒某事
She told us most of the story, but kept back about her uncle. 她把故事的大部分内容告诉了我们，但是没有讲有关她叔叔的事。 with open arms 热烈地；欣然
When I went to see my boyfriend’s parents for the first time, they welcomed me with open arms. 我第一次去见男友的父母时受到了他们的热情欢迎。 Ⅳ.Language application 1. Practical phrases 1) make it 成功；准时到达
他腿上流着血，支撑着走到附近的一所房子。
With blood pouring from his leg, he made it to a nearby house. 2) (be) free of/from 免于……
具有讽刺意味的是，几乎所有的生产商都声称他们的饮料不含人工色素。 (ironically / claim / be free of / artificial colorings)
Ironically, almost all manufacturers claim that their drinks are free of artificial colorings. 3) strip off 剥去；除去
我花了好几个钟头终于把那些难看的墙纸从墙上揭了下来。 It took me several hours to strip off that awful wallpaper from the walls. 4) reverse oneself /one’s mind 改变态度/主意
起初他们打算把房子卖掉，搬到公寓去住，但是后来改变了主意。 (originally / had planned to / reverse one’s mind)
They had originally planned to sell their house and move into an apartment, but later they reversed their mind.
5) straighten up 把……弄整洁; 直起身
跟平时一样，吃完饭她帮助妈妈清理碗碟，把屋子收拾整洁。
As usual, she helped her mother clear away the dishes and straighten up the room after dinner.
见到我在给他拍照，他挺直了腰，露出了灿烂的笑容。 (take a photo / straighten up his back/ a broad smile)
When he saw me taking his photo, he straightened up his back and gave me a broad smile.
6) keep back 抑制（感情）；阻止
听到妈妈病得很重，她忍不住流下了眼泪。
When she heard that her mom was seriously ill, she could hardly keep back her tears.
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7) with open arms 热烈地
志愿者们去山区看望孩子们时，受到了孩子们的热情欢迎。
When the volunteers went to visit the children in the mountainous areas, they were greeted by the children with open arms. 2. Functional patterns
1) I catch myself reading through poems and essays, admiring high scores on tests and reading her name, …. （L2, Para.6）
Sb. catch oneself doing sth. 用于表达―突然意识到自己在做某事‖。 当突然意识到自己犯了和他一样的错误时，她羞得满脸通红。 ( make the same mistake as he did / blush)
When she caught herself making the same mistake as he did, she blushed. 2) The job grows larger the longer I am at it. (L2, Para.9) The more …, the more ….
读这本书越久，就越能领会其韵律和情感。
The longer you read this book, the more you get into its rhythm and mood.
3) Tokens of her childhood will await her. So will we, with open arms. (L2, Para.22) sb. do sth. So/Neither/Nor will/do/does/did sb. else. 用于表达―同样的情况也适用于其他人‖。
那次事故之后他父亲对他不报太高的期望了，他母亲也一样。 (have great hope for )
His father didn’t have great hope for him after that accident. Nor did his mother. 3. Sentence writing
Absolute structure consists of a noun plus at least one other word, such as an adjective, a prepositional phrase, adverbs or participles. 独立结构一般由―名词 + 形容词/ 分词/ 介词短语‖构成。 1)名词+现在分词
An old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop. (From Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) 2).名词+介词短语
Harry and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms. (From Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
3).名词+过去分词
… the next second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand. (From Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) 4). 名词+形容词
Come on, run, run! Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn’t move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror. 15