2. They claim to have discovered a cure for the disease. 他们声称已经发现了治疗此病的一种药物。
n.
a statement that sth. is true or real, esp. one that other people may disagree with 声称；（尤指他人可能反对的）主张；断言
e.g. 1. Janet made a claim at our meeting — she wanted to have an office entirely to herself.
2. Though the work is broad in scope, it makes no claim to completeness. 尽管该作品涉及面很广，但它并不追求面面俱到。
on one’s part
of or by sb. 在某人一方；就某人而言
e.g. 1. It was an error on my part; I do feel sorry about that.
2. A frank question on his part led to a frank answer on mine. 他问题提到直率，因此我也回答得坦诚。
qualified a.
having suitable knowledge or qualifications, esp. for a job 有资格的，适合的，胜任的 e.g. 1. What makes you think that you are qualified for this job?
2. He is recognized to be a qualified announcer. 他被认为是合格的播音员。
ridiculous a.
derog deserving ridicule; silly or unreasonable 〖贬〗可笑的；荒谬的 e.g. 1. Don’t be ridiculous! You can’t pay $ 50 for a T-shirt like this.
2. I’m glad that ridiculous plan has finally been laid to rest. 我很高兴那个可笑的计划终于被取消了。
or else
otherwise; if not 否则；不然的话
e.g. 1. We must be there by six, or else we’ll miss the beginning of the movie.
2. He must be teasing, or else he’s mad. 他一定是在开玩笑, 不然他就是疯了。
natural a.
of or being what exists or happens ordinarily in the world, not caused, made or controlled by people 自然的，天然的；非人力所为的
e.g. 1. Tommy has the natural gifts of a football player.
2. Social problems cropped up in the wake of natural disasters. 自然灾害之后，出现了许多社会问题。 CF: normal, natural
这些形容词均含“规则的，正常的，正规的”之意。
normal：指不超过某种限度、符合某种标准或常规。例如： Our telephone lines are open during normal office hours. natural：侧重某人或某物的行为符合其固有特性。例如：
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Parents’ natural desire to protect their children should be counterbalanced by the child's need for independence.
it’s no use doing sth.
there is no point in doing sth. because it will not be successful or have a good result 做??没用处的，无益的
e.g. 1. It’s no use arguing with him any more; he is stubborn and would not listen to anyone.
2. It’s no use weeping over what can't be helped. 对于无能为力的事哭也没用。
argue vt.
give reasons why one thinks sth. is right or wrong, true or not true, especially persuade people that one is right 提出理由（企图）证明；（坚决）主张，认为 e.g. 1. She argued that all our efforts would be a waste of time.
2. Why do you always argue against me? 你为什么老说我的不是？
CF: argue, quarrel, debate, discuss
这些动词均含“辩论，争论，说理”之意。
argue指提出理由或证据为自己或自己一方的看法或立场辩护，着重说理、论证和企图说服。
quarrel指两人之间或两个团体之间不友好的、吵吵嚷嚷地大声争论某事，尤指“吵嘴、吵架”。
debate侧重指意见等对立的双方之间正式或公开的争辩。
discuss最常用词，指就某一或某些问题表明观点、看法等，以便统一认识，解决问题。
individual n.
a single person or thing, considered separately from the class or group to which he, she, or it belongs 个人，个体
e.g. 1. The rights of the individual in a society are not unlimited.
2. He is an unimaginative individual who does everything by the book. 他是个一切照章办事、缺乏想象力的人。
no doubt
almost certainly, very probably 多半；很可能；必定 e.g. 1. No doubt Mary will call us when she gets there.
2. There can be no doubt that they will finally win out. 毫无疑问，他们会获得最后胜利。
to an / some / what / a certain / such an / extent
to the degree specified 到某种（什么/一定的/这样的）程度
e.g. 1. I do agree with you to a certain extent, but you need to speak to Jane about the matter.
2. Language is a reflector of a society to some extent. 从某种程度上来说，语言反映了社会。
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have an advantage (over)
sth. that may help one to be successful or to gain a favorable result 有利条件，优势 e.g. 1. Her experience meant that she had a big advantage over her opponent.
2. A man who can think will always have an advantage over others. 能动脑子的人总是会胜过别人。
go to extremes
act too violently or behave in an extreme way 走极端 e.g. 1. She tends to go to extremes in making decisions.
2. We should not go to extremes and claim that all arranged marriages are failures. 我们不能走极端而认为所有的包办婚姻都是失败的。
assume vt.
believe (sth.) to be true without actually having proof that it is; suppose 假定，假设
e.g. 1. It is reasonable to assume that the economy of our country will continue to improve.
2. They naively assume things can only get better. 他们天真地以为情况只会变好。 CF: assume, suppose, guess
这些动词均含为“假设，猜想，推测”之意。
assume：指有很少或完全无根据的武断推测或不合逻辑的推理。
suppose：常用词，意义较广泛，指缺乏确切事实，根据一些现象进行的推测，也可指为论证而提出合乎逻辑推理的某种假定，有时仅表示自己的意见。
guess：常用词，指毫无根据仅凭个人主观臆断或碰运气的猜测。
precise a.
exact in form, detail, measurements, time, etc. 精确的；准确的
e.g. 1. We were just talking about her when, at that precise moment, she walked in.
2. She gave me clear and precise directions. 她给了我清晰而准确的指示。
equivalent n.
sth. that is equal in value, amount, meaning, importance, etc. 等同物
e.g. 1. Can you change my money for gold or its equivalent in US dollars?
2. This word has no satisfactory equivalent in English. 这个词在英语中没有令人满意的对应词。
vice versa
Lat in the opposite way from that just stated〖拉丁〗反过来（也是这样），反之亦然 e.g. 1. Students should learn from teachers and vice versa.
2. A man of high birth may be of low worth and vice versa. 出身高贵的人可能价值低，出身微贱的人可能价值高。
provide (sb.) with
supply sb. with sth. 为?提供，供给
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e.g. 1. These letters should provide us with all the information we need.
2. Books provide children with ideas and a stimulus for play. 书不仅给孩子们以思想，而且使他们玩得更有意思。
let alone
used for showing that the thing mentioned next is even less likely or believable than the one mentioned before （用于表示接着提到的事）更不用说，更谈不上 e.g. 1. There isn’t enough room for us, let alone any guests.
2. He could barely keep body and soul together let alone support his family. 他连自己的生活都难以维持，更不用说养家了。
be fond of doing sth.
like sth., esp. sth. one has liked for a long time 喜欢做某事
e.g. 1. Richard is fond of telling people funny stories about foreigners travelling in China. 2. He is fond of having a hand in everything. 他什么事都喜欢插上一手。
in one’s opinion
it is one’s view or feeling that 在…看来
e.g. 1. In her opinion I should visit Beijing first and then meet her in Hong Kong.
2. In his opinion, California has the best climate under the sun. 在他看来，世界上就数加利福尼亚的气候最好。
relate vt.
fml show or establish a connection between 〖正式〗有关联；把?联系起来 e.g. 1. The police are still trying to relate these two pieces of evidence.
2. I found it difficult to relate the two ideas in my mind. 我觉得很难把这两种想法联系在一起。
relate sth. to sth. else
show or establish a connection between one thing and another 将…与…联系起来 e.g. 1. They will relate the amount of time you spend on the work to your pay. 2. It is difficult to relate these results with any known cause. 很难把结果与任何已知原因联系起来。
be worth (doing) sth.
deserve (doing) sth. 值得（做）某事…
e.g. 1. The book is not worth reading because the information it contains is out of date.
2. Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well. 任何一件值得做的事都应该把它做好。
means n.
a method or way ( of doing ) 方法，手段
e.g. 1. Brian was prepared to use any means to get what he wanted.
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2. Television is an effective means of communication. 电视是一种有效的交流方式。
be similar to
be like (sb. or sth.) but not exactly the same 和…近似，类似，相似
e.g. 1. The new shoes I’ve just bought are very similar to a pair I had before.
2. A cat is similar to a tiger in many respects. 猫和虎在很多方面相似。
relevant a.
directly connected with the subject 有关的，有关主题的
e.g. 1. This type of university course is no longer relevant to the needs of today’s students.
2. Her appearance is not relevant to whether she can be a good teacher. 她的长相跟她能否当个好老师无关。
Difficult Sentences for Text A
1. But it is difficult for anyone to explain in simple language why one method is better than
another, and it is no use pretending that anyone has discovered a perfect way of teaching English in every possible situation. (Para. 2) Q: Paraphrase the italicized part.
A: There is no such thing as the best way of teaching English which suits all situations.
2. Some experts even argue that there are as many good methods of teaching a language as there
are good teachers, because every teacher is an individual with his own personality. (Para. 2) Q: Translate this sentence into Chinese.
A: 一些专家甚至认为，有多少个好老师就有多少种好的教学方法，因为每一个老师都有其自身的特点。
3. A large number of theorists seem to think it is a pity we aren’t, because it would make it
easier to use their methods. (Para. 4) Q: Paraphrase this sentence.
A: Many behaviorist theorists wish that human beings were just like parrots or chimpanzees, so that they could use their methods of teaching on human beings with ease.
4. Human beings, unlike parrots and chimpanzees, do not like making noises unless they
understand what the noises mean and can relate them to their own lives. (Para. 5) Q: Paraphrase this sentence.
A: Human beings are not like animals. When they talk, they make speech sounds that are meaningful and relevant to their lives.
Extended Questions
▇ Extended questions （Para. 1）
Q: Do you know anything about William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens?
A: I think I know something about William Shakespeare. He is more famous for his tragedies such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Othello. Shakespeare also wrote some good comedies, for instance, Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I know something about Charles Dickens, too. He was a British writer. He is famous for A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations
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