Section One Reading and Writing Narrative Stories
Unit 1 Love Stories
Text A Appointment with Love
Language Points
1. Six minutes to six, said the great round clock over the information booth in Grand Central Station. (Para. 1)
Meaning: The great round clock over the information booth in Grand Central Station indicated that it was six minutes to six. said: to give particular information or instructions Example: The notice said “keep out”.
2. …his eyes narrowed to note the exact time. (Para.1)
Meaning: He narrowed his eyes, in order to take a closer look at the exact time. note: to notice or pay careful attention to something
Example: Please note that the office will be closed on Sunday. 3. …sustained him unfailingly (Para.1)
Meaning: (The woman?s written words) always supported him.
4. He placed himself as close as he could to the information booth, just beyond the ring of people besieging the clerks. (Para.2)
Meaning: He tried his best to get closer to the information booth, just at the edge of a circle of people surrounding the clerks. 5. His face grew sharp. (Para.5)
Meaning: His face gradually showed a sign of nervousness and vigilance.
6. He had got hold of a New York City telephone book and found her address. (Para.7)
Meaning: He had found a New York City telephone book and got her address on it.
get hold of something: to find something that you want or need
Example: It is almost impossible to get hold of tickets for the concert. 7. Next day he had been shipped out, but they had gone on writing. (Para.7)
Meaning: Next day he had left the country by boat, but they had continued to write to each other.
ship out: to leave a country by boat
Example: He told Linda he was shipping out in two days.
8. I?d always be haunted by the feeling that you had been taking a chance on just that, … (Para.9)
Meaning: The thought that you had decided to write to me only because I was beautiful would continuously bother me.
take a chance (on something): to gamble that something good might happen or that someone might do well; to take a risk that something would go wrong or that someone would do badly
Example: They took a chance on the weather and planned to have the party outside.
9. …he pulled hard on a cigarette. (Para. 10) Meaning: …he sucked hard on a cigarette.
pull on a cigarette: to suck on or draw on a cigarette
Example: He pulled on his cigarette and waited for the train. 10. He squared his broad shoulders… (Para. 20)
Meaning: He made his broad shoulders straight…
square one’s shoulders: if you square your shoulders or square yourself, you make your back and shoulders straight to show you are ready or determined to do something
Example: Rosemary squared herself to face the waiting journalists.
11. I?ve got two boys with Uncle Sam myself, so I didn?t mind to oblige you. (Para.22)
Meaning: I myself have got two boys who also served in the U.S. army, so I didn?t mind to help you.
Cultural Notes
1. Zero
Zero was a model of Japanese fighter plane in WWII. 2. King David
David (C.1040-970 BCE) was the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel, an important figure in Jewish, Islamic, and Christian doctrine and culture. He is regarded as a righteous king, a highly acclaimed warrior, a musician, and a psalmist. In Islamic culture, David is considered to be a prophet and the king of a nation. In Christian culture, he is believed to be an ancestor of Jesus. David traditionally takes the credit for writing many psalms of the Bible, which can be found in The Book of Psalms. 3. Psalm 23rd
In this psalm, David praises God as His Shepherd. The text is beloved by both Jews and Christians. The psalm has always been a popular passage for memorization. Since the 20th century, Psalm 23rd has even become a passage being often recited at the funeral in the English-speaking world. It has been widely used following high-profile tragic events such as 9/11 Address to the Nation and Whitney Houston?s funeral. The English version of Psalm 23rd is as follows: A Psalm of David
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul:
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name?s sake. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death,
I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 4. Of Human Bondage
Of Human Bondage is one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century written by W. Somerset Maugham, the writer who also wrote The Moon and Sixpence and The Razor’s Edge. Of Human Bondage tells a story of sexual obsession of Philip Carey, who seeks for freedom from the oppressive Christian upbringing. Theodore Dreiser spoke very highly of this novel and called it “a work of genius”.
Keys to Exercises
Post-Reading Exercises I. Reading Comprehension 1-5 CCABD
II. Micro-writing Skills
1. Vocabulary Building
1) confessed 2) Besieged 3) beyond 4) provocation 5) narrow 6) sharp 7) rings 8) noted 9) obliged 10) Square
2. Structure Cumulating
1) half of the estimated time 2) head of our department
3) a former imperial palace in Beijing 4) Tolstoy 5) girls
6) land, funds and technology 7) the capital of France
8) courtesy, hospitality and respect for elders
3. Cloze Testing
1) job 2) ever 3) while 4) shoes 5) she 6) no 7) would 8) having 9) was 10) driving
4. Functional Training
1) the girl:
wearing a red flower in her suit lapel, but it was a crimson sweet pea, not the little red rose they had agreed upon. too young, about 18. Hollis Meynell: A young woman
Her figure was long and slim;
her blond hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears. Her eyes were blue as flowers,
her lips and chin had a gentle firmness.
In her pale green suit, she was like springtime come alive. a small, provocative smile curved her lips. the-middle-age woman: a woman well past 40,
her graying hair tucked under a worn hat. more than plump;
her thick-ankled feet were thrust into low-heeled shoes. wore a red rose in the rumpled lapel of her brown coat. 2) the waiting line:
six minutes to six four minutes to six one minute to six
the recalling line:
a few days before one night of the NOW in
this fight worst of fighting Grand Central Station
the time he got the book
Text B The Date Father Didn’t Keep
Language Points
1. Thank heaven she didn?t recognize me. (Para.10) Meaning: I am so glad that she didn?t recognize me. Similar expressions: thank goodness/ thank God
Example: ?Thank goodness for that!? my mother said with a sigh of relief. 2. I fell madly in love with her, and she with me. (Para.10)
3. 4.
5. 6.
Meaning: I was passionately in love with her, and she returned my love in the same way.
If she had married me, she wouldn?t have had any prospects. (Para.14)
Meaning: If she had married me at that time, she would have had a bleak future. When I wrote to my father that I wanted to get married he cut off my allowance. (Para.14)
Meaning: When I wrote a letter to inform my father that I wanted to get married, he stopped giving me money.
…that her father might stop and seize our letter, … (Para.15)
Meaning: that her father might build a barrier to our communication, … I was doubly lucky… (Para. 28)
Meaning: I was exceedingly lucky… doubly: more than usual
Example: doubly difficult/ hard/ important
Key to Exercises
I. Reading Comprehension 1-5 ACBCD
II. Micro-writing Skills 1. Translation Practice
English to Chinese
1) 故事发生在一个彩色装潢的丹麦小酒馆，这种酒馆只对游客开放，那儿
的人都讲英语。(division)
2) 于是我回到家，借到了钱，便写信把日期告诉她了。(conversion) 3) 事情能这样发展真的很幸运。不然，你也就不会遇到妈妈了。(supplement)
Chinese to English
1) I fell madly in love with her, and she with me. (omission to avoid repetition) 2) But I met the girl once more, and told her I would return to America, borrow enough money to get married on, and come back for her in a few months. (inversion)
3) I was doubly lucky, young fellow, for otherwise I wouldn?t have met you, either. (conversion)
Explanation:
Diction: choosing a proper word to convey the exact meaning.
Omission: omitting “the recurring object” to avoid repetition or unnecessary involved expressions.
Conversion: changing the part of speech according to the manner of the target