1) characterized by displaying certainty, acceptance, or affirmation
e.g. We expected a positive answer, but they said no. 2) very sure; quit certain; confident
e.g. We must keep a positive attitude towards patients suffering from cancer. sake.
—For his benefit I must maintain an active and cheerful attitude, showing a firm belief that he would be able to conquer his disease. stress
1) a state of extreme difficulty, pressure, or strain
e.g. He is under a lot of stress because his wife is seriously ill. He presided over the economy during the period of its greatest stress.
2) importance, significance, emphasis placed on sth. e.g. The government put great stress on this issue. I pushed all my emotions aside and was strong for him.
I managed to conceal my emotions and tried to appear strong for his sake.
I still had to be the strong one and keep everything in.
—I still had to be the one with a strong will and restrain myself from revealing my emotions.
keep sth. in: not express (an emotion); restrain sth. e.g. He could hardly keep in his indignation.
Hearing the news, she could scarcely keep in her excitement. stuff
1) the material out of which something is made or formed; substance材料，原料
You cannot use this kind of stuff to make a kite. 2) unspecified material or thing东西
She put that stuff over there, which she had bought from a store. maintain
1) keep up or carry on; continue
e.g. He maintains good relations with all his friends. 2) preserve or retain
e.g. One should maintain one’s composure in trying moments. outlook
1) a point of view; an attitude
e.g. A positive outlook on life is very important to success. 2) view on which one looks out
e.g. The house has a pleasant outlook over the valley. deal with sth.
1) attend to (a problem, task, etc); manage sth 处理（问题、 任务等）; 料理某事:
You dealt with an awkward situation very tactfully. Haven't you dealt with (ie replied to) that letter yet?
2) take or have sth as a subject; discuss sth 以某事物作为内容; 讨论某事物:
The next chapter deals with verbs.
I’ll deal with decimals小数in the next lesson. At night I would wonder if he would make it through.
At night I would doubt if he would be able to live through the night. mark
1) indicate or denote sth.; be a sign of
Today’s ceremony marks 100 years of trade between our two countries.
2) to distinguish or characterize
I like the exuberance that marks her writings. in a way
to a certain extent, but not entirely
e.g. The changes are an improvement in a way. In a way that rich man is charitable and generous. All the emotions that I had held in came rushing out…
—all the emotions that I had controlled or suppressed came bursting out…
hold in: restrain, control or check
e.g. He’s incapable of holding himself in when he gets extremely excited.
The man beat the table hard because he could not hold in his anger. grateful
thankful; expressing gratitude
e.g. I am grateful to you for helping me out of the difficult situation. I am very grateful to all the teachers who have taught me at this university.
I now educated people about aids, which to me is keeping David's memory alive.
I now teach people knowledge about AIDS, which to me means keeping my thoughts of David alive./
I now impart knowledge about AIDS to people, which is a way of my remembering him or keeping up his memory in my mind. Keep sth. alive: cause sth. to remain living; make sth. continue to exist
After-reading discussion
1. How is the concluding part related to the beginning? The ending part is related to the beginning in the following aspects: 1) The first sentence in the beginning points out the good effect of
dealing with AIDS, and the last two sentences in the conclusion illustrate the point.
2) In the beginning, the specific date is given when the word AIDS came into the writer’s life, and in the conclusion the actual date is made clear that marked the end of David's life.
3) The beginning draws the reader’s attention to the fact that the writer had been the most carefree person in the world before his friend caught AIDS, while the concluding part says that having done so much, he is no longer that carefree teenager, being busy in educating people about AIDS.
2. What are the advantages of the first narration used in the text?
1) The first person narration makes it easier or more convenient for the writer to insert his feelings and describes his psychological activities.
2) As the story is told in the first person narration, the activities and events narrated are treated as personal experiences of the writer’s, and therefore, they are more believable.
3) The first person narration seems to make what is related and described more vivid, more specific, and more thought-provoking because the writer tells you directly his unforgettable personal experiences, which are more likely to arouse your emotion.