Unit 2 The Virtues of Growing Older
Text comprehensionI. C
II. 1 F; 2 F; 3 F; 4 T; 5 T.III.
1. worshiping youth and fearing growing old. To delay the effects of aging with cosmetics and physical exercises.2. three. Less concern for one’s appearance; less uncertainty about the unknowns in the future; surer self-identity.3. feel uncertain about what will happen to them and what they should do.
4. use contrast structure “Being young means…/ It means…” and “I …now/ I no longer…”
5. The writer learns the significance that the newer (younger) is not necessarily better, and she can be happier thanbefore as she grows older. IV.
1. Women are less capable of resisting the temptation the temptation of fashion than men.2. make friends with different people in order to find a new identity for yourself.
Structural analysis of the text1. see III 2.
2. Paragraph 3: the last sentence; Paragraph 4: the second sentence; Paragraph 5: the first sentence.
Section Four Consolidation ActivitiesPart one. Vocabulary AnalysisI. Phrase practice
1. are apt to= are likely to 易于……，有……的倾向
e.g. Infants are apt to put their hands into their mouths. 婴⼉爱把⼿往嘴⾥塞。
2. fall apart= break up / disintegrate
3. in general= as a whole 通常，⼤体上；总的来说，从总体上看
e.g. In general, this company’s products are very reliable. 这家公司的产品通常是很可靠的。
In general, this paper is a bit difficult for these students to finish in an hour. 总的来说，让学⽣在⼀个⼩时内完成这份试卷有些困难。
4. at the mercy of= powerless against; completely controlled by 对……⽆能为⼒；任……处置，任由……摆布
e.g. Some people are born with the belief that they are masters of their own lives. Others feel they are at the mercy of fate. 有些⼈天⽣相信⾃⼰是⽣命的主宰，另⼀些⼈则觉得他们受到命运的⽀配。I don’t want to put myself at the mercy of others. 我不希望任由他⼈摆布。
5. no wonder= not surprising / only too natural 不⾜为奇，并不奇怪e.g. It is no wonder that it is so wet in the south. 南⽅这么潮湿，并不奇怪。
No wonder you’re so tired, you’ve worked three hours without a break. 难怪你这么累，你已经连续⼯作了三个⼩时。 It is no wonder that he failed his final exam. 他没能通过期末考试，这是不⾜为怪的。 II.
1. delay; 2. Feverishly; 3. façade; 4. confronted; 5. premise; 6. dreaded; 7. automatically; 8. awaiting.
III. Word derivation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.
1. She has got this obsessive (obsess) fear of losing control, so she never shows her emotions.2. People under a lot of stress at work will often experience moodiness (mood), irritability and a loss of confidence.3. They wanted a tolerable (tolerate) existence — more food, better shelter, and peace.4. In the end, the company and its investors came to a mutually beneficial (benefit) arrangement.5. Working with the mentally handicapped can be a satisfying (satisfy) and rewarding experience.6. Frogs can search for food underwater, hidden (hide) from birds of prey.7. When I asked her about where she wanted the meeting to be held, she didn’t express any particular preference (prefer).8. The committee has made four specific criticisms (critical) of the government’s transportation policy.
1. obsess v. （使）牵挂，（使）惦念，（使）着迷 obsessed a. 着迷的
obsession n. 困扰，沉迷，着魔 obsessive a. 着迷的，强迫性的，分神的e.g. 爱丽丝被⼀个她刚刚认识的男孩迷住了。Alice was obsessed by a boy she has just met.
他⼀直想要找到他的⽗亲，但是最近这变成了⼀种狂热。
He’s always wanted to find his father but recently it’s become an obsession.
2. mood n. ⼼情，情绪
moody a. 易怒的，喜怒⽆常的，情绪化的moodiness n. 忧郁
e.g. 我每个星期⽇情绪都很坏。
I am always in a bad mood on Sunday. 我的妻⼦在医院⾥⼼情不好。My wife is moody at the hospital.3. tolerate v. 容忍，忍受 tolerable a. 可容忍的 tolerant a. 宽容的，容忍的e.g. 她能忍受寒冷的天⽓。She can tolerate the cold days.这种炎热的天⽓在夜晚可以忍受。The heat was tolerable at night.
4. benefit n. 利益；津贴 beneficial a. 有益的，有利的 beneficiary n. 受惠者，受益⼈e.g. 这项⼯程对每个⼈都⼤有好处。This project is of great benefit to everyone.新鲜空⽓有益于健康。
Fresh air is beneficial to our health.她的丈夫是她遗嘱的主要受益⼈。
Her husband is the chief beneficiary of her will.
5. satisfy v. 使满意，满⾜ satisfaction n. 满意 satisfactory a. 令⼈满意的
e.g. 观赏⼀幅美丽的图画使⼈⼼满意⾜。
Looking at a beautiful painting always gives one satisfaction.她对现状根本不满意。
She is not at all satisfied with the present situation.
6. hide v. 隐藏，隐瞒 hiding n. 隐藏，躲藏 hidden a. 隐藏的，秘密的e.g. 她设法不表露⾃⼰的感情。She tried to hide her feelings.警察正在追赶藏匿起来的杀⼈犯。
The police are following a murderer who’s in hiding.
7. prefer v. 较喜欢；宁可 preferable a. 更好的，更合意的 preference n. 偏爱，优先，喜爱物 preferential a. 优先的；优惠的e.g. 我更喜欢⽜奶，⽽不是咖啡.I prefer milk to coffee.
我⽗亲感到在乡村⽣活⽐在城市⽣活要好些。
My father finds country life preferable to living in the city.对于求职者，我们优先考虑有⼀定经验的⼈。
In considering people for jobs, we give preference to those with some experience.8. critical a. 批评的；决定性的，关键的 critic n. 批评家，评论家 criticism n. 批评，评论 criticize v. 批评；⾮难e.g. 他的⾏为招致尖锐的批评。His behavior called forth sharp criticism.他批评了我的冒险活动。He criticized my taking risks. IV.
1. C; 2. D; 3. A; 4. A; 5. B; 6. D; 7. C; 8. B.
V. Synonym / Antonym
Give a synonym or an antonym of the word underlined in each sentence in the sense it is used.1. Advertisements convince us to buy Grecian Formula and Oil of Olay so we can hide the gray in our hair.Synonym: conceal, disguise
2. My legs were too heavy, my shoulders too broad, my waist too big.Antonym: narrow
3. Their contentment holds out great promise for me as I move into the next — perhaps even better — phase of my life.Synonym: satisfaction, happiness, joy
4. The Virtues of Growing OlderSynonym: merits, advantages
5. My rounded figure seems fine, and I don’t deny myself a slice of pecan pie if I feel in the mood.Synonym: fat, plump
6. Dave lifted weights, took megadoses of vitamins and drank a half-dozen milk shakes a day in order to turn his wiryadolescent frame into some muscular ideal.Synonym: well-built
7. The two of us enjoy wearing fashionable clothes, but we are no longer slaves to style.Antonym: old-fashioned, outdated
8. Obviously, I still have important choices to make about my life, but I have already made many of the critical decisions thatconfront those just starting out.Synonym: clearly, evidently
VI. Prefix
Write in each space one word that has the same prefix as underlined in each given word.1. preface prepare 5. periphery perimeter 2. prologue progress 6. dialogue diameter 3. foresight foresee 7. semifinal semiconductor 4. paralysis parallel 8. devaluate decelerate
1. Explanation:
pre- : before someone or something
e.g. prewar, precondition, precaution, prediction2. Explanation:pro- : before
e.g. proceed, procession, provision3. Explanation:
fore- : before or in the front of
e.g. foreword, foretell, forecast, forehead4. Explanation: para- :on one side e.g. paragraph, parallel
5. Explanation: per- : surrounding e.g. periodic, period6. Explanation:
dia- : pass through between sth. e.g. dialectic, diagram, diagnosis7. Explanation: semi-: half or partly
e.g. semicircle, semi-final, semi-skilled8. Explanation: de-: reduce
e.g. declass, degrade, deduce
Part Two Grammar Exercises1. concrete nouns & abstract nouns
Concrete nouns are words we use for people, places, or things that we can observe with at least one of our five senses. Theabstract class is the opposite — we can never experience these nouns according to our senses.
While this distinction is sometimes useful, the boundary between concrete and abstract is not always clear. Some nouns canbe used as uncountable nouns when they refer to a thing in general and countable nouns when they refer to a particularinstance of it, consider, for example, the noun art, which usually refers to a concept:e. g. Art is an important element of human culture.But it can refer to a specific artwork in certain contexts:e.g. I put my daughter’s art up on the fridge.This is the problem of context within sentences.
I. Complete the following sentences with the appropriate forms of the nouns given.1. agony.2. agonies.3. experience.4. experiences.5. youth.6. a youth.
7. My children are __a great help__ to me. (great, help)
8. The boy had __a good knowledge__ of mathematics. (good, knowledge)9. a gray hair
10. He is looking for __work__. (work)
II. 1 A; 2 B; 3 D; 4 C; 5 A; 6 B; 7 B; 8 C.
III. a lot of; a little; some; a few; A; some; some; a lot of; X.many; X; a lot of.
2. quantifiers & determiners (every, each, everyone, every one, all)Each and every have similar but not always identical meanings.each = every one separatelyevery = each, all
Sometimes, each and every have the same meaning:e. g. Prices go up each year.Prices go up every year.
But often they are not exactly the same.
Each expresses the idea of “one by one”. It emphasizes individuality.e. g. Each artist sees things differently.
Every is half-way between each and all. It sees things or people as singular, but in a group or in general.e. g. Every soldier saluted as the President arrived. Each can be used in front of the verb: e. g. The soldiers each received a medal.Each can be followed by “of”:
e. g. The President spoke to each of the soldiers. Every cannot be used for two things while each can:e. g. He was carrying a suitcase in each hand.Every is used to say how often something happens:e. g. There is a plane to Bangkok every day.
Everyone means “everybody” and is used when you want to refer to all the people in a group:e. g. Everyone in my family likes spaghetti.
But if you’re referring to the individuals who make up a group, then the phrase is every one. “Each and every one” you shouldnever substitute everyone, for everyone as singular or plural:e.g. We wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas.
All is more often used with plural verb forms, though sometimes it is used with singular verbs. However, if we wish to specifythe things or people under discussion, we can use all or all of with nouns and pronouns and the correspondingly correctsingular or plural verb forms.
e. g. Has all (of) the cake been eaten?Have all (of) the presents been distributed?
All of us are going to Sam’s party next week. We’re all going.
IV. Complete the following with every, each, everyone, every one or all.
1. all; Every one; Every.
A: He had eaten _______ the biscuits. B: What? _____________?A: __________ single one.
2. The pavement on ________ side was crowded with neat smiling people. each; 3. Every; 4. each;
5. Everyone. The girl is very popular. ____________ likes her. 6. Each;
7. everyone; everyone; 8. Each.
3. dangling participles
Dangling participles is a participle that is not grammatically linked to the word it is intended to modify. In “Driving down thestreet, the house came into view,” “driving” is a dangling participle. Though they are not rare in speech, dangling participlesare avoided in formal writing because of the possibility of misunderstanding.
e. g. The burglar was about 30 years old, white, 5′10″, with wavy hair weighing about 150 pounds. If properly installed, you shouldn’t be able to open the door without first pressing the safety button.
V. Correct errors in the following sentences.
1. When planting these flowers, care must be taken not to damage the roots. you must take care2. Though received late at night, he started to work on the document immediately.Though he received the document … work on it….
3. Falling … we thought…. ------ When he fell
4. Reading the letter a second time, the meaning becomes clearer. When you read5. what he meant became clear to me ------- I became clear about what he meant
6. Shining in the sky we saw the first star. We saw the first star shining in the sky.
7. The teacher walked behind the kids eating their lunches. who were eating
8. While cleaning his gun, it went off unexpectedly.he was cleaning VI.
1. As long as…
As long as you are healthy, nothing can devastate you.
2. Obviously…
Obviously, enlarging your vocabulary is essential.
3. neither…nor…
Neither poverty nor failure frustrated the industrious student.
Part ThreeI.
1．许多中年⼈去健⾝房锻炼，到街上跑步，为的是延缓衰⽼。
2．青年⼈最不稳定的因素就是，他们对价值观、⼈⽣⽬标和梦想还犹豫不定。
3．镇上开会我可以⼤胆发⾔，在商店⾥购物我也敢投诉，因为我不再害怕⼈们会笑我，也不再渴望⼈⼈都喜欢我。4．我不再因为⾃⼰个性⽅⾯的缺陷责怪⽗母，也不会对他们在养育我的过程中所犯的种种过失耿耿于怀。
II. Translation exercises
1. 如今很多爱慕虚荣的年轻⼈，尽管还不富裕，但却迷上了漂亮的⼩汽车。（vain, be obsessed with）Translation:
Many vain young people are obsessed with fancy cars despite the fact that they are not yet rich enough to afford them.Practice:
被⼯作迷了⼼窍的⼈和酒⿁、吸毒者或惯赌都⼀样瘾头很⼤。
The man who is obsessed with his job is just as hooked as the alcoholic, the junkie, or the compulsive gambler.你们这⼀代可能会因为感情关系的频繁变化⽽产⽣困扰。
Your generation may seem to be obsessed with relationships that change continually.
2．当他的婚外恋被妻⼦发现后，他们的婚姻终于破裂了。（affair, fall apart）
Their marriage finally fell apart when his affair with another woman was found out by his wife.
3．那位艺术家为了获得创作的灵感，在农村住了三年，放弃了⽣活上的许多享受。(inspiration, deny oneself something)For artistic inspiration, the artist lived in the country for three years, where he denied himself many comforts of life.
4．我不知道明天去崇明岛的远⾜活动能不能成⾏，因为这要取决于会不会下⾬。(excursion, at the mercy of) I’m not sure if we can have the excursion to Chongming Island tomorrow. It is at the mercy of the weather.
5．他早年到⽇本学医，回国后却改变了主意，⼀辈⼦从事⽂学创作。(pursue)
When he was young he went to Japan to learn medicine, but after he returned to China he changed his mind and pursued acareer as a writer all his life.
6．她最近和⾜以做她⽗亲的⽼头好上了，这使她⽗母感到⾮常丢脸。（take up with, disgrace）Translation:
She’s taken up with a man old enough to be her father, which is a disgrace to her parents.Practice:
她的⽗母很不明⽩她为什么会和⼀个失业的男演员交往。
Her parents could not understand why she had taken up with an unemployed actor.有名望有权势的男⼈似乎对“保姆型”的⼥⼈情有独钟，如秘书、助⼿和乘务员等等。
Powerful men seem to take up with the young women whose job was to tend to them and care for them in some way: theirsecretaries, assistants, flight attendants, etc.
7．1978年以来，我国经济发展神速，相⽐之下，⼀些发达国家的经济反⽽滑坡了。（witness, contrast）Translation:
Since 1978, our economy has witnessed a rapid development; in contrast that of some developed countries has declined. Practice:
谢谢你和我分享中国的故事，我会再来中国见证她的变化。
Thanks for talking and sharing China’s story with me. I will return to China and witness all its happenings.“⼗⼀”之前我肯定能回到中国，我个⼈也愿意见证中国的欢腾时刻。
I am sure to come back to China before October 1st. Personally I would like to witness the important gala of China.
8．地震切断了这个城市和外界的联系。⼈们的⾷品供应也许捱不过冬天了。（hold out）Translation:
The earthquake isolated this city from other areas. I’m afraid their food supplies will not hold out through the winter.Practice:
如果供给品充裕的话，我们将在此继续露营⼀个星期。If our supplies hold out, we will camp here for another week.
那位飞⾏员说，因为缺乏燃料，他只能再坚持⼀⼩时，然后就不得不把飞机降落在⽔⾯上。
The pilot said he could hold out for another hour before he would have to ditch the plane because of lack of fuel.
VI Writing Practice
Paragraph development — the topic sentence
A topic sentence is a statement of the controlling idea that the rest of the paragraph clarifies, exemplifies, or supports. It isusually the most general statement of the paragraph but meanwhile specific enough so that it can be fully developed in asingle paragraph. A good topic sentence promises what is to come.
A good topic sentence has three characteristics: it includes a topic and a controlling idea; it is limited; and it lends itself todevelopment.
Exercise 1. Write a topic sentence to sum up the following details.Set A
1. Denver, Colorado, is named for James Denver, a soldier and administrator of the Western frontier.2. Mississippi’s capital Jackson is named after the seventh President of the United States.
3. Cleveland, Ohio’s largest city, gets its name from Moses Cleveland, a man who invested a lot of money in the area.Topic sentence: Many American cities are named after important people who are or were locally or nationally famous.Set B
Topic sentence: Happiness means different things to different people.
Exercise 2. For each of the following two paragraphs, the topic sentence has been taken out. Read them carefullyand work out for each paragraph a topic sentence that you think can hold all the following details together.
A. The problem isn’t that there’s no interest in teaching. I constantly meet young people who’ve graduated from colleges andhave signed up for teaching in some of the country’s toughest urban public schools. They are strongly interested in helpingthose so-called difficult kids. They find the work extraordinarily rewarding; the kids they teach benefit from their creativity andenthusiasm. But by the end of two years, most have either changed careers or moved to suburban schools — a consequenceof low pay, a lack of support from the educational bureaucracy, and an overwhelming feeling of isolation, but never becauseof the lack of interest in teaching.
B. It means paying teachers what they’re worth. There’s no reason why an experienced, highly qualified, and effectiveteacher shouldn’t earn $100,000 annually at the peak of his or her career. Highly skilled teachers in such critical fields asmath and science — as well as those willing to teach in the toughest urban schools — should be paid even more.
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