现代大学英语精读2 Lesson10_The Richer the Poorer.doc

Lesson 10: The Richer, the Poorer1. Warm-up activities2. Word buildingambition: ambitious (adj.)clarity: clarify, clear (v. & adj.)contrast: contrast (v.)expand: expansion (n.)fantasy: fantastic, fantasize (adj. & v.)frugal: frugality (n.)grieve: grief, grievous (n. & adj.) (relief, relieve)indulge: indulgent: indulgence (adj. & n.)intolerable: intolerance (n.) (tolerate, tolerable, tolerance)marvel: marvelous (adj.)miracle: miraculous (adj.)transform: transformation (n.)3. Vocabularyambition1) meaningan ambitious man 野心勃勃？有雄心壮志的？approving or derogatory?an ambitious plan (a plan that needs a lot of work to be carried out successfully)an ambitious student (a student that has a strong desire to be successful)2) useHe has an ambition for success. (C, U) to become famous. of getting it.He is ambitious for success.to become famous.of getting the job.3) collocations实现抱负：achieve, fulfill, realize ones ambition (dream)conscience (-the part of your mind that tells you whether what youre doing is right or wrong)1) meaningHe has a good/ clear conscience. 他有良心。他问心无愧。(He doesnt feel guilty because he knows he has done nothing wrong.) He has a bad/ guilty conscience. 他没有良心。他问心有愧。(He feels guilty about sth because he knows it was wrong.)I cant help you in (all) conscience. 凭良心不能(I cant help you because I think it is wrong) I had my words/ crime on my conscience. 内疚，不安(I feel guilty because I know Ive done/ say something wrong.)2) compareconscious (-ness): aware of; having knowledge of sth.conscience conscientious (-ness) e.g. a conscientious girl (who does her work carefully) 认真地contrast1) comparecompare: to show or bring out the characteristics, qualities or values whether theyre similar or divergentcontrast: implies an attempt to emphasize the difference2) use The contrast between the two sisters is remarkable.She is a contrast to her sister in temper. Her affected manners are in great contrast to/ with her appearance. 形成对比The old method is better by contrast. 对比之下 embrace1) similar expressionshug: put arms around sb. and hold him/ her tightlyembrace: hug sb to show love or affectioncuddle2) useWolfe embraced his new life with enthusiasm. (accept a belief, change, theory willingly and enthusiastically)The report embraces many important points. (include, contain)3) compareShe embraced her baby. 抱了一抱She held her baby in her arms. 怀抱着expand1) compareexpand: increase in size, volumeextend: increase in length, range, timec.f. prolong, lengthen, enlarge, amplify, magnify2) fill in the blanks with “expand, extend, prolong”Iron expands when it is heated.You should expand the short story by 50 pages.The garden extended to the lake.The hot weather extended well into October.She extended a warm welcome to them.Some people have tried to find means to prolong their life.She decided to extend her stay.Their business is expanding.frugal1) comparefrugal, sparing, thriftylavish, extravagant, prodigal, wasteful (generous)2) usea frugal housewife/ habit/ meala lavish gift/ feast/ help/ praise3) fill in the blanks with prepositionsShes always frugal of her money.Hes lavish in/ with/ of his money (help, hospitality).He lavished his money on his girlfriend. (He spend a lot of money on his girlfriend.)humble1) comparehumblenoble/ arrogant2) usea humble person (-is not proud and does not believe theyre better than other people) 谦卑的a humble job 低下的humble birth/ origin (low in social status or class)in my humble opinion (a polite way of emphasizing ones opinion)She has to eat the humble pie. (She has to admit that shes wrong and make an apology.)indulge1) useSometimes she will indulge in a glass of wine. (allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of)沉溺，放纵You can indulge yourself without spending a fortune. He did not agree with indulging children. (satisfy sb. and treat them with special kindness) 纵容迁就The rich father indulged his son with a lot of pocket money.2) 溺爱的父母? an indulgent parentlicense1) comparelicense: an official document which gives you permission to do, use or owe sth. 执照，许可证certificate: 1. an official document stating that particular facts are true 证明 2. an official document you receive when you have completed a course or training2) usebusiness/ driving licensebirth/ graduation certificateThe more license I allow you, the more you take. (permission)marvel1) comparedo/ work marvels (a thing or person that fills you with admiration and surprise) 令人惊叹的人或事 miracles (a very wonderful and surprising event) 奇迹 wonders (a remarkable thing or event) 令人惊讶的事2) useThis new computer is the marvel of modern science.The tourists marveled at the beauty of the lake.3) find the sentence that is not appropriateYou are a marvel. How can you take up 3 jobs at the same time?Everybody will marvel when they see it.He has written a marvelous poem. (Its/ What !/ Isnt it a)*It was a not a marvelous performance. (*Is it a )*Please write a marvelous article on this topic.miserly1) comparemisermiserlymiserymiserable2) adjectives with “ly”?friendly, deadly, orderly, timely retire1) compareretire, resign, quit, fire, sack, dismiss, discharge, lay off2) TranslateHe retired from the army.She retired to her room/ bed. 回房睡觉3) formsa retired police officer (-who leave his/ her job and stopped working completely) vi.+P. P.a retiring person (-who is shy and avoids meeting other people)retirement (the time when/after someone retires)transform1) comparetransfer, transmit, transport, transplant, translate2) fill in the blanksHis message was transmitted by radio. 传播疾病，传递信息The goods will be transported to Tokyo by air.The clerk was transferred to another department. 转学，调动工作The principle of relativity can be translated into simpler terms. 用简单易懂的语言表达Without an organ transplant he would survive only hours.4. Expressionslean: thin in a strong healthy waySmall in amount or qualityworldly possessions : worldly goods, ones belongingslook after babies: baby-sit go errands for sb: do or get sth for someone by making short tripsadd up to: amount to, make a total amount of; lead to a particular resulte.g. Her savings add up to $ 2, 000. His help wont add up to much for the projectclerk: vi. work as a clerkvariety store: a shop which sells many different kinds of goods, often at low priceswardrobe: a collection of clothes (of one person)Her freshman year found her unable to indulge his fantasy. Recent decades have witnessed great changes in computer technology.put ones mind to/ set ones minds on/ make up ones mind to do sth e.g. She has put her mind to improving her pronunciation.straight out of high school= immediately after graduating from high schoolin rags: wearing very old / worn-out clothes here: in poverty (figurative)They were often in rags and never in riches. (They were often poor and never had much money)have sense to do sth= be sensible enough to do sense: good understanding and sound judgmentbetter off/ worse off= live a better or wealthier lifedoorstep: housedump sb: end relationship with sb.Here: leave the children for Lottie to deal withtrapped by the blood tie: She felt she could not escape from the family relationship. She was put into an unpleasant situation by the family relationshipbe through with sth: finishgo about sth/ doing sth: start working on sthshe work her way from to= She worked on one room after another (indicate the movement of her action)She suffered Besss embrace.= She accepted Besss embrace motionlessly.sleep like a rock= have a dead/ deep/ heavy/ sound sleepthe love she live by= the love that she maintained her life withHow have the years used / treated you? =How have you been over the years?count the years: calculate the total number of the yearsthe days that count= the days that are important or valuablekeep up ones heels= to be relaxed and enjoy oneself5. ParaphraseOver the years Bess had lived each day as if there were no others. Over the years in spite of her sisters urge to prepare for her old age, Bess seized every minute to enjoy herself as if she would die the next day.She decided to keep her money for clothes. When she entered high school, she would wear a wardrobe that no one else would be able to match.She decided to keep her money to buy clothes when she started high school. Then no other girls in her school would have more and better clothes to wear than she didLottie expected to be settled with a home and family while Bess was still waiting for Harry to earn enough money to buy a marriage license. With her savings in the bank, Lottie wanted to get married and settled down for a comfortable life while Besss boyfriend couldnt even earn enough money to get a marriage license. Or: When Lottie was financially ready to get married and settle down, Besss boyfriend couldnt even earn enough money to get a marriage license.Two or three times she was halfway persuaded, but to give up a job that paid well for a homemaking job that paid nothing was a risk she was incapable of taking.Two or three times, urged by others, she thought seriously about marrying. But she didnt because that would mean she had to give up a well-paying job and become a housewife/ homemaker who didnt get paid for all the work she did. This was something she couldnt make herself accept. That Lottie had a doorstep was only because her boss, having bought a second house, offered Lottie his first house at a price so low and terms so reasonable that it would have been like losing money to refuse. When Lotties boss bought a new house, he offered his old house at a very low price and very generous terms, which made Lottie think that it would be foolish not to accept this offer. So it was because her bosss kindness that Lottie now had a home of her own. (Probably the terms were to pay the house over a long period of time.) Passing her gleaming mirrors, at first with vague awareness, then with painful clarity, Lottie saw herself as others saw her, and couldnt stand the sight.When she walked past her shiny mirrors, Lottie noticed, at first dimly, then clearly, how old and worn she looked. She came to know, painfully, exactly how she looked to others. She disliked her appearance and couldnt bring herself to look into the mirrors any more.She went on a spending spree from the specialty shops to beauty salon, emerging transformed into a woman who believed in miracles.Then she began visiting specialty shops and beauty salons, spending money lavishly and wastefully to improve her looks. She marveled at result and came to believe that impossible could happen if a person set her mind on it. Her face reflected the joys and sorrows of her remembering, and above all, the love she lived by that enhanced the poorest place, the humblest person.As she talked, Lottie could see that the years she had lived with Harry was full of both joys and sorrows, and that the most important thing was his love for her. This love had made her poorest place a paradise and the second-rate player, her husband, a perfect man to her. 6. Text comprehensioncomparison Between Lottie & BessLottie : has one simple aim in life: to work hard, save hard, and prepare for her old age. She tried hard to earn money even when she was a little girl. She looked after babies, ran errands for the old, worked as a clerk after school in a store, and finally got a job in a restaurant. She never stopped working and she never spent money if she could help it. She never married and lived all alone. Now when she reached her sixt