UnitFourteen Steps Words and Expressions综合教程二

1、Unit 5 Fourteen StepsWords and Expressions1. be inclined to be likely or tend to do sth.e.g. In the first instance I was inclined to refuse, but then I reconsidered. 起初我想拒绝，但后来还是重新考虑了。He was inclined to give them a free hand. 他倾向于放手让他们干。Synonym: tend to, be likely to2. follow ones example imitatee.g

2、. Brian persuaded his brother to follow his example and join the army.I suggest you follow Teds example and take some regular exercise.Synonym: follow ones lead3. afflict vt. cause severe suffering or paine.g. He was afflicted with cancer. 他患了癌症。She was afflicted with conscience. 她受良心责备。Collocation:

3、 be afflicted withDerivation: afflictive a.affliction n.4. progressive a. developing graduallye.g. The build-up of pollutants in the atmosphere has led to a progressive weakening of the ozone layer.Since the 1950s there has been a progressive fall in the numbers of adults who cannot read and write.S

4、ynonym: gradual, little by little5. with the aid of with the help ofe.g. The bacteria can only be seen with the aid of a high-power microscope.The child was saved and brought back to life with the aid of an international rescue team.这个孩子在国际救援队的帮助下得救了。6. install vt. set upe.g. To minimize the risk of

5、 burglary, install a good alarm system. 安装可靠的报警设备，以降低被盗的风险。The workers are installing a heating system. 工人们正在安装供暖系统。Derivation: installation n.7. to a / some degree partlye.g. The film was boring to a degree.这部影片相当枯燥。A countrys future prosperity depends, to a degree, upon the quality of education of

6、 its people.Synonym: in a sense, in some way8. hobble vi. walk in an awkward way because your feet are injurede.g. The old man hobbled along (the road) with the aid of his stick.那老汉拄着拐杖一瘸一拐地走着。Synonym: limp9. disillusioned a. disappointede.g. Disillusioned by his teams poor performance, the manager

7、resigned. 10. hold on to keep ones grip on; not let go ofe.g. He tried hard to be in his superiors good graces in order to hold on to his job. 他想方设法讨上司的欢心，以保住自己的饭碗。Id hold on to that house for the time being; house prices are rising sharply at the moment. 目前我不能出让那所房子，此刻房价正在急剧上涨。11. lead up to come b

8、efore and result ine.g. The events that led up to the murder were shown in a series of flashbacks. The report describes the negotiations that led up to the settlement. 12. swerve vi. turn sharply and suddenlye.g. The car swerved to the right. I will never swerve from my declared policy on this matte

9、r. 我决不背离我已经宣布的在这个问题上的政策。Synonym: turn, change13. sweep vi. to move, especially quickly and powerfully e.g. Her eyes swept the room. 她的眼睛扫视了一下房间。A wave of panic swept over her. 一阵惊恐袭上她的心头。Comparison:clean the most common word, clean a dirty place or dirty objectclear to remove or get rid of whatever

10、is blocking or filling something, or to stop being blocked or fullsweep give a cleaning with a broom, sometimes used figurativelymop to wash or wipe with or as if with a mopwipe to slide something, especially a piece of cloth, over the surface of something else, in order to remove dirt, food or liqu

11、idscrub to rub something hard in order to clean it, especially using a stiff brush, soapand water14. dismiss vt. 1) refuse to accept that sth. might be true or importante.g. The government has dismissed criticisms that the countrys health policy is a mess.2) formally ask or order someone to leave; f

12、iree.g. At first she threatened to dismiss us all, but later she relented. 起初她威胁要解雇我们所有的人，但是后来她态度软化了。Derivation: dismissible a.15. peer at look very carefully or hard ate.g. Walter peered anxiously at his fathers face.Collocation: peer throughpeer into e.g. She peers through the mist, trying to find

13、 the right path. The driver was peering into the distance trying to read the road sign.16. slacken vt. become slower or less activee.g. The train slackened speed as it approached the station.火车快到站时减慢了速度。We slackened our pace as we reached the village.17. jack up lift with a jack (a device for liftin

14、g heavy objects)e.g. Why dont you jack it up and well have a look at the suspension?Fred jacked up the car and started to unscrew the wheel nuts.18. interval n. a period of time between activitiese.g. He comes back to see us at regular intervals. 他每隔一段时间就回来看我们。There is an hours interval to the next

15、train. 下一火班车还要过一小时才开。Collocation: at intervals 不时，时时；每隔一段时间（距离）at intervals of 相隔，每隔19. frail a. weak and poor in healthe.g. A frail old woman with a walking stick came slowly down to the gate to meet us.His frail arm could barely hold his plate.20. charge n. the price that you have to pay for a ser

16、vice or for sth. you buye.g. No charge is made for repairs.They are happy to give their services free of charge.Derivation: chargeable a.21. penetrate vt. enter, pass (into or through)e.g. Amazingly, the bullet did not penetrate his brain.In most jellyfish, these stinging cells are so small that the

17、y cant penetrate human skin. Derivation: penetration n. a movement into or through something or someone; insighte.g. He writes with penetration. 他写的文章尖锐深刻。What is your idea toward globalization and cultural penetration? 你对全球化和文化渗透有什么想法？ 22. fumble vi. move the fingers in an attempt to do sth. awkwar

18、dlye.g. She fumbled about in her handbag for a pen. 她在手提袋中搜寻钢笔。They fumbled around / about (= moved awkwardly) in the dark, trying to find their way out of the cinema.23. overflow vi./vt. be so full that the contents go over the sides; be very fulle.g. The river overflowed its banks. 河水漫过了两岸。The cro

19、wd overflowed the auditorium. 礼堂里挤满了人。Synonym: flood, fill 24. indifference n. lack of interest, love, etc.e.g. Her apparent indifference made him even more nervous. 她表面上若无其事反而使他更加紧张。His indifference was a fuel to her hatred. 他无动于衷使她的怨恨火上加油。Derivation: indifferent a. 25. thoughtlessness n. the attit

20、ude of forgetting about the needs of other peoplee.g. Im sorry to make you so painful. Please forgive my thoughtlessness.Note: thoughtless a.e.g. It was thoughtless not to phone and say youd be late.Shes not intentionally unkind shes just a little thoughtless sometimes.I. Main ideaIt is hard to imag

21、ine that a blind old man should be willing and able to fix a car for someone else on a dark stormy night. This happened to the author, a crippled man who was afflicted by a progressive disease and who took others help for granted. Up to that day, the author had lived in disillusionment, self-pity, i

22、ndifference and selfishness, as he was becoming increasingly feeble. He struggled to climb the fourteen steps every day only to hold on to his sanity, his wife, his home and his job. After he met the blind old man, it suddenly dawned on him that even a handicapped person was capable of performing an act of love for his fellow beings, and that was where the value of life lies.II. Structural analysis1. How many parts can the text be divided into and whats the topic of each part?According to the development of the story, the text could be divided into four parts, each of which focuses on