vocabulary for unit 7

1、 Unit 7 Letter to a B StudentParagraph 1QuestionsWords and Expressions1. norm n.1) an accepted standard or a way of behaving or doing things that most people agree withe.g. You must adapt to the norms of the society you live in.2) the norm = a situation or type of behavior that is expected and consi

2、dered to be typicale.g. One child per family is fast becoming the norm in some countries.Derivation:normal a.normally ad.normalize v.normalization n.2. shift vt.& vi.1) to (cause something or someone to) move or change from one position or direction to another, especially slightlye.g. She shifted (h

3、er weight) uneasily from one foot to the other.The wind is expected to shift (to the east) tomorrow.2) transfer sth.e.g. This simply shifts the cost of medical insurance from the employer to the employee.Collocation:shift sth. (from A to / onto B) 转移或转换某事物shift (your) ground （辩论中）改变立场或方法e.g. Hes ann

4、oying to argue with because he keeps shifting his ground.Derivation: shift n.shiftless a. Translation:1. 教师让学生们挪动了教室里的椅子，以便小组成员坐在一起开展讨论。The teacher asked the students to shift the chairs around in the classroom so that the group members could sit together for the discussion.2. 最近，媒体的注意力转移到了环境方面的问题。M

5、edia attention has shifted recently onto environmental issues.3. eligibility n. the qualifications or abilities required for doing somethinge.g. Ill have to check her eligibility to take part in this competition.Derivation:eligible a.eligible (for sth. / to do sth.)Translation:1. Her qualifications

6、and experience confirm her eligibility for the job.她的资历和经验确定她适合做这项工作。 2. 只有在公司工作三年以上的人才能得到住房补贴。 Only those who have worked in this company for at least three years are eligible for housing allowance.Sentences 1. Im certain that nothing I can say will remove that feeling of disappointment, particular

7、ly in a climate where grades determine eligibility for graduate school and special program. (Paragraph 1)Translation: 我肯定无论我说什么都不会消除你的沮丧心情，特别是在我们生活的环境中，考试分数直接决定你是否有资格读研究生和申请一些特别的学习项目。Paragraphs 2-5Words and Expressions4. inadequacy n.1) being too low in quality or too small in amount e.g. The inadeq

8、uacy of water supply for city people has already been a problem no government can take lightly.2) fault or failing; weaknesse.g. I always suffer from feelings of inadequacy when Im with him.Derivation:inadequate a.inadequately ad.Antonym:adequacy Exercise: Use the following words to fill in the blan

9、ks.inadequacy inadequately adequacy adequate adequately1. Unemployment can often cause feelings of _ and low self-esteem. (inadequacy)2. He doubted her _ for the job. (adequacy)3. Will future oil supplies be _ to meet world needs? (adequate)4. While some patients can be _ cared for at home, others a

10、re best served by care in a hospital. (adequately)5. Our scientific research is _ funded. (inadequately)5. essence n. the most basic and important idea or qualitye.g. The essence of his argument was that education should continue throughout life.Yet change is the very essence of life.Collocation:in

11、essence 本质上，大体上e.g. In essence, both sides agree on the issue.of the essence 非常重要的，不可缺少的e.g. In any of these discussions, of course, honesty is of the essence.Derivation:essential a. & n.essentially ad.6. offset vt. to counterbalance or compensate fore.g. In basketball, he offsets his small size by

12、his cleverness and speed. Forests can help offset human-caused climate warming, and scientists want to know how big a role these particular forests will play. Collocation:offset sth. by sth. / doing sth.Translation:1. The extra cost of travelling to work is offset by the lower price of houses here.此

13、处的低房价可以抵消从这里去上班时交通方面的额外支出。2. He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。7. go under to fail; to be overwhelmede.g. His business went under because of competition from the large corporations.Poor Donaldson had no head for business, and it was not long before he we

14、nt under.8. go / be broke to become penniless; to go bankrupte.g. The business kept losing money and finally went broke.I cant afford to go on holiday this year Im broke. A lot of small businesses went broke during the recession.经济不景气，很多小公司都倒闭了。9. perspective n. a way of regarding situations, facts,

15、 etc.e.g. His fathers death gave him a whole new perspective on life.The novel is written from the perspective of a child.Collocation:in / out of perspectivee.g. The background of this picture is all out of perspective.e.g. He sees things in their right perspective.put / see / view sth. in perspecti

16、ve to compare something to other things so that it can be accurately and fairly judgedget / keep sth. in perspective to think about a situation or problem in a wise and reasonable way e.g. You must keep things in perspective the overall situation isnt really that bad.10. take at face value to accept

17、 something for what it appears to bee.g. She took his stories at face value and did not know he was joking.If you take his remarks only at their face value, you will not have understood his full meaning.Translation:1. 如果这一生中我学会了一件事的话，那就是绝不要听什么就相信什么。If there is one thing I have learned in life, it is

18、 never to take anything you are told at face value. 2. 我们不应只看到失败的表面，而要从失败中得出经验教训。We shouldnt take failures at face value. Instead, we should learn from our failures.11. be apt to to have the tendency toe.g. A careless person is apt to make mistakes.My pen is rather apt to leak.Synonym:be inclined to

19、be likely toTranslation:1. 第一次来到异国的人往往感到自己周围的一切既陌生又有趣。Anyone who has come to a foreign country for the first time is apt to find everything around him both strange and interesting.2. 正如醉汉易认为自己很是清醒，年轻人往往认为自己十分聪明。Young men are apt to think themselves wise enough, as drunken men are apt to think themse

20、lves sober enough.12. proficiency n. skill; abilitye.g. It said in the job ad that they wanted proficiency in at least two languages.You have to take a test of proficiency in English before you can apply for the job.Collocation:proficiency (in sth. / doing sth.)Derivation:proficient a. proficiently

21、ad.13. conventional a. traditional and ordinarye.g. conventional behavior / attitudes / clothes / methodI find his art rather dull and conventional.Derivation:convention n.conventionally ad.conventionalize v.conventionality n.Antonym:unconventional 14. correspond to to match; to be similar or equal

22、toe.g. The wing of a bird corresponds to the arm of a man.The American Congress corresponds to the British Parliament.15. assumption n.what is thought to be true or will happen, without any real proofe.g. These calculations are based on the assumption that prices will continue to rise.Im working on

23、the assumption that the money will come through.Collocation:assumption of sth. Translation:1. 这一理论是以一系列错误的设想为根据的。The theory is based on a series of wrong assumptions.2. 看见不明飞行物时，有些人就设想在其他行星上有生命。Some people assume that there is life on other planets when they see UFOs. Activity: Fill in each blank wi

24、th the proper form of the following words or expressions.inadequacy assumption correspond to essence offset conventional go under perspective proficiency be apt to 1. Through this failure, he realized his personal _. (inadequacy)2. The _ of his speech is that this accident will bring great impact on

25、 the factorys production. (essence)3. He gave his wife a luxurious car to _ her hard work in bringing up children. (offset)4. A great many companies _ in the fierce financial risk. (went under)5. Everyone sees things from his or her own _. (perspective)6. She _ live in the country, but her husband w

26、anted to live in the city. (was apt to)7. Toms _ as a professor is well known. (proficiency)8. English is always thought to be a _ nation. (conventional)9. The working of this machine _ that of the human brain. (corresponds to)10. The _ of their sons coming back after the war proved to be wrong. (as

27、sumption)Sentences 2. The essence of success is that theres never enough of it to go round in a zero-sum game where one persons winning must be offset by anothers losing, one persons joy offset by anothers disappointment. (Paragraph 2)Explanation: “Zero-sum game” refers to a situation in which if on

28、e person gains an advantage from it, someone else involved in it must suffer an equivalent disadvantage.Translation: 我们所生活的社会就像一个零和游戏，只要有人赢，就会有人输；只要有人感到幸福，就会有人感到沮丧。从来都不存在大家都成功而没有人失落的情况。这就是成功的核心因素。3. winning is not the most important thing its the only thing. (Paragraph 2)Explanation: This is a speci

29、al type of negation. The author is not negating the importance of winning; rather, with the sentence that follows the negative one, the author gives the utmost emphasis to the importance of winning. What the author wants to say is “Winning is of primary importance; nothing could be more important th

30、an winning.”e.g. To improve your oral English, practicing is not the most important thing its the only thing.Ours is a time of information explosion; to keep up with the times, updating our knowledge is not the most important thing its the only thing.Translation: 成功不是最重要的事情它是唯一的事情。4. In a different

31、society, your disappointment might be something you could shrug away. But not in ours. (Paragraph 2)Paraphrase: If you are in a different society, you could just ignore you disappointment, but in our society, its inescapable. Translation: 假如你处在另一个社会里，你可以对你的沮丧置之不理，但是在我们这个社会里是无法回避的。Paragraphs 6-10Word

32、s and Expressions16. make a point of to take particular care to do sth.e.g. He makes a point of jogging for an hour every morning, rain or shine.To prevent loss of data, I always make a point of making a copy on a floppy disk of what I have done during the day.Translation:1. 作为未来的英语教师，我们认为掌握好英语语法是很有

33、必要的。As would-be English teachers, we make a point of having a good knowledge of English grammar.2. 她一直保存所有的购物小票。She makes a point of keeping all her shopping receipts.17. flunk vt.1) to fail an examination or course of studye.g. I flunked my second year exams and was lucky not to be thrown out of co

34、llege.2) give a failing mark to sb.e.g. If he is no good, flunk him. Collocation:flunk out 因成绩不及格而被学校除名e.g. Dan wont be in college next year hes been flunked out.18. resent vt. to feel angry because you have been forced to accept someone or something that you do not likee.g. Her father seems to rese

35、nt her new boyfriend for he has no job.Her roommate seems to resent my being in their dorm. Derivation:resentment n.resentful a.resentfulness n.19. gear n.1) the machinery in a vehicle that turns power from the engine into movemente.g. Dont turn off the engine while youre still in gear.2) a piece of

36、 machinery that performs a particular jobe.g. The landing gear of a plane has jammed.3) a set of equipment or tools you need for a particular activitye.g. Were only going for two days; you dont need to bring so much gear.Collocation:change / shift gear 换档20. coercive a. using force to persuade peopl

37、e to do what they are unwilling to doe.g. coercive methods / measuresThe president relied on the coercive powers of the military.Derivation:coerce v.coercion n.Collocation:coerce sb. into sth. / doing sth.e.g. The Chamber of Commerce was making efforts to coerce the strikers into compliance. 商会正在努力迫

38、使罢工者妥协。You cant coerce her into obedience. Sentences 5. when I got out of the service (Paragraph 6)Explanation: Usually the plural form “services” is used to refer to the three armed forces, i.e. the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.Paraphrase: when I got out of the army Translation: 当我退役的时候6. . men who had but recently put away their uniforms a