Home Unit 12 A Winter to Remember Background Information BR_MAIN Extended Reading Warm-up Questions Free Discussion Detailed Reading Before ReadingGlobal.

Home Unit 12 A Winter to Remember

Background Information

Extended Reading

Warm-up Questions

Free Discussion

Detailed ReadingBefore Reading Global Reading After Reading


Warm-up Questions

1. Which season is the most unforgettable to you? Can you use a song or saying to express your opinion?

Expressions that might be used for stating preferences:As far as I’m concerned, the best ...From my point of view, the best ...I’d go for ... because ...I’d much prefer ... because ...... is preferable because ...I’d rather have ... because ...

Before Reading Global Reading After ReadingDetailed Reading


《四季歌》

Before Reading Global Reading After Reading

春季到来绿满窗，大姑娘窗下绣鸳鸯忽然一阵无情棒，打得鸳鸯各一方夏季到来柳丝长，大姑娘漂泊到长江江南江北风光好，怎及青纱起高粱秋季到来荷花香，大姑娘夜夜梦家乡醒来不见爹娘面，只见窗前明月光冬季到来雪茫茫，寒衣做好送情郎血肉筑出长城长，奴愿做当年小孟姜

■

Detailed Reading


Warm-up Questions

2. Which season does the singer like best?

She has both likes and dislikes in each season.



读经宜冬，其神专也；读史宜夏，其时久也；读诸子宜秋，其致别也；读诸集宜春，其机畅也。

Winter is good for reading the classics, for one’s mind is more collected. Summer is good for reading history, for one has plenty of time. Autumn is good for reading the ancient philosophers, because of the great diversity of thought and ideas. Finally, spring is suitable for reading literary works, for in spring one’s spirit expands.


Famous sayings related to seasons:

Detailed Reading




April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. — William Shakespeare

四月赋予万物青春朝气。 —— 莎士比亚

Detailed Reading




Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. — Albert Camus

秋天是第二个春天，此时每一片树叶是一朵花。 —— 加缪，法国作家

Detailed Reading


Background Information

weather terminology


snow: frozen precipitation in the form of ice crystals. 下雪

blizzard: wind of 35 miles per hour or more with snow and blowing snow reducing visibility to less than 1/4 mile for a period of at least three hours. 暴风雪

Detailed Reading



sleet: rain that freezes into ice before reaching the ground. 雨夹雪 / 冰雹

freezing rain: rain that freezes on impact with a surface at a below-freezing temperature. 冻雨

sleet freezing rain

Detailed Reading


ice storms wind chill


ice storms: freezing rain which builds up after hitting cold surfaces. 冰暴

wind chill (chill factor): In the winter, weather forecasters often give two outside temperatures. One is the actual temperature of the air, and the other is a measurement of how cold the air feels. A wind chill factor can tell the cooling effect of the wind.风寒指数

Detailed Reading


Heavy Snow Paralyses Parts of ChinaHeavy snow has brought many parts of China to a

standstill. Rescue teams are scrambling to clear roads, deal with accidents and reconnect electricity lines. And there is more snow to come.

Rescue teams

Paralyses

Extended Reading

Listen to the following information for a better understanding of the text. While listening, please fill in the blanks with the information you hear.

Directions:

■


_________

standstill_________ _____________

Detailed Reading


Heavy snowfall in east China’s Anhui province has affected the transmission of power out the towers that form part of a major cable network sending electricity to Shanghai from the Three Gorges Project.

Electricity supply has been temporarily rerouted.The repair work will take about two weeks.Continuous snow is creating havoc for peak season travel

across the country. In southwestern Guizhou province, nine highways are completely closed, bringing delays to over 10,000 people.


snowfalltransmission

cable

temporarily rerouted

havoc

highways delays

_________

———————_____

____________________

______

_________ ______

Detailed Reading


Emergency plans are being put into action. The local government is supplying free food and accommodation to those caught in the bad weather.

Road links between Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Tibet have now reopened. 131 people who were stranded have been rescued by local police. Luckily, no one was injured .

But in badly-hit central China’s Hunan province, the local weather bureau is warning more snow is on its way. In preparation, grit is being used on highways and service stations are stocking extra food.

Further snowfall is predicted to arrive in central and eastern China next week.


Emergencyaccommodation

___________

Autonomous

————————

injured

bureau

_______

_____________

stocking

_______

predicted _________

_________

servicestations

_______

_______

Detailed Reading


How can we plan for a healthy and happy winter?

Free Discussion


Animals:

Detailed Reading



1) Get out the humidifier.

2) Take baths rather than showers.

Human beings:

Detailed Reading



3) Apply a good moisturizing lotion once or twice a day.

4) Stay warm indoors.

Detailed Reading


Do’s: Find a new hobby, plan some indoor projects, make a list of old friends to call, encourage family members to visit more often. Don’t wait until you are lonely and sad. (At that point you won’t have the emotional energy to reverse the problem.)

All of us are better people after surviving a winter. Survival is the trick.



Part Division of the Text

Further Understanding

Skimming



Skimming

The title of the text is self-explanatory. You may well predict that the passage is about a winter that is not to be forgotten. But why is it a memorable winter? The writer gives many details to make his point.

Go over the text rapidly and get as much information as you can; ignore the fine details, of course.

Then, fill in the grid with what you have learned from your first rapid reading.




The following list of the main details is for your reference.

early January to late MarchTime:

in the depths of the countryPlace:

unpleasant memoriesEvents:

1. beautiful snow scene turned into ugly frostbound sight2. birds growing tamer and waiting at the doorstep3. water frozen almost instantly

Outside

Detailed Reading



1. central heating inadequate and uncooperative; oil-stoves unavailable

2. draught coming in through windows, doors and holes in the walls

3. water-pipes frozen4. sitting inside in overcoats

Inside

One good thing — eggs not broken when dropped

— water squirting from pipes bringing about a “flood”

The thaw

Detailed Reading


Part Division of the Text


Directions: Please divide the text into 3 parts and summarize the main idea of each part.

Main IdeasParts

1

2

Paras

1~2

3~8 Outdoor and indoor descriptions of the winter.

An introduction to the cold winter.

3 9 The snow finally thawed as late March came.

Detailed Reading


Multiple Choices

Further Understanding


1. Snow began to fall at round about the beginning of New Year. Round about is closest in meaning to:

A. close to B. about C. nearly D. roughly

B( )

Detailed Reading



2. Snow continued on and off for approximately ten days. The phrase in italics means:

A. sometimes B. from time to time C. without stopping D. on and on

B( )

Detailed Reading



3. Every ugly patch and corner of our garden was smoothed over. “Was smoothed over” means:

A. was even and flat B. was made to shine C. was smooth D. was no longer even

A( )

Detailed Reading



4. Hungry birds too, in search of scraps of food, made delicate impressions on its surface. The phrase in italics has all the following meanings except:

A. looking for B. searching for C. trying to find D. discovering

D( )

Detailed Reading



5. We fed the birds with chopped up meat. Chopped up meat means nearly the same as all the following except:

A. minced meat B. very small pieces of meat C. ground meat D. chunks of meat

D( )

Detailed Reading



6. To make matters worse there were tiny holes in the brickwork of many of the rooms. The phrase in italics means:

A. Above all B. And the problem was that C. On top of it all D. And what was worse

D( )

Detailed Reading



7. ... we called at the village shop. Called at means all the following except:

A. went to B. telephoned C. visited D. paid a visit to

B( )

Detailed Reading



8. On one occasion the water actually froze before it reached the house. The part in italics has the meaning of:

A. Once B. By accident C. One day D. Occasionally

A( )

Detailed Reading



9. I stooped down furiously to pick the eggs up. The phrase in italics is closest in meaning to:

A. leaned downwards B. lowered myself C. squatted D. bent down

D( )

Detailed Reading



10. The eggs had come to no harm. The part in italics has all the following meanings except:

A. had still been in perfect condition B. had remained whole C. had not been injured D. had not broken

C( )

Detailed Reading


According to the weather men last winter was one of the worst in living memory.

We live in the depths of the country, and my whole family agree that it was certainly a winter we shall never forget. Snow began to fall at round about the beginning of the New Year and continued on and off for approximately ten days.

Detailed ReadingBefore Reading After ReadingGlobal Reading

A Winter to Rememberby Robert Best

At first we were all thrilled to see it. It fell silently and relentlessly in large soft flakes until every ugly patch and corner of our rather rambling garden was smoothed over and had become a spotless white canopy. The children soon spoilt its beauty by having snowball fights and leaving their footprints all over it. Hungry birds too, in search of scraps of food, made delicate impressions on its surface. It was now, when the garden was all churned up and of a dirty grey color, that a severe frost set in, hardening the snow into ugly lumps of grimy concrete. For the next three months the whole countryside lay in a grip of iron.


Indoors it was pretty cold too. Our central heating system proved both inadequate and uncooperative: inadequate partly because it needed overhauling and partly because the poor state of the doors and most of the windows made a whistling stream of cold air come through; unco-operative because occasionally it simply went on strike. To make matters worse there were tiny holes in the brickwork of many of the rooms.

Before Reading After Reading

Every day the birds grew tamer, often waiting hopefully almost on our backdoor step. We fed them with bits of cheese, chopped up meat and any leftovers we had. We also put out bowls of water, which unfortunately within an hour had frozen solid.

Detailed ReadingGlobal Reading


As a result the water pipes froze so that for several weeks our water supply had to be brought in buckets from a nearby farm. We tried to buy a number of oil-stoves to keep these rooms warm, but other people had thought of doing this too — when we called at the village shop the shopkeeper told us she had sold out and that although there were more on order they were unlikely to be delivered until the spring — which, of course, was a great comfort.

Before Reading After ReadingGlobal Reading

Throughout January and February and much of March we sat about in our overcoats and warmed ourselves by tramping to and from the farm, lugging buckets of water.

On one occasion the water actually froze before it reached the house, and our youngest son — not the most intelligent of youth — promptly took it all the way back to the farm.

Detailed Reading



However, one good thing did happen. One of the children dropped a container with a dozen eggs in it. I stooped down furiously to pick up what I thought would be the messy remains only to discover the eggs had come to no harm — they were as solid as if they had been hard-boiled.

Late in March, it finally thawed. Water squirted from pipes in at least half a dozen places. Instead of carting buckets of water into the kitchen from the farm we now brought them in from different parts of the house. Eventually we found a plumber. The plumber undoubtedly saved us from drowning. I have been devoted to plumbers ever since.

Detailed Reading


According to the weather men last winter was one of the worst in living memory.

We live in the depths of the country, and my whole family agree that it was certainly a winter we shall never forget. Snow began to fall at round about the beginning of the New Year and continued on and off for approximately ten days.


A Winter to Rememberby Robert Best

At first we were all thrilled to see it. It fell silently and relentlessly in large soft flakes until every ugly patch and corner of our rather rambling garden was smoothed over and had become a spotless white canopy. The children soon spoilt its beauty by having snowball fights and leaving their footprints all over it. Hungry birds too, in search of scraps of food, made delicate impressions on its surface. It was now, when the garden was all churned up and of a dirty grey color, that a severe frost set in, hardening the snow into ugly lumps of grimy concrete. For the next three months the whole countryside lay in a grip of iron.

Detailed Reading



Every day the birds grew tamer, often waiting hopefully almost on our backdoor step. We fed them with bits of cheese, chopped up meat and any leftovers we had. We also put out bowls of water, which unfortunately within an hour had frozen solid.

Global Reading

Indoors it was pretty cold too. Our central heating system proved both inadequate and uncooperative: inadequate partly because it needed overhauling and partly because the poor state of the doors and most of the windows made a whistling stream of cold air come through; unco-operative because occasionally it simply went on strike. To make matters worse there were tiny holes in the brickwork of many of the rooms.

Detailed Reading



As a result the water pipes froze so that for several weeks our water supply had to be brought in buckets from a nearby farm. We tried to buy a number of oil-stoves to keep these rooms warm, but other people had thought of doing this too — when we called at the village shop the shopkeeper told us she had sold out and that although there were more on order they were unlikely to be delivered until the spring — which, of course, was a great comfort.

Throughout January and February and much of March we sat about in our overcoats and warmed ourselves by tramping to and from the farm, lugging buckets of water.

On one occasion the water actually froze before it reached the house, and our youngest son — not the most intelligent of youth — promptly took it all the way back to the farm.

Detailed Reading


However, one good thing did happen. One of the children dropped a container with a dozen eggs in it. I stooped down furiously to pick up what I thought would be the messy remains only to discover the eggs had come to no harm — they were as solid as if they had been hard-boiled.

Late in March, it finally thawed. Water squirted from pipes in at least half a dozen places. Instead of carting buckets of water into the kitchen from the farm we now brought them in from different parts of the house. Eventually we found a plumber. The plumber undoubtedly saved us from drowning. I have been devoted to plumbers ever since.

Before Reading After ReadingGlobal Reading Detailed Reading


We have living or dead people, so “in living memory” refers to “in the memory of the living people” or “in the year which can be remembered by people still alive”.

What does the phrase “in living memory” mean here?

… last winter was one of the worst in living memory.



Paraphrase this sentence.We live somewhere in the countryside which is a long way from any town. / We live in the very remote part of the countryside.

We live in the depths of the country …



What does the pronoun “it” refer to here?

Here, it refers to the heavy, steady snow which fell without any sound.

It fell silently and relentlessly in large soft flakes until every ugly patch and corner of our rather rambling garden was smoothed over and had become a spotless white canopy.




It tells that the whole garden was covered with snow and was turned into a beautiful place of purity.

Paraphrase this sentence.

Large, soft flakes of snow fell heavily but quietly; as a result, our garden, which was overgrown with plants and which was dirty and untidy in places, looked very smooth, like a completely clean white sheet.

Global Reading Detailed Reading

What does the author tell about the snow by the phrase “a spotless white canopy”?


What is special about the sentence structure?

The sentence is an emphatic sentence: “It was now … that a severe frost set in …” “When the garden … a dirty grey color” is adverbial inserted between to tell what exactly was “now”, and “hardening the snow … concrete” is present participle used to indicate accompanying action of “set in”.

It was now, when the garden was all churned up and of a dirty grey color, that a severe frost set in, hardening the snow into ugly lumps of grimy concrete.




How do you understand “the garden was all churned up”?The snow in the garden was turned upside down and inside out.

What is the meaning and function of “of” in “when the garden was … of a dirty grey color”?“Of” here is used to express that something has a certain quality. We can also omit “of” in this sentence: “when the garden was … a dirty grey color.”

Global Reading


After the children had had snowball fights in the garden, the snow turned into slush and its color became dirty grey. Just then it became severely cold and the snow froze hard and looked like large pieces of dirty concrete.

Detailed Reading


Did the garden really “lie in a grip of iron”?

Metaphor and personification are used in this sentence. The author compares snow to iron and treats snow as if it were a human being by the word “grip”. The sentence means that the whole countryside was frozen as if it were tightly held by an iron hand.

… the whole countryside lay in a grip of iron.



Why did the birds grow tamer?

As it was severely cold and everything was frozen, the birds had no way of getting anything to eat, so they grew tamer so that man could approach them, giving them food to eat.

… the birds grew tamer …




A draught came through the small openings / the cracks in most of the windows with a shrill sound.

… and most of the windows made a whistling stream of cold air come through ...



What is meant by “went on strike”?

It here means “stopped working”. The clause means “our central heating system just refused to work”. In other words, it broke down. This is an example of personification. The writer is giving a humorous touch to the description.

… it simply went on strike.



We tried to buy a number of oil-stoves to keep these rooms warm, but other people had thought of doing this too — when we called at the village shop the shopkeeper told us she had sold out and that although there were more on order they were unlikely to be delivered until the spring — which, of course, was a great comfort.


What’s the function of the dashes in this sentence?

Global Reading

The dash is used in a sentence to mark a sudden change of ideas or to give some explanation. In particular cases, they may serve different functions. In the above sentence, the first dash is to further explain how the author’s family learnt that other people had the same thought as they did, and the second is to give the author’s comment on the situation mentioned in the previous part of the sentence.

Detailed Reading


Pay attention to the functions of other dashes in this text:

1) ... and our youngest son — not the most intelligent of youth — promptly took it all the way back to the farm.


The author’s teasing comment on his son to give a humorous touch to the article.

2) ... only to discover the eggs had come to no harm —they were as solid as if they had been hard-boiled.

Further explanation of the condition of the eggs.

Global Reading

Why does the author say it was “a great comfort” when they couldn’t buy the oil-stoves?

Detailed Reading


Also “which, of course, was a great comfort” is a type of non-restrictive relative clause which has for its antecedent a whole sentence, or, as in this case, a clause or several clauses. Here, “which” refers to the fact that “although there were more on order they were unlikely to be delivered until the spring”.


For the time being the oil-stoves were out of stock, and the mere thought of the possibility of their buying some in spring gave them little cause for satisfaction. The writer is being ironical here. “A great comfort” is an example of irony, the use of words which are clearly opposite to one’s meaning ( 反讽 ). Actually the fact mentioned above could not be a comfort, because oil-stoves would not be needed when spring came.




More examples:

* They invited me to go to Shakespeare’s birthplace for a visit, which was really very kind of them.

* The young man was asked to work under a woman, which made him feel greatly humiliated.

Paraphrase this part of the sentence: “… although there were more on order they were unlikely to be delivered until the spring — which, of course, was a great comfort.”

Although the shopkeeper had ordered more oil-stoves, perhaps they would not be coming until spring. This did not make us feel any better.

Detailed Reading


Why does the author call their youngest son “not the most intelligent of youth”?

The author means that their youngest son was very stupid, so stupid as to take the bucket of water all the way back to the farm from the house.

… not the most intelligent of youth …



Why does the author think it a good thing that the dropped eggs had not become the messy remains?

The author is being ironical. They didn’t like the severe cold that winter. It caused them a lot of inconvenience and discomfort. However, there was one thing which was not quite so bad. The eggs were frozen so hard that when the children dropped them, they did not break. But, on second thought, the frozen eggs couldn’t be eaten, either; therefore, the situation couldn’t be really called “a good thing”.

… one good thing did happen. One of the children dropped a container with a dozen eggs in it.



What does “the messy remains” refer to?

That refers to the confusion when eggs are broken.

I stooped down furiously to pick up what I thought would be the messy remains only to discover the eggs had come to no harm — they were as solid as if they had been hard-boiled.



What rhetorical device is used in this sentence? What does this ending imply about the author’s attitude to the troubles he and his family had gone through?

Exaggeration is used in this sentence. “Devoted to” and “ever since” are used to exaggerate the author’s great appreciation to the plumber who had helped them out when they were in an extremely difficult situation. At the same time, as an ending sentence, this exaggeration indicates that the author can smile at his troubles.

I have been devoted to plumbers ever since.



depths: n. (pl.) the deepest or the worst part of something

in the depths of the ocean

In the depths of the country there is a great need for the English teachers.

他的心灵深处隐藏着秘密。


In the depths of winter children like to play on the ice.

In the depths of despair he found a faint hope in his wife.

In the depths of his heart there is something hidden.



depth: n. [U] 深度，厚度，浓度；深奥，深刻； ( 学识等 ) 渊博， ( 兴趣等 ) 强烈


“-th” “…… ”加在表示度量的形容词后构成表示度的名词。原形容词的词性往往发生相应变化。

More examples:long — lengthwide — widthbroad — breadth

问我爱你有多深？让我告诉你：我的爱如天高，如地广，如海深。

How do I love you? Let me count the ways. I love you to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.



in depth:纵深的（地），深入的（地），彻底的（地）


They discussed the subject in depth.

authority 权威 — authorities 当局paper 纸张 — papers 证件

注意：很多抽象名词的复数形式意义都有一定程度的变化



family: n.a collective noun, denoting a group of individuals considered as one complete whole


More examples of collective nouns of this type:* a crowd of people* a team of football players* the board of directors* the whole class* the entire army




1) If every member of a group is acting in the same way, the collective noun takes a singular verb.

2) If the members of a group are acting separately, the collective noun takes a plural verb.

3) The number of the pronouns or possessive adjectives referring to the collective nouns correspond to the number of the collective nouns.

Collective nouns may take singular or plural verbs according to the following rules.




Fill in the blanks with the proper forms of “be”.1) My family is (be) a happy one.2) My family are (be) interested in watching football

matches.3) The crowd were (be) shouting angrily.4) The crowd was (be) very large.5) The army is (be) well equipped.6) The army were (be) still fighting bravely despite

heavy casualties.7) The board are (be) of the opinion that the

investment should be enlarged.8) The board is (be) going to issue the regulations.

is_____

are_____

were______

was______

is_____

were______

are_____

is_____



approximately: adv.nearly

旅行大约用了七小时。


The journey took approximately seven hours.



thrill: v. excite, exhilarate


She was thrilled to find that the bouquet was for her.

The traveler thrilled us with his stories.



relentlessly: adv. mercilessly, hard

She has campaigned relentlessly to secure her husband’s release from prison.

Demand for places in the college has been rising relentlessly over the past few years.


他不断追问，毫不放松。 He went on relentlessly with his questions.

Global Reading

relent: v.1. be less strict or harsh

We shouldn’t relent in our fight against crime.

Detailed Reading



2. become less intensive

The rain relented.

Her parents had initially refused to let her go to the party, but eventually they relented.

Detailed Reading


rambling garden:a garden with plants that spread out in all directions



smooth over:make something smooth

They were arguing furiously, with Jake standing by and trying to smooth the quarrel over.

He smoothed over the differences that had arisen between them.


台布已经用熨斗烫平了。

The table cloth was smoothed over with an iron.



spotless: adj. completely clean

a spotless white shirt

a spotless reputation


她把她的卧室保持得一尘不染。

She keeps her bedroom spotless.



canopy: n. a cover (usually of cloth) fixed above a bed or seat 该词的本意为“华盖，天篷”，通常用来比喻天空。此处用来比喻白皑皑的大地。


I just look up at the stars and let the vastness of that black and twinkling canopy fill my soul.我只是仰望繁星，让那黝黑而闪烁的天穹的博大无际充满我的灵魂。



scrap: n. a small piece, bit

I mended the tear in my jeans with scraps of material from an old pair.

I’ve read every scrap of information I can find on the subject.


你有没有一张让我写点儿东西的小纸片？

Have you got a scrap of paper I could write on?



impression: n.a mark left by pressure印记，压印；印象，感想；模糊的观念；印刷，印次

My first impression of him was favourable.

Up to now the novel has sold several impressions.


我的话没有对她起丝毫作用。

My words made no impression on her.

She had the impression that they had met before.



frost: 1. n. weather at a temperature below 0℃

The wood looked beautiful — the hedges and paths were covered with frost.


2. v. to become covered in frost 结冰，结霜；使变成白霜

Our bedroom window frosted up.

Global Reading

Vocabulary Extension:fog: 雾snow: 雪hail: 雹

Detailed Reading



Word family:frosted adj. 霜白色的frosty adj. 寒冷冰冻的frostiness n. 冰霜frostily adv. 冷淡地

Global Reading

1) Gemma has had her hair frosted.2) It was apparent from the frostiness of his reply that he

didn’t want to come with us.3) She was frosty to us all evening.4) It was a cold and frosty morning and she stamped her

feet to keep warm.5) “I didn’t ask you to come,” she said very frostily.

had frosted____ _______

frostiness_________

frosty______frosty______

frostily_______

Fill in the blanks with proper words.

Detailed Reading


set in:begin and (probably) continue, become prevalent

As he had not taken enough care of the cut, a serious infection set in.

A new vogue in caps seemed to have set in.


这个地方的雨季总是来得很早，而且持续时间很长。

The rainy season sets in very early and lasts long here.

A heavy snowstorm set in before the small fishing-boat reached the shore.




cf. set in, set about & set out

set in 尤指雨、雪、坏天气、传染等的开始并可能持续下去。set about 表示“开始，着手做（某事）”，后跟名词或动名

词，且不能用于被动语态。set out 表示“开始，着手做（某事）”，后跟 to do 。

这些都是 set 的常用词组，它们共有的意思是表示“开始”。

Global Reading


1) They succeeded in what they set out to do.2) I’d like to get home before darkness sets i .3) The new government must set about finding solutions to

the country’s economic problems.

out___

in___

about______

Detailed Reading


harden: v.make sth. / sb. hard

Frost hardened the water of the puddles into ice.


Attitudes towards the terrorists have hardened even more since the attack.

be hardened (to sth.):to become used to something shocking because you have seen it many times 对……变得无动于衷

He became hardened to the suffering around him. 他对周围的苦难现象已经见怪不怪了。




lump: n.a small piece of something solid, without a particular shape块，团

Collocation:a lump of clay 一块黏土a lump of sugar 一小块方糖a lump of money 一大笔钱

cf. lump, jump, hump, bump, stump这些名词共有的部分是 -ump ，它们形式相近，但意思不同。jump 跳跃 hump 驼背 bump 肿块 stump 树桩




in a grip of: suffering from

Revolution is likely to arise in the country which is in the grip of famine.

当地的经济陷于衰退之中。

The local economy is in the grip of a recession.



tame:1. adj. dull and disappointing 没精打采的；枯燥无味2. vt. to train a wild animal to obey you and not to attack people 驯养，驯服

Bill is too tame to stand up for his own rights.


鸽子很容易驯养。

Pigeons are easy to tame.

Lions can never be completely tamed.

Global Reading

Collocation:tame a tiger 驯虎tame a river 治理一条河流a tame cat 家猫；食客；极为顺从的人

Detailed Reading


leftovers: n.food remaining uneaten after a meal leftovers 表示“残羹剩菜”的意思时是一个复数名词，后面跟动词的复数形式

The leftovers were thrown to the dog.


这样一份食物足够四个人吃的，剩下的冷食也很好。

This recipe can serve four easily, and the leftovers are just good as eaten cold.

Global Reading

leftover: adj.remaining; unused

The leftover wire was lying in the corner.

The children can use the leftover paper for scribbling.

Detailed Reading


solid: 1. adj. having a firm shape and usually hard; strong and well made 固体的，坚固的，实心的，扎实的，确实的


The lecture hall was packed solid with students. 演讲大厅里挤满了学生。戏剧课为学生的表演技术打下了扎实的基础。

The drama course gives students a solid grounding in the basic techniques of acting.

2. n. not in the form of a liquid or gas 固体


Freeze the liquid for about three hours or so until solid. 将该液体冷冻三小时左右直到变为固体。



Word family:solidify: v. to become solid or make something solid 凝固，变硬；充实，巩固，使稳固solidity: n. the strength or hardness of something 坚固，固体，硬度，巩固，可靠solidly: adv. hardly or firmly扎实地，稳固地


1) Coal is abundant, but its solidity makes it inconvenient to use — gas is less trouble.

2) My colleagues are solidly behind me on this issue.

solidity_______

solidly_______

Detailed Reading



3) He solidified his commitment to the treaty by giving a forceful speech in favor of it.

4) The agreement would give a new solidity to military co-operation between the two countries.

solidified_________

solidity_______

Detailed Reading


inadequate: adj. not enough in quantity or qualityun-, in- and dis-are negative prefixes which mean “the opposite of” or “not”.


Fill in the blanks to form antonyms.

doubtedlyunfortunatelyunhappyunlikelyunabilityincompetentin

completeindirectinappeardiscomfortdislikedisobeydis

Detailed Reading


overhauling: n. a thorough examination and repair if necessary


1. v.& n. to repair or change the necessary parts in a machine, system, etc. that is not working correctly; necessary changes or repairs made to a machine or system

彻底检修，详细检查

overhaul:

All the used cars we sell are completely overhauled first.

发动机已彻底检修过了。 The engine has been completely overhauled.

I have to take my motorbike in for an overhaul.

Detailed Reading



2. v. overtake 超过

他在最后一圈努力超过了领先的人。

He managed to overhaul the leader on the final lap.

Detailed Reading



occasionally: adv.happening from time to time

Word family:occasional adj. 偶尔的，间或的occasion n. 时机，时刻

Fill in the blanks with proper words.1) I’m in London occasionally — about once a month.2) He makes occasional appearances for the local football

team.3) The bride took the occasion to make a short speech.

occasionally____________occasional__________

occasion_________

Detailed Reading



brickwork: n.any piece of building work in which bricks are used

Detailed Reading


on order:being ordered

Jack placed / made an order for twenty oil-stoves to be sent before the end of November.


“Shall I take your orders?” the waiter asked.

Order in this context is a request made especially by a customer for something to be supplied.

Detailed Reading


lug: v. pull or carry with great effort and difficulty

I’m exhausted after lugging these suitcases all the way across London.


I don’t want to lug these shopping bags about with me all day.

Collocation:put on lugs 装腔作势，摆阔气put the lug on 敲……竹杠lug into 把不相关的事硬扯到谈话中来

Detailed Reading


furiously: adv.1. in a very angry way


2. with a lot of energy, effort, or high speed

Detailed Reading

They worked furiously all weekend, trying to get it finished on time.整个周末他们拼命工作，以求按时完成这项任务。


remains: n.1. the parts of something that are left after the rest has been destroyed or has disappeared 剩余物，残余

The remains of lunch were still on the table.


2. the parts of some ancient buildings or something else alike that are left after many years or being destroyed （古建筑等的）遗迹，废墟

The remains of a 12th-century monastery can still be seen on the site.

3. the body of someone who has died 遗体，遗骸Fifty years after he died, his remains were returned to his homeland.

Detailed Reading



More examples:the remains of a meal 残羹剩菜

the remains of a fortune

遗产the remains of an army 残兵败将

Detailed Reading



cf. remainder, rest, balance, residue, remains, leftovers这些名词共有的意思是“剩余的东西”

可以和 rest 相互替换，所指范围也较普遍； remainder还指减法中的余数。经常具体指银行户头中提取钱款后剩余的钱；（法律上偿债、遗赠等以后的）剩余遗产。特指某物经历了溶解、损耗或缩减之后剩下的东西，常用作单数。常常具体指一具尸体，同时它也指过去岁月的残留、碎片或遗迹。特指“残羹冷菜”。

remainder

balance

residue

remains

leftovers

Detailed Reading



The residue of the estate goes to his daughter.His remains lie in the churchyard.The remainder of the food will do for tomorrow.Only ten students attended the class because all the rest were off sick.He always gives the leftovers to some beggars.My bank balance isn’t very large.

residue_______

remains________

remainder__________

rest____

leftovers_________

balance________


Detailed Reading


only to do: used to express resultRewrite the following sentences, using “only to do” to express result.


He made a long speech and we were surprised to find that he showed his ignorance of the subject.

He made a long speech only to find that he showed his ignorance of the subject.

They lifted a rock but they dropped it on their own feet.

They lifted a rock only to drop it on their own feet.

They walked for three hours, but they found that they came to the wrong way.

They walked for three hours only to find that they came to the wrong way.

Detailed Reading


thaw: v.(of ice or snow) to turn into water or to melt; to let frozen food become warmer until it is ready to cook

The lake is thawing fast.


You need to thaw a frozen turkey for at least 24 hours.

cf. melt, dissolve, thaw

由于热而融化或熔化，用于金属的熔化，蜡、冰、雪、奶油等的融化。由于接触或浸泡在液体中而溶化，盐在液体中溶化，金属在酸中溶化，糖在茶水中溶化。主要用于冻结物的解冻，地面的解冻，食品的解冻。

melt

dissolve

thaw

Detailed Reading



1) Sugar dissolves in tea.

2) The ground has thawed out.

3) The snow melts in the sun.

thawed_______

melts______

dissolves__________


Detailed Reading


cart: v. carry by hand; carry in a cart

We carted all the rubbish to the bottom of the garden and burned it.


Collocation:cart around 带在身边

cart away 运走

cart off 带走

Detailed Reading


undoubtedly: adv.certainly


他所说的的确大部分都是实情。

There is undoubtedly a great deal of truth in what he says.

Detailed Reading


She devoted herself full-time to her growing business.

devoted: adj.be fond of, loving, loyal


be devoted to sb. / sth.:give someone or something a lot of love and attention; deal with, contain, or be used for only one thing

devote: v. give completely to devote oneself / sth. to sb. / sth.

Detailed Reading

He is a devoted son. （孝子）

Isabella was devoted to her brother.Here is a museum devoted to photography.

devote oneself to a noble cause



Fill in the blanks with “devoted” (adj.) or “devote” (v.).

1) “If I had my life to live over again, I would devote it to the cause of education,” the old doctor said.

2) Shaka was devoted to his mother.3) Born in a musician’s family, she was devoted to

Beethoven and Mozart even in her early childhood.4) The next period will be devoted to oral practice.

devote_______

was devoted to _______________

be devoted to _____________

was devoted to _______________

Detailed Reading


ever since:from then onever since短语作状语。它与 since 意义相同，意思是“自从……以来”，放在句子末尾。 ever since 修饰句用现在完成时， ever在这里表示强调。


Since she started her new job last year she has been much happier.

She started her new job last year. She has been much happier ever since.

Rewrite the following sentences, using “ever since”.

Detailed Reading


The couple had a serious quarrel. The wife has been away from home ever since.


Since the couple had a serious quarrel, the wife has been away from home.

The Party had new leaders. Things have been better ever since.

Since the Party had new leaders, things have been better.

Detailed Reading


Useful Expressions

Passage Dictation

Interaction Activities

Guided Writing

Additional Reading



1. 在人们的记忆里2. 穷乡僻壤3. 飕飕的寒气4. 罢工5. 售完

in living memoryin the depths of the countrya whistling stream of cold airgo on strikebe / have sold out

Useful Expressions

6. 往返 to and from


7. 一次 on one occasion8. 断断续续地 on and off9. 完好无损 come to no harm10. 非常热爱 be devoted to sb.11. 消除，掩饰 smooth over12. 翻腾 churn up13. 定购中 on order

Detailed Reading


Passage Dictation

Listen to the following passage. Altogether the passage will be read to you four times. During the first reading, which will be read at normal speed, listen and try to understand the meaning. For the second and third readings, the passage will be read sentence by sentence, or phrase by phrase, with intervals of 15 seconds. The last reading will be read at normal speed again and during this time you should check your work.

Directions:



Different events can change the balance of sea life. Red tides are an example. These can happen in oceans, rivers or lakes, anywhere in the world. What happens is that algae suddenly increase in numbers. Algae are single-celled organisms. They are a normal part of sea life.

As they spread or bloom, the water may turn red or brown. Sometimes the water does not change color at all. But deadly algae could still be present.

Some kinds of algae produce a strong poison. This can build up in shellfish that eat the algae and make them poisonous, but not kill them. Other kinds of algae may kill sea life by reducing oxygen levels in the water. In some red tides, thousands of dead fish appear on beaches.

Scientists do not know exactly why red tides happen. But they say a combination of conditions all play a part. These include water temperature, nutrients in the water and water flow. Pollution could also play a part.



Interaction Activities

As far as I’m concerned, the best ...From my point of view, the best ...I’d go for ... because ...I’d much prefer ... because ...... is preferable because ...I’d rather have ... because ...


Directions: Please talk about your favorite season in the year with your desk mate. You both describe your favorite seasons and tell the other the advantages and disadvantages of the seasons.

Expressions for reference:

Detailed Reading


Guided Writing — Précis Writing

Directions: Write a 200-word précis of “A Winter to Re-member” in which you summarize the main idea of the article with necessary details.

Expressions for reference:

* ten days, forming white canopy* great joy, frolicking* severe frost, freezing country three months* birds to be fed, water frozen in an hour* indoors: central heating inadequate, cold streams filtering

in through cracks, holes



* water pipes frozen, water to be brought in* so cold, eggs frozen* sitting in overcoats, warming up by lugging buckets of wa

ter* late March, thawing, water squirting from pipes* plumber doing repair, avoiding deluge, earning our gratitu

de



We agree with the weatherman that last winter was the worst that we remember. Snow began to fall at about the beginning of the New Year. The large soft flakes fell for about ten days, forming a spotless white canopy, to our great joy. However, the frolicking children and food-seeking birds soon turned it into a dirty grey mess. Then a severe frost set in, freezing the countryside solid for nearly three months.



Outdoors, the birds had to be fed by us and water became frozen in an hour. Indoors, it was no better. The central heating, needing overhauling, was inadequate. Streams of cold air whistled in through cracks in doors, windows and holes in walls. As a result, water pipes froze and water had to be brought in buckets from a nearby farm. Even eggs were frozen solid. We sat in our overcoats or kept ourselves warm by lugging buckets of water to and from the farm.

It thawed in late March, bringing squirts of water from the pipes. A plumber eventually saved us from drowning, thus earning our lasting devotion.



Guided Writing — Passage Writing

Directions: People in modern society live under a lot of pressure, from education, career, or family. So it is important for them to keep a good mood under whatever circumstances. Write a composition of about 200 words on the following topic:



The Importance of Keeping a Good Mood

You are to write in three parts.In the first part, state specifically what your view is.In the second part, support your view with one or two

reasons.In the last part, bring what you have written to a natural

conclusion or a summary.



In today’s increasingly competitive world it is essential to maintain

a positive attitude towards life. To put it in a metaphor, keeping a good

mood is a foundation upon which your life is built.

Keeping a good mood is important because it can help us solve

various problems in life. The following two situations can enable us to

clearly see how a positive attitude helps us cope with unpleasant things.

Take English learning for example. In our effort to grasp English,

mistakes are unavoidable. From one perspective, mistakes are

annoying, but a positive attitude can make us realize that only through

making mistakes can a learner be expected to make progress.

Sometimes one may come down with a serious cold, feeling depressed.

But a change in attitude will enable us to look at the matter from a

positive perspective. The illness may teach us the importance of health.



As we can see, keeping a good mood can help us to deal with

mistakes in the right way and find comfort in time of sorrow. Its

importance cannot be denied.



Thank you for calling the Swedish travel telephone hotline. This telephone recording offers all the travel information you need to plan a trip to Sweden. We have information about weather, transportation, lodging, and tourist activities in Sweden. To hear more information about the weather in Sweden, press one. To learn more about transportation to Sweden, press two. For lodging, press three and for tourist activities, press four. You have pressed three for information about lodging in Sweden. We have information about many kinds of lodging in Sweden. To hear more information about campsites, press one. For information on small inns, press three. To hear about large hotels in Sweden, press four, and for information about a special winter hotel in Sweden, press five.

Additional Reading

An Unusual Vacation



You have pressed five for a special winter hotel in Sweden. Probably the most interesting hotel in Sweden is called the Ice Hotel. This hotel is open only during the winter. It is located in a small town in Swedish Lapland. It’s about 125 miles inside the Arctic Circle, so the weather is very cold there in the winter. It sometimes reaches 40 degrees below freezing. In the winter, the days are also very short. On winter days there are sometimes only three hours of sunlight.

Most people visit Sweden in the summer when the weather is warm and the days are long. But adventurous travelers who are looking for an unusual vacation come to Sweden in the winter to stay at the Ice Hotel. You see, the Ice Hotel is open only during the winter because it’s made of ice and snow! Every November, when the weather is cold, the hotel is built with several rooms, all made of ice and snow. Then in the spring, when the weather gets warm, the hotel turns into water until the following winter. From December to April guests can stay at Ice Hotel, but it isn’t cheap. A room costs about two hundred dollars a night.



In the hotel, there are several different kinds of rooms. There are enough guest rooms for forty visitors to sleep there each night, and there are also some other rooms to visit. If you would like a drink, you can visit the bar. Try some of the Swedish vodka. A few drinks will be sure to warm you up! After visiting the bar, you can look at some paintings in the art gallery. The Ice Hotel also has a small church, and some guests even come to get married there! The guest rooms all have tall beds made of snow, but there are no doors on the rooms. There are also no bathrooms. If you need to use the bathroom, you must go to the nearby inn. There aren’t any closets for your clothes either. Remember, the Ice Hotel is made of ice and snow, so the rooms are always very cold.

But don’t worry about the cold. To stay warm at night, you will sleep in a very warm sleeping bag. And if you still feel cold, you can cover your sleeping bag with reindeer furs. And don’t forget to wear your hat to keep your ears warm!



In the morning, there are a few ways to warm up. First, you can go to the nearby inn and take a hot sauna. You can eat hot breakfast while you’re in the sauna. It will feel great after a cold night in the hotel.

After breakfast, there are many things you can see and do near the Ice Hotel. If you enjoy outdoor winter activities you can go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. The exercise will warm you up quickly! If you would like to try some other interesting outdoor activities, try dog sledding or snowmobiling. You can enjoy the ride and the beautiful arctic scenery. If you are interested in something more relaxing, you can go ice fishing on the frozen lake. Maybe you’ll catch some fish for your dinner!

There are also some indoor activities you can enjoy near the Ice Hotel. First, you can visit a beautiful old wooden church that was built in 1609. Then you can go into a nearby restaurant to warm up and try some of the local Swedish food.



We hope you come to Sweden and visit the Ice Hotel. If you are looking for an unusual trip, we think you’ll agree that the Ice Hotel is a nice place to stay. But you must come soon. When winter is over and the weather gets warm, the world’s only ice hotel will turn into water until the next winter comes!



TF

F

FT

F( )

Read the passage “An Unusual Vacation”. Write T for the sentences that are true and F for the ones that are false.

Directions:


( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

2. The Ice Hotel is made from ice and snow.

1. The Ice Hotel is open all year long.

3. The Ice Hotel is a cheap place to stay.

6. There are many activities to do near the Ice Hotel.

4. There are only guest rooms at the Ice Hotel.

5. The rooms are warm at night.

Detailed Reading


√√×√√√×××√

__________

__________

__________

__________

__________

__________

__________

__________

Directions: Check the things you can find in the Ice Hotel and the things you can see or do near the Ice Hotel.

1. guest rooms2. a bar3. a restaurant4. an art gallery5. a church6. beds7. doors8. a bathroom9. closets10. sleeping bags


Things in the Ice Hotel

__________

__________

Detailed Reading


√√√×√√×√×√

__________

__________

__________

__________

__________

__________

__________

__________1. a sauna2. cross-country skiing3. snowshoeing4. a museum5. dog sledding6. snowmobiling7. a shopping center8. ice fishing9. a new church10. a restaurant


Things near the Ice Hotel

__________

__________

Detailed Reading

Home Unit 12 A Winter to Remember Background Information BR_MAIN Extended Reading Warm-up Questions Free Discussion Detailed Reading Before ReadingGlobal.

Documents

home unit

ice storms wind chill

wind chill chill factor

wind chill factor

famous sayings

freezing temperature

spring ones spirit

form of ice crystals