《新标准大学英语》word版

Unit 1 Active reading (1)Catching crabsLanguage points1 and we all started to get our heads down (Para 1)To get ones head down means to concentrate and focus on studying. In other British informal contexts,it can mean to sleep. Note also, to keep ones head down means to continue to do something quietly,especially when there is trouble happening around you.Unit 1 Discovering yourself2 Most important of course were the final exams in April and May in the following year. (Para 1)This is a conversational elliptical sentence. A standard way of saying this is: The most important things,of course, were the final exams in April and May in the following year.3 No one wanted the humiliation of finishing last in class, so the peer group pressure to work hardwas strong. (Para 1)Peer group pressure is the pressure to conform that people, especially children and young people, oftenfeel from the immediate group of those around them who are of the same age or status.4 Libraries . were standing room only until the early hours of the morning, and guys wore the bagsunder their eyes and their pale, sleepy faces with pride, like medals proving their diligence. (Para 1)The expression standing room only means there are no more seats available because the place is crowded.This expression is often used in public performances, for sports events and on public transport to meanthat you have to stand because the place is packed with people.Bags under their eyes refer to loose dark areas of skin that you get when you have not had enough sleep.The expression guys wore the bags under their eyes with pride means that the students were proud thattheir tired appearance showed how hard they had been studying, and the bags under their eyes were likemedals.5 It wasnt always the high flyers with the top grades who knew what they were going to do. (Para 2)A high flyer refers to someone who has achieved a lot and has the ability and determination to continue tobe successful in their studies or job. In university, a high flyer is a top student.6 Quite often it was the quieter, less impressive students who had the next stages of their life mappedout. (Para 2)To have something mapped out means to have something that will happen planned in detail.7 One had landed a job in his brothers advertising firm in Madison Avenue, another had got a scriptunder provisional acceptance in Hollywood. (Para 2)To land a job means to get a job that you wanted.Provisional acceptance refers to an acceptance which is arranged (in principle), but is not yet definite. Itis temporary and could be changed.8 The most ambitious student among us was going to work as a party activist at a local level. (Para 2)A party activist is someone who takes part in activities that are intended to achieve political change,someone who is a member of a political organization.9 We all saw him ending up in the Senate or in Congress one day. (Para 2)To end up somewhere means to be in a particular place or state after doing something or because of it.Here, a party activist might end up in Congress, as a result of making career progress.10 But most people were either looking to continue their studies and then settle down with a family,a mortgage and some hope of promotion. (Para 2)To look to continue their studies here means to hope or expect to continue their studies whether theycan do so would probably depend on their exam results and grades. You can also look to someone forhelp, advice or support.Discovering yourself Unit 1A mortgage is a legal agreement in which you borrow money from a bank or financial organization inorder to buy a house. You pay back your mortgage by making monthly payments, plus interest. Thus,getting a mortgage for many young people means getting a flat or house of their own.11 I braced myself for some resistance to the idea. (Para 10)A brace is a piece of wood or metal which supports an object so that it does not fall down. So to braceoneself means to hold oneself together in readiness for something difficult or unpleasant.12 You dont need to go into a career which pays well just at the moment. (Para 16)To go into a career means to start working in a particular job, business or career.13 Several times the crab tried to defy his fellow captives, without luck. (Para 25)The crab tried to defy the others as it resisted others or refused to obey them when it tried to escape.The expression without luck means without success, being unable to do what you want.Reading and understanding3 Choose the best summary of what happened in the crab cage.3 The cage was full of crabs. One of them was trying to escape, but each time it reached the top the othercrabs pulled it back. In the end it gave up trying and started to prevent other crabs from escaping.4 Choose the best answer to the questions.1 What happened to the students in the fall of the final year?(a) They became more relaxed.(b) They became more serious.(c) They spent more time outside.(d) They stopped going to lessons.2 Why did some people have bags under their eyes in the morning?(a) Theyd been to an all-night party.(b) Theyd started worrying about their future.(c) Theyd spent all night in the library.(d) They wanted to impress their teachers.3 Which students had already planned their future?(a) The ones who had the best grades.(b) The ones who came from wealthy families.(c) The quieter ones who didnt have the best grades.(d) The ones who wanted to get married and start a family.4 Why did the writer go home?(a) He wanted to speak to his father.(b) He could study better at home than at college.(c) He had to attend a job interview.(d) It was a national holiday.Unit 1 Discovering yourself5 Why did his father take him out to catch crabs?(a) They needed to get something to eat for dinner.(b) He wanted to show him how to catch crabs.(c) He wanted to tell him something about life.(d) They both wanted to enjoy the coastline and the sea.6 What advice did his father give him?(a) Get to know yourself better.(b) Watch what others do carefully.(c) Always listen to your father.(d) You cant always do what you want.Dealing with unfamiliar words5 Match the words in the box with their definitions.1 achieving good results (productive)2 the fact of being present at an event, or of going regularly to school, church etc (attendance)3 the refusal to accept something new, such as a plan, idea, or change (resistance)4 determined to be successful, rich, famous etc (ambitious)5 agreement to a plan, offer, or suggestion (acceptance)6 the written words of a play, film, television programme, speech etc (script)7 very good, large, or showing great skill (impressive)6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 5.To be a successful film scriptwriter takes more than training although (1) attendance on a screenwritingcourse will definitely help you learn the skills. You also need to be very (2) ambitious the film businessis very competitive. You have to be prepared to work hard and be very (3) productive because it takesmore than just one good idea to make it big. No matter how (4) impressive your idea is, there willalways be (5) resistance from producers because its too expensive. So make sure you have plenty ofothers to show them. What are you waiting for? Get on with writing that brilliant (6) script and plan your(7) acceptance speech for when you win your first Oscar!7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words in the box.1 Weve seen a place we like and were applying for a loan to buy a house. (mortgage)2 We stood on the top floor of the boat and watched the coast disappear into the horizon. (deck)3 I love to walk along the beach and watch the waves breaking, and the white water hitting the shore. (surf)4 In seaside areas in the north-east of the country, life is hard and fishermen have to go against the forcesof nature every time they go to work. (coastal; defy)5 Agreement was finally reached after a long and heated discussion. (lengthy)8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.1 If you watch an impromptu performance of something, has it (a) been prepared, or (b) not beenprepared?2 When you map out your future, do you (a) plan it carefully, or (b) draw a sketch of it on paper?Discovering yourself Unit 13 If you brace yourself for something unpleasant, do you (a) try not to think about it, or (b) prepareyourself for it mentally and physically?4 Do you moor a boat by (a) turning the steering wheel, or (b) tying it to a post with a rope?5 Is a rusty piece of metal something that (a) is bright and shiny, or (b) might have been left out in the rainand is covered with brown substance?6 If a bowl is brimming with soup, is it (a) very full, or (b) half empty?7 If someone is being held captive, are they (a) free to do as they please, or (b) being kept as a prisoner?8 If you have figured out something, have you (a) added numbers together, or (b) understood it?Active reading (2)2 Work in pairs. Look at the title of the passage and choose the best way to complete the sentences.1 The passage will be (c) .(a) a newspaper article about life expectancy(b) a sad story about death(c) advice about how to make the most of your life(d) a warning that modern lifestyles are bad for healthUnit 1 Discovering yourself122 The passage is likely to be (d) .(a) serious(b) funny(c) depressing(d) a mixture of all three3 The passage is likely to say (b) .(a) young people dont think enough about death(b) life is short(c) people are dying unnecessarily(d) people dont enjoy life enoughWe are all dyingBackground informationThe passage is taken from Everything That Happens to Me Is Good, a book of thoughts, experiences andinsights from the life of Geoff Thompson. The writer worked in many different jobs, including nine yearsas a “bouncer” in a nightclub in London (a bouncer has the tough job of making sure that no one causestrouble, eg if they are rude, drunk or violent). He then trained full-time in karate, judo and other martial artsand became well-known as a martial arts instructor. He lived out his dream to become a writer, authoringover 30 books on self-defence and self-improvement and has recently been making films and writing for thescreen. Asked what he had learnt from his years in martial arts, he said, “The main thing Ive learned is thatwherever there is discomfort there is growth, but what people do is to look for growth in areas of comfort and theres no growth in comfort. So look for areas of growth that are uncomfortable but allow you to grow,and learn to become comfortable in those areas.”Language points1 I have some good news and some bad news for you (as the joke goes). The bad news and Im verysorry to be the bearer is that we are all dying. Its true. Ive checked it out. (Para 1)Good news and bad news are often paired together in jokes and in comments on new information or recentevents where there is a mixture of positive and negative aspects, eg The good news is But the badnews is To check something out means to examine something or someone in order to be certain that everything iscorrect, true, satisfactory or acceptable. Check this out! is an attention-getting exclamation which meansheres something interesting to have a look at.2 we are all going to be either coffin dwellers or trampled ash in the rose garden of some localcemetery. (Para 1)Coffin is a long box in which a dead person is buried. The expression coffin dweller is a humorous way torefer to dead people.The expression trampled ash in the rose garden of some local cemetery refers jokingly to the ashes of adead person placed in a cemetery garden where people walk on the buried ashes.Discovering yourself Unit 1133 After all, we never quite know when the hooded, scythe-carrying, bringer-of-the-last-breath mightcome-a-calling. (Para 1)The expression the hooded, scythe-carrying, bringer-of-the-last breath refers to the reaper, a person whoreaps or cuts corn for the harvest and is a symbol of death from medieval times of the West. A reaper ispersonified as a tall figure dressed in a black cloak with a hood covering his face and carrying a scythe,a cutting tool with a long curved metal blade used for cutting, or reaping long grass or corn. The reaperbrings death or brings your last breath. The expression when the reaper arrives means when death comesto you.4 and nothing underlines the uncertainty and absolute frailty of humanity like the untimely exit ofa friend. (Para 1)The word exit here means leaving this world or death. The word untimely means happening at a time thatis not suitable because it causes problems. An untimely death is too soon or when a person is young.5 Knowing that we are all budding crypt-kickers takes away all the uncertainty of life. (Para 3)That we are all budding crypt-kickers is a humorous way of saying that we are all potentially soon to beburied, ie dead.6 The prologue and epilogue are already typed in. All thats left is the middle bit . choose the meat ofthe story. (Para 3)A prologue is a piece of writing at the start of a book, or the beginning of a play, film or TV programmethat introduces a story. An epilogue is at the end of a novel, play or piece of writing, which carries an extracomment or extra information about what happens after the main story. Here, the writers point is that theprologue (birth) and epilogue (end, death) of your life are already written, but we all choose to write themiddle bit the meat of the story.7 So, all those plans that you have on the back burner, you know, the great things youre going to dowith your life “when the time is right”? (Para 4)A back burner is literally one of the back parts of a cooker which is used for heating or cooking food.Metaphorically, if you put something on the back burner, it means you have decided not to do it untillater. It is at the back of the cooker, just simmering or cooking slowly, so you dont give it priority becauseit doesnt need your full attention. The expression this back-burner stuff (Para 10) thus refers to thingswhich have low priority and get little attention.8 Theres only a promissory note that we are often not in a position to cash. (Para 5)A promissory note is a document giving details of your promise to pay someone a particular amount ofmoney by a particular date. The writer means that tomorrow, or the future, is like a promissory note forwhich you never get the cash, because the future never comes unless you act now and use time wisely, asif tomorrow is today.9 but regret and a rear-view mirror full of “could haves”, “should haves” and “would haves”. (Para 5)A rear-view mirror is a mirror fixed to the front window of a car that lets the driver see what is happeningbehind. Here, the mirror refers to the past, which is behind us. We dont want such a mirror full of regretsabout things we could / should / would have done, but did not do.Unit 1 Discovering yourself1410 I love watching people ingeniously stack the cucumber around the side of the bowl like theyrefilling a skip and then cramming it so high that they have to hire a forklift truck to get it back tothe table They just know that they only have one shot at it. (Para 6)A skip is a large metal container used in the building industry for waste; it is carried away by a truckwhen it is full.A forklift truck is a vehicle that uses two long metal bars at the front for lifting and moving heavy objects.The writer is using the images of a skip and a truck to emphasize how people use the opportunity to servethemselves, because they only have one shot they only have one chance or attempt, they cant return formore salad in this type of buffet, so they make the most of this opportunity.11 So what Im thinking is (and this is not molecular science) (Para 10)It means this is not specialized knowledge. Its not rocket science; its simple and straightforward.12 The right time is the cheque thats permanently in the post, it never arrives. (Para 10)That the cheque is in the post means money has been sent, its on its way. This is often said as an excusefor late payment, so if the cheques permanently in the post, it means the money never comes.13 Its the girl who keeps us standing at the corner of the Co-op looking like a spanner Shes stoodus up. (Para 10)The expression looking like a spanner on the street corner means he looks awkward and out of place,waiting for a girl who is late and never arrives.To stand someone up means not to come to meet them when you have arranged to meet them, especiallysomeone with whom you are having or starting a romantic relationship. The word us is an informal andpersonal way to include others who will recognize that this is a typical experience.14 Act now or your time will elapse and youll end up as a sepia-coloured relative that no one can puta name to in a dusty photo album. (Para 13)The expression youll end up as a sepia-coloured relative means that in the end you will be only anold half-forgotten photograph in a photo album. I cant put a name to someone is said when you halfrecognizea person but you cant quite remember his name.15 Better to leave a biography as thick as a whale omelette than an epitaph. (Para 14)An omelette is flat round food made by mixing eggs together and cooking them. The expression as thickas a whale means extremely thick. The writer means it is better to leave a very large biography than anepitaph, or, in other words, live a full life which is worth writing about.Reading and understanding3 Choose the best summary of the passage.3 Life is short. So theres no point in planning for a future which may never come. Now is the time to dowhat we want to do. Theres no time to lose.Dealing with unfamiliar words4 Match the words in the box with their definitions.1 involving three things of the same kind (triple)2 an area of ground where dead people are buried (cemetery)Discovering yourself Unit 1153 the part of a place or thing that is at the back (rear)4 a book that someone writes about someone elses life (biography)5 to put people or things into a space that is too small (cram)6 at the very beginning of a career and likely to be successful at it (budding)7 continuing only for a limited time or distance (finite)8 to pass (elapse)5 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in Activity 4.1 About two hours elapsed before we reached the cemetery where the war dead were buried.2 I sat in the rear seat behind the driver. My three sisters were all crammed in the front.3 The entrance to the car park was blocked, so the road was full of cars which had been triple-parked oneagainst another, making it almost impossible to get past.4 We have a number of budding authors in our class this year, one of whom has written a fascinatingbiography of his grandmother.5 The time we have on this earth may be finite, but there are no limits to the human imagination.6 Answer the questions about the words.1 If you substantiate a claim, do you (a) prove it is true, or (b) persuade someone that it is true?2 If someone tramples over something, do they (a) pour water over it, or (b) walk all over it?3 If someones arrival is untimely, is it (a) at the wrong moment, or (b) late?4 If events are described chronologically, do they occur (a) in the order in which they happened, or (b) inno particular order?5 Is ingeniously likely to mean (a) artistically, or (b) cleverly?6