Most of us have formed an unrealistic picture of life on a desert island. We sometimes imagine a desert island to be a sort of paradise where the sun always shines. Life there is simple and good. Ripe fruit falls from the trees and you never have to work. The other side of the picture is quite the opposite. Life on a desert island is wretched. You either starve to death or live like Robinson Crusoe, waiting for a boat which never comes. Perhaps there is an element of truth in both these pictures, but few of us have had the opportunity to find out.
  Two men who recently spent five days on a coral island wished they had stayed there longer. They were taking a badly damaged boat from the Virgin Islands to Miami to have it repaired. During the journey,their boat began to sink. They quickly loaded a small rubber dinghy with food,matches,and tins of beer and rowed for a few miles across the Caribbean until they arrived at a tiny coral island. There were hardly any trees on the island and there was no water, but this did not prove to be a problem.The men collected rainwater in the rubber dinghy. As they had brought a spear gun with them,they had plenty to eat. They caught lobster and fish every day, and,as one of them put it 'ate like kings'. When a passing tanker rescued them five days later, both men were genuinely sorry that they had to leave.
 
  参考译文：

我们许多人对于荒岛生活有一种不切实际的想法。我们有时想像荒岛是阳光终日普照的天堂。在那里，生活简单又美好。成熟的水果从树上掉下来，人们根本无需劳动。另一种想法恰恰相反。认为荒岛生活很可怕。要么饿死，要么像鲁滨孙那样，天天盼船来，却总不见船影。也许，这两种想像都有可信之处。但很少有人能有机会去弄个究竟。
   最近有两个人在一座珊瑚岛上呆了5天，他们真希望在那儿再多呆一些日子。他们驾着一条严重损坏的小船从维尔京群岛去迈阿密修理。途中，船开始下沉，他们迅速把食物、火柴、罐装啤酒往一只救生筏上装，然后在加勒比海上划行了几英里，到了一座珊瑚岛上。岛上几乎没有一棵树，也没有淡水，但这不算什么问题。他们用橡皮艇蓄积雨水。由于他们随身带了一支捕鱼枪，因此，吃饭不愁。他们天天捕捉龙虾和鱼，正如其中一位所说，吃得“像国王一样好”。 5天后，一条油轮从那儿路过，搭救了他们。这二位不得不离开那个荒岛时，还真的感到遗憾呢！

 

New words and expression 生词和短语
★desert island  荒岛
★desert  n.沙漠 vt.背弃,遗弃
★dessert  n.甜点

★unrealistic  adj.不真实

★paradise  n.天堂，乐士
-- A lot of people imagine the USA as their paradise.
Heaven  n.天堂, 天国（也指死亡 -- go to heaven）

★wretched  adj.可怜的，艰苦的
= miserable  adj.痛苦的, 悲惨的, 可怜
-- lead a wretched/miserable/terrible/dog’s life. 过着悲惨的生活。

★starve  v.挨饿（-- starve to death 饿死）
-- During the war, a large of people starved to death.
-- hungry to death  我饿得要死（即：我非常饿）

★element  n.成分

★opportunity  n.机会
golden opportunity 绝好的机会
-- Don’t miss any golden opportunities.
-- opportunity knocks only once 千载难逢的机会
chance 表机会时可以与opportunity互换（后面+of doing, 或to do）
-- I had the chance of visiting Paris. = I had the opportunity of visiting Paris.
-- He had no opportunity to see her.
chance表可能性时(= possibility), 则不可opportunity互换。
-- There is a chance that I will see him. 我有可能见到她。
-- The chances are that he will be elected the president. 他有可能当选总统。
-- The chances are that he will pass his examination next week.

★coral  n.珊瑚
★Virgin Islands  维尔京群岛
★Miami  n.迈阿密（美国最南的城市）
★Dinghy  n.救生筏，小船
★Caribbean  n.加勒比海
★spear gun  捕鱼枪
★lobster  n.龙虾
★tanker  n.油轮
★genuinely  adv.由衷地
-- He is genuinely thankful to me. 他由衷地地感谢我。
Genuine  adj.真实的, 真正的, 诚恳的
Genuineness（n.）

★Robinson Crusoe  鲁滨孙.克鲁索（小说《鲁滨孙漂流记》主人公）

★Exceptional  adj.例外的, 异常的
★Ripe  adj.熟的, 成熟的
★Fruit  n.水果, 果实, 果类, 成果
★Opposite  adj.相对的, 相反的, 对等的 n.相反的事物
★Sink  vi.沉下, (使)下沉
★Prove  vt.证明, 证实
★Spear  n.矛, 枪

 

Text 课文讲解：
What was exceptional about the two men's stay on the desert island?
Most of us have formed an unrealistic picture of life on a desert island.
form an unrealistic picture of sth  对…抱有不切实际的幻想
-- A large number of people have formed an unrealistic picture of the job.
Form（v.形成, 构成）= develop（vt.逐渐形成）
-- develop a habit = form a habit 养成一种习惯

We sometimes imagine a desert island to be a sort of paradise where the sun always shines.
imagine sth to be = imagine sth as
-- Some people imagine flying to be more dangerous than traveling by train.
-- A large number people imagine the USA as their paradise.

Life there is simple and good. Ripe fruit falls from the trees and you never have to work.
You never have to work = you needn’t work = you don’t need to work

The other side of the picture is quite the opposite.  Life on a desert island is wretched.
quite the opposite 恰恰相反  /  quite different

You either starve to death or live like Robinson Crusoe, Waiting for a boat which never comes.
Either you or I am going to the party. （谓语动词和最接近的主语保持一致）
Either come in or go out, don’t stand on the doorway.（门口, 门道）

Perhaps there is an element of truth in both these pictures, but few of us have had the opportunity to find out.
an element of truth = a bit of truth
Optimistic（adj.乐观的）                  Pessimistic（adj.悲观的, 消极的）
Two men who recently spent five days on a coral island wished they had stayed there longer.
谓语动词wish之后的宾语从句中要使用虚拟语气
1>如果表达与现在情况相反, that从句中的动词要用过去时（be 动词要用were）。
-- I wish you could drive a car. = I am sorry you can’t drive a car.
  所表达的意思是：你要是能开车就好了。（表达一种遗憾的心情）
2>如果表达与过去情况相反, that从句中的动词要用过去完成时。
-- I wish I hadn't spent so much money. = I am sorry I spend so much money.
-- I wish that you had written to him. = I am sorry you didn’t write to him.
3>如果表达与将来事实相反的情况或将来不可能实现的心愿, that从句中要使用would,
could 等情态动词的过去时形式。
-- I wish that I could go abroad tomorrow.
-- I wish that you could come here tomorrow.
4>if only要比wish更富有戏剧性和感情色彩
-- If only the weather would change. = I wish the weather would change.
  要是天气转晴该有多好啊！
-- We wish that we knew where to look for him. = If only we knew where to look for him.
要是我们知道到哪去找他该有多好啊！
-- If only we could have gone to the party. 要是我们昨天能参加那个聚会该有多好啊！
-- If only you hadn't said that. 你要是不说那句话多好啊！
-- If only you would come here tomorrow.  你明天要是能来该有多好啊！

They were taking a badly damaged boat from the Virgin Islands to Miami to have it repaired During the journey, their boat began to sink.
have it repaired （have sth done）

They quickly loaded a small rubber dinghy with food, matches, and cans of beer and rowed for a few miles across the Caribbean until they arrived at a tiny coral island.
load…with sth  把某物装载到…上
-- The workers are loading the truck with goods.
Unload（vi.卸货, 退子弹 vt.倾销, 卸）

There were hardly any trees on the island and there was no water, but this did not prove to be a problem.
hardly any = very little/few （hardly  adv.刚刚, 几乎不）
-- Hardly anybody likes him because he is so rude. 几乎没人喜欢他, 因为他非常粗鲁。
-- You hardly eat anything, what's wrong? 你几乎什么都没吃, 怎么了？
prove to be = turn out to be

The men collected rainwater in the rubber dinghy.
As they had brought a spear gun with them, they had plenty to eat.

They caught lobster and fish every day, and, as one of them put it 'ate like kings'.
Put = express
When a passing tanker rescued them five days later, both men were genuinely sorry that they had to leave.
Both men were genuinely sorry that they had to leave.
= If only we could have stayed on the desert island a little bit longer.

Special difficulties 难点
wish, if only
1> It was silly of me not to buy that dress. I wish I_____.
had bought it（显然说明的是过去的情况）
-- silly  adj.愚蠢的, 无聊的
2> You are making a lot of noise. I wish you ______.
couldn't/wouldn't make such noise.
3>It's a pity John's away. If only he_____.
 were here （强调：他在这儿, 该有多好）
　说明与现在情况相反的概念, 无论什么人称, be动词应该使用were.
4>He plays the piano so well I was at school. I wish I_____.
 could play the piano as well...
5>I never studied at all when I was at school. I wish I_____.
 had studied hard then.
6>I'm sorry I mentioned it to him. I wish I____.
 hadn't mentioned it to him.

 

Multiple choice questions 多项选择
1 In what way are the pictures we form of life on a desert island unreal?
(a)They fail to present the wretchedness of such a situation.
(b)We forget that we would be too weak to work and only imagine the pleasure of idleness.
(c)They are either unduly optimistic or unduly perrimistic.
(d)They lack any truth at all as most had brought that proved essential to their survival?
... C    要么是过度乐观, 要么是过度的悲观
unreal  adj.不真实的, 虚幻的 present  vt.介绍, 赠送, 呈现
wretchedness  n.可怜, 悲惨  idleness  n.闲散, 懒惰, 赋闲无事
unduly  adv.不适当地, 过度地, 不正当地
optimistic  adj.乐观的   pessimistic  adj.悲观的, 厌世的
2 What was the equipment the men had brought that proved essential to their survival?
(a)Tools with which they had been going to repair their boat.
(b)Food, matches and tins of beer.
(c)Rainwater, lobster and fish.
(d)A spear gun and a a rubber dinghy.
... D    essential（adj.必需的, 基本的）= very necessary  equipment  n.装备, 设备
3 What made the men wish to stay on the desert island.
(a)Discovering how pleasant life  can be fending for oneself.
(b)Having seen very few trees and no rainwater on the coral island.
(c)The fact that they were able to eat the same food as kings eat.
(d)Knowing they no longer needed to take their boat to Miami for repair.
... A    fend for oneself 独立的照料某人
4 We sometimes think of a desert island ____a sort of paradise.
(a) to be (b)as being  (c)is   (d)be
... B    think of sb/sth as…  把某人、某事看作为...
5 But____have had the opportunity to find out.
(a)we few  (b)hardly anybody  (c)little people   (d)not many
.. D    few of us 我们当中没有几个人
6  After____a few miles across the Caribbean, they arrived at a small coral island.
(a)they trees  (b)rowed  (c)rowing  (d)to row
... C    after(介词)其后要和名词、动名词搭配
-- after(连词)引导时间状语从句, 表示动作在前。（A答案变为they had rowed就对了）
7_____were scarce there and there was no water.
(a)The trees  (b)Trees  (c)Any  (d)Trees on the island
... B    Refrigerators are useful.= A refrigerator is useful.
Scarce  adj.缺乏的, 不足的, 稀有的, 不充足的
8 Both men genuinely regretted_____.
(a)their leave  (b)to have to leave  (c)having to leave  (d)they must have left.
... C    为做过的事情后悔：regret + doing    be sorry that是否可以表示后悔去做某事？
9 A desert island is ____ place.
(a)an unpopular  (b)an uninhabited  (c)a deserted  (d)a barren
... B
inhabited（adj.有人居住的）                  uninhabited（adj.无人居住的）
unpopular  adj.不流行的, 不受欢迎的
barren  adj.不生育的, 不孕的, 贫瘠的 n.荒地
10 The other side of the picture is ____different.
(a)naturally  (b)rather  (c)really  (d)entirely
... D    完全不同的 entirely different
naturally  adv.自然地, 天然地
11 But this was not ____to be a problem.
(a)demonstrated  (b)thought  (c)shown  (d)found
... D   
觉得、发现某人或某事怎么样：find sb/sth to be
-- They found the trip to be very exciting. 某人或某事被发现怎么样, 常用被动语态。
-- The car is found to be beautiful.
Demonstrate  v.论证,表明,举行,示威
12 And, as one of them____it, they 'ate like kings'
(a)expressed  (b)placed  (c)told  (d)said
... A    put it = express