Language Study
Reading 1 The Dreams of Eduardo Ortega
1. In it was his dream. (para.1) His dream was in it. (the envelop)
The word order (verb + subject) in this sentence is called inversion. This kind of inversion is called full inversion, which usually appears in the short sentences that begin with an adverb indicating either the place (here, there) or the direction (away, out, in, down, up, off, back, forth, etc.) or a noise (bang, etc.).
eg. Here caomes the bus. / Away ran the boy. / Bang went the gun.
Another kind is partial inversion, which is found regularly in sentences beginning with a negative expression_r(never, only, hardly, etc.)
eg. Hardly had he sat down when the telephone rang.
Only by chance did I realize I misunderstood her.
2. But now, he was too nervous to open it. (para.1)But now, he was very nercous so that he could not open it.
too … to … ( or too … for sb. to do srh.): 太……以至于不能……
eg. The box is too heavy for me to lift.
After walking all day, he was too tired to go any farther.
3. This is everything. (para.2)
be every thing: to be of the greatest importance最重要的东西
eg. She is beautiful , I agree, but beauty is not everything.
   Her children are / mean everything to her.
now, compare the following two expressions:
be something: tobe very good or impressive重要的事物或人
eg. Running your own company after you graduate from the university is really something.
   It is something tobe home again safely.
be nothing: to be unimportant无关紧要的人或事
eg. Politics meant nothing to him for years
   There technical words mean nothing to a five-year-old boy.
4. But Eduardo was no longer a boy. (para. 3)
no longer ( or not any longer): not any more; formerly but not now (it is used when something used to happen or was true in the past but does not happen or is not true now) 不再、不复
eg. He no longer lives here. /  He does not live here any longer.
   The theory that the earth is flat is no longer true.
5. In the mirror, he saw the scars on his hands, arms, and face. (para.3)
scar n. & v.
1) (to leave ) a permanent mark on the skin (肉体的) 伤痕，疤痕
eg. He had a long, curved scar on his right cheek.
   His hands were badly scarred by the fire.
2) (to leave with) a feeling of fear or sadness that continues for a long time (心灵的)创伤
eg. The little girl was scarred by her father’s suicide.
   Generally speaking, children will be scarred by their parents’ divorce.
1. He remembered the long hours working in the fields, picking strawberries and beans. (para. 3)
Compare the differences between remember and remind:
1) remember +sb. / sth.
eg. I hope all the students will remember their teachers
   I cannot remember his name.
   Do you remember what time he’s arriving?
2) remember doing sth.: to have the memory that sth. has been done.
eg. I remembered meeting her at a party once.
He remembered his father bringing home a huge Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
3) remember to do sth.: not to forget sth. that one must do.
eg. Remember to bring your PE. attire with you to school.
   I remembered to post your letter on my way home.
4)  remind + sb. (to do sth.) / remind sb. of sth. : to cause sb. to remember ( to do sth.); to cause sb. to think of sth.
eg. Remind me to call Kim tomorrow.
   Thomas reminded us that Dad was still waiting in the study.
   Being on the farm reminded me of my childhood.
   I reminded myself of my promise.
… picking strawberries and beans: “picking” is a present participle used as an adverb indicating how Eduardo worked.
A sentence with a similar structure is the last sentence in para.12: One day, he would be a pilot, flying every day to all the exciting places in the world.
eg. The children came into the classroom, singing and laughing.
   He sat on the sofa, watching the TV.
2. Eduardo became much more than a child worker. (para.4) Eduardo was not just a child worker. This sentence implies what Eduardo did was much more than what an ordinary child worker did.
more than
1) not just
eg. A science is more than a large amount of information on some subject.
   During his lifetime, he was more than a teacher at school.
2) rather than
eg. It is his manner that I dislike more than anything else.
I was more angry than frightened.
3) over
eg. Our plane took off more than two hours late.
   More than a quarter of the students never finished their courses.
4) very
eg. The store keeper is more than happy to deliver goods to the homes of the local residents.
   The teacher is more than kikely to cancel the test this time.
8. Eduardo studied, read, and wrote poetry and short stories. (para.4)
poetry: n. [U] poems in general
eg. He reads a lot of poetry.
poem: n. [C] piece of writing in verse form
eg. I decided to write a poem about how I felt when I came to my university for the first time.
poet: n. someone who writes poems
eg. He dreams to be a poet in the future.
9. Eduardo achieved one of his dreams … (para.5)
achieve v.
1) to successfully complete sth. or get a good result, especially by workig hard完成，实现，达到
eg. She eventually achieved her goal of becoming a dancer.
   Wilson has achieved considerable success as an artist.
2) to be successful in a particular kind of job or activity成功
eg. We want all out students to achieve success in their chosen professions.
   Even some smart children do not achiece in school.
achievement n.
1) [U] successful accomplishment达到，完成，实现，成就，成功
eg. a sense of achievement
   the achievement of one’s aim
2) [C] sth.done successfully with great effort业绩，伟业
eg. The test measures students’ achievements in listening, reading and writing.
   His great achievement was uniting all the players into a team.
10. As he flew, he felt free from his life of hard work in the fields. (para. 3)
free (a.) from / of: not controlled by; not containing摆脱了……的；无……的
eg. Being a little boy, he longed to be free of his family.
   All our drinks are free from artificial coloring and flavoring.
free (v.) from / of: to release; not to control; to relieve使自由，解放，是摆脱
eg. All the victims have now been freed from the wreckage.
   He hoped that this new medicine would free his patients from pain.
for free: without charge免费
eg. He offered to do the work for free.
   My neighbor often cleans my car for free.
set free: to release; liberate释放，自由
eg. to set freethe hostages释放人质
   They have called on the government to set all political prisoners free.
11. He promised himself not to return to that life. (para.5)
promise v.
1) to tell sb. that one will definitely do答应，允诺
eg. She’s promised to do all she can to help the poor students.
   Hurry up — We promised we wouldn’t be late.
   You’ve promised me that you will help me in my English.
2) to show signs of sth. 有……的可能，有希望
eg. Dark clouds promise showers later.
   It promises to be warm tomorrow.
3) I promise you: (spoken) to emphasize a promise, warning, or statement
eg. I promise you, it will work!
   I won’t go there again, I promise you!
promise n.
1) statement or declaration that sth. will or will not be done承诺
eg. a promise of help帮助的承诺
   to give / make / keep / break a promise
   He made a promise to his parents that he would visit them once a month.
2) hope of good results or success希望，出息
a young man full of promise
Bill made a promise to his parents that he would visit them once a month.
promising a. showing signs of being successful or good in the future有希望的，有前途的
eg. a promising career in law / a promising start / a promising actor
12. He was on the honor roll. (para.7) His name was listed among the top students.
roll n. a neme list
eg. to call the roll / roll-call 点名
the electoral roll (BrE.) / the voter roll (AmE.) 选民名单
13. Teachers praised him for his organization and intelligence. (para.7)
praise sb. for sth.: to speak with approval of; say that one admires为……而表扬
eg. The mayor praised the rescue team for its courage.
   The teacher praised Tom for helping the blind man cross the street.
intelligence n. the ability to learn, understand, and think about things智力，智慧，理解力
eg. IQ: intelligence 智商
   artificial intelligence 人工智能
   John showed high intelligence at an early age.
intelligent a. with a high level of mental ability and being good at understanding ideas and thinking clearly 聪明的，有理解力的
eg. a group of highly intelligent students / an intelligent question
clever / smart a. good at learning or understanding things quickly
bright a. used especially to describe young people
brilliant a. extremely intelligent and doing very good work
gifted a. used especially to describe children who are extremely intelligent
wise a. used to describe a person who has a lot of experience and knowledge and can give good advice.
cunning / crafty a. good at using one’s intelligence to trick people
genius n. someone who is extremely intelligent and has great ideas
intellectual n. someone who is well-educated and interested in art, science, or literature at a high level.
intelligentsia n. a country’s intellectuals, considered as a class
13. He tore open the envelop and began reading the letter inside. (para.8)
Here “open” is an adjective used as the object complement. the sentence can be written as “He tore the envelop open (he envelop was open)…”
eg. He was so angry that he threw the door open and ran down the stairs.
  The door flew open and a noisy group burst in.
tear n.
in tears: crying 在哭着，流着泪
eg. The players were all in tears when they heard that they had lost the game.
   The child had lost his backpack and was almost in tears.
tear v.
tear at: to pulol violently at sb. or sth. 撕扯
eg. He tore at the wrapping of the parcel.
   The two children were screaming and tearing at each other’s hair.
tear away: to make sb. leave with difficulty （使）勉强离去
eg. We were having such a good time that I had trouble tearing myself away from the party.
   Tom’s mother finally managed to tear him away from the TV.
tear down: to destroy a building deliberately 拆除、拆掉
eg. They tore down the old library when I passed there.
A lot of old one-story houses have been torn down to make way for new housing.
tear into: 1) to criticize sb. very strongly and angrily 抨击
eg. From time to time, she would really tear into her staff.
        2) attack ab. by hitting hard 攻击
eg. The army tore into the enemy.
tear up:
1) to tear ( a piece of paper or cloth ) into small pieces 把（纸，布）撕碎
eg. She tore up his letter and threw it away.
2) to cancel ( an agreement, a contract, etc.) 撕毁（合同、协议等）
eg. to tear up the peace agreement; to tear a contract up
15. It was the answer to his application to the state university. (para.8)
answer to + n. / gerund
eg. the answer to the question
   This letter was also the the beginning of the answer to his dream of becoming a pilot.
Look at the other phrases of “n. + prep.”
access / appeal / approach / attention / attribution / clue / credit / damage / danger / devotion / indifference / invitation / preface / proportion / reaction / response / solution to
application n.
a formal, usually written request for sth. such as a job a place at university, or permission to do sth. 申请，申请表，申请书
eg. a job application / to fill in the application form / to accept sb.’s application / to reject sb.’s application / a letter of application
The university welcomes application from overseas students.
   He has made an application to the university for the teaching post.
apply ( to sb. ) ( for sth. ) v. to formally ask for  申请，请求
eg.  I applied to four unversities and was accepted by all of them.
She applied for a job with the local newspaper.
Reading 2 Rules in the College Classroom
16. What are your responsibilities as a student in a college classroom?
responsibility n.
responsibility (for): a duty to be in charge of sb. / sth. 指责，责任
eg. My responsibilities include answering the phone and dealing with customers’ enquiries.
It is your responsibility to inform us of any changes.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for yesterday’s bombing
responsible a.
1) responsible (to sb.) for (sth.): in charge of 承担责任的，需负责人的
eg. The airline is legally responsible for the safety of its passengers.
   You should be responsible to the passengers for their safety.
   He is responsible for training new staff.
2) trustworthy 负责可靠的，有责任感的
eg. Please give the job to a responsible man.
   You may leave the children with your neighbor — he is very responsible.
3) involving the obligation to make decisions 责任重大的，重要的
eg. He is too young for such a responsible job.
   He finally got a responsible position in the company.
17. First, you should be prepared for class. (para.2)
1) be prepared for: to be ready to do sth. or deal with a situation 准备，预备
eg. I wasn’t prepared for all their questions.
   As there was no news, we were prepared for the worst.
2) be prepared to do sth.: to be willing to do sth., especially sth. diffcult or sth. that you do not usually do 原意
eg. You hae to be prepared to take risks in this kind of work.
   The teacher told te students that he wasn’t prepared to accept any excuses for then being late.
18. Read your assignments and finish your homework before coming to class. (para. 2)
assignment n. [C] a piece of work that a student is asked to do 指定的作业
homework n. [U] work that a student is asked to do at home 家庭作业
eg. a history assignment vs. history homework
   the homework assignments
   do / start / finish your homework ( do not say “write / make your homework”)
19. Next, you should be punctual and attend class regularly. (para.2)
regularly ad. regular a. regularity n.
1) happening repeatedly in a fixed pattern, with equal time or distance between one and the next 有规律，定期，规则
eg. We meet regularly, once a month.
   Trees are planted at regular distance along the avenue.
   The regularity of the design gets boring after a while.
2) happening or doing sth. very often 经常
eg. Regular exercise helps keep your weight down.
   It’s important to exercise regularly.
   His mother reads these books with amazing regularity.
20. Don’t walk around… (para.2) Don’t leave your seat or walk around the classroom.
(all) around: inevery direction, here and there 到处，周围 = about
eg. He wandered around the street, looking into shop windows.
   Since it’s your first day here, would you like me to show you around?
21. Make sure that … / of doing sth.:
1) to find out if sth. is true or to check that sth. had been done 查明，弄清楚
eg. Did you lock the front door? — I think so, but I’d better make sure.
   I wanted to make sure you were still all right.
2) to do sth. in order to be certain of the result 务必
eg. There aren’t many tickets left for the film; you’d better make sure of one / make sure that you get one today.
   I’ll walk you home, just to make sure no one bothers you.
22. At some colleges, you may be dropped for not attending classes, … (para.4)
drop v. drop out dropout n.
drop: to stop, give up 停止，放弃
eg. You cannot expect me to drop everything whenever you come back
   Those science students are allowed to drop history in Grade 2.
drop out:
1) to leave school or university before the term has ended 退学
eg. Bill dropped out of school after his first year.
   He was dropped from university because he had failed five courses.
2) not to take part in 退出
eg. He dropped out of that football team after the traffic accident.
   The group gets smaller as members drop out.
dropout n. a student wo leaves school before finishing the required courses 退学者
eg. As a high school dropout, he is unlikely to get a decent job.
23. If you miss a class, you must find out what you missed. (para.4)
find out: to get information after trying to discover it or get it by chance
eg. Did you find out whether there are any seats left?
   I just found out that they cheate in the exam.
compare find out and find:
eg. He promised to find me a good job. (get by searching)
   We found a very good bar near our university. (see by chance)
   I found him difficult to get along with. (feel or know by experience)
   I think you’ll find more women entering the film business now. (find sb. doing sth.)
   He found out the answer all by himself. (get the knowledge by effort)
24. Being late distracts the other students and the instructor. (para.5)
distract: to take one’s attention away from sth. 分散注意力，干扰
eg. Turn down the radio. Don’t distract the other students.
   The noise of the TV distracted me from my reading.
25. If you come to class late, make as little noise as possible. (para.5) If you come to class late, try to be as quiet as you can.
as … as possible: as … as one can
eg. Come to school as quickly as possible.
   The original features of the house have been preserved as much as possible.
   Don’t say “… as possible as one can.”
26. Another important aspect of punctuality is handing work in on time. (para.5)
hand in: to give sth. to sb. in charge
eg. Tom handed in his term paper late.
   Mr. Black has handed in his resignation. 布莱克先生已经递交了辞职报告。
on time: at the correct time or the time that was arranged
eg. Jack was worried whether he was able to get to the train station on time.
   The plare arrived right on time.
27. Know what your instructors expect of yo (para.6)
expect of sb.: to think naturally that sb. can do better (理所当然地)期望
eg. His parents expect a lot of him.
   Don’t be too hard on your son. You are expecting too much of him.
28. This syllabus includes attendance and gradng policies and addignment schedules. (para.6)
schedule n. a plan of what to do and when to do
eg. The mahority of holiday flights depart and arrive on schedule. (at the planned time)
   Mary finished her new book ahead of schedule. ( before the planned time)
The train arrived ten minutes behind schedule. ( after the planned time)
29. Finish your homework before class and be ready to hand in any work due. (para.7)
be ready to do sth. / for sth.: to be prepared to do sth. / for sth. 准备好
eg. Everything’s packed, and we are ready to leave
   Why dows it take you so long to get changed?
   I don’t feel I’m ready for my driving test yet.
due a. expected to arrive or happen at a particular time 预期的，赢到的
eg. His new novel is due to be published next month.
   When is the plane due to fly to San Francisco.