Unit 2 Robots

 

1. A robot is a machine designed to do jobs that are usually performed by humans.

Time is a popular magazine based in the U.S.

     a car made in China

       a novel adapted for a film

        canned food

        developed countries

2. make a list of any science fiction,…

  fiction: books and stories about imaginary people and events

eg: Real life is sometimes stranger than fiction.

现实生活有时比小说还离奇。

 

3. desire: n  a strong hope or wish

vt  to want sth very much

  eg: a strong desire to win

     I am filled with the desire to go back home.

  I desire to go back home.

 

        Satisfaction Guaranteed

Try to answer the following questions

1. What is Claire’s relationship to Larry？

2. What does Tony look like?

3. Can you describe Claire’s changing attitudes to Tony?

4. How did Tony protect Claire or her feelings? For example….

 

2. It was going to be tested out by Larry’s wife, Claire.

3. Larry persuaded her that the robot wouldn’t harm her or allow her to be harmed.

persuade sb to do …

persuade sb into doing sth

try/manage/fail to persuade sb…

persuade somebody (that)…从句

= convince sb that…

* Parents should not allow their children to harm others or to be harmed by others.

 

4. However, when she first saw the robot, she felt alarmed.

==However, the first time she saw the robot, she felt worried or frightened

 

When … for the first time

==the first time 杂牌连词

[详解 目标 Page50]

alarm: n.  警报, 警报器, 惊恐

      Vt 使 ….惊恐 害怕

eg:  fire  alarm

alarm clock

Environmentalists are alarmed by the increase in pollution.

The rainforest is disappearing at an alarming rate.

 

5. He seemed more like a human than a machine.

  more A than B: 与其说B不如说A

eg: He is more brave than wise.

   I am more angry than frightened.

   He is more a businessman than a movie star.

6. Claire thought it was ridiculous to be offered sympathy by a robot.

 ridiculous : very silly or unreasonable

 eg: I'd  look ridiculous in a dress like that.

7. She told him she was overweight and this made her feel unhappy.

over--:作为前置词缀，表示“ 过度，过多”

1). overcrowded:

eg: The classroom is overcrowded.

2). overeat:

eg: Some people can overeat without putting on much weight.

 3). overreact:

eg: It's normal for parents to overreact to their child getting hurt.

 

拓展： oversleep/overstay/overwork

 

6. She looked at his fingers with wonder as they turned each page and suddenly reached for his hand.

  reached for: to move your arm in order to touch or lift sth with your hand:

eg: Kelly reached for his gun.

7. How absurd, she thought.

 absurd: completely stupid or unreasonable [= ridiculous]

eg: It seems quite absurd to expect anyone to drive for 3 hours just for a 20 minute meeting.

8. accompany: vt

eg: Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

companion:   sb you spend a lot of time with, especially a friend:

eg: His dog became his  closest companion.

I felt nervous in the company of such an important man.

9. How awful to be discovered by her.

awful: very bad or unpleasant [= terrible]:

eg:  The weather was awful.

10. By the amused and surprised look on her face, Claire ….

amuse : to make sb laugh or smile

eg: He made funny faces to amuse the children.

 The children were _____ by his making _____ faces.

11. Gladys was everything Claire wanted to be.

12. Tony worked steadily on the improvements.

steady: continuing or developing gradually or without stopping, and not likely to change

eg: Paul is making steady progress.

We drove all day at a steady 65 miles an hour.

13. The clock struck eight.

strike: struck-- struck

① if a clock strikes one, two, six etc, its bell makes a sound once, twice, six times etc according to what time it is:

eg: The church clock began to strike twelve.

②③④

14.Tony folded his arms around her, bending??? his face close to hers.

15. She cried out “Tony” and then heard him declare that he didn’t want to leave her the next day and that he felt more than just the desire to please her.

“more than …”结构

more than +数词：数量上超过

more than+adj: very

 

 

16. What a sweet victory to be envied by those women.

envy: vt to wish that you had sb else's possessions, abilities 羡慕

eg: He envied Rosalind her youth and strength.

[拓展] envious= jealous: feeling angry and unhappy because someone has something that you wish you had

eg: I see people who have opportunities I don't have, and I get envious of them.