Lesson 77  A successful operation

Did the doctors find out how the woman died?

The mummy of an Egyptian woman who died in 800 B.C(Before Christ基督)has just had an operation. The mummy is that of Shepenmut who was once a singer in the Temple of Thebes. As there were strange marks on the X-ray plates taken of the mummy, doctors have been trying to find out whether the woman died of a rare disease. The only way to do this(do this是only way的定语) was to operate. The operation, which lasted for over four hours, proved to be very difficult because of the hard resin which covered the skin. The doctors removed a section of the mummy and sent it to a laboratory. They also found something which the X-ray plates did not show: a small wax figure of the god Duamutef. This god which has the head of a cow was normally placed inside a mummy. The doctors have not yet decided how the woman died. They feared that the mummy would fall to pieces when they cut it open, but fortunately this has not happened. The mummy successfully survived the operation.

Summary writing

Write a summary of the passage in not more than 70 words. Write two different paragraphs using the points and connections given below.

  Doctors have just operated on the mummy of an Egyptian woman who died in 800 B.C. They wanted to find out whether she died of a rare disease. After removing a section of the mummy, they sent it to a laboratory. During the operation, they unexpectedly意外地found a small wax figure of a god. Though they were afraid the mummy would fall to pieces, it successfully survived the operation. (69 words)

  Doctors have just operated on the mummy of an Egyptian woman who died in 800 B. C., in order to find out if she died of a rare disease. They removed a section of the mummy, which they sent to a laboratory. Inside the mummy, they unexpectedly found a small wax figure of a god. They were afraid the mummy would fall to pieces, but it survived the operation. (69 words)

Composition

Write two paragraphs in about 150 words using the ideas given below:

1 A mummy disappeared from a museum --- newspaper reports --- strange stories about the mummy--- the public got alarmed惊恐的.

2 An official announcement was issued发布传下 from the museum --- scientists were studying the mummy --- it would be back in its place soon.

  A mummy disappeared from a museum. This was really good material for the newspaper reportings! According据说 to some newspaper reports, there are some strange stories about the mummy. It is the believed that this mummy is that of an Egyptian woman who died in 800 B.C. In order to find out whether the woman died of a rare disease, the doctors had given an operation to the mummy. But the public became alarmed惊恐的 when they learned this news.

  Later on, an official announcement was issued发布 from the museum, which said that some scientists were studying the mummy. They have not yet decided how the woman died, but the mummy successfully survived the operation, and it would be back to its place soon. (124 words)

Exercises

C supply since, for or age in the following sentences:

1 He stayed with us ___ two weeks.

2 She arrived two weeks ___.

3 I have not seen him ___ Monday.

4 He has been ringing up打电话 continually ___ lunchtime.

5 We waited ___ ages.

6 He left a month ___ and I have not seen him __.then.

7 It has not rained ___ March.

8 My grandparents lived here a long time ___.

9 I have not heard from him ___ 1993.

10 We have been working on this new plane ___ over a year now.

1 for

2 ago

3 since

4 since

5 for

6 ago…since

7 since

8 ago

9 since

10 for

Special difficulties

Words often confused

Study these examples:

A B.C. and A.D.(Anno 伊斯兰教新纪元, Domini主宰)

The mummy of an Egyptian woman who died in 800 B.C….

Julius Caesar died in 44B.C.

Willian the Conqueror征服者 invaded 入侵 Britain in A.D 1066.

B Skin, Leather皮革, Complexion肤色

Hard resin树脂 covered the skin.

This briefcase公文包 is made of leather.

Look at her rosy cheeks. She has a lovely complexion.,\

C Wax and Candle

A small wax figure of the god Duamutef

The lights went out so we lit candles.

Exercise

Choose the correct words in the following sentences:

1 Even though she is old , she still has a good (skin)(complexion).

2 These seat covers are made of (skin)(leather).

3 A baby’s (skin)(leather) is very soft.

4 It is pleasant to have a meal by (candle)(wax) light.

5 Homer荷马 lived around 800（A.D.）(B.C.)

1 complexion

2 leather

3 skin

4 candle

5 B. C.

Multiple choice questions

Comprehension

1 Doctors operated on the mummy___.

A to find out what the woman had died of

B to find out what was inside it

C to remove a small wax figure of the god, Duamutef

D becarse the woman died of a rare disease

A

2 The doctors ___.

A found out what they were looking for

B couldn’t prevent阻止预防 the mummy from falling to pieces

C haven’t yet found out what they were looking for

D expected to find the small wax figure inside the mummy

C

Structure

3 What did the woman die of? ___did the woman die?

A How

B Where

C What

D When

A

4 The only way to do this… There was only way ___ doing this.

A in

B of

C by

D to

B note:in 表地点； by表方式；to 引导动词不定式或作介词，表示向某个方向；只有of 引导定语。

5 The operation proved to be very difficult. It proved to be __operation.

A difficult

B the difficult

C a difficult

D difficult the

C note: a前缺冠词，d冠词位置不对。the difficult 和a difficult都有冠词，但是，根据习惯用法，当一个单数可数名词在句子中作表语时，它前面应该用不定冠词，若有形容词修饰，在该形容词前加不定冠词。只是当该名词后有定语从句或其他限定词或短语时前面才应该用定冠词，它的前面的形容词是最高级时也应用定冠词。该句中的名词operation 是可数名词，修饰它的形容词又不是最高级，前面不应该用定冠词，只能用不定冠词才合乎习惯用法。

6 It was difficult because of the hard resin ___the skin

A covered

B which covering

C in covering

D covering

D note: d中covering 是现在分词，可作定语，相当于一个定语从句which covered 或 which was covering. 现在分词作定语有主动的进行概念,过去分词作短语有被动和完成概念。 A covered 是过去分词，也可作定语，但表示被动，不合逻辑。B which covering 语法错误，应该是which was covering 才正确；c 中 in covering 不能用作定语。

7 They haven’t decided yet. They are ___ undecided.

A even

B yet

C more

D still

D note: yet只用于完成时的否定句和疑问句中。

Vocabulary

8 An operation is usually performed执行演奏by a ___.

A doctor

B dentist

C scientist

D surgeon

D note: surgeon, 外科医生

9 There were strange ___ on the X-ray plates.

A markings

B notes

C signs

D message

A note: marking 标准记号斑点疤痕 sign 迹象示意

10 They wanted to know if the woman had died of a rare___.

A illness

B pain

C ache

D hurt

A note: illness 疾病;pain, hurt ,ache疼痛

11 The operation lasted for over four hours. That’s how long it ___.

A went

B went on

C went over

D went off

B

12 There was a small wax figure in it. It was ___.

A a carving

B a shape

C a nu没ber

D a body

A note: carving雕像, shape模型