Unite 4

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT

In Unit 4 you will be expected write simple, compound并列的 and complex复杂的statements陈述, you will have less help than you had in the previous先前的 Units.

  Before you begin each exercise, read these instructions指令 carefully. Read them each time you begin a new piece. They are very important.

How to work---Summary writing

Unit 4 contains twenty-four short passages. There are no Comprehension 理解questions these passages. Instead, you will find the answers to imaginary假设 questions. These ‘answers’ have been written in note form 用笔记的形式写下来了and are, in fact, the main points of a Summary.

1 Read the passage carefully two or three times. Made sure you understand it.

2 Read the general一般的普通的 instructions immediately below each passage. 

3 Under the titles CONNECTIONS, you will find two sets of joining words which have been with each list目录清单 of POINTS.

4 Using the first set of connections, join up the points to make sentences. The number of points which each sentence will contain is given in parentheses. All your sentences together should form形成排列 a complete paragraph. When joining up the points, you may refer to the passage as much as you like.

5 Read through your word and correct your mistakes.

6 Count the number of works in your paragraph. Do not go over the word limit限制. Words like ‘the’, ‘a’, etc. count as single words. Words which are joined by a hyphen连字符also count as single words. At the end of your paragraph, write the number of words that you have used.

7 Now, using the second set of connections, write another composition fo the passage in exactly the same way.

The sacred(神的庄严的宗教的  secret秘密) tree

In the nineteenth century, Mugo Kibiru, a famous prophet先知预言者 of the Kikuyu tribe部落,foretold (原形foretell 预言) that a fig无花果 tree at Thika, twenty-six miles north of Nairobi, would wither凋谢 and die on the day that Kenya gained获得 independence独立. Kibiru also prophesied(prophesy 预言) that Kenya would become a white man’s colony殖民地, but that one day the white man would return the land to the Africans （African非洲人）. He foresaw(foresee 预见) the coming of the railway which he described（describe描述）as ‘an iron snake with many legs, like an earthworm’. Kibiru’s prophecies(prophecy 预言) proved 证明显示被证明的 to be so accurate精确 that for many years the tree at Thika was regarded尊重 as sacred. Even the white men took 接受the prophecy seriously 认真的严肃的，for they built the tree up with earth and put a concrete混凝土的wall around it so that it would not fail. These measures措施were doomed 命定的注定判决 to fail. Shortly before Kenya gained independence, the tree was struck by lightning and it began to wither rapidly快速的. By the day Kenya officially became independent, it had decayed衰减 completely, fulfilling(fulfill使结束实现) the prophecy自我证明的预言 made over走完行程 从一种状态到另一种状态seventy years before by Kibiru. 这个自我证明的预言， 走完了七十年前被Kibiru 语言的行程。

Summary wrting

In not more than 80 words write an account 解释 of the tree at Thika. Write two different paragraphs using the points and connections given below.

1 A possible answer(First set一套of connections)

In the nineteenth century, Kibiru, a famous prophet of the Kikuyu tribe, foretold that a fig tree at Thika would wither when Kenya became independent. As many of Kibiru’s prophecies (prophecy预言)proved to be accurate, the tree was considered考虑认为 sacred. Though white men built a wall round the tree, they could not prevent it from falling. Kibiru’s prophecy came true, for the tree was struck by lightning just before Kenya gained her independence and it decayed(decay 腐烂衰退) completely.

2 A possible answer( Second set of connections)

According to符合根据取决于a prophecy made in the nineteenth century by the Kikuyu prophet, Kibiru, a fig tree at Thika would wither on the day that Kenya gained independence. Other prophecies made by Kibiru proved显示证明是 to be accurate so the tree was regarded as sacred. The white men even built a wall round it to prevent it from falling, but the prophecy came true. After having been struck by lightning just before Kenya became independent, the tree decayed completely.

Composition

In Unit 4 Composition exercises are based (base基础底) on ideas思路 suggested 引申by each passage. You wll be asked to write two paragraphs of about 150 words using ideas which have been given in note form. You may, of course, add to these ideas if you wish or change them to make them suit your purposes.

Example

Work through this example carefully and then try to do the Composition exercises in the same way.

Sample composition

Write an imaginary account of what happened to the tree from the time it was struck by lightning to when Kenya gained her independence. Write two paragraphs of about 150 words using the ideas given below.

1 Shortly before independence---storm---tree struck---news to Nairobi --- whole of Kenya—Kibiru’s prophecy true.

2 Visitors from all parts of Kenya---excitement---tree decayed ---completely by independence day---high wall remained—life to a new country.

A possible answer

Shortly before Kenya gained her independence, there was a terrible storm. The next morning, the inhabitants居民 of Thika were astonished 惊讶的to find that the sacred tree had been struck by lightning. Its trunk was split劈开in the middle and blackened变黑branches lay everywhere. The news travelled quickly to Nairobi. Soon everybody in Kenya heard that the sacred tree had begun to wither. It now seemed certain that Kibiru’s prophecy would come true.

  During the next few weeks, people came from all parts of Kenya to see the sacred tree. The tree decayed before their eyes. Everybody was excited and a little frightened by what was happening. Day by day, branches fell, until only part of the trunk remained. By independence day, the trunk had decayed completely. Only the high wall, which had been built by the white men, was still standing. The dead tree had given its life to a new country. (About 150 words)

Letter writing

Follow the instructions given under each passage.

Key structures and Special difficulties

When you finish the Letter writing exercise, go on to the language exercises that follow. The Key structures deal处理 with exactly the same problems that were considered in Units 1, 2 and 3. In thes Unit you will revise what you have learnt so far. You may refer back if you have forgotten anything. Special difficulties are dealt(deal 处理的过去式和过去分词)with after the Key structures. The work you do in grammar is based on material contained in the passages. Refer to the passages frequently. They will help you to understand the grammar and to do the exercises.