《新概念英语》第二册第21课  Mad or not   是不是疯了
【课文】
First listen and then answer the question.
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
Why do people think the writer is mad?

Aeroplanes are slowly driving me mad. I live near an airport and passing planes can be heard night and day. The airport was built years ago, but for some reason it could not be used then. Last year, however, it came into use. Over a hundred people must have been driven away from their homes by the noise. I am one of the few people left. Sometimes I think this house will be knocked down by a passing plane. I have been offered a large sum of money to go away, but I am determined to stay here. Everybody says I must be mad and they are probably right.

【课文翻译】
飞机正在逐渐把我逼疯。我住在一个机场附近，过往飞机日夜不绝于耳。机场是许多年前建的，但由于某种原因当时未能启用。然而去年机场开始使用了。有100 多人肯定是被噪音逼得已经弃家远去，我是少数留下来的人中的一个。有时我觉得这房子就要被一架飞过的飞机撞倒。他们曾向我提供一大笔钱让我搬走，但我决定留在这儿。大家都说我肯定是疯了，也许他们说的是对的。

【生词和短语】
mad  adj. 发疯
reason    n. 原因
sum    n. 量
determined   adj. 坚定的，下决心的

【知识点讲解】
1 Aeroplanes are slowly driving me mad.
飞机正在逐渐把我逼疯。
这个句子里drive表示迫使（某人生气、发疯或做出极端的事情。）

drive sb. mad /crazy迫使（某人生气、发疯
而drive away是赶走，逼走的意思。
例句：They drove away the little dog.
他们赶走了小狗。

2 passing planes can be heard night and day.
过往飞机日夜不绝于耳。
在这个句子里，passing是现在分词，做定语修饰名词planes。
例句：The falling leaves indicate the coming of autumn.
飘落的树叶昭示着秋天的到来。

3 come into use  投入使用，开始被使用
在使用时直接用主动语态，sth come into use。
例句：This bridge will come into use next year.
这座大桥将于明年投入使用。

4 sum  [名词]金额，量
通常组成词组a sum of 与money搭配，表示一笔钱。
sum也可作动词，有词组sum up表示总结，囊括，也可表示估量，判断。
例句：He asked for a large sum of money to drive her to the hospital.
他要她出一大笔钱才肯送她去医院。

5 Over a hundred people must have been driven away from their homes by the noise.
有100 多人肯定是被噪音逼得已经弃家远去。
这个句子里，情态动词must+完成时态，是对过去事情的肯定，猜测某事一定已经发生。这种情态动词表猜测的用法在19课也有提到，大家可以结合起来看。

6 but for some reason it could not be used then.
但由于某种原因当时未能启用。
大家可能注意到这篇文章里大量使用了被动语态。被动语态的基本形式是“be+过去分词+（by+动作执行者）。
例句：Mary was elected as the new president of the company.
玛丽被选为公司的新任董事长。

【上期作业回顾】
翻译以下三个句子。
1. 我最讨厌跑步。
→ Running is the sport that I hate most.
2. 明天的英语考试让我犯愁。
→The English test of tomorrow really worrys me.
3. 当他意识到自己说错话已经晚了。
→It was too late for him to realise that he had said somthing wrong.

【课后作业】
翻译以下三个句子。
1. 他的愚蠢行为真让人发疯！
2. 这是个有趣的故事。
3. 迈克被总经理训了。